Dan Fielding Moved to Hamilton Ohio

If you...ever wondered, wondered what ever became of Dan. He's living along the banks of the Great Miami, Butler County-Prosecuting Attorney.

No reports on if this actually was and official Night Court, or rather if its just a private session of "Night Court." There is no truth to the rumor that photos of Markie Post were found near the suspect.

Liquor License Solution

It might be just this easy, but Council considering making the Fountain Square area an Entertainment District. That designation is a legal one, which opens up more liquor licenses. The City is maxed out at the number of D5 licenses we are allowed to have.

Xerox Jean

A great new video spot from the Wulsin campaign:

Tall Stacks Day 2

I made it down last night for the Del McCory Band and Rosanne Cash. It got cool, but not bad.

Tonight I hope to see Delbert McClinton, Ricky Skaggs, and if I can stay up that late John Hiatt.

Chris Finney Is a Whiney Baby

I don't know what would get into someone who chairs public advisory committee to make a fool of himself in an attempt to make a candidate running for office against a buddy of his look bad.

Finney was at the Ivory Dale factory. While there he should have washed his mouth out with soap. Hell, I swear like a sailor, but to say that to a reporter?

He acted like a whiney child. He needs a time out.

Sign of Blackwell Fade?

When he money dries up that usually means people think you are going to lose. The other big sign is to see who is coming to campaign for Blackwell. If Bush isn't coming, then Blackwell has been written off.

DeWine will get Bush to Ohio, and not just Laura.

Anyone see the debate last night? How was it?

Get Them Foreigners!!!!!

Everyone who voted in this law need to be rounded up and deported! Jeesh, I will be very surprised if anyone denies that this law is a Republican attempt to oppress voter turnout. I know they'll try to deny it, but I think that will be just be damage control. It is sad, very sad, that they would stoop so low. As I have said before, it is not a shock.

Tall Stacks Day One

Anyone make it down to Tall Stacks last night? Al Green was the headliner.

I missed last night, but I was lucky enough to get a ride on a preview cruise on Tuesday night. Riding along the river on a nice evening was as soothing as it was exhilarating. I felt like a little kid looking out the windows, then climbing up to the top deck for the best view of the riverbanks. I recommend taking a cruise if you can get a ticket. The evening cruises are what I would do again.

Uh.....Uh...Uh...........?

Open it Up and say it. Don't be idiots. Zeus knows where you live.

Enquirer Editorial Board Blogging

I welcome the Enquirer Editorial Board to the blogosphere and I applaud inclusion of comments. How long will that last?

What does it Take?

Coining a phrase like predatorgate is shear genius. On the whole Foley thing I am going to sit back and watch. The House GOP leadership is looking as bad as bad can be.

The only thing coming to mind is a quote that I am sure many are thinking of

"[I could not lose unless I was] caught in bed with a dead girl or a live boy." Edwin Edwards.

I think in this case it appears to me that the House GOP leadership was attempting to prove this wrong, but failed.

Live From Kaldi's......

As the arrogant bastard I am, I shall declare myself the official blogger of the Downtown Hop Around, seeing that I am right now sitting at Kaldi's with friends. Stay tuned for updates throughout the night.

UPDATE 6:30 PM: Ok, got a beer, going to order soon. The crowd is light, but the sun is still up.

UPDATE 7:40 PM: Dinner was good. A meatloaf sandwich might scare people off, but the horseradish sauce that comes on it really is freakin good.

We are playing Uno, or rather everyone else at my table is playing while I am watching/blogging/drinking.

UPDATE 8:40 PM: The Uno game has expanded. I am feeling the coolness just ooze out of me!

UPDATE 9:22PM: Things have picked up a little bit, but the Uno game goes on!

I am not pleased about being here and having to pay for wifi. I thought lily pad worked here, but not tonight.

UPDATE 10:08 PM: We are now debating the strategic elements of the game of Uno. Hop Around is technically done, but we all may be hoping someplace else.

Northern Main Exposure

20/20 kicked off last night and I spent a large portion of the evening hanging out in a very large RV parked on Main Street. It was a rather surreal experience, with Gothic Hula Dancers keeping me inside the RV with their sidewalk performance blocking the doorway. I passed the time chatting, marveling at the long sleeve monkey-face t-shirt I wanted to buy, watching TV, and listening to every Techno satellite radio channel available.

The consensus among those hanging out in RV put the night on par with a Northern Exposure Episode.

Watching the dancers do a routine which included a headhunter theme and something akin to light saber fight added a flair to the night.

20/20 is about the arts and the individual expression of ideas. You have 19 more days to experience it. Get out there and going.

Downtown Hop Around

Get out tomorrow night and check out Downtown. Cincinnati Advance is YP Ambassador at Kaldi's, so drop on by and say hello. You can't say there's nothing to do and you prove you are not a panic stricken ninny who watches too much local TV news and fears leaving your driveway.

