Wagons East!

Boca is moving from Northside to Oakley. The owner, David Falk stated in the article he was influenced by the "begging" of many of his patrons to move east. Is Eastside money winning another one? Northside is a cutting edge neighborhood with a socio-economic mix, while Oakley is the ugly sister of Hyde Park. Is Northside too "urban" even for the urbanites?

'Fahrenheit 9/11' to Play in Cincinnati

The The Cincinnati Post is reporting that the Esquire and Mariemont theaters will show Michael Moore's movie starting June 25. Will we see any local BushCo Storm troopers come out and protest or try and prevent it being shown? I doubt it, but you might get a little grief from the usual blowhards.

Kerry Up in LA Times Poll

In a head to head race Kerry leads Bush in the LA Times poll 51% to 44%. A Cincinnatian had this to say in the article:

Joseph Rechtin, a retired postal worker from Cincinnati, said Kerry had made little impression on him but he wanted a change.
'It's more than three years now and we don't seem to be going anywhere at all, and this involvement in Iraq is taking us down the wrong path, so I definitely feel we need a leadership change,' Rechtin said.

I don't know how Reagan's funeral will affect the race, but this is the month that I believe people freeze their opinions on the candidates. From now until November the issue is will they vote or will some disaster happen to shake things up. Ohio is still going to be the key trend. So goes Ohio, so goes the election.

A Kentucky Opps

Yesterday the Capitol and Supreme Court in Washington D. C. were evacuated because a plane had entered the closed D.C. air space. Well, now it appears that the plane held Kentucky Gov. Ernie Fletcher on his way to the Reagan funeral. I hate to hear the tongue-lashing Senator Mitch McConnell gave him last night for having to dash out of his office in terror.

Translating Bronson

If you want to know what Peter Bronson is saying in his column How to get 'creative': Help middle class I am here to help translate.

Bronson is saying: Fuck the liberals, Fuck the City, give all the money to white suburbs, Let the gays rot in hell.

Peter Bronson is going beyond conservativism, his attacks on the creative class and intellectualism is creating a new round of reactionary dogma that needs a new name. I would call it 'Leave it to Beaver' syndrome, but that might be a copyright problem. His level of running in place for Jesus is really holding back society. If people really agree with Bronson then our society is heading toward a repeat of what hit Islam during the middle ages, stagnation. Islamic/Arabic culture did not significantly progress for about 500 years. That seems to Bronson's goal. Well, that and conformity of every element of life, until we are all just milquetoast residents of the Great West Chester Metropolitan Area.

Money

I guess it was all about the pieces of silver.

Shocking News

An anti-abortionist is pissed about a judge not listening to anti-abortion group's hired guns and ruling to uphold case law.

Club Clau Hype

As trends go, Cincinnati is to chic as Zoot Suits are to fashion. CiN Weekly is trying to buck the trend and likely help Club Clau boost its profits by keeping the hype alive, but making it a little more accessible to the timid West Chester 28 year olds still chicken to come downtown.

I have never been to Club Clau and I doubt I will ever go. The reason I would go would be for a woman, but I hope I that any woman I date would not have the desire to go "clubbing" very often. Ok, enough of the personal.

Interesting trivia reported by Cin is that Clau is an acronym which stands for "Change Lies Ahead of Us." Club Clau does get credit for doing well, when you get listed as one of the best bars in the world you have done something right.

Wasting $400,000

What were 'philanthropists' Donna and Pat Carruthers thinking when they gave 400K bucks to build a bronze sculpture of George Bush as part of a plaza at Hamilton High School. How about buying something for the troops in Iraq instead?

CT's Barry Gee

Give it up for Barry Gee, CT's Executive Director, who was interviewed for an NPR story on the Cincinnati subway.

Bronson is a Jerk

What a fucking jerk. Think I am being harsh? Well, when I read Bronson's column today I wanted a harsher title, but held my tongue. Bronson is a jerk for a simple reason, he is using Reagan's death as a means to make a political attack. He is doing what he thinks every liberal is doing. I for one have not said anything about Reagan's death until now. I did so out of respect for the man. I grew up in a moderate Republican family who like him as President. He was a good man. I felt his political views were wrong. His followers have deified him and taken his views to a level of extremism that I don't think Regan himself actually wanted.

