The world has gone mad:
Protests from female soldiers have led to the Swedish military removing the penis of a heraldic lion depicted on the Nordic Battlegroup's coat of arms.
Sunday, December 16, 2007
Saturday, December 15, 2007
Conservative Talk Radio Fails
Let us all join together and have a communal IN YOUR FACE to the likes of Bill O'Reilly and Glenn Beck.
Now, to be clear, a clone of WEBN is not adding much to the local radio climate. I am happy they are keeping Miami sports, however.
Now, to be clear, a clone of WEBN is not adding much to the local radio climate. I am happy they are keeping Miami sports, however.
Friday, December 14, 2007
Brunner Reports On Electronic Voting, and the News is Not Good
Earlier today, Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner released the Evaluation and Validation of Election-Related Equipment, Standards, and Testing report (or the EVEREST report). Early Enquirer coverage is here; the full, eighty-plus page report is here.
Brunner devised a remarkably aggressive evaluation protocol, engaging both a private consultant and academic researchers to test the integrity of the voting systems used in Ohio. The Hart voting machines, used here in Hamilton County, got particularly low marks. How's this for scary?
(EVEREST report at 44.) The Enquirer article mentions some of the EVEREST report's recommendations (particularly the suggestion that votes be centrally scanned and tabulated, a process that Hamilton County BOE officials think could take four days). From a voter's standpoint, the most notable proposal is one the Enquirer misses: Brunner recommends (at pages 77-80 of the report) that polling places that consist of fewer than five precincts be eliminated, and that "Voting Centers" consisting of 5 to 10 precincts each be created. Moreover, she suggests a true "early voting" system through which the "centers" would be open beginning fifteen days prior to Election Day. (And if BOE officials are permitted to scan (but not tabulate) ballots at the end of each day, that may solve the purportedly long wait-time for results created by centralization of counting.)
That's two huge changes, one of which I support but the other I view with some skepticism. Early voting seems like a good idea that should be implemented. We should always be looking to create more opportunities for citizens to participate in the electoral process. I'm concerned with the notion of large "Voting Centers," though, and the impact that change would have on the indigent and marginally indigent. The advantage of single-precinct polling places is that people don't have to travel far to get to their polling place. Consolidating them inevitably means a longer trip for many people, and we should be concerned about what effect that would have on voter participation. Perhaps the two week period for voting would make this a non-issue, but I'm not convinced that the EVEREST group fully considered the potential problem.
Brunner devised a remarkably aggressive evaluation protocol, engaging both a private consultant and academic researchers to test the integrity of the voting systems used in Ohio. The Hart voting machines, used here in Hamilton County, got particularly low marks. How's this for scary?
The researchers concluded that virtually every ballot, vote, election result, and audit log is “forgeable or otherwise manipulatable by an attacker with even brief access to the voting systems.” The reason is that the mechanisms that Hart uses to protect data and software is frequently based on absent or flawed security models. The researchers concluded that “in most cases these issues cannot be addressed via software upgrades, but call for rethinking of both technical design and procedural practices.”
(EVEREST report at 44.) The Enquirer article mentions some of the EVEREST report's recommendations (particularly the suggestion that votes be centrally scanned and tabulated, a process that Hamilton County BOE officials think could take four days). From a voter's standpoint, the most notable proposal is one the Enquirer misses: Brunner recommends (at pages 77-80 of the report) that polling places that consist of fewer than five precincts be eliminated, and that "Voting Centers" consisting of 5 to 10 precincts each be created. Moreover, she suggests a true "early voting" system through which the "centers" would be open beginning fifteen days prior to Election Day. (And if BOE officials are permitted to scan (but not tabulate) ballots at the end of each day, that may solve the purportedly long wait-time for results created by centralization of counting.)
That's two huge changes, one of which I support but the other I view with some skepticism. Early voting seems like a good idea that should be implemented. We should always be looking to create more opportunities for citizens to participate in the electoral process. I'm concerned with the notion of large "Voting Centers," though, and the impact that change would have on the indigent and marginally indigent. The advantage of single-precinct polling places is that people don't have to travel far to get to their polling place. Consolidating them inevitably means a longer trip for many people, and we should be concerned about what effect that would have on voter participation. Perhaps the two week period for voting would make this a non-issue, but I'm not convinced that the EVEREST group fully considered the potential problem.
All 'Roided Up and No Place To Go
Senator McCarthy Mitchell has released his report. Reds reliever Mike Stanton is named as having used steroids.
If last season was one in which Stanton was "enhancing" his performance, he apparently needs to find a better method: his ERA was 5.93 over 57 and two-thirds innings. And maybe if Adam Dunn got some help from modern chemistry, he might be able to hustle out a double here and there....
