steve-o
Introduction To The House of Carr
Introduction To The House of Carr
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To the Needy, Not the Greedy

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News hit this last weekend that the Kroger in Walnut Hills could be closing by the end of the year. This could be devastating to much of the community as it is the only major grocery store between Clifton and Hyde Park. There are many in our community who do not have cars and would have to hop on a bus in order to get groceries. After chewing on this for a few days, I have some observations to share. Observation 1: I've only been shopping at that Kroger a few times, and never for more that a couple items [we do our regular grocery shopping at the Biggs in Hyde Park]. We have chosen not to shop at our local Kroger. In my opinion, the Walnut Hills location is their worst store in the tri-state area. The food is never as fresh and the prices are higher than other stores. While all around the city [including Price Hill and Over-the-Rhine] they've attempted to fix up their stores, this location remains virtually untouched for twenty years. It is my understanding is that the Kroger Co. had no desire for a Walnut Hills location but was "guilted" into it in the early 1980's.

Observation 2: Kroger complains that the Walnut Hills location struggles to turn a profit. One of the reasons they cite is current sales. I find this interesting in light of the influx of people moving into the area. I'm convinced that there are more people living in the community than there were even five years ago, and people with higher incomes. You have to wonder, with more people moving in, why Kroger would now decide to close that store. It seems they could be poised to make even more profits. Which brings me to . . .

Observation 3: Another reason for shutting down the store is that Kroger does not own the Walnut Hills building. The Enquirer article linked above quotes one Kroger executive saying, "Because we lease the building and also pay rent on the land, our monthly rent in Walnut Hills is significantly higher than in similar-size stores in comparable locations." This is the aspect that is stressed the most in the article, with Kroger saying a lease renegotiation is critical to them staying in the neighborhood.

All this leads me to my conclusions:

Conclusion 1: Kroger understands how important this store is to the community. In a few weeks the community council will meet again and I'm sure this issue will be at the top of the agenda. I've already heard that some local churches might get involved to advocate Kroger staying. Voices will be raised, public officials will be contacted, and the company will answer back: talk to our landlord about lowering rent and we'll consider it.

Conclusion 2: That landlord, the suburban Cincinnati-based Shawnee Investments [about whom I could find nothing online] has no huge stake in the neighborhood and doesn't need Kroger as a tenant. If they left, there would probably be someone else who would want that space/land. I would think someone would be interested in buying a good chunk of Peebles' Corner to develop it. Basically, the land is probably worth more than the rent they get from Kroger anyway. So even if it closed, Shawnee Investments would be fine. So I finally arrive at . . .

Ultimate Conclusion: Kroger is actually making a power play for the city to step up and give them funds for them to maintain the Walnut Hills location. Whether it means a remodeling or just a dirt cheap lease, they're going to work the system for all it's worth. They'll watch local community leaders work their butts off to try to get Kroger a better deal and they'll reap the rewards. And they'll do their best to avoid negative PR by saying they couldn't afford it.*

Now I'm not saying this is anti-American. Kroger is a business and they have an obligation to shareholders to be profitable. But I am saying that it's rather sleazy trying to use a community in this way. The Greater Cincinnati area helped make Kroger what it is. Barney Kroger recognized this and invested his earned wealth back into this city. But now the corporation is no longer a family/local company and will do whatever it takes to get whatever they want [five years ago they threatened to leave the city if they didn't finance their downtown parking garage]. And if they get what they want here, it will be tax-payers who pay for it.

And using a bunch of people who really can't afford to shop anywhere else as bargaining chips is B.S.

So we'll monitor the situation and see what we can do to get involved. We'll even contemplate if it would be appropriate for Echo to get involved. I say "contemplate" because it's not a given; it's an ethical minefield, really. Do you promote/encourage corporate greed to help your community? Even though this is a serious situation, Walnut Hills will survive. But it would severely alter the community's make-up, perhaps driving even more lower-class folk away.

And that, by the way, is yet another reason I shop at Biggs.

