Sorry, English instructors... I meant to write "To what is Campbell Brown Up?"
Anyway, she must have done something because the number of hits my blog gets as a result of Campbell Brown searches has spiked this week. I presume it has something to do with the RNC.
Campbell Brown is by far the #1 search item that reaches this blog. This is a result of my posts, Campbell Brown Exposed and Campbell Brown Exposed, Pt. II.
Here's what surfers want to know about Campbell Brown; most of these searches have been repeated over and over in various forms over the past 15 months:
campbell brown's husband
campbell brown is she jewish
campbell brown republican
campbell brown sexist
support campbell brown
I don't know what she said, but I'm going to go out on a limb and guess it was something other than incisive wisdom. She-- like most of her mainstream media talking head colleagues-- is on TV only because she says what her producers tell her to say and looks cute doing it. Once either of those two things ceases to be, her marginal relevance as a news figure will subside into occasional appearances on daytime TV as "special correspondent."
Anyway, if someone out there reaches this post and wants to tell me what she said this time, that would be great.
03 September 2008
02 September 2008
Oberlin: Carbon-free Commencement
Wow, talk about going the whole nine yards...
...Oberlin is trying to surpass the standard. Beginning last spring, students, faculty and staff joined together to form the Green Commencement/Reunion committee, which has reinvented the mentality surrounding the weekend.
...a highlight of the 2008 Commencement is a $5,000 donation from Bon Appétit, the food services management company for the College, to offset the carbon emissions for the entire event.
The College is also renting hybrid cars for those who need assistance getting around campus during the event-filled weekend.
...the College will serve 25 to 30 percent local food on compostable corn plastic bioware. Diners can mop their lips with non-toxic paper napkins without any colored dyes. Thirsty visitors will notice that the 1,300 plastic bottles of water usually present at Commencement have been replaced with pitchers and glasses.
Pretty impressive. Gotta tip your hat to that kind of effort. But the best line in the article: "If we can make Commencement carbon neutral, the next step might be doing the same for Parents Weekend, Safer Sex Night and Drag Ball.”
No, mom and dad! That was last weekend! This is Safer Sex Night and I... um, made plans.
...Oberlin is trying to surpass the standard. Beginning last spring, students, faculty and staff joined together to form the Green Commencement/Reunion committee, which has reinvented the mentality surrounding the weekend.
...a highlight of the 2008 Commencement is a $5,000 donation from Bon Appétit, the food services management company for the College, to offset the carbon emissions for the entire event.
Purchasing carbon offsets has become popular in recent years, though the mechanics of the process still mystify many. Basically, when an individual or an institution acts in a way that creates carbon emissions, they can pay an organization such as Carbonfund.org — Oberlin’s site of choice — and the money will go to projects that reduce atmospheric carbon, such as wind farms, solar fields and reforestation efforts.
Danielle Young, the interim executive director of the Alumni Association... designed a rideshare website where visitors can post their travel information and find carpools either from the airport or across several states... In addition, Young set up an online reservation system with the Cleveland Hopkins Airport, so as to avoid sending College vans every hour as she has done in the past.The College is also renting hybrid cars for those who need assistance getting around campus during the event-filled weekend.
...the College will serve 25 to 30 percent local food on compostable corn plastic bioware. Diners can mop their lips with non-toxic paper napkins without any colored dyes. Thirsty visitors will notice that the 1,300 plastic bottles of water usually present at Commencement have been replaced with pitchers and glasses.
Pretty impressive. Gotta tip your hat to that kind of effort. But the best line in the article: "If we can make Commencement carbon neutral, the next step might be doing the same for Parents Weekend, Safer Sex Night and Drag Ball.”
No, mom and dad! That was last weekend! This is Safer Sex Night and I... um, made plans.
28 August 2008
Ignorance on School Boards, Vol. XXIII
Mason BOE member Jennifer Miller is a good Christian. She knows that challenging young minds to think for themselves could have disastrous consequences, like leading them to think for themselves. She knows that Satan spreads his Muslim homosexual agenda by many means, but among the most insidious is that implacable scourge upon the minds of good folk: award-winning literature.
Board member Jennifer Miller challenged one of the books, The Kite Runner, because she said it includes a rape scene and she questioned how it would be used in class discussions about religion.
"I don't think this book is appropriate for our community," Miller argued, adding it would be irresponsible to add the selection.
