Holiday Celebration of Cleveland's Diversity

The 3rd annual Holiday Celebration of Cleveland's Diversity was held in the City Hall Rotunda on December 12, 2012. The event was put on by the Worldwide Intercultural Network (WIN) Northeast Ohio in conjunction with the office of Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson.

At the 3rd annual party, a diverse crowd sampled ethnic food and drinks, watched multicultural performances, listened and danced to world music and mixed and mingled with the attendees who represented dozens of different cultural backgrounds.

ClevelandPeople.Com was proud to again be a sponsor of the event.

3 pages of photos and videos from the event

CyberWall of Non-Violence at Philanthropia

At the 2012 Philanthropia, Paramjit Singh and I set up a display to let people know about the Cyber Wall of Non-Violence.

Over 100 people signed the pledge including Beachwood Mayor Merle Gorden, news anchor Leon Bibb and Singing Angels artistic director Charles Eversole.

See more from the CyberWall at Philanthropia.

Philanthropia 2012

Philanthropia, phil·an·thro·pi·a, is Executive Caterers’ Annual Fundraising Luncheon at Landerhaven designed to benefit non-profits throughout Northeast Ohio.

After the tragedy of 9/11, New York City absorbed such a large portion of all charitable donations that many local non-profits struggled to reach their own goals. In response, Harlan Diamond and Executive Caterers rededicated their December Corporate Club luncheon to the support of local charities, especially smaller organizations without substantial resources of their own.

Over $143,000 was raised this year for local non-profits.

See MC Leon Bibb, the Singing Angels and more of Philanthropia 2012

Bohemian National Hall Home of the Czech Cultural Center

The historic Bohemian National Hall, Home of the Czech Cultural Center, is located at 4939 Broadway Ave. in Cleveland.

It has been renovated by volunteers and hosts the Sokol Greater Cleveland Czech Cultural Museum.

See more from the Bohemian Hall

American Nationalities Movement Annual Christmas Program

The American Nationalities Movement held their Annual Christmas Party and Program on December 15th at the beautifully renovated Bohemian National Hall Ballroom at 4939 Broadway in Cleveland.

Freedom Awards were presented to Rev. John M. Loejos and Richard A. Ganim.

Cleveland Council's Joe Cimperman, Dona Brady and Mike Polensek

 with Rev. Loejos and Judge Rocky Perk

See more from the American Nationalities Movement event

ClevelandPeople.Com in Congressional Record

We are pretty excited about this.

Thank you to Congressman Dennis Kucinich for recognizing ClevelandPeople.Com into the US Congressional Record. Michael Patterson from Congressman Kucinich's office presented the proclamation at our annual holiday event.

Thank You for the Gifts

It's the civilized thing to do to send than you notes for gifts or when people do nice things for you.  But we (myself included) neglect to do it most of the time.

Tiny Prints is making it easy for you this year - but you have to take advantage of it today, December 20.

50% of today only!

Here's the scoop:

It's almost time to say "thank you."

Your boss, your spouse, your co-workers...anyone who got you a Christmas gift (or for whom you are thankful this year). In a week, it will be time to thank them for their wonderful (and even not so wonderful) gifts.

Tiny Prints has the perfect way to say "thank you" at an incredible price. For one day only, from 10:00am PT today through 9:00am PT , they are selling their amazing thank you cards at 50% Off!

These are not your run-of-the-mill thank you cards either. They are awesome. From the paper quality to the ability to personalize them with pictures and your own text, these cards are sure to leave a lasting impression...and maybe even result in a better gift next year.

Who do you need to thank this year? Check out Tiny Prints right away and say "thank you" in style this year. And remember to use promo code DOD1220 to save 50%! P.S.

You don't need a gift from someone to let them know you're thankful for them!

Cleveland Police Administrative Review

From Director Martin L. Flask, Cleveland Department of Public Safety.

The Cleveland Division of Police, under the direction of Chief Michael McGrath, continue to investigate the facts and circumstances of the November 29, 2012 pursuit that ended in East Cleveland with the use of deadly force by Cleveland Police Officers. Although the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigations, East Cleveland Police and the Cuyahoga County Sheriff’s Office are actively investigating the use of deadly force incident, the Chief of Police and his staff are conducting a thorough Administrative Review to determine if the officers involved were in compliance with well-established policies and training.

Read it all here: www.clesafety.com

This Administrative Review includes all available surveillance video; audio communications between officers, supervisors and the Communications Control Section; duty reports completed by officers and supervisory personnel; Automated Vehicle Locator (AVL) information; and any other information that becomes available during the investigation.

