Looking over the blog stats….. Repeat visitors (masochists) are up 60% from 10, 300% since 09. Total visitors (bored office workers & students) are up 23% from 10 & 320% from 09. In a blog primarily about Cincinnati & SW Ohio, the main cities to hit here are:
Cincinnati
Richmond
Houston
Mumbai
São Paulo
Jakarta
Dayton comes in at #40 behind Waipahu & right ahead of Wroclaw. Top search terms:
Krampus
Grace Slick
7 of 9
bridge design
Ashley Bulgari
Most of the hits from the middle east are looking for porn. An image search for "women castrating" somehow leads to a post about a mannequin named Barbe Que that stands in front of a barbecue joint. freaks…. Still one of the top pages: Top 10 Robo-Cyborg Chicks. Guess I should do more lists. I could be the next Forbes! The vast majority of people get here by clicking "next blog". IOS, at 0.8%, is right behind Linux, at 1% of hits. Top browser is now Chrome, followed by Firefox, IE then Safari. Opera coming in with 1.6%. Didn't sell any Ault Park crap although my Cincinnati Iconography page is the top exit link from here. Basically, the more crap you throw, the more crap sticks. Still, I think I'll raise advertising rates. Nobody should mind.
Shirley Quimby was a model featured in (poorly printed) men's magazines and the occasional album cover in the late 50s & early 60s - the pre-Twiggy days.
Thursday, December 29, 2011
The Auburnaires - 12/30 MOTR
Iconic Cincinnati band, the Auburnaires will reassemble Friday, Dec. 30 at MOTR, 1345 Main St in triangular OTR with Los Honchos.
Wednesday, December 28, 2011
In Heaven, Underground
I really want to see this movie. I really want to visit this cemetery. Weißensee Cemetery, a Jewish cemetery, was established in Berlin in 1880. After the Nazi pogrom of Jews came the commie occupation of Berlin. While interments continued the Jewish population dwindled & the commies did not care for the place. After 1990 efforts were made to clean the place up. After 50-60 years of neglect it had become a veritable forest.
Weißensee Cemetery
Tuesday, December 27, 2011
Save the Chapel
Looking for a charity to unload some filthy lucre onto before year's end? Look no further, the mother of all causes is soliciting donations now. Save the Evans City, PA Chapel is the work of Night of the Living Dead fans & production staff member Gary R. Streiner to save the little chapel you can see in the opening segment of the seminal zombie epic. Wouldn't this be a cool place to get married or hold a Brit milah?
Lonely Planet ranked Cincinnati #3 in their Top 10 Amerucan Vacation Destinations. Mercer recently ranked Baghdad 221 out of 221 in their Quality of Living Report, safety being a huge factor. Recently a string of bombings in schools & shopping areas in Baghdad killed about 75 people & injured over 100. Which reminds me of failed mayoral candidate Brad Wenstrup, who was actually stationed in Iraq, saying that he felt safer in Iraq than in Cincinnati. Are people simply interested in visiting Cincinnati for the challenge?
Monday, December 26, 2011
Hell Town
Local noose media guys screwing up Cincinnati neighborhoods is pretty common, so I wasn't too surprised when an article about renovated homes titled From Helltown to City Home wasn't about Hell Town at all but Over the Rhine. Granted, they are doing some nice stuff in OTR, but as we all know, Hell Town aka Ludlow Station aka Cumminsville is Northside. Read the history here if you don't believe me. Of course there's some nice stuff going on in Northside homes, too, which is why they have a tour of homes every other year with the next one scheduled for October 2012. Maybe the Fishwrap can run the article they shelved in 2010 (not that the author works there anymore).
Adding to the Community Conversation
From the Cincinnati Enquirer's Letters to the Editor preface:
The Enquirer receives dozens of letters to the editor each week and because of space limitations, only a fraction of them can appear in print. Here online, we are able to post all of the letters we receive that add to the community conversation.
I sent a letter in online to counter a fairly paranoid letter from a guy out in exotic Butler County concerning government corruption and the Cincinnati Streetcar. Ed claimed a Federal grant from a government with no money should send up some red flags & that investigative media types should be looking into just who owns the properties along the streetcar route. He asks:
"Could there be holding companies that have purchased a lot of property, who are the owners of the holding companies and just by chance what political groups received election funds along the way?
Not sure how paranoid conspiracy mongering "adds to the community conversation" but my answer apparently didn't. Since Zuckerberg doesn't think I'm a human being, I could not reply directly. Anyway, you, dear intrepid reader, must remember my post from awhile ago discussing ownership along the route.
Directly on the route there are about 500 properties owned by about 400 entities. Expanding out a block and adding cross streets you can probably add close to 1,000 more properties. Expand further & get even more.
This was the point I made in my letter and added that rehabbing these properties would mean jobs for the lagging housing industry. But, apparently my letter did not "adds to the community conversation". Vaguely interestingly, a week later the Enquiring folks run an article on The Streetcar's Number 1 Supporter, John Schneider - who owns property along the route. Are they trying to fan the flames of conspiracy & self serving greed? heaven forbid.
Sunday, December 25, 2011
A Christmas Story
Saturday, December 24, 2011
Illustrators. They're everywhere. You can't throw a stick without hitting one. It's like a zombie invasion. The Springfield Center for the Arts at Wittenberg University (SCFTAAWU) is showcasing works of Vernon Grant who, besides inventing the snap, crackle, pop guys, did 26 Collier's covers. Meanwhile, The Dayton Art Institute is showing works of Norm Rockwell who did a gazillion covers for Saturday Evening Post.
People have celebrated the winter solstice with fire & light for thousands of years. Over that time, light, other than daylight has been at or below eye level and has been a warm yellowy orange. In less than the past 100 years, however, light has shifted to the ceiling & taken on a cold, yellowy blue/green hue. Has this change in direction, intensity & temperature changed our perception of one another? Has it changed our overall moods?
