Tuesday, December 31, 2002

Year 2002 in Review
City Beat had several stories on the year in review on news stories and issues for 2002.
Year of the Status Quo covering the elections
Police Deals covering police-community relations
People of the Year
Sports: More of the Same
Hearing Voices a summary of letters and editorials from throughout the year.

The Enquirer provided the top stories, people, happenings, and moments of 2002.
U.S., World Year in Review: Top stories that shaped our news
Local News Year in Review: Top stories that shaped our news
Sports Year in Review: Five People Who Stood Out

Business Year in Review: Top happenings that shaped our news
Tempo Year In Review: Five moments that mattered

The Cincinnati Post settled on just a summary story on racial tensions: "City made effort to heal its racial tensions in 2002."
City Beat is not Immune
Reports are that Kabaka Oba, the main spokesperson for the racist black separatist group the Black Fist, announced last week that his group would be protesting in front of the City Beat offices. It is not clear to me why they are protesting City Beat, but it may have to due with Kathy Wilson's comments in a prior column:
Suddenly we're bigots of the loud-mouthed variety. We make generalizations based on revisionist history to further our own agendas and to reclaim the sick-hot spotlight of "they done done me wrong."

Case in point: The Dec. 4 "rally" on Fountain Square by the Black Fist, an ad hoc group of protesters and hangers-on who demonstrated against the placement of a menorah. This year it was a menorah and not a cross in the ongoing holiday festivities I like to call "Who's on First, and Is It a Religious Symbol?"
I don't know if this will turn into much of anything, but it funny seeing the Black Fist bite the hand of the only print media outlet that take them seriously.

Monday, December 30, 2002

Shooter's Wife Called 911 After Murder-Suicide
Sounds like a love triangle or a perceived one. This article has one problem. Is a suicide considered a homicide? If that is the case, I would be surprised if the number of 64 homicides includes all of the suicides from this year.
Ideas, etc.: Big Red Machine's Home Gone
Kevin Holtsberry, a fellow Ohio Blogger for the upcoming Polstate.org, comments on the implosion of Riverfront Stadium.
The Old South, Up North
In a surprise this column is not about Cincinnati. I am sure the boycotters are disappointed this story attacks Milwaukee, instead of Cincinnati, for not holding the hand of the black community there and telling them how to live their lives. This is the paradox vexing our society. The black community wants the white people to give them “stuff.” That is what the boycott is about, that is what this column advocates. The governments try and do that, and have tried to do that, but nothing short of large cash payments with no strings attached will satisfy the hotheaded boycotters (aka reparations). A No strings policy is not going to happen. Money will not cure the poor. All it will do is provide a temporary respite from suffering. If you want to reduce the number of poor people, education and personal effort are the only solutions. Additionally, boycotters expect instant gratification. Money will make their community prosper, is what they think. They are dreaming. It takes solid a community with a social structure that can function without handouts. Perpetual charity will only breed the need for more charity.

The problem that exists is the bottom line issue for the black community. Assimilate or fend for yourselves. Learn to fit into the general society, or make your own. On Friday Jim Clingman filled in for Jay Love on the Buzz. It was an afternoon filled with bigoted callers railing on what they claim has been done to “them”. They talked about assimilation, but failed to really talk about what it was. They just grunted out racist comments on why they would never allow themselves to fit into the mainstream culture. They sound to me like the Strom Thurmonds and Trent Lotts circa 1960 rallying against segregation.

I wonder how many reading me are going to say I have bigoted views or that I have made racist statements. I guess the boycotters who regularly read me will think that, which is too bad. It is understandable that they the see all white people who don’t agree with them as racist. That is a common human failing that has fallen on many conservative movements as well as this progressive-populist movement. Those who disagree are out to get you. It falls into “Themism” which I have talked about on my other blog. It spreads like a flu on a cruise ship, and will take down this city if everyone, and I mean everyone of every race/creed/color/religion etc, does not stand up to all instances of this kind of uncheck bigotry. Black separatists can’t go unchecked. Homophobic politicians can’t go unchecked. Theocratic fascist can’t go unchecked. No one can go unchecked. If you want to check me, the comments link is right below.

Sunday, December 29, 2002

Saturday, December 28, 2002

It feels good getting back from vacation only to turn around have another one Monday and Tuesday of this week. It will take me a little time to get back into the Blogging routine, and with the holiday the news is light anyway.

Monday, December 23, 2002

Two sought in Lazarus robbery
They only took "food items"?
Bronson: Why Lott quit
Peter is playing the same game of moral equivalency that the Palestinians play.
Many Republicans in the Senate were disgusted by the double standard of media and the Democrats. Mr. Lott was barbecued while Democrats who have done much worse got a pass.
Peter and his ilk have been whining that the media did not treat Senator Byrd, who used the term "white nigger" within the last year or so, while "attacking" Lott. First, the media did not attack Lott. Columnists and pundits did. All the news outlets did was to heavily cover the issue after it was made into a story by the blogosphere and conservative pundits. Second, Byrd and Lott are not on the same scale with their comments. Byrd gets the same old man bye that Strom Thermond gets. His comments also were not as bad as Lott's. Using a racial slur in a bad context is wrong, but far from inferring that segregation should have been in place for "all these years." Also, Lott is the incoming majority leader of the Senate, while Byrd has little leadership in the Democratic Caucus. Peter is now following the lead of other conservatives and now blaming Democrats and liberals for this problem, not Trent Lott and the race baiting strategies of the GOP for the last 30+ years. He instead says:
Mr. Lott has taken a beating, but he has regained some respect by staying in the Senate, keeping Democrats from destroying his career and reducing the GOP majority.
I guess this means the real reason Trent had to be admonished a little bit was that it was bad politics to keep him majority leader, not his current and past statements/actions on race issues. Peter is more concerned with keeping the GOP majority, than cleaning out the image of bigotry in the GOP. Peter can now whine that the Democrats are really the party of segregation, but would be pulling a Clinton. He would label the party for actions, not the members who took those actions. If Peter were to ask today what party nearly all of the segregationists and their offspring are now part of, there is one party that would hold a vast majority, the GOP. The GOP of Lincoln is not in control of the GOP today. The moderate Republican is a dying breed. They are defecting to the Democrats, or joining the growing ranks of independents. Peter needs to get off the talking points of the Conservative Pundit's Union, and start taking an independent track.

UPDATE: I see Rob Bernard is a conservative dressed in Palestinian clothing as well with this post.

Sunday, December 22, 2002

Robbers Break In To Police Chief's House
Dozen's of police officers are working on this case? Are you kidding me? If my house was robbed I would be lucky to have a cop file a report. I would never see anything stolen ever again. The robbers would never be prosecute for the robbery of my house, unless they are really stupid or if chance played a part. The police chief should get the same level of police attention as the rest of us, not special treatment by his friends. The Enquirer version of the story.
Fire Destroys Former Fortune Teller Business
I will ask the obvious quesiton. Didn't the fortune teller know this was going to happen? Or is that why she is a former fortune teller?
Support for Lott is firm
Key section:
"Sen. Lott's remarks were out of line,'' said Rep. Rob Portman, the Terrace Park Republican. "Nearly everyone acknowledges this, including Sen. Lott. -- While what he said was inappropriate, the senator has apologized and Congress should now move on and focus on its important work, including getting the economy on track and combating terrorism.''
I wonder what Rob is saying now?
Judge throws out Jorg defamation suit
Police are public figures? I assume then Postal workers and City garbage collectors are open for public ridicule as well? One might argue that Jorg himself is a public figure because of the media attention of his case, but his position as a police officer is not one that is open to slander and libel statements.
Read this article, then read this article. I guess a good and free press is not something Ohio excels in.