The volume of information being reviewed by the Chief and his staff is substantial. However, the Chief of Police has assured Mayor Jackson and me that the Administrative Review will be timely and thorough, and results of the Administrative Review will be made public immediately upon conclusion.

Contest Winners

Cleveland Christmas Memories

Congratulations to the winners of a copy of Cleveland Christmas Memories: Looking Back at Holidays Past by Gail Ghetia Bellamy. The books were mailed this morning.

• Evelyn G from Hinckley
• Margaret F from Akron
• Lauren L from South Euclid
• Dan D from Cleveland
• Jim S from Mayfield
• Carol R from Lakewood

If you didn't win a copy, you can still order the book online from Amazon and receive it by Christmas.

Worst Passwords of 2012

In an effort to encourage adoption of stronger passwords, SplashData, a leading provider of password software for more than 10 years, released its "25 Worst Passwords of the Year" list for 2012.

Here are the Top Ten.

Rank	Password	Change from 2011 List
1	password	Unchanged
2	123456	Unchanged
3	12345678	Unchanged
4	abc123	Up 1
5	qwerty	Down 1
6	monkey	Unchanged
7	letmein	Up 1
8	dragon	Up 2
9	111111	Up 3
10	baseball	Up 1

Morgan Slain, SplashData CEO. "We're hoping that with more publicity about how risky it is to use weak passwords, more people will start taking simple steps to protect themselves by using stronger passwords and using different passwords for different websites."

See the rest of the Top 25 Worst Passwords of 2012.

So who are all theses people are that use 'monkey' for a password!

The 2012 Diversity Center Humanitarian Award

The Diversity Center is a human relations organization dedicated to eliminating bias, bigotry, and racism. The vision of The Diversity Center is building communities where all people are connected, respected, and valued.

Founded in 1927 as the National Conference of Christians and Jews (NCCJ), The Diversity Center is currently a member of the National Federation for Just Communities, a network of 20 like-minded organizations across the country.

Since 1949, The Diversity Center has honored men and women of outstanding dedication and community service in our region at the annual Humanitarian Award Dinner. Nominees exhibit an extensive record of involvement in civic, charitable, volunteer, and professional organizations. Each nominee has contributed to the improvement of human relations among diverse groups in Northeast Ohio.

The 58th Annual Humanitarian Award Dinner was held Tuesday, December 4, 2012 at the Renaissance Cleveland Hotel. The sold-out crowd honored Sr. Judith Ann Karam, CSA, President & CEO, Sisters of Charity Health System and Charles D. Fowler, CEO, Fairmount Minerals and William Conway, Founder & Chairman Emeritus, Fairmount Minerals. 

More from the Diversity Center Humanitarian Awards

I Shot the Sheriff

Nice version of I Shot the Sheriff by a steel drum band called Island Flava at our Labor Day International Festival.

Encyclopedia of Electronic Components - Book Review

As the author states in the Preface, Encyclopedia of Electronic Components Volume 1: Resistors, Capacitors, Inductors, Switches, Encoders, Relays, Transistors is not the kind of book you will read from page one till the end. It's not sequential in that way. But a complete reading would certainly greatly improve your knowledge of these electronic components.

Author Charles Platt is a Contributing Editor and regular columnist for O'Reilly Media's Make: Magazine, where he writes about electronics. If you are looking for more of a tutorial, consider Platt's introductory hands-on book, Make: Electronics.

In this era of immediate access to information from search engines, why do you need a physical book on electronic components? As Platt suggests, the information available online is often inconsistent in quality. Volume 1 (this book - Vol. 2 and 3 are in the works) is thorough and consistently high-quality.

The book is broken down into sections for Power (such as battery), Connection (fuse, switch, relay), Moderation (resistor, capacitor, inductor), Conversion (transformer, inverter) Regulation (Voltage regulator) Electromagnetism (solenoid), Rotational (motors) and Discrete Semiconductor (diodes, FETs).

Each section has a standard group of information presented. Each starts with other common names and related components. Then there is a What it Does section with photos or drawings and then a How it Works section. The Variants sections may include, for example, the different formats for capacitors. Sticking with the capacitors example, there is then a section on Principal Types of capacitors, Dielectrics, Values associated with the component (farads for capacitors) and a lot more details and variants as the component may have.

Each section has a useful What Can Go Wrong section that lists the common problems that may affect a component (wrong polarity, heat, vibration, etc.) and what to do about it.At the end of the 278 page book are a few pages of Schematic Symbols.

