Smoking in Cincinnati

Two stories of interest locally involve smoking and the Cincinnati City Council!

As a part of the national trend, the city is moving towards some marijuana legalization. Nothing final on that yet. Generally, I'm anti-drugs, so not sure about how they are planning to make this work.

Interestingly, they are working on raising the age to buy smoking products to 21 years from the current 18. Sounds simple, right?

Nope.

You see, there's a grant involved. You know what happens when money gets dangled in front of Democrats, right? A grant for 2-3 people to enforce the 21 year age limit. That's great, right, we get the new law rolling for a few years via the grant, then it's on it's way...

Nope.

The city, which has no current enforcement of the 18 year limit, wants to continue to fund these new enforcers past the grant. Hmmmmm. Well, they've never had a permit for the sales of tobacco/smoking products (like Vaping, etc), so why not create that?

Yep. $500.

How many businesses sell this stuff? Hundreds? New income for the city!!!! Plus, there's NO WAY 2-3 staff can enforce this!!!!! ID'ing is already mandatory and standard operating procedure for any store that sells the stuff, now, why do we need any staffing of this at all when THEY ALREADY CARD EVERY BUYER?

This, my friends is why I'll never be a democrat or liberal. These thoughts would have never occurred to me. New law based on grant and new fees to cover ongoing expenses enforcing an update to an existing law that has no enforcement or budget for it.

This is a fantastic illustrative example of government creep and the difference between seeing issues from a liberal/progressive/democrat world view and a conservative/liberty/republican one.

Kudos, though, to David Mann (D) for seeing the absurdity and pointing much of this out in council, according to my non-related morning AM talk show host, Brian Thomas on 55KRC, who also hit all these points that I was making to the car radio as I listened. LOL

My only other point would be: what's the age limit for legalized pot? Hmmm? Higher? Lower? I have no idea, but you may soon be more able to smoke pot than tobacco in Cincinnati.

Seriously, What Is The Matter With These People?

You know the people I mean, right?

The media!

This morning, on my local AM Talk Radio favorite, which uses NBC news for the top of the hour bits, a story of the impending Presidential funeral was about....the seating chart.

Yes, the Hot Take was that Obama and Trump might only be one seat away from each other. Blah blah blah tradition blah blah blah GW with family blah blah blah and they haven't been getting along blah blah blah. It's the funeral of a former President and this is what you are thinking about, and you actually decide that it's worth saying out loud IN A NEWS REPORT?

OHMYGOODNESSWHATISTHEMATTERWITHYOURBRAIN?

Well, the answer is easy, it's Trump Derangement Syndrome. I mean, like when the Mayor of London was asked about Trump after a terrorist event, they can't help themselves because EVERYTHING IS ABOUT TRUMP (or, as the twitter hashtag goes, #OrangeManBad).

Seriously, people, you need a break. Maybe a job handing out pennies to kids at Wal-Mart so they can ride the penny pony (or rocket or whatever). Step away.

***Just an update, my FB feed had a few people that fit this description. Step away, people, step away. You really need to let go the TrumpHate, it's poisoning your brain and your soul.

I Haven't Done a Car Post in Forever!

I have been looking for a car, as I have a car that is dying (but hanging on: do not go gently into that night), and my options (read:budget) is limited, but in a search for VWs here locally, an Audi TT Convertible showed up in SearchTempest and I went "oh, I like that."

I mean, who wouldn't? (This isn't the one that caught my eye, but it's for sale in Miami for cheap $3700) (posting expired)

This was maybe 2 months ago. Like 3 days later, a co-worker pulled up to unload some stuff for a baby shower in this:

A 2005 Audi TT Convertible. Well, I drove it the other day, and I have to say, it's a fun car.

He's been driving it a lot lately, now that he's got the wheels he wanted on it, and has blacked out the badges and lenses. All the reports on the car are that:

1. It's an Audi, so when the timing belt and water pump need to get fixed, it'll cost you.
2. Everyone who has one loves it.

