Andrew Warner

And that place is Britain.

While Americans awkwardly cozy up to the strangers we call family in honor of America's favorite literary character (Jesus), Britons have said that religion does more harm than it does good.

Too bad we won't follow the old country's lead.

Anywhere but I here I guess.

Labels: religion

Posted by Andrew Warner at 4:53 PM | Permalink | Comments   

Out of all the things that happened this year, watching Bill O'Reilly get intellectually bitch-slapped by an eight year old, scripted or not, was one of the funniest moments of the year.

If you've never seen the infamous video, in which a young girl accuses the Republican party of killing more people than rap music and video games (a true fact), calls God fictitious (if that's not true, prove it), and claims children should learn empathy in place of divisive religious beliefs; watch every second of it:



Bill O'Reilly decried the video as an act of child abuse. I guess because she used the word "ass" and told the truth about religion's bloody history? In the spirit of fair and objective journalism, I will put O'Reilly's stupid-ass side of the argument up as well:



Did you catch that? This is what the "child advocate" said:

"Using a child as a tool to promote propaganda, political propaganda, about which the child understands nothing... is the ultimate inhumane treatment of a child."

So teaching a child empathy, logic, and the use of scientific and statistical knowledge to critique the theories of half-cocked pundits like Bill O'Reilly; tops child rape, child beating, and child pornography on the list of ways to inhumanely treat a child. That's rich. Not to mention the child was "acting."

And since the lady in the magenta jacket brought up using children for political propaganda, something came to my mind:



In the film Jesus Camp (trailer above), the filmmakers documented incidents in which children were brought to the steps of Congress to demonstrate their parents' pro-life political beliefs. How dare they use children to get a political point across – these kids clearly don't have the mental capacity to determine where they stand on the most highly debated political issues of the day. They also pull kids from public schools so they can spend their time teaching children bum science to refute the theory of evolution and global warming – breeding a generation of idiots to serve political goals sounds like child abuse to me. Get after 'em O'Reilly.

Oh you can't. They're your future audience.

More and more I am convinced that our country is truly being run by crazy people with the kind of smarts that make you pray for the next round of natural selection. When promoting atheism and intelligent thought is child abuse, and using kids to start armies of supernatural Gods is heralded, we've got problems. When an 8 year old makes more sense, and displays more logic, than one of TV's leading pundits, the country's just plain in the tank.

Watch these videos and watch them close. These are the videos that are going to be laughed at by historians for years to come.


(cross-posted at the mother-ship)

Labels: National Politics, religion, Social Justice

Posted by Andrew Warner at 10:52 PM | Permalink | Comments   

The Ohio Department of Health has proposed rules for the smoking ban. They seem pretty fair. Public comment is being accepted on the proposal until January 11th.

Now, if only they will start enforcing them quickly after the comment session is closed. Most bloggers seem to think that the ban will not be enforced until June, but the language seems to give the Department of Health the ability to enforce them any time between now and then.

To implement and enforce this new law, the Director of Health will adopt rules focusing on enforcement authority and procedures. While ORC Chapter 3794 is effective Dec. 7, 2006, the director of health then has six months, or until June 7, 2007, to adopt rules.

The sooner the better.

Labels: bars, Ohio politics, smoking ban

Posted by Andrew Warner at 1:51 PM | Permalink | Comments   

Going down the front page of Hines Sight is like reading a greatest hits list of bad news. This is your official warning: Don't get lulled into passivity by visions of sugarplums and the stress of trudging through suburban super-malls to find the latest Tickle-Me Elmo. I have a feeling the powers that be are counting on you not paying attention this time of year – the stakes are a wee bit high for you to let them be right.

First came the President's buildup of Naval forces in the Persian Gulf – part of of the conspicuous Bush/Ahmadinejad pissing contest. Who's more powerful? Who's more scary? Whose God is better? Who has a nicer haircut? Honestly, why is our President playing a game of chicken with a religious fanatic who has nothing to lose? If Ahmadinejad gets his country destroyed in the name of Islam, fighting evil America and what not, he'll probably get 1000 extra virgins in heaven. If we decide to clash swords, all we get is an even more bloated deficit, countless more lost lives, and even worse standing in the international community.

Not worth it.

And we're talking about the draft again, really? I thought we had already written off Representative Rangel, who just a few weeks ago admitted he was going to try to reinstate the draft, as a crazy person and put this idea back to sleep in the graveyard of bad ideas.

But for some reason Selective Service is "testing its machinery."

Don't worry though. The White House says it doesn't have plans to bring back the draft. That allays all my fears. It's not like they've fibbed to us in the past – we'll give them a pass for the WMDs, the cooked intelligence, and, of course, that whole "we're winning the war in Iraq" thing.

So enjoy the holidays everyone! Give your children nice presents, hugs and kisses, and all those warm things we do on the holidays. It's not long before you are kissing them goodbye when they're drafted to fight our war against Iran.

(cross-posted at Hines Sight)

Labels: international politics, National Politics, war

Posted by Andrew Warner at 12:47 PM | Permalink | Comments   

If you feel justified in wearing wool, or any animal products really, after watching a video like this; we are far different people.

Pop star Pink takes time out from knocking President Bush to take on the cruel treatment of sheep.


Learn more at SaveTheSheep.com

Just think about it.

Labels: animal rights, Vegan

Posted by Andrew Warner at 1:41 AM | Permalink | Comments   

CNN has declared Romney's likeliest backers think his religion is a cult.

From the article:

The Book of Mormon, which church founder Joseph Smith Jr. said he translated from golden plates he discovered through an angel in the 1820s, says that Israelites migrated to the New World and were the ancestors of American Indians. Latter-day Saints also believe that Smith restored authentic Christianity and rewrote parts of the Bible to correct it.

Another Mormon rule that frequently raises eyebrows is the bar on access to their temples by anyone except members of the faith who donate 10 percent of their earnings to the church, who uphold its teachings and who fulfill other duties. Mormons who meet the criteria are given ID cards that they must display to gain admittance.

Where would they get that idea?

Labels: mormons, National Politics, religion

Posted by Andrew Warner at 5:58 PM | Permalink | Comments   

My family calls me the Contrarian because I do everything the exact opposite of them. They eat prime rib, I eat Rice Dream. They drive Lincolns and SUVs, I dream of one day putting around on a Vespa.

