Ghiz Not Running

Stephanie Dunlap has a story on Leslie Ghiz which reports two issues: Ghiz will likely not run and Sam Malone was behind the snub to Ghiz. What I hope is just her public face, Leslie still defended the Party. She is a fool to stay in the local GOP. She should not believe that only Malone wanted her out. If the local GOP wanted to be fair and not let one person control them, then should have done something. Instead, they let the anti-homosexual bigot Sam Malone keep her off council. This has the CCV written all over it.

Me Blog Good

I am pleased that Cincinnati is well above the average in an intelligence ranking of cities. I hope this is just the actual city and not the Metro Area.

El Cometa del Risque

A woman in a Chicken suit. You would think you would see that fairly very often, but for me last night it was a first. Yesterday at Drinking Liberally the Chicken suit was not the highlight, but still fun. It was not a young chick either, so I can say that the experience, which from afar, was not as exhilarating as a man like myself might wish for.

The rest of the night was almost as enjoyable. Since several bloggers where there, the issue of blogging came up and specifically on stuff to write about. I of course did not take any notes, so I can't really regale anyone with the many great stories folks told or interesting topics that were suggested as blog fodder.

The raging debate I kept having in my head was whether "Junkie Barista" would make a better name for a rock band or the title of a new Yoga position.

I can't get one image out of head though. It has to do with the topic brought up about a hypothetical columnist sorting through a box of sex toys. It is something I think everyone would find disturbing, if it were true. You might be surprised to know Funnel Cake was not responsible for such an image.

Save Our City On Nate's Claims re 'The Boycott'

I don't like to say much about Nate, and I do not have to.

Pepper is In

Councilman David Pepper is officially in as a candidate for Cincinnati Mayor. He has money and business leaders on his side. A few interest points from the article.

1. No mention of Tom Brinkman as at least a possible candidate for mayor? He has been listed previously as a possible candidate, but could he or his confidants popped that trial balloon?
2. Pepper is dating a TV News reporter/anchor? I hope she does not report on any political coverage and I don't think I have to worry much, local TV news ranks local politics only above Pee-Wee Football scores in the level of coverage.

Who else will declare soon?

Ignorance

A man who thinks a sky fairy created man now spews right wing talking points about how to being the destruction of Social Security. Peter, as the rest of Social Security destruction movement does, fails to account for how his plan will add money to the trust fun to cover shortfalls, how they will pay for survivor benefits, how they will pay for disability benefits, how they will administer such a plan.

What they are not telling you is that they are doing what corporations are doing, putting all responsibility and RISK on the participant. What will people do if in 10 years we suffer another depression? That wipes out the market and with it the trust.

Peter and the money hungry idiots need to understand something that most miss; social security is an INSURANCE PROGRAM. It is not an investment plan. We have plenty of room in the IRA, 401(K) and 403(b) plans for people to make tax free investments.

This is about providing a safety net to people. Peter plays the game of trying to make people think it is an investment that can be quantified in Wall street terms. He needs to be thinking in Hartford terms. Does Peter want to let 18 year old kids opt out of Auto Insurance? I doubt it, but you never know. He may say if you are wealthy enough, then yes, because they can afford it. I guess that might be who he is looking out. The problem is that he is ignorant and that he is think about money now, and not about security in the future. Bill Gates could die a poor man. I could die richer than Bill Gates. That uncertainty is why we want to provide a safety level of income for EVERYONE to make sure they have a minimum level of income in old age. This is not about Frat boy Johnny spending his extra beer money. This is about the 20 year old shift manage at Burger King building a net to help augment their retirement.

The issue here is the get people saving in their 401(k) and IRA's. If you fear Social Security being gone in 40 years, fear not. If you still fear it, then get your ass saving. That way, as was designed, your PIA will be gravy.

[I have been working on a longer post on SSA. I will continue working on that and try and provide an outline of what BushCo is not telling you about how it plans on destroying Social Security.]

