CAC Renovation Campaign

The way this article paints CAC's plans to improve their exhibitions, it gives the appearance (or maybe just the tone I detected) that CAC is already obsolete and needs improvement. I think the contrary. It is a vibrant place with great things happening. I don't know why they need the improvements, but I don't think a place like the CAC is hurting.

The Brian and Joe Radio Show

Check out WAIF's the Brian and Joe Radio Show. Brian Mueller and Joe Wessels have put together a weekly show with local news, talk, and interviews with Cincinnati area happening people. It is every Wednesday at 10 AM. If you can't hear it live, like me, the archives are up and running.

During Fringe I was able to meet and chat for a bit with Joe Wessels about his show. I've be added their show's website, which is a blog, to my blogroll, so have a read and listen.

Ignorance, Again

It amazes me to no end when someone like Shaunna Howat writes a column with the most assumptive tone that reeks of ignorance and of blind faith in the Bush Administration. "It's us against them," she rattles off from behind her column. I don't know if she has been serving in the military or not, but I doubt it. This smells of astro-turf on the surface, but it is so blindly written by an ignorant person, that I doubt it.

Why doesn't Shaunna just advocate executing the prisoners? If they are all guilty because George Bush says so, why not just kill them? Who needs the rule of law? Who needs the Geneva Convention? Shaunna has the undertone of hate and revenge seething between the lines. It is subtle, but she is holding back, not wanting to appear like a blood thirsty ghoul.

Shaunna is the kind of ignorant person that endangers the American Democracy. Anyone whiling to blindly accept everything their leadership says is a fool. Anyone willing to blindly support the actions of this administration is willfully ignorant and a fool.

In the Name of the Father

I hope these candidates for mayor are more than just their father's child.

David Crowley Writes on Advocate.com

Councilmember David Crowley pens "A Father's Day tale" discussing the efforts to repeal Article 12 here in Cincinnati, which banned equal rights for people based on sexual orientation. He also talks about the power of conversing with people about issues directly, not in the political rivers, where people are detached from the humanity involved.

Charlie Winburn: Religious Bigot/Theocrat?

When reading the quote from the article in the Post, I can make no other conclusion that Winburn is both a religious bigot and theocrat, bent on establishing a Christians only government.

In the former book, Winburn writes, "We Christians must clean up politics. It is our job to elect only born-again believers to public office.

If officeholders are not Christian and refuse to obey the laws of God, we must work hard, under the law, to unseat them."

This is the best the GOP have to offer? Granted, it would take a socially liberal Republican to even get my attention, and that at this point is very rare, or even impossible

I applaud Leslie Ghiz for skipping Winburn's Sermon. I am flabbergasted that Damon Lynch III showed up. If he was there as a spectator, that is fine. The article leaves open how or why Damon was there, but it does not bode well for an endorsed Democratic candidate to support Winburn who spouts oddly hardcore support for the Cincinnati Police. Winburn takes a nuanced stance in supporting the police, but comes out on their side on most points.

Lynch can be noncommittal on the mayor's race, but he might go a long way in presenting a team player attitude to Democratic voters by saying that he will vote for one of the three Democrats running. Showing up at a GOP event and telling a reporter you don't know who you are going to vote for is either really bad press management, or a shot across the bow of the Dems. If Lynch says he wants to branch out to other groups for support, most would say he was talking about non-blacks, not Republicans.

Hype and Fear

The shooting downtown was shocking, but this type of hype ridden analysis will create panic and unwarranted fear. Did people freak out when a suburban trucking company was the scene a crazy guy going on a shooting spree? No, but because this is downtown and the scaredy cats living outside the city will use an isolated incident as a further reason to support their irrational fear of the City. Why do people bother living within 100 miles of a large metro area if they can't take news about a shooting in a city?

Yes, this was freaky and unnerving. It is not indicative of life in downtown.

Baby, If You Ever Wondered....

Maggie Downs has found the simple truth of life:

But as I sat at the event and listened to my peers speak, I realized that not much has changed since grade school.

We simply want the same things we always wanted.

We want people to play with. We want recess and activities. We want yummy snacks. We want music class, computer labs and art. And we want a bus to take us home at the end of the day.