Friday, December 20, 2002

Supporting Cops???
What is Peter Bronson smoking? His column today: Don't shoot takes on the treat of police by the city. He thinks that council's rejection of the contract for supervisors is a lack of support for police? Peter, wake up and smell the Union! Peter, you and your right wing brethren hate unions. They make you vomit up your dividends. How could any GOPher possibly support a contract that ties the hands of management? Peter's own beloved George Bush held up the Homeland Security Bill because he did not want his hands tied by unions. Mr. Bronson let me reintroduce you to your old friend: HYPOCRISY.
Wells' A Grinch for the Republicans has a providential aura around it.
Whitehouse Claims to Have Helped "Heal" City's Racial Tensions
In today's White House press briefing, Presidential spokesman Ari Fleischer touted George Bush's actions in the aftermath of the riots in Cincinnati. He claimed that the Bush administration played a role in helping the city heal the racial problems after the April 2001 riots. How exactly did they do this? Bush considers investigating the Police department as healing? Bush has done little to help the City of Cincinnati. If he thinks that giving a speech here in front of a partisan crowd is a way of "healing", then he has had one too many pretzels. Bush, or more likely Fleishcher, should not boast about doing nothing for a city he couldn't care less about. He has this region's votes locked up solid no matter what he does. He will just let those in power here rule as the despotic tyrants they like to be.
FOP isn't calling for cop slowdown
Is calling for a slowdown against the law? I would say it is at least a dereliction of duty. The FOP is playing a game, and specifically Fangman and Webster. They are using the rank and file officers as bait to get the city to violate issue 5 and give over a few senior positions to current internal police officers, when those jobs by city charter are open to a nationwide search. I find it odd they are willing to play chicken with the lives of Cincinnati residents. If police begin a slowdown criminal investigation should be considered, if nothing more than a RICO violation. If not a criminal case, a civil case from the citizens against the police union would be something I would support on this issue.
A Tale of Two Headlines
Enquirer: Council rejects a police contract
Post: Council OKs one police contract
Can we spin a story any more folks? Ok, the facts: Council approved the contract for non-supervisors, the vast majority of officers, and rejected the contract for supervisors. Did the police union treaten a slowdown or did the not? Unclear at best is the only answer I can come up with. Did the Vice Mayor goat Fangman into talking about a slowdown? Can you say mountain out of a mole hill?

Wednesday, December 18, 2002

Couple Indicted In Horse Thefts
Do we still hang horse theives? Is Simon Leis building a gallows as I type?
Bronson: A wrong choice on earth
Peter needs to practice what he preaches. If you don't like political correctness then don't practice it yourself. Peter needs to pick an offensive comment instead of an inoffensive one. What if the "School Choice" lobby used his slogan "Choice on Earth? Would Peter have a cow at them? Of course not. The issue here is Peter's reactionary stance on abortion and his hatred those who oppose his theocratic opinions. I think Peter should keep to writing the CCV's press releases instead of worrying about a little slogan. He has been saving postage by hand delivering them to the Enquirer, so I would think he could lay off the Scrooge tone for a while.
Boycott organizer picked for ethics oversight board
This is progress? I guess it is better than say appointing a member of the bigoted filled CJC. The article states she is a 46 year old retired federal empolyee. Who retires at age 46? I wonder if there is a reason she no longer works for the government. Maybe it is a disability, but what made her quit?

Tuesday, December 17, 2002

Blogging will not be consistent for the next week. I am off to the Griffin Homestead.
You can't beat Jack Handy
New Racial Profiling Monitor Named ... Again
Is everyone finally happy? Can we move forward now?
Chabot enters squabble over English Woods
Was this action influenced by the Trent Lott affair?
The CCV and Enquirer are at it again. Chris Anderson has the scoop.
Local Teen Missing, Parents Point Finger At Activists
What is the name of the extremeist Animal Rights group?

Monday, December 16, 2002

BRONSON: Not a Lott of courage
I applaud Peter for jumping on the bandwagon and calling for Trent Lott to step down as majority leader. I laugh at Bronson's attack on the democrats. Peter can't help but drag everyone one else down with his party when it falsl into a pit of crap. Peter, Trent is your party's mess, you guys clean it up. We non-right wingers will sit back and wait until you send Trent packing, meaning back to Mississippi, not just to the backbench.
CHRIS ANDERSON goes to town on the Enquirer's Laura Pulfur and has mixed feelings on NKY's proposed gay rights ordinance.
PULFER: What makes us bigots
There is not a person on earth who is not two things: ignorant and bigoted. Ignorance is rather obvious to understand, we don't know everything. Our bigotry is not so easy. Bigotry is normal. I am bigoted about many things. I am bigoted against those who are willfully ignorant for one. People, who don't want to know about politics for example, drive me nuts. Most people are culturally bigoted. They prefer to adhere to one particular culture. Most of what are called race problems are really just cultural problems. Too many people equate race to culture. Those who do in my opinion are the real racists. When a David Duke tries to define "white culture" I am disgusted, and when Kabaka Oba tries to define "black culture" I am just as disgusted. I refuse to be part of either of their cultures. I like my own culture. Can I define it? Not in the least. Is anyone excluded from it? Yes, not because of who they are, but the ways they act and beliefs they hold.
2002: The Year of America’s Moron Terror
John Schlagetter's year end rant. It is a bit hard on the mind with the Rand influenced objectivist philosophy chopped into it like a mental goulash. His website is cool, it changes colors as your read it. John needs to fix his archives however.

Sunday, December 15, 2002

CityBeat: Your Negro Tour Guide "Cincinnati UpSouth"
Kathy's condemnation of the bigotry of the Black Fist is very welcome. I wish others would see them for what they are and not either tacitly support them or use them as fodder for ratings (see 1230 the Buzz). I do find a couple of things puzzling about her column. One is the notion that Cincinnati is somehow a southern town, meaning we have southern attitudes towards certain societal elements, and in this case that being segregation. Yes, Cincinnati is segregated. Blacks and non-blacks do not live in the same neighborhoods as much as other cities. I don’t know however how much the ranking reference took into considerations the metropolitan area or just the City itself. I don’t think the metro area is any less segregated that any other metro area in the country. Attacking the City is not really far either, since the city is much more integrated than the rest of the metro area.

The second issue is with her last line of the column: “Just remember that two wrongs don't make a white.” I took offense to this. Now what does it mean? Well, there are two meanings I can see. One is that she is saying to the bigoted Black Fist: Don’t be bigots, like the whites. The other idea is that she is saying we have white bigots; we don’t need any black ones. Either one is offensive to me. It is nothing worse than she has alluded to before, but I don’t see the purpose in it. I of course could have misunderstood what she meant; after all I am just a milquetoast white boy.
CityBeat: Porkopolis 12-12-2002
Greg's story is a lesson in talking out of both sides of one's mouth. In this column he both condemns the actions of Amanda Mayes at a anti-Jewish "protest", and commends her for getting off on charges stemming from an incident at last September’s Oktoberfest. This is bit of an unfair situation for Greg, however, since Ms. Mayes’ legal troubles were resolved this week along with her outburst of bigotry. The timing is not totally his fault. What is his fault is the placement of that part of his column. Greg chose to give the good news to boycotters before the bad news. The first topic of the article was about Ms. Mayes’ acquittal on a charge of disorderly conduct. This is where the boycotters can sing praise to the justice system they hate for springing this women who was part of a group of goon out to cause trouble at Oktoberfest, which many might say would include incitement to riot. Luckily that did not happen, but evidence of incitement was common among those “protesting” that day. Additionally, if there is a videotape, why has it not been shown in public? Ms. Mayes is quoted as stating that is what got her off. I want to know why this tape has not made its way to the local media. If it has, then why has it not been aired or at least put online? If it was part of the trial, would it not be part of the public record?

The second item Greg covered was this same Ms. Mayes carrying on at a Black Fist, a local black separatist hate group, decrying Jews on Fountain Square. Greg here strongly chided Ms. Mayes for her participation in this hate filled event. Greg did not mince his words in comment in responding to comments from Ms. Mayes “That might be. But there's also a double standard in Mayes' behavior, championing civil rights for one minority group, African Americans, while fomenting hatred against another minority group, Jews.” Greg’s comment are akin to many conservative bloggers, like Andrew Sullivan and Glenn Reynolds, who have publicly called for Trent Lott to resign. I think however that Greg has dropped the ball here. Greg should have called for her to resign her post at the CJC for an offense that was more overt than Trent Lott’s comments. Greg and City Beat’s saving grace is the old adage that a picture is worth a thousand words.
Anti-porn crusader takes fight to hotels
This "news" article is brought to you by Phil Burress and the CCV. Could there be anything more biased? Well yes, this list of quotes about Burress the Enquirer ran with the story, along with this brutal side story. I guess they could not reach Howard Stern, Peter North, Jenna Jameson, and Ron Jeremy. They were all unavailable for comment. Since Linda Lovelace and Jeffery Dalmer are dead, they could not comment either. The article covered how much money the CCV raises for his fascist activities. What I want to know how much money the CCV paid the Enquirer for this political advertisement disguised as a "news" article.

