Don't Blink

I am sure (at least I hope!) that this was Photoshopped but it's still wild.

Holiday Diversity Party in Cleveland

The crowd was extremely diverse. Young and old danced together. People from dozens of ethnic groups and religions mixed and mingled. The event really showed the diversity of Cleveland and the potential that the city has if we continue to tap into a welcoming attitude.

It was nice to see "the people" using the beautiful Cleveland City Hall Rotunda for the party.

Lots of photos from the party

To Do Lists

The Holidays often seem to be filled more with stressful To Do lists rather than the peaceful enjoyment of friends and family.

Amy Kenneley wrote a great piece on this.

Bob Feller

The baseball accomplishments of "Rapid Robert" are legendary. He is arguably the greatest right-handed pitcher ever to play the game of baseball.

But there is so much more to Bob Feller than just the statistics. At the beginning of the peak of his career, Bob felt a duty to put aside baseball and go and defend his country. Two days after the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, he enlisted in the U.S. Navy and became an anti-aircraft gunner on the U.S.S. Alabama.

See more in our profile of Bob Feller

On a personal note, after visiting Bob and his lovely wife at their home he sent me an autographed photo of the two of us. I have had it hanging in my office ever since. He was a class guy.

Philanthropia

Philanthropia raised over $145,000 for local charities yesterday. Kudos to Harlan Diamond and Executive Caterers team, Singing Angels, Leon Bibb and all involved.

See photos from Philanthropia

Away in a... cabin?

My dad knew every word to every song for every holiday or situation for every culture. That's a slight exaggeration but not much. At a Jewish wedding, the guests would be convinced he was a Jew. At the Feast in Little Italy, they'd swear he was a paisan. Of course at an Irish event, they just knew he was from the old sod. And so on.

Besides knowing the songs (and all the verses!) he sang well and did not have a shy bone in his body. He would sing at the drop of a hat - at work, in the yard, wherever.

Most of us would be too self-conscious to just belt one out in public but he wasn't. Of course being 6'4" and built like a linebacker may have eased any shyness.

My one sister had dinner at The Cabin in Wickliffe a few weeks ago and it triggered a forgotten memory that my Mom had about my Dad. She wrote about it in her latest Chat with Pat column.

Santa Lucia Celebration

The Swedish population in Cleveland isn't the largest but they do have active groups. One of the things they do is hold an annual Santa Lucia Celebration.

Here are a few pics from yesterday's event from Forest Hills Presbyterian Church in Cleveland Heights

Are you man enough for a Droid?

Nielsen's latest numbers say that about 1/3rd of US cell phone subscribers now have a smartphone. They surveyed 9,200 people and Women want iPhones more than Androids (31% to 23%) while it's the opposite for Men (32% to 28%).

The latest Great Lakes Geek poll has Droid users leading 72% to 24% over iPhoners (4% none or other).

Draw your own conclusions

Lebron James or Ghoulardi?

This is a no-brainer.

As the t-shirt correctly states:



See photos from the 2010 Ghoulardifest including Big Chuck, Dick Goddard, Hoolihan, Son of Ghoul, Little John and more.

iPads, Windows tablets and other devices

There's an app for that. Are you sick of hearing that yet?

I've always had plenty of quality apps to choose from - they run on my Windows 7 devices.

Devices and gadgets have evolved significantly over the last 10 years. The key, as Microsoft Collaboration Architect Jerry Carlson told a NEOSA CIO Symposium crowd, is to match the right device to the job.

For me, multitasking is essential. And I need ports to plug stuff into. And I want to run my Windows apps, connect to Exchange, join domains, etc. The iPad doesn't meet any of those needs.

Learn more and watch the video interview about devices

Tragic rape and murder - 30 years later

Sister Dorothy Kazel, OSU and 3 others were raped and murdered 30 years ago while doing missionary work in El Salvador. She was born Dorthea Lu Kazel to Lithuanian American parents, Joseph and Malvina Kazel, in Cleveland.

A tragic story without resolution.

