DOWNTOWNITY

Mike Moroski: Election year interview.

2013-04-29T17:27:00.002-04:00

Mike Moroski is an energetic, engaging guy who I found instantly likable. I don't know how he'll do in the upcoming city council election. I do know that Cincinnati is better off with him in it.

Mike Moroski

My first question: What got you here? Why city council?

What I got from Mike was almost a stream-of-consciousness. It was a little like watching a twitter feed in real time - complete with vivid descriptions of pivotal moments in his life, people he had met, and choices - both good and bad that he had made.

I felt like I was there with him as his eighth grade English teacher handed him the copy of the Autobiography of Malcolm X and he devoured it in a matter of days. With passion in his eyes, he told me what it was like for him as a kid in a white suburb of Atlanta as he became aware of how privileged he really was. He talked about influences like Pearl Jam, and Cypress Hill, Spike Lee, and Boys in the Hood. He made his mother watch that movie with him, eventually insisting, "Mom, we HAVE to do something. People are LIVING LIKE THIS!"

"I was raised on a borderline of two different realities - city, diverse and exciting, and rural - (long pause) also exciting in a different way. The point is, I learned how to talk to all kinds of people from all kinds of backgrounds."

The other formative experience Mike talked (with fire) about was Choices Cafe. Choices (now closed) was a non profit cafe at 15th and Elm that was open for 5 years with the mission of 'bridging the gap between the affluent and the impoverished through education and service.'

Ultimately, through his experience at Choices, hundreds and hundreds of high school and college students ended up forming relationships with homeless and impoverished residents of the inner city. Powerful.

"What interests me in politics is the challenge. You're challenged to learn, study problems, listen to people, and figure out how to help. At the end of the day, you have the ability to make decisions that help people - thousands of people you may never even meet."

Mike, you're obviously an outsider to the Cincinnati political scene. Is that an advantage, or a disadvantage when competing against the career politicians here?

Look, I've worked on presidential campaigns, and am familiar with politics, but you're right - I AM an outsider. I've never been some politician's right hand man. I don't owe anyone and I don't plan to be in Washington, or Columbus. I want to be here in Cincinnati. My family is here, my parents just moved here. I don't need to be an insider to know how to help Cincinnati. Our campaign is focused on real people.

So, let's assume you've been elected, and it's the end of your first term in office. Will you run again? ("Oh yeah!") Will you become a career politician?

You know, I love the idea of serving the people here. I WILL run for reelection, but the highest I think I would want to go would be Mayor. I don't want to go to Washington. There's too much to do here.

Mike, one of the criticisms I've heard about you is that you don't know the system at City Hall. In order to operate effectively, you have to know how to negotiate and who to talk to. How do you plan to overcome that?

Good question. First off, it's not like I'm coming at this from left field. I have been endorsed by four city council members. I know who to call, and I know how to get things done. It isn't that hard to learn - especially if you're willing to roll up your sleeves and ask questions. Sometimes it's good to ask questions, it forces you to learn about new people and new things.

Let's switch to the subject of finance. First off: Is it important to you that the City have a structurally balanced budget? Is there a time (think fiscal emergency, or one-time big investment) when it might be ok to run a deficit temporarily?

I think it is absolutely important for the City to have a structurally balanced budget each year. I DO think that there may be extraordinary times where the City might need to use savings or one-time revenue sources, carryover funds, etc. in order to meet a need. There is no reason we should have been in deficit for over ten years. Finances are important, and we owe it to our citizens to stay balanced.

How would you fix the City's budget without damaging neighborhoods?

It's about smart cuts and it's also about smart investments. Let's look at safety: Everybody wants to see crime reduced, so there's lots of talk about 'don't cut police.' Well I love our police. They do an unbelievable job. They're a "reactive" tool though. If you only have reactive tools like this, then you'll never have enough. You have to have a balance of PROACTIVE crime prevention tools like community centers, parks, pools, health services etc. along with REACTIVE tools like police and fire. The city departments are GUTTED. There isn't much left to cut.

I would reverse the property tax abatement from 2001, it was a terrible idea. It cost the city 79.3 million dollars and that was money that should have gone to the neighborhoods. It was a tax break for mostly downtown property owners.

I'd keep the income tax at 2.1% but we really should try to lower it. Right now we get 70% of our revenue from income tax and 30% from property tax. That is backwards and hurts the city. Ideally, we would cut the income tax and get our property tax more in line with competing cities. The big dependence on income tax causes us to have huge swings in revenues with the economy.

You've proposed tax incentives to keep our big employers here. We don't have any money laying around - where do you propose we come up with extra cash to give P&G, Kroger, etc.?

Here are 2 ideas to start with:

Social Impact Bonds. We have the chance to be the 2nd or 3rd city in the nation to do this. The basic concept is that we give big companies the chance to invest in bonds. Those proceeds from those bonds are then used to build up social service programs that the city can no longer afford - BUT that make a huge impact in lowering crime. The bonds are structured so that if the target (let's say recidivism) goes down 10%, the investor breaks even. If it goes down more, then they actually MAKE MONEY. It's a smart way to incentivize private business to help make a difference.

Sell the City's stake in the Norfolk Southern rail line. We're the only municipality in the country that owns part of a railroad. I've seen estimates of $300 to $500 million that the city could expect to receive if it sold its ownership stake. If anyone has a compelling reason the city should continue to own part of a railroad, I'm certainly open to listen, but I would strongly recommend we evaluate if there's a better use of the money we have tied up in this.

Speaking of selling city-owned assets, what about the parking privatization plan?

The parking plan was a great idea as it was. I would love to see the proceeds go exclusively to new projects and development instead of plugging a budget shortfall, but it is what it is. We need to fix the budget structurally so we take care of the future, but at the same time, we have a big bill to pay. If I personally get a large tax refund, or a windfall, I like to save it or invest it. In reality though, if I owe money on a credit card or loan because I made a stupid decision, I think it's smarter to suck it up and pay off that debt so I can move ahead with a clean slate and a lesson learned. The city should do the same.

Look at Fountain Square parking - that's privately run and people love it. It's clean, well-lit, and well run. The city has no business running a parking business. They have proven that they cannot do a good job. If a private company is willing and able to do a better job, then the citizens should benefit. They deserve the benefit of receiving the money that the parking system is actually worth, instead of letting government continue to do a poor job of it. I don't always think private business is always the answer, but in this case, they have proven they can do it better and without tying up the city's assets.

COAST was a leading opponent of the parking deal - along with plenty more. What are your thoughts there?

COAST is an example of a self aggrandizing group that sacrifices the betterment of our citizens. They are great at doing things like unethically and illegally collecting signatures, filing taxpayer lawsuits that don't help the taxpayers (in fact, they end up COSTING the taxpayers more money). I don't want to talk about COAST because I don't have anything nice to say.

I'm going to challenge you on this. Let's talk about COAST. Why are you so fired up about them? If nothing else, they've been consistent in their positions over the years. In fact, depending on the issue, there are citizens and respected business leaders that (from time to time) have actually come down on the same side of an issue with COAST). Despite my own feelings on the matter, just because a group is consistently on the other side of an issue from you doesn't make them bad. You're getting fired up though, I can tell. Why?

How do I say this politely? Ok, I'll start by saying something positive. It's the only thing I have. They do serve as a gut check all the time, in the same way my buddy Josh Spring serves as a gut check. A lot of people don't like Josh, but he serves as a consistent gut check. COAST does that.

Now that I've said that, I'm not entirely convinced that Chris Finney (COAST founder) has the city's best interest in mind. To your point, SOME of the individuals working on their issues seem (maybe) to believe what they're saying. That was hard to say because I don't entirely believe it.

Most of the things they say are just completely irrational. The hateful things they do make me sick. From terrible things they've said of gay marriage. Nasty pictures of Chris Seelbach, of my friend Jens Sutmoller. I personally feel that the principal parties of COAST, more often than not, are out for themselves.

Why do people side with them? I think people side with them like people side with ANY small group that's really loud. It's easy to get behind something that sounds exciting, you get fired up. The source of my distaste for COAST is the manipulation of real human beings. They use the anger and passion of the citizens against the very same citizens. I get really really angry about COAST dispensing faulty information to the very people they claim to represent.

When I'm elected, one thing I'll do is to introduce legislation that says if you sue the city on behalf of the taxpayers, then any payout you receive is contingent on how much, if any, money you save for them. In the case of many of the "taxpayer lawsuits" that COAST and Chris Finney have brought, this legislation would have meant they would not have gotten a penny - because their actions don't actually save the taxpayers money. They end up costing us MORE money.

If you go by the positions that COAST has taken over the years, you'd come to the conclusion that COAST hates education, that COAST hates poor people. I want COAST to come out and just admit that they hate the poor, if they do. At least then we could have an honest, open debate. At least then I could say that "you know, I don't agree and I think you're wrong, but I respect you."

I don't like talking about COAST because I get angry. I'm a nice guy and don't like to get angry. Can we talk about something else?

No problem... Education. You're all about education. What does Cincinnati need to do to fix our education system?

One great place to start: the preschool promise initiative. Talk about a unifying issue. Everyone acknowledges and supports the effort to get more kids access to quality preschool. It makes a difference.

