What's news?

In this day and age of immediate gratification of all matters ,in a New York City instant at that , it makes good sense that the gathering and disemination of news follow this modern model. Immediate and accurate! In Cleveland , Ohio 2008 , we still approach this instantaneous news model as if we are the early twentieth century model T automobile , slowing down traffic in all lanes , all the time. Propaganda or perish says da p.d. In the sad case of da p.d. pausing only long enough from their propaganda anticts to slander and villify whatever target they choose , instead of concentrating on the real time business of objective reporting. Take the sad case of da p.d. and Dennis Kucinich as example ...... Having stopped the other evening to visit my pal the cheeze , and grab a cup of his dark brew coffee , prior to reporting to work the midnight trick .I was seated amid a small group of intimate souls at his public house , sipping my cup of joe when some young feminine Broadwview Heights resident bearing a close resemblence to Ann Coulter in eyeglasses brought up the subject of Dennis Kucinich. She was bad rapping away at Dennis , while a few chairs down the cheeze was attempting to introduce a writer who was in the process of self publishing a rather hillarious themed lavendar fictional series of letters as an account of a gay Confederate Civil War regiment and their sacrifices on the battlefield at Gettysburg. One word here shoud suffice. Weird! Perhaps salable , but nonetheless weird. The split screen was maddening to my ears. Here is some funny little bearded fellow in a tiny odd brimmed second hand hat , carrying on about printing a series of gay themed letters involving Confederate Civil war losses , and at the same time and space the spexy Ann Coulter wannabe telling all who would listen how embarrased she was to have to put up with the likes of Dennis Kucinich and his flying saucer tales......The coffee I was sipping kicked in and I asked the spexy one if she read or subscribed to da p.d.? "Of course" , was her reply. I shook my head. Enough said , said I. It was perhaps the information you gleamed from da p.d. that could be considered your source of opinion formed concerning Mister Kucinich? I queried. Spexy waffled , coughed a bit , and then spit it out. " Yes , but of course , I read all about how embarrassing Dennis Kucinich is to Cleveland , Ohio in the plain dealer , I really despise him and his flying saucers." I chuckled and told her I did not know which was funnier , the buggery Civil War letters concocted from the little odd hatted fellow , or the insipid lies printed as half truths in da p.d. concerning Dennis Kucinich...... So whats news? Da p.d. has been out to cook Kucinich's goose since the late 1970's. I see reruns in my head of da p.d. as the wily coyote figure that is constantly attempting to trap or harm Kucinich , and Dennis as the roadrunner just ducks the " acme brand " traps set by da p.d. every last time and escapes with a little " beep , beep" , and takes off victorious. Just as Dennis will prevail in the up and coming Democratic Primary for the tenth congressional seat he serves as incumbent. The real gallows humor here is that for all the profligate efforts to discredit Mister Kucinich that da p.d. has extended to date , it has it's desired dire effects caused on the opinions formed concerning Kucinich's character in the mind of our spexy Ann Coulter type. Da p.d. continues to hammer away at Kucinich , while propping up a candidate headed for a certain loss in the likes of Joe Cimperman. Cimperman will take this loss and like it. Happy with the fact that near $300,000 , will have been spent on negative television advertisment in an attempt to discredit Kucinich and create a candidacy for Cimperman. As for the funny little guy with his Civil War tales , like the tar baby , he " said nothing". Personally , I believe that Harvey Pekar is an embarrassment to Cleveland , Ohio. My opinion , formed no doubt by the likes of having read da p.d.'s accounts of Harvey on the David Letterman show some years ago. I do not repeat that thought often however , after acknowledging the source of my media inspired opinion. Only when the likes of gay Civil War letters and Dennis Kucinich flying saucer tales are being knocked about over late night coffee and in the thread of the same conversation would I blurt out the dirt on Harvey. Wonder what was in that coffee anyway? Sure was strong. Book Selling Time! William Clarke Quantrill ws a Confederate Civil War antihero whose murderous exploits during the battle for the Republic are well documented in Duane Schultz's QUANTRILL'S WAR . Three hundred thirty eight pages , and quite a bargain at $5.90! I promise no civil war confederate lavendar brigades will show up in these pages. No nasty half truths about Cleveland area politicians either. As for da p.d. and it's current approach to seling news. Good luck! Newspapers are hemmoraging double digit fiscal losses yearly , and the dead tree printed media faces an uncertain future at best amid the younger generations. Perhaps if da p.d. concentrated more on objective quality reporting instead of dabbling in politics they would find some journalistic success. If not send out for the guy in the funny hat with his gay Civil War letters. his fictitious letters are certainly on par with da p.d.'s humorous attempts to discredit Dennis Kucinich in print these thirty plus odd years. Beep , beep your ass p.d.!