Dorothy Kazel story

A Christmas Story Leg Lamp

I saw that lots of people travelled to Cleveland this weekend to tour the house where the A Christmas Story movie was filmed.

At Snow Days at Progressive Field, one of the decorations would be of interest to that crowd.

See more pics from the Snolympics at Progressive Field

Snolympics at Progressive Field

Amanda Barren of WKYC TV

Before Snopening Day, the Cleveland Indians opened the Snow Days for a media preview.

Media could see the snow being made and try the fun features being finalized.

Some of the media were surprisingly agile on skates and some were, uh, not so skilled.

See pics from the Snolympics at Progressive Field

Cleveland Street named for Jesse Owens

The Nazi Olympics Berlin 1936, now showing at the Maltz Museum of Jewish Heritage in Beachwood, explores the issues surrounding the 1936 Games--the Nazis' use of propaganda, the intense boycott debate, the history of the torch run and the historic performance of Jesse Owens and more.

On Monday, November 15, 2010 a ceremony was held to dedicate East Roadway (NE corner of Public Square) as Jesse Owens Way. Jesse Owens' daughter Gloria was on hand for the ceremony.

Already a track star for his accomplishments at Cleveland East Tech High School and the Ohio State University, the 1936 Olympics in Berlin made Jesse Owens a household name and a symbol who shattered Hitler's racist ideals.

Pictures and video from the Jesse Owens ceremony

Chopin in the Polish Cultural Garden

I sometimes struggle with classical music. As a mathematician I can appreciate the complexity and logic behind say Bach and his Goldberg variations but I don't want to listen to it.

Chopin is different. The melodies from the great composer are terrific background music and will get your foot tapping.

There was a ceremony to rededicate the bust of Chopin in the Polish Cultural Garden last month. A Steinway piano was brought in and no less than Dr. David Dubal, Professor of Performance and Piano at Julliard in New York City, and his prodigy Dongning Yang performed for the crowd.

Chopin performed in the Polish Cultural Garden in Cleveland


See videos and photos from the Chopin Bust rededication event including performances by the Piast dancers - on East Boulevard!

As one onlooker was heard saying, "They just don't have things like this in other cities."

1936 Nazi Olympics in Berlin

In August, 1936, all attention turned to the Olympic Games being held in Berlin. A swift young athlete from East Tech High School in Cleveland, Jesse Owens, had captured national attention for his record-breaking feats at The Ohio State University, and made the American team.

It was the undercurrent of Adolf Hitler and the Nazis that made the Olympics historic.

Now through January 23, 2011 the Maltz Museum of Jewish Heritage is presenting The Nazi Olympics Berlin 1936, produced by the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum.

It's worth a visit

See photos from the 1936 Olympics exhibit

Hugs for Jason?

I wore a Jason mask while on the porch dealing with the trick or treaters. It was pretty scary with my hood up. A lot of the kids and their parents were scared and I had to take it off to show some of the younger ones it was just a mask.

But two tiny little kids blew my mind. They must have been 5 years old. They came up on the porch and the little boy (a pirate) saw me, pointed and said "Jason!" and then threw his arms around me and hugged me! Then the little girl (a princess) did the same.

I was shocked. First that kids that young knew who Jason was (why were they watching the Friday the 13th movies at that age?) but even more so that they hugged the psycho murderer.

Good advice for Halloween

See some interesting Halloween costumes for kids

Cleveland Quiz

Why was a name chiseled out of the Cuyahoga County Court house cornerstone?

See why (and more Cleveland Photo Quizzes)

Dog-O-Lanterns for Halloween

Check out these pumpkins carved as different dog breeds for Halloween. They are not Jack-o-lanterns, but Dog-o-lanterns

Colored contacts for Halloween?

Don't use non-prescription contact lenses for Halloween costumes (or anything else).
Prevent Blindness Ohio has some stern warnings about them and other Halloween eye safety tips.

