ROGER'S DIARY OF THE END TIMES: Brewpub kombucha and chain atrocity proposals.

Conniving censorial and prohibitionist local do-gooders might continue to drag me into the fray now and then, kicking and screaming (but always factual), but my stated goal is to devote my sabbatical to exploring other nooks in the periphery.

As Democrats and Republicans exhibit precisely the same behavior and expect (accurately) that we'll continue to choose one and reject the other, when their corruption is all-inclusive ... well, obviously we're living in the end times.

Last week it was designer ice for your high-end hootch. This week, just two small items relative to taste, or the absence of it.

Josh Noel writes about beer (and other beverages) for the Chicago Tribune. If you're interested in beer and you frequent the Twitter neighborhood, he's a good follow https://twitter.com/hopnotes. Noel reports the ongoing degradation of better beer's once bright promise.

It gets worse. My fellow males always have embraced cluelessness as a birthright, but who knew that Valentine's Day proposals at Olive Garden are a thing?

As legendary baseball manager Casey Stengel is reputed to have asked his woefully inept 1962 New York Mets, "Does anybody here know how to play this game?"

SHANE'S EXCELLENT NEW WORDS (Valentine's Day Edition): A neb and a buss and the land is ours.

It's another mind-expanding and soul-enriching installment of SHANE'S EXCELLENT NEW WORDS, a regular Wednesday feature at NA Confidential.

However, today's Tuesday edition is special.

It's the VALENTINE'S DAY version of SHANE'S EXCELLENT NEW WORDS. Thanks to The Sun for these verse-iful ideas.

Tax-Increment-Financed you once, TIF you still,
TIFed you then, and always will.

Masterful beak-wetter, you take my breath away.
What have you stepped in to smell this way?

All you need is love. But a little bulging envelope now and then doesn’t hurt.

(Oh yeah? Well you can kiss my pasty ... )

Perfect segue, kind sir. It's a holiday for lovers, so let's kiss and make up.

6 words for kissing (Oxford Dictionaries)

Buss
Neb
Suaviate
Peck
To Get to First Base
Snog

Bank Street Brewhouse's specials for Valentine's Day.

Enjoy these treats without me; I'll be in Lexington KY for the craft writing symposium. I'm looking forward to the arrival in New Albany of the beer writer Stan Hieronymus, who is spending the night here in route to Lexington. We might be popping into a few downtown establishments later this evening.

Just for Valentine's Day: "Indy's last pornographer can't capitalize on retro-raunch."

Searching online for coverage of yesterday's legislative hearing, I stumbled across this.

Arguably, it is the finest Valentine's Day feature in recent memory.

Indy's last pornographer can't capitalize on retro-raunch, by Will Higgins (IndyStar)

At 82, Rivoli operator recalls the "golden age" and the moral outrage that snuffed him out on Valentine's Day 1992

Valentine's Day is a sad reminder for a lot of people but especially for Charles R. Chulchian.

It was on Valentine's Day, 1992 that Chulchian was forced by the city of Indianapolis to shut down his business. He ran porno movies at the Rivoli Theater on East 10th Street. He had rock concerts there, too, occasionally, but his chief revenue source was dirty movies. He'd screened them since 1975, since the advent of the genre's so-called "golden age," when the films began to have actual story lines and their stars, like Linda Lovelace and John C. Holmes, came close to being mainstream celebrities.

Unless he or she or it is a Native American, this is even denser than usual.

On the heels of selecting a deceased man as one's of last year's prime community movers, Erika lowers the hilarity bar even further with a Valentine's Day attack on political correctness, the anonymous hooded non-professor courageously telling immigrants just to go on home ... and yet, as we know, nearly one hundred percent of her/his/its readers ooze from a lineage of -- that's right -- immigration.

Here's the link. Don't forget your HazMat apparatus.

Chain newspaper crazy train going off the rails.

Kudos to Dan Christensen.

First the cub reporter regularly uses his Twitter feed (under the chain newspaper's banner, and presumably with its permission) to lash out at small, independent local businesses.

Now the chain newspaper has published a column, evidently unavailable on  line, written by a woman urging big box flower arrangement shopping. Meanwhile the pop-up publisher of the year wanders off to post Bible proverbs, assigning a column slot to his pastor.

As we seek discernible signs of coherent chain newspaper management amid the escalating squalor, here's the florist's cogent point.

