Saturday, February 28, 2009

NEW BLOG

Well, new as last month
Northside Guerilla Farmer is three posts into a blog on growing & eating your own food.
mmmmmmm, lookit the berets on them guerillas, ma. This is sure gonna be one fine crop...
Farmer's Markets are ok, but there is nothing like walking out back, picking a cherry tomato & popping the sucker into your mouth.
Marica has also brought up the Cincinnati Farms Project spearheaded by Councilman David Crowley. The worst thing that can come from this project is probably fat deer.
Anyway, here's to a long and interesting new Cincinnati blog !
Buck Creek Project Receives Permits

Finally
The permits were only applied for in 2005.....
The project is to replace dams with "whitewater stations" in the area around Fountain Avenue west past the Springfield Art Museum and (Soldier ?) Cliff Park stage into Snyder Park near the northern terminus of Western Avenue (the big arched entrance to the park).

map here

It is at the foot of the cliff at the northern edge of the Community Mercy Health complex which is gradually getting underway. It is just south of Wittenberg University and Ferncliff Cemetery.
The area over by the Museum (the Arts Center) Has long been an eyesore and the improvements there sorely needed (especially next to a friggin Art Museum !). The replacing of the dam in Snyder Park with boulders will make for a significantly different experience audibly as well as visually. It should also make that area of the cemetery more desirable.
Now the planners just have to come up with the cash. Cost is estimated at $500 to $700 K.
These developments and the northern extension from downtown planned along Fountain will really transform this area of Springfield. Maybe, someday, I will be able to take a high speed train there from Cincinnati.
Almost makes a guy want to live.....

Noose Son story here.

PS, Snarky Frogtowners who post cheap, dumb, cynical & defeatist comments about the articles on the News-Sun website could really take some pointers from Porkopolis' bullet-head commenters at the Enqquirer. They really have nothing on the "let's curl up and die because nothing will ever work" attitude in Cincinnati.

Friday, February 27, 2009


Fish Fry !
by Big Black

- image deleted because I was informed it was just too offensive -

Wednesday, February 25, 2009

A couple months ago I advocated the use of Open Source solutions for our local government link.
Our pals in the UK are pushing the envelope a little harder nowadays.
Open Source has been one of the most significant cultural developments in IT and beyond over the last two decades: it has shown that individuals, working together over the Internet, can create products that rival and sometimes beat those of giant corporations; it has shown how giant corporations themselves, and Governments, can become more innovative, more agile and more cost-effective by building on the fruits of community work; and from its IT base the Open Source movement has given leadership to new thinking about intellectual property rights and the availability of information for re–use by others.

For the full story see the CIOC site
For a summary see Kable.

Monday, February 23, 2009

Speaking of Bio-Fuel

Speaking of bio-fuel, soil conservancy and American progressivism.....
Do we really want to further deplete our natural resources, so vitally important to us - the resources that give us our food - so we can maintain our sprawling car-centric lifestyle ? Is that part of a progressive agenda ?
The Vassarettes ?

baddaboom...

Criminy, what's next ? The Wellesliennes ?
sigh

This lingerie clad version of Josie & The Pussycats is actually just a walking underwear ad. Could Newport's Jockey Club have been sponsored by an underwear company ? Ads with sweaty, pasty young punks, clad only in their u-trou, diving off stages to the sounds of blaring thrash punk ?
Anyway, at least one of the chicks plays an SG, so they can't be all bad. Then, again, so does that one Jonas kid.
You, of course, can join their fan club.

The Vassarette company

Sunday, February 22, 2009

Resistance is Futile

photograph by William Fischer Jr

Springfield's Healthy City Investments has purchased the Clark County Memorial Hall.
The building, erected in 1915, was purchased for $400 thousand. Restoration is estimated at $12-15 million. Since such costs are prohibitive they are planning on demolishing the building, saving the facade and incorporating it into a new building. They might want to turn it around to face north towards the new hospital.
The Memorial Hall was home to The Springfield Symphony Orchestra for many years, hosted pop concerts, and small conventions. Most of these functions are handled at the Clark State Performing Arts Center, nowadays.

For more of William Fischer's pictures of the building go to HMdb.org

Noose Son story here.

Saturday, February 21, 2009

Streetcar Arguments That Make Me Wonder

Streetcars will cause congestion on the street.
Well, I guess, if nobody uses the things. If the plan works (& it has in most cities) it will take cars off the streets and relieve congestion. Ultimately, as people move from surrounding areas to the urban core to live a more car free lifestyle, both surface streets and highways will see reduced traffic. This means a savings on costs associated with maintaining & widening highways (our taxes). Less demand for gas will reduce the price of gas, benefitting everybody, including the truck drivers who deliver things to us. This will, in turn translate to lower prices at the stores.
One place that will see an increase in traffic is the sidewalk. However, this will improve people's health, improve social sustainability, reduce crime and save even more money in our efforts to improve those areas through ever more socialist means. That is, the cost and interference of government goes down.

