The king of the urgency pitch, Burton 'Buddy' Kallick of Buddy's Carpet Barn passed away last week. For years, Buddy's smiling face and carnie voice were a fixture on Ohio television, offering carpet at what he would have us believe were astounding discounts. But only if we acted by Tuesday.
Kallick and his partner opened Buddy's Carpet Barn in 1983 near Dayton and over the next 20 years built it into a regional success. They sold the company in 2000, but Buddy remained as the pitchman through 2002 as they transitioned to the current spokeswoman.
In the age of MTV-style advertising, Buddy's ads harkened back to a time when advertising was unsophisticated, when the product, the seller and the sales proposition were simply presented. With his smile and conviction, Buddy was an iconic salesman straight from the 50's.
I hope he makes it to heaven by Tuesday, so he can take advantage of their specials.
Tracey Chapman's socially relevant tunes have struck a chord with the American audience. She was born in Cleveland, moving on to Tufts Unversity before making her mark in the music scene. Here's a video of her song Crossroads from the 1989 of the same name.
Karen Wynn Fonstad, author of The Atlas of Middle-Earth, has created a wonderful web page on which she breaks down, day by day, the first leg of Frodo's journey in Lord of the Rings, from Hobbiton to Rivendell. To get a better perspective on his journey, I've overlaid these distances on a walk across Ohio.
I started in the hills north of Oxford, because the terrain seems perfect for hobbit holes. Zoar Village stands in for Rivendell, for convenience, not appearance. After all, what could stand in for Rivendell?
To make sense of this, you'll need an Ohio map and access to Fonstad's web page, along with a working knowledge of LOTR.
Start: Assumptions: I multiplied as-the-crow-flies mileage x .7 to compensate for foot travel.
Day 1- 18 miles
Fairhaven to woods near Gratis (Preble Co.)
Day 2- 28 miles
Near Colonial Vineyards, Ridgeville
Day 3- 27 miles
Ridgeville to King's Mill
(Cross Little Miami River, think of Buckleberry Ferry)
This is one of those posts that can go either way. It could be about The Arts Castle in Delaware, or it could be about Suanne M. Goings, the artist whose work I went to see. If it's about Suanne, I would say Suanne is one of those artists whose work exudes soul, and at the same time incorporates fun--even when there is great loss in the background story. Suanne's beloved daughter, Brandi died in a car crash four years ago, almost to this day. At first, with grief overwhelming her, Suanne couldn't so much as read a book. Art came to the rescue.
The wonderful thing about Suanne and her work is that it celebrates the tenacity of the human spirit through whimsical altars festooned with objects of significance, such as the alter where she included things that Brandi and she had given each other. The result evoked a feeling of peace through the use of shades of blue. Then there was the word search made out of wooden blocks--the kind with alphabet letters on some of the sides and pictures on the other. The wooden blocks spelled out words like "alchemy ." A handout was available so you could take the word search home. That's just like Suanne Goings. Her artistic expression is about using art to give inspiration to others. When she's not making her own art, she facilitates the artwork of others through the classes and workshops she teaches through organizations like Art for a Child's Safe America Foundation (ArtSafe), the Columbus Museum of Art, and other community programs. One of her specialties is mural projects where she helps enable other people's ideas to take shape based on interpersonal concepts she envisions. But then she lets go as others step in. Here is an artist statement of sorts.
Now, if I was to write about The Arts Castle, I would say that its purpose is to nurture the arts in Delaware County through exhibits, workshops and classes. The gift shop alone is worth a trip--also the building. Once an elegant private residence, it is a lovely tribute to the concept of transforming one family's home into a home for artists and their work.
Asimo, the human-shaped robot built by Honda, normally moves with grace and eerily human-like movement. Unfortunately, in this clip his strides are more like mine, and I have a reputation for falling over gnats.
Toledo Mayor Carty Finkbeiner has drawn widespread interest and support by announcing a search for a wi-fi service provider. The city will seek proposals from companies interested in providing city-wide service. If the idea works, Toledo would become the first major Ohio city to offer wireless internet access on a city-wide basis.
The program could be accomplished without cost to the taxpayers and would have some benefits that can't be denied. Not only would all city offices have free wireless internet, but police and firefighters would be able to access maps and criminal record information in their vehicles.
The service would also provide free access in certain public buildings and outdoor areas, such as city parks. Citizens could subscribe to the service at a nominal cost. Discounted service would be available to those with low incomes.
So far, the idea has been receiving widespread support. From what I can see, the whole idea seems to have taken the whole city by surprise. It sounds like a very good idea whose time has come. I'll tell you one thing. It's not every day you hear Fred LeFebvre, a morning host at News Talk WSPD and one of Mayor Finkbeiner's most outspoken critics, yell "good move, mayor! Wooh, hoo"!
Ohio has been a hotbed for SF/F writers from the days of Roger Zelazny and Harlan Ellison through recent masters such as Lois McMaster Bujold.
