Sometimes I use the blog to write notes to myself, and this is one of them.
In deference to my fans, I'll endeavor to keep these personal thoughts out of the weekly Tribune column, although I have yet to formulate a plan for this week's effort. Fortunately, the quarterly "Food & Dining" piece almost is finished. I await an e-mail with answers to a question or two, and I can put that one to bed.
Meanwhile, I'm reading Jonathan Franzen's novel, "Freedom," and enjoying it immensely. This may be why I've gotten no work done this weekend -- although last night's interlude at Bank Street Brewhouse absorbed a few hours, too. The firm, meaty John Dory fish with fingerling potatoes and mushrooms, washed down with Tunnel Vision, was sublime, as was the company.
Another reason: Yesterday's screening at Baxter Avenue Theatres of 4192: The Crowning of The Hit King, a hagiographic, revisionist, fluff piece of a "documentary" about baseball player Pete Rose that compelled me to being making bullet lists of the many pertinent facts omitted, including serial gambling, indefinite expulsion from baseball, exclsuion from the Hall of Fame owing to tne preceding, imprisonment for tax evasion, use of a corked bat, and a central tackiness of character second only to Elvis in the annals of misplaced America hero worship.
Two tickets cost $13.50, a sum better spent for alcohol of any grade. In related news, I learned that after forty years, I still heartily detest Pete Rose.
Three days after crashing my bicycle on dry keaves (the indignity), my left wrist and right knee remained sore, so I went out and stuck 45 km on the year's tote board, which put me past 5,500 km bicycling for 2010. The goal is 6,000, and an average of 500 km a month for my 50th birthday year. There's time, and then, in January, it starts again. But Edison Pena ... whoa.
Books, criminals, bicycles ... their cerebral stimulation is dedicated to fascist fighters everywhere. Concurrently, a new theme is emerging since Tuesday's debacle, one with multitudinous impact on next year's city elections.
The enemy of my enemy truly is my friend.
Our friend. I'm going to see if I can finish that book. Later.
Sunday, November 07, 2010
Saturday, November 06, 2010
Here's one we missed: "G'town says 'no' to tolls."
It's where I grew up. Can Rep. Clere and St. Daniels take away Georgetown's sewers for such childish impertinence?
G'town says 'no' to tolls, by Lee Cable (Clarion)
... "The town board determined that it is not good policy to exact tools on a daily basis for Southern Indiana residents whose livelihood depends on a job in Kentucky," said Jim Reynolds, public works director for the town, who attended the meeting. "The Interstate bridges serve regional and national interests, so funding should not be from local commuters."
Friday, November 05, 2010
Ancient Rage, garlic and some kippers ...
Friday potpourri.
Today has been a good day for cyber-housekeeping, as I'm only partially ambulatory after wrecking my bicycle yesterday and taking a solid pavement hit to the knee. Damned leaves.
Being a leg man, King Larry will be happy to know that I still look mighty good in tights. He'd surely notice a bit of swelling ... and also some in my knee.
I've shifted my personal @newalbanian Twitter feed from Potable Curmudgeon to NA Confidential, and replaced it at the beer blog with @nabcnews. This makes more sense, because I tend to tweet about local affairs and politics.
I've also posted a ton of past trip photos at Potable Curmudgeon Inc., my travel/consultancy Facebook page. My proposed 2011 trips: In late June or early July, Bamberg Beercycling (Northern Bavaria), and then in September, Belgian Beer Hunting via motorcoach, including the hop fest in Poperinge. Each will be 7-8 day durations, minimum, and details are forthcoming as I get to them.
I'm rethinking NAC's modified anonymity clause. It strikes me as ridiculous that while Jeff and I possess the cojones to risk "reprisals" (really?) and "damage" to our interests merely by signing our names to what we write, others can take advantage of their fundamental cowardice to lob inanities. Contrary to what these intellectual vandals believe, I highly value discussion held on a level playing field. However, let there be one pseudonymous participant, and it becomes unfair to the ones with genuine integrity. Cowardice cheapens the dialogue. There'll be no "outing," but there may be a change come December 31.