Thursday, February 19, 2009


On Monday February 23, 2009 at 7:30 PM Clifton Town Meeting will be getting together with architects from KZF at the Clifton Recreation Center on McAlpin Avenue to discuss designs for the Clifton Plaza (the vacant lot) at 333 Ludlow Avenue.
I'm thinking a gothic garden would be cool. All the Cliftonian goth kids could hang out and act morose and make cynical remarks about passers by.
naw, not really. There's about a dozen restaurants in that immediate area and nary a place to eat outside. I recommend bagging the architects and planting a tree or two and putting in a few picnic tables. There is probably a fear that picnic tables will attract undesirables and produce litter, but I say "functionality over fear".
yeah, I'm not gonna get elected to anything.....

Wednesday, February 18, 2009

The Ravine to Freedom

Sunday, February 22 from 3-5:30 PM there will be a hike in LaBoiteaux Woods following a route used as part of the Underground Railroad during the 1840s - 50s.
After the hike a presentation will be offered that will look at historic documents and maps.
An earlier hike at 2:30 has filled up and this later hike has just been added. It's supposed to be cold and cloudy Sunday. The terrain to be covered is described as rough. Good shoes are recommended. Still, it's only a mile and a half and afterward you can go home and watch TV. A far cry from the dangerous and exhausting trip the escaping slaves made 150 years ago weather be damned.
For more info & to make a reservation call 513-542-2909

Monday, February 16, 2009

Streetcar Arguments That Make Me Wonder

Streetcars use electric power generated by burning coal.
But the governor is dedicated to getting Ohio utility companies to reduce their coal dependency and replacing coal with wind, solar and "high technology" sources. And while it's not coal, a community with "circulator" transportation uses less gasoline as cars are used less frequently. As cars are in less demand, fewer resources are dedicated to their manufacture.
Ecological sustainability is important.

Tooleedoo Blade story here.
Streetcar Arguments that Make Me Wonder

People who don't like the proposed Cincinnati streetcar project frequently whine that the city can't do anything right. Therefore, doesn't it make sense that the city screwed up when they let the old streetcar lines get dismantled in the first place ?
hmmmmm........

Sunday, February 15, 2009


In the 2/13/09 episode of NOW, David Brancaccio discusses some of the problems of the latest stimulus package in relation to mass transit particularly. Much of the show focuses on Charlotte's light rail system. It addresses the fact that federal spending in states is usually based on what the state spends money on and states usually spend on highways while cities are left to maintain mass transit, so the lion's share of federal transportation money is going to highways instead of mass transit.
"Mass transit. Cities and states, strapped for money, are cutting back on mass transit even as it becomes more popular with Americans. Meanwhile, President Obama is calling for increased mass transit as a necessary step toward energy independence."

Ironically, Obama's focus on "shovel ready" projects is that his stimulus bill actually empowers the old Bush administrations agendas.
NOW story with video here

Saturday, February 14, 2009


What happens in a mix of musicians from The Champion City and The Queen City ?
Lessee, Springfield and Cincinnati both have grand Mt Auburnish cemeteries in Springfield's Ferncliff and Cincinnati's Spring Grove.
Springfield is the home of Champion Mortuary Supplies and Cincinnati is the home of Cincinnati College of Mortuary Science...

Death Metal ?

Rose Funeral is the spawn of such an unholy communion.
The band is recently signed to Metal Blade Records which has also been the home to GWAR, Slayer and (my pick for best graphics) Cannibal Corpse. They are planning a European tour later in '09.
I like all sorts of horror rock, psychobilly stuff but I just can't wrap what's left of my brain around death metal.
Anyway best of luck to these proud sons of The Buckeye State. Leave 'em bleeding.

Noose Son story here.

Friday, February 13, 2009

Use your own handwriting as a font with the YourFont online font creation tool.
The online service is OS agnostic and generates a TrueType font usable on Lin, Mac & Win.
You can use your font like any other TrueType font

And, of course, stunning video effects !

To send your documents out to friends and foes, use a word processor like Writer in OpenOffice and simply export your document with the font embedded using the Export to PDF function.
The process is pretty simple. You download a template from Yourfont, print it, enter your characters, scan it and upload it to YourFont. It processes the images to a font nd you download & install. Processing took about 2 minutes.
Placement of the letter in the template is important. As you can see, I did a horrible job. Anything in the boxes of the template is going to become part of the font, tho so you can't draw rules on the paper. I would sugget editing your scan in an image editing tool like GIMP and making sure everything is placed right using guides. This is especially important if you are trying to create a script font.
I would suggest using a hard paper or even plastic to print your template on and using a felt tip pen so you get a good smooth line. You also might want to practice some of those weird characters you don't use every day, like §s and æs and ¤s.
A whole alphabet is not neccesary, You can just make decorative capitals or scrolly embellishments.
What's really cool about this is that you don't really have to use the regular alphabet. You can make your own alchemical font or hieroglyphics or veve library. Or you can just buy professional versions at Deniart.
I imagine you could even use high contrast images of the fam.