It's a complete and detailed reference and the information is presented logically and in an appealing way. Either the Index or Table of Contents (or a quick flip through and browse of the headers at the top of each page) gets you to the desired information fast.

I think it's a terrific resource and am eager to see the next volumes.

---

Great Lakes Geek Rating: 4.5 out of 5 pocket protectors.

---

Reviewed by Entreprenerd Dan Hanson, the Great Lakes Geek (11/12)

 

Lebanon Day in Cleveland

The American Lebanese Community Council hosted an event to celebrate the 69th anniversary of the independence of Lebanon in the Rotunda of Cleveland City Hall. The special guest was Consul General of Lebanon Bilal Kabalan.

Pictures and video from Lebanon Day in Cleveland

The Lebanese folk dance group Ajyal performed.  Photos and video of Ajyal. 

Photos of attendees at Lebanon Day 

Deepavali - Diwali - in Cleveland

The Federation of India Community Associations (FICA) hosted Deepavali, The Festival of Lights, in the Rotunda of Cleveland City Hall on November 16, 2012.

The formal program featured  Ratanjit Sondhe who explained Sikhs and Sikhism to the diverse crowd.

The entertainment included a Manipuri Dance by Sanjib Bhattacharya (above) who is visiting from India and a modern Punjabi dance by a group of CWRU students called Spartan Bhangra. (below)

  See more from 2012 Diwali in Cleveland

Hospice of the Western Reserve

At some point in your life, if you haven't already, you will be involved with hospice.  Personally I don't know how the staff and volunteers handle their work and I give them all the credit in the world.

The Hospice of the Western Reserve has volunteer opportunities for all ages, interests and talents with an extraordinary love and a common bond of concern for others.
"I get so much more out of it than I give."
"This is the most important thing I have done in my life."

Direct Patient Care Opportunities:

• Provide Socialization, Comfort and Companionship,
• Legacy Work,
• Bereavement Calls,
• Music Access,
• Errands,
• Respite,
• Attorney,
• Notary,
• Veterans Serving Veterans,
• Licensed Hairdresser, Massotherapist,
• Pet Therapy,
• Transportation,
• Light Housekeeping,
• Teens,
• Spiritual Care

Support Opportunities:

• Clerical/Data Entry,
• Reception,
• Teens,
• Community Outreach,
• Speaker’s Bureau,
• Resale Shop,
• Flower Arranging,
• Group Helper,
• Volunteer Education,
• Fundraising,
• Special Events,
• Volunteer Marketing

Group Opportunities:
We are always appreciative of community volunteers who offer anything from a few hours to an entire day of service at our in patient facilities or our headquarters. There is a wide range of tasks including clerical, painting, cleaning, landscaping, entertainment and special meals at David Simpson Hospice House in Cleveland, Ames Family Hospice House in Westlake, as well as clerical and maintenance at our headquarters office in Cleveland.

Learn more about how you can volunteer for Hospice

Nacy Panzica Profile

Nacy Panzica was born in Burgettstown, Pennsylvania, a coal mining town, in 1927. He had five sisters but was the only son of Anthony and Mary Panzica.

His birth name is Ignatius but he has been called Nacy all his life. "Now remember, it's not Nancy with an "N" - it's Nacy." The way he laughs when he says this you know he has clarified this many times through the years...

Official ClevelandSeniors.Com profile of Nacy Panzica.

Family is the cornerstone to this builder's success.

Medical Yatras helping the poor

The Association of Indian Physicians of Northern Ohio (AIPNO) was founded in 1983 as a non-profit organization of physicians of Indian origin in Northern Ohio. One of their projects is the Medical Yatra (trip) where teams of physicians and others go to remote areas where most people have never even seen a doctor.


To date AIPNO has helped more than 100,000 people in India and around the world in their health needs and provided FREE medicines, some surgeries and free numbered eye glasses, and lot of Cataract surgeries.

They have also assisted in disaster relief outside of India such as the Haiti earthquake (2010) and Hurricanes Katrina(2005) & Isadora (Mexico - 2002)

Learn more about the AIPNO Medical Yatras

Mother Teresa Statue

During her lifetime, Mother Teresa was named 18 times in the yearly Gallup's most admired man and woman poll as one of the ten women around the world that Americans admired most. In 1999, a poll of Americans ranked her first in Gallup's List of Most Widely Admired People of the 20th Century.

