There was a sparkling wine tasting to benefit Toys for Tots at Created Illusions, a new art gallery in Hyde Park on Observatory Avenue. It was a very nice night. Admission was $5 or a toy. What a deal. And we could mingle amongst the paintings and photographs. I was also introduced to a drink called the "Black Velvet." It apparently was very popular in Cincinnati in the '50s or '60s. It's made by blending Guiness beer and sparkling wine. Not bad, but not great. Maybe more of an acquired taste.

I'm not a very good cornhole player. I came across this site, and since cornhole is such a Cincinnati thing, I thought I would share:
http://cornholeplayers.net/

Another famous photo!

This picture of a baby bison is going to be featured in the 2009 Cute Overload daily calendar! You will want to rush out and buy one. Next year. I took the picture in Yellowstone National Park in 2006. Cute little baby bison!

http://www.typepad.com/t/trackback/316045/20064516

Shopping for the Zoo

So. What kind of a gift do you give to a new rhino Mom? http://www.cincinnatizoo.org/VisitorGuide/zoonews/NikkiBirth/nikkibirth.html

Walking in a Winter Wonderland.... Sing it to yourself!

Last night I went skating on the Fountain Square Ice Rink with CincyUpdaters. Yippee! Every year I say I am going to go skating on the Square and I finally did. It was fun. On Monday night the rink was not crowded at all. Which is good, because I can't even remember the last time I tried to ice skate. The first few times around the rink I kept one hand on the railing. But eventually, I was able to let go and even skate out of reach of the railing! This was very exciting for me! I realized that I was just going around in circles on an ice rink, but I was enjoying it so much. Why? I was there with a good group of friends, and, I did something much better than I thought I could. When I first went on to the ice, I was not confident that I would get my balance any time soon. It was very gratifying that I eventually did. And that made the night a success!

Get Back to Work, Slackers!

from THE ASSOCIATED PRESS December 2, 2007
IRS considers delaying start of tax season
WASHINGTON - The Internal Revenue Service is looking hard at whether to delay the start of tax-filing season if Congress, in the next two weeks, doesn't pass a law exempting millions of people from the Alternative Minimum Tax.
If there is a delay and it extends into mid-February, it would slow the return of 32 million refunds worth a total of about $87 billion, the IRS Oversight Board predicts.
The board, an independent advisory group, told lawmakers last week that it is "gravely concerned about the serious risks" to the filing season if Congress does not make timely changes to the tax. They include more mistakes by both taxpayers and the IRS and more people failing to pay taxes because of uncertainty about what they owe. The alternative minimum tax, passed in 1969, was aimed at very wealthy families. It was not adjusted for inflation. As a result, over the years it has hit a growing number of middle-income taxpayers. More than 4 million paid it in the 2006 tax year, and that number could soar to 25 million this year without congressional action.
Congress has approved one-year fixes to stop the tax from expanding. Legislation this year has stalled in a dispute between majority Democrats and the White House over whether to raise other taxes to make up for the drop in AMT revenue.
The tax season normally starts Jan. 14, but Deputy IRS Commissioner Richard Spires said the agency is considering not processing returns if the AMT issue is not resolved soon.
Some returns filed early might be affected by changes in the law and have to be amended. Congressional aides said there is no discussion of extending the April 15 deadline if the filing season is shortened.Some disruption already is taking place. As Congress was leaving for its Thanksgiving break with no deal in sight, the IRS was going to press with the forms for the 2007 tax year. Spires said the agency has postponed printing the AMT form.
Congress returns this week and expects to pass a bill this year. But it will take about seven weeks after a bill is passed and signed into law to get those forms to the public, Spires said.

from the Washington Post: The alternative minimum tax was passed in 1969 and was aimed at about 155 very wealthy families who used deductions to avoid paying any federal income tax. The AMT disallows certain deductions and credits. It was not adjusted for inflation; as a result, over the years it has hit a growing number of middle-income taxpayers.
More than 4 million were subject to it in the 2006 tax year, and that could soar to 25 million this year without congressional action.
Senate Democrats normally can count on a 51 to 49 majority, assuming independent Sen. Joseph I. Lieberman (Conn.) stays with his old party. With Sens. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.), Barack Obama (D-Ill.), Joseph R. Biden Jr. (D-Del.), Christopher J. Dodd (D-Conn.) and John McCain (R-Ariz.) campaigning furiously for party presidential nominations, Republicans can have an effective 48 to 47 majority, with an extra vote from Lieberman on most national security issues.
The House has passed a one-year, $50 billion AMT patch for tax year 2007 to keep the number of taxpayers impacted from jumping to 23 million, but the Senate has not yet acted.

Two things really bug me about the info in these articles. 1. Five representatives spending the last year+ campaigning instead of doing their job. The were each elected to represent their constituents in Congress, not travel the country making empty promises. It's as if they're going on a job interview with another company while on the clock at their current job. As far as I know, they are still being paid their full Congressional salary while being absent from the job much more than would be tolerated in the real world.
When Congressional representatives decide to make a serious, all-out campaign for a better job, they should have to step down for their elected position. It is clear they can't, or aren't going to, do both.
2. The AMT mess. According to the Washington Post, it was passed in 1969 to prevent 155 very wealthy families from completely escaping taxes. Fine. Not a bad idea. But times have changed. It has not been adjusted for inflation. For 38 years! This lack of adjustment has been a hot issue for at least the last 10 years. And Congress still has done nothing about it! Sure they might pass a one-year temporary fix, but if they can do that year after year, why the heck can't they get together and straighten it out altogether. Oh, maybe its because they're "on recess" most of the year. I'm sure they're working on issues when they go home, and campaigning to be re-elected to finish the job they didn't do the year before. How long do you get to delay a project or adressing a problem in your job before it hits the fan? 10 years? Do you take numerous vacations while assignments are piling up on your desk?
Part of the problem is that the Democrats in Congress have instituted a "pay-go" system. Any tax cuts have to be "paid for" with spending cuts. So new tax breaks can't take away from the bottom line. Nice idea, except when it prevents real work from getting done.
This is all the Republicans fault. And its all the Democrats fault. If politicians would just spend as much time working as they do trying to place blame, they might actually get something done!

Right, and then because of all of this it could be more confusing to file your taxes next year. Tax forms can't be printed until we know what the law is. Can't file until you have the forms. If the forms are sent late, processing will be late, your refunds will be late. All because the guys we elect and pay to see to these sorts of things haven't done their jobs.

Smart Bengal

I came across this article from the Dayton Daily News on another website:

Frugal punter thankful for his old truck
Larson's 1994 vehicle is symbolic of his reputation as 'Cheapest Bengal.'
By Chick Ludwig
Staff Writer
Thursday, November 22, 2007
CINCINNATI — GMC Denalis, Cadillac Escalades, Hummers and other expensive luxury vehicles populate the Cincinnati Bengals players parking lot at Paul Brown Stadium.
And then there's Kyle Larson's 1994 faded blue-and-silver Chevy S-10 pickup truck with the Nebraska plates.
Which brings us to Thanksgiving Day. The Bengals' fourth-year punter from Funk, Neb., is thankful for his job, his wife and his meager means of transportation. He calls his truck "ol' faithful" because it gets him where he wants to go — home and the stadium.
"That Chevy pickup's been good to me over the years," Larson said. "I imagine it'll go out on me one of these days. But until it does, there's no use getting rid of it. I like it. It's nice and broken in."
Former Cincinnati safety Kevin Kaesviharn carried the banner as the "Cheapest Bengal" until he bolted to New Orleans in free agency. He'd make peanut butter and jelly sandwiches at training camp and always stayed holed-up in his hotel room on the road.
"Now it's Kyle Larson," defensive end Justin Smith said. "He still drives his old truck from college and lives ... I'd call it real responsible, but a lot of other guys would call it cheap."
Word around the locker room is that Larson banks three of every four paychecks.
"I try to think about the future," he said. "Down the road, my wife (Lindsay) and I want to have kids some day. All that kind of stuff takes money, and it's best to put it in the bank."
Larson may be cheap, but he's smart. And his teammates believe he's worth emulating.
"When he gets his paycheck, it's not a chance for him to go buy something nice," kicker Shayne Graham said. "He puts it away. He's a guy that when he's got a family and he's got things to take care of down the road, he'll have it. He'll never have to worry about that account being overdrawn."
Long-snapper Brad St. Louis smiles when asked about Larson, who is averaging 42.2 yards per punt and has dropped nine of 37 kicks inside the opponent's 20-yard line.
"Kyle is probably the nicest guy in the NFL," he said. "The guy's from Funk, Neb. That's just him. I wouldn't expect anything else. It's kind of cool just to be at your roots — to be comfortable with yourself. Some guys would be embarrassed. But he's from the Midwest. That's just what your roots are."
Kyle Larson file
Position: Punter
College: Nebraska
Height/weight: 6-1, 204
Season: Fourth
Noteworthy: Averages 42.2 yards (34.0 net) on 37 attempts, with nine inside-the-20 punts. In 2006, he broke into the NFL's top 10 in two major categories, ranking fifth in net (38.6) and eighth in gross (44.5). His 26 punts inside the 20 were a personal best.

