If you’ve been itching for that Council reduction fight to get started already, your time may have arrived.  My Councilman, Brian Cummins of Ward 15, has a plan.  (Download it here — doc file.) Well, actually, three plans, but they all involve at least two fewer ward Council members than Marty Sweeney’s plan. And two [...]

Jonathon Sawyer
Chef/Partner Bar Cento

Jonathon Sawyer owner and chef of the new restaurant Bar Cento, located next to The Bier Markt and across the street from the West Side Market, talks about how 5 days of Auto-CAD convinced him to drop out of his engineering studies, follow his passion and study the culinary sciences. The rest is history.

Honing his skills at a long list of respected restaurants around the country, he returned to Cleveland, met Michael Symon and the two embarked on yet another successful and award-winning restaurant adventure in NYC.

He has now returned to Cleveland, again, and will soon open Ohio’s first nationally certified green restaurant, Greenhouse Tavern on E. 4th St. This tree-hugger will be serving locally grown produce and meats as well as taking every step possible to recycle and reuse, including using restaurant waste to fuel the actual greenhouse on the roof! Check out one of his and wife Amelia’s many blogs: http://chefsawyer.blogspot.com; http://www.thegreenhousetavern.com; http://catchercrazyface.blogspot.com; http://www.chefswidow.com

• How to send free text messages from an iPhone
  Since I really dislike the coming rate structure for the 3G iPhone but still really want to get one, this might come in handy.
  (tags: iphone text howto free)
• REST Anti-Patterns
  Don’t do these.
  (tags: rest patterns antipatterns programming)

Last weekend was my first visit to the Lorain International Festival, and my wife and I had a great time! It isn’t that far from our home in Bowling Green. I first learned about the Festival last year from my friend Rona Proudfoot. At the end of last year’s International Festival she had posted her photos [...]

And I know cause my ass has been plagued with the death rattle for the past 2 days. No sleep. Hopped up on cough syrup + codeine

Be back soon. Hopefully.

The setting: Mrs. Reverend's Utah executive officer's home, a mile up the Utah foothills.

The occasion: Impromptu invitation for dinner. Yummm….tasty shisk-a-bob, salad…and double yummm, several (who counts?) glasses of smooth, dark Belgium beer. Dessert was planned,….let's just say it went up in smoke…..those responsible will remain anonymous.

In attendance: Mr and Mrs Reverend, Mr and Mrs Executive Officer, Mr and Mrs Executive Officer's three children….and 6 soon-to-be-high-school-sophomores, 4 young men, 2 young women,….all classmates of Mr and Mrs. Executive Officer's oldest daughter.

The mission: Mr Executive Officer asked if I might want to ask the 7 teenagers a few questions while we all sat and ate dinner out on the patio. That was an offer this crusty old Ohio blogger could not refuse.

Having only been introduced some 45 minutes earlier, those seven 15 and 16 year old students enthusiastically answered my questions, for the next TWO HOURS. It was, indeed, something to behold.

Often I hear stereotypical moaning and whining about today's young people. You know, their language, their level of responsibility, their slovenness, their self-absorption, their goddamned tattoos and piercings….and on and on. I suppose every adult generation has talked smack about their youth. Having said that….I'm here to tell ya'….I'd much rather hang out talking to young people, like these seven Utah teens, than most self-satisfied, all-knowing, judgmental adults whom I know. Take THAT, you old bastards out there.

These young adults attend the same Salt Lake City public school, described by them as consisting of approximately 50% white students and 50% minority students. This in a state whose population is 85% white. The minority student half of the school is primarily made up of Polynesians, Hispanics and Blacks. Guess which segment produces the school thugs…….it's the Polynesians because they happen to be larger physically.

The racial makeup of this Salt Lake City public school population reflects our larger American society. A strong suit, I would argue, often found in our public school systems. To become a well-rounded American adult….what better way to prepare than to attend a diverse high school reflecting America's diversity?

I asked questions about sexual orientation within their school, inter-racial dating, sex education, attitudes of teachers towards minority students, and the "mormon kids". The answers given reflected passionately held beliefs in fairness, tolerance and honesty. The very qualities and values that have made our nation great…..liberty, justice….for all…inside the melting pot of America.

As I listened to their answers it struck me that I was actually listening, in a microcosm sort of way, to mainstream America talk. Just as Americans want everyone to be treated justly and tolerantly….just as Americans want their political leaders to be honest and forthright…..so too, do these students want their immediate authority figures to be honest and open and fair, not hiding or shading truth, not refusing to talk about awkward subjects, in their roles as teachers and parents.

Teenagers in general, and these Utah teenagers, specifically, possess keen bullsh*t detection systems (BDS). Pretty much standard equipment these days…..comes with all makes and models. They called bullsh*t on school officials, teachers and adults who don't want to talk about sensitive, yet vitally important social concerns. Several students expressed their dismay over Utah's "abstinence only" public school sex education program. This dismay could be because these young people are 15 and 16 with hyper-drive-hormone-activity (HDHA)…..or…..it could be that they can detect "don't ask, don't tell" adult bullsh*t.

The honesty was refreshing. The confidence and independence reassuring.

They answered a question about female students asking male students out on dates and paying the tab. One young man wasn't comfortable with that scenario, unless it happened only on occasion, while a couple of the young women spoke of the "slut" stigma imposed by students and/or teachers who don't think the sexes should be quite THAT equal. The sexist double standard thing still sets off teenage bullsh*t detectors…..and rightfully so.

