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.

NO ON OHIO ISSUE 3!!
This is one of those really irritating and offensive aspects of politics. It is so ridiculous that this proposal is even on the ballot to be part of the Ohio CONSTITUTION. The proposal should be in the form of a law not a CONSTITUTIONAL AMENEDMENT to grant a monopoly on casino business to a few people. The people of Ohio would receive only a few drops of benefit from the flood of profits into the bank accounts of a few private businesses. It's so unbalanced that clearly those responsible have some ownership interest in these few businesses that would benefit. Let's have a look...This amendment to the Constitution would: Permit up to 31,500 slot machines at seven horse racing tracks and at two Cleveland non-track locations. Permit expanded gaming in the four Cuyahoga County locations if approved by the county's voters.

A state constitution is not meant to bestow a benefit (or detriment depending onhow you look at it) onto a select few of its residents. Look at this carefully, slot machines will only be allowed, by CONSTITUTIONAL LAW at 7 horse racing tracks and 2 non-track locations in Cleveland and 4 locations in Cuyahoga County. Since this is the Constitution, that is the maximum number of slot machine locations Ohio will ever have. If you live anywhere else in Ohio and wish to enter the casino gambling business at some future point, it will take a Constitutional Amendment to allow a slot machine to be placed in another location other than the 13 specified. Not because gambling is illegal in Ohio, because it won't be, but because it can only be done in 13 specific locations.

By CONSTITUTIONAL LAW the revenues would be distributed as follows: 55%to the slot and casino owners and operators. 30% to the Board of Regents for college scholarships and grants to eligible students andadministration of the program. The remaining revenues to be divided among local governments, race tracks for purse money, gambling addiction services, and The administration of the Gaming Integrity Commissioncomprised of five members appointed by the governor and the majority legislative leaders. The moneys provided by this amendment are to supplement and not supplant existing and future constitutional obligations to post-secondary education and local governments.

Proponents say: Arguments for passage:1. Ohioans are now going out of state to gamble, and Ohio is losing taxrevenue to neighboring states. This amendment would keep such revenues in the state. 2. Scholarships for higher education in Ohio would help to offset the high costs associated with earning a degree. 3. Eight percent of the gross proceeds would go to local governments for economic development activities. 4. One percent of the gross proceeds would support gambling addiction services. 5. Funding for scholarships and grants provided through this amendment is intended to supplement, not supplant, funds the General Assembly is obligated to provide for such purposes.

Let's look at all of these arguments in turn:
1. Proponents are unable to see the forest for the trees. How much of an impact will these gambling revenues have on Ohio? 55% of the revenue goes to the casino owners. 55%! More than half! What's more, these revenues, all 55% of them, go to the casino owners tax-free! (Free of state and local taxes.) The Constitution will specifically deprive the state of Ohio of its richest revenue source from by handing out revenues tax free to a few specific companies. Are those companies even located in Ohio? Will they be spending their revenues in Ohio?
2. Education! Ohio kids need help paying for college! Yes, they do, but the scholarships provided for with the money, 30% of revenues less administrative costs, will be available only the top five percent of students graduating from accredited public or non-public high schools. Only the top 5%. The ones who have the best shot at scholarships anyway. 95% of Ohio high school students will receive no benefit from the tax revenues.
3. Local governments will get 8% of the revenues for economic development (of low-paying jobs for the high school grads not in the top 5% who can't afford college??). Which local governments? All Ohio local governments or just those where the slot machines are located? I suppose this is to take the place of the state and local income tax we are foregoing on the 55% of the revenues the casino companies get. So, 55% to private casino owners. 8% to government/people of Ohio.
4. But it will help the very people pouring money into it! 1% of revenue to gambling addiction programs. So, 55% private owners, 8% government/people, 1% gambling recovery.

Ohio does not need a CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT to benefit a few casino owners. I'm not opposed to legal gambling in Ohio, but I am opposed to a CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT that will benefit only a few people who may not even live in Ohio.
It is telling that a few casino owners and 2 Cleveland business men have put over $25 million into the campaign to pass Issue 3. Clearly they see a return, to themselves, of well over $25 million from the Constitutional monopoly they would gain from this. The Ohio Constitution should be for all Ohioans. Not a few business interests.