And of course, I do my best to abstain from Christmas – everyone hates me for that one.

Jonathan Chait makes my case for me.

Labels: National Politics, religion

Posted by Andrew Warner at 6:25 PM | Permalink | Comments   

Former Vice-President and hit filmmaker Al Gore was recently quoted as saying, "I kind of fell out of love with the political process."

And why wouldn't he? The process sucks. Since resurfacing with his hit documentary, he's fielded countless questions on how he feels about the 2000 race and the way in which his campaign was put to a painful, abrupt death. If you pay attention to his answers, you'll notice he blames listening to some bum advice and playing it too safe are some of his biggest regrets.

Eight years later, we're still watching political contortionists try to stretch themselves in such a way that pleases everybody, from gay communists in San Francisco to closeted-gay Bible thumpers in Alabama, all of the time – which usually ends up pleasing nobody. The folly of both Al Gore and John Kerry.

The best examples: Mitt Romney, the Mormon Governor of Massachusetts, and Hillary Clinton, the carpet-bagging Senator of New York.

Romney somehow got elected to be in charge of one of our union's most liberal states – who would ever think that they would elect a Republican Mormon? Had he not done a political about-face when he decided to run for President, he would deserve a tip of the hat. A man or woman who can unite the divided bipartisan nature of our country deserves a great deal of credit. Unless of course it was just a plot to land a cozy job in the White House and secret service benefits for the rest of your life.

Andrew Sullivan, a small government conservative, has been skewering Romney for his apparent ideological 180:

Everything he said in the 1990s is now to be dismissed. He was once for the Employment Non-Discrimination Act; now he's against it. He was once for domestic partnerships for gays; now he's against them. He was once for ending the ban on gays in the military; now he's for keeping it.

Not to be outdone, Clinton bends ideologically in ways that should land her a contract with Cirque du Soleil. When she moved to New York to get her guaranteed Democratic victory, she was viewed as far too "left" for the country as a whole. Since then she has been tirelessly working to earn some Evangelical/Middle-America street cred by fighting unwholesome video games, supporting a war widely hated by Democrats, and trying to ban flag-burning.

So like I said, it's no wonder Al Gore soured to the "political process." Few people can sell their soul so completely just to further their careers – those who do become President.

Because of this, voters are throwing out the standard question they ask of all politicians. Liberal or Conservative? Those labels are being replaced with two new, far more appropriate categories: Full of crap and politically inexperienced – That's why Obama has a chance.


(Cross-posted at Hines Sight)

Labels: National Politics

Posted by Andrew Warner at 12:23 PM | Permalink | Comments   

Read one here.

Just as a reminder, everyone get out to your favorite, locally owned music store today and pick up the new Nas and Mos Def albums. Keep real hip-hop alive by voting for it with your dollars.

I will put up the title track/video, "Hip-hop is dead," from Nas' new album right here. Review it in the comments if you want – classic rock fans might recognize the beat.



**Update** The Mos Def album has been pushed back, again. It's new release date is January 9th... That ruins my day.

Labels: Hip-Hop, Music

Posted by Andrew Warner at 10:30 AM | Permalink | Comments   

A few days ago a study was released showing vegetarians, in general, have a higher IQ than meat-eaters.

Frequently dismissed as cranks, their fussy eating habits tend to make them unpopular with dinner party hosts and guests alike.

But now it seems they may have the last laugh, with research showing vegetarians are more intelligent than their meat-eating friends.

A study of thousands of men and women revealed that those who stick to a vegetarian diet have IQs that are around five points higher than those who regularly eat meat.

Chris Feldhaus, a wonderfully eloquent conservative blogger, sent me this article and told me I could chalk up a victory for my side. For a minute I thought he was right.

When I finally got a chance to read the entire article, I spit out of my soy milk and dropped my Tofurky sandwich in shock. While he was correct in general, forgetting I am the kind of guy who ruins all my mom's holiday dinner plans by passing on dairy as well, he was wrong about me personally (I wonder if you get docked IQ points for having a dairy allergy, though).

"However, vegans - vegetarians who also avoid dairy products - scored significantly lower, averaging an IQ score of 95 at the age of 10."

It's still unclear why vegetarians are so damn smart (and why vegans are at the low end with an average IQ of 95 – I certainly would have brought the average up I were studied). Some scientists suggest it's possible a vegetarian diet can make you more intelligent, as if there is some mysterious nutrient in meat that deteriorates your brain. Others say, and I tend to side with this camp, that a vegetarian diet is indicative of a more reflective, thoughtful person.

I personally wouldn't say that meat-eaters are stupid. After all, chicken wings smothered in a spicy garlic sauce, a fat, sizzling steak, or even an artery clogging Big Mac, are all quite delicious. Combine the flavor explosion with the inconvenience of passing up the carcass at the dinner table, or the extra burden a vegetarian diet places on your wallet, and believe me – I get it.

But as with all our choices in this world, it never hurts to think of your personal impact, or you "footprint" on the planet. Whether it be giving up your SUV to stop global warming or passing on the morning bacon to save a pig from slaughter, there's always ways to do better.

Who knows? Taking the plunge into a world without meat may even make you smarter.


(cross-posted at Hines Sight)

Labels: health, Vegan

Posted by Andrew Warner at 10:02 AM | Permalink | Comments   

More than once in the blogosphere, some bitter commenter has glanced at my Blogger profile and defeated any argument I have (no matter how awesome it is) by pointing out Blink 182 is one of my favorite bands.

People lose intellectual respect for me when they realize I like a band that rose to fame with dirty jokes about boobs and semi-reflective songs about heartbreak. As I was 13 at the time, it was right up my alley. When I started listening to them, the band was probably an average of 22 and just finding prominence by landing a track on Can't Hardly Wait soundtrack – "Damn it," a song about the difficulties of breaking up and growing up.

Now they are all in there 30s and broken up. They are squirting out babies and spending more time with their wives instead of chasing girls and having their hearts shattered. Though their latest album, self-titled, took several steps forward and showed the inevitable maturation that comes with ten years, they still called it quits suddenly after its release – a nasty goodbye that resulted in the canceling of half a tour and the severing of all ties.

Rumor has it, Tom Delonge, the somewhat pompous front-man, has not spoken to the other two members of the band since they went their separate ways.

