POLITICS: 2008 PRESIDENTIAL RACE

FINAL PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE: OBAMA 3 McCain 2



October 16, 2008



By Muggles 'I Don't Run For Nobody' Greenwood



2008 (c) Mr. Clovis Shea and Mr. Mark Stueve. All Rights Reserved.



In wednesday's third and final Presidential Debate Democratic Candidate Barack Obama defeated Republican Candidate John McCain in a close fought match by the final score of 3 to 2.



After taking an early lead, Obama was able to hold McCain's attempted late rallies off with solid defensive play and a strong left-handed bullpen. In contrast, McCain was plauged throughout with sloppy defense, committing several 'Ayres' in the field, and inconsistent right-handed pitching that was at times both wild and dangerous. After shutting down several of John McCain's late inning attempts to remount his campaign's earlier momentum, courtesy of the Palin Bounce, Obama sealed last night's victory with a Manny Ramirez two-out homerun deep into the right field bleachers.



When asked about Ramirez's late inning heroics, Obama stated, "That's just Manny being Manny."

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EDITORIAL: CANDY APPLE ECONOMICS ON A CRASS COURSE

WHY I SUPPORT THE FINANCIAL BANKING CRISIS OF 2008





By F.U. MaLaudanum





Written and Submitted In Association with Muggles Greenwood Productions and Old Erie Street Bookstore





2008 (c) Copyright Mr. Clovis Shea and Mr. Mark Stueve. All Rights Reserved.





All this past week people have been asking me, "hey F.U.! What is your opinion on this current financial banking crisis?" Well, I tell them, "hey man, I'm all for it." As a matter of fact, I support this Credit Mess one-hundred and ten percent. And if I could afford to support it more, I might be willing to go as high as, say, one-hundred and sixty-five percent.





Now I tend to get a little skeptical when people ask me, "hey F.U.! Why are you in support of this current financial banking crisis?" Because I feel like maybe they're just looking to me for a free ride out to lunch. 'Do your own research, form your own opinion, don't just look to me for the truth.' Besides, don't people realize FOX News is on 24/7 these days?





But, I did a little soul searching the other night. And I came to the realization that there comes a time when certain Leaders of Industry, such as I, myself, and yours truly, F.U., have a personal obligation to share our unique understanding of the state of all things 'Credit' and all things 'Messy'. I call this the 'All things Credit and Messy Factor.' And the old saying, 'bring enough for everybody' really seems appropriate. And, especially, these days, 'with so many terrible problems in this world.'





LOCAL LENDING PRACTICES





A true understanding of global economics requires a foundational assessment of the basic precept of local banking standards and practices. One must never underestimate the value of a basic checking account. Besides, now that I've stopped threatening to take my money out of the bank, the ladies at the service desk are far less smug to me when I ask them to waive my overdraft fees.





During the Clintonian Howdy-Doody Economic Period of the 1990s (or the 'Okie-nomics' Period -as my friend on Wall Street so aptly calls it) people thought they were happy because they thought the were rich. But, really, we all remember how it was -and we weren't happy. Sure, the Yen was flowing. And the Fed Reserve was loose. But, it also meant spending three hours a day standing next to the paper shredding machine.





Well, now that the banking industry finds itself bent over its own proverbial barrel, well, I can tell you that yes, I might be able to allow myself to budget just a little bit more than my regular weekly allotment of happiness and glee. For instance, I like to take an hour or so in the middle of the day, sit back on my front porch and watch the local postman deliver my mail. "How's your back, Frank?" I might ask. And he'd reply, "much better now that we're having this crazy banking crisis." And then I'd ask, "any more of those annoying credit card offers in the mail today?" And he'd reply, "nope."





So, do you see how nice taking time to be part of a community can be? Which brings me to my second topic: Family Budgeting.





FAMILY BUDGETING





Family budgeting is less of a science and more an art, really. And back in the 1990s this country bought a lot of crappy art. Now, I've always been a 'less is more' kind of guy. Rich people understand this as a basic principle; but, poor people, not so much. Food tastes much better now that we're eating less of it. Retail spending as the measure of economic growth is not a financial planning strategy. But, it is a whole lot easier than saying no to teenagers.





Recent Studies have shown that Christmas is an over-rated holiday. And, if you disconnect Cable TV, your children are more likely to read a book. Besides, I recently discovered that the public library has a wonderful Video selection; Beta and VHS.