Do What I Say, Not What I Do

Let's first review:

From Answers.com: Plagiarism: "Using ideas, plots, text and other intellectual property developed by someone else while claiming it is your original work."

So what is bad for students is ok for Politicians. If I had bought a term paper from someone in a different high school, then turn it in, that is fine according to the Enquirer! Oh, wait, its, not ok to them. It's OK if their choice for Congress does it, but kids shouldn't do it. So, "do what I say, not what I do" should become Jean Schmidt's new campaign slogan?

Yes, this is bad. It shows Schmidt is lazy, lacks a thought of her own, has a badly run campaign, and sets a bad example for kids.

And finally, let's talk about skipping over the issues....Why did the Enquirer skip over the big issues of misleading the public over the War? Instead of running trite stories like covering dumb kids wearing scandals at a campaign rally, we might have learned about Bush's lies to the American public. Those lies continue to the this day, but the Enquirer doesn't care about lies. Well, unless you lie about a BJ. When Clinton comes to town on October 24th, you know you are going to hear about that. You will not hear about Chabot's negatives, they will be filtered out. Clinton will be headline news on October 25th's newspaper, mark my words. (Now, if I should be wrong, I'll gladly claim someone at the Enquirer was trying to spite me. LOL)

Inside Take On MidPoint

Sean Rhiney gives his take on this year's Midpoint from the organizer's perspective. He ends the article with the good news, they will be back in 2007. Where Midpoint will take place will be a much pondered notion for the next 10 months or so.

More on the WOXY Return

The Enquirer - Investor tries to save WOXY

Bill Clinton to Appear for Cranley

The Dems are making a big push in the fight to boot Chabot.

My Fountain Square

I really like the Fountain Square website. It shall be a new link on this page shortly! Check it out. They do need a mailing list I think.

Transference

Why would anyone want to transfer their grief over their son's tragic murder into a misguided political campaign? The father here needs to avoid trying to quell his emotions by seeking revenge against innocent people who had nothing to do with his son's murder.

Calling this "internal terrorism" is just sad.

I can understand a parent emotionally reacting over a child being murdered, as I am sure most of us can. If he is doing this alone, then he needs counseling. He made need counseling even if he is not. It is far more likely that he is being exploited by others for political/personal gain. Those using this man and his son's murder to pursue a campaign based on bigotry and racism possess no sense of decency, honor, or sense of respect for humanity.

WOXY Lives On!

City Beat is reporting that WOXY has found a White Knight and will be returning to the air. Great News for Indie music and great news for Cincinnati.

Puppet Schmidt

The Schmidt campaign reportedly states itself that an editorial publish in newspapers under Rep. Jean Schmidt's name was not written by Schmidt, and instead was written by the House Republican Caucus.

Does Schmidt have any opinions of her own, or is she just a puppet congresswoman for the GOP?

Bodyguard Showdown Looming?

City Council is starting to push back on Mayor Mark Mallory. The Finance Committee has passed a motion making the mayor include his full time bodyguard, police officer Scotty Johnson, in his office budget, instead of in the police budget.

This will come for a vote before the full council and will test Mallory's support.

MidPoint Summary

The Enquirer has an overall roundup of the festival. I had fun. That is what the festival is for afterall. I was not blown away by any of the acts I say, especially on Saturday night.

The rain really hurt and I think made the Saturday night gun shy. This year Midpoint Staff did a monumental job just getting the festival off, but stepped up even more with the hurdles thrust at them.

I am concerned how it will work next year. Where it will be is going to be a question that shall linger all year long. For now, play the CD's you got from your favorites, keep supporting local original music, and get out and see some more shows this weekend.

Heimlich-Pepper Debate

The debate happened last week. Did the debate have a clear winner? Local debates rarely affect races much, but might sway a few attendee's views.

DL Hosts Happy Hour for Kos

Join Drinking Liberally this Friday Night for a Kos Happy hour. Nationally known blogger Markos Moulitsas is in town and DL is bring the blogger to the people. Local candidates will be hanging out as well fighting to gain his counsel or a little more attention on his blog. The details: 5-8 p.m. at O'Bryon's Irish Pub, on 1998 Madison Road in O'Bryonville.

Midpoint Day Two

The Night was wet...and that's an understatement. My golf-size umbrella came in handy. While dodging the rain, I got to see several bands. Top of the list were the States and ..:SHIROCK:...

Tonight, not sure what I am up for. The Hiders, Apollo Up!, and Ellery look interesting.

CEA's Nominations For Music Are Out

CityBeat's Cincinnati Entertainment Awards Nominees for Music were announced last night. The Heartless Bastards and IsWhat?! Led the nominations with 4 each including Album and Artist of Year honors.

The Bigot Bar Owner in Mason Carries On

Anti-Muslim Hate boils just below the surface in much of American society and this juvenile statement from an adult in age only is a prime example. That hate of Muslims stems mostly from 9/11 and is an under current of what is a common held sense in many circles (high in conservative circles) of wanting to get revenge on Muslims. It's a tribal or clan like reaction. It is not a civil reaction and is being exploited by the Bush Administration as well as many Republican policy makers.