However, the members have their own projects now and one of them is in town tonight. Call it nostalgia if you must, but I'll be there tonight at the Madison theater to see part of the band (Tom Delonge as a member of Angels and Airwaves) that grew up alongside me.

Maybe I'll see you there.

Labels: bars, Cincinnati, Music

Posted by Andrew Warner at 2:17 PM | Permalink | Comments   

The southerner who is as famous for his grin and tan as he is for the creation of a second America, John Edwards, is set to announce his candidacy.

Edwards, who represented North Carolina in the Senate for six years, plans to make the campaign announcement late this month from the New Orleans neighborhood hit hardest by Hurricane Katrina last year and slow to recover from the storm.

The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they did not want to pre-empt Edwards' announcement.

As Edwards enters the crowded field, the Lower Ninth Ward provides a stark backdrop to highlight his signature issue _ that economic inequality means that the country is divided into "two Americas."

The guy has been making his way around the country since the end of his unsuccessful campaign for Vice-President fighting for minimum wage raises and looking for an end to poverty – that included a trip to the Burnet Woods Gazebo to campaign for Ohio's Issue 2.

Barack Obama is said to have the rock-star aura in his corner, but the way the old Cincinnati Democratic crowd fawned over a refreshed John Edwards a few months ago indicates he might have a bit of the same mojo working for him.

Poverty is as important an issue as any and it's good that there's now a candidate in the race who is going to make that the centerpiece of his campaign. Combine Edwards with Dennis Kucinich, whose main issue is ending the war in Iraq, and Democrats almost have a whole candidate this time around.

Labels: Cincinnati, Democrats, National Politics, Social Justice

Posted by Andrew Warner at 2:03 PM | Permalink | Comments   

Now that money doesn't seem to buy elections (at least money alone), that just may be the case:

Who says Ohio doesn't have a growth industry? When it comes to funding and fighting ballot issues, Ohio is setting records.

Proponents and opponents of four statewide ballot issues on slot machines, dueling smoking bans, and the minimum wage spent nearly $44 million on their campaigns, according to final reports filed yesterday with the secretary of state's office. That breaks down to roughly $11 for each of the 4.1 million voters who cast ballots.

And, in three out of the four issues, those who spent the most came out on the losing side.

"I find it intriguing that, for a long time, we thought that if you spent enough money you could win," said Peg Rosenfield, elections specialist for the League of Women Voters of Ohio.

Watching Ohio Burn and Earn go down in flames, along with the tobacco-backed "smoking ban," was a day in the sun for voters. When too often elections look a lot more like auctions than a Democratic process, it's a heart-warming feeling to see voters not fall for the smoke and mirrors thrown out by the all-powerful dollar.

Just to throw it out there: Dare I say the new media is educating voters to the point that money is becoming obsolete.

I can dream.

Labels: Ohio politics

Posted by Andrew Warner at 8:32 AM | Permalink | Comments   

What is it going to take for President Bush to realize he's getting the hook? Please exit stage right. The show must not go on.

Word has it though, probably not unlike his first date with Laura, President Bush isn't getting the signals – overt as they may be. In fact, he's doing everything he can to ignore the pleas, and, as of November, the votes, of the American people. The administration's response to the voters' clear demand for a solution in Iraq: Send thousands more of our soldiers to the desert to hop on a sinking ship.

Military planners and White House budget analysts have been asked to provide President George W. Bush with options for increasing American forces in Iraq by 20,000 troops or more, The New York Times has reported.

Citing unnamed senior administration officials, the newspaper said the request indicates that the option of a major "surge" in troop strength is gaining ground as part of a White House strategy review.

Discussion of increasing the number of American troops has gone on in Washington for two months as a possible way to reverse the deteriorating security situation in Baghdad, the report said.

So in the two months that Americans were working hard to kick the Republican congress to the curb, President Bush was figuring out ways to piss off the voters that had already expressed a holiday-sized helping of buyer's remorse.

If adopted, such an increase would be a major departure from the current strategy advocated by General George Casey, which has stressed stepping up the training of Iraqi forces and handing off to them as soon as possible, The Times said.

General Casey's plan is far too rational – after all, why would he think Iraqis want to defend and control their own country when we have thousands of kids who are obviously thrilled to do the job for them. It's not like our soldiers want to hit up a few keg parties at college, push their kids on a playground swing, or sleep in the same beds as their spouses.

Those overrated activities should always take a back seat to fighting wars in foreign countries based on lies or half-truths.

It's a shame that Bush is treating our soldiers the same way he treats his cigarettes – smokin' 'em if he's got 'em.

(Cross-posted at Hines Sight)

Labels: international politics, Iraq, National Politics

Posted by Andrew Warner at 1:19 AM | Permalink | Comments   

If someone were to tell me my life depended on writing a speech that showered soon-to-be former Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld with praise, my answer would be simple:

Shoot me now.

Luckily that's not the case. But there's some poor schmuck being forced to wrap Rumsfeld's six year tenure of garbage in a shimmery package to show off at the Pentagon today.

From USA Today:

With an eye on his legacy, Rumsfeld asked to be judged by the extraordinary nature of today's threat, like none that has come before.

Like Rumsfeld, I too realize the world is faced with a threat like none that has come before. With Rumsfeld's departure at least a small part of that threat has been erased. If Democrats would grow a spine and take advantage of Representative McKinney's final parting shot at the Bush administration (articles of impeachment), we could really wrestle this new threat to the ground.

As for Rumsfeld's legacy – maybe if that concern had popped into his head once or twice before he bungled the "War on Terror" by letting Osama slip through his fingers, ignored and fired generals who pointed out the errors in his bogus Iraq policy, and generally made the wrong decisions at every turn, he wouldn't have to worry about the nasty excerpts that are bound to be put in the history books next to his even nastier perma-scowl.

But the cold reality for Rumsfeld is that his legacy, no matter how much he begs, is stained beyond repair. And in a few more days he will quietly hobble out of the national spotlight and his only shot will be to pray that he is soon forgotten.

(Cross-posted at Hines Sight)

Labels: Impeachment, international politics, Iraq, National Politics

Posted by Andrew Warner at 1:48 PM | Permalink | Comments   

From the Independent:

The Government's case for going to war in Iraq has been torn apart by the publication of previously suppressed evidence that Tony Blair lied over Saddam Hussein's weapons of mass destruction.