I asked specific questions about drugs and alcohol. Pot, exxtacy and mushrooms, I was told, are the most commonly used drugs by their peers. Reefer seems to be the most prevalent…..not much has changed in the last 40 years…..they spoke of legalizing marijuana (for it),….they spoke of drug use as a crutch (against it),….they spoke of moderation and students who abuse. A couple of the young males spoke of alcohol use, and abuse, as being more dangerous than marijuana use. I'm sure these teenagers came to their conclusions through observation, rather than participation…..or maybe not.

One young man wants to join the military after high school. To kill Muslims? No, nothing so neo-connish as that…..but instead, to learn to fly helicopters. This same young man was knowledgable about our modern military's hi-tech, "smart" weapons which he claimed were superior because they cut down on civilian casualties. Another young man wondered about the "terrorists". He argued that extremists couldn't be reasoned with…..SOMETHING had to be done to stop the insanity. Iraq was brought up.

All seven would vote for Obama….if they could…..

My summary: Engaging,….actually engaging in meaningful conversation, I think, is challenging, even rare. When it happens, it's like the credit card commercial…."priceless". Typically what happens is that people talk about themselves and avoid the listening part. Focus is not maintained. Naturally, all of us want others to think our opinions and ideas are important and valuable. With teenagers, the challenge can be even more daunting. Not so with these seven Utah teens, at least for those two hours last Thursday night. They were engaged. We were engaged. The Reverend was impressed…..and as regular readers here know…..I'm not easily impressed.

Steve and Liz…..as Roger Daltry used to sing with The Who…."The kids are alright."

Be proud.
_______

P.S. I took a look at this Utah family's recently installed, state of the art, solar roof panel array which produces up to 30 Kw of electric power to a storage battery and circuit panel cabinet located in the basement….alongside of the newest-fangled, 96% efficient, hot water heater which ingeniously recirculates hot exhaust fumes back down through the center of the housing thus squeezing out every last BTU of energy.

Yes we can….and some already are.

P.S.S. Regular mean-spirited, antagonistic political blogging resumes tomorrow.

The members of the Board of Cuyahoga County Commissioners (BOCC), Jimmy Dimora, Timothy F. Hagan and Peter Lawson Jones, are pleased to announce the creation of the North Coast Opportunities (NCO) Technology Fund Pilot Program. The NCO Technology Fund will accelerate technology-based entrepreneurship, create new high paying jobs, and increase the flow of private investment to Cuyahoga County technology companies. Commissioner Jones, Board President, stated, “Our establishment of the NCO Technology Fund is yet the latest example of the County’s commitment to spurring the economic regeneration of our region…and we’re doing it the only way it can be done – by working collaboratively with the private sector to provide sorely needed capital to promising high tech companies.”

The NCO Technology Fund will provide payment-deferred loans to help small technology companies finance specific business development projects. Loans will range from $25,000 to $125,000 at a 5.0% fixed interest rate. The principal and accrued loan interest are due either at the end of the loan term or when the company achieves significant outside investment. “The County’s new fund will enable companies to attract follow-on private capital to grow their business”, said Comissioner Dimora. “Encouraging entrepreneurship and developing early stage companies is critical to the economic success of Cuyahoga County and all of Northeast Ohio.”

The NCO Technology Fund will be capitalized with $750,000 pledged by the BOCC to support TechLift, a NorTech-led initiative created by the State of Ohio’s Third Frontier program to increase support, services, and investment for entrepreneurial technology companies in Northeast Ohio.

“We highly value Cuyahoga County as a partner in the TechLift collaborative and commend them for their leadership in establishing the NCO Technology Fund. We hope other counties in Northeast Ohio will take an interest in improving entrepreneurship and technology business growth by replicating Cuyahoga County’s NCO Technology Fund model,” added Chris Mather, Director of TechLift and Vice President at NorTech.

The NCO Technology Fund is based on the strategic recommendations of the CuyahogaNext Advisors economic development task force. Established by the BOCC in 2004, CuyahogaNext is a network of individuals and organizations envisioned, convened and chaired by Commissioner Jones. CuyahogaNext recommended that the County assist entrepreneurs and support high potential/high growth technology-based business opportunities.

The NCO Technology Fund was developed by the Cuyahoga County Department of Development in collaboration with CuyahogaNext Advisors and NorTech’s TechLift program. To be eligible for funding a candidate must be a technology company with high-growth potential, based in or planning to move to Cuyahoga County, and a TechLift registered and supported entity. A selection committee comprised of TechLift Entrepreneurs-in-Residence (“EIRs”) and a County representative will analyze the list of potential candidates. Companies with the greatest prospect for raising seed or venture capital financing in the future will be selected for funding.

Commissioner Hagan affirmed, “The Cuyahoga County Commissioners are committed to advancing the interests of our residents and taxpayers through technological innovation and entrepreneurial development. This ground breaking partnership between the County and NorTech’s TechLift program will provide a higher level of services to entrepreneurs, helping to grow the region’s economy.”