Midpoint Day One Recap

Lauren Bishop has her take on day one here.

I was most impressed with singer/songwriter Ellen Cherry who appear upstairs at Neon's. She had a sharp wit, is really cute in the coffeehouse gal kind of way (to mimic Lauren: not a slam at all), and her red polkadoted top reinforced her girl next door visual image. That image played that took me in played me for a fool, her dry sense of humor sharp songs give you a multi-level gut twist.

Tonight I'll be starting off at the Cincinnati Advance Midpoint Fire-Up! Party. Please come on down and support us. We made City Beat with it, twice!

Going to Midpoint Tonight?

What bands are you going to see? Note their locations and times if you can. I don't know who I am going to see tonight, yet, so I would love some suggestions.

CinAd - Midpoint Fire-Up on Friday!!!

Get Fired Up on Midpoint Friday!

On Friday September 22nd, join Cincinnati Advance for a Midpoint Fire-Up party at the Know Theatre of Cincinnati . From 6PM to 8:30 PM warm up with a drink and dinner by the bite from VINYL and Washington Platform before you engage in a night of cutting edge original music. Take the time to converse with your fellow music enthusiasts and plan out your night of shows, while partying in an actual Midpoint Venue. We'll start the night of music with the sounds of DJ Empirical (www.myspace.com/djempirical ). Cost is a low 5$ with a Cash Bar. Please note that admission to the party does not include the cost of admission to Midpoint. The Details:

What: Cincinnati Advance Midpoint Fire-Up!
Where: Know Theatre of Cincinnati - 1120 Jackson Street
When: Friday September 22, 2006 - 6PM to 8:30PM

Food Sponsors: VINYL and

Venue Sponsor :

What are some of the bands playing Midpoint Music Festival Friday September 22?
Kim Taylor @ Know Theatre 10:15 p.m.
Triage @ Blue Wisp 12 a.m.
Ryan Adcock @ Kaldi's 12:20 a.m.
Fairmount Girls @ Guido's Corner Tap 10:15 p.m.
Jake Speed & The Freddies @ Arnold's 12:15 p.m.

CinAd members are looking forward to Midpoint. Some of our favorites on Friday Night:

Bridget Huseman: "I'm looking forward to seeing the Fairmount Girls on Friday night. They opened for the Heartless Bastards at Southgate and are pure fun. I want to see more of them!"

Brian Griffin: "I really enjoy Jake Speed, so I'll try to see the Freddies at Arnold's, but at Midpoint I don't want to waste my chance to see bands I can't see often, so I'll try to see The States at the Know Theatre."

Jay B. Kalagayan: "Triage is a great blend of funk, jazz and motown. It's a musical treat to catch one of their rare performances."

For a complete Midpoint Music Festival Schedule, CLICK HERE.

Starting Early

Craig Scheidler is learning the hardway that politics is about money. He has personally helped raised over $2,000 for Dr. Victoria Wulsin who is running the Ohio 2nd.

Help Wulsin and in turn Craig's effort to be a good citizen and get rid of a bad Congress person.

Oh, My

The hair style is not something I'd keep.

Hartmann's Answer a Sign?

Is how you answered a question on a job application for a public job a sign of your trustworthiness? Yes it is. Is it a big one? Likely not a big political issue, because the Republicans will contradict themselves again on points of legality, dismissing them as unimportant. We all know what that is. Well, we do if we can remember the meaning of "is."

Is Fairfield Safe????

Is it safe for you and your children to walk outside a bar at 2 AM? Tune in tonight to see how you can avoid being shot on the tough streets of Fairfield.

Daily Kos at the Mercantile Library

Great news for blogging fans:

Markos Moulitsas, the man behind the world famous Daily Kos blog, will be appearing at the Mercantile Library on Friday, September 29th at noon in order to speak about his new book. The event is FREE, but we do ask that you RSVP (click here to send us an e-mail, or dial (513) 621-0717 if you prefer the old timey telephone device).

I am unable to make it, but add that to Ira Glass coming the next day, and you have a great representaive of the progressive media in America visiting Cincinnati. Wonder if the Enquirer will notice Kos's visit?

100 New Cops?

Adding more cops will not change anything now, it's a long term issue. To affect crime now, police need to act more now. Citizens need to act more now. Adding more cops in the future is not going to do anything but make City Council appear that they are doing something, something other than their basic job of coming up with a budget.

Retreads? That's All They Have to Offer?

If all the Democrats and Republicans have to offer as candidates for City Council are former members of council, then someone at the parties needs to start screaming. What human being could vote to endorse Sam Malone for a GOP nomination? Yes, I know, saying the GOP are humans might be a stretch. Seriously, are they that callous to endorse the guy, just because he can get the child abuser vote?

