March 12 2007

March 12

One Teacher Can Make a Difference 

Before I continue on with my favorite things and people, I want to focus this entry on one particular person who I hope people – especially parents, teachers, and politicians too! - will pay attention to.

I’m sure some of you know who Erin Gruwell is. She’s the teacher who Hillary Swank portrays in the recently released movie, Freedom Writers. In 1995, Erin began her teaching career at a high school in Long Beach, California. Her class consisted of a diverse group – African-American, Asians, poverty-stricken – all mixed in with...

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March 2 2007

My Favorite Things – and People 

Well first off, seeing how this is my favorite youngest daughter’s (as opposed to my favorite oldest daughter) birthday, I just want to tell her, and apparently thousands of others reading this, how proud I am of who she’s turned out to be. She has given her father and me hardly any worries or problems, and there are no words to describe how grateful we are for that. But then, the lawn ornaments that greeted her this morning gave her a pretty good indication J  I loved seeing her face as she walked out the door and found our yard filled with a menagerie of some 25 plastic farm animals (and cute little penguins) along with the big Happy Birthday sign with the rainbow and smiley face.

My, that was fun...

Luckily, our daughter has a good...

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February 23 2007 (a)

February 23

Oh, to Be a Pig!

I’ve been hearing a lot lately about how great it is to be a Pig.

That is, of course, due to the Chinese New Year, and apparently 2007 is a swine’s year.

If you are born, say, in 1947, 1959, or 1971, you are a Pig. And in this case, that’s a compliment. Because The Pig is a sign of wealth and prosperity.

I wonder if Donald Trump is a Pig? Well, from what I hear, Rosie O’Donnell thinks so.

Anyway, for your enjoyment, I was going to...

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February 23 2007

February 23 – Yes, still the same date – but I Have Breaking News for an Important Apology

I made a really embarrassing blunder the other day, and although I did make a personal apology, I feel this is a good opportunity to talk a little about the writing world in which live.   

Ok, here goes: So I decide to write my very first review on Amazon and choose Carlo Wolff’s new book, “Cleveland Rock & Roll Memories” because some people thought that just because he wrote a book on the same topic as I did, that I’d be upset about that.  On the contrary, I thought it was great. I love my city and I’m proud of its musical heritage and the more books about it, the better, far as I’m concerned. So to all you Ohio rockers - keep ‘em coming. There are...

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February 2007

That snow we got last month? That was nothing folks. We are now recovering from what they’re calling the “Blizzard of 2007.” OK, now we’re talking major snow storm, now we’re talking Breaking News category. I’ll give them that.

But do they have to extend the Breaking News to a consecutive NINE HOURS? I am not making this up, folks. As a matter of fact, the news people proudly boasted yesterday that they have given us NINE straight hours of coverage, and after NINE STRAIGHT HOURS of “Let’s go now to Medina and see what’s going on there” (I bet it’s snowing) and “Let’s see what’s happening in Canton” (snowing) and “Let’s go now to Bob in BFE (Ok, I made that last one up but when reporter Bob does make it to BFE, I just know for sure it’s gonna be snowing).

OH, and then they tell us not to worry, our regularly scheduled programs will be...

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January 2007

So I’m in the living room the other day taking my usual break. I begin writing at 6:30 a.m. when everyone in the house leaves. So by 9, I’m ready for a little light entertainment to free my mind from the deep thinking that writing takes - and Regis & Kelly’s 15-minute morning chat provides just enough to distract those heavy thoughts, laugh a little, eat breakfast, then get back to work. 

But this day, when I turn on the TV for my much anticipated break, the news is on. I look at the clock thinking, oh, I must be early. It reads: 9:03 a.m..  

That’s odd, I think. This must be...

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