Great plans like this help us bridge the strife of the Streetcar, budgets, parking issues, etc.

I like things that bring people together, because that's what I do!

I'm not sure a guy like Mike Moroski should be subjected to the meat grinder that is Cincinnati politics, but boy is he an energizing presence. I'll be waiting with baited breath to see where he ends up - whether on council, or doing something with his shiny-new post graduate degree from Notre Dame. Rock on, Mike!

Your questions for John Cranley, Mike Moroski, others?

2013-04-23T13:49:00.000-04:00

Downtownity readers:

I have interviews scheduled with John Cranley - candidate for Mayor of Cincinnati, and with Mike Moroski - city council candidate.

Let me know via comments below, facebook, twitter, etc., what questions you have for them. Also, other local personalities you'd like to hear from.

-Andy

Tens of thousands of cyclists hit Budapest's streets

2013-04-22T09:30:00.000-04:00

I just came across this interesting feature in Al Jazeera about the emergence of Budapest (Specifically the nation of Hungary) as 2nd only to the Netherlands in terms of numbers of cyclists.

Cyclists there have organized under the banner of the Critical Mass movement - which in itself is a very cool thing, fit for another blog post, I think.

Meanwhile, check this out:

Pedal power: Budapest's bustling bike culture

As the world marks Earth Day, a grassroots cyclist movement in Hungary is revolutionizing the city's transport system.

Kristina Jovanovski Last Modified: 22 Apr 2013 11:41

Tens of thousands of cyclists ride along Budapest's Danube River on Saturday [Kristina Jovanovski/Al Jazeera]

Budapest, Hungary - Tens of thousands of bicyclists hit the streets of the Hungarian capital in a show of "pedal power" designed to demand greater rights for two-wheel operators in one of the most traffic-choked cities in Eastern Europe.

The mass bike ride on Saturday underscored a growing trend in Budapest, as more and more people shun four-wheel vehicles and all their associated problems.

With the world observing Earth Day on Monday, the growing cyclist culture in Budapest offers important lessons on protecting the environment, not just in Hungary but around the world, activists say. Mass cycling events have had a significant influence over the city's infrastructure planning.

Miklos Zalka, who works as an urban planner in Budapest, has seen a significant change from the past.

"In 1990, there were very few bicycles on the road, and today there is a mass of bicycles everywhere," he said. "It's a very big change between the last 20 years, and we have to change our planning decisions as well."

The effort was spearheaded by Hungary's Critical Mass, a group started in 2004 that holds mass bike rides to raise awareness of cycling issues, and to illustrate its popularity to politicians in order to design the city' infrastructure with two-wheelers in mind.

While such Critical Mass events are held in hundreds of cities around the world, Budapest - a city of 1.8 million - has seen the biggest numbers by far. Organisers say more than 80,000 riders came out on Saturday - their largest ride ever.

Critical Mass' grassroots movement has led to a bicycling boom in the Hungarian capital.

"Before 2004, there just weren't very many people at all who rode on the streets of Budapest," said Greg Spencer, an avid rider who completed a Master's thesis on cycling in the city. "[Since] the movement started people started getting the idea that this is actually a viable way to get around ... The levels just grow year by year."

The number of cyclists nearly doubled in 2012 from the previous year, according to a survey by the Hungarian Cyclists' Club, an NGO that lobbies for improved cycling infrastructure.

In a 2011 Gallup poll, 19 percent of Hungarian respondents said cycling was their main mode of transport, coming in second after the Netherlands among European Union countries.

Bike activists say the financial savings of riding a bicycle along with improved infrastructure for cyclists are two of the leading reasons why cycling has become so popular so quickly. The cost of a single ride on Budapest's public transportation system is about $1.50, which is relatively expensive for Hungarians.

Pedal power

The co-founder of Hungary's Critical Mass, Sinka Karoly, said he and his partner were inspired to hold the first event when the then-mayor moved a Europe-wide car-free day from a weekday to the weekend, so that traffic would not be blocked.

Aron Halasz, a member of the board for the Hungarian Cyclists' Club, said the cycling campaign has been the most successful civil movement in the last 20 years."We were really old school punks. We were like … 'We'll show you the truth, we'll show you there's a lot of bikers," Karoly said.

One of the main challenges was dealing with "really old-fashioned engineering" from urban planners, he said. "They were thinking the cycling is not part of the traffic, they have to move it away from the cars ... and [that] cycling is dangerous."

Zalka said cities and planners have taken notice of the cycling masses and are changing the way they view traffic.

Next year, the city's public transportation authority is expected to introduce a bicycle-sharing system similar to those in Paris and London, where commuters can rent a bike from docking stations throughout the capital.

But activists say more infrastructure is needed for riders to feel safe in the city. In a major victory for the movement, a parking lane was removed to make room for a bike lane on a major street in downtown Budapest.

Dangerous roads

When Zsofia Antal started cycling in 2009, one of her biggest challenges was dealing with fast-moving traffic while crossing Budapest's large bridges over the Danube River.

"That's where I tend to have conflicts," said Antal. "[Drivers] will roll down the window and shout at me and point at the pavement."

She said she was once crossing a bridge when car drivers passed by her and onto nearby rail tracks and a tram got stuck among the traffic.

Cyclists demand more rights [Kristina Jovanovski/Al Jazeera]

"The tram driver was mad at me, not at the car drivers. I mean, it wasn't me who was on the tram rails it was the cars, but of course I was the cause of the whole problem and this [is] people's mentality," Antal said.

Her annoyance with public transportation was a large part of why she made the switch to bicycle, but the cycling community also appealed to her.

"I was like, 'Oh my god these people are so much fun, they're so nice'... I realised there is a lot more to it than what I initially thought and it got me, I became addicted."

Orsolya Liptay has helped build the cyclist community since 2008 when she founded Bike Kitchen, a non-profit repair shop that teaches fellow cyclists how to fix their own bikes.

Liptay said getting more urban space for bike riders has been a long, arduous fight. "Many times we weren't considered important but with ... very, very hard work we managed to [change] this."

But Spencer said he does not think the fight for a bicycle-friendly city is over.

"Budapest streets are clogged with traffic ... There's no untaken space where we can put the cyclists," he said. "Basically you have to take space from motorists and it's always been a struggle, and I suppose it always will be."

Source:

Al Jazeera

Election year interview with Roxanne Qualls - Candidate for Cincinnati Mayor

2013-04-14T16:11:00.000-04:00

Roxanne Qualls

Update: I have offered John Cranley, Ms. Qualls' opponent an opportunity to share his thoughts in a similar interview. So far, he has not responded, but I will keep you posted if that changes. In the meantime, I will be reaching out to other city council members (current and prospective) to offer them the same forum. Cheers to civil discourse!

I sat down with Roxanne Qualls over coffee.

Ms. Qualls is Cincinnati's current Vice Mayor, and mayoral candidate in the upcoming election.

Here's what Roxanne had to say:

Suppose you've been elected, and we're sitting here after your successful first term in office: What has changed in Cincinnati since you've been Mayor?

People now have a sense of pride and accomplishment in their city. It's becoming common - in fact people are starting to take it for granted that we are a competitive city. We have a bustling downtown with entertainment, bustling parks and riverfront area. Beyond downtown and Over the Rhine, our first-ring neighborhoods like Avondale and Walnut Hills have come back to life and are headed down the same path as downtown did 5 to 10 years ago. Other neighborhoods are taking notice of this success and are coming together to remake and revitalize themselves.

What caused this success? or at least what allowed it to happen?

Certain investments made in partnership with private business made it possible. An example is the Focus 52 fund - which takes $4 million in city money and leverages it to issue up to $52 million in bonds to stimulate neighborhood investments. $4 million spent by the city may not seem like much to develop on a large scale, but using it as a tool like this really begins to unlock much larger amounts that DO make a difference. It's about being smart with limited resources.

How do you pick which neighborhoods get investment? Do you just spread the money out evenly like peanut butter on bread?

We've seen that to make an impact, you have to invest as much as possible in the areas that will have the biggest impact - and that are closest to being ready for redevelopment. We look for communities that already have a plan. They may already be in the midst of their own redevelopment efforts. Many of our neighborhoods already have fantastic business districts and walkable areas that would be attractive to new residents and businesses. Based on our comprehensive plan we can best decide how to put limited city dollars to work strategically and quickly, and then recover our investment to use in the next neighborhood.

Some great examples of this are Madisonville, Walnut Hills, and Avondale. They have a vision, and hard-working, dedicated people already working. It's smart to help out in examples like this.

We've seen much progress downtown and in OTR in the past 5 to 10 years. Somehow, people seem to be working together. How do we take that spirit, and bring it to the city as a whole?

Look - to make any progress, you have to have a strategy. Someone has to figure out: what is it that our city wants? How do we bring that to life? Not only that, but they have to be able to share that vision with passion and leadership. Once you do that, the results will speak for themselves.

