Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Popular Art ?

Cincinnati City Councilwoman Laure Quinlivan has proposed dedicating 1% of casino revenues to public sculpture that will be chosen by unofficial votes by the citizenry. Unofficial, like via computers - so it might not even be votes by US citizenry. Estimated annual revenues from the casino, which is not slated to open til 2012, is expected to be $20M. Councilman Bortz has his eyes on 50% or more of the money but that's another story.
Cincinnati, outside it's cemeteries, has a serious lack of sculpture. My objections to Ms Quinlivan's plan is twofold. While I have no objection to the government spending on artistic / creative enhancements to the infrastructure type stuff government is supposed to be involved in, I am leery of it just buying art for art's sake. Further, the popular voting seems really dubious, look at what the popular vote gives us in the commercial world. Desperate Housewives, Vampire Diaries, Dancing With the Stars, Resident Evil, Wall Street 2, Trey Songz, Katy Perry.....
I would suggest the money be matched with private money to get the most bang for the buck & let the individual, business or organization pick & create the sculpture with the stipulation that the city retains rights to it.
Monarchy is key to good art. It certainly doesn't come from the boardroom or fickle popularity contests.

Monday, September 27, 2010

Buy a Vote ?

So far candidates in Ohio have spent $25,000,000 in this campaign season. Of Ohio's approximately 9 million possible voters, less that 8 million are registered to vote. Estimates for this fall's election are for 30% of registered voters to actually vote. This is working out to about $11/vote (so far).
Since the votes are going to be split about in half, this means 10% of the population will decide who gets elected -or- to be a little more cynical, only 10% of the population will actually be represented.

Friday, September 24, 2010

Demolition Imminent

Demolition plans are in place for Springfield's Veteran's Memorial Hall. The National Trail Parks and Recreation District expects to be building a $5.5 million ice skating rink in early 2011. Plans for reusing the facade are not as clear as they were some months ago. It's disassembly is expected to take 1 month.
Meanwhile ex-tenants, the Springfield Symphony Orchestra, will be kicking off a new season Saturday featuring the works of Wagner, Schumann, and Tchaikovsky.

Memorial Hall Then & Now Slideshow here


Noose Son story here.

Thursday, September 23, 2010

Why Was There No Security ?

A stripper was sent out to provide entertainment in a private residence at 4:40 AM on August 7. Why did they not send along a bodyguard? I don't know how common a practice that is but it seems like common sense. Taking your clothes off in a stranger's home does place a person in a degree of vulnerability. At least someone should have gone along to assess the situation.
She claims the customer was acting inappropriately & she left his home while he pursued her. In the confusion, she struck & inadvertently pinned the guy under her car. When she realized what had happened she called the police.
What are the chances of this spinning so tragically out of control if the stripper had just been accompanied by a security guy? Clubs that employ strippers usually employ a fairly aggressive security force. Not knowing what shift the customer worked, I would assume him to be fairly intoxicated by 4:40 AM. Bad behavior could almost be expected.
Not employing security in such a venture just seems like a bad business practice.

Fishwrap story here.

Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Yunguns Skip Cable

I found this story saying 30% of young netflix subscribers are skipping cable interesting as I have opted to use Blockbuster & Time Warner's Lifeline. While the rock bottom Lifeline package has no "elite" stations I can watch all the programming at my own pace on DVDs from the video store. True Blood, Mad Men, Sons of Anarchy, The United States of Tara...
I kinda need cable for CitiCable, but that's about it.
The article points out the young people are active with other stuff and as such less likely to have an interest or even the economy to have cable. I barely watched TV in my 20s but then watching a movie back then meant going to a theater.
heck, I remember when MTV was kinda cool.

Tuesday, September 21, 2010


Move over John Legend another Frogtowner is singin'...

Monday, September 20, 2010

Tea Party Endorsements Gone Wild.

After a guy with tea bag endorsements gets busted for pedophilia their latest darling is outed on "dabbling" in witchcraft / satanism. I didn't remember this episode but I remember seeing the airhead on the old Politically Incorrect show. I doubt she knows what she is talking about regarding witchcraft & was probably just trying to get some kind of spiritual "cred". But, at least she doesn't lie!
I don't like Maher's later work but the old Politically Incorrect shows from the Comedy Central days were pretty good. People appearing on the show seemed to think they were on local access cable or something. A lot of feet in mouths.
LOL- Maher talking about bad hair....

