A few ideas bouncing around seem worthy of further considerations, so put on your public policy thinking caps, even if it sounds dull.

Over at The Cincinnati Group, Greg wants a new school funding system in Ohio. He proposes that local districts get money from the state at the rate at which that district chooses to tax itself.

Gotta admit, I'm not entirely sure how this number would differ from how much a district sent to the state, but those high-property-value districts can simply raise more money at a lower rate. Not sure they'd want to be punished for that. Seems like the pot would be bigger, which is probably a good thing. But what about separating the idea of school funding from property taxes entirely?

Candidate Spencer, while taking umbrage with a City Beat rant, mentions his belief that the city of Cincinnati needs streetcars and soccer in Over-the-Rhine (among many other things, but I want to pick on those two).

If anybody can point me to previous proposals about those, I'd love to read them. I assume somebody wants to build a small soccer stadium. And I assume we're not talking about luring the Cincinnati Excite into the city. And while spectator sports are great, seems a community playfield would be at least as beneficial.

As for the streetcars, I don't know if anybody's talked about a route, but I seem to recall a shuttle service during the downtown tour of living but can't find a map anywhere. I'm thinking two loops, one on 4th and 7th and the other on Main and Race. Gotta connect the stadiums with the OTR bar district. If they could be San Francisco-style cable cars, so much the better.

Not that it answers all of the pitching questions, but the Reds signed Paul Wilson to a two year, possibly $8.2 million contract. Last year's numbers: 11-6, 4.36 ERA and a club-high 16 quality starts and 183 2/3 innings pitched.

CiN's take: Quiet applause, but since you can never have too much pitching, we turn our eyes to the bullpen. We also like a suggestion in the mailbag: How about Matt Clement?

Thanks to everyone that submitted their votes and comments to the CiN Weekly Thanksgiving Day Race Staff Challenge. It proved to be an exciting race. Our winner, Dave "Big Boy" Clark, passed Dan "Primed to smoke Clark" Mahan in the last mile of the race to the take the victory with a time of 44:32. Dan Mahan came in a close second at 46:00. Dave had great motivation after being dubbed "Big Boy" by writer Gina Daugherty.

CiN Editor Beryl Love turned in a good effort with a 55:21. Dear Doug crossed the finish line with time around 1:14ish. Sue Cook surpised the entire office and herself with great time of 1:14:10. Julie Hengehold walked the course and came in at a respectable 1:24:01.

As for the contest, our winner will be announced in next week's issue of CiN Weekly. Check the newstands on Wednesday for that and a photo of our group in cinscene.

I'm hereby withdrawing from the Thanksgiving Day Race due to the fact that I am sick. I did not go to work today. I've been feverish. My throat hurts and every time I move I start coughing. My skin hurts. I can't breathe very well. This is the first time in my history of racing that I have not competed in a race I registered for. It pains me to be a quitter, and I know my coworkers will give me a lot of flack. But, I must think of my health first. I tried to run last night (Tuesday) and nearly passed out after 3 miles. I'm not sure what would happen if I tried to run 6 in the freezing cold and possible sleet (coughing all the way). Pneumonia doesn't sound fun. Since I barely slept last night, I'm hoping that if I sleep tonight I will be able to semi-enjoy Thanksgiving afternoon with my family.

I wish all of my former (and future) competitors best of luck. Now I'm off to take some Nyquil.

Back to the world of ... zzzzzzzzzzz

The top story on page A1 of today's Enquirer - what some in the biz call the "strip lede" - was on the National Institute on Media and the Family's condemnation of certain video games that depict sex and violence.

Among the games mentioned in the story is the wildly popular Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. Apparently, Grand Theft Auto games include acts of violence against police and innocent bystanders, carjackings, robberies, gang violence and vandalism.

In other news, the Earth is round.

More later, possibly. It's a busy day for us here - we're all trying to get ahead of the holiday.

We're finding out more about the lowlife Pistons fan who provoked Ron Artest to enter the stands in Detroit over the weekend.

John Green is a Pistons season-ticket holder whose criminal history includes multiple DUIs, felony assault with intent to do great bodily harm and carrying a concealed weapon in addition to other convictions. He went on Good Morning America this morning and described himself as a respected businessman and family man. He said he wasn't drinking Friday night. If I were a betting man, I'd say he's full of you-know-what.