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
Pupi Campo
Pupi Campo of Cuba, died in Las Vegas last week. He was a bandleader who appeared on TV & in films and performed in Vegas for years. He is credited with being one of the first Latinos to appear on U.S. TV. So what's this got to do with SW Ohio? Campo had been married to Betty Clooney, sister of Rosemary Clooney with whom she started her singing career & subsequently the aunt of George Clooney who you may remember from the Rosanne show.
Tuesday, December 20, 2011
Disappearing Food
Nothing calamitous, just annoying to depressing. One of my Christmastime indulgnces is Nabisco Whatsworth crackers & a tube (midget longhorn ?) of Colby cheese. It's been getting harder to find the crackers & this year… well, it ain't gonna happen. WalMart can't locate them within 100 miles. Amazon has me on a alert list. Kroger, Meijer, Remke - no go. I recently had to resort to Amazon for Knorr/Lipton instant Red Beans & Rice. hey, I'm a single guy….. Campbell's soups has discontinued chili beef, pepper pot & now it looks like bean with bacon is on the way out. I read somewhere Campbell's was focussing on novelty kids' soups & discontinuing the soups with "high end ingredients". Tripe & beans? Hellshire Farms has a hot smoked sausage that goes great in Cajun type dishes. The 4th of July is Jambalaya Day in Quimbob house. Problem is, almost nobody carries that variety of Hillshire's line. I have to go across town, stock up & freeze the stuff so I can have it for summer. Years ago, you could buy the crap all over town. Then there's the disappearance of canned corned beef. Don't even get me started on Arriba salsa & Stouffer's Welsh rarebit.... sigh, I fear Porkopolis is becoming a convenience food desert.
UPDATE:The park has explained to Fishwrap editors that the latest rule only applies to lying on benches as such action hogs the whole bench. Will sitting in the middle of a bench and sprawling across it be a violation? Will fat people be required to sit at one end and only have 1 butt cheek on the bench? The park bored ensures us this rule, made in friggin' December, has nothing to do with the Occupiers.
We Make Movies So We Are Better
Captain America
Hollywood knows better than those douche bag comic book geeks. Heck, just look at how they dress & the cars they drive. Compare Cannes to ComiCon. Where would you rather be seen? Captain America is just another crappy movie purloining the name & look of a tried and true but not good enough for Hollywood comic book. Of course there was plenty of room for endless Hollywood cliches….. Tony Stark's dad was an ok addition, but after that - phooey.
Friday, December 16, 2011
Whoever said Northside aka, "Land Between the Cemeteries", wasn't creepy?
Support Your Local Animal Welfare Organization
The HSUS has NO affiliation with your local humane society. To support local, donate local. In Cincinnati, see the SPCA (Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) but don't get it confused with the SCPA (School for Creative and Performing Arts). ugh, it's so complicated…..
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
A Study in Contrasts
The West Chester Police Department is continuing to investigate the punk rock concert that resulted in a brawl at a local dance studio Dec. 1. Police anticipate charges being filed from the fight that resulted in several minor injuries.
Springfield Arcade History Springfield Arcade Hotel Lobby
UrbanUp, a sister site to Abandoned, offers up a history of the Springfield Arcade complete with a bunch of shots of the hotel interior from, I am guessing, about the time the place was demolished in 1988. The article mainly focusses on it's last decade as various attempts were made to both rescue it & destroy it and the egos & visions of various powers came into play. Ultimately, like much of Springfield's downtown before it, it fell to the wrecking ball. Read the article here More pictures can be found at the Springfield History site
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
Documenting the Southgate House
A short documentary of the Southgate House, Newport, KY. produced by Sara Mahle. HT, City Beat
Monday, December 12, 2011
How Important are Tax Rates ?
Interesting look at tax rates over the last century & whether they impact economic growth. I swear it's got more to do with lifestyle products than taxes. We need a new product.
The city of Cincinnati ants to know what you think of their efforts to make a more bike friendly city. Take the survey
Not in alluring Northside ! Starting Friday night in swank Clifton, Holidays in Clifton will be celebrated from 6-9PM with carriage rides, Santa & stuff around the Ludlow Avenue business district. But I was talking about Saturday in Northside…… Did I mention the Northside Map of Awesomeness ? Create crafts for kids & families all day long at Happen Inc. They will be working on fixing grub for Santa (my dad always told me Santa preferred beer & chips over cookies & milk). Starting at 10AM at North Presbo, the Cincinnati Holiday Art Show features locally made arts & crafts til 4PM Northside Second Saturday runs from 6-10PM with specials from any number of Northside businesses: Fabricate hosts the opening reception of Natural Logic There will be new works by Emily Moorhead 6-10PM NVISION slashes prices 20% on handmade items Take the Cake will serve dinner til 9PM The Painted Fish is open late - 3:30 AM The Vocal Arts Ensemble at St. Boniface present Christmas carols 7:30PM Revenge Pinata, ShadowRaptr, Majestic Man, Mr. Brown’s Mysterious Sounds will play at Northside Tavern 2 Headed Dog, The Pariahs perform at The Comet Boozing My Religion at Mayday There will be music on the 2nd floor of the Hoffner Lodge from 6:30 PM featuring April 8, Laura Linville , Lisak and Rowe & The Hypnotic Jerks Then, on Sunday, back up to Clifton with Second Sunday Family Showtime at CCAC with a performance of The Gift of the Magi yup it's all happening on Metro Route 17!
How Ignorant are the Occupiers ?