Peter Bronson mush have a hard on for this story. This kind of thing must make him want to get together with Carl Linder, Anthony Munoz, Phil Heimlich, Thomas Grossmann, Daniel Pilarczyk, Joe Platt and Phil Burress and have a prayer circle-jerk to their favorite Jesus movie. Last one to hit the cross shaped cookie does the deed.

Is this the type of story that the new managing editor is going to run? If so, I guess I will have to start getting out my thesaurus to find alternate terms for biased, fascist, and bigotry in regards to the type of stories the Enquirer.

Tuesday, December 10, 2002

Luken: Baseball `receptive' to reinstating Rose
This is a priority issue for the City?
Arts, not sports, city's biggest draw
After being in Cleveland just after Thanksgiving, I would say this has merit. Downtown Cleveland has a good layout of districts. Their Theater District is very nice and gives it a attractive feel to a casual visitor. I attended the Cleveland branch of Second City. Cincinnati needs places like Second City. Our Backstage area needs an improv/skit comedy theater that can augment the Arnoff center and the new CAC. I know this will not happen anytime soon. When something is good, groundbreaking, or fresh, Cincinnati will get it once it has been proven to work someplace else.
Survival of the Slickest: How anti-evolutionists are mutating their message
I hope the Ohio School Board reads this, but it would most likely fall on deaf ears. I wonder if the Enquirer, with the new managing editor, would have the same editorial stance on ID as before? I am sure Peter Bronson would just call this "liberal" propaganda because of the source of the article, and Phil Burress would call me a “devil” worshiper for just existing, so I will not go there.

Sunday, December 08, 2002

Will casinos change quaint town of Lebanon? You can bet on it
Bronson seems to have gotten his latest marching orders from Phil Burress and the CCV. Peter, is Lawrenceburg "Pottersville" yet? Your Chicken Little routine is going to even tire your blind followers Pete, so don't cry foul over a little gambling.
Ky. senator new `Mr. Conservative'
Why is this a "news" article? This would be understandable if it was a Bronson column, but this is just a biased article setting up Bunning's 2004 reelection campaign to keep out any right-wing challengers. Who is more right-wing than Bunning? I guess only the creationist nutjobs out in Northern Kentucky.
Rock star praises city's efforts on race
I don't think the boycotters can claim Bono as a major supporter.
Cincinnati's elegant and expensive Maisonette earns its stars
Ok, can we trust a food critic from Cleveland reviewing a Cincinnati Restaurant? In this case yes, no one can find fault with the Maisonette.
Ann over at Spiced Sass has commented on my issue with her Blog header comments:
I'm an American. Even during my hippie days, it meant something to me. I've never had a problem with it. Apparently there are those in the world who do. I’ve never been a political animal, it always having been something I could comfortably ignore. Until now. My politics have become an 'a la carte' adventure, a mosaic still being created. I have much to study, much to learn. But here is what I do know. I am frigging American to the bone and, the greatest threat to western civilization that I have so far espied is the one who comes riding in on the trojan horse of liberalism. The left. So, be warned. Hell hath no fury as a woman who has found her allegiance and rediscovered her country. I'm an American. Do.Not.Fuck.With.Me.
My issue had to do with her disdain for liberalism. Ann has posted, in response to my request, detailed comments as to what she means by liberalism.

Ann's comments cover much of the same problem I alluded to with my original comment on her blog. The problem with ideological classifications in America today is that they are framed in the 18th century Left-Right political spectrum, a singular line of difference where you are either on one side or the other. This type of thinking is the norm for most political discourse in every media outlet and forum used today. This classification system is as much of a relic as horse pulled carriages and birch beer. Many different opinions have been waged on what political classification methods should be used, some of which can be read here and here. I am of the opinion that political ideology is at least 2 or 3 dimensional. The Poltical Compass provides one of the better methods of good political ideology identification and explains it well here. The only problem is that this website takes on a noticeable UK feel, which comes close to the USA, but needs a slight label modification. For example Neo-liberal is used there, but I would use it a very different way in the USA mainly to correspond to Neo-conservative. On that compass I come up as a left leaning libertarian, which I translate to Liberal. A left leaning authoritarian would be a populist. A right leaning authoritarian would be a conservative and a right leaning libertarian would just be a libertarian. What I call progressive-populist or a transnational progressive would be those both authoritarian and libertarian that fall on the far left of the four box chart, while the right side would be your paleo-conservatvies and theocratic fascists.

My definition of Liberalism:
Liberalism: A political philosophy where individual freedom is paramount. The government is valued as the protector of those freedoms and as a means to keep other individuals, groups, and organizations from infringing on the individual's rights by keeping markets and public life fair insuring opportunity for all.
That is a general definition. There is no detail to it. Philosophy is generally not filled with detail. My opinion on a tax cut or health care policy is subject to the facts. I have opinions on most topics that have no firm requirements as off shoots of this ideology.

The problems that arise in post political discussions is that people want to call Nom Chomsky a liberal or call George Bush a moderate or call Pat Buchanan a conservative. Those labels don’t fit any better than a sweater on a moose. Those labels are a result of the polarization of political debate in America. No longer can people use terms correctly, they just lump together all of the worst cases into the “Us vs. Them” battle. Talk radio is the chief proprietor of this method. It is a throw back to history. In the 1950’s and 1960’s people were called commies, in the late 19th century they were called anarchists, but over the last 20 years “liberal” is the slur used to label “them” for conservatives, populists, and libertarians. Labeling someone is not a problem. I do that all the time with all different sorts of people. The problem is that I generally don’t make that my entire argument. I don’t just label people and walk away. I usually use the label more as means to reference them in a general sense or as a standard, and test their resolve. That is a debating tactic. The problem in today’s society is that labeling someone a “knee-jerk liberal” is the only thing some people do in a discussion. On talk radio that is a code that works. The conservative/libertarian audience knows that code means “them,” the different people, the enemy. This kind of thinking is only valuable if your goal is conforming. If liberals are the enemy, then what are the Islamist fascists?

Thursday, December 05, 2002

Menorah draws protest to Square
I feel vindicated! One level of the bigotry of the Black Fist has been exposed for the entire City to see. Kudos to the Cincinnati Post for this prominent placement. The headline could have read "Menorah Draws Anti-Semitic Protest to the Square." That would have been much more descriptive. I found no other mention of this protest online. Yesterday 1230 the Buzz did report it along with 700 WLW who ran a very telling sound bite from Amanda Mayes, illustrating her bigotry and hypocrisy. I wonder where the Enquirer reporter was?
CityBeat: Freedom Square
When the KKK puts up a cross next year will City Beat blame Scott Greenwood when he again gets the Klan on the square? The newspaper has been talking out of both sides of its mouth on this issue for quite a while. They are for free speech, but support the boycott that demands the KKK be banned from Fountain Square. Mr. Greenwood got he KKK on the square the last time, got the no mask ordinance overruled, and got the menorah on the square this year. He will undoubtedly help the KKK get on the square next year. I support all of the actions he took for all of these causes. I am not overly keen on the menorah decision, but I support the rights of anyone to be on the square and exercise their freedom of speech if anyone is allowed to. If the Black Fist can use the Square to spout their Hate Speech, then so can the KKK.

