Dumbing Down American Youth

Allegations have been made that one of the questions at last week's "Rock the Vote" debate on CNN was planted by someone at CNN. The question was about which type of computer the candidates prefer, PC or MAC. This story has many irrational elements to it, for instance, if they person had a different question to say, why did they use the one they were asked to use? Why not say screw CNN and ask her own question? Was the person so eager to be on TV that they were willing to say what ever CNN wanted?

The alleged reasons for this question to be used was her other question was not "lighthearted." If this is true I see a small trend in the media growing: editors think people under 35 are shallow and stupid. What else could explain the introduction of CinWeekly?

[Link via Atrios]

Let's Cin Again, Like We Did Last Week

Last Week CityBeat took a turn bashing CinWeekly. Greg Flannery hit them hard in his Porkopolis column. Greg points out what they are in a concise manner when saying what CityBeat was not:

Otherwise, Cin Weekly was nothing like CityBeat, which doesn't publish rehashed Enquirer "news" items, syndicated food stories and recipes, advice on avoiding annoying co-workers, cornhole features, Associated Press movie and DVD stories and "family friendly" calendar listings.

The best jibe was their page 14-15 story entitled "Good, Clean Election Fun" (story not online), a play on Cin's tag line "Good Clean Fun." The montage of pictures from election day that remind one of the Cinscene photos from CinWeekly. The difference between the two photo spreads, you ask? One is of a NEWS event; the other is not in anyway a news event. Except if you think Backstreet Boy Nick Carter being at Club Clau is news. If you think that is news, then I hope you don't breed.

Cincinnati Independent Media Exposition 2003

If you have any interest in how the indie media works or starting your own media outlet then you need to go the IME 2003 on November 14th and 15th.

The second annual Independent Media Exposition will be held at Media Bridges in downtown Cincinnati during the second week of November. The Expo brings the public and mass media together under the same roof to increase media literacy, encourage citizen participation in media and promote the diverse, unique media landscape in Cincinnati and beyond. The Expo features a 16 different sessions over two days, covering DIY Publishing, Web zines, Net Radio, Minority Voices in the media, the Radical Media and a whole lot more.

Everyone is welcome!

There is a full Schedule of Events and directions to the event.

Saving Jessica Lynch

Ok, I watched it. I normally steer clear of all made for TV movies, but I was a sucker for the hype. I also caught 60 Minutes earlier tonight which had an interview with Pfc. Patrick Miller who was part of the 507th Maintenance Company. According to the story from 60 Minutes Miller was the hero of the day, saving Lynch's and several other's lives through his actions. The movie did not reflect his statements on what happened when they were captured. His story sounds much more dramatic and heroic than was portrayed in the movie. I wonder where the outrage is with this TV movie's failure to depict "reality." If it is good for the "Gipper" isn't it good for a real war hero?

Blackwell is Annoying Me

I am going nuts with the intrusive advertisement from Ohio Secretary of State Ken Blackwell on the Websites for the Enquirer and the Post. The ad is for Blackwell's politcal movement to repeal the recent Ohio Sales Tax increase.

Here are some simple facts people should keep in mind when viewing this.

1. Ken Blackwell is a Republican.
2. The Republican's control the entire Ohio State Government, both houses of the Assembly and the Governorship.
3. The Republican controlled Assembly and the Republican Governor controlled the process to raise the sales tax.
4. Ken Blackwell is positioning himself to run for Governor in few years. He will face GOP competition for the nomination so he is getting his name out there early, without declaring for office.

The advertisement is so annoying because it plays an audio and video message whenever you load up a section page from either newspaper site. I don't fault ads, the paper needs them, but I really don't like having to hear it every time I load their site. I would prefer the ad to not run automatically.

You Say Tomato, I say...

Josh Marshall has released his winners for the "imminent threat contest" where he sought quotes from the Bush Administration and their Hawk supporters. Josh sums up the problem with the "imminent threat" debate with this paragraph:

Yet, as I said in The Hill on Wednesday, their argument is really just a “crafty verbal dodge — sort of like ‘I didn’t accuse you of eating the cake. All I said was that you sliced it up and put it in your mouth.’”

Yep, he didn't say those words, "imminent threat." Bush sold the war on that basis of the claim that there was an impending threat from Iraq that could strike us at any moment. Now, that is imminent in my book.