*Kroger stock today is going for about $26 a share. That's almost double of what it was five years ago, the results of steady improvement. So the company is still definitely making money.

Border War

In my rankings of which states are the most ridiculous, I always placed Tennessee higher than Georgia. I might have to readjust those rankings and apologize to the Volunteer State.

The city of Atlanta [located in Georgia, in case you were wondering], an industry leader at how to allow uncontrolled sprawl, is running out of water. They've been looking at options for how to prevent this from happening in the future and came to a decision:

Invade Tennessee.

Apparently an erroneous survey completed in 1818 placed the Georgia/Tennessee border one mile south of where it should have been. And since recovering that land would give them access to the water of the Tennessee River, the state legislature of Georgia voted for an official survey study so they can eventually take the land back. And just so you understand their seriousness, both houses passed the resolution unanimously.

Never mind the fact that the original surveyor of the land, one James Camak, a professor at the University of Georgia, was conducting the survey with poor equipment. He'd asked the state's governor for some more sophisticated equipment so he could be as accurate as possible but he was refused. So because Georgia was cheap 200 years ago, Camak's border was off and it has remained until today. Not quite sure I feel too sympathetic for Georgia here.

And it should be noted that moving the border north would bring parts of the city of Chattanooga into Georgia, and parts of the city of Memphis into Mississippi. So it's not like reclaiming this land would only affect a few people. It would, likely, cost hundreds of millions of dollars to sort everything out. 

So instead of admitting years of mismanagement in permitting massive sprawl, or coming up with practical solutions of how to deal with water crisis, Georgia's solution is to reclaim land they never wanted in the first place?

Nice job, Georgia politicians. Way to increase our faith in politics.

And I'm not quite sure I'd want to invade Tennessee anytime soon, either. They take the second amendment pretty seriously down there.

Will Work

The washer fluid motor on my Explorer doesn't work. I'd replace it, but I only need it occasionally, mostly during the winter [always make sure to use the free squeegee at the gas station]. Since it's not high on the to-do list, I carry a squirt bottle of washer fluid with me and apply when needed. This afternoon I stopped at a UDF and decided it would be a good time to rinse the windows down. I grabbed some napkins and my trusty bottle and went to work.

As I was cleaning a couple guys in a van pulled up next to me and got out. I didn't think anything of it at first until I realized how the scene must have appeared; I looked like one of those guys who wait until you pull up to the intersection and clean your windows for cash. As the guys in the van walked by, one of them couldn't resist and finally asked, "How much to do ours?"

We all had a good laugh about it but I later realized I missed out on an opportunity to make a little extra money.

Sun, Earth, Moon

Normally, I'm using this blog to evangelize to readers the benefits of urban dwelling. I'm here. You should be too. But I'm a realist. It's not all perfect living in the big city. And tonight, I admit one of those negatives:

Taking good pictures of the moon is nearly impossible here.

There's too much light around to get any good pics of the nighttime sky. Still, I had to try my hand at getting some shots of the lunar eclipse. I only had a couple even turn out. I posted them below.

It must be noted that a lunar eclipse is, most likely, the most unimpressive natural phenomenon. It doesn't look much different than regular moon cycles. Glad I stood out in freezing temperatures to witness it.

Beit Carr Word of The Day

I'm always working on expanding my vocabulary. I'll usually hang onto a word, use it consistently for a few days and see if it sticks. Sometimes it's months, even years, before it comes back and makes an appearance. The past few weeks I've brought back one of those words. Not quite sure when I learned it, but I've been using it in conversations recently.

That word: milquetoast.

Basically, it means "meek," and "timid." I used milquetoast to describe a singer tonight while watching a DVR'd American Idol. But after I made the statement, I told Kelly that I thought the word originated with a meal made popular in the Great Depression.

You can find an in-depth definition here. There was a comic strip character with the last name "Milquetoast" in the 1930's [at least I nailed the Great Depression]. The character was a timid guy. Like the word "wimpy," which was not a word but went mainstream because of the character in the Popeye cartoon, milquetoast entered the English language and stayed. Apparently, though, it is in no way connected to bread soaked in milk.