There might be more, but I'm breaking for a beer.
Being a leg man, King Larry will be happy to know that I still look mighty good in tights. He'd surely notice a bit of swelling ... and also some in my knee.
I've shifted my personal @newalbanian Twitter feed from Potable Curmudgeon to NA Confidential, and replaced it at the beer blog with @nabcnews. This makes more sense, because I tend to tweet about local affairs and politics.
I've also posted a ton of past trip photos at Potable Curmudgeon Inc., my travel/consultancy Facebook page. My proposed 2011 trips: In late June or early July, Bamberg Beercycling (Northern Bavaria), and then in September, Belgian Beer Hunting via motorcoach, including the hop fest in Poperinge. Each will be 7-8 day durations, minimum, and details are forthcoming as I get to them.
I'm rethinking NAC's modified anonymity clause. It strikes me as ridiculous that while Jeff and I possess the cojones to risk "reprisals" (really?) and "damage" to our interests merely by signing our names to what we write, others can take advantage of their fundamental cowardice to lob inanities. Contrary to what these intellectual vandals believe, I highly value discussion held on a level playing field. However, let there be one pseudonymous participant, and it becomes unfair to the ones with genuine integrity. Cowardice cheapens the dialogue. There'll be no "outing," but there may be a change come December 31.
There might be more, but I'm breaking for a beer.
Develop New Albany silent as tolling Machiavellians giggle.
A couple months back, I asked Develop New Albany's president if the organization, which I once happily served as board member, would be taking a stand on tolling existing bridges to finance the ORBP boondoggle. He said it would.
I'm waiting, Mike.
It is my belief that given the Ohio River's historic role as wall between communities on each side, tolls will devastate small businesses on the Indiana shore. There will be an immediate decline in discretionary traffic from Kentucky to Indiana (how many Hoosier have little choice but to work in Kentucky?), and even if the decline reverses itself over time, the damage already will be done.
As noted many times previously, I have dedicated my life in small business to the establishment of some movement that will unite the metro area and bring Kentucky money to Indiana, not just to my own business, but to Indiana, period.
The single most insulting phenomenon about the high-powered wagons circling around the boondoggle's outmoded, solution-for-yesterday imperative is that not a soul in favor of tolls will considered my objection, that tolling will cripple small businesses in Indiana, publicly.
Not Clere, not Grooms, not Dalby, not Stemler, not Saint Daniels, not the Bridges Authority. Not a single one of the suits are willing to discuss this aloud with someone like me ... but in their eagerness to prattle about business, and to glorify people in business ... well, I fit that description. Don't I have sufficient sweat equity as a businessman to ask as much? Isn't two decades in business enough to get a seat at their table, to not to be deleted, ignored and spat upon? To not be patronizingly treated like a child?
Isn't it, Ed Clere?
Mike Kopp, are you there somewhere?
I assumed DNA would find the topic interesting. Wouldn't you? DNA damned well should be considering the prospective blow to downtown revitalization from tolling, don't you think? Isn't it why DNA is a Main Street organization in the first place? To protect, to defend, to be a collective voice?
Am I asking too many difficult questions of an organization whose silence now appears little more than meek, tacit support of the shifty dissembling and the blatant lies about tolling (it isn't in the plan; it won't be that bad; shut up and respect your betters) that we can clearly see, three days after the election, to be as obvious as the noses on our faces?
Maybe noses are not evident when blinders are required wearing. I find it shameful, and once again, glaring evidence of NAC's observation that in the absence of principled action, "behind the scenes" diplomacy and polite posturing are little more than the muffled death rattles of the doomed.
You are in the process of being sold down a tolled river. Can we at least detect a pulse before the lemmings are herded over the edge?
Anyone?
I'm waiting, Mike.
