Halloween Pics...

Happy Halloween!

I know that it is a day late, but better late than never.

I hope that everyone had a safe and enjoyable night of tricking or treating the little visitors last night.

We did a bit of both.

Our front lawn was decorated with Tiki torches, carved pumpkins, and neighbors from several different buildings heading out candy.

After the gools and goblins bombarded our front steps, one of neighbors hosted their annual "after Halloween"party. It is more a neighborhood get together where 30 or so people get together and have light, friendly conversation.

I know that some of the City Council candidates would be in attendance, but I did not know that they were going to have a formal platform during the party.

An hour of so into the get together, all four Charter candidates, Malanie Bates, Chris Bortz, Joan Kaulp, and Roxanne Qualls (moderated by Jim Tarbell) addressed the crowd and took a question each afterward.

Though surprised, I was interested to hear what Bates and Kaulp had to say about crime reduction and economic development in our city.

All in all it was a great evening....look for Halloween pics soon!

Can I Get An Amen!

After almost a decade, two city council committees, finance and economic development, have finally decided to approve the go-ahead for Cincinnati's ever-elusive Banks Project.

For those of you who have not at least passed through the Queen City in the past several years, the Banks Project is a heated contested development project of several acres of property between the Great American Ball Park and Paul Brown Stadium, just along the Ohio River.

The reason why there has been so much discussions as to what should be done with this areas (which are now basically just parking lots) is because some of the property is owned by the city and some is owned by the county, and both of these entities have had a doosey trying to agree on how to develop the land.

From parking fears, complaints of exclusion, and one development company dropping out of the mix, all figure in to reasons why the re-development plan has not taken off.

Low and behold, yesterday, hours before the President of the Free World touched down in our city, Cincinnati's City Council has approved a redevelopment plan.

Step one down....several more to go.

City Council as a whole, will vote on Thursday to approve the re-development plan, which co insides with Hamilton county's vote on the plan.

Lets keep our fingers crossed.

There has been a large push for an entertainment aspect to the development. I wonder why the LGBT Community has not complained about being excluded from the decision making. With the Dock Complex being so close to the site, I would think at least they would want a hand in the development.

Cincinnati City Council....The Enquirer Picks the Best?

In the race for Cincinnati City council, I have yet to decide who I will give my vote to when I head to the ballot box in a few weeks. Granted, I have not been paying too much attention to the race. When I hear candidates on the television giving their spiel about how they want to decrease the crime rate, increase the number of high school graduates while spurring economic development, my eyes tend to glaze over.

I have always been a voter who chooses a candidate by what they have done, and little by what they say that they are going to do. This does not bod too well for new comers who have a small track record of community engagement and economic renewal achievements.

This morning, the Cincinnati Enquirer announced its candidate endorsements.

Chris Bortz, incumbent (C): The Enquirer calls him "Smart, effective and articulate". I agree. A few months ago, I volunteered for a beautification event organized by Give Back Cincinnati where we planted the street island located at Clifton and Calhoun streets. Chris Bortz's campaign members were there in addition to the man himself. He was not on the sidelines of the event, he was hauling mulch, digging holes and at the end of the day, was dirtier than most of the organizers. He even hung out afterwards and had a beer with us. He gets my vote.

Laketa Cole, incumbent (D): The Enquirer says that Cole is "one of council's most effective advocates for neighborhoods." I agree. Many times I have witnessed her community engagements. She attended the event organized by the Pendleton Neighborhood Council where we attempted to reclaim the drug laced streets. News that she was involved in a physical altercation with another woman concerns me, but as the Enquirer says, "it appears to be a lapse in judgment brought on by embarrassment and immaturity. She owes voters a full explanation."

Roxanne Qualls, incumbent (C): The Enquirer places Ms. Qualls in the "Close Call" category, but calls her "Smart, capable and experienced." I agrees. She did not make the Enquirer's cut due to her absence from Cincinnati government. I think she is getting a bad rap. Since she has stepped down form being Cincinnati's mayor and a member of its city council, she has been sharpening her skills by doing the following:

Loeb Fellowship in Environmental Studies, Graduate School of Design, Harvard University,Class of 2001
Fellow Institute of Politics, Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University, 2000
Institute for New Mayors, Harvard University, 1993
Mayors Institute on City Design, Harvard University, 1996
Mayors Institute on City Design, University of Virginia, 1997

Not to mention the dozens of social organizations and that she is member to. I doubt that her absence would be a hindrance.