Interesting Article On Shadowbox

I haven't been for a while, but Shadowbox is making a few waves by using a better business model. No radical changes, just improved efficiencies.

Local Blogger Gets Mention

Mario Delgado, of Porkopolis, got a mention in Tech Trends.

Ghiz On Film

Council Woman Leslie Ghiz is featured in a documentary about the 2004 election. I don't know how the film premiered, or if it will show in Cincinnati. If it plays the Esquire, someone please let me know!

Remembering 9/11

How are you remembering 9/11? I plan on trying to avoid all politicization of the subject (which includes pushing terrorism at this time) and I plan on avoiding the faux patriotism.

I will remember the bravery of Firemen and Police Officers who ran into the WTC Towers.

Jack Quinn's Closes

Why didn't Jack Quinn's proper? Claims in the article include:

Lack of parking, worries about safety, the scarcity of nearby attractions and competition from Newport on the Levee and the Crestview Hills Town Center all contributed to Jack Quinn's demise, Bowles said.

That sounds kind of weak. The Covington of Mayor agreed:

Covington Mayor Butch Callery disputed that. He blamed the once-popular pub's demise on poor management.

It is a great building. It hopefully will find a good use.

City Beat: "Where’s Phil? Indian Hill."

Kevin Osborne from City Beat exposes the outright snobbish gall of Phil Heimlich. Hamilton County Politics 101 states you DO NOT skip the Harvest Home Parade to hold an Indian Hill Fundraiser with fat cats like Bob Castellini and John Barrett.

If you are a blue collar Republican from the West Side, this is the reality of the GOP. Yes, Pepper is the kid of a rich fat cat too, but he marched in the parade.

'Homeless" Showdown

I am going to take a hard line here with those being described as homeless living by the river. The term "homeless" has a meaning in society which means something different to various people. To the guys who run the Drop In Center, it means anyone without a home. To others, like me, there is a difference between a homeless person and a bum The guys living on the river sound like bums. I have little sympathy for bums. They need help, true, they don't need to be coddled like children. Worrying about hurting their feelings shouldn't be a concern when their lives are intruding on others, as is the case with living by river and dropping a load where ever you want.

I don't want a showdown. I want quiet, professional action. Ask them to leave and offer them help. Most have addiction or mental health issues. If they refuse to leave, be more forceful about asking. If they still will not go at the end of the day, move them by force. Do NOT use kid gloves, if they are not going to go willingly. Sure, it sounds brutal, but sometimes you have handle people when they are unable to handle themselves.

Some activists will howl at the moon over this. City Beat and Brian Garry likely will rumble a bit. At the end society will have a better run Tall Stacks, the bums with hopefully get the help they need. If not, they'll be crapping someplace else until they bother somebody else.

Alchemize Review

Brian Butts from the Enquirer chimes in on opening night at alchemize. I haven't made it out there yet. Hope the sound is as good as Brian says. Parking is never wonderful in Northside. Anyone else made it out?

(If you are going to comment on Nick, save it. I will delete your tripe, and mock you if applicable.)

Smoking Hot Soccer Mamas

Soccer Moms Plead No Contest To Drug Charges.

Purgatory Closing This Weekend

I actually thought the club had closed a while back, but learned otherwise after recently seeing ads for events there.

Boycott Still Dead

The Enquirer reports today thatRev. Jesse Jackson to headline event at Freedom Center.

We Are Safe

We are safe folks, you are not going to be killed in Cincinnati. When I say "you" I don't mean you if you are buy or selling drugs. Murders happen to innocent people very very infrequently. Foster Parents are not going to kill their foster Children, just because it happens, does not mean it will happen to you. Fear mongering is not going to make things better, unless your goal is to drive people away.

Blackwell vs. Strickland Round 1

Any take on who won the first debate? Did anyone pay attention to make it matter?

POWR PAC Shows True Stripes

No matter how many times Pete Witte bob and weaves, he can't deny that in the end POWR PAC is a Republican Group. They dance around that by backing city council Candidates like Cranley and Thomas because they have no other choices. The GOP has given up on the City, not backing enough candidates to even take a majority on Council.

POWR PAC is burning bridges here. Is this group about the West Side of Cincinnati Residents or is this about National politics? Steve Chabot isn't doing anything for anyone in the 1st district. Putting your weight behind him shows they are not about City Politics and working together. Instead they are about being foot soldiers in the national political fight.

Local Democratic candidates should denounce POWR PAC's actions and they should not seek their endorsements in any local elections. That will fall on deaf ears. It shouldn't, but it will.

Public Service Announcement to the President

You can't remind the U.S. that the country is at War when Congress never declared war. There is no state of War. We are not on a War footing. This is not 1944. If Bush is going to throw around words like War and Freedom, I wish he would do it without trampling on the U.S. Constitution. I mean, Hell, if Bush is a literalist on the matters of the U.S. Constitution, as his love of Supreme Court Justice Scalia suggests, then he should be first to admit that his administration is claiming powers reserved for the President during a declared war. These powers have only been used in the time of actual war, which by the way, the last one ended over 60 years ago. If he wants to be FDR or Lincoln and ignore the Constitution in time of War, then he better get of his bum and ask Congress to declare one.