Yes, even beyond my occasional 'teenage angst' attacks where I am 15 years old again for a few minutes of sheer terror, we are otherwise not much beyond life in the 2nd grade. When I was in 2nd grade I think I was watching WKRP. I actually like the idea of a WKRP museum. I think a WKRP festival might be more fun. Who would not want a huge game of "Are you a Bailey Quarters or Jennifer Marlowe kind of man?" I myself would be a Bailey kind of a guy.

Some Good News

City Council approved the 3CDC Fountain Square plan. This should work. It will be difficult during the construction, but it will worth it, once the retail plan is realized.

Banks Troubles

The Federal Government may cut funding for the Banks project now that the County took over the show. Add that to the city council troubles, which Nick Spencer indicates would not pass this plan, and we have a plan sinking.

The problem with the plan is that it is going to be a sterile mini-burbia tone for the non-urbanist, smack dab in the middle of a city. What it needs is an urbanists touch. 3CDC should have been keep involved. We don't need a Newport on the Levee feel on the Banks, people don't want to live there. We need something we character, and this plan has nothing to indicate it has that.

GOP Pick Winburn For Mayor

So sayeth the Cincinnati Post's Kevin Osborne. His article points out issues that make Charlie Winburn not only look nutty, but sounds like a snake salesman:

Winburn is the founder of the Encampment, a College Hill church where he often preaches and performs exorcisms.
......
Winburn is the author of a book about Biblical economic principles entitled, "Releasing the Money Anointing: You are Anointed to Receive Money!"

The power of Christ compels me to paint Charlie Winburn as a looney tune.

More should be out on this later on today.

Ok, this is Freaky

Man accused of shooting into downtown crowd. It was at 6th and Vine, Damn.

Question for Brinkman

Will Tom Brinkman run for Mayor of Cincinnati? Will Charlie Winburn instead get the GOP endorsement? If Winburn is going to get it, what are the GOP bigwigs waiting for, other than Brinkman making up his mind?

Schmidt vs Hackett

Hackett is no shock, but who was thinking Jean Schmidt was going to win? Did she even think she would win? How did she pull this one off?

This should be an interesting race. Hackett needs a lot to win, but it is not impossible.

DeWine just tanked. How do you waste a million dollar war chest? It proves that few moderate Republicans voted, or just that few, if any, exist in this district.

More from the Enquirer.

Dealer on Cincinnati Fringe Festival

Fred Pastry needs to fess up on the elaborate displays of Dog Porn that 'someone' was lusting for on a daily basis during Fringe, instead of dreaming of Jason Bruffy's "Mr. Willie." When you lust for dogs in thongs, you can't hide it for long. Please roll over and admit your addition Fred.

Primary Results

I am heading out to Drinking Liberally, so feel free to post the primary results. If you would rather a few beers, come on over to the Comet in Northside at 7:30 or so!

Speaking of the Square

Council is ready to rubber stamp the Fountain Square plan. Let's get it done and get going. If they city can get this going it can put attention on Main Street (all the way down to 6th street) and let the county hang out there with the Banks project.

Turf War?

The battle over the Banks comes to a head with city council lashing out. This has the hands of the County's toxic twins (DeWine and Heimlich) all over it. They have been out there running their own little show behind closed doors. They want the city out of it. Why? Why was 3CDC left out of the process? Who is making money on this deal and whose back is being scratched?

June is Busting Out

You may have missed the news, or you really may not because I don't think anyone has reported anywhere they fact that a new restaurant has opened up downtown. Rise and Shine has redone the former Frisch's Restaurant on 6th Street and is open and running. It is a part of a significant change to the lower Main Street area with Mana's going strong and the rehab of the Fort Washington Hotel. This is making the area behind the Arnoff center into yet another up and coming area with strong retail, residential, and restaurants. I wonder why you have not read about that.

Heartless Bastards on NPR

The link on NPR is not up yet but the Heartless Bastards were profiled this morning on NPR's All Things Considered Morning Edition. A local band is on the way up. They are listed as playing Alchemize on July 23, but they may not be back through town as much with a record deal and national attention. Good for them!

UPDATE: Here is the link to the story.