"Nothing" To Do Here

Not long ago I would hear from many quarters of the metro Cincinnati area that there is nothing cool to do here. I'm just going to point out three options for tonight:

1. Wilco at the Aronoff
2. MidPoint's Indie Summer on Fountain Square
3. "A Praire Home Companion" at Riverbend

These are a mere three very cool and fun things happening which is only a sample, so I don't want to hear any Exurbanites or Northside Hipsters complaining. If you can't have fun in Cincinnati, it most likely is your fault. Yes, I just called out the hipsters. I expect I will feel the angst bubble that encompasses Lingo Street burst all the way down on Fountain Square tonight.

Another Step Forward For the Streetcar

Cincinnati moved another step forward on the streetcar with the naming of the project manager.

Corporate Loyalty Means Something Else to Fifth-Third

In the Corporate world hometowns do not matter. I am glad I bank with PNC and I hope all of the National City branchs start taking my ATM card soon.

Buddakan Closed?

I have not read anything anywhere about this, but after walking by the Buddakan Restaurant this weekend I can only assume that it has closed. There are "Coming Soon" signs on the door, but the front door is padlocked.

Does anyone have any information on this? Online news searches turned up nothing in the local media.

Time To Close The Book On Shadowhare

After several quiet weeks, "Shadowhare" made another public appearance, this one at Mt. Adams Pavilion.  (His appearance was not spontaneous; it had been listed as a selling point for the DERF Happy Hour in the Enquirer's "Five things to do:  Friday" feature.)  Mayoral candidate Jason Haap (through his own alter-ego, political performance artist "Dean of Cincinnati") currently has several Shadowhare-related posts, including video of the young, masked man at the Beacon.

I think it's time the media--both "mainstream" and "alternate"--stop giving "Shadowhare" the attention he so obviously craves.  (Yes, I know:  I just wrote a blog post calling attention to someone I think we should all ignore.)  Based on what I saw in the videos at the Beacon, I strongly suspect that there are is some sort of mental illness that underlies Shadowhare's behavior.  Even Jason's co-blogger, Justin Jeffre, agrees that Shadowhare may have a problem:

I feel sorry for the guy if he really suffered the kind of abuse that he claims he did, but I think this guy might have some serious mental health issues and should probably talk to a mental health professional.

So who cares?  If all Shadowhare does is show up and entertain drunk YP's on a Friday night, what's the harm?  The problem is twofold.  First, I doubt he's going to stop at just entertainment.  Eventually, he's going to do something dangerous.  He'll hurt himself or someone else.  And then we'll all wring our hands at why we didn't get this troubled young man some help, rather than encouragement.  Second, he encourages and emboldens others to act without appropriate training or knowledge.  If he continues to garner attention, someone who is like him--ill but functional--will think "crime-fighting" in a mask is appropriate, attempt it, and get hurt.

A couple caveats:

I don't have any formal training in diagnosing mental illness.  But I work with individuals who suffer from various mental illnesses on a daily or weekly basis, and watching the videos reminds me of the interactions I've had with some of them.

Second, I don't blame or in any way condemn Jason for posting about Shadowhare.  Shadowhare was first publicized by the traditional media, and the blogs have simply followed along.  (Jason, of course, is behaving typically--like a pitbull with a young child's leg in its jaws--by putting up multiple posts, suggesting (or at least hinting) that Shadowhare should be prosecuted, and posting about a fictional organization that jokingly opposes superheroes.)  But maybe, on careful reflection, those of us in the "alternative media" should show the restraint and responsibility so often lacking in the legacy media these days.  And in the meantime, we'll all hope that there's someone in "Shadowhare's" life who is close enough to him to get him the help he needs.

Last Day for CincyFringe

OK, it is time to put up or shut up! I am seeing three Fringe Shows today and that will bring my total to 31 shows, which is all of them. You need to get out and see at least one show today. This is your last chance and you will regret it if you don't go.

Here again are my recommendations for today:

It Might Be OK - 2:00 PM
Sex, Dreams, and Self Control! - 4:30PM
Guns and Chickens - 5:00PM
Cinema Fantastique - 8:00PM
April Fools - 8:30PM
7 (x1) Samurai - 8:30PM
Assholes and Aureoles 9:15PM

Go to www.cincyfringe.com for all of the details.

2 Days of the Cincinnati Fringe Festival Left

There are two days left of Cincinnati Fringe Festival remaining and a ton of great shows to see. The Conveyor has show reviews. Here are shows that top my list and the times they are showing:

Friday:
The Edge - 7:00PM
4 Food Groups - 7:30PM
Gravesongs - 8:30PM
Empire of Feathers - 9:00PM
April Fools - 9:00PM
KAZ/m - 9:00PM
The Success Show - 9:15PM
7 (x1) Samurai - 9:15PM

Saturday
It Might Be OK - 2:00 PM
Sex, Dreams, and Self Control! - 4:30PM
Guns and Chickens - 5:00PM
Cinema Fantastique - 8:00PM
April Fools - 8:30PM
7 (x1) Samurai - 8:30PM
Assholes and Aureoles 9:15PM

See as many as you can and then hit the Underground at the Know Theatre for the Awards Show and finale party.

