A while back blogger "Eric is Awesome" exposed the ugly truth about me. Initially, it was difficult to handle and I remained silent. Well, I'm finally ready to come clean.

Yes, I am a...

www.ericisawesome.com/index.php?id=12

"The more things change, the more they stay the same." Whether or not you believe this cliché or not, you've gotta admit that too many things seem like they fit this description lately - for better and for worse. And if you don't believe that, you may find yourself feeling differently thanks to this bonus edition of this week's "Thoughts for the Thoughtful."

ISN'T IT ALANIS? Okay, okay - Alanis Morrisette is from Canada, but her old song seems appropriate considering that a continent that was essentially started with a bunch of criminals has decided to ban Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas from stores nationwide. Seriously, it's not a real-life situation, it's a game - and if you can't curb your kids (or your own adult) leanings' towards violence through parenting, it's doubtful Grand Theft Auto is your biggest problem. If you don't already own a copy, better go snag one of the game now why you can - you can always sell it on eBay later and make some money.

OLD NEWS TO US, NEW NEWS TO YOU? I'm not the type to make a tired "black people/white people" rant - you can find enough of those on an episode of Comic View on BET, but c'mon ... Why do you think stories like these go ignored? If nothing else, I'm glad someone used a blog for a positive cause. Hopefully, this situation will come to a happy resolution just like the one in Aruba (although neither one is looking all too good at this point).

IT'S THE ROC! In news that will make my friend/occasional thorn in my side Alex Meacham want to start collecting basketball cards, it seems like hip-hop's greatest MC of all-time (yeah, I said it) is getting what every little boy would love to have along with a couple of other celebrities. Can you imagine someone one day saying "I'll trade you a Jay-Z for one of your Paris Hiltons?" I hope not.

IT"S THE ROCK! Speaking of Paris, this is one of those stories that makes me glad I don't work as a gossip columnist. It also makes me realize just how unfair life can be for the non-rich and why people really do hate Paris. (Her sister Nicky, however, I have no qualms with.)

WHEN THE MUSIC STOPS.Ever wonder why you hear some of the same songs on the radio again and again despite the fact you [a] know no one who likes them or [b] know nothing but people who used to like them but are tired of hearing them thanks to being played 20 times a day? Well this this story should help explain why those songs are still on the air. I'm hoping the attorney general plans to explore the habits of some of the other record labels soon!

OVER THE EDGE? Now, I hate to end this bonus edition on a sour note, but I have to. I always feel a little sketchy criticizing other media, but in looking for an update on a story about first year Miami Dolphins head coach Nick Saban making a rookie cry, I came across something very, very disturbing (WARNING - graphic image) in the process. I think this was done in poor taste, which is why I am even hesitant to mention it here in the space of my writing. I work in an arts and entertainment medium and haven't had to deal with this type of situation in years, but given my old experience working in "hard" news, this reminds me of why I'm glad I never did.

Try on Gap jeans, get free iTunes song: "From August 8 to 31, each customer who tries on any pair of Gap's new jean fits -- three new fits for women and one for men -- will get a complimentary song from Apple's iTunes music store."

Something somebody should consider: if you buy, say, 10 pairs of these jeans, they throw in a Shuffle.

Unrelated linguistics penalty: The story also mentions that Gap's ad campaign will include Alanis Morissette and Joss Stone "performing an original remake of their favorite song." Remakes by definition can't be original, right?

It would be naive of me to imagine that the 2nd District election - a special election to Congress during a time of political divisiveness - would garner no national attention.

Still, when I see our li'l ol' district mentioned by my beloved James Wolcott and other national blogs, I feel a twinge of surprised pride: Them big city folk care about what's happenin' 'round these parts? Aw, shucks!

Then I saw the front page of The New York Times this morning, and I was like, "Sweet!"

I guess what I'm saying is, vote on Aug. 2. The nation is watching.

If you live in Hamilton County and aren't sure whether you're in the 1st or 2nd District, you can find out by running the "Where Do I Vote?" wizard on the Board of Elections Web site. If your polling place comes up with the message, "No ballot is available at this time," you're not in the 2nd District. If you get "Ballot 1," then you should be studying up on the candidates.

Out in the San Francisco/Oakland area, they're having a Spare the Air Day, giving everyone a free ride to work whether they choose bus, rail or a ferry across the bay.

