Monday, April 28, 2008

In Memoriam: Robert C. Gaede



I just noticed this email from Kerri Broome over at the CRS. Bob was a friend of all of us. My family has worked with him since at least the late 1950s. He is a classy, elegant, articulate, gentle man, the kind they don't make too many of any more, or perhaps ever. We interviewed him at his offices in the 820 Building in a Meet.The.Bloggers session a little over 2 years ago.


I'm grateful to have known him, and to have been fortunate enough to subscribe to the early FACADE Newsletters.


Here's the CRS email:


Robert C. Gaede, FAIA
November 6, 1920 - April 16, 2008


Cleveland has lost it's "senior statesman" for historic preservation with the death of Bob Gaede on Wednesday, April 16. Bob dedicated his life to architecture. He was a founding member and an Honorary Life Trustee of the Cleveland Restoration Society and served as editor of its publication, Facade, for nearly three decades. Bob saved many endangered landmarks through his engaging prose and kind demeanor, always backed by solid architectural ideas and hand-drawn illustrations. He built a successful practice in architecture, both new design and historic rehabilitation. He volunteered extensively over his lifetime for nonprofit organizations and under-funded preservation causes.


A memorial service will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, May 3 at Church of the Western Reserve, 30500 Fairmount Blvd., Pepper Pike. A celebration of life will follow at the Sarah Benedict House, 3751 Prospect Avenue, Cleveland from 12:00 - 3:00 p.m.



Cleveland Restoration Society



Kerri Broome
Development & Communications
Manager
kbroome@clevelandrestoration.org

(going back through The Ferris Construction Company's records, I see that the Church of the Western Reserve at Lander Circle & Fairmount Boulevard in Pepper Pike, Ohio, was our job #624)

"green" comes to the cleaners

D.O. Summers Cleaners-- I'm shopping around for another dry cleaner/shirt laundry today. DiMauro's downtown went out of business, and their successor isn't quite panning out. D.O. Summers has a green take on cleaning that might be worth experiencing, especially if by doing so I will begin to "enjoy the lack of malevolent odor."

The company uses an environmentally friendly process free of perchloroethylene – a widely used dry-cleaning solvent known to be hazardous to the environment and a suspected carcinogen.


In contrast, the Environmentally Friendly CleanCare System D.O. Summers Cleaners utilizes is composed of a non-chlorinated liquid that is safe for both clothes and people. Even better, the system reconditions garments, restoring them to their original state. Another side benefit: clothes don’t have that unpleasant dry-cleaning odor! D.O. Summers Cleaners prides itself on being pioneers in cutting-edge dry-cleaning technology. Along with 13 other dry-cleaning companies across the United States who have formed an association, D.O. Summers Cleaners debuted its CleanCare System, harnessing modern technology and machinery newly developed by European manufacturers.


The gentler and healthier system employs a process that is safe on all fabrics and dry-cleanable items. Best of all, the company maintains competitive pricing on all services, despite its superior cleaning system. While it is considerably more expensive – several times the cost of perchloroethylene-based chemicals – D.O. Summers Cleaners customers definitely appreciate the difference it makes. They vouch for the superior cleanliness and feel of their dry-cleaned garments, and enjoy the lack of malevolent odor.

Sunday, April 27, 2008

"disturbed about the world's religions"

Armed man arrested at Georgia cathedral MorningSun.net -- I just ran across this on the internet and wanted to share it. Last year, in October, we dropped by the Savannah cathedral on a Sunday and heard The Reverend Monsignor William O. O'Neill, V.F., recount the 4th anniversary story of his and the receptionist's confrontation with the arsonist doing his part to change organized religion. I took an immediate liking to him--the monsignor, that is--they don't make guys like this any more. The way he positioned his courtroom exchange with the arsonist's defense attorney was particularly refreshing.

The Citizens' Symposium in Port Clinton

Primary Voices - Home -- I had the opportunity to speak at the Friday kickoff, in Port Clinton, of an all-Ohio forum and teach-in for citizens' participatory democracy. My session was "Stewardship and Financial Freedom."

After my formal, regulator-approved presentation, Gloria and I were able to pivot to a conference format and get really involved in what the people at our session were really interested in talking about. Briefly, their interests centered around conservation of all types of assets, freedom, truth, education, community dialogue, transparency, family, legacy, and finance. We had a great introductory discussion, but only scratched the surface.

