Midpoint Begins!

Tonight head down to Fountain Square for the official kickoff and CD Release for the 2007 Midpoint Music Festival.

The showcases start tomorrow. My top picks are Here on the Conveyor. I also have my top picks for local bands.

For everything offical about Midpoint, including schedule updates, head over to www.mpmf.com for details.

Bortz Ads on MySpace

Councilman Chris Bortz is the first local politician I've seen who is hitting Myspace with banner ads.

It is always a little creepy when they can read your zipcode on Myspace, or town I guess. I am not sure how affect it will be to advertise on Myspace, as opposed to using it as a tool to get your message out more directly.

Midpoint Tech Tools

Midpoint has has an entire suite of tech tools to enhance your festival experience. The most interesting to a data smasher like myself is the Excel scheduler.

I will be putting the Wifi to its max used while out at Midpoint. I'll be lugging around laptop at least one night for some live blogging.

It will be all over on theconveyor.com in our special Midpoint page.

Fear and Loathing in Cincinnati

Is Charlie Winburn out to get 'white' votes by scaring people? If the reports of his commercials are correct, he will fuel the misplaced fear people have about the City. Winburn appears to be trying to get elected by denigrating the city and driving people out. How is that leadership? That sounds like opportunism, that comes at the expense of the City's economy.

The classic thing form the post had Jane Prendergast asking Sam Malone for thoughts on Winburn's ad. Where's Sam's Ad? Here's what I think his commercial should include. I'm thinking Sam should just be pictured looking in the camera. The shot widens to show him standing in his living room. He takes the belt off his pants and says "Vote for me, and I'll beat this city into shape!"

Smoking Ban in NKY?

The Enquirer reports on this study that included this gem:

Ohio voters adopted a statewide ban on smoking in bars, restaurants and other public places last year.

No one’s calling for such a measure in Kentucky yet, but Stricker said he’d like to see such legislation in Northern Kentucky, at least.

Consumers who don’t smoke don’t like smoky environments in Northern Kentucky restaurants and bars, and it’s costing the area business, he said.

“My guess is they’re going to Cincinnati, ‘cause they hate the smoke. I know we’re losing business because of it,” he said.

Yea, there's not much I can say, so I won't spoil it.

6 Votes?

Six to Ten votes is what I count the tally to be so far. I don't see this as newsworthy, but, yes, look at source.

MidPoint Week!

This is Midpoint Week. The Enquirer started it off yesterday with a story on the background of music festival on the sixth annual event.

This are a little smaller this year. Main Street is in total transition right now. Three venues are opening up this week and hopefully they will stay open. Jardine is way behind their prior announced opening. The rumor is that Q and Speakeasy are going to be open past Midpoint. For a couple of them they will need some work to be functional. Pizza Bar is also opening, but I've heard only vague rumors about it staying open beyond this weekend.

Stay tuned to the blog and to The Conveyor for Midpoint coverage this week. I'll be listing my picks of bands by Wednesday, so make sure you get you three day wristband. For more information and to buy said wristband, hit www.mpmf.com.

5th and Race Theatres?

The plan to move Playhouse and the Children's Theatre of Cincinnati to a new Theatre complex at 5th and Race Street still is in the works. This move would put a mammoth cultural in the heart of downtown. A shot to the heart of downtown such as this would solidify the growth we are seeing now.

Drink More Beer

Get out the waders and loosen the belt a little, Oktoberfest Zinzinnati is here.

Things to look for: Which politicians are out in force. The sticker test is always a fun way to watch the political message flow through the crowd.

OK Corral

In an interesting twist the Enquirer has two articles today where they chose a description of Gun Fights in different ways. What I find interesting is how they defined things. Compare Running gunbattle covers four blocks with the headline Shootout passenger gets prison. What makes a gun fight a shootout and what makes a gun fight a gun battle?

Screw the Poor and Screw the Environment

The logic of the City of Mason appears to be as clear as I-71 during rush hour. They refuse to subsidize bus service that brings workers to Mason and the surrounding area. Who do think can afford to work at Kings Island or work at the fast food restaurants along Mason-Montgomery Road and own a reliable car? Few can. A big reason people move to the exurbs is to avoid the poor, but honestly, do they think they are going to get conservative housewives to flip burgers? When you drive out the Latinos with a horrid witch hunt, then you vote to keep bus riding workers out of your community, what kind of economic development, or for that matter just keeping businesses running, can occur when wages go sky high to attract workers over qualified for lower jobs?