So, go ahead, do it! Re-embrace the old family traditions before they get lost forever. Take the whole family out for a Sunday afternoon drive in the country. Take them to the park and have a picnic. You know you can't afford to go out to eat anymore. You can only afford enough gas to use the car once a week anyway. And you remember what happened last time you told the wife and kids to use public transit to run their errands?





FORMING AN INVESTMENT STRATEGY





People with financial planning strategies often come up to me and say, "save, F.U., save." But, me, I say, "spend, baby, spend." I think when it comes down to it, and the brass rally monkey finally squawks, the rich people of this country are going to spend us out of this current financial crisis. And, with the right kind of encouragement and positive re-enforcement, I think they can do it. I'm not just talking about some spending free-for-all. I'm talking about a well-planned, well-administered, we-executed, consolidated spending strategy. For instance, when it comes to porkbarrel spending, I say 'buy sheep, sell deer.' Now that the FDIC insures up to $250K I can finally consolidate all of my Washington Mutual Checking Accounts into one. Some folks openly question this approach because they're concerned about Capital Gains Tax. When they ask me, "hey F.U.! What about Capital Gains Tax?" I tell them, "hey, no problem!" Besides, what is 'Capital Gains Tax,' anyway?





People say 'invest,' and I tell them, "hey buddy, I invest my money in F.U." Besides, if I had 401K I'd just spend it. I'd buy a house and then rent it to myself as a tax-shelter. These days, everytime I take a bag full of loose pennies down to the liqour store and I notice all the homeland security and law enforcement hiding behind dumpsters, peering through house windows, lurking around the back alleys, I realize our Gross National Product is over invested in copper. I don't trust gold. I've never been a big fan of the Bond Market. And since I recently started drinking much more, I've decided to invest in aluminum.





I'm not a heartless person. It hurts me too; having to watch all of these poor rich white folks suffer. But, I honestly feel that maybe this is for the best. And that we will all come out of this having gained something as better human beings. I don't believe in labeling people and I don't believe in labeling fiscal periods, either. Besides, you can't call this a Bull Market or a Bear Market if it keeps laying eggs like this.





MONEY = POLITICS + RELIGION





I have always believed that the key to happiness is three-fold: Belonging to the right church, being associated with winning politicians, and having the proper mixture of old money and new money. I call this the 'Wholly Trinity.' And it's never been stronger than it is today. I may be morally bankrupt, but at least I'm not financially bankrupt.





However, if, as some politicians say, this financial crisis is a 'toxic mess' then we should set up a series of International Transport Compacts with Russia and Canada and then direct Governor Palin to bury it in some Alaska landfill.





As for the enviro-eco-hippie-freaks who will complain -someone needs to explain to them the difference between a jazzy liquid groove and solid rock divestiture. With our future commodities in agriculture off-set in hard rock mining options we are free to place our liquidity into a further jazzy groove.





We gotta get our Records straight, then we can buy more Books. Personally, I think we can offset an over-exposed Euro by doubling up on reds and then re-investing in a reliable R&B Fund independently certified as holding proper Motown Credentials. But hey, that's just me.





Besides, now that the Democrats control the White House, the House, and the Senate, it's only a matter of time before we re-build a new national financial surplus through the sale of Nuclear Arms to Iran, Cuba, and Venezuela.





In conclusion, let me say this, when people ask me, "hey F.U.! Do you feel happy?" Well, I tell them, "Bears shit in the woods ... and I know Bull when i hear it ... How can I not be Happy?"

