Wednesday, October 13, 2010

Seven Years

For each of the last two years on today's date, I've been tempted to write something like what appears below. For various reasons--not the least of which is that we just don't do much personal blogging here--I haven't. But this year, for some reason, I feel compelled to do so. Or maybe just more able to. My apologies for this lengthy, self-indulgent post.

Seven years ago today, my only sibling--my sister, Julie--died in a car accident. She was 27 at the time. She was traveling between the two families she loved the most: after spending a long weekend with her boyfriend and his parents in Pittsburgh, she was on her way to our parents' house for dinner in New Jersey. Julie worked in Brooklyn and lived on Long Island, so she'd planned to spend the night in New Jersey, head into work the next morning, and then return to her own home.

Julie had managed to touch a lot of people in her 27 years. Following her graduation from college (which, unlike me, she completed in four years), she joined the Peace Corps, living and teaching in Burkina Faso, a small nation in West Africa. She worked for a few years as a youth minister in Presbyterian churches in Pennsylvania and New York. Eventually, she returned to school, earned her master's degree, and became a teacher. The 2003-04 school year was her first as a full-time teacher; she taught English at a public school for gifted and talented kids.

Julie's death was devastating for me, as it was for so many others. I can remember that terrible, terrible phone call from my parents as though it were yesterday. I was talking on my cell phone with my best friend from law school, chatting about women and football. Monday Night Football was on the TV; the Bulger-led Rams were playing. My land line rang; the caller ID said it was my parents. Thinking they just wanted to chat at the end of the holiday weekend, I'd told my friend to hang on for a minute (and that I'd ask my folks if I could call them back). Then my dad's voice: Donald, I have terrible news.

Still without any premonition of what was to come, I told my friend I'd need to call him back. Back to my dad: Your sister has been in an accident. Oh my gosh, I thought, she'd just gotten a new car, had she totaled it already? Where is she, I asked. Donald, it was bad. She didn't make it. Julie died.

With those last two words, my world changed. I think it's only recently I've realized how much. Part of who I was--who I am, who I'd always been--was Julie's brother. I don't think she knew exactly how much that was true. I was a year ahead of her in school. We'd gone to different grade schools, but the same high school. Since I was there first, a lot of teachers came to know her as "Donald's sister." But socially, the opposite was true. Among the student body, I was Julie's brother. To this day, I have friends (or at least "Facebook friends") who stay in touch with me only out of a sense of loyalty to Julie.

In October 2003, I'd been living in West Virginia for a month. I'd graduated from law school the previous May, and had just begun a year-long clerkship for a federal district court judge. It was supposed to be a great year, full of intellectual challenges and the beginning of learning my craft. Instead, work was a necessary distraction from what seemed to be a huge hole in my soul. The only people I knew in town were the people I worked with, and I'd only known them for a few weeks. Thank goodness that they are among the most caring, wonderful people I've ever encountered.

Work was a useful distraction for a while, but it, too, eventually became an all-too-painful reminder of what my sister had meant to me. As kids, Julie and I fought as often as any closely-aged siblings do. But as adults, we'd been really close, even though we weren't living in the same state. We regularly talked about our personal and work lives. She was beginning her career as a teacher, and I was beginning mine as a lawyer. We called to tell each other about the cool stuff we were doing. And suddenly, that was gone. Six months after my sister's death, I was sworn in as a lawyer at a ceremony in Columbus. And I couldn't stop my eyes from overflowing with tears. I couldn't shake the thought: my sister didn't live to see me become a lawyer.

It took a while--longer than I could have imagined--for the wound left by my sister's death to begin to harden into a scar. As anyone embarks upon their profession, they want to believe that what they're doing matters, that their work has meaning. But I couldn't shake the feeling that nothing mattered. After all, my sister had done as much as could be expected of her, and she had still died far too young. Making matters worse, probably, was that the circumstances of her accident yielded no one to blame. It was just a freak occurrence, one that 99% of the time would have resulted in a fender-bender or no accident at all.

Learning to be a lawyer (which is really what a lawyer does for his first two years in practice) is tough. It's even harder when you no longer have a firm conviction in the value of your profession--or any profession, for that matter.

I'm always amazed by the people who find meaning in tragedy. I've been moved, over the last couple years, by Kate the Great's discussions of her niece's illness and death. Why couldn't I find such serenity? Why couldn't I let go of the sadness, the bitterness? I remember the platitudes offered by well-meaning people: God needed another teacher in Heaven was a common one. I wanted to scream back, Really? I can think of a couple He could have had instead.

Work wasn't the only hard thing. When I returned to Cincinnati in 2004, my friends welcomed me back with open arms. Or at least, they tried to. I'd never been a really big party animal, but for a long time after Julie died, the thought of just hanging out with a bunch of people was intolerable. One or two was OK, but more than that? Couldn't do it. Weddings were out of the question. Every time I received an invitation (to a wedding, or a party, or just a happy hour), I really wanted to come. I'd even say yes. But I usually found a last minute reason--a headache, a work project, undone laundry--to skip out. It became so common, my friends had a name for saying you'd show up somewhere and then not doing so: "pulling a Caster." I avoided meeting new people. First dates were unbearable; inevitably, the question comes up: Do you have any brothers or sisters? How was I supposed to answer that? No. Oh, so you're an only child. Well..... Or: Yes, a sister. Really? What does she do? Umm.....

Thanks goodness for the patience--and loyalty--of those friends. My best friend--the one I'd been talking to when my dad called that terrible night--was amazing. He knew when to call, when to worry a bit if he'd not heard from me. He knew when to prompt me to talk about how I was dealing with things, and when to talk about anything but. And over time--a long, long time--things got better. Over the last couple years, I'm no longer just accepting invitations, I've begun actually showing up. I take joy in being an attorney again. As I begin a new chapter in my life and my career (more on that in the next few days), I'm filled with a sense of optimism. For a long time, change--no matter what kind--only brought a sense of dread. I enjoy my friendships and the company of others again. I'm not sure I could have ever predicted this when I chose to make it my home, but it turns out that Cincinnati was a good place to learn to live again.

I can't say that "hole in my soul" has healed or closed completely. That will never happen. But I've learned to fill it with other things. I've learned that it's OK to let go of some things, and grasp hold of others. I've learned that it's OK to move forward--and that moving forward isn't the same thing as "moving on."

So why do I write this here, exposing myself in such a public way? I don't know. Partially because I'm sure there's someone reading this who is where I was five or six years ago. Someone who experienced some loss recently, who feels stuck in the mud, and who can't seem to gain any traction. My message: keep the wheels turning. It gets better. You'll start to gain some momentum. Just be patient with yourself. And for those of who know someone in that spot: don't give up on them. Keep throwing them lifelines. Eventually, they'll grab on to one of them, and let you help pull them onto solid ground. Just be patient with them.

Tuesday, October 12, 2010

Another Challenger for 2011 City Council

Yvette Simpson announced last week that she is a candidate for the 2011 Cincinnati City Council race. By my tally, that makes her the second non-incumbent to announce. Her campaign's Facebook page is here.

Yvette is a 2004 graduate of the University of Cincinnati College of Law, where I came to know her as an intelligent, hard-working, passionate individual. If she doesn't win a Council seat next year, it won't be for lack of effort.

I haven't seen news of this in the traditional media or on any of the local blogs, yet. (Griff's lack of coverage is surprising, since Yvette is a 2000 Miami grad and is currently the Director of Pre-Law Programs at MU.)

For those of you keeping a geopolitical scoreboard, she is (I believe) a downtown resident.

I wish my friend Yvette good luck in next year's race.

Preemptive Strike From the CFD in Budget War

Resolving the City of Cincinnati's 50 million dollar budget deficit will be a battle of wills and the Cincinnati Fire Department has fired the first volley in that fight. The Cincinnati Police Department will soon take a shot at countering the CFD's claims of critical need. Putting panic in the minds of the public is the biggest weapon in this battle, and both departments will fight until the last round is spent.

The question ahead: will city council be able to stick together and find an equitable deal? We're over a year from a city election, but is that far enough away for the conservative block to fend off the FOP's tar and feathering to come for those who vote to cut any FOP jobs? Or is the deficit big enough to force even the FOP to take some sort of cut to uniformed members? More to come. I'm wondering if anyone will try and rustle up some shock and awe. I don't think it will fly this time around.

Monday, October 11, 2010

Thank You Cincinnati Reds!

If you had told me at the start of the season that the Reds would make the playoffs and lose in the first round, I would have been excited for a great season. Well, the Cincinnati Reds had a great season. They were not the best team in baseball, but they were near the top.