Three out of four paychecks would be a stretch for most of us, but it's a great example. He's going to be so glad he saved is paychecks in a few years. Coincidentally, I was out trying to do some Christmas shopping today. I only bought "gifts" for myself. This year, I'm buying for 5 people: my brother, my Mom, my Dad, my niece and my Aunt. Also for a child in our Adopt-A-Family. I have two good friends from high school for whom I used to shop but we decided to just go out to lunch together sometime instead of worrying about gifts. Among my 4 siblings and two sisters-in-law, we draw names and only buy for one person. And we set a $50 limit. It just amazes me that some people finance their Christmas shopping! They run up their credit card balances knowing they can't pay them off in the next month. It's a shame they feel so much pressure to spend. No one should have to give gifts they can't afford. It's ridiculous.

Final Friday.

It was a great Friday night for art. I met Karen at Red Tree Gallery in Oakley which is a great little cafe/art gallery with a nice mix of high-end and affordable art. The had some wonderful handbags in the $40-$50 range and cool t-shirt. But I managed to resist buying anything. This was a special gallery opening night so several artists were there with special displays. Beautiful ceramics, hand made cards, hand-painted ornaments and funky glass magnets. Red Tree also carries items from Beaded Hope.
Next we went to Pendleton and we covered a lot of ground. I haven't been to Pendleton on a Final Friday in a long time. I love going there. Eight floors of artists studios to wander in and out of. One artist (I should have grabbed a card) had a great poster of "The ABCs of Cincinnati." It would be a terrific gift.
Then we stopped by Friday Night Blows at the Glass Studio on 14th street. It was the end of the night but we got to see the finished product - a glass fire truck. It was not a little model that you could hold in your hand. It was big. Very impressive.
Last, but not least, we stopped by the book signing for "But I Thought Pigs Could Fly" the latest book from Edgecliff Press of photos of Cincinnati's best architecture. The book focuses on the small details in the older buildings. Like the phone carved into the old Cincinnati Bell building. The author also had prints of the pictures framed and hanging on the wall. I do love the older architecture downtown. I think it's underappreciated. Most of the street-level stuff is gone, if it was ever there, and you need to look up to appreciate the details on the older buildings.
Anyway, it was nice to see so many people out. Pendleton and the Glass Works were crowded and we had a heck of a time finding parking. But I am glad that so many people want to go out to look at the art and that they don't mind going downtown to do so.

The "Capture Cincinnati" book was unveiled Thursday night at Joseph-Beth Books in Rookwood Pavilion. The store was packed. I picked up my copy of the book and, yay, this picture I submitted of my niece is in it. On page 16. (Yet it didn't win any prizes. Hmph.) It is a great picture, I must say, although that is due mostly to the subject rather than to the photographer. But we'll take it!
I've already autographed the photo in one book - my friend Karen Deime. I'll even autograph your copy FOR FREE if you ask nicely.
When I created my account to submit my photos, there was a place to enter "your website." What the heck, I put the address of my blog in there. I didn't realize that it was intended for professionals who have websites showcasing their photos. So in the back of the book where everyone who submitted a picture is listed, there is a separate listing of the photographers who provided websites. And that is where my name, and "website" is listed. With the professionals. So I guess I'd better start posting more pictures here! I'll put a link to my Flickr site, but even that is mostly just snaps of friends at random events. I'll have to put more pictures on there too.

Interesting article about the income gap:

Baltimore SunNovember 21, 2007
IRS Data Reveal the Truth about America's Supposed Income Gap
By Thomas Sowell

Anyone who follows the media has probably heard many times that the rich are getting richer, the poor are getting poorer, and incomes of the population in general are stagnating. Moreover, those who say such things can produce many statistics, including data from the Census Bureau, that seem to indicate that. On the other hand, income tax data recently released by the Internal Revenue Service seem to show the exact opposite: People in the bottom fifth of income-tax filers in 1996 had their incomes increase by 91 percent by 2005. The top 1 percent saw their incomes decline by a whopping 26 percent. Meanwhile, the average taxpayers' real income increased by 24 percent between 1996 and 2005. How can all this be? How can official statistics from different agencies of the same government lead to such radically different conclusions?

There are wild cards in such data that need to be kept in mind when you hear income statistics thrown around - especially when they are thrown around by people who are trying to prove something for political purposes. One of these wild cards is that most Americans do not stay in the same income brackets throughout their lives. Millions of people move from one bracket to another in just a few years. What that means statistically is that comparing the top income bracket with the bottom income bracket over a period of years tells you nothing about what is happening to the actual human beings who are moving between brackets during those years. That is why the IRS data, which are for people 25 and older, and which follow the same individuals over time, find those in the bottom 20 percent of income-tax filers almost doubling their income in a decade. That is why they are no longer in the same bracket. That is also why the share of income going to the bottom 20 percent bracket can be going down, as the Census Bureau data show, while the income going to the people who began the decade in that bracket is going up by large amounts. Unfortunately, most income statistics, including those from the Census Bureau, do not follow individuals over time. The Internal Revenue Service does that, and so does a study at the University of Michigan, but they are the exceptions.

Another wild card in income statistics is that many such statistics are about households or families - whose sizes vary over time, vary between one racial or ethnic group and another, and vary between one income bracket and another. That is why household or family income can remain virtually unchanged for decades while per capita income is going up by very large amounts. The number of people per household and per family is declining. Differences in the number of people per household from one ethnic group to another is why Hispanics have higher household incomes than blacks, while blacks have higher individual incomes than Hispanics.

Now that the Internal Revenue data show the opposite of what the media and the politicians have been saying for years, should we expect either to change? Not bloody likely.The University of Michigan study, which has been going on for decades, shows patterns very similar to those of the IRS data. Those patterns have been ignored for decades.

Thomas Sowell is a senior fellow at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University.

Fountain Square was completely packed Friday night for Light Up the Square. Lori and I started the evening in the bar at Morton's where we could look out the window upon the gathering crowd. We eventually ventured out into the cold, but the ceremonies got a little behind schedule so we left before the tree was lit. We had to get to Holiday Fusion at the Party Source to sample all kinds of yummy cocktails, and a few snacks.

Friday after Thanksgiving.

The federal government does NOT give its employees off the day after Thanksgiving. A lot of people take a vacation day, but I will likely go into the office. What else am I going to do? Go shopping? I hate crowds! Anyway, I will already be downtown for the Light Up the Square after work. They have a beautiful tree on Fountain Square and the ice rink is about ready. It is sure to be a great time.

Then I am going to Holiday Fusion at The Party Source. Free ticket! Yay!

Over the weekend I have to remember to check out O'Bryonville Animal Rescue's annual ebay event. It runs from November 23 - November 30 at www.members.ebay.com/aboutme/theanimalrescue. Maybe there will be some good gift certificates.

