'Cops!' Comes Back

In case you missed the news Chief Tom Striecher reinvited the TV show to film the Cincinnati Police.

This to me seems just as pitiful as Smitherman and Reece getting their girdle's caught in their garters of 'Cops!' in the first place. Sam Malone pushed to get the show back, but that action looks like groveling. The sauce has stained the tablecloth, we can't just through on club soda without someone noticing.

Nick Spencer has more

Smoke and Mirrors Works?

Miami's applications for enrollment increased 10% in spite of their change to a new tuition program that repacked the in-state discount. This ultimately will raise tuition for in-state students once the discount amount does not increase at the same level as the tuition.

Politizing Religion

The liberals and Democrats have been accused of opposing religion on a political as well as personal basis, making religion and Bush's religion a political issue. In reality the GOP is doing the same thing and does it far more egregiously. Locally we have Catholics making an issue of religion or religious issues, with their opinions, and the opinions of the religious leaders.

Bush's campaign has gone a step beyond. They are seeking to have churches allow or support direct campaigning in the church. This is in my opinion going to make a slew of churches loose their tax exempt status, unless of course Bush wins and has the IRS ignore the political action by non-profit organizations.

If people want to play the game of using religion as means to gain power, then they cheapen it beyond its naturally simplistic state. It is so sorry that Bush feels the need to tap into the fears of people and their religion and use their religious conventions, however so subtly, to turn the vote one way. Vote for Bush or go to Hell is not what they are saying. They are saying vote for the guy who shares your religion and who will push your religion on others. That is what we are getting. Not every religious person wants this and most would not be swayed by it anyway, but there are many idiots who vote based on either one issue, like abortion, or on religion. So when I rail against people's use of religion as a means to gain power, a faux theocracy if you will, I hope people see that I am not just blowing smoke up my ass. Well, at least not on that issue.

Bronson: Enhackment

Peter Bronson blathers on about a made up word and does so by dragging in old and tired political jabs that really have no meaning and no context to politics and current events today. What he is doing is just recycling other's views and cliché ideas because he just a shill for the GOP. I hereby term this "Enhackment."

Also, If Peter is going to mention a "blogger" by name in his column, you might think he would link to the guy's blog. What is odd, is that I can't find a blog for the guy, only a website with columns. I guess Bronson can't tell a blog from the rocks in his head.

Return of the Apostate

Adding the Apostate to the blogroll. Dmitri Iscariot gives a new bent on things local. Have a read.

She Fought the Law

Gina Daugherty, of CinWeekly, fought the law, and of course lost. Chalk up another Perry Mason moment to posterity.

More Plans Than Action

We have the Riverfront, Fountain Square, Main street, and now a new development plan for Washington Park. This sounds great, but how can we do all of this? Who pays for it? How much is publicly financed? If this is all privately funded and the school board is happy with the changes to its plans, then I say go full tilt on this.

This will surely pissed off the homeless advocates, who will gripe about Washington Park and the daily drug addicts who will be forced out. Is that really a bad thing?

Final Stage of Abandonment

The Radio Beast has nearly completed its move from Mt. Adams to Kenwood. With it goes any tie to the City of Cincinnati. We already had lesser and lesser city news coverage, I would expect even less, except when the hosts can complain about something. I do expect Cunningham to walk from work from now on. He needs to shed a few pounds of fat from his head.

Cinco de Memorial Day

We got a mini-riot in Avondale at a party at a community center. Yes, that was a community center that spawned fights and forced the police to close 10 blocks of reading road for an hour.

Breaking News: Water is Wet

Hip-hop fashion no longer just for urban black kids.

Torn, Very Torn

In reading Peter Bronson's column today I am very torn. I agree with some of his attack on city council for botching the whole 'Cops!' episode, but his defense and worship of the Cincinnati Police really is sickening.

The Police Division would have had final approval for anything put on the air, he said. Cops is unabashedly pro-police.

Maybe that's the real problem. Before the plug was pulled, Lt. Col. Richard Janke said, "It's a chance to reverse the very negative image the media have shown of Cincinnati police." He wondered if council members "are actually afraid the Police Division will look good."

You know Peter, I could say the same thing about embedded journalists in the Iraq war. Or better yet, I could say 'Cops!' is to CPD as FOX News is to the Bush War in Iraq.

'Cops!' would show a one sided image of the police here in Cincinnati. That is a political statement. It should not have to be, but the police union has made it one. Fangman and Bronson do more to hurt police-community relations than any councilperson or drug dealer could do. Both men create an "us vs. them" mentality with a goal of dividing the city with hopes that Republicans can gain power.