Well, that's a wrinkle. I've been saying for like 8 cars that my next car would be a convertible. I've been on the Thing bandwagon for years, but I need a car that I can drive daily. This could be that. BUT the cars that I can afford are not much newer than my 98 Camry, so that's not cool. Also, these are 2 seaters, which is fine most days, but some days I need to transport more than one other person. Argh.

One of the other cars that caught my eye when looking locally on Craigslist for "convertibles" was a cute little Fiat, but it's gone now. The reviews (my wife's boss had one) were "meh" but at least it has a back seat! 

Ok, I'm not posting pictures of each of these, and they will get sold and the links will die, but here's a roundup of some Audis as a pricing baseline:  **all the links are dead, sorry I didn't post pictures, but that takes forever****

2003 asking $3900

2003 asking $4900

2008 asking $6900

2003 asking $5995 (gone)

2005 asking $5190 (I like the dark green!) ($5090) ($4900!!)

2002 asking $5400 in yellow ($4600!!!!!!)

2006 asking $6888 which is a weird price.

2002 for $4000 (have you noticed a lot of silver cars?)

This is a little expensive locally, and this is on my radar as one I want to buy.  This is scary cheap, but again, it's a 2001 (the rear window has duct tape). That place has a Mini Cooper I'd rock for $4900. (posting expired)

Ok, now for the real car I want. Best of the lot, in my view, is this one for $7000.

I'd hate to bring it up here in the snow and road salt.

Cheapest of the lot is $2000. You can see why. (posting expired)

"For the most part the car is complete

Has dents dings and some rust. Overall the car is solid! Floor pan is rusted where the battery sits. Has engine and tranny. It is not running."

As I've said, I need a car I can drive back and forth to work, and a 73 or 74 Thing isn't a good choice for that. Nevertheless, here's what's on The Samba.

Here are the rest of the links:

$3500 needs help (expired)

$5220 with rust and a scary doll

$8000 and not enough photos to prove their claim of niceness. (deleted)

Interesting with winch for $6950 (expired)

Of course, if you want, you can spend a lot more. I've seen them for sale at prices like this (all over ebay), but never seen confirmation of ones actually selling for that price... LOL


Lastly, nearby in Indy, here's an actual good deal on a VW camper: $5000. (deleted, so likely sold)

It's Enough To Make You Curious....

I know that this is merely coincidence, that because of the conversations I had with my college freshman about going to see this last night that I was primed to spot this, and that's all (see cognitive biases stories, natch), but it's still weird.  **maybe it’s real: Your Phone Is Listening **

So, yesterday, my son calls and asks about The Rocky Horror Picture Show, as there is a showing/performance happening this weekend (including last night) that he was invited to. Funny conversation ensues, and I encourage him to go and drag his roommate (who needs to loosen up a bit, in my opinion) as well. His roommate has a photo of Reagan hanging in the room, which is fine, but he's a little tightly wound, even for me, Mr. Conservative.

He went, enjoyed it enough as one might, and that's that.

I didn't search for showtimes, or my usual internet sleuthing about what the cast is up to these days, and yet, it's like our devices were listening to us... of all the random crap Yahoo suggests as "stories" (that are more like ads to get you to go to dumb sites like this one), what are the chances that today one of the suggestions is:

Yup, that's just weird.

Speaking of cognitive biases, this Jim Acosta thing...

There was an almost-good article on Yahoo (they do occasionally accidentally perform acts of journalism, but usually it's just PuffHost crap) about how people are seeing what they want to see in the Acosta-brushing-the-intern's-arm-away video, and it comes very near, among all the loaded words and clear bashing of the infowars guy, to making a salient point: if you are on Trump's Team, it's clear that he pushed her arm down so he could keep the mic: if you are on Team Acosta, he "brushed her arm." Those are the literal words in the article, stated as fact, not as opinion, which is why I say that it is "almost-good" and that it "comes very near."