While I agree with some of the OWS complaints about crony capitalism & such, I don't like their strategies much & this latest move is so totally fucked up I can't think straight. Using the image of Guy Fawkes is deranged. Guy Fawkes is not venerated every November 5, he is vilified. The man spent most of his life killing fellow Christians and fighting against religious freedom & tolerance. He represented a church that many saw as autocratic, monolithic, greedy & corrupt and not respecting the needs of the people. Fawkes' solution? Oppress the blasphemers - kill, them, imprison them, torture them. His final act was a Timothy McVeigh-like terrorist bombing that could have killed hundreds including innocents & his own fellow Catholics. Fawkes, unlike McVeigh, however, was a fuck up & his attempt at mass murder failed. Is this really who they want to be the face of their movement? Apparently people have bypassed legitimate makers of the masks so as to screw the rat bastards at Warner Brothers but doesn't this also screw the creatives that might be getting merchandise royalties, like Alan Moore? And should they really be buying from Chinese bootleggers who ignore intellectual property rights? To say nothing of the way laborers in China are treated - the ones who strike & cite Karl Marx as their social guide… The image at the top of this article is particularly offensive. It was run on a City Beat article. Painting the image of this villain with the stars & stripes of the American flag is disgusting. The US stands for freedom of religion and, while it has been a rocky road, Fawkes was determinedly opposed to such concepts. Were he alive today, he would probably be terrorizing the US. Occupiers, you really need to rethink this one. Murderous religious terrorists in America do not represent anywhere near 99%
Thursday, December 08, 2011
Going to the Chapel
Cincinnati City manager Milton Dohoney has suggested a $4.4 million upgrade to city Hall to create a place to be rented out to the public for receptions, weddings & the like in an effort to raise revenue. Seems like an odd business for the government to be in. Seems pretty competitive, too. Music Hall has, besides the main auditorium rooms for 30 to 1,300 people. The Museum Center (owned by the county) is a pretty cool place for such events. Well, I'm a history geek. Parks & their lodges can already be used - dunno how the money is split between the city & parks departments, tho. The city could probably invest less into Wesleyan cemetery & maybe put a chapelish kind of facility in there for under $4.4 million. Seems like letting all those people into city hall would freak out the Homeland Security types, too. How about remodeling a section of the convention center to make it kind of "special"? Or even better - how about sprucing up a part of the subway? Transit center? The old SCPA?
This guy is having too much fun. If you were wondering what to get your favorite blogger for Christmas or the solstice gift giving holiday of your choice, look no further.
Wednesday, December 07, 2011
Scenic Clifton Mill for the Holidays
Clifton Mill in Clifton, OH (just east of Yellow Springs) is one of the oldest operating mills in Ohio and has for some decades now celebrated the holidays with their Annual light Display. Unfortunately, on 12/6 the flooding Little Miami River, that drives the mills wheel, rushed over it's banks & creamed some of this year's display. Operators canceled events for Tuesday night & hope to be back up & running ASAP. The owners are on the prowl for every strand of lights they can get their mitts on. Dunno if you should stand guard in your front yard or not…
Besides the 3,500,000 lights decorating the mill & old covered bridge, the mill also offers a Santa Claus museum & workshop, a miniature village & hot dogs, soup, cornbread, hot chocolate, cookies, pie & popcorn.
The Fishwrap's "Our History" section, about the only thing worth reading over there has an article aboutThe Trollope Bazaar built by Frances Trollope in 1829, it was later demolished in 1881. They don't mention it's use as the OMI building which CityKin brought up in this article which included this pic, that I cannot display. I cobbled together this model awhile ago but the proportions are off or my people are too big or or or
. No idea about color either. I am guessing the OCAS guys know what they were doing. I need to hunt down that model. not that I know where mine is anymore.. :-)
Over 1,400 - Gone
When the Fishwrap announced it would require a FaceBook account to make comments on their site, they received over 1,400 comments, almost unanimously condemning the action. They are now gone. Complaints covered fear of reprisal, not wanting a FaceBook account & not wanting to use FaceBook for that purpose. The Fishwrap said it wanted o do away with the ugliness. ummmm…..
Is our health falling apart? Dinkels deny assault claim Driver killed in rollover crash on I-471 Woman used car as weapon Homeowner held burglar at gunpoint Murderer pleads for mercy Mini crime spree in Colerain Water, sewer rates shooting up Priest at council event faced sex allegation Moody's warns county on bonds
yeah, happiness & sunshine from the people who don't want "ugliness". Perhaps ugliness begets ugliness?
Oakley Square Finished - Finally
After almost 2 years, a streetscape facelift in sultry Oakley is finally complete. Last year, this time, business owners asked the city to suspend work so they could actually do some business during the holiday season. This completion came just in time. But why does it take so daggone long? It took about 4 years to widen a little over a mile of Hamilton Avenue in lofty College Hill. Fortunately there were no small businesses in that area because they generally don't have the finances to go without revenue for very long. Replacing the Ludlow Viaduct in 1991 shuttered a few stores in bucolic Northside. We will need to get the city's butt in gear if we expect to build a streetcar line and not shutter every existing business along the route.
yup, on St Nicholas eve, we make way for the fat man's demon, Krampus to scare the crap out of little kiddies all around the world. He seduces young women, tosses kids into streams & ruins the young men.