Wednesday, December 04, 2002

CityBeat: Your Negro Tour Guide "Movin' On Up "
Kathy tries to be nice to people, but all she does is come across as bigoted as Archie Bunker. She claims whites resent black assimilation? What whites has she been talking to recently? Mr. Fox or Mr. Flannery? Kathy is as ignorant about the non-black population as the non-black population is ignorant about her and the black community. Kathy on the surface seems to be trying to say she is not a Black Fist member, but she still thinks white people “suck”, well not all the white people just the really really “white” people. Being white is the problem for her, and it is a sin for a black person to "be white", what ever that means. I would surmise it means being one of "them" as opposed to "us." Kathy suffers from what I am calling the "Us and Them Syndrome." It is common among hard-core bigots, extremists, and a boatload of conservatives. This syndrome entails creating a cause for everything you hate in the world and everything bad about yourself, your family, and your friends. That cause would be blamed on “them.” The “them” would be either those you hate and whom you blame for your own ills or for the group most easily exploited. Kathy has exploitation down to a science. The question is, will she go for a PHD or change majors?
Chris Anderson Unleashes on the bigoted Hate Group the Black Fist. Chris reports that Amanda Mayes showed up to the protest with her own anti-Semitic poster. I guess with the CBUF website going bye the wayside, the other prong of the boycott, the CJC, has come out of the bigot closet for all of the city to see. Nate's opinions are well known to those who pay attention, but his opinions are not those far off from that of Black Fist. He is more David Duke than Aryan Nation. Could Nate be the illegitimate son of David Duke??
Jay Love from 1230 the Buzz was reporting from the Black Fist's "protest" on Fountain Square. There were 3 or 4 members of the Fist there, which is almost the entire group. Jay Love reports that they have signs that read something like: "Jews are still Trouble makers" and "Jews Rapped black girls and Boys". The bigotry of the Black Fist has no piers today in Cincinnati. I don’t think Jay could have been more embarrassed on the air then his report from the Square. I think he felt the event was not newsworthy and just pure bigotry. The fact that it was bigotry should be newsworthy. The fact that the Black Fist and its members are nothing but racists is not news to me, but it is news to the local media who refuse to paint them as the hate group they are. I commend 1230 the Buzz for reporting at least the basic facts of the “protest.” Jay or Lincoln could have done a little more commentary in condemning this group, but that might hurt ratings. I wonder what the Post, the Enquirer, and TV News will do with this story. Will the bigotry be portrayed or will just the controversy be played? The latter is where the bias of the media is most acute.
City will select displays on Square
Will this create bedlam? Today the Black Fist, a racist separatist group, is planning a protest. Reports were that they were going to carry pictures of Hitler and Swastikas on Fountain Square to protest the Menorah. They claim this will open the door to the KKK. When the Black version of the KKK complains about KKK isn't that just an equilibrium? Doesn't it work out in the big picture? Let racist oppose racist, and leave the rest of us alone. Let this group never again be considered anything but a hate group. The SCOTUS ruling on its surface seems to only address the plaintiff's display, but the full impact will surely end up in court again.

Tuesday, December 03, 2002

RobBernard's list of actions the Bengals need to take.
Cincinnati does not need the KKK, we have the Black Fist to fill the hate group quota for Fountain Square, with the New Black Panther Party waiting in the wings.
Police suspect hate (2nd item)
White on Black crime is a Hate Crime, but Black on White assault is not?
Menorah this year, Klan next?
Members of the Black Fist, which has held protests against alleged police misconduct and racism, blame the group which displays the menorah.

The "so-called Jews have opened the doors for the Klan to come in" with the menorah display, said Kabaka Oba, a Black Fist leader.
Hello Cincinnati Post???? The Black Fist is a Hate Group!!!!!! Hello???????? Is anyone listening to what I post??? Anyone????

UPDATE: I don’t know if Chris Anderson took this from me, but he is right on target with the same thing I saw with this group’s actions. His opinion on the fundamentalists from the Jewish faith also is right on target. Why they are not seen with similar motives as the CCV can best be said in tone and methods. Jews, in general, don't push their religion on others like the CCV and other Christian fundamentalists. They may have similar goals, but most Conservative Jews don't justify the means to an end like Fundamentalist Christians generally do.
Deputies hit downtown by foot for first time
What in this quote does not make sense:
The program is designed to enhance the environment and spark redevelopment of the north edge of the Cincinnati business district and the south edge of Over-the-Rhine, where many county buildings are located. The area includes the Justice Center, County Administration Building, Courthouse, The Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County, Great American Ball Park, and the Job and Family Services building.
If you guessed Great American Ball Park, you win a free subscription to Cincy Blog. Email me for details.
Other holiday displays uncertain
Let the beatings begin! I want my Stonehenge out there for Winter Solstice!!!!!!

Nate Livingston seems to think that Jewish and African-American relations were good to begin with. Half of his boycott Klan blames the Jews for half of the worlds problems.

Note to Reporter: If you feed it, he will stick around. Don't feed Nate! Put him on a quote diet!

Monday, December 02, 2002

Chris Anderson takes on the idea of Cincinnati as being one of the most "segregated" cities in America.
Supreme Court says menorah can be displayed
SCOTUS sticks its nose in a case most thought would not be looked at until next year. I am torn on the issue. I am all for free speech, but this does seem to far. Does this mean I can put a giant model of Stonehenge on Fountain Square to honor the Winter Solstice? If the KKK and Jewish groups can erect what they wish, will my attempt go unchallenged?

Friday, November 29, 2002

Politicians and God's law
I say to David Wells: Amen. I am happy to see a self-described religious person take a stand for the Constitution and against theocrats like Rob Portman and George Bush.
I am off on a vacation. Blogging will be light or non-existent, depending on my access to the Internet.

Thursday, November 28, 2002

Singer 'postponed flight because of flu'
Church is scheduled to appear at the USB Arena on Dec 3 as part of "A Royal Christmas." This illness might drop her from the show. The event also includes Julie Andrews, who can carry it by herself anyway, and Christopher Plummer.
Menorah, cross kept off square
No mention of the ACLU involvement in the case. The City got a break for its annual holiday kickoff on Fountain Square tomorrow. The KKK is not going to be allowed to post a cross on the square this season. I wonder why they don't try it at any other time of the year? I would encourage as many people as possible tomorrow to dress up as Santa Claus or Mrs. Claus and head on down to the square for the party.
Happy Turkey Day!

Wednesday, November 27, 2002

Ruling Opens Door For Another Klan Christmas Cross
Greenwood won the case, and he gets the blame for any Klan cross that appears. This case has two odd parts. I agree with banning all religious displays on the square, but the "Christmas Tree" is in my opinion a secular symbol related to a religiously based holiday. The Christmas tree is based on a Pagan religious tradition and it is not part of any of the religious dogma of Christianity. The cross, on the other hand, is clearly a religious symbol along with the menorah.

I think another element of the case covered banning a man from dressing as Santa Claus and handing out information about a homeless shelter. This in my opinion is clearly a protected freedom of expression. WCPO's version of the story.

Follow-up: Dan Horn from the Enquirer responded to my inquiry regarding his article in my post below. He is not sure, nor I am, as to whether this lawsuit was supported and/or paid for by the ACLU. The impression Greenwood gave yesterday on WLW was that it the ACLU was at least supporting it. Since the local homeless group was added, I would imagine that the ACLU was on board with Greenwood’s actions.

UPDATE: The 6th Circuit Court of Appeals has issued a stay on the ruling in this case, keeping the City Ordinance in effect.

Tuesday, November 26, 2002

CityBeat: Political Irritants
The protestors should be pleased at this outcome. Most of the protestors at Bush's speech back in October were white, yet the Police still treated them with force, just like black protestors. Equal treatment is what protestors and boycotters both seek. Equal treatment is what the protestors received with the pepper spray. Progress is a good thing; take all progress you can get. I hope I don't hear any boycotters pissed about this. I bet they liked it. As long as it wasn't blacks being sprayed with chemicals the CJC, BUF, and the clown posse et al will not care what happens to a group of progressive populists. They might have even gotten a little chuckle out of it, in private of course.
CityBeat: Porkopolis "Turn the Mall Into an Anti-War Rally" (near bottom)
Greg Flannery writes about an anti-war protest slated for December 21, 2002 where "activists plan to invade shopping malls across the country to disallow business as usual and tell consumers, ‘Stop the buying! Stop the dying!’" Their goals include making some insane leap that the US over consumption leads to international violence. Under consumption could lead to just the same international violence. In reality international violence is going to happen no matter what the US does or does not do. This group is just another bunch of fringe anti-capitalist transnational progressives, or in other words, modern communists.