Saturday, September 18, 2010

ONE NIGHT IN NORTHSIDE

A Northside Skatepark Fundraiser
Saturday September 18th, 2010, 7 -10 pm in Hoffner Park with 3 amazing bands!
  • The Lions Rampant
  • The Frankl Project
  • The Messengers

There will be a silent auction, Local Artist designed skateboard decks, Skateboard demos
For info call 523-305-2988 or email ellauciello.

Friday, September 17, 2010

Should I embrace the TEA bag crowd? Their ambiguous desire for smaller, limited, less intrusive government does appeal to me.

I would like the government not tell me I can't smoke marijuana.
I would like the government not tell women they can't have abortions.
I would like the government to not tell my church they can't marry who they want.
I would like the government to refrain from buying, installing or maintaining religious artwork.
I would like to see foreign military bases in Japan, Cuba, England & Germany be closed.
I would like to see the interstates funded solely with user fees.
I would like to see the government refrain from stopping adult entertainment in areas zoned for business / entertainment.
I would like to see the government not tell me what I can read.
I would like the federal government to stay out of education.
I would like to see funding for military bands eliminated.
Is this on the right track?

Thursday, September 16, 2010

World Equestrian Games

My sister is into animal competition. yeah, she's probably on a PETA hit list somewhere...
Anyway, she decided to volunteer at the World Equestrian Games. This ain't a horse race like the Kentucky Derby, it's more about training agility & whatnot. So as she told me more & about where all the competitors were coming from I actually paid a little attention to her. When a guy with a deep voice & British accent laid it out for Laure Quinlivan's council committee, I listened & started to realize how big this thing was. I mean physically big. It's the biggest one they have ever done. It's the first time it's been held in the USA & people from all over the world are flying their horses here for the event. I have seen horses freak out in a trailer, I can't imagine flying a bunch overseas.
One of the interesting competitions is Para Dressing which is designed to allow physically disabled people to work with their horses. This is another first for the WEG.
Anyway lame Fishwrap coverage here and here with plenty of dumb comments.
My giant-ass new recycling bin with high tech gizmos & potential prizes has arrived!
Why can't we just use trash cans? We were gonna buy 'em anyway.....
This is good timing since the clowns came by before I had my recycling out last week.
But wait, am I on a 2 week schedule now?
Can I write my house nomber on this thing?
More fun in the modern world, I tell ya.
HOLY CRAP! THIS THING HAS HOLLOW PLASTIC WHEELS THAT SOUND LIKE A FRIGG'N BIG WHEEL! THAT'S GOING TO BE PLEASANT IN THE AM.
Ever want to try your hand at CGI? You think social media is a time waster?
The Strata company has reintroduced it's stripped down version of it's flagship 3D software for a mere 99¢. This also includes 2 weeks of online training material. The stripped down version ain't gonna have you making the next Barbie blockbuster but buildings & extruded type aren't a far fetch.
You have seen it here whilst I was doodling,
concocting innovative bridge design,
found new ways to reduce costs & increase efficiency at city hall
and find bold new ways to display illegible type. Unfortunately the animation engine is not included in the package.
Still, well worth the cool 99¢.
And the guy who writes the tutorials actually knows what he is doing!

Monday, September 13, 2010


I think that pretty much sums it up. Looking like a real 7 of swords kinda day.

Thursday, September 09, 2010

Life, Death and Beer

What to do this weekend.....
On the anniversary of cowardly attack on the US by a cadre of, essentially, gangsters wrapping themselves in false flags of nationalism & religion, there's plenty of choices for Cincinnatians to consider their home & heritage. Hopefully nobody here has to mourn a loss from that tragedy. Fortunately my cousin-in-law made it out in one piece.
Anyway, per usual with weekends of outdoor events, it's supposed to rain.....

Friday will be the last evening walk through Northside's Buttercup Valley Nature Preserve sponsored by Northside Greenspace for the season.