Miller said she is concerned about how teachers would lead discussions about religion... she was concerned about questions that could arise concerning whose side God would take in the novel. "I just wonder how Christians are going to be portrayed in that setting,"
(article)
So she recommends lowering expectations and avoiding challenging the students in order to safeguard her own religious bias. WTF? If this woman wants to be involved in education it should be in her church's Bible study, not in public schools.
The other BOE members didn't buy her thinly veiled religiosity and overruled her, 4-1.
Board member Jennifer Miller challenged one of the books, The Kite Runner, because she said it includes a rape scene and she questioned how it would be used in class discussions about religion.
"I don't think this book is appropriate for our community," Miller argued, adding it would be irresponsible to add the selection.
Miller said she is concerned about how teachers would lead discussions about religion... she was concerned about questions that could arise concerning whose side God would take in the novel. "I just wonder how Christians are going to be portrayed in that setting,"
(article)
So she recommends lowering expectations and avoiding challenging the students in order to safeguard her own religious bias. WTF? If this woman wants to be involved in education it should be in her church's Bible study, not in public schools.
The other BOE members didn't buy her thinly veiled religiosity and overruled her, 4-1.
Streetcar Study: "Economically Worthwhile"
Reported in the Business Courier:
A plan for a four-mile streetcar loop in Cincinnati has been vindicated by University of Cincinnati researcher George Vredeveld and associates, the university said Wednesday.
“The proposed streetcar system is economically worthwhile,” Vredeveld said in a news release.
Vredeveld said [consulting firm] HDR was “in the ballpark” with its average estimate of a $315.8 million economic impact over 35 years, and a conservative estimate of $186.8 million over that period.
And from HDR's publication Trends in Transit Financing: Using Local Funds for Streetcars:
It's difficult for streetcar systems to qualify for Federal Transit Authority funding because the criteria are focused on travel time savings for suburban commuters, not the need for effective downtown circulation. As a result, sponsors increasingly look to alternative methods of financing using local resources.
A startup first-phase streetcar line two to three miles in length (four to six track miles) can be expected to cost between $50 million and $100 million. If the line is strategically located, it may be possible to raise this amount entirely from local resources due to the strong real estate, business, tax generation, cost avoidance/savings and other benefits that can accrue along the line.
Existing property will increase in value, and key destination points will provide more incentive for new development, particularly residential growth. Routing should also access potential redevelopment areas, where urban redevelopment can be unlocked or enhanced through good urban circulation.
The presence of the line can be conservatively anticipated to increase the value of [property within three blocks] by at least 10 percent, even before factoring in new development. The jump in valuation might be two to three times the original cost of the line. Over the course of a decade or more the streetcar could add billions of dollars worth of new development.
From the mixed news dept.: The FTA is reviewing its funding criteria to consider streetcar ("Small Starts") systems but the final rules are probably 3-5 years away. Should Cincy wait a few years for FTA funding or go it alone and start building asap?
A plan for a four-mile streetcar loop in Cincinnati has been vindicated by University of Cincinnati researcher George Vredeveld and associates, the university said Wednesday.
“The proposed streetcar system is economically worthwhile,” Vredeveld said in a news release.
Vredeveld said [consulting firm] HDR was “in the ballpark” with its average estimate of a $315.8 million economic impact over 35 years, and a conservative estimate of $186.8 million over that period.
And from HDR's publication Trends in Transit Financing: Using Local Funds for Streetcars:
It's difficult for streetcar systems to qualify for Federal Transit Authority funding because the criteria are focused on travel time savings for suburban commuters, not the need for effective downtown circulation. As a result, sponsors increasingly look to alternative methods of financing using local resources.
A startup first-phase streetcar line two to three miles in length (four to six track miles) can be expected to cost between $50 million and $100 million. If the line is strategically located, it may be possible to raise this amount entirely from local resources due to the strong real estate, business, tax generation, cost avoidance/savings and other benefits that can accrue along the line.
Existing property will increase in value, and key destination points will provide more incentive for new development, particularly residential growth. Routing should also access potential redevelopment areas, where urban redevelopment can be unlocked or enhanced through good urban circulation.
The presence of the line can be conservatively anticipated to increase the value of [property within three blocks] by at least 10 percent, even before factoring in new development. The jump in valuation might be two to three times the original cost of the line. Over the course of a decade or more the streetcar could add billions of dollars worth of new development.
From the mixed news dept.: The FTA is reviewing its funding criteria to consider streetcar ("Small Starts") systems but the final rules are probably 3-5 years away. Should Cincy wait a few years for FTA funding or go it alone and start building asap?