I call them modern communists because they use the same rhetoric as a Stalinist would use, but they seem to embrace small-scale capitalism. They like a small coffee shop, or vegan cafe, but they hate corporations of any type. City Beat gives these kids too much attention. City Beat is not void of capitalism, and if these kids were to understand anything about simple capitalism, they would not cry about it so much. I understand why they don't trust corporations and Bush's whoring for said corporations, but they are so far out of touch that they go off the deep end with their ideas and their rhetoric. Yes, the Iraq conflict is partially about Oil and economic interests. Every war is about that to some degree. WWII, Korea, Vietnam, Panama, Gulf War I, and even Kosovo had at least economic overtones to them. One of the National interests of the US is the economic interests of Americans. Money, wealth, and power matter to life. Giving up money, praying to Buddha, and becoming vegan will not stop bad things happening in the world. There will always be someone who is poor. Will it be their fault they are poor? Sometimes yes, sometimes partially yes, and sometimes no.
Snow Comes And Goes Tuesday
The Cincinnati Area gets a reprieve from the WHITE DEATH.
Fountain holiday displays on trial
Funny thing missing from this article: where isn't the ACLU mentioned? Scott Greenwood, the attorney representing the plaintiffs who are challenging the City ordinance is the lead local lawyer for the ACLU. The ACLU may not officially endorse this case, but I thought Greenwood generally only took cases that would be supported by the ACLU. Greenwood was on WLW today with Cunningham about the Adams county 10 commandments lawsuit. Willie's callers seem to be dumber than even Adams county dirt. It was like hearing a Green Stamp trading convention keynote speaker. Greenwood mentioned this lawsuit, so I assume it has the full support of the ACLU. The terms he spoke of regarding the merits of the Fountain Square lawsuit sounded like generally traditional ACLU stances. I am still perplexed as to why the ACLU involvement would not be mentioned in the Enquirer Article. I will email the reporter and ask.

UPDATE: WCPO's story on this issue does not tie Greenwood to his ACLU position, but mentions the KKK-Fountain Square case was made by the ACLU, which in fact was Greenwood's case.
Enquirer gets new editor
My first suggest to Tom Callinan would be to put the editorial content of the Enquirer on the website just like his old newspaper. It lists the editorials, columns, and letters to the editor. I guess Peter Bronson was scared to put his paper's opinions online when he was editorial page editor. Since Wells is only the associate editorial page editor, he must not have the power to drop Bronson's prior structure. Mr. Callinan, just think of all of the web traffic your site would generate by my blogging alone.

(cough, cough, couch »» I guess I need to see a doctor for this "cough")
U.S. Rep. Lucas considers switch to Republican party
When Jim Jeffords left the GOP and became an independent, the Republicans wanted to crucify him for doing so less than 6 months after being reelected. Many demanded he pay back money to the GOP and some even considered going to court to get back the GOP money. Now the same political party, the GOP, is wooing Ken Lucas less than a month after the Democratic Party helped get Lucas elected. If Lucas does switch not only will he look bad, but the hypocrite GOP will also have to lie for months while claiming to be the "religious" folk they are. They seem to be missing the meaning of golden rule, or they have a waiver from their "god", since they are battling their self-described "Satan."

Monday, November 25, 2002

2 Gannett Newspaper Editors Switch Jobs
Interesting development. How will this affect editorial coverage? How will it affect news coverage? I will have to check out the Arizona newspaper and check out its content and layout. I don't know what brought about the change, but it will be an interesting event to observe.
Chris Anderson asks everyone to pick a religon using this test. For the record I have no religion by definition, but my test results were as follows:

1. Secular Humanism (100%)
2. Unitarian Universalism (92%)
3. Nontheist (84%)
4. Theravada Buddhism (71%)
5. Liberal Quakers (68%)
6. Neo-Pagan (59%)
7. Mainline to Liberal Christian Protestants (53%)
8. Taoism (41%)
9. New Age (40%)
10. Reform Judaism (38%)
11. Mahayana Buddhism (29%)
12. New Thought (26%)
13. Scientology (26%)
14. Orthodox Quaker (22%)
15. Sikhism (22%)
16. Christian Science (Church of Christ, Scientist) (19%)
17. Bahá'í Faith (15%)
18. Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (Mormons) (15%)
19. Mainline to Conservative Christian/Protestant (12%)
20. Eastern Orthodox (7%)
21. Hinduism (7%)
22. Islam (7%)
23. Jainism (7%)
24. Orthodox Judaism (7%)
25. Roman Catholic (7%)
26. Seventh Day Adventist (7%)
27. Jehovah's Witness (0%)
Chris Anderson gives Peter Bronson an F in Cincinnati geography. Pete needs some remedial work with map reading, or maybe he should actually visit the Zoo before comment on it.
UC coach blames `dead time' for Hawaii brawl
What a copout answer. Reports are that Minter will not discipline any of his players for the fight at Hawaii. UC reportedly threw the first punch after much provocation. Hawaii appears to be a classless team, but Minter carried on the UC tradition of letting bad behavior of its athletes go unpunished.
Jay Love Commenting on the Ohio State Melee.
Jay Love of 1230 the Buzz has on his race colored glasses today. He bemoans the Enquirer for not using the same "commentary" in the way it "refers" to young people in Columbus as it did in Cincinnati. Jay is race baiting. He is building up an issue that will gin up the racial discord all in the name of providing an entertaining show. This is not new for Jay, or anyone at the Buzz, but it does no good to the community at large.

Jay seeks to put the incidents at the Black Family Reunion in the exact same frame as the incidents after the Ohio State game. This premise is flawed at its inception. Jay wishes to compare the actions of two different age groups. He wishes to compare a drunken crowd to a sober crowd. He wants to compare the actions of adults with unsupervised children.

Jay is trying to promote a "spiracy." The "white man's" paper is out to get the black youth. I guess Jay will not be happy unless the Black community gets the equal use of adjectives. No Adjectives! No Peace! Wilding for all or Wilding for none! Riots for all.....hey wait....didn't half of the media in town call last years riots an "unrest?" What was term used on this article? The word "unrest" was used in the subheadline:
45 arrested in off-campus unrest
That sounds familiar. Where have I heard that used before? (Cough, cough, here, cough) Jay wants equal terms for equal events. I guess the Enquirer saw the April 2001 riots and the Ohio State riots to be cut from the same cloth. Hmmm, much ado about nothing? Nothing for nothing's sake.
UPDATE: This quote that came to mind as an afterthought for Jay is: "A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds" from Ralph Waldo Emerson.

Sunday, November 24, 2002

Cincinnati's hysteric collaborative agreement
Bronson is the Revisionist du jour:
Jimmy Carter. His Nobel Peace Prize-winning failures in the Middle East and North Korea are nothing compared to what he could do to Cincinnati. When he's done, the boycotters will have nuclear weapons.
Peter still is pissed about the fixed rate mortgage he got in 1979. He must not be smart enough to have learned about refinancing. Get over your Carter bashing Peter, the man is a peace maker. There has not been a war between Eqypt and Israel since 1973 in large part due to Carter's influence over the Camp David Accord. I bet Pete is still pissed about the Panama Canal too. His fears of a Chinese take over of the Istmus are going to give him a heart attack. Huggins would surely get another one if he got involved with this mess. He should stick to coaching his prison basketball team.
Decision doesn't silence supporters
If the decision is made by the school board to remove the tablets, he said, "don't let them do it in the dead of night. Make sure the media is there to see it."
For the religious zealots in Adams county this all about getting attention for their religion. It is about promotion of their religion using the public schools. It is not about freedom it is about submission to a theocratic movement of religious thugs.

This article is also totally one sided. Maybe that occurs because this county has caused all dissenters to clam up and not speak out to the press. Religious oppression is not some myth in rural areas. Running people out of town on a rail is a cliché, but it is based on reality. Anyone who disagrees with what these religious people have done is at risk of being "shun" by the community if they don't conform. This is the exact reason why separation of church and state is such a vital principle for the nation. If the church can't stay out of the state, then the state should start getting into the church's business and take about tax-free status.
UC brawls after loss to Hawaii
UC could not let Miami get all of the bad attention and had to start a full-fledged brawl on the field. Hawaii takes an equal share of the blame for this however. Hawaii's players acted like thugs holding up a UC helmet as a trophy after the fight. This makes the Miami-Marshall game look like a Sunday Picnic. Ohio State and NC State had riots on the field and off the field. College Football is a mess.
Man taken to forest faces drug charges (4th item)
This is the guy the 1230 the Buzz caller base was defending? I guess the adage "drug dealers is people too" has meaning to someone after all.
For the Northern Kentuckians out there Here is a blog on public affairs for Kentucky.