UPDATE: 1:30 PM - Where's Mine? Clarence Paige asked that rhetorically over 10 years ago as a description of what the average voter was thinking. Based on comment to many people in favor of privatizing Social Security come across as only thinking about themselves. This is what is cause the variation. If you can't think beyond yourself, then you are missing the point. We can't have a plan that fit each person trying to squeeze out a new Benz at retirement. We can't have a plan where you can opt out if you can "afford it" because that is fool hearty.

To also answer a comment who said that my car insurance comparison was flawed because you don't have to drive. True, you don't have to drive. You don't have to earn wages in this society either. If he wants to avoid SS, I suggest he win the lottery and live off the interest for the rest of his life. The minute he is dead broke at age 85, then I wonder what he is going to do?

This sounds like to me trying to make people responsible for maintain their own street or fire department or police department.

Community Web Activitsts

A great use of technology, community web sites are great, as long as people are connected to the web. The web divide is both economic and generational. Much like cable TV, there are still those who do not have cable, and not because they gave it up, because they can't afford it, mainly installing it in their homes.

Hamilton County Loves Porn!

A great column from WaPo last month showing that despite the anti-porn crusaders of CCV and Si Leis, Hamilton County consumes more porn than the average county.

About a year after the Utah case, a similar scenario played out in Hamilton County, Ohio, a conservative Cincinnati suburb. In 2001, under pressure from an influential local antiporn group, Citizens for Community Values, prosecutors filed obscenity charges against two local video stores for selling adult videos. The Cincinnati Enquirer launched an investigation of community standards and found that:

"Last year, more than 21,000 Hamilton County residents purchased 26,000 explicit videos from one of the nation's largest mail-order companies. A company spokeswoman described those sales as typical for a community of this size. . . . In January of this year, 182,000 Greater Cincinnati residents -- an estimated 70,000 from Hamilton County -- visited an adult Web site at least once. Nielsen - NetRatings found that 21.8 percent of all residents here who went online visited an adult site. The national average for January was 21.4 percent. In recent months, Hamilton County residents bought adult movies on pay-per-view TV at about the same rate as viewers did in other mid-sized TV markets. The numbers suggest county residents are quiet contributors to the adult industry's rapid growth. And with every purchase, they change Hamilton County's long-held notion of a community standard."

The data comes from the Enquirer, but that seems to have not made much of an impression on the anti-porn zealots.

[Via, you guessed it, Funnelcake]

What Ever Happened Too: CopWatch?

Cincinnati Copwatch was touted very heavily a few years ago. They had a $13,000.00 Threshold Foundation grant. Copwatch was a group related to CONTROL(Citizens Organizing Neighborhoods To Regain Our Liberation) which is affiliated with the Nati Youth Center. The website that used to house copwatch, www.cincinnaticopwatch.org, is no longer functioning. I have so far found online only one showing of some of the footage in some type of production, but it only seems to be a 10 minute segment of a 1:48 “film.”

The group got other grants as well, for a total of around $16,300.00, including a small grant from the OTR community council. I am all in favor of independent media. What I want that media to do though is show their work. Where is this group's work? Their self proclaim job was the to watch the police and catch police brutality on videotape. It they have it, why has it not been shown? I can think of two reasons. One, is that the footage is not good. Getting close enough to tape something without quality equipment is difficult. The other reason is that they have little footage to show. That could be because limited time of staff watching the cops, or because few incidents happened that could be considered police brutality, or it could be that they are not bothering to do anything and have used the funds and equipment for other purposes. The main issue is that the group has fallen of the face of the Earth. I guess their commitment was lacking or they didn't find what they wanted to find.

3rd Time the Charm?

No, Councilman Chris Smitherman will not get approval of a ban of taser use on children. He is grandstanding or hoping beyond hope that Mayday Malone will change his vote from 2 weeks ago. I think you can bet on grandstanding when it comes to Smitherman. It will make for a good campaign issue to run on in the Mayor's race. Something to use against Pepper? Where does Mallory stand on the issue?

