Attended the launch party for Mogul Media Advertising Agency (Club Clau - Scott and Josh's latest endeavor) last night and came away from it a bit perplexed yet happy I was there to see whatever it was I saw. Well, the ladies were there of course and I am pretty sure I know what I saw on that front. Regardless of the view, the room was simmering with expectation and anticipation. In typical Clau-ology, you came away not quite sure what just happened but glad you were along for the ride. We don't typically go out for a night of discussion on media and advertising so it was a nice way to introduce their concept.

The night began with an open bar and a mingle session with the designers, photographers, web-a-holics, videographers and great food from Bluegrass Gourmet. As we all meandered through the flyers, ads, web pages, and video monitors, I noticed a square hole in the wall with a talking head - the head says "write down the first thing you think about Head & Shoulders". I wrote down my second best tag line and moved over to the open bar. What is interesting is that it made me stop and think about the brand. Hey, maybe I like this shampoo... uhm, not really. Anyway, you must give it to the guys, advertising is everywhere we go and there is no chance we can get away from it, and this was a fun way to be involved. What happens when you see an ad? There may be people who say they ignore it all together, but those people are dirty dirty liars. Their thoughts on obscure approach verses "in your face advertising" were definitely interesting. Kinda like the classic DDB Volkswagen "lemon" ad. Check out Hey Whipple, Squeeze This by Luke Sullivan.

Almost every ad today pushes you to the product whether you like it or not. Can we not sell a product without throwing it in your face? On a recent client meeting, my client took a look at a well designed ad with a nice graphic of bamboo tactfully placed on the ad in a stylistic manor. He said something that cut right through the crap. "Buddy, I am not selling bamboo", he said, which is absolutely true. He is selling food. We were attempting to create a design that pulled in the audience and took a more creative approach, but we missed the boat - sushi boat in this instance. So we design ads that pull people in, this is just the way it has been done. One of the first things that Josh said in his speech hit exactly on this point. Everyone is ready for the pull, nobody expects the ad to push away. Club Clau pulled but also pushed people away, it was annoying, it was everywhere but damn it you wanted to see what was going on behind that rope. Same reason I went to the launch last night, besides the fact it is kinda my job to be there, I just wanted to see what is next.

All in all, it was a very interesting launch and for those who were paying just a bit of attention. You knew that there was something under the surface that you got but didn't quite get. What's next? Well, my friends, I do not know. I do know that we will find out in the next 40 days, if you are at all interested.

Greetings. I recently received a question about an all-important topic: poop.

In my Jan. 19 column, I suggested that the advice-seeker should visit PoopReport.com for better guidance. I just saw that the PoopReport webmaster posted the e-mail I sent to him and a link to my column. It can be found on PoopReport's "B.M. News Wire." I really feel like I have finally hit the big time.

Now if I could only get a link posted on RateMyFart.com.

Over at Save Our City, there's a new post about light rail. Seems Phoenix is getting $587 million in federal money, which will pay about half the construction costs of a 20-mile line.

Publius (at SOC) says this would be "a horrible idea for Cincinnati." The story he points to contains this line:

Cars line up for blocks at some freeway onramps during peak hours, and it can easily take more than an hour for motorists to get to the outskirts from downtown during rush hour.

Wait, that sounds like I-75.

All I know is that my bus drivers last night and this morning avoided I-75. You'd probably avoid the Hopple, Paddock and Union Centre areas too if you could. Seriously, it's going to get so crowded, nobody's going to drive during rush hour any more. (Thanks, Yogi.)

Richard Ruelas's column in this morning's Arizona Republic notes that, five years after voting for the initial plan, discussions have shifted from philosophical to practical.

Then the battles over rail will come full circle, as it has in other cities, like Dallas. People will have gone from fighting rail to fighting for a line to their neighborhood.

On a practical level, we have to do something to get vehicles off I-75. Having the 5 o'clock bus take Spring Grove or adding lanes ad infinitum isn't going to do the trick.