Joe Tait - Voice of the Cleveland Cavaliers

Cavaliers Hall of Fame radio announcer Joe Tait has been resting and receiving treatment for pneumonia since returning home from Houston, where he was hospitalized last week. As Joe continues to recover from pneumonia, he recently underwent a series of tests on his heart at The Cleveland Clinic locally. It has been determined that Joe is experiencing aortic stenosis and will soon undergo procedures on his heart to replace a valve and address other heart related concerns. These procedures will be conducted upon Joe's further recovery from pneumonia.

At this time, no exact timetable has been established for Joe's return to game broadcasts, but he is expected to be out at least through the rest of 2010. Updates on Joe will be provided as appropriate. Joe is in very good spirits and wanted to again thank the fans for their outpouring of support and concern for him during this time and he looks forward to getting back behind the mic as soon as he is able.

While Joe is out, and starting with the Cavaliers home opener on October 27th vs. the Celtics at Quicken Loans Arena, the Cavaliers radio broadcast team will have WTAM Sports Director and current Cavaliers radio network pre and post game host Mike Snyder doing play by play. Mike will be joined on all broadcasts by Cavaliers Legend and current Cavaliers post game show analyst Jim Chones for game commentary.

Best wishes go out to Joe from the entire Cavaliers family for a full recovery and return to game broadcasts when he is ready.

Read the profile of Joe Tait

Big Chuck and Lil' John Ghoulardifest

The 2010 Big Chuck and Lil' John Ghoulardifest will be held next weekend in... Parma!

Celebrities, memorabilia, rare films, autographs and lots of fun.

ClevelandSeniors.Com is offering free tickets to 6 lucky winners.

The Irish Sopranos

The beautiful and talented Irish Sopranos, Wendy Dwyer, Kay Lynch and Deirdre Masterson, visited the top of the Terminal Tower before an Irish Festival performance in Cleveland.

Check out some photos and a video interview with the lasses.

Cleveland Non-Violence Pledge Kickoff Event

The CyberWall of Non-Violence now has over 100 signatures.

Check out the speeches by Rev. Marvin McMickle, Art McKoy and others at the Cleveland Non-Violence Pledge Kickoff Event.

Then if you are so inclined, sign the pledge.

Eddie Munster

Butch Patrick may be 57 years old now, but he'll always be Eddie Munster, the only son of Herman and Lily Munster on the mid-1960s television classic "The Munsters."

Considering what many of the child TV stars now look like, I think he's aged pretty well.

Check it out.

Sure it's an Apple laptop

The Apple marketing machine is so good that it has inspired some, uh, creative thinking.

The best thing about this laptop is that it runs Windows natively - and there's a snack available at any time.




More Geek fun

Most visited Ethnic Groups

Sometimes I am surprised after running monthly web reports for ClevelandPeople.Com. There are 117 different ethnic groups in Cleveland but some are very small. We cover about 85 or so at ClevelandPeople.Com right now.

I always expect that the groups with the largest population will be the most visited - German, African-American, Puerto Rican, Polish, Irish, Italian, etc.

But often the most visited groups are much smaller - Korean, Ethiopian, Jamaican, Liberian, Latvian, Estonian and so on.

Maybe the larger groups have a lot of choices on what pages to visit and there are fewer for the smaller groups.

September was a more traditional month, The Top 5 groups most visited were Hungarian, Irish, Korean, Chinese and Asian-Indian

Immigrant Inc.

I finally got around to reading Immigrant, Inc.: Why Immigrant Entrepreneurs Are Driving the New Economy (and how they will save the American worker)

Why the delay? Several reasons which you can read about in the review.

Authors Richard Herman and Robert Smith did a terrfific job on a tough topic.

You will enjoy, and be inspired by, the stories of successful immigrants such as Desh Deshpande, Monte Ahuja and Jason Lin.


You will be made uneasy by the negative prospects for our country if we are not more welcoming to talented immigrants.

Hopefully you will be inspired to become involved with current efforts in Philadelphia, Cleveland and other cities to change the status quo.

Don't be confused by the videos of Mexicans climbing over a fence. That is not the issue tackled in this book.