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Super Tuesday?

What is so super about this fat Tuesday 2008? With these 24 diverse States participating in their various party line Presidential primaries and caucuses today , one would imagine a plague of locust had ascended upon our soil given the immense media attention paid to these few National candidates.... I simply have lost interest in this most political of seasons. And will sign off on this matter after stating simply that the California should replace the Iowa caucuses by assuming the initial pulse of the nation by checking in first henceforth in 2012. I shut my mouth concerning the 2008 election then until 2011. Perhaps by then we might have found the courage as a Nation to expand our political horizons and to open our system to a more diverse field of candidates , ideas , and new political parties. Until then , see you all later concerning this 2008 business as usual agenda of Presidential politics in America........ The op ed page of da p.d. this past Sunday , Febuary 3 , 2008 , contained a well written article by Brett Larkin concerning the less than salient nature of back room Cuyahoga County politics today , and a great piece of apologetics from Dick Feagler concerning the positive nature of Dennis Kucinich. Feagler's pro Kucinich editorial serves as da p.d.'s bromide for the offensive assult and indictment of Kucinich that appeared a week before on the same op ed page disguised as an endorsement for Kucinich's 10th district congressional seat opponent Joe Cimperman....... Time has come to lighten up on all the usual suspects in the department of media abuse in Cleveland these days. WCPN radio is not about to change the terrible ingrown state of affairs that they are , anymore than the plain dealer will stop hanging around the wcpn studio doors with their political agendas in hand. It is indeed a dire day when the for profit media concerns the likes of the plain dealer are so cozy with the supposed public radio station , wcpn, that this little illicit dance they do together needs to be monitored on a regular basis...... Yet another good reason to lay off the usual suspects , is that it will allow more time for the discussion , potential sale , and more time spent in the selection and description of book's from our inventory. I have a distinct gut feeling that no matter how much America is currently obsessed with political functions , most of this rah - rah political energy will be put away and forgotten by Thanksgiving day. Until then we carry on the best we can in face of the very real threat of fiscal recession in America today , and hope that enough common sense is left in our depleted human strain to keep the whole good ole' USA mess afloat....Book Selling Time! In so many ways the mantle of our greatest living former President in America today must fall on Jimmy Carter. Our Thirty - Ninth President , Jimmy Carter seemed human to a fault , and helped steer America through some inclement fiscal times . Inflation and interest rates were feverishly high during his administration , and his foreign policy in the Middle East was troubled by the Iran hostage situation. These twin events served to limit President Carter to one term. We offer today a signed copy of Jimmy Carter's poetry entitled ALWAYS A RECKONING. At the scant price of $27.90 you can own a signed copy of President Carter's inner most thoughts. Remember President Carter when asked about his thoughts concerning the fairer sex admitted to " lusting in his heart" , when it came to fessing up about the birds and bees routine. Examine President Bill Clinton's slick behavior in light of Carter's frank and honest expression of lust. President Carter thought about lust , yet kept it in check. Hell , enough allready about Bill Clinton. Our barefoot Rhodes scholar from Arkansas is in the news enough these days , struttin' and signifying for his Hillary stumpin' around the campaign trail. I will be happy when all this nonsense of election mad America is put to bed in November. I have heard enough lies allready , and the powers that be in the Democratic bunch kicked Dennis Kucinich off the trail too early for my liking. Might as well start thinking about 2012 now , whatever candidate is elected later this year will inherit quite a mess from the current seated President and his Washington crew.