I'm baaaack. I was having computer issues. I have no patience for my computer when it doesn't work. But there are always lots of other things to do besides log onto the Internet. This Wednesday, the night before Thanksgiving, I will be one of the guest bartenders at Kona Bistro's Community Night. Club Red is taking over and all the tips go to the Cincinnati Chapter of the American Red Cross. I'm officially behind the bar from 8-10 but I'll probably be there by 6:00 anyway. Kim and Jayson Beck are tending bar from 6-8 and Monika Roberts will be joining me from 8-10.
Hopefully, I will get off duty in time to run across Madison Road to the 20th Century Theater. Freekbass is playing a benefit concert. It's only $12 at the door! I haven't seen Freekbass in years and they were awesome!

CityBeat editorial.
Yet another great editorial from CityBeat. I don't often read these, but this caught my eye. Too often in Cincinnati we focus on what's wrong or what's missing from our city. Not that we should ignore areas that could use improvement, but we also need to celebrate the things that are unique and great about the Cincinnati area. And there are a lot of things.

http://citybeat.com/gyrobase/Content?oid=oid%3A142821

THEY MIGHT BE GIANTS!

THEY MIGHT BE GIANTS!

The show at the Southgate House last night was great! Mostly new stuff - new beings since 1990's Flood album. I liked "Mesopotamians" from their latest album The Else. They also did an Alphabet Song which I had never heard. Maybe it's on one of the kids' CDs? They sang the name of a country for every letter of the alphabet. Except X, which was, naturally, xylophone. Old favorites included "Whistling in the Dark," "Birdhouse in your Soul," and "Particle Man" among others.

I need to update my TMBG music. I only have Flood on cassette!

Cincinnati Theater

I saw Altar Boyz on Saturday night. It was great! I laughed so much. You have until November 16 to see it, and I recommend that you do. Especially if you're Catholic.
http://www.cincyplay.com/shows/season/m2/index.php
(BTW, half-price tickets are available the day of the show at the Playhouse box office.)

Oh, really?

From the Cincinnati Post, October 24:
JetBlue welcome, CVG says
If JetBlue Airways Corp. is looking for another Midwest market to serve after the low-cost carrier pulls out of Columbus, Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport stands ready.
"There's no doubt that we're going to be talking to them," airport spokesman Ted Bushelman said Tuesday, the day JetBlue announced it would discontinue its Columbus service. "That's just the name of the game."
But don't plan on flying JetBlue out of Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky just yet.
The problem in Columbus - too few passengers bound for destinations that JetBlue serves - and stiff competition for passengers on flights to the airline's New York base by Delta Air Lines and its regional partner Comair, the Cincinnati airport's dominant carriers, make expansion here unlikely, say experts.
Jet Blue's hub is at New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport, where Delta is expanding domestic and international service and has spent $50 million refurbishing its terminals. Delta has 30 percent of the flights at JFK; Jet Blue has 29 percent.
Jet Blue has as its first expansion priority to better "connect the dots" with more service between markets where it already has a sizeable customer base rather than beginning service in new markets, spokesman Bryan Baldwin said from JetBlue headquarters in New York.
"We really are taking a hard look at the current network that we have, assuring that the routes that we have really fit in toward our goal to sustain profitability as a company," Baldwin said.
The decision to end service in January to Columbus and also to Nashville, Tenn., was part of that strategy, he said.
Lagging business in both of those markets prompted the airline's decision to pull out, said Dave Barger, JetBlue's chief executive officer, and "to redeploy our assets."
The dominance of Delta, which with Comair provides about 80 percent of the flights at Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky, is also a consideration in any decision by JetBlue or any other low-cost carrier to try to compete at the airport here, said Baldwin.
Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky has enjoyed little success in attracting low-cost carriers to the airport, which earlier this year was deemed to have the highest average fares among the nation's 100 top airports.
The only low-cost carrier here is USA 3000, which began operations at Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky in 2002 with twice weekly flights to Cancun, Mexico. It has since expanded with flights to Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, and Fort Myers, Fla.
Other low-cost carriers that have tried to gain a foothold at Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky have eventually left because they couldn't compete with Delta. That carrier typically lowered its fares on competing routes, and customers returned to Delta so they could earn frequent flier miles.
AirTran tried to operate at Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky for three years before pulling out in 1998, the same year Air Canada left after less than a year. Vanguard Airlines twice failed at Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky, the last time in 2000.
Still, Bushelman said airport officials will contact JetBlue in hopes the low-cost carrier might expand at Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky.
"We'll always act on it, but apparently JetBlue has found out that the Midwest is not a good place for them to be," Bushelman said.


Jet Blue! We want you!

Winter is almost here.

They have started installing the skating rink on Fountain Square.
Broomball anyone?

Summer.

OMG. It's almost November. Yet I've been so busy the last two months, and the weather has been so crazy, it kind of feels like summer is just over. So I got to thinking about what I did this summer.

I don't consider summer as starting until June 8th - when I could ditch my boot; once my foot got better. The Club Red Wine Social on June 9th was fun - especially since I was wearing two normal shoes. I sent pictures to Cincinnati Magazine and one of them ended up on the (15 Minutes) page.

June 20 - Family Feud on Fountain Square. What a great idea! I had a great time even though we didn't win.

June 21 - the first of several wine and chocolate tastings at Marble Hill. Oh yum!

July 14 - THE POLICE! Kathy and I got to see The Police. I WON tickets so it was especially good. It was also the first time I had ever been to Churchhill Downs, and not a horse in sight.
July 21 - The CincyUpdate team won Give Back's Amazing Race.

August 2 - Wild About Wine at the Zoo. A picture of me holding a python in Sophisticated Living magazine. I had never heard of Sophisticated Living magazine. Apparently, wearing a python around your neck at the Children's Petting Zoo while drinking wine from a plastic cup qualifies as sophisticated.
August 11 - Beth and I won the Mini Cooper Road Rally. Also in August, I played in my first ever golf scramble. It was the first time I had ever played golf. Good thing my team was not focused on winning. I then took some golf classes through Communiversity so next year I should be a little better.

September 6 - At Bold Fusion, Thane Maynard let me hold a (small) alligator!

September 22- Oktoberfest.

Last weekend in September - MidPoint Music Festival and the Downtown Tour of Living.

October so far - Reggae Run, Zoo Brews, quick trip to Ottawa, and the World Music Fest at Southgate House.
This is just the things that stand out. There were countless meetings, happy hours, plays, parties, dinners and other events too.

WHAT A GREAT WAY TO PROTEST.

http://www.pantiesforpeace.info/send-your-panties/

From The Irrawaddy (News about Southeast Asia and Burma)
“Panties for Peace” Campaign Wins Wide SupportBy Violet Cho October 18, 2007

The “Panties for Peace” campaign aimed at Burma’s military regime is gaining momentum, with the establishment of a committee to drum up support in Thailand.
The campaign began on October 16, with women throughout the world sending packages to Burmese embassies containing panties. Burma’s superstitious generals, particularly junta chief Than Shwe, believe that contact with any item of women’s wear deprives them of their power.
“Panties for Peace” campaigns have sprung up in Australia, Europe, Singapore—and now Thailand, where a Lanna Action for Burma committee has been formed in Chiang Mai to support the feminine protest.
Ying Tzarm, a co-founder of Lanna Action for Burma, told The Irrawaddy that the campaign was aimed at undermining the superstitious beliefs of the military regime.
Liz Hilton, a supporter of the Lanna Action for Burma and a member of the Empower foundation, said that by sending underwear to the men of Burma’s overseas embassies women would be delivering a strong message to the regime.
“The SPDC is famous for its abuse of women, so this can be a very strong signal from women around the world supporting the women in Burma,” she said.
“Many feel there’s little we can do. It is like living next to domestic violence when we see the military government brutal crack down in Burma. We can hear that fighting in the next-door house or in the same village. We have tried to talk, we have tried to do many things. But we need to express our feelings.”
In another unusual popular protest action, people in Rangoon are hanging pictures of Than Shwe around the necks of stray dogs. It’s a very serious insult in Burma to associate anybody with a dog.
Graffiti anti-regime messages are also appearing on trains and buses in Rangoon. “Killer Than Shwe” is a popular slogan.
“The people of Burma are doing what they can inside [the country],” said Liz Hilton. “We should do whatever we can outside. Most of us are not politicians, we are not powerful people. But women do have the power of their panties—let’s use that.”
http://www.irrawaddy.org/article.php?art_id=9048

