In “Glitz,” a new book written by Philana Marie Boles, a Toledo-native living in New York City, two teenage girls from Toledo meet and tour with their favorite hip-hop artist.

Cover of "Glitz" by Philana Marie Boles

Boles will be returning to her hometown and signing copies of her books at Borders at Westfield Mall on April 23 at 2 p.m.

“Glitz” hit shelves on Feb. 3 and is already receiving good press.

Ebony magazine mentioned the book in the March issue.

Boles wasn’t hard-pressed for inspiration for “Glitz,” she says. It came from her own love for music, being a fan and understanding the value of having a best friend — especially as a teenager.

“As much as I love literature, I also love music,” she said.

She wanted to combine both of her passions — literature and music — and from there, “Glitz” was born.

She’s written two adult novels, “Blame it on Eve” and “In the Paint,” and she wrote “Little Divas” for ‘tweens, but said this one felt right for the teen market. It is Boles’ first young adult novel.

“I just think, even though it’s for teens, I think there’s something in all of us that wants to know what it’s like to be in the fantasy of being with your favorite musician on the road with your best friend. It strikes the teen in all of us,” Boles said.

Her Toledo background — she’s a ’94 graduate of St. Ursula Academy — played a small part in several of her novels, but “Glitz” is the first one to feature characters that live in Toledo. Even though most of her time is spent in New York, she still values her time spent in the city in which she grew up.

“There’s always that influence of Toledo,” Boles said of her novels. “I think there’s something very special about Toledo that you can’t get anywhere else. The personality of Toledo is special.”

Boles said working on the novel was especially fun because of the “great team” she and editor, Joy Peskin, made.

“She’s not afraid to have fun and she really matched me,” Boles said. “I love the craft but I also enjoy having fun with it.”

Since writing can often be a very lonely experience when it’s just “you, your computer and your editor,” Boles said, it helped that she connected with Peskin so well. Boles described her as “someone who is as smart as she’s cool and hip.”

The team pushed out such a successful final product that her publisher, The Viking Press, gave her a multiple book deal, so she will have a couple more books coming out over the next couple years, she said.

“Glitz” is available in book stores and online. For more information, visit www.pmarie.com.

Every now and then a news story pops up about a teacher being reprimanded or even fired because of perceived indiscretions in the social media arena. The latest under-fire educator is Christine Rubino, a 38-year-old, 15-year-veteran Brooklyn, N.Y. teacher. Referencing a local 12-year-old girl who had drowned on a school field trip to the beach the day before, Rubino lashed out after a rough day in her classroom by declaring on Facebook, “After today, I’m thinking the beach is a good trip for my class. I hate their guts.” According to the New York Post, Rubino recanted her words as a literal sentiment, and declared, “I like my job. I’m good at it. That’s all they should worry about.”
Stories such as Rubino’s make me wonder what we, as parents, should worry about when it comes to our children’s teachers and their lives outside of the classroom. A Georgia teacher, 24-year-old Ashley Payne, was encouraged to resign because of a Facebook photo of her holding a glass of wine in one hand and a glass of beer in the other while on a European vacation. Like Rubino, Payne’s Facebook settings were set to private.