If last season was one in which Stanton was "enhancing" his performance, he apparently needs to find a better method: his ERA was 5.93 over 57 and two-thirds innings. And maybe if Adam Dunn got some help from modern chemistry, he might be able to hustle out a double here and there....
Main Street Treading Water
Joe Wessels has a good story in the Post about where the Main Street Entertainment district is going. At the beginning of 2007 there was a sense that Main Street was on the rebound. A new theatre was opening, Neon's was living on, and the former Main Street Brewery location was going to open again.
Well, where it is going at this point is unsure. Cue's opening is good, but the location is slow out of the gate. It appears to me that they are not opening every night they are advertising. Neon's is a mess. Mixx is supposed to open on New Year's Eve, but I am not going to hold my breath. What is happening? Are we just in a slow period of flux? Will 2008 be a big year?
One issue already looks better: Club Red and Club Dream are no more. Good riddance to the bad promoters who catered to the drug dealers and the foolish people who idolize the drug dealers.
Money appears to be the problem with Vinyl and Neon's. Harry's Pizza hasn't opened up either, nothing appears to be happening there.
The situation is right for things to bounce back, but I think and I hope it is not going to be a place for the nutty partiers. An older more sophisticated crowd would be best.
Looking ahead, what will Midpoint do?
Well, where it is going at this point is unsure. Cue's opening is good, but the location is slow out of the gate. It appears to me that they are not opening every night they are advertising. Neon's is a mess. Mixx is supposed to open on New Year's Eve, but I am not going to hold my breath. What is happening? Are we just in a slow period of flux? Will 2008 be a big year?
One issue already looks better: Club Red and Club Dream are no more. Good riddance to the bad promoters who catered to the drug dealers and the foolish people who idolize the drug dealers.
Money appears to be the problem with Vinyl and Neon's. Harry's Pizza hasn't opened up either, nothing appears to be happening there.
The situation is right for things to bounce back, but I think and I hope it is not going to be a place for the nutty partiers. An older more sophisticated crowd would be best.
Looking ahead, what will Midpoint do?
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
A Good Deal for Downtown
As reported by the Enquirer, FirstGroup (which owns Greyhound and Laidlaw) will keep its North American headquarters in Cincinnati, and will move from Centennial Plaza to the Center at 600 Vine (formerly "the Convergys Building"). It's a good thing for the 600 Vine building, which has been sadly, sadly empty for the past two years.
It also sounds like the kind of deal the City should be making with corporations to keep them around. Yes, FirstGroup gets a million dollars to cover the cost of their move (they should've called Two Men and a Truck, who probably could do it for less!), but the City will recoup that through payroll taxes on newly hired FirstGroup employees. And if FirstGroup doesn't hire as many people as it has promised it will, it has to repay the City itself.
It also sounds like the kind of deal the City should be making with corporations to keep them around. Yes, FirstGroup gets a million dollars to cover the cost of their move (they should've called Two Men and a Truck, who probably could do it for less!), but the City will recoup that through payroll taxes on newly hired FirstGroup employees. And if FirstGroup doesn't hire as many people as it has promised it will, it has to repay the City itself.
20,000 Federal Prisoners May Be Resentenced
For years, some people have complained about the sentencing disparity that exists in the federal system with respect to crack and powder cocaine. Until quite recently, possession of one gram of crack cocaine was treated as the same as possession of one hundred grams of powder cocaine.
The United States Sentencing Commission, which is responsible for writing the sentencing guidelines under which federal defendants are sentenced, re-wrote the recommended sentences earlier this year, greatly decreasing the discrepancy (resulting in shorter recommneded prison terms for crack offenders). That was big news. But the really big news came yesterday, when (as this article in the Post explains) the Commission voted to make the new guidelines retroactive. In other words, defendants who were sentenced under the old guidelines pertaining to crack cocaine possession and trafficking may now ask their judges to resentence them.
The Post describes the result as "early release," though that's not how the term is usually used. Typically, we think of a prisoner being released "early" when he or she serves less than the full sentence imposed by a judge. Here, the affected inmates will get new sentences (and they will serve the full sentence a judge says that they should serve). And remember: judges aren't required to give new sentences; they can turn down the requests upon a determination that the original sentence was appropriate.
The move by the Commission is nearly unprecedented. Many will view this as justice long denied due to unfair sentencing laws.
(For those who are wondering, Ohio law treats crack differently than powder cocaine, but the difference is not so dramatic. While the (old) federal ratio was 100:1 (100 grams of powder = 1 gram of crack), the ratio in Ohio is between 5:1 and 20:1, depending on the weight involved.)
