Thumbs Up for Bigotry!

Here I present the darker side to Riverfest. Well, there were many darker sides: mis-clothed people, drunken idiots, stupid people, and way too much Lynard Skynard. What this demonstrates is the bigotry that simmers under the surface of this country. This man was right outside one of the entrances to the Riverfest yesterday. He was registering people to vote and giving out Bush/Cheney Stickers. As I passed by, telling the guy this picture was very "blogable," I heard a woman tell the man "good job." I retorted, in my oh so witty way, "good job? Jeesh!" That fixed her wagon, let me tell you. I walked right inside and got my Kerry/Edwards sticker for a very pleasant looking non-anti-gay woman and went on my merry way.

Do non-anti-gay people who are voting for Bush really just ignore the anti-gay issues? I guess since they are not gay, they just don't care? Yes, I know there are issue that we all compromise when voting for people, and yes Kerry is against gay marriage, but he does not seek to keep Gays as second class citizens by his support for Civil Unions. Bush's admend could have supported that, if he really wanted equal rights for homosexuals. I don't think he does. I would bet this guy in the picture would not want it either.

Riverfest 2004 Waterfalls

Waterfalls

I had a great time with a tremendous view. I have to thank Mr. H for the invite to his party. I also have to retort to Wes by just pointing to the picture. :)

Riverfest

I am declaring myself the official blogger for Riverfest 2004. I am typing now live from the 24th floor of One Lytle Place overlooking the river. We are having a great little party with one of the best views of the fireworks. If you care to watch them live I suggest tuning in to channel 12. If you have not left for the fireworks, I suggest staying home. If I can I will have some pictures on here later.

Four More Wars! Four More Wars!

Kevin Drum comments on an up coming Time article (not yet online) where plans for a second term of a Bush administration indicate that "at least five or six foreign countries" are possible targets for military action.

Kevin comes up with the obvious yet often overlooked reality of this election,

A vote for Bush is a vote for more wars, and with this crew in charge it's unlikely they'll turn out any better than Iraq has.

The beloved Bush, George the Lionhearted, is planning to further his crusade against the Muslim world. How he can plan on doing this and not either create a massive push for an expanded number of enlisted soldiers or reintroduce the Draft is a mystery you will not hear anyone on the right talk about before the election.

Collins-Allen Imbroglio

The Enquirer went all out today in reporting on the Collins-Allen affair. The headline with interview based story on Collins. What followed was something that I have never seen from a newspaper, a story about a person's former tenure with that newspaper. The trifecta is completed with an acticle foreshadowing possible change with its report about the Hamilton County GOP holding a "Come to Jesus Meeting" with Mike Allen in the near future.

The spin is getting so thick we'll need to dig out the waders. I am amazed at the Enquirer's article with a headline of "While admired by some at Enquirer, Collins no stranger to office gossip." How better to get gossip in the press than to use it as a self-reflective tool showing one's own humanity. This is a smear, plain and simple.

Some in the newsroom said those efforts made her seem manipulative. Collins acknowledges she was the subject of office gossip, most of which, she says, was ridiculous. But some of that gossip is now of interest to Allen's lawyers, who want to know more about Collins' past relationships and conduct in the workplace.

Of particular interest are any relationships she may have had with supervisors.

If they are rumors, then name names. Don't put Collins out there with hints that she was one to sleep with her bosses to get ahead, without naming those bosses.

No one in the mainstream local media has picked-up with the Blue Chip Review's story about there being two other women who are or could come forth and claim sexual harassment against Mike Allen. Does Allen have other affairs? What about his days as a police officer? Where are the stories of him back in law school or back in the CPD?

Other interesting side note from the story about Collins' past at the Enquirer, it notes that Peter Bronson and Mike Allen are or were friends many years ago. Does Nate Livingston's gossip story hold up about the Enquirer holding back a Bronson column calling for Allen to resign?

The Circus is Coming

All signs are indicating that Charlie Luken is going to run for Hamilton County Prosecutor as a write-in candidate.

It is going to be fun folks. Get out your rally caps and lets watch politics at it best. Nothing beats a write-in campaign, nothing short of a resignation. We still may have that coming too.

UPDATE: Guess who is shaking in his shoes at the prospect of Charlie Luken as County Prosecutor? If you guess Nate Livingston, you may just be right.

Amateur Politicos

I was out this morning getting coffee and as I waited for my Venti-Moca-Skim-No Whip I observed a couple talking to another woman about politics. This couple was wearing "Firefighters for Bush" t-shirts. Yes, I had to hold back the vomit. They smell of coffee helped. I did not hear much of their conversation, but one phrase caught my ear, "Where was John Edwards?" The female in the couple was asking the woman. I don't know the exact context, but my overall impression was that they were tossing back and forth trite rhetoric they heard on TV.

I often have the urge to interject into almost any political discussion, especially those who come across as what I will call amateur politicos. Now, I use amateur not in the sense of being paid vs. not being paid. What I mean is those who only read the headlines and party fliers and then try to argue politics with people, instead of those who know the complexity of the issues. Most people reading this blog, I would surmise, are fairly well read, and at least are smart enough not to be gung-ho without knowing your shit. These people seemed convinced of their point, but likely know only the superficial talking points, and know little beyond what the candidate wants them to know. I really can't stand people like this. I guess I could compare it to "fair weather" fans, or to band wagonieers.

These type of voters are what makes me just want to give up following politics. I held back from interrupting their conversation. That would have been rude, and I am not a rude person in public. I was very tempted however to put them in their place.

What do people think about those who really don't know a damn thing about politics? Now, I don't mean those who are on the other side of your position, although all too often they are just as bad, I mean those who only pay attention once every four years.