Sunday, September 28, 2008
Cincy Couture
The Cincy Couture Fashion Show went off superbly yesterday. The music list for the entire program can be on the The Conveyor.
Saturday, September 27, 2008
Last Night's Debate
Personally, I thought the debate was pretty much a draw and wouldn't change anyone's mind. Of course, I'm perplexed by people who declare themselves to be "undecided" voters. How can you not know which of the two candidates most reflects your values and policy judgments by now?
The professional punditry seems to agree about this being a draw. Of course, the mainstream media probably wouldn't declare anyone a "winner" unless his opponent literally vomited down the front of his own suit during the debate, for fear of being accused of bias.
Then I found this clip from Fox: their focus group of "undecided voters" had Obama as the clear winner.
Since most believe this first debate would be the toughest of the three for Obama, the reaction of the focus group is clearly a good omen for the Democrat. And with so many states permitting early voting, the early debates may be the only ones that matter.
You can vote in Ohio beginning on Tuesday.
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Speculation on the Secret Show
WOXY's boards have a bunch of speculation on the secret show set for the Know Theatre on Saturday night.
UPDATE:The speculation was correct, the band was Radio 4.
UPDATE:The speculation was correct, the band was Radio 4.
MidPoint Starts Now!
I am packing up my notebook, camera, comfortable shoes, and schedule for Day One of Midpoint.
I will have my detailed coverage of the event over at www.theconveyor.com, so check there for a recap of day one.
CityBeat has a big central page with all things Midpoint. They will have the official word on any schedule changes.
I hope to see a bunch of faces down at the opening show which is happing right now! (I had to run home first) If you have any recommendations on what bands to see, please send them on or comment below.
I will have my detailed coverage of the event over at www.theconveyor.com, so check there for a recap of day one.
CityBeat has a big central page with all things Midpoint. They will have the official word on any schedule changes.
I hope to see a bunch of faces down at the opening show which is happing right now! (I had to run home first) If you have any recommendations on what bands to see, please send them on or comment below.
CAC Opening Tomorrow Night
The CAC has a vibrant opening tomorrow night: MARIA LASSNIG and Carlos Amorales: Discarded Spider.
The event starts at 8 pm. Admission is free, there's a cash bar, a DJ, a ballet performance at 10PM, and of course, wonderful contemporary art by two very significant artists.
If you need a midpoint break from Midpoint, get there, then afterwards hit more showcases!
The event starts at 8 pm. Admission is free, there's a cash bar, a DJ, a ballet performance at 10PM, and of course, wonderful contemporary art by two very significant artists.
If you need a midpoint break from Midpoint, get there, then afterwards hit more showcases!
20/20 Vision Kicks Off
CinWeekly has a nice artcle on the start of 20/20. For the full story on the 20/20 arts festival, check out www.20days20nights.com for more.
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
What Are They Thinking?
[UPDATE: 9/25/2008]: The post to which the following refers has been deleted from the Hamilton County GOP Blog without comment. Since Triantafilou is relatively new to the blogosphere, perhaps people will overlook this serious breach of blogger etiquette (generally, it is understood that one does not delete posts--updating or editing for typos is fine--in this manner). I've no idea whether our post here has anything to do with the deletion.
Via Alex Triantafilou's blog, we learn that the HamCo Republican Party is recommending a "no" vote on Issue 8, which would amend the City Charter to force voting by proportional representation in City Council elections. The official statement from the local GOP:
(Emphasis mine.) Why on earth would the GOP highlight its "historical" position on PR? Whoever drafted this statement for the GOP should either resign his or her post or be asked to step aside. It's one of two things: it's either historically unaware at best, or extraordinarily insensitive at worst.
Before I explain why, let me make sure I'm not misunderstood. In November, people of various political stripes will take various positions on PR. That's why you see rather odd bedfellows like the NAACP, COAST, and the Cincinnati Business Journal supporting the measure. Some people will decide it's a great idea. Others will decide it's not. Neither decision makes a person or group inherently bad or good, inherently racist or not, or inherently democratic or undemocratic. People of good conscience can surely disagree over Issue 8. In fact, while I'm currently leaning towards believing PR is a good idea, I may vote against Issue 8 for an entirely different reason.
Having said that, the history of opposition to PR in this city is not pretty. According to the most complete account I've seen of the 1957 repeal, the motives for the repeal effort were downright racist. Here's how a paper posted on Mt. Holyoke's website describes the situtation:
Let me be perfectly clear: I do not believe that today's HamCo GOP is motivated by racism in encouraging a rejection of PR. But why would the GOP embrace a history of which it should not be proud?