The United States Sentencing Commission, which is responsible for writing the sentencing guidelines under which federal defendants are sentenced, re-wrote the recommended sentences earlier this year, greatly decreasing the discrepancy (resulting in shorter recommneded prison terms for crack offenders). That was big news. But the really big news came yesterday, when (as this article in the Post explains) the Commission voted to make the new guidelines retroactive. In other words, defendants who were sentenced under the old guidelines pertaining to crack cocaine possession and trafficking may now ask their judges to resentence them.
The Post describes the result as "early release," though that's not how the term is usually used. Typically, we think of a prisoner being released "early" when he or she serves less than the full sentence imposed by a judge. Here, the affected inmates will get new sentences (and they will serve the full sentence a judge says that they should serve). And remember: judges aren't required to give new sentences; they can turn down the requests upon a determination that the original sentence was appropriate.
The move by the Commission is nearly unprecedented. Many will view this as justice long denied due to unfair sentencing laws.
(For those who are wondering, Ohio law treats crack differently than powder cocaine, but the difference is not so dramatic. While the (old) federal ratio was 100:1 (100 grams of powder = 1 gram of crack), the ratio in Ohio is between 5:1 and 20:1, depending on the weight involved.)
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
Chabot Shows How He Waffles
When BushCo claimed that Iraq was building Nukes (Allegedly based on US. Intelligence), Chabot bowed deeply and hosted a big speech in his district for BushCo to spread those lies. When US Intelligence now says that Iran is no longer building Nukes, Chabot finds doubt. So, I guess Steve is a born-again doubter of the Executive Branch. I wish he would have found the light back in 2002 before Bush spewed all of the lies from Union Terminal, history may have been different.
Streetcars: Look to Portland
One of the negatives of the Cincinnati mentality is that "we" don't like to take chances or be the first to do things. On Streetcars we can meet this neurosis by looking to Portland. We can't copy Portland's model, but we can see that it works.
The council member that I believe needs to be pushed hard to support this in the end is John Cranley. He has to run on the Westside and the old school Westside voter isn't going to be keen on Streetcars, unless they see how it can help the whole city, without the line reaching Price Hill or Westwood.
The council member that I believe needs to be pushed hard to support this in the end is John Cranley. He has to run on the Westside and the old school Westside voter isn't going to be keen on Streetcars, unless they see how it can help the whole city, without the line reaching Price Hill or Westwood.
Monday, December 10, 2007
Drop Inn Center: Another Perspective
There's been some discussion here over the last couple weeks regarding the city's problem with "bums" and on the merits of having the Drop Inn Center in Over-the-Rhine. This article provides a somewhat different angle on the Center's work and those who benefit from it. It's well worth reading.
The article is also one more example of why we'll miss the Post next year.
The article is also one more example of why we'll miss the Post next year.
Sunday, December 09, 2007
Gateway Quarter Celebration
Come on down to the Gateway Quarter this Thursday for a holiday celebration:
The Gateway Quarter is having a special holiday event on Thursday December 13, and they want all DRCers to know they are welcome to attend. Our neighbors from OTR, Pendleton, West End, etc have also been invited to attend.Hat tip to Jacki D.
Join us December 13 in Over-the-Rhine's Gateway Quarter. The fun kicks off at 6 p.m. with music and refreshments at Enzo's followed by special offers at City Roots, Metronation, MiCA 12/v and Park + Vine. Caroling starts at 7:30 p.m. in the 12th and Vine parking lot. Head to Below Zero Lounge for more holiday cheer at 8 p.m.
Ten percent of all sales go to the School for Creative and Performing Arts.
FREE and OPEN TO THE PUBLIC!
Friday, December 07, 2007
Thursday, December 06, 2007
Choo Choo
My two previous posts are not-so-happy thoughts about downtown. Sorry about that. To balance those out, I thought I'd mention my favorite Cincinnati holiday tradition: the train display at the Cinergy--err, Duke Energy Building at 4th and Main.
300 train cars (0-gauge). 50 engines. 1,000 feet of track. Open 10-6 (except Sundays, when it's 12-5). What more do you need? According to Duke, more than 9,000,000 visitors have stopped by since the trains began running in 1946.
If you're new to the city and haven't seen this, it alone is worth the trip downtown (especially if you have kids). If you're a native who hasn't been to see the trains in a while, then come on down and refresh those childhood memories.
300 train cars (0-gauge). 50 engines. 1,000 feet of track. Open 10-6 (except Sundays, when it's 12-5). What more do you need? According to Duke, more than 9,000,000 visitors have stopped by since the trains began running in 1946.