Dr. Vernon Albright and his wife Mary, who pulled the whole thing together, are truly remarkable people based in Chicago. On the audio, you can hear his idea of reviving the town forum. We didn't get a chance to tell him much about Meet.The.Bloggers, but I'm sure we'll get around to it, as we review the after-effect of this weekend's Citizens Symposium.

Wednesday, April 23, 2008

define: CORSAIR

define: CORSAIR - Google Search -- You have to hand it to old John Pierpont Morgan--when he named his yacht Corsair III, he at least let them know--in a roundabout, tongue-in-cheek way--that he was coming. It may have been the sporting thing to do. The same rich vein of good humor runs through the world of finance today, as the yacht's namesake sails back into this country, from a lengthy European tour.

Tuesday, April 22, 2008

early adapter

Connection failure? - The Boston Globe -- With our first grandchild on its way into the outside world some time mid-August, we're curious how mother Mo and baby will integrate with the internet and with Mo and Geri's exercise-balanced lifestyle. There are all kinds of things we now need to consider in order to maintain balance while maximizing our potential. Awareness is becoming so important.

Monday, April 21, 2008

popping up all over: another 24-hour place, Luna's in Parma Heights

Millennium Management, a provider of luxury apartment homes in the metropolitan Cleveland, Ohio area. -- Down the page at the link is the listing for Luna's Deli Restaurant. We ate there today after a festive spring jaunt to the Parma Justice Center. A call out confirmed that they are a 24-hour establishment, except on Sundays, and that's all right with me. No wi-fi yet (maybe it's almost time for an air card). Clean. Good food at a reasonable price.

Luna's Deli & Restaurant
6380 York Rd Parma Hts Ohio 44130
440- 884-0504
Variety Great Food Open 7 Days a week 24 Hours A day Price start from $6.95-$12.95

The Founder's Cafe

The Founder's Cafe -- Dan Moore's event is this evening. This will be our first time over to the Tyler Elevator Building, and we're looking forward to it. My younger cousin Rick and I spent a lot of our summers in the neighborhood, in and out of the equipment yard at 3409 Superior, former home of The Ferris Construction Company. In retrospect, I think the family motto used to be "A strong back is a terrbile thing to waste."

Details at Dan's site and also at Upcoming. The Town Fryer's down the street, under the railroad overpass, and we'll have to drop by to see whether Susie has evening hours yet.

another 24-hour place: Michael's Diner At Shaker Square

Michael's Diner At Shaker Square - Cleveland, OH 44120 -- This past Saturday, we took the blue line and then the green line (it was raining) out to see some friends at Shaker Square, in those condos taller than the Moreland Courts near the Coventry stop, and happened to notice another 24-hour establishment, Michael's Diner, right at the first stop coming out of downtown, at the north side of the square. There are three reviews at http://www.yelp.com/.

The story behind the taller condos was that the builder, a Jewish man, was denied occupancy in the Moreland Courts some time in the 1940s or 1950s, so he took pains to construct his own building right across the street and to make it tall enough that he could look down on his rejectors. This area around Shaker Square continues to offer some of the most elegant cosmpolitan living available in this country. Years ago, in the mid-70s, when I lived on North Moreland (2635?), I was able to park the car in the apartment's garage-under, grab my bags, hop the rapid, and be out to the airport with less muss and fuss than I've experienced any time since.

Sunday, April 20, 2008

listening to Jimmy; remembering Wendell

Commissioner ejects reporters from meeting, lambastes newspaper - Cleveland Metro News – The Latest Breaking News, Photos and Stories from The Plain Dealer -- These younger reporters really get it. Note here that they make it easy to do business with them, easy to get the information, listen to it, share it, promote it, archive it. I love having the option to download an MP3 called "commish."

You can get a fairly good idea, from the recording, what kind of talent Jimmy has brought to the table the past 30 years; it's one good reason we're in the condition we are today. There's not a whole lot going on here, when you get it all up in the full light of day. Lots of wind, not much substance. (But he does drop a lot of clues...)

Nobody took Wendell Robinson seriously enough, the last election cycle, when we had the option to strengthen the county commissioner triad by replacing DiMora. It would have certainly improved the public dialogue while it simultaneously weakened the Democratic Party's jobs programs. Now, with the vivacious Debbie of Bay Village trying to oust the magisterial Peter Lawson Jones, we don't have the same upgrade opportunities for our community conversations, at the commissioner level.