My kind of guy
While some people will dwell on Christopher Columbus landing in Haiti (that worked out well), true patriots will be out tormenting the wee mags, extracting revenge for the tantrums, barfing, pooping & sacrificed debauchery.
sigh, gotta love this guy
Sunday, December 04, 2011
Weird Worship
Nationally & locally there's been some shake ups in the rituals of the Catholic Church. English translations led to the humorous Fishwrap headline about Mass Confusion and a local priest hammering down on the blasphemy of holding hands while praying seem kinda odd to a guy raised Presbo. But I do remember attending services at Catholic churches and the local Temple and, especially because they weren't all conducted in English, I was frantically playing catch up as people stood, sat, kneeled at seemingly inexplicable times. Serendipitously, I received a DVD from Shlockbluster, The Rites of Magick. While I thought I was going to sit down to watch The Rite with Anthony Hopkins, I was actually sitting down to watch The Rites of Magick with Poke Runyon. Not a special effects laden horror melodrama but a documentary / sales pitch from the Order of the Temple of Astarte located in sunny Pasaadena, CA. While initially impressed that Hollywood was quoting Hermes Trismegistus I quicly realized I had the wrong movie. The movie shows some of the rites & rituals of a neo-Pagan group that follows Phoenician religion & the magickal traditions of The Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn as well as some Indian stuff previously pioneered by "Uncle" Al Crowley. It shows a Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram, an Enochian Watchtower Opening, a Solstice ceremony & a service that bypasses those pesky language translation issues by having no words. I was aware of all this kinda stuff but had never seen the rituals performed, especially with large groups of people. While these small groups don't have the hierarchy & orthodoxy of large religious groups so how "authentic" their rituals are is surely up to debate. Still, it gives one an idea of what those people do & dispels a lot of hysterical misunderstandings. Dunno about the glittery masks, tho….. The solstice ceremony particularly interested me as it was a re-enactment in the round of seasonal changes with the seasons portrayed by people & the narrative in English. I hate the rhymy verse stuff but I guess it makes the words easier to remember, whatever. The thing is we have seen, at least through National Geographic, the same type of ritual performed by American Indians & primitive African groups where we cannot understand the language, the dress is totally foreign & the mythology is a complete mystery. In this case, it's a bunch of white anglo-saxon Americans speaking English and it's all pretty clear - the symbolism & mythology all being European in origin. I don't know why we quit this practice in our western civilized world. Maybe Pat knows. Anyhoo, for a different perspective, here is a humorous review of the movie by a guy who also thought he was going to sit down to a horror movie.
Ohio GOP Eats it's own
Following on the heels of ousting committee members to pass legislation later overturned by the voters, the "true" Republican elite attempts to purge their ranks some more, this time targeting the head of the Ohio party. How far off can total extinction be?
Thanks Chris. Thanks Todd. Now I can get that case of beer I've had my eye on.
Worst Drivers in the Tristate ?
Living in a border community, especially a 3-way border community, rivalries arise. A common one is, who is the worst goram state for driving? The debates are endless but Car Insurance Comparison has given us the answer.
Kentucky
By a landslide. At #7, they are in the top 10 worst states in the country. Contrasted against Ohio, which at #41 is the top 10 best states for drivers. Indiana is somewhere in the middle because, as we all know, Indiana is average average average….. Of course, if you look at their numbers, the rankers don't even follow their own numbers, so Ohio & Indiana might be in an eternal quibble, but manoman, Kentucky, where people stop at the end of entrance ramps because it's always easier to merge into 60MPH traffic from a dead stop? No question. Stick to horses, guys.
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Whither the Southgate House ?
The closing of the Southgate House is kinda sad, the fact the people behind it intend to continue on in a new location is good news, not specifying a new location doesn't fill my heart with confidence. While it's great to have the big union entertainment like the Reds, Bengals, Ballet, Symphony & Opera and the BOC passing through the Aronoff & GestapoBend are great, it's the smaller places that offer innovative & creative types a venue that really mark a community as a cultural leader. Last year marked the 25th anniversary of the avant-garde arts organization Art Damage. They celebrated with an eviction notice. A number of small theater groups like ETC & Know seem to be going strong but the music scene of 1980s Cincinnati are sorely missed. Not the actual local acts so much as the venues & promoters that graced Bogart's & The Jockey Club. Bogart's has turned into….. - nothing good. The demise of The Jockey seemed to have helped spawn The Southgate House. Sill, The Southgate House ballroom just wasn't really big enough to host a lot of acts. Hope those guys can find a good new location that's a bit bigger so they can thrive & keep the Cincinnati region on the radar of upcoming bands well into the future. UPDATE: the Fishwrap unravels a sordid tale of family intrigue HT to Cincinnati Blog & Each Note Secure
Shirts, mousepads, mugs, clocks, tote bags, aprons AND MORE !!! All emblazoned with iconic Cincinnati images. AMAZE your friends! THRILL your parents ! Go HOMETOWN PROUD this holiday season!!
~ or ~
Get your Jaguar & Thunderbird gear for your music geek friends. (& I mean serious geeks)
Wondering what the new year has in store for you?
Get this handy dandy reference chart showing the astrological aspects of the tarot!. With this tool your holiday divinations will be most accurate! You can win the lottery! Predict horse races & football games! Find out exactly when that tall dark handsome stranger is going to enter your life. Whether you're celebrating Kwanzaa, Hanukkah, Krampusnacht, Christmas, National Fritters Day, Yule, Boxing Day, New Years, VegasAnt's birthday or just a late 4th of July, make it a Quimbob Holiday!
Sunday, November 27, 2011
SOPA is Bad
Anonymous Commenting
The Porkopolis Fishwrap has announced it will "end anonymous commenting" by forcing would be commenters to register with FaceBook. Anybody who follows the comments knows who the regulars are & what to expect from them. I imagine it can be pretty shocking for someone who isn't used to the wholesale sociopathy that is SW Ohio to read the comments on an article about their kids or local school or charity. That's ok. They probably wouldn't have returned to the mosh pit anyway. UPDATE: yeesh around 1,400 comments - 98% negative. Anyhoo, if you don't want to participate in an online dialogue on local current issues the FishBook way there's lots of other choices. For example:
Springfield's Navistar plant will absorb production from the recently closed Union City, Indiana plant. No new jibs but the recently recalled employees can be a little more confident in their jobs. Employment at the plant has gone from a low of 300 people to now looking at 1,000.