Update, when I just searched my history to find the link, I see that it's actually from Time, and I now stand by all the accusations about an accidental act or journalism.

Scott Adams went live on Twitter as he does (Periscope, I think, actually) and explained very well how Acosta is playing the same game Trump is, from a communication/persuasion perspective, and they both got what they wanted out of the exchange. He also pointed out, and I agree, that during a presser, in the White House, Trump gets to run the event, and that Acosta doesn't.

Here's my actual take: Acosta gets to do what he did (ask whatever he was trying to ask) AND Trump gets to tell him, that's enough, it's someone else's turn. It's his presser. Watch the whole video, Trump answered him. He did keep the young lady from taking the mic. Or am I just seeing things through biased eyes?

X-M1 vs X-T1? You decide.

As you may (or may not) know, photography has again become a mini-obsession of mine after a multi-year hiatus. I've mentioned this. I then purchased a used X-M1 and have been pleased as punch. Even wrote a photoblogpost complete with images from a trip last summer.

This year, I found a better Fuji camera, an X-T1 at a bargain used after much searching (there is an X-T2, so the earlier model is getting cheaper by the day!). 

Why? Control. The X-T1 is in the range of Fuji mirrorless cameras that can operate completely manually if you desire, much like the SLRs of old. I also feel I am ready for better lenses and bought a used prime 35mm lens as well, which is Water Resistant, much like the X-T1. They have released an X-T3 recently, too!

Last week, I grabbed both cameras as I headed out to take the youngest to school as it was foggy and I knew there'd be some lingering on the drive home. I had the kit lens from the X-M1, the XC 16-50 on that camera and the 35 on the X-T1. (I have the underrated XC 50-230, but I recently broke the mount and am awaiting the part so I can shoot with that again. It is my favorite lens of the 3!).

X-M1:

X-T1:

X-M1:

X-T1:

X-M1:

X-T1:

X-M1:

X-T1:

Kavanaugh Getting Billy Bush'd

Look, I have no dog in this hunt, but I do want to point out that this Kavanaugh accusation has one pertinent point worth expressing.

The Democrats purposely help onto the information and accusation until it was like a dirty bomb, just like they did with the Billy Bush tape of Trump. That was true, but the timing was dirty. They dropped it at a point of the campaign where it would inflict maximum damage, even though they had had it for some time. This is how one wages war, after all.

I have no idea if Kavanaugh tried to get this girl naked, the accusation is fairly credible, actually (although the fact that she's a big Dem, donor and all), but the timing is dirty, as has been pointed out: they saved this for a bomb, instead of bringing it up when it would have made sense to bring up. During the hearings, etc, this could have been addressed and responded to, but they held on until his nomination and confirmation process was looking like a lock.

This is war being waged, after all.

Idiocracy

I have a moderately diverse Twitter stream. I don't follow a gazillion accounts so I can keep it manageable (like my Instagram), but I have some smart people that are libs and some smart people that are cons (and libertarians) because #facts.

I have a Disney guy in there that has decided to come out as a Trump-hater, but because I like his Disney posts, I ignore the dumb political stuff. He "liked" this post from a crazy socialist running for office in Virginia:

This was actually my 5th reply. You see, you should be more like Dave, remember? One way to be more like me is to doubt what you read and see.

For example, I saw a tweet about how Google employee emails revealed that they conspired to help Hillary in the last election. Looking at the (conservative) source, I'm like "nah, I'm going to wait to see if this is actually true" as opposed to the additional FBI texts story that says they conspired to leak bad intel to make Trump look bad, where I'm like, "yup, I buy that."

So, when I say this enticing image had been liked into my twitterfeed, I thought, "waitaminutetherefella. We spend a ton on that stuff. Other twitterers pointed out that this was an old Soviet editorial cartoon, which is interesting (and referred to in another tweet I tweeted), but I immediately started Googling to find some numbers to compare $$ spent on "War" (or as we call it, Defense) and the other poor empty tables.