20/20 Line-Up Announced

20 Days and 20 Nights has been announced. Look for more information here: www.20days20nights.com.

Live Blogging Riverfest

The Enquirer has reporters on scene giving frequent updates on the crowds, sights, weather, and traffic surrounding Riverfest.

Interesting idea for the Newspaper to do this type of thing. I give them credit for trying something new. Much like showing the fireworks on TV, I wonder how much of an audience there is for this. Live Blogging other events that a lot of people don't go to might be a better way to expand reach of the Enquirer's blog, and actually give a reason why you need to visit their blogs over just watching TV.

Heartless Bastards Show Rocked

With the biggest Southgate House crowd I have ever seen, the Heartless Bastards played a great set at their CD Release Party. My vantage point from the balcony was excellent. Erika's voice was strong and is wonderful on the new album's songs. The live set of the new album's songs are much harder then the studio versions.

I could have done without the guest violinist, though.

Long Live WOXY

WOXY is going silent on September 15th. There is reportedly a very small chance someone might buy the Internet radio station. I expect this is end of the future of rock and roll. Sad.

Pellet Gun Halts Mail Service

How does what sounds like a few kids cause mail deliver to be halted for three weeks for portions of three streets in Evanston? I know that pellet guns are not in the famous phrase:

Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds.

, but come on. Get a police escort while delivery in going on. Just park the officer on the street. I would think that would suffice.

Gambling Effort Falling Short

The ballot initiative that excluding Cincinnati from opening a casino has fallen short of the number of signatures needed to be placed on the November Ballot. They have 10 days to get more.

I didn't sign it, and advise you not to sign it. If it had included Cincinnati, I would have signed it.

'Some of Our Best Candidates Are Black'

Race in politics is a thorny, but not a complicated issue to figure out:

"'Our candidates would not engage and have not engaged in race-baiting, and it is disingenuous for Democrats to suggest otherwise,' said party spokesman John McClelland, who pointed out that the GOP's candidate for governor, Secretary of State Ken Blackwell, is black."

I am sure that party spokesman John McCelland has lots of black friends too.

What John and the GOP are lacking is in telling the truth. Yes, the GOP is race-baiting black voters in trying to vote for Ken Blackwell because he is black. They are playing the same game they accuse Democrats of doing when the Dems run minority votes, which happens with much, much greater frequency.

Lawdog Loves Tasers

Local Lawyer Ken Lawson seems to have found a way to try and buy himself a new boat.

Strickland Still Up Big In the Polls

Another month of polls like this showing Ted Strickland up by 20 plus points and Ken Blackwell maybe in a hole beyond help.

The knives are going to have to come now. Blackwell has to attack and hit with big money. If he can't get his face on TV over the next month and turn the polls around, then he is going to lose the faith of his backers. No matter how many conservative preachers exploit their religious role by endorsing him for office, he still can't win without big money.

Sad and Sickening

Why do these types of missing child situations turn into twisted movie of the week?

It sounds like other people may be charged in the attempted cover-up.

It's Not News

No, it is not news that Peter Bronson wants you to know that it is likely that the Pakistanis used torture to gain information from alleged terrorists. It is not news that to Bronson and those like him the "ends justify the means." It is not news that honor and principle don't matter if a white person's life is in the balance.

If a 100,000 civilian Iraqis die, that is justified because it was in revenge for 3,000 9/11 murders (which were totally unrelated) and helped make the 336 billion dollars of profit for oil companies, not to mention big profits for war industries. Honor and principle matters when the Bronsons of the world are thumping their bible in church. They matter when it comes to protecting their own or their own purse. It's not news when the Bronsons of the world talk out of the both sides of their moralists mouths. Beating a man is fine with Bronson. It isn't news that torture is wrong.

Forbes: America's Drunkest Cities

I don't know how you actually rate cities on their level of drunkenness, but somehow Forbes Magazine has done it. Cincinnati ranks 16th. Columbus and Cleveland were 3rd and 7th respectively. Ohio can drink.

Anti-Truth Group

It shouldn't shock anyone that an Anti-Abortion and Anti-Women group is out to fly a banner with a misreprentation of reality when they just make stuff up:

Harrington said his group turned to the skies to air its views because some stationary billboard companies refuse to post the images. Mainstream TV, radio and newspapers also won't use the ads because of their graphic content, he said.

"They often censor the grim reality of abortion while permitting horrifying images of dead Americans in Iraq to be broadcast and printed," Harrington said.