Last night I witnessed that loss in the first round from the upper deck at GABP and it was thrilling. The crowd was the biggest ever at GABP and they stood a majority of the game. It was what baseball is supposed to be. Our team was playing and that was enough to cheer about. We wanted the Reds to win, but it was just great being there.

The team played well this season and shows great promise. They made watching baseball fun. I want to thank the team for helping me find that fun again in baseball.

2011 will be a good year for the Reds. We have something in our baseball team most other cities don't: character. Let's build on that. Let's Go Reads.

Sunday, October 10, 2010

Bearcats 45, Miami 3

O Cincinnati, magic name
I proudly to the world proclaim
No sweeter word e'er charmed my ear
None to my heart was e'er so dear;
A fountain of eternal youth,
A tower of strength, a rock of truth.

Varsity, dear Varsity
Thy loyal children we will be.
Thy loyal, loyal children we will be!

Friday, October 08, 2010

Eddie Fingers Appears To Be Gone From WLW

Afternoon radio host, Eddie Fingers, appears to have been fired from 700WLW-AM. The long time FM morning host on WEBN switched to the higher rated AM Station within the last couple of years. His show on the "Big One" was getting good ratings. There is no official word on why he was fired. John Kieswetter, of the Enquirer, blogged last night that he sources indicate it may have been a contract dispute that got out of hand. That seems like a B.S. answer, but not totally false. There is always more to the story.

This all assumes the whole thing isn't a really bad hoax. WLW is known for pretending to fire people. If they did that here, and Fingers is on vacation, then this much lying is really pathetic. WLW is not above being pathetic.

I listen to either NPR or my ipod in the car both on the way to work and on the way home. The only value WLW holds is a breaking news outlet. If there is a tornado coming or snow storm, WLW does great work. It does pretty good work on 'news' but it devotes so little time to it, it is lost in the shuffle.

Thursday, October 07, 2010

No-Hitter Rant

I just posted the following to my facebook page. Feel free to discuss amongst yourselves.

Halladay was terrific yesterday, and what he did was historic. But let's not pretend that he joined Don Larsen. Larsen is still in a class of his own. Larsen pitched a perfect game, not just a no-hitter. And he did so in the World Series, not the league semi-finals. And finally (though not Halladay's fault), while I love my Reds, the 2010 Reds are not the 1956 Dodgers.

Also:

For the uninitiated, the playoffs did not even begin until 1969. Before then, the best team in the AL and the best team in the NL, based solely on season record, met in the World Series. Larsen threw a perfect game (27 batters retired consecutively, with none reaching first base safely) against the best team the National League had to offer. Halladay threw a no-hitter against the third-best team in the National League.

And with all due respect to Brandon Phillips and Joey Votto, I see no one with the stature of Pee Wee Reese, Duke Snider, Jackie Robinson, or Roy Campanella on the Reds Roster.

Here's the box score to Larsen's perfect game. Here it is for the Reds-Phillies game last night.

Can Someone Tell Smitherman How Representative Democracy Works?

Did Chris Smitherman, president of the local chapter of the NAACP, ever take a civics class in high school? He was on city council for two years, so I would think he understands, at least superficially, how a representative democracy works, but I guess not. Instead he wants the public to vote on where the casino funding should go. We have an election in 2011. Someone might want to remind Chris about that. He should spend his time getting people to vote in that election. That is how our system works. His efforts to erode representative democracy have failed in the past and this will meet the same fate.

Tuesday, October 05, 2010

Clothing Line Re-Launch Has Local Roots

Remember those Hypercolor clothes from the '80s and '90s? You know, the shirts and windbreakers that started blue, and then turned pink with warmth (or was it the other way around)? Well, a duo that includes local attorney Vance VanDrake has bought the trademark (and, presumably, the technology) and is about to re-introduce the thermochromatic clothes to the public.

I met Vance in law school (he was two years behind me at UC). It looks like he and his business partner are taking a very smart approach to the re-launch, making full use of the web and social media. Hypercolor's Facebook page is here. This isn't the easiest business environment in which to launch a new business, and I wish the venture success.

Thanks Greg Hartman!

Greg Hartman, Hamilton County Comissioner, thank you so much for reminding me so clearly why I didn't vote for you.  Thanks also, Greg, for reminding me why I am NOT a Republican, since you're considered "mainstream" in your party.  Also, thanks for giving me another oportunity to make it clear why Chris Monzel would be terrible for our county, since Monzel is far more conservative than you.

Hartman is an idiot.  No one is forced to contrubute to these charities, and they are 501(c)3's by the way, so what is the issue? The groups he is out to hurt, are not political. They help people.  They fight AIDS, they fight violence. They provide food to the poor.  They help keep women healthy.  They help adults learn a new career. They provide music.  They give a the community a change to communicate. There are groups I wouldn't give money too, but anyone donating can pick which groups they want to fund, like the United Way does, so how is this in anyway a problem for anyone?  Is Hartman pissed he was consulted about it?

How many religious based groups are on the Unitied Way's list?  I think it is very reasonalble to consider the Roman Catholic Church as a controversial group and they are at least indirectly in control of the Catholic Charities SouthWestern Ohio, a group that received $949,000 dollars from the United Way in 2010. That is far more money than everyone from Community Shares got, combined x 3!

Also consider:
Crossroad Health Center
Diocesan Catholic Children's Home, Inc.
The Salvation Army of Greater Cincinnati
All three religious groups are funded by the United Way. More controversy, Greg!  Where's your anger?  This groups are controversial to some.  Why are religious groups not considered controversial?

Portune is right, Hartman is going to ruin this for everyone.  The United Way, Artswave, and Community Shares don't get much direct material benefit from the County's employer campaign, other than providing help in solicitation and processing of contributions if done by payroll deduction.  This is very much in line with what the government should be doing for 501(c)3 organizations. Hartman should, I don't know, grow a Heart?  Layoff the charities, the poor, and maybe think about finding a way avoid giving away more county money to the Bengals.  Just because you lose to the Browns, that doesn't qualify you for a handout.

Monday, October 04, 2010

Let's Go Reds!

With the playoffs about to visit Cincinnati for the first time since 1995, a couple quick notes:

ESPN's Howard Bryant has a terrific profile on Dusty Baker. Go read it. You'll learn a lot. (Did you know that Dusty was on deck when Hank Aaron hit his 715th home run?) For those of you who still don't like Dusty, what will it take to get you on the bandwagon? He's probably the NL Manager of the Year. You say he can't manage young players. Really? Joey Votto had an MVP season a year after leaving the field with panic attacks. You say he can't handle a pitching staff. Right. On April 2, if I'd told you the Reds would make the playoffs but Harang wouldn't be on the playoff roster, would you have believed me?

Anyone who hasn't enjoyed watching the Reds this year just doesn't have a soul. The Reds have played baseball the right way. They're fun to watch, and easy to root for.

We're going to be ignored by the national media for a while. The stories will be all Atlanta Braves, all the time. The national media love the thought of Cox winning a ring in his last season. That's OK. Just smile and let the Reds take care of business, the way they have all season.

The Enquirer is asking what you're more likely to watch on Sunday: the NL Central Champion Reds or the barely .500 Bengals. (To me, that choice is easy.) I think local people will have a harder time deciding where to spend Friday: at home watching the Reds, or at a high school football game. (Again, to me, it's an easy choice, but I'm not so sure for alumni and parents from certain high schools.)

And finally, who do you think is a better leader of young men: Dusty Baker, Marvin Lewis, Butch Jones, or Mick Cronin?

ACLU on "Debtors' Prisons"

Today, the ACLU released "In for a Penny: The Rise of America's New Debtors' Prisons." (Hat tip: Enquirer Politics Blog.) The report looks at policies in Louisiana, Michigan, Ohio, Georgia, and Washington and concludes that indigent defendants are being incarcerated because of their inability to pay fines or court costs. Both the US and Ohio Supreme Courts have repeatedly held that such treatment of people who cannot pay is unlawful.

The ACLU's discussion of Ohio begins at page 43 of the report, and Hamilton County is mentioned at page 50. The report says this:
Renowned Cincinnati civil rights attorney Bob Newman notes that, at least in Hamilton County, he is not aware of any individuals who are serving time for nonpayment of fines. This is not because courts strictly follow the constitution and statutes barring the jailing of indigent defendants—it’s because the jails are already overcrowded. Courts simply have no room to incarcerate nonviolent offenders.