The next generation is now making its mark on the field. One of the most prominent is Blog-O's own Tobias Buckell. His first novel, Crystal Rain, has been nominated for the Nebula, the field's most prestigious award. It also was selected as a Reviewer's Choice by Romantic Times, and chosen to be crafted into an upcoming graphic novel by the Dabel Brothers. Crystal Rain will soon be out in paperback, and the sequel, Ragamuffin, will be on the shelves early this summer.
John Scalzi, who made his bones as a blogger before breaking into fiction, won the Campbell award for Best New Writer for his novel 'Old Man's War', which was also nominated for a Hugo award for best novel. He too was on the Romantic Times list. His latest, The Last Colony, is due to release in April.
One of our newest Blog-O writers, Chris Barzak, landed on the Nebula long list with his novelette "The Language of Moths." His first novel, One For Sorrow, from Bantam Spectra, will appear this fall.
Central Ohio writer Paul Melko is also on a tear. His first novel, Singularity's Ring, from Tor, will appear on the shelves this fall, and his novella "The Walls of the Universe" is on the 2007 Nebula long list.
If you get the chance, check out the work of our home boys. You won't be disappointed.
If you've never heard and seen this, or even if you have; Martin Luther King's speech "I Have a Dream" is arguably the most important speech of the 20th century. It stills brings goosebumps whenever I hear it.
The Ohioana Library in Columbus is a repository of works by Ohio artists, including writers. As part of their ongoing Ohio Legacy Series, they asked some of the state's best-known contemporary authors to write essays about what their Ohio origins or other Ohio writer's works has meant to their own work.
Among the interesting pieces available on-line are
David D. Anderson on Louis Bromfield
Martin Kich on James Purdy
Jack Matthews about Blog-O favorite Ambrose Bierce
Robin Hemly on Sherwood Anderson
Mary A. Truzillo on Roger Zelazny
Herbert Woodward Martin on Paul Laurence Dunbar
The gem of the collection, though, is probably Karen Novak's essay on the impact of Ohio on writers such as Zane Grey, Toni Morrison and Harriet Beecher Stowe, A Fiction Writer's Map of Ohio. Her theme is expressed in her words, "Writing is geographical. To work words across a page is to create a topography that, with the rise and fall of letters, raises relief maps in the reader's mind."
This series of essays originally appeared in the library's publication, The Ohioana Quarterly. The periodical contains news and reviews about Ohio writing and other forms of art. To receive the magazine, think about becoming a member of the library. Their state funding only covers a small portion of their expenses, so a donation would be gratefully received, too.
And if you're ever in Columbus, take some time and visit the Ohioana Library. Books don't circulate, but here you'll fine a terrific compilation of our state's creativity.
There are several You Tube choices of Jerry Springer on Dancing with the Stars. This one is my favorite. After I wrote the blog, I went looking since I missed the actual show. I watched this particular video, added to You Tube Sept.12, 06 at least five times. The move where he lifts his glasses is my favorite. Just thinking about this video makes me smile because he looks like he is having an absolute blast. The song is also a fun one. Light-hearted and a real pick-me-upper.
Recently we told you about the reputed Nazi sadist John Demjanjuk and attempts by Israel to avenge themselves for his WWII atrocities. Now another Ohioan enemy of Israel has been arrested by Shin Bet, the Israeli security police.
Fawaz Damra emmigated from the West Bank to the U.S. in the 80's, and became the Iman of Ohio's largest mosque, the Islamic Center in Cleveland. In 2004, he was arrested and convicted of raising funds for the Islamic Jihad organization. He was scheduled for deportation for concealing his fundraising actions when applying for U.S. citizenship. Damra had been imprisoned in Michigan while the U.S. searched for a country that would accept him.
Damra was finally transported back to the West Bank last week. He was promptly arrested by the Israelis when he attempted to cross the border into Jordan.
Damra's wife and children, U.S. citizens all, remain in Ohio. Charges for Damra's apprehension have not yet been made public.
Since 1977, Ohio resident John Demjanjuk of Cleveland has been fighting the accusation that during WWII he was the SS guard known as Ivan the Terrible who terrorized Jews at the Nazi concentration camp Treblinka. The 86-year-old this week again filed an appeal to stop deportation to his homeland, the Ukraine.
The retired auto worker has been through a labyrinth of courts and charges. In 1977, when Demjanjuk's possible identity as the long-sought Nazi guard was uncovered, the U.S. District Court revoked Demjanjuk's citizenship on the basis that he had lied on his immigration request.
While working though appeals of this decision, he was extradited to Israel in 1986 to stand trial for war crimes. Convinced that Demjanjuk was Ivan the Terrible, the Israeli court in 1988 sentenced him to death. In 1993, however, the Israeli Supreme Court overturned the decision, finding insufficient proof of the claim.
In 1998, the U.S. court returned Demjanjuk's citizenship, but a year later the Justice Department filed a civil complaint charging him with complicity as a Nazi camp guard and member of an SS group that sent 2 million Polish Jews to the camps. In 2002, the court found him guilty. In 2004, he was again stripped of his citizenship, and a year later ordered to leave the country for the Ukraine, an order he is still appealing.