Here is a rundown of the rest of the Enquirer's picks.

GOOD TO GO:
John Cranley, incumbent (D)
David Crowley, incumbent (D)
John Eby, challenger (R)
Leslie Ghiz, incumbent (R)
Greg Harris, challenger (D)
Chris Monzel, incumbent (R)
Cecil Thomas, incumbent (D)

DIDN'T MAKE THE CUT:
Jeff Berding, incumbent (D)
Pat Fischer, challenger (R)
Joan Kaup, challenger (C)
Charlie Winburn, challenger (R)

Here is a pic of the tree that my room mate and myself planted in front of Mr. Bubbles Detailing on 13th Street in Over-the-Rhine (Pendleton). 25 cool points to anyone who can tell what type of tree it is.

Are Black Youth Charged As Adults For Crimes Too Often?

I have been wondering the same thing for the past few months. I am sure that there are a number of non-black youth that are incarcerated and charged as adults for crimes committed, but the majority has been African American youth which make the headline news.

At least that's what I have seen here in Cincinnati.

Just recently, a 15 yr old (who was 14 yrs old at the time of the crime) turned himself in to Cincinnati police, after avoiding police for months, on the charges of murder, felonious assault and illegally having a gun.

I am definitely not saying that this child should get away with these crimes, but according to the Enquirer, he will be charged as an adult. Where were the parent(s), legal guardian(s) in this situation? How did this child avoid incarceration for months without the help of adults? Its not like Cincinnati is Chicago or New York.

This prompted the thought that maybe African American children were being charged as adults far disproportionately in our legal system, which has most recently been documented with the Jena 6 controversy.

Justice came to one young man, when he was recently released early from a 10yr prison sentence (pictured above) for have consensual sex with his high school girlfriend.

As Keith Boykin pointed out on his blog, it is a shame that his family missed out on the years that he was incarcerated.

Monies For A New Jail

Over the past year, Cincinnati Police has made strides in cracking down on crime in the city. They even joined forces with the Hamilton County Sheriff's department in order to bring down the crime rate in Over-the-Rhine.

According to Hamilton County's sheriff, Simon Leis, the next step is to build a new Hamilton County Detention facility that would replace the current one, which many say is not adequate to effectively rehabilitate those who are incarcerated. A sales tax in order to fund the new detentions center is slated to be placed on this November's ballot for approval.

Today's Cincinnati Enquirer gave a break down of the corporations based in here in the Queen City that have given funds to the pro-tax campaign.

Frances Pepper (Com. David Pepper's mom)
$50,000---what is this all about???

Macy's Corporate Services Inc.
$39,200

American Financial
$30,000

Duke Energy Ohio Inc.
$30,000

Western & Southern Life Insurance Co.
$30,000

RBC Dain Rauscher
$25,000

Union Central Life Insurance Co.
$18,500

AK Steel
$17,500

Castellini Co. LLC
$15,000

One Riverfront Place
$15,000

Cincinnati Children's Hospital
$15,000

Cincinnati Area Board of Realtors
$15,000

Frisch's Restaurants Inc.
$12,100

Ohio National Financial Services
$12,100

I guess I should find out how much money it is going to cost to build and run this new detention center before I say this, but with the amount of money that these companies are backing this push for the sales tax, couldn't they just donate that money to the county and build it with that?

Fast Times At Ridgemount High...

I guess it would be more apropos to say, Boring Times at the hands of the government.

The last few days have literally drained me. It has rained for two days straight, which I am grateful for, but when you have to catch the bus and walk several blocks in the dark and rain to a job that is becoming less fulling day by day, when I get home, the only thing that I want to do is to eat a good meal and lay on the couch until its time for bed. Which is exactly what I have done for the past two days....

no posts

no surfing the net

and no Internet promotion of my side biz

Not to mention the verbal struggle that I am having with my mother who, I am convinced, does not know the meaning of preventive maintenance, when it comes to car. Currently, she has two cars in the shop, and still paying the dealer on both of them. Its too complicated to go into the details, but just believe me when I say....DRAMA!