It's unclear whether the judgment that our local courts don't really care about the constitution is Bob's or the ACLU's. Either way, it's probably mistaken. Recently, the Hamilton County Public Defender has done an excellent job of educating our judges regarding its clients' constitutional rights in this area. What's more, earlier this year, the municipal court started sending unpaid fines and costs to a collection agency. For the most part, when a defendant fails to pay a fine (even if s/he fails to appear at a "stay-to-pay" date), a warrant no longer issues; instead, the case is "sent to collections." The result will be less crowded dockets and--if Montgomery County's experience is any indicator--increased collection of fines and costs (perhaps proving the conservative meme that the private sector usually does things better than the government).

This is overall an interesting report, and makes some points that should be considered. Of particular concern should be the abuse of the indigent in Ohio's mayor's courts. (At least one local municipality has an ordinance making it a separate crime to fail to pay a fine levied in a criminal case.) But Hamilton County is on the right track, and the report is, perhaps, unfairly critical.

Do The Mashed Potato

As the weather turns cooler, it's time for a return to comfort food. And right now, my favorite comfort food dish is Mayberry's mashed potatoes. Creamy and with just the right amount of pepper, they were the perfect side dish with lunch today. Lunch itself was the turkey hot brown, also a great comfort food item just in time for fall.

Cincinnati Film Festival Starts October 8th

Starting this Friday the Cincinnati Film Festival International Film Festival brings fresh short and feature films to venues across the Cincinnati area. Running from October 8th through the 16th, this festival (formally the Oxford International Film Festival) presents an ambitious schedule of events to complement the film screenings, including workshops on film making, a movie premier at the Hollywood Casino in Indiana, and a Gala at Memorial Hall.

Ticket information is here. More from the Enquirer.

Sunday, October 03, 2010

Eric Deters Is Suing 'Whistleblower' Publisher

I really wanted my headline to read "Eric Deters is Suing an Asshole," but I didn't want to get myself personally wrapped up in a lawsuit, so I'll try to avoid it by saying I will not shed a tear seeing Jim Schifrin having to spend time or money to defend himself in court for allegedly making libelous claims about Eric Deters in the "Whistleblower" email newsletter.

Back in August Schifrin published an allegation that Deters was having an affair with Nicole Howell, the former teacher who was accused of having sex with a student. Deters was her attorney and successfully got her acquitted on those charges. According to the Enquirer article, she now works for Deters as a personal assistant.

I don't know and don't really care what Eric Deters does in his personal life. He is not someone I would say had a crystal clear persona before this allegation was made, but that comes with being a flashy defense attorney. If he ever thinks about running for office, well, then I might think otherwise. Investigating his actions as a lawyer or employer would be relevant in judging his fitness for public office. There is no evidence Deters has thoughts in that area, but in journalistic terms, that would be this kind of information something worth investigating. It is never good journalism to print rumors, especially rumors about sex.

I don't like the crap Schifrin writes. He is just a plain old fashioned asshole, and his many attacks on people based on race, religion, gender, etc are clear to anyone who reads his newsletter.

That being said, I hope Deters loses the case. I think he will, anyway. If his purpose is to bring some negative attention to the crusty old man, then good! If Deters is trying anything else, then he is wrong.

Friday, October 01, 2010

Hamilton County Commission Candidates Forum

WVXU's Impact Cincinnati hosted both candidates, Jim Tarbell and Chris Monzel, yesterday for a forum (MP3) on the campaign.

Monzel still didn't give any details on what he would cut from the budget to make up the deficit. He won't cut the Sheffif patrols. He stated he has a list of of the budget items detailed in a spreadsheet, but doesn't know what he would cut. He blathered on about multiple HR departments. He wants to roll up his sleeves after he takes office, but he doesn't seem to have time to add up the numbers. He has a spreadsheet to know the numbers. 15 Million dollars can't be made up by reducing office supplies. If he wants to be trusted, he should say now what he would cut. 15 Million would require cutting a large number of staff. It means cutting the jobs of actual people who perform services for the County. Monzel should be honest with voters and tell us what services he would cut to make up the deficit, if elected. He has not proposed any revenue changes that will either be tangible or will close future gaps, so cuts are his only way to fufill his plan to have "less" government.

What people need to remember is that Monzel is currently a City Council member in a city with a 50 million dollar deficit. He has access to the City Budget. He has not rolled up his sleeves and found what can be cut to make up that budget deficit. What makes anyone think he will do that for the County? I think he'll follow Greg Hartman and shift money from indigent health services. If he is going to do that, he needs to make it clear. Give the voters full knowledge of his intentions. The code words are there. He wants "less government." He is against Metro government. He wants the power structure to remain the same, and the only place to cut where you don't hurt your political power is cutting the services for the poor.

Monzel has been a terrible Councilman, and will be a bad Commissioner.

Thursday, September 30, 2010

Too Much Time On Their Hands

After seeing some Reds players light up cigars to celebrate their clinching first place in the National League Central the other night, five people called the state anti-smoking hot line.

Really?

I was (and am) in favor of the smoking ban. But good grief, folks. Get a life.

Westwood Civic Association Acting Politically?

Is John Sess, President of the Westwood Civic Association, using a meeting of the organization to benefit Republican Candidates? Kevin Osborne at CityBeat has an article which alleges the meeting, to occur on October 5th, has two GOP candidates on the attendee list, but no Democratic candidates. The event, as Kevin details, was not publicized as a candidate forum. The question is, where Democratic candidates offered a direct special invitation. Will the GOP candidates be allowed to speak? If they do, the event should be seen as a partisan event. Something that will not go over well with the WCA's mission or status.

Monday, September 27, 2010

Ignorance at the Enquirer on County Commisssion

If the Enquirer is going to endorse a candidate they might back up their basis for picking that candidate. Their basis for the Hamilton County Commission race was:
"But Chris Monzel (R) appears to offer a clearer opportunity for forward-looking solutions and creative thinking at the county, which faces tough choices with a looming stadium fund deficit and other challenges."
Appears? Might they cite something? They say he works at GE, but what good did that do him at City Hall?

The say he has a "penchant" for "provocative" propasals. How about naming one of them? Just ONE of them. Selling the stadiums? Is that it? Didn't see that in the article. Was it background checks on Ice Cream truck vendors? Didn't see that mentioned. There's nothing else he's put out there. NOTHING. If there was something, the Eqnurier would have printed it.

Instead of providing an actual basis for who they are endorsing they go on the attack with a quote from their fake debates. The Enquirer held mini-debates in front of the Editorial Board. That "appears" to be the sole reason for their choice. Or rather I would wager this was their justification for opposing Jim Tarbell, someone who isn't a favorite of the Enquirer.

I accept the reality that the Enquirer is Republican, it is, and it has been for a hundred years or more, but I really don't like them phoning it in. If you just don't like Tarbell, say that is why you are picking Monzel. Don't make stuff up about Monzel and then conveniently leave out the details. If he has solutions for the County, what are they? He had no solutions for the City, but I guess his past performance of doing nothing on council isn't something they considered relevant or I guess it didn't "appear" to be relevant. Jim Tarbell's past performance "appears" to be something they are holding against him. I wonder what Jim did to piss them off? Fighting the power doesn't win many friends on Third Street. It would matter more if Third Street was more relevant.

If Monzel wins and signs on to Hartman's plan to cut funding for indigent health care, I guess being lied to won't be relevant either.

On Twitter I read some's question asking how they made their endorsement choices. Well, having their head in the sand is part of it. Something that needs to change. At some point the Enquirer needs to break the cycle of ignorance, but it wasn't this year.

Friday, September 24, 2010

MidPoint Day One - Hot Smiles

Thursday nights at MidPoint are traditionally quiet nights. Most people have to work the next day. Most people are holding out until Friday & Saturday to really fill the venues. This year I'm happy to report that Thursday was hot, both literally and musically. If you didn't make it out, you missed out.

I hit Grammers first and that meant seeing a local favorite first: Wussy. Chuck and Lisa are steamy together and last night Chuck's distortion ripped through the opening song Rigor Mortis. The group was pumped and pushing the envelope a bit. Even as I poured through the PBR, the heat of the evening didn't end until the sun had long been set.

Male Bonding was good, but very rough. I wasn't blown away and maybe the fact that I was more interested in talking with several friends drove me from listening intently. Maybe it was the heat. Best Coast was much better and by this point the crowd had really swelled. So had the heat.

Let me say the Metro buses were great and are air conditioned, which came in handy. They were also the perfect spot to chat up others about what bands they were going to next. Some were on their way to see Shonen Knife, some You, You're Awesome and Holy F*ck, but a good sized number, along with myself wanted to see Van Dyke Parks.

