The Wizard of Oz (1939)

Based on the novel of the same name by L. Frank Baum, this film tells the story of a young girl named Dorothy Gale who gets swept up by a tornado and dropped into the wonderful world of Oz.

Summary

-Dorothy Gale is a young girl who gets swept away by a tornado and lands in the world of Oz. There, along with her dog Toto, she meets a scarecrow, a tin man and a cowardly lion. They embark on a quest to The Emerald City, to meet the Wizard, who can fulfill their wishes

Cast

-Judy Garland: Dorothy Gale

-Frank Morgan: Professor Marvel / The Gatekeeper / The Wizard of Oz / The Guard

-Ray Bolger: Hunk / The Scarecrow

-Bert Lahr: Zeke / The Cowardly Lion

-Jack Haley: Hickory / The Tin Man

-Billie Burke: Glinda the Good Witch

-Margaret Hamilton: Almira Gulch / The Wicked Witch of the West

-Charley Grapewin: Uncle Henry

-Pat Walshe: Nikko

-Clara Blandick: Auntie Em

Did You Know?

-Many scenes were either shortened or completely deleted out of the film because they were thought to be too intense. One example is a scene showing the tornado completely engulfing the house

-While searching for clothing for Frank Morgan (The Wizard/Professor Marvel), the wardrobe department went to a second hand store and found one that gave off a vibe of "shabby gentility". One day, director Victor Fleming turned out one of the pockets and a label bearing the name "L. Frank Baum" came out. Mary Mayer, a publicist for the film, reached out to both the tailor and Baum's widow. It turned out that the coat did, at one time, belong to the famed author of The Wizard of Oz. When filming concluded, the coat was given to Mrs. Baum

-Judy Garland found it hard to be fearful of Margaret Hamilton, the Wicked Witch, because she was such a kindly woman off-screen

-The iconic ruby slippers Dorothy wore are now in the Smithsonian Institute's National Museum of American History. The carpet in front of the case has to be replaced frequently due to wear and tear

-The horses in Emerald City were coated with gelatin powder, to give them their bright hues. Scenes had to be shot quickly before the horses licked off the powder

-Dorothy Louise Gage was born in 1898 to the brother and sister in law of Maud Gage Baum, the sister of L. Frank Baum, the famed author of The Wizard of Oz. When Dorothy died five months later, Maud was devastated. Ironically, Baum was finishing "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz" and decided to name the heroine Dorothy to comfort his wife. He changed the last name to Gale in the third book. Dorothy Gage was buried in Evergreen Memorial Cemetery in Bloomington, IL. Her grave was mostly forgotten until 1996 when it was rediscovered. Mickey Carroll, one of the last surviving actors to play the Munchkins, learned of the discovery and made it his mission to give her a new marker to replace the old, heavily weathered one from the monument company he owned. A dedication ceremony in 1997 was held to celebrate this and the children's section of the cemetery was renamed the Dorothy L. Gage Memorial Garden with the hope that parents who lost children would be comforted by the thought of their deceased children being with Dorothy from The Wizard of Oz

-Judy Garland had to wear a corset to appear younger and flat chested because, at the time of filming, she was only 16 and had to appear as a pre-pubescent girl

-The Munchkins are played by The Singer Midgets, not named after their ability to sing, but their manager Leo Singer. The group came from Europe, and many of them were Jewish. They took advantage of being in the US to escape the Nazis. Professional singers dubbed their singing voices, as many of them couldn't speak English or sing all that well. The only two heard speaking with their real voices were the Munchkins who give Dorothy flowers after she climbs into the carriage

-Ray Bolger was originally cast as the Tin Man, but instead he wanted to play the Scarecrow. His good friend Buddy Ebsen ended up playing the Tin Man. Unbeknownst to Ebsen, the silver makeup contained aluminum dust, which he had a severe allergic reaction to, resulting in him being rushed to the hospital. The role of the Tin Man was immediately recast and Jack Haley took over as The Tin Man, wearing makeup that contained not aluminum dust but aluminum paste, so as to avoid any allergic reactions

-Despite playing an enemy to Dorothy, Judy Garland and Margaret Hamilton, who played the Wicked Witch, got along very well on set. Garland had shown Hamilton a dress she was planning on wearing to her high school graduation. But Louis B. Mayer had her going out on a tour with Mickey Rooney and she never got a chance to wear it onstage with her graduating class. Hamilton became angry and called up Mayer to yell at him

-During the "poppy field" scene, where Dorothy, the Tin Man, the Scarecrow and Cowardly Lion fell asleep, the "snow" raining down was 100% industrial grade asbestos. Unfortunately, it had been known for years the dangerous health hazards of asbestos

-Bert Lahr, who played the Cowardly Lion, wore a lion costume that weighed 90 pounds. At the end of each day, due to the bright lights on set, the costume was soaked from Lahr sweating badly

-Margaret Hamilton was very fond of animals. Like Judy Garland, Hamilton had a bond with Terry, the dog who played Toto. Which is why Hamilton found it difficult to do the scene where Miss Gulch has to take Toto away and as the Wicked Witch, where she ordered Toto to be drowned

-Margaret Hamilton got teary eyed during the scene where Frank Morgan, who plays The Wizard, was giving Dorothy and her friends gifts from his "black bag". A diploma for the Scarecrow, a ticking heart for the Tin Man, and a medal for the Cowardly Lion. She said "Frank was just like that in real life-very generous."

-Judy Garland's feet hurt so bad from wearing the ruby slippers that she could only wear them for brief times. A quick shot of her wearing soft rehearsal shoes can be seen in the scene where the Tin Man is dancing and falls backwards

-Since Judy Garland was only 16 and in school at the time, she could only do four hours on set and spent three hours getting her education when not filming

-Nikko is the name of the lead winged monkey. This name comes from the Japanese town where the famous See No Evil/Hear No Evil/Speak No Evil monkey shrine is located

-There is a small sign outside of Professor Marvel's wagon that says "Balloon exhibitionist" as one of the services he offers

-Eerily enough, on the day that Judy Garland died, there was a tornado in Kansas

-Ray Bolger (Scarecrow), Bert Lahr (Cowardly Lion) and Jack Haley (Tin Man) had to eat their lunch in their dressing rooms because their makeup frightened other people in the MGM cafeteria

