It’s going down tonight - The Ten Friends Holiday Reunion Party

It’s going down tonight - The Ten Friends Holiday Reunion Event with me and 9 of my friends, many who I have not seen in years: Paula Freeman, Rick Smith, Caesar B, Richard Jackson, Sabrina Terry, Arnold Hines, Neal Hodges, Lynette Jackson and Laura Ciocia. Join us in downtown #Cleveland tonight.

via the Ohradiogirl Tumblr 

Cleveland :: Fri., Jul. 27, 2012

Public Square in downtown Cleveland (and the Courthouse in the background).

Cleveland :: Thur., Jul. 19, 2012

The sight of downtown Cleveland is always exciting to me. I just love to see the city's skyline. I typically travel to Cleveland via I-77 north, but this time I was on I-71 north.

Music Monday 130 :: Brian McIntyre plays "Grandfather Blues"

Music Monday 130 :: Brian McIntyre plays "Grandfather Blues" with Leon Bibb

Fellow Bobcat Brian McIntyre died today. This is a blow. I mean, how does this happen? How unfair is this? He was 42.

B-Mac was a perfect guy: fun, energetic, optimistic, realistic, smart, charming ... I could go on and on with the adjectives to describe him - and that's just as a friend. I can only imagine his contributions to his wife and his young son.

Oh, and he was a musician too as you'll see in this video. He throws it down along with long time Cleveland news anchor and poet Leon Bibb.

Recently, I'd received a text from a fellow Bobcat inquiring about McIntyre's health status. From what I'd seen on McIntyre's Facebook page, he had been doing okay after some chemo treatments at the Cleveland Clinic, but he was being checked back in. I thought: this guy's such a trooper, he's gotta and gonna pull through this ...

Here's a quick post on McIntyre's passing from WEWS NewsChannel 5 in Cleveland, where McIntyre was once an anchor.

Prayers and strength for his family. To say that he will be missed is an understatement.

Music Monday 91: Robert Glasper Trio "Enoch's (Inaugural) Meditation"

Music Monday 91:: Robert Glasper Trio "Enoch's (Inaugural) Meditation"

Discovered this gem while checking out the 2011 Tri-C JazzFest schedule (Cleveland). Love that the young folks have not abandoned the jazz genre. The Robert Glasper Trio also weaves in some hip hop too.

Check out this video and enjoy:
YouTube - WBGO Studio Session: Robert Glasper Trio - "Enoch's (Inaugural) Meditation":

Music Monday 68 :: Conya Doss

Music Monday :: Conya Doss

If you've never heard of Conya Doss, she's now on your radar and you'll wonder why she's not more famous than she is. If you've from Cleveland, you're already hip to Doss' wonderful voice (Cleveland is her hometown). Of course she's in that neo soul genre that includes Jill Scott, Erykah Badu and some others.

Doss has a new project "Blu Transition". Should be nice.

Top 5 Moments of Summer 2010

Top 5 Moments of Summer 2010

1. Hanging w/the family especially that girl of mine. She's a gem when she's not being gnarly.

2. Birthday week in D.C. w/the sis and a really cool batch of friends!

3. Seeing and doing things in my hometown that I've never done: go to Mary Coyle for ice cream, visit Terminal Tower in downtown Cleveland, ate broasted chicken from that place on Portage Path, ate at The Lockview in downtown Akron, visit Lanterman's Mills in Youngstown (see image below).

4. Managing my way around Amsterdam dolo!

5. Driving my Jeep baby ... though it did nearly die on me twice in the last few days. When I left it had 207,000+ miles.

And now that it's officially and totally over, how was your summer?

Tips for Visiting Cleveland's Terminal Tower

The Terminal Tower view of the ever popular Warehouse District in downtown Cleveland.

Over the summer, I had a chance to visit Cleveland's Terminal Tower. Some people might say 'so what?' Thinking that Terminal Tower is a tourist attraction that's open year round - it's not.

Apparently, they stopped allowing access to Terminal Tower at Tower City after 9-11 in 2001. However, in late spring/early summer of this year, after some renovations, they decided to open it up for a limited time in July.

Well, good news, the folks in charge have decided to open up the Terminal Tower Tours for the months of September and October. Now, before you get all gussied up and what not, let me tell you how my trips - note the plural there - went.

On Sunday, July 18, 2010, I successfully made it to the Terminal Tower Tour in downtown Cleveland, but here’s the back story and some tips for those planning to take the tour in the next few weeks.

