Missy Higgins (Rock/Pop > Adult Alternative) - Favorite tracks: Sugarcane, Secret, Warm Whispers. Her big hit is Where I Stood.

Brad Passon (Rock/Pop > Pop) - Favorite track: My Last Name

Thriving Ivory (Rock/Pop > Adult Alternative) - Favorite tracks: Angels On The Moon (with video)

Great sites to find new music: Rhapsody, Ilike

The Cincinnati Business Courier reported that Crate & Barrel will be opening a new 22,000 square feet store in Kenwood Towne Place (just north of downtown Cincinnati on I-71) on November 20th.

The two-story location will be the region’s first for the Chicago-based chain, and will anchor the developing Kenwood Towne Place at Interstate 71 and Galbraith Road in Sycamore Township.

Steve, Cindy, Melissa and Shawn at the Ronald McDonald House Red Tie Gala in downtown Cincinnati on Nov. 9, 2008.

My firm, Schiff, Kreidler-Shell, was a Bronze sponsor of the 2008 Ronald McDonald House Red Tie Gala at the Hyatt Regency downtown Cincinnati. I had the honor of representing our agency. Melissa and I took some of our best friends, Steve & Cindy, and we spent the evening with some of our agency clients.

Melissa and I agree that it was simply the best charity event we have ever attended. It was all class and tons of fun. Great food, spectacular band, and a bunch of great Cincinnati movers and shakers with charitable hearts. The House does such amazing and meaningful work for children and their families. Some of the people that have benefited from The House spoke to the crowd of over 500 and it really touched our hearts.

The live and silent auctions featured some of the most incredible adventures and items that I’ve ever seen. Some of the highlights for me: A day at the Porsche Driving School; 7 Days in an luxury vacation home in Sanibel Island; private flight to Chicago for a day of shopping on the Magnificent Mile. Someone donated a fur coat that generated over $9,000. The neatest thing is that the live auction began with people “bidding” to simply fund days, weeks, and even months for families in need…and the bidders receive nothing in return. I bid as high as could on the Chicago experience, but dropped out at the second to last bid.

Flickr pictures from the event

If you are looking for a cause, I strongly encourage you to take a look at the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Greater Cincinnati and consider donating your time and money for a strong, trustworthy, and high-impact group.

The Hamilton Journal News and an e-mail from the Butler County Republican Party are reporting that Joe Wurzelbacher (aka Joe the Plumber) will be speaking at S&S Pools in on 41 Oxford State Road in Middletown, Ohio on Tuesday, October 28th. Joe the Plumber is traveling with former White House Budget Director Rob Portman as part of a statewide tour supporting McCain. Joe will speak at 2:15pm.

Plumber Joe Wurzelbacher watches the presidential candidate debate in his home in Ohio Wednesday Oct. 15, 2008.

I encourage all Fairfield Township residents to read this printable flyer about the Fairfield Township Replacement Fire Levy. Please vote yes on November 4, 2008.

View/Print Fairfield Township Replacement Fire Levy Flyer

I’ve also been impressed by their willingness to perform community services like this (YouTube Video of Kaitlyn at the Bridgewater Falls Safety Fair). My wife, Melissa, is a first-grade teacher at Fairfield North Elementary School. She has shared with me over the years that they do a lot of in-school educational programs and allow classes to bring kids on safety tours of the firehouse. As a Fairfield Township family, we really appreciate the service of the firefighters in our community. We know they have a risky job that we often take for granted until an emergency impacts us directly.

Four years ago, while Melissa was pregnant with Kaitlyn, our house was struck by lightning. It ultimately caused very little damage. The Fairfield Township Fire Department and other Township emergency services responded quickly. Their confident professionalism was impressive to say the least. They were not only clearly skilled at the core function of making certain our house was no longer a hazzard, but they also were pros at calming down and taking care of Melissa.

Thank you to all of the emergency services professionals in the Fairfield Township community.

W.

Update October 24, 2008 - I saw a late night showing of W. and really enjoyed it. It was perfectly cast. The characters are not as complex as I had hoped, but they are spot on. It’s easy to loose yourself in the story. It’s focused on Bush’s internal struggles with alcohol and his longing for approval from his father. The most interesting element from my perspective is the way Cheney and Rove manipulate Bush at every turn. For me, there are portions of the movie that I hope are true and other portions that I fear might be true.

Now Playing October 2008. JFK is one of my all-time favorite films and I’m a student of conspiracy theories. The story of how Director Oliver Stone financed and produced this very different film on short notice could likely be a movie itself. I’m a conservative Republican. I’ve been front row for a Bush event. I’ve been deeply involved in local Republican politics. And yet I’m completely excited about this film. Stone was quoted as saying that President Bush’s life is “bigger than fiction”. With the same thrill of opening the latest issue of Us Weekly to get all the trashy celebrity gossip, I’m heading out tonight to see W. If I’m lucky I can get a Democrat friend to go with me…you know…to laugh whenever Bush misspeaks.

Sidebar: I love the song that they picked for this preview. Simply perfect.

Will you be seeing this film? Have you seen it? What do you think of this flick?

Zack and Miri Make a Porno in HD

In theatres October 31, 2008. The oddly funny Seth Rogan and gorgeously funny Elizabeth Banks star as platonic roommates who find themselves suddenly strapped for cash. They decide that the best way to make some quick money would be to produce homemade porn. The preview shows some pretty funny audition and taping excerpts with an ensemble comedic cast. There is an awkward love story mixed in…that’s Seth Rogan’s character it would seem in every movie. The main potential of this flick is that it’s directed by Kevin Smith (Clerks, Chasing Amy, Superbad). Will you be seeing this movie? Are you a Seth Rogan fan? What about Kevin Smith?

Check out some related films at Amazon:
Knocked Up - Unrated (Two-Disc Collector’s Edition)
Chasing Amy - Criterion Collection