Basically there's no conversation under the current setup--it's all one-sided, and in public, it's a loud mouth's rant that makes WTAM's Mike Trivisono look classy and refined.

Saturday, April 19, 2008

learning from MeetTheBloggers

Who Lost the Debate? Moderators, Many Say - New York Times -- What's old and tired and possibly corrupted here is the moderator/debate format itself. We learned early on in the gestation of the MeetTheBloggers format that the zinger, the killer question, the interrogatory stance, the striving for the judgmental, the pursuit of the partisan inflection point, the backing the subject into a corner--all of these are counterproductive and unsatisfying. They don't play well any more, when most people are tired of being at odds with each other and would hope to find some common ground and some answers that are realistic and workable for everybody.

By the same token, the day of the blogger/commentator, as enfant terrible has passed. The snarky, bitchy, destructive approach to the community dialogue doesn't play too well, either. That character over at the Daily KOS was an early success because at the time he was sensational and different. Now, in hindsight, I see him and his ilk, his spawn, as largely an aberration that most people can't, and shouldn't, emulate. Look at the attrition among the political bloggers in the blogoshpere. Look at the marginalization.

IMHO: Moderated debates are out. Passe (I still don't know how to get that diacritical mark over the e). A poor way to spend time and money. Collaborative conversations might prove an intelligent alternative. Retrouvaille.

Thursday, April 17, 2008

Stone Mad just opened Monday

The Cleveland Free Times :: Dining :: Dining Lead :: Detroit Nosh City -- Midday yesterday I was passing through the Detroit-Shoreway area with our friend Rudy, and we stopped by Stone Mad, which has been open for business since this past Monday, 11-4 for lunch and 11-2:30 AM for drinks. It's an awesome place. Talking to Paul, the bartender, we found that they had just wrapped up a 3-year rehab; the attention to detail is incredible. The one thing I admired especially was the roof, done with those recycled rubber-tire slate look-alikes. The application of the shingle material to the ridge vent is the best I've seen, and the handling of the air intake in the soffit is very well done, too. But then, too, there are the cobblestones in the yard, the stone benches and tables on the patio, the outdoor fireplace, the paneling inside, the tilework on the floors and the walls throughout, the handpainted ceiling in the dining area, and the list goes on. There was a certain reverence shown for the building, for the craftsman's materials, for the old neighborhood itself, and the overall effect is extremely refreshing. It gives you hope for the future of older structures in a city bent on replacing the old with the new and conferring tax credits to the destructive, the wasteful, and the foolish. Here's a snippet from the Freetimes a year ago:

Around the corner, "Irish Pete" Leneghan is putting the finishing touches on what close friends are calling his "legacy bar." Stone Mad is a two-and-a-half-year labor of love that often found Leneghan, owner of Tremont's Treehouse bar, on his hands and knees laying acres of gorgeous stone pavers. Inside, skilled craftsmen have constructed two magnificent barrooms, one featuring black walnut, the other floor-to-ceiling oak. A dining room in the rear will serve upscale pub fare.


To encourage conversation, Stone Mad will have no televisions or jukebox, but it will have a sprawling stone patio with water and fire features. An intricate tile mosaic of Leneghan's ancestral town, Ballycroy in County Mayo, brightens up the pub's lower level.



Meanwhile, back here in Brooklyn Centre, as a counterpoint to the good things going on with Pete Leneghan, the board of Art House has passed its third year of stone-walling the neighborhood on the restoration of Wirth House at 3119 Denison. I hear that they have rejected and dismissed, quite recently and arbitrarily, the councilman's offer of help in the restoration of the property and want to proceed with the irresponsible demolition of an historic structure, overriding the objections of the neighbors who gave them the money to be in the restoration business in the first place.

To the best of my knowledge, none of the board members come from the neighborhood, and they have refused for three years to let the neighbors inspect the Wirth House itself. I happen to be one of the "interested parties" of the section 106 historic-property review process, and I can attest to the fact that we have not been allowed to see if the property is as bad as they make it out to be, nor will they stabilize the property so that it's not further wasted. This board seems to think it can't live up to their original compact with the neighborhood, and they also refuse to give back the property or the money we fronted them for it.