The battle of exact words is not really the meat of this criticism. Bush's problem is that he believed we faced danger from Iraq's WMD. Now when I say danger, I mean that the WMD could be used on the USA at some point in the not to distant future, from the next five minutes to the next few years. Now, in reality we did not face any more danger from Iraq's WMD than we did from our own WMD. The question left unanswered is did Bush know this. What information did he base his conclusion that we were in danger from Iraq's WMD? From what is being reported the only verified information that Iraq even possessed any WMD was that there was not a complete accounting of the WMD Iraq claimed to have after Gulf War I. So an incomplete accounting is the basis of the threat? This is where Bush mislead the public. He and members of his administration regularly said that Iraq possessed WMD. Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld even stated we know were they were. I think it is clear that no one in the administration knew where the weapons where, because they had no good evidence that Iraq still had any.

This reality brings on one of two probable conclusions. 1. Bush or those advising him knew all along that the WMD posed no significant threat to the USA, but used the fear of WMD to sell the war. 2. Bush got really really bad intelligence.

Bush I think in the campaign to justify his war will claim #2 and blame the CIA. That I think is evidence of poor character. Bush is the boss, and should take the heat for the people he leads.

I don’t know if #1 is valid, but I think that at least to a degree that it occurred. I think that people in the administration knew that WMD was not a significant threat to the USA, but they knew they could use the fear to bring along enough people to bring out the war they wanted. Now, the debate of why they wanted the war is a different question that has varied and unknown motivations that I don’t have enough information from which to draw a valid conclusion.

I believe the validity of the criticism lies in what is clear a fact to me, Bush mislead the country on the level of the threat of WMD. Everyday that we don’t find actual usable weapons of mass destruction in Iraq shows that either they are now in the hands of those we fear would get them if we did not go to war, or that none exists. If none exist, I just don’t see how anyone can claim Bush is not a deceptive person, who did one of the worst things a President can do, provide misleading or false reasons for going to war.

Dictionary Use

I had to dig out the dictionary to understand the title of Maggie Downs' column this week. I usually can get most words I don't know from their context, but I don't know what I was thinking today. The word I did not know, "aural", means "of or relating to the ear or to the sense of hearing" which makes perfect sense in the context now that I know what the word means. I guess using "sex" in the title of a Enquirer column just threw me for a loop. I am surprised that Peter Bronson has not resigned for this obviously "perverse" allusion. Phil Burress will soon be getting a hundred phone calls about the "porn filled pages" of the Enquirer. "It's that Maggie Downs again, Phil," Betty Cornblough might say to Phil Burress of the CCV, "She printed that Flynt kid's story and now she has mentioned the word 'sex' in the title of her column. How can we stop this?"

Ok, Ok, Ok I jest. I am just trying to figure out a good way for not knowing what a word meant. I am attempting to use the Chewbacca defense, but I am failing, and failing big. Breaking out the dictionary feels like admiting you don't know something, and for know-it-all writers like myself, that can be a slight ego deflator.

Hackery Thine Name Be True

I did not know Peter Bronson could really go this low. He manages to bring Bill Clinton into a column about local politics. Why does Peter at least come up with new lexicon. "Clintonesque sex scandal" is rather trite. Nixonian has had time to work up to a word that has real meaning. Clintonesque is forced. Peter is projecting his hate again. The Clenis™ is something that I think Peter will never stop pursuing. His "Quest" taints his columns far more than his ideological bent. It is almost a sickness. I wonder if any shrinks have written papers on it?

Two Roads Diverge, But Are Not Enough

Most of what I blog about tends to be criticism. I will sometimes point out interesting writing from another blogger, or an interesting newspaper article. Everything else is rebuttal. I find that I tend to not want to comment on things I was entertained by. Things that make me think are much easier to discuss than items that were just humorous, without any political or social overtones. Now that the local political season has ended, I will try to write about other topics. I have to admit that I have had enough of following the elections. The blog will not be void of politics, but I will try and mix it up a bit, break in new ideas, and challenge myself to write better. If I go off on a few limbs in the coming weeks, then I apologize ahead of time.

Election Roundup

A summary listing of who is saying what about last night's election:

XRay Magazine's Final Field Report and Final Vote Summary.
Wes Flinn Comments
Plus a ton of stuff at the Post and the Enquirer.

2 New Councilmen

You say Smither, I say Man, Smither-Man the newest council-man. Chris Smitherman has won. I had him at the 11th place, but his 7th place was a big upset. Sam Malone is a bigger shock to me. I had him well out of the running and he beat one sitting councilman.

The big loser was Councilman Chris Monzel. His big war chest was not enough.

Damon Lynch came really close. He ran a brilliant campaign. He backed off his more aggressive style and thanks to the advice of Gene Galvin he toned down the vitriol to a more mass appeal rhetoric. There will be a few fledgling conspiracy theories that will no doubt surface on WDBZ tomorrow.

