Ludlow Gang ,Dick Feagler , cold beer and worms , green fallout for digital television mandate

Following up from our January 7 ,2008 entry concerning the tragic crimes committed by a local gang on the person of a Shaker Heights man walking his dog on New Years eve , resulted in no fewer than eight letters to the editor on da p.d.'s opinion page today January 9 , 2008 , under the banner "Feagler couldn't be more wrong about Shaker". All of these letters managed to take Dick Feagler to task for his implied racism as cause and effect of suburban flight that he included in his op/ ed piece that ran in the January 5 ,2008 p.d. It would be interesting to have Mister Feagler field questions and opine concerning this tempestuous Shaker Heights crime via the supposed public airwaves of wcpn , however as is more often than not the case , wcpn is asleep at the wheel again. It is obvious to regular listeners that wcpn and da p.d. are near incestuous in their on air couplings. As I have stated in prior entries , da p.d. and wcpn at times need a chaperon to break up the make out sessions that occur on air replacing the objective coverage on the news topics they purport to cover. Thus exists the benign or mild form of news reporting on wcpn that becomes a series of trivialized forgettable chapters or episodes as opposed to seeking diverse and perhaps controversial opinions as in calling to question Feagler's editorial stance .The lack of incisive moderation via questions and commentary from the wcpn radio host is sorely apparent , and a change in this important local news department long overdue. As bad as the current daily nine to ten news slot is , the former wcpn reporter April Baer did a fine job in this seat before her dep[arture for the greener climes of Portland , Oregon. April's talent is sorely missed , and the current host needs to be found a new task. The " idea stream " , is the oft used jingo that wcpn uses to sell itself as an intellectual enterprise by repeating this absurd notion frequently in the course of a day. Preceding this jingo is what appears to be the audible flushing of a commode. Perhaps wcpn would consider changing their weak " ideas stream " to the more apt moniker diarrhea stream?...... From the bowels of wcpn radio to the bowels of the United States Department of Agriculture laboratory located at Mississippi State University comes this exciting news that should be of interest to pestilent biped lager louts and worms alike. Cheap beer! Seems that a Doctor Frank M. Davis raises a number of worm species , for the purpose of testing corn plants resistance to said worm pestilence , using cheap American manufactured " Milwaukee's Best " beer as the slimy creeping crawling spineless worms taste of choice for help in mating purposes. Doctor Davis claims that the cheap cold beer fed to these caged worms makes them frisky and ready for mating and ovulation action. No wonder there seems to be so many Cleveland sports lager louts milling about downtown after games looking for action. I always suspected these sports louts were worms , and now Doctor Davis offers hope in establishing proof of their heritage......A sad moment will appear for a few million obdurate television viewing Americans in February 2009. Our Federal Government has decided for us that the day has come then to switch from traditional old school analog broadcasting to the new digital format of television reception. Ostensibly this switcheroo is to enable public safety forces expanded usage of the mandated abandoned frequencies , and to enable consumers to utilize advanced multi casting technologies. The sad and dire aspects of this ploy is the abandonment of the millions of soon to become obsolete television sets and the ecological consequences of this heavy load of electronic junk headed for the landfills across America. Bad enough that those consumers that have purchased non digital television receivers will be forced to either purchase a converter or subscribe to cable television against their wills. As is the well honed buying habits of the American consumer , many will choose to jettison the old set into landfills , thus giving the electronics industry a fine cash cow via the efforts of our Federal Communications Commissions decision to abandon the old television technology. Personally , I will not be making the adjustment to the modern. The ancient black and white set that we drag out for odd sporting events has served just fine , and less television viewed produces a personal benefit of more hours spent reading or writing. I shudder to imagine the millions of soon to be obsolete discarded television festering in our shrinking landfills. If the wisdom of our FCC holds forth this massacre , the same said FCC should institute the means to strip out and recycle to the best ability the remnants of these television dinosaurs. Write or telephone your elected Senator or Congressman and demand that they pay attention to this problem prior to it's impending date in thirteen months.This whole mess smacks of the evil side of too much Government , and the influences of the k street lobbyists carrying the ball for the electronics industry. As