'Drunkest Cities' .... recent ranking "wouldn't pass a sobriety test"

September 7, 2006, Wall Street Journal Online about Forbes.com list of the 'Drunkest Cities'

THE NUMBERS GUY By CARL BIALIK

"We cannot vouch for the scientific accuracy of those surveys," CDC spokeswoman Karen Hunter told me. "The states have vastly different sample sizes. That's one of the reasons why it's really not a good way to rank [different cities.]" Ms. Hunter said the survey is designed to give states a broad overview of their public health problems, not serve as a measuring stick against others.

A Forbes.com spokeswoman put me in touch with Dave Ewalt, the Forbes.com staff writer who designed the rankings and wrote the accompanying article

He said the CDC directed him to the telephone survey of drinking habits. (When I told Mr. Ewalt a CDC spokeswoman said the numbers shouldn't be used for a ranking, he said, "I never got that impression.")

Columbus in the top five! 

Of course with the Sept 9, 2006 OSU win over the University of Texas and the aftermath of burning couches, cars and dumpsters it will be hard to shed the image....of Columbus being one of America's drunkest cities.

Before the game:

"Ohio State is once again asking fans to play nice. I have no idea if these public pleas work, but it seems to me that they bring negative publicity on the city and the university. Not as much negative publicity as couch burning and rioting, but it certainly draws attention to the issue unnecessarily.  It seems to me that adequate police presence and restrictions on public drinking are really the keys to curbing fan stupidity, not asking nicely. That might just be me though." said sports blog  Around the Oval

A Columbus Dispatch photo of antics near the OSU campus after the game Saturday.  The Columbus Dispatch said "Columbus firefighters responded to 45 trash-bin fires and four car fires from late Saturday until about 3:30 a.m. yesterday."  I saw no official  count of flaming couches.

I am removed from campus, I did not know about flaming couches, cars and dumpsters in Columbus until Sunday night when I watched the local news. I had not heard Ohio State University was again asking "fans to play nice" but I wouldn't worry to much about asking creating negative publicity... 

the public pleas don't seem to  work ...

The majority of the students will be back in two weeks?  I was looking for an Active Rain Blog (a network  of real estate blogs) from a woman blogger who was tsk tsking Monday about burning couches in Columbus (she was not Columbus... not Ohio... I don't think she was in Texas... I can't find her blog...) Instead I found moving advice from Lawrence Yerkes... in New Jersey. His advice is for New Jersey home buyers not OSU students.  Google found Yerkes' blog for me based on a search of  "burning couches."

"Remember that your friends should be strong enough to help with heavy loads like couches and beds,... To avoid "burning out" your helpers with multiple trips, rent a truck large enough to handle everything in one move."

Best OSU area moving advice .... Why move the couch to Columbus if you are just going to set it on fire?  

c. 2006 Columbus Best Blog and Maureen McCabe

The Best colors in Columbus today are Scarlett and Gray!!

From the HER Real Living website Community Info about Columbus:  "The number one most important tradition is The Ohio State University Buckeyes football team. Dress for these football games is not optional. Hometown fans must wear Scarlet and Gray, the school's colors.

Thursday,  Ohio State University announced a program to support victims of Hurricane Katrina, calling it  September to Remember.   Funds will be collected at the four OSU home games in September and donated to the Red Cross.