Top 10 Cincinnati Blogs

The Chamber has announced their top 10 (not in order):

The Top 10 Best Blogs In Cincinnati USA As Named
By The Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber And CincyTechUSA

"Building Cincinnati," blogger Kevin LeMaster, coverage of Cincinnati development news, http://buildingcincinnati.blogspot.com

"Cincinnati Blog," blogger Brian Griffin, political and progressive news and opinion in Cincinnati, http://cincinnati.blogspot.com/

"DesignCincinnati," blogger Drew Steinbrecher, design and architecture highlights around the region, http://www.drew-o-rama.com/designcincinnati

"Fort's Cancer Sux," blogger Melissa McLaughlin, Melissa's (Fort's) inspiring journal of her quest to beat stage-four breast cancer, http://fortscancersux.blogspot.com

"Freckle Photo," blogger Melissa Speelman, outstanding photo journal by a local art teacher documenting her family, friends, and classroom activities, http://www.frecklephoto.com

"Each Note Secure," blogger Joe Long, WOXY.com staffer who has his finger directly on the pulse of the music world in Cincinnati USA and beyond, http://www.eachnotesecure.com

"Lance McAlister," blogger Lance McAlister, arguably the premier overall sports blog in Cincinnati USA and the No. 1 fan site of Pittsburgh-bound lightning bolt Valerie Abati, http://1530homer.com/pages/lancesBlog.html

"My Wine Education," blogger Michelle Lentz, very tasty site about the local and worldwide wine scene, http://www.wine-girl.net

"Patent Baristas," blogger Stephen Albainy-Jenei, provides pertinent information about intellectual property topics, http://patentbaristas.com

"Strategic Public Relations," blogger Kevin Dugan, insights on the latest in PR developments and issues locally and globally, http://prblog.typepad.com

The two over all winners will be announced on Thursday. Good luck to all!

More here.

Latest Round of Nate v. CityBeat

With this blog post Kevin Osborne appears to be debating Nate, not reporting news. If this is only blog content and doesn't make the print edition, that's fine. It doesn't help his journalistic reputation by getting involved into a high level flame war. My advice, don't stoop to Nate's level. Nate may be wrong on a minor point, but his overall position on the issue was correct. Quiveling over minor points is petty.

Big Mo

You want evidence of the revitalization of Downtown? Well, the Front Page of Today's Enquirer provides exhibit A: huge growth in the backstage/Fountain Square area. This is a great first step. The next step is to build up the number of residents. It will take more people living in Downtown/OTR to then increase the retail. It sounds simple. It will take time and follow through.

Come on in, the water's fine

I'm not inviting you to my new home in Over-the-Rhine (let's be real), but I invite you to join me in moving to the general Downtown area. I closed on my condo this past week, so I have taken the full plunge into being part of the revitalization that has gained huge amounts of steam. No matter how many people have huge anti-city bricks on their shoulders, we shall succeed in improving the urban core of Cincinnati.

OK, some of you will scoff at this. I guess your fears run your life or you are already 95 years old or act like it and don't want leave your house, except to go get your hair cut or make the early bird special at Denny's. For the rest of you who think you really can't make that change or are just a little concerned, make the leap, it will be worth it.

Breen on Locals

A very nice blog post from CityBeat's Mike Breen on the local music scene. I chuckled heavily at his contemplation of what the hell is the name of the bar on Spring Grove with the alchemize sign on it. Over all Mike digs into the fun and promising elements of Cincinnati's Music scene. Guess what, there is life after the Heartless Bastards and Greenhornes!

Keep in mind Midpoint is coming up. It is not too early to plan ahead. Check out the fest here: www.mpmf.com.

Best Blog

You know you want to nominate me for the Cincinnati USA's Best Blog Competition.

Smitherman Liberation Front

I am waiting for the Liberation Front for Smitherman to issue a contrary press release the counter the revolutionary action the Smitherman campaign has undertaken. Smitherman now has put himself into such a small box, he will be lucky to break 15th place in the race. He has alienated 3/4ths of his potential constituency, and I do see that 1/4th with much drive to come out and vote.

Molly Malone Confusion

Ok, how does this Molly Malone buying Jack Quinn's relate, if at all to the Molly Malone's in Pleasant Ridge. According to the article, I would guess no direct relationship, but??