Mark Harrington, I don't think you are watching or reading the U.S. media much. They DON NOT show bodies of dead Americans! The war has been censored from the broadcast and print media. The GOP Government is preventing the media from filming or photograhing the coffins of dead soilders returning to the country in an honorable manner. He will be lucky to find a single image of a dead American body from the Iraq war to be shown on TV. That has rarely happened and is not shown close up. If the guy can't tell a basic truth about something like this, he can't be trusted otherwise.

Flying this sign is wrong, but it is legal. It shows how fanatical these groups are. They can't communicate their point in a sane manner, instead they have to create this confrontational myth. Ultimately they may not actually go through with it, instead just be happy about getting the press about saying they are going to do it.

Beatty Gets Manslaughter

It is a surprise that Howard Beatty was only found guilty of voluntary manslaughter, which means no more than 13 years in prison for killing Kabaka Oba.

GetLocal!???

A new attempt to to try and localize news from the Enquirer. I have not looked at it much at all. Is it just a filter of the paper based on community or is there additional new content? Is this were they are putting their news/postings from the public, the lazy journalism effort (Real Life, Real News, Real Crap?)?

Crap on a page!

How lazy is a journalist to write an article based solely on tying a B Movie to Sports?

Smoke Filled Musical Chairs

The Hamilton County Republican Party has decided for the Republican Party Voters who will represent the GOP on the November ballot in two location statehouse district.

Bait and switch.

Neither candidate in the 31st or 32nd district stands a great chance of Beating the Democrat so the impact here is minimal, but if I were a Democrat I would be really pissed off if let's say the Ohio Dems choose to take off Ted Strickland at this point and put up someone else for Governor. They are not going to do it, but Ted won the primary and unless he breaks a law or is unfit for office, he should stay on the ballot. The principle of it should be that the voters voices, even in the primary systems, are heard and respected.

Yes, the 32nd the view is that Mike Poast doesn't currently live in the district. He could still have moved in time for the election.

"Law Dog" Taking on Water

Infamous Lawyer Ken Lawson has a $660,000 back tax bill hanging over him. Instead of walking the plank, he is forced to sell his boat, the "Law Dog," to help offset some of the back taxes.

According to the article Lawson is claiming an illness caused him to miss work and in part caused him financial issues. These unpaid taxes go back as long as 5 years ago. I don't know what his cut of the Timothy Thomas and Roger Owensby Jr. cases were, but it went somewhere other than paying off what he owed to the Government.

More Bad Press!

More of this type of thing and you know what will happen? People will wake up and understand that Cincinnati has a lot to offer. The best part about this article are the hundreds of great things to do not mentioned in it. Sorry to say folks, we don't live in a ghost town. We just have a bunch of dead weight trying to bring down this great place.

Praise Zeus! Ponch is Coming to Town!

Buried in this article we learn Erik Estrada is signing autographs at Tri-County Mall. Ladies, better get in line now!

Molly Malone's Reviewed

I don't know if they have replaced the "ER" on the front, but the food gets a test from the Enquirer. It passes. Molly's is not going to get four or five starts, but when I went early after they reopened, it was ok. I hope to return for a second go around soon.

Is trivia night as fun as it was?

Alchemize to Reopen Sept. 6

Great news for live music in Cincinnati.

Wasting Money

This Township knows how to waste money.

COAST Backs Poor Tax

It is very strange that an Anti-tax group backed pro-tax calls. I guess taxes that affect rich people is their focus.

Phil Heimlich's Tax Hike on the Poor

I knew it, you knew it, but now everyone can know that it was all about getting Phil Heimlich elected, not about doing the business of government.

A Victory

Great news for civil rights in Cincinnati. Lets hope the forces of darkness fold up shop and move on to something void of the hate.

Trashin' the Larry

I was hesitant to respond to Larry Gross's Column in last week's City Beat, but in the end I am going to put out the basic problems with Larry's points and what I believe he is missing:

1. Criticize Cincinnati all you want! - The problem Larry misses is that when you are gloating with "I-told-you-so" blog posts and articles, you are not criticizing, you are bashing the city.
2. Larry's basis for attack was flawed! - Larry missed the points I was making that soon after restaurants and bars close something reopened in its place, something he failed to note. Granted that doesn't always happen, but the vast majority of the locations Larry cited had something similar reopen within a year.
3. Larry missed how he's stuck in stasis! - Larry, get over not have a movie theater downtown. We have many more theatres showing live people on stage downtown and in OTR than existed in the 1970's, no???
4. Playing the NKY vs. Cincinnati game is more bashing! - When you pit Newport and Covington as the bizzaro Cincinnati, then you are attacking, not criticizing. What is the basis to say that Newport, Cincinnati, and Covington shouldn't be thought of as the unified central urban core of the Metro area? Why aren't they thought of as complementary, not competitors?
5. What gives with the rest of the column? - Ok I don't know how mentioning me or Nick Spencer does much for the point of column, and I know even less how including references to my blog post titles and background on Rick Hines adds anything. I guess that is just adding some of the backstory to the non-blog readers out there, but I don't know that it helps much.