Earlier in '70 there was the Midsummer Rock thing at the baseball stadium with Iggy Pop, Traffic, Alice Cooper, Mountain, Grand Funk, 10 Years After..... WTF happened?
Thursday, November 24, 2011
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
Black Friday is for Wusses
On Friday, 11/25, people will be up at the crack of dawn, armed with big bank credit cards, camping out at mall, shopping center & big box chain stores in a sort of bizzaro world anti-OWS movement. And What are you going to get? Sure, maybe it's cheaper but it's still just the same old uninspired Chinese gizmos & gadgets….. Don't worry, Blogging isn't Cool has a solution (as usual)
SHOP NORTHSIDE
Sleep in. Go out & have a leisurely breakfast in a bright warm dining room full of friendly folks at Take the Cake, Park Chili, The Blue Jay, Sidewinder, White Castle…. Beats the hell out of Slim Jims & cold coffee in the stark pale glow of a neon sign while sitting on cold damp pavement as the bitter November winds howl through your bones. Then let the shopping commence. Wouldn't dad love a 75lb fryer from Restaurant Equipment Outlet? And installation is a snap with the help from the crack crew Bill's assembled at Ace Hardware. Show mom how much you love her with a ♥ MOM ♥ tattoo from Skincraft. Your sister who lost her job & is getting evicted January 1? Check out the survival gear at Northside Surplus. Your 17 yr old niece who just got her 6th drivers license suspension? How about a Metro Card from Ohio Check Cashers or a refurbed bike from MoBo Bicycke Co-Op? Your creepy alcoholic chain smoking uncle? How about a nice shiny headstone from Schott Monument? Got an animal lover in the family? Maybe they'd be interested in something from Whitman Taxidermy. Or how about a new website for grandma & grandpa from Ella Net? Don't let your sugar levels drop while you shop! Refresh yourself at Melt, Ko-Sho Japanese Restaurant, The Painted Fish or Picnic and Pantry, to name a few. And when the shopping orgy is over, kick back at the Northside Tavern, Junkers Tavern, The C&D, scarf down a burrito at The Comet or grab a pie at The Don's Pizza Lounge. Seriously, camping out on private property can be unpleasant.
These guys will not pepper spray you if you shop at their stores.
2 political minds that might strike a person as nemeses, actually have a lot in common in this exchange on C-Span's Book TV as they discuss Buchanan's latest book which I previously covered. Nader is infinitely more intelligent (and mature) than James Edwards of The Political Cesspool. I'm gonna have to read this book I guess.
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
Kennedy Assassination on WLW
And, to get an idea of what was going on that day @ 5AM
Listening to these broadcasts is really strange. I remember a bunch of this stuff going on but I never put it all into one time period. I also distinctly recall JFK being shot in the late morning on a sunny day. wrongo….. As my old boss, Hank, once said, "Memory is a dangerous thing".
Monday, November 21, 2011
CGI on WCPO ?
Or is this just old video? Where the hell did all those people come from?
Sunday, November 20, 2011
The Munsters again…..
Great, NBC wants to do a remake of The Munsters using the writer for the fairly lame show, Pushing Daisies. Why? The Munsters idea wasn't s good as the cast with 3 pros, Yvonne DeCarlo, Fred Gwynne & Al Lewis. Gwynne & Lewis had been in Car 54 prior to the Munsters.
What possible team can the TV network assemble to pull a 1 hour show off? And who in the hell is going to replace this chick?
Saturday, November 19, 2011
Ohio - Smoking Capitol of the North
A recent survey concluded that about 26% of Ohioans smoke, putting it in line with Mississippi, Louisiana, Missouri and other southern states. No northern state comes close. And, yet, we have public smoking bans in effect almost everywhere. Should we really be persecuting such a large minority of the state's population? Is it the conservative thing to do? Where is our smaller, less intrusive, business friendly state government on fixing this?
A low budget movie from 1980 about a French town full of slow moving, bloodless, nudists who can't shoot worth a damn and wind up getting terrorized by a squad of Nazi amphibi-zombies. Really it oughtta be called something like Swamp Nazis or Lake of the Living Dead or something as this semi-organized squad of undead Nazi soldiers can move, have some reason & don't eat people. They are more like really sloppy, green vampires. Who live in a lake. The whole walking around at the bottom of the lake in uniform thing is kinda cool. Probably the best part. Well, that and the gratuitous nudity….. One quibble - back in WWII, when the French resistance fighters slaughter the soldiers & throw their carcasses into the lake, one Frenchie steals a dead soldier's boots. Subsequently, as they shamble-march (no shamble-goose-stepping) through the streets of the town, nobody is barefoot.
Friday, November 18, 2011
Happy Friday !
Graham Bond Holy Magick
Bond, a Brit, got into mysticism around 1970 and, having deep roots in American music, made a couple albums that married R&B, gospel, Soul, Psychedelia & Golden Dawn mysticism emphasizing Kaballah into a weird & wonderful mess. No clue where the video came from.
Ohio & The Movies
A new website that has received a lot of web press is devoted to promoting Ohio & Ohioans that have been on TV & in the movies. Music videos, I guess, don't count. Actually a lot doesn't seem to count. Dean Martin, Jonathan Winters, the Gish girls, John Holmes, Theda Bara, Doris Day, Mike Douglas, Ron Jeremy, Paul Newman, Martin Mull, Jerry Springer & Roy Fucking Rogers don't count. Light of Day, Vamps, Howard the Duck, Ferndale 2 Night, Airborne, Traffic, Harper Valley PTA, 6 episodes of Route 66, (5 in Clevo), Stranger Than Paradise, Cornhole, Thankskilling, The Dead Next Door….. forget it. heck, a Wiki search or IMDB comes up with all sorts of stuff. oh well, HDDs are like Doritos, we'll just make more.