It is great news that Jack Quinn's is opening up and again. The footnote on a possible replacement for Donna's is great for this corner of Covington.

Smitherman Insanity Continues

Nate takes on Smitherman his blogger by proxy Jason Haap. The battle at this point is rather one sided. Say what you want about Nate (there are many problems with his actions and views), but he is a smart guy, much smarter than the Beacon crowd. It is rather like a joust, but with meek men without the honor. It is still entertaining.

Where is Bronson's Anti CCV Article?

Peter Bronson once again whines about personal liberty but does nothing to oppose the anti-liberty CCV. If Bronson wants to support liberty so much, I ill be waiting for he column against the CCV crusade against porn and gays. It will not appear, but I'll wait to say he gives a damn about liberty until then.

NAACP Says Smitherman Should Step Down

First, don't doubt a Judge. Second, the NAACP national office has told the Enquirer that policy requires Smitherman step down now as President of local NAACP, at least until the outcome of the election is known. Then the local organization would determine if he could continue to serve as President.

The Enquirer blog post does note that the NAACP spokesman did change his story from prior contact, so the blame for the mixed up information falls at the feet of Richard McIntire.

Hire Someone, Will Ya?

In the story about the suspenstion of three Job and Family Services Workers there is a small detail that should be the focus of the problem with how the 3,500 cases in the system are administered:

Hamilton County recently implemented reforms to improve operations at the Department of Job and Family Services.

However, they point to the fact each case worker handles about 25 cases a piece, higher than the national average. On top of that, there is a thirty percent vacancy rate in the department.

What is preventing the County from hiring people to fill an understaffed department? A few open positions is natural for any organization, but nearly ONE THIRD of the department? If these position are needed and they are budgeted, FILL THEM NOW! We don't need to endanger more kids because we have a slow hiring process.

Anyone See This?

I ask if anyone saw the people having sex in the Central Parkway Median, but I understand that you may be filled with too much of a mix of disgust and uncontrollable giggles to reply. I would also surmise the "couple" was not very attractive, so that might have left witnesses with haunting images that they would rather forget.

Seriously, what the hell were these people thinking? When people say "Get a Room" in this case I don't think he could have had more of a poignant meaning.

Brinkman Called a Criminal

State Rep. Tom Brinkman Jr.(R) was chastised by Republican Judge Ruehlman for his culpability in the election fraud two women plead guilty to on Thursday. Brinkman and his CCV allies have faced harsh criticism for the false signatures submitted in an effort to remove the City Ordinance protecting Gay and Lesbians from discrimination. Here is what the Judge had to say about Brinkman:

“He’s the real criminal,” Ruehlman said. “What he did is terrible, almost defrauding. A layer of foundation of our democracy is voting and free elections. To cheat the voting system… he’s a state rep on top of that…”

Now, if for some strange reason Tom gets into the race for Congress, I expect to see the phrase "He’s the real criminal" repeated again and again and again.

CityBeat Fires Back

Kevin Osborne fires back in the ongoing disagreement over whether Chris Smitherman is allowed to run and hold office while President of the local NAACP.

If he is allowed to or not by the National NAACP is in the end a red herring. The fact that Smitherman wants both jobs is a clear sign he is not a good candidate for either position. Pick your battles and pick your focus.

WOXY Going HD with WVXU

Great news for Indie music radio fans with the announcement that WOXY.com will be broadcast on HD Radio via WVXU's HD signal. Yes, like Kiesewetter stated in the post, I went right on-line to price out HD radios. They are not cheap and there are not many I found that are not built for your car.

More from Mike Breen at CityBeat.

P-Ridge Council Kinda Fishy

Things up on the Pleasant Ridge Community Council look a little bit strange with the ‘Endorsement’ of Fischer in council's newsletter. Non-Profits are not allow to do that. I don't know how you punish this group or if you really want too. It is almost the type of slap on the wrist thing that hits no one personally. The issue to consider is what Fischer himself new about this article. He should be asked about it and fess up if he knew it was being published.

