In this audio post I share some thoughts about the recent power outage across Cincinnati and beyond.
In my conversations with several of you on Twitter and elsewhere, there appears to be some good interest in having a podcasting, new media, social media-type of meetup in the Greater Cincinnati area. A number of you are in Dayton, Ohio and even beyond.
With this in mind, I propose that we meet in Middletown, Ohio – halfway between Cincinnati and Dayton (hence the name? lol). I stopped there for gas this morning and looked around. Some things have changed since we lived there some years ago, but some stuff hasn’t.
I’ve set up a poll in the sidebar of this blog for you to pick the locations you prefer. If you would like to suggest a different location I haven’t included that you know is in Middletown, please leave it in the comments below.
I’m thinking of Saturday, October 20, 2007 around 4 PM as the time for us to meetup and get to know one another better.
The meetup is open to anyone, whether you’re into podcasting or new media, or are simply interested, or just want to come hang out and listen to the rest of us talk.
To reiterate, I strongly feel that the purpose of this meetup needs to be a really informal way for us to get to meet each other in person. Not much more. Well, that, and to talk about the next time we all could get together, too.
The poll closes on Friday, October 12, 2007 at 11:59 PM EDT. If there’s a tie, I’ll choose one of them myself.
I really am looking forward to seeing everyone get together! Vote now.
Related tags: journey+inside+my+mind journeyinsidemymind jimm daniel+johnson+jr podcast+meetup cincinnati dayton middletown new+media social+media twitter tweetup
Mood: nostalgic
Listening to: quiet
Reading: Who Let the Blogs Out?: A Hyperconnected Peek at the World of Weblogs
Eating: nothing – feeling hungry
I’m inside the main branch of the Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County. Being here brings back a lot of memories. The library has changed considerably since I was a child, but some of it is still the same.
I used to catch the 17 bus from home to downtown. I would sometimes come down here with my best friend David Mixon, other times accompanied by his younger brother Adam, and still other times by myself. This library was one of the coolest places to hang out. I even had dreams about things happening down here.
I’m really impressed by all the changes to the downtown library, especially as I look at all the computers and the addition to the building that was done several years ago. Films and Recordings is now on the first floor. The Mezzanine, which used to be a paperback book area, is now a snack area and gift shop. The card catalog has been replaced on the first floor by a bank of computers. The checkout is no longer right at the both exits, but instead in a more central area.
Yet as I walk through this building, I still see younger versions of me doing the things I used to do so long ago.
Related tags: journey+inside+my+mind journeyinsidemymind jimm daniel+johnson+jr cincinnati library nostalgia
A local Cincinnati high school was recently profiled on CBS for reforming itself:
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VvW-Ga9AX0Y]
Related tags: journey+inside+my+mind journeyinsidemymind jimm dan+johnson taft+high+school cbs cincinnati+public+schools
It’s a crucial midterm election, and the focus seems to shifting to Ohio – again:
I heard on the radio (yes I still listen to it on occasion) that lawyers are arriving at the Greater Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky Airport because of the election. Some apparently believe that Ohio voters may be disenfranchised. I don’t like that. I know there are many who blame Ohio for the last presidential election, and it comes across as though these people think we’re stupid.
Nevertheless, it’s a big ballot this year, with lots of offices up for grabs on the local, state, and federal level in both the legislative and judicial branches. Ohio also chooses a new governor today. In addition, there are several state and local issues that we’ll be deciding.
Our precinct is really close to our home; in fact, it’s our apartment complex’s rental office. I plan on bringing my iRiver with me to get a few sound bites. We’ll see how that goes.
Related tags:
ohio election election+2006 cincinnati
Among the mail yesterday was this message, paid for by the Ohio Republican Party:
(On front of card, a picture of Osama)
He thinks one more attack might break our will.
He thinks we aren’t tough enough to stick it out..
(On inside top of card, a picture of the Iwo Jima soldiers raising the flag)
STAND and FIGHT.
(On inside bottom of card)
Liberal Democrats want to cut and run…
to withdraw from the battlefield in the war on terror.
