George Voinovich Has Balls

In a surprise announcement today during a Senate hearing it was learned that U.S. Senator George Voinovich of Ohio has balls.

Tragedy on the Highway

The Beer Gods are angry

"It was a sad morning for beer drinkers and southbound Interstate 75 motorists alike today in Boone County.

A tractor-trailer carrying 47,000 pounds of beer tipped over near the Mount Zion Road interchange about 3 a.m., blocking the left two lanes, police said.

The lanes remained blocked throughout the morning while the beer was unloaded from the truck so it could be uprighted.

No injuries were reported."

The only thing that can appease me now is knowing that it was a really cheap light beer.

Are the Knives Out Against DeWine?

Peter Bronson's airing of Pat and Mike DeWine's dirty laundry regarding their political push to get Pat the GOP nomination are starting to ruffle some feathers. Does this represent the anti-DeWine movement that is simmering below the surface of the local GOP? Is this a social conservative effort? Is that where DeWine is considered weak? Are we seeing a similar effort to oust DeWine's congressional efforts as we saw with the successful effort to block Leslie Ghiz from being appointed to council, when she had earned the right to be appointed in any fair world? This isn't a fair world we are talking about however, this is internal GOP Politics, where power rules, and individuals are consumed like cannon fodder.

Berding on the Bubble?

The Post reports Jeff Berding is not a lock as a Democratic supported candidate. This is according to "members of the party's nominating committee." No names to go with the members, nor any numbers as to how many a "members" makes.

Could this be some of the far left leaning Dems throwing some dirt on Jeff Berding, who should be a well funded candidate? With Pepper and Reece out of the race, are the Dems going to fall short of fill a full slate of 9 candidates again? Who do they have so far, Cranley, Cole, Crowley? Samantha Herd will likely get an endorsement. Who else do the Dems have running?

We Have a Democrat

We now have some running for Portman's seat as a Democrat a barber, Russell Hurley. Well, he has no experience, no known source of funding, but he was able to get this much attention from the media, so that's a start.

He is fairly new to the area, which will be a negative, in amongst Dems.

Springer's Radio Gal Pal

Kimberly Shroyer of QCF has an interesting feature article on Megan Hils, the actress and talk radio diva in the making playing for a few laughs on Jerry Springer's radio show. I agree with Kimberly that Mils is very important to the overall production of the Springer-Galvin talk show. She does give them a youthful voice and perspective. Both guys are, almost to a flaw, very in tune with the youth of today. They just can't always connect with younger listeners. Also, well, you just need a gal to liven things up. Listening to Jene and Jerry talk about stuff could get boring to the MTVer's.

Greg at The Cincinnati Group is Saying Bye

Sad to see Greg hang up his blogging tights over at the group blog: The Cincinnati Group. His writing was good and his voice will be missed.

Subtle Truth

In an editorial from the Enquirer today about population growth in the exurbs, a hard truth slipped out in a very subtle way:

Not only do many of us want to be close, but not too close, to principal cities, we want to be near interstates.

What's so subtle? Well, the truth that comes out is that many, I would say most, living in the exurbs around Cincinnati are searching for some time of perfect flux of life, where everything is available to them. They want the little town to live in, but want a life line of the big city’s excitement once in a while to break up the monotonous life. They problem is, that they can’t have their cake and eat too. They can’t just neglect the city, except when they want to go to a game, and expect everything to be perfect, or forget going. If you want something to be there for you, you have be there for it, and those living the city are escaping their ill found fears for the faux safety and prosperity of the exurbs.

The other subtly to read into the line “but not too close” rings of socio-economic bigotry (or even more subtly a slight racial bigotry). The cultural milquetoast world that is the exurbs is what I believe is a reactionary desire for Boomers (and a growing number of Xers) to relive the small community feel they grew up in, where everyone knew everyone in their neighborhood, nothing changed, and people lived happily ever after, without fear or at least in the denial of the existence of fear. Well, except the fear of outsiders.

It is as if TV fiction were their guides to living. Be it the cliché of Leave it to Beaver or the modern cultural pariah of Reality TV. Reality TV even has been accepted by many as a sense of “living.” If they can’t risk escaping the blandness of the same houses with different colored SUVs in the driveways, then why not live out extreme make-overs on television, where you only risk missing out on some other program selling you the latest way become something you are not, and never will be.

It is sad. It is what I think is really killing culture in America. The exurbs reject most of original culture coming form the city, and instead consume the national diet of marketed mainstream media product. In the city people are making their own art, music, dreams, and lives. We still get fed off of much of the same media diet, but we also don’t limit it to the media that is out to feed off us, not feed us. If the exurbs started interacting with the culture in the city and maybe celebrating where they live by creating home grown media ideas, or just simply not worrying about how close you are to the city, their lives might be enriched a little. A little change can go a long way, even for a desperate housewife living out in Mason. Interacting with the City of Cincinnati is the only thing that makes it worth while living near it. If the exurbs don’t do that, and do it often, they will become what I fear will be the intellectual ghetto of the 21st Century America, if it is not there already.