26 August 2008
Poverty, Violence and Occam's Razor
This news is no surprise to anyone who reads the science page now and then. Sadly, that rarely includes politicians and the special interests that support them. Much of this could have been prevented if there was a social and political commitment to make decisions based on scientific evidence instead of back-and-forth bickering between liberals and conservatives over social services, taxes and individual responsibility.
After studying the effects of childhood lead exposure for nearly 30 years, a University of Cincinnati researcher has found a positive correlation to violent criminal behavior and a deterioration of brain cells.
"We started the study in 1979 and recruited women who were pregnant or living in areas of Cincinnati that have high incidents of lead poisoning such as Over- the-Rhine, the West End, Avondale and some parts of Price Hill,"
"I've been involved with these kids for three decades and they ask me 'Why can't I hold onto a job? Why can't I maintain a stable domestic relationship?'" Dietrich said. "The argument is over; it's important for society as a whole to clearly put lead on the table as the culprit for problem children in the inner city who have low academic achievement."
The members of the study also had MRIs taken of their brains. With these images, researchers found a loss of brain cells in the part of the brain that affects the central nervous system. The brain cells lost are associated with the part of the brain that controls impulsive behavior, aggression, judgment and emotional regulation...
After studying the effects of childhood lead exposure for nearly 30 years, a University of Cincinnati researcher has found a positive correlation to violent criminal behavior and a deterioration of brain cells.
"We started the study in 1979 and recruited women who were pregnant or living in areas of Cincinnati that have high incidents of lead poisoning such as Over- the-Rhine, the West End, Avondale and some parts of Price Hill,"
"I've been involved with these kids for three decades and they ask me 'Why can't I hold onto a job? Why can't I maintain a stable domestic relationship?'" Dietrich said. "The argument is over; it's important for society as a whole to clearly put lead on the table as the culprit for problem children in the inner city who have low academic achievement."
The members of the study also had MRIs taken of their brains. With these images, researchers found a loss of brain cells in the part of the brain that affects the central nervous system. The brain cells lost are associated with the part of the brain that controls impulsive behavior, aggression, judgment and emotional regulation...
22 August 2008
Gift for the Person Who Has Everything...
... including hemorrhoids:
Hemorr-Ice
Not a suppository...not an ointment...but a new, clinically tested method of treating hemorrhoids with cold therapy. Hemorr-Ice® has a special cooling liquid sealed inside so it acts like an ice pack on your hemorrhoid . Simply apply the chilled inserter for two to five minutes. Hemorr-Ice® shrinks the blood vessels... reduces bleeding... and promotes healing of inflamed tissues. Provides fast relief from pain, itching and bleeding. Safe to use, as often as desired.
You think the post title doesn't make sense but it does. Check the link, it's an online gift shop.
Hemorr-Ice
Not a suppository...not an ointment...but a new, clinically tested method of treating hemorrhoids with cold therapy. Hemorr-Ice® has a special cooling liquid sealed inside so it acts like an ice pack on your hemorrhoid . Simply apply the chilled inserter for two to five minutes. Hemorr-Ice® shrinks the blood vessels... reduces bleeding... and promotes healing of inflamed tissues. Provides fast relief from pain, itching and bleeding. Safe to use, as often as desired.
You think the post title doesn't make sense but it does. Check the link, it's an online gift shop.
20 August 2008
Foods I Would Recommend to Space Aliens
After reading this post at Wine Me, Dine Me about one foodie's opinion of the 100 foods every omnivore should try, I thought: well, that's fun and definitely a much better way to say "Here's a list of foods that prove I'm cosmopolitan and sophisticated yet still able to relate to the common person."
While I was watching the Olympics at night I thought of a slightly different list. Suppose a space alien came to me and said, "Greetings, earthling. I am [alien's name] and I will be stuck on your planet for approximately one lunar cycle because my spaceship ran out of fuel because the liberals on my planet refuse to allow off-planet drilling. I would like to use the time to research human food. How shall I proceed?"
These are the foods I would recommend to a space alien visitor:
1. caviar
2. chhole
3. biryani
4. spam/potted meat
5. chicken feet
6. flan
7. 'sweetbread'
8. menudo
9. kielbasa w/ onions, sauerkraut & peppers
10. prosciutto
11. yak milk/butter
12. lobster
13. Kobe beef
14. anchovies
15. vegemite
16. scorpion on a stick (acceptable substitute: roasted insects)
17. lutefisk
18. the following fruits when they're not grown on corporate farms: mango, guava, papaya, passion fruit, pomegranate, banana.