Who Would You Honor?

The Hamilton County Board of Commissioners is considering inviting five "local civil rights pioneers" to enjoy the Civil Rights Game from the county's suite at Great American Ballpark.

Here's my question:  which local, living civil rights figure would you choose?  I certainly have my own preferences, which I'll keep to myself for now.

We'll Always Have Paris....

Well, I won't. Some of you may always have Paris, but I just wasn't hip enough to have heard the Paris-Hilton-is-coming-to-Cincinnati gossip.

It turns out she spent last night right next door to my apartment building. I couldn't figure out why Bang had a bigger-than-usual Wednesday night crowd, but now I know.

I've previously mentioned here that when Bang opened two years ago, I confidently predicted its quick demise. I figured it'd last about six months. I was wrong, and ultimately I'm glad I was. Even though I'm not young enough, pretty enough, or rich enough to be Bang's target audience, Cincinnati needs places like Bang and Bootsy's. (It also needs places like Madonna's and Nicholson's and Jefferson Hall (come back, J-Hall!); my point is that a diversity of club/bar atmospheres is a good thing.)

When the restaurant being built next to Bang (Boss Cox's) fell through, I wondered if Bang's owners were running out of cash. Apparently not: they're relaunching Bang as new club called Lush later this summer. (At least, I hope this is a real re-launch, and not simply a way to close up shop entirely without being embarassed about doing so.)

Paris: if you're still in town, give me a call or shoot me a text message. We'll hang out.

Cincinnatians Embark On Civil Rights Bike Ride (6/4 Bump and Update)

Originally posted 6/2/09.

Today, Cincinnati civil rights attorney Al Gerhardstein embarked on a 1200-mile bicycle ride from Mobile, Alabama, with his daughter, Jessica. Riding a tandem bike, the two intend to trace the Underground Railroad on their way back home to Cincinnati. They plan to arrive in time for the June 20 Civil Rights Game between the Reds and the White Sox.

You can follow Al and Jessica's journey on their blog, Civil Rights Bike Ride. As Jessica explains in her inaugural post, they are riding to raise money and awareness for the Ohio Justice and Policy Center. For those of you not paying attention, for some time now, OJPC has been leading the way in local criminal justice reform efforts. Most recently, OJPC has been working to eliminate the City's blanket prohibition on hiring convicted felons. Donation links are available either at the CRBR blog or OJPC's website (here's a direct link).

And if any of you are questioning whether a desk-bound attorney in his late fifties in really going to slog through a 1200-mile bike ride just as summer starts to heat up, don't worry about it. Four years ago, Al spent his summer vacation riding from the West Coast to the East Coast.

If you want to join in the fun, a group ride is planned on June 20 at 9:00 am, from Pendrey Park in Melbourne, Kentucky, to Sawyer Point. The suggested donation for the ride is $20, and there'll be help available to get you back to your car, if necessary. (The group ride anticipates people riding their own bikes, not one, really long tandem bicycle.)

UPDATE: Al has made his first appearance on the blog. I gave pretty short shrift to explaining OJPC's mission or the purpose of Al and Jessica's ride. Al does a better job:

Read about OJPC. Quietly OJPC is challenging the status quo. A prison population that is 50% black is intolerable. A prison population that exceeds 55,000 in this state is intolerable. Treating as criminal many acts that are driven by drug dependence is intolerable. Sweeping into the criminal system drug addicts and mentally ill folks and then doing little to help them conquer their underlying problem is intolerable.

Go read the whole post. It's well worth the time.

36 Reasons Streetcars Are Better Than Buses

There are more than 36, I am sure, but the Cincy-Streetcar Blog has the list.

Totally Random Observation

Did anyone else know that in El Paso, Texas, there's a group of bars and clubs known as the "Cincinnati Entertainment District?" Apparently, it's so named because the bars are either on or near Cincinnati Avenue....

Another Transportation Alternative

A few weeks ago, a friend suggested a blog post topic: the need for some sort of transportation service that connects Cincinnati's entertainment districts. She was right. We really could use a shuttle or bus that connects downtown, Mt. Lookout/Hyde Park/Oakley, Mt. Adams, Clifton (perhaps), Northern Kentucky, and wherever people gather west of Vine Street (I'm kidding, West Siders....please no effigy burnings today!). This isn't an alternative to the streetcar, since the streetcar, even if it happens, will only connect Clifton and downtown. When we talked about it, I thought the most likely provider of such a service would be Metro, but that there'd be a lot of red tape to cut through at SORTA to make it happen.

