The Nati

If you didn't catch my post a few months back about Cornerstone you should check it out for a full run down of the program.

Well Margie Spinney and Cornerstone are at it again, opening up 12 more aparments to add to the program and continue the community building in OTR. It is far and away the best program I've ever seen to empower people, teach responsibility/accountability, while at the same time building sense of community in a completely economic inclusive way. If you've never heard of the program you should read about it, and find a way to support it. It has the real possiblity of reversing the trend in OTR and enabling the establishment of a true mix-income neighborhood that is friendly, safe and inviting.

It's been a while since we've seen much from the smoking ban front, but today a group opposed to indoor smoking presented 165,000 signatures for a Nov. 2006 ballot initiative in Ohio to ban smoking. If 97,000 of those signatures prove authentic, then it'd be on the ballot. I can't vote in Ohio, but I'd certainly go to bars, concerts and restaurants in Ohio more if they ban smoking there.

It's been a while since I've given an update on here about the Project Lily Pad (regional free wifi project). We've made quite a bit of progress in the past few months. We have our relationship with RoadRunner Business Class finalized. We have lily pad's at Fountain Square, Main St (Liberty to Central), Findlay Market, Hyde Park Square and Longworth Hall (Tailgate in style) up and running.

We announced at BoldFusion a plan to make the riverfront wireless, and we've made great progress there. Stay tuned for an announcement about that in the next couple weeks including sponsor. But it will light up the riverfront on both banks from Sawyer Point to Longworth Hall, and from Newport to Covington Rivercenter.

We have plans in the works with SORTA, and proposals out to about 20 communities for wifi biz districts. We are also in the final stages with the Cincinnati Park Boards to rebrand their existing free wifi spots (Piatt, Friendship, Krohn) as Lily Pad, and then assist them with an agressive ramp up to get more parks wireless.

So be sure to get out there and use the wifi that's free already, and contact me if you'd like to get involved or have a location you'd like to see wireless (joe@lilypadusa.org)

This is clearly the most exciting a week for Bengals football as there has been in a long time. From reports of high priced tickets, to conterfeit tickets, to record sales for Bengals gear across the country, it's been non-stop coverage. It certainly is a huge game, though it's not do or die. It would be a big step forward for the Bengals and for Carson to win a game like this, but it's not a must win.

On another note, I got my invoice for Playoff tickets yesterday as a season ticket holder. That's a new experience. It's exciting, but I must say, WOW... the NFL sets prices high for playoff tickets. $105/seat, and you're required to purchase 2 games. If the Bengals don't make the playoffs or don't have home playoff games, then the total is credited towards next years season tickets...

And finally... to get hyped up for the game, check out the new Who Dey chant by Cincinnati's own Bootsy Collins: Fear Da Tiger