Madison Theater Reopening Planned

The new owner of the Madison Theater in Covington plans a grand reopening for February 24th, starting with a Mardi Gras party featuring Robin Lacy & DeZydeco.

CityLink Doomed?

5 Members of City Council reportedly oppose CityLink, and plan on moving today to block the service center's development in the West End.

Who are the 5? Leslie Ghiz is quoted in the story as being part of the block of 5, but I don't see the rest listed in the article. Was anyone at the Vibrant Neighborhoods Committee meeting to know who is part of the group?

There is a Forum tonight at the Lincoln Recreation Center in the West End, 1027 Linn St. at 6PM to discuss CityLink. The Paper reports that for what ever reason the group opposing the development will not attend. That seems strange. Are they being kept out or are they being childish?

Blackwell Picks Raga

I know nothing about Raga. I find it odd to through geographic balance to the wind and pick someone from Mason. It would appear the Blackwell is righting off the Northeast completely. His plan has to be to get the religious vote and nothing but the religious vote, which lies in greatest concentration in Southwest Ohio.

Nate in a Cape?

I never would have expect to see Nate Livingston follow the lead of the Dean of Cincinnati by attacking Nick Spencer. I wonder what else Nate will do to emulate Jason. Is there a wardrobe change in his future?

Bias

Ok, a man was shot and killed in the Mason, Ohio Area (fourth item, buried at the bottom), namely near the Kings Auto Mall, and we don't get the interviews with locals saying that it is unsafe to live in Mason??? What gives? Where is the balanced reporting? The reporters couldn't find anyone to go on the record? Hell, I work within a mile or two from where this guy was killed. I would be happy to say that I will be fearing for my life every time I go to work in the Mason Area. I would be lying, but hell it is as valid of a comment as was printed by the paper when someone was killed behind Mulligan's in Hyde Park. I expect to read a follow-up story in tomorrow's paper with neighbors of this man expressing dismay and fear of the living in Mason.

I was at Mulligan's last night, by the way. I had a nice time. I felt safe. The place was a empty for the night of a Xavier basketball game.

FYI: Just to avoid the likely criticism, yes, it is tragic that a man was shot and killed. I am not commenting on that. Instead I am questioning the coverage the crime got in the Enquirer as compared to the coverage of the murders in Hyde Park. I know most readers can grasp this fact, but I am sure some commenter will be shocked that I am commenting on this so soon after a man’s death. Nothing I have stated is distasteful, in my opinion, so I suggest anyone no pleased with this type of blogging to find another blog to read.

Madison Theater Booking Acts

It has even been "officially" sold yet, but the Madison Theater in Covington is booking acts for later this month. A great venue is back. Will it gain national acts or stick with local music?

Enough of the Dean

This will be a news flash to few, but Jason Haap, aka the Dean of Cincinnati, has come out with an insane attack again Nick Spencer. If you disagree with Nick's politics, ok, I can respect that. I don't agree with some of Nick's views. To come out with this insane racist attack against Nick for the name of the event is just, well, insane. I prefer to stay away from the insanity that is the Dean, but when you make up bullshit attacks against Nick like:

So the effeminate and white Nick Spencer feels some kind of affinity towards Desdemona, who gets brutally murdered by an uninformed black man.

You do the math.

you really need to step back and ask yourself: Does wearing a cape in public mean you are "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" nutty, or just "What About Bob?" nutty? In the case of the Dean it appears to be that Jason has reached into the bottom of the barrel of tricks to try and get attention and has come up with a straight-jacket.

It is time for the Dean to grow up. When you act like an ass and get kicked out of Nick's bar, face the music and suck it up. Don't act like a three year old child and make up bullshit that sounds like it would be coming out of the mouth of Louis Farrakhan.

I will happily await the retort I get for my honest views I have ranted out here. I expect the worst bile possible, and am ready to defend my dropped gauntlet. It is sad when Nate L. comes across as more dignified than the Dean, but Hell, we are in Cincinnati baby!

QCF on The News

Queen City Forum reports on "The News."

Boehner Elected House Majority Leader

Local House Rep. John Boehner was elected House Majority Leader today by his fellow House Republicans. Will this help the people of his district or the rest of Southwest Ohio? Will he be someone that will work with Democrats or just be more of the same lockout partisan style of legislating.

Smoke Free Sitwells

With recent talk of a city wide smoking ban, we get a local business banning smoking on their own and it appears that business is not hurting at all. Sitwells does sell alcohol, but I don't consider it a bar. Could bars survive this type of self ban?

Suppressing the Vote

The intent of this law requiring ID when voting is meant to suppress the number of people voting. This is NOT about voter fraud, no matter what bullshit comes out of GOP partisan's mouths.

How better to get fewer people voting than to make it more difficult to vote? Who is this aimed at? If you said minorities than you unfortunately would be correct.

In comments you will surely hear the GOP claim that this is about "voter fraud" or some other "legitimate" reason. They will need to show how this will prevent voter fraud. There is no evidence this will do anything to reduce voter fraud, and instead it will do nothing but decrease voter turnout. Why are we taking steps backwards in society?