My friend and I decided we’d take the Terminal Tower Tour the first weekend that the tours were available since renovations; that was on a Sunday afternoon. My friend got the details, most notably, that the tours ended at 4 p.m.

We arrived downtown (to see the infamous LeBron ‘Witness’ billboard coming down) at about 2:30 p.m. When we entered Tower City from Public Square we immediately asked a security guard for information. She gave us that ‘who do you think you are?' kinda look, but not in a way that offended us. Then she said “It’s sold out for today.” What? What do you mean it's 'sold out'? Yep, seems this baby sells out on most weekends and usually by 2 p.m. Then another security guard walks over. The two of them encourage us to come back the following weekend (the tours were only being offered on the certain weekends). "Next time," one of them says “Get here at 11:30”. "No," the other one says, “they should get here at about 11.” The other concedes that 11 a.m. is a good time to get in line to get the $5 tickets. We thanked them for their insight and went on to decided what we could do on a hot Sunday afternoon in Cleveland.

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum and the Great Lakes Science Center

After a bit more research on the particulars of the Terminal Tower Tour and along w/the information from the security guards, my friend and I decided to try to take the tour again. The primary point in our game plan the second time: arrive by 11 a.m. ... and it mostly worked out. I arrived on time and headed inside to get tickets. I ran into the security guards again. They were quite impressed that we’d taken their advice and sent me in the direction of ‘guest services’ where I could purchase the $5 tickets. Though the tickets would not go on sale until 12 noon. Interestingly enough, at the time of my visit, there was little signage about the Terminal Tower Tours like where to go and the cost of the tickets.

I was about the 10^th person in line, but the awkward thing about this tour is that you purchase the tickets in one place and the line for the tour actually begins in another place. So by the time we purchased our tickets and took the short walk to get in the actual line, the line had grown and we were no longer 10th in line, but something like 30th. That's not so bad, but I couldn't figure out how that happened: the key is to have one person wait in the purchase tickets line and the other people can wait in the actual line to get up to the tower.

It's definitely worth the little bit of hassle and the $5. It would have been nice to get in that first weekend since that was the weekend that Tall Ships were in Cleveland. But even on the day that we got up to the tower, the weather was gorgeous and the view was spectacular.

Other tips:

• It's not a tour. You basically go up in the elevator (40 + floors and very quick) and you check out the view. There are some folks around and I'm sure you can ask them questions about the history and what not, but we didn't ask them any questions.
• The ticket taker at the Terminal Tower line will actually 'take' the tickets. So there's no souvenir tickets (they have a larger flyer on the Terminal Tower deck, but it's not the same).
• Take your time and see the city from all angles.
• Oh, take your camera, the good one! Don't rely on your mobile to give you good pics.

Information about the Terminal Tower Tours:

• Article on Cleveland.com about the tours of Terminal Tower in September and October 2010
• Article on Cleveland.com about the limited Terminal Tower tours in July 2010

Twitter + Flickr = Twitterfountain

As always ... just playing around w/some things.

This time I came across Twitterfountain ... I think it is a bit annoying at times ... especially if you really want to see the pics in the background ... but it also has a cool factor in seeing the tweets w/only certain tags.

Your thoughts?

I used Cavs as my Twitter tag and I used Cleveland as my Flickr tag ... awesome mashup!

A Little Photo Editing and Collage

I took this photo a while ago in downtown Cleveland. At the corner of Superior and East 9th Street; I was traveling west, so I'm right near the Catholic Diocese Headquarters, which you can't see on my right. But directly across the street is the Hampton Inn.

I took two pics. The first one I just wanted to toss out. And the second one is in the top left corner. I used the night snapshot mode on my Canon A570IS digital camera. I like the second picture. But the first picture has found life in the photo editing world.

I used Picasa to do some very minor editing. You can see the results in the other three pics. I sharpened each of them, then added an additional feature: the one in the upper right corner is focal black+white; the lower right corner is warmify and the lower left corner is black+white. Nice, huh?

Oh and then I had to assemble a collage to exemplify my work. Up next, I plan to try to utilize some actions using Gimp.

Stephanie Tubbs Jones Memorial Service

I attended Stephanie Tubbs Jones' Memorial Service today in Cleveland.

Here are some of my pics from the service. I was in the balcony. I have a Canon A 570IS.