The CiN Weekly gang (and Paul, this guy who keeps following us around) put up a pretty good showing at the Dubliner's trivia night. We finished third.

The last time we played, we finished second, so we're hungry for a win. (We're also hungry for more fish & chips and those awesome blue cheese burgers.)

One of my favorite parts about trivia night is the quest to come up with the perfect team name. We thought our name, "More Cowbell," was clever and sufficiently hip. But the name of the night belonged to the table that called itself "It Should Have Been Leno." Brilliant. Mean, but brilliant.

If you've never been to the Dubliner's trivia night, check out this
story from our archive.

Do you like Christmas music? The latest radio ratings report says you do. (via Joe at The Nati.)

Apparently, Terrell Owens (injured, but now with a ticket to the Super Bowl nonetheless) is a happy teammate in Philadelphia, which SI's Jeffri Chadiha contends would surprise San Franciscans.

This seems similar to the story of our old pal/malcontent Corey Dillon, who Paul Daugherty wrote about last week. Maybe winning really does breed happiness.

On the other hand, some people apparently can be good teammates no matter what. Sean Casey seems to think Rich Aurilia will fit in just fine. My pal Dave has a different take over on the new Sports Roundtable: Why are all the Reds' signees a couple years removed from their "big year"?

Just recovering from the And Andy cd release party last night ( this morning ). Listening right now to their new disc, "High & Tight".....seriously good stuff! I'm not just saying that either. Even though I work with Rob, And Andy's bass player, if I didn't like it, I wouldn't be talking about it and telling other people to check it out. Plus, I like to kick Rob's ass at mini-pong, so maybe he'll ease up on me a bit, since I'm throwing him some props (probably not, knowing him....I hate you Rob). Anyway, the recap on the evening......Tyler and I get to Radio Down a little after 10 to find Corrie with a pitcher already in hand. Long beer lines force us into our strategy of 2 at a time all night ( we follow this strategy for the next 4 hours ). Beryl and Wendy arrive next and go with a similar strategy except with mixed drinks. We chat with Rob, meet his Mom and Dad, more beverages follow as Waterproof Blonde hits the stage. They rocked....very good hooks, original sound, lead singer kindof a female version of Scott Wieland with the jet black hair ( that is a compliment, I hope ). Dan arrives with camera in hand ( the photos he took are priceless ). Gina and Paul ( the redheaded stepchild of CiN) arrive, followed shortly by Kari, Kelly, and Mike. If I'm missing anyone at this point, sorry, the beverages were taking over by then. First time to hear Chaselounge live.....once again, very good, they rocked. ( side note....I can't believe how awesome the local music scene is here. Coming from near South Bend, IN, I feel like I've arrived at San Fransisco in the late 60's or something.) Anyway, And Andy hits the stage opening with the hidden track from their new cd...very cool, and then proceeds to kick ass for the next hour or so. Rob gave us a few looks as we screamed his name endlessly. They tore it up, great show, great cd, lots of fun had by all. Somewhere along the way tequilla showed up and it gets a little fuzzy after that. I remember a small gathering at White Castle with Tyler, myself, Beryl, Wendy, Dan, Gina and Paul. ( I berated Gina and Paul until they broke down and came ) Gina even had a slider(nice). Paul had a little trouble with his drink ( Beryl said this is why he is our stepchild, or something like that ). Well, I've rambled long enough and the cd is over....almost time for some football. As long as the Patriots lose today, this will have been a perfect weekend.

Today is picture day at CiN Weekly. We're all sick of our photos on the staff page, and so the time has come for a change.

Picture day at our office is very similar to picture day at an elementary school. All the girls bring brushes and extra makeup and wear cute outfits, and all the boys act like they always do.

So I'm sitting here waiting for Kari to finish curling her hair so we can walk up to the studio together. I'm resisting the urge to touch my hair - or drink my coffee, so as not to smudge my lipstick. I wonder if we're supposed to make funny faces this time ...

Look for our new photos in the next issue!

And this is great parody.