WORLD MUSIC FEST

Were you there? The Southgate House was packed last night for the first annual (we hope) World Music Festival. World music was playing continuously with three different stages all night long. I got there a little late and missed Mohenjo Daro :( But I arrived during Baoku & The Image's Afro Beat show in the ballroom. I found Clara Matonhodze and her friend Simba, who are both from Zimbabwe enjoying the Afro Beat. After their set, I made my way up to the Parlour and ran into Gina Elliot listening to Made In Brasil. Gina was also escaping from all the Halloween parties this year. I agreed being transported to Rio and channelling Carmen Miranda was a much better way to spend the night than pushing through a crowded beer-soaked Halloween bash.
Back down into the Ballroom for West African Drum & Dance with Sogbety Diomande. I wish I had brought my camera! The drummers were excellent and the dancers encouraged audience participation. Clara dragged me onto the dance floor to learn some West African dance moves. Not too bad, if I do say so myself.
When Sogbety Diomande ended, we went up to the Lounge where the Reggae band Selecter was jammin. These guys are great! And, according to Clara and Simba, I have the moves! The lead singer of Selecter is an average-looking white guy who you would expect to find cheering at the Bengals game on Sunday. If you met him on the street, you would never guess that he could belt out the Reggae songs like Bob Marley. Crazy!
I looked out the front window at Newport on the Levee right across the street and considered the contrast between the Fest at the Southgate House and the pre-packaged, corporate entertainment available at the Levee. Don't get me wrong, corporate entertainment is fine from time to time, but I would bet most people at the Levee that night probably have no clue what happens at the Southgate House. I'm sure a lot of my friends don't. Most of them would never think of missing the Keimland Halloween party to go to a music festival.
One of the many wonderful things about last night was the diversity of the crowd. There were truly people of all ages and nationalities, and why not? There was such a diversity of music, you were bound to find something to like.
Back to the Ballroom to end the night with Salsa Caliente who, of course, did not disappoint. It's hard to sit still when that Salsa music is all around you.

Since you probably missed the World Music Fest, you can get a little taste of it at Stanley's Pub on Wednesdays when Selecter plays their Reggae music. See you there!

LUSH...
is scheduled to open in the Macy's at Kenwood Towne Center on NOVEMBER 2!!

Someone left a comment on my last post. It had nothing to do with the post. It was spam. A spam comment! What the heck?

IMMIGRATION

The WorldView radio show that aired tonight featured a very interesting panel discussion on immigration. In particular, the immigration of science and computer professionals, both as students and as workers. Why can't America fill its own needs in these areas? Is it a sign of weakness? You will be able to listen to the program at the WorldView archives at www.globalcincinnati.org.

The show reminded me of an interview with Philippe Legrain I recently read on the Freakanomics blog. Some parts that I found interesting (emphasis added):

A Rand study of recent immigrants to the U.S. finds that the typical immigrant ends up $20,000 per year better off. And it’s not just the migrants themselves who gain — it’s their countries of origin, too. Already, migrants born in poor countries and working in rich ones send home much more — some $200 billion a year officially, perhaps another $400 billion informally — than the miserly $100 billion that Western governments give in aid. These remittances are not wasted on weapons or siphoned off into Swiss bank accounts; they go straight into the pockets of local people. They pay for food, clean water, and medicines. They enable children to stay in school, fund small businesses, and benefit the local economy. What’s more, when migrants return home, they bring with them new skills, new ideas, and the money to start new businesses that can provide a huge boost to the local economy. For example, Africa’s first Internet cafés were started by migrants returning from Europe.

Some immigrants bring exceptional skills that American companies need if they are to compete in a global marketplace. Also, immigrants’ collective diversity and dynamism helps spur innovation and economic growth, because if people who think differently bounce ideas off each other, they can solve problems better and faster. Just look at Silicon Valley: Intel, Yahoo, Google, eBay, and others were all co-founded by immigrants who arrived in the U.S. not as highly-skilled graduates, but as children.

Who knew?
You can read the rest of the interview at:
http://freakonomics.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/10/17/the-case-for-open-immigration-a-qa-with-philippe-legrain/#more-1915

LUSH update!
I've been checking the forum discussions on the LUSH website and here is one of the latest posts:

"Babette Joined: 07 Jan 2007Posts: 65Location: Michigan
Posted: Tue Oct 16, 2007 6:48 am

Kenwood Macy's is only weeks away! I'll be there next week hiring, if anyone is interested. email kenwod@lush.com with your cover letter and resume pasted into the body of the message, no attachments, with your name and ft or pt in the subject line! best of lush! "

Weeks away!! That sounds like soon to me! I have to get out to Kenwood and see if I can scout out the location or any developments. The discussion boards seem to indicate that it will be in Macy's. This seems to be the trend with LUSH stores. They have been opening new stores like crazy lately. If only they could give us a DATE!

The 20/20 festival wrapped up last night, but there is still a lot going on this weekend. I would like to check out: The Green drinks meeting on Thursday, but I can't because my golf class was rescheduled from Wednesday. One more week of golf left.

On Friday I will definitely be at the McAlpin on 4th Street downtown for Music and Martinis with CincyUpdate. $15 gets you an open bar, music in the lobby and on the outdoor rooftop balcony and some munchies.
http://www.cincyupdate.com/calendar/calendar.asp?DoAction=Calendar&Q_DATE=10/19/2007&View=Event&IDEvent=6637 Afterwards, I hope to make it to the Southgate House in Newport for the Jackson Roast, featuring several local bands covering any Jackson song - the 5, Michael, Janet. www.cincyupdate.com

I'd like to be able to squeeze in a quick trip to Andy's Mediterranean Grille to see Myrrah belly-dance. She's not there more than once a month usually and she is the best!

On Saturday, I'm thinking about the Fire Ball to benefit the Cincinnati Fire Museum. From the looks of the host and hostess list, it should attract a diverse crowd.

On Sunday, I was thinking of the Japanese tea tasting at Essencha, but I might head to Findlay Market instead for the Harvest Fest. Of course, any weekend is a good time to head to Findlay Market but I always seem to forget about it when the weekend comes. http://www.findlaymarket.org/news.htm

Next Saturday, Oct. 27, is the World Music Fest at Southgate House. I think I will have to skip the Halloween Parties and go to that instead. Which saves me the trouble of scrounging up a costume! www.worldmusicfest.org

Thanks to some last minute airfare specials, I took a spur-of-the-moment trip to Ottawa last weekend to visit my brother, sister in law, and niece. I flew on United, which meant a layover at O'Hare. Nothing ever goes smoothly in O'Hare. A few years ago, on the same route to Ottawa, my departure gate change 4 times! But this time, all my flights went off without a hitch! Both on the way to and the way from, my flights out of Chicago left on time! And there were no gate changes. Leaving Ottawa on Tuesday morning, we were slightly delayed, by about a half hour, but luckily I had plenty of time in Chicago, where my flight left on time. Everything went according to plan. Through O'Hare. Ah-Maze-Ing!!

LUSH is still 'coming soon' to Kenwood. No infomation on an expected opening date.

Here we go again.

I've lost count of how many cool things are happening this Thursday. I'm going to Zoo Brews. I hope they bring out a cheetah. If I wasn't going to Zoo Brews, I would go to the Women Lawyers Society's fashion event at Saks, and then the CCM Night Lights at Lightborne studios, or RetroFittings, or the Global Center's Great Decisions dinner. Then a friend offered me a free movie pass to see Elizabeth II on Thursday and I just got an email about a MidPoint Music Festival volunteer happy hour on Thursday. Why is it all on the same night??

Warren Buffett in Berkshire-Hathaway's 1998 annual report: "Writing checks to the IRS that include strings of zeros does not bother ... me. Berkshire as a corporation, and we as individuals have prospered in America as we would have in no other country. Indeed, if we lived in some other part of the world and completely escaped taxes, I'm sure we would be worse off financially and in many other ways as well. Overall, we feel extraordinarily lucky to have been dealt a hand in life that enables us to write large checks to the government."