Saturday, November 23, 2002

Portman backs schools in legal fight
"It is the basic moral foundation that does not promote one religion over another," Mr. Portman said.
Can he lie more? That set of the "Ten Commandments" is the Protestant version. What about the Jewish, Catholic, and Muslim version? Even in his terms of what religion is, that monument favors his sect of Christianity. I guess also thinks that polytheistic religions are not really religions. I guess the 1 billion Hindus are just atheists then Rob? Is this willful ignorance? Or is Rob just that stupid?
MADD: Trend disturbing
The modern temperance movement lives on. The right wing drunks out there I am sure call this a "liberal" group.
Fight for Commandments
It is nice to see that my congressman has come out of the closet and declared himself a theocratic fascist:
Portman said he appreciated the work of those dedicated to making "our nation, our state and our communities more God-centered.''
If Portman wants to make his life "god-centered" that is fine and dandy, but to try and make his religion the focus of the this community, this state, and the entire nation is nothing but the goal of theocratic fascism. A majority rules religion is not constitutional, no matter how much the theocrats try and force in on everyone. The stone tablets must go and must go now. The intent of the ministers and school officials in Adams County was to establish a community religion. Anyone of those fighting for the religious display that claims otherwise is lying. In case they forgot, lying is something those stone tablets forbids. I guess a lie in the defense of theocratic fascism is no vice, or sin in this case.

Thursday, November 21, 2002

When I was at Miami it was the Pikes and the Fiji's who were the "druggies."
I have to disagree with Chris Anderson on Bill Cunningham. Cunningham is not entertaining. He is like listening to 3rd graders sing Christmas carols. Fingernails on chalkboards make for a better afternoon than Willie's antics.
Activists: Police let officers get away with wrongdoing
The usual suspects give the usual answers.
Martin bows out as lawyer for city
Martin's use was already past. His expertise is in the negotiations, not the aftermath of the agreement.

Tuesday, November 19, 2002

Mayor rethinks pricey lawyer
Did the Sunday Enquirer article push Luken over the edge against Martin? Luken did not like the article at all, but now he seems to be flowing with the winds of public opinion like a feather.
Goal: 30% minority contracts for convention center
30% minority contracts? There are not enough minorities in the area to fill that quota. If you read the fine print of the article it states that the 30% of the contracts covers small businesses and minorities. A nice little bait and switch headline.
Miami students arrested on drug charges
The Acacia House? I would have guessed the Pikes, but my memory of the Acacia house was as a cleaner cut frat. I have no pity for these guys. Pot should be legalized, but those who try and deal drug on any kind of scale deserve what they get.
Court: Ten Commandments must be removed from Ohio schools
An excellent decision. These stone monuments should have been never been allow to be place on public school grounds. The only more direct display of religion would have been to place a cross in front of the schools. I am sure the Peter Bronsons and Phil Burresses of the world are praying for their "righteous" cause.

Monday, November 18, 2002

Father charged with hitting son, 2
When does child abuse make the news? Child abuse happens every day, but why is the media jumping on this story? WCPO piles on with their story. WXIX had a lengthy report showing a lot of video of the man and his kid before the alleged incident, but not the incident itself. Why is this man being singled out? He may well be beating his kids, but there are far more people who are charged with the crime not getting their names in the news. I guess the video starved TV news wanted the story for the pictures, but the newspaper wanted to overflow of the beating caught on tape of the women beating her daughter in Indiana. The media put forth yet another example earning them the label of sensational bottom feeders.
BRONSON: The rap against old coots
Peter's beating a dead horse with two stones in the bush, which are better than one glass house.
Jerry Springer funded Ohio Democrats
Will Jerry run? Why the Hell not? Who else is going to run? If Jesse Ventura can become mayor, Hillary can win in NY, and the late Sonny Bono can become a congressman, anything is possible. Jerry would have to quit his show for a year or so before the election to indicate he is serious. He can't do worse than past candidates against the Republicans.

Sunday, November 17, 2002

Lawyer's bill tops monitor's fees
City Council has egg on its face for this one. I credit this story to Jay Love and the "Week in Review" gang for pressuring John Cranley to release the details on Martin's bill. There is a clear difference between the two lawyers, one was a lawyer for the city, and the other had an independent role. It is not fare to compare the two bills line for line or by dollar amounts. Both lawyers had different duties and different responsibilities. This will be fodder for the Buzz through the week.

Saturday, November 16, 2002

Alleged Gang Rape Rocks Kentucky College Campus
Is this synergy or is this Plagiarism?
Retiring justice could quiet city's racial woes
This appears to be the boycotters choice du jour, while according to the Post Vice Mayor Reece has Judge Jones in Mind.
Chris Anderson puts the racial conflict square on both sets of shoulder's responsible, the City leaders and the boycotters, while Denise Smith Amos from the Enquirer wants to lay blame on the City, and presumably the "white community," what ever that is supposed to be.
Marshall won't change security
Typical response from Marshall, their shit doesn't stink. Marshall needs to keep its Alumni off the field, namely 36 year olds who should know better.

Friday, November 15, 2002

Fifth Third under scrutiny for $54M 3Q charge - Nov. 15, 2002
All of this without a chairman of the SEC.
National Underground Railroad Freedom Center has re-launched its website in hopes of adding more attention and more donations.
When the whole tale is told, many are responsible for incident
This is a must read for all College Football fans, but especially for Miami, Marshall and all MAC school fans.

Wednesday, November 13, 2002

Miami suspends two assistant football coaches
I don't know what to say about this. I felt I had to bring it up here, but where I stand on the issues involved are not simple and not totally set. I am disappointed with the over coverage of this incident, but I am more disappointed in my alma mater's football program. I hope they can get past this incident with honor and dignity. I do also wish the opponent Miami played last night will learn something from the atmosphere they have created around their football program. The program and the fans of that program need to take a second of self-introspection and see that they have gone over the edge into a chasm of incivility. I sincerely hope Miami gets past this situation and continues on a path of excellence that is has, up to this point, achieved. I would rather go undefeated and never appear on TV again, than have this kind of embarrassment to the University ever again.
Protester arrested outside Springsteen concert
This is not the first report I have heard regarding Dwight Patton's behavior at protests. According to an affidavit filed by the victim, Dwight Patton bit his thumb. Does Dwight have some kind of odd fetish? Does Dwight need anger management classes?
Concert goes smoothly
As expected the chicken little press was wrong about this molehill. I hope similar concerts can go on in Cincinnati with limited festival seating. The fear of possibility should not be confused with probability.
Kalmanoff resigns as monitor of police reforms
Will he be paid the $55,000? Will he get a big settlement? Will the city retain custody of his beard? Stay tuned Cincinnatians! Same blog time, same blog channel.
CityBeat: Your Negro Tour Guide "Head Job"
Based on her column, Kathy would fit the stereotype of a hypersensitive black activist who is none to keen on white people that touch her. I guess if a white driver cuts her off on the highway, it was because of her race. If I were to not hold the door open for her, is it because she is black? If she gets turned down for a job, is it because she was black? If she is the only black person in an elevator full of white people and a white person puts his hand on her head, is it because she is black? It has nothing to do with him being drunk?

If this column is supposed to be satire, I guess because I am white it went over my head.

Tuesday, November 12, 2002

High court's integrity hangs by thread
You will not read this in a Cincinnati Newspaper. The Ohio Medical community appears to have purchased a Supreme Court Judgeship for their gal. CalPundit has more on this subject.
Ch. 9 stands for more changes
Musical chairs will not make the fluff go away. Stop reporting the weapies, and start back up with hard news. For the record: News is not the latest diet from Kathy Lee or the new movie staring the network sitcom star. Try telling me what City Council voted on, or the County Commission, or even the General Assembly.
A Top Ten worth reading from Chris Anderson.
Boycott backers: Bruce is hypocrite
Mike McConnell points out that the lyrics to the song in question is not a song that really fits they boycotter's "cause." The song is a lament that you must make sure you act in a way to avoid being killed. The lyrics do indicate sorrow and trepidation that such a situation exists, but to call Springsteen a hypocrite is a factitious argument of a desperate group. The BUF is and has been attempting to puff up their situation to that of New York or Los Angeles, but the analogy is a malevolent attempt at gaining national attention. The boycott was established for the express purpose of extorting money from the City of Cincinnati and local Businesses. The underlying police-community relations that were the alleged basis for the boycott are being addressed by the CAN commission and the Collaborative Agreement. I wonder if the boycotters will protest Bruce and how many racial slurs will he be called during said protest. Maybe I should start a pool.