Liberals want to retreat… to cave in… to walk away…
And they are willing to lose if the fight is just too tough.
Many left-wing Democrats blame America.
And they try to limit our ability to track terrorists and stop their attacks.
It is time to stand up for America and protect our country from radical Islam and the fanatic terrorists that seek to kill Americans.
This election will determine our future… and we can’t walk away from a fight that will change the world as we know it.
If you don’t vote, liberal Democrats will take control of Congress and end programs that stop terrorists.
The time is now. Complete the Mission.
Vote November 7th – Vote Republican
(on the back of the card, along with the mail info)
Paid for By
Ohio Republican Party
211 South Fifth Street
Columbus, Ohio 43215
Not Authorized by any candidate or candidate committee.
www.ohiogop.org
Vote to support our troops –
Vote Republican
Election Day is November 7th.
Exercise your right and cast your vote in support of
Republican efforts to win the war on terror.
If you don’t vote Republican, the terrorists win, apparently.
Related tags:
osama iwo+jima war+on+terror liberal+democrats radical+islam congress complete+the+mission vote+republican ohio+republican+party election election2006
The Cincinnati Business Courier reports on results from a recent poll about the elections in Ohio:
A recent poll of Ohio voters shows that while Ohioans are concerned with the state’s overall economic condition, they don’t have much confidence in their options in the race for governor and senator.
Count me in that category. Each vote that an elected official makes becomes part of his or her record. He or she might decide to vote one way or another because he or she agrees or disagrees with a particular part of the bill. That vote becomes an indication of his or her character. So much misdirection.
Related tags:
cincinnati+business+courier ohio election election2006 election+2006
Remember back in February 2004 when I asked you to remind me to tell you about Jury Duty? I didn’t think so.
Well, this morning I was going through some old papers I had in a portfolio I was using for a job search, and I found the following note from the Court of Common Pleas:
February 17, 2004
TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:
This is to certify that Dan Johnson was summoned as a juror in the court of the Honorable David A. Gowdown, Judge of the Common Pleas of Montgomery, County, Ohio on February 17, 2004
Said juror was excused from this Court on February 17, 2004 at approximately 5:00 p.m. and will receive a check in the amount of TEN AND 00/100 DOLLARS ($10.00) from the Montgomery County Auditor.
Very truly yours,
James R. Russell,
Bailiff for Judge David A. Gowdown
From what I remember, it was a little bit boring. I had brought a newspaper or a couple other things to read. Random jurors were selected to be part of the original 13 jurors, but 26 others were also there. I was not part of this group, so I just sat back and watched, listening here and there.
I was unemployed, so I had the time and was even looking forward to being on a jury. The judge asked some general questions of the potential jurors, and after he was done, the prosecuting attorney and defending attorney asked questions. Some jurors were dismissed, and we all waited for the time to be done so that we could leave.
So it’s been 2 years and 7 months, but there you have it.
We just got back from the One Voice 3rd Annual Domestic Violence Community Awareness Walk, sponsored by Heart To Heart a Non-Profit Volunteer Project for the YWCA Battered Women’s Shelter. It was held again at Sawyer Point in Bicentennial Commons along the Ohio River in Cincinnati this morning.
You may remember last year I put together this soundseeing podcast about the event: JIMM 16 – The Cheryl Dawson Memorial Walk-a-thon. Walk-a-thon is probably a misnomer; it’s more like a family fitness walk.
I brought the iRiver with me and got a bunch of raw audio from the event, which I hope may be able to be put into another podcast. This year Jennie came along, and there was a lot more soundseeing. Got some really good words from the organizers, too.
Greetings from the Groesbeck branch of the Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County!
Keisha and I walked over here from home, and she’s sitting next to me, typing a “shout-out” message to the Cheetah Girls on Disney.com. Here’s what her message is:
Dear Cheetah Girls,
I love you and your music. Can I ask you a question? Can I be a Cheetah Girl?