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Of corned beef and kings

In Cleveland , Ohio for the majority of the twentieth century a decent corned beef sandwich was as easy to locate as a politician with his hand extended in an outward fashion. I remember one such juxtapasition at the old Flat Iron Cafe in downtown Cleveland's flats in the early 1970's. The Flat Iron Cafe at this time was owned by the fine old Cleveland Chambers family . On any given lunch hour the joint was swarming with all manner of citizenry , many ironworkers , dockworkers , and laborers , along with downtown office workers , and the likes of us regular Cleveland long haired freaks. The inclusion of politicians in the Flat Iron mix usually meant that an election was at hand and the politico at hand posessed an agenda. George Voinovich and his rather gargantuan front man Ed Richards were working the lunch hour crowd one autumn Wednesday afternoon..... Having walked downtown with some friends from the area of West 65Th and Detroit , we were hungry and thirsty. Beer was our balm and Wednesday was also the day when corned beef and cabbage or corned beef sandwiches were the daily special. The Flat Iron cafe at that time was more steeped in the nineteenth century than the twentieth. Upon entering the smoky large dining room , get in line and send your pals to grab a table after taking their order. At times grabbing a place at one of the long tables that were shared with whoever decided to sit next to you at any given time. An empty spot at a table was game for any chow hound to plop into to get his grits down his gullet. A lost tradition this notion of shared seating , though a perfect position for a politician to ambush you from . Food was ordered and served from the back of the room by white aproned elderly women. These matronly women took your order , only a few simple delicious choices so no head scratchin' allowed , and handed back through a large open French doored kitchen , your tray heaped with whatever you ordered. Friday fish fries here were among the best in the city. Ditto the corned beef sandwhiches piled high with meat on crusty New Heights Bakery rye bread ,, and a large serving of cole slaw and hand cut french fried potatoes to go with them. Serving hundrds of lunches to many blue collar and other time clock workers meant quick service and hot food , which was always a winner. So we had grabbed our corned beef sandwich platters , started to glug our long necked Strohs from the bottle , when the far door opened and this giant of a man Ed Richards , in a thick black overcoat , entered with a dapper , diminutive , and youthful George Voinovich decked out in a trendy modish green suit following him , raincoat slung over his arm. Voinovich was running for Cuyahoga County Auditor , and Richards was going up and down the line at all the tables introducing himself handing off a political flyer and explaining that the candidate Voinovich was right behind him looking for your vote. Big Ed and little George made a rather odd Mutt and Jeff routine at any event...... The Flat Iron was a frequent watering hole for West and East side politicians alike , and this sort of campaigning was business as usual. Voinovich to his credit introduced himself , shook hands , not minding the errrant horseradish or stadium mustard stains of our collective mitts , asked for our votes ,and worked his way down the line..... I often think of those afternoons now , the large steaming fragrant kettles of corned beef giving off a strong pickling spice whiff , mixed with the yeasty odor of better than a centuries worth of fresh beer. The constant whirring of a mechanical slicer , run with exacting care by a white aproned biped with a steady set of hands. No such places still exist in a city that was once filled with unique old restaurants that were frozen in time and busy taking their deserved hallowed place in the local myth called " history". Otto Moser's , and the Rathskeller both formerly located on the west side of East Fourth Street between Euclid and Prospect , , are still in business today at other downtown locations , though with changes of address , they left the better part of their histories behind. People about town tell me of the great corned beef at Slyman's restaurant on Saint Clair in downtown Cleveland .Though I have enjoy their corned beef it strikes me best served with eggs or grits.Thus removed from the disgraceful soft rye bread it is served on in it's ubiquitous sandwich form. Ditto all of the other downtown sandwich shops , Slyman's cousins at Danny's Deli down the block on Saint Clair , or the Superior Restaurant a few blocks away. Counter joints that peddle corned beef on rye are very common throughout the inner city of Cleveland's east side. Every last one serves quality meats on spongy Orlando Bakery restaurant rye bread. Better no bread than this pasty crustless rye...... Slyman's may serve all forms of politicians and celebrities when they visit Cleveland , though politicians and those that seek attention are drawn by the crowds , not the bread. Slyman's knows from corned beef and crowds , not from sandwiches. I once observed Al Gore while he was vice president eat a absurd Cleveland version of a Pittsburg style sandwich made famous by Primanti's in the strip district off Penn Avenue. Gore ate the whole mess , french fries cole slaw and all. Al Gore survived long enough to lose the Presidential election , though eating in public in an incessant fashion cannot promote good health...... To really find a true satisfying corned beef sandwich in Cleveland today it is necessary to leave Cleveland and travel east up Cedar Road to Jack's Deli and restaurant, at the corner of Cedar and Green , or head southeast to Corky and Lenny's Deli and Restaurant at Chagrin Road and the intersection of interstate 271. Jack's and Corky's both know from corned beef . Their sandwiches are served on crusty slighly sour hand formed seeded rye loaves. Corky's bakes their own. Jack's buys theirs half baked from the nearbye Pinkus bakery and finish baking the loaves on site . Both Corky's and Jack's also have chopped liver on their menus as well , for a great complement on your next corned beef or pastrami sandwich. Upon entering these delis a bowl of pickled pepeers ,cukes , and sour tomatoes are placed in front of you along with bread or rolls and butter. Orlando's bakery to their credit does bake a number of crusty Italian loaves , sold mostly on weekends , and they are fine and without fault....Book Selling Time!Politicians like bread , and so do most of us bipeds. most of us prefer the green paper script " bread " used to purchase the ingrediants to make the yeast risen edible bread. So be it bread. If you care to get a rise out of life while , " loafing around" , you might consider a purchase of Ursel Norman's A BASKET OF HOMEMADE BREAD. Most of us have little enough time these days to bake our own bread , and prefer to let others do it for us. If you have a strong desire for a loaf or two of your own consider this tome as a guide to your rise in baking.[Chuckle and drum roll rim shot]. I will throw in a sure fire and pug simple winter season corned beef brisket recipe for kicks tomorrow. As for bread , pickled meats , and politicians use your own judgement. Mix these ingredients in a word jumble and see what ya' get? Pickled politicians tossing meat while taking bread. Hmmmmm? I suppose that might describe the variety that are caught with their pants down in all form of fashion depraved and otherwise. Not to forget to mention the other type of politician who tosses bread around to pickled wholesale meats inspectors for a messy profit........ George Voinovich on the other hand always seemed sincere in his initial quest for the Cuyahoga County auditors office in the early nineteen seventies. His handler " Big Ed " ,much later got in to some type of trouble , though I do not remember it reflecting on Voinovich in a direct fashion. That day in the Flat Iron thirty seven years ago with Big Ed leading the youthfully long haired , burning proud with his "full Cleveland look " flying way out .George was dressed complete with a multi colored ultra wide tie , loud lime pastel green suit with wide lapels and yellow and purplish highlights in stripes . Buffed nad polished to a gleam white shoes finished off his look. The whole strange magilla. More likely than not Diamond Brothers or Robert Hall clothing off the rack. Which any of us locals recognized as thrifty rags and identified with the percieved frugal nature of George Voinovich. Walking around pumpin' on paws , not seemingly affected by some real nasty mitts in the crowd . While his handler introduced him as " George is looking for your vote" was the only time I ever encountered him about Cleveland, Ohio. Mister Voinovich now lives in Washington , District of Columbia , and is as most of you realize a multiple term United States Senator.