Anyway, good word. Feel free to incorporate it into your daily discussion during the remainder of the week.

We Shall Battle Then

Tye and Andrea VonAllmen are some of my favorite people. They are extremely talented musically and it's always a pleasure to see their gifts in action. They front a band called "Artists and Authors" and I eagerly await their new CD that will be released in the next couple of months. They've made it to the semifinals of a battle of the bands up at The Underground off I-275 at Forest Park. Most of the bands remaining in the competition are younger kids with larger, rowdier followings so Tye and Andrea could use your support.

I ask you, nay, I implore you, if you are wondering what to do this Saturday night at 8pm, go to The Underground and throw your vocal chords out in approval of their musical offerings.

It . . . will . . . be . . . epic.

I'm Not Good At Everthing

Pause to recover from the shock. Now we can proceed. My friend was in a bind today. He needed his car moved to a location a couple of miles away so I said I'd do it. And then I discovered it was a manual transmission.

I've never owned a stick-shift and haven't driven one since college. My dad had an old Ford Ranger for his business that I drove occasionally. I hated that truck because the clutch was like the brakes to the Flinstone's car [you had to practically shove your foot through the floor to work it]. Despite a 12 year hiatus, I figured it would no big deal.

I stalled it out twice before I got going. I must've looked awesome. Once I was on the road, however, I did fine. Well, except riding that clutch like it was a pony at the state fair.

I remembered why I love my automatic transmission: laziness. I'm sure driving a stick becomes second nature to those who own one, but I don't want to think any more than I have to. Two pedals and the letter "D" are just fine for me.

Giving It Time

I have some friends in my life that are going through some transitional times so I've committed to praying for them. This isn't unusual for me. But what's different recently is that I've committed to praying for them for a predetermined amount of time [example: 30 days] to see what God reveals.

This is rather uncharacteristic of me. I'm not a big fan of putting God on a timetable. I mean, God is the creator of time and hovers above it so I'm skeptical when people get so specific in their prayers. That said, for some reason, I just felt like suggesting it recently. Like I said, very un-me.

I'll let you know how it turns out.

I'm Calling It

Today, February 17th, I'm going to be bold and make a prediction. Of course, there will always be the chance I'm wrong but I have this new feeling in my gut: John McCain will be the next president of the United States.

About sixteen months ago I called it for Obama. While the polls were crying out for Hillary, I thought Barak would still be able to pull it off by now and take it home. I've been saying for months now that if Obama could simply win the nomination he'd be the next President, but I'm sensing something different now. Two reasons:

First, McCain as the Republican nomination changes things. While conservatives don't like him, they'll tolerate him. Moderates will gravitate to him as well. Despite a certain awkwardness he possesses, people respect his national service and experience. I'm not sure if his being from the western United States [Arizona] will help in November, but it certainly won't hurt. If the Republicans had picked any other candidate, they would have lost this election. McCain was the only guy they had that could help keep the White House and they picked him.

But the major reason I'm now predicting a McCain presidency is that the Democrats are eating each other alive and there will not be enough time to reconcile the party. I've seen dirty politics before, but nothing like the scale we're witnessing between Hillary and Obama. Their supporters are beginning to truly hate each other. And it doesn't help that the topics of race and gender are inescapable [ironically for the party supposed to lead the fight for those issues of equality] and nothing good can come from them. Neither candidate is going to give up before the convention. Obama will enter ahead in the delegate count and Hillary will press for the Michigan and Florida delegations to be seated to push her over the top. Friends, it's not even begun to be brutal. The convention will be a melee. After the convention the party will be divided, many will be apathetic, and McCain will benefit.

And McCain will be president.

