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Changes to WVXU

What was expected appears to be happen WGUC gutting the bulk of local programming on WVXU. May guess is that most of the local talk shows will likely get the axe, as well as most of the old time radio. What we will have left is NPR. The only bright spot I got from the article is a plan to hire a News Director, which signals an effort to create original local news, something that a combine station function could improve. WVXU was trying to expand local news and made a good effort, but if both local news budgets are combined, that should mean more local news programming on WVXU, with none on WGUC. It will be sad to see WVXU torn apart, but as another article suggests, combination of the two radio stations may have helped kept the WVXU signal away from religious and what I would boring programming, that would get dismal ratings, present yet another conservatively biased news source, and provide no community service.

Drink UP!

It appears to fall on the smokers to bear the brunt of sin tax increases. I will not be shedding a tear in my beer for them.

New Blog: The Ohio 2nd

Have look at the Ohio 2nd Blog which is just starting up and looking for contributors, let me know if you are interesting and I can pass along your vitals, or just check out their "Help Wanted" post.

Stand By Your Man, But Not To Close

Michael Barrett proved to us that he is gutless and will not pull the plug on the Malone campaign, at least not now.

He even comes close to defending Malone in his column, which is sad, oh so very sad.

A reporter recently wrote about the faces of abuse victims. The same stares of hopelessness can be seen in prisons and rehab centers across our state on the faces of prisoners and patients. Who or what could have made a difference in their lives? Could tough love have prevented them from ending up on the human scrap heap? I don't know the answer, but I do know that there is no bright-line test for parenting, and whether fair or unfair, the ultimate measure is the child's achievement or failure.

Mr. Barrett, can't we all agree there is a BRIGHT-LINE TEST when it comes to beating your children with a belt? That line is simple, DO NOT DO IT OR GO TO JAIL.

Sure, Sam gets his day in court, and will not likely go to jail, which if the facts are true, I think is a shame because he should spend a least a little time in jail. The community's reaction to him, and certainly his party's, should not be to provide cover for his actions, but to enact a social punishment. That punishment is simple; he should not be given help by his Party, or anyone else, to get back on council. Malone is in a state of denial, and thinks beating your children with a belt is just great, Therefore his classless move of not resigning form council and which would make it easier on his family, friends, and party is additional evidence of why he is unfit for office.

Anyone that gives money or time to the local GOP with Malone as a candidate is in my personal opinion supporting a child abuser and a person with a questionable state of competence to be an elected official, and how is that right? Personal lives are personal (see DeWine and Clinton), but when you beat your kids, you cross that BRIGHT-LINE. Based on the past week of blogging and columns from most around Cincinnati shows that people on both sides of the aisle understand that BRIGHT-LINE that Barrett seems to be missing. I hope the rank and file GOP can help Mr. Barrett find that line.

Cats and Dogs Living Together

I understand where Mark Mallory is coming from here. He is a clear supporter of the library system, and does not fear the government. What gives with Brinkman? This guy hates paying taxes for anything Why does he want to fund public libraries, but not support funding public schools? Will Brinkman's money come with strings? Will he seek to ban all books covering sexual education and use of condoms? Or will he stick with banning books that discuss the rational reasoning behind keeping abortion legal, and choice for the mother?

There ARE Dems in Them Their Hills!

There is a group of Dems out in Warren County. Check them out and lend some support for the Congressional special election if you can.

District Two Race

Howard Wilkinson appears to be the Enquirer’s man on the Congressional Special Election and has round up of the campaign inter-workings.

Enquirer on Malone 1991 Incident

The Enquirer catches up to the Post with Malone choking his mother story.

Bronson is an Ignorant Cuss

My praise of Peter Bronson was not going to last and his next column shows why. Peter is either an ignorant fool or a blind shill that he just can't think outside of what he hears other conservatives say.

How the hell is the filibuster issue about religion? The only ones making it about Religion are the Right Wing. They (and I mean "they") are stating that the those who oppose Bush's judges (and oppose Bush) are anti-Christian, just as Bronson is saying:

You don't have to know a filibuster from a Philly cheese-steak to know what he meant. The debate about even allowing a debate on Bush's nominees has been mangled beyond recognition by pundits and politicoids, but this much is clear: Some attacks on the nominees reek of anti-Christian bigotry.