Furthermore has anyone on Mason City Council noticed the clogged roads during rush hour? Do they care a lick about reducing the amount of traffic, and fuel used? I guess they drive their SUVs around the Deerfield Town Center, AC on and windows down.

Northside Candidate's Forum

Nate Livingston gives his take on how the candidates did at the Northside Community Council's candidate forum. Anyone else go with a different take? How are the candidates doing on the trail?

Is Bates Toast?

As a challenger, Melanie Bates was fighting an up hill battle, but does losing a key conservative endorsement dry up a key demographic Bates was counting on?

Bates' campaign was based on crime and her personal experience with it, after the murder of her husband. That was alone a hallow campaign, but what makes it more difficult is that the Democrat turned Charterite had to appeal to the conservative West side. POWR PAC is a key influence on Westside opinions. With the loss of their endorsement, the opinion of Bates on the Westside has just dropped to a point that likely will eliminate any change she had of getting elected.

Antioch Appears to Have a Future

Antioch College in Yellow Springs has a potential new future. Administrators had announced the college would closed at the end of the current school year because of financial issues, but Alumni have come together to raise 12 million dollars to keep the school going.

Chicago Notes Good Things Are Happening in Cincinnati

Carol Coletta President of CEOs for Cities and Bold Fusion keynote speaker comments on her day in Cincinnati and starts it out by being surprised. Her blog post provides a prime example of the main problem that hurts Cincinnati: perception. She was surprised at what she found was happening here. I think most people would be surprised what is happening here, if they could see their their misconceptions and explore Cincinnati for themselves.

This goes not just for people who don't live here, but more importantly those who already live here.

Midpoint Needs Volunteers

Midpoint needs people to make it work. If you want to work a shift and get free stuff (like entry to the festival), click on this link and sign up.

More specifically, Midpoint also needs MCs for the showcase stages. Here's their blurb:

MidPoint Music Festival is looking for emcees to host each venue.
You will introduce bands, keep the crowd pumped, and have a great time. Free admission for the night you mc, free t-shirt, and free compilation CD. If interested, please contact Dale at dale@mpmf.com or 513.403.8258.

If you have a voice and a little cool charm, give it a go!

Textbook Red Herring

It hasn't been more clear in a while how much the Right Wing does not care about Iraq Policy. Instead of discussing the lack of long term policy of the Bush Administration, the Republicans are worrying about a newspaper ad that very few people read.

The attack plan is to divert attention from the self made statement from Bush that he is punting the fate of Iraq to the next President and divert attention from the fact that Bush has no new policy and is just staying the course. Finally, the plan is to divert attention from the fact that Iraq has no effective army or police force and a government that has no control. Those facts are something the Peter Bronson just don't care about. They worry about Hollywood.

I guess Peter Bronson is not voting for Mr. Hollywood himself, Fred Thompson.

What Peter Bronson should know is that the term "Jump the Shark" did indeed "Jump the Shark" about 3 years ago.

Green City

How effective will Mayor Mallory's energy saving efforts go? What is most interesting is that I would think anyone who cares about saving money (hint hint to the Republicans), that they would be behind this effort 100%. Are any of the Council Candidates putting their efforts behind this program?

YPKC Shakeup

It has a been a year since the Mayor's YP Kitchen Cabinet was announced and the news is that new leadership for the organization and a call for new members. Coby Williams and Clara Rice move up a couple of positions to President and Vice-President respectively. No reason was given why Candace Klein is no longer the President. If you are interested in being in the cabinet, you can get an application here (pdf).

The Mayor's Press release is here (pdf).

Kelly Is a Pussy

The UC Football coach is hiding behind the skirt of his superiors because he fears playing Miami in Oxford. If your football is as great as you claim, you should have no problem winning on Saturday. It is also pathetic that a coach would not care a damn about history and tradition with even his hint at scrapping the series. His statement to the contrary was as hallow as it could be. He hated losing to Miami when he coached at Central Michigan, so fears are founded in his past.

Grow a pair, Kelly!