Again, if the Republicans had nominated anyone else, the Dems would've been fine. And if Obama had been able to secure the nomination before Super Tuesday he could've made a push. But I'm no longer convinced that Obama will be able to muster the campaign he needs to win in the fall if he gets the nomination. As it is, there is still plenty of racism and ignorance out there in middle American [I forgot this but have been reminded by the numerous people trying to convince me that Barak is a Muslim]. Obama has a huge uphill fight, even if he wins the nomination. I just can't see him proving his case in such a short amount of time.

And Hillary is polarizing in her own party, let alone on a national level. I can't believe the Democratic party, after being handed the keys by George W., are going to lose the White House. It's amazing.

So sorry about changing my prediction, but unforseen circumstances drove me there.

This is crazy.

I should reiterate, as I did recently in response to someone's question about my political leanings, that I really have no horse in this race. I will, most likely, vote third party again this year as neither party best expresses my beliefs. That said, all of this is still extremely fascinating and I'm somewhat addicted. I'm reminded of the Seinfeld quote about Kramer, "He is a loathesome, offensive brute, and yet I cannot look away."

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Choose Wisely

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Ohioans who complained that their presidential primary votes would be unnecessary were sorely mistaken.* Ohio could very well determine the Democratic nominee this year, so I'd say things will certainly get more interesting around here in the next couple of weeks. Hillary Clinton stopped by the Skyline Chili in Oakley this morning** and Barak Obama's wife is currently giving a speech over at Music Hall.*** A couple of notes concerning the forthcoming March 4th Ohio primary:

  1. Ohio has an open primary, meaning that you don't have to be registered to any one party in order to vote for their candidates. That means Republicans accepting that John McCain is already their party's candidate could try to chose his opponent. I'm not sure it will be a huge factor, but I do think this will be one time some Republicans vote the Democratic ticket.
  2. Cincinnati mayor Mark Mallory, a super delegate, is stuck between a rock and a hard place. In the next week or so he's going to have to endorse Hillary or Obama and there's more at stake then he realizes. With the city's high percentage of African American voters, it would probably help him locally to back the Senator from Illinois. But I have this feeling that, as many major city mayors have already done, he's going to come out for Hillary. With both Cleveland and Columbus likely to help out Obama in Ohio, Cincinnati will be a big battleground. Mallory's endorsement could have some significance on the outcome, not only of this election, but his desired re-election in next year's mayoral race.

Regardless, I think both candidates will swing through Cincinnati again. If so, I might try to see them. I haven't seen a President [or a potential President] since Ronald Reagan's visit to Cincinnati in the early 1980's.

*I found it humorous that people in Ohio wanted their vote to "mean something," like they have been forgotten or have been marginalized. Ohio has been front and center during the past two Presidential elections and will, most likely, be right back there again this fall. 

**This Skyline is significant as it is one of the few in Cincinnati that serves Coke products, therefore making it one of my favorites. 

***Some comments from this Enquirer blog post accuse Hillary of bad taste for stopping by a chili parlor in a Catholic town on a Friday during Lent. I'm not a Hillary backer, but that's a pretty weak accusation.

Texas Baseball

While in Dallas, I knew there were two places I wanted to see. The first was Dealey Plaza and the second was the Ballpark at Arlington, home of the Texas Rangers. I have a thing for stadia [the correct usage of the plural "stadium" for those who are wondering]. I see these places on ESPN all the time, so I like to see them in person if I get the opportunity. Arlington is located halfway between Dallas and Fort Worth, right next to a Six Flags Amusement Park. I was a little surprised how suburban the location was. Fortunately for me, they had a baseball museum and, for the price of admission, you received a guided tour of the ballpark. Interesting fact: one of the provisions for the people of Arlington [a city itself] financing the stadium was that the name "Arlington" always be attached to it, regardless of the corporate sponsorship.

The museum had some great artifacts on loan from the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown. On one of the walls they had pictures of the "Greatest Teams of All Time" which, according to whomever made the exhibit, the 1976 and 1990 Cincinnati Reds. The second floor was all about Texas Rangers history, of which there is very little [when they have an entire exhibit area devoted to Sammy Sosa, who played just one-and-a-half seasons for the Rangers, you know they're desperate]. It should be noted that the Reds Hall of Fame is much better; it made me appreciate again Cincinnati's rich baseball heritage.

