East vs. West?

The Post is reporting that some of the right wingers in the City, mostly on the West Side, are trying to get Monzel put on council, instead of Ghiz because of abortion and homosexual rights. How mentally vacuous does one need to be to not only throw out the election results (Ghiz beat Monzel), but also to pick issues that have no significant affect on in local government? At this point I am surprised that someone has not yet been announced to be talking over the seat. We are only a few weeks away. What I would be watching is who is lining up staff. Is Monzel lining up staff or is Ghiz? Where does Pete Witte fit into this? Is he trying to be a compromise choice?

Wes Flinn has more.

Slobberfest or CiN Weekly's Holiday Party?

Someone knows how to have a good time. This office party sounds 100 times better than mine.

More Issue One Fallout

The Toledo Blade is editorializing on the legal troubles awaiting Ohio because of the passage of the anti-homosexual Issue One.

Barrelhouse Brewery For Sale?

What does this mean for the Barrelhouse Brewery? Will it close and reopen as a new location? Is this a sale of the operating business and just a change in owners, not a change (or outward change) of the restaurant/bar? I really like the club. I don't like it when they have really load not so great bands, but that thankfully is not so often.

Ouch

I was at my office Holiday Party last night so I am slow to blog today.

Check out Maggie's column.

Check out where to get warm downtown.

Other than that, with the lack of power vested in me, I declare this thread open!

We'll Meet Again, Don't Know How, Don't Know When

Hamilton County has hanging chads.

Faddism

What disappoints me most about the people in puff piece on religious missionary work in schools is that it is all about joining a group. It is about being in a clique. It is about conformity through confrontation. It is anti-individual and it does nothing for society. It is hollow. It is a means to an end. It is everything that I personal find worthless in religion.

It mostly is legal. Some of it is not, and if others with non-Christian religious views tried to do the same thing they would either be prevented by school officials and/or threatened or even attacked by other kids.

Hollywood got it right. This whole situation sounds like high school, where image and emotion trump reality and logic.

Oh, wait, this is high school. Nevermind.

UPDATE: Wes Flinn and Grassroots Cincinnati also comment.

Question and Answer

The Cincinnati Post asked Is Downtown safe? Downtown Cincinnati Incorporated has an answer.

Should you fear going downtown is the real question the paper is asking and no you should not. You should not fear it anymore than you do shopping in the Mall this month wear theft will be at a yearly high. For some reason I don't see Kenwood Towne Center's parking lot empty.

City Council Blinked

As expected, we have a temporary fix of the impending bus service cut, which was never really impending, just out there in the wind where a politician is at his/her weakest.

Jimmy Smits For Prez

The one television show I get pissed off when I miss is the West Wing. This year I have been very pleased with the story line. It is fresh (trite term, but it works).

I love the open ended political race they are formulating where characters on the show will be going head to head in the primary. I look forward to Jimmy Smits' character going head to head with Alan Alda's character in an election arc. Seeing the drama of the inside of a political campaign will give news/political junkies like myself countless moments of glee that only compared to a sports nut's first day with the full multichannel league package.

Street Cameras?

Cincinnati is planning on using cameras to catch traffic violators. Can they use these cameras to catch real criminals?

Winburn Appears to Be In

Charlie Winburn is acting like he wants the GOP endorsement for Mayor. He is acting like a right-wing Republican when doing it. He is using abortion and gay rights as two of his issues to 'win.' How's that for equal opportunity bigotry? Black conservatives and white conservatives working together to oppress women and homosexuals. What a wonderful step towards racial harmony. What a backwards step for humanity. Nothing brings people together like hate.

Buying a Candidate?

I guess Mike Brown would have gotten a voice on the County Commission for the low, low price of $45,000. Campaign Finance reform is not universally desired because people like the wealthy being able to buy candidates?

Mayoral Cornonation? Nope

Queen City Forum has an overview of the Mayoral Race. At this point the field is still wide open. I got a chance last week to listen to Sen. Mark Mallory speak. I came away impressed with his on the ground campaigning. He has the tools of a real political talent. So far I see him as the most skilled politician in the race. That will not be enough though, because at this point he is not ahead in the money game. The primary is going to be a hard fought race. The test will be who gets the top two spots of course and if they are both Democrats, then the knives will surely be out.

Get on the Bus

I can't imagine that Cincinnati will actually lose Sunday bus service, but has it come to this? Are we only left to endure threats? It is not a new method in government, but it is so transparent. I am as risk-adverse as anyone you could meet, but even I could hold my ground in this game of chicken.

I smell a campaign issue. Who will benefit from it? Who has a transit solution among council/mayor candidates that can work without having to try and convince the suburbs that they don't need to fear mass transit, and the bus loads of "them" flowing into their strip malls. I have not found anyone with such a plan, yet.

Here's an updated Story from the Enquirer.

New Enquirer Web Page Format

Who likes the subtly different Enquirer web page? They are using a new software to manage stories, have added RSS feeds and I think today started a new format of updating the main page with breaking stories.

Trust

Peter you have to earn trust, you don't get trust for free, and the State in the form of Ken Blackwell set out from the beginning to limit voter turnout, block voter registration, and cancel as many urban votes as possible.

Here we have Peter Bronson, mouth of a uniter not a divider, sticking his tongue out at the other side after a kickball game.

If you want to work for something constructive Peter, why not look for solutions to the long lines on election day, like say early voting or increase voting by mail. Why not call for CLEAR and FAIR laws that allow people to vote easily, instead of allowing roadblocks?

Will the recount effort affect anything? If it can show the need to change the law, then yes it will and it's cost will be worth it. Truth should not have a price.

Goodbye Tavis, We Hardly Knew Thee

Tavis Smiley is leaving NPR and Kathy Y. Wilson's latest column discuss his departure and the state of NPR. I agree with Kathy's analysis that Tavis may have personal achievement in mind, not disappoint with NPR's efforts to "attract minority listeners," as his reason for leaving the network.

I think Kathy did make one factual error:

The Tavis Smiley Show was NPR's first black show in its 34-year history, airing daily since 2002 on 87 stations. It drew NPR's largest black audience as well as its youngest audience.

Now, I will not even get into what a "black show" is supposed to be, but Juan Williams hosted Talk of the Nation for over a year in 2000 and 2001. That show may not qualify as what Kathy means by "Black Show," but Tavis was not the first black person to host a show on the Network. Kathy does point out well that NPR's programming is as culturally diverse as any human beings can possibly be in America and still maintain a solid listener base. Only the BBC World Service does a better job, mainly because of the full support the UK government.

NPR is keeping American Culture, at least what I consider American Culture, alive and kicking.

Channel 64 News: 1 Year Old

Rick Bird reports on the one year birthday of The WB64 News at 10. I have only watched it to get a general feeling early on and mostly saw stock stories or weepies from the local reporters. It was more of the same old local TV news, with stale national headlines as worthless as yesterday's NY Post added to cut costs. Once the Sinclair Broadcasting bias hit full "elect-Bush" mode, I refused to watch. I welcome competition and more voices in the media, but I am not watching it. I don't really watch any local TV news, because in case you missed the obvious, local TV News sucks everywhere in the country. It sucks because it is not broadcast journalism, it is entertainment no different than Fear Factor or Friends.

Besides that, what does everyone think of it, one year later?

Enquirer Blasts Oak Hills Student

I was surprised to read the Enquirer's editorial in which they called the suspension of Eric Bast from Oak Hills High School the right move. I am impressed, not only because they agree he violated schools rules and misused the mail system, but that he did so to push his religion onto others. Kudos go to the Enquirer.