The True Story...

Mayor Charlie Luken, who I think earned his nickname "Chaz" with this one, has sent a letter to the production company of MTV's "The Real World>"

Yes, that "Real World."

You are not dreaming, the Mayor is making an attempt to get the television show to locate it's next show right here in Cincinnati. The current filming was set to begin in Philadelphia, but shut down because of union protests.

Can you picture a house in Mt. Adams or a building in OTR transformed into a lush loft and laced with cameras? Can you picturing walking down Main Street watching a bunch of ego ridden twenty-somethings with too much time and money to waste being followed by a camera crew? Can you picture the constant protest Nate Livingston and other Boycott B people would unleash on the house? It would likely look like a vigil at times.

What I would want to see would be an all Cincinnati Media Real World. Here is my Caste:

Kathy Y. Wilson - Kathy would surely be offended if she was asked to be on the show. She however would be just as offended if she was not asked to be on the show.

Peter Bronson - Peter would be just as offended as Kathy if not asked to be on the show, he is after all on his crusade of ideological inclusion. We do after all need our token theocrat for the group.

Jay Love - Jay gets on because he has to represent the male Gen Xer's. He also knows how it is to have a rich father, so he might fit into "The Real World's" target market.

Bill Cunningham - We could not afford to forget the biggest local media-whore in town. Who else is going to go nake in the hot tub?

Ken Broo - Ok, one jock, or rather a wanna be jock. Cunningham does double in this role as well.

Tricia Macke - There has to be at least one blond female. Cunningham and Bronson need someone to stare at after all.

Wendy Walker - Well, you need a brunette too, and Wendy has a news background to fit in with the rest of the gang.

Runners up: Jim Knippenberg, Wildwman Walker, Gary Burbank, Maggie Downs, Greg Korte, and Emanuel Livingston.


This is the true story,
[TRUE STORAY],
of seven strangers,
picked to live in a house
to find out what happens when people stop being polite
and start getting real.
The Real World! - Zinzinnati?

Unfortunately, people down in Austin, Texas think they are really in the running for "The Real World." I will not hold my breath for this happening here in Cincinnati, but is something fun to speculate about. It would make for a great show. I would actually watch it, even if I did not live here.

Dennis Miller Just Lost it

Watching this interview of Eric Alterman from Dennis Miller's show on CNBC is difficult to sit through. Miller seems like he does not really care about having a career anymore. What the hell happened to the guy? (Cha cha cha, babe)

[Via Atrios]

KnowTheatre: 'Lips'

Check out the Know Theatre's production of Lips, starting tonight. Read Maggie Downs' take on it and on a woman being President.

Terrorism

Kevin Drum, at his new Washington Monthly home, posts on the subject what Bush is really doing on the "War" on Terrorism. He argues, correctly I will add, the Kerry would be doing the same thing and the Bush is not really doing that much anyway that would earn him a gold star for effort. In fact, I think Bush is playing the chest thumping game and not getting down to business.

Rob Bernard posted recently declaring the Spain bombings the "biggest terrorist win yet," on which I disagree. The efforts of the Spanish police have cracked the case quite quickly. Good old police work is getting justice and hopefully crushing the cell of terrorists responsible for the death of 200 people. How is this failure? I know Rob is going to go on about "appeasement," we know those are the talking points for Bush supporters. I have to ask, how is this appeasement? Who is being appeased? The people who did this are either in custody, or they are close to it. What Rob is doing is trumping up Al Qaeda into something it isn't and never was: a unified and cohesive organization. These guys are terrorists. They are not going to act or not act based on whether the government changes in Spain. 9/11 would have happened if Gore was President too.

Spain getting out of Iraq is not going to harm anyone, except Bush's political aims and the U. S. Military. The Military will be harmed by having to pick up the slack because Bush has failed to get more troops from around the world.

This whole discuss is tainted by a simple disagreement that Kevin Drum brings up: War vs. Police Action. Bush wants War and wants to use the rhetoric without the real strings attached. Those strings are the horror of body bags, blood, and missing limbs. Police Action is what in reality the response to terror has been and should be. We are not "at war" with anyone. Using the "war" term used to be a taboo for political leaders because the concept of war meant something. Now it is just a political prop akin to "compassionate conservative" or "faith based initiatives."

Terrorism should be stamped out, but pumping up what you are doing about it for political gains is silly. Let a police action be a police action, and keep the blood lust out of it. Bush is doing nothing that any other President would do, except maybe cuddle up to a cleaned up military despot, namely the "President" of Pakistan.

Pointless Nader

If you want to ponder what a man sounds like screaming in an empty room, then read Joshua C. Robinson's commentary on the Presidential Race. Joshua wants the Dems to take Nader, Sharpton and Kucinich seriously. Why not take Lyndon LaRoush seriously too? None of the three are viable candidates for President. Why they are not is a debatable point, but it is a fact that none of the three will ever be President. Their presence in the race serves the purpose of hurting the Democratic Party and Strengthening the GOP. If your goal is to play "transnational progressive" or communist games, which gives Bush for more years but puts the "revolution" into motion, then I guess Ralph is your man to cause the most damage. If you want to keep the system of government we have, but would like someone less theocratic, less anti-worker, more environment friendly, more pro-fair trade, more pro-health care, then you should spend your efforts in support of John Kerry.

Ohio 'Sniper' Suspect Caught in Las Vegas

I guess the old rule what ever happens in Vegas stays in Vegas, is not always true. I think the people of Ohio are glad in this case that it is not. It sounds like this guy has mental problems, so it will be an interesting battle. Will people want him to die? Will the desire for blood drive people to seek revenge instead of justice? Well, yes it will, as it usually does. Our Criminal Justice System has become more about revenge and soothing the public's blood lust, than about seeking "justice."

Racist Idiot Charged With Crime

William Westerkamp has been indicted for disrupting public services, a fourth-degree felony. Lock the ass up. I still wish Kabaka Oba's antics at least got a little more out cry from those on council who called for this guy's head. Yes, Alicia Reece, that would be you.