About The Board of Cuyahoga County Commissioners:
The Board of Cuyahoga County Commissioners is a Political Subdivision of the State of Ohio, established by the State Legislature in 1807. Comprised of 38 cities, 19 Villages and 2 Townships with a population of 1,401,552*, Cuyahoga County is largely an industrial, recreational, educational and leading health care community. http://bocc.cuyahogacounty.us/

About TechLift:
TechLift is a NorTech-led initiative designed to provide unparalleled services to technology entrepreneurs in Northeast Ohio. It is a collaborative effort between NorTech and Northeast Ohio’s Edison funded incubators. (JumpStart, BioEnterprise, and the five regional incubations that comprise NEOinc: Akron Global Business Accelerator, BrainTree, GLIDE, MAGNET, and Youngstown Business Incubator) and pre-see investment funds (JumpStart, Glengary, NorthCoast Angel Fund and GLIDE Innovation Fund).

In late 2006, the Third Frontier Project created its Entrepreneurial Signature Program to significantly increase the technology-based entrepreneurial commercialization outcomes. NorTech led the Northeast Ohio effort and received a $15M grant from the Ohio Third Frontier Project to fund TechLift services and create new programs at JumpStart, BioEnterprise, and the NEOinc incubators. For more information about TechLift, visit: www.techlift.org.  

1337mobile, beetle, car, car problems, clutch, clutch pedal

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Fuck you.
I want my brother back.

 

HOLA!!

As some of you may know we are a couple weeks into the Make Your Life program and part of my life-making mission is to develop more relationships here in Ohio and spend more time outside having adventures.

 

Well, as we were just barely out of the gates, my brave new life had already begun taking shape as we grabbed our new couple friends Deborah and Peter and headed out for a daytrip to Ohio Wine country! Yes you heard me correctly

 

It all started a month previous when I was precariously draped across the table of my favorite Applied Kinesiology chiropractor while she made wonderful popping sounds out of my back and neck, when somehow the topic turned to one of her favorite outings when company visits – a trip out to Ohio wine country.  Excuse me?  I thought. Ohio What?  Who Knew?!

 

So I called up our friends, did a little online research and even printed out a AAA trip tic detailing our entire tour.   I packed some snackage, the requisite apples, cheese and crackers and we headed out for Saturday adventure.

 

It was no more than an hour out of town that we began to see the telltale vines scattered across the countryside and next thing we knew we were sitting in a tasting room trying a batch of new vintages.

 

Now I must admit, with the 80’s band blaring in the courtyard, our first stop did feel a bit more like the beer gardens back at the King Miner festival in my hometown than the pristine, quiet wineries tucked into hillsides which I had become accustomed to in Napa.  And at the second place we visited, we all agreed that they had at least a couple varieties that seemed to have a slight aftertaste of motor oil (don’t ask me how I would know what that would taste like but that is what it reminded me of).  But all in all we did taste some lovely wines and we had a happy, outdoors, on-vacation kind of day and it was definitely something I would repeat.

 

My Friend Karen has shared with me the concept of the “hometown vacation principle”.  The idea is that if you approached your own city the way you approach the places you vacation to, you would be much more present to the beauty and adventure of the city in a way we tend to miss on our daily commute.  This was definitely one of those experiences, a “world away” vacation right in our own neighborhood.

 

This was just one tiny way to make my life, just one lovely day, but it is all those tiny moments that add up to make a rich and fulfilling life.

 

Hugs to you and wishing you hometown adventures!

 

Joelle

 

Democrats came together,
holding hands and making nice.
Sweet words flowed midst
patting, kissing, raising arms.

She built a bridge to unity.
He helped, but added graffiti.
Bragged his universal health
insurance would be optional.

Republicans scoffed, but
cable news seemed satisfied the
speeches and choreography could
fuel weeks of wild speculation.

Mexican princess Natalie Rodriquez is your 2008 International Festival queen! Natalie is the youngest dues-paying member of the Mexican American Citizens Club and has been a member since she turned 18. Natalie feels that for nationality clubs to survive, young people must become involved to maintain traditions and culture. Natalie has been helping the club since [...]…

The final tally of people helped is around 22,000. We held a steady pace today and then we packed up all the leftover glasses for the Lions Club to use. Tonight is a special celebration dinner and then we’ll be heading for Guatemala City for one night before flying back to the Estados Unidos.

This has been an incredible experience from start to finish. I’m fortunate to work for a company that allows its associates to share their hearts and talents with so many people who could otherwise not afford eye care and eyewear. And I’ve been fortunate to meet so many wonderful people. I’m sure every mission team thinks they have the best mission team ever but I truly believe we have a seriously awesome team. After many of us were shut out from helping last year in Argentina, we were all ready to make this the best experience we could.  Complaints were rare even as people started feeling ill or tired. Smiles were plenty, as were hugs and encouraging words.

Which, speaking of, we were all blessed a kajillion times by the people we helped even though they are the ones who need our blessings and support more. And we received plenty of kisses from happy customers like the one above. No matter how young or old, you could always tell when the person was seeing more clearly than ever before and that is something very special to witness.

Once I’m home safe and sound, I’ll write up a nice summary and share more photos. Gotta vamos to my room for a shower!

When the days start heating up - I head for my favorite Japanese restaurant. Why? ‘Cause its sake season. Honestly, nothing beats the heat better than chilly sushi and a glass of ice cold sake (ok maybe a perfectly chilled glass of rose) . For me, that means a trip to Shaker Square. Simple and chic, the stark white tables at Sasa Izakaya & Asian Bistro puts the focus on food and drink - and rightfully so. Boasting a stellar list of sakes made from polished grains of rice including Ginjo-Shu (polished to 60%),  Daiginjo-Shu (polished to 50%), Nama-shu (unpasterized), and Nigori (sweet dessert sake), Sasa is THE place to sip and learn about this ancient beverage. If you are new to sake - no worries. Here’s a quick sake 101 lesson.