Demjanjuk has been a cause celeb for both those pursuing justice for Jewish deaths during WWII and whack jobs such as white supremacists, Holocaust doubters, and Ohio Rep. James Trafficant.
Now in 2007 Ivan, if that's who he is, and his victims are all in end game, and we will probably never know the truth of his involvement. The only thing we can say for certain is that someone did not receive justice in this life.
If there is an afterlife, though, somebody is in a world of hurt.
I was reading the New York Times article on Jim Tressel and the bizarre dichotomy between his sterling behavior and the not-so-sterling behavior of his players, and it mentioned a great statistic: how many Ohioans would vote Jim Tressel in as a major politician, based solely on his performance as the head coach at OSU. Quite a few, is the response. (Exact number?) I can't really blame them; I'm from Berea where the Tressels are from (I once had his brother as a teacher in sixth grade; and there is a Tressel street), so we love the Tressels without question.
But I'm also a Clevelander, and so here's my thought: who would win in a political race between LeBron James and Jim Tressel? That is a tough question. You have LeBron "King" James, bringing the Cavs and Cleveland's sports back into the national spotlight (sportlight?). He's young, he's energetic, and he'd obviously be able to get the entire youth vote. But what about Jim? Been around for a while, also getting national recognition for his team. A little more of a leader (corralling young football players year-round has got to be good for leadership) and obviously a little more mature than 22-year-old LeBron. But who would win? Let's see some votes!
The newest members of the hall will be inducted at a ceremony at the Waldorf-Astoria in New York on March 12th. Performers at the ceremony won't be announced until next month.
Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five features hip-hop artist Joseph Saddler, one of the originators of the DJ mix.
R.E.M., a rock band from Athens, GA. became famous in the 1980s for their fusion of punk and art rock and the singing of Michael Stipe.
The Ronettes were a prototype girl group of the '60's, and a favorite of Phil Spector. Among their biggest hits was the tune "Be My Baby."
Patti Smith was known as a poet before she took on the world of rock and roll. She became a leading figure in the punk movement.
Van Halen is a quintessential American hair band which has topped the charts since the late 70's. Lead singers David Lee Roth and Sammy Hagar provided the gossip mags with plenty of copy, but it is guitarist Eddie Van Halen's riffs that have nailed their HOF status.
I'm a little behind on this assignment. I blame my terrible cold and the fact that I may have broken a bone in my foot - more on that exciting news tomorrow! But since the end of the year has come and gone, I want to join the ranks of my fellow bloggers and talk about what I think were some of my better posts from 2006.
Most recently, my review of the Bazaar Bizarre craft fair. Start saving up for the December 2007 version! In October, I talked about two things that I thought were pretty interesting, and completely unrelated: Toni Morrison and her anniversary of getting the Novel Prize, and being filmed in November on Election Day. I really like to review restaurants, local fairs of any kind and books. So, in a quick sampling, my review of Sullivan's restaurant in Lakewood, Ohio; a review of my annual pilgrimage to the St. Rocco's Festival; and a review of Cleveland native Les Roberts' memoir, We'll Always Have Cleveland! Obviously, I love Ohio - you may have gathered that piece of information from my working for a website wholly devoted to Ohio! But I like when our great Buckeye state makes it into the news in weird ways: like when I found an mention of our major cities in Forbes' discussion of best cities for singles. I really have become involved in the wholly stand-up comic scene here in Cleveland, for which you may totally blame my dear good friend, Sidekick Girl! But I like helping her and her fellow comics out with a little bit of free publicity, like when I reviewed the first Rockstar Comedy event.
I also love getting to take pictures for you, Blogging Ohio! Enjoy an old Ohiopic of the Day! Let's go to '07!
The king of the urgency pitch, Burton 'Buddy' Kallick of Buddy's Carpet Barn passed away last week. For years, Buddy's smiling face and carnie voice were a fixture on Ohio television, offering carpet at what he would have us believe were astounding discounts. But only if we acted by Tuesday.
This is one of those posts that can go either way. It could be about 
service provider. The city will seek proposals from companies interested in providing city-wide service. If the idea works, Toledo would become the first major Ohio city to offer wireless internet access on a city-wide basis..jpg)
Ohio has been a hotbed for SF/F writers from the days of Roger Zelazny and Harlan Ellison through recent masters such as Lois McMaster Bujold.
The Ohioana Library in Columbus is a repository of works by Ohio artists, including writers. As part of their ongoing .jpg)
Recently we told you about the reputed Nazi sadist John Demjanjuk and attempts by Israel to avenge themselves for his WWII atrocities. Now another Ohioan enemy of Israel.jpg)
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I'm a little behind on this assignment. I blame my terrible cold and the fact that I may have broken a bone in my foot - more on that exciting news tomorrow! But since the end of the year has come and gone, I want to join the ranks of my fellow bloggers and talk about what I think were some of my better posts from 2006.