As you will see in the Great Lakes Geek review, this is an important business book.

Cyber-Wall of Non-Violence

Cleveland the City of Peace and Nonviolence (CCPNV) is a coalition of individuals, families, organizations and religious institutions in the Greater Cleveland area that seeks to explore, practice and promote Mahatma Gandhi's and Martin Luther King Jr.'s philosophy of using nonviolence for righting wrongs and establishing a culture of humanity, justice, peace and nonviolence for the prosperity of the area.

Cleveland is unique in having an impressive statue of Mahatma Gandhi on a street named for Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. By signing the Non-Violence Pledge and committing to these ideals, you can help Cleveland become more peaceful and prosperous.

Join us for a Gandhi birthday event at the Indian Cultural Garden Saturday Oct 2 at 5PM. If you can't make it, consider virtually signing the Non-Violence pledge.

Gold Medalist Dominique Moceanu and Wigs for Kids

It just doesn't seem fair when kids get sick. And when they get cancer and end up losing their hair, that's even more tragic.

That's why a program like Wigs for Kids is such a good idea.

As their website says, "When children lose their hair, whether as a result of medical treatments, health conditions, or burn accidents, they don't just suffer physically. The change in their appearance can drastically undermine their self-image and sabotage their self-esteem. To combat this additional trauma, Certified Cosmetic Therapist Jeffrey Paul founded Wigs for Kids, a nonprofit organization that has been serving children suffering from hair loss since 1980."

Olympic Gold medalist Dominique Moceanu teamed up with her friend Mona Lisa at the opening of Mona Lisa's Salon and Spa on Friday night for a benefit for Wigs for Kids. Dominique donated her own hair last year and is a strong supporter of the cause.

Hear why in the video and see photos from the Wigs for Kids benefit at Mona Lisa Salon.

Cleveland Guiness World Record Holder

Cleveland Senior Tom Eakin (above with Hank Aaron) has led a fascinating life. Tom is in the Guinness Book of World Records with the record for the longest biography in Who's Who in America.

A "Thomas C. Eakin" Day has been instituted in over 300 cities throughout both the United States and Canada. He is the only Ohioan on record as having a day named for him in every one Ohio's eighty-eight counties.

Read about the amazing life of Tom Eakin and see lots of pictures with Tom and athletes and politicians.

Airplane in the Chest

That has to hurt!

No, the plane didn't really land in the chest of a bystander. He is just holding his radio controlled plane at that angle.

The radio airplane clubs were out in full force at the Cleveland National Air Show.

See some pics and vide from the Labor Day Cleveland National Air Show

Mona Lisa head on Oktoberfest Body

Lots of fun stuff at Oktoberfest last week - German music, food and beer, of course. But also sand sculpture, shopping, Euclid Beach memorabilia and the wiener dog races.

Something new this year was the Chalk Art. Two Cleveland Women came up with this great mix of classic art and Oktoberfest fun. More photos.

Cleveland Blues

Back in my rugby days, there were a few Cleveland club rugby teams like the Cleveland Blues and Cleveland Grays.

Until this week, I didn't know there was a vintage baseball team called the Cleveland Blues.

In Vintage Baseball, they play the game with uniforms, equipment and rules of 1860's era baseball. That means no gloves or mitts, no calling of balls and strikes and if you catch the ball on one bounce it is an out. Lots of other interesting rules too.

The language is fun too. "Well struck, sir" may come from both benches after a player hits a long ball.

The game Saturday was at historic League Park at 66th and Lexington in Cleveland.




Check out more of the Cleveland Blues and Vintage Baseball.

Funky August

Almost missed my Hardware SIG meeting yesterday because it takes place on the 3rd Saturday of the month.

2010 has a funky August calendar. This August has 5 Sundays, 5 Mondays, 5 Tuesdays.

Supposedly this only happens every 823 years.

Intel Buys McAfee

In Andy Grove's book Only the Paranoid Survive, he told the story of how Intel started and how they were a memory chip company.