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wcpn confused again about Cleveland

Yet another romp around the park on the nine to ten a.m. " sound of ideas" slot this morning on wcpn radio. I smell bacon burning not ideas more often than not while listening to this hour long travesty of radio news gone rancid . Today being no exception due to the constant bloviation of the guest Bill Sheil of the local fox television affiliate . Sheil's windy opines must be better suited for television than radio , though his conspicuous error in describing Dennis Kucinich's crossing political boundries in coming to the aid of the closing of " Saint Vincents" , was factually incorrect , in that it was Saint Alexis Hospital in Cleveland's Slavic Village that Kucinich came to the aid of NOT Saint Vincents hospital which is very much still in business as of this morning. Facts be damned and business as usual on wcpn. Host Dan Moulthrop , did not possess a clue in this local news department gaffe , though I suppose he can be given a pass along with da p.d. State Government reporter Aaron Mitchell who spends his time in Columbus , Ohio , and Mister Sheil as well given his Tulsa, Oklahoma roots. Mister Moulthrop is of relative short residence in the Cleveland , Ohio area , thus making him a natural for an important local radio show host. Having no real sense of the " back stories " that are critical to understanding the historical pathos of local politics , helps Moulthrop become the perfect host for this local news slot , where the " back stories " , are more often than not intregal in regards to the current breaking stories . Mister Moulthrop is more often than not naive and otherwise mallable as host of this radio hour. Just the two characteristics that the local corporate and media powers expect in a public radio station host who deals with sensitive political issues on a regular basis. Keep 'em in the dark like a potato in a root cellar says wcpn. The third guest Jay Miller , from Crains Cleveland News , should have known the difference between the two hospitals , though if he did he did not comment. Once again the arrogance and ignorance of the hired suburban voices heard discussing Cleveland affairs , prove indegestible. Telephone calls from listeners are scarce , and these whole hour long affairs beg for a whiff of the air that is in the wcpn studio , as the host and on air guests often seem to be giddy as if under the influence of nitrus oxide , while peddling to the listeners chloroform....... Being no stranger to bloviation myself , on a daily basis none the less mind you. I must pause and reflect upon the true local masters of bloviation in print da p.d. and it's awe inspiring ' duh editorial board '. Yes , ' duh' , replaces 'the' in the case of this editorial board ,due to the constant chunks and nuggets of spittle and vitriolic nonsense found on da p.d. editorial pages. 'Duh' , being the guttural noise uttered by most of da p.d.'s readers in response to the outrageous stabs at journalism between it's pages. By the advertising copy tone of most of the editorials cranked out from this quilting bee , it would appear that da p.d. editorial men folk grab their loud pink , purple , and bright green pimpin' garments from Mister Albert's clothes on Prospect Avenue downtown . Duh p.d. editorial women folk gussy themselves up in cheerleading outfits to help pump up whatever corporate cause they get behind. In any event JUST SPEND THE EXTRA SEVENTY FIVE CENTS! and purchase the New York Times instead of the insipid likes of duh p.d.......Patzki Time! This past weekend found me out East in Lake County with my destination being Reider's Market on State Route 44 , just south of Interstate 90. This nifty little food market harkens back to the day when grocers took pride in the wares they offer. Reider's still does today. A tremendous fresh produce section equivilant to the Miles Farmers Market. [ Reider's Market purchases their fresh produce from Miles farm Market] A fresh meat and seafood counter which never disapoints in terms of selection or freshness. Do not miss the fresh , ten to fifteen count , wild Gulf shrimp that Reider's feature , or the shrimp and corn fritters they offer. Reider's meat counter has a wide variety of house made sausages on hand , with a staggering varirty of flavors and tastes. Call ahead for varieties at hand. Reider's in house bakery featured Patzci , fried yeast donuts , as their weekly special. We called ahead and special ordered a dozen with poppyseed filling. The dozen poppyseed Patzki were so heavy that they barely fit into their boxes. Delicious , plump, and filled to the top with poppyseed! Now that I have completed such a shameless piece of huckstering in print for Reider's , I invite you to visit them yourselves. Reider's delivers the goods! Good foods that is!.....Book Selling Time! The next time you are faced with the decision of wasting a good hour of your life on the week day morning nine to ten a.m. slot on wcpn or cooking breakfast choose the later. If you need a little local color and help in your food preperation have a look at The Cleveland Ufology Projects OUT OF THIS WORLD COOK BOOK. Yes folks , this is a well illustrated , plenty of ufo's and their peoples , cook book placed for sale by the Cleveland chapter of The Unidentified Flying Object Project often associated with one of it's founders a local character , now deceased , named Earl Neff , who has provided the cover illustration. Two hundred thirty four pages of all forms of[ ouch ] " out of this world" recipes , for your culinary pleasure. This unique Cleveland cook book was published in 1980 . I am certain that like the flying saucers that hover about around here taking notes on our strange behaviors , the saucer pilots can tell the difference between Saint Vincent's hospital and the former Saint Alexis hospital at a glance.