First the outside of the rice is removed or”polished off” to expose the starchy part of the rice and then steamed. To break down the starch, a portion of the rice is kneaded with aspergillus spores (a fungi) creating a mixture called Koji. Ultimately, the remaining rice and Koji are placed in a vat with yeast and water to ferment. If the sake is made only using rice, water, koji and yeast is is called Junmai-shu. If short cuts such as adding alcohol during the fermentation take place, the sake is called Honjozo-shu. And that is all you need to know - best bet for learning more - go to Sasa and talk to the chef/owner Scott. He loves to chat about his native beverage and has a late-night menu that rocks. The kitchen is open until midnight! Do try the SasaTini and/or the SakeTini. Both are perfect finds for martini lovers - just in time for sake season. Cheers.

Blogging from Salt Lake City….

First….it's hotter than a firecracker….and even though, you know, it's a dry heat,….it's still, like, hot. Middle 90's every day.

Second….surrounded by mountains, the panoramic view, indeed, is a beautiful sight.

Third….did you know Utah citizens are called Utahns? What's up with that? Ohio…Ohioans, Utah…Utahns?

The Mrs. and I are staying in a 1901 built Bed and Breakfast on the edge of the historic district.

The Salt Lake Tribune appears to be the city's main newspaper. There was a primary election held here 2 days ago and there were surprises. Chris Cannon, 6 term GOP D.C. House representative, was soundly trounced (band name?) by some new young GOP upstart, Jason Chaffetz. The incumbent lost by TWENTY percentage points.

After having his incumbent hiney handed to him, Cannon was quoted saying, "This is a plague nationwide." Apparently meaning that voters are tired of the same old…..and are motivated to throw the bums out and replace them with newbee bums.

However, it's not just about incumbency.

The battered Cannon goes on to say, "I think the Republicans are in for a tough ride anyway, and I think the ennui that is being felt here in Utah is going on around the country."

The far right's rationalization of Cannon's primary butt kicking focused on the immigration issue. Cannon was tagged the "amnesty" incumbent. Cannon supported stronger border security but was also in favor of the dreaded "comprehensive" approach to the nation's undocumenteds.

Whatever the reason, a GOP six term Congressman, from one of the most conservative areas in the nation, was beaten by 20% by a no-name. Seems staggering.
_______

Small blurb in the Salt Lake Tribune states that 75% of Americans polled, "blame President Bush's economic policies for making the country worse off during the last eight years". That is very, very bad news for McCain hopefuls. The Arizona GOP presidential candidate, so far, has promised to stay the economic course that 3 out of 4 Americans now say has made things worse.

_______

And what would a Reverend post be without, at the very least, a bit of fun loving mockery?

To illustrate how serious Salt Lake folks take their religion……there are 2, not just 1, Gideon Bibles in our room's bureau drawer.

All around the city of Salt Lake are lush, mountainside suburbs chock full of very expensive homes. According to locals, the Mormon portion of the region lives in those lush suburbs, while a majority of the city's population is non-Mormon.

This struck me as mock-worthy.

In the final chapters of the biblical book of Revelation, inside the great Zion, the celestial "New Jerusalem", is where the redeemed are safely located….AND….the not-so-redeemed are described as being outside the city's walls, you know, wailing and gnashing their teeth. The earthly city of Zion, Salt Lake City, has that demographic reversed. Trivial, I know, but interesting. Oh yeah, and I almost forgot,…though living outside the city, Mormons, nevertheless, own almost all the city's commercial enterprises.

_______

Finally, for now…..the young chef at our B&B, a non-practicing, baptized Mormon, told me that although Mormons make up a majority of the area's overall population, there is also a healthy push-back from non-Mormons. The chef claims that Salt Lake City is the only non-blood red district around.

Also of interest,…..from an editorial in today's Tribune….. "Even among Mormons, whose church is among those that proclaim that it is the one true faith, some 39% agree that other religions can lead to salvation."

I wonder how Brigham Young would feel about that statistic.

Catcher’s third birthday is next Sunday and we are having a rager for him in the Metroparks.  We decided to go with theme of orange as he has been obsessed with it since he could identify it.  He prefers orange foods, orange shirts, and even orange juices (carrot included).  The chef is coming up with a menu consisting of orange foods.  His first idea was melons & moonshine.  Yep that’s right people. When my husband thinks of a three year old’s birthday party moonshine comes to mind.

I have decided to purchase items that are only orange or feature the color orange as the main color.  I found him this really cool Eco backpack and a great tricycle.  The chef wanted to get him this one but I just couldn’t bring myself to spend so much dough on something he will only use for a year.  We are also buying cheesy popcorn from the West Side Market and hand it out as party favors.  So fun.

It was Two years ago that my husband Jeff took me on a sailing adventure on a tall ship (imagine pirates of the Caribbean and you can get a feel for our boat) and it was everything I could every want in a vacation.

 

Sailing on the open seas, close to nature, community, simplicity, visiting tiny out of the way bays and islands that sported nothing but a sand beach and a bar.  It was the perfect combination of fun and total relaxation, all with the most beautiful backdrop imaginable.

 

 Our perfect vacation found, we were all set to do another for our anniversary this year but we were dismayed to find that the owners were mismanaging their money and fighting between themselves and the company was suffering.  Instead of sending our money to head out on a ship this winter we found ourselves sending money to have abandoned crew members transported back to their home countries after the company had left the ships and their crews in foreign waters.