My knowledge of Van Dyke Parks was limited to his MySpace page. His music was very different. Very-non-indie-rock, something that I want more of at MidPoint, which is one of the reasons I was pleased when I listened to their samples. The Group's picture was of a 65+ year old white haired man. I honestly thought this might be a bit of joke. Well, it turns out that I'm joker. Van Dyke Parks is famous. I mean Beach Boys famous. He's a well known composer arranger, most noted for working with Brian Wilson on his famed album Smile. He is the white haired man in the PR photo.  He's also very aware of this fact and didn't hide it, joking often about it.

Parks played the Blue Wisp. Where else would he play? He fit in there like a musical king and musicians go to the Wisp to praise other musicians. The Blue Wisp was packed when we got there, and thankfully the fire marshal was not around. Clare and Reasons were still on stage and their music blew me away. I meant to put them on my list of picks, but for some reason I screwed up. If I believed in it, I would say fate led me to the Wisp early, but I don't, so I will just share my joy at their encore song "He Needs Me" which was written by Harry Nilsson. It is such a beautiful song and Clare and Reasons invited Van Dyke Parks up on stage to play with them for it. I was humming along to it very loudly. It only took me a few seconds to remember where it came from: Robert Altman's Popeye. I had always assumed that it was an old standard. Today I wanted to look it up, see who the composer was, so I didn't just reference the movie and appear ignorant. Well, it turns out the song, along with the rest of the score for movie, where original, by Harry Nilsson. I dug a little bit more, and as I was reading I ran across the golden ticket to a musical version of the "Rest of the Story". The music to Popeye was arranged by Van Dyke Parks. So, there it was. It all came back to something near a point. It was charming, it was cute.  If had a girlfriend I would want her to sing this to me all the time. It maybe up staged Van Dyke Parks a bit to me.  Maybe it was the amount of beer I had, anyway, I was really moved by it. In case you don't know the song, here's a snippet from the movie:

If that doesn't put a smile your face, not much will. Clare and the Reasons version was better on a thousand levels, but tall skinny girls are more gracefully challenged, and make for better movie stars.

Day two of MidPoint is almost ready to being, so get out and find your own smile tonight.

Willie Cunningham Wants Bigger Government!

Don't anyone tell the 'Tea Party,' but local Conservative radio talk show host and chronic suffer of Say-Anything-For-Ratings Syndrome, Bill Cunningham, has publicly endorsed a Deer Park Schools bond issue. Mr. Cunningham graduated from Deer Park High School. I will be waiting for his negative calls climb like Mt. Rumpke, defining him as a socialist for supporting public schools. I may be waiting in vain, but I will still wait.

What happens all too often with Conservative voters is they talk a big talk, but when it comes to cutting government, they only want to cut programs that affect others, not ones they care about. Good government is the honest answer to how to run a country, state, or city. We don't always succeed, but we need the government to be there and public schools are one of the most important ways governments keep society from imploding, outside of the pesky Rule of Law thing, but that's not a big topic for Willie.

Thursday, September 23, 2010

Pre-MidPoint X-Mas, MOTR, and Rambling

So, it is a mere few hours before MidPoint starts and I am sitting in a coffeehouse on the hottest September 23rd in Cincinnati history. I am excited. I feel like it is Christmas morning and my parents are not up yet, meaning I only get to see what Santa brought me in my stocking. The piled up gifts under the tree will wait until my parents awake. You can't rush this. My older siblings are on duty to keep me occupied while we wait. My Dad was up late last night putting one of my gifts together, and I need to let him sleep.

I snuck a peek at that gift Dad had to assemble last night: MOTR Pub, the newest original music venue in Cincinnati. It's on Main Street where MidPoint began and lives where Cooper's once resided. Having a Hudy Amber as I stood by the stage, I felt wave of nostalgia flow over me. I remember seeing a for Algernon show there with a huge line-up that forced the keyboardist to set up in front of the stage. It was the best I've heard them play. I don't remember what year it was, maybe 2005 or 2006, but was a time before Main Street really died. It was dying, but had not gone cold. Well, what felt good last night was that it was clear to me that Main Street has risen from the ashes and along with the rest of Over-the-Rhine it will be a cultural beacon for Cincinnati this weekend.

I know those who have not been to Over-the-Rhine since the Main Street Brewery closed last century will make dumb jokes. I don't really care anymore. The jokes have been fewer and fewer the last couple of years, as OTR and Downtown have started to return to their rightful place as the center of culture for Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky. They never stopped being the actual center of culture for the Cincinnati region, but those who live where chain restaurants and watching American Idol pass for culture are beginning to see how a vibrant urban care brings the most cultural value to a society.  The tide has turned.

OTR will have a permanent up-tick from MOTR and with its success will help keep MidPoint and local original music going forward in Cincinnati.

Now it's time to tweak my Day One MidPoint schedule for the 11th time.  If you are out tonight, say hi and buy me a beer!

More MidPoint Picks

Still not sure who to see at MidPoint this year? Well, Classicgrrl at Cincyvoices.com has her out of town must see bands as well as local picks.

UrbanCincy's Dave Rolfes has some advice on Midpoint, which includes info on the Fest extras and some band picks.

Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Mayberry Foodstuffs Coming

I'd heard rumors of this a while back, but haven't posted so that the news could break in the traditional media first. As reported by today's Business Courier, World Restaurant Group's Josh Campbell will open an "urban grocery store" at Seventh and Main this November. Josh is currently playing with Mayberry Foodstuffs as the business's name. It'll cater both to downtown residents and to downtown workers who want to take dinner home.

Josh is clearly quite excited by the idea. (And when Josh gets excited, good things happen, as anyone who's been to one of Mayberry's supper club events knows!) The store will be open until 10:00--a blessing for downtowners. Right now, if I want a loaf of bread after 7:00, I have to leave the neighborhood to get it.

I'll definitely have a review once the store opens, but this is obviously a positive step forward for downtown.

And as long as I'm saying nice things about Chef Campbell, I ought to offer two other tidbits:

First, Mayberry's lunch menu changed last week to a fall offering. I haven't tried everything yet, but can recommend both the turkey hot brown and the "Menage a Trois." (The latter is recommended only if you schedule an immediate visit with your cardiologist. The sandwich is the ultimate homage to pork: pork loin, pulled pork, and bacon hot slaw, along with brie cheese and Josh's spicy beer mustard.) The mashed potatoes are also very good--unsurprising, given Mayberry's skill with carbohydrates.

Second, next Thursday (September 30th), City Cellars will host a beer and foodie event from 7 until 10. The beer portion of the evening is dedicated to the 175th Anniversary Hudepohl Amber Lager. On the culinary menu will be dishes from Josh Campbell, including spiced lamb burgers and baby back ribs. Fifteen bucks gets you dinner and three beers. I have to teach that night, or I'd be there. Reservations required.

ENS's Guide to MidPoint 2010

The team over at Each Note Secure has the most comprehensive Indie music coverage in the City and released their guide to MidPoint which includes a two good selections of local bands to see and new hot out-of-town bands. Check it out if you are going to MidPoint.  If you read ENS why would you not be going to MidPoint?

Metromix Lists 20 Must See MidPoint Acts

The Enquirer's Metromix has listed its list of 20 acts to check out this weekend at the MidPoint Music Festival.  I am again pleased with the level of coverage the Enquirer has been given MidPoint in this being the third year that MidPoint is run by CityBeat. A large portion comes from their blog network, but there have been other good articles in Enquirer itself.  I hope to see more reports during the festival.

MidPoint Picks - Imports

I spent quite a bit of time listening to all of the MySpace/Facebook samples for this year's MidPoint line up and I've got my listing of artists I am going to try and see. No, I will not get to see all of these. I purposely skipped the Southgate House, not because the acts over there are not good, they are, I am just going to stick with OTR/Downtown venues for convenience. I also left off local bands. I usually don't go to MidPoint to see local bands, but I hope that doesn't stop others from going to out see them. Since I tend to not see full sets in order to see as much as I can, I'll catch other bands, especially local ones, that's just how MidPoint rolls. I also left off a few of the bigger acts, I figure you don't need me to tell you to go where the crowds are really big, if you want to see the popular bands.

Some groups will be great, some good, some will have off nights, and some just will not sound like their sample tracks. The most important thing everyone going to MidPoint should remember: have fun! The second thing they should remember: applaud the hard work of these musicians and make them feel welcome in Cincinnati.