-Frank Morgan, who played Professor Marvel / The Wizard, suffered from alcoholism and would discreetly hide his liquor in his dressing room. He remained friendly and professional throughout his life. One of the times he was noticeably drunk was during the Oz guardhouse scene, where, it's been noted, he would have fallen over if not for the guardhouse. He even began attracting attention when he began singing a dirty song. This type of behavior was not considered normal for the usually friendly actor

-Multiple styles of shoes were tested for the ruby slippers. There was one known as "Arabian" slippers because of their curled up toes. There was another one known as "Bugle Bead" slippers without bows. The ones that won out were a pair of low schoolgirl-style pumps with bows

-The paint used to make bricks yellow for the Yellow Brick Road was nothing more than basic yellow industrial paint purchased from a hardware store several blocks away from the studio

-During the scene where the Wizard's guard had told Dorothy and her friends to go away, the crying Dorothy did was not acting, but real. Judy Garland found out her pet dog died and it broke her heart so much she broke down in tears, which worked for the scene and made it more realistic

-The set was said to be a major health hazard. Buddy Ebsen, who was supposed to play the Tin Man, was allergic to the aluminum-based makeup and had to spend time in an iron lung to cure him. Margaret Hamilton, who played the Wicked Witch, suffered burns from a faulty trap door during her exit scene from Oz. She missed six weeks of filming while her understudy was in the hospital for eleven days after suffering permanent burns from the broom exploding. Hamilton's green makeup was also toxic because it was copper-based and allowed her only to drink liquids through a straw. Her skin was also green for months, even after filming wrapped

-Normally, poppies are not known for an appealing scent. Anyone who is familiar with narcotics, specifically opium and heroin, know that the opium poppy is where these two narcotics are derived from. The red flowers are representative of the opium poppy, which does induce sleep

-In the original book, the slippers were silver, not red. They were changed to a ruby red color to make them appear better in Technicolor 

The Inmate by Freida McFadden

Originally, I had this on my Amazon wishlist to read as a Kindle book. I ended up finding it in paperback form at a local bookstore.

Summary

Brooke Sullivan is back in her hometown of Raker, New York. She was working in Queens as a nurse practitioner, but now has a new job-the nurse practitioner at the Raker Correctional Institute, a maximum security prison. She's given these three rules upon entering: 1.) Treat each prisoner with respect, 2.) Never reveal ANY personal information, 3.) Never get too friendly with the prisoners. She's already broken the rules, unbeknownst to the staff. The staff there don't know about her personal and intimate connection to Shane Nelson, the prison's most deadly inmate, incarcerated for a series of gruesome crimes. That it's Brooke's testimony in court that put him there. And he doesn't forget a thing about it.

Weird Kentucky by Jeffrey Scott Holland

Part of the Weird US series by Mark Scuerman and Mark Moran, this book highlights all of the weird, quirky and wonderful people, places and things about the Bluegrass State, Kentucky.

It's broken down into sections. Ancient Mysteries, Fabled People and Legendary Places, Unexplained Phenomena, Bizarre Beasts, Local Heroes and Villains, Personalized Properties, Roadside Distractions, Roads Less Travelled, Ghosts of Kentucky, Cemetery Safari, Abandoned in Kentucky

Some of the items mentioned in this book include:

The Louisville Slugger Museum

This museum in Louisville is attached to the museum making the famed baseball bats known as "Louisville Sluggers". There is a massive model of its famed product leaning against the building housing the museum, dedicated to the history of the famed Louisville Slugger baseball bat.

Donald Harvey, The Angel of Death

He was a resident of Kentucky who became known as the Angel of Death, for the high number of deaths that occurred on his watch. He worked at several hospitals in the area, including the VA (Veterans Affairs) Medical Center right here in Cincinnati

Maxey Flats

A toxic government area that is more or less a radioactive waste dump. It's where dangerous radioactive material is simply left to rot in metal canisters and cardboard boxes, where, eventually, the chemicals eat through the metal and cardboard and leech into the local water supply and ground. This is not a tourist destination; it's under heavy surveillance and protection of the government. These radioactive materials have to be monitored frequently to ensure that too much radiation doesn't taint the local water supply. This is what happens when you don't know how to properly dispose of radioactive material and toxic chemicals. You do a dump and run (dump something dangerous and just run away, forgetting the whole thing). This place is what happens when the government doesn't know how to properly dispose of radioactive material.

The Gates of Hell

This area, called the Gates of Hell, goes through Kasey Cemetery and, because of the spooky nature of the area surrounding the cemetery and road, lead to you wondering if you've entered the unholy underworld. Located in Elizabethtown, this area is often heavily visited by figures in black cloaks, practicing black magic and devil worship. If you visit this road, and get out to explore, be prepared to meet figures in black who exude an overwhelming sense of uneasy malevolence.

The Wildwood Inn

Located in Erlanger, this "interesting" hotel is known for it's large glassed-in heated indoor pool, giving you the feeling of swimming in a large hothouse more appropriate for plants and its 31 themed rooms. This is for couples who want to reinvigorate their love lives and spice things up. There's the Raceway Suite, including two regulation-size NASCAR cars and black and white checkered flag bed linens. Then there's the Central Park suite, complete with park benches and murals of New York's famous Central park.

Butchertown

This was an area of Louisville that once had tons of slaughterhouses and other meat processing plants. There is a park overlooking one of these plants that is said to be the most unpleasant park you can imaging. Aside from the heavily hot dog-scented air and view of a meat processing plant, there is strong paranormal activity here. Feelings of being watched, feelings of nausea almost to the point of vomiting. It's just an overall uneasy feeling here.

Colonel Harland Sanders

The man behind Kentucky Fried Chicken, he wore many hats before becoming known as the man behind Kentucky Fried Chicken. His odd jobs included fireman and a stint in the military. His large empire started out as nothing more than a modest side job at the gas station he owned in Corbin, Kentucky. He would sell fried chicken at the gas station, made from the kitchen of the house he owned right behind the gas station. It was good and attracted more and more people. One day, he noticed he was selling more chicken than gas and realized he might be one to something. He thought about making this a regular thing and started his own fried chicken company. Today, this company has dozens of locations in the US and even worldwide. Most little kids don't know the man from the KFC commercials was a real person

Waverly Hills Sanatorium

Located in Louisville, this is an old tuberculosis hospital that opened up with tuberculosis, known as the dreaded consumption or "white plague" was still ravaging the areas of Kentucky and beyond. The doctors and nurses at this hospital may not have been successful in finding a cure, but they were friendly and caring. They believed fresh air and sunlight would help the patients. It may not cure them, but it will keep their spirits high. Unfortunately, due to the high number of daily deaths from tuberculosis, the long tunnel on the facility, used to ferry supplies into the hospital, was repurposed for a more grim reason. It was renamed, by locals and even some of the staff, as The Body Chute. It was used to remove the bodies of those who perished, secretly, so the patients wouldn't see how many people were dying a day. Luckily, there were were patients who were here who were cured enough to be freed back into society. You can often take tours of this old TB hospital, daytime and nighttime tours.