Funny enough, coming from a small-time Twit like me, my posts got very little traction (the most had 55 hits), but here they are:

So, relatively politely showing the guys totally wrong, and idiots like and retweet the original post with abandon. Argh. Well, I just looked and he tweeted that he muted to conversation because it got retweeted so much. Way to stay stupid, dude. I was tempted to reply to that tweet, but I'm done here.

Bad Headline? You Be The Judge.

Talk about anthropomorphism:

This from Yahoo!'s home page when I went to check my emails (and grab a scale photo for my other blog).

Seriously? "Menacing behavior?"

Ugh.

They Have Gone Insane

I like Twitter. There, I said it. I don't use it like many do, i think, which is why I like it. I actually preferred the 140 character requirement!  It's more a news feed for me.

I made the mistake of checking twitter during the Kavanaugh confirmation hearings yesterday and was greeted with a few conservatives calling out the crazy that was happening on the left.

I'm not even going to link to any screenshots of the now-deleted tweets about Zina Bash's hand, but I will say this:

If you saw a "sign" in this, you need to do some serious self-evaluation. It was you, not her, and you are seeing things to the point of being crazy.

If you believed, liked, or re-tweeted the crazy, you are an asshole.

You may even be a friend of mine, I know some folks that have gone crazy with politics lately. You are still my friend, as far as I am concerned, but you may be an asshole. Stop that, please.

 

Many of the comments, replies, and other crazy talk is how Mrs. Bash, the daughter of a legal immigrant Mom and Grandparents on her Dad's side, is still racist because of her racist immigration policies working for Trump, blah, blah, blah. It's as though they literally cannot conceptualize that someone can have a different take on immigration policy, and that a child of immigrants can think that ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION IS A PROBLEM.

Granted, I have a different perspective from many, as, like her, my wife is a 1st generation American, the daughter of a Dutch man and a German woman that are US citizens and are all conservative and against ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION.

Remember that word, "illegal?" It amuses us greatly how often it gets forgotten on the news, etc, and "immigrants" are discussed as though all have attempted to become citizens, etc.

A Poopy Situation

This morning I was driving to work (for a late start, luckily) and had the good fortune to hear Glenn Beck monologuing about the San Francisco Poop Crisis of 2018.

Let's grab some numbers from the 'net

After quoting Mayor Breed, who acknowledges, “We’re spending a lot of money to address this problem,” the following San Francisco Public Works budget items are presented:

• A $72.5 million-a-year street cleaning budget
• $12 million a year on what essentially have become housekeeping services for homeless encampments
• $2.8 million for a Hot Spots crew to wash down the camps and remove any biohazards
• $2.3 million for street steam cleaners
• $3.1 million for the Pit Stop portable toilets
• $364,000 for a four-member needle team
• An additional $700,000 set aside for a 10-member, needle cleanup squad, complete with it’s own minivan

And crucially, there's now "the new $830,977-a-year Poop Patrol to actively hunt down and clean up human waste."

The SF Chronicle casually notes in parenthesis, "By the way, the poop patrolers earn $71,760 a year, which swells to $184,678 with mandated benefits."

from ZeroHedge, linked above, but they are quoting the SF Chronicle

Again, so much to say about this, and you should just listen to what Glenn and Stu said, but let's say a few things.

Ew. San Francisco has a budget larger than many nations would envy. What in world is going on that causes that much homelessness in a city with those resources? Are we animals that we just poop anywhere? I mean, all this money to clean up and not STOP THE PROBLEM?!?!?!

That's just a start. How much to clean up poop? How much???? Why do dog-poop-picker-uppers make so much less? That's poop discrimination!!! Pretty shitty, if you  ask me.