I'm so tired of jagoffs like this who think drinking to the point of intoxication is an excuse to get away with anything and not be held accountable for their actions. And lawyers who think it's OK to defend their carelessness.

"We have no comment on who threw the cup, it's irrelevant," Green's attorney, Shawn Smith, said. He added that fans shouldn't throw things, "but is it a criminal offense? I don't think so."

This jagoff threw a partially filled beverage cup at Artest with the intent to injure him. How is it that that should not be considered a criminal offense? Then he grabbed Artest from behind and sucker-punched him. He's got to be among several fans charged with assault, along with the not yet identified guy who threw the chair, the fans who went down on the court to challenge players and the guy who was wailing on Fred Jones. Unfortunately, as SI's Lester Munson explains, Artest and his teammates will have their feet held to the fire while Green "has no liability either criminally or civilly."

As far as Artest's actions are concerned, I don't agree with all of these people saying he's to blame for the melee. An on-court scuffle between players is one thing...it happens from time to time and has nothing to do with the fans. It was Green's cup toss that sparked the potentially dangerous situation. What would you do if some drunk guy threw something at you that struck you in the chest? Sure, two wrongs don't make a right, but how can you let someone get away with trying to hurt you? Point the finger at Green more so than Artest, who reacted the same way many would. Basketball games and life in general would be a lot better without the John Greens of the world acting careless and wreaking havoc.

Wouldn't you know it. We write about the American Classical Music Hall of Fame and it decides to move. Seems there's some space in Memorial Hall. Just between us, we always thought anywhere close to Music Hall makes a much better location for a classical music museum than in between a Starbucks and a Quizno's. (Though a Starbucks and a Quizno's would be welcome next to Music Hall, too.)

Intrepid copy editor Kelly here, blogging live from my sister's apartment in Columbus. Outside, tens of thousands of Ohio State fans are drinking, dancing, drinking, celebrating, drinking, berating any Michigan fans who walk by, and ... did I mention drinking?

So why am I sitting inside blogging like a big nerd when there's fun to be had out there? Simple. My sis and I woke up at 5 a.m. to do "kegs and eggs" (a tradition I think we should introduce in the CiN office, by the by), and while I tapped out early to catch some Z's before the game, my sibling has been going strong ever since. She's had about 20 minutes of sleep in the past 24 hours, so we're taking some down time before going out again.

Did you know the residence halls here house over 10,000 people? Imagine 10,000 people from every background you could imagine converging in a 10-city-block radius - and the only thing they all have in common is a desire to be educated and have fun. The community that results is something to behold.

I love Columbus; I do. I think it gets things right that Cincinnati misses the boat on, and I think a lot of it has to do with OSU. But that's a subject for another post, perhaps.

Meanwhile, did you know the OSU-Michigan rivalry is considered the greatest in American sports? With that in mind, I'd like to deliver this message to Jon Berndt, CiN designer and Michigan alum: WOO! 37-21, BABY! IN YOUR FACE!

That is all.

If you're looking for wine to go with next week's bird, aside from the local options, the San Francisco Chronicle has quite the good shopping list and a bit of advice:

"Stay away from oaky whites and tannic reds. Your best bet is to uncork wines with loads of fruity character."

"This is where we go from being just a collection of cities that just happen to be next to each other to developing a regional culture for solving problems."

Unfortunately, that quote comes from the mayor of Aurora, Colo., after the Denver metro area passed a transit plan (see previous post about transit).

It looked for a moment like Cincinnati was going to head in that direction when the Convention and Visitors Bureau voted to fund a new group that would focus its energies on promoting the tourist magnets the region has to offer. It had gotten some advice from a consultant that this was a good idea.

"The consumer only sees one river, accesses one airport, and views the area as an integrated destination. As such, the relationship between Southwest Ohio and Northern Kentucky could be among the most symbiotic in the country, if allowed to evolve along complementary tracks."

Apparently though, the mayor doesn't like this idea. He'd like to see the GCCVB focus on selling the expanding downtown convention center, which will be under construction until mid-2006, never mind what that V stands for.

Oh, and the bureau's head guy says the new setup will help the staff focus on conventions, since somebody else will be responsible for promoting tourism. Now, if we could just get Butler, Warren and Kings Island (the largest such park in the Midwest, 3 million annual visitors) on board...

