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