Hayswood Hospital

Unlike the Waverly Hills Sanatorium that you can take tours of, this one you cannot. It's unstable, the floors can break through without warning, there is vermin running about and, in addition to the asbestos in the air, there is the unmistakable aroma of paranormal activity here. This hospital is located on a hill atop Fourth Street, overlooking the Simon Kenton Bridge and the Licking River in Maysville. Originally starting out as the Hayswood Seminary, a place where men go to study the theological world and become priests, this building closed. A local named May Peale Wilson came and turned the building into the Wilson Infirmary, which she ran until she died in 1901. Then the building was razed to make room for a new hospital, which would be called Hayswood Hospital, in honor of the old seminary that once stood here.

The hospital was considered not just the gold standard, but the platinum standard for medical care. People came here from six counties and beyond for their treatments. People were born here, lives were saved here, people died here. The hospital closed in 1983 in conjunction with the opening of the new Meadowview Regional Medical Center. Hayswood then lay abandoned since then. Supplies are still in cabinets, never to be used once more. Gurneys wait in the halls for patients who will not be be admitted. Paranormal activity is running over overload. People living near the hospital state they see lights on in rooms occasionally, which is odd given the building no longer has electric. Hospital equipment will be seen in the windows. Phantom nurses and doctors see standing in the windows. The phantom clacking of heels, such as from a doctor running down the hall in response to a Code Blue (high priority emergency in medical lingo).

Pete Gross aka Buckhorn

Known as Buckhorn in the Richmond, Kentucky area, this kooky character was a bit strange, but beloved by those in the Richmond area. He worked odd jobs, such as a custodian and worked at the local WEKY radio station, known for his ear shattering, off tune cover of "Happy Birthday to You". He was known to the town drunks, college students and citizens as a rough, grizzled-looking guy with an almost child-like laugh. He would zip around town on his motorcycle, ignoring traffic laws. The ironic thing is that he couldn't write or read, but if it came to radios, he would fix them easily and make them good as new, if not better. He would receive broken radios and with the "Buckhorn" touch, they would work anew.

James Herndon aka Sweet Evening Breeze

Imagine being a black man living in Louisville, Kentucky during the 1930s-1970s? Then add on to that being not only a black man, but an openly gay, cross dressing black man in the 1930s-1970s in Louisville. You can imagine that would stir up some trouble in the racially charged, Bible Belt of the South. A local character named James Herndon, better known by their drag name of Sweet Evening Breeze, is the subject of this eye catching story. She was an openly gay, cross dressing black man known by the drag name of Sweet Evening Breeze. Because of their kind personality and massive charisma, no one gave them any issue. This interesting local had friends all over, from their fellow church goers at the Pleasant Green Baptist Church to the fellow doctors and nurses at Good Samaritan Hospital, where Miss Sweets, as she was also known as, would work, and play the role of cheerleader during staff football games and also worked as a nurse. They lived in the old black neighborhood on Prall Street. Their house is still there. This world lost this louder than life personality in 1983.

A mural on the side of the building

The actual Sweet Evening Breeze

Charles Manson

Before he became known for "Helter Skelter", he was born in Ashland, Kentucky. He was in and out of jails, reformatories and other behavior-correcting facilities as a child. As he grew up, he wanted nothing more than to be a musician. The Beatles and The Beach Boys being his inspiration. During the 1960s, he and a group of people became known as the Manson Family and murdered Valley of the Dolls actress Sharon Tate while she was pregnant. Charles Manson is, to this day, still in prison. Never to be released.

Weird Ohio by Loren Coleman, Andy Henderson, James A. Willis

Part of the Weird US series by Mark Scuerman and Mark Moran, this book highlights all of the weird, quirky and wonderful people, places and things about the Buckeye State, Ohio.

It's broken down into sections. Ancient Mysteries, Fabled People and Legendary Places, Unexplained Phenomena, Bizarre Beasts, Local Heroes and Villains, Personalized Properties, Roadside Distractions, Roads Less Travelled, Ghosts of Ohio, Cemetery Safari, Abandoned in Ohio

Some of the items mentioned in this book include:

Gates of Hell / Blood Bowl

Located in the underground storm drains running under High Street in Columbus, this heavily graffitti-infested series of storm drains are a skateboarder or BMX rider's paradise. It's called the Gates of Hell because supposedly there is a portion of these tunnels that is an opening to the underworld. It's called the Blood Bowl because some kid was dared to ride in the pitch darkness on his skateboard and the outcome was grim

Thomas Lee Dillion, the "Unsportsman-Like Sniper"

-Thomas Lee Dillon was a gun enthusiast who often hunted both animals and humans. When the number of murders began to rise around the Canton area, where Dillion is from, the FBI were brought in. They compiled a psychological profile of the suspected gunman, or "unsub" in FBI lingo. It included that the person was a gun enthusiast, preferred to solve issues in a cowardly way, that they were isolated or a loner, etc. One former classmate heard about this profile and realized, with horror, it fit his former classmate perfectly.

The Ohio Grassman

This is the Ohio equivalent to the famed creature known elsewhere as Bigfoot

Clermont County Dead Man's Curve

With a name like that, you're sure to get someone's attention. There are actually two Dead Man's Curves in Ohio and they have to be referred by either the county they're in or the road they include as part of them to differentiate them. There's the Clermont County Dead Man's Curve and the Harrison Ave Dead Man's Curve. The Clermont County one runs through the small village of Bantam, Ohio, where State Routes 125 and 222 meet. This intersection is PITCH BLACK DARK at night. It has no streetlights. Originally, it was part of the Ohio Turnpike. Back then, it was a dangerous stretch of road. It turned sharply right atop a steel hill. It's since been leveled out and hopefully made safer. Not so much. In the fall season of 1969, A horrible car crash between a 1969 Dodge Roadrunner and a 1969 Chevy Impala occurred, killing all five occupants of one car. It was said that the Dodge Roadrunner had hit the Impala at speeds over 100 mph. Now, there's a spooky spirit who hangs here. He's known as the faceless hitchhiker and is seen between 1:20-1:40 in the dead of morning. He will attack cars passing by. He will jump out in front of drivers only to be "hit" and then leap up and race after the car. It's wise to avoid this stretch of road between the hours of 1:20-1:40 am in the DEAD OF MORNING otherwise you are doing this at your peril.