19. Edwardo's [Chicago deep-dish] pizza
20. haggis
21. blood
22. fried turkey
23. BBQ ribs from somewhere below the Mason-Dixon
24. falafel
25. kimchi
26. apple pie a la mode
27. a selection of raw milk cheeses
It's an excellent list and sure to please the alien, thereby avoiding the dreaded abduction-probe scenario that has plagued so many of our small town brethren.
Unfortunately, the primo caviar isn't legal anymore because they killed too many sturgeons. But who's going to arrest an alien?
While I was watching the Olympics at night I thought of a slightly different list. Suppose a space alien came to me and said, "Greetings, earthling. I am [alien's name] and I will be stuck on your planet for approximately one lunar cycle because my spaceship ran out of fuel because the liberals on my planet refuse to allow off-planet drilling. I would like to use the time to research human food. How shall I proceed?"
These are the foods I would recommend to a space alien visitor:
1. caviar
2. chhole
3. biryani
4. spam/potted meat
5. chicken feet
6. flan
7. 'sweetbread'
8. menudo
9. kielbasa w/ onions, sauerkraut & peppers
10. prosciutto
11. yak milk/butter
12. lobster
13. Kobe beef
14. anchovies
15. vegemite
16. scorpion on a stick (acceptable substitute: roasted insects)
17. lutefisk
18. the following fruits when they're not grown on corporate farms: mango, guava, papaya, passion fruit, pomegranate, banana.
19. Edwardo's [Chicago deep-dish] pizza
20. haggis
21. blood
22. fried turkey
23. BBQ ribs from somewhere below the Mason-Dixon
24. falafel
25. kimchi
26. apple pie a la mode
27. a selection of raw milk cheeses
It's an excellent list and sure to please the alien, thereby avoiding the dreaded abduction-probe scenario that has plagued so many of our small town brethren.
Unfortunately, the primo caviar isn't legal anymore because they killed too many sturgeons. But who's going to arrest an alien?
18 August 2008
Weekend in Cleveland
Disclaimer: reading this post is probably a waste of your time.
I've never been to Cleveland until this weekend when I went up for a friend's wedding. It was a catholic ceremony but get this: the chapel (a) had comfortable chairs instead of pews, (b) was air conditioned, and (c) was bright. Moreover, the ceremony was only 30 minutes.
So if you want a Catholic ceremony without the... you know, Catholicism, do it at John Carroll University (sort of a Xavier on steroids).
After the ceremony we went to Sammy's which is in the gi-normous Legacy Mall (sort of a Newport on the Levee on steroids). The reception was nice and the groom's sister (who was best woman) gave a hilarious yet touching powerpoint presentation/toast.
When we walked into Sammy's I saw some cards for the Saffron Patch restaurant. This was a coincidence since I saw a commercial for it back at the hotel room. I asked my cousin (who lives in Cleveland) about it and she talked about how it's great and she knows the owner and goes there all the time. I have no idea what that means because she's full of shit half the time but I was excited about the appetizers nonetheless: tandoori chicken pieces, tandoori shrimp, and samosas.
Sadly, they sucked. The chicken stood out by being nothing special but the shrimp was terrible and the samosa, which I didn't even finish, was just dough-wrapped mashed potatoes. If you've had samosas, you know they can be a whole lot of spicy goodness. Not this time.
Worse, the bartender apparently mistook the words "vodka tonic" for "tonic tonic." I learned my lesson and subsequently got the wine which was very good. The vodka was Grey Goose which would have also been very good if I got any of it.
The dinner, in stark contrast to the appetizers, was excellent. Featured in the buffet was tandoori lamb chops, a specialty of Saffron Patch. They were delicious and probably the tenderest meat I've ever eaten. I went back three times.
Later that night during the dancing phase, the ghost of Oktoberfest possessed the DJ and he spun up the chicken dance. No idea where that came from but everybody loved it.
Because of a lingering foot injury, I returned to the hotel early along with a few couples who had to put their young 'uns to bed. In the elevator we met an excited woman who was anxious to get back to her room and watch Michael Phelps go for his eighth medal. It was good we ran into her because I thought his final race was Sunday, not Saturday. So I went back, elevated my leg, and watched the historic moment. Great stuff.
If you want to try tandoori lamb chops in Cleveland, go to Saffron Patch. Other than that this post was probably a waste of your time but I warned you, didn't I?