I was disappointed with Nick Spencer's showing. I thought he would at least hit 15th place, but I think the low turnout killed his chances.

Full election results are at Cincinnati.com.

MIAMI 33, Bowling Green 10

Love and honor to Miami,
Our college old and grand,
Proudly we shall ever hail thee,
Over all the land.

Alma mater now we praise thee,
Sing joyfully this lay,
Love and honor to Miami,
Forever and a day.

Election Coverage at XRay

Live Coverage is available at XRay Magazine with updates 2 times an hour.

Liberal Media My Ass

CBS=Pussies

More proof that FOX News is biased, the above story was "Breaking News" on their website. This reminds me of the time Nancy Reagan received an award in D.C. for a charity event of some type on a Saturday night. FOX covered her remarks live. Yes, LIVE. This was not while she was first lady; this was a couple of years ago. FOX News did not exist while she was first lady. Damn, if you think the propaganda at FOX is bad under Bush, just think how bad it would have been under Reagan.

I can't wait until the next time Primary Colors airs on TV. With all of this outrage, I expect the Clinton based drama will get these same folks all in a frenzy. Oh….., wait….., they won't? They are only pissed because it is their dear leader who is not depicted in a manner in keeping with their fantastic ideals?

Go Out and Vote

If you don't vote, you don't get to bitch about the idiots who will get elected. I am sticking with my predictions made in last week's VigPol. I will predict that 1 of the 8 incumbents will not make it back on. The three who might not get back on are Cole, Monzel, and Tarbell. I think one of the three will not make it back on. I think Lynch needs one of the three not to get back on, otherwise he will not win.

Check out GoXRay.com late this afternoon and all evening. We are planning on providing some running coverage of what is going on. I will be on here as well with commentary and last minute predictions as the night wears on. Be sure to watch the Miami vs. BGSU football game tonight on ESPN2 while you follow the election on the web.

Good Luck to all Candidates, it should be a great day, so no one as an excuse not to vote.

CinWeekly Review: Ex-Sorority Girl's Delight

If you think Katie Couric is the queen of intellectual discourse, then this is your weekly. It is disposable. It has a shelf life of no more than one week, and that is being generous. I have no reason to actually keep a copy around. I don't know if there are even any accessible archives, but I guess there is nothing much to blog, so I don't imagine I will need an archive.

Now that I have told you how much I love it, let me get specific with problems:

Opinion: Does anyone at CinWeekly have an opinion? I mean an opinion on something beyond the fluff. I don't mean a top ten list. I don't mean the opinion on a movie, rock concert, or restaurant. I mean an opinion on a topic of political/social/economic significance to the city/state/region. I was hoping there would be someone writing an individual column with something of substance. For example, something with topics that Kathy Y. Wilson, Maureen Dowd or even Peter Bronson might write about. I figured they might want an ounce of credibility, but intellectualism (even a little bit) is not going to make them any money. Their market demographic is what drives their content. If you like to think about something other than wall paper patterns or seeing the latest Hollywood feature length commercial, then this is not your weekly.

Milquetoast: This publication reminds of the "prefab four," the Monkeys. To my younger readers, think "Boy Band," a group manufactured to market products. CinWeekly is 88 pages of advertisements. Even the stories are selling something, whether it be the latest movie, music, local event, or activity. There is not any "news" in what was originally considered to be a "newspaper." This is not a newspaper. This is People Magazine meets the Yellow Pages. Bland as Velveeta, tame as a dead cat.

Native Snobbery: My impression overall of the first issue was one of what I call "Native Snobbery." The tone was illustrated by the "quiz" where they ask "Think you're a 'true' Cincinnatian?" I took this test semi-seriously. Now, I know it was meant as fun, but I only got a score of 5 and I have lived in Cincinnati for 9 years, and I have been in South West Ohio for 13 years. I am not ignorant of this city, but as an “outsider,” I don’t totally fit in. This confirms a big problem here in Cincinnati. If you were not born here, or lived in the area since you were a child, then you are an outsider. You are not treated poorly, you just are never as close of a friend as one who grew up here. This is not unique to Cincinnati, but it seems to take on an increased meaning with the structures of the institutions around here and the dislike of difference. Outsiders are different, to one degree or another. I would have hoped that this publication would appeal to those who are new to town and don't know as much. Instead, I felt like they were saying "Here is how a real Cincinnatians acts. Eat this, watch this, listen to this, think like this. You will comply or be buried under a giant 3-way, which is on sale now at your local Skyline."