The Lake Drive-In

There was once a multitude of drive-ins in Ohio. Most closed down with the advent of the multiplex theaters and/or lack of business. The Lake Drive-In in Mt. Orab was one of the last to close. In fact, during a re-release of Gone with the Wind, ironically, a tornado came in. People knew trouble was brewing earlier in the day when the skies took on an eerie greenish tinge, a usual indicator of tornado activity. Sure enough, not too long afterwards, a tornado came in when the theater was showing Gone with the Wind. The big screen was destroyed in the high winds, but no one was hurt or killed. Now the theatre is abandoned.

The "Stain" at the Ridges Asylum

Before becoming known as The Ridges, it was originally the Athens State Hospital. It was a mental health facility taking care of those with mental health issues. When the hospital was evacuating patients, it was said that a deaf mute patient named Margaret Schilling hid from staff in her room. When she was unable to call out for help, she simply took her clothes off and lay right on the floor to die of hypothermia. Because of the sunshine from her window shining in, the sunshine caused some sort of chemical reaction to result in a ghostly outline or "stain" of her body.

Hell Town

Located in the Cuyahoga Valley in and around Cleveland, in an area known as Boston Township, Hell Town is a town worthy of its name. From chemical spills to incredibly dangerous Satanists lurking in the premises, it's wise to avoid this town at all costs. There are several churches in the area, incredibly beautiful to look at. But what's not so beautiful about them is the lurid activity which occurs within. Local devil worshippers summon The Dark One and practice black magic within these hallowed halls. Not only that, but a chemical spill years ago was said to cause all sorts of strange mutations on the local wildlife. This town closed down to the public in the 1960s when legislation was written to create more green space, and thus, more parks. The legislation written was for the National Park Service to buy up land to transform into national parks, in a process known as eminent domain. Which is where you can come in and buy up land with no problems. One house here even had the statement put on it "Now we know how the Native Americans felt". That's how the Cuyahoga Valley Park was born.

There are two roads in this town, both claiming to be dead ends, but you can see it continuing for miles. One is called End of the World. It's at a very high hill so that when you look down, it looks as though you're driving off of a cliff. It's also been said that the devil worshipping being done here is extremely high and that these worshippers are extremely dangerous. The local worshippers will ensure you meet a gruesome end to protect their secret rituals. The police here are constantly running off thrill seekers and warning them about the extreme danger of these local devil worshippers

The Screaming Bridge

Located on Maud Hughes Road in the affluent neighborhood of Liberty Township, this bridge got its unique moniker from when it was first built. Originally, it was steel rails on steel decking. When cars would sail over it, it would sound like screaming, thus the unique moniker was born. There was also an occurrence or two that would cause human screaming. A woman had a child born out of wedlock and in those days, that earned the woman plenty of shame from others. She took the baby and herself to the screaming bridge and threw the child off the bridge and then hung herself not long afterwards.

In the 1970s, two trains crashed here. A northbound train and southbound train were heading towards each other on opposite sets of tracks here, since there are two sets of rails running parallel to each other here. One set of trains was carrying iron rebar, the kind used in concrete work to set the frame in which the concrete is be poured around. Somehow they became dislodged and now were pointing out like a jouster's lance. They pierced the conductor of the opposite train, causing a crash. That conductor died on impact while the conductor of the other train died a slow, agonizing death from the boiler, which opened and scalded him to death from boiling water. Now it's said that a ghostly conductor waving a lantern traverses these tracks in addition to seeing a ghostly figure on the bridge, appearing to commit suicide. Because of the profane graffiti lining the walls under the bridge, that more than suggests some unsavory characters hang out here. It would be wise not to go investigating here. Not only that, but those tracks are still in use by various train companies. Watch out for trains.

James Ruppert Easter Sunday Massacre

This occurred on Easter Sunday in 1975 in the neighborhood of Hamilton. James Ruppert, an all around perfectly normal man, came down from his room at 635 Minor Ave and calmly shot each and every one of his relatives. He would shoot them twice, first shot being a disarming shot and then second shot being a kill shot either directly into the brain or heart. To this day, this house exudes an uneasy, almost malevolent vibe. This house is now known to all Hamilton locals and beyond as "the murder house".

Hitler Road

This is sure to get your attention. There are three roads in Circleville, Ohio named Hitler Road 1, 2, 3. They are named after residents in the area whose family name is Hitler (no relation, thankfully, to the evil Nazi Party leader, whose name was actually misspelled from Hiedler, his maternal grandmother's married name). The residents with the last name Hitler here are a farming family who have suffered agonizing demonization from people. One person with this last name was even asked to change his last name by his own employer

Jeffrey Dahmer

What a lot of people don't know about the famous "Milwaukee Cannibal" is that he was not born and raised in Milwaukee. He was actually born in Bath, a village in Summit County, Ohio. He was labelled "a weird kid" by most of his classmates. He had moved to Milwaukee later on and that's where his crime spree escalated. He was known for murdering Hispanic, black and Asian gay men and sometimes eating them after they were dead. He was also accused of committing necrophilia (sexual intercourse post mortem or after death). A lot of people believe that the only reason his crime spree continued in Milwaukee was because the police were homophobic and racist, because the victims were gay and also minorities.

Solid Rock Church, home of the "Touchdown Jesus"

Most Ohio residents don't know the actual name of the church in Monroe that holds this unique figure. They only know the church as "Touchdown Jesus". It earned its interesting moniker from the fact that the hands on the statue of Jesus standing there have his hands raised to the heavens, as if cheering for a touchdown. On the nearby highway Interstate I-75, people would clog the roads taking pictures of the statue, since it was very clearly visible from the highway. I-75 even suffered tons of car wrecks and deaths from people wanting to stop and take pictures of the so-called "Touchdown Jesus". It was evenly split between those who thought of it as an eyesore and those who called it "Touchdown Jesus". Unfortunately, lightning struck the statue and it burned to the ground. It was not made of concrete, but of some sort of material that was not weather-resistant and easy to catch fire. A new statue was rebuilt, this one made of sturdy concrete and now his hands are in a more reverent pose, outstretched with palms up, as if asking for alms for the poor. Locals still refer to this church, whose proper name is Solid Rock Church, as "Touchdown Jesus". When they refer to it this way, it's never offensively; it's always with the most reverent joy and respect and always a smile.