If you're new to the city and haven't seen this, it alone is worth the trip downtown (especially if you have kids). If you're a native who hasn't been to see the trains in a while, then come on down and refresh those childhood memories.
Time To Get Off The Pot
Sorry...that may be an overly-vulgar title for a post, but this article, reporting that Eagle Realty Group (a division of Western & Southern) is seeking yet another extension of time to submit a plan for Fifth and Race, is truly frustrating.
I was excited when, earlier this year, Eagle Realty proposed the construction of a large condo complex on the site. (For those who don't know, the parcel we're discussing is the parking lot adjacent to the Millenium Hotel.) But once again, Eagle Realty has failed to deliver a concrete plan to accomplish anything other than more empty promises.
Don't get me wrong--cutting through that parking lot when walking from my home to my office saves me about half a block of shoe-wear. But Eagle Realty has had the development rights since 1998 (it's been a parking lot since 1999; before that, it was an office building).
Maybe Eagle Realty isn't the right company for the job. Maybe the City needs to deny an extension and open up some sort of bidding/proposal process to determine which company is best-suited to do something with the space. But it's too valuable a location to allow Eagle Realty to hold onto the rights in perpetuity in the absence of any real sign of progress. And if there is progress, then it ought to be shared publicly: for instance, is there any financing in place for the putative condo building? How about feasibility studies? Construction timetables?
When it takes eight years to put together a plan to develop one block of space, it becomes clear why the Banks is taking so long.
I was excited when, earlier this year, Eagle Realty proposed the construction of a large condo complex on the site. (For those who don't know, the parcel we're discussing is the parking lot adjacent to the Millenium Hotel.) But once again, Eagle Realty has failed to deliver a concrete plan to accomplish anything other than more empty promises.
Don't get me wrong--cutting through that parking lot when walking from my home to my office saves me about half a block of shoe-wear. But Eagle Realty has had the development rights since 1998 (it's been a parking lot since 1999; before that, it was an office building).
Maybe Eagle Realty isn't the right company for the job. Maybe the City needs to deny an extension and open up some sort of bidding/proposal process to determine which company is best-suited to do something with the space. But it's too valuable a location to allow Eagle Realty to hold onto the rights in perpetuity in the absence of any real sign of progress. And if there is progress, then it ought to be shared publicly: for instance, is there any financing in place for the putative condo building? How about feasibility studies? Construction timetables?
When it takes eight years to put together a plan to develop one block of space, it becomes clear why the Banks is taking so long.
Visibility Problems
As I was scurrying down Vine Street yesterday (scurrying because of the cold, not out of any sense of insecurity), I overheard a conversation between two women who were obviously visiting downtown. One asked the other, "Did you find the mall?" The reply: "It's not really a mall; there's just a Macy's." I assured the inquiring woman that there was, in fact, a mall (not "just" a Macy's), helped her locate it, and went back to my errand.
The episode brings up one of my biggest pet peeves about downtown: why is Tower Place Mall so invisibile? Frankly, if you don't know it's there, you could walk past it on Vine, Fourth, or Fifth many, many times without any awareness that you're walking past a mall.
If we're serious about downtown being a destination, then we need to start acting like downtown is someplace where people from outside Cincinnati want to be (rather than just hoping they'll drop in). Visit other (more booming) cities' downtown areas and you'll find strategically placed maps. Why don't we seem to have any of those? Even UC has figured out that permanently-affixed maps help people find their way around campus; why not the same for downtown? Or more signs (geared towards pedestrian traffic) with arrows towards major attractions (Fountain Square, Tower Place, CAC, the Underground Railroad Museum, and Music Hall, just to name a few)?
Downtown needs to be more than merely safe (which, by the way, it is): it also needs to be accessible and accommodating. Let's work on that.
The episode brings up one of my biggest pet peeves about downtown: why is Tower Place Mall so invisibile? Frankly, if you don't know it's there, you could walk past it on Vine, Fourth, or Fifth many, many times without any awareness that you're walking past a mall.
If we're serious about downtown being a destination, then we need to start acting like downtown is someplace where people from outside Cincinnati want to be (rather than just hoping they'll drop in). Visit other (more booming) cities' downtown areas and you'll find strategically placed maps. Why don't we seem to have any of those? Even UC has figured out that permanently-affixed maps help people find their way around campus; why not the same for downtown? Or more signs (geared towards pedestrian traffic) with arrows towards major attractions (Fountain Square, Tower Place, CAC, the Underground Railroad Museum, and Music Hall, just to name a few)?