Mother Teresa founded the Missionaries of Charity, a Roman Catholic religious congregation, which in 2012 consisted of over 4,500 sisters and is active in 133 countries. Members of the order must adhere to the vows of chastity, poverty and obedience, and the fourth vow, to give "Wholehearted and Free service to the poorest of the poor".

She said, "By blood, I am Albanian. By citizenship, an Indian. By faith, I am a Catholic nun. As to my calling, I belong to the world. As to my heart, I belong entirely to the Heart of Jesus."

On September 22, 2012 a 7' tall bronze statue of the Nobel Peace Prize winner was unveiled at a ceremony attended by Albanian President Bujar Nishani. 

See more of the Mother Teresa Statue in Cleveland

St Emeric reopens

With its church bells tolling its reopening at noon on Sunday, November 4th, nearly 600 people gathered to celebrate Mass at St. Emeric  Roman Catholic Church for the first time since its closing more than two years ago.

The Rev. Sandor Siklodi returned to the Hungarian  parish as its pastor after serving for 25 years as its spiritual leader.

More from the reopening of St Emeric Church

Is Flash still the best choice?

For many years, the best tool for elements such as interactive video, animation and 3D online was Flash.

Is that still the case?

The Great Lakes Geek sat down with two of the pros from Aztek to get the latest on Flash.

Dave Skorepa is Chief Creative Office and Matt Mesenger is Director of Web Marketing at Aztek Web Design in Cleveland and they live and breathe this stuff.

 As you will see, Dave in particular is not shy about his opinion. The 2 pros argue that HTML5, CSS3 and jQuery allow them to do almost all of Flash's functionality without the problems of Flash.

 

Leap of Reason by Mario Morino

The Great Lakes Geek just finished reading Leap of Reason: Managing to Outcomes In an Era of Scarcity

I have been a fan of Mario Morino and the way he thinks - and acts - for many years.

But this isn't really a science, tech or business book. It's written for non-profit organizations. So what's it doing on the Great Lakes Geek's shelves?

While geared toward non-profits, Leap of Reason has a lot of good ideas for any business - especially "in an era of scarcity."

And when you get a chance to learn from a success such as Mario Morino, you should take the time and check it out.

Leap of Reason book review

Prime Minister of Ireland in Cleveland

The Taoiseach (Prime Minister) of Ireland Mr. Enda Kenny was in Cleveland on October 12 and 13, 2012. It was the first ever visit of a sitting Irish Prime Minister to Cleveland.

ClevelandPeople.Com covered the historic visit with photos and videos from many of the weekend's event starting here. 

1) Taoiseach Enda Kenny at a special presentation of the City Club of Cleveland (Intercontinental Hotel on Cleveland Clinic Campus) on Friday, October 12, 2012.

 2) Taoiseach Enda Kenny at a private meeting at Cleveland City Hall with Mayor Jackson and other city officials.

 3) Irish Cultural Garden visit. Besides the main page, there are 6 more pages of photos of the hundreds of attendees in the Garden. Who do you recognize?

 4) The last public appearance of the Taoiseach was at the annual Mayo Ball where James C. Boland was named 2012 Mayo Person of the Year.

A child during the Vietnam War

Beyond the Rice Paddies - Book Review
by Linda West
(born Tran Thi Bach Yen Oanh )

The 111 pages of Beyond the Rice Paddies are organized into a series of 3 or 4 page stories. You will keep saying to yourself 'Just one more' until you realize you have read the entire book.

It is a fascinating look into the world of a young girl in Vietnam in the mid-1960's. Tran Thi Bach Yen Oanh (the author, now known as Linda West) lived with her paternal grandmother, the beloved Ba Noi, in the village of Bien Hoa near Saigon.

The vignettes describe the joys (some American chewing gum, a doll with yellow hair, etc.) and hardships (a toilet comprised of two rickety slats over a maggot and fly infested area) of life in that historic place and time.

The war affects the villagers but not always directly. For example, Young Oanh wakes up one day with 'bubbles' over her one side that they determine were caused by a powder that came from a plane. Bodies are left in the market square to be claimed. Her hut has a dugout area so she and her Ba Noi can hide from the bullets when firefights erupt.

The author tells of the joy of the parade as the "giant-sized" American GIs marched into town to go "Beyond the Rice Paddies' and fight the Viet Cong. She then describes the fear and confusion when only a handful of them limp back a few days later, sans the fanfare.