As an example, the Smale Commission was a blue ribbon group of business leaders in the late 80's that took the time to study Cincinnati's infrastructure woes and make specific recommendations about how to fix the problems over the long term. Another important group focused on improving the city's operational efficiency. The Phillips Commission studied ways to make our government more efficient and less wasteful. ~~Following the recommendations of this group have allowed us to reduce (non-police and fire) budgets by an average of 10% from 2000 to 2013.~~ I received this correction from Ms. Qualls. I plan to check the commission report out from the library to learn about all it's recommendations, but here's what I received:

"The Phillips Commission was in the 1980's. Its recommendations did not impact the cuts from 2000-2013. Those cuts came as we began experiencing structural deficits and every council sought to keep cuts to safety to a minimum. The result was that non-safety General Fund departments bore the brunt of personnel and operating budget reductions."

As people see the success from the projects already underway, and from those over the next few years, they understand that our formula is a good one. Yes, we've cut costs over the years, but there's only so much you can cut. At some point you have to figure out what is going to make Cincinnati a place where people want to live and businesses want to be. We're doing that neighborhood by neighborhood: as people see the success we've had early on, they become converts.

You've been an outspoken streetcar proponent - John Cranley takes the opposite view, saying that this is a bad project. You're both obviously smart people. Why don't you agree on this one? Why is this such a contentious issue - and why the streetcar not just an overpriced toy?

I think that streetcar backers have not done enough to share what this project is all about. The Cincinnati region has about 998,000 jobs. Those jobs are fairly spread out among clusters in the suburbs, but the biggest concentration of them lies downtown (~60,000 jobs) and uptown (~50,000 jobs). This first phase of the streetcar is designed to help employers and businesses in those important areas. In Clifton, for example, the hospitals and university are landlocked. They are struggling to find enough room to expand, and it's made even harder because for every expansion they consider, they have to buy and build out additional real estate for parking.

Downtown is much the same. Developers have to build expensive parking garages for every new or rehabbed building. There just is not room to do this, and so it makes redevelopment more expensive for everyone. The streetcar is about providing a viable and proven tool for those employers and developers to grow our city.

Any transit project is expensive. That is just the nature of building infrastructure. The initial phase of the Cincinnati streetcar is made more so because it IS the first phase. Any time you build something new from scratch, it is more involved initially. You have to provide all the cars, you have to build the electric substations, and the maintenance facility. For the 2nd phase - and later ones, those same cars can run on new segments of track. The maintenance facility will already be in place - It's similar to a business deciding to start a new product line. There are up front investments that have to be made. Later, you can scale up production for much less cost. That's where we are with the streetcar. If it is done well, it does what our bus system cannot do - spur development and growth. We need those.

Speaking of costs, we haven't had a structurally balanced budget (one that hasn't been patched with temporary one-time fixes) for years. You position yourself as an advocate for sustainability, yet the current state of the city's finances is anything BUT sustainable. Why hasn't Cincinnati addressed this?

First, the city has done well in some areas (cutting staffing by 40% in non-safety positions from 2000 to 2013, and reducing non-safety budgets by an average of 10%). In addition, the money we take in through earnings taxes and property taxes has increased. Many cities cannot say the same. Having said that, we still have work to do. The State of Ohio used to return more of our State income tax dollars to us locally via the local governments fund. Governor Kasich balanced the state budget by cutting those payments - keeping the money in Columbus.

Because of the growth and cost cutting already in place, our deficit would be down to ~$15 million. Now because of the Kasich cuts, we have ~$35 million to make up. We will get there though.

How?

We have to bring all the stakeholders to the table. The city workforce is 90% unionized. Like it or not, we cannot make substantive change without them being part of the solution. Our unions know that the cost increases year after year of healthcare and pensions are not sustainable. We will never get our costs in line with our revenues unless we fix this problem. It won't be easy, but there is no other choice.

It's time to create another blue ribbon panel or commission to study this problem and recommend a fix. Having a neutral third party study the issue and bring answers to the table will allow us to come at the problem with fresh eyes.

Can you sum up this race? What really differentiates you from Mr. Cranley?

(long pause)... Leadership. Real leadership, visionary leadership is about saying "yes," not "no." Leadership of "no" may be popular at the time, but people quickly realize that it never accomplishes anything. No one ever built anything great by saying "no." Aronoff Center, The Banks, the Roebling Suspension Bridge, the sports Stadiums on the riverfront - none of those would be here if we had only listened to leaders who said "no" at the time. Another pause.... Now, did the county make a bad deal when it negotiated to build Paul Brown Stadium? yes they did. But should a stadium have been built? The answer is "yes," not "no."

You can't say "yes" all the time, Roxanne. Business leaders and parents will both attest to that. What about when "yes" isn't the right thing to say at the moment?

If the answer is not "yes" at the moment, then a real leader will acknowledge that, but will focus and work with you on how to get to "yes." Simply saying "no" is easy, and can be popular, but a true leader doesn't always do what is easy, or not even what is popular.

Whether or not you like her politics, she has good taste in coffee: we met at Tazza Mia

How to kill a cyclist

2013-04-14T11:27:00.001-04:00

The Right Hook:

The following is a post from EcoVelo. It's part of a series called "A Message to Motorists".

Image credit: The Orp Smart Horn @ Kickstarter

Here's a link to the original post. EcoVelo has stopped publishing, but it is still a really fantastic site. It's about showing how cycling can be appealing and accessible to everyone. Take a look - you'll be glad you did.

Dear Motorist,

You’ve probably heard of the right hook; you know, it’s the punch in boxing that is performed by turning the core and back, thereby swinging the arm in a horizontal arc into the opponent. The hook is a powerful punch with knockout power.

You might be surprised to know there’s also a right hook on the road, but this one packs a different kind of punch. The right hook on the road often ends in tragedy, with a mangled bike and rider wedged underneath the bumper of an automobile. Here’s how it works.

You’re driving along at the speed limit, maintaining a steady pace, and as you approach an upcoming corner where you plan to turn right, you notice a cyclist on the right-hand shoulder of the road. Being that you’re in an automobile and the cyclist is on a bicycle, you assume you have plenty of time to overtake the rider before you reach the corner.

You accelerate pass the cyclist, and then brake hard in preparation to make your right turn. What you don’t realize is that the cyclist was traveling faster than you thought, and while you were braking, the cyclist caught back up with you and is now in your blind spot. You then proceed to make your right turn, assuming the cyclist is far behind you.

If the cyclist is fortunate enough to have a clean, dry road and powerful brakes, she may be able to stop in time to avoid a collision. If she does, you continue on your way without ever knowing you almost caused an accident. But if the conditions are poor and the cyclist is unable to stop in time, you’ll have executed a perfect right hook with the resulting deadly knock out.

A safer way to handle the above scenario is simply to slow down and stay behind the cyclist until after the corner. You’ll only be delayed a few seconds and you just might save a life in the process.

Thanks from all of us bike riders, some of whom may be your friends, neighbors, or loved ones.

Living Car-Free in Cincinnati!

2013-04-07T12:08:00.000-04:00

This weekend was our inaugural Zipcar voyage. We've decided to sell our 2006 Toyota Prius and live car-free (well - without OWNING a car, anyway) in Cincinnati.

If you're like many of my friends and coworkers, you're getting a little queasy feeling right now. In fact, based on this decision, you may be questioning our ability to responsibly raise children, vote, and even to somehow feed ourselves. After all, how does one live without a car?

We've had questions like: "But, how will you get food?," or "what if an emergency happens? How would you get to the hospital?" Or my favorite: "but what about toilet paper? How will you get toilet paper for God's sake!?"

We honestly have had several friends, upon hearing of our newly impoverished state, immediately start setting up sign-up lists for food deliveries, transportation to the suburban mega grocery store, doctor appointments, etc. This is a favorite of mine. I guess we pick good friends.

It's a funny thing, Americans' relationship with the automobile. You don't realize how pervasive it has become - influencing decisions on a level that doesn't intellectually make sense, but there it is... A college educated, middle-aged woman, begging us to "just think of the children" upon learning of our decision to cut the cord (or the hose to the gas pump).

This is an even weirder choice given that we live in a Midwestern U.S. city. Sure, there are weirdos on the coasts who eschew the automobile, but they have subways and Accela trains and crazy things that only people with exotic accents and Democrats vote for.

We've been living 'car-light' for about 6 months - only retrieving the Prius about once a week or every two weeks for a trip that we could have made by bus, but didn't choose to. After doing this for awhile, we both decided that it seemed silly - and overly expensive - to maintain a car when we weren't driving it.

Here's the basic math:

Cost of us owning a car:

$4200 (~$350 monthly payment x 12)

$300 Insurance

$1,500 Gas (12,000 miles, $3.58 per gallon)

$960 Parking ($80/month)

$1,000 Maintenance (tires, oil changes, etc)

$7,960 Annual total

(We owned 2 cars until recently, so make that $16,000 a year)

We use the clean, reliable Metro bus system at $1.75 per trip, and I ride my $600 Dahon folding bike most days to work. If it's really cold or miserable outside, I also take the bus.

For the once a week or so that we want to take a car, Zipcar is a much better alternative for us. We get a brand new car for as long as we want it for $8.50 an hour. This includes gas, insurance, and 180 miles per day.

If we need to drive to my parents in Virginia (~11 hours), we can rent a car from any of the major rental car agencies for around $75 per day plus fuel.