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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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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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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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News from Cleveland, Ohio

could be much better these days. A fourteen year old student shot up four people yesterday while attending his high school "Success Tech Academy" , in downtown Cleveland .

A small reminder of the chaos that is Cleveland , Ohio today.

After decades of benign neglect , overachieving theiving politicians , and haphazard attempts at urban renewal , Cleveland is on its knees begging for it's very life.

Recent Federal statistics have placed us in the top United States major cities in poverty, foreclosures, as the murder rate is soaring while the population continues to bottom out. Not a very pretty picture.

The president and publisher of the local daily paper of record sits on the board of directors of the second largest employer in the city , so looking for objectivity or on the level reporting on a variety of germane subjects is nill.Journalistic ethics be damned.

Seems that every Cleveland player has an agenda. No, not the citizens of Cleveland mind you, instead their supposed leaders, movers, shakers, politicos, land developers , and the propagandist press and public relations campaigns that serve as an attempt to create a silk purse from the sows ass that this dangerous, moribund Cleveland , Ohio has become.

The citizens of Cleveland are some of the finest people you might imagine, and a brave lot of survivors one and all. My cousin while waiting to land into Cleveland Hopkins airport this past summer overheard two passengers on his flight conversing about the resemblance of Cleveland to Baghdad. A point well taken, and with more than an iota of truth. Thousands of homes and commercial buildings slump and crumble in our neighborhoods. Many citizens live behind fortified doors and windows in constant fear, and are terrorized by gangs of hoodlums when attempting to complete ordinary tasks.

Not many people are found outdoors after dark.

A kindly, older, white-haired gentleman in the Slavic Village area of Clevelands southeast side told me the other day that the only offer he received on his sturdy , well-maintained house was $2500.

Pretty sad.

Work hard all your life, raise children, retire, and find your dwelling is not even worth maintaining. Abandonment of property is common, foreclosure auction signs dot the landscape, and large heaps of evicted citizens belongings are commonplace on sidewalks throughout Cleveland.

As you might imagine it is difficult to imagine much hope in the near term for this city in decline. Those of us that remain soldier on, look for the bright side of events in a microcosm littered with the residue of years of graft and abuse. Alcohol and drug abuse takes its toll on many, prostitution is rampant , and the criminal nature of State sanctioned gambling carves a hole into peoples lives that they can't seem to recover from here in "The best location in the Nation".

Time to attempt to sell a book department. Read about the glory days of this once proud, prosperous , and civic minded city of Cleveland, Ohio. In 1950, the year of publication of William Ganson Rose's CLEVELAND THE MAKING OF A CITY,the population of Cleveland, Ohio was near one million, and his volume does a credible chronological history of events from it's inception to the mid-twentieth century mark.

Look for a close seven game ALCS series between the Tribe and the Boston Red Sox.

Go Tribe!

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