Keisha
Age 9, Ohio
Mood: medicated
Listening to: Jennie getting ready for work, Keisha getting ready for bed
Eating: turkey, dressing, broccoli, carrots
Watching: Treasure Planet
A similar post at Across the Pond! gave me the idea to do this post:
30 years ago. My mom and dad got divorced. I was 6 and my sister was 4. We moved in with Mom, and I abruptly switched school. I was in the 1st grade.
20 years ago. The Challenger space shuttle blew up. I was a sophomore in high school. My favorite class was English with Ms. Phillips. She made us write 1-page position papers. After the space shuttle blew up, I wrote a poem called “Confusion” and left it under my chair. Ms. Phillips found it and gave it back to me, showing her appreciation.
15 years ago. I had turned 21 years old. For my birthday my housemates took me out to an early dinner, and I got a martini or something to drink. I was working in the Detroit, Michigan area as part of the co-op program for engineering at the University of Cincinnati. I felt alone and needed God.
10 years ago. Jennie and I were about to celebrate our 1-year anniversary in Dayton, Ohio. We went on vacation back to Detroit, Michigan, came home and bought our first set of furniture. Later that year, we found out Jennie was pregnant.
5 years ago. I was working as a IT consultant in the Cincinnat and Dayton areas. We had moved back to Dayton after buying a house. I was working in Cincinnati on September 11th, and I wound up leaving work early to be with Jennie and Keisha.
3 years ago. I’d been blogging for over a year. I was battling another sinus infection. Dayton, Ohio was celebrating the 100th anniversary of flight. Jennie and I saw The Matrix: Reloaded.
Last year. We had just gotten a cat and were trying to get used to her. Sith happened. Things were a little subdued at work. The weather was unseasonably cold, and I was congested.
This year. I’ve been podcasting for almost 9 months. Our car died. I became an uncle-again. I’ve had some serious back pain and got a lumbar injection. Millions of people around the world celebrated my birthday by eating colored hard-boiled eggs, candy, and going to worship at the church of their choice.
Yesterday. It was unseasonably cold. I got an upper respiratory infection, and spent most of the day in bed.
Today. I went to the doctor and found out I have an upper respiratory infection and an earache. I spent most of the day in bed.
Tomorrow. Probably more of the same. Our apartment complex is having a yard sale.
Tomorrow, May 2, 2006, is primary day in Ohio. Our local school district has a very important levy on the ballot: Issue 5. Over the past several months, the district has reached out to the community through various activities. Some of the activities we’ve witnessed at Weigel Elementary School are as follows:
Donuts with Dad
Free Squeeze Play Dance Concert
Moment with Mom
Then, yesterday, we attended the Colerain High School Activities Festival at the high school. This was a time for middle and elementary kids to see the kinds of extra-curricular activities that are currently available at the high school.
Keisha spent most of the time in with the “Show Cards,” the dance troupe, learning some moves. I spent time listening to the jazz band play “Birdland” and “Shake, Rattle, and Roll”. Later on, we heard the marching band play in the hallways.*
Many of these activities, as I understand, will have to be eliminated if the levy fails tomorrow. Bussing will be severely limited, too.
We’ve gotten phone messages from Anthony Munoz, a former Cincinnati Bengal who has remained active in the Cincinnati area, and from Hall of Fame Cincinnati Reds baseball announcer Marty Brennaman, urging us to vote for the levy.
* For me it was like being back in high school, playing on Friday mornings in the fall before our football games, when we’d play as fellow students arrived. We’d jam so hard in the lobby of the school.
Mood: a bit dejected
Listening to: thunder outside, heading eastward, away fromus
Reading: Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
Eating: Polish sausage, sauerkraut, and boiled potatoes
Watching: the weather radar on the local ABC affiliate
This looks to be the first year we’ve ever owed the IRS and state of Ohio:
For some reason, we filled our W-4 forms, which designate to our employers how much we want them to take out of our paychecks for income taxes, so that we kept way more money than we should have.
When we totaled up both our incomes, Jennie and I could hardly believe how much we made last year. Then, when we filled out our income tax return, we were both shocked to find out – at least it appears that way – we owe the IRS more than $1200.