Since we're saving the $16,000 yearly on car ownership, that's a bunch of zipcar, rental car, and bus rides.

Throw in the fact that I'm in better shape than I've been in years from riding my bike, and I'm thinking our healthcare costs will be lower too.

Finally, getting where you're going with a smile on your face is worth any amount of money. When I think of the traffic jams, clenched teeth and white knuckles that come with sitting in traffic like I used to, I don't miss the car one bit.

In fact, I'm headed out the door now to hop on a Metro bus to my daughter's theatre performance.

Ciao!

Cincinnati Riverfront pics

2013-04-01T11:53:00.003-04:00

In honor of Reds opening day, here are some pics from on and around Cincinnati's new Riverfront. They're from this past Saturday when there was a little more sunshine than today.

SignNow: More tech that'll make your life easier (for a change)

2013-03-26T16:01:00.001-04:00

FINALLY someone figured out how to handle documents electronically.

I've seen (and tried) countless ways of handling documents that need to be sent back and forth between multiple people for signatures, review, approval, etc.

At best, they remind me of the lego contraptions I made as a kid - patched together with random gizmos of different colors, taller blocks here, shorter blocks there, and a plastic astronaut's head that holds up the corner so the whole thing doesn't crumble to the floor.... very often.

When emailing, printing, signing, scanning and emailing back, it's not uncommon for me to end up with multiple printed out pages that just need to be scanned one time, then thrown away. (or shredded. what a pain). I also end up with pdf's, jpegs, and copies of copies of copies.

No more: Check out this little gem!

SignNow just freaking works. In fact, one claim to fame is that NBA star Deron Williams signed his multi-year $98 million contract on his iPad using SignNow. This baby's legal, and airtight. (imagine my disclaimer here)

While I have yet to sign my first $98 million contract, I was able to (in the span of a couple of days) install the app on 7 iPads and train the office staff at our company to use it well. We used those iPads to collect updated employment docs, medical forms, and copies of identification (all with real live signatures) from 135 employees at our annual employee meeting.

That same process on paper was a hot mess year after year. We had to pass out everything on clipboards, and then hope like hell we could read some of the scribbled information on the forms each year. We invariably couldn't, but by the time we discovered this, the employees were long gone and scattered at construction sites over 4 or 5 states.

The in-person process we used in this case worked amazingly well, but this isn't even the strong point of SignNow. What it does really well is to circulate and manage documents among parties that are NOT in the same room. You can even have a document notarized for a fee - though I haven't tried this feature.

Someone email you a document to be signed? Forget printing it out, just use SignNow on your computer or tablet to sign and email back. They don't even have to know you didn't sign with a pen.

I have only scratched the surface myself of what this app can do. Even at that, this one is a true game-changer.

Demo - 15 minutes with SignNow's CEO

Next up: Project management with Asana and Trello

Cincinnatians in the spring

2013-03-21T11:10:00.000-04:00

It’s cold.

The wind is howling around and between the tall buildings downtown.

Men, women, and flowers are disappointed because it’s almost April and they’re tired of winter.

Bright colors peek out from winter layers. The hem of a yellow dress, the knot of a light blue tie, the tender green of a leaf. Professional men and women, the first flowers of spring - all eager to show off, but surprised it isn’t warmer out in the world yet.

For Cincinnatians, this time of year is full of irony and juxtaposition. It betrays an odd mixture of emotions; The pessimism that comes from having just endured months of cold, steel-gray skies, and the optimism and hope borne of looking forward to lush green, sun drenched days, bustling streets, and quickly passing showers.

People and flowers here: they share more than they know.
People and flowers here: as alike as different.

Cincinnati Smale Riverfront Park - Construction Update

2013-03-20T16:34:00.001-04:00

Here's a quick update on Cincinnati's new Smale Riverfront Park:

The company I work for is doing most of the work to build this project.

The Best Mobile Apps and tools

2013-02-17T12:33:00.000-05:00

I've been remiss in publishing posts lately. You know how life just happens to you sometimes?

Year-end is a busy time for me, what with my day job and all. One of many things I've been up to of late is working on several projects for my employer and doing some travel.

Dropbox

I attended a software vendor's conference recently, and the company hosting did a fantastic job. One of my favorite sessions was "Our top ten mobile apps." - meaning, the apps they personally use in their day to day jobs.

1Password

Pocket Cloud

Evernote

Dark Sky

This got me thinking: I've been focused on productivity lately myself, and have been using a variety of devices and operating systems: iPad, Macbook pro, Windows Server, wife's Windows 8 laptop and my Android phone.

By default, any tool that I find needs to be available across all of those platforms to be of much use to me.

Here's part one of a several - part series about how I use technology.... This is my list of most useful tools and apps:

Evernote.

If you aren't familiar with it, Evernote helps you take and organize notes, photos, and just about any type of document. Sounds hum-drum, doesn't it? -Let me tell you from experience, having an elegant, but simple tool that you don't have to over think is priceless.

What it lacks in lofty aspirations, it makes up for with ease of use, good design, and a nice intuitive nature that works. You can save to it from other apps, websites, Microsoft Office applications, etc.
I have it on all my devices and they all talk to each other, so a note from my Android phone with a photo I took is already waiting for me on my work PC when I open Evernote there.
What's really sweet is the way it organizes. Want to find the notes from that kickass lecture you saw last month, but can't remember exactly what day it was? No worries, switch to the sweet map view, and zoom in to where you were that day. Bingo, there are your notes.
I'm writing this blog post in Evernote on my Macbook

Dropbox.

I use the hell out of this dandy. It's not exactly new, but I couldn't do a top ten list without including it. I've used Dropbox for a couple of years and rely on it heavily.

I use it to backup all my photos and important documents
I also use it as my virtual hard drive.... I have folders for different aspects of my life

for my band, Kingfish, I have a "music" folder with copies of all my lyric cheat sheets for songs I need to learn
I save my bank statements and real estate closing documents here electronically so they're accessible in case the paper ones are lost or destroyed
I have a folder for my 2 school - age daughters. As they work on homework assignments, they always save them to their personal folder in my Dropbox
for work, I set up a folder called 2012 Annual Audit, and shared it with our Auditors and my accounting staff.

Any of these folders with documents are accessible on any device where I've installed Dropbox. I have it on my Android Phone, laptop(s), iPad, and my work computer

1Password

This one is a little more complicated to learn, but boy have I loved it. You have dozens of passwords you have to remember,right? They're all the same password - or some variation of it, right? Just how hard do you think it would be for someone to figure out that your password is probably your pet's name, your home address, or GoneFishin (as evidenced by your vanity license plate)?

1Password is a kick-ass program with military-grade encryption designed to help you add some real security to your important online stuff.
You pick one really good password (GoneFishin is out). Yes, it's hard to remember for a bit, but you just have ONE to remember.
Once you have that really hard one memorized, you use it to access EVERYTHING.

Every website that ever asks you for a password
Every credit card and identification document in your wallet
Every piece of vital information about your family (you know, the stuff you need in the hospital at 3am)

Lastly, you let 1Password generate new passwords for all your logins. - it creates a freakishly complex and random sign-in and remembers each. No more hunneybunch1

PocketCloud

I run the I.T. function for my employer. We have multiple computers and servers devoted to differing functions (our voicemail system, several databases, security system, accounting software, etc).

Pocketcloud lets me access all of these devices remotely from any mobile device
It works best with a larger touch screen, like an iPad, but also works with my Android
While I don't like to do heavy-duty work this way, if I get a call that something important isn't working, it's a great tool to check in remotely. If it's a quick fix, touché. If not, I know right away what's wrong, and call in the big guns to get on it
I also have it on my laptop, so I can get to my laptop desktop from my iPad or phone

Dark Sky Weather App

This app doesn't meet my criteria of multi-platform availability - as of now, it's only available on iOS devices - not android, OSX, or Windows. Having said that, I'm amazed at how well it works.

Dark Sky provides a map with a little timeline-slider at the bottom that allows you to 'look into the future' and see what the weather is about to do at your exact location
It is 'down to the minute' accurate
It only does very short-term forecasting (it does give more general forecasts out through the next day)
For anyone interested in hyper-local forecasting this is a good one. That's all for now. Part 2 coming soon...

How to avoid road rage...

2013-01-08T21:29:00.002-05:00

I just read this piece in Huffington Post about ways to avoid road rage. Interestingly, it didn't mention the best way of all:

Bike to work.

Suggestions for my mid-life crisis?

2013-01-08T15:34:00.000-05:00

Happily Married Professional Male seeking nominations for impending mid-life crisis. As I've already exhausted all the standard options (convertible, 2nd marriage, career change/s, etc), originality is a must. For all those thinking I need only look 'outside the box,' let me remind you that my box is long gone. I traded it for a bottle of spiced rum and some corn nuts while I picked up a wicked penchant for world travel about 10 years ago, so let's see what you've got for me. Nominations accepted via social media, email, or in person by appointment. Special consideration will be given to entries affording exceptional creativity, eyebrow-raising, and reckless abandon. Physical pain or additional psychological damage are expressly excluded. That is all.