Do alcoholic beverages in the hands of an off-duty, of-legal-drinking-age teacher compare to the proclaiming of hatred for students by another? Should either incident even be scrutinized when having only taken place within the confines of one’s personal life? Where do we draw lines, or should we draw them at all?
Teachers hold an important and unique position in the eyes of most students. I can still recall that bewildering feeling I would have when seeing one of my teachers at a random public place as a child. Many children have a difficult time envisioning their teachers anywhere outside of the classroom, much less leading normal social existences or cathartically expressing occupational distress after hours. It is no doubt a surprise when you grow up and realize that teachers are people too.
To all of my fellow adults who may still have that “teachers sleep alone on a cot in the class coatroom at night” idea in the back of your minds: Surprise! Teachers really are human beings who sometimes have a beer, vent about work, clean their bathrooms, have sex, go grocery shopping, argue with their loved ones and, yes, go online, just like the majority of the adult population. Also like the majority of the adult population, teachers make personal and professional mistakes. We need to take care in not confusing or combining the two.
We also need to take care in maintaining our own professionalism as parents. Many of the social media faux pas teachers in the news have been rebuked for and fired for are also common in the parenting community. The online lives of those of us doing the actual raising of the children have certainly not been impervious to sharp-tongued remarks, overzealous airing of work-related grievances, declarations of drunkenness, photos of said drunkenness, profanity, mocking and inappropriate relationships.
Parents also hold an important and unique position in the eyes of most children and our professionalism, too, is at stake. However, the authoritative chain of command is not as clear as it is in other occupations, so it is essential that we find it in us to self-police. Unlike teachers, we are on duty 24 hours a day, every day. Our children are continually susceptible to the ill effects of our unseemly comments and unbecoming behavior.
Although Christine Rubino’s comments have now become quite public, they were originally only intended for a select group of friends and acquaintances, one of whom turned her in. Still, her remarks were incredibly insensitive, disappointingly childish and bordered on threatening. I personally doubt I would have it in me to ever go quite as Mel Gibson as Rubino did in taking such an outright hateful approach to anyone or anything, but my days are likely also a far cry from what Rubino sees as a Brooklyn school teacher.
I’m not much of a drinker either, but I certainly take no offense to Ashley Payne’s or any other teacher’s legal adult activities outside of school. Selfishly assuming that a teacher’s personal time is somehow the community’s to dictate is an unfair and unacceptable practice. The shame is ours for attempting to hold only certain individuals within our community accountable to basic (or sometimes skewed) standards of ethical behavior, when the civility of our society is truly dependent on maintaining maturity, integrity and reason across the board, with each one of us very much included.
The thoughtful use of our discretion, when it comes to the possible indiscretions of others, is really all we should be worried about.

Shannon and her husband Michael are raising three children in Sylvania. Email her at letters@
toledofreepress.com.

When the Toledo Wistert Chapter of the National Football Foundation held its 49th annual awards ceremony last month, most of the attention was centered on Ohio State Head Coach Jim Tressel, who served as the keynote speaker. While the attention toward Tressel was well-deserved given what he has meant to football in the state of Ohio, one local man honored that night didn’t get the opportunity to receive the attention he deserved for all he has meant to football here in Northwest Ohio.
That man is Toledo native Jamie Knott, who together with wife Janina started the Springfield Youth Football Association in 2008 and was honored last month by the Toledo Wistert Chapter with the Junior League Coach’s Award for his contributions to local football. Starting with 90 participants in its first season, the SYFA has grown to more than 250 participants in flag football, tackle football and cheerleading.

“It’s a great thing to be honored because you’re just doing something that you really enjoy doing,” Knott said in a phone interview with Toledo Free Press. “You’re not out there doing it for any type of award. It’s been very good, almost like a family atmosphere that it’s been able to build. We’ve got three third and fourth-grade teams per tackle, three fifth and sixth and because of lack of space we’re trying to still find ways to bring the kids together more.
“As far as things that people have done, the positive feedback is probably the biggest thing that really keeps you motivated, to know that you’ve done a lot of good things.”
Prior to coaching football, Knott was a player. He graduated from Whitmer in 1987, where he was an offensive lineman and played for OHSFCA Hall of Famer Pat Gucciardo, Sr. Knott received a degree in business from the University of Toledo in 1994 and now works for Toyota at the company’s Technical Center in Ann Arbor, Mich. He coached for 13 years in the Washington Junior Football League before starting the SYFA with his wife in 2008.
“I played the sport all the way through high school, and a lot of the lessons I learned in it are what I use on a daily basis and always have ever since I’ve been playing the sport,” Knott said. “We wanted the kids to get those same experiences and get them ready. If they’re going to move on to play football, that’s what the grade and behavior checks [are for], so that they understand that their school has to come first. But we want the kids to get more out of it than football.
“We want them to get the life lessons out of it and apply them towards what they’re doing.”
During the season, kids participating in the program receive weekly grade and behavior checks from their teachers and parents, a practice instituted by SYFA coach Mark Masella. Masella also started an offseason conditioning program that takes place once a week for kids not participating in other sports. While Knott and others involved in the SYFA enjoy playing games at Springfield High School, they are also trying to raise money to purchase more land to develop practice fields, possibly taking it a step further in building local community center has been discussed.
“I can’t name them all, but there’s a lot of people involved in this organization to make it run,” Knott said. “We’ve grown from zero to almost 300 kids very fast, so it takes a lot of people. I don’t want this to sound by any means that it’s just two people —me and my wife — doing this. There’s a lot of people involved.”
Unfortunately, due to health issues Knott — a self-proclaimed “huge Ohio State fan and a huge Jim Tressel supporter” — was unable to attend the Toledo Wistert Chapter’s awards ceremony because he was in the hospital. Even though his health issues will prevent him from coaching in the time being, Knott won’t let them get in the way of his involvement with the SYFA, nor with 13-year-old son Zachary and nine-year-old son Cameron.
“I’ve coached Zach for several years and Cameron for two, but with me stepping down right now I’ll still be somewhat involved trying to transition everything and help them out,” Knott said. “I’m not just going to walk away and dump it in their laps, but I’ll finally be able to watch one of my kids play.”