The so-called "Touchdown Jesus"

The Road of Ester Hale

Located in East Liverpool, Ohio, this lonely stretch of road has an old house that belonged to a local woman named Ester Hale. When she was alive, she was planning her wedding, while her future husband was planning his escape. She spent all day on the day she was to enter wedded bliss in her wedding dress, but her future spouse never showed. When it was clear he wasn't coming, she simply became a recluse. When friends and loved ones and even the police had to find out why she seemingly dropped off of the face of the earth, they went to her house to find now yellowed wedding decorations and her dead in her wedding dress. It's said that if you go along this road, around the date of her supposed wedding, you'll see a woman in a wedding dress. WARNING. There's a legend attached to this that will keep you from wanting to pick up this frightening bride. If you allow her to touch you, she will become young and beautiful again and you will grow old instantly and die instantly.

Chippewa Lake Amusement Park

Located in Medina County, Chippewa Lake Amusement Park was the place to go for cheap, family entertainment. It closed in 1978 because Cedar Point, in nearby Sandusky, was proving to be too much competition for this small time park. The remnants of the rides are still out in those woods, rusting, left to the elements. Trees are growing up in and around the rusted hulks of these former rides.

April Birthdays

Since it's April, time to say Happy Birthday

Jet Li

-Birth name: Li Lian Jie

-DOB: 4/26/1963

-Where: Beijing, China

-He's known for his incredibly lightning fast martial arts

Ritchie Blackmore

-Birth name: Richard Hugh Blackmore

-DOB: 4/14/1945

-Where: Weston-Super-Mare, Somerset, England

-Even as a teenager, when he played guitar, he felt the need to play incredibly fast

Jeremy Clarkson

-Birth name: Jeremy Charles Robert Clarkson

-DOB: 4/11/1960

-Where: Doncaster, United Kingdom

-He's known for his outspoken nature

Eddie Murphy

-Birth name: Edward Regan Murphy

-DOB: 4/3/1951

-Where: Brooklyn, New York

-His mother was a telephone operator and his father was a transit police officer who also did amateur stand up comedy and acting in his spare time

Roddy Piper

-Birth name: Roderick George Toombs

-DOB: 4/17/1954

-Where: Saskatoon, Canada

-DOD: 7/31/2015

-Where: Los Angeles, California

-He earned his nickname "The Piper" from his talent at playing the bagpipes

Sebastian Bach

-Birth name: Sebastian Philip Bierk

-DOB: 4/3/1968

-Where: Freeport, The Bahamas

-When growing up in The Bahamas, he was the only Caucasian child in a class of predominantly black children

Federico Castellucio

-DOB: 4/29/1964

-Where: Naples, Campania, Italy

-Because of his role as Furio on The Sopranos, with his very convincing Italian accent, people thought he was an actual Italian actor who spoke broken English when he in fact he was born in Naples, Italy, but grew up in Paterson, New Jersey

The Fifth Avenue Story Society by Rachel Hack

This is a good book. I checked it out from the library a few years ago and loved it. I recently bought it from Amazon and am reading it again

Summary

Five strangers from all walks of life one day receive a mysterious invitation. It's inviting them to the Fifth Avenue Story Society. No one has heard of this mysterious literary society. Thinking it's some sort of practical joke, they all go, just to satisfy their curiosity. They talk and get to know each other and before they know it, they're coming back, week after week, to find out more about each other. Curiosity and loneliness keeps them coming back each Monday night to find out more about each other. In the process, they are able to rewrite their own lives and even write new stories into their lives

33 Unwritten Rules of Cincinnati

Known as The Queen City (named as such after the poem "Catawba Line" by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow), Cincinnati is a quirky, mixed bag of cultures and traditions. The unique cultures of other countries reside here, resulting in the interesting blend of languages, cultures and even international restaurants. There are interesting events that occur every year, such as the Cinco De Mayo Festival on Fountain Square, a large entertainment area in the heart of downtown Cincinnati that celebrates the Mexican Independence Day. Or the Flying Pig Marathon, a large race run every year. The "Flying Pig" moniker comes from a story involving runaway pigs from a slaughterhouse when the city of Cincinnati was first starting up and a lot of slaughterhouses resided here. Oktoberfest is gigantic here because the vast German population that once resided here. In fact, the Oktoberfest here is said to be one of the biggest in the world, outside of Germany. Then there is the WEBN Fireworks, sponsored by the local hard rock / heavy metal radio station 102.7 WEBN.

From left to right: Great American Tower, building that looks like it has steps was formerly Convergys, but now Omnicare Insurance. Building in center is First Financial (it even says it on the building). The two white cap buildings are the twin towers of Procter & Gamble. The tall building with orange top is Carew Tower. The building next to Carew Tower, with the blue stripe is Fifth Third Bank, the main tower downtown

CityBeat is a local magazine dedicated to all things Cincinnati. They always have interesting articles about what to do, where to eat, what to go see, where to stay and more. Here is an article they released about the 33 unwritten rules of Cincinnati.

Of course, I'll add my own take on that. Because quite a few, I do not agree with, and I'm a resident of Cincinnati. I'll also add in a few of my own that I've noticed in the years since I've moved to the Queen City.

1. Everyone feels that Skyline Chili, the local Cincinnati-style chili, is the best.

Skyline Chili is the local chili place here. Of course, there are other, smaller chili places that are just as good, such as Price Hill Chili or Blue Ash Chili, but Skyline is the major one, with locations all over the Queen City and even in Northern Kentucky. Even down south as far as Florida, there are Skylines. They're just under the name Cincinnati Chili Company. Then there is the Northern Kentucky equivalent called Gold Star Chili

This is called a four-way. It consists of your choice of onions or beans, chili, cheese, spaghetti

2. Most residents of Cincinnati think the local NFL team, the Cincinnati Bengals, are undefeated.

Like most if not all teams, you win some, you lose some. The players are almost constantly changed out due to signing contracts with other teams. It's a sort of hit or miss if they win or lose. There does seem to be strict rivalries between the Cincinnati Bengals, Cleveland Browns and Pittsburgh Steelers. But, luckily, the Bengals are doing better. They just need to keep the good work going and then, fingers crossed, they can make it to the Super Bowl and also, fingers crossed, they can win. If they win the Super Bowl, this city will explode with excitement! There will be parties for days!!