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Cimperman versus Kucinich , round three

Or simply put by a far better brand of bard , " Much To Do About Nothing".... The Sunday January 27 , 2008 op ed piece in da p.d. simply entitled , "Joe Cimperman" , proves to be far more an indictment of Dennis Kucinich than an endorsement for Joe Cimperman. Comprised of twenty two paragraphs and taking a full one half page , such banal verbosity and windy prose is usually relegated to a Sunday sermon , not a serious editorial column. Of the twenty two paragraphs , a full thirteen toss dirt at Dennis , one paragraph pays Dennis a back handed compliment , six paragraphs are the veritable equivalent of " fellatio in print " with Cimperman being the recipient . Only three paragraphs of the twenty two even bother to discuss the other candidates for the Democratic Party nomination for Congress representative in the Ohio March 4 , 2008 Primary election. For the record they are Barbara Anne Ferris , Rosemary Palmer , and Thomas O' Grady. None of these three have a ghost of a chance in winning the primary , though their presence in this race serves to help Kucinich and hamper Cimperman's cause . Why you might inquire is da p.d. out to " wag the dog" , so early on ? Truth is that the actual election might be in November , 2008 , but the November victor will be decided in the March Democratic primary , with the Cuyahoga County Republican party needing to exhume no less than Abraham Lincoln's long mouldering bones to have a chance of beating any of the five candidates that might emerge victorious from the March 4Th primary. My pal the cheeze , confides in me that the negative television advertisements that the Cimperman campaign is running will do Kucinich less harm than they will Cimperman. The cheeze is a veteran of many political campaigns and has long canvassed the rather odd backwaters of this States eighty eight counties , and I believe him when he confides in me that Cimperman is " cutting his own throat" , by means of his childish negative advertisements that portray Dennis Kucinich as long gone from Ohio , and derelict in his duties. The cheeze also serves a practical warning to beware of the potential for a behind the scenes pay off to one or all of the three other candidates to withdraw from their campaigns by the highly motivated anti Kucinich forces behind the Cimperman campaign. Cheeze also offered the figure of $300,000 , as the amount that the offensive and possibly self sabotaging anti Kucinich television advertisements are purported to cost. In any event we know whose side da p.d. is on. The vitriol that da p.d. pumped into this editorial exemplifies the ignorant and desperate state of affairs that exists in the vilification of the competent incumbent Kucinich. Who by da p.d."s own admission " has never given a whiff of personal scandal". In this modern world where corporate white collar crime , sordid tales of bankers more likely than not resembling gangsters , and crooked politicians from coast to coast of all colors and stripes doing time for their crimes . Kucinich should be applauded , not vilified for picking his dancing partners with caution , and remaining true to his own honest system of belief. We were all taught about honesty in our homes , and classrooms growing up. Some citizens like Kucinich internalized this concept , other citizens prefer to bend , shape , and temper honesty via their business or for the purpose of personal gains. Print journalism today in the form of the daily newspaper is about as far from the concept of honesty , integrity , or objectivity than any other period of time since it's inception. The numbers grow of convicted newspaper publishers and editors now serving time for their white collar crimes. Dennis Kucinich does not seem to possess this dishonest streak , and if seeing an unidentified flying saucer is as bad an act as one can find to cajole him about , he has good political company. See our previous post, for a list of other politicians and American Presidents that have " seen the saucers"....Book Selling Time! The daily quilting bee that poses as a newspaper , da p.d. , serves forth a regular thrashing of Dennis Kucinich as one of it's inherent rights , and seems to be as much sport as news. Seeing da p.d.'s sports section is often found on it's editorial pages , and visa versa, why not go whole hog and call the prejudiced Kucinich coverage by da p.d. one of the SPORTS OF OUR TIMES. The book we offer today is that very title , though all be it a volume of sports columns by former New York Times sports writer Dave Anderson on all forms of sports from Baseball's Henry Aaron, to the Olympics. Check it out! The insipid nature of da p.d. 's indictment of Kucinich disguised as an endorsement for candidate Cimperman shows how low the tail of the beast is dragging around the corner of east 18Th and Superior these days. Like a toothless old tiger , da p.d.'s swipes at candidate Kucinich reflect more about their inability to retain any dignity and sense of fairness when they choose to go hunting. Better da p.d. take up some form of water sport , given the fact that they constructed their new space port building on a rather well documented quicksand belt that runs along Superior Road downtown. Good luck to all the candidates in the tenth district primary , and please if you must bicker and quibble in public treat one another with courtesy and dignity.

