'Boondocks' Joins Cincinnati Post

The Post has announced today that 'Boondocks' is joining their comics page. Locally the Enquirer took a bunch of flack for dropping the comic strip from their pages.

UPDATE: Here's the link from the Post.

Luken to Support Repeal of Article XII

The Enquirer is reporting that in today's State of the City Address Mayor Charlie Luken will urge voters to repeal Article XII of the city charter which forbids any laws providing homosexual rights. How much support will the rest of council give it? How many bigots are left in the city to oppose this? The Citizens to Restore Fairness are reportedly set to start their campaign to get the issue repealed.

It will be interesting to see who opposes the measure. I will assume the usual suspects will be out there. 11 years later, has anti-homosexual beliefs changed enough for this to pass? I hope it has.

UPDATE: The Cincinnati Post has more.

Foolish What Ifs

From the Enquirer's letters to the editor:

Rewind to 1936, and think 'what if'

If George W. Bush had been president in 1936 and done the same thing to Hitler as he did to Saddam Hussein, would we have averted World War II? Maybe so.

William Holiday,Crestview Hills

Ok William Holiday, what if George Bush was president in October 1962 during the Cuban Missile Crisis? What would have happened? Well, with his plan of shoot first and worry about what's next later, we all would be dead or in my case never existed after nuclear war wiped our country from map. I think Mr. Holiday needs to find a better analogy. Going to Hitler is an example is as intellectually viable as going to Scooby-Doo.

Remembering the Space Shuttle Columbia

One year ago all seven astronauts were lost on re-entry. The Space shuttle was named for the Columbia, the first U.S. made ship to circumnavigate the world. One of sources of the song "Columbia, The Gem of the Ocean" is that same ship.

Here is a repost from last year:

Columbia, The Gem of the Ocean
O, Columbia! the gem of the ocean,
The home of the brave and the free,
The shrine if each patriot's devotion,
A world offers homage to thee.
Thy mandates make heroes assemble
When Liberty's form stands in view;
Thy banners make tyranny tremble

When borne by the Red, White and Blue!
When borne by the Red, White and Blue!
When borne by the Red, White and Blue!
Thy banners make tyranny tremble
When borne by the Red, White and Blue!

The wine cup, the wine cup bring hither,
And fill you it true to the brim!
May the wreaths they have won never wither,
Nor the star of their glory grow dim!
May the service united ne'er sever,
But they to their colors prove true!
The Army and Navy forever,
Three cheers for the red, white and blue,
Three cheers for the red, white and blue,
Three cheers for the red, white and blue,
The Army and Navy forever,
Three cheers for the red, white and blue.

If you can sing along with it and not tear up, you are stone cold and emotion free.

Peter Bronson: Trend Setter

Well, I see that Peter Bronson is ahead of the curve once again. He amused us today with a column where he was making fun of Howard Dean's famous "I have a scream speech." I think Cincinnati is rubbing off on Peter way to much. This joke is almost 2 weeks old now and about a week ago everyone in the media realized they went way over board with their coverage of it. I guess Peter missed that, which is odd because he is so in touch with current events and all. I mean we usually get freshly salted Bill Clinton references in his columns, so hitting on Howard Dean two weeks later is really cutting edge. I expect to get the John Kerry jokes by October. That will be enough time for Peter to look up the jokes made about Kerry's hair. It Bronson has any courage he will try and belittle the military career of John Kerry. That would really be a hoot.

Peter, for the record, I think most of us new you were "mad" years ago. We just don't have time to call the padded wagon for you.

Cincinnati Tomorrow is Today

CT is the headline story on the Enquirer's website today. Maggie Downs has a great story giving the history and future of the organization which is in it second year of activity. As a CT regular I am very happy to take part in the group's functions and am glad they are continuing to expand their reach into the community. I really get a lot from this group. I have made great friends, met influential people, and it has helped plug me into the creative and intellectual scene in Cincinnati.

I am disappointed, but not surprised by Mayor Charlie Luken's comments on the group

"I consider myself part of the creative class," Luken explains. "They're all 20-somethings, but I'll take the 30-, 40-, 50- and 60-somethings, too. People my age are moving back downtown, too."

Charlie would be surprised. We do tend to be younger. At 32 I usually am above the average age, but we have many people in their 30's as regulars, and several in their 40's. Charlie should understand that this group's events tend to appeal towards singles or couples without children. We are open to everyone, however, and if Charlie wants to represent the 50 somethings, I suggest he come out next Thursday and find out what our walks are like. We braved the snow last Thursday and had a great time. I think Chaz could stand mingling with a few 20-30 somethings, we don't bite after all.

Consistency

Ok, the BBC is reporting that North Korea has tested chemical weapons on women and children, and they are experimenting by gassing political prisoners. When do we invade? Iraq gassed their own people, now the BBC says North Korea has as well. What is Bush waiting for? Hasn't Bush’s standard for War been met? Add this with their claim to have nuclear weapons and it should be enough for Bush to be running head first into a War right now. The threat appears to be far more imminent than Iraq ever was, or likely ever would have been if left to UN to handle. I guess North Korea lacks resources worth the loss of American lives.