3. Your boss knows Opening Day is a day off from work

A lot of people in the city of Cincinnati take off work to attend Opening Day for the Cincinnati Reds. The local MLB team, when they open for the season, hundreds of thousands of people flock together in their red and white Reds gear to celebrate the start of baseball season. You can't move for inches downtown without running into someone. Also, it won't just be Cincinnati Reds jerseys you'll see. You'll also see jerseys for other teams outside of Cincinnati, like the Cleveland Indians, Boston Red Sox, Chicago Cubs or whoever that person supports in baseball

4. Supposedly, all Cincinnati residents have a crush on Bengals player Joe Burrow

Whoever wrote this article must think everyone loves him. This person does not. I do not have a crush on him. To me, he's just another football player. Not only that, I don't think he's even on the team anymore. I think he was traded to another team. Not everyone has a crush on Joe Burrow. His fashion choices are quite questionable. One time, he was shown wearing this "interesting" suit that had flowers on it. Not sure what was going on there....

5. Despite the fact it's technically considered CUF, The University of Cincinnati is in Clifton

CUF stands for Clifton Heights, University Heights and Fairview, three neighborhoods practically on top of one another. Corryville is right on top of Clifton too. Clifton is the Cincinnati neighborhood that calls itself home for the University of Cincinnati. Not only is UC Medical Center here, but also very smaller outpatient care facilities under the UC umbrella are located here. The UC Medical Center is said to be the best medical center in the area. It's where Buffalo Bills player Damar Hamlin was taken when he collapsed on the field during the Cincinnati Bengals-Buffalo Bills game last year. In fact, at any time, you could pass an educational UC campus building going anywhere in Clifton. You pass by the UC Gardner Neuroscience Center en route to the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden. You pass by many of the buildings housing classrooms and frat houses / sorority houses en route to Good Samaritan Hospital and TriHealth. Nippert Stadium, where the UC Bearcats football team plays, is right on the next block up from the classroom buildings and right up the road from the local STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) / college preparatory high school Hughes High School. This particular school is a college prep school, meaning you better have good grades to get in.

6. Northern Kentucky is also Cincinnati

I'm not sure who at CityBeat included this, but Northern Kentucky is in the state on the opposite side of the Ohio River, KENTUCKY! It's right there in the name! Most Northern Kentucky residents go to Ohio for various reasons as most Cincinnati residents go to Northern Kentucky for various reasons. That's why there are so many bridges spanning the Ohio River.

That odd-looking building that looks like a shard of glass is actually an extremely high end apartment building. Very expensive! Needs lots of $$$$ to live there

7. Everyone knows, by heart, the local attorney Blake Maislin's number

It's hard to forget a phone number that consists of all the same digit. 444-4444. Every billboard features the attorney in boxing gloves, as if he's about to step in to the ring with Muhammad Ali instead of taking a case. Some people think he's an ambulance chaser, which is a term for attorneys who look for injured people to help sue those who injured them, such as car wrecks and more. This city does have a high percentage of law firms scattered about. And where the main court house is, located on Court Street, there's a major law firm called O'Connor, Acciani & Levy. Up on Fourth Street and Main Street, near where the Federal Reserve is, there is a firm called KMK Law. Then further back on Main Street, near the Central Bridge coming in from Newport, Kentucky is the Great American Tower, named after the local insurance company, Great American Insurance. In that tower, on floors 27-36 are three law firms, one on top of another: Frost, Brown & Todd, Dinsmore & Shohl and finally, on floors 34-36 Vorys, Sater, Seymour & Pease

8. It's Cincy, not Cinci!

People misspell the shortened version of the name on a frequent basis

That white building you see with the stripe of red is the Montgomery Inn. A local wing and rib restaurant

9. Everyone has a most favorite and least favorite Kroger location

Kroger is the local grocery store chain in Cincinnati. There are locations in Kentucky and Ohio. Everyone has a most favorite and least favorite location. In my case, my least favorite is the one in Delhi Township, where I live. I have to worry about being able to find things because that Kroger location serves Price Hill, Sedamsville, Delhi, Sayler Park. And, unfortunately, there are low income people who come in when their food stamps come in and they take everything up, even though they probably don't need it. Not only that, but a lot of rude people tend to shop there. They'll push their way in front of you, run into you because they are too busy on their phones to pay attention or they'll just stand there until you move. And if you say something to them, they provide dirty looks and foul language in addition to non child friendly comments. Not only that, but a lot of people will steal from that store by putting items into backpacks and walking out when they're done. Luckily, security has gotten better at stopping thieves. There are security cameras EVERYWHERE! Saturdays and Sundays tend to be crazy, especially when it's the first of the month and social security / food stamps come in or it's the weekend of a holiday or worse still, reports of bad weather. Everyone panics about the bad weather and they flock to the store and start buying everything, not leaving anything for anyone. It's especially headache-inducing when weather reports come in about possibility of heavy snow. That's what I mean by bad weather. People have lived here all their lives, they know what it's like every winter and it's like they get amnesia every year.

My most favorite is the Harrison Ave Kroger. It's further to go, but at least there will be a slightly higher chance of finding what I need. But sometimes even this location can be a dud. Honestly, I'm not sure why people from Sayler Park come to the Delhi Township location. They have a Kroger location 10-15 minutes down the road from them in Cleves, which is, by all means, a very nice area, a slightly affluent one too. I've been in that one before. Clean, well stocked, a dream Kroger location. Me and my family stopped in that one on our way to Lawrenceburg to see comedian Bill Engvall.

10. As a resident of Cincinnati, you know who George Clooney is

Everyone knows who George Clooney is. He's an actor and his dad Nick Clooney ran for government office in Kentucky, where he's from. Unlike what this article says, just because you're from Cincinnati, it does not mean you have a relationship with him. You just know he, his dad Nick Clooney and grandmother Rosemary Clooney are from the Kentucky town of Maysville

11. The Beast at Kings Island will shake you to your core, but leave you wanting to repeat that experience

The Beast is a massive, monstrous wooden roller coaster at the local theme park, Kings Island, in Mason, Ohio. This massive monster of wood and steel has been there since 1979 and shaking riders to their core and has even attained mentioning in the Guiness Book of World Records for longest, fastest roller coaster. Every year, during the annual Halloween event, Halloween Haunt, The Beast is one of the rides open for business and riders can ride it at night, which intensifies the spookiness of it because the ride is set back far in the woods. At night, with all of those towering trees around you, the darkness is overwhelming. This ride has seen hundreds of thousands of riders and continues to rise each and every year when the park officially opens for the season in April.