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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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Odds set here for Wolstein , Stark , and Medical Mart

Gold and oil prices are up. Our United States economy is down. Seems that you need a scorecard locally to see who is currently winning the land grab wars in downtown Cleveland. More about this sport later. First up..... Let the New Year begin now that Ohio State University has lost yet another National Collegiate Football Championship .Who really cares about the nfl games that will follow? Nothing super about the super bowl , save the super amount of money that will be wagered on the remaining nfl scheduled playoffs and the gaudy super bowl. For this fan football is over until autumn 2008 . Thanks be for that. The Ohio State University versus Louisiana State University game last evening spoke miles for itself concerning who has the better collegiate football team.LSU hands down. The real test of a modern great State is in the number of major elected public officials currently incarcerated for crimes committed while holding public office.Let us examine how Louisiana and Ohio fare in this department. Just as in the Collegiate championship football game victors , the State of Louisiana wins hands down over Ohio in the number of elected officials serving time for committing crimes while holding public office , or their implicit involvement in fraud , bribery , and other politically related crimes. A short list of Louisiana politicians serving time currently , or facing time includes former Louisiana Governor Edward Edwards and his son Stephen Edwards , Orleans Parish School Board President Ellenese Brooks - Simms , former Louisiana Congressman Bill Jefferson , New Orleans City Council member at large Oliver Thomas , Judge Allan Greene , former Louisiana State Senate President Michael O' Keefe , and for good measure a sinner of the old fleshy school variety former Senator David Vitter. Whew! The list just goes on. No room here to document all the swampy political criminals that disgrace the great State of Louisiana. Huey Long would be proud of 'em , one and all! As in collegiate football , Louisiana has Ohio beat in the corrupt politician category hands down! Best Ohio can muster is the pitiful three stooges currently serving time for their white collar crimes : former congress Representatives James Traficant and Bob Ney , and the convicted " coingate " felon and former White house insider Tom Noe.How about them former politicos ?, Louisiana , and Ohio both appear to have terminal flaws in the respective Capital cities of Columbus , Ohio and Baton Rouge , Louisiana. Plenty of soap and water needed to clean up these disgraceful politicians! Game over... Let the local game of handicapping the players who use downtown Cleveland as a real estate scrum begin! For the year 2008 we will make book on which perspective real estate / development projects will actually get of the ground. Using race track logic , the long shot of the proposed projects is developer Stark's Warehouse District dream of one of his suburban " Legacy Village " , type developments , you know the faux little town square types complete with high end retail , big box stores , and a few residences proposed by Stark to fill the damnable empty parking lot space which now comprises fifty percent of the physical space that is referred to as the Warehouse district. I give Stark credit for attempting to fill in the long standing joke that the parking lot district that is also known as Cleveland's " Warehouse District" , is today via buying out the parking operators interests and filling it in