A devastating attack on Mr Blair's justification for military action by Carne Ross, Britain's key negotiator at the UN, has been kept under wraps until now because he was threatened with being charged with breaching the Official Secrets Act.

News like this has been pouring out for years now. By now it's common knowledge of both the American and British people that we were at least partially deceived when we were sold the bogus war in Iraq. Opinion poll after opinion poll shows the public is fed up with the war, but like a Christmas gift gone awry, there's a no-return policy with our current administrations.

Even those who want to see the liars held accountable are too concerned about the overly-complex politics, or overwhelmed with a feeling of powerlessness, to do anything about it. The only congressperson with the moxie to file the articles of impeachment was crushed in her re-election campaign and branded as a crazy conspiracy theorist by the media.

What's a person supposed to do?

(hat tip to Hines Sight)

Labels: Impeachment, international politics, National Politics

Posted by Andrew Warner at 9:55 AM | Permalink | Comments   

It's strange being able to leave your jacket on the hanger in the middle of December. The same could be said about being able to roll down your window in your car a week before Christmas.

Don't get me wrong, I like being able to give the heater a rest in what is usually a time to plug in the space heater and curl up in a blanket. It was interesting buying a vegan cheese steak from Melt, cruising over to Burnet Woods, and snagging a picnic table by a few older gentleman soaking up the winter sun.

But for those of you who are used to the biting cold that comes with Ohio winters, the debate has to be close to over as to whether global warming was just a way for Al Gore to scare us into voluntarily listening to him lecture for two hours, or if it's the real mccoy.

I suppose there will always be nay-sayers, even on something as obvious as global warming, but they are just burying their heads in the sand – on their December weekend trip to Lake Michigan maybe. It seems that denying the truth, or making up an alternate reality, is easier for some than actually confronting destiny and taking it by the horns.

For now I'll just enjoy picnics in December. I may even plan a Christmas camping trip (At this rate I wouldn't be out of line to bring a bathing suit). I'll just hope the irony won't be lost on the general public.

Labels: Cincinnati, environment

Posted by Andrew Warner at 10:28 PM | Permalink | Comments   

Red Lobster and Olive Garden have added their names to the list of restaurants cleansing themselves of trans fats.

As someone who rails against corporations for their rampant irresponsibility, it is always pleasant to see them step up and do the right thing from time to time.

While I love small businesses, sometimes locally owned restaurants are as stubborn as the old coots that hold the deeds to the properties. I suppose when recipes are passed down from generation to generation there's an emotional attachment to tradition – even traditions that clog arteries and stop hearts. I suppose I understand that.

i also understand the need for a healthier public and less poison in our food. It's good to see more businesses, even big businesses, are wising up to that simple fact.

Labels: health, local business

Posted by Andrew Warner at 10:13 AM | Permalink | Comments   

Nominations for the Golden Globes were announced today and, just as predicted by yours truly, Leonardo DiCaprio received two nominations for best actor. It took a real movie guru to see that one coming (yes, I do realize I was talking about the Oscars when I made the prediction and that will still be the case).

Best picture should go to The Departed. The other award that captured my interest is the Golden Globe for best comedy. With nominations going to Sacha Baron Cohen for his controversial role as Borat, Aaron Eckhart for the smooth-talking tobacco peddler in Thank You For Smoking, as well as comedic genius Will Ferrell in Stranger Than Fiction (where Ferrell shows the ability to pull off a more sophisticated comedic approach), the award is likely to go to someone pretty damn funny.

**Update** Apparently the Oscars don't allow a person to be nominated twice in the same category. Thus my prediction will not come true (though it should).

Labels: movies

Posted by Andrew Warner at 10:00 AM | Permalink | Comments   

Mayor Mallory is finally taking his first step towards promoting alternative energy in Cincinnati.

Mayor Mark Mallory, Director of the Parks Department Willie Carden, and representatives of Duke Energy today unveiled the Solar and Wind Energy Project. The pilot project is part of the Cincinnati Green Initiative that the Mayor announced in his first State of the City Address. The project will install solar panels and a wind turbine to generate electricity to power the Parks Board Administration Building.

"This innovative project takes our commitment to a Green Cincinnati to the next level,” Mayor Mallory said. “By using renewable energy to help power our city buildings, we can save money on energy costs and make our city more environmentally friendly.”

Moving towards alternative energy is long overdue, but this is the first baby-step in the right direction. First, the Parks Board Administration Building, then every city-owned building. Then we can move it out to the general population.

Well, I'm getting ahead of myself. But as the proverb goes, every journey begins with one small step.

Maybe Mayor Mallory got tired of letting all of his supporters down and decided to start delivering on some of his weighty campaign promises.

Labels: Cincinnati, environment

Posted by Andrew Warner at 12:48 PM | Permalink | Comments   

This year the NBA replaced their traditional leather basketball with a more sophisticated microfiber composite ball. The big, overpaid babies that NBA players are, they cried until David Stern gave them the old leather ball back.

"Although testing performed by (manufacturer) Spalding and the NBA demonstrated that the new composite basketball was more consistent than leather, and statistically there has been an improvement in shooting, scoring, and ball-related turnovers, the most important statistic is the view of our players," Stern added.

The players' view on the new ball has been overwhelmingly negative, with big names like LeBron James and Shaquille O'Neal publicly criticising it.

The players said the ball bounced differently and cut their hands in some cases. It was the first ball change in the league for 35 years and the players union filed two unfair labor practice charges against the league on December 1, one of them citing the lack of player input about the new ball.

Aww, they got boo-boos on their hands. Animal rights fact (I know how some people can't stand animal rights for some reason, but I love going there any way): It takes an entire cow to make 4 leather basketballs. Tough guys like LeBron and Shaq care more about the occasional cut on their hands than they do about improving their stats and the lives of cows.

Heck, if the new ball improves free throw shooting percentage, Shaq should be begging to keep it.

Labels: Sports, Vegan

Posted by Andrew Warner at 10:59 AM | Permalink | Comments   

I was pulling my hair out thinking I may not be able to carry my fully-loaded assault rifle with me when walking to and from the grocery store.