They, of course, evolved into CPUs but were always a silicon chip company.

So why spend $7.68 billion for McAfee? Sure security is increasingly more important but Intel makes chips - better than anyone else - and should focus on that IMO.

Cleveland Browns Schedule

There are some good and some bad things about the 2010 Cleveland Browns schedule. All of the regular season games are Sundays at 1PM. That's good. This team doesn't need too much national exposure yet. And Sunday at 1PM is the perfect time for NFL football.

The Ravens come in the day after Christmas and the Steelers end the season the day after New Years. You will see a lot of college kids in place of us regular season ticket holders for those games probably.

Exhibition games stink but the 2 this year are interesting. Tomorrow night there will be fireworks after the rams game. That should be fun.

The other home pre-season game is Chicago but the cool thing i that it's Saturday night of the Air Show and the pilots always go wild during browns games showing off above the stadium. Can't wait for that one.

2010 Brown football schedule

Woof!

Now that's a kiss

Everyone has seen the famous Life Magazine photo of the sailor kissing a nurse in Times Square when victory in Japan was announced, ending World War II.

It's a classic, iconic shot.

To celebrate the 65th anniversary of V-J Day (and to 'Keep the Spirit of '45 Alive) there were several recreations of the famous kiss, including one in downtown Cleveland on the USS Cod.

They had Forties music, costumes and several veterans of World War II to remember and celebrate.

Check out the photos and videos of the big kiss and the other festivities.

USS Cod

The USS Cod is one of those things that Clevelanders take for granted.

As the Oxford Museum Press says, "The USS Cod is the last remaining WWII submarine left completely in its original condition. It is a national landmark and a very important piece of our naval and historical heritage."

Don't let the tourists be the only ones who visit this cool piece of history.

See photos of the Cod and a video from a WWII Navy submarine veteran

Terminal Tower Observation Deck

I had never been to the Terminal Tower Observation Deck. When I was working construction back in the day we were pretty high up on the roof of Stouffers In on the Square but I never did the touristy trip to the Observation Deck.

Then the Deck, like many of its peers, closed after 9-11-2001.

It reopened this summer for limited viewing and I finally got up there. I was there for a private party with the Irish Sorpanos! But that's a story for another day.

I took a bunch of photos and shot a video from the Observation Deck and I think they came out great!

We were fortunate that day to have a huge rainbow appear over the Cleveland skyline below. It's now one of my favorite photos.

Check out the rainbow photo and other photos and a video from the Terminal Tower Observation Deck.

If you've never been up there, it's worth the effort.

Cascading Style Sheets

Dave Skorepa is the Chief Creative Officer at Aztek, a terrific Web design, development, searching and hosting firm based in Cleveland Ohio.

It's his job to keep current on the latest web technologies and innovations so he can incorporate them in the designs Aztek creates for their customers. So he was a no-brainer choice to ask about what's new in the web world like HTML 5, CSS, jQuery, mobile development and the like.

Check out the first in a series of vidcasts and podcasts - this one is on Cascading Style Sheets and CSS 3

Happy SysAdmin Day

Today - July 30, 2010 (Last Friday Of July) - is the 11th Annual System Administrator Appreciation Day.

Have you hugged your SysAdmin today?

Happy Birthday Harry Potter!

Happy Birthday Harry Potter!

Thanks for getting so many young people hooked on reading.

Spinal Tap?

No, that's some of the Ohio.net team at the House of Blues.

But I did win an Ohio.net golf shirt at the VOIP Road Show at the House of Blues on Thursday because I knew the name of the band that turns their amps up to 11. Spinal Tap, of course.

I also learned about the latest VOIP fatures and technologies.

Details at GreatLakesGeek.Com

Move from Miami to Cleveland

Did you hear about the superstar who left Miami and came to Cleveland? No, I don't have it backwards.

Dr. Berkman left Miami and is now the president of Cleveland State University. Cleveland State University is crucial to the health of the city. As an urban university it has particular challenges and opportunities.