Bronson instead of using his column to make a solemn tribute to the man, instead goes on a bullshit rant against liberals who dare say the TRUTH about Reagan. He was not a deity Peter, he caused many problems. It is not only FAIR AND BALANCED to report his good elements and faults; it is the honorable thing to do.

No conservative can honestly complain about the media coverage of the death of Reagan. It has been 98% positive, approaching the level of Princess Diana on some levels, certainly on FOX. I don't mind it. I understand that many people really like the man. Why I can't stand is for some of those people, specifically Bronson, is pissed about the positive coverage. I guess he can't stand anyone mocking his "god."

Was is so divisive is the blood thirsty drivel here:

He made a jaded nation believe in itself, and proved conservative ideas work.

So, Reagan forced us to live under his conservative rule? How fascist of him. I guess Bronson likes being forced to live under conservative doctrine. I for one Peter don't like it. You can't force-feed us, you must lead us. Reagan was a good leader. He lead us poorly in the end, but he tried. He was a just a man, and the way he is held up is akin to worship that not only would be considered sacrilegious, if he were a Democrat, it would be skewered in the conservative media as a partisan use of the death of human, just as was done after Paul Wellstone's funeral. Bronson has topped anyone at the Wellstone funeral in my opinion. I don't think he cares though. I think he just wants to bath in the glory that trails a Presidential funeral all the way to the November election.

Cicada Me to Death

Not only did we learn today about the woes of lawn groomers and their plight of dealing with Cicadas, we also read about kids eating the bugs.

Enough already! We get it! There are a shit load of the damn bugs. I know. Their "ekkkk" fills my ears if I don't turn my TV/Radio up while sitting in my living room. I don't really need the 745th and 746th story about people's reaction to the damn bugs. There is a freaking special section on the things. That is it, no more, please no more. Just tell me when they are finally all dead. At that point I shall pour a beer on the ground in tribute to their lives and with hopes that it kills as many of them still crawling down there.

Washingtonienne Story Continues

Much to the chagrin of Mike DeWine, Enquirer columnist Carl Weiser updates Ohio on the story of Jessica Culter, the former DeWine staffer who ran a "racy Web log."

I too felt the surge of attention on this story. My traffic rose considerably from those searching Google for a picture of Ms. Culter. I did not have one on my site, but I did mention stories that included her picture. She was very attractive by the way, which makes this story all the more titillating. It still did not really get the level of press that Carl insinuates. Sure it was around the world, and he of course was reporting on it, but if you did not know what a blog was before the story broke, you likely did not follow what it was about, even though it was linked to the office of a US Senator. CNN, FOX, and MSNBC barely touched it, if at all. TV coverage pushes the level of overall media coverage. The Internet and even Print can't push the story on TV unless TV wants it, and for some unknown reason, TV does not seem to want to run with this one. I guess the liberal CNN could not help running this 24/7. If this was a staffer of a Democrat Senator, you know it would have been on FOX and talk radio until that Senator resigned.

Horrific Crash in OTR

Varying reports indicate that 17 were injured and one saying 19 were injured after a bus plowed into an empty building in Over-the-Rhine.

This is horrible news to those who are close to the downtown community. The bus was part of a tour of downtown homes occurring Sunday afternoon. If there is anyone who knows those injured, please send me an email, please don't comment on their names.

The Enquirer did a positive story on the tour. I hope no one mentioned was injured.

June is Busting Out All Over!

We have new local blogs:

QCF Blog

and

The Dean of Cincinnati Blog

QCF's blog is out to open up a place for readers to respond to stories. The Dean seems to be playing games with his "blog". He has even copied the same format of the QCF as an attempt at some type of slight. I don't get it. I don't get the Dean much at all anyway. The Dean of Cincinnati is the Internet version of Andy Kaufman.