For only the second time I've been on it, every seat on the West Chester Express was taken this morning. I got the last one. And since there was no room to read, I thought about transit while we sat on I-75.

Nick Spencer (who's running for council, for all those of you who live in the city) brought up the need for light rail here in Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky™. (An aside: seems to me that Nky is part of the Greater Cincy region, but what do I know.)

Nick noted that Austin and Denver were among two of the places approving mass transit systems on Election Day. (The Rocky Mountain News found 23 such initiatives that succeeded.)

Denver's got something going on. Out on the Front Range, they've been doing things regionally for some time now. They built a new baseball stadium. They built a new football stadium. (Stop me if this sounds familiar). But they had gotten voters in eight counties to agree to a slight sales tax increase (something like a penny on $10 of purchases) to fund these massive projects. (Hmm, wait, that's a little different.)

Here, Hamilton County keeps footing the bill (apparently, I'm kinda new here) and making all the decisions. Way out in the Way North region, we don't get to vote on things, even things like a museum levy, that are regional assets. I'd like to lend my support to some kind of rail line from the airport to my Tylersville Road park-n-ride. It'd be so much easier when my sister flies in for Thanksgiving.

And a train wouldn't sit on I-75 in predictable places every morning.

P.S.: Metro is once again threatening the "discontinuation of under-funded contract services." They want more money from Butler and Warren counties. I hope they get it, or there'll be at least 45 more cars sitting on I-75 every morning.

It's been days since he noticed us, but I thought I'd acknowledge Brian Griffin's acknowledgment of our existence. He complained that we don't have blogroll. Dude, there's like 20 people who work here. If we listed everything we read, it'd go on forever.
That said, here's my group of bookmarks to local blogs:

• Walk In Brain
  
• Cincinnati blog
  
• Art Pottery, Politics and Food - (I honestly can't remember if this one is local or not)
  
• Radio Free Newport
  
• Covington (seems to be mostly national commentary, er, links)
  
• Nick Spencer
  
• The Cincinnati Group
  
• Sparkgrass Community - a Ky. expatriate going to med school at Michigan (Go Blue).
  

Two places I've read in the past, but don't go there much any more (there were more, but they've apparently stopped updating):

• sledgeblog
  
• Rob Bernard

Consider yourself rolled.

An update on my Thanksgiving Training: Thursday I ran 3 miles in 30 minutes at the gym. And Saturday I ran 5 miles in 50-some minutes outside and strained my calf. I was feeling a little sluggish as I had been chaperoning a high school lock-in the night before. (Yes, I'm definitely feeling my age!) But I made it. My calf feels better so I'm going to run tonight.

But I'm definitely going to top Julie and Sue. I saw Sue out "walking" on Sunday and thought she was training. Turns out she was getting coffee. Just thought I would talk some trash.

By the way, if you have any holiday recipes, send them to me and you could win a set of CiN Weekly martini glasses and passes to a movie screening! That's kkelley@cincinnati.com

Back to the world of editing!

"Are we sure this is how 'biatch' is spelled?"

I heart my job.

(P.S. GoogleFight says that yes, that is how it's spelled.)

LIBERTY TOWNSHIP -- David "Big Boy" Clark, favored by many to win among CiN staff Thanksgiving Day Race participants, admitted Saturday that he's suffering from shin splints.

The small crowd that jogged alongside Clark during his Saturday morning workout saw him wince repeatedly after completing about three miles. He screamed obscenities as he entered his neighborhood and made his way uphill to his home.

In a television interview later in the day, a teary-eyed Clark said he's seeking treatment for the ailment at an undisclosed location.

"I think it's because I've been doing too much walking in dress shoes during the week," Clark said.

"I'm dealing with some pain, and I just don't know how long it's going to take before it goes away."

Vegas oddsmakers who had given Clark the early edge to win the race among CiN staffers (he was a 3-1 favorite) revised his odds to 9-2.

Less than 24 hours after declaring his intention to become the eighth CiN staff member to run the 95th Annual Thanksgiving Day Race, Corrie Schaffeld withdrew from the competition.

Schaffeld told design editor and participant Sue Cook he wouldn't be able to compete because of a wedding he's attending that weekend.

"I don't think the wedding is until Saturday, though," Cook said. "I think he's scared of (losing to) me and Julie."