Commuting by Bicycle - Cincinnati in the Winter

2013-01-06T17:38:00.001-05:00

So, it's been about six months now that I've been commuting by bike. I've put in roughly 2,200 miles over that time. I've ~~seen~~ experienced sunrises and sunsets over the Ohio River. I've ridden through veils of morning mist floating off the river when there's just me (and a few birds flittering about.)

I sometimes take the Bike Trail over this creek. I almost always stop on the bridge to take it all in

I get to feel what mood Mother Nature is in each day as I make my way to my office east of Downtown Cincinnati. I've seen her sleepy, lazy, uptight, spiteful, and even sultry. I've seen her downright pissed. I remember what a thunderstorm smells like now for the first time since I was a kid.

I smile and say good morning to the woman watering the plants or sweeping the sidewalk at the Baptist Church on Riverside Drive once or twice weekly. We know each other by sight and I look forward to her smile.

The drivers along my route seem to be more used to seeing me - or seeing cyclists in general. There are still moments, but they are not frequent. Maybe I've learned to become a better rider, or maybe the commuters have accepted that I'm not going away?

Sign on the Ohio River Trail - as illuminated by my bike headlight

Now it is January here in Cincinnati, and the average temps are ~ 25-30 degrees Fahrenheit in the mornings, and 35-40 in the evenings. We have frequent rain/snow here, but have not had big amounts. Usually, it just means wet & nasty roads for awhile. It doesn't make a huge difference though. I just add or remove a layer, as necessary. You can do it too.

Bicycle Route 1 sign

I ride most days (not all), and find myself looking forward to it most days (not all).

Sometimes I let negative self talk dissuade me from the 8.6 mile ride, but when I get myself out the door without the car keys, I'm almost always glad I did. The thing is - we've all been wet before, we've all been a little chilly before, and we've certainly been in the dark before. If you're reading this, then you presumably made it through. The difference is - each time I opt for the bike over the car (or bus), I end up with a ~40 minute workout for my trouble. Oh, and I need to get back home, so there's another 40 minute workout.

I'm 43 I think. I haven't been in this good condition physically since I last did a Flying Pig Marathon 10 years ago. I worked WAY harder toward that goal. While it was fun, the training was a big thing and something I added on to my schedule.

Commuting by bike, however is not an added burden like the marathon training... Mentally, it's just 'getting to work'. I realize that it takes longer and you can argue that it really is an added time commitment. For whatever reason, it doesn't feel that way. It's sort of like cheating. I feel like I'm getting away with something. I get to work with my blood pumping and a smile on my face (which I then proceed to stuff with nearly anything I want!). I FEEL GOOD.

I've found that having the right gear makes a big difference. I have lots of thin, lightweight Merino wool layers. These work come summer or winter. They wick moisture away from your skin. They dry quickly, and they don't get smelly.

I found some cycling shoes by Vittoria that are working out well and I can wear with work clothes. My laptop goes in a padded sleeve and then slips into a waterproof pannier bag on the rear of my bike along with my Wall Street Journal. I also have a small 'trunk' on the front that holds my keys, cell phone, etc. In addition, it just happens to nicely fit a six pack of your beverage of choice. So I hear.

Yeah, so they're goofy. I'm laughing all the way home from the cardiologist!

The bike I ride is made by Dahon. It is fairly lightweight, and folds up into a small enough package that I can take it on the bus if the bike racks on the outside are full. It also fits under my desk at the office - though I don't always fold it.

I have written posts about all of these various pieces of gear over the past year if you're interested. You can search the 'cycling' tag on this blog if you want to read more.

Here's some gear I've added to my repertoire to help with being visible in the dark. Lately, both the ride to and from work happens when the sun is nowhere to be seen.

I got this tail light from Reser Bicycle Outfitters - OTR. It's gimmicky, but I've learned that there isn't (yet) a such thing as "too much lighting". This one flashes and projects a virtual 'bike lane' on to the pavement on both sides.

Those red lines are laser-projected onto the pavement to simulate bike lane lines

All my outer gear is that super-visible neon green color with lots of reflective tape on it. The helmet is no exception. It's a high-visibility yellow/green one made by Lazer. I use the Vis 360 + by Light & Motion commuter light. It recharges via USB, so I find it super convenient (and visible as all hell)

That's all for now. I'll try to do another cycling update in the spring or when I decide I have something worthwhile to say. Until then, Cheers to a ride.

-AC

Cincinnati's Riverfront, 2002 to 2012: a comparison

2012-12-06T15:11:00.001-05:00

Here is round 2 of a recent photo shoot with Rick Lohre Aerial Photography. Rick does some fantastic work on the ground as well.

First is a "before and after" comparison showing the area that will become The Banks and Riverfront Park almost exactly 10 years apart. Sorry if the perspective is a little different, but you can see that Cincinnati has finally started to make good use of its prime waterfront real estate for the first time in recent memory.

(The first pic is from Cincinnati-Transit.net from December 29th, 2002 - the date Riverfront Stadium was imploded. There are some more really good ones there if you would like to refresh your memory. The newer photos are November 20th, 2012.

Photo Credit: cincinnati-transit.net

Photo Credit: Rick Lohre Photography

Here are some more from various angles and perspectives. Personally, I'm more proud than ever of my city. Say what you will about government's inefficiencies, inadequacies, etc. This project has taken a long time, but at least it is being well done.

Cheers!

Cincinnati's Homeless. Someone is trying to help...

2012-12-04T20:45:00.001-05:00

Have you ever heard of IHN? Interfaith Hospitality Network is one of those organizations that works to make people's lives better - people who REALLY need a hand up.

I'll get some of this wrong, but here's the basic gist:

If you're homeless and have children, you can apply to IHN for assistance. If you're accepted (no violent criminals or crimes against children please), you'll work with a case manager during the day to find permanent housing. Your kids might go to school or to a daycare program. You'll be working on finding a job, permanent housing, maybe getting basic computer skills, or vocational training. In the evenings, you'll get in the IHN van with your family and go to a host congregation somewhere in town. There are ~25 of these churches, synagogues, etc.

At the host congregation, volunteers come and serve dinner, host activities (like game night, or maybe some music or art with the kids), and help with anything that the families need. The families spend the night at the church, and then eat breakfast and get back on the van to head to the day center again.

Recently, my family and I signed up to be dinner & evening hosts. I came back a week later and was an overnight host.

The salad we made for our IHN dinner

Have you ever heard yourself refer to people who appear destitute, homeless, down-on-their-luck, etcetera, as "those people?"

I have.

Have you wrinkled your nose as you stood behind someone in line at the store or walked past them in the bathroom at the public library? ...and wished they would just go away?

I have.

Have you looked right past - or right through someone on the street that was quite probably carrying everything they owned in that bag? or shopping cart?

I have.

I'm not here to tell you that we all have an obligation to stop everything and take in the next homeless or troubled soul we encounter.

I AM, however, in favor of recognizing that the people we share this life with are, in fact, people. If you're still reading this, then please do me a favor next time we meet: Remind me that I wrote about IHN and ask me if I've done anything to support them lately. Deal?

Ok - here's what prompted me to write this. After I did my volunteer shifts, I walked around for DAYS with a big smile on my face, and this incredible feeling.

The person who runs the program for my congregation also had a powerful experience a few days after mine.

He helped on a recent morning. Here's what prompted him to write (remember, these folks are "those people" - you know - the smelly or troubled ones that make us all uncomfortable):

The corner of Lincoln and Reading Road is dark, cold and kind of a scary place at 6:40 am in late November. Grandma has problems with both knees, this morning is especially bad and she's asked me to walk her grandson from the church to the Metro so he can get to school on time. The 10 year old boy is bright and energetic - laughing and joking the whole way - by the time the bus pulls up he has everyone on the corner smiling. As he gets on the bus my thoughts are about him - does he know what to do, what stop is his, how long till school starts, how cold it is. But, as he bounces up the steps, he stops his joking and cutting up long enough to politely ask me to help his Grandma get her things onto her own bus since he won't be there and to tell her he loves her - then the doors close and off he goes – a little boy worrying about his grandmother.

It's a simple story and only one of many over the last 2 weeks as First Unitarian Church once again provided homeless families food, shelter and love through association with the Interfaith Hospitality Network. IHN serves homeless families and while all are poor in money - what always strikes me is how hopeful, caring and rich in spirit some are.

I'd like to be able to report that over the last 2 weeks we made a dent in the plight of the homeless in Cincinnati, or somehow we made a lasting change in the lives of our guests – it's likely neither happened. But, I know I'm not alone in saying that serving IHN families has made a lasting change in my life and I'm thankful for the opportunity.

That's all. It's enough to give me some hope.

Don't we all need that?

Go out into the world in peace;

Have courage;

Hold on to what is good;

Return to no person evil for evil;

Strengthen the fainthearted;

Support the weak, and help the suffering;

Honor all persons.

TED Talk: How to solve traffic jams

2012-11-28T22:02:00.001-05:00

So, this is a TED talk about a topic that is near and dear to my heart.

It's about an experiment in Stockholm with 'peak pricing' of traffic.

The basic concept is that in order to alleviate congestion, cities institute a toll only at peak times.

