I've been trying to decide how to break it to PBS conservative talk show host Charlie Rose why the global economy has collapsed. He's been struggling with the issue for a few months now... probably since about the time his stock portfolio started tanking (he should be a very rich man, and so is losing $ millions). He's been interviewing every industrial and political devil who caused this, and they blame little government regulator people, and all decide it is best not to look back, as they weep over their lost fractions-of-fortunes. Yet not one has exposed why this occurred, which is usury.

OMG - the election is over.
I am embarrassed for John McCain, the mainstream media, and the GOP

Apple tree by board-up on Terrace Drive, East Cleveland

EC Obama Field Office Manager Jessica Byrd and East Cleveland activist KMaCK

Environmentalism: Growing food in your yard, naturally, to feed friends, family and others around you

You don't need to know anything about an artist, his inspiration or the construction of his art to love it.

As I watch Palin harping at the RNC, to the scripted coos, and oohs, and boos, and seiz heils of 10,000s of strange, uniformed people unlike anyone I want to know, I think of a few minutes ago when these Nazis were yelling scripted ZE RO - fists pumping - seig heil - ZE RO - SEIG HEIL - ZE RO. Sick.

It occurs to me, watching Vice Presidential candidate Joe Biden speak at the Democratic National Convention, he is a far superior speaker, intellect and candidate for President than is John McCain.  While McCain is years older than Biden, Biden makes McCain seem like a kid. I really want to see Biden step up in the campaign and put McCain in his place, in his face, personally. I'd like to see Biden vs. McCain in a gloves-off debate... let Biden put McCain away for good.

The Plain Dealer reports today that Cleveland's new poverty rate is 29.5 percent, ranking second worst among large cities. That rate is up from 27% the previous year. Among our peers:

Last Sunday, at St. Ann's Catholic Church, in Cleveland Heights, I saw the first McCain bumper sticker I can recall. Perhaps I've simply overlooked the tiny, militaristic, white-on-black branding on all those massive suburban Suburbans and Hummers. But this one star general caught my eye. Seeing this brought me understanding... so this is where the McCain community lives... although I didn't see any other McCain stickers in the lot, which mostly contained simple, spartan, sensible, socially conscious vehicles. I thought, "at least one bible-thumping Republican practices the preach". Then The General left the service long before it was over... before anyone else left the church... and I realized The General had been in church not for a shared community experience but drive-through religious self-service. Probably escaped right before the offerings basket was passed.

I saw this sadly honest bumper-sticker in Cleveland Heights the other day - the same day an article in the New York Times pointed out a horrific circumstance of our attacks on the Middle East - 100,000s of concussions among our forces alone... imagine how many of the people of the countries we have brought to war are suffering the same injuries - far more than our soldiers, who are suffering as follows:

Huge props to the many artists, MCs, DJs, bboys-and-girls, organizers and 100s of real NEOans who turned out for the 7th annual City Xpressions Street Art Festival, August 23, 2008, at West 25th and Lorain, Cleveland. A perfect summer day - great happy crowd - creative vibe and entertainment - and some spectacular urban art. While there weren't as many artists as the last year I attended, what showed was diverse and often pure genius.

Harry Bell is a powerful urban artist, well appreciated in Cleveland and beyond. His most famous work I know is the Wall of Sorrows, recently dismantled, under controversy, and now in storage... scheduled for future re-installation. You may know his current work from cruising through Cedar and E.55th, where he is commissioned by a gas station and car dealership to create urban art on their walls, now including the work-in-progress shown above... a memorial tribute to "Houghs Angel", Fannie Lewis, rest in peace.

Thanks to Sudhir, I had the opportunity to check out the Flobots at Peabody's, Sunday night. If I'd browsed the Cleveland Scene Magazine concert preview, beforehand, I probably wouldn't have bothered going. The 100s of fans who enjoyed the show agreed that would have been a mistake.

The Coit Road Farmers Market is one of the most endearing places in real NEO. Hidden away in a near-dead industrial graveyard of East Cleveland, with the curb-appeal of a brownfield, it is not a place one goes without intent. So it amazes me that just about every time I go there I see someone I know. I guess I know some pretty smart people.