Pre-Pre-Bock Fest Online Toast Competition

Tomorrow, Bockfest is having a toast competition on Fountain Square to kick off Bockfest. I'm going to kick it off here with an online version. Best one gets a free beer if you find me during Bockfest. Here is my entry:

Raise your glass
Shout your name
Shut up you fool
You are an ass

Cheer Spring Forward
and Boo Fall Back
Peter Bronson
is Still a Hack

If you can't do better than me, then you really aren't trying.

Roll Out the Barrel!

Christian Moerlein is bringing Hudy Bock Beer back for this weekend's Bockfest. It will be on tap. I would suggest trying it out at Kaldi's.

Ask Donald Murphy About Mixing Religion and National Parks

From comments we get word that the incoming Freedom Center CEO has a soft spot for letting religious documents adorn National Parks. Was he asked about that before he was hired? In a side note, the Freedom Center doesn't seem to be very up front about the new CEO's salary.

More on Berding's Fundraiser

The Dems are splitting a bit on supporting Jeff Berding. The split appears to be some of the grassroots of the party vs. the party leadership. One issue to remember is that the more money Berding gets, the more he will have to help out other Dems. If Berding can't spread around the wealth in the local Democratic Party, then he will get a swift kick in his wallet out the down of the HCHP headquarters.

Obama Vists Cincinnati - Anyone Go?

1,000 people turned out downtown for a Barack Obama fundraiser. Anyone go and care to provide a report?

Jake Speed and Tracy Walker

Prude Is As Prude Does

If you have to say "I'm not a prude" 7 times in an article about advocating prudishness, then you are a prude. Bronson would be a prude even if he never denied he was, but adding the denial increases the prudishness.

Birmingham Hires John Elkington

It would appear that someone has been suckered again by John Elkington.

BockFest Cometh!

Get Up and head to Bock Fest starting this Friday with a Parade. Check out more at www.bockfest.com.

On Thursday the 1st, there's more too:

Study of City Core Great Step Forward

More great news on people moving forward on improving the City Core. Getting a better undstanding of our urban center and getting other business leaders convinced that the urban center is key to a vibrant metro region is a big picture plan to improve the City's image.

Candace Klein, chair of the Mayor's YP Kitchen Cabinet came up with the idea initially, but for some odd reason this effort didn't get included in the Mayor's speech this week on the State of the City. Odd.

New Boss At Freedom Center

Pepper is stepping down effective May 1st when Donald Murphy takes over as CEO. Murphy is a former deputy director of the National Park Service. The Freedom Center needs permanent leadership and a direction that can build it as an institution. It still feels to me like it has not found it purpose.

OTR Loves Coffee

This is great news and a great problem for OTR Area. This business is very forward looking. When the new SCPA goes in, the line out the door for coffee will be around the block.

The interesting part is that the coffeehouse is moving from Northern Kentucky to OTR.

Some FAF Grants Out

Good news for New Stage Collective, Inktank, and Cincy Blues Fest, all need the funding.

Gov Supports Cincinnati Streetcars

Gov. Ted Strickland wants to help find federal money for streetcars in Cincinnati.

State of the City - The Day After

Mallory gave his speech last night. Anyone go? Anyone have an opinion on it? Was it worth hearing? The text of the speech is here (doc).

It sounds like the YP Kitchen Cabinet is doing next to nothing:

Last year, my office created the Young Professional Kitchen Cabinet to help develop strategies to attract and retain young professionals. They are an energetic and passionate group, and they are already working on all types of ideas.

In fact, my office is about to launch one of their ideas. The Young Professionals Kitchen Cabinet with the help of the Youth Council and Rumpke will be running a pilot recycling program in 6 Cincinnati Public Schools. Recycling containers are being delivered this week, and the students will be competing to see which school can recycle the most.

How does this do anything for YP's? A big thing for people to understand is that YPs most of the time DON'T HAVE KIDS!. Sure volunteering is a plus for some YPs, but this is not going to do a damn thing to attract more people to town, it does nothing to keep people here, and it doesn't make the city more interesting for suburban YPs. What real ideas did they have and is the Mayor going to consider or act on any of them? If this is the best they can do or if this is the only thing Mallory can (or will) announce, then I think the YP Kitchen Cabinet is, so far a failure, and waste of time.

UPDATE: CityBeat's blog has more.

Bortz Phone Demeanor

Councilman Chris Bortz is facing heat for why he called people on the Cincinnati Human Relations Commission.

Smitherman Gets Another Chance

There will be a new election for President of the Cincinnati chapter of the. Edith Thrower, the incumbent, won last year after a controversial election over former Cincinnati councilman Chris Smitherman.

State of the City

Mayor Mallory gives his State of City address tonight at 7PM at the Aronoff Center. The number one thing I would like him to report on is the progress he is making with the YP Kitchen Cabinet. As of yet, I've heard nothing official about it doing anything but meeting. Meetings can only accomplish more meetings. Actions bring about more actions.

In preparation of the speech, the Enquirer reported on public opinion of the City comparing 2006 to 2007 here is what they stated:

1. Approval Rate of Mayor Mallory: Positive 2006-60%, 2007-50% That is a damn large drop.
2. Wrong Track: Yes 2006-59%, 2007-57% About even.
3. Are You Safe in Your Neighborhood: Agree 2006-42%, 2007-49% A gain!

The Enquirer is asking you to take their unscientific poll, so chime in.

Brownback In Town, Will Bring Out the Extremists

Few politicians will have better luck at getting out the most extreme Conservatives than Sen. Sam Brownback, who is coming to town again on March 3rd, after a quick visit here yesterday. In a sign that social conservatives have given up hope of getting an extremist on the ballot in 2008 is the results of polling of Ohio Republicans recently:

In a Quinniapac University poll of Ohio Republican voters last month, Brownback had only 1 percent support. Former New York mayor Rudolph Giuliani led the poll with 30 percent, following by McCain at 22 percent and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich at 11 percent.

1% isn't going to get you on stage for a primary debate.

The Loop? Main Street Redo

It's long overdue, but the idea of making a neighborhood out of the Main Street area (including the area to lower Vine) is a wonderful idea. Make it place for people to live, work, and play. Consider it something like Hyde Park Square, where no one is going to cry if the streets are not crowded at 1 AM. If you can't find a parking spot at 1 PM on a Saturday in the Main Street Area, then I say good! Let the nightlife move to area on 7th Street and 4th Street. Make Main Street a neighborhood.

I also don't like the Loop, but I agree on changing the name from the "Main Street Entertainment District."

UPDATE: More from the Enquirer.