Sad

This sad story from Hyde Park has to be horrible for the family. I hope very much that the vultures from Court TV, Dateline, and the rest stay the hell away.

DeWine Helps In Filibuster Compromise

Mike DeWine is not going to be winning any new friends in the extreme right wing for helping pull back from a possible Senate Shutdown. I am pleased that a group of sensible Senators were able to forge a deal to keep things going. On paper I don't know who got the better deal yet. With the attacked from the extreme right wing hitting these GOP Senators already, I think the right wing feels they lost an opportunity. I am hoping they did.

Will this have any fallout for Pat DeWine? I think the social conservatives are already out to get him, so this might actually gain him a little moderate support, if he gets out of the primary.

Division on Iraq

A very interesting debate arose at the GOP candidate forum over Iraq. In one corner was Veteran Eric Minamyer who advocates getting out of Iraq. This is a guy who as been called up for service 5 times since 9/11. In the other corner was everyone else, spouting BushCo Speak. Brinkman played the pretend maverick by saying in so many words that while he is a Bush man, he is not his bitch.

I think Minamyer would have been able to mount a third party charge with that kind of a stance. He is going to lose a lot of support in the primary race for daring to not spout BushCo propaganda, especially to the choir at an event like this. No one can doubt his courage or his ability to be his own candidate. That will not get him many votes when you take the opposite stance as Dear Leader in a district with a large majority in support of the war. Bush is losing much of his shine, but around here I don't think they care much. They drank the kool-aid and will not look back.

Anti-PC Bronson

Fucking Peter Bronson is making a pisshead bigoted desire for hate to be demonstrated by Hollywood. Peter, they are just fucking TV shows. I mean, Jesus Fucking Christ, why would he care who the bad guys are in a God Damn FICTIONAL TV SHOW?

In case you are wondering, yes, I am making sure to swear a fuckload in this post. I do this mock the original Politically Correct movement. Yes, that would be the conservatives and cultural prudes, who don't want to be offend by swear words or sex. It is politically incorrect to say fucking-A-bubba on national TV because that might offend some tight ass fundamentalist, but when a TV network dares to try not offend a group of people by NOT perpetuating stereotypes, Peter Bronson, the anti-PC crusader, goes apeshit. PC is fine for prudes, but not fine for racial or ethnic groups.

Oh, and it is funny when ever Bronson mentions anything about "Balance" in the media while writing in the Enquirer, where there is no local columnist to balance out his biased views. "Balance" has become the word of variable meaning. It now means just means "conservative" instead of meaning coverage that is objective. FOX news is the most unobjective TV News network around and that is the fucking truth.

SW: Episode III Round Up

I have not seen Star Wars: Episode III yet and I don't when I will get the chance. Maybe this weekend, maybe not. Anyway, everyone and their first cousin are blogging on this around town. Here's a summary:

Wes
Seriously, WTF
One Step Back
Last Ten Days

I am missing some, so chime in with your reviews and plot problems. I don't mind knowing, I know how it ends after all. If others don't want to know, then don't read the comments.

Taking a Bite Out of Crime

Nick Spencer took action this weekend against crime in his neighborhood. If more people did this in OTR, crime would fall. Why are more people in OTR not doing this?

Laketa Cole's Blog

It is more of the norm now for candidates to have a blog and council member Laketa Cole has hers. She calls it the "Laketa Cole Newsroom," which seems like an odd title, but she has a blog as well as a professionally created web site. That tops her last campaign alone.

Faux Balance

There is no reason to do yet another story on the nut jobs in Boone County who think the Earth is no more than 10,000 years old. Someone at the Enquirer has the hots for Ken Ham and the fundie sheep he tends.

This story makes an attempt to present the opposing view of creationism, but it is done in a style that puts creationism on an equal foot with evolution. That is a faux type of balanced journalism, something FOX news is famous for. In science there are facts. Evolution uses facts to form its basis. Creationism uses religion. Treating these as though they are both credible concepts creates a cover of validity to Creationism that it does not deserve. It would be like giving equal time on a panel discussion on pedophilia to NAMBLA.

GOP Walking a Tightrope

The GOP either got lucky or are timing things closely with the reported date of June 1st to release their list of endorsements for Cincinnati City Council. I say they are cutting it close because Sam Malone's next court date is May 31st. One could logically determine they are hoping something is resolved by then, so their choice can be made for them, and they are not forced to eat crow and dump Malone. If Malone pleads guilty and then drops out of the race, then the GOP leaders will have dodged a bullet. If they are forced to either dump him, or for some insane reason stand by him, then they will piss people off, and lose votes.

s p a c e t r o p i c: Spread the Alarm

I second Brendan's call for action to keep free speech alive on the web. Send an Email today!

Changes to WVXU

What was expected appears to be happen WGUC gutting the bulk of local programming on WVXU. May guess is that most of the local talk shows will likely get the axe, as well as most of the old time radio. What we will have left is NPR. The only bright spot I got from the article is a plan to hire a News Director, which signals an effort to create original local news, something that a combine station function could improve. WVXU was trying to expand local news and made a good effort, but if both local news budgets are combined, that should mean more local news programming on WVXU, with none on WGUC. It will be sad to see WVXU torn apart, but as another article suggests, combination of the two radio stations may have helped kept the WVXU signal away from religious and what I would boring programming, that would get dismal ratings, present yet another conservatively biased news source, and provide no community service.

Drink UP!

It appears to fall on the smokers to bear the brunt of sin tax increases. I will not be shedding a tear in my beer for them.