It is my belief that given the Ohio River's historic role as wall between communities on each side, tolls will devastate small businesses on the Indiana shore. There will be an immediate decline in discretionary traffic from Kentucky to Indiana (how many Hoosier have little choice but to work in Kentucky?), and even if the decline reverses itself over time, the damage already will be done.
As noted many times previously, I have dedicated my life in small business to the establishment of some movement that will unite the metro area and bring Kentucky money to Indiana, not just to my own business, but to Indiana, period.
The single most insulting phenomenon about the high-powered wagons circling around the boondoggle's outmoded, solution-for-yesterday imperative is that not a soul in favor of tolls will considered my objection, that tolling will cripple small businesses in Indiana, publicly.
Not Clere, not Grooms, not Dalby, not Stemler, not Saint Daniels, not the Bridges Authority. Not a single one of the suits are willing to discuss this aloud with someone like me ... but in their eagerness to prattle about business, and to glorify people in business ... well, I fit that description. Don't I have sufficient sweat equity as a businessman to ask as much? Isn't two decades in business enough to get a seat at their table, to not to be deleted, ignored and spat upon? To not be patronizingly treated like a child?
Isn't it, Ed Clere?
Mike Kopp, are you there somewhere?
I assumed DNA would find the topic interesting. Wouldn't you? DNA damned well should be considering the prospective blow to downtown revitalization from tolling, don't you think? Isn't it why DNA is a Main Street organization in the first place? To protect, to defend, to be a collective voice?
Am I asking too many difficult questions of an organization whose silence now appears little more than meek, tacit support of the shifty dissembling and the blatant lies about tolling (it isn't in the plan; it won't be that bad; shut up and respect your betters) that we can clearly see, three days after the election, to be as obvious as the noses on our faces?
Maybe noses are not evident when blinders are required wearing. I find it shameful, and once again, glaring evidence of NAC's observation that in the absence of principled action, "behind the scenes" diplomacy and polite posturing are little more than the muffled death rattles of the doomed.
You are in the process of being sold down a tolled river. Can we at least detect a pulse before the lemmings are herded over the edge?
Anyone?
Thursday, November 04, 2010
We told you so: On Tuesday, you voted in favor of tolls. Kerry Stemler thanks you for it.
Two days after the election, the Bridges Authority has held its scheduled meeting, and guess what?
WAVE-3 sez: Get ready to pay up to cross over. Tolls are part of the plan to pay for the Ohio River bridges. That was the latest on the toll controversy Thursday from the Bridges Authority Finance Committee.
As we've been telling you almost daily since summer, local politicians like Ed Clere and Ron Grooms, eager to justify the endorsement by their pro-tolls paymasters at the Republican political action entity known as One Southern Indiana, always were seeking to avoid the pure reality of lying outright to the voters by their dissembling, deleting, ducking, covering and evading any semblance of straight talk on tolling existing bridges to pay for the bridges boondoggle.
Clere and Grooms kept saying we must wait, and it was too early to tell. It took all of two days, and Kerry Stemler -- 1Si's chief puppeteer, who (of course) donated to both of them, was the one to gently break the news while brandishing the KY-Jelly.
Like I said, we told you so.
WAVE-3 sez: Get ready to pay up to cross over. Tolls are part of the plan to pay for the Ohio River bridges. That was the latest on the toll controversy Thursday from the Bridges Authority Finance Committee.
As we've been telling you almost daily since summer, local politicians like Ed Clere and Ron Grooms, eager to justify the endorsement by their pro-tolls paymasters at the Republican political action entity known as One Southern Indiana, always were seeking to avoid the pure reality of lying outright to the voters by their dissembling, deleting, ducking, covering and evading any semblance of straight talk on tolling existing bridges to pay for the bridges boondoggle.
Clere and Grooms kept saying we must wait, and it was too early to tell. It took all of two days, and Kerry Stemler -- 1Si's chief puppeteer, who (of course) donated to both of them, was the one to gently break the news while brandishing the KY-Jelly.