I've never been to Cleveland until this weekend when I went up for a friend's wedding. It was a catholic ceremony but get this: the chapel (a) had comfortable chairs instead of pews, (b) was air conditioned, and (c) was bright. Moreover, the ceremony was only 30 minutes.
So if you want a Catholic ceremony without the... you know, Catholicism, do it at John Carroll University (sort of a Xavier on steroids).
After the ceremony we went to Sammy's which is in the gi-normous Legacy Mall (sort of a Newport on the Levee on steroids). The reception was nice and the groom's sister (who was best woman) gave a hilarious yet touching powerpoint presentation/toast.
When we walked into Sammy's I saw some cards for the Saffron Patch restaurant. This was a coincidence since I saw a commercial for it back at the hotel room. I asked my cousin (who lives in Cleveland) about it and she talked about how it's great and she knows the owner and goes there all the time. I have no idea what that means because she's full of shit half the time but I was excited about the appetizers nonetheless: tandoori chicken pieces, tandoori shrimp, and samosas.
Sadly, they sucked. The chicken stood out by being nothing special but the shrimp was terrible and the samosa, which I didn't even finish, was just dough-wrapped mashed potatoes. If you've had samosas, you know they can be a whole lot of spicy goodness. Not this time.
Worse, the bartender apparently mistook the words "vodka tonic" for "tonic tonic." I learned my lesson and subsequently got the wine which was very good. The vodka was Grey Goose which would have also been very good if I got any of it.
The dinner, in stark contrast to the appetizers, was excellent. Featured in the buffet was tandoori lamb chops, a specialty of Saffron Patch. They were delicious and probably the tenderest meat I've ever eaten. I went back three times.
Later that night during the dancing phase, the ghost of Oktoberfest possessed the DJ and he spun up the chicken dance. No idea where that came from but everybody loved it.
Because of a lingering foot injury, I returned to the hotel early along with a few couples who had to put their young 'uns to bed. In the elevator we met an excited woman who was anxious to get back to her room and watch Michael Phelps go for his eighth medal. It was good we ran into her because I thought his final race was Sunday, not Saturday. So I went back, elevated my leg, and watched the historic moment. Great stuff.
If you want to try tandoori lamb chops in Cleveland, go to Saffron Patch. Other than that this post was probably a waste of your time but I warned you, didn't I?
15 August 2008
Zola's: Good Pub Grub
I went to Zola's last week and ordered the cordon bleu burger with fries. What the server brought was a chicken cordon bleu sandwich with fries. This made no sense since she wrote down my order, including how I wanted the burger cooked. Nobody gets a medium-rare chicken!
The mystery was solved when the woman at the table behind us, who got her food at the same time, asked why she got a hamburger with cole slaw when she ordered chicken cordon bleu with cole slaw. So we switched sandwiches, everything was fine and my hungry stomach did not have to wait another ten minutes for my burger.
I've been to Zola's (Covington, MainStrasse) several times now and I can say with confidence that they make juicy and delicious burgers. The fries and slaw are good, too.
They offer several different kinds of burgers. So far the cordon bleu, featuring swiss cheese and a slice of ham, is my favorite. It's a good combo. And it's only $5 on "burger madness" Wednesdays.
I also went to Zola's for lunch one time and ordered the daily special, a steak sandwich. It was delicious. Salty, but delicious.
Zola's isn't fancy; except for three TVs tuned in to ESPN, it's pretty sparse. But the totality of my experience with Zola's indicates that they pay attention to what they're doing in the kitchen. They also have clean bathrooms and the staff is professional and easy on the eyes to boot.
The mystery was solved when the woman at the table behind us, who got her food at the same time, asked why she got a hamburger with cole slaw when she ordered chicken cordon bleu with cole slaw. So we switched sandwiches, everything was fine and my hungry stomach did not have to wait another ten minutes for my burger.
I've been to Zola's (Covington, MainStrasse) several times now and I can say with confidence that they make juicy and delicious burgers. The fries and slaw are good, too.
They offer several different kinds of burgers. So far the cordon bleu, featuring swiss cheese and a slice of ham, is my favorite. It's a good combo. And it's only $5 on "burger madness" Wednesdays.
I also went to Zola's for lunch one time and ordered the daily special, a steak sandwich. It was delicious. Salty, but delicious.
Zola's isn't fancy; except for three TVs tuned in to ESPN, it's pretty sparse. But the totality of my experience with Zola's indicates that they pay attention to what they're doing in the kitchen. They also have clean bathrooms and the staff is professional and easy on the eyes to boot.
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