To all of my critics regarding the Thanksgiving day race:
I will show up for the race. Believe me, I am up for the challenge. Despite the tabloid style attacks on my character, I will finish this race. I am not saying I am going to win by any means, but I could probably walk backwards halfway and still beat Sue Cook (sorry Sue). My training schedule (that started yesterday) includes working out at the gym and chasing ads all over Cincinnati.

I will see you all at the start of the race and some of you at the finish line!

This rant would probably be a better fit for "the last word", but 1. Our readers have much more interesting and funny things to say, and 2. In the world of sales it's bad to have an opinion on something that could potentially upset your customers. I know, I know.....stand up, get a backbone, speak your mind. Don't let anyone fool you, it's all about the $. Which finally leads me to why I originally started writing this....speaking your mind(the 1st amendment) and losing money because of it. This morning, as I was shaking off the effects of being out too late and having a few too many beverages with my bro-in-law(beer good, tequila bad), I turned on the WCPO morning show. If you didn't know, today is Veteran's Day, which for a lot of people, means a great deal. I would think that most of us know of someone, whether it's a family member, friend, or co-worker, that has served our country at some time. So, first of all a big thanks to our Veterans. The reason this is relevant is because our media friends were explaining that they were originally planning to air "Saving Private Ryan" this evening, more than likely to honor our Veterans. But, due to a few instances of "strong language" contained within the movie, and the possible FCC fines that would follow, they have decided to pull the movie from their line-up. It wasn't due to the first 30 minutes of this movie( if you haven't seen it, and can handle a first person perspective of war, you need to see it) it was due to the "language". I guess they figure everyone is numb to the violence and brutal carnage of war, but the "strong language" is too much for us to handle. Don't get me wrong, I'm not upset with WCPO, I have the DVD and can watch it anytime I want. I'm just sick of what's happening with the FCC and the current administration(a political party that has always preached about having less government compared to their opponents). Feel lucky that print is not governed by the FCC.....at least not yet, they do have 4 more years. Oh well, I'll step off of my "1st Amendment" soap-box now, I know getting riled up about a movie is a stretch for the 1st amendment, but it's the little things that lead to the big things. Before you know it, a blog like this could be getting a fine or not be allowed at all. And another thing........excuse me, who's on the phone? FCC chairman Michael Powell? Oh...I better go!

Somehow, someway, I have become known as the resident "hater" on the CiN Weekly staff. I, however, prefer to think of myself as a person with strong opinions (no matter how much a fellow staffer may accuse me of flip-flopping more than "W." did his opponent in the recent election).

So what happens, then, when someone gives me the space to riff, rant and rave about (nearly) anything I want? With apologizes to Talib Kweli, you get a manifesto - or should I say McCoy-nifesto - chapter one.

You better put on a pot of coffee - this might take a while.

THE TOP 25 THINGS I'VE NOTICED AND/OR DECIDED IN THE LAST 30 DAYS
(in no particular order)

[1] I hate people who don't use turn signals - they're there to make your drive safer, people!

[2] There's nothing worse than seeing an attractive woman smoking - It's like seeing a BMW and finding out it has an Escort engine - and yes, that was a reference to MTV's "Pimp My Ride."

[3] Going back to driving, why can only 50% of the people park in the place I frequent. I have more dings and near accidents from people not watching where they swing their car doors or failing to watch where they turn/go into reverse than I care to remember.

[4] Barry Larkin should have retired a Red, but the Reds should have signed him to keep him one for life. (Does the idea of Ray Olmedo playing shortstop excite anyone really? This is not sports talk radio and I don't want this to become the Internet equivalent of it, but it's gonna look really odd seeing him in Washington, D.C. next year ...)

[5] I can't figure out why Paris Hilton is popular - can someone please explain to me why the clock on her fame is still at 14:59?

[6] How many more malls can be built on the eastern side of Cincinnati before everything east of I-71 becomes known as Rookwood Heights?

[7] The fact Ja Rule is still releasing albums is amazing to me. 50 Cent killed his career worse than Showgirls killed Elizabeth Berkley's (although there will always be a soft spot for Jessie Spano in my heart – you and Lark Vorhees made "Saved By the Bell" far more watchable than it ever should have been).

[8] Kanye West's video for "The New Workout Plan" is the best work Anna Nicole Smith has ever done. I wish they made hip-hop videos like this more often like they used to ...