I hope that Larry wants the downtown and the city to thrive, as he stated in his column, but claims don't supersede acts. When you add to the negative perception of downtown using flawed comments and you fail to put into perspective the fears people have of downtown and OTR, you feed the beast. When you provide no suggestions for improvement, you look like you are enjoying the perceived decline.

I am embarrassed that people who have lived here longer than I have refuse to maintain a positive attitude and look at change not as a negative, but instead as what we need. You can't go home again Larry. Your old Cincinnati died 30 years ago. Join us in building a new Cincinnati.

Real or Fake, Certainly Irrelevant

I don't know if this email is real or fake, but it should be ignored by the powers that be, or what ever "movers and shakers" received it in the first place. One person is pissed off, big fucking deal. One person has a bad experience in any city and you don't go and change everything you are doing as a government or as a community.

If you assume for moment she is real, then she has a huge preconceived notion of Cincinnati or of the United States in general. She reads like she got a handout from a boycott activist.

Her ignorance is clear in her original email.

We decided to watch the local news each day. From doing so, one might never know that Cincinnati's population is 47% Black, as we learned on the internet before choosing to visit. We saw one Black reporter on each of two stations, but watched many reports on Black people being arrested for drugs in a place called OTR.

She obviously doesn't know the difference between the racial breakdown of the City proper and the Metro Area of Cincinnati. Sure, 47% is a possible number for the City, but not one I could find on the Internet, but the TV market reaches an area where blacks are less than 12% of the population. If she is going to play a quota game, then play it fairly. Also, how many folks from Canada are quick to pick up on the "OTR" abbreviation? I would be surprised if a anchor on local news is calling Over-the-Rhine "OTR," but you never know.

As a sidenote, if she is indeed an activist trying to stir up a little trouble, I wonder if she thought about following the boycott? Oh, wait, that's been over for a while now, and last week Al Sharpton appeared at the new Convention Center just to make it official.

The Cincinnati Metro Area still has a great many racial problems, but this lady's observations are trivial/anecdotal at best, and faked at worst.

What Happened to Democracy?

Do Republicans even care about holding primaries anymore? If they are going to enact the smoke filled room form of picking candidates, then they might make with a little more smoke and a lot less of the jockeying candidates around when circumstances change. It is great how they stick with their candidates until they have no more use for them. What made them stick with Bush? Is Hero worship that strong in the GOP?

Add a Crate and Barrel

More Retail is coming to Cincinnati and this time it's in Kenwood.

Can Kenwood get more congested? We'll be finding out soon.

IKEA Picks Cincinnati

Great news for Cincinnati, furniture retailer IKEA has picked an Ohio location in West Chester. A suburban location is a common thread for choice for IKEA, so it not being closer to the city center is not a surprise.

Overall this is a good sign for the Metro Area.

Schmidt Misleading Public

How stupid is Jean Schmidt or how stupid does she think the voters are? Promoting the use of ethanol is not striking a blow against Terrorism. It is especially not going to reduce the money going to terror groups.

If I am not mistaken the only way Schmidt's stupid ploy makes any sense is that if all of the Oil companies and oil producing county's governments in the world are funding terrorism.

The reason for reducing foreign oil use is not so we don't buy from "them," instead it is so we don't have to go to war to secure the oil supply, like both of our wars Iraq.

What a dunce.

Chabot In Panic Mode?

Bringing in the big gun Dick Cheney for a fundraiser is as big a sign as you can get that you are in need of help.

News that Chabot's opponent John Cranley is running even with him in the Democrat's internal polls must be a cause for fear in the GOP camp. The Cranley Camp reports the following poll results:

In just five months, John Cranley has gained 9 points on his opponent -- making it a dead heat.

July 2006 Poll
Cranley 45%
Chabot 45%
Undecided 10%

March 2006 Poll
Cranley 40%
Chabot 49%
Undecided 11%

Both the July and March polls were conducted by Anzalone-Liszt Research and paid for by Cranley for Congress. In March, Cranley for Congress released its results. Attached is a memo provided by Anzalone-Liszt comparing the two polls.

Note: Neither Chabot, nor the National Republican Congressional Committee has ever released the results of their extensive polling. (Roll Call, 7/31/06)

The reason you know it's bad for the GOP occurred when Chabot is pictured on a walking tour of Over-the-Rhine with Attorney General Alberto Gonzales in both the Enquirer and the Post. I wonder when the last time Chabot has been in OTR? He was no where to be found when the riots were going on, so unless there's a photo op or someway to gain some vote, then Steve hasn't had much reason to do anything for or even visit OTR, until now.

I will be waiting for Chabot to make crime his big issue and attack Cranley for the City's crime issues. At the same time he'll try and make the people of Ross and Harrison fear a violent crime problem that doesn't affect them at all.

It's politics 101, but it's still disgusting.