Please revisit Craig Bobby's "Where Art Lives...and History Dies" takeoff on the yellow Art House motto to see the building I'm talking about. This inexperienced board is the last tired remnant of the tattered, spotty, sad legacy of former councilwoman Merle Gordon. Merle, I understand, just finished another short job stint, this one at the Cleveland Clinic. Her style no longer plays well (never did, come to think of it), nor does that of this Art House board, and financial power plays using other peoples' government and nonprofit money need to get the closer scrutiny they deserve. We can't afford to let them use our money against us any longer, and to continue to steal our productive time now, as well. I think we need to revisit looking at the books and questioning their stewardship. Things just haven't worked out as advertised originally, and there ought to be some adjustments made for that, before this costs us all still more.

Tuesday, April 15, 2008

Damion Ezell's new book and website

About Us -- One of our friends by way of The College of the Holy Cross, Damion Ezell, is on his way to New York this afternoon to promote his new book, The Report: File 1--The Context. At the link is an interesting lead-in, and it explains the journey of self-discovery that led him to write the book in the first place. We've been walking alongside Damion, off and on, for a couple of years now and can attest to the genuine feelings and authenticity that run through this entire work. I'm ordering it now in the reader's edition.

Sunday, April 13, 2008

Network Weaving: The Other Pentagon

Network Weaving: The Other Pentagon

This explains a lot. I remember being surprised at LaTourette's new spouse and her job a while back; I guess I shouldn't have been.

It seemed like such a blatant conflict of interest.

the future of the Tango

This is the email I asked Rick Woodbury of Commuter Cars to be able to share with you. His comments are in boldface. He makes a lot of sense. BusinessWeek thinks so, too.

I'm thrilled--I saw your car on TV in Atlanta 2 or 3 years ago and thought it was THE solution--and, it was fast and kicked up a lot of dust and leaves.

My first word was "Buick" over 60 years ago. Cars are important.

Thanks for noticing.

In case you have time for it, here is my view of the future of the Tango:
I've heard that to innovate, you don't give people what they ask for, but rather watch what they do. I've been watching what they do for over 50 years and I find it interesting that people driving cars by themselves with 4 empty seats around them jam up all the freeways, streets, and parking spaces in cities throughout the world at an incredible waste of time and resources.

It's as if people in a crowded subway all wore back packs that were 4 times bigger than they are.

According to the Texas Transportation Institute, at Texas A&M University, there are 67-billion dollars wasted every year due to congestion in the US. There are 5.7-billion gallons of gasoline wasted. This would fill tank trucks lined up end-to-end, from NY City to Las Vegas and back. That's just the gasoline wasted due to congestion!

According to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics there are 118-million workers in the US. Of them, 92-million drive by themselves to work every day with 4 empty seats. That's roughly 90% of all of the cars and roughly 80% of all workers that are driving solo in a car 4 times larger than needed.

Unfortunately, small cars don't solve the problem. A Mini-Cooper takes relatively the same space on the freeway as the largest SUVs because they both use a full lane and both must have similar braking distance from the car in front.
Motorcycles could solve the problem as they can fit two-to-a-lane but are unsafe, offer no protection from the weather, and give little room to carry things. Because of that only 0.6% of workers use motorcycles and bicycles combined. Public transit is only 4.9% because it only works well in extremely dense cities or corridors.

A freeway lane is 12-feet wide by federal standard. A truck is 9' 4" from mirror to mirror. That leaves 16" of clearance on either side. In order to double a freeway lane's capacity, a car would have to be a maximum of 40" wide in order to have the same clearance in a 6' lane. The Tango is only 39" wide, so it easily fits in a half-lane. The University of California Transportation Dept. and Booze-Allen-Hamilton did a study on a narrow car of nearly the same dimensions as the Tango and found it would increase lane capacity from 2,000 cars per hour to 4,400 cars per hour.

For a car to be 40" wide, it would require one of two methods for stability. If it tilted like a motorcycle it would have to have either manual or electronically controlled tilting. Both could be problematic. If the system failed in a turn it could be fatal. To control the weight of a protective cage manually is not reasonable as you can imagine a bicycle with hundreds of lbs overhead and to the sides.

