Tremont Communicator is now out for distribution.  I won't harp on CDCs and the mailing list issue.  Everyone deserves a chance to have their say.

Look for the signs.  Every Saturday in Old Brooklyn, there is a hive of activity here.

Spam alert.  I am going to promote the recently released travel guide to Cleveland by Douglas Trattner and published by www.moon.com.

Good neighbor Carol Ward reminds us through i-neighbors.org that we have a whole LAKE to enjoy for FREE this summer.  Check out the activities offered by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources!!!

On Facebook, a local artist poses a good question.  This is an interesting experiment in human behavior and the value of art.  Take a look :)

Never underestimate the power of a drop of water.  This very short video was taken after a spring melt.  Yesterday, I heard torrents of water flowing underneath Denison Ave. after a light rain.  Add grass clipping, leaves, garbage and debris to the mix.  Your drinking water revealed.

Tomorrow offers hope and the promise that pain will not endure where there is love and food and books.

The Writers and Reader Series for Cleveland Public Library 2009-2010 has been announced here.

Recently, at an east-side establishment, I overheard an employee get ridiculed by her coworkers for identifying herself as an Italian-American.  Her coworker snickered,"You aren't Italian, you are Black!" But, the woman stood her ground.  "I am African-American and I am Italian-American, and I am proud of my heritage."  It was a heartwarming moment to me. 

Recently, on two separate occasions, I received a suspicious personal notification through the Inbox on Facebook alerting me to mail from a "friend."

My friends did not send me this mail.  Is this happening to other folks? 

This blog post and the subsequent comments bear reading.  To help folks to find it, I am reposting here.  Henry G--please confirm that this will be permalinked.  The comments don't get printed in the paper.  Will the comments, therefore, be lost someday?  To Ward14 Angel--may I reprint the full comments here?

Apologies can do wonders for the soul :)

The cost of travel is prohibitive now, so why not make the most of the opportunity to travel a short distance and meet your neighbors across the river and over the dell?

Two upcoming events--highlighting Cleveland's walkable neighborhoods--are worth noting: the Tremont Trek, on Saturday, June 20th, and the All-Access Tour of Brooklyn Centre and Old Brooklyn neighborhoods, on Saturday, July 18th. 

I picked up the book Catch a Fish, Throw a Ball, Fly a Kite : 21 Timeless Skills Every Child Should Know (and any parent can teach!) and first thought to myself, "Wow, what a wordy title!." and, then I thought, "How would I rate against kids today on the 21 skills?."

Here are the recommended skills:

When I was in junior high, suddenly, card games were all the rage. I have never been good at games.  It was a hard time for me to get into poker, blackjack, and, especially, bullsh*t. 

For those unfamiliar with the game, here is wikipedia's explanation:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bullshit_(game)

For a bird it's about location--building the right nest to avoid the CAT,
and the elements, and, most of all-- to get away from that pesky squirrel.

We tend to think that life in the city is not a happy place to be.  Let these photos remind you, otherwise.

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HUD is unloading vacant homes in the City of Cleveland.  Call your council representative and demand some accounting for the fate of these homes. 

Community Development Corporations (CDCs) are picking up these HUD homes for $100.00 ($1.00?).  The CDCs are evaluating these properties for restoration and demolition.  Most will be demolished quickly and with little recourse.  Demolitions will take place using Community Development Block Grant funds (your money).  Ask who is getting these demolition contracts?

Just wondering if folks could elaborate on the strengths and weaknesses of these open source content management platforms?

http://wordpress.org/

http://drupal.org/

Wordpress has more Facebook fans, so I guess it's the more popular of the two--but is popularity everything?

This book revisits a very difficult time to have to remember in recent history, but the telling is especially important now. The author will speak at Cleveland Public Library, this Sunday at 2:00 p.m.

This building on Euclid is coming down this weekend...another piece of Cleveland history bites the dust.  Craig Bobby calls it a sea of holes...and in the comments Tim Ferris explains why young people give up on this town.

This month's April Cleveland Magazine, for once, features some of the folks that make CLEVELAND...

That's right, folks ... in the CITY, not the region, not the suburbs, but CLEVELAND...great.  One of those people is Mitch Paul of Shaker Cycles.