jdm00

Every day that they don't get started makes this challenge more dangerous, IMO.

Now that I look at it, though, it's hard to put a county immediately adjacent to Franklin in SE Ohio. I'd leave Pickaway where it is.

As someone who grew up in Jackson County but has lived in Hamilton County for 15 years, the Plain Dealer map is actually pretty accurate. You could argue that Brown County should be grouped with the SE counties, but it's so close to Hamilton Cty it would be hard not to put it in SW Ohio. Clinton County is much more SW Ohio than SE Ohio. I think the only one I might move would be Pickaway to SE Ohio from Central, but I do not know how that has changed since I was a kid. I am guessing it is much more connected to C-Bus than before. (By the same token, Fayette might more properly be grouped with the SW or SE counties.) I am clueless on where the dividing line between NW and SW should be, though.

It won't be an ESPN zone. I think they closed those.

^Yes, it was a BASF facility, I think. I don't have any idea on the EPA portion.

I'm not sure what the alternative is--don't try new and different projects like the streetcar, keep doing the same things we have been doing, and just cross our fingers that the urban core improves?

You do know that Eagle Realty, which built QCS and recruited Great American as the tenant, is owned by Western-Southern, right? If they wanted to be the anchor tenant I am guessing they could have. Also, I think that Great American is mostly a property and casualty insurer, while WS is (as the name implies) primarily in the life insurance biz. Though both insurers, I don't think they are "competing" as directly as, say, Fifth Third and US Bank may be. Just an outside observer, but I think QCS and any new headquarters probably just reflect the fact that WS has these real estate interests.

The W&S Parking Garage or the Queen City Club site. Not technically adjacent, but pretty close. I'm trying to figure out where they plan on fitting in that condo building. Does W&S own the QCC land? I don't think so--I don't think they own the University Club, either.

An 80 foot bird would attract tourists like I can only imagine...

^ I saw that last night on 60 Minutes. It's apparently from right before the earthquake. Very cool footage.

jmeck was right. With that brick, it is really reminiscent of the stuff on Calhoun street at UC.

I think Vine has a bit more going for it right now, and you can also really starkly see it all happening. Main, because of its former life as a night-life hotspot, may have started out just a bit ahead (that could be wrong). When I was shopping for a condo in OTR, what REALLY stuck out to me is the contrast between Vine and Main and Walnut. I know it all takes time, but it feels like Walnut has been passed over.

Glad to see that Parvis should be opening soon. I am aiming to be in a condo in the Q by November 1st-ish too.

I like Thomas a lot - one of the best on council from my perspective. I really doubt it was anything like what you suggest.

True enough. The razor-thin profit margins in the grocery business help explain why they are so keen on cost control in areas like shoplifting. Why else would they be so adamant about putting those stickers on your case of soda or beer on the bottom of the cart?

^Yes, grocery stores are a notoriously low-margin business.

That is one of my least favorite angles to see the skyline--it lines up perfectly to make several pretty big buildings (Fifth Third Center, Chemed, Chiquita, Seventh and Vine, the Hilton, and even US Bank tower) seem invisible.

I don't know if I was around then, but it sure did seem like they were biting off more than they could chew there.

LaRussa doesn't have much to work with now. Trading Ludwick is looking like a bigger mistake with every day that passes. I'm a big fan of the pitcher batting 8th, though. :) I didn't understand the trade at the time--I don't think that starting pitching is (or was) the Cards' problem. I think LaRussa gets a lot of the blame, because (as I understand it) he has a ton of input on the roster makeup, and it sure seems like guys like Lopez, Aaron Miles, and Brendan Ryan are "his guys." What they seem to have ended up with is a collection of utility guys, none of whom really hit that well. The hardcore guys at vivaelbirdos.com seem to be pretty up in arms over what LaRussa has done lately. Also, since when did Holliday become a nightmare in the outfield? He misplayed that hit by the Lannan terribly today.

Holy cow, I drove by XU recently. I cannot believe the size of these buildings. This is a massive building boom for the campus. I'll have to try and get some pics next time. It is very impressive, and they look very well done. They've done a good job with all the recent building of making sure it fits into the overall look of the campus. I also noted that they have completely razed and graded the part that will be Xavier square.

I know I said in another thread I wasn't thrilled about the location for these, but seeing them, I really like how they look. Glad to see something that lives up to the renderings.

I love Drew Magary's work. He's the best part of Deadspin and KissingSuzyKolber.net.

A great trip, all in all. 6-3 on the West Coast? 3.5 games up? I can't complain. By the way, Cle17, I assume that you can't be pleased with these lineups that Tony LaRussa is trotting out there, can you? If you don't already, you should check out www.vivaelbirdos.com. It's a pretty good Cards blog. To say they've been brutal about the Cards' offense lately would be kind.

Well, people don't normally write on the same subject to say that "this person who wrote about this before me was exactly right." The latest biography of Lincoln does not say the same things as the however many dozens or hundreds before it, and when you are saying something different, the nature of the previous work (and its methodology) is going to be discussed.

^I think that is probably what will happen, though Albert may have the added hurdle of writers just not wanting to keep giving it to the same guy, even if he is the best (sort of like all the other guys who won MVP awards while Michael Jordan was in his prime). Votto is obviously very deserving, don't get me wrong--but I think there is always an undercurrent of "let's give it to someone else."