Social media - legal concerns

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

Year of the Ox Public Art in Cleveland

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.

Cleveland Cooks

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

Save our libraries

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.

Don't follow that link

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

Juneteenth Celebration at African American Gardens

The 4th Annual Juneteenth Celebration was held in Cleveland Friday evening June 19, 2009 at the Cozad-Bates House and Saturday June 20, 2009 at the African American Cultural Gardens.


An explanation of Juneteenth along with some great pictures and videos are at ClevelandPeople.Com

Do NOT miss the last video of the youngsters from Peace in the Hood. I still have the "Don't fight it out..." chant in my head

Thrilla in Manila at TECHnic

Boundless Flight morphed their annual summer picnic into a joint Gathering of the Geeks on Saturday June 20, 2009. CEO Gary Baney invited other companies, user groups and various tech people to join the Boundless Flight team at the picnic grounds at St. Sava's in Parma.

Food, drink, music, raffles, networking and camaraderie were plentiful. One of the highlights was the 'Thrilla in Manila' 100 yard dash challenge between Baney and Boundless Flight Engagement Executive Heidi Hooper.

Watch the grudge match dash at TECHnic - the video does not lie!

Burning the US Flag

No, this isn't a call to anarchy. I'm talking about the respectful retirement of faded and threadworn old American flags.

For almost 20 years, Boy Scouts have been gathering at Lake View Cemetery on Flag Day with a huge pile of flags they have collected. Then they go through a process of cutting, burning and finally burying the ashes. It's fascinating to watch

Check out pictures and a video of the 2009 Flag Day retirement.

Cleveland's Madame Curie

While scientists respect Madame Marie Sklodowska Curie for her pioneering work in radioactivity, discovering the elements radium and polonium and other accomplishments, women scientists especially revere her.

Even after her first Nobel Prize, she was denied entrance to the French Academy of Science because she was a woman.

Curie was one of only two people to win 2 Nobel Prizes in 2 different fields. Linus Pauling won in Chemistry and then a Peace prize. Madame Curie won in Chemistry and Physics. Wow!

A statue of Madame Curie was dedicated Sunday in the Polish Cultural Garden in Cleveland. Several hundred people came to the event. Photos and videos from the event.

Adding to the event was the keynote given by Dr. Marie Siemionow from the Cleveland Clinic. In 2008, Dr. Siemionow led a team of six surgeons in a 22-hour surgery, performing the first face transplant in the United States.

There are many parallels between Dr. Siemionow and Madame Curie.

Watch video and see more from Dr. Siemionow's presentation.

Packy Hyland Sr.

I’d like to express my condolences to the family and friends of Packy Hyland Sr. who passed away last week at the too young age of 67.

I first ran into Packy at a meeting of the John Carroll University Private Sector Group back in 1990. He knew I was in tech and asked me a few questions about what I thought of this idea his kids had for a business.

Later he stood up at the meeting and said that his kids had an idea for a business and they thought it would be a big success. He (self-deprecatingly) said he didn’t understand it 100% but they thought it would be big. He asked the group for our opinions and support.

Of course, Hyland Software has become the most successful software story in the region. Sure the products and culture are terrific but the quality of the people, like Packy and his family, are what made Hyland succeed.

I’d run into Packy at events several times each year and he always had a good word and an interest in what would happen next. He could have easily rested on his Hyland Software laurels but he stayed active in working on new ventures. It was in his blood.

I last saw Packy when he stopped in at my church (St. Philomena’s in East Cleveland) for Mass one weekend. I was surprised to see this Westsider in my neighborhood but Packy was always trying new things. We had a good chat about business and life and went our separate ways.

I will miss these meetups with Packy. He was truly one of a kind. Heaven just got themselves a heck of an entrepreneur and a heck of a guy.

Get Well Bobby 'Bingo' Smith

Bobby ‘Bingo’ Smith is one of only 6 Cleveland Cavaliers to have his number retired and hanging from the rafters at The Q. The Cavaliers retired his jersey on Dec. 4, 1979.
Bobby Smith, played 10 seasons and over 700 games with the Cavaliers, helping to shape and mold the young expansion team into playoff contenders.

Bingo’ sweet rainbow jumpers were often the highlight of many dismal games for the young team. Fans will remember announcer Joe Tait’s cry of “Bingo!” after another swish from Smith.

In the “Miracle of Richfield” season, Bingo was a key piece of that scrappy team. In Washington for Game 2, Smith scored a team-leading 17 points and made the game-winning shot with just seconds remaining to secure the 80-79 victory. The win served as the first playoff victory for the franchise and propelled the Cavaliers past the Bullets and into the Eastern Conference Finals.