Boss Tweed in the Making?

City Council is considering beefing up the Mayor's powers. I see this as mainly a means to shift blame for the actions (inactions) of the police from council to the Mayor's office. Other than that I don't really like the idea of consolidating power. Yes, a stronger Mayor could "get things done" without the grandstanding of council, but council would still be needed as check against a Mayor off his political rocker. It also appears that a district plan for Council Seats will have to get on the ballot the hard way.

In the article Greg Korte reports that "anti-establishment Republicans" are supporting the district election plan. I would say that anyone who is anti-establishment could not be a Republican, almost by definition.

The text of the strong Mayor proposal is here.

Blogus Interruptus

I am off to Cleveland for the weekend, so blogging should be not just light, but a void until Sunday night. If I get near a computer, I will try and post, but I will be at a friend's wedding, so I will be trying to have a good time instead.

In other words, you are on your own in your search for bloggy goodness.

'Cops!' Comes Back

In case you missed the news Chief Tom Striecher reinvited the TV show to film the Cincinnati Police.

This to me seems just as pitiful as Smitherman and Reece getting their girdle's caught in their garters of 'Cops!' in the first place. Sam Malone pushed to get the show back, but that action looks like groveling. The sauce has stained the tablecloth, we can't just through on club soda without someone noticing.

Nick Spencer has more

Smoke and Mirrors Works?

Miami's applications for enrollment increased 10% in spite of their change to a new tuition program that repacked the in-state discount. This ultimately will raise tuition for in-state students once the discount amount does not increase at the same level as the tuition.

Politizing Religion

The liberals and Democrats have been accused of opposing religion on a political as well as personal basis, making religion and Bush's religion a political issue. In reality the GOP is doing the same thing and does it far more egregiously. Locally we have Catholics making an issue of religion or religious issues, with their opinions, and the opinions of the religious leaders.

Bush's campaign has gone a step beyond. They are seeking to have churches allow or support direct campaigning in the church. This is in my opinion going to make a slew of churches loose their tax exempt status, unless of course Bush wins and has the IRS ignore the political action by non-profit organizations.

If people want to play the game of using religion as means to gain power, then they cheapen it beyond its naturally simplistic state. It is so sorry that Bush feels the need to tap into the fears of people and their religion and use their religious conventions, however so subtly, to turn the vote one way. Vote for Bush or go to Hell is not what they are saying. They are saying vote for the guy who shares your religion and who will push your religion on others. That is what we are getting. Not every religious person wants this and most would not be swayed by it anyway, but there are many idiots who vote based on either one issue, like abortion, or on religion. So when I rail against people's use of religion as a means to gain power, a faux theocracy if you will, I hope people see that I am not just blowing smoke up my ass. Well, at least not on that issue.

Bronson: Enhackment

Peter Bronson blathers on about a made up word and does so by dragging in old and tired political jabs that really have no meaning and no context to politics and current events today. What he is doing is just recycling other's views and cliché ideas because he just a shill for the GOP. I hereby term this "Enhackment."

Also, If Peter is going to mention a "blogger" by name in his column, you might think he would link to the guy's blog. What is odd, is that I can't find a blog for the guy, only a website with columns. I guess Bronson can't tell a blog from the rocks in his head.

Return of the Apostate

Adding the Apostate to the blogroll. Dmitri Iscariot gives a new bent on things local. Have a read.

She Fought the Law

Gina Daugherty, of CinWeekly, fought the law, and of course lost. Chalk up another Perry Mason moment to posterity.

More Plans Than Action

We have the Riverfront, Fountain Square, Main street, and now a new development plan for Washington Park. This sounds great, but how can we do all of this? Who pays for it? How much is publicly financed? If this is all privately funded and the school board is happy with the changes to its plans, then I say go full tilt on this.

This will surely pissed off the homeless advocates, who will gripe about Washington Park and the daily drug addicts who will be forced out. Is that really a bad thing?

