Local Restauranteur Bans French Products
Ruby is an idiot, and this part of the article proves it:

In the past, Ruby has been critical of the boycott of downtown Cincinnati.

When asked if his efforts against French products are hypocritical, he said, "I don't think so, but I suppose you can stretch anything good into anything bad." He added, "This is not a boycott -- it's an embargo."

It is not an embargo, it is a boycott. If Ruby refused to sell France something, that would be an embargo. The hyper-patriotic fool knows nothing of what the issues are in this situation. He instead hopes he can capitalize on the knee-jerk conservatives happy to conform to the “cause celeb” of the talk radio jet set.

Pledge of Allegiance: Under God
Well, it is obvious to me that the editorial staff is monotheists at a minimum, but most likely Christian. This part is their legal basis for believing the 1954 Pledge is constitutional:Today, the words are part of America's colloquial usage, in the same way that "In God We Trust" is included on our currency.So if words are colloquial they lose their original meaning? I guess then the FCC will not fine people for saying "God Fucking Damn It?" If "God Damn It" is not offensive, then why is it beeped on TV so often? Why couldn’t I say that back when I was in school? Why can't a student ask their teacher for a fucking pencil? The word "fucking" is a colloquial term regularly used by a large portion of Americans. What is the problem with the word “fucking?”

There is a problem using the term. The word has a vulgar or obscene meaning to some people. The term "One Nation, Under God" means to me that that our nation is a theocratic state subject to the rule of "God". It also means that the government agreed with this statement in their 1954 law and the crass law passed last year reaffirms the 1954 law. The government or an agent of the government telling me in an official capacity that the country is subject to a “God” is extremely offensive and to me and anyone who does not share that belief.

If the term is meaningless, then why were so many Christians upset at the ruling? Why would they care what version of the Pledge was used? These are basic and honest questions that I cannot believe people would not ask and not understand. The more Christians fight to keep their "God" in the Pledge, the more valid the 9th Circuit Court's ruling becomes.

Nate Livingston back in Jail
Nate Livingston, CJC co-chair and local racist, is back in jail serving out the sentence he received as the result of a Fountain Square incident at the opening ceremonies of the year 2000 Oktoberfest. Nate has been fighting his case with multiple appeals, but the Judge in the case ruled against him and Nate was forced back into the lock-up. Nate will fight this more I am sure, but he will most likely not get out before he finishes most of the remaining sentence. Nate deserves his jail sentence, but I am sure it will do nothing but build up his hatred of people that don't look like him and think like him.

I am surprised that since Nate has been the constant media quote machine for the AP that they have not picked up the story. I have not even read it or heard in any local media outlet. The link above is from the CJC's website, where a member posted it wrapped around a huge log of propaganda that is the usual drivel their group puts out. Please take it with a large block of salt.

Enquirer Readers' Views: God should be optional in pledge
Thomas Amann writes in a letter:

Seems the easiest and most American way to resolve this issue over the Pledge of Allegiance would be to rule that reciting either way, with or without "under God," is acceptable. If someone doesn't want to say, "under God," that's fine with me. Just don't try to tell me that I can't say it.

Thomas Amann, Mount Washington

No one is telling you Mr. Amann that you can't say the Pledge any way you wish. What the lawsuit says is that 1) the law changing the Pledge in 1954 is unconstitutional, which it clearly is, and 2) that public school teachers/administrators (the State) can't lead children or anyone in this form of the Pledge. The original version is fully legal and actually pretty good.

The Pledge currently is optional. No student has to say it or any part of it. That is not the issue. They issue is that the law changing the pledge was a law that established a religion. That religion does not have to be an organized or an institutionalized religion, but belief in a "god" is by itself a religion. That is what most Christians, and other followers of major monotheistic religions, just don't grasp. I can worship a tree or a mountain. That is protected under the first amendment. If the government says that there is a "God," note the upper case "G" used, that would be a direct contradiction to my tree worshiping religion. I know many Christians like to think that other religions they don't know about are meaningless, but under the law they are no more meaningless than their own religion. That does not even begin to cover those of us, me included, without a religion. I honestly hope that this issue does not create the bigoted and theocratic fervor it did last year. I also hope that when it reaches the Supreme Court, that the Justices don't play politics or rely on their religious beliefs and rule in favor of establishing a state religion. I fear that monotheism will be the adopted de facto.

Black coalition: Repeal gay-rights section
Why does this sound familar? Who does this remind you of? Something "Fist," and I am not talking about Robert Mappelthorpe.

Jonah Goldberg on Ohio
Jonah says this in reference to Cleveland: "..I've always had a special respect for Ohio. I've always thought of it as America's Rhineland." This is actually close, but I would say that he would have to lump all of the Great Lakes States together to get a real comparison to the Rhineland. Cincinnati has the automatic fit with any Rhineland connotations. Our Over-the-Rhine is not what is once was though.

More young ideas for Main Street
This idea sounds great, but what about the "Banks?" What about the proposal to develop the area around Fountain Square? This may work, but I do not see it working for many years to come. Nothing happens quickly in this city, and no help will come from anti-development folks in Over-the-Rhine. People in the suburbs will not really care; they are too scared to go anyone but Reds/Bengals games. I would love to have a place like this in our city, but it needs to be more than just a carbon copy of Memphis or New Orleans.

UPDATE: Chris Anderson has some expert analysis worth reading.

Fingerhut entry may make for an interesting primary
Jerry Springer may have some company. Eric Fingerhut, current State Senator has thrown his hat into the ring, but Springer is still testing out the temperature of Democratic voters. Comments on this announcement can also be found on Polstate.com.