Thursday, November 17, 2011
Enon Firm to Expand - Create 50 Jobs State Support a PITA
seepex Inc., a manufacturer of fluid pumping equipment, is embarking on it's 4th expansion in 15 years.
We manufacture and export world class product, we do not export jobs," said Kamran Mirza, seepex director of business development.
Seepex has seen an 18% annual growth over the last few years. One of the industries seepex sells to is the gas industry so coveted by the Kasich administration. But they say the state has not held up it's end of the bargain regarding aid for jobs. The business friendly administration keeps coming up with more and more hurdles & reversals. The owner, Mike Dillon, says he will only take some state incentives to purchase some equipment.
I love the way the announcer gets all excited about the "things to come". I am sure someone will want the voice to speak foreign languages. I'm fine with English but I think a Jamaican or Irish accent might be nice. The little LCD monitor will be hard for visually impaired folks. Some high contrast signage on the thing would be handy. Accepting $2 bills is TOTALLY AWESOME!! I can't believe they left that out of the video. It'd still be nice to just use a debit or credit card but I guess that would require a PIN keypad & a signature screen thing. Of course, just scanning a chip implanted in your forehead would be the best way to go, but…..
I'm with Renee. UPDATE: In the original airing of this piece the announcer, Renee Montagne, could not help but dissolve into laughter over PETA's antics. It has since been re-recorded. PETA's looniness is still silly. My title takes on a bit of a new meaning, tho. :-)
Statesmanship and Zombism
The Chiller Television movie, Remains that takes place in Reno Nevada but was filmed in it's lookalike counterpart, Norwich Conneticut will have it's debut theatrical showing there in December.
"I’m interested to see if I survived the cut," Norwich Mayor Peter Nystrom said of his non-speaking cameo part. "I wasn’t allowed to speak. It was the perfect setting for a public official."
Buddy Gray was murdered 15 years ago, November 15, 1996. Whether you agree with his goals or strategies doesn't matter. He did care & have some kind of vision for the homeless. In 2010, His Drop Inn Center cared for 2,200 men and women. It provided homeless people with 55,000 bed nights. Interestingly (to me) is that 5,000 new housing units are slated to be built in Cincinnati next year while at the same time Building Cincinnati reports that there are currently 5,373 abandoned/vacated buildings in the city, up 14.1% over last year. There's something seriously wrong with this picture.
While seemingly everywhere before the last election, the Enquirer was quoting Chris Finney on a daily basis. With the defeat of his latest ballot initiative, he even hung out at his opponents victory party to get a little more free press. So when the Daily Fishwrap wrote an article about Cincinnati's first gay councilman, who got his start repealing Finney's anti-gay ordinance, Article XII, his quotes were uncharacteristically absent. Instead, all we got was the perv, Burress of Sharonville (City of Progress), telling us the reason for population decline in Cincinnati is due to rampant faggery. yeah, God Hates Fags.
Job Killing Monopolies
Sunday, November 13, 2011
The Listing Loon
While it sounds like some kind of reaL estate company, the Listing Loon is will be a craft beer & wine store slated to open in February '12 @ 4124 Hamilton Avenue in Northside, Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S.A.. The building has been home recently to the Cumminsville branch post office, Art Damage Lodge & Feldenkrais Within. The Feldenkrais Method is dedicated to a full & more dynamic life & fittingly, that group is moving up the street to breathe new life into the old Charles Miller Funeral Home. With the addition of American Can apartment dwellers, the store will have a good number of potential customers in walking distance - handy since there's not a lot of parking nearby.
Clark County Deputy Suzanne Waughtel Hopper was named Clark County Deputy of the year 11/10/11. Waughtel Hopper, 40 & mother of 2, was senselessly murdered by Michael Ferryman a fuck up in Enon Beach Trailer Park 1/1/11. Another officer was wounded and the gunman was killed.
This is what Cincinnatians should expect when the streetcar line is built.
Rededication of Mohawk Honor Roll
On Veterans Day, 11/11/11 @ 2:00 PM (why not 11?) at the intersection of Ravine & McMicken. Bishop Binzer from the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, Bagpipes from the Hamilton County Sheriffs office, Chambers Hauptmann Budde Post Honor Guard, Military and political dignitaries in addition to surviving Mohawk Veterans with their families will be in attendance. The memorial was originally dedicated in 1945 to honor World War II vets from the once bustling community. Over the years it fell into disrepair, the lot was not maintained and vandals stole the metal plaques bearing the names of the soldiers to sell for scrap metal. Charles Barnett bought the lot in the late 80s and maintained the grounds. A group led by Mike Kirchgessner got labor & materials donated from Bricklayers Local 18, Schott Monument, American Facade Restoration and others to do a complete rebuild. The names are engraved in granite now to dissuade parentless metal thieves. I moved to & started working in the area of this monument around 1982 & I remember stopping to see what the hell it was. I had to trudge through debris infested weeds to get near it and a number of the metal plaques had been ripped off. It was really sad to see the condition & to recognize that the area used to be so much more vibrant. My hat's off to the guys that rebuilt this monument (although I kinda preferred the funky old type & color scheme at the top on the original). Mohawk Memorial Fund 513-377-2988
Later, with doors opening at 4PM, there will be a fundraiser to renovate The Emery Theater - Details
Secrets of the Bones
WKRC looks at remains found in Washington Park & how researchers deduce their lifestyles. Urban archaeology - yay! 11/10/11 @ 11 - don't blink
Wednesday, November 09, 2011
12 mil Tax Down in Flames
Tremont City residents voted down a proposed 12 mil increase in taxes almost 2-1. Final vote:99 - 51. Clark County Election results here.