Goodbye Johnny

The King of Late Night has died at age 79. I can only think of laughter right now. I think of Heeeeeere's Johnny, good jokes, bad jokes, Ed, Doc, comedians, and a great entertainer. He has been nearly silent since his retirement. He will be missed.

I hope Leno and Letterman can both do a great tribute, maybe even together.

Bronson's Ultimate Hacktacular

You know things are getting bad for Bronson when he crams three columns into one. What do we get? First we get some kind of Peter hates Detroit section that really makes no sense. That then has one of the most awkward segues in journalism history to a Peter Hates Cincinnati column, but then he tops himself with the No. 1 all time worst segue. He spins this all towards an attack on Jerry Springer. Now, people can hate Jerry Springer. That is understandable. Bronson's column is nothing but a hack job. It sounds like he visited a couple of websites and wrote a column, I mean does this think he just a blogger or something? Did they guy even listen to to the show?

Now, not only does he just not include anything specific, he makes what I believe is a false impression to anyone reading the coulumn:

But the old raincoat Springer is still slinging sleaze, like this "Shocking True Life Situation" on his Web site: "They haven't had sex in over a year! To complicate matters, Shavon's gay cousin Rob moved in with them, and now Rip has to confess he's been 'fooling around' with him!"

Right next to his "Springer for Ohio" Web site, his videos are reviewed by Amazon: "Breasts and brawls. Brawls and breasts. That pretty much sums up what this volume of the Jerry Springer home collection is all about."

Bronson is mixing up websites and I fear he is doing it on purpose. First he indirectly refers to www.jerryspringer.com, but does not list it, then he refers to "Springer for Ohio" which is not even a website. www.jerryforohio.com and www.springeronradio.com are the URL's for Springer’s radio show. Bronson then adds in a Amazon.com video review. What the hell does that have to do with anything?

If Bronson is gong to hit Jerry for his slime TV show, then fine, do it. Quote a show. Don't try and link his show to his Radio show when there is no connection other than Jerry himself. If you hate Jerry, then don't listen, but to say that Springer's TV show makes him unfit to have a political opinion then that should mean that Bronson will directly slam Bill Cunningham who even as a conservative wishes with all of his heart that he could have a TV show like Springer's. Cunningham's radio show has been as close to a Springer show as any on radio locally, outside of Howard Stern. How many strippers or sexologists were on his show? All be it his night show, when it was on.

Bronson should just pick a target. If he hates intercity culture in Detroit, then attack it. If he hates Cincinnati, then attack it, as he often does while living out in the burbs. If you hate Springer's radio show, why not listen to it, write down some objectionable quotes, and then complain about it? Instead we get nothing but hookers and 'homo's' from Bronson. Hell, if you are going to hold a man down for his past, then I guess Bush's past should mean something, and Arnold's past and present as a perpetuator of violent movies should matter. They don't matter, at least not to Peter, but sex does matter.

All of this from Bronson, a guy who thinks a sky fairy played in the dirt 6,000 years ago and 'created' human beings, how can we take his views on Condie Rice, Iraq, science, Social Security, police actions, culture, art, music, movies, television, taxes, foreign policy, urban development, economics, media, or the price of tea in China seriously?

And the Wolf Cried

In case you woke up this morning expecting to have a blizzard awaiting you outside, no, you were not imagining the local TV news weather reports saying such things, they were reporting up to 8 inches today. At this point they have stepped back just a bit from that claim. We might get an inch by night time.

Damn, I freaking changed plans for today because at worst I figured we get a similar level of snow as we had on Thursday. All we have right now are ice covered car windows, for those of us garageless, and a very light snow flurry here as of mid-day.

Paint the Town Blue

I made my way down to Alchemize for the event after skipping out early on the CA After-Five Walk in Oakley.

It was a great event. The snow hurt a bit, but local Dem/Liberal politicos were out in force. I saw Pepper, Cranley, too many Mallory's to count, Jerry Springer and his manwife Jene Galvin, and I even had an awkward introduction with Brian Garry. I don't think he is my biggest fan.