It doesn't have to be a steep toll, there only has to be one. Take a few minutes and give this video a go.

An ode to you, close talker

2012-11-25T14:18:00.001-05:00

Close talker, here's to you.

You make me question myself. Deeply. My breath. My nose hairs.

Do you like me that much? Do you hate me that much?

Aren't you uncomfortable too?

I know you care about what you're telling me, but damn, man… do you need to climb inside my brain to say it?

I love the passion; love the energy and enthusiasm, but I can see your retinas from here.

I think I forgot to brush my teeth.

Is a kiss or a head-butt coming next? I'm drop-dead vulnerable to either, but either way, could you lay off the bratwurst or whatever that was?

Don't freak out if next time we talk, I'm wearing a football helmet.

Cincinnati's Horseshoe Casino

2012-11-24T10:42:00.000-05:00

I love my job.

The other day, I got to spend almost an hour flying above Cincinnati in a helicopter with Rick Lohre of Rick Lohre Photography.

The company I work for has several projects underway that we needed progress pics of. What a way to get a feel for how the new Horseshoe Casino is coming along.

The thing that I notice most in these shots is how incredible Over-the-Rhine looks right next door to the new casino. The Pendleton neighborhood (right across the street immediately north of the casino) specifically looks fantastic. You get a sense of the new life that has been breathed into downtown's first suburb.

If you haven't been to downtown Cincinnati in awhile (or ever), you owe it to yourself to spend an afternoon exploring. Or a week!

Let me know if you do. I just might join you!

Vittoria 1976 Cycling Shoes - first look

2012-11-23T16:22:00.001-05:00

Most cycling shoes look just like, well, they belong on television in a Tour de France stage. I have some, and use them, but I always feel like a poseur when I have them on.

Enter the 1976 line from Vittoria. I was looking for a pair of shoes that would accept Shimano cleats, but that I could wear - at least occasionally - around the office or around town. After all, this whole car -free lifestyle is working out for me (even in a car-centric midwestern U.S. town).

I've never understood the culture of cycling that seems to want you to get all tricked out as a professional downhill racer, or a member of some peloton. In the U.S. there's a bit of an 'all or nothing' approach (at least if you're > 14 years old.

Vittoria sent these shoes over about a month ago now, and I've been wearing them pretty much daily. Good news: they're better than I could have hoped for. People don't seem to even know I'm wearing cycling shoes. In fact, I stopped by the Steve Madden and Aldo stores at the mall the other day and the sales staff went BONKERS. They just had to know what stylish kicks I was wearing. Imagine their embarrassment when I told them I was wearing cycling shoes. :)

A more thorough review will be forthcoming once I've put them through their proper paces, but we're off to a good start.

Technology can turn GOOD into GREAT, and BAD into WORSE

2012-11-04T14:49:00.002-05:00

As I sat down to write this post about how powerful (and mostly great) technology is, I received the following:

An email reminder from my work account
An email reminder from my personal account
A "download completed" announcement
A Text message notification
Outlook telling me that it had finished synchronizing with my work account and I now had 812 missed reminders.

...Eight Hundred Twelve.

That was two weeks ago. I left.

I'm back now.

While setting up my new Outlook email client, you can imagine my excitement to find that there was a fantastic new tech tool called the Conflict Resolver. Imagine the possibilities! In fact, why wasn't this being deployed in the Middle East or Afghanistan?

I considered picking up the phone and calling the White House with this important news. Sadly, I realized that the tool has thus far only been developed enough to ferret out basic problems. Rather than guiding us to a mutually acceptable solution to the Israeli / Palestinian conflict, it currently only displays duplicate contacts.

Rather than making helpful suggestions about providing universal health care while not incentivizing laziness, it asks you whether to select the smiling, professional head shot of your friend from LinkedIn, or the picture of his ass he currently has set as his facebook picture.

Come on Microsoft. Is this the best you can do? I'd bet Siri would at least let me know about a good restaurant nearby. I think you should either get this thing really cranked up to a level of performance commensurate with its name, or give up the lofty moniker of Conflict Resolver.

There's more: I just checked my work email box size as a part of this process. I have 19,208 messages. My gmail account has ~~25,090~~ 25,116 messages. What is anybody supposed to do with all of this? I've written extensively about living clutter-free and embracing voluntary simplicity. Both of these concepts are truly liberating.

Electronic or technological clutter is a very real thing, and just like a houseful of excess stuff that we can't bear to part with, techno-clutter distracts us from that which is really important.

Make no mistake: technology is a powerful and useful thing. I use it to help run a multi-million dollar company efficiently and well.

I use it to communicate with friends and loved ones, and to provide information needed for important decisions. But it really only works well when used as intended - as a multiplier. At its best, it is an amplifier of its human masters. If we behave in positive ways, that gets amplified. If we behave in ugly ways, that does too.

When used well, technology can bridge divides, entertain, help solve communication problems, and make our world a better place. All-too-often though, technology is used just for its own sake - with no "bigger picture" goal in mind.

I do it. You likely do too. Are you reading this when you should instead be listening to your son or daughter tell you about his or her day? Is your husband or wife dying for your attention? Do you have hundreds of facebook friends but have never felt lonelier?

I've been working on this post over a few-day period, and several times, have caught myself "lost in space" among my family - you know - there, but not really present.

I should have waited to fire up the laptop until everyone was in bed or scheduled some time to go to my office and close the door for a bit.

We all know that technology can actually serve to divide and separate people from one another. Picture someone cloistered in the basement of their home, curtains drawn, spending hours on social networking sites. It's likely they are "virtually" interacting with volumes of people, but it's equally likely none of those interactions are quality ones.

One of the most blatant examples of what I'm describing is a table of people at a restaurant, all presumably at a dinner because they wanted each other's company - and each face illuminated by the glow of a cell phone screen the majority of the time.

Contrast that picture with one of a person switching off the pale glow of the monitor, going outside for a walk to the neighborhood park on a sunny afternoon. Get where I'm going? It's the PEOPLE that make this whole life thing really matter. There are no people in that little box we're both staring at right now.

Thankfully, there are a handful of companies out there who understand the importance of encouraging their people to look for balance. According to this really good article over at Recruiter.com, Volkswagen (Germany), Nike, Google, and the Huffington Post all take steps to allow their employees to unplug. Does your employer?

If we can master the use of technology as a tool to build relationships, institutions, and things that matter, we will have won the biggest of battles. Until then, I think I'll pick my friend's facebook picture instead of his LinkedIn one. Then I'm turning this damned contraption off to head to Findlay Market.

Everyone wants safer roads. Here's one way to make that happen...

2012-10-26T15:47:00.000-04:00

My commuter bike

Seems like many of my posts lately have been about cycling - specifically about cycling in urban areas, and the issues (great ones and lousy ones) that surround it.

I guess that's normal. I write about issues that are relevant to me at the time.

Since I've been commuting by bike to work (in a city that is getting better, but still isn't very bicycle-friendly at times), I've noticed things from a whole new perspective compared to when I was behind a steering wheel.

Take a quick glance at this photo. (By the way, this comes from a good article by the New Haven Independent.)

Photo courtesy of New Haven Independent

If you are in "motorist mode," it will probably seem like nothing more than an odd tree-lined intersection

*Let's try this again though* Get out of the car, and do this as a person on foot, or a cyclist who has to try to cross. This is a great example of why I'm writing this post.

Picture yourself on a rainy day, maybe a bag of groceries in one hand, and a young child holding the other. You have to cross this intersection to get somewhere. What do you do? Is this town welcoming, safe, and inviting to walk around, or is it built with the usual "need for speed" mentality that only thinks about moving cars around quickly?

A few interesting points:

Thankfully, accidents involving bicycles are very uncommon, and fatalities involving bicyclists are extremely rare - especially compared to car accidents.
A large percentage of the accidents that DO occur between cars & bicycles happen at intersections.

We need to design (or insist on) intersections that are safer. I think this is part of a bigger problem, though. For the last 60 years or more, our roads have evolved as ways for cars to move around from place to place at high speeds and with minimal interruptions. Traffic engineers think a lot like scientists or cardiologists do. Traffic flow (in this way of thinking) is analogous to blood flow through the body. It's important to have tons of big, wide-open arteries to move blood (or cars) all around.

Photo credit: Columbia Daily Tribune

If you think about traffic in this framework, it is all very scientific and orderly. More cars = need for more and more lanes of traffic, on ramps, off ramps, overpasses, etc.

Problem is, if you focus on traffic with just this scientific approach, you miss the point. Because of this way of thinking, we've ended up with bigger and bigger roads that make traffic go FASTER and FASTER.

This "school of thought" doesn't really consider the need to have human beings moving around unless they're in cars. Well, a world where people don't get out of their cars and walk around turns out to be a pretty shitty reality.

Traffic is NOT really like blood flow providing oxygen and carrying waste to and from different parts of our bodies. Traffic (at least the kind we're all used to) is mostly a byproduct of an America that is poorly designed. It puts things like stores, restaurants, doctor's offices, etc. in one area (picture your local mall or shopping area) - and - it puts big concentrations of people (neighborhoods) miles away in suburbs or exurbs that are often only accessible by car.