New Blog: The Ohio 2nd

Have look at the Ohio 2nd Blog which is just starting up and looking for contributors, let me know if you are interesting and I can pass along your vitals, or just check out their "Help Wanted" post.

Stand By Your Man, But Not To Close

Michael Barrett proved to us that he is gutless and will not pull the plug on the Malone campaign, at least not now.

He even comes close to defending Malone in his column, which is sad, oh so very sad.

A reporter recently wrote about the faces of abuse victims. The same stares of hopelessness can be seen in prisons and rehab centers across our state on the faces of prisoners and patients. Who or what could have made a difference in their lives? Could tough love have prevented them from ending up on the human scrap heap? I don't know the answer, but I do know that there is no bright-line test for parenting, and whether fair or unfair, the ultimate measure is the child's achievement or failure.

Mr. Barrett, can't we all agree there is a BRIGHT-LINE TEST when it comes to beating your children with a belt? That line is simple, DO NOT DO IT OR GO TO JAIL.

Sure, Sam gets his day in court, and will not likely go to jail, which if the facts are true, I think is a shame because he should spend a least a little time in jail. The community's reaction to him, and certainly his party's, should not be to provide cover for his actions, but to enact a social punishment. That punishment is simple; he should not be given help by his Party, or anyone else, to get back on council. Malone is in a state of denial, and thinks beating your children with a belt is just great, Therefore his classless move of not resigning form council and which would make it easier on his family, friends, and party is additional evidence of why he is unfit for office.

Anyone that gives money or time to the local GOP with Malone as a candidate is in my personal opinion supporting a child abuser and a person with a questionable state of competence to be an elected official, and how is that right? Personal lives are personal (see DeWine and Clinton), but when you beat your kids, you cross that BRIGHT-LINE. Based on the past week of blogging and columns from most around Cincinnati shows that people on both sides of the aisle understand that BRIGHT-LINE that Barrett seems to be missing. I hope the rank and file GOP can help Mr. Barrett find that line.

Cats and Dogs Living Together

I understand where Mark Mallory is coming from here. He is a clear supporter of the library system, and does not fear the government. What gives with Brinkman? This guy hates paying taxes for anything Why does he want to fund public libraries, but not support funding public schools? Will Brinkman's money come with strings? Will he seek to ban all books covering sexual education and use of condoms? Or will he stick with banning books that discuss the rational reasoning behind keeping abortion legal, and choice for the mother?

There ARE Dems in Them Their Hills!

There is a group of Dems out in Warren County. Check them out and lend some support for the Congressional special election if you can.

District Two Race

Howard Wilkinson appears to be the Enquirer’s man on the Congressional Special Election and has round up of the campaign inter-workings.

Enquirer on Malone 1991 Incident

The Enquirer catches up to the Post with Malone choking his mother story.

Bronson is an Ignorant Cuss

My praise of Peter Bronson was not going to last and his next column shows why. Peter is either an ignorant fool or a blind shill that he just can't think outside of what he hears other conservatives say.

How the hell is the filibuster issue about religion? The only ones making it about Religion are the Right Wing. They (and I mean "they") are stating that the those who oppose Bush's judges (and oppose Bush) are anti-Christian, just as Bronson is saying:

You don't have to know a filibuster from a Philly cheese-steak to know what he meant. The debate about even allowing a debate on Bush's nominees has been mangled beyond recognition by pundits and politicoids, but this much is clear: Some attacks on the nominees reek of anti-Christian bigotry.

And bigotry is like obscenity. You can lawyer it, deny it and spin it all you want - but we know it when we see it.

Senate Democrats, far-left lobbying groups and their echo chamber in the press have made "deep religious beliefs" a fatal disqualifier, like a DUI - judging under the influence of God.

So, How many non-Christians and non-Jews has Peter Bronson EVER VOTED FOR! If he can name more than say 1, he has a long way to go to show how religious bigoty is not a bigger problem for the Christians as it is for others.

Just so to educate Peter on the past: how many Clinton nominees were NOT ALLOWED to be debated on the floor of the Senate? The number is over 200. I did not hear Peter or any other Republican crying about that. They instead were happy as school kids. Why? They were happy to keep out liberal judges? Why? Well lets take a guess: maybe in part they want judges who were going to only live by "god's" word and stick to strict Conservative Socal Values®.

I think Nate is starting to rub off on Bronson with the ending of the column

The filibuster is being used to keep Christians off the courts.

Just insert blacks in place of Christians and "White Privilege" in place of filibuster and you might something Nate would say. I have to ask Peter something, does he only want Christians on the court? How many on the Federal Court, at all levels are not Christian? There are surely Jewish people. I doubt there is a single Muslim or Hindu. There certainly is not any Wiccans and no known public atheists or agnostics. I guess he only cares about getting more Christians on the court. How many non-Christians has Bush appointed to either the Bench or even to positions in the government, especially senior positions? If you want to expose religious bigotry, that would be a place to start looking for it. Stop bible-baiting Peter, you look like an cuss.

Sam Malone Charged in 1991 with Hitting His Mother

According to the The Cincinnati Post, Councilman Sam Malone was charged with hitting and choking his mother back in 1991 at age 20. the article states he was allowed into an alternative treatment program:

A mental health evaluation recommended treatment for Sam Malone, and he was ordered to attend the YWCA's Amend Batterers Intervention Program. That is an outpatient treatment program that offers individual and group counseling for batterers and their victims.

The program tries to show abusers alternatives to violence. Also, it demands that abusers take responsibility for their actions and learn to handle the anger that often leads to attacks.

It appears Sam did not learn enough through this program. Question: why would a 20 year old get a mental evaluation after a relatively minor offense? What signs where there to warrant such an action?