My Cleveland

Took some time recently to take some snapshots around the city of Cleveland, Ohio.


1. reflection pond behind the Cleveland Museum of Art 2. reflection pond from another angle 3. the infamous FREE stamp, next to Cleveland City Hall in downtown Cleveland 4. graffiti - up high 5. Sixth Street Pizzeria sign 6. a view of downtown Cleveland from the Tremont 7. it's the nightlife: downtown Cleveland, the Warehouse District 8. the Jesse Owens statue in the courtyard near the old Courthouse in downtown Cleveland 9. the plaque that accompanies the Jesse Owens statue 10. one of the many rail crossings in the Flats in Cleveland 11. the House of Blues in downtown Cleveland 12. Steelyard Commons, old steelyard converted to a shopping mecca

Fond Memories ... Stephanie Tubbs Jones

Cleveland (and others) are mourning the sudden passing of Congresswoman Stephanie Tubbs Jones (STJ). This is a difficult post to write. I, like many, have lots of STJ stories to tell and good stuff too.

My sister and I, in particular, loved to share STJ stories. Most recently we'd talk about how STJ was a ride or die Clinton supporter. We were a bit perplexed by her staunch position. But if you are going to support someone, you should support them right?

My sister is in the same sorority as STJ. And my sis also lives in DC. So come Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) Weekend, it was a given that STJ would throw a nice gathering and she would be seen around town during that wknd having a good time too.

I'll miss her smile! It was infectious as was her positive spirit.

I may even pull out the proclamation that her office presented to me in 2002 for producing and distributing the complimentary CleveEvents list, a weekly electronic listing of events in the Greater Cleveland area.

But I can't leave out a most memorable time involving the congresswoman. It was September 11, 2001. I was working as a researcher/producer in the newsroom @ WCPN/ideastream in Cleveland. As the morning television programs displayed images of what was going on in New York and D.C., I began to scramble to contact members of congress who might be in Washington at that time. Somehow amidst the chaos, I was able to get STJ on her cell phone and of course, we went LIVE w/the call. She told us that she was okay and she told us what she knew at the time - which was not much because this was very early on; still morning. But for her to take the time to talk to us and for her constituents to hear her voice was comforting.

What will Clevelanders do for the Annual 11th Congressional District Labor Day Weekend Parade and Picnic in a few days; heck, what will the Dems do @ the upcoming DNC in Denver? No matter the event, STJ's presence (or lack of it) will be missed. Sorely missed.

And not to make this a foot note, but STJ's passing along w/that of longtime Cleveland councilwoman Fannie Lewis (I used to live in her district, Hough, for several years) last week is a devastating blow for Cleveland politics.

I'm feeling a little heavy ...

Additional resource:

• Plain Dealer commentary from Phillip Morris

Do you have any memories w/the congresswoman? Do share.

NOTE: image from AP

I Love This City - Cleveland!

I've been fiddling around w/my cam - a Canon A570 IS - changing the picture taking modes and trying to adjust for lighting and what not. Sometimes I do okay; other times I get frustrated and occasionally I get and ah ha moment.

Here's a few pix w/me behind the lens - first up, the Detroit-Superior Bridge: one of many connections from downtown Cleveland to the west side over the Cuyahoga River. The first image is a bit darker, but it's more focused. While the second image is brighter but more unfocused. Obviously, I need to practice a bit more...:

And up next is mostly a blur and that is what you get when you are me in a moving vehicle; while it does have a bit of a cool factor, you can not determine that I am actually in downtown Cleveland, but you'll have to take my word for it. I was on Superior just past the Main Library, heading west...:

What do you have? If you've got something, share it, if not, get out the cam and start flashing - the camera that is!

Tim Russert

Like many people, I was jolted last Friday afternoon after hearing about the sudden death of Tim Russert. What an awesome person. So passionate about his job as a NBC News Washington Bureau Chief and host of the weekly political show "Meet the Press".

I used to love to sit on the couch on a lovely Sunday morning (I'm not really a frequent Sunday morning church goer) w/some coffee and the Sunday newspaper and the television on "Meet the Press". Russert could be affable, but mostly he got to the crux of many issues by asking the tough questions.

Well, I'm in D.C. for a few weeks. My sister drove me past the NBC offices on Nebraska Avenue where flowers and other items have been left in honor of Russert.

