Dan Hanson's Blog

Well, if he doesn't re-sign with the Cavs he will be. But I mean an actual rat.




Near the new Ox sculpture at the Ohio Technical College on East 51st street was a rat sculpture that I had missed before. Yes, it was the Chosen One - LeBron James.

See more pictures of NBA MVP LeBron James rat

I have a problem with the trend toward sealed batteries in laptops and other devices. Instead of the removable and replaceable batteries that we have seen, some are moving to sealed in batteries that you can't replace or carry a spare.

Dell has a new high-end laptop with sealed in batteries and of course the iPhone, iPod, etc. are sealed in. Apple seems to be converting its entire line to sealed in batteries. The new 13" and 15" MacBook Pro laptops have sealed in batteries.

They have a longer life and Apple claims they can be recharged up to 1000 times. That would last about 5 years for the average user which they say is all you need.

If the battery dies you are in trouble. You'd have to go to the Apple store for repair.

And forget about carrying a spare battery for a long trip or 'just in case.' That may be a moot point though as Walt Mossberg said less than 5% of consumer laptop owners have bought a spare battery. I have spares though and think that number is low.

My biggest problem with the sealed in battery is the planned obsolescence of the laptop. What do you do in 5 years when the battery is dead, dispose of it? Buy a new one? Many will want to buy a new device and can afford to. But many cannot.

At Computers Assisting People we get old laptops donated that are perfectly useful for the schools and non-profits that we help out. Usually the battery is dead or dying and we scour eBay and other websites for replacements to make them useful again. This could not happen with sealed in battery devices.

The people on the wrong side of the Digital Divide will again suffer.

Please let us know (vote at GreatLakesGeek.com) if you have ever bought a spare battery for a laptop or other device. Also, please leave comments about the prospect of sealed-in batteries either there or on this blog.

Did you know that Cleveland has a bunch of Sister Cities around the world? The idea is to boost trade and tourism but I'm not sure how active the relationships have been.

Mayor Frank Jackson visited one of the sister cities, Rouen France, last year and a delegation from Rouen visited Cleveland the week of the 4th of July.

The delegation met with peers at Cleveland Clinic, University Hospitals, Lubrizol, CWRU and more.

See more including a video of Mayor Fourneyron's spech

The Bob Feller statue at the Cleveland Indians ballpark is a popular meeting place and photo op. It's hard to argue with the choice of Rapid Robert as having this honor. His skills and character made him an easy choice.

It's not so easy with the Cleveland Browns. Jim Brown is probably the greatest running back in the history of the game. But some people are concerned with his brushes with the law.

Otto Graham was a revolutionary quarterback and deserving of his place in the NFL Hall of Fame. But he played so long ago (as did other worthy candidates such as Dante Lavelli, Marion Motley, etc) that generations of fans don't know him.

Paul Brown revolutionized the game but it may be hard to honor someone who started a rival franchise in Cincinnati.

Lou 'the Toe' Groza merits consideration but a kicker/lineman isn't as vital to a team usually as a QB or running back.

Younger people may vote for Bernie Kosar, Brian Sipe, Leroy Kelly, Paul Warfield and others from the Kardiac Kids days through the present.

I'm not 100% sure yet but I think my vote would go to Jim Brown. And my choice to never be honored? Art Modell of course.

Who do you think should be honored. Vote here

OK. This one is predictable. Its the Declaration of Independence, followed by the Constitution and the Bill of Rights as #3.

The People's Vote, co-sponsored by the National Archives and Records Administration, National History Day, and U.S. News & World Report, invited Americans of all ages and educational backgrounds to vote for 10 of 100 milestone documents drawn mainly from the holdings of the National Archives.

The rest of the Top 100 are interesting.

To keep the little kids happy and safe, parents often hand them a sparkler on the 4th of July. It seems like a safe way to give them the thrill of firecrackers.

I just learned from Prevent Blindness Ohio that sparklers actually burn at 1800 degrees which is hot enough to melt gold!

Sparklers also cause one half of fireworks injuries in children five years old and younger.

So let's be careful out there this weekend.

Some more interesting fireworks facts and advice

Many of us have been so wrapped up in social media - Linked In, Facebook, Twitter and the like - that we haven't really considered how they change things from an employer's perspective.

Can you screen job prospects by what's on their Facebook page? Can you ask an employee for their social media password?

Though we sometimes tend to think that social media is so dramatically different that it requires new rules, that is not always the case.

In this new podcast at GreatLakesGeek.com , two expert attorneys from Brouse McDowell answer some of the legal questions of social media

Have you seen the Ox yet?

They are spread around Asia Town (St Clair/Superior/Payne/etc) in Cleveland

Great public art to celebrate the Chinese Year of the Ox.

Look at the pitures and vote for your favorite.

Debbie Hanson discusses and signs Cleveland Cooks Volumes 1 and 2

Tuesday, June 30

7:00PM at Joseph Beth Booksellers at Legacy Village

Cleveland Cooks is a great compilation of fantastic recipes submitted by local celebrities and residents that give the best of Cleveland, as well as, old-world ethnic dishes grandma used to make. Food samples will be given to those in attendance!

More Information

I have never been one to vote a straight party ticket. That seems ridiculous to me. But there are 2 issues that I think I have always voted for: Funding for Mental Retardation/Special Needs and the Libraries.

Our library system is the most democratic institution we have. Anyone can get a library card. Anyone can learn all that they want. It's only in recent history that books have been available to the masses and we take that for granted.

Yet we still can't purchase all the books and other information we want. Libraries are the great equalizer.

My old pal Joe was born in a poor neighborhood and he practically lived in his local branch. One summer he began reading every book in the library, one after the other.

He has the best vocabulary of anyone I ever met and is today a government lawyer in DC.

We all have our library stories.

Read Amy Kenneley's story and then get out there and let the Governor know not to cut library funding.

Lots of people have been getting the Microsoft Outlook/Outlook Express Critical Update e-mail. It is a fake. DO NOT click on the link even though it appears to be going to Microsoft site.

Spread the word