Her mother worked as a 'bargirl' in Saigon and eventually marries an American who takes Oanh and her brother to the US in 1970. The author is now a real estate broker, a mother of three children and lives in Tucson, Arizona.

It's a fascinating yet humbling book that will make you count your blessings and perhaps look at war and the world in a different way.

60 years after the Korean War

For the 3rd year in a row the Korean American Association visited the 2100 Lakeside Men's Shelter in Cleveland and brought with them 350 meals and 350 heavy winter jackets. Two years ago, the Korean American Association donated 500 blankets. Last year they also donated winter coats. Song Pil-Gak, chairman of the Korean province of Gyeongsangbuk-Do spoke (with translator) at the Cleveland men's shelter at 2100 Lakeside as part of the annual Korean American Association outreach. He has participated all 3 years.

In the words of Jeong (John) Szongchan of the Korean Association "It is only right that we do something like this. 60 years ago America helped us. We are happy that we can help now."

Superhero, Star Wars and Zombie Family

Have you seen those stickers on the back of cars?  They show an image of a family - maybe a Dad and Mom and kids and pets.

Now you can get cooler and geekier decals for the car or window or wherever.

Marvel Superhero Family Car Decals are the product of a partnership between ThinkGeek and Marvel. One package contains 50 decals, plenty to decorate multiple cars and your wee geeks' bedroom windows.

Four characters are included: Iron Man, Captain America, Wolverine, and Spider-Man. Each character comes in six versions: Dad, Mom, Daughter, Son, Dog, and Cat. Assemble your team of heroes and proudly display them wherever your Fantasti-Car may take you.

Product Specifications Family car decals for fans of Marvel superheroes 50 decals in all, 2 sheets of each set Ironman (Dad, Mom, Boy Child, Girl Child) Captain America (Dad, Mom, Boy Child, Girl Child) Wolverine (Dad, Mom, Boy Child, Girl Child) Spider-Man (Dad, Mom, Boy Child, Girl Child) Pets (Cat & Dog versions of Ironman, Captain America, Wolverine, Spider-Man) Marvel logo Stick easily to any clean, flat surface Officially licensed Marvel collectible.




Besides the Marvel Superheros you can also get Star Wars family and Zombie family. Just click on any of the images for more info.

Responsive Web Design

Responsive web design (RWD) is the latest approach to web design. It employs CSS3 media queries to provide an optimal viewing experience across the numerous different devices people view content on.

The Great Lakes Geek sat down with two of the pros from Aztek to get the latest on RWD. Dave Skorepa is Chief Creative Office and Matt Mesenger is Director of Web Marketing at Aztek Web Design in Cleveland and they live and breathe this stuff.

Besides the primer on Responsive Web Design, they answer the Geek's questions about scrolling, resizing, Pinterest, SEO and other related issues.

Look for more on Web Design, SEO, Social Media and more from the pros at Aztek coming soon at GreatLakesGeek.Com

Leif Ericson Day

The Scandinavian community of Cleveland, including those from Norway, Sweden, Finland, Denmark and Iceland gathered at the bust of Leif Ericson in front of Shooters in Cleveland's Flats. Leif Ericson was a Norse explorer regarded as the first European to land in North America (excluding Greenland), nearly 500 years before Christopher Columbus.

Each year on Leif Ericson Day they toast the explorer and his maritime accomplishments with a drink of Aquavit, a 40 proof Scandinavian liqueur. Aquavit is said to get its special flavor from its trip to the Equator.

Photos and videos from Leif Ericson Day in Cleveland

Fitness for Geeks

I  just finished reading Fitness for Geeks: Real Science, Great Nutrition, and Good Health

Let's face it. Many of us who qualify for the moniker Geek (or Geekette) tend to spend a lot of time seated in front of a computer. We also tend to eat and drink items that are convenient and tasty which usually is a synonym for 'unhealthy.'

People like us are always looking for a clever or unique way to solve a problem. So if fitness is the problem, we approach it as a hackable goal. When a book proposes to lead us to fitness in such a manner, especially with the credibility of being part of the O'Reilly family, we have to check it out.

Great Lakes Geek Book Review of Fitness for Geeks

Peruvian Procession

In Lima, Peru there is a highly venerated mural of the Lord of the Miracles (Señor de los Milagros de Nazarenas). Just as Italians (and others) celebrate The Feast of the Assumption with parades and festivals, the people of Peru celebrate The Lord of the Miracles. It is the main Catholic celebration in Peru and boasts one of the largest processions in the world.