[9] Sbarro's at Tower Place mall will consume at least 5% of my paycheck this year unless I learn to cook - I loved the baked ziti with oregano and crushed red pepper! Delicious!

[10] The Apprentice is the only reality show I've enjoyed seen since the first season of "The Real World" - well that and "Last Comic Standing" on Comedy Central, although I'm not really sure that counts. (And speaking of the real world, is Kevin Powell the only person in the history of that show to actually get a real job - what happened to NYC Andre's band?!?)

[11] ESPN NKL2K5 is the game Madden 2005 wishes it could be. Yeah, I said it.

[12] I will not care about NCAA football until they get rid of the BCS and institute a "March Madness" style-tournament. If UC went undefeated and USC only lost one game, I want to watch my beloved Bearcats in the national championship game and hear Keith Jackson say "The University of Cinci-who? How'd they get here?!? - and isn't that Maurice Clarett in the stands selling popcorn?" (Take THAT, O State!)

[13] "The Ben Stiller Show," "Cedric the Entertainer Presents," "Greg the Bunny," "Family Guy" - apparently, Fox must sit around and say "Why don't we hype all of our really good shows, cancel them and then put them on DVD! They'll sell millions and then we can keep having our affiliates show Friends re-runs for the next decade in their place!"

[14] Cincinnati has several good stand-up comedians you should check out at the Funny Bone and Go Bananas. If you didn't make it to this year's "Funniest Person in Cincinnati" contest at Go Bananas, you don't like stand-up as much as you may claim to if you do.

[15] I hate Apple computer products. This is not a new revelation, but simply one that gets reinforced every day I come to work. I honestly would rather use a typewriter sometimes than work on one of these things.

[16] Rap groups and cartoons I miss - 3rd Bass, EPMD, A Tribe Called Quest, "Tiny Toons," "Pinky & The Brain," Freakazoid" and "Animaniacs" (Can I get some DVDs, please?!?)

[17] Clear Pepsi was ahead of its time in both marketing and taste.

[18] Playing basketball on a sprained ankle is not a good idea. Especially not when you know it's sprained and you have to go to work on the 14th floor of a building the next day.

[19] I'm tired of sports writers talking about football players celebrating in the zone - It's a game, not church! If you don't players to celebrate, don't let 'em score!

[20] I hate when people talk to me like I'm five years old - if you have something to tell me, talk to me like I have a college education and not like I still tell people how old I am using my fingers.

[21] I can't wait until Nick Lachey ends up on "The Surreal Life" - actually, yes I can.

[22] People who wear shorts past October (especially when they are wearing a sweatshirt with them) annoy the tar out of me since they get everyone else in their office sick.

[23] I'm too frugal to ever enter The World Series of Poker. I get mad when people don't offer me my penny in change when I buy $4.99 combo meals to go.

[24] It's really hard to think of 25 things you want to rant about when you sit down to actually
do it sometimes.

[25] My name is pronounced "TAH-BAR-E" no matter how many times someone says it wrong.

CiN Weekly Design/Production Manager Corrie Schaffeld announced his intention Wednesday to take part in the 95th Annual Thanksgiving Day Race, becoming the eighth competitor from the CiN staff.

Little is known about Schaffeld's running ability or condition. He hopes to run the first three miles in 18 minutes and hang on for dear life.

Click here to make your picks and find out more.

Dave wants me to write about my training. I hesitate to call it "training," however.

Sunday I ran for about 5 miles. It was a gorgeous day for running, but I was running pretty slow. Usually when I'm in training mode, I run about 3 times a week. I'm far from a serious runner. So I should've run last night, but I got a free pass to the new Bridget Jones' movie ... and then it was dark .... and late ... and the gym was closed ... and so I didn't run. Tonight I have a meeting, so I won't run. But tomorrow I will run, probably at the gym, because I don't like running in the dark.

I've run the Thanksgiving Race twice, the last two years. I trained with Roncker's group in '02 and that was my official 10K PR: 1:04.33. (The chips didn't work in the Flying Pig 10K the year I did it, so my actual time - my unofficial PR - is better than my official time). Last year T-Day was worse. Who knows what will happen this year?

But, honestly, my running philosophy is I am doing better than all those people who don't have the guts to lace up a pair of shoes and get out there. I will never be a fast runner, and in no way do I consider that admitting defeat. Maybe sometime I will blog about how I got started running. Let me know if you want to hear the "inspirational" story.

