Thursday, August 30, 2007

Coaching Perspective, Kids and Parents.


This excerpt is from a local high school football coach's season preview. He coaches in a district that has had a lot of success on the football field, and because of that, a lot more is expected. He offers a very refreshing take on football, competition, kids, and life. I especially like this paragraph:



In closing, all of us, coaches included, need to constantly remind ourselves and each other throughout this year that football is a very difficult and challenging game both physically and mentally. And that it is played by the likes of mostly 16 & 17 year old boys. Encourage them in the challenging times and make it a point to see the good in their efforts, successful or otherwise. Although this team has lofty goals for itself, the players need constant reminders to enjoy the great experience of the journey that is about to take place. Successful coaches should never be put on a pedestal based on a win/loss record. Likewise, a player's value to a team should never be solely determined by performance in a game or based on the amount of playing time a person gets. So my advice to parents of players, wives of coaches, and true Kings Knights fans -- "Love'm up! They're the only ones you got!"
Best wishes to all for another safe and successful season!

That is the kind of understanding and perspective we as parents, coaches, and teachers need more of...

Dogs and Downtown

Finally we're talking about important issues in downtown Cincinnati... our dogs deserve more.

This article - about forming a committee to figure out where we can have another park downtown where dogs can be allowed to exist in peace and harmony - tells all about this vital and important issue.

I am concerned about the representation on the committee though:

Members of the committee include representatives of the city park board, Downtown Residents Council, the Cincinnati Kennel Club, League for Animal
Welfare, Keep Cincinnati Beautiful and the Society for the Prevention of
Cruelty to Animals.


Maybe a dog should be placed on this committee? Snoop? Underdog? Snoopy? Lassie's nephew? How about some real representation? Just trying to keep it real.

Saturday, August 25, 2007

Cincinnati Blogging


I just added Cincyblurg to my list of local blogs. The author of this blog is pretty clever and extremely open about her feelings and thoughts about things.


I thought this line in her 'about me' section was hilarious: "Think of this as Cincinnati Blog, but WAY more crass. And with better spell-checking." This in an explanation of her 'blurg.'


I think it's the English teacher in me that likes a subtle smack talk about poor grammar in blogging.

Friday, August 24, 2007

Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center ranked seventh




This is a report about the ranking of our own Children's Hospital Medical Center...

I like these reports. I think it keeps these hospitals continuously improving. This is why the media is so important.
I like that our Children's Hospital is one of the best in the country.

"JPMorgan to add jobs, space"


I like articles like this because it is a sign the core is on the grow. The word that comes to mind is solidifying. The core is becoming more solid, healthy.

I'm definitely not an urban growth expert, but when I hear some big time company will be investing in people and space in downtown as opposed to Mason, West Chester, or New Delhi, I think to myself, "that must be a good thing."

Go Cincinnati!


Sunday, August 19, 2007

Western & Southern Financial Group Masters... Follow-up


It's been a great tournament this year. I got to see the super-tall John Isner lose in a competitive doubles match, watch Roddick give a match away to an inferior opponent, and today will watch the finals. The following is from "Any Suggestions" on the "Unforced Errors" blog on Cincinnati.com:





That's what James Blake asked the Center Court crowd in trying to figure out how to beat Roger Federer on Sunday. Actually if Federer misses as much as he did today 36 unforced errors), and Blake keeps ripping winners (match point was an incredible passing shot), the American will have a chance.


And with the crowd behind him, which it will be, Blake could be positioning himself for his first win ever against Federer and his first Masters Series title....Or is that just crazy talk?


This is still Roger Federer he's got to play, right?


Federer in two sets is my prediction, although I'm rooting for the American. Go U.S.A.!


Thursday, August 16, 2007

The Banks and Some Minor Details.


"There are plenty of unresolved issues, including financing. The developers will bankroll $600 million of the $800 million project, but the city and county have not yet said where their $200 million portion will come from."


I don't know why statements like this stand out to me. Seems like a slightly important detail. It's almost comical to me, then I remember I live in Hamilton County and will probably have to come up with the $200 million, well, not all of it, but some anyway.
In all actuality, I'm all in favor of the "The Banks." I think it's something the downtown is majorly lacking, you know, like, somewhere to go... I like the idea of hanging out in a nicely developed setting, a flowing river, lots of people around, and lots to do. It's like what big cities have.
Yay, we're going to have a grown-up city!