Anything Good? Well there are a few things. It looks nice. I am not big on how publications look, but this one is not horrible. The website is functional. It has too much going on and buries the content in favor of advertised listings, but that is user friendly. The writing is not bad, but the topics are just mundane. Good Housekeeping breaks more ground.

This is only the first issue, and it will take time for these folks to find a voice that will be credible. At this point it lack credibility. It is meant for the suburbanite. The city loses out again as Gannett ignores people who are not looking for the bland picket fence life, or as it is today: the cul-de-sac life. Minority issues are not well represented. You would not even know there were gay people in town if you read this publication. I guess they don't want to piss anyone off anyone in the CCV, so their religion listings are not mixed with any of the Northside bars.

I look for improvement. I can be optimistic. I am a cynic at heart, so it is very very difficult. I wish there was something that would appeal to me. I know I am not the normal consumer they are trying to reach. I like to think. I like to read. I like to learn something new about the city and the world that does involve having to buy or consume something. I don't see this publication as something impacting society in a positive way. I hope that can change.

I also wonder how many of those lovely pink CinWeekly boxes line the streets of OTR. I would bet, not many, if any.

Campaigning with the Youth

Interesting article from Maggie Downs: youth volunteers for political campaigns. Many local schools are requiring students in certain classes to participate in a political campaign of their choice. This is a great idea, as long as any candidate or issue was allowed to fill the requirement. I have seen some of these kids out on the streets and it is a great experience for them to learn and understand how the political process works. I hope all of the kids take advantage of joining the campaign parties on election night. That was something I experienced as a teenager and found to be exciting.

I had to laugh at this paragraph on Cincinnati Councilman John Cranley's efforts to get young people to work for his campaign:

"It's always good when you get a lot of boys and girls there, because they show up for the social aspect," he said. "Obviously, I'm also a younger candidate, so that's a big selling point, too. But we really go out of our way to make people feel welcome in the campaign."

Hmm, somehow being a younger candidate is something the Post found to be a problem for Nick Spencer. A difference in perspective can often show you an angle no one else can or wants to see.

UC News Record on the Council Race

The UC News Record speculates on those who might make it to council this year.

Keep Your Theocratic Culture to Yourself

A letter writer to the Enquirer seems to think "our culture" needs "saving":

Traditional family the backbone of America

On Wednesday, proponents of marriage began before the Family Law Committee at the Statehouse. It's amazing that we've reached a point where marriage actually needs to be legally defined. I urge all who care about our future to actively support H.B.272 (Defense of Marriage Act). Call your state representative and urge others to do the same.

The strength of this country is not and never has been our diversity, but diverse people forming strong families, striving for common goals and values. The traditional family has always been the backbone of American society.

Many of us tolerate the decadence around us for fear of being judgmental. Bishop Fulton Sheen once said, "America is not suffering from intolerance. It is suffering from tolerance of right and wrong, truth and error, virtue and evil, Christ and chaos. Our country is not nearly so much overrun with the bigoted as it is with the broadminded. In the face of this broadmindedness, what the world needs is intolerance."

We need to heed his words and start fighting to save our culture.

Claudia Bihl, Franklin Furnace, Ohio

Well Ms. Bihl, if your culture is one that seeks to superimpose your religious teaching on everyone in Ohio by defining Marriage in religious terms, then I think you should keep your theocratic culture to yourself. How is your marriage going to be affected by someone else's marriage? Why don't you worry about yourself, and let other's marry who they want without the state choosing for them? The Bile Ms. Bihl supports in the "Defense of Marriage Act" seeks not to defend marriage, but to shut marriage off from those her and her fellow Christian fundamentalists (evangelicals too) find decadent.

I really want to know why bigots like Ms. Bihl are against homosexuals. What beyond their religious dogma instigates their belief? Fear? Ignorance? I think that sums up most of what it all about, but their indoctrinations leave no room to see it point of view of the homosexual. Gays and Lesbians are people, just like everyone else, minus one small difference. They have the same emotions, same desires, and same beliefs as heterosexuals. Why not let them marry? Specifically how does it hurt anyone? I am not hurt if someone who I don't know gets married. Why do people like Claudia Bihl care who other people marry, other people they don't know and likely never will know?

Luken to Run for Mayor Again in 2005

Korte also reported that Mayor Luken will run again for Mayor. Luken confirmed he will run again in 2005 while appearing on the Lincoln Ware TV call in show. This will likely piss off both David Pepper and Alicia Reece, but make Pat DeWine ecstatic.