"The Heimlich Remover"

David Pepper's poll has him leading Phil Heimlich in the race for County Commissioner. According to the Post's article Pepper is showing an increase is his numbers from a prior internal poll to now. Moving from a 33% to 33% dead heat to a 42% to 37% slight lead is a positive step for Pepper.

Heimlich is currently hanging his hopes on a plan that most likely makes him the only Republican up for reelection in Ohio who is advocating raising taxes. That is likely to piss off the Conservatives more than any of his other stances would turn of liberals.

Clark Street Blog Best of Cincinnati

Westender over at Clark Street Blog picks the Best of Cincinnati. Food and Drink are the topics of choice. The only topic missing is the bar with the best beer selection. The Beer Cellar and Mulligan’s have some of the biggest selections out there, and Nicholson's downtown has a very unique selection. Allyn's and the Comet need a mention for their selection of bottles.

Lack of Trust

The GOP is scrambling to find any loophole to prevent state Sen. Joy Padgett from being disqualified to run for the House seat Bob Ney vacated. Trust in the system drops to a rock bottom floor when you read this:

"But Bob Bennett, the state party chairman, said he didn't believe the law applied to her, and said he would seek a formal ruling from the secretary of state."

Ken Blackwell's record on voting laws and how he interprets them are not known as impartial by anyone not a Republican.

Is Larry Gross Really Rick Hines in Drag?

The negativism Larry Gross is putting out rivals that of Rick Hines, whose anti-Cincinnati diatribes are well known. Yes, Redfish closed. It was never a great place, but restaurants close.

When a new restaurant opens up there, which Arn Bortz of Towne Properties stated, later this fall, will Larry champion it?

Heartless Bastards New Album

The Enquirer - Bastards pen mellow follow-up

Sucking Up To Si Leis

In what pretends to be a column this week, Peter Bronson profiles the Queensgate county jail. It is almost on cue that Peter whips out a column that seeks to provide support for the efforts of Si Leis to get a new jail built. The fact that it will be built on the backs of the poor under Phil Heimlich's poor tax efforts don't play into anything that Bronson or Leis care about.

What is strange is that the Hell-hole Bronson describes is what I thought conservatives wanted jails to be, places that sucked and you never wanted to go back to.

Jazz Fest Problems?

I caught only a few minutes of Ken Lawson's radio show this morning on 1230 the Buzz, but if I heard him correctly he seemed to be fishing for callers to tell of any discrimination at hotels during the Macy's Music Festival last weekend. I believe Ken Lawson stated their may be lawsuits in the works claiming such.

Can anyone confirm what I heard or that there were indeed any problems of discrimination with hotels or restaurants during the festival?

I don't trust much of anything Ken Lawson says, so he may very well be fishing for a nice juicy cut of a settlement.

Country Music Festival Cancelled

In what will be leaving fans with the taste of burnt rubber in their mouths, the Kentucky Speedway announcedcancellation of the Summer Night Jam country music concert. The announced reason was because of "routing and production issues," which could mean the truck hauling the stage equipment broke down, but you would think that if it were that simple another truck could be found giving them enough time before the event (24 plus hours) to get their stuff here.

Speculation in the article, as well on radio reports, indicate that slow ticket sales could have been a factor in the cancellation.

In most instances I remember if a performer can't go on because of health or equipment problems, they come right out and say so directly. Here they are tight liped, which leads to the speculation on why.

Is country music losing appeal either in this region or nationally in general? Or do these acts just not have a big enough fan base?

MidPoint Venue Background

Rick Bird gives a of the background into the venue planning for the Midpoint music festival.

Alchemize Moves to Northside

I am very pleased with the news about Alchemize.

Jailhouse Blues

City Beat's Kevin Osborne sings us the blues about the myths being put forth by the those trying to spin Hamilton County Voters into thinking their plans for a new jail will benefit the masses. The main spinner is Commissioner Phil Heimlich and his plan for a "Poor Tax" where he raises the sales tax, and lowers some of the property taxes, hurts the poor more than any other group. Kevin wisely reports that the tax plan does help the middle class much either, with how the property tax cut is structured.

One of Kevin's myth busting efforts must be repeated:

Fact No. 1: Although some offenders are being released early, including 266 inmates last year alone, all are non-violent offenders, statistics show. No murderer, rapist or even anyone convicted of assault has been let go early due to a lack of space.

If you listened to the cries of some, you would think every criminal picked up is just turned away after they get fingerprinted. A new jail is needed, but why is not what some are trying to spin.

In St. Louis

I am in St. Louis on business this week, so, couple that with my long recovery from Blues Fest, and my lite blogging becomes more explainable.

Downtown St. Louis is nice. There was a Baseball game last night and things were hopping pretty well. The Arch gets a good crowd, but when it is 100 degrees outside, you feel it on your way up to the top of the Arch in the tiny little elevator/Tram cars.

The Sheriff's in Town

Street cleaning is taking place in OTR, both with a broom and with the patrol car.