Final Stage of Abandonment

The Radio Beast has nearly completed its move from Mt. Adams to Kenwood. With it goes any tie to the City of Cincinnati. We already had lesser and lesser city news coverage, I would expect even less, except when the hosts can complain about something. I do expect Cunningham to walk from work from now on. He needs to shed a few pounds of fat from his head.

Cinco de Memorial Day

We got a mini-riot in Avondale at a party at a community center. Yes, that was a community center that spawned fights and forced the police to close 10 blocks of reading road for an hour.

Breaking News: Water is Wet

Hip-hop fashion no longer just for urban black kids.

Torn, Very Torn

In reading Peter Bronson's column today I am very torn. I agree with some of his attack on city council for botching the whole 'Cops!' episode, but his defense and worship of the Cincinnati Police really is sickening.

The Police Division would have had final approval for anything put on the air, he said. Cops is unabashedly pro-police.

Maybe that's the real problem. Before the plug was pulled, Lt. Col. Richard Janke said, "It's a chance to reverse the very negative image the media have shown of Cincinnati police." He wondered if council members "are actually afraid the Police Division will look good."

You know Peter, I could say the same thing about embedded journalists in the Iraq war. Or better yet, I could say 'Cops!' is to CPD as FOX News is to the Bush War in Iraq.

'Cops!' would show a one sided image of the police here in Cincinnati. That is a political statement. It should not have to be, but the police union has made it one. Fangman and Bronson do more to hurt police-community relations than any councilperson or drug dealer could do. Both men create an "us vs. them" mentality with a goal of dividing the city with hopes that Republicans can gain power.

Bad Boys, Bad Boys

In a fight that broke out at the Yucatan Liquor Stand in Covington 5 men were arrested including two off-duty Hamilton County Sheriff's Office deputies. The question goes out to Simon Leis, will you investigate and fire thugs who fight in public places? I am sure they would have just been "defending" someone. The were likely shaking hands with a few faces, so much "defending," that the Covington police arrested them just for fun.

Hegemo on Cicadas

Sarah has some ideas on how Columbus could be tricked into taking all of Cincinnati's Cicadas. I am sure we would include shipping costs too.

Bronson Pimps WWII Veterans

Peter Bronson could have just done a tribute column to veterans for Memorial Day, but instead he whores them out in his political crusade. Not only does he use them like a smarmy John, he puts out ideas that contradict what I think most people view as American liberty.

1. Censorship: Bronson wants only "good news" out of Iraq. He
   longs for the days of WWII when "the only stories that came home were
   tales of heroism, valor and perseverance." Truth be damned! We must
   indoctrinate the populace who dare might think for themselves.


2. Pre-emption: Bronson laments that WWII was without an "exit
   strategy". Sorry to disappoint you Peter, but you are wrong
   again. We did have an exit strategy in Germany and Japan, destroy aggressive
   armies that had declared war on us. In Iraq we attacked a
   country that had a horrid regime in charge, but posed no threat to the USA,
   and a marginal threat to its neighbors. North Korea, Zimbabwe, Libya, and
   Cuba still stand. Where's the entrance strategy?


3. Don't speak ill of Dear Leader: Bronson wants us to just leave his
   fearless leader alone. We can't speak ill of him, us horrible godless
   liberal heathens. We don't deserve the right to live here if we don't
   conform to his conservative way of life. This was a bit of a
   extrapolation from the quote he used from a veteran. He had to but
   that "liberal" in there and try to claim it the media is liberal
   again. Bronson is ten times the broken record I will ever be.

There is also no logical way Bronson can claim to have run with an anti-war crowd in high school. That does not mean he did not, it just be he likely got beat up by a rival gang of hippies, which caused his conversion to the blood lust crowd.

Main Street

Nick Spencer has what he thinks is wrong with the Main Street area and includes ideas about what could be done to improve it.

Friday's Enquirer had a lengthy article covering the recent bars closing.

Dayton has news about a downtown bar doing well.