A long time ago, I went to see John Denver in concert, my first concert, actually, in-the-round at the Riverfront Coliseum, now the US Bank Arena. In addition to talking about how he assumes the pre-show dinner was great, he doesn't eat before shows so he doesn't "go BRRRAP into the microphone," he told a story (recited a poem, actually) called The Ambulance Down in the Valley.

An ambulance down in the valley”!!!!! T’was a dangerous cliff as they freely confessed Though to walk near its edge was quite pleasant! But over the side had slipped a duke and a prince – And it had fooled many a peasant!   The people had all said something had to be done. Thought their projects did not at all tally – Some said “Put a fence around the edge of the cliff” – Others – “An ambulance down in the valley”!!!!!   The lament of the crowd – was profound and so loud – As their hearts overflowed with great pity! But the ambulance carried the cry of the day – As it spread to the neighboring cities!   A collection was made to accumulate aid And dwellers in highway and alley – Gave dollars and cents - not to furnish a fence – But an ambulance down in the valley!!   For the cliff is alright if your careful – they said! And if folks ever trip and are dropping – It’s not the slipping and sliding that hurts so much As the shock – when they’re stopping!   And so on for years – as these mishaps occurred – Quick forth with the rescuers sally – To pick up the victims who fell from the cliff With the ambulance down in the valley!   Said one in his plea – it’s a marvel to me – That you’d give so much greater attention To repairing results - than to curing the cause – When you’d much better aim at prevention.   The mischief of course should be stopped at its source. Come friends and good neighbors – let’s rally! It makes far better sense to rely on a fence Than an ambulance down in the valley!   He’s wrong in his head – the majority said – He would end all our earnest endeavors – He’s a man who would shirk – and would halt our good work! But we will support it forever!                           Aren’t we picking up them all – just as quick as they fall? And treat them with care quite liberally? A superfluous fence is of no consequence If the ambulance works in the valley!   (Denver did not use these next 4 verses!)       But a sensible few – who are practical too –      Will not bear with such nonsense much longer!      The believe prevention is better than cure      And their party will soon be much stronger!        Encourage them then – with your purse, voice and pen –      And while other philanthropist dally –      They will scorn all pretense – and put up a fence –      On a cliff that hangs over the valley!        Better guide while they are young – then reclaim them when old      For the voice of true wisdom is calling –      To rescue the falling – is good – but tis best      To prevent other people from falling!        Better close up the source of temptation or crime      Then deliver from dudgeon or galley      Better put a strong fence at the top of the cliff –      Than an ambulance down in the valley!!!!!!!   Well this story is queer as I’ve given it hear – Though things oft occur which are stranger? More humane we assert – to repair all the hurt – Than the plan of removing the danger!   Before it all ends its time to begin To attend to these things quite rationally! Yes – build up the fence- and let us dispense – With the ambulance down in the valley!!!!!!                                           ----Joseph Malins

Now, this is clearly political, as well as being a fable from which we are to clearly understand (after all, the moral is stated directly) means prevention is better than reacting to the results. I would suggest to you that John Denver (no slight to him) was aiming this at Republicans, but I suggest to you that it applies to our crappy story. Who is putting an ambulance down in the valley?

In my city, is it the advocates getting better tents or the folks saying No Tent City? Is it finding a new place to put the tents or finding shelter and services?

It was purely political, and I went to High School with one of the "players" in the fiasco. Dude has had issues in his life (which, as they are a part of the reasons he believes what he believes politically, socially, etc, he's never hidden. In fact, because of these issues, he himself was homeless for a time when he was a young adult) that for me, make him unsuitable as a candidate (and he has run for office several times). It has been a way for him to get some airtime, in addition to his actual work on the issue.

One suggestion was to move the folks to "the east side of town" which was intended to spark NIMBY responses, and my wife had the best one: leave them downtown, it's not a residential area, there's less negative impact and no neighbors to anger. But, that's what they wanted! Neighbors to anger and the publicity that would follow!

