If He Were a Democrat....

Si Leis would be run out of town on a rail for this kind of crap if he was a Democrat. Talk radio would want his head. Peter Bronson would be calling for him to be put into jail. The Enquirer would be pushing for a recall vote.

What is sad, is that this has been Si Leis's style for years. It surely is not the first time he has done this. The problem now is that the far right wing in Hamilton County are against Leis on the Tax issue. That makes him a target and they have had this kind of dirt on him for years?Wwhy wait until now to bring it out? What people will do to put their political views forward on a tax issue is really remarkable.

Change at CinWeekly

CinWeekly's Kari Wethington is moving over to the Enquirer to cover news in Northern Kentucky. This I believe is a plus for Kari and I hope helps her career. What she should be doing, at least part time, is writing about local music in Cincinnati on a regularly. The way the Enquirer has been assigning reporters, I find it more likely she will only have a geographical beat, not a topical one. This is an Enquirer trend that is not a wise way to build up the skills of reporters. It is instead a way to use them as machines to churn out copy.

Furthermore, I hope CinWeekly does not drop coverage of the local music scene. We didn't have a local blog coverage this year from Cin on Midpoint. I would surmise that Kari's move caused a gap that left open the coverage. Cin needs to step up to the plate and continue the level of music coverage Kari was providing. They could still do more! The Enquirer has no care about local music or much of any local news. Cin has many issues, but one of their highlights has been Kari's music coverage over the last few years. I for one will miss her weekly column. I do wish her well on her new job.

Over Kill?

I think the issue here is that some kids are acting like jerks and not getting out the way of the car. I mean, where did "Car! Game On" come from? As a kid we played whiffle ball and football in the street all the time. We did it on side streets and we got out the way when cars came down.

All you need to do is get a few of the kids parents to drive by and give them crap for not getting out of the way. This is a parenting issue, not one the city should be worry about.

The exception is on busy streets. It should be a rule already that you just can't be out on medium to high volume streets. That is simply a safety issue. Practically, no one is foolish enough anyway to be out playing touch football in the middle of Reading Road.

How?

Winburn has started his campaign of fear. I've not seen the ad, but the article claims he wants to bring down violent crime. Again in the article is states violent crime is down 12.6% from last year. What magic bullet does Charlie Winburn have to get crime down? Is he going to perform a mass exorcism to rid the City of violent demons or something?

Blog Debate

The Enquirer's Editorial Page Blog is holding what can best be described as a blog debate among candidates for Cincinnati City Council. I'm confused how this is going to work efficiently, but it should be interesting.

Forget Cassettes at MidPoint

Here are a few shots from the Forget Cassettes pre-party.

Ding Ding

The 'Nati Life reviews last nights Streetcar meeting.

MidPoint Debate

I don't have the time or the energy to debate the structure, style, motive, themes of MidPoint. It is not time to be MidPoint. I will be discussing the issues discussed in CityBeat and in the two blog posts from Each Note Secure Here and Here.

There is much, much, much to say about this, but not now! Look for comments after 2 AM later Saturday night. Well, not really until later on Sunday, if that soon, but anyway.....

Doing the MidPoint Thang

I'll be blogging Midpoint over at The Conveyor all weekend, as wifi alows me it will be live. Otherwise, look for my recaps in the morning.

"Pro-Life" Bronson Loves Him Some Death Penalty

An example of the duality of the answer man. His answers change depending on the situation. Something conservatives label as a weakness.

Coco's Closed

Well, this throws out the contention that having smoking in Covington would increase business from Ohio.

Midpoint Begins!

Tonight head down to Fountain Square for the official kickoff and CD Release for the 2007 Midpoint Music Festival.

The showcases start tomorrow. My top picks are Here on the Conveyor. I also have my top picks for local bands.

For everything offical about Midpoint, including schedule updates, head over to www.mpmf.com for details.

Bortz Ads on MySpace

Councilman Chris Bortz is the first local politician I've seen who is hitting Myspace with banner ads.

It is always a little creepy when they can read your zipcode on Myspace, or town I guess. I am not sure how affect it will be to advertise on Myspace, as opposed to using it as a tool to get your message out more directly.

Midpoint Tech Tools

Midpoint has has an entire suite of tech tools to enhance your festival experience. The most interesting to a data smasher like myself is the Excel scheduler.

I will be putting the Wifi to its max used while out at Midpoint. I'll be lugging around laptop at least one night for some live blogging.

It will be all over on theconveyor.com in our special Midpoint page.

Fear and Loathing in Cincinnati

Is Charlie Winburn out to get 'white' votes by scaring people? If the reports of his commercials are correct, he will fuel the misplaced fear people have about the City. Winburn appears to be trying to get elected by denigrating the city and driving people out. How is that leadership? That sounds like opportunism, that comes at the expense of the City's economy.

The classic thing form the post had Jane Prendergast asking Sam Malone for thoughts on Winburn's ad. Where's Sam's Ad? Here's what I think his commercial should include. I'm thinking Sam should just be pictured looking in the camera. The shot widens to show him standing in his living room. He takes the belt off his pants and says "Vote for me, and I'll beat this city into shape!"

Smoking Ban in NKY?

The Enquirer reports on this study that included this gem:

Ohio voters adopted a statewide ban on smoking in bars, restaurants and other public places last year.

No one’s calling for such a measure in Kentucky yet, but Stricker said he’d like to see such legislation in Northern Kentucky, at least.

Consumers who don’t smoke don’t like smoky environments in Northern Kentucky restaurants and bars, and it’s costing the area business, he said.

“My guess is they’re going to Cincinnati, ‘cause they hate the smoke. I know we’re losing business because of it,” he said.

Yea, there's not much I can say, so I won't spoil it.

6 Votes?

Six to Ten votes is what I count the tally to be so far. I don't see this as newsworthy, but, yes, look at source.

MidPoint Week!

This is Midpoint Week. The Enquirer started it off yesterday with a story on the background of music festival on the sixth annual event.

This are a little smaller this year. Main Street is in total transition right now. Three venues are opening up this week and hopefully they will stay open. Jardine is way behind their prior announced opening. The rumor is that Q and Speakeasy are going to be open past Midpoint. For a couple of them they will need some work to be functional. Pizza Bar is also opening, but I've heard only vague rumors about it staying open beyond this weekend.

Stay tuned to the blog and to The Conveyor for Midpoint coverage this week. I'll be listing my picks of bands by Wednesday, so make sure you get you three day wristband. For more information and to buy said wristband, hit www.mpmf.com.

5th and Race Theatres?

The plan to move Playhouse and the Children's Theatre of Cincinnati to a new Theatre complex at 5th and Race Street still is in the works. This move would put a mammoth cultural in the heart of downtown. A shot to the heart of downtown such as this would solidify the growth we are seeing now.

Drink More Beer

Get out the waders and loosen the belt a little, Oktoberfest Zinzinnati is here.

Things to look for: Which politicians are out in force. The sticker test is always a fun way to watch the political message flow through the crowd.