There are places where you don't have to get in a car unless you want to go to another town, or to see a relative far away. The idea of getting in a car every day to drive to and from work - if you think about it - is tremendously wasteful and pretty silly.

This is why we have chosen to leave the suburbs and move downtown - a choice many people are making lately.

Having said all that, the Netherlands boasts one of the most bicycle-friendly road networks in the world. I came across this interesting example of one way they're building intersections with bicycles, pedestrians, AND automobile traffic in mind.

Here's an example of a design that, while it wouldn't fix the difficult intersection from the beginning of this post, it is still an example of designing our road network with smarter priorities than we currently have.

Check this out...

Review: A wool performance Tee? What the hell?

2012-10-22T20:04:00.003-04:00

Do you run?
No?

How about...... Ever get too hot?
Still no?

Too cold?
Bingo. I knew you weren't perfect.

Me neither.

Truth is: if you're anything like active, or just spend time outdoors in the heat or cold, you should know about performance fabrics.

I'm a frequent (if not all that swift) runner, and an avid cyclist (I'm way better on the downhill portions). For 10 + years, I've spent countless hours researching, LOTS of money trying out and mostly being disappointed by the plethora of "performance" garments out there.

If you're not familiar with this category of clothing, the basic idea is that it's made of special fibers that "wick" moisture away from your skin. This is a nice feature when it's hot (or even really cold) outside. In terms of comfort, staying dry is your friend.

Most of the shirts, shorts, etc, that I've bought over the years have started off well. The ritual goes like this:

Get them home, cut off the fancy tags with scientific graphics and pictures showing the hot guy I am about to become.
He is always running or cycling confidently - usually through some sort of forest scene.
He/she always looks so comfortable - obviously because of the otherworldly properties of the lightweight-rainproof-windproof-fireproof-moisture wicking-compression fitting-IQ Boosting garment I've just bought.
The first time I put the (whatever garment) on, I go for a run and feel great. Not quite the Adonis on the shiny label, but with enough determination, just maybe it is within reach.
The SECOND TIME I put the garment on - even after being freshly laundered, I detect a hint of... hmmm.... what is that? Does anyone else smell..... funk?
The THIRD (and any subsequent) wearing. No matter how thorough the wash, how expensive or abundant the detergent, or how hot the water; you guessed it. COMPLETE ASS. There. I said it.

This moisture-wicking material is made up of hollow fibers that basically work like little soda straws. The moisture you make when you sweat is drawn into them, and toward the other end, where it evaporates - which cools you off.

The problem is: somewhere (early) in their little lives, the soda straw fibers never get completely clean inside.

You pull the garment out of the fresh laundry basket, full of hope and optimism for your next workout, then quickly realize that you smell like the nether regions of a Himalayan Yak.

Not that I smelled the Himalayan Yak that one time.

Himalayan Yak. (Photo courtesy of a-z animals)

The sense of hope and optimism is now gone. You immediately open the freezer, dive headfirst into a tub of Ben & Jerry's and begin to eat your way back out. Two weeks later, you've lost your job, gained 35 lbs, and are hopelessly addicted to reruns of Hollywood Squares on the game show network. Again: not that this has ever happened to me.

It's been 75 days since I purchased 2 Apollo V-neck T's made by Icebreaker. I take it all back. There IS HOPE! I am unashamed to say that I have worn these 2 shirts relentlessly in those 75 days. I have routinely worn the same one for up to a week without washing it. I've worn them on runs, on my 8.5 mile cycling commute to work on 100 degree days in August, and while doing countless chores maintaining the 3-story walkup I call home in downtown Cincinnati.

Nothing.

No smell. No Yak. No nothing. I am amazed.

These shirts are different in that they're made of a really fine Merino wool. All the other shirts are made of synthetic fibers.

I don't know what it is about wool, but it wicks every bit as well as the exotically-named stuff by Nike, Reebok, etc. It just doesn't smell.

Here is the fancy press-kit photo of the shirt:

Here I am wearing the new shirt fresh out of the box a couple of months ago. (I have a head and legs too. Promise)

And here I am wearing the (now) 75 day-old shirt. In this photo I've worn the shirt on a sweaty commute to work this morning, all day under my dress shirt, and then back home. You can see that it has held up amazingly well. The picture makes it seem like it faded. It has not. It's not quite as crisp as new, but it looks really good, and this shirt has been used and abused. If you have a scratch n' sniff monitor, you'll also notice that it only smells like me - and I don't smell bad at the moment. No funky stuff at all. Freaking amazing!

I'm glad I bought two of them. This particular line (the Apollo) has been discontinued, but I'll be looking for some long sleeve merino tops and bottoms from their newer lines for my winter commute and running.

The merino is incredibly comfortable and doesn't seem to wear out quickly. I often wear it to bed because it feels great. Every once in awhile, I'll notice a small scratchiness, but nothing like that ugly sweater that Mom used to make you wear. This is really a top-notch performance garment.

Who knew that mother nature could produce something that works better and lasts longer than science could?

Parenting - My 3 day trial-by-fire. Day three

2012-10-05T16:57:00.001-04:00

CAPTAIN’S LOG

A father’s 3-day diary of parenting

Thanks for the drink of coffee, Daddy. Mama lets me have it all the time, I promise.

Day Three

“The Final Countdown”

Here we are: Day three. I knew we could make it! Only 12 hours until F.M.’s return! Well, up & at‘em at 6 this morning – I actually beat L.B. out of bed this morning, so – feelin’ pretty good about my parenting prowess now. I think I’ll try to make it sound like I did this every day when asked.

I’ll just get my Wall Street Journal from the driveway. Get some coffee going here (still have my stash of Guatemala’s finest from a friend’s recent trip). Some uninterrupted breakfast with coffee and a paper. Wow, I sure haven’t been able to do this in a long time – what with a baby and all.

Doh!

Looks like cold coffee and soggy cereal again today. She’s up. (No chance I’ll see this paper anywhere but on her head)

[Insert sound of a horse-track announcer here: “AND THEY’RE OFF!”]

Oh well. At least SHE got a decent breakfast.

Dolly did too, looks like. Well shit. How DO you get eggs out of a doll’s hair anyway?

Ten hours to go.

Done with breakfast, I’ll just sit down here in the living room and try my paper again. Ahh so quiet. There's almost a delightful mintiness in the air today. You know, one thing I particularly appreciate about L.B. is her ability to just hang out and do her own thing - very low maintenance. I just love the way I can just look up at her now and again and she's fine. Wait a second. It REALLY smells minty in here. What IS that? OH CRAP.

So I have a few great tips on how to remove chewing gum from carpet. You take an ice cube, see, and you hold it on the gum to harden it. You can then sort of chip the stuff out from the fibers of the carpet. I assume this works on all types of gum. I know it works on spearmint.

We did bath time this morning. How we didn't short out the wiring to the 2nd floor, I'll never know. Water was a'flyin. She seemed to take my bathing suggestion as a personal insult and responded accordingly. She was having none of it. We got all clean, and kissed and made up though. (I'm sure it had nothing to do with the fact that I was the one with the warm towel in the cold house. She just wanted a hug from Daddy)

Nine hours.

So this is it, my big chance. I’m taking the baby out in public. Not somewhere where I’ll be anonymous – this time we’re going to church, where there will be WITNESSES. Witnesses who (my imagination tells me) will testify against me in parent court (picture of F.M. here seated at the bench with the black judge’s robe and the whole nine. I’m pretty sure she would have one of those white powdery wigs on like the British do, right?) Must maintain appearance that everything is fine – nope, no cause for alarm here folks. “In fact, I actually take care of the baby all the time. Yeah, that’s the ticket! The other day, I even made F.M. take off this ridiculous mismatched outfit she tried to dress L.B. in” That’s what I’ll tell them! So I select an outfit (you know – like I do all the time)

Let’s see: Red, purple, and…ooh, I know…these tan boots would really pop!

Getting dressed, and I'm cracking up about the boots. Frankly, she's not convinced it’s all that damn funny. I put these "ugg" style boots on her (mid calf, stuffed with cottony furry-looking stuff for insulation). She's not used to having her ankles so clamped in, so she keeps walking around like Frankenstein and falling over (to my uproarious delight.) I'm sure she won't get me back - ever.

Took her to church (all purple and red and tan and WAAAAVING at every person she could find as if to say, “Take a good long look – you’re all WITNESSES! DO YOU SEE WHAT HE MADE ME WEAR? WHO WEARS BOOTS LIKE THIS ANYWAY?”) She wailed (oh did she wail) when I dropped her off in the infant & toddler room, but I bravely left to see if the caregivers could work their magic. They must have a few tricks I wasn't aware of, because when I sneaked a peek 15 minutes later she was toodling around carrying a measuring cup and a plastic hot dog. Hmmm.

After the service, she did her best to convince me that Mommy always lets her have a little sip during coffee hour – or at least a nibble of some of those great looking cookies. Tried to read her face to look for signs of deception like I had learned while getting my law enforcement degree: Sweaty palms; rapid, darting eye movement; excessive blinking; inability to make uninterrupted eye contact; etc., but to no avail. I compromised and gave her a little piece of what looked like bagel. Besides, if I can’t have hot coffee this morning, she darn sure isn’t getting any.