So Here are my takes by day in order of appearance:

Thusrday
Male Bonding Grammer’s 8:30 PM Dalston, United Kingdom
Karate Coyote Mainstay Rock Bar 10:30 PM Columbus, OH
Van Dyke Parks Blue Wisp Jazz Club 10:30 PM Pasadena, CA
Shonen Knife Contemporary Arts Center 11:00 PM Osaka, Japan
Astro Fang Courtyard Café 11:15 PM Dayton, OH
Holy F*ck Cincinnati Club 11:30 PM Toronto, Canada
Loto Ball Show Main Event 11:30 PM Chicago, IL
Friday
Caribou Grammer’s 9:30 PM Dundas, Canada
Aaron Daniel Segway Room 10:30 PM Seattle, WA
The Front Bottoms Below Zero Lounge 10:30 PM Bergen County, NJ
Royal Bangs Know Theatre 11:30 PM Knoxville, TN
Scotland Yard Gospel Choir Main Event 12:30 AM Chicago, IL
Saturday
+/- ArtWorks 8:00 PM Brooklyn, NY
Caravan of Thieves Grammer’s 8:30 PM Bridgeport, CT
Natural Child Main Event 10:30 PM Nashville, TN
Love in October ArtWorks 11:00 PM Chicago, IL
Phantogram Know Theatre 11:30 PMSaratoga Springs, NY
Cults MOTR Pub 12:00 AM New York, NY
Kinetic Stereokids FB’s 12:00 AM Flint, MI
River City Extension Arnold's Bar & Grill 12:15 AM Toms River, NJ

WOW! WCPO Has a MidPoint Guide

Way to cover Local Music WCPO! They have a special MidPoint Music Festival section on their website with the schedule and other events during the festival, even some feature articles.  It appears CityBeat provided the copy, but I'm glad to have more coverage. I really hope to see TV cameras from WCPO and other TV stations out each night during the festival, along with lead features during every broadcast during MidPoint.

Hat Tip: Kate the Great via Twitter.

Tuesday, September 21, 2010

90 Minutes Left to Buy You 3-Day MidPoint Passes...Hurry!!!

You have 90 minutes left to purchase your 3-Day MidPoint passes online. Click there now, and BUY! $39 is cheaper if you are going more than one day, so save money and get more music.

UPDATE: 3-Day Passes are still on sale at Retail Locations, while supplies last.

Metromix MPMF Survival Guide

The Enquirer shares some help and hits about the 2010 MidPoint Music Festival, including places to get food during and after the showcases each night.

Each Note Secure Interviews MPMF Artist Shonen Knife

30 years of Japanese Pop music is coming to the Midpoint Music Festival and Each Note Secure has an interview with the band.

Monday, September 20, 2010

MidPoint to Offer Single Day Passes

The MidPoint Music Festival will offer single day passes for $20. These passes will be available at the door of each venue.

3-Day pass on-line sales WILL STILL END tomorrow(09/21/2010) at 5PM, and will NOT be for sale at the venue doors. A 3-Day pass is the only way you can go to the Secret Show. A 3-Day pass will also get you free rides on the Metro Midpoint route. If you are going more than 1 day, a 3-Day is still your cheaper route. So Get your's NOW.

Savvy Journalists Can Spin a Story Too, Kevin

Kevin Osborne of CityBeat wrote an attack on the Enquirer and Joe Deters last week over the way he claimed they spun the Washington Park incident where a police officer accidentally ran over a person allegedly sleeping under a blanket. Kevin ended his column with this paragraph:
"Savvy politicians know how to spin a story, and all too often media outlets are willing to play along in search of an “exclusive.” In this case, the public wasn't well served by the prosecutor or the local daily newspaper of record."

I guess what's good for the geese isn't good for the goose, at least not to Kevin. The public was not served by Kevin Osborne's article.  The family of victim was served with a set of  "facts" spun in such a way to help with a civil lawsuit more than likely to be filed in the near future. In the process of attacking the Enquirer and Joe Deters for drawing conclusions from an incomplete investigation, Kevin did the same thing, he just spun the case, and maybe a civil trial jury pool, with the "facts" that he cherry picked out of the more detailed, yet unfinished, report. Kevin made it clear in his article that the investigation was not complete and no-conclusions had be finalized. So Kevin's doing just what the Enquirer did, but goes way farther in spin-doctoring.

Publishing the statement about what drugs someone alleged was taking for medical conditions and then reporting the manufacturer's list of POSSIBLE side effects was un-journalistic.  Drawing conclusions and declaring what those possible medical conditions might mean in a court of law is irresponsible and damaging to the the focus of our justice system: Truth.  Spinning the facts to fit a story-line that helps activists push an unrelated cause against progress in redeveloping the city, well that's a reason why I am sad that Kevin's column is one of the few sources of news in the City.  I am sad because it is not news, Kevin is giving opinion that is being interpreted by much of his readers as at least a semi-objective news article. Kevin and City will not claim to free of bias, but when you use conjecture for a column, and hide behind have more information than the Enquirer, that doesn't mean you are right about your claim, that means you have more data, some of which might very well be irrelevant.

It was also very troubling when Kevin 'reported' this statement in his article:
Witness Tony Ferrell told troopers, “The word on the street is that the cop was chasing a beer drinker.” Yes, folks, it could be that Burton died as Polk pursued someone for a minor misdemeanor, which carries no jail time under Ohio law, only a $150 fine.
Word on the Street? Seriously, he is going to report that as relevant? Did another witness happen to mention that it was actually 3CDC driving the car and the cops are covering for them? Someone said is was Marge Schott. How about Spiderman?  Kevin makes this bad journalism by using the statement of  a person who was telling police of the rumors as the basis to draw a conclusion and attack police. Kevin picked out that quote because it gave him the opportunity to attack a police officer and the power structure and gave him a cheap and hollow political point. That is what we call spinning and in this case he jumped to conclusions with the purpose of making his readers distrust the police and be mad. Well, Kevin made me mad, but not at the police, I am mad at him for judging a case before the final report is completed, one that will be analysed by trained officials. I am mad at him for using a tragic case to push his political viewpoints.  I am mad at him for not serving the public, and instead serving the needs of those he wants to get a big settlement from the City.

Deters may have read a preliminary version of the same information Kevin read, and more, since Deters is the Proscecuting Attorney. The Eqnuirer's lack of research is, well, common, but when you are running a daily instead of a weekly paper, cutting corners is what you are going to do. Blame them for not writing a follow-up story after getting more information.  Don't blame them for not cherry picking the facts on the case as you may want.  This was a tragic accident, but doing your best to making it into another police brutality case is not going work. The cop screwed up.  Thinking there is a criminal offense here is not about this case, it is about bias towards police.  Let the family sue and settle for a large sum of money.  It does no good trying to use this sad case for political causes that don't relate to the facts.  We need calm and sensible journalism.  We don't need yellow-journalism from CityBeat.  Leave that to the kooks who wear capes.

Sunday, September 19, 2010

MIAMI 31, CSU 10

Love and honor to Miami,
Our college old and grand,
Proudly we shall ever hail thee,
Over all the land.

Alma mater now we praise thee,
Sing joyfully this lay,
Love and honor to Miami,
Forever and a day.


Read about it here. I have more hope of bringing the Bell back to Oxford this year. October 9th is coming up!

Friday, September 17, 2010

MidPoint 3-Day Passes Will NOT Be Sold During the Festival!

For all of you procrastinators out there, you better get your Midpoint 3-day wrist bands for 3 days full showcase access before 5 PM on Tuesday September 21st, when online sales will end.  Retail locations will continue sales while supplies last.  To repeat:
 
  • 3-Day Wrist Bands ($39) for Midpoint will not be sold at venue doors during the festival.
  • There will not be any single day all venue passes. This detail may change.
  • You will have pay the cover ($10-$20) for each venue without a 3-Day Wrist Band.
Get your pass TODAY! The Festival takes place September 23-25.  Some retail locations to try: Neon's, Coffee Emporium in OTR, CAC, Park+Vine, Grammer's, Shake-It and more.
To buy online: GO HERE.


Update: Details may be changing.

Effective Protest? I Say Yes

Two protesters were arrested and two others were thrown out of Great American Ball Park yesterday afternoon for holding large banners over the outfield wall with anti-racist/pro-immigrant messages during the Reds game against Arizona.  No one was hurt, the message got out to good sized crowd, and media coverage was pretty positive.  The two will likely plea out and take what should be very light punishment.  As far as protests go, this was effective.  It's not going to change the world mind you, but it hopefully will change some minds.