The best part was definitely the tour. Another person and I were led around by a wonderful senior citizen named Ed who's been a fan of the Rangers since they relocated to Texas from Washington DC; they were formerly the Senators. Ed led us from pressbox, to luxury boxes to locker rooms. We even had a chance to visit the dugout and walk on the field. I'm not sure if there's such a tour offered at Great American Ballpark, but there definitely should be.

When we were in the locker room, we saw starting pitcher Kameron Loe and newly appointed closer CJ Wilson. I knew Kameron because I picked him up in fantasy baseball last year, so I decided to let him know that. He apologized for a lackluster performance [which I sincerely appreciated] and promised that if I drafted him again, I'd get better stats this year. I also let them know how excited I was for them to have former Red Josh Hamilton on their team this year. They replied that they were excited to have him as well.

As I left, I was a little disappointed. The Ballpark at Arlington is about eight years older than GAB and it's a much better facility. I can't help but be reminded that the county cut corners when it came to the Reds stadium.

How about a few pictures. I had the older point-and-click camera, so the quality wasn't quite as good as I liked.

Exterior of the Ballpark.

Me in the dugout [taken by Ed].

Looking toward home.

Centerfield from dugout.

Some locker room, eh? Bad photography, though.

Next door, the new $1billion Dallas Cowboys Stadium being constructed.

JFK

I've always been fascinated with the assassination of President Kennedy. I'm not a conspiracy theorist per se, but you have to admit that the occurrences surrounding JFK's death in November 1963 are peculiar enough that we still discuss them today. So on my recent trip to Dallas, before my conference started, I went downtown to Dealey Plaza to see the site and visit the museum now located at the Texas Book Depository site. The museum itself is mainly located on the sixth floor of the building, the floor where Lee Harvey Oswald fired his shots. No photography is allowed in the museum, which is filled with photos, time-lines and artifacts. The tour is self-guided; your given an mp3 player with headphones to go through it.

As I remembered the Oliver Stone movie that suggested Kennedy's assassination was a conspiracy, there was just one thing that stood out to me while on the sixth floor. Oswald, after shooting the President, was supposed to have ran across to floor to a stairwell, hidden his rifle, descended four flights of stairs, and made it to the lunch room in 90 seconds. I'm just saying, the guy must've been fast. I also never realized that Oswald was only 24 years old.

It was a little bizarre to see how some people acted around the place. I understand the need to take a few pictures but what possesses someone to pose smiling in the place where someone was killed? Check the picture below [taken from the overpass, with the Texas Book Depository behind the trees to the left] and you'll see at the other end of the arrow the dipwad who wanted his picture taken where JFK was shot. Even more ironic is it wasn't even the right location. Tourists . . .

I've Got Friends*

On my trip to Dallas, I flew out of Indianapolis [that stinkin' Delta hub in Cincinnati forces many locals to sprawl to other nearby airports to save some cash]. Fortunately, I was able to leave my car at my brother-in-law's church and he drove me to the airport. But Josh and my sister Becky were going to be leading a middle school retreat upon my return so I needed someone to pick me up. Enter my buddy Jason: a man of whom I have endless stories. Without hesitation he agreed to pick me up. Later that night we went out to dinner with Dalea [who's expecting child number four] and the kids. We had a great time.

After fourteen years Jason and I can pick up right where we left off. If we lived closer, we'd hang out all the time. As it is, we do pretty good to see each other regularly.

In short, he's my kind of people. He's a good friend.

*Yet another Jason story: when we were playing soccer in college, we had but one CD we would listen to: Garth Brooks' Greatest Hits. I ended up seeing Garth in concert twice. Not quite sure that happens without Jason. I don't hold it against him.

It should be noted: today Jason's son Drew turned ten. Kelly and I held him the day he was born. And now he has shaggy, hippie hair. He's a good looking, smart kid. Happy Birthday, Drew!