So, does anybody else feel a little cheated when terms become passe before you get a chance to use them? I was realizing this the other day when after I had mailed off a bunch of work related stuff to a business associate, he e-mailed me back saying that he got the "swag" I sent. I've read it in other silly out of context places too, seen it on Facebook, and know that as a vogue term its time has come and gone. Probably I only think this because I never got much real swag myself and that's why I feel cheated. Oh well.
Maybe I'm getting too particular about being ahead of the language police, but I'm guessing that swag shows up on next year's version of this list.
Alright, so last night I went out with some friends just down the street from this burning church, which made for a fairly dramatic evening. There are a lot of brick Gothic revivalist buildings in Cincinnati, and this building was designed by one of that period's top architects, Samuel Hannaford, who also designed the City Hall here. Last week I saw the Cincinnati Symphony perform in another of Hannaford's buildings, the imposing Music Center.
What becomes of the space now will be an interesting test of the cultural fabric of the city and community. If they decide to replace the building with a generic Walgreen's (as the article indicates could have happened before had architectural historians not stepped in) they are doing themselves a disservice. I'm all for capitalism, but I don't think it has to come at the expense of preservation or community aesthetics. In fact, I think they can be creatively melded with great effect. For instance, across the street from this space, an Urban Outfitters has set up shop in what was obviously another refurbished old church. So I guess I'm hoping they find away of restoring the steeples or at least prioritize quality of design and construction in whatever they decide to replace Old St. George with.
The Rockpile will probably be a bit late today, but it should be up in a couple of hours.