On the EPA's air quality map, Cincinnati is in an "unhealthy for sensitive groups" category today (tomorrow should be better, maybe it's the heat), so maybe it's time for us to consider some action, like free bus rides to cut down on the number of cars sitting on freeways during rush hour, especially on beastly hot days.

Metro's FAQ (pdf) says 25 percent of downtown workers ride the bus, so maybe we're doing pretty well. But it seems like a few free days could coax people to not drive to work. Maybe even a few days where every ride is a quarter, even to Blue Ash.

I usually try to keep everything I write in a comical tone, but every once in a while, even I get fed up with all the stupid things I see going on around me. So this week, bare with me ...

First up, the lines between entertainment and reality aren't apparently blurred enough for some people. The Grand Theft Auto uproar (Link) scream out the words "well, duh!" If you see the words "Grand Theft Auto" and think, 'yeah, that's a good game for my kids," you sir or madam, are an idiot.

I saw this story while at the gym last week. It's so insane, I'll just let you read it (at your risk) for yourselves) (Link)

Kenny Rogers, just shut up - the players union is going to sue Major League Baseball because your suspension of 20 games (which equates to only about three or four starts for a non-playoff bound team) is too tough?!? Give me a break. Bud Selig should suspend him for the rest of the year, especially after this follow-up stupidity (Link)

Getting back to the light-hearted side of things, this (Link) is a widespread concern for another reason, although I don't think Kelly Clarkson is by any means that bad an offender compared to some of the ones I've seen locally.

Sony Pictures announced this week that Spider-Man 3 is set to come out in May 2007. Is that their way of saying "in case everything else we release between now and then stinks, we'll make up for it with this." Seriously, Crash was one of the best movies no one saw this year and while that film couldn't drum up hype, Spidey is already getting attention for 2007?! That just doesn't make sense. (Link"

I would like to give a plug to my friend and former fellow UC grad student turned professor Steve Fuller's own blogosphere, located at http://stevenfuller.blogspot.com. While Steve's posts are about as long as the Lord of the Rings movies, they are fairly as entertaining (and much more deep), too.

Finally, I just want to leave you with my mid-summer 2005 awards - or more accurately, a list of awards I would give out if I had the power to or if anyone cared.

The "please shut the ----" award: (tie) Kenny Rogers and Terrell Owens

The "why oh why" award: Bobby Brown and Whitney Houston - why you ever decided to show us just how insane y'all are will be forever beyond me

The "don't get too comfortable living here" award: Joe Randa - have fun playing for a contender!

The "Hey, the look is already tired" award: Anyone wearing a Napoleon Dynamite-inspired 'Vote for Pedro" shirt, especially if they haven't seen the movie

The most unnecessary remake award: The Bad News Bears - once again, why?

The "best hip-hop albums" of the year award: Common - Be; Rapper Big Pooh - Sleepers and Missy Elliott - The Cook Book (Kanye West's new one isn't out yet!)

The "You may not know me, but I'm funny award" - Jim Gaffigan. His Doin' My Time CD/DVD is great (and I was not paid to say that). Catch him next month at Go Bananas. (I wasn't paid to say that either. Seriously.)

Best "cartoon show on DVD" release: Sealab 2021: Season Two. While I like the recently released third season, too, but I miss Harry Goz. Captain Murphy was a great character!

Julie and Kelly have found some new friends.

Sea Captain: "Yar, sometimes I wonder why I bother plunderin' at all."

And it feels so good.

About time, I say. My poor car was in the shop for a month! (My friend Meggan told me her car was almost totaled, and it was only in the shop for three weeks. But replacing the bumpers? Yeah - that's a four-week job.)

Yesterday at the body shop I was walking around my shiny good-as-new car, saying things like, "Hi! How are you? You've been gone for a long time, haven't you? I missed you, yes I did, yes I did."

The mechanic seemed amused.

Just wanted to let everyone know that I avoided a huge mishap this afternoon. The local swim club that I belong to tried to coerce me into modeling a swimsuit from Everything but Water for the annual Ladies Luncheon. Besides tripping on my high heels during lunch hour Downtown and missing a sale at DSW, modeling a swimsuit is my greatest fear.

Luckily, I found myself busy for lunch and was unable to attend.