Monzel Is Grasping At Something, But Doesn't Seem To Know

During a mini-debate at the Enquirer with fellow Hamilton County Commission Candidate Jim Tarbell, Canidate Chris Monzel was just pulling every thought out of his ass he could grab.  All he came up with was straw.

Chris Monzel wants to sell the Bengals and Reds Stadiums to solve the county's budget crisis.  He fails to say how this might be accomplised.  He fails to say how it could be completed in time to affect this years or even next year's budget.  He fails to say he has a better idea than Commissioner David Pepper tried when he brought up the the idea to sell the stadiums previously.  He actually contacted a group of bankers who turned him down.

Monzel is failing to say because he doesn't know.  He doesn't know what he would cut, he just says everything.  He doesn't say who will be buy the Stadiums because he has no clue and is ignorant of the County study the Enquirer cited stating that there isn't a market for the Stadiums with the level of debt the County holds on them.

Monzel doesn't know much of anything, except what the anti-government nuts he has hitched his wagon to want.  He knows he will not raise taxes.  He knows he will never say what he would want government to do, because that would piss off his base, who hate having a government do anything.  He knows he can't do anything that will piss off the crazies he is courting because that is all he has.  He has no plan for the future, he has no ideas to make this a better place to live.  All he has are trite social concerns that don't have any inpact on County Government.  If you hear him talk about abortion, know that he is pandering.  When you hear him talk about being a son of the suburbs, know that he is pandering.  When you hear him say he will do "what ever it takes" to lower crime, know that he is pandering.

You can know this because he has done nothing as a council member to address the same problems the County is facing.  The City has a budget deficit, but he has not provided a plan that will reduce all or even a noticable fraction of that deficit, even though he claimed to have done so. Why?  Why hasn't a sitting Council Member come up with a plan to help the city?  He can't.  He knows he can't.  He can't fix the City budget without cutting the police and fire departments, and he knows the the FOP and Fire Fighters union members live in the County, as opposed to the City, and will vote against him without a hesitation if he agrees to cuts that layoff unneeded members of their unions.

Monzel seems to know who will vote for him if he panders to them, but don't seem to know hot to actually fix the problems facing the City and County.  Why would anyone vote for him?

Check out more from the Daily Bellwether.

Wednesday, September 15, 2010

Constitution Party & Tea Party Candidate Indicted for Sex With a Minor

Eric Deaton, Constitution Party and Tea Party endorsed candidate for U.S. Senate in Ohio was indicted last month for unlawful sexual conduct with a minor in a Montgomery County court.

The New Lebanon man is claiming this is politically motivated. He is accused to allegedly having sexual contact with a female 15 years old during 2006 and 2007.

Sorry Mr. Deaton, Grand Jurys are not known for political motivation.

The man out to "Restore moral citizens to office" didn't appear to actual mean himself, which seems to make his third party candidacy even more futile.  The Tea Party sure can pick 'em.

More here.

Opening Day On Thursday?

The 2011 Reds Schedule was published yesterday and Opening Day is on a Thursday. Yes, it normally is on a Monday, but MLB has decided that games need to start earlier to avoid playing the World Series in November. The time of the game has not been published, but local support would be for an afternoon game, preceded by the traditional Findlay Market Opening Day Parade in the morning.

It feels kinda of cheap to move the day, but since the Reds lost the right to play the first game every year, this may be an opening to gain back that tradition.

Tuesday, September 14, 2010

Winburn Supports Qualls for Mayor in 2013

I don't know if Roxanne Qualls is happy that Republican Charlie Winburn is the first known endorsement of her yet unannounced 2013 mayoral campaign, but she got it yesterday via this Twitter post from Jane Prendergast of the Enquirer:
Winburn: I don't want to be mayor, I'm supporting Qualls. "I already told her that."
At this point, would there even be a Republican candidate to opposee her?  She got more votes than the sitting mayor got last year as Councilmember, and is the clearly leading candidate at this early stage. I find it laughable for an elected Republican to give her an endorsement, even this early and even off the cuff.  I am blogging this in part to make sure that he can't deny it wasn't published, but I'm sure Charlie Winburn wouldn't have much qualms about changing his mind a few years down the road.  He's not known for being unfungible.  Just so the search engines don't miss it: Republican Charlie Winburn has endorsed Democrat/Charterite Roxanne Qualls for Mayor of Cincinnati in 2013.
We have a big election coming up this November, next year we have Cincinnati City Council to go through, so the Mayor race seems like it isn't even a consideration.  I don't expect we'll hear much about this until late November 2011.

Monday, September 13, 2010

Get Ready It's Oktoberfest Week!

Get you beer steins cleaned and work on your beer fighting weight. This weekend is Oktoberfest Zinzinnati. The world of beer and brats will be centered on Cincinnati's 5th Street for 2 full days. Don't miss a second, unless you need to relieve yourself, which after a day's worth of beer drinking, you will need to do. Bring your grandma and your dancing shoes.

Local 'Tea party' Opens an HQ: Guess Where?

If you thought about it for all of Five seconds and then blurted out loud: "West Chester, of course," then you would be correct. There's nothing really surprising that the TPers GOTV efforts would focus in West Chester, home of the Conservative Republican base. The local group is nothing but a Republican organization, and anyone denying that is clearly not worth all of the tea bags in China you can buy at the West Chester Walmart.

Is Justin Jeffre a Plagiarist?

Well, if you read The incinnati Man then the evidence is there that Jeffre did plagiarize a book by Ralph Nader. The "Dean" appeared to defend Jeffre on The Cincinnati Man Blog and then the post on the Cincinnati Beacon was updated to include a citation of the original source.

So bottom line: Jeffre ripped a lengthy citation from a book, didn't cite it as a quote, got caught doing it, then added a citation after the fact. That's not good journalism, but I've never considered him much of a journalist.

Thursday, September 09, 2010

More on MOTR on Main

Soapbox has a nice article this week with some of the details of the new bar opening on Main Street later this month, MOTR. Hightlights include a courtyard, food, basement rooms, no cover, and eventually there will be music seven days a week. The last one is the biggest challenge. I welcome it.

Seven nights of music is something that only happens with coverband venues, like J-Hall in Newport. Original music venues like Southgate House and Northside Tavern come close to seven nights a week, but they don't adhere to that model, and use alternate programming to fill big holes: think Dance MF and Karaoke. Using genre themes on "off nights", something the owners plan to do, is a good idea to target wider audiences and make the seven day model more attainable.

MOTR as defined in the article is the type of cultural attraction OTR needs. Success will necessitate the owners put a lot out there to get the fans to make it a destination. There is not natural parking immediately near-by and OTR does not currently have as many live music fans living with in walking distance as Northside does. This would mean they need to capitalize on the proximity to Downtown and the new casino and draw in people who on any given night are looking for something interesting to do. There is risk, but I for one will have fewer reasons to go to Northside for live music.

The Streetcar Will Flow Uptown on Vine Street

The Enquirer is reporting that the City announced yesterday the route for the Northern leg of the Streetcar will flow up Vine Street. West Clifton Avenue was the other choice.

The Vine Street route will cost less and with the lower grade incline would on paper be easier to construct.

Wednesday, September 08, 2010

Texting While Driving

Cincinnati City Council is now poised to pass a ban on texting while driving. According to the Enquirer, it will have the support of at least 2 of the 3 Republicans on Council (and there's no mention of opposition from the third, who simply isn't on the committee from which the ordinance originated).

On the bright side, the ordinance apparently specifically permits the use of GPS devices.

I still don't understand how an officer will differentiate between a driver dialing his or her phone to make a call and using the cell phone to send a text message. Council was told by CPD that (a) this isn't an area in which CPD is noticing a significant problem, and (b) enforcement could be problematic.

One thing is certain: I don't ever want to hear another Hamilton County Republican ever complain about the so-called "nanny state." Ever.

Here's my previous post on this.

Seelbach For Council Publishes First Online Ad

First time Cincinnati Council Candidate Chris Seelbach is out early with his first online advertisement:

An early endorsement from former Vice Mayor David Crowley is strong showing for the very early days of the 2011 race. Raising money is the key now through next summer. An early start is the only way for a first time candidate to fare well in the election, and Chris has begun earlier than anyone.

Tuesday, September 07, 2010

The Big Dog is Coming to Town

Former President Bill Clinton is coming to Cincinnati to raise money for Ohio's Lt. Gov. Lee Fisher's Senate race.