Dr. Berkman addressed these in a presentation at Corporate Club at Landerhaven.

The Great Lakes Geek asked Dr. Berkman about the proposed International Welcome Center at 18th and Euclid. You will also learn about the exciting new international degree being offered.

Listen and read about Dr. Berkman and CSU

Mini-Olympics at JCU

The Greater Cleveland Sports Commission hosted its fifth annual Continental Cup, now known as Cleveland Clinic Sports Health International Youth Sports Festival.

The opening ceremony was like a mini-Olympics with thousands of young athletes from about 20 countries marching in.

Photos and videos from the 5th annual Continental Cup

Best ever quarter for Intel

"Strong demand from corporate customers for our most advanced microprocessors helped Intel achieve the best quarter in the company's 42-year history," said Intel President and CEO Paul Otellini.

"Our process technology lead plus compelling architectural designs increasingly differentiate Intel-based products in the marketplace. The PC and server segments are healthy and the demand for leading-edge technology will continue to increase for the foreseeable future."

Russian Spy at Microsoft

Apparently one of the Russian spies worked as a software tester at Microsoft.

Insert your own joke here.

"The man, Alexey Karetnikov, entered the United States in October and was living in the Seattle area, where he worked at Microsoft, according to federal officials and the company. Karetnikov, a Russian citizen in his early-to-mid-20s, had been held on immigration violations because there was insufficient evidence to charge him with a crime, the government officials said."

Lou Gellos, a Microsoft spokesman, confirmed that Karetnikov had worked at the company for about nine months as a software tester."

The Washington Post article

Joke of the Week (Year? Decade?)

Loyalty - what a concept

How do you spell Anamika?

Cleveland has a world champion. No matter what LeBron James decides, we can celebrate the 2010 Scripps National Spelling Bee champion Anamika Veeramani.

14 year old Anamika lives in North Royalton and goes to school at Incarnate Word Academy in Parma Heights.

People who never imagined they would watch a spelling bee found themselves nervously pacing the floor as Anamika and the others competed that Friday night. We all seemed much more nervous than Anamika. Congrats to Anamika, her family and teachers.

Photos and videos of Anamika Veeramani at the FICA tribute dinner at the Saffron patch.


Mahima Venkatesh and Anamika Veeramani

BACtrack Personal Breathalyzer

On a hot day like we've been experiencing, a lot of people will grab a few cold ones to try and cool off.

Of course, when your summer drinks include alcohol, you have to be careful. Drinking and driving is bad, wrong and stupid. So is trying to beat the system. But that's not what BACtrack is all about.

BACtrack is a personal breathalyzer that quickly estimates your blood alcohol content (BAC).

Besides trying the BACtrack on my own (I wonder if I can write off that beer purchase), I brought it to a picnic and to a volleyball game. See what happened at GreatLakesGeek.com.

Gene Simmons of KISS - Happy Independence Day

Happy Independence Day!

Gene Simmons of KISS knows how to thank the troops!

---

Dirty Pretty Things Jewelry

We covered the Dirty Pretty Things Jewelry fashion event at a Warehouse District club for ClevelandWomen.Com

That's a whole 'nother world from the Great Lakes Geek!

Dirty Pretty Things Jewelry fashion event

Microsoft Office 2010

If you are still in the Clippy era and using an old version of Office like Office 2003, then the upgrade to Office 2010 will introduce you to the Ribbon interface, XML formats and more.

But what does Office 2010 bring to the party if you are already using office 2007?

That's what I asked Microsoft IT Evangelist Matt Hester in this recent vidcast.



You can see more vidcasts with Matt Hester at GreatLakesGeek.Com

Year of the Tiger

The Chinese Year of the Tiger began with the new moon on February 14, 2010. The St. Clair Superior Development Corporation (SCSDC) has installed 25 fiberglass tiger sculptures featuring unique designs created and applied by Northeast Ohio artists/organizations.

Check out pictures of the Tigers and then vote on your favorite.

The Geek likes the Cleveland: The Tiger of Champions which includes images of Jesse Owens, Lou Groza, Bob Feller, Jim Brown and LeBron James.