Desdemona Independent Arts Festival

Nick Spencer has announced the event set for Sawyer Point on June 23 and 24. This fest sound like a great event which as a center piece will put on great music. As Nick states in his post, this is just the beginning to what the whole festival will include, but save the dates, and stay tuned for details.

SOTU

I am not watching the State of the Union. I used to love watching it. I now loath it. It is a complete waste of time and nothing but over filtered boiler plate that will be ignored and forgotten in no time.

For Bush this is his last big speech where he has a real influence on the Congressional agenda, and that influence is very dampened by his horrid approval ratings. No one expect this to be a good speech, let alone produce anything to make it out of a committee intact.

Feel free to give your own blow by blow spin on the dog and pony show. I shall endeavor to read the lowlights on other blogs. Why suffer watching it live, when there are 1,000 bloggers out there willing to suffer for you?

The full text will be online somewhere before the speech, so I find myself thinking that it about time for Presidents to just go back to delivering it only in written form, and skip the pointless spectacle.

Balance?

Well, Barleycorn's closes its downtown location, and we get a news article. I guess "The News" on the corner of Main and 9th Street needs to issue a press release to get an article about it's opening? If it got one, I can't find it. I encourage reporters and editors at the Enquirer to take a walk on Main Street around 9th, you can't miss it. Well, it appears that the Enquirer did miss it. That is not balanced reporting.

One blah restaurant closes and another bigger and I hope better one opens. That is not balance, it is a net plus for Downtown.

The Bigot Brinkman

It is sad to hear Brinkman push his bigotry. The article demonstrates his willful ignorance and his bigotry towards gays. It comes across as a game, but with bigots like Brinkman you must not value directness of one's bigotry as a virtue.

Some of that blind respect came from the apathy voiced from the Chairman of the Miami College Republicans:

Brad Bailey, chairman of the College Republicans, wouldn't say whether he supported the lawsuit, but said he respected Brinkman making the discussion public.

"I do support his willingness to question whether or not what the university is doing is legal," Bailey said.

Brad Bailey needs to grow some balls and take a stand on the issue himself. If he respects Brinkman for being open about the issue, why not come out and say his views. If he can't face the music, no matter what side he has on the issue, then he has the makings for a weak kneed politician, ripe for a lobbyist's influence.

Ohio needs to wake up. The Bigots are coming, the bigots are coming. In fact the bigots are here, and Brinkman is just the tip of iceberg. Gay rights are soon to be a pipe dream. This is surely please Brinkman and his ilk. I hope those voting out there see that Ken Blackwell is backing the same issues.

Mallory's Meetings

What's the deal with the concern over meetings? I am at a loss here. How is this a big deal. Caucus meetings are a means of government that I had always assumed went on with council members. I assumed incorrectly. I very much agree with sunshine laws.

What looks bad here is that council meetings as of late have been very short, no debate or discussion. Is that good government?

Mt. Lookout Movies

Kelly from CinWeekly has a great idea for the lifeless Mt. Lookout Cinema Grill. It is so disheartening to walk by the dark building every week. Tap into a niche market, and go with it. Hit the hardcore movie fans who want to see something on the big screen. The only thing I would add in is showing TV programs as well, but that would require keeping the beer flowing. TV show watching in group form requires booze. That is a little know medical fact.

New "News" on Main Street

While downtown last night, I walked past the old Lava club location and was amazed to find it open, but with a big sign out front reading "The News: Grand Opening". Its windows were clear and inside it looked a like a restaurant with a nice bar and huge TV screens. It looked nice and inviting.

Does anyone know about this place, how long it has been open and any background on it?

UPDATE: A commenter (likely Ricky H. from Atlanta) points out that Nick Spencer posted that this place was going to open. That's great and yes I missed the one sentence mention of it in a 15,000 work post. My questions still stand, when did it open, and can anyone give any background on it?

Smoke Filled GOP

This kind of thing goes on in both parties, but this year we get the smoke filled room right out in the open. This kind of back room dealing is a sharp double edged sword. On one side this could avoid a blood primary fight, which would help the GOP in the general election. On the other side this is what is wrong with the two party system and what makes it so very undemocratic. Why bother holding a primary at all? If the rank and file GOP voter can't have a voice in who their candidate will be in November, then how can the Ohio GOP be considered a democratic organization?

On the Dems side I will say now that while I think it is foolish for someone like Eric Fingerhut to challenge Ted Strickland, I in no way wish him to get out of the primary. The candidates fighting it out I believe is a sign of a healthy democracy.

Palestinian Civil War Brewing?

Are we starting to see the start of a civil war between Hamas and Fatah? If that happens, I fear it spells doom for any short term Palestinian state. Israel will likely move its military back into the Gaza and into more of the West Bank just to keep some kind of peace, but would they be walking into the middle of a literal fire fight? Does Israel back a side in this fight? Logically I would guess Fatah is the lesser of two evils from the Israeli point of view, but do they stay out of the battle, and the chips fall?

How far away is Iraq from this type of open conflict?