The conservative zombies can already smell him and will rise from the dead to blame him for everything going on. They will blame him for the Reds losing 2 of 3 in St. Louis over the weekend. They will blame him for UC's embarrassing lose to Fresno State. They will also blame him for the Streetcar!!! Lock up your conservative middle aged women! A crisis is brewing! Conservatives can only blame President Obama for so much, they need to fall back on Bill for everything else.

Monday, September 06, 2010

BC, We Hardly Knew Ye....

I have no problem admitting that the Cincinnati Blog is not the best blog in town. That's not because CityBeat says so or because some other site gets more daily hits. It's because I read most of Cincinnati's blogs (with varying frequency), and I know what's out there.

In my opinion, the award for "Best Blog" in town over the last couple of years should go, hands down, to Building Cincinnati. (And I've said that before.) That's not to put down the quality of the work here or at other political blogs or other niche blogs (be they foodie blogs or diary blogs or sports blogs). But everything that Kevin LeMaster writes at BC is well-sourced, well-analyzed, and well-written. I lack the time (and probably the ability) to do those things as well as he does.

Unfortunately, putting together a blog the caliber of BC takes a lot of time. So much time, in fact, that Kevin can really only do it if he's able to make a living from what BC brings in through its partnership with the Enquirer and advertising. There's only a handful of blogs (none local, so far as I know) that generate this kind of money. So it looks like Kevin will have no choice but to leave the blogosphere and enter the "real world."

The loss of Building Cincinnati is a sad thing for Cincinnati.

Hopefully, Kevin will find another forum to write. Given the strength of his sources and his writing ability, surely someone in the print media must have a spot on staff for him? Cincinnati Business Journal? Cincinnati Magazine? Time for someone to take a chance....

Number 5 is Alive....

Bengals fans (including me) had better hope the offensive line provides Secret Service-like protection for Carson Palmer this season. Jordan is the backup? Really? Most people assume he only gets a roster spot because of some rider in Carson's contract. And now he's #2 on the depth chart.

There aren't many Frank Reich's in the league. But a playoff-caliber team has to have a viable backup QB to get through a couple of games if the starter goes down. Does anyone think the Bengals can win any of the games on their schedule if Jordan has to play the second half, much less start a game?

Someone better be making sure Carson is eating his Wheaties....

All Smoke, No Fire?

The Enquirer lists the major property owners along the most likely streetcar routes. There's a name that's notably absent: Towne Properties.

Certainly, Towne properties has an interest in the streetcar. The Uptown Commons project represents a pretty big financial gamble for the company, and they'll net a ton of money if it succeeds. And there can be no doubt it's more likely to be successful if a nearby streetcar connects it to downtown.

But vocal streetcar opponents insisted that Towne Properties had land all along the streetcar route. They made it sound as if the streetcar were a pet project of Towne Properties. Clearly, that's not the case.

And clearly, some people owe Chris Bortz an apology. I'll admit, I gave him grief in a post this past May, but that was over the really bad judgment required to request--and then ignore--an Ohio Ethics Commission opinion. And I stand by that assessment. But it now seems as if maybe some of those most vocally against the streetcar were pushing the Bortz conflict issue to distract from the merits of the question.

Shame on them.

21

That's the magic number for the Reds. The Enquirer now has a permanent spot for the magic number on its sports page. Wish I had seen it before removing my socks and shoes to do the math myself.

Barring some sort of historic breakdown, the Reds will be in the playoffs this year. But this weekend's series against the Cardinals has to give us some concern about how they'll do once in the postseason. Those two losses (3-2 Friday and 4-2 Sunday) looked like playoff games will look. Big, hostile crowds. Great pitchers. Low scoring, grind-em-out games. Can the Reds win these games? Colin Cowherd is a blowhard, but he usually has a point. Maybe he does this time, too. Maybe we're just a pitcher or two away (or a season or two away for the pitchers we already have) from the Reds being ready to go deep into the postseason.

None of this changes the following: the Reds are a lot of fun to watch this year, and I'm going to be a little sad when the season ends, whether that comes following the regular season or at the end of the World Series.

Saturday, September 04, 2010

Gameday Predictions

Some of the games have already started, but (I promise!) I haven't looked at any scores. Just wanted to offer some opening week predictions. (I'm putting them on the blog because, quite frankly, I'd privately predicted the Reds would go 6-3 on their last road trip (exactly what they did), but only two friends heard me, so I'm having trouble getting credit for my Rainman-like sports instincts.)

The Redhawks will lose. Big. Their loss will be so earth-shattering they might disband the football team after the game. (How many fans tuned into the game thinking it was the real Miami playing Florida?)

TCU and Boise State will both lose, causing a major shuffle to the polls after Week 1.

My Penguins, sadly, will not prevail.

Brian Kelly starts off the Notre Dame season with a win. It'll be one of just 5 his team gets all season, leaving the Irish ineligible for post-season play.

But my Bearcats will win their first game--a trap game, quite frankly. It'll be high-scoring but close. Local media will start dreaming Zach Collaros Heisman dreams. (Has he finished his diversion yet?)

Michigan will win, but barely.

That's just about all the football I care about this weekend. Anyone else?

Training Day

For a few minutes of diversionary delight, go check out Kate the Great's post with embedded clips of Wendy's training videos. These are classic early '90's employment videos, set to music in order to capture the attention of their teenage new hires. The two-minute video on how to serve hot drinks is particularly instructive. Tips on how to pour a cup of coffee include the lyrics:

Gets a lid
Every time.
Wendy's coffee
Tastes so fine.

And from the segment on serving hot tea:

If they want lemon
It's very nice, don't think twice
Give the guests
Their juicy slice.

Awesome!

Thursday, September 02, 2010

Bhati Tops Speculation List for Coroner

Dr. Anant Bhati is the only name being mentioned in public by Democratic officials to fill the position of Hamilton County Coroner O'dell Owens who is leaving for Job as President of Cincinnati State.

Dr. Bhati sounds like a very compelling candidate. This is a job that gets little attention, unless someone dies or someone forgets to lock the doors of morgue. If Dr. Bhati can keep the door locked and oversee the team investigating all of the deaths in the county, he should do well. Job requirement #1 appears to be just being diligent. I don't know how a well respected doctor can NOT be diligent.

Wednesday, September 01, 2010

CEA Winners Announced: Know Theatre Wins 5 Awards

The last Theatre CEAs awards program took place Sunday evening and the hosts of the event, the Know Theatre, took 5 awards, 3 individual performances and 2 production awards.

The list of winners for all categories are listed here.

Monday, August 30, 2010

Well Said: Please. Shut. Up.

I'm not sure that I've every been in such heartfelt agreement with an Enquirer commentary.

Continuum of Care Decision: YWCA Should House Homeless Women

The Cincinnati/Hamilton County Continuum of Care for the Homeless has announced that following a request for proposals and a review by a panel of national experts, the YWCA has been selected as the agency to a women-only emergency homeless shelter. The "competition" for the responsibility was between the YWCA and the Drop Inn Center.

The Enquirer's coverage is here.

The announcement, frankly, raises more questions than it answers. According to the Enquirer, the shelter will not be housed at the YWCA on Walnut (where that agency presently has a shelter for victims of domestic violence). I'm not aware of funding having been secured to create a new facility, and there's no mention of where the new shelter will be. But CoC says that all funding for emergency shelter services for women will be directed toward the YWCA. The Enquirer puts that at about $42,000 annually (obviously, not enough to start a new shelter), which it appears DIC will lose in its 2011 budget. DIC, meanwhile, says it will continue to provide emergency shelter for women for years to come.

So:

  • Where will the new shelter be?
  • When will it open, and from where will the money come?
  • How will the need for emergency shelter for women be met in the meantime?
  • Is this connected to Pat Clifford's dismissal earlier this month?
  • Is this just the first in a planned series of moves designed to eventually make DIC so small as to be meaningless and eventually de-funded out of existence?

We'll see.

Main Street Cooperation Will Help Reduce Crime

The Main Street area will get a boost from efforts of local business owners. Some minor changes to the type of products sold will help reduce crime. If local corner markets stop selling just a few products or certain items in single quantities, the minor street crime will start to go down.

The key is vigilance. Keep an eye on what happens outside your business or residence and report crimes, all of them, no matter who is responsible. If all residents did this all over OTR, the drug trade and the theft rings would dry up in the neighborhood. The drug trade has in the past used intimidation of some residents, so standing up to them requires police to lead the way and patrol the area.

Sunday, August 29, 2010

Harang Back on Tuesday

With the troubles for Leake and Volquez, along with continued inconsistency from Bailey, it might be a relief to see Harang getting his first start since July on Tuesday.