Thanks to the state legislature though, it's legal again. Bob Taft, probably feeling guilty after years of being a miserable governor, vetoed the bill that is now set to overturn all of Ohio's local gun laws and will also allow big guns out on the streets for our kids to play with. I suppose that's the risk you run when you're a governor who pops open a Champagne bottle when he sneaks his approval rating into the 20s – people aren't afraid to defy an unpopular leader.

From the Enquirer:

The Republican-controlled Senate narrowly overrode Gov. Bob Taft's veto of a concealed-carry weapons bill Tuesday.

The override, the first of any governor in 29 years, means that more than 80 local gun ordinances, including Cincinnati's assault weapons ban, will be abolished in 90 days.

Mayor Mark Mallory, a state legislator for 10 years, said he is discouraged by the Ohio General Assembly's vote against home rule.

Cincinnati's ban on assault weapons was reinstated Friday by the Ohio Supreme Court after more than two years of court appeals. The local ban will be unenforceable, again, March 13, meaning that residents can own military-style, semiautomatic weapons with magazines that hold dozens of bullets.

With rising crime in the Nati I bet cops are thrilled citizens will have the use of assault rifles against other citizens and cops alike.

Labels: Cincinnati, Ohio politics, Social Justice

Posted by Andrew Warner at 10:24 AM | Permalink | Comments   

I remember a time when Rock Star Video games was in Senator Clinton's crosshairs for promoting violent video games like the infamous Grand Theft Auto. You'll still see reports of Clinton and Lieberman's crusade against video games trickling into the news to this very day.

I'm just curious when they are going to get on their soap box about the controversial Left Behind series – a video game where believers are taught to slay non-believers in the form of fictional rock stars and Muslims.

Even Wal-Mart is catching a little heat for peddling this exercise in discrimation:

Liberal and progressive Christian groups say a new computer game in which players must either convert or kill non-Christians is the wrong gift to give this holiday season and that Wal-Mart, a major video game retailer, should yank it off its shelves.

But it's okay, the game doesn't teach try to teach the practice of killing non-believers. You lose a few "spirit points" if you decide to take down non-believers instead of putting them on to the Bible:

Left Behind Games' president, Jeffrey Frichner, says the game actually is pacifist because players lose "spirit points" every time they gun down nonbelievers rather than convert them. They can earn spirit points again by having their character pray.

"You are fighting a defensive battle in the game," Frichner, whose previous company produced Bible software, said of combatting the Antichrist. "You are a sort of a freedom fighter."

Whatever happened to the days of indiscriminately killing people for their car, recklessly driving it around town, and then using it to bang prositutes in the back seat?

Those extreme Christians had to go and make deranged video games personal and divisive. Let's see if Ms. Clinton will risk some Christian votes and call foul on the apocalypse training game.

Labels: Democrats, National Politics, religion

Posted by Andrew Warner at 2:42 PM | Permalink | Comments   

Iranian students were heckling President Ahmadinejad:

Iranian students have disrupted a speech by President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad at a prestigious Tehran university, setting fire to his picture and heckling him.

"Some students chanted radical slogans and inflamed the atmosphere of the meeting" at the Amir Kabir University, said the semi-official Fars news agency on Monday, which is close to Ahmadinejad.

"A small number of students shouted 'death to the dictator' and smashed cameras of state television but they were confronted by a bigger group of students in the hall chanting: 'We support Ahmadinejad'," it said.

It was the latest in a series of student demonstrations in recent days, the first time in least two years that such protests have taken place on this scale at Iranian universities.

Heck, President Bush would pre-screen the room to avoid an embarrassment like that. The only difference is, a majority of the students wouldn't take his side in such a debate. It's hard to say with these crazy American kids today.

(Hat tip to the Drudge Report)

Labels: international politics, National Politics

Posted by Andrew Warner at 9:41 AM | Permalink | Comments   

Every year or so a movie comes out that makes you ashamed to be a human being. When conflicts we read about in 200 word newspaper blurbs are projected onto the silver screen in a personalized, two-hour form, works of fiction help us to truly comprehend the darkest corners of reality.

Hotel Rwanda was one such film. Blood Diamond is another.

The late showing on a Monday night was pretty empty, but with Leonardo DiCaprio in the lead, the film is bound to get some attention – bad news for the dirty diamond industry.

For those who don't know, the film focuses on both a smuggler (Leonardo DiCaprio) and a peaceful fisherman (Djimon Hounson) driven to desperation by the capture of his family by rebel forces in Sierra Leone. DiCaprio makes Hounson his partner after realizing he has stashed the holy grail of diamonds somewhere deep in hostile territory. Both their fates depend on the monstrous stone.

The plot serves only as a vehicle to drive home the pointed social commentary. At every turn the writer and director force us to deal with the interconnected nature of the world to the point you're disgusted with yourself for not doing a tour of duty in the Peace Corps. When Leonardo DiCaprio's character is confronted by a socially conscious journalist who lectures him about the nature of his business, he points out to her, an American, that "we are in business together," – referring to the diamond industry that is dependent on young American girls' dreams to slip the biggest rock possible on their little fingers.

The diamond industry's trespasses, perhaps only known to politicos and current events junkies, have found another way to slip into the mind of mainstream America.

DiCaprio, along with his co-star, is being considered for an Oscar. Ironically his leading competition will be himself for his role in The Departed. Somewhere between teenage hearthrob and turning 30, he became the best actor in the business.

If Kanye West's "Diamonds are forever" didn't convince you to leave diamonds alone, this movie should.

Labels: international politics, movies, personal choice, Social Justice

Posted by Andrew Warner at 9:00 AM | Permalink | Comments   

When I speak of a token candidate, I'm not talking about Barack Obama. I'm talking about the token progressive, Dennis Kucinich, who is set to run again in 2008.

Rep. Dennis Kucinich, an Ohio Democrat who unsuccessfully ran for president in 2004, said Monday he is planning to run again because his party isn’t pushing hard enough to end the war in Iraq.

He's absolutely right and I am glad that he is running to say so. But that's not the whole story.

What most Democrats, even those who are angry about his run, don't realize is that Kucinich serves another purpose. He keeps progressive Democrats from jumping ship and throwing their support behind a non-Democrats progressives like Ralph Nader. Progressives can feel like they have done their part by pushing the liberal Kucinich in the primary, and if he goes down they don't feel bad about hopping on the bandwagons carrying the corporate candidates to the finish line in November – after all, by helping Kucinich in the primary they did their part in pushing progressive values. To a certain degree they're correct.

