More Springer Bashing

A short quip bashing Jerry Springer and fueling speculation that he is running for Governor, which is sometimes a off again, on again venture in the press.

Pepper vs. Raussen

This morning on 'Newsmakers,' Dan Hurley hosted a hot and tense debate between Councilman, and Mayoral Candidate, David Pepper and State House Member James Raussen on the use of cameras at stoplights to issue traffic tickets by mail. The debate centered on whether or not House Bill 56 is valid and why it is being enacted. Both guys were going at it tooth and nail, more like a Crossfire episode, rather than a community affairs program.

The Bill bans the use of cameras as a means to enforce traffic laws. I am not one keen on traffic light cameras. Traffic laws are the "crimes" we should be putting resources into; instead we should be attacking violent crime. I don't know if I like big state government taking over cities either though. What happened to local control, Tom Brinkman?

East End Development Plan

This plan is huge. The question is will the plan become reality? The best part of the whole thing:

"We're not asking for any public financing," Stewart said.

The bad news is that some families will likely either have their leases terminated, or if they are owners, they might face the eminent domain issue. The only thing different about this area, compared to the Norwood ED mess, is that makes in the East End ED more likely and more palatable because the area is in a flood zone, and those who lived in the area back in 1997 were displaced because of flooding, and likely suffered significant damage. This might be a good chance from them to make a good profit on their property.

I am skeptical that this plan will go beyond the proposal stage. I also worry about traffic. That part of the city is jam packed with two roads, Eastern/Kellogg Ave and Columbia Parkway. The Delta Interchange would become a parking lot if more money, or better yet a rail station, is not put into improving the roads in the area. That would require public funds that are not anywhere to found right now.

SOC and the Nati have more.

One for All, and All for Themself

The GOP trio who are running for Ohio Governor, are beginning to quarrel just a bit. Things should get nasty as the campaign rolls on. Let he who draws first blood be granted a seat at the high alter of electioneering.

Fake Blogger Profiled in Enquirer

Shocking as it may be, but fake blogger, Cincinnati Harold, not be confused with the Cincinnati Phil, was profiled in today's Enquirer. In other news, Mars has been selected as the sight of the 2020 Olympic Games, Nick Vehr said to be upset Cincinnati lost out, again.

Thanks For Nothin, Danny

Customs has seen the light and will release art items seized from an Austrian bound for Cincinnati's CAC. The items were meant for a performance piece to coincide with the opening of the exhibit. It opened last week. A little late there Customs flunkies.

Funny

I shouldn't have even guessed these guys would not have jumped on the blog banned wagon.

Nick Clooney Back at The Post

Former NKY Congressional candidate is back at his old post as columnist for The Cincinnati Post. I must admit I did not read his work before. I enjoyed his work on AMC, before AMC became a TBS clone, back when they showed classics, not just movies with low airing fee. I will try and catch his column more often. The revolving media-political door is common in Washington; it is less common here, unless you ignore Charlie Luken, Jerry Springer, and Curtis Fuller.

I-71 Shooter(s)?

A pickup truck was shot at while on I-71 early this morning, no one was injured. This freaks me out. I drive by this every day, and drove by this area 3 hours or so after it happened. I saw nothing out there, but I enter I-71 only a few hundred yards before the Stewart Exit, where the the SUV carrying the shooting suspects fled.

The critical element of this that the article mentions in passing is that the drivers may know each other or that the two cars had some kind of previous confrontation. In other words this may have been either a grudge or "Road Rage." I like to think it was the former, not the latter, but if the local TV news gets a hold it, nothing would matter.

UPDATE: WCPO reports a more detailed story saying this may have been a drug deal gone wrong. With all of the shootings and murders yesterday, this might just drop under the radar. I would have thought the folks in Madeira and Kenwood would be screaming their lungs off over this. They may still; the life of this story is still very young.

Welcome to a Police State

It is beyond the words the contempt I feel toward some idiots in the Customs Department for seizing art. How long have customs agents been seizing personal property and just add a note to the bag they pilfered? If these items were a threat, why did they not seize the person along with the information, or maybe at least interview him after they took it and tell him they took it?

I hope that happened, but based on the article, the artist did not know the items were gone until the day after they were taken.

Now, this situation is on top of the ludicrousness of finding these items, as the article quoted it, "in some way be harmful if imported into the U.S." Hell, anything could be harmful if imported. A pants suit from Italy could hang a man for goodness sake! Block all flights from Milan, or we area all going to die.

Nail clippers, anyone?

MyDD :: Beijing or Cincy?