Back to the world of editing!

Gina's fearless predictions are amusing, but we want to help you make a more educated guess before entering our Turkey run pick 'em contest. Here's an idea of where Dave Clark is at just 15 days shy of the race (Yes, I just referred to myself in the third person).

I'm going to end up doing about 20 miles this week and hopefully bump it up to 25 or so next week. I usually do a four-mile route, but I'm going to try to mix it up next week with a track workout and a couple of longer runs. Training prior to this week has been very inconsistent. Since I'm making an effort to get back into the swing of things, I haven't been feeling great ... but I'm hoping I'll feel more comfortable as I get my mileage back up a little bit, which I should be able to achieve in the next two weeks. As long as I'm feeling good, I'd like to top my Flying Pig Papa John's 10K effort, which was a 43:35. My 10K personal best was 40 minutes and change in Minster (Oktoberfest) in 1998.

Something that made me smile.

I was at the Rookwood Don Pablo's with my friend Kyle after the American Copy Editors Society's Ohio workshop up at Miami University Hamilton. The waiter was great - nice, friendly, fast - and he noticed my nametag from the workshop.

"You work for CiN Weekly?" he said.

"Yeah - you've heard of it?"

He had. Lovely Kari had once promoted his band in her music notes (something that the band had not been expecting, since pretty much all they do is play on the patio at Don Pablo's on Tuesday nights. It's not like they have a label or anything). The point is, he was really happy about the surprise props - and that made me happy.

On a side note, if your job involves proofreading, copy editing, or even just reading, you could do worse than to check out ACES. The resources provided by that organization will make you a smarter reader and a better human being - plus your hair will be shinier and your teeth whiter. Swear to God.

I decided this morning that the people at the BMV are saints. I've heard stories before about the cranky people at the BMV, but after this morning, I think it's the customers who are cranky. I was there to renew my license and I went at an off peak time, so there were only about three people in the place. Here's what I observed:

Person 1: 80- to 90-year old woman and her daughter (?). The daughter-person was doing all the talking. Apparently the older woman recently got married and needed to change her name on her card (I really hope it was an ID card and not a license... she could barely see and barely move). However, they didn't have a marriage certificate and proceeded to argue and argue with the clerks at the BMV that they had no idea they had to have the marriage certificate. They finally left after a few choice words. The younger woman led the older one out and the older one nearly ran into me, as I'm not sure she could see at all. Note to self: If I get married, take the certificate with me.

Person 2: Older friendly gentleman who had to take the eye test. Upon being told, he leaned into the eye-testing machine. He was asked to read line 5 in the middle column. "What middle column? I don't see a line 5." he said. The woman tried to explain it again. Then he started reading clearly, and the woman asked "Are you reading the middle of line 5?" He repeated himself, and then said "Now I can't see anything at all." ... "You have to keep your forehead pressed on the machine," the woman said. This scenario repeated multiple times. He must have finally figured it out after I was taken to the other eye testing machine. I noted to self to keep my forehead firmly pressed in, and now I have a license picture with a big red mark on my forehead. Lovely.

Person 3: Didn't have any money with him. I mean, doesn't everyone know you actually have to fork over some moula every time you even sneeze at the BMV? He couldn't get his new-looking card to work on the ATM (I say new looking because it still had one of those "Call before you use" stickers on it. Hmmm. I wonder why it didn't work.) He left to "try another ATM."

Saints, I tell you. All these workers kept their cool and explained rationally to the irrational people what to do. Just a note to everyone out there ... if you have to go to the BMV, do a little research ahead of time and make sure you have everything you need with you. It will save you aggravation, and it will save the rest of us time!

Back to the world of editing!

Do you have a favorite dish you absolutely love? Nominate it for an upcoming Favorite Dish. E-mail Katie at kkelley@cincinnati.com. Be sure to include the name of the item and the restaurant.

Our event preview this week focuses on the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society's first Taste of the World. One of the offerings is Buffalo Trace Bourbon. If you'd like a preview of what you're in for, check out the reviews over at GreatBourbon.com or Timmy's Tasting Room.

I am blogging wirelessly from Hamburger Mary's downtown - and being very rude to co-workers Jon (designer) and Kari (copy editor, music goddess), with whom I am dining, by the way.