Someone Else is Using the Theocracy Word

Once again it is not me, but I sure wish it was. From Howard Dean:

"The issue is: Are we going to live in a theocracy where the highest powers tell us what to do? Or are we going to be allowed to consult our own high powers when we make very difficult decisions?"

Indeed!

[Via Atrios]

Don't Blame Me

I am not the one saying that Sen. Bill Frist is flirting with theocracy. I agree with it, but I am not saying it.

Sen. Reid (Mormon) I think is saying it much better than I could.

UPDATE: More at DailyKos.

Brinkman Makes It 'Official'

Tom Brinkman, is running for the US House. Where is Si Leis to tell him to resign his current office? He was just re-elected after all.

I don't know anything about Former U.S. Rep. Bob McEwen, who also is running. He sounds like a district jumper, looking to make waves.

The GOP blood bath should be fun, will there be time for a debate?

WOW!

I am pleased Maggie Downs was able to write this column, especially on the heels of Bronson's anti-woman diatribe earlier in the week.

White Flight

Call it green flight, cultural flight, idiot flight, but people are leaving Cincinnati, yes they're suburb bound, they're leaving Cincinnati, cause they're scared of downtown. Yes, I am referencing a song, and if you don't know it is by Jake Speed, then you should be listening to it.

The SUV line near the end is subtle, but hilarious.

Brad for Mayor?

I don't know anything about Cincinnati Mayor 2005, but have fun!

This is My Rifle...This is my Gun

Original thought is not something you will find in Bronson's latest column where he seeks to oppress and control women. This all part of an effort to try and outlaw the legal actions of Planned Parenthood. If Peter is all for making sure everyone can know the personal and private medical records of women, why not tell me where every single person who owns a gun lives? Oh, sorry, that is a 'real' privacy. It is one thing to oppress a woman (the right-wing does it at the drop of a hat), but to get in the way of a man and his gun is a cardinal sin.

Tax Man

Make sure you get your taxes done. I did mine last night. Ohio's are all online. I did my Federal return over the telephone, and at the end of the call a recording said this year is the last year to file by phone? Who is the idiot who chose that? The are going to the Internet, instead. How many poor people own a computer? Not many. How many own a telephone? Nearly all. Why not make it easier for them and keep the file by phone option??? There are idiots out there who think that the Internets® is the answer. What they forget to think about is the cost of OWNING A COMPUTER AND PAYING FOR INTERNET ACCESS. What about the blind? Some do use computers, but wouldn't a blind person find it much easier to use the phone system? How is this not a violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act?

Anyway, make sure you get your taxes done today, and mailed by tomorrow night at midnight.

Miami Football Schedule Out

Get your tickets while they’re hot. TheRedHawks 2005 Football Schedule is as follows:

Sat., Sept. 3 - at Ohio State
Sat., Sept. 10 - CENTRAL MICHIGAN, 2 p.m.(Homecoming)
Sat., Sept. 17 - at Kent State
Wed., Sept. 28 - CINCINNATI (ESPN2), 7 p.m.
Wed., Oct. 5 - at Northern Illinois (ESPN2)
Sat., Oct. 15 - AKRON, 2 p.m.
Sat., Oct. 22 - at Eastern Michigan
Sat., Oct. 29 - at Temple
Sat., Nov. 5 - BUFFALO, 2 p.m. (Parents' Weekend)
Tues., Nov. 15 - BOWLING GREEN (ESPN2), 7 p.m.
Mon., Nov. 21 - at Ohio
Thur., Dec. 1 - MAC Championship (Ford Field; Detroit/ESPN)

The UC game on a Wednesday? That is very odd. Miami is playing way too many weekday games, all for a "good" reason: TV. Having national attention for the battle of the bell will be good, as will Miami's upgraded football stadium.

Taking Jeffre Seriously?

I am not sure if Greg Korte is forcing himself or was forced by the PTB to take Singer Justin Jeffre serious as a candidate for Mayor. At this point I still do not take it that seriously. This article illustrates that Jeffre has what can be described as an eclectic political point of view. He pushed for Nader, but did not vote for president in 2000. He has never voted in a city election. He might think he is serious, but he has yet to demonstrate it.

He might be smart to seek the Charter endorsement, and Charter might be crazy enough to give it. With Smitherman out, Charter only has Tarbell left to run for them, unless Curtis Fuller wants another bite at the apple. Jeffre might end up a Charterite. I will not wait with baited breath.

Wow Look at All the Choices!

All of the Republicans running for Portman's Seat all I assume think they can win. The two getting into the race are also-rans and seem to be wasting their time. The guy from Mason sounds like a real winner. When you have to describe yourself as morally conservative, either you are playing to the bigot vote, or you have something to hide in your past.

All of these choices and I am not going to vote for any of them. Are we ever going to get a Democrat to announce? It is becoming clearer to me that the Dems have just written this off. It may be just as well. Anyone who currently holds political office would be a fool to charge against this windmill. The money machine will make sure that what ever the Dems do, they will not get much press, or much good press. It is so sad that this becomes a battle between hard core conservatives and extremist conservatives. That is not democracy, that is semantics.

Taking Advantage of the Weakest

Pastor Kurt Strassner worries that gambling takes advantage of the weakest people. Many would say that is exactly was most religions do, especially when they are looking to fill the offering plate.