James Blunt, photographed by Andrew Zaeh

James Blunt is amped up about his new disc, “Some Kind of Trouble.”
“I’ve written some pretty melancholic tunes before but that was because I was limited to the acoustic guitar,” the singer-songwriter said. “Now I’m on the electric. The album sounds upbeat and energetic.”
And happy. Listen to the first single, “Stay the Night.”
“It’s a really fun song, which I worked out in California with Ryan Tedder and Steve Robson and, of course, Bob Marley,” Blunt said of the song that references the reggae legend’s “Is This Love.” “It just really captures hanging out with your friends and not wanting the night to end.”
Blunt and Robson hung out a lot while making the disc.
“I was supposed to meet [Robson] for a beer, and he was playing the piano and I picked up an electric guitar, and we just wrote [‘Dangerous’] then and there,” Blunt said. “I hadn’t written on the electric for many years because most of my time in the army I was always traveling and it was impractical to take an amplifier anywhere; there’s nowhere to plug my amp in my tank.
“And songs just started coming and the demos sounded good,” he continued during a call from Stuttgart, Germany, after a sound check. “What was supposed to be a beer turned into a year in the studio, and we finished the album actually in 14 months.”
He talked about another new song, “Superstar.”
“It’s the story of a teenager in today’s world, but you know it could be your perception of the world as well, which is how we play along with a lot of TV nowadays, full of these reality TV shows about becoming famous. And all our children, if you ask them what they want to do, they say I want to be rich and famous because that’s what our TV shows tell our children is the measure of success,” Blunt said.
“[‘Superstar’ is] a story of a teenager saying, ‘I don’t want to read all these magazines telling me what clothes to wear, I don’t want to be told what music to like, I don’t want to measure success in fame and fortune.’ Instead he wants to be an individual and choose his own path. I think that’s definitely an idea I could relate to and I would imagine lots of people could relate to in this day and age.”
Blunt burst onto the U.S. music scene with the hit “You’re Beautiful” from his 2005 debut, “Back to Bedlam.” He received five Grammy nominations for that disc and song.
Suddenly, the former British army officer was pegged as “a sensitive singer-songwriter.”
“ ‘Sensitive’ always sounds like an effeminate quality. I think I was sensitive as a soldier, as all soldiers are, because you have to be sensitive, aware, of your surroundings,” the 37-year-old said. “As an observer, one has to be aware. And then I comprehend it, translate it and express it, so that defines your character, I suppose.”
Being a character landed Blunt in the news recently when he jokingly told a reporter he would be playing the royal wedding.
“There’s been a fascination with certain goings-on in Britain that have nothing to do with my job, but every current British musician at the moment is being asked the same question and, eventually, you think, well, I’m going to have some fun with this,” he said and laughed.
While he won’t be performing for Prince William and Kate Middleton’s big day, he will be at the Michigan Theater in Ann Arbor for a 7:30 p.m. show April 27. Tickets are $45, $33.50 and $25.
“I’m bowled over about playing live all the time because I think it’s such an amazing form of expression and communication,” he said. “I’m on a 13-month world tour playing in countries where people don’t even understand my own language, yet the music itself is all the language we need to communicate. I’m blown away by that, how you can explain and describe your own thoughts in song and a voice in your head and others will be dragged in on that emotional journey.”