And, no, this most certainly is not a sports-related posting.

Instead, let's take a moment to sympathize with the Estonian bears and their too-early wake-up call from global warming. It's very sad. Cubs are in peril.

But, the story inspired two, really deep thoughts:

1. Wouldn't it be cool to be a bear? Who doesn't want to hibernate all winter? (Kelly actully thinks she might be part bear: Sleepy in the morning, frequent snacking, a tendency to growl.)

2. How cute are bears? The story on CNN.com says: "She-bears normally give birth to tiny walnut-sized cubs during their winter hibernation and suckle them for months as they grow, before the spring thaw awakens the mother and she leaves her den." First of all, it's cute that they're called "she-bears." Also cute that the cubs are walnut-sized!

OK, that's all from CiN Weekly's "Animal Planet" correspondent.

We got a letter from a concerned reader this morning. Seems our story about Trattoria Roma and its Chilean Sea Bass dish distressed him.

Apparently there is some concern about this fish - scientific name Dissostichus eleginoides and technically not a bass (Patagonian Toothfish apparently wasn't that marketable).

A number of environmental groups have urged measures to stop illegal catching of the fish, from the National Environmental Trust to the Audubon Society's Seafood Guide. GreenWorks radio did a story about it. But all of this is a few years old.

It all seems about the same vintage as this report from the U.S. State and Commerce departments, which includes this paragraph:

Is Chilean sea bass an endangered species? No. But large, unreported catches from illegal fishing of this valuable fish has made effective management difficult. In 2000, more than 16,000 tons of Chilean sea bass were legally harvested in the Antarctic management area.

I can't find the fish on any endangered species lists. Not NOAA (fisheries, office of protected resources or species of concern). Not the Fish and Wildlife Service. Not Red List

If anybody finds any updates about the status of this fish (maybe on the site of the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources), let us know.

Otherwise, 16,000 tons sounds like plenty to go around. Or, you could always have the linguine puttanesca.

We've got NFL playoff fever and figured it's a good time to offer some predictions with the road to Jacksonville as wide open as it is. Here are our picks:

ANDY KNIGHT, CINCINNATI.COM

Divisional: N.Y. Jets at Pittsburgh
Let's see...the Jets have never won in Pittsburgh (0-6); the Steelers will be well-rested, nearly injury-free and anxious to turn loose that ferocious defense. As long as they don't fall behind early, the Steelers should coast in this one.
Steelers 30, Jets 10

Divisional: Indianapolis at New England
The Colts come in on a serious offensive roll, and the Patriots' secondary will be without Ty Law (three INTs in last year's AFC title game between these teams); New England may also be missing their defensive line anchor, Richard Seymour. Still, on nothing more than a wild hunch, I'm going with the Pats in a barn-burner.
Patriots 38, Colts 35

AFC Championship: New England at Pittsburgh
Two teams with a combined three regular-season losses should make this one of the better conference title games in recent memory. Lost amid the hoopla surrounding Ben Roethlisberger is the fact that Pittsburgh boasts the NFL's top-ranked defense. They'll key on Corey Dillon and dare Tom Brady and his group of no-name receivers to beat them. Perhaps surprisingly, Brady won't be able to.
Steelers 16, Patriots 7

Divisional: Minnesota at Philadelphia
Sure, the Vikings are playing well, especially on defense; and sure, the Eagles are without Terrell Owens. But Philadelphia has made the NFC title game before without any help for Donovan McNabb. Why should this year be any different?
Eagles 23, Vikings 20

Divisional: St. Louis at Atlanta
The Rams have won three times on the road all season, and against the Falcons' superior defensive line, St. Louis will have trouble getting its spotty running game on track. Still, with Isaac Bruce and Torry Holt, Marc Bulger has the weapons to get Michael Vick & Co. into a shootout, which would be advantageous to the Rams.
Rams 33, Falcons 28