At this point it's doubtful that Nader will get on the horse one more time, or even that the Green Party will run a respectable race, so Kucinich may be the only choice for American progressives. I can picture the old-timers of the Ohio Green Party wearing their "Kucinich for Presidents" t-shirts already.

Ultimately, Kucinich represents a voice that until he threw his hat in the ring was not being heard. That's a good thing. In the spirt of multi-partisan democracy, I still hope a non-Democratic progressive gets in the ring in 2008.

Labels: National Politics

Posted by Andrew Warner at 6:55 PM | Permalink | Comments   

From the Cincinnati Enquirer:

Hamilton County taxpayers are getting ready to pay the Bengals $900,000 for the turf at Paul Brown Stadium.

The team installed the synthetic turf before the 2004 season after complaints about the grass the stadium had since its 2000 opening.

Hamilton County owns the stadium but leases it to the team. A clause in the lease calls for the government to pay for stadium upgrades - technology, turf and others - if they are done in other stadiums home to National Football League teams.

I'm not sure who wrote the lease, or if the lease is standard for the NFL (it seems NFL teams hold local governments hostage pretty regularly), but it sure does stick it to the taxpayer. Team owners rake in all the profits while taxpayers pay for stadium upgrades? That's just crazy.

With how much the taxpayer has thrown in on this deal, tickets should be free to residents of Hamilton County.

That's not how it works, unfortunately. But good thing Phil Heimlich is there to save the day:

"This is another example of how unfair this (lease) is to the taxpayers of Hamilton County," said Commissioner Phil Heimlich, who supported a county lawsuit against the team and league seeking to get hundreds of millions of dollars returned to the government.

"There's no limit to the number of gadgets they can buy and charge to the taxpayer."

Let's see if Phil Heimlich can actually do something about it in the dwindling few weeks of his final term.

Labels: Cincinnati, Downtown, Sports

Posted by Andrew Warner at 10:16 AM | Permalink | Comments   

Nick Gillespie of Reason Magazine thinks it's a dangerous way to go.

Most important, these bans reduce all of us to the status of children, incapable of making informed choices. Is it quaint to suggest that there's something wrong with that in a country founded on the idea of the individual's rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness?

It's an impassioned argument and it is hard to argue against it and not come off as "smug," or "the bad guy."

Yes, I'll agree that, to a point, this country was built upon civil liberty and individual choice. To stop the argument there, though, would be ridiculously stupid. It's important, I think, to reflect on our capacity to choose before we put the world's fate in our own individual hands.

The first question I would ask: Where do we learn to make our choices?

Obviously the answer begins with our home life as young children – where we are given our capacity to choose. My parents, who had my older brother at the ripe age of 19 weren't out of college and were by no means experts on raising children. They are great parents, but they didn't like to cook and they were more than likely happy to see us eat anything. We regularly ate at the local bar and grill where we downed chicken wings smothered in a creamy ranch dressing, probably surrounded by smokers.

At school it was even better. My mom rarely packed me lunches, probably because the sandwiches she made weren't greasy enough to satisfy my immature taste buds, so she would arm me with a few dollar bills and send me off to the lunch line. Empowered as a 7 year old to make my own lunch decisions I regularly ate pizza, again smothered in ranch dressing, and purchased a sugary soda to wash it down. On good days I would get some fries. This same meal continued all the way through high school.

That's how the average American learns to make their decisions.

So would I think it is a bad thing for the government to mandate healthy lunches in school cafeterias? No. It seems like sabotage to let children form their own habits and then give them the ability to make the same "choices" their entire life.

Do we even really have the ability to make good choices? Our minds, which are dreadfully overwhelmed with the blitzkrieg of information created by the expanding media, are bullied by aggressive marketing campaigns. Would it be that out of line to say that most smokers today were brainwashed into their actions? I can still remember the days when I was a young boy flipping through the Camel Cigarette catalog with my uncle Dave picking out the best Joe Camel merchandise to wear to school.

The fact of the matter is this: Psychologically speaking, we don't have a chance in hell to make solid decisions. We're handed down bad habits as soon as we plop out of the womb, we're overwhelmed with information, and we're crushed by clever marketing campaigns.

And it's easy to throw up the cute and honorable "personal choice defense," until we realize that "personal choice" is a dangerous license to destroy everything around us.

If the "nanny government" wants to step in and take trans fats away from me, since my parents didn't even know what trans fat was, let alone what it was in, then fine.

It doesn't take long to figure out the buzz-word "personal choice" is an illusion. We eat what is given to us. We smoke what is marketed to us. We drive what we are told will help us chase tail.

It's even quicker to realize that the illusion of "personal choice" is destructive: Chronic obesity from poisoned food, big cars that burn a lot of gas, and blowing smoke in your baby child's face – all in the name of personal choice.

No person is an island. It's important, when making policy or making personal decisions, to remember that.

As slogan and a general motto, believe it or not, I do believe in personal choice. The point of this little blog entry was not really to refute the benefits of personal choice, though it may seem that way. It was more to make clear that your personal choice was taken away from you long before people started legislating smoking bans and removing trans fat from the menu.

Labels: health, personal choice, smoking ban

Posted by Andrew Warner at 9:30 AM | Permalink | Comments   

This month should be a good one for the hip-hop heads.

December 19th marks the release of Mos Def's latest effort, Tru3 Magic, as well as Nas' new album, Hip Hop is Dead. When these two drop albums, it usually means a revolution of the genre.

Talib Kweli has pushed back the release of his album, Ear Drum, but it's now scheduled to hit stores some time in January.

All of these artists bring hip-hop to a different level than what is served to us on the radio. If you're an old rap fan, someone who is wondering what happened to the revolutionary spirit in music, or even someone scrambling to find a stocking stuffer for a teenager, these are albums that can't miss.

Labels: Hip-Hop

Posted by Andrew Warner at 4:23 PM | Permalink | Comments   

It's a shame McKinney ever hit that police officer at Capitol Hill. Not because it's wrong to hit police officers or because I support the cops, but because of the way she became a squeamish, detestable liar on national TV afterwards. Wolf Blitzer had his way with her (in a journalistic sense of course) and some hot blonde on CNN embarrassed her pretty bad too.