Election Analysis
Because you know you come here for the hard hitting, in depth analysis….. How come the votes on electric aggregation & gas aggregation were different? weird. I really thought 2 & 3 would sink or swim together. whatever hey, Chris, Kevin, Amy, Leslie, Wayne, Jason, Mike, Nick, Cathy, Pat, Kathy, Jacqueline, Sandra! How's it feel to be less popular than a lunatic? Hey Orlando! How's it feel to get beat by 2? Despite being exdorsed by the Fishwrap, COA T & me, freakin' Cecil Thomas came in 4th! I mean WOW, just WOW. Has anybody seen this guy run a committee meeting? And some non-committal rich kid, who LOVES Cincinnati, placed 2nd! This has gotta be the most liberal council in years. And North College Hill re-elected the same guy they have had for mayor for 28 years? Talk about the poster boy for term limits.
Cincinnatians LOVE big government. side note - my internet is fucked up at the moment so posting is going to be short & sparse for awhile.
Tuesday, November 08, 2011
While the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) celebrates it's self proclaimed National Animal Shelter Appreciation Week, local animal shelters aren't exactly feeling the joy. Actually only about 1% of the HSUS budget goes to local animal shelters. They have no official affiliation with local animal shelters. Donations to HSUS do not trickle down to your local shelters. They mainly line the pockets of the executive staff & their lush pensions. From HumaneWatch:
"We haven't seen any money from the HSUS." --Teresa Johnson, PALS [Prevent-a-litter Program] president, in the North Platte Telegraph "We are not in any way associated with HSUS or PETA. I think sometimes, people look at humane societies as being all one, and we're not at all. Nobody is paid. We're all volunteers. We also don't pay any memberships to national organizations. When Hurricane Katrina struck, we sent $500 down there in emergency money, but it didn't go to HSUS. Other than that, I don't know of any donations that have gone anywhere other than in and around North Platte." --Jo Mayber, Paws-itive Partners Humane Society secretary, in the North Platte Telegraph "Not one penny. We receive nothing from them, and the amount of money they get nationally and don’t share with needy shelters like ours is a shame." --Roseann Trezza, Executive Director of the Associated Humane Societies (on News 12 New Jersey) "It's a good source of confusion for a lot of our donors. We have had issues with people who would intend to name us in their will, but actually name the Humane Society of the United States." --Amanda Welby, Seattle Humane Society (on MyFoxSpokane) "In my experience, in the last 15 years, it's been nothing, in this area, that I know of. We got without food here and we couldn't find a place for it, so I contacted the national humane society, to ask them for help, to help us find some or donate some food for the animals. They wouldn't even give me the time of day, hardly. In fact, they were rude about it, in the office. I think that is tugging at people's hearts, showing those animals and also to receive money nationwide. They need to send it directly to us or to the other shelters." --Del Nesmith, Director, Humane Society of Odessa (on News9 Texas) "There is no humane society in the sky; there is no big brother, you are your own entity, all of us are volunteers. We operate with donations and fundraisers and that’s where our money comes from." --Shirley Jarmon, Humane Society of Faulkner County (on KARK Arkansas) "This is what we’re always trying to educate people about. The Humane is not affiliated with any other national group. But both groups are helping animals in different ways….We are autonomous." --Donna Canazo, Humane Society of Charlotte (on WCNC Charlotte) "We often hear, 'We gave to the national organization.’ It's frustrating. I'd appreciate it if they didn't do direct-mail [fundraising] pieces here." --Lynae Gieseke, executive director of the Minnesota Valley Humane Society, in the Star Tribune "We hear it all the time, ‘But I already gave to the Humane Society.’ They think they are helping the shelter here, but they don't understand that money doesn't come locally." –Donna Clark, Kanawha-Charleston Humane Association executive director (West Virginia) "I definitely think it’s an issue. We have people walk into the shelter and say, ‘Oh, I give to the Humane Society of the United States. That’s our opportunity to tell them, ‘No, it doesn’t work that way.’" – Arlette Moen, Circle of Friends Humane Society executive director (North Dakota) "My own mother was confused and thought that when she was writing a check to the Humane Society of the United States that was going to support me and my work … If you give to the Kansas Humane Society that’s helping animals locally. When you give to the Humane Society of the United States that’s going to them in Washington DC and they’re choosing how to use your money." – Jennifer Campbell, Kansas Humane Society communications director (on KSNW-TV) "[People think] that if they give to the national organization that somehow the local organization is benefitting. That's completely false. There's no money whatsoever. We have never received one dime from the HSUS." – Raynette Mayer, Central Savannah River Area Humane Society volunteer (Georgia) "People are also under the assumption that the term ‘humane society’ connotes that that organization must be part of a formal network. In fact, ‘humane society’ is a generic term." – Joe Grisanti, Humane Society of Northwestern Pennsylvania director (on WJET-TV) "These are our communities, this is where our money should be staying. People send it to the national humane society when they see these ads thinking it's going to come back to us, when it's really paying their salaries and paying for these ad campaigns and not doing a thing for our local animals." – Olive Sullivan, Southeast Kansas Humane Society promotions director
Has Ohio Left the Union ?
For the first time I had to vote via provisional ballot. Why? The state of Ohio does not recognize U.S. Federal identification. They would prefer a phone bill. There actually seemed to be more people than usual filling out provisional ballots this time around. Another guy, who looked about like me was shaking his head laughing about it. I was mad. Apparently other people were, too. Earlier, a woman whose federal ID was denied just got mad & left without voting. We hear all the time about disenfranchising black voters. Well, now they are managing to disenfranchise white, middle class, middle aged voters, too. waytogo……
Monday, November 07, 2011
An FOP Endorsement ?