READER JEERS

... To Darlene Hilsenback for her column in last Saturday’s paper telling people to shop the big chain stores instead of their local florist on Valentine’s Day. Study after study shows money spent with small locally owned and operated shops benefits the local economy. With all the work groups and businesses do to try to get this out when someone encourages people to bypass the local florists and shop the chain stores for a better deal, we tend to get very upset. If you as consumers will take the time to shop your local florists I think you might be pleasantly surprised. Most of your local shops will compete not only in price, but also in service. It was stated in her column that the chain stores have less overhead, but in reality the small shops do not have the buying power that the big chain stores have. We can’t lose money on our flowers only to make it up on other products while you are in the stores, and still we try to stay competitive on our prices and services. I encourage everyone to BUY LOCAL, shop your local florists this year for Valentine’s Day, you and the person you are buying for will not be disappointed.

— Dan Christensen, co-owner, Affairs of the Heart Florist in Jeffersonville

A locally owned and operated florist since 1991

St. Valentine's Day At Bank Street Brewhouse: Food and wine and beer.

Chef Matt Weirich and the crew at Bank Street Brewhouse have created a Valentine's Day with plenty of options. You can build a three- or four-course fixed price menu; pair with Oliver wines or NABC beers; or pluck your own choices a la carte. Call 812-725-9585 for information, details and reservations.

For Louisville readers and those of the curmudgeonly bent, be aware that Garage Bar (700 E. Market Street) is pairing meals with rare NABC cask-conditioned ales for an Anti-Valentine's Day Cask Beer Dinner.

St. Valentine's Day At Bank Street
February 14, 2013

Starters

Lobster Bisque 8

Crab Cakes, served with Rouille and Remoulade 9

Grateful Greens Romaine, Garlic Croutons, Anchovies, Parmesan Reggiano 8

Brie en Croute – Brie wrapped in pastry with roasted apples and baked,
Served with Apple, Honey and Crostini 9

Suggested Pairing: Oliver Sauvignon Blanc or NABC Gold Blonde Ale

Entrees

Brown Butter Gnocchi with Roasted Vegetables and Parmesan Reggiano 14

Cocoa Rubbed Diver Scallops, Fingerling Potatoes, Haricot Vert,
Oyster Mushrooms, Vanilla Beurre Blanc 28

Suggested Pairing: Oliver Pinot Grigio or NABC Tunnel Vision Wallonian Ale

Wagyu Tri-Tip with Pommes Pavè, Roasted Asparagus,
Domestic Mushrooms with a Bourbon Au Poivre 24

Feilder Farms Pork Tenderloin with Potato Puree, Fig Chutney,
Asparagus, Fig Gastrique 22

Suggested Pairing: Oliver Cabernet Sauvignon or NABC Elector Imperial Red Ale

Cheese

Capriole Farms Tomme, Mont St. Francis and O’Banon 9

Suggested Pairing: Oliver Shiraz or NABC Black & Bluegrass Spiced Belgian Ale

Dessert

Beignet
Maple Crème Brulée
Bonfire of the Valkyries Chocolate Mousse
Chocolate Truffles and Macaroons
6

Suggested Pairing: Oliver Vidal Blanc Sparkling or NABC Solidarity Baltic Porter

Three Course Tasting paired with wine or Beer $38 Four Course 45$

A rose and a pet … free flowers with furry friends.

(A press release from the NAFC Animal Shelter)

Don’t have a sweetheart? Pick your own partner by adopting a homeless pet, complete with a rose!

Buds In Bloom has graciously offered to provide a free rose with every furry friend adopted at The New Albany Floyd County Animal Shelter -- only on Valentine’s Day this year! Coupons will be distributed with each pet adopted at any of our locations. The coupon can be redeemed that day at Buds In Bloom at 225 Pearl St.

All pets adopted from the New Albany Floyd County Animal Shelter have been vaccinated, wormed, treated for fleas, and micro-chipped. Cats have tested negative for Feline Leukemia/FIV, and dogs have tested negative for heartworms. In addition, all animals come with an adoption gift pack and starter bag of food!

Shelter Adoption Hours:
Monday through Friday: 12:00 noon - 4:00 p.m.
Saturday: 10:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.

GreenTree Mall Adoption Hours:
Tuesday – Sunday: 12:00 noon – 7:00 p.m. (closed 3:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. for lunch) ... cats are also at SuperPetz, Connor Jewelry and the New Albany Feeders Supply.

Adoption fees:
Cats: $50 … Cats under 4lbs: $60 … Dogs: $70

Contact:
Theresa Stilger (Animal Care Coordinator) or David Hall (Director)
Cell phone: 376-8637, 376-8430
Shelter: (812) 948-5355