Monday, November 11, 2002

Library drops planned closings
If this means fewer hours open at the rest of the branches, along with a reduction in acquisitions, then I say close the small branches.
Artist captures cow to Max
Did this cow ever get an official name? Charlie Mooken was a popular favorite of many. I am no expert on art, but this painting is nothing I would hang in my bathroom.
BRONSON: Team up to fire the monitor
Mr. Kalmanoff comes from Berkeley, Calif. - which is as far from Cincinnati as Mars.
That is true, but Cincinnati is Pluto in the analogy of planets.

Side note: I give Bronson credit for correcting his Detroit murder rate, but he should have rescinded his column. His attempt to scare Cincinnatians to fear the City becoming another Detroit was obviously an example of false propaganda. Peter jumped on a number that fit his presupposed position and got burned. I guess pressrooms need to rehire fact checkers.
If linear political theory is your idea of ivory tower musings, then this is right up your belfry.
Monitor no stranger to controversy
Yet another mess. This monitor sounds like a Prima Donna that sucks up cash for getting his beard trimmed.
Instapundit Referral?
Somehow I got a hit from an Instantpundit.com referral. I can't find my page listed in a post or the list of links on the 800-pound gorilla of Bloggers. A phantom link?

Sunday, November 10, 2002

Americans need to know about Ramadan
I don't need to know anything about Ramadan, no more than I need to know anything about Advent, Yom Kippur, or Winter Solstice. There is no reason to say I must learn about any religion let alone another religion. I have no problem with the media wishing people a solemn Ramadan at this time, like they do for Christians, but for columnist to tell me that I should learn about just they want me to respect them is ludicrous. When a Muslim person or any other religion respects agnostics, atheists, freethinkers, and secular humanists, then I might care what they and their religion stands for.
New Cincinnati Based Blogs
Here are a few new blogs that I think are based from people in the Cincinnati Area. Once I have a chance to read them for a while, I might add them to my list of blogs.
DisOrganization
bHjp
Robbernard.com
KMCCARTY
Marcuga
Very Big Blog
McConnell turns his clout against some of his own
I am glad I don't live in Kentucky. This state is in the firm hand of the right-wingers for a long time to come. If you have any intelligence you would consider moving out of the state as soon as possible. Yes, I did just type that, so you can wipe the drool off your chin.
Online service targeted by IRS
I have no love for the Rich, but this smells of a fishing expedition. Why not just pull the phone records of everyone calling overseas to the Camen Islands and investigate everyone for tax evasion? Please note, that was a rhetorical question.

Saturday, November 09, 2002

The Miami Student's Website is still not finished. Are they out of money? What gives? Why aren't the SAN classes making this a full yearlong project? We used to call The Student "The Stupid". I think they are earning the name most ceremonially now.
1979 casts shadow on Bruce's concert
With simple precautions, festival seating on the floor of the venue is safe. The panic and fear that lingers around local concerts is only perpetuated by Mother Cincinnati sheltering her little children. She allows no festival seating, no porn, no strippers, no controversial artwork, no beer at Riverfest, but she lets a Judge rule that people can carry around concealed weapons where ever they please.
Former officer sues Cincinnati
I wonder who his lawyer is. I think the city should not give him a payday for breaking the law. The PA's office should not have "pled" him down to no charges and just a "forced" retirement. If Mr. Taylor was innocent, why did he accept the deal to retire? Why did he not fight his charges? I would guess he wants money more than he wanted to be a police officer.
Judge orders Avondale charter school closed
It was only a matter of time for this to be mentioned:
Parents said the school was targeted because the school board and its students were predominantly African-American.

"If the school was all whites, they would not touch it," Ms. Spears said.
Is this the same "they" out to get Ken Blackwell?
Four teens charged in cross burning
The Enquirer shows with this article why it is the best news source in the region. The folks at FOX19 should be ashamed of themselves for the news "article" I posted about yesterday.

Friday, November 08, 2002

Four Arrested in Oxford Cross Burning
A three-sentence article. I know many of my blog posts can be smaller than that, but I would think a professional news outlet could muster up a few more facts on a story like this one. An indication of where these suspects are from? Their ages? What charges are they facing?

Wednesday, November 06, 2002

Council approves motion to remove monitor
What will the boycotter's reaction be? How will the election affect their momentum? Is this just an issue for Ken Lawson to handle, so the BUF and CJC will just lay low? They have been quite lately. Their website has not had any new press releases for over a month.
BBC NEWS: Press watches Bush waltz to victory
The BBC takes notice of election coverage here in the Queen City.
The victory is embellished with superlatives - headlines such as "Republicans waltz across Texas" in the Houston Chronicle and the Republican "elephant stampede" in Ohio, as the Cincinnati Post puts it.

But the Cincinnati Post also reflects the cynical views of some voters, with a cartoon showing a man reading the newspaper to his wife and saying "the mudslinger beat the muckraker".
The cartoon referenced:
The Godless Americans March on Washington made it on C-SPAN3 taped delayed. I wish they would have carried it live, and carried it on C-SPAN2 at least, but this is better than no coverage. Second class coverage is what we second-class citizens tend to get.
Election opens up judicial, clerk positions
I hope these appointments are up to the voters at the next election. Nepotism is not something that should go over in politics, but around this part of the state it is par for the course.
18-year-old arrested in West End slaying
Most of the murders in this city could be solved if more people, like the person in this case, called into Crime Stoppers and turned in the wanted criminals.
Shots fired outside bar
No one can say that Jim Tarbell does not take action. He not only lives in Over-the-Rhine, he is a City council man who does not just let thugs try and ruin a viable business and residential area. Kudos to Tarbell for calling 911. I would like to know if the kid arrested has job or has finished high school. Why not go home when the bar closes, get some sleep and either go to work or to school.
Mike McConnell Advocates Feudalism
Yesterday on Mike's 700WLW program he agreed with a representative from the Cato Institute in advocating a system of government where only property owners could vote when property taxes were the issue. He referred to the original system created in the USA, where only property owners were permitted to vote. I am sure Mike would predict this type of system would not get the votes to ever occur, but his anti-democratic (small d) ideas are what I find indicative of many conservatives and neolibertarians. Mike wants to limit the right to vote to the public, except those more likely to think like he does. This disgusts me and makes me a bit nervous. I was unnerved by his matter-of-fact conclusion to the validity of such a feudalist system of government. It was not something he saw remotely as undemocratic. To him it was fair. Property owners, gun owners, business owners, and the religious seem to get special rights under Mike's Feudalist system, while the individual who does not conform to his plutocracy gets the shaft.
E-mails between mayor and monitor
I am not sure what to make of this. It is more entertainment than informative. It does provide an overall frame of the relationship between Luken and Kalmanoff. I would share Lukens luke warm and later harsh actions towards Kalmanoff. Based solely on these emails, and other published accounts, it would appear that Kalmanoff put forth little effort to work within he city. He instead came at the city very nonchalantly, charging the city money to talk to the media. Kalmanoff did not even say much of anything of value to the media, so did the city pay him money to create his own positive PR? The selection of this man as monitor appears to have been a mistake, but who is to say anyone else would be better. This position is one prime for making a buck at taxpayer expense. I applaud Luken for growing a pair and standing up to what looks to be a dog and pony show hack, looking to monitor the city out of millions of dollars. Demanding a new monitor sounds like a reasonable action for the city to take. I am sure the chicken-littles and boycott bigots will call into the Buzz and claim Luken is a out to destroy the collaborative. I hope Chaz will ignore their knee-jerk race baiting rants and continue standing up to a monitor looking for PR and a payday.
UPDATE: The Post's Take.
Light-rail plan hits a wall of resistance
Well, I for one hope that I will not being living in this city in 20 years. The city will either be dead, or a parking lot.
It looks like all of the Issues in the City went down, except Issue 8, which kills campaign finance reform in the City.

Tuesday, November 05, 2002

Monday, November 04, 2002

Enquirer and Post Endorsements: Something is Missing
Please compare these two slates of endorsements from the Post & KY Post and the Enquirer.

