Louisville’s long-time investigative reporter, Chuck Olmstead, takes a look at why the Kentucky Derby keeps going and going… despite less than stellar economic news.

As a Realtor, friends and family are constantly asking me about the housing market. What do I tell them? Well for starters, Louisville is considered a top city for affordable housing. That should never be discounted. Then, depending on your personal situation, 2008 is a great year to get an amazing real estate deal. I’d love to hear your thoughts!

Maysville, Kentucky, just up I71 from Louisville, is getting some national attention this week. George Clooney’s new movie, Leatherheads, is getting an early screening in this small, northern Kentucky city.

Clooney, who grew up in nearby Augusta, is a native of the area and wanted to do something special for the folks back home. Way to go George!

From Adopting a Baby to Starting a Business, major life changes are notoriously loaded with stress. A friend of mine has helped launch a new site designed to help us through these times. It’s called First30Days.

Started by some of Louisville’s most experienced Web minds, the site’s mission statement is clear.

Our mission is to inspire you to find the positive in any change — the ones you’ve always dreamed of making and the ones life has given you. We want to be the first place you think of in times of change, a place full of optimism and a place where you feel informed and inspired.

The site is currently in beta, so check it out!

Parents across the country proudly display their children’s creations on their refrigerators. Luckily, for Kentuckiana residents we will all that same quality on billboards and ads with the new Kentucky Derby logo. The 2008 design looks like it came from an elementary school competition and personally, I’d feel better if they had one for a new logo.

I know recently both Big Brothers/Big Sisters and YPAL opened up their new logos to a community contest and I’m sure will have great results. Actually, with all the local talent in Louisville, I’m positive Churchill Downs would get better results. I’m unsure of who is in charge of their design, but I could easily foresee people buying less merchandise with this elementary design.

Need some good tunes? Our friend, Michelle over at Consuming Louisville is giving away a few copies of José González.

You can enter to win two ways: First, in the comments or via email, drop your favorite song lyric. José González is a brilliant songwriter so quoting good lyrics seems a fitting way to acquire some of his work. Your second option is
to list one thing you love about Louisville. Three winners will be randomly chosen from the entries.

You must use a real email address to enter so you can be contacted if you win.

Read more here.

ABC’s heart-warming show Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, has come to Louisville and is now running on all cylinders to get the job done.

Louisville’s Patrick Henry, despite being born without eyes is living beyond most people’s expectations. Now the family’s home, near Buechel Bank Road is getting the special treatment in order to provide a better situation for Patrick and his family. The reveal is set for Wednesday.

It was a long shot. And by “long shot” I mean, I didn’t think they had a chance. But that’s why they play the game. And that’s why fans of college football fans should be on Cloud 9 being treated to so many underdog victories. Kentucky upsetting #1 LSU may be the program’s biggest win ever!

And the action doesn’t stop there because with another giant match-up next week against Florida, ESPN has announced that Gameday is coming to the Bluegrass State. Can you say, “Booyah!”?

It’s great to see our state get some positive national press. Oh yeah, the Cardinals upset Cincinnati too!

I came across this blog today and read about our new Share Louisville campaign. The author was more than a little perturbed by the ads. In fact, he wrote a “scathing” email to the creators and posted it for all to see. My my.

Personally, I think he’s got it all wrong. It should be fairly obvious that these spots are practically drenched in sarcasm. They run in the Jon Stewart line of “news.” But past all of that, the ads are hilarious!

“She longs for a house payment, because that would mean she actually lives in a house.”

To quote Kenny Banya, “That’s gold, Jerry. Gold!” My hat is off to the Branding Project for showing some creative nerve. Post them on your blog and see how your visitors like them.

For most, this weekend’s arts focus is Old Louisville’s St. James Art Fair and rightfully so as its been a long tradition for our community. Even if you spend a few hours with the crowds in Old Louisville, the weekend’s true hidden gem is another great opportunity to get great art from local artist, Ashley Cecil.

A Highlands home (1330 Cherokee Rd #6) will be transformed into an open gallery Saturday night, October 6 at 7:00 pm. This wonderful showcase of oil and watercolor paintings available for sale.

Ashley’s art is not only outstanding (I’ve personally seen her great work), but she is also driven by a desire to help many great causes. A social activist in word and deed, she utilized her talents in a form she calls “painting activism.”

So grab your friends and bring along a gently used or new household item to be donated to Kentucky Refugee Ministries.

As an avid and proud fan of “Top Chef,” “Iron Chef,” the Swedish Chef and all things Food Network - I was thrilled when I saw that the Idea Festival was bringing renowned chef Homaro Cantu to Louisville for last week’s three-day event.  If you’re saying to yourself, “Who?” - well then you need to be kicking yourself in the face because you missed quite an event.

Chef Cantu - only 29 years old - is the owner and head chef at Moto - a trendy restaurant in Chicago.   Cantu is the son of an engineer and has always fancied himself a scientist - in fact, he labels his cooking methods as “molecular gastronomy.”  I know it doesn’t sound very appetizing, but if you’re up for trying new things and new tastes, you’ll definitely want to check him out.  Chef Cantu wants to try and entice his customers to embrace unimaginable edible creations.  So, remember those food pills and other out-there edible oddities of “The Jetsons” - well Cantu is supplying them today.

He spoke about his desire to create an entirely new food option - but at the same time he strives, as every chef does, to create the best tasting food he can.  At the event he ran the audience through a 20 course meal - available at his restaurant.  The first course is an edible menu - yes completely edible - printed with some kind of food-based ink on paper that dissolves in the mouth and is edible too - unlike the cellulose wall of a corn kernel (you know what I mean and if you don’t eat some corn today, chances are you’ll see it again tomorrow).   Other items on the menu were a Caesar Salad that was entirely liquid, Cotton Candy in three forms (one was freeze-dried, one was a picture of Cotton Candy printed on edible, tasty paper and the last was a Cotton Candy truffle - liquid Cotton Candy coated in white chocolate) and fish cooked right at your table using some Battlestar Galactican polymer box that will heat anything in a matter of minutes.

Cantu’s out-of-the-box thinking and ingenuity are definitely what put him at the top of his game.  This culinary prodigy is definitely one to watch and will most certainly expand your idea’s of what food is supposed to look like.  Want to know more about Chef Cantu, then you can visit him in Chicago at Moto and try one of his 5, 10 or 20 course menus.