Yeah, I don't always agree with my government or like the way they're spending our tax money, but we have it pretty good here. If you pay a lot of taxes, it is probably because you're making a lot of money. No, the system isn't perfect, but show me a country where it is perfect. There are other wonderful places to live, and there are a lot of hellholes too.

One World Wednesday

Last night at the Cincinnati Art Museum, I met a man from Rwanda. He seemed pleasantly surprised that I knew where Rwanda was (next to Uganda) and something about the country. I told him that I went to see Paul Rusesabagina when he was at the Freedom Center earlier this year. He was impressed that I'm really interested in that area of Africa. Of course I am. I've been to Tanzania on safari and my Aunt is living and teaching in rural Uganda. At one point he asked if I know why he is here in the U.S. He is a refugee, but I did not ask if he was Hutu or Tutsi. Luckily, I bit my tongue because I actually thought about asking, "You're not a genocidaire, are you?" Because, what would I have done if he had answered "Yes"?

What I like about Cincinnati is that it has a lot of the offerings of a big city (as far as I can tell, I've never really lived in a big city) but it's more accessible. There is always something going on. There is always theater and music. You can look at Karen's blog (http://deime.blogspot.com/) for more about the music scene. There are constant sporting events and even if the Reds and Bengals aren't playing well, we have exciting college teams (Go Miami! Go XU! Boo UC! Hee hee), and really great high school sports. From spring to fall there is always a competitive race or 5k for runners. Check with Bob Roncker's Running Spot for info on that. Although we don't have any mountains, we have plenty of nice parks to wander through and the Loveland bike trail to ride on. We have a really nice zoo, and several no-kill animal shelters if you want to help animals.

Best of all, there are so many opportunities to get involved if you want to. Whatever your passion or cause, there is sure to be a group, charity, or club supporting it. Even if you just want to do some random community service project, there are groups who organize those.
You just have to look around and be aware. (I have a friend who had lived here for 6 years without knowing about the Flying Pig Marathon.) Read CityBeat, CinWeekly, CincyUpdate. Check the United Way website and be persistent.

EXCITING NEWS CINCINNATI!!

LUSH is Coming Soon to Kenwood Towne Center!!!!!!!
I am so excited. Although a little wary because LUSH is expensive but oh, so fun. I like the solid shampoos and the bath bombs. My long-time wish is coming true! My very own LUSH right here in Cincinnati. Not 10 miles from my house.
www.LUSH.com

Lots of other good stuff coming to Kenwood. I saw a sign for The Body Shop. We all know about Nordstrom and Crate & Barrel. With all this so close, it will take me awhile to trek out to the new IKEA when it opens.

I might need to get a second job to keep up with all the great shopping that's coming!

MidPoint Music Festival

I just got back from MidPoint. http://www.mpmf.com/bands.php I'm home early I know. I went to the pre-party to hear Superdrag. http://www.superdrag.com/ What a fun band! Then I went to the Know Theatre wher the International bands are playing. As I was leaving The Exchange, Sean Rhiney, one of the founders of MidPoint, told me that one of the international bands called Vanderpark were really good and I should stay at the Know long enough to hear them. Lori and I got there before any shows started and there was a very low-key happy hour going on. Free Christian Moerlein 5th and Vine Ale. Nice! Sponsor ICB Audio was giving everyone glowing blue star necklaces to make the night even better. A little after 9:00 the first band got on stage and started playing. They were quite good. After the first song they announced "We are called Vanderpark and we're from Toronto, Ontario, Canada." Sean was right! Vanderpark is really good. http://www.vanderpark.com/ I even bought a CD on my way out and I don't usually buy CDs spur-of-the-moment.

I wish I could do a music review of these bands but I am just unable to do them justice. You'll just have to take my word for it.

Tomorrow I will be working at MidPoint all night long. I hope I get to hear some good bands.

The next two weeks are packed. I am not a morning person, or a late-night exerciser. Tell me, when am I supposed to go to the gym??

Tuesday 9/18: The only time available to both Alecia and I to buy party supplies for the CincyUpdate Oktoberfest kickoff on Friday. If I wasn't doing this, or if I had a clone, I would go to the Brueggeman Center at Xavier University for a talk by Fred Starr: Discussing Critical Issues Afghanistan and Greater Central Asia: An Unexpected Opportunity. Actually, I think I will have time to do both.

Wednesday 9/19: Golf class (yes, golf. I'm a lawyer after all, I should know something about that game) and Community Night at Kona Bistro benefiting the kitties at O'bryonville Animal Rescue. If it weren't for both of those, I would consider YPKC Community Council Happy Hour and meet some city council candidates.

Thursday 9/20: I have been wanting to go to a monthly Green Drinks (http://greendrinkscincy.blogspot.com/) meeting for many months now, but I never seem to make it. This Thursday there is a free International wine tasting and "networking" event at TQL (Total Quality Logistics). Although it is sort of invite-only, it seems that every YP group was invited to invite all their members, or even all their mailing list. I heard about it both from Club Red and Freedom YP. I need a clone so she could go to Night on the Serengeti at the Freedom Center to benefit Village Life Outreach. I should go to that! There's another Meet the Candidates forum, in case you missed yesterday's, but I'll have to miss both.

Friday 9/21: The CincyUpdate Unofficial Kickoff to Oktoberfest at The Pavilion in Mt. Adams! It should be a good time. If I had a clone, she would go to Tha Blast 12th Street Block Party, Fashion Show, and Indian Summer party. Whew!

Saturday 9/22: Nothing on my calendar! Wow! Just that it is Oktoberfest weekend so I will head downtown at some point. (Hey, maybe I could go to the gym today.) Check www.Cincyupdate.com for other happenings like the Johnny Cash tribute at Southgate House.

Sunday 9/23: My friend Michelle is having an afternoon wine tasting on her porch. I hope the weather is nice. There is not much else going on today except Oktoberfest.

Right, that's just this week. Next week is a little slower. Monday and Tuesday I have Cincinnati Bar Assoc. and Red Cross obligations. Both during the day, so maybe I will make it to yoga in the evening.

Wednesday 9/26 Golf class again! My clone would go to the tea tasting at Essencha Tea House in Oakley. It sounds interesting.

Thursday 9/27: Empty calendar! Yoga class! But wait. There is another candidate forum and today is the first day of MidPoint Music Festival. I'll have to check out the schedule at www.mpmf.com

Friday 9/28: I will be working the door, somewhere, for MidPoint. I had a great time last year at Guido's Corner Tap. The bar owners couldn't have been nicer or more supportive of the music.
Friday also marks the beginning of the 20/20 Art Festival. 20 days and 20 nights of Arts programming around town. Check out the schedule at http://www.20days20nights.com/index.php By the way, "the arts" includes making your own pizza at Dewey's. Yum!
If I wasn't going to be at MidPoint all night I would go to the Zoo's Best Garden Party and send my clone to the Cincinnati Parks Hiking Club Kickoff. All this stuff is listed on http://www.cincyupdate.com

Saturday 9/29: In the morning I'll be helping to build a playground with the Bar Association. Hopefully I'll have time for a nap in the afternoon because MidPoint continues, 20/20 continues, and we add the Downtown Hoparound! Downtown is going to be rockin' tonight!! But before that, I want to go to a World Affairs Council program with several visitors from around the world who are all involved in combating human trafficking. Then go out and party downtown.

Sunday 9/30: 20/20 continues (there are 18 more days of it) and The Downtown Tour of Living. I love peeking into the fabulous homes of cool people living downtown. I missed this the last two years, so I have to go this time. I heard some rumors about some super-secret Red Cup Society associate with this. What's that all about?

I haven't even looked into what's going on at Newport on the Levee or the Covington Arts District for these last two weeks of September. This is just the tip of the iceberg. These are just the things going on that interest me. It appears that October will be calmer, although there's the return of One World Wednesday on the 3rd and the Reggae Run on the 6th, Zoo Brews on the 11th (maybe Thane Maynard will let YOU hold a gator)...

