In the past week I have had three interesting observations of red tail hawks.  

Last week one swooped over a cat - sized up the cat (too big) - and landed back on a low tree limb.  

Two days ago I watched another hawk swoop across a wetland - and this time it was a duck which was the target.   The duck turned upside down in the water and shook its feet in the air to avoid the hawk.

Newspapers across the country take another smack from readers. They are buying fewer and fewer newspapers, including the Plain Dealer.

Former Congressman Dennis Eckart has joined the party. He’s backing Issue 3. That makes it almost unanimous – every shyster in town is backing a monopoly casino for a billionaire.

Election Day is Nov. 3. Vote Nagin for City Council

I received a flyer in the mail today from the Ohio Arts Council (OAC) . They are coming to Cleveland on Friday, November 6, 2009 to learn from the community. OAC is conducting Listening Tours to learn how communities value creativity and the arts. ALL EVENTS ARE FREE!

Chris Hedges @ TruthDig - Violence against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people is wrong. So is violence against people in Afghanistan and Iraq. But in the bizarre culture of identity politics, there are no alliances among the oppressed. The Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr.

Today (Monday Oct. 26, 2009) the Plain Dealer ran my letter concerning the blundering approach to development along the new Health Bus Rapid Transit Line on Euclid Avenue being taken by Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson.

Looks like the " honorable " councilman Brancatelli is up to his old tricks.

Sources report Olga Sarbinowska campaign yard signs are disappearing from Slavic Village residences, buidlings businesses like Casper the Friendly Ghost. Except this "ghost" is no friend. Sources also report the " honorable " councilman alledgedly demands business operators on Fleet Avenue to remove Olga for Council signs or else legal preceedings like the simple okay of licences, etc  will be denided.

Just a friendly reminder not to waste any of your leaves' "solar power" by raking them to the street curb.   You can mulch them in place with a mower, or compost them in your back yard.   This is the third year for this lawn - didn't have to water all summer because of the organics now built up like a sponge at the base of the grass - never had any burn out either.   Forget Scotts.

This came via email today. I urge citizens to read through the Dredged Materials Management Plan, or if you are already convinced that a new 200 acre port at E55th is not the solution, send the comments below. Add your voice to a rising chorus that does not see the efficacy of this ill concieved plan. Ed Hauser can no loger add his voice, we must speak.

Campaign endorsements can be a funny game.  In ward 14, the race for endorsements seems to be the race within the race.  While candidates are quick to state that most voters do not pay attention to endorsements, they usually only state that when questioned on why they did not obtain a particular endorsement.  And what of the endorsers - what makes an individual or groups opinion worthy of consideration?  Who to listen to?  Is anyone listening?

In the NY Times, Nicholas Ouroussoff writes about the burst of the arts and cultural district bubble.

Where is this $180,000 sculpture, who is the artist, why is it located here, how was it selected, who  paid for it, who will maintain it, what does it say, is it successful, does it represent serious problems in unreal NEO, and how may you get it to speak for you, in the future?

With timing that could not be better for political candidates who actually care about the environment and real sustainability for NEO and the world... the greatest demonstration of the unsustainable harm of our current leadership of Mayor Jackson and all or most Cleveland City Council members (did any oppose), and of our other Powers That Be, will be showcased here, tomorrow, as the Cleveland Plain Dealer reports "AMP Inc. on Monday holds its annual membership meeting in Cleveland". AMP is planning a poorly conceived $3+ billion coal burning powerplant in Southern Ohio, at astounding ecological expense, that is largely the fault of Cleveland politicians committing to buy the unsustainable, dirty power to be generated there, for 50 years!

Is the sky falling again???

I’d have to agree with Elizabeth Sullivan’s Sunday column saying newspaper should take the responsibility of endorsing candidates and issues. I don’t agree, however, that they do it because they “care.” That’s giving them a little too much credit.

East Cleveland Mayor Eric Brewer eviscerates Issue 6 promoters and their promoter, the Pee Dee, our morning voice from Corporate Headquarters.

I was reviewing emails from last week and read, from the EPA, "EPA Proposes Tightening Standards for Lead-Safe Renovation Practices and Lead Paint Dust to Protect Children", which reports "The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is marking National Lead Poisoning Prevention Week by announcing several actions the agency proposes to take to prevent lead poisoning."

Do you remember hearing anything in Northeast Ohio about last week being National Lead Poisoning Prevention Week? 

Obama Declares Swine Flu a National Emergency

emergency status allows officials to bypass federal rules,
respond more quickly

bend over ... we aim to please

ORIGINAL CAPTION: submitted by George Hiscox