MyDD has a post up on the City Hall blogspot ban, and this blogger actually got a response to an email from Council member David Crowley:

Yes this is true. This was not something being done at the request of Council. These are decisions being made by our IT folks. I do my best to request access to the sites that I know of and usually access is granted.

David Crowley

Have any council members requested to be able to view my blog? If any of them are reading, chime in.

[Via Dave at RFN]

Question for Bronson

In research for his column today did he file a FOIA request?

Something Missing

There is something missing in this article about Private clubs, like the Banker's Club, trying to attract younger members. The thing missing when it refers to the "young crowd" is that they mean the "young rich crowd." It costs $200 to join the club and $52 per month for one of the clubs. That is hardly a wide market. It is good that these groups are seeking out diversity, based on race, but they are still based on exclusivity. It they fear they are losing money because of a dying upper class, then I have no sympathy for their plight.

I say this as a person who grew up going to a place called the "Town Club" in my small city back in New York. It was a nice place to eat, but it really was snooty for snooty's sake.

Taking Sides

With the Mayor's race heating up, things are likely to get prickly soon. With Mallory and Pepper officially declared, and Reece and maybe even Smitherman on the way soon, Democrats campaigners will have to choose sides.

What happens if things get ugly? Can the local Democrats survive the family feud if things go negative? Last election things got dirty with fake posters and dancing councilmen. This time around with more money then ever before and people with lots of loathing, things are bound to boil over into the nasty.

What happens after either the September Primary or after the election? Will Democrats unite? Will they work forward in 2006 to fill statewide offices? The Coalition that is the Democratic Party has traditionally be a glass jawed affiliation that shatters after the first spilled drink. Local races can get personal, but does everyone understand that you really have to live with your competitors tomorrow?

Here is where the GOP can play games. Like the Lynch-Linder Poster caper, someone could use that type of stunt as a means to play two or more sides off each other and appear clear of linkage. Many rumors flew around as to who made those posters. Most pointed toward a foe of Lynch inside the black community. That may have been true, but likely it was from inside the Democratic Party. The post had enough of an effect to keep Damon Lynch off council. In a strong field of candidates for mayor with either money or a platform, things might get ugly and people will get their feelings hurt. These stunts likely can’t swing a wide race, but with 3 to 5 viable candidates, the polls could be all over the place right up to primary day.

With a plugged in blog scene here in town and everyone, including me, looking to drop a bomb on the race, dropping a dime to a favorable blogger could push this campaign like no other in Cincinnati history.

UC Student Looking to run for Council

Robert Wilson, a third year UC student is running for Cincinnati City Council. He has the website up, and has already raised $1,000 towards the effort and is looking to raise $10,000. He will need every penny he can get. He faces a mammoth mountain to win. He is a suburban transplant and lives downtown, so that shows a level of commitment to the city. His youth is a killer for him. Nick Spencer was hurt by that last time, and this kid, and at 21 I hope he does not take offence at that label, will face more negatives because of his age. On the other hand he is young enough for that fact to actually gain a little press attention for just that reason. If I were in his shoes I would play up being young, and look to exploit it. It can't hurt pointing out the obvious, especially when everyone else does. Pull a Regan and beat the press to the punch on the age issue, just do it with a joke and honesty that he lacks experience. He can point out that the most people on council are not older than he is, just don’t piss off Crowley or Tarbell.

Romantic Music

Lists and lists are what everyone loves, so on Valentine's Day why not the 28 most romantic musical compositions. Well, that are at least my favorites, maybe not the most romantic. If nothing else, this gives us single folks something to do today.

1: Moonlight Serenade - Glenn Miller
2: Stardust - Frank Sinatra, Tommy Dorsey
3: All I Want Is You - U2
4: Begin the Beguine - Artie Shaw & His Orchestra
5: And I Love Her - The Beatles
6: At Last - Glenn Miller
7: In Your Eyes - Peter Gabriel
8: And the Angels Sing - Glenn Miller
9: Landslide - Fleetwood Mac
10: I Want You (She's So Heavy) - The Beatles
11: Can't Help Falling In Love - Elvis Presley
12: Something - The Beatles
13: Just Like Heaven - The Cure
14: With or Without You - U2
15: An American in Paris - George Gershwin
16: Rhapsody in Blue - George Gershwin
17: I've Got the World on a String - Frank Sinatra
18: One - U2
19: Wink and a Smile - Harry Connick Jr.
20: The Lady Is a Tramp - Frank Sinatra
21: Alison - Elvis Costello
22: Blackbird - Beatles
23: Lovesong - The Cure
24: Cry Baby Cry - Beatles
25: Bad - U2
26: Here Comes the Sun - The Beatles
27: Lullaby - The Cure
28: Where the Streets Have No Name - U2

What would you add or subtract? I don't include much current music, because well, I do listen to all that much new music. If there is something new that can top anything on this list, I have yet to hear it.