Like I said, we told you so.
Today's Tribune column: "Hardtack, humbuggery and hangovers."
It's important for me to point to those rare occasions when I agree with the exultant GOP county chairman, Dave Matthews, so here's this month's convergence. It is reported by Daniel Suddeath in today's Tribune.
Matthews said there’s already a “consensus of dissatisfaction with the city council as a whole. You don’t have to look far to see the City of New Albany needs new leadership.”Who knows? We may harmonize yet again some time next spring. As we await that momentous occasion, here is today's column link:
BAYLOR: Hardtack, humbuggery and hangovers
... There is no uncertainty about the ultimate verdict, because by the time you read this, the eternal futility of America’s two-party power duopoly will have been reconfirmed. The same country that fought a lengthy Cold War on the sacred principle that one-party states are quite bad will have illustrated yet again that two-party states are no better.
If anyone uncovers evidence supporting the proposition that the two party system actually works, please share it with me. I’ll be at the bar, fortifying my liver for next year’s city election cycle.
Wednesday, November 03, 2010
Brief memo to candidates.
Pick up your idiotic fucking yard signs -- now.
The Open Air Museum thanks you.
The Open Air Museum thanks you.
Primary season is right around the corner.
D-Day (Bruce McGill): War's over, man. Wormer dropped the big one.
Bluto: Over? Did you say "over"? Nothing is over until we decide it is! Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor? Hell no!
Otter (Tim Matheson): [whispering] Germans?
Boon (Peter Riegert): Forget it, he's rolling.
Bluto: And it ain't over now. 'Cause when the goin' gets tough... [thinks hard] the tough get goin'! Who's with me? Let's go! [runs out, alone; then returns] What the **** happened to the Delta I used to know? Where's the spirit? Where's the guts, huh? "Ooh, we're afraid to go with you Bluto, we might get in trouble." Well just kiss my *** from now on! Not me! I'm not gonna take this. Wormer, he's a dead man! Marmalard, dead! Niedermeyer -
Otter: Dead! Bluto's right. Psychotic, but absolutely right. We gotta take these bastards. Now we could do it with conventional weapons that could take years and cost millions of lives. No, I think we have to go all out. I think that this situation absolutely requires a really futile and stupid gesture be done on somebody's part.
Bluto: We're just the guys to do it.
D-Day: Let's do it.
Bluto: LET'S DO IT!!
(From "Animal House"; cribbed on-line)
Bluto: Over? Did you say "over"? Nothing is over until we decide it is! Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor? Hell no!
Otter (Tim Matheson): [whispering] Germans?
Boon (Peter Riegert): Forget it, he's rolling.
Bluto: And it ain't over now. 'Cause when the goin' gets tough... [thinks hard] the tough get goin'! Who's with me? Let's go! [runs out, alone; then returns] What the **** happened to the Delta I used to know? Where's the spirit? Where's the guts, huh? "Ooh, we're afraid to go with you Bluto, we might get in trouble." Well just kiss my *** from now on! Not me! I'm not gonna take this. Wormer, he's a dead man! Marmalard, dead! Niedermeyer -
Otter: Dead! Bluto's right. Psychotic, but absolutely right. We gotta take these bastards. Now we could do it with conventional weapons that could take years and cost millions of lives. No, I think we have to go all out. I think that this situation absolutely requires a really futile and stupid gesture be done on somebody's part.
Bluto: We're just the guys to do it.
D-Day: Let's do it.
Bluto: LET'S DO IT!!
(From "Animal House"; cribbed on-line)
Open thread: Rate your favorite countries for prospective emigration.
Nah, not really.
As the entire world is aware, Democrats almost everywhere in America absrobed a pounding, but locally and regionally, the extent of the party's eclipse yesterday was stunning and historic in dimension.
It was an epic thrashing, to be sure -- so, what next?