Here in Cleveland this tradition is carried out at Iglesia La Sagrada Familia Catholic Church on Detroit Ave. About 1000 took part in the 18th annual event on Sunday October 7.

Pictures and video from the Lord of the Miracles Procession

Alzheimer's Disease - Stage 6

It seems like everyone I know has been affected by Alzheimer's Disease in some way.  For us, it's been with my Aunt Pam who is now in stage 6 of 7 of the disease.

It's frustrating and scary and sad.  This is one disease that may be harder on the family and caregivers than the patient.

My cousin (Pam's daughter) Laura wrote a powerful essay on dealing with her Mom now that she is in Stage 6.  It's really something.

2 new Milan Jacovich mysteries

I have been a fan of the Milan Jacovich (MY-lan YOCK-o-vich) series by author Les Roberts since book one.  I just completed the latest two novels, the 15th and 16th in the series.

The Cleveland Creep is the 15th book featuring Cleveland's own private eye Milan Jacovich. The Jacovich series oozes Cleveland - from the Slovenian hero's penchant for Stroh's beer to the numerous references to Cleveland neighborhoods, people and institutions.

One of the things I really like about the series is that Jacovich isn't somehow preserved in a time capsule where he, or the world, never change. He is aging and his work as a PI is affected by that. It is also the reason that I recommend that people start reading the series from the beginning, a book titled Pepper Pike. But if you are not so inclined, rest assured that The Cleveland Creep stands alone.

Whiskey Island is the 16th book in the Milan Jacovich series and the subject is ripped right out of the Cleveland headlines. County corruption has been in the news for the last several years in Cleveland and Cuyahoga County as dozens of officials (a County Commissioner, County Auditor, judges and so on) have been indicted, tried and sentenced. Whiskey Island begins with a city councilman requesting Milan and his new sidekick K.O. to help find who is trying to kill him. But it evolves into more than that as murder becomes part of the mix.

Part of the fun of the book is seeing if the characters in the book have any obvious connection to the real-life corrupt officials.

Again, I recommend starting with book 1 and going through the entire series but if you want just pick up either of these books and you will be hooked.

My review of The Cleveland Creep

My review of Whiskey Island

Dr. Maria Pujana profile

Official ClevelandWomen.Com profile of Dr. Maria Pujana. 

Born in Madrid, raised in Colombia, now giving back in Cleveland.


 

Smoke 'em if you... BOOM!

While on the frigate USS De Wert during Navy Week, I noticed this No Smoking sign in a reasonable location - on the Grenade Locker!  Makes sense to me.

War of 1812 Navigation

Master Chief Jeff Ryan of the US Coast Guard demonstrated some of the navigational gear used during the War of 1812 including an Octant and Traverse Board.  You needed to know trigonometry to sail these ships.

He also explained the roots of the expressions Deep Six and Mark Twain.  From Navy Week 2012 in Cleveland.

More from the War of 1812

Battle of Lake Erie in War of 1812

The War of 1812 has particular significance to the Great Lakes region. It was one of the three principle theaters of the war between the US and Britain.

On Lake Erie, American commander Captain Oliver Hazard Perry fought the Battle of Lake Erie on September 10, 1813. His decisive victory ensured American control of the lake, improved American morale after a series of defeats, and compelled the British to fall back from Detroit. This paved the way for General Harrison to launch another invasion of Upper Canada, which culminated in the U.S. victory at the Battle of the Thames on October 5, 1813, in which Tecumseh was killed.

Tecumseh's death effectively ended the North American indigenous alliance with the British in the Detroit region. American control of Lake Erie meant the British could no longer provide essential military supplies to their aboriginal allies, who therefore dropped out of the war. The Americans controlled the area during the conflict.

Some great War of 1812 memorabilia and gear at Navy Week in Cleveland.

Steve Roberts of Perry's Victory and International Peace Memorial showed a 32lb carronade cannon that is a replica of the one used by Oliver Hazard Perry in the Battle of Lake Erie in the War of 1812.  A surprise flyover from the Blue Angels also took place during the video.

More from the War of 1812 Bicentennial at Navy Week in Cleveland.

Navy Week - Frigate USS De Wert

I had a blast climbing around on the frigate USS De Wert (FFG 45) at Navy Week in Cleveland.

Pictures of the frigate and a few others

Navy Week Cleveland

From August 27-September 4, 2012 six ships of the U.S. Navy, U.S. Coast Guard and Royal Canadian Navy participated in Cleveland Navy Week and the Commemoration of the Bicentennial of the War of 1812 and The Star-Spangled Banner.