That massive hill you see is the first hill of the ride

12. Saying you're from Cincinnati means you live within at least 30 minutes of downtown Cincinnati

Like most if not all cities, Cincinnati has outlying neighborhoods that allow for easy access to downtown Cincinnati. In Kentucky, the cities of Dayton, Newport, Bellevue, Fort Thomas are within easy distance of downtown Cincinnati. In Ohio, the neighborhoods of Sayler Park, Delhi Township, Price Hill, Addyston, Sedamsville are within easy distance of Cincinnati by jumping onto US-50, known to locals as River Road because it runs along the Ohio River.

13. Weather changes its mind frequently

Weather in Cincinnati is like a bad case of bipolar disorder. It goes from one extreme to another in a matter of minutes. It could be snowing, high of 45 degrees one minute and then be 65 degrees and sunny the next. It's a running joke with the city of Cincinnati that you can experience all four seasons- winter, summer, spring and fall- all in the same week

Weather at one point...

...five minutes later

14. Kids like to hang around the abandoned subway tunnels

Back in the days of WWI-WWII, there was a proposed idea for Cincinnati to get its own subway system. Unfortunately, prices of steel went up, causing the project to fall through. As time went on, the roads started getting clogged with people using their own personal vehicles to traverse the city and the project remained abandoned. To this day, you can see the portals for what would have been the subway tunnels in various parts of the city, including one near the Western Hills Viaduct, which takes you into Clifton near Hughes High School

15. Beer is the official beverage of Cincinnati

A lot of craft breweries have started popping up in Cincinnati. Such as Moerlein Lager, 50 West, Rheingeist, Mad Tree, Braxton. These breweries all sell their products in local bars and restaurants. It's kind of good that Cincinnati is getting on the map with all of their local breweries

16. Blue ice cream at Kings Island will always be Smurf ice cream

When Hanna Barbera had their own Hanna Barbera Land there, The Smurfs were all the rage. Blue ice cream was introduced and it was a hit. Even now, when Hanna Barbera Land was formerly Planet Snoopy and will change its name to Camp Snoopy sometime this year, blue ice cream is still a hot seller at the park. You just need to know where to find it.

17. Don't talk garbage about Norwood

Whoever came up with this article must be from Norwood. I can tell you Norwood is not the safest area of town. There tend to be a lot of shootings and home invasions there. It's right on the borderline of the East Side of Cincinnati. It borders the more affluent neighborhood of Hyde Park. Norwood is okay, but not the safest place in town. There's really nothing major in the way of industry there other than a shopping complex called Rookwood Pavilion and a couple hotels and the local Mayfield Brain & Spine Center, which is a medical facility specializing in spine and neuro care.

18. Seasonal allergies are 365 days a year

Because of the up and down weather, seasonal allergies don't take a hike when the cold weather hits. Allergies exist all 365 days a year, all 7 days of the week, all 29-31 days of the month. It's not uncommon to see / hear people sneezing or blowing their noses, drying their watery eyes or hearing asthma attacks in full force

19. Fiona is a local star

At the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden, Fiona is one of the resident hippos. Everyone is obsessed with this portly hippo and the obsession grew intensely higher when she had her fist baby, Fritz. Now everyone flocks to the zoo to see the animals. And Fritz. And Fiona.

20. The Crosstown Shootout is practically a major holiday

The Crosstown Shootout is a major local event that occurs every year. It's a major basketball game between the basketball teams of two of Cincinnati's biggest universities, Xavier University Musketeers and University of Cincinnati Bearcats. Xavier University and University of Cincinnati are next door neighbors. UC is in Clifton while in next door Evanston is Xavier. These two teams duke it out on the courts to see who brings home the trophy every year. The last few years, it's been Xavier who has been winning.

21. Everyone has their own idea of where the dividing line is between the East Side and West Side

I'm not sure. I live on the West Side of Cincinnati, but I have to travel to the East Side to work.

22. The Chicken Dance is practically the national dance of Cincinnati.

At every year's Oktoberfest, the chicken dance is required to be performed. It's said most Cincinnati residents know how to do it.

23. I-75 will be under constant construction

Interstate 75 is always having work done on it. Whether it be filling potholes, fixing the lines or something else.

Interstate 75 at Paddock Rd

24. Frisch's tartar sauce should always be in your fridge

Frisch's is the major burger chain restaurant in the Cincinnati-Northern Kentucky area. Famous for their "Big Boy", which is two hamburgers separated by two buns, cheese, lettuce, pickles and that famous tartar sauce. Almost everyone on both sides of the Ohio River have a jar or two of that famous tartar sauce in their fridge. My stepdad refuses to eat no other tartar sauce except Frisch's.

25. Goetta is a breakfast essential

For those who don't know what this is, it's a breakfast meat made of oats and pork. It's entirely German and introduced to the city of Cincinnati by German immigrants who settled here years ago. There's a local goetta company called Glier's who makes goetta and it's consumed by tons of people. In fact, every year, there is a festival called Goettafest, where this German breakfast staple is put on to anything you can imagine.

26. You already know which church fish fry has the best fish

Cincinnati is a city of churches. There are more churches here than you can imagine. During the season of Lent, which is big amongst the Catholics of the city, you can't eat meat on Friday, in accordance to your faith. You must eat fish. A lot of the local restaurants, such as Frisch's, Arby's, serve fish during these times to handle overflow from the churches. That's why the drive thru's tend to be backed up to the nines. And the local churches have fish frys. You pretty much know what church to go to to get the best fish, cole slaw, hush puppies and more. Depending on where you live, you can easily win a bet that there's going to be a church nearby having a fish fry on Fridays. In fact, around the first or second month of each year, the signs start going up everywhere advertising fish frys. And later in the year, the signs go up once more, this time advertising church festivals

27. Italianfest is a major event for the city

Italianfest is a major local event taking place on the banks of the Ohio River in Newport. This cultural occurrence celebrates the rich, vibrant Italian heritage of Newport. Italian restaurants from both sides of the river come together to sell food. A tent is set up to showcase pictures and family histories of Italian families who settled here years ago. It's a festival celebrating Newport's rich Italian heritage. And here in Ohio, there's something similar to that called CinciItalia. It takes place in Harvest Home Park in Cheviot and celebrates the Italian heritage of Cincinnati. I prefer the one in Newport because I'm originally from Northern Kentucky. I don't particularly care for the Cheviot one because that neighborhood is not the safest in town. Especially when you could be driving through, just minding your own business and suddenly your car gets a dent in it from a passing bullet from someone's gun