Jerry was introduced to the downstairs crowd and we heard a quick but painful "Jerry, Jerry" from the crowd. I was only mouthing the words, I swear.

Kaldi's Going Dry

Kaldi’s is giving up alcohol sales and changing its hours. Gone is late night food. This should be a plus to the Diner, but a negative to the Hipsters across the city.

Transplant Blues

Maggie has a follow-up column this week relating to her column last week.

I will take this opportunity to say to anyone who is a transplant to the city, or if you lived her all your life, or if you are one of a growing number of returnees: if you have a hard time finding something to do or meeting people, you should haul your ass to the next Cincinnati Advance event. In full disclosure, I am a board member for the group, as well as a regular attendee of their events.

Laughing

Hitting close to home? I figure this Cincy Harold article pissed off the GOP a bit, but I believe Leslie laughed over it.

Praise JEEEEBUS!!!

It was an act of "God" that made this propaganda happen, not political campaigners who exploited a 9/11 victim’s kid. That's not what happened here now, is it? (Yes, the last sentence should be heard in an overly sarcastic way, complete with vocal intonations).

Typical Bronson, on the day his boy ushers us into four more years of the American Dark Age, he choose to invoke his religion as the reason for Bush winning. Yes, Peter Bronson is doing nothing but carrying the Ark of the Covenant in front of his cultural war army. Fighting us pinko commie heathens with every knock he can. I mean, looking forward on how Bush could possibly unite the country in an honest manner, not in a love it or leave it cowboy tone, might be a way to further the debate, or even depolarize the county. Instead, Peter uses a puppy to gain the prayers of the suckers to heap more praise on his new Lord and Savior.

Socializing in a Balkanized City

Ok, we've had a little 'fun' here lately with Dating discussions on a tangent level. Cincinnati has been ranked as the second worst place for singles. As a romantically-challenged stout man, quickly passing my prime, I take clear notice of such rankings. (Please spare me the personal jokes, comments, put downs, or other mocking statements that people will make even though I ask them not to.)

Now, the first point to mention is that the poll is way way off in some of the ways it ranks Cincinnati, which stems mainly from unfair comparisons to NY, LA, and Chicago. This has been hashed over in the past, so I will not dive into it.

My question: Is there a special secret to the people in Cincinnati? The elements of the ranking are moot when it comes to dating. The issue is not do singles have things to do here, we do. The issue is: what makes people here so cliquish? Am I getting back into the native v. transplant debate? Yes, I think that is part of it. The other part that plays into it is the urban v. suburban divide.

I don't 'like' the suburbs. I never want to live in a cul-de-sac. I don't like spending time there. I have no reason to spend time there, outside of my job requirements. Many or most of my counterparts living out in the burbs I believe have a similar view to the city. Why this is I will not go into, but it exists and is not changing.

How does this hurt singles in our quest to find the perfect mate (or mates)? Is there a cultural or regional divide in the area that blocks off social interaction? I could throw in the West Side - East Side rivalry inside the city that could be just as divisive. Are we regressing back to the right-side - wrong-side of the tracks type of prejudice? It is not based so much on class, but on culture. If taken to an extreme and coupled with the growing political polarization, religious division, and socio-economic differences, this type of cultural divide could build up into something more strict or costly to the society, resulting in a Balkanized metro area with a caste system or social order with signs of the olden days, but with modern twists.

We now live in a city with localized fiefdomsgovernments, how much longer before those tribal like structures take hold in social relations, not just political relations?

Also, is this something unique to Cincinnati or significantly different here than other cities?

Fact Cat or Local Pol?

New blogger Publius atSave Our City revels a little about himself in a post today. He is headed to DC for the Inauguration. Now, my guess would be that Publius is either a local fat cat Republican who is going to cash in on his campaign contributions or is a connected politico who was able to score a hotel room and tickets to something related to the Inaugural.

He could just be a guy who can afford to go the event, but that is not as interesting or entertaining.