That's right folks, the Cinciditarod. It's a sporting event that cleverly combines the words "Cincinnati" and "Iditarod," as well as the meanings of both. The Cinciditarod is sort of like the grueling 1,100-mile Alaskan dog-sled race, except that it's held in Cincinnati, without dogs, with shopping carts instead of sleds and the course is only five miles. No big.

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Scott Beseler's photos from Northside Tavern's Blue Ball

More photos from local inauguration parties here.

Tired or bored with what’s in your closet? Look no further and seek advice from Sheena Matheiken and designer Eliza Starbuck. If you haven’t heard of it already, The Uniform Project is an effort that started in May 2009 for Sheena to wear one dress for one year in 365 reinvented ways. Sheena wears seven identical black cotton dresses, which were designed by Eliza Starbuck, for each day of the week. She uses vintage, handmade or donated accessories to reinvent her outfits and documents said outfits on her blog each day. Sheena also gladly accepts any donated accessories or personal designs, as well as any collaborative or conceptual ideas for the project.

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My friend Charlie texted me this morning to ask if I had baseball pants and a jersey (a wooden bat would be great too, he said). Assuming he was throwing together a Halloween costume, I replied: "Of course i do. u can get it tonite. :)"

Charlie said thanks and that he'd come by during the evening. And then he said this: "Write something good about Cincinnati today!"

I laughed to myself because that's not really my thing. I talk mass shit about Cincinnati all the time. I am nearly impossible to hang out with at a Reds game because I spend the entire time I'm not in the $7 beer line complaining about advertisements, stadium architecture, Fort Washington Way, The Banks Project, Cincinnati's misguided re-urbanization techniques, the weather, the Reds' front office and my dad. I'm no fun.

But then I started wondering, "Why does Charlie have such a good attitude? What does that fucker have going on these days that's making him feel content enough to appreciate Cincinnati?"

Charlie and I have known each other since high school, when our JV soccer team kicked the asses of most surrounding schools' young backup players. We've spent a lot of time at college parties and local bars, with recreational sporting events mixed in on the weekends. We were both injured during the past year because we're starting to become old and frail. One time we were going to kiss each other for $40, and Charlie said he'd have done it for $20.

Some time during the day (I think it was right after Jason Gargano, Kevin Osborne and I cornered Maija Zummo just to make her feel uncomfortable), I began to realize why Charlie has such a good attitude: He just spent half a year in South Korea. And this isn't to knock the "Land of the Morning Calm," it's more of a recognition that when people leave Cincinnati they totally miss it.

I've been back in Cincinnati for two years after spending two years in Oregon (where the micro brews flow like the Willamette River). Oregon is great, and people there are intrigued by people from weird places like Cincinnati. But when I returned home after finishing graduate school - broke with no job and twice the student loan debt I left with - I was happy. All the jackasses that I grew up with and met during college were here doing the same stuff we did before I left. They had new jobs and had finished their degrees and changed their facial hair, but they were here and we enjoyed things just like we always had.

Many of us feel stuck here at times, and if our financial or professional situations don't allow us to get the hell out for a minute and observe a better functioning society, we start to hate Cincinnati and ourselves for setting up shop here. There will never be bike lanes throughout the city or functional public transit or efficient recycling or expanded social services. At least not until the Baby Boomer population thins out and our children grow up and help us change things.

But until then Cincinnati is what it is, and leaving for a while allows you to see only the good, and in some ways you even start to forgive the bad. Charlie was in South Korea, presumably drinking on the streets, singing karaoke, dressing funny and enjoying the intricacies of another culture. And in doing so he was also taking the Cincinnati show on the road, offering a glimpse into the persona of someone who grew up in a strange place but knew there was more out there than what his parents had or his hometown offered.

But until Charlie or you or I break into or rise up through a creative industry (or the stock market goes back to relying on goods being sold rather than how likely goods are to be sold), we're going to be living in Cincinnati, and it's not really that bad. It's actually kind of good.

In Glee, Kurt Hummel may have graduated from Lima, Ohio's McKinley High, but actor Chris Colfer will return his character's home state this summer while promoting and signing his new children's book, The Land of Stories: The Wishing Spell.

Colfer, a 22-year-old Emmy nominee and Golden Globe winner, found time between takes on Glee to write a modern-day fairy tale for children ages 8 and older. He will discuss and sign the book at 3:30 p.m. July 29 at Joseph-Beth Booksellers in Rookwood Pavilion.

From Amazon: "Alex and Conner Bailey's world is about to change, in this fast-paced adventure that uniquely combines our modern day world with the enchanting realm of classic fairy tales. The Land of Stories tells the tale of twins Alex and Conner. Through the mysterious powers of a cherished book of stories, they leave their world behind and find themselves in a foreign land full of wonder and magic where they come face-to-face with the fairy tale characters they grew up reading about. But after a series of encounters with witches, wolves, goblins, and trolls alike, getting back home is going to be harder than they thought."

Portraying an openly gay character on Glee (and being open about his own sexuality) has made Colfer somewhat of an icon in the LGBTQ community. After winning his 2011 Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actor, he used his acceptance speech to support kids who watch the show that deal with bullies and naysayers. Colfer was bullied not only as Kurt on Glee, but in real life and resorted to homeschooling when he was in seventh and eighth grade. Check out his sweet, inspired speech below.

Screw that, indeed!

The Land of Stories is available for sale July 17. Reserve your copy in advance at Joseph-Beth, as it is anticipated that the book will sell out before Colfer's appearance.

Barack Obama set off metal detectors Friday on his way back into the White House. "I just wanted to see what it was like getting in here," Obama said. "I think I beeped a couple of times." Obama shook hands with the gatehouse guards and talked football as he set off the metal detectors. The guard told the president it was probably just his cellphone and then asked if he was going to put Aaron Rogers in his starting lineup for his fantasy team. Obama replied, “Oh, Jeff. You know I can’t tell you that. I will tell you, Rogers will throw 17 for 30 for 281 yards and two touchdowns.” But Obama declined to predict the future regarding the latest Republican tax cut bill.

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Fashion designer Jonathan Mezibov grew up in Cincinnati and has since gone on to launch his own clothing line and website, featuring shirts that have appeared in GQ Japan and Vogue China Men. Mezibov returns to the Queen City this month for the second annual Cincinnati Fashion Week (CFW).

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Don’t have a date for Valentine’s Day? Pissed off about all the publicity that corporate media give Sarah Palin? Mad that shows like Extreme Makeover: Home Edition still are on TV? Just bored?

No matter the reason for your frustration, you can release some of that energy by attending “Cincinnati’s Largest Snowball Fight!,” planned for Sunday afternoon, Feb. 14.

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Eighties mall girl-turned-pop star-turned-Playboy pin-up Tiffany swings through Hollywood Casino's Boogie Nights club Saturday!

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It was hot. It was sweaty (really, really sweaty). It was dance-y. If you didn't go, you were probably the only person who wasn't there because that bar was packed from the front door all the way to the back. I guess nothing makes people want to get drunk and warm like a quarter of an inch of snow on the ground.

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