28. Being a parrothead is a badge of honor

Fans of musician Jimmy Buffet are known as parrotheads. Whenever Jimmy Buffet was in town, people tailgate outside the venue, partying it up until the concert, then they head over and dance and sing and enjoy the concert. You'll often see a lot of Hawaiian shirts and parrot hats. The basic rule of thumb is that if you do not personally identify yourself as a Parrothead, then you know someone who does

29. Everyone has their take on the Cincinnati Bell Connector streetcar

I've never been on it because it doesn't go where I need to / want to. Why would I drive downtown, find somewhere to park and pay for that to go somewhere I have no desire to visit? It's expensive and annoying because you have to make sure that thing is not coming when you have the right of way to cross the street. I personally think it was a waste of money to put that it. It goes to the neighborhoods that have nothing to see

30. Whoever gets the biggest chocolate chip from Graeter's wins

Graeter's is the local ice cream shop. Known for their extremely thick, almost concrete-like French Pot ice cream, they have shops all over Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky. A hands down customer favorite is their black raspberry chocolate chip. Sometimes people hold competitions amongst themselves and friends that whoever gets the biggest chocolate chip wins

31. When you meet someone new, the first question you ask is "Where did you go to school?"

Most if not all Cincinnati residents have one of two options for schooling. It's either public school or Catholic school. If you went to a Catholic elementary school, then for high school it's these options, Elder (all boys Catholic high school) or Seton (all girls Catholic high school), St. Xavier (co-ed high school), Purcell Marion (prior to the merge of two schools, there were two Catholic high schools in Walnut Hills: Purcell (all boys Catholic high school) and Marion (all girls Catholic high school). The two schools merged to form Purcell-Marion). Then there's the new Mercy-McAuley high school, which is a merge from Mercy High School and McAuley High School. This is an all girl Catholic high school in the College Hill neighborhood. There's also Archbishop Moeller High School in Montgomery. This is on the East Side and you can see some high end cars, such as Mercedes, Lexus, Audi, BMW parked in the lot. This is a very massive high school. Right next door to it the elementary school part of that school system, called All Saints Elementary. Then in Montgomery's next door neighborhood of Blue Ash there is the all male La Salle High School.

If it wasn't Catholic school you attended, which usually started at a church elementary school, which goes from kindergarten to eighth grade, and then moved on to one of the above-mentioned high schools or another one not mentioned here, then it was public school for you. There are specific high schools in the city that are college-prep high schools, which means you better have the smarts and the good grades to get in. The schools in this category include Hughes High School in Clifton, the same exact neighborhood dominated by the University of Cincinnati, Walnut Hills High School in the Walnut Hills neighborhood right next door to Clifton, Western Hills High School in the neighborhood of Western Hills. Then there are the basic high schools that take care of multiple areas, so they end up being huge. On the West Side, around the area of Green Township, Bridgetown and Delhi Township, residents of those three areas have but one option for high school-Oak Hills High School. It's massive; it has to be to take students in from Delhi Township, Green Township (which is a big area in itself) and Bridgetown. This school does not offer bus service as some schools do. It's up to the parents or students themselves to get there in time.

Hughes High School in Clifton. A college prep high school

Then there are the schools that, in certain areas, are predominantly of one race or another. What I mean is that in certain neighborhoods of the city, there are high schools where the student body is predominantly black, like Withrow High School in Walnut Hills. This high school is massive because Walnut Hills is a massive neighborhood. Withrow High School is one of the best in the city because they offer tons of programs for the students in case they are unsure of what to do for careers. Then there is Dohn High School in Cincinnati, which is predominantly black and also gives students the chance to get the education they need to attend any university they want, no matter the circumstances preventing them from getting a good education. Then there's Taft High School, a predominantly black high school in downtown Cincinnati near Music Hall and right next door to Cincinnati's District 1 Police Department. If you're in downtown Cincinnati, around lunchtime and at any of the restaurants, you can easily spot the Taft High School students because of their letterman jackets or hoodies. This school offers information technology as one of the courses in case students find IT to be an exciting future career.

Dohn High School

Taft High School

Withrow High School

32. If you want prime real estate for the WEBN/Riverfest fireworks, you better stake out your spot a day prior

This is a massive yearly event, usually referred to as "The last big finale of the summer" or "the official last fiesta of summer". After that, it starts sliding towards fall and then winter. Everyone stakes out spots for the fireworks, which get launched off of the Purple People Bridge (strange name, I know) and off of the Rozzi's Fireworks barges on the river. The residents of Cincinnati know the name behind the art: Rozzi's Fireworks. They are a Cincinnati institution. People in this city know that family will deliver bigger and bigger bangs each year. Watching it on TV / being there, each firework is set along with music. Each year being a theme with its own music for each loud show of colorful fireworks

33. It's okay to wear a bib at Montgomery Inn

This is a local restaurant that serves racks of ribs, wings and more. The wings and meat are usually sopping wet with their own in-house barbecue sauce and it's more than okay to wear a bib to protect your clothes. This restaurant is on the road known as Eastern Ave in Cincinnati. It tends to flood easily when the river rises.

Driving is best described as "qualifying" for NASCAR, IMSA, Formula 1

The driving patterns of most of the residents in Cincinnati and beyond are described, at best, as "qualifying". You'd think that everyone was trying to win the last lap of an auto race because of how much they are speeding, swerving in and out of lanes, etc. Depending on the type of auto racing you prefer, some people consider themselves to be Jeff Gordon trying to win the Dayton 500, Max Verstappen trying to win the US Grand Prix or Ricky Taylor trying to win for the Wayne Taylor team in IMSA. There basically are no rules for driving in Cincinnati. If this city had to be summarized by traffic violations, it would be: broken headlights / tail lights, tail lights / headlights not even on in bad weather or early morning dark hours, illegal lane changes (not using turn signals), swerving in and out of cars and trucks (also known as reckless driving), tailgating (driving too close to the bumper of the car in front of you), aggressive driving (flashing the headlights in a vain attempt to force a driver to go faster). That is why Ohio is said to be one of the states with the worst drivers. There's even a Facebook page called Ohio Drivers Suck (I follow that page and crack up laughing. People add their own horror stories and it's amazing to see how bad Ohio drivers are).