Thursday, February 12, 2009

Summer Jobs

yeah, I know it's only February, but, WPAFB is offering about 300 summer jobs this year for high school and college students who are U.S. citizens. Jobs will start in May or June and last 60-90 days. Pay is $9.74 - $18.59 per hour.
With the current economy and job market this offer from the Fairborn Air Force base is pretty decent for kids just wanting a summer job. The types of jobs are administrative, finance, contracting, human resources, science and engineering support positions.
For information go to https://wrightpattjobs.wpafb.af.mil
or
http://www.88thservices.com/humanresources.htm

Noose Son story here.

Wednesday, February 11, 2009

What is the role of the libertarian politician ?
Currently, in our rabidly bi-partisan country, his role is primarily to squawk in election cycles and take advantage of the publicity a race gets to spread the word of the libertarian philosophy of small government, the responsibility of the private sector, civil & property rights and such. If a libertarian were to actually get elected to some office, he would have his hands full trying to eliminate laws, regulations, taxes & stuff.
However, in the event that a majority of libertarians were elected and a utopian libertarian government was achieved, what would the politician do besides sit around and sharpen pencils (that he brought from home) ?
As most of the regulations and programs our Republican and Democrat friends have given us over the years have had some sort of reason behind them, it would make sense that these needs still exist.
The governing libertarian should look at who, in the community, be it state or municipal, has needs and who has the product or service to meet those needs and bring them together to see if something can be done. This really isn't so different from what politicians do today, they just write it into law, create new government enforcement agencies and threaten disagreeing parties with a forfeiture of money, property and freedom. My libertarian politician is more of a matchmaker.
This practice would also make a better message to campaign on as people dependent on current regulations and programs hear talk of cutting the regulations and programs react in fear of being left out in the cold. Additionally it would be a good change from the negative squawker image the libertarian currently has.

Monday, February 09, 2009

Americans Want Choice

How long has the anti-choice movement been banging it's drum in an effort to deny women reproductive rights and choices ? It has been heralded as "one of the most massive and sustained expressions of citizen participation in the history of the United States".
Why ?
Because it's been a dismal failure. People just don't agree with the radical right.
In a bi-partisan nation, only one party gives the movement any credence and the Republicans have yet to deliver. A Democrat president and legislature could unravel all the little gains the movement has made over the course of a generation in just one term.
Maybe it's time for the petty attacks, the outright terrorism and hateful rhetoric to end and proactive efforts to stem the rising tide of unwanted pregnancies from happening in the first place.

American Conservative article here.

Sunday, February 08, 2009

MELT

UrbanCincy has reported that Melt is cnsidering adding a store in the Downtown,/OTR/GQ area following the success of their grub at Park & Vine
This is just the beginning, folks. Northside is going to take over Cincinnati. In the future people will assume the name Northside is a reference to being on the north side of the Ohio River.
tch - it can't happen here.....

Friday, February 06, 2009

Lux Interior R.I.P.

A great Ohioan, Lux Interior of the Cramps, died Thursday. He is survived by his wife, guitarist "Poison" Ivy Rorschach. He was 60.
Interior was the godfather of "psychobilly" or "horror rock". A master is gone but his legacy lives on in a host of newer bands like Zombina and the Skeletones.

Lux Interior, Jockey Club, Newport, KY

Thursday, February 05, 2009

Inquiring minds want to know, "What Do Northsiders Want ?"
Wouldn't we all like to know.....
Weigh in here. Registration is necessary, but harmless, and your personal info will not be used for anything. Hopefully (or not) your suggestions will be.

Wednesday, February 04, 2009

Worley Rodehaver, the long-time publisher of the Northsider/Uptown News newspaper, has suffered a serious illness that prevents him from publishing the February issues of his various community newspapers.
Because advertising sales are his only source of income, he will lose an entire month's revenue. To help him survive his current calamity, some of his friends have established the Worley Rodehaver Fund at North Sside Bank and Trust. If you would like to help Worley get back on his feet economically and defray his February personal expenses, you can do so by making a donation to the Fund. Checks should be made out to the Worley Rodehaver Fund and sent to:
North Side Bank and Trust
4125 Hamilton Ave.
Cincinnati, OH 45223
Attention: Don Beimesche
Cash contributions can be made directly to Mr. Beimesche at the Bank.
For more information: (513) 542-0958

Tuesday, February 03, 2009

Keeping Up With Old Friends

Keeping up with your old friends from the Champion City just got a little easier with the addition of online radio and incident reports at the Clark County Sheriff's website.
The site, a FrontPage job, complete with frames, scrolling text and giant buttons has a host of information on it as well as videos of Knight Blaze, a band made up of Montgomery County law enforcement officers.
I guess I shouldn't be too hard on their site design, of course, since Ohio counties aren't exactly rolling in cash these days and the fact that they are adding functionality as they can is pretty cool.
When they can get pictures of jail inmates online we can see what our old pals are looking like nowadays.

Monday, February 02, 2009