Republicans nationwide get another chance to inflict various tribal orthodoxies on demographic trends that still bode ill for them in the future.
More importantly, the 2011 city election cycle begins now. Council? Mayor?
Bridge tolling, anyone?
As the entire world is aware, Democrats almost everywhere in America absrobed a pounding, but locally and regionally, the extent of the party's eclipse yesterday was stunning and historic in dimension.
It was an epic thrashing, to be sure -- so, what next?
Republicans nationwide get another chance to inflict various tribal orthodoxies on demographic trends that still bode ill for them in the future.
More importantly, the 2011 city election cycle begins now. Council? Mayor?
Bridge tolling, anyone?
Tuesday, November 02, 2010
Attention: Both NABC locations are open and serving beer today!
Touting election day alcohol sales at my own establishments does not make me a capitalist. It makes me a physician, because craft beer is medicine, and it makes me a patriot, because These Machines Kill Fascists.
But not a capitalist.
So ... don't forget that both NABC locations are open and serving beer today. The state law changed earlier this year, and the prohibition on election day imbibing finally was removed.
The Pizzeria & Public House opens at 11:00 a.m., and Bank Street Brewhouse opens at 2:00 p.m.
Yep ... it's Elector Day in Indiana, and NABC is Elector HQ.
I'll be at Bank Street for a while tonight, so I may see some of you there.
But not a capitalist.
So ... don't forget that both NABC locations are open and serving beer today. The state law changed earlier this year, and the prohibition on election day imbibing finally was removed.
The Pizzeria & Public House opens at 11:00 a.m., and Bank Street Brewhouse opens at 2:00 p.m.
Yep ... it's Elector Day in Indiana, and NABC is Elector HQ.
I'll be at Bank Street for a while tonight, so I may see some of you there.
On election eve, Clarksville's town council says "no" to tolls.
There were Twitter notices last evening to the effect that the Clarksville Town Council has passed an anti-toll resolution by a vote of 6-0, with one abstaining. Clarksville's governing body joins New Albany, Utica, Jeffersonville, Sellersburg and Louisville Metro in opposing tolling existing bridges to finance Kerry Stemler's and Michael Dalby's ORBP boondoggle.
When there is more to add, I will update this post.
When there is more to add, I will update this post.
Dalby panics: Help, I'm being muzzled ... Watership Down to Commandante Stemler ... HQ, they're not listening ...
On election eve, as Clarksville's town council emphatically said "no" to tolls, State Senate candidate, Jeffersonville city council member and 1Si endorsee Ron Grooms continued his campaign-long duck and cover on the topic of bridge tolls.
I've probably never enjoyed voting against someone so much, unless it was ... nah, never mind.
Ironically, Monday evening also proved to be the occasion for Jeffersonville's council to consider greasing One Southern Indiana's sweaty outretched and upturned palm.
Public policy committee apologist Michael Dalby was there to ask for continued payment for non-itemized "services rendered," and according to media accounts by the Tribune's David A. Mann and the C-J's Ben Zion Hershberg, several legislators weren't sounding all that eager to meekly pass the K-Y Jelly.
Evidently 1Si's devolution into political advocacy isn't playing well in Jeffersonville, either. Both media articles mention New Albany's "support" for One Southern Indiana, as described in greater detail in this bit from the NAC archive:
Meanwhile, there's the inconvenient matter of council member Grooms, seated on a body that considers monetary support for the organization that endorsed him in his bid for office. Seeing as Grooms' staff at Facebook is nowhere near as efficient with their stained cudgels as Rep. Ed Clere's, I actually was able to post this comment on Grooms' Facebook site:
Finally, on the whole topic of 1Si's dizzying descent into a quivering, servile arm of Kerry Stemler's right-wing proclivities, here's my FB status for today:
I've probably never enjoyed voting against someone so much, unless it was ... nah, never mind.