This Fire Tiger is also pretty cool.

Apple iPhone 4 woes

An interesting quote from the EE Times newsletter:

Uh-oh. All is not well in Apple World. Users of iPhone 4 are experiencing reception problems that at least one analyst attributes to Apple's novel use of the smartphone's frame as an antenna.

A design flaw of this magnitude might pose a huge problem for other companies, but not Apple. The throngs of Apple Nation will likely brush it off, hold their phone in the manner prescribed by their Supreme Leader and get back to downloading apps like Sexy Girl Talk and showing off their photos to random strangers they meet on the train.

Regina Brett book

A friend in Louisville, KY forwarded me the first copy. She said, 'You have to read these life lessons written by an 90 year old woman."

I quickly scanned them and noted the name, Regina Brett, of the author.

Yes, it was the same Regina Brett who writes a column in the Cleveland Plain Dealer. I replied to my friend that yes the lessons were terrific but there was no way the author was 90 years old.

Brett has turned her 50 life lessons into a terrific book.

Read the review of God Never Blinks - 50 Lessons for Life's Little Detours

Shaping University Circle

"What's good for University Circle is good for all of the Cleveland area." said Chris Ronayne.

So began the Corporate Club at Landerhaven panel discussion on "Shaping University Circle." With more than two billion dollars worth of construction going on right now in the University Circle area, this is not an area of if-come or hope-to-see. It is a vibrant growing part of what-is in Cleveland.

More from Shaping University Circle

Parade the Circle

This isn't the typical parade. With floats decorated by University Circle institutions and participants tapping into their vast creativity, Parade the Circle is as unique as the neighborhood it travels through.





These two got married earlier that morning and then marched in the parade. Those 4 acrobats were actually mounted to a frame that the groom supported with his back.


See lots of photos and videos from the Parade on ClevelandSeniors.Com or at
ClevelandWomen.Com or at
ClevelandPeople.Com

Fat Suit Sumo Wrestling

I had a blast at the first annual Cleveland Asian Festival.

So did the 10,000 others who showed up.

See lots of photos and videos from the Asian Festival at ClevelandPeople.Com

This one video cracks me up every time. They had fat suits so people could try sumo wrestling and it was hilarious to watch.

Italian American Summer Festival

Win free tickets to the Italian American Summer Festival at the Berea Fairgrounds this weekedn June 11-13.

Congratulations Anamika Veeramani

Congratulations to Anamika Veeramani who won the 2010 National Spelling Bee last night!

Here is a short video of when Anamika was honored by FICA earlier this year. (Anamkia is near the end of the video)

Iconoclast Engineer

Tony Sumodi is a brilliant engineer - and quite a character. Read the official profile of Tony Sumodi and be sure to watch the short video where Tony shares his philosophy.

I like his idea for 4PM on Saturdays!

Cleveland Public Library gets huge donation from Slovenia

The Rotary Club of Maribor Park, Slovenia presented the Cleveland Public Library a gift of over six thousand books in Slovenian!

The Rotary donated the books in an act of friendship and in an effort to promote the Slovenian language in the Cleveland area. There are more Slovenians in Cleveland than any other place in the world, with the exception of Ljubljana, the capital city of Slovenia.

Pictures and videos from the event.

Girl of my dreams

There's something special about this girl that no Geek can resist.

Mike Brown statement

“The past 5 years have been an exceptional experience. I have been very fortunate to lead a group of men who I respect and thoroughly enjoyed coaching on a daily basis. At the same time, I was able to work alongside a terrific coaching staff and with Danny Ferry and a basketball operations team, all of whom I have a profound respect for.

We partnered in creating a culture and a standard that I am, and will continue to be, very proud of. None of which would be possible without the dedication and support of Dan Gilbert. I am thankful for the opportunity that he gave to me and my family.

We have a deep appreciation for Northeast Ohio, the Cleveland Cavaliers organization, and the people in this community, and have enjoyed making this our home." - Mike Brown

Class (and smart) act. He will be head coach somewhere else very soon.