“Bingo” ranks in the top 10 all time in franchise history in nine different categories [Games Played (2nd), Field Goals Made (2nd), Field Goals Attempted (2nd), Minutes Played (3rd), Points Scored (4th), Assists (10th), Free Throws Made (10th) and Free Throws Attempted (10th)].

Recently, Bingo Smith has been fighting some health problems.
We want him to know that the Cleveland fans support him and wish him the best.

We will be at FanFest at the Q Saturday night before the game with a giant card for you to sign. You can also appear on a video greeting to #7.
If you can’t make it to the Q, please send us your messages and we will get them to Bingo.


Cards can be mailed to
Bingo
3150 Payne Ave.
Cleveland, OH 44114

Or you can send them via e-mail to qa@clevelandseniors.com

Or join the Facebook page (get Well Bingo Smith)

Memorial Day Cookout for Geeks

You have to love this special grill accessory for bean counters, geeks and their ilk. See another at GreatLakesGeek.com

Always be prepared

That's the boy scout motto. Of course I was not a boy scout so things happen.
For example, I was at the terrific CWRU CollabTech last week.

At the lunch keynote there was a small cake on each table. Also a baggie with a candle, book of matches and a note not to do anything till asked.

Near the end of the keynote, speaker Larry Johnson had us all light the cakes and everyone sang Happy Birthday to CWRU CIO Lev Gonick, host of CollabTech.

Johnson sprung the announcement pretty fast so by the time I fumbled around and got my videocam out, I only caught the end of the song.



See more from the event

Horse Fest 2009

There's a lot to do this weekend but one of the coolest things is HorseFest 2009 at Lake Metroparks Farmpark.



Horses, contests, horses, demonstrations, horses, saddle demos, horses, jumping competition - and horses!

Not bad for a few miles outside the city in Kirtland.

Details of HorseFest 2009

Best and Worst countries for Mothers

An organization called Save the Children has been reporting for 10 years on the best and worst countries for mothers.

I expected the US to be in the top 2 or 3 but unfortunately we don't because of our high infant mortality rate. The US ranks # 27!

The Mothers' Index ranks the best and most difficult places to be a mother among 158 countries. Among the top 10 best places: Sweden ranks first, followed by Norway, Australia, Iceland, Denmark, New Zealand, Finland, Ireland, Germany and the Netherlands.

Among the bottom 10 places: Niger ranks last, followed by Sierra Leone, Chad, Guinea-Bissau, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Yemen, Sudan, Angola, Eritrea and Djibouti.

Check out more details

Snow Bunnies in new Convention Center

It's refreshing to hear some new and innovative ideas. Jim Gilmore offers several for Cleveland in his interview with Team Geek columnist Tim Zaun.

For example, he says, "What we ought to do is invent the world's first convention center specifically designed to host winter events. Never-been-seen-before outdoor meeting space ought to created, ice bars ought to be integrated, venue-issued parkas provided, sled rides from one level to another built into the place, and so on. Make meeting planners want to come here in January for the wonderful winter-based experience. "

I love it!

Or how about, "I'd like to see us re-think Public Square. It's been cleaned up but needs a Wow. Think something radically different, like hiring Jon Jerde to enclose it under some uniquely designed dome."

Cool! Check out some more ideas

Do you get Twitter?

There are two kinds of people out there - those who get Twitter and those who don't.

It's easy for someone to grasp the usefulness of a social network like LinkedIn or Facebook but a lot of people have a problem understanding the value of frequent 140 character messages on Twitter.

So I asked Jason Therrien of Thunder::Tech about Twitter and he gives some good advice in this podcast.

Like you should only tweet with about the same frequency that you eat each day. 3-4 times. Listen to some more good ideas.

BTW, you can follow me at Twitter at

http://twitter.com/DanHanson for general stuff

http://twitter.com/greatlakesgeek for techie/science biz stuff and

http://twitter.com/clevelandpeople for info about the many different cultural groups and heritages we have in town.

Barbecue for Bean Counters

You know they type. Maybe you are that type. CPA's and other bean counters sometimes just can't relax - even while camping or at a summer barbecue.

Now they can order up a special grill accessory.



More Geek Fun

The way things work

The current economic conditions are forcing companies to make hard decisions. There is a risk we may have to lay off Andre.

Employee Happiness Kit

Due to the hard economic times and otherwise depressing state of the world today, all personnel will now be required to at least look happy while working.
Company-approved supplies will be provided to each employee at little or no cost.


Check out the Employee Happiness Kit