Toledo Public Schools is inspecting the repairs needed to fix leaking roofs at Bowsher High School, Leverette Middle School and East Broadway Middle School.
Lisa Sobecki, vice president of the TPS Board of Education, said that even though these are newer schools, the leaks could have happened to any roof, regardless of its age.
When the snow and ice began accumulating on the roof, then thawing and then freezing over again, water was able to seep underneath the shingles and freeze — causing the leaks once it began to thaw again, Sobecki said.
She said that the district is communicating with the schools to let them know the process that will be used to fix the problems.
The board is stepping lightly so it can ensure that it is not spending unnecessary money because many parts of the buildings are still under warranty, Sobecki said. The district wants to avoid doing its own patch repairs and then finding out it voided the warranty.
“We want to make sure that if there’s any repair work that we do that it falls under warranty specifications,” Sobecki said. “We’re taking precautions so we don’t jeopardize further repairs and dollars.”
Sobecki said that the district is also up against the weather. The district has not have not wanted to send people up to the roof with the wind and rain during the last few weeks.
TPS’ construction manager, The Lathrop Company, inspected the roofs to assess and advise the board as to what needs to be done, but the board has to wait until the manufacturer for each roof looks at what it will replace before TPS can estimate the total cost of repairing the three schools, said Jim Gant, TPS business manager.
“We can do some general patching, but I don’t even know what we need to do to fix it until they take a look at it,” Gant said.
Enough repairs were completed when TPS initially noticed the leaks so it have not had any problems with it since the brunt of winter ended, Gant said.
So far, no permanent damage to property inside the schools has been reported, Gant and Sobecki said.
But the board isn’t only dealing with roof issues in the district’s newer buildings.
Even though TPS knew about HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning) problems at another newer building, Rosa Parks Elementary, earlier in the year, it was unable to take any action until the ground thawed because some of the problematic HVAC lines run underground, Gant said.
Those repairs are to be completed within the next few weeks, he said.

Rosie’s Italian Grille
606 N. McCord Road
(419) 866-5007 • www.rosiesitaliangrille.com
Open: Mon./Tues. 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.;
Wed./Thurs. 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m.;
Fri. 11:30 a.m. to 11 p.m.;
Sat. noon to 11 p.m.; Sun. 4 to 9 p.m.

We went to Rosie’s Italian Grille knowing that it wasn’t going to be exactly like the “old” Rosie’s restaurants that were scattered about the Toledo area just a few short years ago.
Of course, having a restaurant with “Rosie’s” in the name and not having pizza served in it would be like “Two and a Half Men” not having Charlie Sheen in it — ridiculous. So, yes, they still serve their great-tasting pizza. They also still have the famous “Rosie’s Hot Mama Bread” that at one time was so popular, they sold it in local grocery stores.
While you will find many of your favorites from the past on the menu, the overall atmosphere is more elegant.  The interior of the restaurant is lined with small booths separated by hanging draperies and burgundy valences creating an intimate, almost cozy atmosphere. The dining room’s fireplace adds to that feeling as do the ornate light fixtures hovering above the tables.  The walls sport a faux brick look and are dotted with Greek and Italian murals adding an old-world feel to the décor.

