natininja

I agree. You should go for the old man.

^ They are Ohioan, to boot. Akron boys!

^ Detroit>Cincinnati>Atlanta>Miami along I-75 makes lots of sense to me. Chicago>Atlanta can use the same route since there already exists the connection to Cincinnati. It seems either Louisville or Cincinnati would be Chicago's logical connection to the south. The other way to bring Detroit into Chicago's path to the south would be Detroit>Toledo>Fort Wayne>Indianapolis>Louisville. I don't know how this all fits into the existing track layout.

But when he's dictator, he won't be.

+1 Totally agree. I haaaaate the superblock style.

You need more exposure, there's always something good coming out. Not always a lot, though. Heck, the 90's had a big echo of the 60's, with its own unique spin/aesthetic. There has to be something there you'd like. Here's a 90's band that seems to me like what the Beatles may have sounded like in that era...kind of a shot in the dark but, as a Beatles fan, you might dig it:

This is why we need only one party (the Obama Party), so we can have a coherent plan for the future, without suffering long term disasters for short term gains.

Oh man, you missed Forest Fair back in the day...it was by far the best mall for kids. Ill-conceived, yes. But for a few years that place was like a huge carnival/video arcade/fun crazy color world...with lasertag, rides, games, 50 cent movies, virtual reality demos.......it was special!

Just...no.

No such thing as too old; it depends on the individuals. Unfortunately, part of what it depends on is the individuals' tolerance for people looking at them and saying one is too old/too young for the other.

edale, I wouldn't say it is necessary, but things like it certainly are necessary. It plays a very important role of being something unique for the city. It's something that works on the Ohio River that doesn't work (unlike what Ram23 thinks) in Washington, D.C. It pays homage to our local culture and shared heritage. In short, it's exactly the kind of thing we need more of. The idea that we shouldn't nurture it and try to make it reach its potential is absurd. The fact that Cincinnatians aren't proud of it and promoting it is mind-boggling, but that's Cincinnati for you.

In my post, I said an increase in marketing or a rise in awareness due to traffic at the Banks are the main hope. I didn't address the current events topic of federalization. I think that could do wonders. And why wouldn't the federal government go along with it? The museum really does have great merits, and the history is not just Cincinnati's, Ohio's, or the region's. It's highly relevant to the whole country. Marketing and name recognition could really take off. Why not put it under the umbrella of the Smithsonian?

^ Europeans get Bachelors degrees in 3 years. They get less general ed/liberal arts. The thinking is it is because their high school education is more intense than ours.

I think you have this reversed. The animosity is DUE to the lack of success. Which is normal. The place cant pay for itself, said it wouldnt need funding, and now is trying to ask for some. Sounds erily similar to our losing bengals team that many are showing animosity to. Chicken or the egg? People didn't like it before it was built. Their minds were made up.

Yeah, I got up and walked around a lot. Makes Amtrak blow Greyhound out of the water (along with much more leg room and seat reclining). The first trip, I made frequent use of the diner car, since I didn't find time to get food to bring along. The second trip, I brought plenty of food, along with a special water bottle filled with liquor. :) I'd love to do a long trip with a sleeper car, but without a travel companion the cost is out of bounds. I wonder if there is a site frequented by Amtrak travelers where one might have some luck finding someone to split the cost.

