The Nati

Well, it's that time of year again. Time for Catholics to get our fill of the deep-fried whitefish. So I thought I'd re-visit the Enquirer's Guide to the Best Fish Sandwiches in the tri-state from last year (they do the rankings every two years). Check it out and if you partake in the Fish Friday ritual, perhaps you'll find a new favorite Fish Sandwich.

I must put in a plug for Loyal Cafe in Bellevue, though. One of my favorites for Lenten fish that's not on this list.

Nothing probably to worry about too much. I doubt this project would be completed in the next 20 years, but it's an interesting look at development and how it gets started. It's easy to get excited about development in the city, especially when Cincinnati has a bad reputation for not getting anything done. However, there is one key thing to look at in this article:

"New condominiums are popping up along Eastern Avenue, with prices from $250,000 to $1.6 million - sometimes replacing the Appalachian families who have lived there for decades."

Now, I typically side with the developer on Urban infill, but gentrification is real, and a key question should always be asked, "Is there no where else that this project could go that would be less disrupting." In this case the guy owns all the land, so perhaps not a lot of long time homeowners would be displaced, but it's definitely something to ask. I know that a lot of the Appalachian population has already been moved out of the area with new condos. My wife's Montessori school is right up the street and they've seen a decline in the number of neighborhood kids attending.

The Midpoint Music Festival's website has been updated and is up and running. The website got a graphical overhaul and some new functionality and it looks great. Getting excited already about the event this year.

Some exciting news about a partnership between Midpoint and Give Back Cincinnati should be finalized and announced in the next few weeks. Stay tuned.

Food Chain Cincinnati has been around for a couple years and is growing like wildfire. Each month (Usually the last Thurs-Sat of the month), Food Chain spreads out to some of the best locally owned ethnic restaurants in the city. And at each of these restaurants, small groups of people who've never met before get together for conversation, and some new food. In their words"

"In this millennium, Food Chain Ltd. will create an opportunity for diverse people to experience the richness of being connected with other human beings through sharing ethnic cuisine."

It's a great concept, and I'm excited about joining my first food chain dinner this Friday (Feb. 25th).

Reds Opening Day tickets go on sale tomorrow at 9 AM. Opening Day in Cincinnati is probably one of my favorite things about this city. It's an amazing tradition, and it was a shame when baseball took away the opening of the season from Cincinnati. The first pitch of the season should be in Cincinnati every year.

I am not sure why I still care so much. I gave up my season tickets 2 years ago, when it became clear that the Reds would have to have the planets align to make post season again. But opening day is opening day, and I'll be trying to get some tickets for the event!

Could this mean Div. 1 for NKU? Probably not any time soon, but it would be a great addition to the area college basketball scene to have the third tri-state Divison 1 team. The crosstown shootout would become a Round Robin Weekend tourney.

Interesting to say the least, and great to see NKU taking that next step. Might also be an interesting venue for touring bands.

More movement by 3CDC (well not officially by 3CDC, but by Eagle Realty who's President sits on the 3CDC board). I have to commend the work they are doing. When the Fountain Square plans and road show first came out, I felt like they were going to be just another flop with plans but no action. But some of the movement seen in the last couple months leads me to believe that some real action is going to take shape in 2005 towards plans for OTR, Banks and Fountain Square.

In this case there seems to be movement by Eagle to buy a bunch of properties (over 2 acres worth) near Washington Park, and buy them from Denhart, one of OTR's long time slum lords. If this happens it will be good for the area, but it's still speculation at this point.

Okay, so it wouldn't exactly be a daily commute, but the plans are ambitious for bike trails in and around Cincinnati, with an eventual bike path that would run from Cincinnati all the way to Cleveland. (The only problem being that all the traffic would be Southbound, as no one wants to go to Cleveland).

For me the most exciting part is the proposal of finishing a Ohio River Trail that runs from Sawyer Point to Lunken and then up to Milford to connect up with the Little Miami Bike Trail. What a great weekend ride that would be. Now if there were just facilities to use so that people could bike to work without sitting in sweaty clothes all day.

Bengals placed the franchise tag on Rudi. This after a month ago Rudi's agent threatened to sit out the year if the Bengals franchised him. This is not likely to happen, an obvious bluff, but we'll have to wait and see. Marvin Lewis put it well, "This is the most responsible move we can make in pursuit of our goal to give our fans a playoff season and a run for the Super Bowl in 2005."

That's what it's all about. It's not about Rudi, it's about the team. So sign the contract Rudi, and let's get to the playoffs next year! He'll be earning in excess of 6 million, not too bad.

Could iPod and Podcasting be the savior or the killer of radio? Just as Video changed the face of music in the 80's, and TIVO/DVR is transforming the way people watch TV, podcasting could change the way people listen to radio and who/what they listen to.

Podcasting simply allows you to download an entire radio show, and take it with you to listen when/where you want. A simple idea, but it may end up killing the big time radio machine, further diluting the mediums power the way MP3s changed the way people bought/listened to music. No longer would you have to listen to Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity or Al Franken on the radio. Now any Joe Blow could create a podcast that you could take with you. Certainly the most successful will be those that have a way to advertise, and you'll likely see the big radio hitters making their shows available online soon (if not already), but you'll no longer be confined to listen to the talking heads if they aren't giving you what you want. Certainly is interesting, and there are lots and lots of applications for it.

The Fine Arts Fund kicked off it's annual fund drive this weekend with the Fine Arts Fund Sampler Weekend. Although I was out of town and had to miss all the fun, you don't want to miss out on the chance to support the cause. The Fund raises money for a portion of dozens of arts organizations budgets. Everything from Playhouse in the Park, to Ensemble Theatre to Artworks and The Madcap Puppet Theatre are supported by this fund. It's something that really enhances the community we live in. Be sure to check it out, and help support the strongest art community in the midwest! The fund has set a goal of $10.75 Million in 2005, up from $10.4 Million last year.

Sorry for the lack of blogging... Spent a long weekend in British Columbia at Whistler/Blackcomb Mountain with friends. Was a great weekend, didn't get as much snow as I would have liked, but still some pretty unbelievable terrain. If you're a snowboarder, and have never heard of/been to Whistler, check it out and book your trip! It's Heaven for snowboarders. It has an incredible amount of terrain (more than twice the size of any other resort in North America), and some of the most beautiful scenery. Now that the US Dollar is down, it's not quite the bargain it used to be, but still pretty cheap.