You have the option to experience the serenity of dining on Rosie’s Italian Grille’s Tuscan-style outdoor patios during the summer months — or during the winter, thanks to the outdoor heating system.
In addition to offering fine Italian food, Rosie’s has a nice array of seafood, steaks, baby lamb chops and some less formal Italian dishes like pizza and stromboli. Daily specials provide additional choices, including the freshest seafood flown in daily from the Florida Keys, steaks from Chicago Stockyard, handmade pastas, soups and desserts.
If you need help creating a unique combo of pizza toppings to challenge your palate, the “gourmet” pizza section should be right up your alley. These pizzas come on a thin cracker-ish cheese crust and feature some interesting pie toppers like spinach, artichokes, alfredo sauce, asiago cheese and, of course, feta.
If you decide to order the “Spicy Papa’s Ultimate” from the gourmet section, a buck will go to “Chicks for Charity.” Tasty pizza. Good charity. Everyone wins.
The gourmet mushroom appetizer is a must try for those among us who love the fungus. It’s a crostini-lined bowl filled with Smurf houses swimming in a garlic-infused cream broth.  It was off the charts. My wife can’t stop raving about it.
The soup of the day was conch chowder, which I enjoyed once years ago while wandering around Key West. However, I went with the Lobster bisque. Somehow I managed to go my whole life without ever having tried any sort of bisque until a few months ago — now I can’t get enough.
The lobster was plentiful and fresh, but its flavor didn’t blend into the bisque as well as I would have liked. The seafood and tomato flavors were both very strong and seemed to battle for supremacy in my bowl.
I love getting lasagna when I go out to an Italian place. When they bring out that mountain of meat, cheese and noodles — all covered in marinara sauce — it’s like Christmas Day 1978 for me. That’s when I got the “Star Wars” Death Star Space Station play set, rendering all subsequent Christmas gifts of my childhood inferior.  In other words, I am a pretty big fan of lasagna.
Well, this lasagna made me feel more like when I left the theater after seeing “Return of the Jedi” for the first time — a little disappointed. It didn’t taste bad, but the noodle-to-meat ratio was a bit off and it could have been cheesier.
On the flip side, I am happy to report that the stromboli is still a cut above most “mortal” strombolis you will encounter. I used to make the trip to Rosie’s specifically for some of their Italian bread dough packed with meat, cheese and veggies. That practice will likely be resurrected after rediscovering how good it is.
Betsy Barone runs a pastry shop out of the restaurant, “Betsie’s Pastries,” which offers outside catering and creates all the desserts at Rosie’s.  If you want a sweet finish to your meal, they will bring out a tray of Betsy’s award-winning delicacies of decadence. Confections are created fresh daily and the choices change constantly.
Betsy may be married to the owner, but her pastries stand on their own. The delicious-looking choices included key lime pie, tiramisu, panna cotta, coconut carrot cake and raspberry-filled cannoli pastry puffs. Rosie’s also has a spumone and gellato bar for those looking for something more in the ice cream realm.
After some serious internal debate, the panna cotta got the nod. I had never tried this concoction, but its outward resemblance to chocolate mousse intrigued me. Panna cotta is a popular Italian dessert made by simmering cream, milk and sugar together, mixing it with gelatin and letting it cool. Don’t let the gelatin scare you away from this tremendous treat. Its consistency and taste are more like a mousse or a cream pie filling than a bowl of Jell-O. A crown of delicious Frangelico cream topped it off nicely.
I have heard a few people say that the prices are a bit high at Rosie’s Italian Grille, and I can understand where they are coming from. However, the large portions, old-world décor and good service put it on equal footing with other fine dining options in the area. Plus, they offer deals throughout the week to save you some dough.
Every Wednesday is “Wino Wednesday” at Rosie’s, offering a good deal on the abundant selection of local and imported wines. Rosie’s offers $10 off all bottles more than $29 for dining patrons.
The bar offers half-off pizza and appetizers Sunday through Thursday. That might explain why that area was packed with myriad people jamming out to Michael Jackson’s “Rock With You” on a nondescript Wednesday night in Toledo.

Don Zellers is co-producer of “Fred LeFebvre and the Morning News” and co-host of “The Benchwarmers” on News Talk 1370 WSPD. He is also the station’s Good Swill Ambassador.

“We are not only less reasonable and less decent in our dreams… we are also more intelligent, wiser and capable of better judgment when we are asleep than when we are awake.” ~Erich Fromm

Dear Dream Zone,
I dreamed that a tree had fallen on my house. I knew I’d have to leave the house because the foundation was moving away from the side of the hill that it was positioned into. For the first time in my life I would have to file an insurance claim. I knew the house was a total loss. – Grisela 55, Naples, FL

Lauri: Houses in dreams symbolize the self, your state of mind, and sometimes even your body. Since your dream house is in need of some repair, is there any part of you – emotional or physical – that is in need of repair? Trees in dreams mean family. Is there an emotional or physical issue that was somehow caused by family? Just as you have to give up your house in your dream, what do you have to give up in waking life? What do you have to leave behind? The insurance claim symbolizes the insurance you have in your friends and family. The strength they provide you is what you need to call upon right now. The message of this dream is that despite what you have to give up in waking life, you’ve got a strong enough support system around you to compensate for it. When one door closes another one opens.

Grisela replies: Your interpretation was on target and very helpful. It makes perfect sense that trees represent family. At the time of the dream, I was sick with a cold I caught from my grandson, which turned into acute bronchitis. Also, I was thinking about moving closer to family since I am single and getting older. The dream has helped me to make that decision with confidence before someone has to make it for me down the road.

Fascinating Dream Fact:
In Scandinavian folklore, it is said that the soul leaves the body and explores the world. The experiences are remembered by the sleeper as a dream.