with dense Urban development as a progressive City like Cleveland could have in it's design. Good luck however, money will be tight due to ongoing Federal credit problems , complicated by the Nationwide housing slump , and foreclosure mess. Corporate America is pretty strung out on borrowing large amounts of money to fund itself , and will be forced to tighten it's collective belt due to the likely event of a recession this year. Banks will be dreaming of dollars and shitting out nickels this year. Odds at Stark getting off to a 2008 start 85 to 1...... Developer Wolstein and his grand plans for the east side of the downtown Cleveland banks of the Cuyahoga River area known as the " Flats " , fares better to break ground in 2008 , though you can smell the taint of his slapping up an office building in true Cleveland " put the horse before the cart" fashion and poaching existing office leases from other downtown buildings prior to constructing any of the residential , or retail that Wolstein promised for the Flats site. Odds for the office building 10 to 1 , all other aspects of this Flats plan even coming close to getting started in 2008 , 70 to 1..... Now the big enchilada of developments , the more complicated Medical Merchandise Mart / Convention Center project currently having the public side funds collected via a sales tax increase that was generated in late 2007 by vote of the Cuyahoga County Commissioners. This project is racking up millions already via the tax levy , and stands the best chance of breaking ground due to the fact , if for no other reason , that money has been gathered and that usually translates to as much as spending it on your land baron friends , not putting funds aside for some sensible infrastructure improvements that would serve all of Cuyahoga County , not just the vested land grab players in this development ; Cleveland Clinic , University Hospital , the Corporate mess of hotels that is downtown Cleveland today , and most important the local land baron of choice ; Jacobs Group or Forest City that is recipient of the Medical Merchandise Mart / Convention Center location. Odds for this deal breaking ground in 2008 , 25 to 1. None of these projects really have the interests of the citizens of Cleveland or Cuyahoga County in mind via their designs. Unless of course you measure progress in the new service class jobs that these projects may attract when and if completed. Hard to believe , but we have yet to hit bottom in terms of population loss , tax revenues lost , and the ability to attract jobs to this region that are not the mop, bucket, and broom variety. If perchance all three of these projects fail so be it.Perhaps then more attention could be paid to real time problems that face our citizens daily , City services , Schools , and increased Safety forces among the many and diverse Urban problems that complicate life in Cleveland and Cuyahoga County..... Book Selling Time! So Ohio State football flames out in the Superbowl again. No problem! Coach Tressel seems to be a great fellow , and he is pretty secure in his job as long as he continues to manage to extract victories against " that team from up north". Read and listen to some of the best momenst in Ohio State Football history via your purchase of Eric Kaelin's BUCKEYE GLORY DAYS , THE MOST MEMORABLE GAMES OF OHIO STATE FOOTBALL. Last evening's Ohio State defeat for the National Championship is not included in this volume , though it will be considered highly memorable to the Tigers of Louisiana State University and their loyal fans. Louisiana politicians not currently under indictment for white collar crimes included. Best wishes to Kim and John , my family and friends.