usual placing the cart before the horse with no regards to the ecological fallout of this potential green disaster. Not to mention the Orwellian aspects of the loss of analog broadcasting being replaced by the big brother cable plugged into your home. Not in my house! ..... Winter is upon us with a fervor and we offer two e complementary recipes for Chili and cornbread. Remember simple is best! In a #8 cast iron chicken pan , or dutch oven fry gently two pounds of fresh ground chuck , sirloin, or ground round , or any combination thereof. Purchase this beef from a butcher , not a chain supermarket , and have the butcher grind it to your taste. When finished cooking remove the ground beef to a stainless steel or ceramic vessel and set aside , leaving the leftover juices in the cooking pan. Add to these cooking juices two or three finely chopped onions and garlic cloves , to taste , and after a few minutes two or three finely chopped , seeded and deveined red , green, or yellow bell peppers and two jalapenos , I prefer one of each color , and cook over a low heat until done to taste though still firm , . If you have access to fresh Roma tomatoes in a separate pan drop a dozen or so Roma's in boiling water and cook for a few minutes , after removing from the water peel of their skins and set aside. Add two pounds of cooked pinto beans , a pound of red kidney beans to the cooked peppers and onions. Add the Roma tomatoes and the following spices , ground white , cayenne , and black pepper to taste. Ground chili pepper , paprika , and a solid one half cup of liquid black coffee , a shot or two of brandy or aged sherry wine. Stir and simmer for at least an hour over low heat , checking to make sure no ingredients stick. Add more liquids if you choose , including canned or jarred tomatoes , tomatoes and green chili's , and at the end of the hour a tablespoon of finely ground cornmeal or masa harina should be stirred in and cooked for another twenty minutes. Take the ground meat from the refrigerator and add it to the cast iron pan and cook for another ten minutes. Remove to a glass container and let sit until cool enough to refrigerate. Serve this chili , with your favorite garnishes , sour cream , cheese , pickled peppers , the next day after reheating what portion you desire with the following never fail homemade cornbread. Never fail cornbread.Heat oven to 450 degrees. Again a #8 cast iron skillet or similar cast iron baking oven is required. Heat a few slices of bacon in the cast iron skillet , remove bacon , pouring and reserving the bacon fat , should yield about a scant quarter cup of bacon drippings , in a glass Pyrex container. Having at room temperature one cup of buttermilk , and one egg combine in Pyrex with bacon fat. Beat wet ingredients together until smooth and set aside. Sift together one and one half cup of corn meal and one half cup of flour with one teaspoon of fresh baking powder and one teaspoon of salt , and three teaspoons of fresh baking powder. Having fresh baking powder and baking soda puts the never fail in this recipe , so go out and purchase some if yours is out dated or stale. Combine wet and dry ingredients in a mixing bowl , adding ground black pepper , and a pinch of sugar if desired. Pour into hot cast iron pan and bake until just set. Using a toothpick or straw strand from a broom to test by inserting into the cornbread middle. Should take twenty to twenty five minutes. Derivations for this and the previous chili recipe are ubiquitous. I find whole yogurt and milk combined to be an able substitute for buttermilk. Crumbled and fine chopped bacon can be added to the batter as well as diced fine chili peppers. As with any baking recipe , altitude as well as attitude conspire to create differences in baking time. Consult a reliable cook book for questions that may occur , and use your imagination concerning your favorite takes on this classic combination of chili and corn bread. I prefer chuck long cooked on the bone shredded with black beans , lamb chili with white beans , Texas style with no beans. All the same to me. Good! Book Selling Time! I like to wash mine down with a cold soft drink. Yeah , wash down the bitter , sour taste of a snarky pseudo public radio station such as the local disaster wcpn and their notion of soft convenient corporate local news. Also wash down the bad taste left in my heart for the FCC ecological disaster in the making analog kaput television scam. One of my faves for washing down the chili and cornbread combo is good old Dr. Pepper. We offer today more than you ever cared to know about this fine carbonated beverage in Jeffery L. Rodengen's THE LEGEND OF DR. PEPPER AND SEVEN UP. A large format well illustrated history of this fine soft drink. Most of you that drink the good Dr. daily at ten, two , and four are aware of the not so secret secret ingredient which is prune juice. I sure wish more of the lager louts that stumble around sports stadiums would take up guzzling Dr. Pepper or Seven Up , instead of imitating the lowly worm and sucking down the cheap beer they seem to favor! Best wishes to all and any who love their chili and cornbread!