Bush Up in Latest Ohio Poll

The Mason-Dixon/Plain Dealer Poll has Bush leading significantly, by 6%. This sounds high and contradicts other recent polls that have Kerry winning (one even with Kerry up 7%). It is likely close, but the swing reported in this poll seems like they got a bad sample. This is a problem in Ohio because we have such a polarized geography. Zip codes can predict voting patterns to such degree that polls are almost moot. The real issue is turnout. That is where Bush is in trouble. I do not think he will get the volume of turnout he needs to win by 6% as this poll suggests. Ohio will be close come November, no matter who wins.

'Cops' Round-Up

'Cops!' appears not to be leaving Cincinnati. Alicia Reese explains herself, not very convincingly.

The Post has more on 'Cops!' going to Covington and the Hamilton County Sheriff's Department. There is also a background story on 'Cops!' and its popularity.

More from WCPO, WKRC, WLWT, and the Plain Dealer.

Also check out Jeff Stahler's latest cartoon.

Cincinnati Guard Unit Questioned on Prison Deaths

A military police unit based in the Cincinnati Area has been questioned regarding the deaths of two prisoners back in December of 2002 in Afghanistan. The unit has been home since March of 2003.

'Cops!' is Out

Grandstanding, Grandstanding, what you gonna do? What you gonna do when the voters come for you? Council members Alicia Reese and Chris Smitherman had a case of the "Goo" over the Cincinnati Police allowing a filming of the TV show 'Cops!'.

I must officially announce that I have lost respect for Chris Smitherman. I was pleased he got on council, adding another Charterite was a big plus to council, but I did not see coming was his anti-police stances and his media whoring. All politicians put out for the news media to a degree, but Smitherman is whiling to do just about anything to piss people off and get the cameras on him. Is he thinking he could run for Mayor next year?

Positive

Pat DeWine "can't think of anything positive" that could come from filming 'Cops' here in Cincinnati. I for one can think of one positive: we could see the boycott B people arrested for breaking the law and then handled with proper care, giving them no reason to sue, but reason to go to jail.

This does assume that Nate Livingston takes up my challenge to get himself arrested in front of the 'Cops' film crew. I don't support breaking any laws, but if Nate wants attention, that is one way to get it. I would even provide him with free gift VHS or DVD copy of the episode in which he or any boycott B member stars in, and when I say "star" I mean staring in the role of "shirtless man in handcuffs."

Bronson Misses the Obvious

Peter Bronson misses the obvious solution to ridding the city of criminal drug dealers, legalize drugs. You don't want people getting rich from bootleg crack? Simple, sell it cheaper at a sanctioned junkie store, one with clean needles and sources of information on kicking the habit.

Having the police come down heavy on drug dealers will not rid the city of drug crime, it might soften for a while, but like weeds it grows right back. You must get to the root of the problem, cut out the high bootleg prices and you drop the incentive for girls to get pregnant at 15 and hook up with an 18-year-old drug dealer with money. No drug dealer with illegal money, then less crime and less people doing what ever it takes to be with the man with "easy" money.

Miami Leads the Way

Miami U. leads the way in local graduation rates

Love and honor to Miami,
Our college old and grand,
Proudly we shall ever hail thee,
Over all the land.

Alma mater now we praise thee,
Sing joyfully this lay,
Love and honor to Miami,
Forever and a day.

The Exile of Main Street

Has the city dumped Main Street as its premire bar district? Two bars close, any new bars open?

Food

Here's the Taste of Cincinnati Menu. I plan on making at least one trip down this weekend.

John Dowlin, Lame Duck County Commissioner & Bigot

What the hell got into Dowlin's coffee? Since when is this guy a hardcore anti-homosexual bigot? I would not bat a lash if this was Phil Heimlich or Chris Monzel, but since when has Dowlin been a bible-thumping bigot? I agree with Kevin Osborne on this:

Although Heimlich has a reputation as a staunch conservative, much of Dowlin's political career has been spent as a moderate with a focus on economic issues, prompting surprise among observers that he would introduce such a resolution as his term ends.