NPR offers something different from last year.

KY and a KY Teacher Violate 1st Amendment

Here is an open violation of the 1st Amendment and and of SCOTUS rulings. The article is written in a very clever way with what I believe is a pro-creationist leaning. That may not be the views of the reporter, but it is written in a way to give more than a positive light on those trying to put religion into schools. The article even goes to the kids to present a "see, no one was harmed" tone to the story. This teacher is teaching religion in public schools. This also sounds like it is staged for the benefit of the reporter. The most objectionable portion of the article is where it puts the nut case Ken Ham on par with a local college professor. Ken Ham is to science, as Snake handlers are to Mainstream Christianity. Giving him a platform is giving him standing he does not deserve. He is a nut case, and is bank rolled by many fools, including a would be local politician.

More on the City Hall Ban

An outlet called The Blog Herald has picked up the story from the Enquirer on the blogspot ban at City Hall.

Small World - Big City

I have heard over and over again how this town is small and everyone knows everyone, and you go the same places and see the same people. Now, I have experienced this myself and most it can be explained because I go to the same places over and over again. For me its the Comet, Northside Tavern, Crowley's, Milton's, and Panera.

Today though I got the chance to say hello and very briefly meet a blog reader and journalist Kelly Hudson ofCiN Weekly. I happened to be at, you guessed it, Panera Bread for the second time in two days. At least I do go to different locations of the restaurant and I should buy stock in the place for the all of the money I spend there, as the cliché goes. They have the free wifi and good food, so I have no guilt at my obsession with it.

What do people do when you see people you “know of” around town? Those are often people of note around town, sometimes called “local celebrities” sometimes chided as the elite, or the influential. I have been around town and seen other journalists, TV news anchors, sports stars, business leaders, politicians, and the occasional actually famous person and most of the time just think, hmm, cool, and then go on about drinking my coffee or beer.

Do we live in town where everyone does know everyone and ”local celebrities" who may not be the talk at the water cooler, but at least whose names are known, do not get noticed by people?

I grew up in a small city of about 35,000 people or so. There I knew or knew of every kid in town within about 3 years of my age. I still would go around town and not know people. It was almost assured that anyone I met would know someone who knew someone, etc.

Hear in Cincinnati those who have grown up here I believe think or say the same thing. As someone who has only been here just over 10 years, I can't say that. That in part may be my own fault because of my lack of the sociability gene. On the other hand most of it has to do with the simple fact, the Cincinnati Metro Area has nearly 2 million people. That is a big city. What may be our problem, partly caused by geography party by cultural choices, is that we live in a city with big divides. Suburban vs. urban, Eastside vs. Westside, Black vs. White, Liberal vs. Conservative. Bridging those divides are our challenge and the climate in the city and the country is one that favors or even promotes building moats, fences, and cultural barriers.

Banned in BostonCity Hall

This blog has been banned at City Hall. Well, not exactly banned because it is me, although I am sure the anti-homosexual councilman Sam Malone might think otherwise, but all blogspot blogs are being filtered out of the City's computer system.

The computers used by elected officials should not be filtered on any level, unless the city adopts a law filtering all forms of communication into City Hall, including TV, radio, newspapers, magazines, mail, and the telephone. For that matter they should create a sound dampening system to keep out people yelling from the street.

Why wouldn't city officials want to know what citizens are saying about local issues and local politicians? On this site and others we do just that. Now, do we also discuss national issues, sure, so does WLW and WDBZ. Are those radio stations being jammed inside the building?

Greg brought up one issue in the article that smells of censorship:

The city manager's office determines which categories of Web sites are "off limits" to city employees. Those categories include pornography, bandwidth-hogging streaming video or audio, gambling sites, alternative media, hobby sites and any site dubbed "tasteless" by the software.

Two points, who determines what is tasteless, the City Manager or the software company running the filter? Second, who the hell is deciding what is "Alternative media," and way would you ever ban it? Does that include sites like the Village Voice or IndyMedia? Locally could it mean my blog and the Independent Eye?

I also don't like it when Nate and I are on the same side of this issue. That alone gives me the creeps, not just censorship.

UPDATE: Nick Spencer comments, and believes his site is not banned.

UPDATE #2 (2:20PM): The AP has the story, but so far all I have found is a Toledo TV station's short take story. It does mention "two blogs specific to Cincinnati news and issues." I would not mind a more specific mention of the blogs so the readers can judge for themselves if blogs like mine should be considered something beyond just a "message board" as we are considered now by the city's filtering software.