Huge sighs of relief abound and a large smile across my face appears as I am sitting here fully clothed with my summer tan fading in the fluorescent light in the CiN Weekly office.

Over-the-Rhine's Final Friday this month will include a preview party for the new Kaldi's Coffeehouse. New owners Jeremy and Collette Thompson plan to hold a grand opening during August's rendition of Final Friday and keep the iconic hangout open six days a week.

Four other things making a comeback: Local beers, midnight hours, the goat head over the transom and live music. They want to be a MidPoint venue come September.

Quick notes from the Women's Open in Mason:

Total number of Americans in the 32-player draw: 11, up from nine a year ago.

Total number of countries represented: 18, up from 10 last year.

And while it may be sad to see local-ish products Tetiana Luzhanska and Jessica Kirkland lose, tennis fans will welcome the chance to see former world No. 6 Chanda Rubin play a little more at the Lindner Tennis Center this week.

Reading the Reds Notes for tonight's game, they pointed to a Houston Chronicle columnist who put Cincinnati at #4 in his "Best Baseball Towns in America" list, behind Boston, St. Louis and New York, which have all, y'know, been winning the last decade or so.

"Cincinnati is one of those cities where baseball is and always will be No. 1. They come out in decent numbers to see bad teams. If the Reds ever got good again, they'd pack the joint."

He also gave the ball park a 9.

Don't tell him about the buzz the Bengals are generating. Come September, Mr. Lewis' men will have quite a following. Of course, we don't throw them a parade for their first game. Yet.

But back to that Houston columnist: For those of you on Adam Dunn trade watch, apparently some loafing on defense has the Astros concerned.

We don't get a chance to review shows very often. We're too busy figuring out what's coming up next. But Dave over at Radio Free Newport liked our Hott Band of the week:

"We saw The Constantines at the Mad Hatter in Covington last night. They were amazing. They just played their asses off, despite a smaller crowd (maybe 40-50 people) than I would've expected given that they're on SubPop and that the show got good press down here. They’re all energy and passion and charisma, five pinballs bouncing around stage."

We don't choose them just 'cause they're cute. (And I'm not the one who called them cute.)

Lauren's daily dose of "Hi, my name is Mat...DoorMAT."

Today Julie and I had an interesting lunch. Let's start at the beginning of the email blitz.

10Am-I proactively email someone who I like. He's a cute curly-haired boy who I've been hooked on for a little while (like a year--who's counting anyway...). I decide we would have a blast meeting up for the Rockin' on Walnut gig tonight. We always have a blast when we hang out. Why we don't hang out more must be his issue. An issue I will never understand, but an issue that bugs the heck outta me.

1015Am-He replies with his usual humorous retort, letting me know that his answer is "no". I understand with the short notice it's hard to swing a fun night out with a good friend. Accepting his "no" is something I've gotten used to and at this point and even becomes something I expect. So attractive yet so unobtainable-perfectly my type.

1030Am-I reply with a smile :) and go on about my day. (If anyone would like to place an ad with CiN, please call 513-768-6020). I digress....

11Am--I am hungry. Not only am I hungry for a night out with the cute boy, but I am hungry for a sandwich. So I decide to cast my line and ask if he wants to meet up for some food.

1115AM--He states that he's got plans (not quite a "no" just yet). However he keeps me baited on the hook by letting me know these plans have not yet been confirmed. He asks that I "sit tight" until he confirms his lunch.

12PM--Email drops in my box saying "no" his lunch hour will be spent with someone/something other than me, as previously planned. Still keeping my interest, he decides that next week we will lunch together.

1205Pm--I tell him to enjoy his potential 3-Martini lunch and I'll catch up with him later.

1225PM--Julie and I take off for lunch to our usual spot for a great salad. Julie and I spot the cute boy. The cute boy is at the front of the line with a cute girl. The cute girl was his ex-cute girl last week. Apparently this week she's his cute girl sans the "ex".

He spots me and Julie as he saunters over to the end of the line to meet and greet. I politely smile, choking back my angst, joking about my bad hair day. He sheepishly grins, chats about CiN Weekly and high tails it outta there. The two cuties lunched elsewhere.

I sit down with Julie and eat. Little lunch hour dramas make the world go 'round.