My blog rantings have been pretty sporadic lately, and I never got around to it. But a couple weeks ago, this same friend linked to a new business on her Facebook page. It sounds intriguing: the CincyZipLine. They hope to open this July and aim to provide transportation to and from "designated hot spots" for three bucks per person on Friday and Saturday nights.

Cincy ZipLine is apparently too hip for an actual website, but they do have a Twitter feed and a FB page. My initial reaction is that it's a good idea. It reminds me of what, in college, we lovingly referred to as "the drunk van," a convenient way to get to and from establishments where alcohol is consumed without risking an OVI or worrying about parking. Of course, it appears that ZipLine will only ferry you between bars and clubs, and you'll be on your own to get home, but it's still provides a service presently lacking in the city.

Hamburger Mary's To Reopen

Great news for Cincinnati Hamburger Mary's is reopening this summer at the same location (909 Vine St.).

Still Fringeing

If you wondered where I've been, then head over to www.theconveyor.com.

Christian Moerlein Commericial

CincyFringe Kicks Off

Here is my first on the spot blog report from the Cincinnati Fringe Festival. The crowd is starting to wonder over from the Visual Fringe opening. The early word is that the Fringe Action News will premier to night.

Fringe Action News!

Something new at this year's Cincinnati Fringe Festival will be a nightly news cast brought to you live at 10:30PM at the Know Theatre's Underground (1120 Jackson St.). The hard hitting team of Fringe Journalists will be on the prowl for every bit of Fringe News. The Fringe Blog will surely be a source of tons and tons of leads, but if you have leads yourself, email the crack Fringe Action News Staff: actionnewstipline@knowtheatre.com with your leads, stories, gossip, secret documents you want to leak, or just funny stuff you think other blokes might find kinda funny.

Fringe Day One: Kickoff Party Tonight!

The Cincinnati Fringe Festival is here! Get your ass to the Know Theatre tonight for the Kickoff Party! It features music from Eclipse, food from Mixx Ultra Lounge and Venice on Vine, finally beer specials from Christian Moerlein! The party begins at 9 PM at 1120 Jackson Street, after the Visual Fringe opening (6 PM - 8 PM) at Art Academy of Cincinnati. Suggested donation is $5.

There is still time to volunteer for the festival and get free tickets. Get the info here.

If you can't pick the shows you want to see, you can see them all! I am!

Finally, for Review of shows, behind the scenes posts from Staff, and all around bloggy good times at Fringe, check out the Fringe Blog at TheConveyor.com.

Milton Dohoney: Too Far Ahead of Us?

Last week, City Manager Milton Dohoney announced that he was appointing a non-resident of Cincinnati to a vacant spot on the Cincinnati Metropolitan Housing Authority, or CMHA. The choice raised a few eyebrows, since the vast majority of public housing in this county is located within the city limits.

But the pick is more surprising given the way the Board is constituted. Of the five managers, the City Manager picks only two. The HamCo Board of Commissioners, the HamCo Common Pleas Court, and the HamCo Probate Court each pick one other member. The selection process itself, then, would seem to guarantee a city/suburb equity of sorts in board membership. Looking at the break-down of who gets to appoint board members, one would think that whoever came up with the system assumed that the city manager would choose city residents. (In contrast, if the city manager picked all five board members, one would hope he would include at least one or two non-city residents in his choices.)

Dohoney's pick is, perhaps, part of a broader policy agenda. Since being named Cincinnati's city manager, Dohoney has made it clear that he favors regionalism. This latest nomination supports that goal; Dohoney believes good government happens when communities work together across municipal lines and leave old-fashioned turf wars behind. Perhaps the best example of this view is his commitment to the creation of a regional water authority. He'd seen such a system work in Louisville, and now wishes to bring it to Cincinnati.

I'm not sure, though, that Dohoney has made his case for regionalism to the rest of us. Particularly with respect to transfer of Cincinnati Water Works to a regional authority, both City Council and Cincinnatians in general are skeptical. The Water Works is probably the most reliable part of City government and operations. We're never sure when our streets will be plowed when it snows, but we know we'll have pleasant-tasting water at good rates.

Dohoney hasn't yet done the work needed to sell the public on the benefits of regionalism. (I'm certainly not sold, but what do I know?) I suspect this is in part due to our form of government. We've put major policy decisions in the hands of an unelected city manager. Dohoney doesn't campaign and doesn't worry about gaining broad-based community support; instead, to keep his job, he needs only to keep the mayor and the nine members of Council happy. Mayor Mallory has not made the creation of a water authority part of his election campaign, leaving him room to distance himself from Dohoney's work on the issue. He also can't be held responsible for the latest CMHA pick. As always, our "stronger mayor" form of government permits our elected leaders to use the city manager as a trial balloon and scapegoat.

Maybe regionalism really is the right way to go. Maybe it will bring us better, more cost-efficient government. But the City Manager hasn't been busy enough selling City residents on this premise. And until he does, he's going to continue to run into brick walls (and petition drives).