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Shaker Heights , Ludlow gang beating not much news on wcpn

This mornings nine to ten a.m. slot on wcpn was dedicated to discussion concerning the tragic beating incurred by a Shaker Heights attorney who was out walking in his neighborhood on New Year's eve , and severely beaten by a gang of seven youths , with an iron pipe no less , traumatizing and hospitalizing him with severe injuries , resulting in the surgical placement of pins and plates in his legs. A rather sad and sinister state of affairs for a pretty stable suburban neighborhood . Though this man's recovery in a psychological vein will cause this poor victim shock and pain for sometime to come as well as those in his Shaker Heights Ludlow community that feel his pains and admire his courage. Present for the hour were Shaker Heights mayor Earl Leiken , Shaker Heights Council member Al Foster , and a member from the Ludlow Community Association named Chudzinski. The wcpn moderator initially confused the Shaker Heights councilman foster with being the Cleveland councilman , a rather embarrassing moment to be certain , and indicative of the less than stellar preparation that occurs in regards to this time slot. The Shaker Heights mayor elected to introduce himself , and proceeded to carry on concerning the recent Federal crime figures that show a marked decrease in crime in Shaker Heights. Unfortunately for the victim of the Ludlow beating , the gang that assaulted him were not included in this statistical abstract. Councilman Foster stated the obvious need for parental involvement , and claimed that race was not an issue. The victim is Caucasian , the juveniles Afro American. Both of these elected officials seemed sincere and to genuinely care about the fate of the City they represent, though neither had much to offer in the form of suggestions to prevent such occurrences from happening again. The Ludlow community representative Chudzinski expressed optimism , hoping that this was a wake up call for more vigilant neighborhood involvement. A matter of pulling together , not ripping apart his message. What is truly sad here is that no acknowledgement of the obvious sad social condition that acted as a precursor for this criminal condition , " baby childs" , there I said it , received any mention. Yes , " baby childs " , these youth who ganged up on our unfortunate victim were in the age range of fourteen to seventeen years of age , and it is more likely than not that perhaps some of these young men were conceived by young mother's perhaps not prepared to accept the responsibility to raise them . According to 2005 statistics for the City of Cleveland birth records , twenty percent of Mother's giving birth residing in the City of Cleveland were between eleven and nineteen years of age. Not a race issue , as much as a youth pregnancy issue. The usual two thousand ton elephant in the room , youth pregnancy ,was kept cowering in the corner by the participants and callers alike. What can one say in defense of children conceiving children save that it is time to break the cycle. Now! An Akron caller mentioned being robbed and pistol whipped on December 27 , 2007 near Shaker Square. Though this same Akron caller was cut off quickly by the wcpn host when she critically pointed out that the " big football stadium downtown was all good and well , though not of much use when it came down to urban brass tacks such as public safety". A Shaker Heights resident named Steve called in to report purchasing a taser. I think that Steve is a bit light in his expectations of self defense in this choice of weapons. Some small amount of time was spent in mentioning the education of parents concerning their off springs , though the obvious in this matter of parenting is to begin with breaking the cycle of teen childbirth. No more or less. Juvenile gangs again were not mentioned , though much has been written on this subject , and it is human nature that draws together children in a world , and a rereading of William Golding's LORD OF THE FLIES is all it takes to begin to understand the sad and sometimes cruel rites of passage that comprise adolescence. Oddly enough the one time that da p.d. should have been present at a wcpn , in the form of editorial columnist Dick Feagler , whose Sunday January 6 , 2008 dealt with this crime and the cultural reality of such events as urban flight and offered this advice via his conversation with a Shaker Heights police officer on walking in Shaker Heights " Go in two's , or get a big dog and walk it. Or take a cell phone with you pre-dialed to 911". Sounds like stern ,stellar and apt advice. Especially the cell phone particular. Police response in Shaker Heights is quick , and had the victim had a cell phone it may have made a difference.It would have served the listeners well to have been able to comment on Feagler's Sunday article , which walked the line between racism and modern urban real time life. Bordering a City such as Cleveland , presents Shaker Heights residents with some odd quality of life issues that can lead to becoming quandaries such as the unfortunate victim of this heinous and violent Juvenile gang crime. Shaker Heights is also around the corner from North Randall , Ohio , and it is only this past Friday evening January 4 , 2008 , that a multiple shooting occurred in a motel in a Northfield Road Motel located in North Randall , Ohio resulting in five men being shot ranging in age from eighteen to twenty years of age. In 2007 Cleveland , Ohio had a rash of violent crimes committed by a South east side , Slavic Village , gang who called themselves " The Goonies" , and beat and robbed many elderly victims. Our Ohio jails are filled to over capacity with these sad young cases of Juvenile / adult crimes. Our maternity words are swollen with children conceiving children. As for solutions , it seems that few quick fixes exist. Keeping the plight of such crimes front and center in our minds and having open dialogue concerning such modern dilemmas as teen pregnancies , and Juvenile crime is a great start.I only wish that I was kidding concerning being pinned down on New Years eve by random gunfire in our East side neighborhood. Staying well put instead of milling about the rather uncertain mean streets of Cleveland , Ohio that evening seems the norm not the exception these days. Perhaps if our political officials worked harder at the social ills of our Cities , and less at the corporate welfare issues that occupy their time , we would fare better collectively. I received a distress call the other day from a visitor to Detroit , Michigan a few days after the New Years. She was worried about taking public buses in Detroit after a middle aged woman was shot in the face for the crime of not having any money to give the assailant that committed a robbery upon her as she disembarked from a Detroit , Michigan Department of Transportation bus. My Friend purchased a second hand purse , and placed ten dollar bills in it to give up quickly if accosted in a similar fashion. What a way to have to consider to live in modern America ! Join a community group or block watch organization. Volunteer some of your hard earned time to participate in inner city youth programs. Sacrifice your nfl football sunday's and become a big brother or big sister. Hell , I do not even begin to know were to offer advice in this terrible matter of Juvenille crime. Start close to home , keep those that you Love and respect in good form , and look out for one another. We are only as good as our collective efforts. Book Selling Time! You guessed it 1 William Golding LORD OF THE FLIES. Most all of us have read this volume at sometime in our life , and the message of the cruel and sometimes violent and difficult adolescent passage has never been better addressed to my knowledge. Best wishes to all victims of terrible crimes such as the one suffered by the Shaker Heights Ludlow resident.Believe in Love and take a moment to care for those that you do. Pass it on.

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