The posh luxuriousness of City Hall subsidies, or Fox News and DNA at The Breakwater.

Fox News in the uninhabited Breakwater community space at 9:00 p.m. on Tuesday, July 25. A fusion of hirsute Neo-Hipster veneer shadings with Empty Nester faux chic. Relevant, exciting.

Sadly, the best idea David Duggins ever had lies over there, cold and shivering on the cutting room floor. New Albany badly needs Bocce Ball! Yes, but maybe Dugout was just biding his time, awaiting his transfer at NAHA so that now, a playing field can be installed where the poor people used to live.

As Bluegill observes:

The perennial problem with trying to do half-assed "modern" architecture on the cheap is that it almost always ends up looking just like half-assed "modern" architecture done on the cheap. We now have a big, ugly building that won't age well where most people can't afford to live anyway. Per Reaganomic dreams of the city, we have arrived.

Speaking of Breakwater, Develop New Albany's next networking function will be held in the very same space as the Fox News telecast depicted above. In fact, we are urged to Make Networking Great Again.

But there's even more.

Mayor Jeff Gahan Presents: A special drawing for 100 lbs of cured and rendered TIF Sausage AND a free sewer tap-in waiver! (see full drawing rules below)

(Corporate clients only; zip code must be outside the 47150; pre-approval by Warren Nash is necessary. Certain other restrictions apply. Republicans, public housing residents, John Gonder, Diane Benedeti and staffers of NA Confidential as well as their families past, present or future are ineligible for this drawing)

It reminds me of my conversation with a DNA stalwart.

Me: Your organization isn't helping matters very much.

Him: We're fine the way we are, and I'm tired of people like you criticizing us.

Me: I only do it because your organization isn't helping matters very much.

Him: Well, stop criticizing and join the organization, so as to achieve change from within.

Me: How likely is "change" if you think your organization is fine, and you and the others aren't leaving it?

Him: The Cubs are back in first place!

See you in the funny papers ... though probably not at the Breakwater networking event.

Suits just give me the chills.

DNA Mixer at the Underground Station on Tuesday, August 2.

Visit these locally owned businesses in the 

Underground Station

Green Earth Outdoors
812-510-GEAR (4327)
GreenEarthOutdoors.com

Dolce Vita Boutique
812-725-0760
Dolce Vita on Facebook

New Albany Massage Therapeutics
270-903-7664
Newalbanymassage.com

Body and Brow Boutique
812-225-9191 
Bodyandbrow.com

Aladdin's Cafe
502-489-7969
www.thealaddinscafe.com

Dream Boutique
812-987-8019
Dream Boutique Website

Christine Cherry Photography
812-987-2437
Christine Cherry Photography on Facebook

Underground Classic Cuts
812-725-9273
Underground Classic Cuts on Facebook

The Olivet
812-913-4430
Theolivet.com

Sew Fitting
502-548-8733
Sewfitting.com

EXP Realty
812-734-6048
Exprealty.com

Next Merchant Mixer gathering is Tuesday morning, July 26.

Curt Peters sent this notice; if you're doing business downtown, plan to attend.

Our next Merchant Mixer is Tuesday morning at 8:30 at Prestons' Art Center on Pearl Street between Market and Spring. The mayor plans to be present. Topics will include information on new businesses, how taking care of the flowers is working out, how not giving parking tickets is working out, what to do about improving the appearance of vacant buildings, signage, and dog refuse. Bring your additional topics. I will invite Ed Clere and Scott Wood for the signage topic and Matt Denison on the dog refuse issue. PLEASE INVITE OTHER MERCHANTS AROUND YOUR PLACE TO COME. If you want to bring a brunch snack item to share, that would be fine. We will be finished by 9:30.

Either you'll get the joke, or you won't.

Develop New Albany's "First Things First" on Wednesday, April 1 at the YMCA.

Develop New Albany's "First Tuesday" at Connor's Place, January 6.

Develop New Albany's monthly "1st Tuesday" networking event is tomorrow.

Illustration courtesy of Develop New Albany. I'll be there with the beer (note to DB: Yes, Com-Dk).

A successful First Tuesday puts the lie to conjoined posturing.

Yesterday marked the third time that Develop New Albany has sponsored a “First Tuesday” networking event. It was held at Liz at Home on Main Street, and was attended by roughly 150 people. Seeing as I have a pocketful of business cards, I’d say that the premise is more than valid.

Considering that the number in attendance yesterday doubled that of the inaugural event in May, others apparently agree with this assessment.

There was a wonderful spread of nibbles assembled by Liz at Home and the Main Street Café & Treats (never ignore smoked salmon and a dusting of capers), plenty of wine, and NABC beer. More importantly, there was a good vibe afoot, and that’s important, because while there’ll always be naysayers, positive thinking and simple optimism on the part of those willing to work hard – and who put their money and names on the line every single day – cannot be overestimated in terms of ultimate achievement.

You can’t win the game without believing you can win. It’s trite, but it’s true. Events like yesterday’s after-work networking gathering help to instill and perpetuate positive thinking in both a business sense and in terms of civic sentiment. They help make things happen.

Of course, for some, making things happen rates a scarlet letter … and it’s unfortunate.

In the political sphere, the coming weeks are going to feature a great deal of histrionic, theatrical grandstanding on the part of those lesser lights in the locally elected firmament, whose preconceived notions of limited personal aptitude compels them to constantly work against success on the part of others.

Having done all they could to rig failure and induce chaos, they’re happy to mount their respective soapboxes and point to previous dire warnings of doom as evidence of Nostradamus-like skills of prognostication.

It’s all bunk, and nothing could be further from the truth. With each passing month, Boner & Jethro’s jihads against modernity grow more shrill and repetitive. As forthcoming items are considered here at NAC, always remember that a steady stream of “no” votes emanating from the likes of Dan Coffey and Steve Price have never been accompanied by alternatives, further options or a platform of their own.

Like the Wizard’s tiresome and self-aggrandizing council chamber monologues, all of it amounts to little more than an ongoing filibuster against the future.

Too bad, then, that alongside sure things like death and taxes is the sad knowledge that neither of the conjoined councilmen will ever be caught dead at a First Tuesday function. Not only would they be forced to chat with far too many of “them people,” whom they loathe, but they’d be confronted with the damning cognitive dissonance of consorting with the capable, with the doers, and with those who can. Like the Wicked Witch, there’d be summary melting of obstructionists, and it would be ugly.

Not unwelcome, though.

Next Develop New Albany "First Tuesday" networking event is this Tuesday, June 3.

Gee, wonder if it will be the same old Bud at the cash bar ... but seriously, the inaugural event in May was very well attended. Be sure and RSVP.