Friday, August 10, 2007

Thanks for visiting, Mr. Rudy Giuliani.

Rudy Giuliani was in Cincy this week. He says he is the only one in the GOP that has a shot at beating Hillary in Ohio.

I don't even think the two candidates will be running against each other. Hillary may get the nominee, but if Fred Thompson runs, it's all him. (That's my prediciton anyway)
(My darkhorse prediction is that Al Gore enters the race and wins the Democratic nomination.)

Wednesday, August 8, 2007

Aaron Harang

This guy is one of the bright spots for the Cincinnati Reds. He threw 8 shutout innings against the L.A. Dodgers last night. He's 11-3 on the year.

I have a bobble head of him. I gave it to my 20 month old daughter. She wasn't that impressed with it though.

He's also really tall. But his bobble head isn't.

Tuesday, August 7, 2007

Parents and Police

I am a regular reader of Brian Griffin's blog that covers Cincinnati, politics and the like. I like the topics he covers, whether I agree with his views or not, I like his frequency of updates, and I like his humor.

On a recent post (discussing the Enquirer's article about the improvement in safety in Over-the-Rhine due to the presence of the Hamilton County Sheriffs) he pointed out that the area in front of Jordan Market had not really changed.

Now, there were many responses to this post, but one of them stood out to me. On person wrote in reply, "If the police did their job, we wouldn't need the sheriff's guys."

I think my response is, "If the parents did their jobs, we wouldn't need the police."

Just a thought.

Western & Southern Financial Group Masters


This is a great tournament. I look forward to seeing it combine with the women's tournament in a few years and draw the top women tennis players in the world.

Of course Roger Federer (above) will be the favorite, but since there are so many talented players, it's worth spending the day there.

Even the wild card entries will be interesting to watch, especially John Isner, who is 6'9". Wow.

I don't think he usually plays on his back with his racket five feet away. But then again, maybe he does, and that's why he has such a low ranking.

Monday, August 6, 2007

Chad Johnson's "Got His Sexy Back"


From Peter King's article on SI.com...

The Chad Johnson Show is on, and he's loving it. Post-practice at Georgetown
College, he's telling me how he's got something wild planned for the first game
of the season when he scores, the Monday night opener against Baltimore. "Maybe
it'll get me suspended for a game by Marvin,'' he says, but it's something he
says he just has to do.

It takes all kinds.

"I tried being a normal guy last year, and I think it hurt me as a player,''
he says. "I can't be the guy who just does what he's supposed to, and
nothing way out there. It's not me.''

But 87 catches, 1,375 yards? That's not a horsecrap year.

"I know. But it's not good enough for me. I tried it everybody else's way.
Now I'm going back to my way. I've got my sex back.''

"What? 'I've got my sex back?''' I say.

"No, no, no,'' he says, "I've got my sexy back. That means, I've got me back,
I've got my own way back. And I promise you, it'll be more fun. You know me. I
won't do anything to disrespect the game. I never have. I love this game more
than anything. I might do something that'll cost me a game, but believe me,
everybody will love it. The memory of it will last a lifetime.''

What in the world is it?

He's not telling. I think I can live without knowing.

Wow. He's obnoxious, but not offensive. That's why I think Chad Johnson is absolutely hilarious. I'm OK with his antics if it doesn't hurt the team on the field.

In fact, I may like the hype and talk about the possibility of his antics more than the antics themselves.



Sunday, August 5, 2007

Saturday, August 4, 2007

Cincinnati Blog: Pete, Please Excuse This#links

Cincinnati Blog: Pete, Please Excuse This#links

Hilarious video about the upcoming Cincinnati City Council elections from Cincinnati.blogspot.com.

Nice find.

Bike Trail Update

It looks like it's a go! From the City Council's report...

EDUCATION,HEALTH & RECREATION COMMITTEE
67-200700860
MOTION, dated
July 30, 2007, submitted by Councilmembers Jeff Berding, John Cranley, Chris
Monzel, Cecil Thomas and David Crowley, WE MOVE that in conjunction with
their efforts to advance the "Permanent Alignment," the City Administration
cooperate with and take no action to hinder the citizen-led volunteer "bike
trail group" in implementing the "Temporary Alignment" plan for the Ohio
River Trail as outline in the memo dated 4/11/07.