Battery-electric is the answer--and for many reasons. The lead-acid batteries provide just enough weight in the Tango to achieve the same rollover threshold as a Porsche 911. As you have seen in the video, they also provide plenty of power. This is because, using the same kind of motors that pull 100-car freight trains in one gear from 0 to 90 mph, fit nicely in the space between the rear wheels leaving the rest of the bottom of the car for batteries. The two Tango motors actually produce more than twice the torque of a Dodge Viper V-10 engine.

So, in order to get the Tango to the mainstream as quickly as possible, it will require overcoming the obvious objections--primarily rollover and safety. As I mentioned, we've achieved the static rollover threshold of a Porsche 911. Seeing videos of the Tango racing around corners and parked perpendicularly on a 30% grade with people trying but failing to push it over should eventually sink in and convince people that its looks are deceiving. Even I, who know the rollover chrematistics well, was trembling when I parked it on upper Stanyan St. in San Francisco. It's a 30% grade with a stairway for a sidewalk. After rocking it with my terrified stepsister inside, I was finally relieved of my fears. It just looked like it would fall over. I wish I could display the photo on my cell phone here.

For the Tango to get a foothold so that the doubling of lane capacity can be achieved, it must have immediate advantages over a standard car. In California, Europe, and the Orient, lane-splitting is allowed for motorcycles, some of which are 5" wider than the Tango. The Tango is actually 5" narrower than a Honda Gold Wing from mirror to mirror. I've noted situations where traffic jams were so bad coming off of the San Francisco Bay bridge that the motorcycles were traveling in 20 seconds the distance that it took cars to travel 20 minutes--a 60 to 1 advantage. The Tango could have done the same.

So in philanthropy, one can give the golden egg, or give the goose that lays the golden egg. I believe that funding commuter cars is like the latter. It is Commuter Cars' goal to put 150-million Tangos on the roads of the world within 30 years or hopefully as little as 15. I believe that when the average commuter sees the benefit, enjoys the freedom and excitement of driving a Tango, that they will naturally gravitate toward a tipping point just as the Model-T and the PC did, and people will wonder how we ever got along without them.

150-million Tangos, possibly $3-trillion in sales, may sound like a lot, but it's only about half of the SINGLE-occupant commuters in the world. In the US alone, roughly 1/3 of the world automotive market, it would have the following effect. There would be a savings of $39-billion in retail cost of gasoline to consumers which would be replaced by $5.2-billion dollars of electricity at retail based on $.10 a kWh. It would also probably save most of the $17-billion in wasted gasoline due to traffic congestion. The electricity used may not all be clean, however, it could be, and naturally will be, as clean sources like solar and wind become more commonplace and economically feasible.

Best wishes,

Rck

Tango in winter

A few years ago, I was in Atlanta killing time and saw a fascinating video of a tiny car tearing along, kicking up dust and leaves, racing motorcycles, and parking perpendicular to the curb. The Tango by Commuter Cars Corporation is that car. George Clooney is a fan, as well.

Rick Woodbury, the Commuter Car Guy, became one of my LinkedIn links, and has begun sharing some information with me. When I wondered how The Tango might do in our more inclement seasons here in the Midwest, here's his reply (the boldface text):

On Apr 8, 2008, at 4:19 PM, Tim Ferris wrote:
Good stuff--would it be appropriate to share it with others by sticking it up on a blog or two, like
http://realneo.org and http://save-our-land.blogspot.com

Sure. Go for it. Thanks

I like the fact that the car is way safer than a bike and has all its weight down low. I think it can adapt to bad-weather conditions here and further north.

Our first prototype handled Quebec's ice and snow pretty much like any other car with rear wheel drive. The Tango weighs 3,050 lbs and being very small for its weight can therefore push proportionately more snow. It's virtually unaffected by crosswinds even on a snow-covered road because of its tiny profile to the wind in relation to it's weight and center of mass.


For lead acid batteries range per charge will depend on keeping the batteries warm. If they are allowed to cool off to 14 deg F, they will only deliver 80% of what they would at 77 deg F. The following table is taken from Hawkers data sheet available at:
http://www.enersysreservepower.com/documents/US_GPL_SG_001_0303.pdf

Deg F. Deg. C % of capacity 77 deg F. (25 deg. C)
77 25 100%
50 10 95%
32 0 90%
14 -10 80%
-4 -20 70%
-22 -30 45%
-40 -40 30%

The battery box is insulated which will keep the thermal mass of the batteries warm for a considerable time. There will be battery heating too so that if plugged in to a charger the batteries will stay warm.