Downtown needs to be more than merely safe (which, by the way, it is): it also needs to be accessible and accommodating. Let's work on that.
Tuesday, December 04, 2007
Criminal or hero?
The Enquirer reports that Arthur Graham, a disabled veteran, happened upon a woman being assaulted in the 1100 block of Race. His response? Stab the guy assaulting the woman. The police's response? Arrest him for felonious assault. I know the legal definition of felonious assault, but I'll admit I'm not sure where the line between self defense (or defending another person) and felonious assault is. I can't help but feel that if I were the woman he saved from being assaulted that I'd feel pretty bad that he got arrested for it. The strange thing is that the man assaulting the woman, Jeffrey Lowery, was only arrested when Graham told the police that he had been hit by Lowery with a bottle. What about assaulting the woman?
(Edited location for accuracy.)
(Edited location for accuracy.)
What Happened To The Humans? -- Part Deux
"What kind of man hits a kid" (a former council member notwithstanding) or points a sawed off shotgun at kids selling Christmas trees? Yet, that's exactly what happened last night at the corner of Gilbert and West Galbraith, where some Boy Scouts were selling trees and three young thugs came up, pointed a shotgun at the kids and their parent, hit the father and one of the kids, and stole money. Is this what passes for courage in the groups in which these thugs were raised? Is it simply poverty, lack of education, or lack of opportunity that creates these thugs or is something else at work? What do we say to these kids who had a gun shoved in their faces and who were robbed about the state of the world in which they live? "Happy first day of Hanukkah and Merry Christmas, 2007!"
Sunday, December 02, 2007
What Happened to the Humans?
Kevin Drum has found an interesting example of Republicans holding horrid beliefs. These are not the candidates, these are the party's base, the average voter.
Saturday, December 01, 2007
NPR Misses the Story
Over Thanksgiving weeking, NPR's Morning edition had a news story that parallelled the Washington Park Feeding the Bums story from the week prior. The story was on the surface balanced, but it wasn't long enough and in now way gave enough background. It played upon the basic extremist NGOs out to protect their funding "clashing" with the city and business owners. It gave a nice positive quote to one of the owners of CityRoots (great store by the way, they have Christmas Trees for sale!!!).
The story however just glossed over the issues. It gave no history of the neighborhood, of the effort to make a better neighborhood, and of the foolish choice to move the social services to OTR in the first place. It played into the false stereotype used by the NGOs. When people listened to that story and when they heard the term "homeless" what came to mind is the image of a person down on their luck, living out of their car, who were hurt by the system, not by any of their own actions. In reality, the people in question are "homeless" because of their own actions. They are felons, alcoholics, and drug addicts. The mentally ill are part of this group, but I would say in most cases it is not their "fault" for being there. Unless they refuse to take their meds, the fault lies with the state for eliminating institutions to care for the mentally ill, or families who are unable to find a way to care for their mentally ill kin. If people don't agree that the mentally ill should be put into good facilities, then I think they must be mentally ill themselves.
The story however just glossed over the issues. It gave no history of the neighborhood, of the effort to make a better neighborhood, and of the foolish choice to move the social services to OTR in the first place. It played into the false stereotype used by the NGOs. When people listened to that story and when they heard the term "homeless" what came to mind is the image of a person down on their luck, living out of their car, who were hurt by the system, not by any of their own actions. In reality, the people in question are "homeless" because of their own actions. They are felons, alcoholics, and drug addicts. The mentally ill are part of this group, but I would say in most cases it is not their "fault" for being there. Unless they refuse to take their meds, the fault lies with the state for eliminating institutions to care for the mentally ill, or families who are unable to find a way to care for their mentally ill kin. If people don't agree that the mentally ill should be put into good facilities, then I think they must be mentally ill themselves.
More Seafood for Downtown
I just noticed the signs in the windows of the first floor of the 580 Building (on the southeast corner of Sixth and Walnut) that the Oceanaire will be opening a restaurant there this spring. A quick web-search leads me to conclude that while this story got some mention last June when the lease was signed, it was relatively under-reported.
The executive chef will be Justin Dumcum, who previously held that position at Palomino and Jeff Ruby's South Beach Grill.
While I'm a little concerned about whether the downtown market can really sustain both the Oceanaire and McCormick and Schmick's, it's great to see another storefront occupied.
The executive chef will be Justin Dumcum, who previously held that position at Palomino and Jeff Ruby's South Beach Grill.
While I'm a little concerned about whether the downtown market can really sustain both the Oceanaire and McCormick and Schmick's, it's great to see another storefront occupied.
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