The Cincinnati Post Makes It Official

To no one's surprise the Cincinnati Post announced they will end publication December 31st. The paper has been slowly bleeding off staff for the last three years, but this town will lose out on good media competition. The Enquirer has become nothing but fluff filled and will continue to not care about reporting news, and instead care more about giving shallow people something to talk about at the gym.

Eating Their Own Kind

It is very fun to watch Republicans attack other Republicans. What is say is that one of the Republicans has finally woken up about the War in Iraq. The other Republicans are so insanely blinded by blood lust they cling to myths of why we got into Iraq and the simple fact that the Iraq War has created 1,000 times more terrorism than it has prevented.

It should be a shock that this comes from Peter Bronson. I honestly think the man takes some kind of mind treatments ever night before he has his warm milk. Maybe its just the warm milk that makes him so delusional? Either way it is clear that John McCain does sound insane, based on Bronson's rumor spreading. Glad he is not going to be President.

Schmidt In Trouble?

All Phil Heimlich really needs to beat Jean Schmidt in the primary is enough money. At this point he has more than Schmidt and so do both Democrats.

Getting Nasty

Inside the Jail-tax pro-ballot issue camp, things are getting very heated.

Counting

It appears someone has a problem with math.

Midpoint: First Wave of Bands Listed

The 2007 Midpoint Music Festival has posted the initial listing of bands for this September's festival. The final listing is expected this month.

Additionally, the festival schedule is out and two pre-party events have artists: Friday Night - Forget Cassettes, Saturday - Oh My God. The artist showcase schedule is not posted yet.

Keep an eye on www.TheConveyor.com for fresh perspectives on this year's Midpoint.

George Zamary's Website Is Up

Council Candidate George Zamary has his campaign webiste up and running.

Council Predictions - As of Now

Nate Livingston analyzes the race for city council and categorizes the candidates into the likelihood of getting elected.

I disagree with Nate on two big fronts. First I don't see Winburn and Fischer are as big a locks as he thinks. Charlie Winburn has a good chance, but I put him in the pack at best even with Monzel and Ghiz. I still see Fischer as another Barb Trauth, with all the money and no message.

Secondly and more importantly, this race is far more open than he infers. In 2005 vote difference between the #3 spot and the #9 spot was less than 3,000 votes. The top two(Cranley and Tarbell) won far and away. That leaves the rest in a very narrow pack. None of the rest are stellar returning candidates and they all have negatives. I think they all have an advantage over the non-incumbents, of course, but I don't see any of them with a leg up at this point over the really strong group of endorsed challengers.

I'm also not sure why Nate but Mitch Painter into the higher tier candidates. Both Thomas and Malone have a far better chance than the rookie. His name will help in a small way, but when people see a young guy standing up to speak at forums, I don't know if they are going to take him seriously.

I myself at this point think we will have at least 3 new faces on council, maybe more. Which 2 or more incumbents will lose is the 100,000 dollar question.

Why Move the Ohio Primary?

I find no good reason to move the Ohio Primary to January. Sen. Eric H. Kearney's rational for why we should move it hollow and weak:

"I believe it is critical that Ohioans have a voice in who the presidential nominees are before it is a foregone conclusion,'' Kearney said.

A voice? When about 10 or more states have either moved or are planning on moving their primary to January, Ohio's voice would be part of a choir and we would have to scream. Leave the primary where it is.

If Kearney which to increase Ohio's voice, I suggest he work to make it easier to register to vote and help get people to the polls on election day.

Were Any Signatures Forged?

The number jumped pretty high in a day from what was reported. I guess someone was holding some back from the media to try and make a bigger splash or does someone have writer's cramp really bad this morning?

It would be very interesting to see what group got more signatures, the Greenies/NAACP side or the COAST side of this marriage made in Hell.

Dunk Berding

Today 12:30 PM at 5915 Ridge Road during the Pleasant Ridge Parade and Festival Councilman Jeff Berding will be sitting in their dunking booth. Get in line now!

Hashers On the Loose!

Do We Need a New Jail?

In the jail-tax debate we have lost track of this question. Is there any debate on this? I honestly do not know if we need a new jail or if Si Leis just wants another toy to play with.

If we need a new jail, we need funding for it. If we don't need a new jail, we don't need the funding for it. That to me makes the tax issue moot. If we need the jail, we need the tax increase. If we don't need the jail, we don't need the tax increase. We can debate the details of the tax increase and who it impacts for 100 years, that still doesn't get to the fundamental issue.