NiMH and Li-Ion batteries have much better properties when cold. We'll publish their specifications when they're available.

Thanks again for your continued interest.

Best wishes,

Rick

Rick Woodbury Phone: (509) 624-0762
President, Commuter Cars Corp. Fax: (509) 624-1466715
E. Sprague Ave., Suite 70 Cell: (509) 979-1815
Spokane, WA 99202

http://www.commutercars.com

Saturday, April 12, 2008

uhs & duhs & sesquipedalianism

Memo to Petraeus & Crocker: More Laughs, Please - Dick Cavett - Opinion - New York Times Blog -- Dick Cavett delivers a gentle and entertaining lampooning of our more serious public servants; the question is, how do they go to Toastmasters or Dale Carnegie at this point in their careers? The other question is, how did they get this far without it? I guess that the triple competency of "move, shoot, and communicate" does not extend any further than the field of combat these days.

Back during "the conflict," I was a member of the Communicative Arts Subcommittee of the Leadership Department of the Infantry School at Fort Benning, Georgia. My main focus was with the infantry officers' advanced course, and their writing, listening, and speaking capabilities. We of the subcommittee were not popular around the campus, or at the club, but that was nearly 40 years ago, before Petraeus began his career; our "charm school" for middle management might have done him some good.

Tuesday, April 08, 2008

Creation Nation: the audience collaborates

The New York Times > Theater > News & Features > Hey Gang, Let's Put On a Twisted Talk Show -- MeetTheBloggers clones continue to proliferate, now among the young people in NYC. What's key here for me is the audience collaboration, the impromptu dialogues, the excitement the creativity brings on. People are finding out that their own lives and their own environs and community situations are far more interesting than the pap seeping out of their TV sets. TV and the other unsatisfying media have finally forced us to get in touch with each other again.

Monday, April 07, 2008

Claddagh Irish Pub Locations --minus Westlake

Claddagh Irish Pub - Claddagh Irish Pub Locations -- I was scheduled to attend a workshop at the Crocker Park Claddagh tomorrow.

Westlake
139 Crocker Park Boulevard
Westlake, OH 44145
(440) 250-8680


This afternoon, our sponsors left a message that the workshop would not occur as scheduled, since the Westlake Claddagh location was no longer doing business. Has anybody else heard anything else about Crocker Park's numbers or tenants? The link says the main office of this Claddagh Development Group is in Solon; I don't know if that's the only group that operates Claddagh Irish Pubs.

Saturday, April 05, 2008

eejits

Eejit: Northern Ohio's idiot wind -- I've been reading Frank Delaney's Tipperary lately, and in it he talks of things Irish, things that have emigrated to this area as well, like Home Rule, blatant exploitation of one class by another, and eejits. I began to wonder about the residency issue, and began thinking that anybody who would lobby to give up residency in a city that not only has Home Rule but also controls all the water is a fool, and should be allowed to go seek his or her fortune elsewhere.

With the water issue, Lee Fisher came to mind, and how he, too, is part of the gale-force idiot wind blowing though here, trying to position himself as the arbiter of good sense and the broker of water rights for political and economic gain. As is his wont, he was heavy-handed again, and that works to our benefit. He's not different from all your other politicians; his impatience just gets the better of him quicker.

And now you also have an inkling of why our politicians allowed one class, the lenders, to exploit the American neighborhoods as they did: If they, and foreign investors, own the majority of the land, and we are their indentured servants, they can dispose of their water any way they please.

We've already been exploited on things that make our machines go, like oil, and we've paid for it and continue to pay for it dearly. Don't let them disenfranchise us on water, one of the things that make people go.

Remember: Oil makes our machines go, water makes people go (We'll have to work on rephrasing that a bit.). And remember: In the Great Lakes region, we are sitting on top of a lot of fresh-water assets. We are valuable now for the same reason we were valuable 100 and 200 years ago: our "natural" heritage, as in natural assets.

Our "built" heritage is something we need to conserve, as well, and that's what the lenders have been going after and what they now sit on top of and hold, letting it lie fallow because our governments allow it. Are you starting to see the connections?