Eight hours to go.

Off we go, out the door and through the parking lot. L.B. waving like the Queen Mum again at everyone, and also at every sound of a car starting up. It was almost like instinct kicking in. Car starts - wave first, then look to see who's in it. It's tough having so many admirers - I'm sure.

OK, so I forgot the lesson I just mentioned yesterday about not letting her fall asleep in the car on the way home. Opened the sliding door to discover that I’d startled her awake. Way to go, dad. She seemed ready to party, so we did a little singin’, a little dancin’, and even played a rousing round of optometrist. (One of her personal favorites involving a quick SWIPE of the glasses from the victims face, an even quicker pivot on the right – or is it the left? – foot, and a rapid acceleration designed to put max distance between herself and the aforementioned victim. All of this is done while making some not-so-subtle adjustments to the victim’s spectacles. This has yet to produce the improved fit and finish she keeps promising.)

SIX HOURS.

Her 2 hour "nap" was actually a 3 1/2 hour ordeal capped off by about 45 minutes of sleep at 4pm. We'll see if she holds up until Mama gets home. Aint no sleep happening for anybody in this house right now. Guess I’ll try to clean.

How DOES F.M. do this? She must be paying a cleaning service out of some secret stash I don’t know about. This house is always imPOSSIBLY clean when I get home. There’s no way. I’m exhausted, my f*$@ing glasses keep falling off, and…………….did I shower today? I can’t remember. You know, now that I think of it, I’m pretty sure I’d better go brush my teeth.

FOUR HOURS

Back from her afternoon exile (and babbling on about how great my glasses make me look, or something to that effect), L.B. and I scurried around frantically cleaning before dinner. At this point, both of us realizing simultaneously that the place is really a wreck and neither of us willing to risk F.M.'s coming in, seeing the mess, then leaving again. Time to pull together, put aside our differences and just make it happen.

Cleaning done. Sort of.

Dinnertime: Daddy and L.B. are both eating rice and turkey with hands only. It started innocently enough with showing her how to mush the rice into a little ball and then pick it up with a spoon. After the third time picking the spoon up and rinsing it off, I’d been beaten. Stone Age she wants, Stone Age she gets. So we ate. No spoons. No forks. One of us had a plate. Only thing missing was the cave paintings on the wall in the flicker from the firelight. Just sort of stared at each other quietly. Well, okay, there was some giggling involved. Pretty sure we both knew it was a little naughty.

Two hours.

We straightened up after dinner, looked around to check the time and our options, and decided on some blocks, a toy shopping cart, and some Elton John in the background. (Music is like a tapestry, you know. Blocks and shopping cart play accompanied by Brittany Spears, well – that would be just plain uncivilized now, wouldn’t it!)

One hour.

The phone rings. Everybody freezes. It’s MAMA!!!!!!!! She just knows it. L.B. keeps looking at the phone as F.M. calls to let me know the flight is in and she’ll be home shortly. There’s a palpable buzz in the air. Well, we’ll say that’s what made that noise and not the turkey and rice catching up with L.B. (We’ve got each other’s backs again now. There’s a renewed optimism. Camaraderie is not dead). We both try to settle in and do our thing to pass the time, but it’s a little hard to focus.

Did you hear that?

I think it was the garage door?

We both freeze like jungle cats stalking prey.

The tilt of the head.

The twitch of the ear.

The POUNCE!!!!!!!!!!! It’s MAMA!!!!!!!!! Mamamamamama!

I didn’t know L.B. could run that fast.

I didn’t know I could run that fast!

(Queue the music, “Never gonna let you go, gonna hold you in my arms forever…”)

L.B. is now surgically attached (think necklace) to F.M.!

I’m more her belt, at this point, I suppose the casual observer might say. Off we go into the kitchen. L.B. wrapped around her neck, me wrapped around one ankle. Step, drag, step, drag.

We made it. After a few minutes of kissy kissy (from which I was mostly excluded) it was time for bed.

L.B., still looking like F.M.’s new hood ornament, is happy as can be with life. Things were fun with Daddy, what with the chewing gum, and the Elton John and all, but now MAMA’s back in town.

Tonight in the darkness, mama gets the soft clapping and the extra hugs and the slow BLINK BLINK BLINK.

I’m only a little jealous.

But mama’s home. Life is good.

Cheers.

The "Hood Ornament" configuration I mentioned.

Parenting - My 3 day trial-by-fire. Day two

2012-10-02T12:51:00.000-04:00

CAPTAIN’S LOG

A father’s 3-day diary of parenting

Day Two

“Hang’em High”

Decorating Piatt Park (photo courtesy of www.ilivedowntown.com)

The Snowman Hat in action

Ok, so I should explain.

This is the 2^nd in a (hopefully) 3 part series. Just a little look into the life of a Dad trying to be there 24/7 for his 17-month old daughter L.B. for a long weekend.

F.M. (my spouse) is on a quick whirlwind trip to Puerto Rico to attend the wedding of her best friend.

F.M. (my spouse) is also an incredible full-time mom.

F.M. (still my spouse) was really nervous to leave L.B. with Daddy for even a few days.

I, of course protested, feigning complete mastery of all things parent, and cheerily sent her on her way. She left before dawn Friday and will be back late Sunday afternoon. No big deal, right?

So, yesterday was a kind of big deal, but we got through it – learning experience that it was. Today was to be so much better, more organized, inspirational, and a real bonding father-daughter experience. It was. Mostly.

Here goes:

8:00 am: Up ‘till 1:30 last night catching up on all the stuff I usually get done during the day. L.B. got up at 7am happy as could be. I’m freakin exhausted. What the hell was I thinking? 1:30? I conned her into playing in Daddy’s bed for awhile. Woohoo! Got an extra 5 minutes out of that maneuver. L.B. enjoyed lifting up my eyelids like those roller blinds trying to see my eyes. She has this way of tilting her head sideways and trying to see your soul through any opening she can find: Eyes, mouth, nose – doesn’t really matter. They’re all funny to her.

She seems to have learned a new expression sometime during the night last night: “TICKEY TICKEY TICKEY…” ad infinitum. No idea what it means. It’s not in any of the books. I didn't want to seem stupid, so I checked. Now I seem even more stupid. I think she actually said it in my mouth at one point (see previous paragraph).

Picked a great outfit for her – plans were to go downtown and help string holiday lights in Piatt Park. It was cold, so I may have selected about a third of her wardrobe. I went with tights, a turtleneck bodysuit thingie, the warmest socks I could find (prounounced: “ptthhocks”, I was told), all of this covered in a red furry Santa-looking getup. This matched her black boots and pink hat/mitten set wonderfully. Even she thought it was funny.

Breakfast of a banana, ww bread, egg, more bread and some milk. I’ll tell F.M. all the bread was whole wheat. Yeah, that’s the ticket. Superdad! L.B. signified breakfast was over by placing the 2^nd piece of bread atop her head and rubbing the buttery crumbs into her hair. This worked like a nice pomade and her hair hasn’t moved all day. (though she looks a bit like Gomez from Addams Family now). Overall, lots of clapping. She seems excited about the day to come.

I've already forgotten the words to all the story time songs at the library (see Captain’s log. Day 1), but not the melodies. X doesn't seem to mind the odd words I'm inserting. I am SO taking a nap when she does today!

OK. It’s 3pm and I lied. Not taking a nap. Which one of us is the smart one?

She did amazingly well hanging decorations at Piatt Park for 3 hours. In fact she was the star of the show (or so she told everyone). Not sure how I’ll explain to F.M. that Daddy spent the morning showing a 17 month-old how to string and properly connect a bunch of high-voltage electrical cords and strings of lights.

I think I’ll just stop at “decorating for the holidays”.

I of course pushed my luck and lost track of time. Was reminded that we were in the ‘naptime danger zone’ when her head spun around atop her shoulders at the lunch table. The police weren't called or anything.

On the way home I had to try to keep her awake (if she sleeps even 5 minutes in the car: No nap at all, which = hell to pay). She spent the last 10 minutes of the ride alternating between giggling her “TICKEY TICKEY TICKEY”, and then crying, followed by more cheery “TICKEY TICKEY”, more giggles, tears, etc etc. I'm not typically inclined toward religious sayings, but thank God we made it home when we did. Off to nap.

Afternoon was much less eventful. Dinner, then a rousing game of “find the most off-limits thing I can” for an hour.

7pm bedtime tonight. No repeats of last night’s follies. She’s very independent though – agreed it was bedtime, but insisted I follow rather than carry. Off we went. Pit pat pit pat, down the hardwood hall, up the steps (each still waist high to her), then into the bathroom. Again the uncomfortable silence while I wondered why the detour to the bathroom, and the unspoken, “okay moron, we just went though this last night. . . .what do we brush before bed? Come on old man, stay with me”

Tonight she just lays her head on my chest as I sing to her in the rocking chair.

She doesn’t care that I’m tired.
She doesn’t care that I’m worried about finding a job.

She doesn’t care about the tears welling up in my eyes as we sway quietly.

She’s just happy to call it a day.

Night night.