This all leads to this Cincinnati NAMjA contemplating going to the VA and asking form some anti depressants.

Not to fear...maybe a new job in a new city is visible on the horizon.

Is Albus Dumbledore Gay?

According to the richest lady in Engand he is.

I read the following on Faggottyassfagot.com and thought it was a hoot!

Big gay Albus
Turkey might attack Iraq, Benazir Bhutto is in Pakistan for less than a day before a massive terrorist attack, and the entire city of Atlanta may have no drinking water in less than two months.

But forget all of that -- there's only one news story the entire effing universe is talking about this morning:

Dumbledore is a big ol' fairy.
That's right. Friday night, at a book reading at Carnegie Hall, the wealthiest author of all time, J.K. Rowling, had this to say:
"Dumbledore is gay."

Clears that right up.

But whew, did she ever stir the pot this time. This is going to be bigger than the Christians hating on Potter for the use of magic (because turning water into wine was what ... advanced food engineering from ADM, supermarket to the world?). It's going to even be bigger than that Potter wiener and the naked horse massacre.

Now, before the "wand" jokes get started, before the "light in the wizard slippers" cracks starting spreading 'cross the Internet, and especially before Page Six gets a chance to make barely veiled comments about Albus in the Hogwarts' bathroom, using his wide stance and trying a little toe-tapping with Snape ...

Let's break this shit down.

By this morning, the second-tier queer bloggers will be going bananas. Perez will break in with something offensive.

By this afternoon, the Family Research Council will have released a press release that screams, "WHAT ABOUT THE CHILDREN?! FAGGOTRY IN CHILDREN'S BOOKS? BLASPHEMY!"
By tonight, Saturday Night Live will have hurriedly put together a sketch starring Amy Poehler as Harry, Maya Rudolph as Hermione and Bill Hader as Dumbledore. It will not be funny.
Sunday morning, Tim Russert will ask Doris Kearns Goodwin which Republican candidate has the most to gain from a gay Dumbledore. She will give him a withering stare of contempt, then remember her books don't pay the bills, NBC does.

Monday morning, Matt Lauer will lead off Today with a three-expert panel discussing the implications. Dr. Drew and Ann Coulter? Likely two of the three "experts." Al Roker's weather segment afterward will feature some puns that are uncomfortable for all involved. Meredith Vieira may discuss her lack of panties simply to break the tension.

A few minutes later, the big gay bloggers, who don't post on the weekend, will finally upload something that also manages to work in the half-naked photos of Daniel Radcliffe from Equus earlier in the year.

Monday mid-morning, Sherri Shepherd will announce to The View audience that her son will never be allowed to read any of the Harry Potter series, while Joy makes a disinterested crack and tries to turn the topic back to menopause. Barbara will just sit uncomfortably because of her feminine dryness issues.

Monday noon, local newscasts will finally get around to reading the Hollywood wire stories and will work the story into their celebrity roundup segment. The ad-lib transition banter will be awk-ward.

Monday evening, Access Hollywood will have a segment from the premiere of Dan in Real Life, asking the stars of The Office what they would do if Dumbledore came out/on to them.

Later, Nancy Grace will hold court, screaming, "WAS DUMBLEDORE A REGISTERED SEXUAL OFFENDER? SHOULD HE HAVE BEEN ALLOWED TO TEACH CHILDREN?!"

Still later, Larry King will interview Kathy Griffin about some gay wizard thing his producer put in his hands 30 seconds before air. Griffin will be hilarious. King will be befuddled.

Even later, Bill O'Reilly will bellow: "HARRY POTTER. PART OF NAMBLA'S LEFT-WING QUEER CONSPIRACY TO MAKE MAN-BOY LOVE ACCEPTABLE? WELCOME TO THE NO-SPIN ZONE."
Finally, Jon Stewart will put the entire story in perspective. It will be devastating, hilarious, poignant and perfect.
And Ellen? She will just spend the next 72 hours turning cartwheels that her stupid dog/crying jag story is finally out of the news.

But everybody else? Brace for it.

This one's going to hit the fan.

posted by F-AF @ 01:23 AM : comment