Free and open to the public.

There are other public events such as performances by the U.S. Navy Band, U.S. Navy Divers, U.S. Navy Blue Angels and the Leapfrogs, the Navy’s parachute demonstration team.

I had a blast climbing around on the USS De Wert (FFG 45).  I took a lot of picture and posted them at Navy Week Cleveland ships. 

One World Day Garden Song

Ever since I first heard Bob Crawford and Pat Hoynes do their special version of Inch by Inch in the Cultural Gardens a few years ago I thought it would make a great theme song for One World Day.

They added some lyrics and performed it yesterday in the Irish Garden at the 65th annual One World Day.  It was terrific!  Will have lots of pics and video soon but here's the Garden Song video.

Packing for college - then and now.

Amy Kenneley's grandson is heading off to college and it triggered her own memories of the big move from the early 1950's.  So she made some comparisons.

Worth reading

A true saint

I wasn't familiar with the story of St. Maximilian Mary Kolbe until I heard it today, his feast day.

Wikipedia and other places have a lot of interesting facts about the Polish man but the part that grabbed me is that during the Second World War, he provided shelter to refugees from Poland, including 2,000 Jews whom he hid from Nazi persecution in his friary.


On 17 February 1941, he was arrested by the German Gestapo and imprisoned in the Pawiak prison. On 28 May, he was transferred to Auschwitz as prisoner #16670.

At the end of July 1941, three prisoners disappeared from the camp, prompting the deputy camp commander to pick 10 men to be starved to death in an underground bunker in order to deter further escape attempts.

When one of the selected men, Franciszek Gajowniczek, cried out, "My wife! My children!", Kolbe volunteered to take his place.

In the starvation cell, he celebrated Mass each day and sang hymns with the prisoners.
He led the other condemned men in song and prayer and encouraged them by telling them they would soon be with Mary in Heaven. Each time the guards checked on him, he was standing or kneeling in the middle of the cell and looking calmly at those who entered.

After two weeks of dehydration and starvation, only Kolbe remained alive. The guards wanted the bunker emptied and they gave Kolbe a lethal injection of carbolic acid.

He was canonized a saint in 1982 by Pope John Paul II and the man he saved by taking his place was present at the ceremony.  Wow.

Liszt Concert in Hungarian Garden

The beautiful Hungarian Cultural Garden was the stage for the annual Liszt Concert in the Garden.

The performers were under the direction of Vera Holczer, founder and director of the Aurora School of Music. Vera was born in Budapest and began her piano studies at age 9. Her advanced studies are from the Cleveland Institute of Music and she regularly performs on WCLV 104.9 FM. 

Photos and videos of the people and concert performances

Ohio's Celtic and International Fall Fest - Free tickets

This Labor Day weekend Ohio's Celtic and International Fall Fest will feature some of the very best in Celtic music including some exciting new musical groups some making their first visit to the greater Cleveland area.

It's an event for the whole family with a children's stage with lots of activities and shows for the children.
New this year is the ClevelandPeople.Com International Pavilion.

Groups representing about 20 different cultures will perform. While we love the Irish and Celtic music, dances, bands and food that are the core of Ohio's Celtic and International Fall Fest, our region is made up of over 100 different ethnic groups. The ClevelandPeople.Com International Pavilion will feature music, performances, food and shopping from many different cultural groups.

Learn more and enter to win free tickets

Puerto Rican Parade

The annual Puerto Rican Parade and Latino Festival was held in Cleveland the weekend of August 3-5, 2012.

The event is put on by the Julia de Burgos Cultural Arts Center. The Center is dedicated to preserving and sharing the Puerto Rican and Caribbean traditions through the teaching and practice of the visual, performing, & literary arts.

2012 marks the 44th celebration of the Puerto Rican Parade in the City of Cleveland. The Parade & festivities are a great historical tradition that has united Clevelanders and Northeast Ohioans for decades.

4 pages of photos and a video of the parade highlights.

Windows 8 RTM

The Windows Blog announced that Windows 8 has reached the RTM milestone.

 

People will be able get Windows 8 starting on October 26th either by upgrading for $39.99 or on a new PC or device. And if you buy an eligible Windows 7 PC today, you will be able to purchase an upgrade to Windows 8 Pro for $14.99 (U.S.) through the Windows Upgrade Offer.