Indeed this is another (but not successful) attempt to make a scene about something so the Conservatives or Republicans over-react, so the Progs or Dems can scream "see, they hate ______!" Remember my post about trans and bathrooms? (of course you don't, no one reads this).

So, what's the solution? For San Fran, I have no clue, but paying people $71,000 plus a crapton of benefits to clean poop isn't it. For Cincinnati, the problem is a drop in the bucket, and seems to have wound down. But, hey, we have a streetcar.

Springfield, Ohio

Work has me traveling (not far!) to another not-so-bustling location: Springfield!

One of the most recognizable buildings is the old City Building, which is now a Heritage Center for the county. 

The Heritage Center of Clark County occupies a 50 feet by 462 feet, 56,000 square foot, three story, brick and stone building in the center of downtown Springfield, originally constructed in 1890 for city offices and a farmer’s market. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Sites.

The architect of the building was Charles Creager, a native of Springfield, who also designed buildings such as St. John's  Lutheran Church, the Clark County Courthouse and the old downtown Post Office.   The architectural style is known as Richardsonian Romanesque.  The distinguishing characteristics of this style include broad roof planes, uniform rock-faced exterior finishes, decorative flashing ridges, eaves close to the walls, short and squat chimneys, corbels, deep-set windows and large, arched entryways without columns or piers for support.  

One of the things I've noticed is the several ghost signs around the downtown core:

A few churches dominate some views....

And while there is some clear decay still visible,

They have made some nice spots as some renewal is taking place.

One thing that makes Springfield unique is the old National Road, the first federally-funded "highway" which ended here for about 10 years when funding ran into problems (as can happen, amiright?). It was extended further west, but that decade helped Springfield immensely. I won't bore you with the stories here, as there are links in that Wiki article I linked above, but one bit of interest I learned from some locals is that this statue,

The Madonna of the Trail, was moved from just outside of downtown along US 40 to this location with much fanfare (and controversy, as the current park-like setting was not even started when they moved her) to what may have been a more accurate original location. Maybe.

There were 12 of these statues placed along the route, here's a link to info about that.

East towards Columbus, there is a tavern that is on the National Register of Historic Places, the Red Brick Tavern, which dates back to the glory days of the National Road.

All photos are mine. ©DavidPaulThomas

It's Back! the Green and White Thing from Craigslist!

OMGOODNESS!!!!

This Thing has been on and off for sale for years, and it's back with what I can only assume is a joke price!!!!!!

I have posted about it as recently as March sarcastically (at the bottom) which referenced this old post.

Which as you can see referenced yet another older post if you can believe it.

Good Lord Above, I've been trolling for Things for a looooong time.


At least he took new photos:

May is Bus Month?

I usually post about the venerable VW Thing, my current dream car (ok, I've been pining for quite a while)...

Today, I used my go-to searchtempest to see what's for sale on craigslist and found some good ones. If you are looking for a VW Bus, let me say that as a former owner and longtime lurker on The Samba.com and elsewhere, these are very reasonable deals!

First, a local bus for $7000 that's slightly overpriced with the clear holes in the driver's floor, but generally appears to be worth it:

Another Ohio candidate for comparison in a little better shape inside asking $9500, about where the market is right now (especially with a complete interior).

On the lower end of things is a very affordable but rougher than I would want (even though it's running) 71 bus for $3000 down south. If I was 20, I'd buy this today.

For comparison, $3000 can get you this.


In the $2000 range, you get a mystery wrapped in an enigma:

Yuck.

Now, this is nice and at $6400 it's a great deal. If you are looking for a bus, buy this one, even though it's brown! LOL.

This doesn't show the interior, but if it's there at all, this $6300 running van is the best deal on a camper you're likely to see:

Other than maybe this deal on thesamba for $5900. If I had the cash, I'd already be headed to Virginia.

Another contender at $6500 is this blue bus in New Jersey, but the lack of interior photos or closeups scares me a little.

Lastly, this is so cool. $24,000, and that's reasonable for a single cab in this condition!