I honestly do not know if we need one or not? Anyone want to speak to this?

Local Costume Maker Destroyed By Fire

Horrible news for the Cincinnati Costume Co. which had a total loss at their University Heights warehouse.

As Rick Pender notes, The Cincinnati Costume Co. provided costumes to many local theaters. A benefit at Jersey Productions take places. More details are here.

UrbanCincy: The NEW Downtown Cincinnati

UncleRando at UrbanCincy has a great post summarizing the massive wave of development happening in Downtown Cincinnati. People are starting to wake up. About a week and a half ago I was down on Fountain Square after a Reds game on a Saturday Night. It was filled with people watching a movie at 10 PM. filled with lots of families! On the way home I walked by the massive line at the Cadillac Ranch. Things are changing and there is more come.

The Money

The first money reports have been filed and the usual suspects have the bucks.

I don't remember last time around, but David Crowley has raised a ton of money, but he has little on hand. I would surmise that has to do with debt from the last campaign?

If you are not on this list at all, it will be extremely difficult to even come close to getting on council.

What's New? Nada!

It didn't take long to replace Bella's location and the group behind Boca in Oakley filling it with Nada, an upscale Mexican Restaurant. It will be interesting what they do, or able to do, with the corner patio space. It is a little bit funny in the article to hear Jeff Ruby complaining about competition.

Streetcar Blog: Connect Our Dots

A nice looking niche blog called Connect Our Dots, which has a group of advocates for Streetcars in Cincinnati.

Check it out and I hope to link to their efforts often.

Anyone Know This Guy?

It appears a Cincinnati man named David Zakaryan was charged with possessing a knife while being outside the hotel Sen. Barack Obama was staying at in Iowa.

This story also hit the the Sun Times, but his name was listed as Davit Zakaryn.

Westender: Smitherman's Challenge

Clark Street Blog's Westender summerizes the problem with Chris Smitherman. It is good and can speak for itself.

Kaup Gets 500

Joan Kaup is reportedly the first candidate to have their ballot signatures approved.

Korte's Analysis of Smitherman's Chances

Greg Korte analyzes Chris Smitherman's chances to get elected.

Open Up the YP World

Joe Wessels latest Post column from Saturday delved deeper into the YP world and the problems with those involved. Joe liked my post from last weekend and referenced it in his column and the City Talk radio show from last weekend.

When I listened to the radio show I was floored when one of the guests, YPKC chair Candace Klein, had no idea about the disconnect between native Cincinnatians and the rest of "us". Unless you live in a vacuum, it is most clear that a large portion of those who grew up in Cincinnati don't do much to meet or interact with people who are new to town. Now, this is NOT EVERYONE! I know many native Cincinnatians who are my friends and who do go out of their way to meet new people. It is the type of problem that is very obvious and something I am surprised the YPKC leader either never noticed or is papering over.

One of the goals of YP groups, and especially the YPKC, is to attract more YP "types" to the City. If over half of the people who are in your age bracket just don't care enough to meet anyone outside of their high school or college friends, then how are we going to ultimately improve the YP climate?

Hip HB's Rule 14th Street | The Conveyor

Here's my take on the Heartless Bastard's show in Over-the-Rhine this past Friday.

More Census Disputes

Mayor Mark Mallory is challenging Cincinnati's population estimate from US Census. He believes there are more than 378,000 people in the city, which stems from the Social Contract study.

Are we that large? That is 40,000+ more than the revised census estimate.

His Ego Dwarfs His Brain

Well, it appears Chris Smitherman needs to read the NAACP rules before it tries to hold both an elected public office and a leadership role in the NAACP. Now, this concept is moot, since Smitherman will lose, but it goes to illustrate that he will do what ever it takes to further his personal interests over that of the organization he claims to represent.

Refering to his run for council, Marian Spencer said it best:

Marian Spencer, another longtime chapter member who supported Smitherman in his candidacy to take over the group, said the move would be “inappropriate.”

It is plain as day that Smitherman is in the race to further his own career.

New Blog The 'Nati Life

I've added another blog to blogroll, check out The 'Nati Life.