His two rehab starts for the Sluggers, though, were terrible. He was 0-2 with an ERA of 9. (On the bright side, he had 10 strikeouts to just 2 walks.)

Let's hope for the best.

Hate Crimes in Covington: Victim Speaks out

A local woman was interviewed by the Huffington Post about one of the worst incidences of an anti-gay hate crime to occur locally. Good reporting, but I wish we never had to have this kind of story written about Covington or anywhere in the Cincinnati area. I really wish the local media had the connections or were given the resources to get this type of interview, but alas they don't have the enough reporters to do the shoe leather work needed.

For a rash of crimes like these it should not take that big an of effort to track down the individuals or groups responsible, as long as the police are aggressively investigating the crimes. The story indicates that Covington Police have some work to do on how they react to such crimes. Time for the CovPD to get to work.

Saturday, August 28, 2010

Local Ballet School Launches Website

During the first week of our first semester, when we learned that one of our classmates had been a "dancer" before coming to law school, we all knew what that meant. A couple of chuckles and elbow nudges later, we found out that--as is typical of law students and lawyers--our minds had been in the gutter for no apparent reason. Our friend was a ballet dancer (and teacher) before law school. Plans to install a stripper pole in the law library were hastily--albeit sadly--abandoned.

Rather than plie-ing her way through courtrooms after graduation, Amy Tevlin returned to her first love. She spent a few years teaching ballet in the northeast and eventually came back to Cincinnati to launch, with her husband Michael, Tevlin Ballet. The West Chester-based enterprise boasts a school, a pre-professional company, and a professional company.

Tevlin Ballet is hosting an open house next Friday and Saturday, and registration for fall classes is ongoing.

So if one of your kids is dreaming of growing up to be a ballerina (or whatever it is they call male ballet dancers), this looks like a good place to start....

Friday, August 27, 2010

Miss Print Blogs on her Last Game of the Season

"Miss Print" of the Cincinnati Roller Girls (also known as Lauren Bishop of both the Enquirer and Cincinnati Imports) tells of her last game of the season. (CRG has two games left on the West Coast this weekend.)

Miss Print may have been disappointed with the way the game and her season ended, but I finished reading Lauren's post with the same thought I often have after reading her stuff for either her blog or the paper: Damn, that woman can write.

Conservative Poll Has Chabot-Driehaus Even

The Enqurier's Carl Weiser reported on the Politics Extra blog yesterday that in a Conservative Group's poll Chabot was leading Driehaus 47% to 45% with a +/- margin of error of 4.9%, making the race a dead heat.  This is something of a surprise.  Conservative polls are almost always going to lean towards the conservative candidate, usually based on the structure of the questions or the population based used for the sample.  A dead heat here goes against the conventional wisdom of this race, which in national press outlets was giving Chabot a big advantage.  This poll would sound to me on the surface to be good news for Driehaus, but there is a long way until November, and the economic news will drive this race.
 
This poll isn't a fair indication of much, but some of the internals are very interesting about people in the 1st district:
68% of those polled were age 50 or older.
45% of those polled make $75K or less per year.
71% of those polled are white.
50% are Male and 50% Female
51% are "Pro-Life" and 40% are "Pro-Choice"  (I thought this would be a much wider gap)
 
Steve Driehaus won:
17% of Conservatives
61% of Moderates
83% of Liberals

Is the Theft Related to the Lawsuit?

A tenant, Ramdake Lewis, of the Metropole is accused of stealing documents from a company in charge of the Metropole transition. There are many questions on what this all means, but I've get several initial inquiries that raise this incident up a bit. What are the documents and how do they relate to any of the lawsuits or complaints made on the Metropole renovation? Could any of these documents be evidence in the lawsuit filed against HUD and 3CDC? Could the motive for the alleged crime be that the man in question was looking for information he could give to attorneys in this case? Is this what some would call spying?

Was Mr. Lewis spying on the Model Group/Brickstone? Spying is a big word, but was the guy snooping around? Did he "steal" the documents as he is accused? If he did this, was he acting alone? Was he advised by anyone to obtain this information? The facts of the case are not known, but if this goes to trial, more details will emerge.

Thursday, August 26, 2010

Give the Daily Show an Emmy For This NOW!!!

Jon Stewart is brilliant and this looks easy, but it is so well done, I almost peed. Yes, me, crusty blogger, Brian Griffin, almost peed my pants in laughter. The Daily Show summed up the fundamental problem with FOX News in a 9 minute gut busting segment. Watch and enjoy:
The Daily Show With Jon StewartMon - Thurs 11p / 10c
The Parent Company Trap
www.thedailyshow.com
Daily Show Full EpisodesPolitical HumorTea Party
I learn towards Team Stupid, but Team Evil makes really good points.

Via: Liberalfix.com.

UPDATE: The above embedded video seems to be updating with newer episodes. To see the clip I referended, check out the full show from Monday August 23rd.

Is Smitherman a Political Whore?

Who won't Chris Smitherman, local NAACP chapter president , suck up to? He's reportedly going to have a big public meet and great with the local Tea Party. Who is next on his list? Chris Monzel? Phil Burress? Westwood Concern? I'll keep my eyes peeled for a Smitherman press release that calls for the repeal/amendment of the 14th Amendment in support of a "Birther" issue. Smitherman's been in bed with COAST for a while, and his screed against Cincinnati Public Schools seems to be a left flank attack that does nothing but hurts students and provides Chris Finney a way to demagogue public schools without lifting a finger.

It wouldn't be, I don't know, normal of Smitherman to be working with people like the Mayor of Cincinnati or...I don't know...the President of the United States instead? These men are, oh, I don't know, elected officals who happen to be....black? This fact seems to be lost on Smitherman. Has the NAACP become colorblind or has Smitherman become blind of everything but his own ambition?

Wednesday, August 25, 2010

CEAs and Acclaims Combine

Rick Pender reports that CityBeat's Cincinnati Entertainment Awards for Theater will join forces with the Enquirer sponsored Acclaim Awards. The Acclaims will go forward with Pender and Jackie Demaline serving on the organization's Executive Committee. This year's CEAs will be the last. Next May's Acclaims will be changed to include public voting awards. More details on the merger likely will come out over time, but hopefully the Acclaims process will be updated overall.

I'm disappointed that we can't sustain both awards programs, but the decline in support for arts in the local (and national) media I believe has forced this move. The biggest theatre production that lose out will be the Cincinnati Fringe Festival, which this past year did not get any acclaim awards, so stand to not get any nominations next year. The Enquirer gave limited coverage of the event and it wasn't clear how many Acclaim representatives were at the festival in an official capacity. Hopefully, that can be remedied inside the organization. Having an alternative category is critical to preserving part of the CEA's superior structure.

I am going to be sure to head to this Sunday's last CEA event at the Know Theatre. I hope all Cincinnati Theatre fans come out and say farewell to this awards program which has provided strong support for local theatre.

Monday, August 23, 2010

Fun Campaign Event

As a criminal defense attorney, I get invited to judicial campaign events all the time. They're pretty standard fare: pay $150 for entrance to some restaurant or bar, have a couple beers, and eventually listen to a judge or judicial candidate say a few words thanking everyone in attendance.

Judge Nadine Allen, running to retain her seat on the Hamilton County Court of Common Pleas, does things a little bit differently.

On Sunday, August 29, beginning at 4:00 at the Evendale Amphitheater, her campaign will throw a concert. Those scheduled to perform include Eliot Sloan of the Blessid Union of Souls. Bootsy Collins will make a special appearance, and the judge herself will take the stage with the Supreme Courtettes. (Judge Allen and the Courtettes won the Cincinnati Bar Association's "Idol" competition late last year.)

Admission is twenty bucks and includes food and beverages.

MPMF it ain't. but it'll probably be the most interesting campaign event I've been to in a really long time.

Legal Question of the Day

This story raises the following important question:

What are the feds going to do with all that Jamaican gold?

And a tip: if you're going to ship pot through CVG, don't use a really cheesy-looking tombstone to do so.

Clifton Ave or Vine St? Which Shall It Be?

Cincinnati Officials face a tough choice on where to put the Northern leg of the Streetcar: up West Clifton Avenue or Vine Street. I don't envy City Manager Milton Dohoney on this decision. I see merits on both plans. I think the key factor must be expansion. If either of these plans would make expansion of the Streetcar further North cheaper or more efficient, then that should be a big consideration. I am slightly less concerned about who is more ready for development now. If there was a way to serve both Clifton Heights and Corryville, that would be the ideal.