Cincinnati. There's EVERYTHING to do.

Commuting expense? We're No. 6
from THE ENQUIRER:
Cincinnati has landed on a list of most expensive American cities forcommuters by Forbes Magazine, coming in sixth in the nation behindHouston, Cleveland, Detroit, Tampa and Kansas City. The study looked at percentage of annual expenses devoted totransportation to work and found that 20 percent of household expenseswent to transportation in Cincinnati."Forget taking the train; there is no commuter rail system," the Forbes report concluded.

Well, kids, that's what we voted for! No public transportation...it would cost too much! We'd rather pay out of pocket, and then complain about the price of gas. And about the cost of parking, even though its generally lower here than in most cities. Thanks to Delta, we can't afford to fly anywhere and now thanks to ourselves, we spend far too much of our money driving everywhere.

Shortcut to:http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070820/BIZ01/308200030

Damn that Stacey London! I think she’s a great person and all, but she is convincing me to loosen my purse strings. I used to hate to spend “a lot” of money on clothes and accessories. But she has a point. If you spend the money carefully, it is worth it. Spending a little more on classic, well-made, well-fitting pieces is actually a good use of money. The trouble we have, is finding those worthy pieces, and limiting ourselves to those worthy pieces.

Last night, she hosted a show called Fashion Fanatics on TLC about shoes and handbags. I am still not convinced that any handbag is worth the money. Especially since most of them are trendy and will be ‘out’ soon. But shoes are another story. There’s the timeless dilemma. Heels, short or tall, generally look better. Sometimes sexier. But heels often are not comfortable. I will not suffer for fashion and I don’t think anyone should. Just think, you slip on those high, sexy heels for a night on the town and they look great, and you feel great. But if your feet are in pain a few hours later, do you still feel great? Does the strain on your face look great? No. That just doesn’t work for me. But I am beginning to believe that high heels are not necessarily painful and uncomfortable.

I learned some things from Stacey’s Fashion Fanatics show. First is about Christian Louboutain shoes. They have high heels, but the sole is on a small platform. This gives the illusion of a higher heel without the foot actually being at such a steep angle! A side note about platforms. Three inch soles from toe to heel look ridiculous. Except when they don’t. I have actually been pleasantly surprised by some platforms that I’ve tried on. Since they are not really heels, they can actually be quite comfortable! And the aforementioned partial platforms can make a heel much more wearable.

The second interesting bit from Fashion Fanatics is “toe cleavage.” I had never heard that term! It means that the spot where the toes start is peeking out from under the top of the shoe. I had sometimes wondered if that meant the shoes fit right, but sometimes it looks better. Apparently “toe cleavage” is the preferred look.

Intuitively I know that better materials and craftsmanship make a shoe more wearable. It can make the shoes look and feel better. Unfortunately, it usually comes with a very high price tag. I will not pay $400 for a pair of shoes, no matter how wonderful they are. There must be some compromise. Well-designed shoes with good materials surely can be found for under $100. Right?

So today I had to go to DSW. I wanted to look at heels and put some of Stacey’s ideas into practice. I didn’t have much success with slingbacks. But on the clearance racks I found a great pair of black, quilted patent leather Steve Madden slides with a 3 inch heel. Never mind that I already have 3 pair of black sandals in varying heights. I also decided that I want some red patent leather slingbacks. I didn’t find any satisfactory ones today. But I must find some!

I’ve never paid more than $100 for a pair of shoes but I saw some boots at DSW that I will buy. All last winter, I wanted cozy, fur-lined boots. Not just boots with a fur cuff that makes you think they are fur-lined when they aren't. I wanted totally furry boots. And now I've found them at DSW. They’re even UGGs. But they aren’t the classic ugly UGGs which never looked good no matter how trendy they were. These new UGGs look and feel good. And they are $150. That will soon be my new shoe price limit. $150. It’s just hard to buy furry lined boots in August. But I can't wait too long or they might be gone!

Are my shoulders and arms really sore from aqua exercise? Am I the youngest person to participate in aqua exercise? I think so. So why is it that aqua aerobics appears to be only for elderly or overweight ladies?

I have recently looked into water workouts because I broke my foot a couple of months ago. I can tell it is not ready for yoga so I figured the water would be easier on it. After the first aqua class I sampled, at The Gym at Carew Tower, my foot was sore and felt a little bit swollen. Even though we were in the water, the class involved walking, jumping, pushing up from the floor or the pool. And I wasn't too careful about my foot. Next I sampled aqua classes at the Cincinnati Sports Club. I was more protective of my foot so it wasn't so sore afterwards, but all my muscles were! O.K., so I haven't done much of any exercise for two months, so I am a little soft, though not overweight, but I think the water resistance did give me a good workout. And I didn't have to get all sweaty! On Saturday, I went to a second aqua class at Cincinnati Sports Club. Outside. It was an unseasonable cool and cloudy late-June morning. Too cool to be in the water, but we did anyway. The ladies gossiped and we were constantly moving. To warm up afterwards, I went to the indoor pool to swim laps. Oh my gosh am I out of shape! Swimming is hard! And tiring! I was panting after one lap! When I was a kid I was on the swim team. How did I do it? I pushed out a few more laps then sat in the whirlpool to warm up.

Being relatively inactive for 6 weeks has made me really want to get into shape. I say that, but will I really follow through? That's why I'm carefully investigating gym memberships. Initially I wanted a pool. For the foot. But I also want yoga, mat pilates, etc. I've decided yoga isn't enough; that I should do some cardio. Swimming is more appealing to me than treadmill, or elliptical. In the water, I don't sweat. So, I've collected info on The Gym at Carew, the YWCA downtown, which has a great indoor pool, Trihealth, and Cincinnati Sports Club. Before the foot, I bought a punchcard for classes at Revolutions. I really like Revolutions. Most of the instructors are great and the staff is helpful. But they don't have a pool. If I buy a membership, will I really go and use the equipment or attend more than 2 classes a week? Will I ever try spinning again? When will my foot be up for yoga? I did discover the Express Mat Pilates class last week. I really liked it and hopefully I'll go back. A lot of sitting and laying down stuff so my foot didn't take much pressure.

I ruled out the downtown gyms because of timing and transportation. Same with TriHealth. The traffic sucks on weekdays. I like CSC, and could swim and use machines there, but the yoga class times are not very good for me and the only Pilates they offer is on the Reformer. For an extra fee!

So I am leaning toward Revolutions despite the lack of swimming opportunities. Swimming is probably one of the best cardio exercises out there. I'm going to look into CRC community centers, but I'm not entirely confident that the pools are cleaned as frequently as at clubs. I also wonder if there are reserved lanes for lap swimming or if the pools are overrun by children at all hours. CRC is definitely a bargain! If only I could enjoy running on treadmills or using weight machines on my own. But I need classes with someone telling me what to do and how long to do it. Otherwise I get bored and lose my motivation.

By the time I find a satisfactory place to swim, if ever, the summer will probably be over.
Ideally, aqua exercise would become more popular with all ages and fitness levels. If I could open my own club, it would have a huge pool and sand volleyball courts. Instead of a running track, there would be a long sand walkway circling the place. It would feel like you're walking on the beach. The kids area would be entirely separate from the adults. We'd also have water games like volleyball, basketball, badminton. And aqua aerobics. Maybe a big shaded outdoor patio for yoga and pilates classes. I suppose I'd have to have weight room equipment so that would be inside. We'd run it like a summer resort for young professionals. With a bar.

Oh, I am full of great ideas, with no drive, money or entrepreneurial spirit to make them happen.

Fountain Square is much more than an outdoor lunch spot this summer! Last week, there were miniature golf putting greens, and on Wednesdays, the excellent 3CDC event crew is putting on Cincinnati versions of classic game shows. Haven’t you ever wished you could be a contestant on Family Feud, Match Game, the Dating Game or Jeopardy? On June 20, I got to play Family Feud with team "Club Red." (That is, the original Club Red - the YP group for the Cincinnati Red Cross. Not that new club where Red Cheetah used to be.) Unfortunately there were only a few spectators, despite the sunny weather and the availability of beer. We were up against The Rusty Griswolds at Party in the Park. I'm sure we were much more entertaining. Ha!