I took a long weekend and went to Ottawa, Canada to visit my brother, sister-in-law and my 4-year-old niece. It's nice to get away for awhile, even if the weather isn't terrific. I always look forward to the entertaining antics of a four-year-old and shopping at Roots. Why is it that we are so often seized with the urge to shop when away from home? Even if the stores are different, most clothing is at least similar in style. Whenever I go to Ottawa, I must stop at the Roots clearance store, not far from their house. Roots is a Canadian clothing company which makes very nice sportswear and casual clothes. The prices at their clearance center are merely reasonable - nothing like the bargain basement prices at the Gap outlet. But, hey, its hard to find Roots here and there clothes generally are very nice and well made. But then, as I was packing for the trip, I found the Ikea gift card my sister-in-law had given me for Christmas. Since Cincinnati lacks an Ikea for the time being, we had to go shopping there, too. Reasonable enough since I don't otherwise have easy access to Ikea. (Yes, everything is available on the Internet, but its not the same.) But that was it! Ikea and Roots. I didn't come here to shop. Well P(my sister-in-law) had to return something at Winners - a Canadian TJ Maxx with slightly nicer stuff. So I browsed while she returned and found a lovely corduroy blazer. And since we were in the area she wanted to check Carriere for some new clothes for the office. Carriere is one of those stores where you go straight to the sale racks in the back. She didn't find anything, but I got a lovely pumpkin-colored wrap sweater.
On Monday I went downtown for the afternoon, intending to visit some museums, something else I seem to do more of on vacation than at home. The photography museum was temporarily closed due to construction but the exhibits were on display at the National Gallery for the time being. I vaguely remembered where the National Gallery was, but also thought that, since I'm in the nation's capital, if I walk around long enough I'm sure to run into a museum eventually. My instincts were right and past Revenue Canada (like the Canadian IRS) and the American Embassy, I came upon the National Gallery. I was a little put off by the giant sculpture of a spider in front, but started across the plaza anyway. But wait, what does that little sandwich board sign say? The National Gallery is closed on Mondays! My artsy, non-shopping, afternoon was not meant to be! Downtown Ottawa has a lovely shopping and entertainment area called The Market. In addition to farm and flower stands, there are casual dining places, souvenir shops, restaurants and boutique shopping. The latter category includes another favorite Canadian company, LUSH. (www.lush.com) Lush sells "fresh handmade cosmetics." They are really fresh. And rather than cosmetics its mostly soaps, shampoos, bath bombs and other yummy things I don't really need. And although I didn't need anything, of course I had to look, and looking leads to buying. I really did not come here to shop! Luckily, by the time I went into The Bay and the huge adjoining mall, I was no longer in the mood. The only thing I went into the bookstore for was a coffee (bookstores are really bad places for me to not shop) and it was time to go.
Besides hanging out with my family, my niece is soooo cute, travel to Ottawa is special in other ways. Returning to the US is easy since US Customs is located at the Ottawa airport and you clear it all before boarding the plane. This used to be an important timesaver when I had connecting flights but now, Delta flies direct from CVG to Ottawa. Thank You Delta and its new affiliate ASA! I love direct flights!
One more bit of travel advice from this trip...don't bring a snowglobe in your carry on bags. There is that whole restriction on liquids thing now, and it completely slipped my mind. Luckily, security, after consulting 3 other people, didn't think I was a threat and let me keep it. (FYI - it was a birthday gift from my niece to her grandpa.) Sometimes it pays to look so sweet and innocent.

I found this article on CNN 3 days after the Crocodile Hunter's death:

Irwin's death strikes a chord POSTED: 8:56 a.m. EDT, September 7, 2006 By David
WilliamsCNN (CNN) -- "Crocodile Hunter" Steve Irwin is being remembered for a
personality that was larger than life, much like the giant posters outside of
his Australia Zoo, where a steady stream of fans have left hand-written notes,
flowers and stuffed animals since hearing news of his death.
Irwin's
willingness to swim with sharks, grab deadly and often cranky snakes by the tail
and wrestle with crocodiles -- armed only with a goofy grin, khaki shorts and a
pair of well-worn work boots -- won him an international following.
Media
expert Robert Thompson said he was a little surprised by the media's focus on
Irwin -- especially given the glut of long-anticipated celebrity news, such as
Katie Couric's debut anchoring the "CBS Evening News," Rosie O'Donnell's arrival
on "The View" and the first photographs of Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes'
daughter, Suri.
"I think of the many great television personalities,
and they die and we hear an obituary. And for about 12 hours there are reports
and acknowledgements, and you see clips of their shows and all the rest," said Thompson, the director of Syracuse University's
Center for the Study of Popular Television. "This broke on Monday, and it's
already Wednesday and there's no sign of it stopping."
Thompson said that
part of the interest comes from the "extraordinarily dramatic" nature of Irwin's
death.