Prosecutor: Shooting Of Man Who Attacked Officer Justified
This came a little quick. It is valid, but it will not go over well with the activist crowd.

Conservative national figure to speak at OU
If Jerry Springer only got 300 people to come to his speech at Miami, I would bet Bay Buchanan will only attract 100 to hers, not counting the 200 protestors who will picket or other wise oppose her speech.

Taft’s Approval Rating Plunges
A 40% approval rating, 48% disapproval, totally amazing numbers. How fickle we Ohioans are. Just four short months ago Taft won a handy victory. Now I think he a popular as Liver and Onions. Who is most pissed with Taft? His own right-wing of the GOP. The Bronsons and the Brinkmans are ready to lynch Taft. I love watching the vermin eat their own. I am happy that I can gloat by saying: don't blame me, I voted for Hagan.

Coverage: Enquirer, WTOL, WLWT, WKBN, and Statenews.org (Real).

BRONSON: You have the right to carry
Therefore Peter, people can strap on a leg iron and hang out at the OK corral. There is no right to carry a concealed weapon, which in reality defeats the intention of the gun fanatics. Supporters of conceal and carry laws always site the need to make "criminals," which really means everyone not like exactly like them, fearful that they might be carrying a gun. Why is there the need to create any doubt as to whether or not one is packing heat? Peter, if people want to carry a gun they should want everyone to know: "don't mess with Texas." Fear of death is what gun fanatics want everyone to feel when they walk down a dark street, so why do they fear being labeled a gun toting citizen? Wear your metal badge of courage on your leg. Make it easy for me to stay away from you. If anyone fears they are ripe for attack, I do not want to be standing anywhere near them. That is the safety warning I want, if they want to carry around guns.

Muslim P.C. in Cincinnati
I missed this article from the Conservative Weekly Standard. It is an interesting take on the trumped up controversy that is the play Paradise. The article brings out problems with a bizarre bending over backwards to appease some local Muslim busy bodies. However the biggest problem with Christopher Caldwell's article is this:

THE PLAYHOUSE sits in the middle of Eden Park at the top of a winding driveway in Mount Adams, an island of century-old townhouses and alleyways and coffee shops almost completely cut off from the rest of Cincinnati by highways. Towering over the city, it is like a chunk of Berkeley that somehow got stranded in the Midwest.

Now, Mt. Adams is an island, but to call it another Berkeley is a laugh. I think the folks at WLW would really beg to differ, since they broadcast from what used to be called Mt. Jacor.

Instapundit Praises Pro-War Rally
Glenn reports on a rally in Houston. The article he sites reports this:

The only speaker who was opposed to military intervention in Iraq, U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, D-Houston, was greeted with some boos as she stepped onto the stage midway through the two-hour rally. She and her party later were led from the plaza under protective police guard.

Glenn's response was "No Stalinists were involved in the event's organization, so far as I can tell." He did not care that an anti-war speaker had to be escorted by police out of the rally. Now, there may have not been any overt threats or actions warranting police protection, but I too would have wanted protection in that crowd. I wonder how much "taunting" and harassment occurred? Could it have been more than allegedly occurred in Maine to about dozen school kids? I hope to see a storm of conservative media outlets report what happened to Rep. Jackson Lee. (cough, cough)

Week of trade talks concludes

The private negotiations, at the Millennium Hotel in downtown Cincinnati, have been the target of picketing by activists.

I saw no protestors as were expected on Friday and I found no other reports of protests in the media.

Amber Alert Issued
Be on the lookout for an Indiana man who reportedly might be headed towards Cincinnati with a 14-year-old girl Lindsey Diana Ryan of Jones, Michigan.

Authorities believe he is a 56-year-old Indiana man, possibly armed, driving a 1995 Dodge Dakota with Indiana license plate #406211A.
He is described as a white male, 6' 2", 180lbs, brown hair, and hazel eyes.

The girl is a white female, 5'0", 115lbs, blue eyes, shoulder length hair and braces, last seen wearing blue jeans and a t-shirt.

Ohio begins celebration today in original capital - Chillicothe
Happy 200th Birthday Ohio, you SOB!

If you get bored, check out War is not the answer, a local site of an anti-war activist spewing a lot of propaganda. The site asks: "Will there be a massacre of civilians in Baghdad?" The answer, Saddam has been doing that for over 20 years, so yes he will continue to do that while still in power. Will the American Military do that? No! Jeesh, how ignorant do people have to be to believe the Stalinist dogma (lies) spewed from groups like A.N.S.W.E.R.? That was a rhetorical question; so don't expect me to answer.

Boycott panel answers questions
The article seemed to lack much in specifics. I doubt there were many. The boycott has gotten down to its core purpose, a power grab. The CJC is battling the CBUF for the top spot in the black activist pyramid, doing nothing but illustrating their greed and lust for control. This forum was a failure in my opinion, but I expected failure. Only having 50 people show up is a sign that people don't care about this issue, and kids at UC would rather be out getting reading for a night of drinking. I can't say I blame them. This situation has but one real solution: ignore the boycotters. Then to spite them, take the handful of demands that make sense and enact them. That has already happened on nearly half of the demands that the City could act upon. The boycotters will not stop until they fill their pockets with either cold cash or the power to gain cash.

Operation Troop Trax Update Michele from www.asmallvictory.net left a comment saying that "blacklist" was put there by the original page designer, and she has removed it. I applaud her actions and I think she will get more support by doing so, starting with a donation from me.