 

The community around this particular type of vacationing is almost cult like, full of die-hard fans of the tall ship experience.  They have shared news and stories and pictures of their sailing adventures, discussed the demise of the afore mentioned company and coordinated rescue efforts for the crew through an online forum, which my husband has been hooked on since he started doing the research for our first trip two years ago.

 

With the loss of our tall ship experience, there was suddenly a void for all of these people and as life goes, where there is a void, it started pulling us all in to fill it.

 

On the scene arrives Captain Neil, a brash and bawdy former tall-ship captain and his trusty assistant Liz (the amazing operating room nurse who coordinated the raising of tens of thousands of dollars to get the abandoned crew home to their families.) A core group rallying around the vision of future tall-ship adventures began a campaign to raise money to buy a ship, start a company and continue the tradition.   My husband has marched us into that core group and this weekend…. We went to meet our ship mates and look at a ship!

 

We met up with the other investors at the Barking Crab on Boston Harbor and finally put faces to names and icons (imagine our surprise when the infamous Liz looked nothing like the banana riding a llama that she uses as her onscreen icon.)

 

 

We came from all walks of life, a variety of ages, with little in common other than our love for the tall-ship experience, but that was all we needed.

 

 I think my husband put it perfectly when he wrote:

"this ship is sweet. Our short time on her filled me with the energy we want in a ship. During our sail I quickly lost track of time and my life. I was completely present in the moment, hanging out with my new best friends, without any awarenss that I had only met them an hour earlier. "

 

The ship … was beautiful. 

 

With wooden decks, simple rooms and ample sails I really could not have asked for anything more.  We helped the crew hoist the sails, as we had on our sailing vacations of the past.  To feel the mighty pull of the wind blowing us across the harbor is truly one of the most pure and beautiful experiences.  As I took it all in, I knew my dad was there.  The man who loved the sea, he was the first to expose me to such things as raw oysters and smoked salmon and windsurfing.  He actually built the sail boat that we sailed on at our cabin in Canada and I know he would have been so pleased that we were doing this and were he alive, he would have joined us on the adventure, I am sure of it.

 

 

The tour and sailing of the ship and our fellow tall-ship enthusiasts were major contributors to a weekend that, as a whole was on of my favorite experiences so far in 2008 by far.

 

What happens next? We are not sure, offers, negotiation, raising money etc.  but one thing I know for sure, this crew will sail together again and if I have any say in the matter, it will be on our own ship as we create a special vacationing experience for those who are hungry for adventure and the simple beauty of a tall ship.

 

Coach Joelle

 

P.S.  A special thank you to my husband for creating this adventure.  My dad would be so happy to see I am with such an adventurer and lover of the sea.  Smooch!

 

With one clinic day left, we’ve already broken the goal of giving 20,000 people the gift of sight. It happened this afternoon around 2 p.m. Today we helped 3,374 - another record day. We’re all a little tired, a little punchy and really missing our families and friends at this point. But there’s always time for some complete silliness. For example ….

… I meant to tell some man that the reason he couldn’t see super clear was “por las gotas” (because of the drops that dilate the pupils). Well, here’s what I said: “por las gatos”. That’d be “because of the cats. So all day long my translators (pictured above) made fun of me and as each person came up they’d remind me that this person couldn’t see because of the cats. Apparently, I stick my foot in my mouth regardless of the language I’m speaking. Good to know.

We also had lots of kids today with very high Rxs. So so many that have never seen anything. The smiles on their faces when they see clearly for the first time are priceless. I am so fortunate to see and experience that moment.

I’m getting pushed out of the computer room and up to the card game. I’m not proud or anything but I’ve won two nights in a row and I plan on this being the third night. My family’s tradition of card playing has come in handy. Thanks mom (and dad)!

 

Yes, Yes they are.

So head on over to WallsAreBad.com to check out the many activities and organizations in SW Pennsylvania.

This site is a little over produced, and doesn’t have the personal touch I think I provide, but it’s what this site would be like if I could spend more than ten minutes a day on it.

In the meantime, Check out the New Steel Valley Outdoors Bookstore for all your Ohio Nature and Outdoor Guides.

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Another day….another misguided, fact rejecting, biased editorial by the Beacon. My question today is: Are all Beacon editorial writers simply dull and lazy….or are they all simply faith-basers?

Simple question, really.

From the Beacon's brainfartingstorming….

"McCain wants to appear responsive, and his new position has more merit than his earlier pandering, calling for a summer holiday from the federal gas tax. Barack Obama rightly has resisted the summer holiday, yet he pushes his own misguided idea, a windfall profits tax on oil companies, something that was tried and failed in the Jimmy Carter era." Link

McCain's "position has more merit than his earlier pandering". Granting Big Oil what they've been chanting for….forever….which would have ZERO effect on gasoline prices…."has more merit". That's really, ahem, putting those Beacon thinking caps on, huh?

It's like saying that when a batter strikes out for the second time in a row…"at least he went down swinging this time instead of looking."

See? It's not "misguided" to try to drill our way out of crisis, even though drilling would have…..ZERO effect on prices and supply. It's only "misguided" if Big Oil, making all those record Big Profits, are made to fund alternative energy programs. See how "misguided" that is? Not to mention the fact that Carter, as well as Ford and Nixon before him, acted to reduce our need and dependency on oil. Was that "misguided" as well, oh great and well-informed Beacon editors?