It's amazing to me how many people here are against the URFC. I'd expect this on Enquirer comments, but not here. The museum's place on the river is important and symbolic. It plays up something about the city that is unique. It does everything right, or so it seems. I don't now for sure that marketing is the issue, but it probably is. It doesn't makes any sense that the museum does as poorly as it does. I have a feeling local animosity to the museum plays a big part in the lack of success. If there were a big marketing campaign, it would probably draw ire from the peanut gallery since it would be funded at least partially by public money. It's tempting to say that the main source of this is racial animosity, but I think that's a bit too simplistic. Sure, it's part of it. It's also part of anti-streetcar sentiment, but the NAACP is in on that too. I think it has more to do with the "nothing will work" mentality. People don't believe that the city can distinguish itself by emphasizing its unique attributes. It's the mythology that a winning baseball team and low taxes are the only things the city can do to get some positive attention. It does also suffer from the idea that black history is not "my" history. Cincinnatians only want to support things they perceive as directly relevant to them. Same with other Ohioans: see 3C. This is wrong-headed, for sure, but I think it's more insular than racist. Then people can't get beyond that to see that the museum does not focus exclusively on blacks; it's been tagged in the public mind. It seems unlikely the advertising money will come about, given the animosity and reputation. There would need to be someone with some vision and leadership who pushes the idea until it is realized (this person would likely have to be non-black to get sufficient support). The only other possibility is that people start drifting there naturally when the Banks starts kicking. I'm not so optimistic about that; I think the Creation Museum is a model for how such a unique-themed museum can become popular, and that's through press and advertising. The Creation Museum gets tons of free advertising through its position in the modern culture war. If Cincinnati had built the Freedom Center in the 60's or early 70's, it probably would be iconic by now.

^ Agreed. And this incident also has the bite of innocent bystanders getting shot. It plays like music to the ears of those needing confirmation of their choice to live in West Masonchester. Which, of course, is the Enquirer's raison d'etre.

What's most interesting about it is that it seems he was saying he'd support wide-reaching legislation as well. It's also interesting Matesz and Kasich are both to the left of Scrabble on this.

As a follow-up: I was able to take my folding bike, no problems. While it didn't quite pass the size restrictions, there were no luggage Nazis on either end of the trip to complain. I did make a homemade carrier bag for the thing, so I don't know how it would have played out without somewhat disguising what it was. (There are special rules for bikes.) I think the key was that the bag basically fit in the overhead luggage rack (very minimal overhang), so it didn't seem suspicious or obstructing anything. The main inconvenience was I was too nervous to go to the train stations alone, fearing I may have to abandon the bike. This defeated the possibility of just riding to the train station and hopping on. Next time, I may feel emboldened to do that, however. If there is a next time...those delays on top of the already long trip are a hassle, for sure. It's a shame we really have no pleasant way of traveling in this country. Well, I guess if you can afford/justify shelling out the money for a sleeper car, that would make the trip pretty tolerable.

I don't think their troubles are as simple as lack of business. They had enough business.

There was an update to the blog post with a link to a pre-election interview with the Dispatch where Kasich said he would renew the executive order: http://www.dispatchpolitics.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2010/08/15/copy/answers.html?adsec=politics&sid=101

Point (a) is very irritating, because it is only relevant if the minority is a decent size. Gays will never be a large minority, by nature of their existence. Assume gays make up 5% of the population. Assume also the 5% is distributed evenly across any given talent pool. By overlooking 5% of the top talent, you're only very minimally affecting your competitive edge. It's just not significant enough that it will matter, in most cases. It also opens up the possibility for everyone to abide by the discriminatory policy, making sure there is no competitive disadvantage at all. You could argue the cat is out of the bag on that one, and you'd be right. But historically this has been an issue. As for point (b), over time the exposure people have to the minority changes people's minds, and changes the culture. Some might have to suffer under an employer who disapproves of them, but (e.g.) when the employer's son takes the company over, he will have seen how irrational the father was through exposure he wouldn't have had otherwise. It might be an imposition, but it's the right thing to do.

Shooting inside Tucker's restaurant. One of the owners and a customer were shot. http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20110118/NEWS010701/301180019/Shooting-at-Tucker-s-Restaurant

What a crazy episode. How is that store unprofitable? Seems like some mismanagement going on. I certainly thought the store would have reopened by now!

I agree it should be legislation, in that there should be a law passed including all employment in Ohio. I am not a fan of hate crime legislation, on libertarian grounds, but I do think employment nondiscrimination is important.