NFC Championship: St. Louis at Philadelphia
The moment of truth for the Eagles, who have lost three straight NFC title games. This game will turn on who makes the biggest mistakes and when. The Rams are in the playoffs despite a minus-24 turnover ratio, and Bulger's occasional tendency to throw the costly interception will surface again here. Philly finally gets over the hump and sets up a Keystone State Super Bowl.
Eagles 24, Rams 21

Super Bowl XXXIX: Philadelphia vs. Pittsburgh
The Eagles may or may not have Terrell Owens back, but my hunch is, if he does play, Pittsburgh will double-team him throughout the game and force McNabb to look elsewhere. On offense, the Steelers (a la the Ravens of a few years ago) will do just enough to win by not allowing Roethlisberger to shoulder too much of the load. Look for Jerome Bettis and Duce Staley to make the biggest difference makers in Pittsburgh's first Super Bowl win since 1980.
Steelers 27, Eagles 16

JON BERNDT, CIN WEEKLY
(who finished second in his friend's fantasy league, but way back in the CiN office league)

Rams vs Falcons: I traded for Peerless Price thinking eventually Michael Vick would find a wide receiver. Boy was I wrong. Marc Bulger has no such difficulty. (Pssst. Andy. Mike Martz couldn't care less about a running game). Rams, 31-17.

Vikings vs Eagles: In the CiN league, Daunte wasn't enough for me... Eagles, 28-24.

Jets vs Steelers: ... but it could have been Hines Ward's fault. And, desperate for running backs, I picked up Curtis Martin late during my "other" league's auction. All he did was lead the NFL in rushing. Jets, 14-10 (on Martin's two TD runs :).

Colts vs Patriots: I think Peyton Manning just threw another touchdown pass. Yeah, he was my team's MVP too. Colts, 35-28.

AFC Championship: Back home in the Dome, Peyton's turf show continues. Colts 42, Jets 21.

NFC championship: Not in a dome. It would be helpful if the Rams could play outdoors. Eagles 23, Rams 21.

Super Bowl XXXIX: Indy's aerial show was (almost) grounded in Jacksonville, but they don't have to play the Jags this time. Colts 35, Eagles 34.

DAVE HELLER, CINCINNATI.COM

Divisional: Indianapolis over New England: Bill Belichick has found ways to stop Peyton Manning, but with Ty Law and Richard Seymour hurt (and snow not in the forecast), I'll give the nod to Manning and crew.

Divisional: Pittsburgh over the N.Y. Jets: I just don't trust the Jets while the Steelers have just kept rolling all season.

AFC Championship: Pittsburgh over Indianapolis: In the playoffs, go with the better defense and that would be the Steelers. Plus, reeling off three consecutive wins in the playoffs and two on the road is a tough task for any club.

NFC
As a lifelong Eagles fan, I will leave these predictions to other folks, other than to say I know who I'll be rooting for.

WILL KLADAKIS, CIN WEEKLY FANTASY GURU

Divisional: New York Jets at Pittsburgh
New York is one of those teams that I can't quite figure out. Usually when that happens, a team makes a deep run in the playoffs. Look for Pittsburgh alum Curtis Martin to quietly have a huge game and suck the air out of the Heinz Field faithful. Also keep in mind the Steelers have had some nightmare playoff games at home (San Diego '94, Denver '97, New England '01). The weight of Super Bowl expectations and the Steelers' delusional fans will produce a huge upset in the Steel City.
Jets 23, Steelers 21

Divisional: Indianapolis at New England
New England has a banged up secondary, and lacks the swagger of last year, but they will have just enough to send the Colts home for the second straight season. If someone would ask me who would I want in a big game, Peyton Manning or Tom Brady, I'd have to go with Brady. Peyton never won the big game in college, and he hasn't yet in his pro career. What can I say, the Colts should win this game, but the Pats just have their number (especially with 20 degree weather forecasted in Foxboro). I might regret this, but I just can't make myself pick the Colts.
Patriots 35, Colts 31