Bad Boys, Bad Boys

In a fight that broke out at the Yucatan Liquor Stand in Covington 5 men were arrested including two off-duty Hamilton County Sheriff's Office deputies. The question goes out to Simon Leis, will you investigate and fire thugs who fight in public places? I am sure they would have just been "defending" someone. The were likely shaking hands with a few faces, so much "defending," that the Covington police arrested them just for fun.

Hegemo on Cicadas

Sarah has some ideas on how Columbus could be tricked into taking all of Cincinnati's Cicadas. I am sure we would include shipping costs too.

Bronson Pimps WWII Veterans

Peter Bronson could have just done a tribute column to veterans for Memorial Day, but instead he whores them out in his political crusade. Not only does he use them like a smarmy John, he puts out ideas that contradict what I think most people view as American liberty.

1. Censorship: Bronson wants only "good news" out of Iraq. He
   longs for the days of WWII when "the only stories that came home were
   tales of heroism, valor and perseverance." Truth be damned! We must
   indoctrinate the populace who dare might think for themselves.


2. Pre-emption: Bronson laments that WWII was without an "exit
   strategy". Sorry to disappoint you Peter, but you are wrong
   again. We did have an exit strategy in Germany and Japan, destroy aggressive
   armies that had declared war on us. In Iraq we attacked a
   country that had a horrid regime in charge, but posed no threat to the USA,
   and a marginal threat to its neighbors. North Korea, Zimbabwe, Libya, and
   Cuba still stand. Where's the entrance strategy?


3. Don't speak ill of Dear Leader: Bronson wants us to just leave his
   fearless leader alone. We can't speak ill of him, us horrible godless
   liberal heathens. We don't deserve the right to live here if we don't
   conform to his conservative way of life. This was a bit of a
   extrapolation from the quote he used from a veteran. He had to but
   that "liberal" in there and try to claim it the media is liberal
   again. Bronson is ten times the broken record I will ever be.

There is also no logical way Bronson can claim to have run with an anti-war crowd in high school. That does not mean he did not, it just be he likely got beat up by a rival gang of hippies, which caused his conversion to the blood lust crowd.

Main Street

Nick Spencer has what he thinks is wrong with the Main Street area and includes ideas about what could be done to improve it.

Friday's Enquirer had a lengthy article covering the recent bars closing.

Dayton has news about a downtown bar doing well.

Bush Up in Latest Ohio Poll

The Mason-Dixon/Plain Dealer Poll has Bush leading significantly, by 6%. This sounds high and contradicts other recent polls that have Kerry winning (one even with Kerry up 7%). It is likely close, but the swing reported in this poll seems like they got a bad sample. This is a problem in Ohio because we have such a polarized geography. Zip codes can predict voting patterns to such degree that polls are almost moot. The real issue is turnout. That is where Bush is in trouble. I do not think he will get the volume of turnout he needs to win by 6% as this poll suggests. Ohio will be close come November, no matter who wins.

'Cops' Round-Up

'Cops!' appears not to be leaving Cincinnati. Alicia Reese explains herself, not very convincingly.

The Post has more on 'Cops!' going to Covington and the Hamilton County Sheriff's Department. There is also a background story on 'Cops!' and its popularity.

More from WCPO, WKRC, WLWT, and the Plain Dealer.

Also check out Jeff Stahler's latest cartoon.

Cincinnati Guard Unit Questioned on Prison Deaths

A military police unit based in the Cincinnati Area has been questioned regarding the deaths of two prisoners back in December of 2002 in Afghanistan. The unit has been home since March of 2003.

'Cops!' is Out

Grandstanding, Grandstanding, what you gonna do? What you gonna do when the voters come for you? Council members Alicia Reese and Chris Smitherman had a case of the "Goo" over the Cincinnati Police allowing a filming of the TV show 'Cops!'.

I must officially announce that I have lost respect for Chris Smitherman. I was pleased he got on council, adding another Charterite was a big plus to council, but I did not see coming was his anti-police stances and his media whoring. All politicians put out for the news media to a degree, but Smitherman is whiling to do just about anything to piss people off and get the cameras on him. Is he thinking he could run for Mayor next year?

Positive

Pat DeWine "can't think of anything positive" that could come from filming 'Cops' here in Cincinnati. I for one can think of one positive: we could see the boycott B people arrested for breaking the law and then handled with proper care, giving them no reason to sue, but reason to go to jail.

This does assume that Nate Livingston takes up my challenge to get himself arrested in front of the 'Cops' film crew. I don't support breaking any laws, but if Nate wants attention, that is one way to get it. I would even provide him with free gift VHS or DVD copy of the episode in which he or any boycott B member stars in, and when I say "star" I mean staring in the role of "shirtless man in handcuffs."