McCain, upon reflection, stated yesterday that, "psychologically", it would have a positive effect on…..somebody…..if we just allowed Big Oil to drill, you know, everywhere. But, as everyone knows and cannot forget, McCain only gives "straight talk".

Here's how to reduce gasoline prices in 30 days or less…..

The price of retail gasoline could fall by half, to around $2 a gallon, within 30 days of passage of a law to limit speculation in energy-futures markets, four energy analysts told Congress on Monday.
Testifying to the House Energy and Commerce Committee, Michael Masters of Masters Capital Management said that the price of oil would quickly drop closer to its marginal cost of around $65 to $75 a barrel, about half the current $135.
Fadel Gheit of Oppenheimer & Co., Edward Krapels of Energy Security Analysis and Roger Diwan of PFC Energy Consultants agreed with Masters' assessment at a hearing on proposed legislation to limit speculation in futures markets.
Krapels said that it wouldn't even take 30 days to drive prices lower, as fund managers quickly liquidated their positions in futures markets.
"Record oil prices are inflated by speculation and not justified by market fundamentals," according to Gheit. "Based on supply and demand fundamentals, crude-oil prices should not be above $60 per barrel." Link

Honestly now, is that so hard to comprehend?

I suppose the Beacon braintrust knows, at least, a little bit about the unregulated commodities futures market. If not, perhaps they know a bit about Congressional hearings on energy. If the Beacon boys don't know anything about commodities or Congressional hearings on, like, energy…..maybe they know how to use The Google.

Readers would, naturally, not know whether the Beacon editors are aware of Congressional hearings on energy, or commodities trading schemes, or, for that matter, how to use The Google, because none of that comes up in today's Beacon editorial.

The MOST SIGNIFICANT reason why oil and gasoline prices are so high, and the brilliant Beacon brainstormers don't even bring it up in an editorial addressing the oil crisis.

Amazing isn't it?

Or not.

To borrow a word….."misguided".
…….

The Reverend and Mrs. Reverend will be flying to Salt Lake City this afternoon on a short business trip for Mrs. Reverend's employer. I will be blogging from Mormonland the next two days. The Reverend will be mixing with all those red-staters…..asking questions and so forth….how do you think I'll be received?

I use VMware 6 on my Linux-based laptop to run a Windows development environment. Quite often I receive pre-made Virtual PC images from clients containing a copy of their specific environment. Unfortunately, VMware for Linux can not run Virtual PC images directly. (Supposedly VMware for Windows can.) So I am stuck with the task of converting the VPC images to VMware images. Luckily, VMware has a free conversion tool available to do just that. Unluckily, it only runs under Windows.

I started by installing VMware Converter on one of my existing Windows images. Next start the convertor and run the conversion wizard. Setup the wizard to convert a standalone machine and browse to the directory that contains the VPC definition. Finish working through the steps in the wizard, and make sure to check the box to install the VMware tools. Failure to do so will cause the converted VPC image to crash hard when you boot it up. After the wizard finishes converting the image, boot up the newly converted virtual machine from the VMware console and allow Windows to install and configure the new “hardware” and drivers. Reboot the virtual machine once the hardware configuration is finished. The final step is to remove the mouse filter that the VPC tools installs. Open RegEdit and navigate to to HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Class\{4036E96F-E325-11CE-BFC1-08002BE10318}\UpperFilters and remove the msvmmouf entry from the UpperFilters key. (You can skip this step if you uninstall the Virtual PC tools prior to starting the conversion.) Reboot one final time and the virtual machine is ready to go.

I hope this is helpful to anybody else out there who has struggled with getting a Virtual PC image running under VMware for Linux. Feel free to leave any questions or observations in the comments section.

Our schedule for the next ten days is straight up insane:

Thursday: Rock & Roll Wine Project (Chef & I work till close)

Friday: Stepbro’s 21st B-day Festivities

Saturday: D & K’s Super Awesome Hippie Wedding at the restaurant

Sunday: Work(till close)

Monday: Free Day

Tuesday: Catcher starts Art School at The Cleveland Museum of Art

Wednesday:  Chef leaves for NYC to film Iron Chef with the Iron Chef

Now here’s where it gets sticky…

Thursday: The Best Friends Wedding + Overnighter at this fancy pants hotel with the chef.  Or so I thought.  It seems that Iron Chef is a night shoot and the chef will be taking a flight immediately after the shoot to try & make it back for the wedding.

Friday: The fourth.  Recovery, Rest, & Swimming.  And those fireworks that you throw on the ground.  What are they called?  I just love them.

Saturday: Work (till close)

Sunday:  My big man’s 3rd BIRTHDAY!!!!!  Major rager in the Metroparks.

Whew!

It’s gonna be a long one.

Day Six and Day Five of clinic were hopping - more than 6,000 people in two days. They just keep a’comin and we just keep giving the gift of sight. I switched between traffic control and dispensing both days which are both super fun areas to work and observe everything that’s happening in clinic.

There are so many great stories to tell but I’ll back up to our weekend where we got a rest from clinic and toured a little bit of the country. We all needed a break to recharge our batteries. On Saturday we hit a coffee plantation and the market here in Coban. Great stuff.

Then we went to a nearby town where we were treated to folk dancing in the street and then lots of fun at lunch. This is the place where lots of the school kids decided that my hair was something that MUST be touched. Most of the kids here have poker-straight hair and I’m sure they thought I was some sort of weirdo with all of my curly hair. The girls crowded around me just to stroke my hair. The girls pictured above were about five percent of the crowd around me. One little girls kept kissing me and one of the Lions Club volunteers had to pull me away and escort me to the bus.