Divisional: Minnesota at Philadelphia
The Vikes all of a sudden look like the team that dominated the first-half of the 2003 and 2004 seasons. The Eagles attitude that Terrell Owens gave them has evaporated, and they have zero momentum going into the postseason. I predict a confused Eagles offense this weekend, with Donovan McNabb running around like crazy trying to make plays. McNabb will do his best, but Philly is going down to their fourth straight disappointment in the NFC Playoffs. At least this time, it's not the championship game.
Vikings 28, Eagles 17

Divisional: St. Louis at Atlanta
Congratulations go out to Mike Martz, who actually looked like a real head coach against Seattle! Unfortunately for him and the Rams, Michael Vick will shred their defense by land and air, jumping out to a big lead early. While QB Mark Bulger had all the time in the world to throw against Seattle, expect a lot more pressure from Atlanta, leading to turnovers and great field position for the Falcons offense. I am not crazy about either team, but I look at the head coaches, and it's a judgment call.
Atlanta 27, St. Louis 10

KATIE KELLEY, CIN WEEKLY

Divisional Playoffs
Jets vs Steelers: Pittsburgh (Pittsburgh beat the Bengals twice)
Rams vs Falcons: St. Louis (I used to live in Missouri)
Vikings vs Eagles: Minnesota (Pulling that whole JV team thing makes me mad at the Eagles)
Colts vs Patriots: Colts (In honor of my INtake friends)

AFC champ: Pittsburgh (Someday I want to go there to visit ikea)
NFC champ: Minnesota (I have a friend who lives in Rochester)

Super Bowl: Pittsburgh (The team will steel a victory!)

DAVID CLARK, CIN WEEKLY
Steelers 24, Jets 21 (Jets have never won in Pittsburgh)
Rams 31, Falcons 28 (Rams like the Dome, and their receivers could be difference-makers in a shootout)
Eagles 21, Vikings 17 (sure, the Vikes won at Green Bay, but they also lost 7 of 10 before that)
Colts 35, Patriots 24 (Pats' banged-up secondary can't stop Manning)

Colts 27, Steelers 14 (Pittsburgh's got a tough defense, but I just can't see this team winning 16 games in a row)
Rams 28, Eagles 21 (Eagles' receiving corps doesn't look so good without T.O.)

Rams 35, Colts 28 (I don't think the Colts can win it all with such a bad secondary)

TABARI MCCOY, CIN WEEKLY
Divisional: N.Y. Jets at Pittsburgh
Despite the fact I own both a Chad Pennington and Curtis Martin jersey, the fact I would rather rock a Hines Ward, Plaxico Burress, Jerome Bettis or, of course, Big Ben Roethlisberger jersey makes me have to go with the Steelers in this game on their own home turf at Ketchup Stadium. (Besides, if you think I'm going to bet against the Miami guy in a matchup of former MAC conference guys, you're crazy!)
Prediction: Steelers 21, Jets 17

Divisional: Indianapolis at New England
The fact I used to intern with the Bengals makes it impossible for me to root for Corey Dillon in any athletic contest. Throw in the fact New England's secondary might have trouble covering me now sicne Ty Law is out for the year, Patriots offensive coordinator Charlie Weis is traveling back and forth from South Bend now thanks to his head coaching job at Notre Dame (with defensive coordinator Romeo Crennell looking to follow his lead to Cleveland) and this has the makings of a potential blowout, no matter how much of a "genius" Bill Belichick is (or is not). Unless it snows, the Colts have the edge.
Colts 31, Patriots 24

AFC Championship: Indianapolis at Pittsburgh
This should be fun. Don't be surprised if Antwaan Randle El ends up with at TD pass before Peyton Manning or Roethlisberger, though. But in the end, look for the Colts to make a run to Jacksonville
Prediction: Colts 35, Steelers 24

Divisional: Minnesota at Philadelphia
This is the game I have the least confidence in predicting since T.O. got injured. All of the Eagles wide receivers apparently have cousins in Seattle the way they drop the ball, but Randy Moss is due to blow up as the pressure gets to him once it can make its way through his afro to his scalp. If this game was in Minnesota, I'd be going the other with this call, but you gotta think Andy Reid has to have this whole playoff business figured out by now.
Prediction: Eagles 31, Vikings 28