I missed the Major League Baseball All-Star Game festivities this week, which is something I would have never done as a kid. And as much as I still love the national pastime, I didn't feel bad about missing it one bit. I don't know if that's a sign I'm getting older, the game is getting worse or both, but it would have been nice to see Bobby Abreu's monster-mashing of homers out of Comerica Park Monday night. (People of the world without satellite or cable, I mourn you.)

Oh well ... onto this week's edition of the T.F.T.T. ...

• Speaking of baseball, part of me realizes there's probably a lot of sour grapes filling Danny Graves cup right now, but despite his lackluster performance this season, don't his comments in this article seem like they might offer some explanation of what's happening down at Great American Ball Park. The majority of the people I've had the privilege of meeting in the Reds organization don't come off this way, but something's gotta be happening to explain the last couple of years. (And I'm used to my Cubbies being terrible every year, which I why I never get upset about them falling off every year - go Derrek Lee!)

• I made another Rudi Johnson sighting this week, this one at NFL.com's "NFL Network" video page even if you're not a Bengals fan, you gotta love that outfit!!!

• You know, with all the people getting attacked by sharks this summer, you would think people would learn their lesson. But as this story or at least the quote at the end shows, some never learn. (If you ever wondered why so many black/African-American comics still make "black people/white people" jokes, this should explain why.)

• Instead of seeing that new boring Jennifer Connelly flick Dark Water, read what happened to this poor woman and remember to make sure your own water meter is working properly!

• You know, I'm not the biggest fan of reality TV in the world, but after seeing Being Bobby Brown (which everyone in America should be required to watch at least once), I can honestly say if someone can create a bigger train wreck than this one, they might as well marry Brit - I'll stop there. And if this rumor is true, I will start watching American Idol just to see Whitney start slapping Simon before Bobby jumps out and tries to compete as a contestant.

• With all the random shootings and terror acts going nowadays, this might be the best piece of news I've heard in the last two weeks. Sweet!

• There is nothing funny about this, but it's definitely something we all - or at least those of us who believe in the true idea of what America supposedly is to stand for - need to be aware. If they can regulate my d- copy of Grand Theft Auto, they certainly can ban this crap, can't they?!?!

• SHAMELESS PLUG ALERT! Lastly, do me a favor and visit the following Web sites of two of my good friends - http://www.enoughmusic.com and http://www.shiningstarsports.com - (Now will you please get off my back for a minute??? You know who you are!!!)

One of my co-workers has USA Today delivered to the office. During some time off, I've taken it upon myself to scan through to make sure we don't miss anything. Two items that will be of interest to a few co-workers, and possibly some of you:

We won't be getting rid of Dakota Fanning anytime soon: "She plays the daughter of a horse trainer (Kurt Russell) in Dreamer (opening Oct. 21). Next summer, she'll be seen in Charlotte's Web as the lead character, Fern."

One path to better health: Indian food. "Studies suggest that curcumin, the yellow pigment in curry spice, might help protect against heart disease and cancer and perhaps ward off Alzheimer's disease, says Greg Cole, a researcher at the University of California-Los Angeles. His studies suggest that yellow curry spice -- a popular ingredient in Indian foods -- can protect mice from a disease similar to Alzheimer's."

So West Chester Township and Burlington are among the best places in the country to live. So says the CNN/Money list. Unfortunately, the list also says that eight (8) of the ten places with the most-polluted air are right here.

If this doesn't get somebody on improving air quality, nothing will. We might have to start doing more than our share for cleaner air.

In other analysis based on a magazine list, West Chester and Burlington are:

• short on colleges and universities, movie theaters, restaurants, bars, libraries and museums
• heavy on junior colleges (at least, compared to the other "best places" averages)
• and happily, crime, auto insurance and home prices are well below the averages in those categories.

I've been following the Sycamore Square debate with interest, partly because I live three blocks from the Rookwood boom (and am therefore fascinated by development in already-developed areas), and partly because I think the future of the Maisonette affects Cincinnati as a whole. (So what if no one I know has actually been there - it's still one of the first things you tell visitors: "So, did you hear about our five-star restaurant?")