Sunday we went to an awesome ecological park where most of us did the “canopy” - a zip line that took us above the trees and over some waterfalls. Incredible views. I also touched sacred water in the park, a place where the Mayans used to come for ceremonies so now I’m all holy and stuff. 

So, here are some other bullet points on the past few days:

* I ate potato chips for the first time since I left home - that’d be nine days for folks playing along at home. This might be a record except for those few times during Lent when I’d give up stuff as a kid.

* I’ve eaten beets on a tortilla twice in three days. This is probably a record-breaking number of beets eaten in my lifetime.

* I have ginormous mosquito bites and we’ve killed spiders the size of my head. Okay, maybe that’s exaggerating but the bugs are super-sized here and it seems like they sort of look at you and say “I dare you” just about when you’re ready to smash them.

* I’m living in what seems to feel like a moist towelette. Everything is damp from humidity. My hair is, of course, as big as the bugs. Just wait until you see the photos.

* One of the Lions Club volunteers is a fellow writer. He’s retired and published a book and brought a copy for me. He and his wife have invited Dave and I to come visit them in Guatemala and brush up on our Spanish.

* I’m starting to respond in Spanish. Someone asks me a yes or no question and I say “Si” as in “yes.” However, the translators laugh and tease me when I screw up words. They get a kick out of my accent even though Ohioans don’t have accents.

* I played euchre last night and Danielle and I kicked butt. We’ve got a re-match tonight. Card playing is a good release after a long day at clinic.

Wednesday and Thursday are our last days. The time has gone so quickly and we’ve only scratched the surface on the number of people we can help. More later!

 

Ok! Who knew Boston was such an amazing city?!

 

I had no clue and no idea what to expect.  But whatever I would have imagined would not have come close to what we found.

 

About two weeks ago, Jeff made the executive decision that we would be heading to Boston this weekend.  The why of our Boston trip will be shared in another post but I must pause and share my appreciation for this amazing city.

 We arrived early Friday evening, dropped off our bags at our downtown hotel and then decided to head out on a walk-about.

 

The moment we turned the corner we realized we were in an uncommon downtown.  Little parks everywhere populated by people just hanging out, connecting, having a coffee and enjoying a moment in this historic city.

 

You can almost feel the history inherent in its narrow streets, old churches and cobblestoned markets.

People are everywhere!

What? A downtown, on a weekend, full of people?! Will wonders never cease?!

 

I can tell this city has done something right because everyone, local and visitor, is sitting outside in bars, cafes and restaurants.  People are out, enjoying the weather and the scene.  Street performers are gathering crowds of eager onlookers just wanting to be a part of the magic act or to get a picture with the man who seems to create an entire band out of a bunch of plastic containers and a couple sticks.

 

With map in hand we easily follow the crowd down to the harbor, the pathway to which is unobstructed by any sort of significant traffic due to something they call the “big dig” where they put all the major freeways underground.   Whatever it cost, in my opinion, it was a great idea. 

 

The harbor is rockin’!  Outdoor bars right on the dock are crowded with young people.  Happy hours abound and Jeff and I reminisce, ah, this would have been one heck of a town to be in when we were 10 years younger and single!

 

Across the harbor we see the reason for the trip in the first place – a tall sailing ship that has roused a motley crew of sailors to come together from all over the country to see what she is made of (but I will save that story for another post).

 

 

 

After hours of walking, exploring and taking it all in, dinner is outside in the center of the action with home-made sangria, Jeff’s very first experience of slurping fresh raw oysters (YUM!) and of course, fresh lobster. 

 

In the morning, it was a quick walk to the aquarium for the Imax show, “Dolphins and Whales, Tribes of the Ocean”, showing these amazing creatures up close and larger than life on the IMAX screen.  Narrated by Daryl Hanna we not only get to feel the sometimes haunting, sometimes joyful essence of these huge mammals, but we also get to hear about how human activity, whaling, pollution and development is putting many of them on the verge of extinction.  As the music started I began tearing-up. At some point I was sobbing and at the end Jeff and I just sat there, red eyed, sad and a not just a little bit upset by the state of things (to hear about one of the fascinating examples of how money and progress seems to win out over everything else, check out this article to read about the fate of the last three hundred Right Whales (the movie points out they are called that because they are the “Right Whales” to hunt and it seems those characteristics that made them so right has been very wrong for their survival.))

 

After the show it was on to a day of dining and playing, sailing and community, Irish pubs and fresh seafood and hearing the wonder of how Boston seems to have lost their “R”s (ask a Bostonian to say “Heart” or “Bar” or “Starbucks” and you will see what I mean.)

 

After two days of perfect weather, we awoke Sunday morning to a rainy day, an easy trip to the airport and a perfect departure from a perfect trip.

 

There was so much left undone from our trip to Boston and it truly was the kind of place that you could go for no reason, knowing no one, and have a blast!

 

I see many impromptu weekends to Boston in our future just because.

 

What a city!

 

Coach Joelle

I have no idea why Beacon editors don't know much of anything about the illegal spying done on Americans by the Bush/Cheney administration, or the FISA laws.

Baffling, really. Irresponsible would be another word that comes to mind.