Neither of the two major parties in this nation has a terrific record regarding racism. While the Democratic Party now trumpets civil rights, this hasn't always been the case. Take the 1968 Democratic National Convention. Dems typically will be willing to talk about the shameful acts that occurred outside the convention that year. What we don't talk about, however, is the shame visited upon our party inside the convention. Just forty years ago, Democratic delegates from Georgia left the convention in protest because the DNC seated a racially integrated delegation from Mississippi. That happened within the lifespan of the majority of Americans. Have we--as a party and a nation--come a long way since then? Absolutely. But need we always be mindful of this terrible part of our history? Absolutely.
I'm not suggesting that anyone should vote against Republicans or Republican positions on the basis of things that happened 50 years ago. I am concerned, though, when party leaders--be they Republican, Democratic, or of any other stripe--make statements that demonstrate a lack of awareness of our roots, both as parties and as a nation. The historical opposition to PR is not something for anyone in this City of be proud of or to embrace, and I hope the local GOP will amend its position to make its current motives for rejecting PR clear.
Via Alex Triantafilou's blog, we learn that the HamCo Republican Party is recommending a "no" vote on Issue 8, which would amend the City Charter to force voting by proportional representation in City Council elections. The official statement from the local GOP:
The Hamilton County Republican Party has historically stood against proportional representation as a method of electing members of city council. The most important factors identified by the Republican Party in opposing this measure is the confusion in how the system operates and the cost associated with implementation. After vigorous debate and discussion, our Party is urging a vote of "NO" on Issue 8.
(Emphasis mine.) Why on earth would the GOP highlight its "historical" position on PR? Whoever drafted this statement for the GOP should either resign his or her post or be asked to step aside. It's one of two things: it's either historically unaware at best, or extraordinarily insensitive at worst.
Before I explain why, let me make sure I'm not misunderstood. In November, people of various political stripes will take various positions on PR. That's why you see rather odd bedfellows like the NAACP, COAST, and the Cincinnati Business Journal supporting the measure. Some people will decide it's a great idea. Others will decide it's not. Neither decision makes a person or group inherently bad or good, inherently racist or not, or inherently democratic or undemocratic. People of good conscience can surely disagree over Issue 8. In fact, while I'm currently leaning towards believing PR is a good idea, I may vote against Issue 8 for an entirely different reason.
Having said that, the history of opposition to PR in this city is not pretty. According to the most complete account I've seen of the 1957 repeal, the motives for the repeal effort were downright racist. Here's how a paper posted on Mt. Holyoke's website describes the situtation:
In Cincinnati, race was the dominant theme in the successful 1957 repeal effort. The single transferable vote had allowed African Americans to be elected for the first time, with two blacks being elected to the city council in the 1950s. The nation was also seeing the first stirrings of the Civil Rights movement and racial tensions were running high. PR opponents shrewdly decided to make race an explicit factor in their repeal campaign. They warned whites that PR was helping to increase black power in the city and asked them whether they wanted a "Negro mayor." Their appeal to white anxieties succeeded, with whites supporting repeal by a two to one margin.
Let me be perfectly clear: I do not believe that today's HamCo GOP is motivated by racism in encouraging a rejection of PR. But why would the GOP embrace a history of which it should not be proud?
Neither of the two major parties in this nation has a terrific record regarding racism. While the Democratic Party now trumpets civil rights, this hasn't always been the case. Take the 1968 Democratic National Convention. Dems typically will be willing to talk about the shameful acts that occurred outside the convention that year. What we don't talk about, however, is the shame visited upon our party inside the convention. Just forty years ago, Democratic delegates from Georgia left the convention in protest because the DNC seated a racially integrated delegation from Mississippi. That happened within the lifespan of the majority of Americans. Have we--as a party and a nation--come a long way since then? Absolutely. But need we always be mindful of this terrible part of our history? Absolutely.
I'm not suggesting that anyone should vote against Republicans or Republican positions on the basis of things that happened 50 years ago. I am concerned, though, when party leaders--be they Republican, Democratic, or of any other stripe--make statements that demonstrate a lack of awareness of our roots, both as parties and as a nation. The historical opposition to PR is not something for anyone in this City of be proud of or to embrace, and I hope the local GOP will amend its position to make its current motives for rejecting PR clear.
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