And bigotry is like obscenity. You can lawyer it, deny it and spin it all you want - but we know it when we see it.

Senate Democrats, far-left lobbying groups and their echo chamber in the press have made "deep religious beliefs" a fatal disqualifier, like a DUI - judging under the influence of God.

So, How many non-Christians and non-Jews has Peter Bronson EVER VOTED FOR! If he can name more than say 1, he has a long way to go to show how religious bigoty is not a bigger problem for the Christians as it is for others.

Just so to educate Peter on the past: how many Clinton nominees were NOT ALLOWED to be debated on the floor of the Senate? The number is over 200. I did not hear Peter or any other Republican crying about that. They instead were happy as school kids. Why? They were happy to keep out liberal judges? Why? Well lets take a guess: maybe in part they want judges who were going to only live by "god's" word and stick to strict Conservative Socal Values®.

I think Nate is starting to rub off on Bronson with the ending of the column

The filibuster is being used to keep Christians off the courts.

Just insert blacks in place of Christians and "White Privilege" in place of filibuster and you might something Nate would say. I have to ask Peter something, does he only want Christians on the court? How many on the Federal Court, at all levels are not Christian? There are surely Jewish people. I doubt there is a single Muslim or Hindu. There certainly is not any Wiccans and no known public atheists or agnostics. I guess he only cares about getting more Christians on the court. How many non-Christians has Bush appointed to either the Bench or even to positions in the government, especially senior positions? If you want to expose religious bigotry, that would be a place to start looking for it. Stop bible-baiting Peter, you look like an cuss.

Sam Malone Charged in 1991 with Hitting His Mother

According to the The Cincinnati Post, Councilman Sam Malone was charged with hitting and choking his mother back in 1991 at age 20. the article states he was allowed into an alternative treatment program:

A mental health evaluation recommended treatment for Sam Malone, and he was ordered to attend the YWCA's Amend Batterers Intervention Program. That is an outpatient treatment program that offers individual and group counseling for batterers and their victims.

The program tries to show abusers alternatives to violence. Also, it demands that abusers take responsibility for their actions and learn to handle the anger that often leads to attacks.

It appears Sam did not learn enough through this program. Question: why would a 20 year old get a mental evaluation after a relatively minor offense? What signs where there to warrant such an action?

CiN at Taste of Cincinnati

CinWeekly has collected up free MP3's of the bands appearing on the CiN stage at the Taste of Cincinnati. I will plug up the KY Struts live. I don't know original stuff, but their live set at Jammin' On included some rock-a-billy standards (at least I think there were) and it kicked.

Going up to Country

It appears that the hinterland has pull in the race for the 2nd Congressional district. It has pull more in the GOP primary, where extremists in Adams County are applying a rather insane litmus test:

n Adams County, the Rev. Ken Johnson, a United Methodist minister from Seaman, was the leader of the pro-Ten Commandments forces. Today, he is being courted for his endorsement by most of the 11 Republican candidates for Portman’s seat.

So far, he hasn’t given it.

“All I can say is that any candidate who comes into Adams County and says he is against having the Ten Commandments displayed on public property is not going to get elected to anything,” Johnson said.

Johnson said the upcoming primary presents a “difficult choice” for conservative Christians because “most of the Republican candidates are pro-life, pro-Ten Commandments, against gay marriage. They’re on the right side of the issues.”

But Adams County voters, Johnson said, “will vote on more than the moral issues. We have a lot of economic issues in this county that are important too.”

I am most sickened that his theocratic fascist, (yes folks those words of mine are back), is a United Methodist minister. I grew up in that church, and it never, never got political. It goes without saying that I am sickened by his bigoted stances, but this guy is a lightning rod, and illustrates the motive behind erecting the Ten Commandment stone displays in front of school: for religious purposes.

The key to know how much influence the rural areas will have is to simply look at population and voting patterns. I have no idea where the population centers are, outside of the Hamilton County area. If our side of the district dominates the population, its issues will dominate the election, but a primary fight could show divisions.