However, there are a number of programs that provides various audiences early access to the Windows 8 RTM code to help prepare for Windows 8 as it enters the marketplace this fall:

• August 15th: Developers will be able to download the final version of Windows 8 via your MSDN subscriptions.
• August 15th: IT professionals testing Windows 8 in organizations will be able to access the final version of Windows 8 through your TechNet subscriptions.
• August 16th: Customers with existing Microsoft Software Assurance for Windows will be able to download Windows 8 Enterprise edition through the Volume License Service Center (VLSC), allowing you to test, pilot and begin adopting Windows 8 Enterprise within your organization.
• August 16th: Microsoft Partner Network members will have access to Windows 8.
• August 20th: Microsoft Action Pack Providers (MAPS) receive access to Windows 8.
• September 1st: Volume License customers without Software Assurance will be able to purchase Windows 8 through Microsoft Volume License Resellers.

Father of Gymnastics

As we celebrate the 2012 London Olympics US women's gymnastics gold medal, here's a bit of trivia.

In the German Cultural Garden in Cleveland there is a bust of Friedrich Jahn.

In 1811, gymnast Friedrich Ludwig Jahn organized the first gymnastic clubs, or "Turn Vereine," as they are known in Germany. Friedrich Jahn was (and still is) known as "Father Jahn" for having fathered the many athletic clubs and for being like a father to so many young men.
 

He is known as the Father of Gymnastics

Cleveland's 216th Birthday Party

Cleveland, the 216, turned 216 years old on Sunday July 22nd. Ohio Homecoming organized a birthday bash that attracted thousands to Nautica in the Flats for a party.
 

4 pages of photos and videos of the attendees, performers, fashion show and more

Chinese at Cleveland's 216th Birthday

The Cleveland Chinese community was well-represented at Cleveland's 216th birthday party.  

They performed a traditional musical piece on the guzheng (Chinese zither) and a group of youngsters performed several dances including the popular Happy Drum Dance.   

See the Cleveland Chinese community at the 216 birthday event.

Asian Indians at Cleveland Birthday

The Cleveland Asian-Indian community was well-represented at Cleveland's 216th birthday party.  

They had a booth for both FICA and India Festival USA, performed a traditional Karagattam Dance and a Bollywood Dance and participated in the fashion show.  

Asian Indians at Cleveland Birthday party

Cleveland Peruvians at birthday bash

The Cleveland Peruvian community was well-represented at Cleveland's 216th birthday party.  

They had a booth, performed a traditional Lando Dance and participated in the fashion show.  

Photos and videos of the Peruvians

Lithuanians at Cleveland 216th Birthday

The Cleveland Lithuanian community was well-represented at Cleveland's 216th birthday party.  

Besides singing upbeat polkas, they participated in the fashion show.

See photos and videos of the Lithuanians at Cleveland's birthday

Cleveland Lebanese at 216 Birthday Bash

The Cleveland Lebanese community was well-represented at Cleveland's 216th birthday party.

CAMEO - the Cleveland Area Middle East Organization - had a booth and the band Ajyal performed a traditional Lebanese Dabke dance.

See photos and videos of the Lebanese at Cleveland's Birthday bash.

London Calling - Summer Olympics

I love the Summer Olympics.  I have always felt that the track and field competitors -especially the decathletes - are the best  athletes in the world.  And there is usually no politics in track and field.  If you cross the finish line faster than everyone else, for example, you win.

Swimming is like that too.  We are fortunate to have an Olympic Gold Medal swimmer here in Cleveland.  Diana Munz won a Gold and Silver in Sydney and a Bronze Medal in Athens four years later.

Diana gave us the inside scoop on the swimming competition during the 2008 Beijing Olympics and now she is doing it again for London.  You can see her predictions and insights on the 2012 Olympic swimmers here where she talks about Missy Franklin, Dara Torres, Michael Phelps, Janet Evans and more.

 You can watch Diana do commentary on NBC as well.

Year of the Dragon Public Art

2012 is the Year of the Dragon on the Chinese calendar. To celebrate, St. Clair Superior Development Corporation filled our community with a collection of public art pieces in honor of the Year of the Dragon!

Local artists applied their talent & creativity to the fiberglass dragon sculptures to create an assortment of unique pieces of public art. The Dragons have been placed outside local business establishments in Cleveland, and will be auctioned in September.

Each artist was challenged and inspired by cultural influences, their personal history, and their own interpretation of the dragon as an object of art.

This is the 7th year of the project with prior art honoring the Year of the Rabbit, Ox, Rat, Pig, Dog and Tiger.

Browse photos of all the Dragons and then vote for your favorites.