Frankly, I'm skeptical that the township can handle any more retail - traffic is already at critical mass in that area and has been for some time. But it's nice to see Sycamore Township officials so concerned with the welfare of its residents rather than simply increasing its revenue - especially when I look at Rookwood. As much as I like shopping there, it was obviously designed to accommodate shoppers from out of the area, rather than neighborhood residents. (I have a long rant on that subject, tentatively titled "Why Kelly Has To Walk Half a Mile Out of Her Way Just to Get Some Damn Sushi" - but now I'm getting off-track.)

It appears Sycamore Township operates on property taxes rather than sales taxes, so it makes sense that officials would have a greater interest in keeping its residents happy (and living in the area) than in getting outsiders to come in and spend money in the township. (To continue the Rookwood parallel, I was looking for information on taxes in Norwood, but couldn't really find anything. Does anyone know if Norwood has a city sales tax?)

Just when you got fed up with your 50 Cent ringtone, the Naked Cowboy comes to your rescue.

Our intern, Rich, just walked in with his most valuable contribution to CiN yet: his dog, Gracie. I guess she needed a change of scenery, so she's going to sleep on Rich's foot and be fawned over by the staff for an hour or so.

(Actually, we're considering making Gracie the new intern. Rich can be "Intern Pooper Scooper" or something.)

I'll see if we can get a photo uploaded later. For now, just picture a brown and white beagle with an adorable li'l doggie smile.

Yes, we know we're not the place you come from breaking news. But, if you're looking for more news from London, here a few suggestions for news sources you may not ordinarily read. Feel free to add your own in the comments.

The BBC is probably one you know. Here's their special section and a running glance page.

The Guardian is well-respected in internet news circles. Their newsblog has another running summary, including links to moblogged photos and a Wikipedia entry.

I've long liked The Independent, but they don't seem to be updating as quickly. They do have an interview with a Tube passenger though.

Locally, eJacqui and Brendan at Spacetropic already have posts up.

Also, around the internet, check out Flickr: The London Bomb Blasts Pool. Oddly, a number of them at the moment are screen caps from TV reports.

I pay too much attention to media; then again, considering my line of work, I'm probably doomed to do as such. As a result of that, I take notice of things many of us probably would just overlook. But I have access to a computer, and thus, I can share my opinions on those things - and the links to the things that caused them - with the world. (And don't bother mentioning that Drew Curtis guy, I know he does that, too, but this is my space and I'm not I'm.)

And if you haven't figured it out yet, that can only mean one thing - yet another listing of my latest Thoughts for the Thoughtful.

[1] If you have a Star Wars geek in your family, get the life support ready - the following news may be too much for them to handle - I hope their planning to donate the profits to a good cause:
Link

[2] You know, it's bad enough this happened to Justin Jeffre, but did they have to rub salt in his wounds by mentioning his campain as an afterthought in the last sentence?
Link

[3] If you want to know why people outside of town make fun of us a lot, reading this should help give you a clue - learning the language is one thing, but taking the time and money to actually designate English as the "official" language (especially with that idiotic "coddling" comment) is ridiculous.
Link

[4] You know what, if you want to improve McDonalds, how about working on the #@#!@ food?
Link

[5] Lil' Kim following in Martha Stewart's footsteps? I doubt she'll get her own "Apprentice"-like TV show deal outta this. I love hip-hop, but I hate a lot of the stupidity that goes along with it nowadways.
Link

[6] I often joke about starting a public relations firm for athletes who, more often than not, find out words are not their friends when they speak in public. And to prove my point, I turn the writer who's work often inspires many of my own blogs (such as this one. Thus, if you hate my blogs, you now know who to blame)
Link

[7] I had the pleasure of running into Rudi Johnson and his Bengals teammate Larry Stevens this evening at a local eatery I frequent. (Wouldn't you like to know where? It's not as fancy as you might think at all.) It's surprising either one of them would be there as mostly everyone in the NFL is on vacation trying to get out before before battlilng heat, injuries and cuts before the start of training camp (which, for the Bengals, starts at the end of the month). Yet there he was he was, hat twisted to the side enjoying some chicken and talking about how he knew he had to get back to work - all while being as pleasant off the field as he is punishing on it. And Larry Stevens may not be as well known, but he's just as nice as Rudi J.
I know it's still baseball season, but I gotta say it - Go Bengals! Oh yeah, in case you're wondering what's still in his iPod, I doubt it's changed much since the last time I asked him.
Link

[8] Lastly, R.I.P. Luther Vandross. That man could sing.
Link