Armstong Williams: K Street Bagman

Is the world to end soon? You have to wonder when Nate and Rob Bernard, and I actually agree in general on something: we all believe Armstrong Williams, an opinion journalist, was wrong for taking money from the government to promote NCLB. We might have different reasons for why it was wrong, so hopeully the sky will not fall today.

It was wrong in my opinion to use tax dollars to buy propaganda, which ends up being an indirect political advertisement. Additionally, Williams committed the cardinal sign for a journalist, selling out. Selling your opinions, even if you don't have to change them, means you are no longer a journalist, you are just a PR hack.

TPM asks the most pressing point, "Question: who else has been on the payroll?"

American Sign Museum

The LA Times has taken notice of the American Sign Museum located right here in Cincinnati. The museum is located on Gilbert Ave and is open via appointment 7 days a week. You can take a video tour,or email for info.

UPDATE: The business office is on Gilbert Ave, the actual musuem is on Essex Avenue in Walnut Hills.

Anderson Township Economy Dying?

Tumbleweeds in Anderson Township has closed, so my title I thought should reflect the same level of panic given when any restaurant or business closes downtown. The restaurant is located in the Sky Top Pavilion near Beechmont and 32, which actually is in Anderson Township, but barely. The plaza has done fairly constant business, but has had empty store fronts since the place opened over four years ago. A new fish store is close to opening up. It looks interesting, if you like fish. I like to eat fish, but not keep it as a pet.

Now, to truly put Anderson township readers at ease, I can attest that as I type this I am sitting in the Panera Bread located in the heart of the Anderson Township area and I can report that the place is packed. I love this restaurant, as I love Chipotle. Now, both restaurants are chains. Both are not faddish or cutting edge or anything to attract the dining snobs out there. They make good food. They combine a "fresh made" feel with the speed of fast-food. It works. Just based on the amount of money I spend there, they have to be doing well. What keeps these places out of downtown? The same problems that keep everyone else out of downtown?

Why

Is a there a reason for blogging? Yes, you guessed right if you look at the time of this post. It is late at night and I just got hope from a nice night out a local watering hole where myself and a great number of friends celebrated the Birthday of a common friend. It was great. It was an interaction of people out doing what we do. Drinking beer, eating food, playing pool, listening to the Violent Femmes really, really loud.

In the midst of it all I pondered why I blog, why I write, why I bother putting thought down in print. The answer: it is fucking fun! I live for this shit. Writing my ideas and thoughts and commentary on what ever the hell I want is one of the most free forms of expression known to human kind.

What is a more puzzling question to me is why people read my blog. I should not be asking this question. Does P&G ask why people buy Tide? Well, they do ask it, but they don't ask it in print on the box.

I am taking such a tact here. I am asking why. I ask why when ever I post on something, so now I am posting on myself. Think of it as the ultimate comment card from a Perkin's.

What do people like and what do you hate? Let me hear it.

Now, don't expect me to kneel down and partake in your suggestions with an open embrace. I will still do what ever the fuck I please on the blog. I do like having readers, and if your wishes coincide with mine, then I hope to give you something you will like reading, or at least like commenting about.

Generational Generalizations

As a card carrying member of Generation X I often wonder what is instore for me in relation to the other major generational groups: The boomers and Generation Y. Each of those group is vastly larger than us Xers, which causes me to consider that my generation will be lost in the game of influence as we enter into the 'prime' of our lives.

When I think about the generation differences, I define each group into crude yet descriptive terms:

Boomer Generation: The Fuck You generation - They are collective and very confrontational. The are greedy and altruistic, and yes they contradict themselves.

Generation X: The Fuck Off generation - We are skeptical and lack trust in anyone or anything. We are non-conformists, yet really just want to fit in, but are forced to fend for ourselves.

Generation Y: The Fuck Me generation - They are conformists, modernistic sheep that long to follow and get along, reacting to the older generations with quick remedies and easy answers.

Is this all bullshit, yea, as most generalities about generations are, but there are tones and commonalities which are true with the various generations on a macro-level. We certainly don't all fit into each mold. On a wide scale these are commonalities that are more true then we would like to admit.

What specific issues will cause significant generational conflict? Gay Marriage seems like one happening now. What else?

UPDATE: Via comments the idea for what we would call Generation Z: Oh, Fuck Generation.

Oh Sam? Oh Michael?

Will you guys get off your ass and appoint someone to council? Have you heard of telephones, email, paper and the US postal service? Stop the games, and bit the damn bullet. Either appease the bigots or piss off the bigots, that is your choice.

Crime, What Do We Do About It?

Stephanie Dunlap has a great column in CityBeat about a New Year's Eve violent crime. How do we rid the city of this type of crime where young adults, mostly black men and often drug related, use violence as a means to their ends? This is not a black thing, but most of those committing this type of crime are black and we can't understand why. I don't know why. Activists don't know why and are doing little to stop it. The cops appear powerless to stop it. The justice system appears weak. The local citizens who live in the area are either having their cars shot up for fighting crime, or they are sitting on their hands.

We are letting this happen. We have no solutions, only more questions as to whom do we blame for it. We are not doing anything about it, and yes, I am not doing a damn thing either, but I have a luxury of living in low crime area, so I have little motivation to do much. I really can't do much if I wanted. People like me, most people, can't change this. The people of Over-the-Rhine, City Hall, the local media, and the Police are only ones who can find and enact a solution.