This is very exciting for me - I just bought my little iBook a couple of weeks ago, and this is the first time I've connected to a wireless network that's not in my own house. (Mary's network is named NaughtyBits, which is sweet.) I think the idea of free Wi-Fi is so exciting - imagine being able to connect to the Internet from anywhere you want! I hope Cincinnati implements it soon.

Gotta go - my chili's getting cold.

Cheers!
We still don't know who the president is, but in the "hottest" issue in my mind, the results are in ....
I'm happy to report that all will allowed to buy liquor at Sam's in Oakley on Sundays now. Well, all members that is. If you're a member, and you head there to make a purchase before a Bengals game, you have me and 167 other voters in Precinct 2-R to thank. (The issue passed 168-67). My question is, who are these 67 people who voted no? Certainly they have a right to their opinion, but it seems silly when Meijer is already making the sales.

Ah, if only all the results were so simple....

Back to the world of editing!

As I was waiting in line to vote in the garage of the Hyde Park fire station, someone who had just voted walked up to the man two people ahead of me. They were two middle-aged white men, obviously acquaintances, and the usual pleasantries were exchanged: how are you, how's the job, etc.

And then the man who had just voted said, "It's great to see you. We're going to change the world today."

I doubt that man is reading this blog, but if he is, I wanted to let him know that his words inspired me. I've thought about them all day, and they still make me smile.

I hope I still have that optimism, that faith in government, when I am his age. At age 23, anyone can feel like he or she can make a difference. How much harder must it be 10 or 20 years from now?

But this man still believes. Imagine that - by waiting in line in a firehouse on a damp Tuesday in November, by signing your name and punching some holes in a card, this man helped change the world.

I did too.

Hopefully, so did you.

DIARY OF KELLY HUDSON, SPINSTER AND LUNATIC.

Thursday, Oct. 28

Weight: 185 (v.g. but must be ever-watchful in campaign against unsightly cellulite)
Alcohol units: 9 (but still managed to be hangover-free! Hurrah!)
Cigarettes: 0 (not at all impressive as am not a smoker)

5:30. Arrive at house I share with photographer Leigh. Am v. behind schedule - we are supposed to leave at 6. Wonder if shower is truly necessary.

5:32. Just looked in mirror. Shower is necessary to change hair from mass of oily, stringy strands to gorgeous silky mane.

5:56. Have pulled wet hair back into tiny ponytail for purposes of makeup application. Leigh says she prefers hair this way. I look into mirror at inch-long pieces of dripping hair protruding crazily from elastic band. Decide Leigh is trying to sabotage my look so she will look better by comparison.

6:45. Walk into Tropicana. Already, it is filled with people setting up. Everyone far too busy to notice egregious lateness. Whew.

7:11. Taste first-ever CiN Ki-Weekly. Delicious. Complimentary glass v. cute, too.

7:43. Gaah! Cell phone.

7:44. Was parents. They are at door to club. Must go meet them.

7:49. Oh, dear. Have made rather large gaffe. Was under the impression that once parents were checked in, there was no need to wait in line. Tried to push through line with them, but hit a crowded point just inside door. Woman directly in front of us shrugged and said she guessed everyone had to wait in line. … Oh, my. Woman was publisher of Enquirer. A nice woman, but certainly not one from whom an entry-level employee requests frontsies. Hopefully she recognizes line-cutting as silly ignorance rather than outrageous rudeness.

7:50. Decide not to let unintentional rudeness to publisher ruin evening. Ki-Weeklies all around.

8:30. Parents, colleagues getting along famously. Overheard between mom and co-worker Mike:
Mom: "Kelly was so cute when she was a baby. And you know she was a genius, too!"
Mike: "Wow! What happened to her?"

9:05. Parents depart. Public let in.

9:45. Order cosmopolitan. No more open bar - drink is $6. Horrifying! Consider running to liquor store across street and smuggling cheap liquor into club. Decide instead to open tab.

9:55. Car giveaway imminent. Head outside.

10:05. Finalist #1: loser. Groans.

10:06. Finalist #2: ditto. More groans.

10:07. As the first chords of "Start Me Up" play, crowd bursts into cheers. Tears of joy stream down winner's face. I almost join her; so exciting!

