I watched the film “Mischief” for the first time today. Somehow I missed it in the mid ’80s when it came out, and then never got around to watching it in the interim. This is despite the fact that I’ve known it was filmed in Nelsonville since I moved back to Athens shortly after its filming.

In some ways, it was a paint-by-numbers '80s teen flick, but “Mischief” redeems itself with an optimistic approach to the genre, winning cast, and setting in southeast Ohio.

The city of Athens has been making noises that it might demand that Ohio University chip in for fire protection on campus, paying for it with an additional charge on students.

This is a terrible idea, and ignores the fact that OU students 1) are already paying more to attend college than the vast  majority of public college students in America; and 2) are already contributing as legal residents, consumers and taxpayers to the city of Athens. Elected city officials considering this extortion plot need to realize that students, whenever they decide to get riled up about an issue, can exercise their numerical advantage and take over Athens at the voting booth. When and if that happens, I wouldn’t want to be the mayor or council member who added another surcharge to OU students’ tuition bills.

Ohio University and the city of Athens are still arguing about whether to allow a “curb-cut” to open up Bobcat Lane to Richland Avenue near the new Baker Center.

Athens Mayor Paul Wiehl has exaggerated concerns about opening up the road out of what appears to be spite against the university. One of these days, take a drive around Athens and the OU campus and try counting all the curb-cuts that allow driveways and roads to enter city streets. They’re everywhere, and it’s highly doubtful that one more on Richland Avenue is going to make any difference.

"Get your facts first, and then you can distort them as much as you please," - Mark Twain

I just attended a speech by Athens County Commissioner Lenny Eliason outside of the Athens County Courthouse. Eliason, a Democrat, spoke in support of Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland, also a Democrat, calling for voters to return Strickland to office in this November’s gubernatorial election.

Former Congressman and Fox News host John Kasich is challenging Strickland in the great electoral smackdown of 2010. Currently, Kasich has a lead of about seven points in poll averages.

After Eliason’s speech, I was humored to hear one of the questions that was asked of him.

A few stray thoughts on OU journalism prof Bill Reader’s tenure appeal hearing Friday:

(For the background on this case, check out my articles in The Athens NEWS, the preview of the hearing and the story Monday about it:

Reader’s hearing, before an ad hoc committee of Faculty Senate, was long and at times distressing to watch.

The Athens Bulldogs boy’s basketball team has just pulled off one of the biggest victories in recent memory, beating Vinton County 58-55.

Athens trailed by 11 points with under two minutes to play, but was able to come back and get the victory against the perennial TVC-Ohio powerhouse. This win is the most recent accomplishment for a team that looks like one of the best ever at the school.

The Bulldogs have now completed the season sweep of Vinton County, and look to have a smooth road to the league title.

Tonight the Athens High basketball team will get a mid-season test against former SEOAL foe Logan. From a basketball perspective, this game gives the Bulldogs a chance to solidify their strong start by beating the much-bigger school from Logan.

But this game has an underlying storyline that might trump anything from the pure basketball standpoint.

I just spent the last hour reading four conservative critiques of the James Cameron blockbuster “Avatar” that’s currently breaking box-office records.

With the pundits’ pile-on, one can’t help wondering whether the right has finally tired of attacking President Obama and his administration. More likely, they’re just taking a break. Shooting at a big, easy target can’t be all that fun.

The game between Athens and Nelsonville-York has been postponed, for at least a day. The two teams might play tomorrow, but that has yet to be decided. Check back later for an update.

Right about this time of the year, the high school basketball season gets a little more exciting. The games mean a little more. The student sections have a little more intensity. And we start to see what teams are for real.

That excitement should start Friday night (but that will likely get postponed because of the weather) when Nelsonville-York (4-2) travels to the Plains to play Athens (6-1). The game will provide a test for both teams, and will be a chance to see if the Buckeyes really could turn out to be the sleeper in the TVC-Ohio.

Not to be contrary… OK, correct, that, to be perfectly contrary, I beg to differ with Mr. Powell on this particular issue, respectfully, of course.

While his points are well taken with regard to counting in general, when it comes to years, I would argue that the most important factor in deciding when decades begin and end is where the year (2010 in this case) will be categorized when the decade is referred to in the future. I can’t think of anyone, for example, who would consider 1930 the last year of the Roaring Twenties, or 1960 as part of the uptight ’50s. And the year 1900 was most definitely not part of the Gay Nineties.

Thus, 2010 will be considered part of the Apocolpytic Teens, as opposed to the Bummer Aughts.
So having explained it that way, I once again feel OK about running the Athens Ear Buds’ Best of the Decade picks over the past week.

After reading Columbus Dispatch editorial page editor Glenn Sheller’s lament about the loss of freedom and liberty in the Dec. 22 issue, I had a hankering to respond. But, crap, the Dispatch for some reason doesn’t allow commenting on its op-eds (which is perverse when one considers that opinion columns and editorials are the content most likely to generate comment and argument).

I’ve asked Glenn about this in the past, and he’s responded that he has nothing to do with the Web. Fair enough. I know how papers are, big and small, and often there isn’t much interaction between the print and web sides.

The December air has certainly arrived and the cold temperatures mean that basketball season is upon us. The enthusiasm from another exciting season of high school football has finally dissipated, and now the focus has shifted to the basketball court.

After the kind of season we enjoyed on the gridiron, we can only hope for a similar treat during this year of high school hoops.

The basketball season is just getting started, and to prepare for it I’ll preview every team in Athens County throughout the week. First, let’s start with the TVC-Ohio.

Nelsonville-York's senior running back Derek Arnold earned the honors of becoming Gridiron Glory's Player of the Year during the program's finale show Nov. 20. The award wraps up a fantastic career for Arnold, which included a stellar senior season.

Arnold was a Player of the Year Finalist for the second year in a row, and beat out Logan’s Pat Angle, West Muskingum’s Cade McCullough, Parkersburg’s Allan Wasonga and Tri-Valley’s Clay Cameron for this year’s award.

The hazing allegations against the Delta Ta Delta fraternity at Ohio University reminded me of all the times in the past when I’ve heard Greek supporters assure anyone who will listen that their particular chapter is different from all the others.

The first time I heard this was in the ’60s when my oldest brother was pledging a fratenity at another state school. At the dinner table, he assured our parents that it was different from “all the other frats,” and that they didn’t go in for excessive drinking or hazing. “We’re all about academics, philanthropy and community service,” he declared soberly.