So the Club Red Family - myself, Joseph, Clara, Courtney, and Jason played against Mayor Mallory's YP Kitchen Cabinet Family. Club Red did not condescend to talking smack about our competitors as Candace from the Kitchen Cabinet did. Nor did any of us start campaigning for the 2027 Kentucky gubernatorial election, as Candace did. And Edward, who is a member of both "families," chose the Kitchen Cabinet over Club Red instead of diplomatically sitting out. Oh, he will regret that! Because as it turned out, Club Red trounced the Kitchen Cabinet, 300+ to ZERO. Yes zero, nil, nada, a big, fat 0! They didn't win even any round, didn't score any points! But I don't mean to gloat. They did answer some questions correctly; just not enough and not at the right time. And they definitely talked a good game and were a lot of fun.
Maybe Club Red is lucky that Edward turned against us and played for the Kitchen Cabinet. I bet he's sorry now!

Round 2 was a battle between the Cincinnati Police Dept. and a team of Metro employees. We thought the Metro Family might have a little advantage with geography-based questions such as "Name your favorite Cincinnati park." Then again, the Police might have the same advantage depending on their District. So we went to get a drink only to find out that the Police Family had cleaned out the bar's supply of Mojitos during our round! There must have been something in those Mojitos. The Police defeated Metro, although it wasn't a sweep like Club Red had. The Metro Family did win some points.

So in a tense, closely contested championship round, Club Red, ahem, lost to the Police Dept. It came down to the triple point round! But, its probably best not to beat the Police Dept. right?
Here are some of the survey questions.
Name a flavor of Graeter's ice cream:
-Black raspberry chocolate chip (#1) and Mint chocolate chip were correctly guessed by Club Red.
-No one guessed: chocolate chip (Jason had to go overboard and answer Double chocolate chip), coconut chip, and peach.

Name an animal at the Cincinnati zoo: I think I remember correctly. It was elephant, tigers, (polar) bears, monkeys, giraffe and lions. (Not necessarily in that order.) Conspicuously missing was my favorite, the cheetah - hello? Cat Ambassador program? And the zoo’s been advertising the new Cheetah Encounter ad nauseum this year - and Clara's guess, a goat, which can be found in the petting zoo, I believe.

Companies whose headquarters are in Cincinnati:
-P&G, obviously was #1
-Chiquita, Fifth Third, Kroger and the one no one guessed: U.S. Bank.
-Macy's, f.k.a. Federated Department Stores was NOT on the board!

Name a Cincinnati politician:
Mayor Mark Mallory was #1. Also listed was David Pepper, Charlie Luken, someone I'm forgetting, Cranley maybe, and yes, the last on the list was Jerry Springer! Missing were Jim Tarbell, David Crowley, and Laketa Cole.

And the championship-deciding question? Where do you do most of your grocery shopping?: -Krogers, naturally
-Bigg's, Meijers, and one I'm forgetting
-Club Red could steal and there was only one answer still covered on the board. Courtney and Jason wanted to guess Fresh Market, but I think that's too new and too small. We figured Trader Joe's was also too small and too limited with only 1 or 2 locations. So we couldn't decide between Wild Oats, in Rookwood and Mason, or Jungle Jim's. In the end I decided that, while Jungle Jim's is wildly popular, the outlying location makes it more of a destination grocery store rather than where most people do most of their shopping. Some families probably build a vacation around a trip to Jungle Jim's! So we said Wild Oats…and... -X-. The survey said... Trader Joe's!! What? First, they discontinue the Mango Tortilla Chips which were soooo good, and now this!

The Fountain Square event staff will be recreating classic ‘70s game shows every Wednesday night on Fountain Square this summer. The games start at 5:30, and beer will be served from 5:30 to 7:30. Upcoming games include Match Game, Family Feud, and Jeopardy-style games. Check out the calendar is at www.myfountainsquare.com for these and lots of other events.

Gaaaaaahhhhh! Last Thursday I had a little mishap and somehow BROKE a bone in my FOOT! IT SUCKS. Now I have to wear the air boot for six weeks. 6 weeks! It is so frustrating. I had so much to do last weekend and so much going on this week, and, well, for the rest of the month. But now I can't drive, I'm begging for rides to work because I don't want to hobble to and from the bus stop. I have to stick close to the office for lunch. Grrrr.

One of the things I had on my list last weekend was going to Origins in Rookwood. Very close, convenient. I was out of my face cleanser. But even that short trip was out. Then I remembered something. Once, when I was in that store, a saleswoman mentioned that they will deliver. That's so nice. I thought it cost $3 for some reason. That's less than s+h if ordered on line, and faster too. But no! I called, asked about delivery and they do it for FREE! That's way better than online ordering. And it should be here tomorrow. Not in 4-5 business days. That is great customer service.

So, the break happened Thursday night. The ER doc at Jewish Hospital in Kenwood said I would probably need a cast and have to stay off of it for awhile. Oh No! I told him that would not do. I have to go out on Friday. Not only did I procure a ticket to The Lion King a mere few hours earlier (shortly before the accident), but Friday was the Spring Fling. I bought my ticket a month ago! Luckily, the next day, the orthopedic doc said a cast wasn't necessary and gave me an air cast to go with my crutches. And I did go to the Lion King that very night. It was terrific. I love the opening scene. Is there any better opening scene in all of theater world? I doubt it. Then I begged a ride to Coney Island for the Spring Fling. The guys I went to the show with weren't even going to the Fling but they felt sorry enough for me that they drove me out there. Once I found my friends, I stayed in one place all night. Sigh. But I still had a good time.

Is there any way to get past telling the story over and over? Maybe I should send out a mass email.

Saturday night, I went to dinner and the Over the Rhine concert at the 20th Century in Oakley. Ellery was the opening act and both of those bands rock. Ellery reminds me a little of a cross between Tori Amos and Norah Jones. OTR, as we in Cincinnati have known for so long, are awesome.

Go Reds!
I love Opening Day! Especially when the weather is beautiful as it is today. Of course I'm a Reds fan, but I'm not a dedicated baseball nut. I rarely go to games and I don't schedule my life around tv broadcasts. But Opening Day is just so exciting. Especially if you work downtown. Normally I hate crowds, but when everyone is wearing Red and in good spirits, I'm there. And the parade! What is it about this parade? I never go out of my way for parades either. But I just had to watch today's. I'm told Cincinnati is the only city that gets so crazy about the start of the baseball season. No other major league city marks the day with a parade?? We couldn't imagine life without one. Here its business as usual. "It's Opening Day. Of course there is a parade."
Today the parade went on and on and on - for over an hour! I was only disappointed that there wasn't any candy being thrown. But the other fast-growing Opening Day tradition makes up for the lack of candy - the office cookout. More and more office buildings have grills set up outside to treat the ticketless employees to a taste of the ballpark.
Go Reds!

Last week CityBeat published its annual "Best of Cincinnati" edition. As I read through it thinking "I need to try that restaurant, I need to check out that shop," I realized another great thing about Cincinnati. There are so many cool places, some obvious, some out of the way waiting to be discovered. That's because Cincinnati is a big city. And a small town. As a city it offers all the cultural, culinary, and entertaining attractions. As a small town all those great places are accessible. Of all the new places and things I wanted to check out from the Best of issue, I realized I actually could feasibly do it all. Some things are a little pricey for most people, like dinner at Jean-Robert at Pigall's, but not out of the question. I could explore Northside one weekend, Covington the next, then Oakley and Clifton.

Bookmark this site: http://www.bestofcincinnati.com/ Next time "there's nothing to do in this city" you can find something to do.