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Dude , your ebay is showing

The quintessential American dictionary is the Webster’s Second International unabridged. If I stranded on some exotic island it would be more likely than not my choice for a single book to take with me. T

he 1934 edition that I am referencing has three thousand two hundred ten pages and weighs in at over thirty pounds. What sets this second edition apart from those subsequent editions is the inclusion of many arcane and older usage words that have since been deleted from the third edition hence forth.

One word that is very much to my sorrow in constant usage today is the noun of unknown origin "dude."

Described by Webster as follows:

1.] A man who is over fastidious in dress and manner; an ultra fashionable and often, affected man: a fop; a dandy.

Affected?
A fop?
A dandy?

An affected man is pretentious in nature, a fop or dandy is another example of vanity in dress or personal mannerisms in perhaps a larcenous fashion. In any event, I cringe when some dull-witted sop refers to me as a "dude," and left with always having to consider the source of the vocal chords who uttered the phrase "dude" directed at me in the first place.

Often this source does resemble a "dude" in the fashion of Webster’s definition. I certainly do not, deriving the majority of my clothes in a second hand fashion, and though I can be vulgar when necessary, a "dude," I am not!

It is much to my chagrin also to find the constant usage of this noun "dude" in the dead tree industry these days.

The local fish wrap, da pd , seems to demand the usage of this noun "dude" on an everyday basis .As in "hey , dudes check out this new hot bar, blah , blah , blah.

What ever happened to addressing potential readers by gender and in a socially correct fashion?

Not in the small town style book of da pd.

When overhearing women refer to each other as "dude" , I really do start to get a bit curious concerning what may exist beneath their collective feminine cloth?

Enough said on this subject, save that I never met anyone who liked to be refereed to as "boy" either , and I place the constant usage of the word "dude," on that level.

Another four-letter word that is currently the rage in America is the online auction concern of eBay. No other single American online business deserves more scrutiny and regulation than this company eBay does today!

eBay when utilized in an honest fashion is a great and possibly profitable alternative to taking out your trash by placing it online for auction via eBay.

For all the thousands of honest users of this online concern I have no beef. It is always a few bad apples that spoil a box, and the thieves and fences that utilize the quick ability of an eBay auction to sell items procured in an ill-begotten fashion that serve as a wake up call for this eBay enterprise!

Do not expect much traditional media coverage of the criminal aspects of the unscrupulous users of the eBay auction enterprise as means of fencing stolen goods. eBay spends lots of advertising dollars with these media concerns, and as with most advertisers expect little or no negative coverage from the media lilies they gild in return for the dollars spent.

eBay also has a great presence via the k Street lobby gangs that haunt and influence peddle in Washington today. For the first two Centuries in America auctions were regulated in both a Federal and State fashion for obvious reasons.

The seller’s potential for fraud being the paramount reason, selling stolen materials the other major concern. What really becomes necessary is a more scrupulous regulation of this still nascent online auction industry. Extent the actual length of these online auctions to perhaps a minimum of thirty days before goods change hands, and prior to the exchange of currency for goods install some stringent safeguards to protect both buyer and seller.

I know how UN-American it seems to have to wait awhile for anything, much less an item that a consumer desires.

Immediate gratification is the operative impulse that rules this industry, and it would appear prudent to slow down this monster, before it rolls over the idea of property and law altogether.

I have attended hundreds of live auctions in my lifetime, and observed many odd occurrences. To my knowledge every live auction I attended was conducted by a State licensed auctioneer, and I never experienced any real fraudulent behavior on the part of the auction concern, save perhaps stretching out a bidding process a bit too long, or the auctioneer going to the gavel a bit too quick to satisfy a friend.

The online auction industry is currently rife with criminal activities from both the buyer and seller, and should be a great candidate for accordingly strong legislation. Write your Congressman, Senator, or elected official to this regard today.