Natural heritage. Built heritage. What makes us great. What makes us valuable.

40 years after

Read Perspective from Roldo Bartimole -- 1968 - The Year That Changed It All
Here's a reprise of America's last "nervous breakdown" 40 years ago, told from the perspective of a guy 15 years my senior (his birthday is today, by the way) who was already involved in the pursuit of a conventional lifestyle. The events of 1968 changed everything--Roldo's life, my life, all our lives. Our entire culture flipped in the matter of a couple of years, and it's never been the same since. I feel the same stirrings today. I hear the same rumblings. I sense the same undercurrents.

And I'm ready to roll with it. This time, I expect I won't have to sit on the sidelines in uniform while politicians control my destiny. I'm not planning on making the same mistakes twice.

Friday, April 04, 2008

who else has one of these?

Burning River Roller Girls are back on the prowl for a second, rough-and-tumble season - Going Out - Cleveland.com -- I just thought that this quasi-punk, semi-jock, sports team/fashion statement might be one of our unique regional assets. Click through for an entertaining article and some fun photos as the Roller Girls go Bruising for a Good Time. You go, girls.

last night, an inflection point

Mogulus » Channel » midtownbrews -- This is some breakthrough stuff, hosted by George from MeetTheBloggers and Susan and Betsey from I-Open at Webtego last night, while Gloria, Roger Bundy, and I were schmoozing with the lawyers at the Prosecutor's Ball (FKA the Bill Mason fundraiser) over at Harlan Diamond's Executive Caterers at Landerhaven. Watch as Dennis Althar prognosticates on the importance of WATER and BANDWIDTH as the primo assets of the future, replacing today's oil and yesterday's gold.

how will this impact Cleveland Clinic?

Anthem to stop paying for preventable errors - cleveland.com -- This is an interesting development: Anthem (Wellpoint) is stopping paying for erroneous procedures, poor care, and slipshod work. I would be curious to know how the larger institutions, like the Cleveland Clinic, will be financially affected by this withholding of payments. Will this eventually have a financial impact things like the plans for a medical mart?

Perhaps the effect will be so severe that they will begin to serve the Medicaid community once more, to make up for the loss of revenue. For those of you who aren't aware, the Cleveland Clinic opted out of serving the poor and less fortunate by opting out of the Medicaid HMOs last month, keeping the ER open to the poor as a token gesture of the Clinic's charitable intent, and thereby technically preserving their nonprofit status.

Another thing I'd really like to know is how much of the income of The Clinic is derived from being paid for poor work, things like operating on the wrong part of the wrong patient, leaving instruments inside people after operations, septic shock for staff and patients alike, urinary tract infections from forgotten catheters, pressure sores, and fractures compliments of the hospital stay?

We say around here we are in the health-care business. Actually, we are in the business of letting people get so sick and unhealthy that they require extraordinary methods to achieve normalcy once again. Is there more you can bill from treating the incredibly sick than you can for keeping people from getting sick? Is a hospital entitled to bill at all when they have in fact caused the problem for which they're billing?

Thursday, April 03, 2008

No Booze? You May Lose

Here is some original research done by one of our Holy Cross alumni. I always wondered why there was such a heavy emphasis on booze as the social and business lubricant back East, and now I know. It's all economics. Thanks you, Ed Stringham (http://www.sjsu.edu/stringham/)

Tuesday, April 01, 2008

THREE DAYS LEFT

Dear Blogger-

There are just three days left to sign up to join the Brooklyn Centre Garden
Club for their Daffodil Days Tour of Lakeview Cemetery.

Use this tiny url http://tiny.cc/5NoL0 to access the flyer and get all of
the details.

This Friday is the last day to sign up for the tour. If you have trouble
accessing the website, contact me and I will send the flyer in a pdf to your
email.


Gloria Ferris
gloria.ferris@gmail.com

THREE DAYS LEFT

Dear Blogger-

There are just three days left to sign up to join the Brooklyn Centre Garden
Club for their Daffodil Days Tour of Lakeview Cemetery.

Use this tiny url http://tiny.cc/5NoL0 to access the flyer and get all of
the details.

This Friday is the last day to sign up for the tour. If you have trouble
accessing the website, contact me and I will send the flyer in a pdf to your
email.


Gloria Ferris
gloria.ferris@gmail.com