Today's Beacon editorial opens by stating, falsely, that the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, "dates to the late 1970's. Much has happened since in communications technology, requiring intelligence agencies to keep pace, especially in the wake of the Sept.11 attacks."

That is a false statement. Either the Beacon editors are ignorant of the truth or, worse, simply don't care about spreading falsehood. FISA was updated many times over the three decades since it's passage….it's original passage required because of J. Edgar Hoover, and Richard Nixon's CIA driven, reign of spying over the American people back in the 60's and 70's.

Here's the Beacon's favorite Commander Guy, George W. Bush, saying that the Beacon's opening paragraph today is not true….

October 2001

"The bill before me takes account of the new realities and dangers posed by modern terrorists."

"The existing law was written in the era of rotary telephones. This new law I sign today will allow surveillance of all communications used by terrorists, including e-mails, the Internet, and cell phones."
Link

The Beacon, pitifully mistaken in the opening paragraph of it's lead editorial, continues on tying rambling, uninformed, paragraph after paragraph together…..

"What do those rightly concerned about executive overreach get in return? The immunity isn't a certainty. A federal judge would determine whether the firms received a legitimate request from the federal government directing their participation.

That essential dose of checks and balances appears elsewhere in the compromise." Link

Five words…"the immunity isn't a certainty". How totally out of touch for the Beacon to not recognize that ALL the "federal judge" is allowed to examine in determining immunity for lawbreaking telcos is the authorization letter the telco received from the White House ASSERTING that what the president requested is legal. That's it. The judge cannot examine the actual spying evidence or telco evidence of participation.

That's a "dose" alright…..a "dose" of doubletalking bullsh?t. "Checks and balances" like the ones the Beacon admires, would have saved Nixon's and Hoover's spying behinds, in the same way they are intended today to save another spying president's behind.

Russ Feingold makes it clear and uncomplicated…..the Beacon even quotes Feingold….without context, naturally, but at least they quoted him…..stating that the new "get out of jail free" FISA re-write is not a "compromise" at all, only a "capitulation" to the participating lawbreakers themselves.

The Beacon has been, for whatever reason, wilfully ignorant on the Plame/Libby case, the act of naked imperialism in Iraq, and now the FISA imbroglio. What the hell is wrong here? Seven years and counting of Bush/Cheney lawlessness and the timid editors at the Beacon can only muster this pitiful comment….

"The president opted on his own to bypass secretly the legal framework for eavesdropping on the communications of Americans with suspected ties to terrorists. When word of the president acting outside the law surfaced in news accounts, a colossal legal and political argument ensued,"

That isn't reporting and evaluating the facts or evidence…..that is advocacy. The Beacon has no idea who Bush was eavesdropping on….it's all conveniently classified. Bask in the bold words "bypass secretly the legal framework"……my goodness…..those words are weiner words that should have read …."openly violated existing federal laws". But the Beacon, cowed in fear or smitten by Commander Codpiece, can't call the Dear Leader a lawbreaker…..they just don't have the fortitude to do it.

The ACLU specializes, unlike the Akron Beacon Journal, in calling out violations and threats to the Constitution of the United States. Here's what they say about H.R. 6304, the bill just passed in the House to award campaign contributing telcos immunity from federal lawbreaking while also covering up the Bush administrations' lawlessness…..

H.R. 6304 permits the government to conduct mass, untargeted surveillance of all communications coming into and out of the United States, without any individualized review, and without any finding of wrongdoing.

• H.R. 6304 permits only minimal court oversight. The Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (FISA Court) only reviews general procedures for targeting and minimizing the use of information that is collected. The court may not know who, what or where will actually be tapped.

• H.R. 6304 contains a general ban on reverse targeting. However, it lacks stronger language that was contained in prior House bills that included clear statutory directives about when the government should return to the FISA court and obtain an individualized order if it wants to continue listening to a US person’s communications.

• H.R.6304 contains an “exigent” circumstance loophole that thwarts the prior judicial review requirement. The bill permits the government to start a spying program and wait to go to court for up to 7 days every time “intelligence important to the national security of the US may be lost or not timely acquired.” By definition, court applications take time and will delay the collection of information. It is highly unlikely there is a situation where this exception doesn’t swallow the rule.

• H.R. 6304 further trivializes court review by explicitly permitting the government to continue surveillance programs even if the application is denied by the court. The government has the authority to wiretap through the entire appeals process, and then keep and use whatever it gathered in the meantime.

• H.R. 6304 ensures the dismissal of all cases pending against the telecommunication companies that facilitated the warrantless wiretapping programs over the last 7 years. The test in the bill is not whether the government certifications were actually legal – only whether they were issued. Because it is public knowledge that they were, all the cases seeking to find out what these companies and the government did with our communications will be killed.

• Members of Congress not on Judiciary or Intelligence Committees are NOT guaranteed access to reports from the Attorney General, Director of National Intelligence, and Inspector General. Link

Why the Beacon insists on spreading falsehoods and half-truths is for their editors to determine. Why the Beacon insists on coddling and excusing the most criminal administration in America's history through spreading misinformation concerning open and defiant Constitutional violations…..and then falsifying the explanation concerning the "remedy" to all those violations the Beacon spreads misinformation about…..is inexcusable.

ADVICE TO BEACON:

I know you are interested in selling newspapers and stopping the bleeding of lost subscribers. It's business, after all. Your readers, because you are trying to serve both sides of any national political argument….would be better served if you simply stayed away from national issues altogether. Your editorial writers, on the most important issues, cannot,