There's tours aplenty in the downtown area starting with a Civil War tour sponsored by Queen City Underground.
The tours start at 10:30 AM at Mica at 12th & Vine.

Meanwhile up in Clifton, The Church of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary will be holding their Oktoberfest with games, gambling, raffles, food and beer on Saturday & Sunday. They will offer up Clowns on stilts making animal balloons for children, fire jugglers, performers of Clifton Performance Theatre and Fairview-Clifton German Language School.
Also, on the 11th the Clifton Cultural Arts Center, 3711 Clifton Avenue, will be opening the Uptown Artist's Exhibition from 6-9PM.

Norhside Christian Church will be hosting Fun Fest from 10A - 3P at 4114 Fergus Avenue.

Later, Spring Grove Cemetery hosts another Lantern Lighting Ceremony from 5 - 8PM. Entertainment will be provided by the McGing Irish Dancers, Blarnacles, Sugarfoot Cloggers and Son del Caribe. The Hamilton County Police Honor Guard and the Emerald Society of Cincinnati Police and Fire Pipes & Drums will perform at the ceremony.
They will also be showing the great photos chosen for their 2011 calendar. You can see the gallery online here.

Also on Sunday you can attend the Gateway Quarter Tour of Living which starts, I guess we should know this by now, at 12th and Vine downtown. Second Sunday will be happening, too.

And if all this life & death celebration stuff is too much & you just want to forget, The Cincinnati Beer Fest will be going on down at Fountain Square Friday through Sunday (with breaks).
1,000 Points of Light Into a Laser Beam

An interesting sound bite from Thad Allen, retired Coast Guard Admiral who has been involved with a few disasters - Haiti, Katrina & the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico which he oversaw. Coming up on the anniversary of the World Trade Center attack, we should recall there was some disorganization / communication problems there, too, despite the overwhelming amount of support.
He talks about involving the greater community of the nation in a more organized & effective way to deal with these disasters & references George H.W. Bush's Thousand Points of Light concept.

Whole NPR Mourning Edition here.
Maybe it's just me but I really don't like Steve Inskeep as an announcer.

Monday, September 06, 2010

Northside From the Columbus Dispatch's POV

Steven Rosen over at the Columbus Dispatch's Travel section wrote a very positive article about Cincinnati's Northside neighborhood. This is good and it's important since most people from out of town would just see the downtown area as being "Cincinnati".

Sunday, September 05, 2010

Worried About Mosques ?

OK, it's a cultural center. It beats the crap out of building a casino (another cultural center?) next to a historic battlefield.

Friday, September 03, 2010

Happy Labor Day Weekend Everybody !

The guy on the left is the groom?
whatever - he just adds a touch of class, ya know? And here at Blogging isn't Cool, we like to keep it classy.

Wednesday, September 01, 2010

The Laughing Noodle Est Arrive

White Castle's entry into the noodle biz has opened in Springfield, Ohio at 1901 North Bechtle Ave.
The official grand opening won't be for a bout a month tho, on Saturday, September 25 from 9:00A to 7:00P.
While still offering traditional sliders, they will be offering noodle dishes with Marniara and meatballs sauces, Teriyaki Chicken and Mac and Cheese.
They seem to have abandoned their original website & have opted for a Facebook site to promote the store. While the old site had a form to enter contact info, that site is down & the same page is now here.
It's pretty amazing to see this iconic Ohio company branch out into a new business after doing 1 thing right for almost 80 years.
Road trip?
For not much more info, the Noose Son story is here.
UPDATE: thelaughingnoodle.com is up again and you can see the menu here.
8 noodle bowls, 3 soups, 2 salads & a chocolate fondue dessert. No new sides apparently
The local bus service just gave me a $20 gift certificate to a restaurant out in east fucking Jesus. There is one express route that can get me to about a mile of the place. I would have to go out around 5 PM & could return around 6:30 - 7 AM the next day. With transfers & zone fees & such it would cost about $5 & take about 3 hours round trip. The restaurant has no dining room so I would have to eat in the parking lot.
Needless to say, I am overjoyed.