What is missing from the Enquirer's endorsements? Can we say Ohio Assembly House District 34? What they hell is the Enquirer smoking? Tom Brinkman the incumbent caveman conservative, as the Post puts it, against Dave Schaff. The Post picks Schaff, but the Enquirer makes no mention of this race. Last I checked this district not only includes part of the city of Cincinnati, including Mt. Lookout and Mt. Washington, but it includes Anderson Township. In fact the entire district is in Hamilton County. The Enquirer also ignored districts 29 and 30, which also are located in Hamilton county. Here is a graphic the Post was nice enough to include in its opinion page:



Are these races just non-issues for the Mighty Enquirer? Do they want to depress turnout and help the incumbents? Are they lazy asses? Or are they just inept? Who takes the blame for this Wells? Bushee? Or Whipple? It is bad enough they don't put their Editorial Page on the web; can't they at least complete the simple task of picking all of the political races from their home county? In 2000 the Enquirer Endorced Brinkman, why are they not now? If this right wing extremist hell bent on recreating the old west here in Ohio was their man back in 2000, why not speak up about it now?
GOP Robot Telemarketers
On Friday I got a voice-mail at home from Bob Taft. Tonight I got a phone call from a fast talking George Bush, who barely sounded like George Bush "asking" me to support Republicans, but the taking the cake if the phone call from Steve Chabot on Saturday. Chabot's record phone spam also asked me to vote for him. That is all fine and dandy if I was a Republican, but not only am I not a GOPher, I do not live in his congressional district. I know they changed his district on him this time, but I was not in his district in 2000 either, nor any election since I moved to Cincinnati in 1994. Since I am not registered with either party I also have not received any candidate mailings, only Issue mailings.
Issue 8 backers again don't file finance report
From the Article:
"We're not trying to hide anything at all,'' Monzel said. "The money just hadn't come in yet by the last report. In fact, they're still collecting checks. But nothing's being hidden.''
Did Monzel say this with a straight face, or did he have his fingers crossed behind is back. In my opinion, and I think even to the casual observing, Monzel, another "values" champion, is lying through is teeth. His group is obviously hiding the identities of backers to his Issue effort by having the fat cat donors hold back their contributions until the last finance report must be filed before the election, when a blitz of media air time will be purchased. Is that illegal? No. Is that honest? Hell No.
Campaign ads for secretary of state say there's a conspiracy against him
Here is another article about the now infamous radio ads from Ken Blackwell's Campaign. You would not believe who sent me the link, none other than Nate Livingston himself, or at least someone using that email name. I wonder if Nate’s real motivation for pushing this issue is because he is jealous of Blackwell’s tactics. Nate is part of the crowd that normally talks about the “conspiracy” against the “black man.” Nate might not like Blackwell stealing his issue. It reminds me of the GOP’s anger at Clinton for stealing Welfare Reform from them, and then using it to get elected in 1996. What I am waiting Nate to do next is come right out and call Blackell a “house slave,” or something even more offensive. I don’t like Blackwell’s campaign, and I would not vote for him if these Ads existed or not, but Nate’s hypocrisy on this issue is just as flabbergasting as Blackwell’s hypocrisy.

Sunday, November 03, 2002

Police Crack Pepper Kidnapping Case
It appears however that they let one of the guys go. The other man reportedly confessed to the Pepper abduction. FOX19 reported the family of the at large man stated he will turn himself in early this week. If the family knows were he is and have not help police try and find him, then they should be charged with an obstruction charge. A member of his family actually had the gall to claim that the October 31st incident in Mt. Lookout was just a Halloween prank gone wrong. She stated on camera that they were using a "toy" gun. Mr. Watkins, the 18 year old at large, seems to have told one hell of a big lie to his family about what has done.
BRONSON: Answer Man rescues confused voters
Sorry Peter, you did not phrase your answer in the form of a question.
Pair charged in Pepper kidnapping, robbery
The Enquirer's take on the Pepper Kidnapping arrests.
Bengals 38, Texans 3


Nuff said.
Pepper Suspects Arrested
Ok, can we put any and all conspiracies to bed now? No more timelines, no more missing minutes, or delays in calling 911.

Saturday, November 02, 2002

Godless Americans March On Washington, Nov 2, 2002
I cannot find a single report how this march turned out today. I was able to get 2nd hand information that organizers believe there were about 4 to 5 thousand marchers there. A small group of 25 Christian fundamentalists protested the march. This news blackout is appalling. C-SPAN did not even cover it. They may show it taped at some point, but let this go to prove the conservatives wrong, there is no atheist bias in the media, unless you mean the incredible bias against atheists and other secularist groups.

The organizers may have picked a bad day for the rally. It would appear that it could have gotten more coverage if did not conflict with the news media's free campaign coverage of George Bush shilling for every Republican in a close election on the planet.
Businessman sues for libel, slander
The odd thing is that this lawsuit revolves around actions which took place at the Ohio Renaissance Festival.
Who is running the Miami Student? The website appears to be undergoing a redesign, but it is now November and the newspaper has not had a working website all school year. What is with the slacking? On the eve of the Ohio game, one would think Miami could at least put up something against their student newspaper. At least give it the old college try.
Lawsuit: Punch cards faulty
Since the ACLU lawsuit involves Ken Blackwell, could Nate Livingston's motives for giving the Blackwell commercials to WLW tie into the lawsuit as a further attempt to defeat Blackwell?
St. Louis chosen to host 2006 nationals
"Other finalists for the 2006 nationals were Cincinnati, Cleveland and Minneapolis." Will the boycotters lay claim to this one?
Yale alumnus kidnapped, robbed, and released
Pepper's ordeal made the Yale Herald. It is nice when your alma mater pays attention to you.
Mike McConnell from 700WLW followed up on Friday with a little bit more information on the tapes of the race baiting radio commercials for Ken Blackwell. The news was that Nate Livingston provided those tapes to WLW. Nate is a little bigot, but a shrewd political operative. Ken Blackwell is what I am sure Nate would call the poster child for a "House Slave." I wonder how Nate got copies of those tapes? I wonder if it could have something to do with an individual who works at 1230 the Buzz with the same last name. The mystery will linger.
Miami U: Free Bill O'Reilly
Where do I start? A list will have to do.

  1. I graduated from Miami University in 1994 and in my four years we never had cable in our dorm rooms, let alone the dorm at all. We only had cable at the student union (The Res).

  2. Fox News is fair and balanced amongst 3 groups: neoconservatives, neolibertarians, and paleoconservatives. Everyone else gets little coverage, which usually is negative.

  3. Fox News is just talk radio with pictures.

  4. Economics major Aaron Sanders, who was quoted in the column, is the chairman of the Miami chapter of College Republicans, so his opinion is not biased?

  5. Where is Bronson’s fair and balanced reporting? Why is he not calling for Miami to “Free Phil Donahue?” According to his column the Miami cable system does not have MSNBC either.

  6. CNN does not have a liberal political bias. It has an intellectual bias.  CNN is not geared toward the anti-intellectual Bill Cunningham fan. CNN is more sophisticated, or rather it used to be until they started to go for the ratings by appealing to the lowest common denominator, and now their quality is falling.  It still is not down to the tawdry (yet pious) level of FOX, but it is on it’s way. For the record, MSNBC is generally crap too.

  7. Why should Bronson even want to encourage college students to watch TV in the first place?  If you want intellectual political content, the print media is the only place you will find it.  Bronson can’t complain about the “liberal” print media with the abundance of the right-wing newspapers, political magazines, and the dominance of the Blogosphere by the right-leaning moderates.

  8. Calling Miami professors in general "liberal" is basically a lie.  I would bet the Business school professors are at best 20% “liberal”, while 80% are moderates or conservatives. The rest of the university would most likely be maybe 50% liberal at a maximum.  The key here is that the business school, of which I attended, comprised of at least 25% of all students up to maybe 33%.  Calling Miami a liberal school is like trying to call Xavier a Baptist school.

  9. Also, anyone who watches Bill O'Reilly’s show a few times knows the guys “spins” the issue before his argument begins. He has his plot line laid out of what he is going to grill his guest on, blocks the guest from saying anything he thinks is incongruent to his preconceived notion of “truth”, which is as objective as smudged ink blots.

  10. Bronson should not be fooled. $1,750 could easily be paid by the College Republicans, one of the Miami Frats, or hell, get Mike DeWine to cough up the dough.

Peter should be happy as a peach with Miami. It is most conservative public university in the state. It has one of the biggest College Republican clubs in the country, certainly one of best funded too. Miami is no Bob Jones University however, so I guess that is what gets Peter's lion cloth in a bunch.