Divisional: St. Louis at Atlanta
Love Mike Vick, would never want him to be in charge of winning my team a championship (at least not yet). I'm picking the upset with the Rams continuing their hot streak. And they're playing in a dome, too. Game over, man! Game over!
Prediction: Rams 24, Falcons 20

NFC Championship: St. Louis at Philadelphia
Should the Eagles survive Minnesota, they've got to be able to over come Busta Rhymes, I mean Stephen Jackson, and the rest of the Rams attack, right?
Prediction: Eagles 24, Rams 17

Super Bowl XXXIX: Philadelphia vs. Indianapolis
I love Donovan McNabb, but without T.O., he doesn't stand a chance. I wouldn't be surprised if Jim Sorgi gets playing time in this game.
Prediction: Colts 38, Eagles 20

"Based in Boston but with roots in Cincinnati, the company that produces Sam Adams Boston Lager and 19 other varieties of beer plans to boost output at its Central Parkway brewery from 600,000 barrels to 800,000 barrels a year."

Boston Brewing Co. plans to spend $6.7 million to upgrade its brewery on Central Parkway, bringing in 24 tanks and probably adding 10 jobs by September.

Cheers all the way around.

The application we use to write stories and lay them out is down. Don't know why. It just got tired, I guess. So it's being fixed. But in the meantime, I started thinking. Though I have a ton to do, I'm literally at a loss without access to NewsEdit. All the information I need is in there.

Isn't it just crazy how dependent we are on computers? I remember the first time I used a computer, in early grade school. But I also realize that kids in high school today don't even remember life without computers and especially the Internet. It's been around since they could read.

Do kids today have to go to the library and use the Readers Guide to Periodical Literature to do research for papers? Do they have to go into old musty books for historical data? Or do they do all their research online? I wonder if high school teachers limit the amount of Web sourcing kids can do.

I recently was involved in a situation where a college student didn't even realize it was wrong to cut and paste something from a Web site and then run it verbatim in a publication. I mean, we heard all about plagiarism in high school, but back then, it was kind of difficult: You had to literally find something at the library and spend time copying it. It was almost easier to put it in your own words. But now, with cut and paste, I bet teachers have to be a whole lot more diligent.

While I admit I'm dependent on the computer and the Internet to do my job, it almost scares me. What does this mean to kids today? What will it be like in 10 or 15 years when they are in my place? I feel almost curmudgeonly about it, and I'm not yet 30.

Ah, my e-mail has alerted me that NewsEdit is up and running. Thank goodness!

Back to the word of editing!

First there was Derf; now we have The Cincinnati Harold for our reading pleasure. (Brian found it first; damn his speediness.)

While Derf focuses mostly on the I-71 corridor and the foibles of its "Starbucks-swilling/gun-toting" citizens (depending on whether you're from Hyde Park or Norwood), the Harold so far has more of a downtown/local government focus. It also allows comments and provides links to the real news stories (and, for that matter, blog posts) that inspired the satire - which gives it a very bloggy feel itself. All in all, a good read.

Anybody know what we should take from Andy Geiger deciding to retire as Ohio State's athletic director? Kinda looks like he doesn't want to go through having to clean up another marquee program.

AP: "The university did not say when Geiger would retire or elaborate on the reason, instead scheduling an afternoon news conference with Geiger and university President Karen Holbrook."

Stay tuned.

Ok, it's 2005 we should be all open to these types of conversations so what the hell.
I have been fortunate to work on two very different sides of media; Sales and Creative/Production. Each type of position holds distinct advantages. Por ejemplo, Sales Reps often have the demanding job of schmoozing clients all night until the ink hits the contract. "Creative Types" have the advantage of wearing sandals into the office - yes, even when it is snowing (CS).