We then attended the public memorial @ St. Albans on Tuesday, June 17th. So touching. There was a long line, but it moved swiftly. Of course, it was a solemn moment. There was a closed casket and a beautiful flower arrangement. Once we filed through we shook hands w/some family members before having an opportunity to jot down our words of support for the Russert Family or just so share any thoughts about Russert.

Also, while there, a slim, but white haired guy walked by ... it was former presidential candidate John Kerry.

I am so moved by this - the passing of Tim Russert. My common denominators with him include

• living in Buffalo, New York
  
• living in Cleveland, Ohio
• interest in politics
• career in journalism
• fan of the Buffalo Bills (him more so than me)

Russert's sudden passing leaves such a major void especially with the upcoming presidential election.

My thoughts and prayers are w/his family, friends and colleagues.

The Cleveland International Film Festival is Coming ...

There are some pretty good flicks nominated for Oscars this year. I can't say that I've seen any of them, but here are the ones that are on my list; I need to see these at some point:

"There Will Be Blood"
"No Cry for Old Men"
"Michael Clayton"

Meanwhile, the Cleveland International Film Festival is sneaking up on me. Two and a half weeks of big screen bliss. The schedule is already posted on their webbie. Though it does not seem as if tix are on sale just yet. I've been trying to comb through the sked and cross reference my daily sked to see how much I can fit in this year. Last year I did nothing - that was a first. Just could not sync up the skeds.

A Letter of Concern ... ?

This is interesting: a longtime Cleveland City Council member wrote a rather terse letter to a teenager who'd been arrested (again) for selling drugs.

A friend sent me a link to the letter which is posted on SmokingGun.com. I thought that it was a riot (i.e. somewhat humorous). It was riddled w/common profanity and written in a very condescending tone, but I'd say it was written in a language that the offender would be familiar with (and I'd say not offended by; though not in this case). Honestly, I don't think the intended receiver gives a damn, but his mother apparently does. She's called on the racial brigade: the NAACP, Al and others ...

Some say it's racial, but I think they only say that because it's a white councilman and a black kid. I don't think it's racial at all.

In my opinion, the outrage is not so much based on race or the contents of the letter, but, who's spouting those words (and not in terms of a white man berating a black guy). In most cases, I might say that it is inapproprate for a councilman/councilperson to use profanity and slang in a tirade against a constituent, but in this case, I think it is a commitment to his position; his passion for intolerance. Could he have made his point w/o the profanity and slang? Yes, yes indeed.

My friend and columnist Phillip Morris thinks the councilman was out of order. And you know what, maybe I'd feel better if I knew that Mike Polensek fired off letters of appreciation and about accomplishment as quick as he does fiery letters of disregard. You know commend the good neighbors and condone the bad ones ... heck, maybe more of us should write a letter 'going off' on the bad guys; I'll think about that one ... can someone get me a postage stamp?

Oh, the web we weave ...

I have so much to blog about, but I am going to have focus.

Don Imus - shock jock made some insensitive comments about the Rutgers Women's Basketball Team who lost to the University of Tennessee in the NCAA Women's Final Four in Cleveland, Ohio.

I want to say that I don't have much to say on this topic and that is true. But here is a synopsis of what I've thought on this topic:

• I am not surprised about his comments about the Rutgers Women's Basketball Team
• I am not certain that his apology is sincere
• I am thinking that he is a bigot and does not fully recognize the attributes of bigotry or that he possesses the characteristics of a bigot
• I am glad that the Rutgers Women's Basketball Team held a press conference so that people can see that they are human beings and not just a nameless, faceless group of people
• I am impressed that the Rutgers Women's Basketball Team plans to meet with Imus
• I totally see how Imus could be flippant with his remark; as the rap/hip hop genre has surely used the term with nothing but derogatory connotations
• A two week suspension is not nearly enough time for an egregious comment of this magnitude
• What type of affect will this situation have on advertisers on Imus' show? And will that affect be shortlived like the Nike/Kobe relationship?
• I'd love to see a spoof on this on The Boondocks

Pacman Jones - NFL football player (Titans) has had several run-ins with the law; as a result the NFL has suspended him for the entire 2007 football season without pay.

Additionally, the NFL suspended Chris Henry (Bengals) for eight games.

• This really sets a precedent! I am surprised that the NFL finally to a stance on this issue
• Will this suspension send a message to other athletes to get their lives in order?
• But what is Pacman really guilty of? True, he's been arrested and charged, but what has been the outcome of those charges?

That's all for now ... more to come!