Chris Smitherman, in yet another bid to be a Cincinnati City councilman has received an endorsement from the FOP. In 2004 when he managed to get elected, the nquirer wrote
The memos to the city manager's office come at the rate of about one a day, and sometimes as many as three or four. They started on the second day of Christopher Smitherman's first term on Cincinnati City Council, and have not let up. The requests for information are usually no longer than two or three sentences. The answers sometimes take days of staff time to complete. EXAMPLE: "Please provide my office with the following information: A listing of each sworn officer in the Cincinnati Police Department. For each sworn officer, the name of the high school that he/she attended." He has made deliberate attempts to keep some of his memos quiet. On Jan. 13, he asked the city manager not to release the information she had submitted to his office about police overtime. (The city manager responded that it was a public record.)
He was defended by none other than Ken Lawson, however
"Whenever a strong black man in a position like Chris is in speaks his mind, he's told in no uncertain terms he better get back in his place," said lawyer Kenneth L. Lawson
Of course, Lawson, later disbarred, was probably stoned at the time. Of course, he is also endorsed by the ethically challenged ~er~ ethically challenged COA T organization this year. His FOP endorsement is baffling. It's hard to believe they would want to be in such company.
Ohio Issue 2
The Fishwraap reports that Issue 2 is likely going to go down in flames. That is as it should be but we definitely do need reform. SB5 just showed a complete disconnect from reality. I am assuming legislators will go back to the drawing board. Maybe they won't. That would be too bad. On the other hand, if they haven't figured it out, they might just come back with something else as disconnected as this last stab. Maybe worse. The boys at the Beacon are suggesting the next step might be to just target specific unions & let police & fire unions off the hook. That would be pretty. No wonder 75% of the country thinks we're on the wrong track.
Because I know you've been on needles & pins to know…
Issues
1. YES
2. NO
3. NO
32. NO
37. YES
38. YES
44. YES
45. YES
46. NO
47. NO
48. NO
Council Candidates
Chris Bortz
Kevin Flynn
Nicholas Hollan
Roxanne Qualls
Laure Quinlivan
~maybe~
Wendell Young
Kathy Atkinson
or - for a more Craptacular Cincinnati
Sandra Queen Noble
Chris Smitherman
Charlie Winburn
Cecil Thomas
Leslie Ghiz
Thursday, November 03, 2011
Issue 48 (Cincinnati)
Cincinnati's Issue 48 was introduced by COA T & the NAACP to halt passenger rail in Cincinnati a second time. Their previous attempt would have required public votes on any & all rail projects. This one provides a 10 year ban on building and planning effectively creating a 15+ year ban. Proponents have said the money could be spent on other things from wages to eminent domain programs. They have engaged in a campaign of disinformation on social media, their spokespersons on radio, TV & the local paper have cited a wide range of factoids and figures that are completely unsubstantiated but have generally been given a free pass. Cincinnatians for Progress has called out COA T on their part and, apparently, the organization's counsel is arguing that lies in political campaigns are some kind of constitutional right. The thrust of the campaign has been primarily spreading fear, uncertainty, a dash of class warfare and they seem to be having some success. The thing is, their very use of referenda causes an unhealthy air of uncertainty that damages the entire city. In this video, around 3:40, Steve Chabot goes fishing for a statement from SBA to defend his stance on taxes scaring businesses but doesn't get the answer he wants. What scares businesses is uncertainty. The referendumania rampant in Cincinnati and pushed primarily by COA T & the NAACP creates a climate of uncertainty and is clearly not good for business in the city.
So who supports this ill conceived proposal? Supporting
Cincinnati Chapter NAACP
COAST
FOP
Local Firefighters Union
Baptist Ministers Alliance of Cincinnati
Westwood Concern
Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless
Cincinnati Organized and Dedicated Employees
Southwest Ohio Green Party
Opposed
Cincinnati Enquirer
League of Women Voters
All Aboard Ohio
Alliance for Regional Transit
American Institute of Architects, Cincinnati Chapter
Blue Green Alliance
Brewery District Community Redevelopment Corporation
Charter Committee of Greater Cincinnati
Cincinnati Democratic Committee
AFL-CIO
Cincinnati Preservation Association
Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber
Cincy PAC
Downtown Residents Council
Mt. Auburn Chamber of Commerce
Ohio Environmental Council
Ohio Public Transportation Association
Over-the-Rhine Chamber of Commerce
Pendleton Neighborhood Association
Sierra Club
SORTA
Uptown Consortium
Women's Political Caucus
Cincinnati Business Courier
Simon Leis, Hamilton County Sheriff
Judge Nathaniel R. Jones, former general counsel, national NAACP
Dr. Milton W. Hinton, former president, Cincinnati NAACP
City Beat
Cincinnati Herald
A quick look at the supporters of this issue reveals a rogues gallery of self interest groups who all derive their existence in part or whole from the public trough - all led by an Erisian COA T. Some of the Greens are pretty wack. Their position explanation uses phrases like "mowing down people in the street". Westwood cares little for other neighborhoods or the city at large. This is the neighborhood that considered secession from the city. The ministers group seems to be the same crew that got called out for being absentee slumlords in WCPO's Visions of Vine Street. CODE is the city employee union that was concocted by a woman seemingly for the sole purpose of swindling her coworkers. It will be interesting to see how that pedigree effects them in the future. The safety unions don't seem to see the benefit of improving a neighborhood where they frequently risk their lives dealing with vice and abandoned buildings owned by uncaring absentee landlords. Given the low scores of council candidates on the NAACP's scorecard, one has to wonder how relevant the organization is. If their goals are so important, how come next to nobody seems to realize it? It reminds one of William Burroughs' discussion of Junky Relations. They all need each other but absolutely hate each other because they all are competing for the same supply of junk. Count me OPPOSED.
Cincinnati Iconography
Stylized images of Cincinnati icons and landmarks available on shirts, mousepads, clocks and other merchandise.
Hyde Park, Queensgate, Over the Rhine, Northside, Newport, Union Terminal, Music Hall, The Jockey Club and more.
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