All I can say is good riddance come November to this asshole theocratic bigot, who is just wasting tax payer money with his crusade.

Heimlich will be a total hypocrite if he supports this, but I am sure that's one principle he will gladly sacrifice on the way to his form of theocracy.

Nick Spencer has more.

Non-Bronson Thread

Ok, I know I posted a boat load on Bronson today, so here is a thread to rant on what ever else you might want, Bush's Speech and its failure to do much of anything or you can just sound off on the loud cicadas. Did I mention they were really loud?

Bronson's Opps

Rebecca Bowman of the CSF educates Peter Bronson on his Oklahoma crack in prior column unfairly bashing the Fringe Festival. As a volunteer at the Fringe Fest, I was rather pissed at both his ignorant slam of the Fringe and his trashing of Oklahoma. I applaud Rebecca's history lesson for Peter, who seems to have been suckered by those 'pinko liberals' Rodgers and Hammerstein.

Bronson Hates Business Development

If it was not Tim Burke, leader of the Hamilton County Democrats, representing businesses trying to take home owner's land for a big development Bronson would likely have not given a damn about a handful of residents holding up jobs for Americans.

What would Bronson say if they wanted to expand in West Chester and take some houses a mile from his house? I am sure he would not waffle an inch and support the business development. Here he flip-flops on what to do. Well, I hope I never read Bronson pull the faux flip-flop charge on John Kerry.

Battle Royal, GOP Style

Ohio Secretary of State Ken Blackwell, Cincinnati Republican, has called for the Republican Party to seek the resignation of Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder. The head of the Party has rejected Blackwell's demand. Householder's campaign had prepared a memo outline a plan to "possibly destroy the political career" of Blackwell, a rival of Householder for statewide office.

Householder is being investigated by Federal Officials regarding speaker's campaign practices.

More from the Akron Beacon-Journal.

Derf Makes it Big

The New York Times has taken notice of www.cicadaville.com the creation of Cincinnati satirist Brandon Breedon, a writer at Derf Magazine.

And another, the Cicadas are really fucking loud.

No Big Deal?

Rob Daumeyer at the Cincinnati Business Courier writes on why Abu Ghraib became a bigger deal that he thinks it deserves:

Abu Ghraib, the Department of Defense, Wall Street and just about every other institution you can think of, are being derided as symptoms of a debased, faded civilization.

To which I reply, stop with the crazy talk. That argument is emptier than the soul food line at the Republican National Convention.

Look, I'm not saying things are super terrifically splendidly great, but let's get serious. The Abu Ghraib torture -- or fraternity hazing, as Rush Limbaugh calls it -- isn't anything we didn't do in other wars. I shudder to think what we did with the few Japanese we managed to get our hands on. We just didn't have tiny little digital cameras and the Internet to duplicate them a bazillion times.

I think Rob's point on how what was done by Hitler or Stalin was worse than Abu Ghraib is "true", but the difference that apologists for Don Rumsfeld miss on this point is that it was our military. Rob is wrong, this is a big deal. He agrees that the situation was horrid and Rumsfeld and Co deserve criticism, but even though attention has been focused on this one prison, it still does not take away that our soldiers did this and did it knowingly. Another person's crime is horrible, but a crime your commit yourself is then end of one's moral stature.

Boycott B Website is 'Suspended'

The website "www.boycottcincinnati.org" only has this comment as a banner, "This Account Has Been Suspended." Nate Livingston must be on vacation.

Bush Speech, Little New

There were a few dates that he committed to meeting for elections in Iraq, but other than wanting to demolish the Abu Ghraib, there was nothing new. He was a little bit more specific about what he wants, but how he plans on doing it, well that is still a mystery.

His big lie was saying that on June 30th Iraq will have "full sovereignty." That is just crap and he and everyone else knows that. He knows that having 138,000 troops in Iraq under his control means it is in no way a sovereign county.

Will the media keep the pressure on Bush if what he said does not come to pass? We'll just have to wait and see.

Change any opinions? Nope. It was not carried by the 4 networks, so few likely were to have seen it.