And who can forget her famous "deflect everything to the lawyer strategy"? She somehow managed to take a complicated issue like racial profiling and shove everyone on the other side of the argument – after all, I don't remember too many people thinking fondly of McKinney after her Capitol Hill scuffle.

But now that she has filed articles of impeachment against Bush, I'm sad to see the cops got the best of her. She seems to be the only Democrat with the moxie to truly challenge the Republicans failed strategies of war and torture.

Looking at one of the last write-ups she'll get, it's clear we're losing an important voice in Congress.

She has hosted numerous panels on Sept. 11 conspiracy theories and suggested that Bush had prior knowledge of the terrorist attacks but kept quiet about it to allow friends to profit from the aftermath. She introduced legislation to establish a permanent collection of rapper Tupac Shakur's recordings at the National Archives and calling for a federal investigation into his killing.

A congressperson with respect for Tupac is what this country needs – no sarcasm. If only Pelosi had the stones of McKinney, this country might have a shot at turning things around.

I've heard McKinney's name circling around the rumor mill as a presidential candidate for the Green Party in 2008 – though that's most likely just a rumor.

Labels: Democrats, Impeachment, National Politics

Posted by Andrew Warner at 9:12 AM | Permalink | Comments   

I was under the impression the most embarrassing thing about the Bengals is the fact that the whole city loses a coherent vocabulary and yells "WHO-DEY" every Sunday – and yes, that is an embarrassment to our city.

But the rap sheet for this year's Bengals team is giving the stupid slogan/cheer a run for its money. Cornerback Deltha O'Neal became the 8th player of the year to have a run-in with the law after being arrested for DUI.

Please stop getting arrested Bengals. You're grossly overpaid and can afford cabs, bus rides, or private helicopters when you are too drunk to drive.

And fans, please let "WHO-DEY" go.

Labels: Cincinnati, Sports

Posted by Andrew Warner at 8:51 AM | Permalink | Comments   

Last night the brand new Fountain Square celebrated it's first Macy's Christmas celebration.

It was surprisingly crowded. Too crowded even. There was no room to skate, wanna-be carriage riders were forced to jockey for position in hopes they would be the lucky winners in the happy-cab sweepstakes, and even the now highly-priced garage was filled to capacity.

The fireworks show was alright and the explosions made strange echoes since they were trapped between high buildings instead of being in open fields. Not to mention how excited all the small children were to see "Santa" rappel down a skyscraper.

All in all, it was good to see people downtown having fun with their families.

Labels: Cincinnati, Downtown, Fountain Square

Posted by Andrew Warner at 8:32 AM | Permalink | Comments   

As if there weren't enough reasons to be Vegan. Justin Jeffre writes a review of Fast Food Nation that is packed with a few more.

Too many to summarize, but check out the article over at the Beacon.

Labels: Vegan

Posted by Andrew Warner at 10:08 PM | Permalink | Comments   

I was enjoying a delicious vegan burger for lunch today and was saddened when cigarette smoke started filling my nostrils and interfering with that delicious black bean flavor.

Sitting around the bar were four or five people, puffing cigarettes and dropping ashes into now illegal ashtrays, griping about how ridiculously stupid the smoking band is. I would have asked them if they had even voted, but they were too caught up in their talking points and congratulating each other on how smart they are for disobeying the new law.

I feel bad about calling the snitch line on my favorite establishments, but quite frankly, their disregard for the law is insulting. A lot of people put a lot of time and effort into making this just law a reality, and they are pissing on the will of the voters as if they somehow know better.

Often times the voters are wrong, but this doesn't seem to be one of those cases (of course there are some who disagree). Maybe I have to let go of a few of my favorite establishments and take my dollars elsewhere. Maybe I'll have to move to New York City where people seem to "get it." But as long as they are going to keep insulting the political process and making up their own rules as they go, I guess it's my duty to keep calling the snitch line and hope the health department puts them in their place.

Labels: bars, local business, smoking ban

Posted by Andrew Warner at 2:21 PM | Permalink | Comments   

When I first heard New York City was banning trans fats I found myself in the camp whining about how government was drastically overstepping its boundaries. I remembered the not-so-old arguments I had with smokers in which I claimed the smoking ban is not a civil rights case since smoking hurts other people and Americans don't have the right to do damage other people. Trans fats, on the other hand, are consumed through food which only directly hurts the person shoveling another Biggie fry into their mouth. Thus it should be a whole new argument.

But my knee-jerk reaction may not have been thorough enough to do the complicated issue justice. A meeting of the brain trust at the Beacon's unofficial headquarters ( Mac's Pizza Pub ), a vegan pizza, and a few beers later – I am thinking much more clearly.

The difference between smoking and trans fats, as pointed out by my boy the Dean of Cincinnati, is that no one chooses to eat trans fats; through a series of cost cutting measures by fast-food restaurants they have just found their way into far too much of America's food. It's not as if someone walks into a restaurant and asks for the french fries with "extra trans fat, please."

Trans fat, from my minimal understanding of cooking and nutrition, can be replaced easily with slightly more expensive fat and those eating the fatty food will be none the wiser. The only problem: Like a boulder, the burden of the heavier cost falls on the back of the small business-owner, which ultimately falls on the already broken back of the American consumer.

It then occurred to me that the rise in price will be recovered by society pretty easily. If trans fats are as bad for us as the "experts" tell us they are, individuals (along with out health care system) should save oodles of money by avoiding heart-related trips to the doctors office, triple-bypass surgeries, and premature heart attacks.

Though the ban has been framed by the law's critics as a way to limit choice of American citizens, they fail to explain that the choice to consume trans fats was already made for us by "evil corporations" cutting costs. It was never our decision to begin with.

Come to think of it, the issue is not all that different from the government requiring cars to have seat-belts. Originally seat-belts, now responsible for saving countless lives, weren't included because auto-makers found them to be an unnecessary burden on the bottom-line. Fast-forward to modern day America and we are faced with a similar burden. Though today the life-saver mandated by the government may be a more responsible fat instead of an obvious restraining device in a dangerous automobile.

Ultimately this is not an infringement on personal choice – this is a law that demands businesses share some responsibility for what they are putting into their customer's bodies.