Had a great conversation with my friend Kim last evening, and he provided me with some great advice.

Back to the past, and the issuing of specific catalogues describing books for sale.
We issued hard copy catalogues in the 1980's and 1990's with some success, and will attempt the same activity to generate sales in the 21st century.

Thanks Kim! -- And thanks for the second schnecken as well!

Book Selling Time!

A rare volume that we purchased at a small rural auction years ago is the highly collectible early volume of MEMORABLE AMERICAN SPEECHES by John Vance Cheney.

Published in 1907 by The Lakeside Press in Chicago, Illinois, this series of notable books in American history and letters remain to this day as one of the most sought after series of American books. One of the earliest titles, bound in green cloth, this rare volume is a great addition to any collector of Americana.

Best wishes to my Family and friends this coming New Years!

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Future now in media

The great American newspaper is no longer. Died quite some time ago . A series of rather ignomininious deaths in cities great and small. Some minor contemporary versions still exist in out of the way markets were the advertising department does not run the editorial content. Advertising revenue versus quality objective news copy? Should be a no brainer.Quality , incisive reporting should win out over the advertising departments concerns every time. The opposite prevailed.The bottom line trumped the news content and the American newspaper is dead.... This is not really fresh news , as much as a portent of a new design for a 21st century newspaper not comprimised editiorially by advertising conflicts. A wake up call via the immediacy of breaking news via the internet has sounded clarian clear throughout the world , and all of the old dead tree dailies are taking heed. Note the interest in online versions of daily newspapers from the competent likes of the New York Times or Washington Post down to the local rabble of smaller market daily newspapers. Attempts at incorporating local news collected via internet sources and folded craftily into the modern online daily newspaper are mostly shots in the dark by most editors , and the internet savvy news consumer often ignores the daily newspaper as a primary news source all together , preferring the immediacy and objective internet news sources instead..... Owing half a century of printed newspaper consumption. Burp! I have a fairly good idea that the printed daily newspaper of the 21st century will be more of a local insert to the home delivered New York Times , Miami Herald , Los Angeles Times , or Washington Post , or dominant reginal newspapaper. Just as well! The smaller market dailies are akin to the weaker market professional sports teams. Less of a payroll , lousy ethics more often than not comprimised by political alliances or advertising concerns , and a style book , dumbed down for an elementary school graduate. Good riddance to this self aggrandizing media parasite , the smaller market American daily newspaper....Let us then consider the future of commercial television news. As Marlene Deitrich told Orson Welles in the noir classic A Touch Of Evil, " I've seen your future honey , you all washed up". Not that televised news ever really contained any items of newsworthy value anyways save Mister Collin's cat being saved from the large tree that it was stuck in. You get the drift , sizzle sold without any meat.Television news. In any event when the present plug in capacity of television becomes cable only next year , it will mark a complete departure from this most odious of all mediums for many of us still capable of thought " outside the box". I do not pretend to have in my posession any great intellectual capacity , and will not suffer any seperation anxiety from the loss of the television medium..... As for the Federal Communications Commission's decision to postpone a decision concerning the potential dual ownership of newspaper and television broadcast cross ownership , consider it as good as done. The ultimate decision is that the vested major media concerns will prevail and the dual ownership will be approved by our bought and sold elected politicians in Washington , D.C. . Only a matter of time , and a loss of already scarce local news , in this homogenous current state of affairs known as the good old USA. We live in a day and age where we need to keep our media sources under fine scrutiny and constant review , not enable the National media concerns to pull anymore wool over the eyes of the American public than they already do every day. Book Selling Time! We offer today a copy of an early volume on the dim black and white days of television by V.K. Zworkin entitled TELEVISION. published in 1940 and comprised of 648 pages , this volume represents an early technical study of the nascent medium. Yes , Felix The Cat was the first image broadcast on American television. Look it up!Best wishes to all.

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