10:30. Man from Jake Sweeny starts up BMW to drive it away. Winner will pick it up tomorrow. Man must navigate through narrow space, crowds. Comes within inches of lampost, wall, CiN editor Beryl. Wonder what winner must be thinking.

11:00. Right. Time for more drinks.

12:00. Drinks blurryy grood. Feelin wooozy. Praps water now. Whups - fellovr.

12:30. Was entirely prepared to order water, then thought, "Beer is kind of like water."

1:00. Party winding down - now mostly CiN staffers, friends and people we've written about. Turns out some people took Friday off work for purposes of staying out late, partying with us. V. nice! Discussion turns to after-party options.

1:15. Dixie Chili? Pepper Pod? Anchor Grill?

1:25. Winner is ... Bar Louie, by virtue of being only late-night food option within walking distance. Depart Tropicana.

1:40. At Bar Louie with a half-dozen CiN staffers, Enquirer editor Tom Callinan, and (the ubiquitous) Michael Lee.

1:44. Is Lee drinking milk???

1:50. Lee most definitely drinking milk - plus, eating chicken gumbo. (Will stick to tried-and-true beer/burger combo for self.)

2:10. Someone has salvaged gigantic CiN birthday cake from Tropicana. Is huge and almost untouched. We keep dipping fingers into frosting.

2:30. Time to go. Callinan picks up check, earns eternal gratitude of stuffed staffers. We offer finger-trail-riddled cake to Bar Louie staff; they seem nonplussed.

2:53. Cab drops me off at home. Collapse into bed. Will be late to work tomorrow. They'll understand. I love my job.

This is my first time blogging. Hi!!

So, yeah, we all know this is election day, and hopefully everyone is going to the polls to vote for the president and for candidates in all the local races. And here, we have the Article XII issue as well as a bunch of levies.

But I feel kinda special, because my precinct, 2-R, is the ONLY one in the whole world that gets to vote on whether or not Sam's Club in Oakley can sell alcohol on Sunday. Isn't that exciting? Who knows yet who the millions of voters will vote for in the presidential election, but only a few hundred people at best can have a say in whether Sam's can sell alcohol. I even got a letter from the president of Walmart asking for my vote. I mean, gosh that guy should be really busy, but he really wants Sam's Club in Oakley to sell alcohol on Sunday because Meijer (next door) already can.

If it passes, you can thank me. I don't even have a Sam's membership, so I can't even go buy alcohol there. Maybe they should give memberships to the few hundred people who voted for the sales. I mean, think of how much more money Sam's (and Walmart) will now make. I'm jealous. I should have bargained with the president for a free beer. Or is that illegal?

In other thoughts, I always need CiN Cooks. Do you want to be a CiN Cook? Let me know, especially if you have a recipe for something that's traditionally served for Hanukkah. That would be great.

Back to the world of editing!

If you get a call this afternoon asking if you need a ride to the polls, here's how they know:

"Polling places make lists of who has voted available to the public. (The lists will be viewed at 11 a.m. and 4 p.m.) Then political operatives match those lists against their own lists of voters likely to back their candidate."

Seems sales of energy drinks like Red Bull topped $1 billion last year (Blue Ox and AMP are also in the category) but some doctors are pointing out that combining all that caffeine and sugar with alcohol might be bad for some people. The drinks raise body temperature (adding to the already warm club atmosphere) and are diuretics, which can lead to dehydration. And those killjoys at Ball State University's Human Performance Laboratory say the stimulants in the energy drinks combined with the depressants in alcohol could lead to cardio problems. So be careful out there.

PLEASANT RIDGE -- CiN Weekly reporter Tabari McCoy did not report to work Monday after injuring his ankle in a pick-up basketball game Sunday night.

Officials learned of the injury just before midnight (EST) Sunday and downgraded McCoy's status for Monday to doubtful.

The CiN staff expects to be back at full strength Tuesday.

What with all the hand wringing over the election and the Bengals (subliminal message: "throw it away"), you might have forgotten about the Reds outfield conundrum. Apparently, the Austin Kearns experiment is going well. And the team picked up its option on Sean Casey for 2006, putting him in the running to be the team's next captain.

CiN'S TAKE: So apparently, Griffey will not be patrolling the infield anytime soon. And we can look forward to Casey, Griffey, Dunn, Kearns and Wily Mo (not necessarily in that order) knocking down the walls next season.