The differences obviously do not stop with schmoozing vs. footwear. CiN Weekly has given me some interesting observations. Where I would say to someone, hey did you see that crappy movie with that guy who is in that show on NBC about casinos and stuff? Members of our staff would instead say, did you see Josh Duhamel from Las Vegas in The Picture of Dorian Grey (2002)...it was lackluster.

I can hear the cringes in the office when I ask a client, would you like me to send the information "Vee-ah" fax or e-mail. It is pronounced Vi-a, sales boy.

The creative teams always seem to be generally much more hip. There is an understanding that they may just be hipper than thou, and honestly it may be their job to be so. I wear the brand of the sales professional, not in a scarlet "S" on my lapel but instead with the tell tale "phone on your belt" fashion statement, a trend born out of utility and definitely not style. Unfortunately, I also use words like "hip".

In my last media sales gig, the graphic design team at an internet firm was most definitely plotting my impending death. I am just glad I moved on in time. I have not received any threats from that firm's design team for a few months now but I am still leery when walking on the side walk under their window - they are on the 20th floor after all.

Why is there always a rift between the creative and sales worlds? Are we sales professionals all wildly chasing the almighty dollar while being uncultured and unaware of our surroundings, pointing finger guns at people and making clicking noises out of the side of our mouths? Well...sometimes...some of us.

So what is this all about, I work in the same room as our writers, designers, and editors at CiN Weekly. You would think that there would be much more of a line of demarcation between us, but there isn't. There is in no way a marriage of Church and State (advertorial) at CiN but I still don't feel like anyone is plotting my untimely demise. I do get some pretty menacing looks from Corrie from time to time, but I am sure he means well with those scissors. What this co-habitation does for the sales rep is keep them honest, in-tune with the product and in some remote cases a bit more hip.

Believe me; I do not want to start any war of words with Sales vs. Creative types in Cincinnati, mainly because I try to pick my battles wisely. If anyone has any humorous experiences about working with "the other side" then you may know what I'm talking about.

Wes Flynn's blog is a veritable hotbed of light-rail/mass transit wishful thinking, all because of this guest column in the Enquirer.

Some of the discussion revolves around what people in the suburbs think of mass transit, and it's been suggested that they're afraid of the "inner city" criminal element using public transportation to prey upon the outlying areas.

Maybe there are people who think this; maybe there aren't. But as an ex-exurbanite, I'm inclined to think that any suburban opposition to mass transit (and here I'm thinking particularly of light rail) is based less on suburban fear and more on suburban architecture.

When I lived in Milford, I was opposed to light rail - not because of crime, but because I couldn't see the point.

Outer-belt suburbs are planned around the assumption that people want to drive everywhere; everything is spaced far apart, there are hardly any sidewalks, and there's tons of free parking everywhere. And I lived in one from middle school until just last year. I was indocrinated in the ways of the suburbanite. Why, I thought as a young retail worker, would I want to take mass transit from my home in Milford to my job in Kenwood Towne Centre? Why, I wondered, would anyone want to spend good money on something no one would use, since everyone drives everywhere anyway?

Not only that, but if light rail came to Milford, I knew it would only venture as far as the "downtown" neighborhood; I didn't even live in Milford, but rather the "suburbs" of this suburb. I'd still have to drive to the rail stop - just as, had I ever tried to take the Metro, I would have found it necessary to drive to the bus stop.

That was then.

Now, as someone who lives in the city and works downtown, I get it, all right? I totally get the point of not having to worry about buying a parking pass each month for a lot that I don't feel safe walking to at night, not getting stuck in traffic on the way to and from work, not having to worry about where in Mount Lookout Square to park because it's just a teensy bit too far to walk in these shoes, not having to play the infernal duck-duck-goose game of "So, who's going to be designated driver?"

Cities were designed for walking, horses and (yes) mass transit. Suburbs were designed for cars. But I didn't know that before, because I had never lived in a city.

Anyway, mine is only one experience, but it was a point I hadn't seen mentioned in the discussion, so I thought I'd share. Now if you'll excuse me, the group in my office who walks to the parking lot together is leaving.