I’m so bummed! Last night I was at the Freedom Center to hear Ellen Sauerbrey, Assistant Secretary of State for Population, Migration, and Refugees, and I heard from some Global Center volunteers that we will have to postpone World Quest! Although this will give me more time to, uh, "study" it's so disappointing! It has been years since the Global Center hosted World Quest and many of us were starting to get so excited!
World Quest was originally scheduled for June 1 at the Freedom Center. Apparently, a Clinton, I do not know which one, is now scheduled to visit the Freedom Center on June 2 and they feel there will not be enough time to prepare if the World Quest after-party is carrying on into the wee hours of the morning. I guess I can't blame the Clintons - they probably know nothing of the troubles they are causing- but I am not happy!
Instead I will have to wait until June 9th and drown my sorrows. June 9th is the date of the Second Annual Club Red Wine Social at Chateau Pomijie. It was so fun last year with wine, food, raffles, music out on the deck. I hope we have the same beautiful weather this year.
Now that Spring is here the calendar is filling up with fun events to look forward to. Although we have to look much farther ahead for World Quest, there is the Spring Fling, Club Red Wine Social, and, rumor has it, there will be another special Saturday night summer edition of One World Wednesday at the Art Museum. Last year, the Ibiza party was such an overwhelming success, they simply have to do it again. Get there early so you can get in!
In the meantime, I'll be working on some more terrific World View radio programs! Every Sunday at 8:00 on 89.3 WMKV. Who knew Cincinnati was so international!

Newsflash! We are about to get the autopsy results on Anna Nicole Smith! Thank God! Does this mean we won't have to hear about her anymore?? Why was her death reported as if it were news of national importance? I don't mean to dismiss her death. She had family and friends and a baby girl who will never know her Mom, and will never know which of the rumors and gossip are true. But as to how and why AN died and who the baby's father is?? Not only is this not important news, it really is none of our business!

This past weekend I attended the Cincinnati International Wine Festival for the first time! It was maybe not as big or as wild as I expected, but that is not so bad. It was plenty crowded but not so much that you had to wait too long to get your tastes. I was glad that the food went beyond cheese and crackers. And the drinks went beyond wine! Bailey's had a booth providing samples of Irish Cream, Chocolate Mint Irish Cream, and Caramel Irish Cream. Coincidentally, the Millstone coffee booth was directly across from the Bailey's booth. Not many people were drinking their coffee black. But, I am especially thankful for chocolate covered strawberries which are one of the best foods ever invented.

More importantly, on Saturday, the National Underground Freedom Center welcomed Paul Rusesabagina. If you don't recognize his name, he was the manager of the Hotel Mille Collines in Rwanda during the genocide. He was the inspiration for the movie Hotel Rwanda which starred Don Cheadle as Mr. Rusesabagina. (If you still don't know who he is, go get the movie and watch it right now.) Before he spoke, about 15 or 20 people gathered to watch the movie. I'm surprised there wasn't a bigger crowd. But I guess I shouldn't be. Hopefully, the small turnout is because everyone has already seen the movie. I had already seen it but it had been a few years, so I wanted to watch it again. (Sharon refused to view the movie ahead of time, because she didn't want to start crying in front of other people.) Yes, I cried there, but I was not the only one. I think one woman there was seeing the movie for the first time, because she audibly gasped and threw her hands in the air when Paul and Gregoire were driving along the fog-shrouded road after buying more food for the refugees at the hotel.

What made me cry? It started when the "Western" guests were being evacuated. There is an earlier scene when the UN General gives Paul the bad news. These scenes are not depicted in his book, so they were likely added to the movie to make a point. And rightly so. Even if these events did not literally take place, they still happened, over and over, and we need to know that. I cried because I was so ashamed. Ashamed to be a privileged white American. We should be ashamed. America, Europe, the UN.

Fortunately there was a fairly good turnout for Mr. Rusesabagina's talk. At least all the seats were filled so it was SRO. I still had hoped for a larger crowd. Of course, he has spoken in Cincinnati before so maybe most people have already heard him. I hope that's it. Even a few people who had told me they would be there, were looking forward to it, were not there. People of Cincinnati, you had the chance to meet a true hero. That word, 'hero' is overused so much these days, but here was someone who truly deserves that title. I am not even going to explain why. It should be so obvious. If you don't understand, go watch the movie. And read his book, "An Ordinary Man." If only more of us could be so "ordinary."

I know these things are not entertaining in the way we like to be entertained. I like to escape with a good comedy or fictional drama as much as anyone. But I am somehow drawn to these movies too. I'm not a fan of horror movies, but I'll go and watch movies about true horrors. I seem to be a minority in this. Blood and gore, special effects, fictional slaughterfest horror movies are immensely popular at the box office. So why do so many people flock to the fake horror and avoid the real? Yes, it is hard to deal with. Yes, it is very emotional. And yes we all have our own, very real problems to deal with. But I don't think its right for us to pretend the rest of the world isn't there or doesn't affect us. O.K. it's not fun to feel so helpless after watching real movies. I am not even asking you to do anything. I just want us all to be aware, to know what goes on out there.

I went to the Cincinnati Art Museum tonight shortly before 7:00. Since I was going for a lecture I circled to the back parking lots, closer to the other entrance by the theater. But the parking was full! What is going on? It's Wednesday night (and not a One World Wednesday)! Are all these people here for the lecture? Yes! I tried to buy a ticket but it was sold out! Sold out! Who were we all there to hear? Matthew Bogdanos, a Marine Colonel who had served in Afghanistan and Iraq. Were we all patriots or anti-war protesters? Neither! Col. Bogdanos was a part of an anti-terrorism team sent to Afghanistan after 9/11 and then to Iraq after the US invasion. He also had a passion for ancient civilizations. When he heard about the looting of the Baghdad Museum, he went there right away.

Col. Bogdanos is a wonderful story-teller. Which makes him a great speaker. With a slide show and a sense of humor, Col. Bogdanos took the audience in the crowded theater along on his journey to recover the stolen artifacts. He made us adore and respect the friend he made, especially the Museum staff. But his good natured delivery did not diminish the seriousness of his mission. We also felt his frustration at the lack of response of the international community. Shockingly most of the malaise comes from organizations, such as UNESCO, that we would expect to be driving the charge. Oh, but UNESCO had five conferences about the looting. All of them were held in Europe and no one on the staff had actually gone to Baghdad to see the extent of the damage.

I suppose if you have no interest in the ancient world or appreciation for artifacts that have survived for thousands of years, Col. Bogdanos's story might not be so interesting. (Although he tells it so well, I think it still would be.) I can't even begin to recount all of the interesting facts he shared. He did point out that at least 3 of the missing pieces were firsts - the first mask made in the likeness of the human form, the first statute made from a particular method and other such firsts. He also shed some light on Iraqi lives. When asking the public to return looted articles, no questions asked, his team enlisted the help of the imams. Then they visited the teahouses, drinking gallons of tea and playing hundreds of games of backgammon with the locals while developing relationships. He explained some important facts which were often left out of news stories about the looting. I did not know that the Museum was Saddam Hussein's private museum. It was never open to the public. And it housed some of the oldest, most important, and most valuable archaelogical treasures in the world. But since the people weren't allowed, they had no connection, appreciation or interest in protecting the pieces. So most people thought nothing of looting.

I am so glad I hung around to hear him speak. The tickets were sold out, and I had not thought to purchase ahead of time, I mean, when do lectures at the Art Museum ever sell out? But one of the sponsors of the lecture was the Global Center of Cincinnati. I know Deb Kittner, the director of the center,, through my work on the World View radio program. Why hadn't I asked Deb if she needed any volunteers to help out? I hate to beg favors like this, I really do, but I found Deb and told her I'd been shut out! She said, "well, maybe I can get you in as a volunteer." So I collected tickets for 5 minutes and earned a standing room only spot in the back of the auditorium.

Standing in the back of the auditorium turned out to be advantageous because by the end of Col. Bogdanos's talk I had to buy a book. I rarely buy books from speakers, and I very rarely pay full price for a book, but this guy was that good! So I was one of the first to get to the book table - no waiting - and close to the beginning of the line for book signing.

If you ever get a chance to hear or talk to Col. Bogdanos, do it! He's a great speaker.
Now I just hope he writes as well as he talks.