**Hat tip to the Dean of Cincinnati for helping formulate these ideas.

Posted by Andrew Warner at 9:57 AM | Permalink | Comments   

The Cincinnati Enquirer is reporting that WSAI is dropping the liberal talk format:

The liberal “revolution of talk radio” here is over.

Clear Channel has canceled progressive talk on WSAI-AM (1360) – a tough sell in a red state – after two years of low ratings.

“It wasn’t working. We thought it best to do something else,” says Tony Bender, program director.

The change also was prompted by Jerry Springer’s decision to quit his 9 a.m.-noon liberal talk show after today’s Friday rerun, and the uncertainty of the liberal Air America network, which declared bankruptcy in October.

The “revolution of talk radio” format was launched in January 2005 with Springer and Al Franken’s Air America show on 50,000-watt WCKY-AM (1530). It moved to weaker WSAI-AM in July.

A few weeks ago I tuned into the station for a few days in hopes of finding some intellectual stimulation. Turns out I was barking up the wrong tree for thoughtful conversation. The station was as bland conservative talk radio – a few half-celebrity talking heads reading the memos passed on by their political party of choice, callers who agreed with everything spit through the airwaves, and lame insults disguised as humor.

Come to think of it, it was a lot like reading partisan blogs.

I'd like to pretend that liberals' rejection of talk radio is a sign of higher intelligence than their conservative counterparts. To a certain degree that is true (after all, I didn't really like it). But mostly Democratic talk radio's failure boils down to the simple fact that Democrats are only interested in listening to the sound of their own voices and they don't need a radio station for that.

Have no fear Democrats. If you need somewhere to go where you can find your talking points and have everyone pat you on the back for saying them out loud, there is always the Daily Kos.

Posted by Andrew Warner at 7:12 PM | Permalink | Comments   

The big topic in bar rooms across the state last night was the inevitable smoking ban. This morning, the Enquirer decided to chime in:

“There’s a time and place for everything, including smoking,” said Kevin Hein, a non-smoker at the bar. “I don’t think you should smoke in restaurants but this is a bar.” ...

Some speculate more than ashtrays will be going across the river, but Horton said she isn’t worried.

Ahh, the wonderful use of "some." It could be economic experts from MIT (t's not). It could be a government official from the health department (no need for that). And of course it could be some idiot, fire-breathing drunk in a bar at midnight (ding, ding!)

Why clarify when you can just say "some"? "Some speculate" is quality reporting that screams "hand me the Pulitzer for my vagueness!"

The only snippet Quan Truong bothered to get from the other side (after all, quality journalism always looks at both sides of the story) is this:

“I think we have enough of a following that’ll be back,” she said.

The rest was just woeful mourning that a bunch of idiots had to put their cigarettes out.


**UPDATE**: Joe Wessels of the Cincinnati Post has provided a far superior article on the same topic. Both Supporters and detractors were spoken with and heavily quoted.

Posted by Andrew Warner at 9:40 AM | Permalink | Comments   

Curiously enough, there are nearly 600,000 Americans that are taxed without proper representation in the federal government (so much for "no taxation without representation").

With your help, an end can be put to this strange, anti-American tradition.

From Common Cause:

Nearly 600,000 Americans living in the District of Columbia have no voting representation in Congress. It's the only national capital among the world's democracies that lacks a vote. Even citizens in Baghdad have the right to representation in Iraq's legislature.

The DC Voting Rights Act recognizes that partisan political considerations have always entered into issues that are fundamentally about fairness and justice. This proposal puts those considerations aside by adding two new seats to the House, one for the District and another that will go to Utah, which barely missed gaining another seat after the last census. It's a practical, fair solution to a problem that has been a stain on our democracy for over 200 years.

Even in the bitterly divided partisan atmosphere in Congress, this historic bill can pass in the next few days. But we need your help now!

Click here to fill out a quick form and tell your representative to do the right thing.

I will be paying close attention to the roll call on this vote. The only problem with this bill (other than the fact that it gives Mormons another vote – have to take the good with the bad when it comes to democracy) is that it took so long to get to the floor. I'd like to hear the "opposition" to this bill.

Posted by Andrew Warner at 2:26 PM | Permalink | Comments   

Since the 2006 election came to an abrupt close, mainstream media and blogs alike have quickly shifted their focus towards the nail-biting 2008 election.

The next presidential race is an exciting one. For one, we are all going to score a big win when smirking President Bush is kicked out on his ass. That's pretty exciting. A female candidate is out in front of the pack as of today. That's kind of exciting as well. To make it even more exhilarating, her main competition might come from an African-American.

As an added kicker, Republicans might run someone comfortable enough with his own sexuality to go out in drag (Rudy Giuliani).

But we would be foolish to lose sight of our shifty local politicians amidst all of the excitement. Controversial budgets and throwing the keys of the city to 3CDC should keep our attention, but it's hard to focus when we are blinded by the big name politicians that steal the front page of every newspaper (well, behind sports at least). If anything, this smoke screen will provide extra cover for our beloved incumbents who have such a hard time getting elected anyway.

If Cincinnati is lucky, Gannett will hold true to its new "hyper-local" policy and give our local elections as much coverage as they are trying to throw at little league soccer games and Cub Scout meetings.

It's safe to say they won't fill up their space with original, in-depth coverage of the national elections, so it's a possibility.

Posted by Andrew Warner at 1:45 PM | Permalink | Comments   

Thursday, as you probably know by now, marks day one of a smoke-free Ohio. In spite of all the false arguments from the other side about damaging the economy, impugning "civil rights," and whatever else they pulled out of their ass, we are now a part of progressive America (in one small regard at least).

As an independent/Green, or whatever you want to call me, political victories are usually entirely too elusive, but it makes the small victories all the sweeter.

The best way to show support for a smoke-free Ohio is to get out to your favorite establishments on Thursday. Have a beer, check out a lane and rent some cruddy shoes (bowling, ha), or take your family out to dinner. I have no worry that more people are going to get out and spend their dollars now that they don't have to inhale other people's poor choices, but it's still important to celebrate on Thursday.

And if businesses decide to piss on the will of voters, there's always the snitch line to report wrong-doers: 1-866-559-OHIO.

Posted by Andrew Warner at 1:26 PM | Permalink | Comments