Ironically, Monday evening also proved to be the occasion for Jeffersonville's council to consider greasing One Southern Indiana's sweaty outretched and upturned palm.
Public policy committee apologist Michael Dalby was there to ask for continued payment for non-itemized "services rendered," and according to media accounts by the Tribune's David A. Mann and the C-J's Ben Zion Hershberg, several legislators weren't sounding all that eager to meekly pass the K-Y Jelly.
Evidently 1Si's devolution into political advocacy isn't playing well in Jeffersonville, either. Both media articles mention New Albany's "support" for One Southern Indiana, as described in greater detail in this bit from the NAC archive:
Caesar stars in "conflict of interest" night as council approves, but slashes, bucks to 1Si.Appropriately, reporter Hershberg manages to locate Jeffersonville's own version of Caesar:
... And then there's Bob Caesar, 1Si member, 1Si advocate, 1Si fan, and sometimes even playing at being a councilman in real life. After exercising the most blatant conflict of interest vote since Benedetti's decision not to absent herself from her brother's real estate zoning appearances, Caesar took advantage of a five minute recess (for the purpose of council members receiving their stipends?) to bound across the room, beaming, and land in Michael Dalby's lap. The last time anyone saw giddiness like that, it was probably the high school prom. Unlike the aftermath of the prom, someone in this instance "got some."
“They have been very good to Jeffersonville,” City Council member Ed Zastawny said of One Southern Indiana at Monday night's meeting. “They have brought a lot of jobs here, they have a right to endorse candidates.”If readers detect anything approximating logic in Zastawny's jobs-to-endorsement linkage, please kneel in the direction of 1Si and chant, "Huzzah."
Meanwhile, there's the inconvenient matter of council member Grooms, seated on a body that considers monetary support for the organization that endorsed him in his bid for office. Seeing as Grooms' staff at Facebook is nowhere near as efficient with their stained cudgels as Rep. Ed Clere's, I actually was able to post this comment on Grooms' Facebook site:
Start your egg timers; I neither (a) expect the comment to stand, nor (b) believe there'll be an answer."Thank you for ducking the tolling issue to the bitter end. Your paymasters at ISi deeply appreciate it. By the way, will you be voting on the council funding to the organization that endorsed you?"
Finally, on the whole topic of 1Si's dizzying descent into a quivering, servile arm of Kerry Stemler's right-wing proclivities, here's my FB status for today:
"The corporate oligarchs and rabid theocratic fundamentalists who pull the Republican party's strings thank you for believing the propaganda and voting GOP. But why ruin a perfectly good day talking about One Southern Indiana?"
Spurning the dust to win the prize ... or just plain "voting"?
Monday, November 01, 2010
Synthetic marijuana ban to become the latest unenforced ordinance as council meets tonight.
There's a city council meeting tonight, and it will be the final session of 2010 before the real fun begins, as we prepare for a city election in 2011 and all the mad hijinks sure to accompany it.
The early favorite for Professor Erika's campaign slogan as he/she squares off against Councilman Cappuccino: "Witch's Brew and VAB, Too."
Funny what happens when you swap a "w" for that other letter.
I'll be at Office Hours tonight. Some of the Gang of Pour will be in the peanut gallery at the council meeting. Here's the agenda. Daniel Suddeath provides a preview of it.
Somewhere, a dog barks.
The early favorite for Professor Erika's campaign slogan as he/she squares off against Councilman Cappuccino: "Witch's Brew and VAB, Too."
Funny what happens when you swap a "w" for that other letter.
I'll be at Office Hours tonight. Some of the Gang of Pour will be in the peanut gallery at the council meeting. Here's the agenda. Daniel Suddeath provides a preview of it.
Somewhere, a dog barks.
Sunday, October 31, 2010
The Upward Spiral.
This is the closest I'm going to come to an endorsement, too, not just of particular candidates but of politics in general. This is long and at times a bit hokey by my sometimes cynical standards but, if you hang with it, there's some good stuff in there.
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