The IRS says they’ll look at our return and figure our tax and refund or amount we owe. We still have to come up with the money if we do. And it looks like a lot more than we have right now.
Craptastic.
Mood: a little down
Listening to: Miami Valley Musicast and Coverville
I’m feeling a little down right now. It’s a combination of a lot of things; some circumstantial and some biochemical. I’ll explain why in the paragraphs below:
I’ve had this congestion for some time, and the medicine I’m taking for it has these side effects: loss of appetite, drowsiness, dehydration. It’s supposed to thin the mucous out so it can be cleared from my system. I only take a half a tablet in the morning when I get up for work, and I take the whole tablet at night before bed.
My lower back and left leg are giving me some problems, too. I mentioned in the podcast that the doctor has been concerned it’s a pinched nerve. In addition to the pain, my left leg feels weaker than my right, so I have a limp. I had an MRI done on Thursday, and I’m supposed to get the results today.
The doctor gave me a prescription for Vicodin, and I’ve been reluctant to take a whole pill of that because of its sedative effects. Especially when I have to drive. So I didn’t take any this morning. I probably could have taken a half a pill when I got here, but that might have impaired my ability to do my job.
Also, I saw on the medicine description sheet that came with the filled prescription that antidepressants might interact with it in a negative way. I haven’t been taking an antidepressant, but I’ve been taking St. John’s Wort (SJW) instead. The comment nevertheless has made me reluctant to keep up with the SJW.
This morning when I woke up, I didn’t have much of an appetite, but I ate some toast, a cup of milk, and some juice anyway. I finally opted to take some St. John’s Wort because I could tell I was heading into depression.
I drive an hour along Interstate 75 to work and back three days out of the week. This morning, our car conked out about 2/3 of the way there. It turned out, after the one jump start that got me to the end of the exit ramp, and the other jump start that failed after that, I needed to get the battery checked out.
I want to thank everyone who helped me today get the car off the highway and helped jump start the car. I wish I could remember everyone’s name, but the only one that comes to mind right now is Miles. He helped me get the battery out, and I walked over to the auto parts store, which was fortunately really close to where I’d broken down at.
The auto parts place put it on a charger for an hour, and it seemed to do the trick. The name of the place is Parts Plus, at exit 38 (Ohio route 73).
I got to work, and I found out from a coworker who serves as a liaison to the insurance company that getting approved for a pre-existing condition is a lot more complicated that we’ve thought. It just added to my frustration level. I’m still not over it yet.
It will get better, and I feel fortunate that these things have happened the way they have so far – so many blessings. It’s just a lot to handle right now.
I prayed on the way up here and will continue to, trying to get and keep a right mindset. That will help a lot.
Hey there! Cayenne Chris played the promo for the Journey Inside My Mind podcast in which I introduced the Dayton, Ohio band Murmur.
Head over to the podcast page and take a listen!
Mood: ill
Listening to: “That’s So Raven” on the Disney Channel
Eating: nothing yet
Not just because schools were closed today, but more because I have a stuffy head and feel lethargic and ache, I’ve stayed home today from work:
I also would have had to clear the snow and ice off our car and brave the roadways from Colerain Township to Vandalia, Ohio.
Shortly after I called work, I went back to bed. Then next thing I know, it’s 2:30. Now it’s after 3. Sure, I probably needed the sleep, but man – that’s along time.
I havent’ eaten anything, and I feel mildly hungry. The stuffiness in my head is still present, and I’ve got a persistent cough.
Been taking some heavy doses of Vitamin C. Also took some Selenium, Garlic, green tea, multivitamin.
The problem is that I can only stay in bed for so long. Gravity starts pulling on my body, and it’s begun to ache. One can only turn/change position for so long.
I’m not usually cold in our apartment, but I’m freezing right now, even with sweatpants and a wool sweatshirt. Jennie says it is cold in our apartment, though.
She’s put some hot water on for some soup, which will be good.