Albert Ratner - What Cleveland needs to do

Forest City co-chairman Albert Ratner was the keynote speaker at the Cleveland International Hall of Fame inductions. He was very clear on what steps Cleveland needs to take in order to survive.

Watch the video highlights of Al Ratner's keynote.

Cavs Coach Mike Brown fired

It was inevitable

CLEVELAND – The Cleveland Cavaliers have announced that Mike Brown has been relieved of his duties as head coach, Cavaliers General Manager Danny Ferry announced today from Cleveland Clinic Courts.
“I have truly enjoyed working with Mike Brown. Mike has played a huge role in turning around the Cavs organization,” Ferry said. “Over the past five years, Mike established a work ethic, defensive identity and culture of winning that was not here previously.”
Brown was hired as the 17th coach in franchise history on June 2, 2005. In five seasons with the Cavs, he compiled a record of 272-138 (.663). Brown was named the 2009 NBA Coach of the Year by members of the media.
“Mike Brown is a class act. On behalf of the entire Cavaliers organization, there is only gratitude and appreciation for Mike's accomplishments over the past five years," stated Cavaliers Majority Owner Dan Gilbert. "I think it is clear that Mike Brown has been instrumental in contributing to the growth and progress we have experienced in recent years. We wish Mike and his family the best of luck in any future challenges that Mike chooses to accept going forward.”
“After a long and deep analysis of all of the factors that led to the disappointing early ends to our playoff runs over the past two seasons, we concluded that it was time for the Cavaliers to move in a different direction," Gilbert added. "The expectations of this organization are very high and, although change always carries an element of risk, there are times when that risk must be taken in an attempt to break through to new, higher levels of accomplishment. This is one of those times.”
Brown compiled a postseason record with the Cavs of 42-29 (.592). He led the team to at least the second round of the postseason in each of his five seasons, including Cleveland’s first trip to the NBA Finals in 2007.

Howard Rheingold at CWRU Collabtech

Howard Rheingold coined the phrase "Virtual Communities" in an article he wrote in 1987 - way before Facebook or MySpace were even dreamed about.

He is now using social media techniques in education with his Social Media Classroom project at Berkeley and Stanford.

For those of us who have been around for awhile, it was good to hear Rheingold pay respect to the Cleveland Freenet. And also to say that the concept of Digital Natives - where young people know all the tech by osmosis - is a myth.

Hear his thoughts on digital natives and social media from a keynote at CWRU's Collabtech Summit 2010.

I love Cleveland in the springtime

I love Cleveland in the springtime - Watch this great video clip from last night's Cleveland International Hall of Fame inductions. Imagine the 300+ people singing along with Hall of Fame inductee Paramjit Singh.

More photos and videoes from the Cleveland International Hall of Fame coming soon

Cleveland International Hall of Fame

We are pysched for the Cleveland International Hall of Fame inductions tonight. The event is Sold Out with 300 people attending with almost 200 more on waiting list.

That's a tribute to both the quality of the inductees and a testament to how ripe Cleveland is for international growth and welcoming.

Details on the Cleveland International Hall of Fame.

There will be a lot of videos and photos posted at ClevelandPeople.Com after the event in the next week or so.

Crazy little cars

I was at both Polish Constitution Day parades last Sunday (Parma and Slavic Village) and one of the most interesting units was the mini cars. As I watched, I wondered what possessed these guys to get into such a hobby.

I have to admit, it looks like a lot of fun.

eBooks, Audio Books, DRM and more

Steve Potash has been working in the eBook space since the mid-1980's. Now OverDrive is one of the world's most important companies in the world of eBooks, audio books and more.

In this podcast/vidcast with Steve Potash, Steve brings us up to date about OverDrive, Digital Rights Management (DRM) and talks about how the Amazon Kindle (and then smartphones, the iPad, etc) have changed things.

And there's something cool in the OverDrive offices that catches the Geek's attention. Onward to Encodia!