My immediate reaction was: It's because the Crocodile Hunter is someone we actually care about!! Someone who actually deserves news coverage!!
I don't know exactly what makes someone a "media expert" I guess maybe he is an expert on the media's behavior and reporting. Then maybe his surprise is understandable - if he is only viewing Steve Irwin's death from the media viewpoint. For the rest of us, the continued "coverage" is quite understandable. Steve was a celebrity but not like most. He wasn't a star, he certainly didn't go for that glamorous image or worry about keeping up appearances. (Khaki, anyone?) He was one of the most genuine, caring, personable celebrities there ever was. He didn't care about his next role, or self-promotion. He cared about his animals and teaching us to respect nature. That's what made him famous and THAT is why everyone loved him and will miss him and why it has taken days for us to let go. And as long as The Animal Planet keeps airing The Crocodile Hunter, we will surely continue to miss him.
Katie Couric is a news anchor. And she moved from a morning show to the evening. I can't really understand why that is such a big event. Sure, it is news. Is she the first female evening news anchor? Even if she is, so what? Women have been reporting the news for ages. Why wouldn't they anchor the news? I can't comment on her actual performance. I rarely watch the evening or local news. It's usually too dumbed-down. Granted they are working within some time constraints, but usually I have to object to the content and what they deem to be newsworthy.
Which leads right into those pictures of Suri Cruise. Here it is, Sep. 14, and I still haven't seen them. And I really don't feel like there is anything missing in my life because of it. I'm sure Suri is quite adorable and I hope she has a healthy, happy life, but why is her picture such a big news event?? She hasn't done anything but be born! To famous actors, sure, but lots of children have been born. When Suri grows up and does something to make a wonderful impact on the world, then let us know. Same with Shiloh Jolie-Pitt. I've seen pictures of the magazine cover, but only because that has made it into mainstream news! I have not even browsed the magazine on newsstands. I have not sought out information about these children, and yet I know their names.
Steve and Terri Irwin had children: Bindi Sue and Bob. I know their names because they joined Steve's show. Not for Steve to show off or to make millions of dollars. Steve and Terri had practically invited all of us to be part of their family and so we met their children also.

And Rosie O'Donnell has been allowed back on network tv and has joined The View. That is sure to shake things up a bit. I won't really know. I work during the day and might only see The View on holidays. I used to like Rosie's morning talk show, but when that ended she seemed to become so mean. Maybe she'll go back to her old self? When I have the rare chance to watch morning talk show, I love Ellen DeGeneres. She just has fun and wants her guests to have fun. She's kind of how Rosie used to be. Only better. I hope Ellen never joins the View. She is too good to share her time with all those other women trying to talk over each other.

I wonder how long the outpouring of grief would continue in the news if Katie Couric, Tom Cruise or Rosie O'Donnell were to meet a sudden and untimely death? I wonder if the "media experts" will ever figure out why Steve Irwin's death will be mourned for so long?

Gosh. I had so much to say just awhile ago and now that I'm here with this blank page, its all gone. I intend this blog to be about my thoughts on the news headlines and media, pop culture, and what's going on in and around Cincinnati. I used to be one of those people that complained there was not enough to do in Cincinnati. No more! There was something going on every week since June. Now its September and I thought I finally had a chance to schedule a purse party, but it turns out that Oktoberfest Zinzinnati is this weekend! Luckily I can do both.

Today I'm going to talk about my hometown Cincinnati. (New motto: Cincinnati - its really not that bad!)
If you are one of those Cincinnati residents with nothing to do, here are some of the highlights you might have missed out on over the summer:
In June, Club Red - the Young Professionals group of the Cincinnati Red Cross - hosted a wine social at Chateau Pomijie in O'Bryonville. We sampled four different wines, had snacks from Andy's Mediterranean and What's for Dinner and music by Dave Criddle and Jude Hayden from the band Leisure. It was a beautiful night, perfect for sitting on the deck.
Speaking of the band Leisure, in August they played a command performance of their Ziggy Stardust show at the Southgate House in Newport. I'm so sorry you missed it because it was an awesome show. The guys nailed the unique Bowie sound. After the show, I simply had to go out and buy a Bowie cd.
Every Friday was Rockin' on Walnut. On the patio at Bella and in the Contemporary Art Center, music, food, drinks and tons of fun.
In August there was the Bikers Ball. This is a big fundraiser for the Cincinnati Red Cross. Instead of a black tie gala, its a black leather/black t-shirt dress code. Even if you don't have a hog, just dress like you do. There was plenty of fabulous food and exotic auction items. It's an annual event so you can still go next year.
Also, every second Sunday of the month brings Second Sunday on Main. Each month has a different theme and Main Street is turned into a street festival with vendors, food, entertainers, and wine tasting. The best one was on August 13. It was the International Bazaar with many ethnic dance troupes. And belly dancers. They were fabulous! (O.K. I have to admit I'm a little biased there.)
Now that summer is almost past, the Cincinnati Art Museum begins One World Wednesdays. The first was Sep. 6 featuring the city of Dubai. In the past, each party focused on a certain country. This year it will be certain cities. Again, the belly dancers were terrific!

Speaking of the Art Museum, how could I forget the Ibiza party to celebrate the 125th anniversary. The Museum stayed open 25 hours and in the evening recreated the club scene of Ibiza. Can you believe it? The place was filled to capacity. There was an hour wait to get in. Food, drinks, and a dj turned the courtyard into a dance club. Hundreds of people dancing and throbbing to the club music. I stayed until 2 a.m. so that I could go on a ghost tour. Some people had shown up in their pajamas, ready to spend the night. Do other cities turn their Art Museums into dance clubs for the young professional set?