This trail will be a great addition to downtown. This will create an outdoor recreational outlet for those who live in the downtown area and will bring people to the downtown area such as bikers, joggers, and walkers who will traverse this section of the trail. I look forward to its completion.

Link to the proposed trail here.

The Ohio River Trail will end at and connect to the Purple People Bridge in downtown Cincinnati.


Photo by Jake Mecklenborg

Below is a picture of the end of the Little Miami bike trail. The Ohio River trail will eventually connect to the Little Miami Scenic Trail.

Photo by Dave Dumbacher

Downtown Cincinnati's Comeback...


"The obituary for downtown was written prematurely," said Arn Bortz, taken from a Cincinnati Enquirer article from July 28, 2007.

This is a great article about the revitalization of the downtown area. It lists several of the factors that have caused this rebirth of business and influx of people to the streets of the downtown core.

City Council and 3CDC (see link under Politics...) were cited as having leading roles in the redevelopment.


Thursday, August 2, 2007

Cincinnati Public School Levy, Retiring for a Raise, Financial Illiteracy

Although the following articles may seem like they are completely unrelated, they are in fact, perfect illustrations of how absolutely financially illiterate our society has become.
From The Cincinnati Enquirer's article "Cincinnati schools need big levy":
Predicting a “devastating” financial crisis within a year without new tax dollars, Cincinnati Public Schools Treasurer Jonathan Boyd on Thursday recommended a 10-mill emergency levy for the November ballot.

If the district cannot pass a levy by the end of the upcoming school year, Boyd said, it will be faced with a $79 million budget gap in 2008-09 – and the gap would grow from there.

The size of the levy and the projected deficit took board members by surprise.

My favorite line from the first story is "The size of the levy and the projected deficit took board members by surprise." I mean, it's not like they would have any interest in the budget for the district. I mean come on, all those big, complicated numbers, projections, estimations, and calculations. It's not like they're the advisory body elected to supervise the activity of the district. Oh wait, they are. Oops, better raise taxes fast to fix that problem.

The problem isn't the impending massive deficit, the problem is that they were surprised about it. I hope they're reserving some of their mental energy for determining a true and healthy solution while they're reactively figuring out how to ask for more money.

Maybe some of that money deficit is going to people like this.

From The Cincinnati Enquirer's article "Judges don't like double-dipping":
Nine Hamilton County Common Pleas judges are asking the board that oversees a Hamilton County correctional center to meet in full to reconsider allowing the facility’s director to retire from his $90,000-a-year job and return to the same job at a lower salary.

The change boosts John Baron’s income $40,000 a year because he’ll begin being collecting his $65,000-a-year state pension and get a $65,000-a-year salary. Baron will also be paid accrued vacation and sick time.


Again, the problem isn't what some would call greed or a desire to take advantage of the system. The problem is that somehow, someway this is possible for him to do, and we need a judge to step in and question the logic of it.

Wednesday, August 1, 2007

The Extreme Cheese Coney Eating Contest

I'm there. Not going to compete, but plan on laughing and snapping some pics. Good luck to whomever has to clean up after the competition.

Details about the event can be found on MyFountainSquare.com.

Or here...

Event Detail:

At noon on Friday, August 3, the contestant who consumes the most Skyline Coneys topped with Extreme Habanero Cheese in 3 minutes will be crowned champion!

To register for a chance to compete, complete the official entry form located at www.myfountainsquare.com/skyline. Fifteen contestants will be randomly drawn and notified on Monday, July 30. The Grand Prize is a $100 Skyline Gift Card and bragging rights for a year. Runners-Up win a $25 Skyline Gift Card, T-Shirt and Hat.

Skyline will also sell Extreme Cheese Coneys on the Square from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. A portion of the proceeds, up to $2,500, will be donated to the FreestoreFoodbank.

Produced by Skyline Chili and Fountain Square Management Group.



Low Interest Loans for Home Improvement in Hamilton County are Underused

This is a good article by Justine Reisinger on CityBeat.com. She writes about Hamilton County's program that offers interest rates lower than the market rate for home improvements. Interestingly, it is an underused program, mainly because people do not know about it.

Well, it seems like a good, practical incentive for keeping people living in Hamilton County, instead of splitting for areas like Mason, so... let's tell people about it.

It may not be such a bad idea to use some of the $28 million budgeted for this year to get the word out. Just saying.