Here with a quick review of this, that and the other thing heard, seen and digested along with cocktail weenies on the party circuit . . .
HEARD:
''Who the heck was that?''
That would be several people at the Advertising Club of Cincinnati's recent Addy awards event honoring outstanding achievement in local advertising.
One of the big winners was Media Force, a firm known for waaaaay off-the-wall ideas. Force won two Judges Choice Awards, four Gold Addys and three Silver Addys.
But instead of staffers running up all breathless and jubilant, thanking everyone from mom to their neighbors at the trailer park, a guy looking like Disco Dude From Hell went up in mile-high white platform shoes, billowy disco shirt open down to here, yellow polyester jacket and pert white hat.
So who was the guy, guests were asking. Turns out he's Gary Price, a local comedian working under the name Terapufius. And where was Media Force? ''Bowling,'' says spokeswoman Cindy Biddinger. ''We send somebody different every year. Last year, it was a 13-year-old in a tux. Another year it was an office temp.
''Got any ideas for next year?''
Well, no. But Psst! would like to know more about this, uh, odd approach.
''We use the night to have our Anti-Addy party,'' Biddinger says. ''It's not that we object to being judged by peers. We love that and appreciate the importance. If we didn't, we wouldn't enter. But we're not into award ceremonies.
''So we went bowling and raised money for Big Brothers and Big Sisters. Oh, we also hired a 360-pound belly dancer for the heck of it.''
Maybe she's available next year?
HEARD, PART II:
''Wow, this place is beautiful. I'm going to have to raise the valuation.'' That from Hamilton County Auditor Dusty Rhodes.
He was talking at the recent opening party of Fritz's, a bar and restaurant at 1345 Main Street. Rhodes wasn't kidding about the good looks (who knows about the valuation?): Dark wood tables and bar; original stone walls on the lower level; shiny hardwood floors.
All this in a place built in 1878 and such a wreck when general partner Carl Perin found the building that ''we stood on the roof and literally looked into the cellar.''
The building has seen many uses, but it was first a saloon run by a guy named - you guessed it - Fritz. A large picture from those days hangs opposite the bar.
So anyway, this being an opening night, it brought out the partiers, many of them in-the-know types who talked plenty about Broadway Commons. Their consensus: It will happen, just wait.
We will.
Fritz's is open for dinner - chef is Stephanie Schifrin - and drinks. Lunches start in April.
EMOTED:
And this, a love story wherein Romeo and Juliet, the play, gives way to Romeo and Juliet, the couple. To wit . . .
Turns out one Tony Lee of Los Angeles decided to propose to girlfriend Debra Remy of Chicago. Since R&J is their favorite play - they even call each other Romeo and Juliet - he decided to propose at an R&J performance on Valentine's Day.
So Lee started looking for a city with a performance. After calling all over, the only one he could find was here: The Cincinnati Shakespeare Festival (nee Fahrenheit Theatre) production which ran through February.
Lee ordered plane tickets, got R&J tickets and, just before the curtain went up, proposed.
Remy accepted.
Later, after the show, they were telling executive director Jasson Minadakis, who got so excited he assembled the cast for a group photo.
No word on when wedding bells ring.
Psst! appears Sunday, Wednesday and Friday. Have an item to report? Call Jim Knippenberg at 768-8513; fax: 768-8330. And listen to his Weekend Report with Jerry Thomas at 8:30 a.m. Fridays on WCKY-AM (550 kHz).