On the Dems side it should focus on issues and electability. I don't see Dem rural and urban votes being in conflict as much as the GOP's.

I have never been to Adams County (Praise Zeus!), but I am fairly sure the water does not taste like wine.

Diner Shuts Down

The Diner has closed. I never made it there. I just walk past there last Saturday night and it was not busy. I think its problem is that it tried to be a bar, more than a restaurant, and a higher end restaurant than I would have expected from what has been billed as the Diner. If you are going to go upscale, you can keep the decor of the diner, but the name makes you think of a greasy spoon. My impression is that it was better than that. It is still a great location. I hope it can rise from the ashes again.

Council Race Runners

The number of people running for City Council appears to be at 21 so far. 9 Dems, 6 GOPers, 4 Charterites, and 2 Independents, with 2 other possible Independents. This breakdown assumes that the GOP does not wake up and dump Sam Malone like they should.

The favorites, as usual, are the incumbents. I think only two returnees are locks: Cranley & Cole. The rest have possible vulnerabilities.

Good Column From Bronson

I can't complain much about Peter Bronson's latest column. He has a reasoned fair stance on this that I think most can agree with. What is missing is Bronson's call for Malone to resign from office. That is a failing. He may be waiting, as may be the editorial board, until he is convicted, but in this type of situation I think the public has more than enough evidence to judge him unfit for office and Malone would do the city, and most importantly his son good, by resigned office and removing the media spotlight.

Huggins

As a Miami fan, I can want nothing more than UC sports to lose, I really am torn Huggins' contract woes. I think he is part of what is wrong with college sports. He is running a professional team and cares more about winning than about educating. He is not unique among college coaches, so he should not get more scorn than others, but he is here and he has the drinking and driving problem that got him nothing more than a wrist slap. He should have taken the buy out and gone. The only way he stays beyond two years is win the Big East, which would give him a shot at a better program in the East.

Malone Playing the Fool

Yesterday we had the first Council appearance from Councilman Sam Malone, and we got what I believe is the rationalization of violence and illustrates how child abuse is not limited to drunks, but also in those who appear to be a straight-laced as anyone.

I think Malone is in denial. It is likely many people who were beat like this by their parents are in denial, especially those who are defending Malone.

You don't beat your kids with your belt. If you do you are abusing them and you are doing no one any good. If you want to punish the kid, you don't strike terror in him. I feared my father. I was never hit by him and NEVER felt like he would ever hit me. I was as good a kid as a parent could hope for, which yes mean I was a good two-shoes for the most part. Malone has hurt his child more than just the beatings. He put terror into him. So much terror that he went to the police. That is not what child does, that is what a victim does.

Monzel really looked like a weasel, giving Malone a really awkward hug on TV that appeared more staged than a prize fight. Reece is playing the angles here and I wonder how long before we get Malone or a boycott or other activist proxy out the playing the race card. Will we see anyone in the GOP outside of Charlie Winburn hint at or push the race card as a political tactic? Will a Ken Blackwell weigh in on the issue?

It is most odd that I have not heard anything from Malone's friends in the CCV. I thought they were buddies, what gives Phil Burress?

When will Malone start pretending to the be the victim?

The Enquirer's Editorial is right on what it said, but it fell short. What is holding the Enquirer back from calling for Malone to resign? The paper also prints excepts from the transcript of the child's 911 call.

Details on Malone Incident Start to Surface

More details of the alleged child abuse by Sam Malone come from Malone's former wife's sister. She states that another young person called police and that she and other family members took him to the hospital. Malone's lawyer hints at the early stages of a defense by mentioning that the aunt was on the losing end of a custody battle over the boy three years ago. It sounds like as of now Malone is going to stand his ground. He will go down on this and bring his party with him.

Americans are Culturally Dead

Kevin Drums points to a Top Hundred Americans list from the Discovery Channel, like was done by the BBC and CBC in recent years. I am so very astonished by the complete ignorance Americans have. We don't know anything about our own culture; we know only what has been in our minds in the last 15 minutes. Beyond that, we have no recollection.