Lauri Quinn Loewenberg is a certified Dream Analyst, author of “Dream On It” and member of The International Association for the Study of Dreams. She joins The Kiss Morning Show on 92.5 every Tuesday morning at 7:10 analyzing listeners’ dreams. You can visit Lauri at www.thedreamzone.com

“Monster Jam:  Path of Destruction” (Activision): Monster truck fans get 28 vehicles, eight authentic stadiums, 32 race events, and more than 20 freestyle events (90 seconds with possible 30 second bonus time) while having the ability to create their own monster truck. Use different strategies for events that include stunt challenges, stadium races, circuit races, time crunches and team races. No online play, but the multiplayer mode, authentic components and various stunts echo entertaining realism just like the real shows. Players must work for the rewards in career and multiplayer modes while mastering movement presents the greatest challenge. Control schemes include use of the left analog stick to steer the front wheels and the right stick to steer the rear wheels. Sharper graphics would improve the excitement, but the sound provides additional pros. Nintendo Wii and PlayStation3 versions available with Grave Digger Steering Wheel Peripheral with stickers (**1/2, rated E for mild violence, also available on Nintendo DS, PSP and Xbox 360).

“Moto GP 10/11” (Capcom): Motorcycle racing has never been better with one- and two- player modes with two to 20 player online modes. Players can record and upload their races. Green trails show if the direction, speed and other factors are “on track”. The challenging braking takes real effort — veterans of this game series have a definitce advantage in this area. The online mode includes messaging and friend invitations. Time trials have a ghost rider option while challenges offer a wide variety like slipstreaming, but the career mode provides the main appeal.Co-op play in this mode lets players take a detailed journey together involving sponsorships, reputation and other managerial elements. Game modes promote short sessions or extremely detailed experiences. For example, in world championship, play can range from a full season to a single race. The European music soundtrack pumps with energy (***, rated E, also available on Xbox 360).

“NASCAR 2011” (Activision): Improvements in vehicle damage, race logistics and proximity radar add to a highly authentic NASCAR experience for all skill levels in one- and two-player gameplay (two to 16 players online). Players can take the customization and immense options to a high level along with a limited number of “rewinds” to turn back the clock on crashes for another chance. Check the visuals for help, which include a brake indicator that shows alerts if turns are angled poorly or too fast. Game modes include career mode, race now, eliminator, invitational events, track testing and practice. Building skills and progression transfer to experience points that can lead to fun celebration burnouts and doughnuts for more bonus experience points. Look for an upcoming add-on content update with 2011 car models, paint schemes and more (***1/2, rated E for mild language, also available on Xbox 360).

Some of the best things in life happen by chance. That’s exactly where the story begins with former Promise of Tomorrow and The Devil and The Executive band mates and longtime friends Ryan Wayton and Jon Hammond.
“It’s funny,” Tropic Bombs’ lead singer Ryan Wayton recalled on how his latest project got started. “It was actually an accident. It started as a two-man studio project. We were just jamming one day and we didn’t have a name. We didn’t even really know what we felt like doing. He went to do a reggae riff, and he forgot to click off his distortion pedal. Completely serious. He started making this distorted reggae riff, so jokingly I started doing double bass to it, which you never hear obviously in reggae, and it sounded really cool.”

Tropic Bombs

That jam session back in 2009 ended up becoming Tropic Bombs’ first son —“The Assassins of Abboneau”— and laid the foundation for the band’s name and its unique, “Heavy Reggae” sound, a fusion of reggae, rock and funk. Wayton and Hammond continued recording the music in the basement studio at Wayton’s home, deciding this past November that they wanted to take their funky grooves out of the studio and play live again. Having played in local bands for the better part of the last decade, the duo started putting their ideal lineup together for their latest project.
After recruiting former The Devil and The Executive band mates Justin Crumley (guitar) and Jason Goss (drummer), former Decibel guitarist Ben Snyder and ex-OnceOver bassist Nick Archer, Tropic Bombs became a full band and will bring its sound live to the public for the first time April 23 at Frankie’s Inner City. It will headline a show that also features local rockers GOLD and The Fight Within, as well as Athens, Ohio’s Mindfish.
“Basically, our goal for this show is not even just to have it be a show,” Wayton said. “We want to do this every month. That’s our goal is to do this every month, basically like a party. It’s just a gathering of people to rock out and have fun and hang out.”
Even though Tropic Bombs hasn’t played live yet, they’ve already generated some buzz this year. In addition to being featured on Fox Toledo News’ “Toledo Idol,” Tropic Bombs has also experienced some serious fan dedication. David Maxwell of West Palm Beach, Fla., got a tattoo of “Pimpy McBride,” the band’s symbol, which Hammond painted on the Tropic Bombs’ studio wall. As promised by Wayton, the feat earned Maxwell free Tropic Bombs merchandise for life.
“We made good on our promise,” Wayton said. “We just got shirts made. That’s our first merchandise, and we sent one down to him first thing.”
Having grown up in the Toledo music scene with one another, there is a friendship and collective creativity that binds the members of Tropic Bombs together. The group is excited to share its sound live with the public and hopes it will refresh local music.
“I think every once in a while you do need to hear something different, and I’m hoping that we’ll be a part of kind of helping give a breath of fresh air to the music scene,” Wayton said. “I want people to get excited again about going out and having fun at a show, rather than just going to any bar.”
All ages are welcome for the show at Frankie’s Inner City. Doors open at 9 p.m. Tickets are $5 for ages 21 and older and $7 otherwise. For more information, visit www.frankiesinnercity.com or call (419) 693-5300. To check out Tropic Bombs music, you can visit them via Facebook, tropicbombs.bandcamp.com and myspace.com/tropicbombs.