Mood: elated
Listening to: Miami Valley Musicast 13 – featuring the band Murmur
No, I mean one other than my own! (LOL) Specifically:
Rich Palmer recently interviewed the band Murmur on the Miami Valley Musicast. At about 28 minutes into the show they talk about how they got on the Podsafe Music Network via my contact with them.
Check out Rich’s podcast – he lives and works in the Dayton area, and he also is one of the artists in the chorus of Podsafe for Peace – “If Every Day Were Christmas”.
Mood: groovy
Listening to: Adam Curry’s Daily Source Code #276
Eating: microwave pancakes, chocolate silk coffee, and water
Watching: my wife sleep on the couch
I was spending time with my Dad and stepmother with my sister Stephanie. My Mom (aka. the Official Mom of Journey Inside My Mind), was in the hospital:
I’m the oldest in my family, and I’d had two younger sisters, but no brother. I was envious of my friends who had older brothers and sisters, and sometimes lamented that God had chosen me to be the firstborn. Yet that changed once I got the phone call that night.
Mom called and told me I had a new baby brother, and they’ve named him Paul, after his dad, my stepfather. We all decided to call him P.J.: Paul Jr. As he got older and began talking, he’d hear my Mom call me “Daniel”, which is my real name. He started calling me “Deenel”. It became a nickname for me, I suppose.
When I was 11 years old, my mom and family moved to Houston, Texas to take advantage of the promising job market down there. My sister Stephanie and I decided to stay in Ohio with my dad and stepmother. We’d visit Texas over the summer and Christmas breaks, but, since I graduated from high school, I haven’t been to Texas that much, and we haven’t been as close as we might have been if we’d lived closer to each other.
In 1995 he came up with Mom, my sister Mandy, and my step-brother Richard to be one of the groomsmen in my wedding. I was 25 years old then.
Now he’s been in the Navy these past few years, and naturally it’s been a busy time for him. Fortunately, I’ve been able to keep in touch off and on via e-mail.
I wish I could do or say something that would convey how much I love him, respect him, appreciate him, and am grateful that he’s my brother. Today he turns 25 years old.
Happy birthday, P.J., from your brother “Deenel”.
Mood: alert
Listening to: yesterday’s sermon at church via podcast
Eating: chinese food
Halloween
Happy Halloween everyone! Please check out the BooCast, which I posted last Friday morning. It’s got some Halloween stuff in it – some treats and maybe some tricks (you’ll have to listen), too!
Who-Dey!
Congratulations to the Cincinnati Bengals on their win over the Green Bay Packers yesterday (sorry Jon! I’m not sure whether there was a 300-pound man in a Packers uniform or not.). The game was interesting not only in their 21-14 win but also a visit to the field by a fan, who yanked the ball from Bret Favre’s clutches before being tackled by security guards. In related news, this fan has been signed to the Cleveland Browns. (just kidding)
Podcasting Update
The next podcast will have jazz music. I’ve already selected the music; I just need to queue up the tracks and get the recording done. If you’d like to comment on the Journey Inside My Mind podcast, please head over to http://jimmpodcast.blogspot.com and leave a comment, or you can call the Listener Hotline: (206) 666-JIMM (5466).
Mood: chillin’
Listening to: No Idle Frets jazz guitar podcast, episode 22
Reading: this great e-mail I’m about to share with you
Eating: Long John Silver’s family treasure chest meal
ATTENTION DAYTON, OHIO AREA RESIDENTS!
I got this e-mail from a co-worker this afternoon:
Good Afternoon Everyone:I have some exciting news for you. This Friday from 10-5 Bella’s Day Spa will be having a cut-a-thon for breast cancer. All haircuts are free with a donation to Breast cancer research. Please tell all your family and friends about this and please help with a donation fight this disease.
Friday, October 28, 2005 from 10am-5pm @Bella’s Day Spa
6226 Chambersburg Road
Huber Heights, Ohio 45424
(937) 233-5156
Tasha White
Community Relations Coordinator
Update: I just found out that participation in the cut-a-thon in on a walk-in basis only; first come, first serve.
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