With the release of “Portal 2” on April 19, gamers around the world are finally able to once again enter the world of Valve Software’s mind-numbing puzzles and genre-bending game structure. But for many, the return of “Portal” is a cause for celebration for one very simple reason: It means GLaDOS is back.
“Cake and grief counseling will be available at the end of the testing period.”
When we first encountered her in the original “Portal,” released in 2007, GLaDOS certainly didn’t seem like a villain. In fact, she didn’t seem like a character at all. As gamers began exploring levels in the “science institute” that provided the game’s setting, an odd, automated voice accompanied them from room to room, providing guidance and information. Since the game’s structure and physics were unusual, her presence helped acclimate players to the new elements “Portal” was introducing.

“Momentum, a function of mass and velocity, is conserved between portals. In layman’s terms, speedy thing goes in, speedy thing comes out.”
But as time passed and players got deeper into the game, clues began to appear that their helpful guide was not all she seemed. Her attitude toward any peril the gamer experienced seemed flippant and uncaring. Her demeanor darkened, and more lethal traps were placed in the player’s way — all in the name of “scientific testing,” of course.
And strange graffiti plastered everywhere — seemingly by a previous participant of “Portal’s” devious tests — informed that “She is watching you,” and, famously, that “The cake is a lie.”
“At the end of the experiment, you will be baked, and then there will be cake.”
It all led up to the game’s conclusion, where players learned that the voice was that of a sinister computer program named GLaDOS (Genetic Lifeform and Disk Operating System). She was, in fact, the only thing controlling the “testing” that went on at the lab, having apparently murdered the rest of the staff years earlier.
“Good news. I figured what that thing you just incinerated did. It was a morality core they installed after I flooded the Enrichment Center with a deadly neurotoxin, to make me stop flooding the Enrichment Center with a deadly neurotoxin.”
For all the gameplay innovations and intriguing puzzles provided by the original “Portal,” the game might have gone down as little more than a curious footnote if it had not been for the addition of GLaDOS to the mix. As performed by the extraordinary Ellen McLain (her voice modified and mixed to make it sound more artificial) and written by the Valve Software team, the character is a nearly perfect mix of deadly antagonist and hilarious commentator.
“Unbelievable. You, <subject name here>, must be the pride of <subject hometown here>.”
Her demeanor and story arc have inspired comparisons to other famous computers-gone-mad, such as HAL in Stanley Kubrick’s immortal “2001: A Space Odyssey.” But I would argue — film purists, be braced — that GLaDOS is a
more successful and engaging character than even HAL.
“Well, you found me. Congratulations. Was it worth it? Because despite your violent behavior, the only thing you’ve managed to break so far … is my heart.”
HAL was also a computer that was simply following its programming to its logical conclusion — the mission was more important than the lives of the crew, so it was OK to kill them. But GLaDOS goes far deeper as a character, with her astoundingly witty dialogue and genuine malevolence giving her more levels than even Kubrick’s legendary foil.
“You’ve been wrong about every single thing you’ve ever done, including this thing. You’re not smart. You’re not a scientist. You’re not a doctor. You’re not even a full-time employee!”
And as “Portal 2” is unleashed on gamers worldwide, players will once more be confronted by the subtle-yet-powerful presence of its usually-unseen-yet-always-heard antagonist. And if the trailers and sound bites released in advance are any indication, GLaDOS’s remarkable personality has been fully retained and enhanced for the new game. She’s still as evil — and hilarious — as ever. And fans would have it no other way.
“I think we can put our differences behind us. For science. You monster.”

Email Jeff at PopGoesJeff@gmail.com.