Roldo Bartimole writes:

As if the Cleveland police don”t have enough on their hands. Now they have another missing person: Mayor Frank Jackson.

Where is Frank Jackson?

I”ve covered a lot of mayors going back to Ralph Locher. I don”t know one of them that would not have had a strong public presence in a situation as the one where 11 women have been murdered. And where so much evidence points to an embarrassing lack of policy, execution and service from the city and its bureaucracy.

I don”t know any of the Mayors for more than 40 years who would not be very visible, trying to guide the city, calm the city and give it some assurance of action. I don”t know any of them who wouldn”t be consoling the residents, trying to reassure them in every way, every day that the Mayor has concerned for them, for what has happened and for a just resolution.

This Mayor is absent without leave. He can”t hide Continue Reading »

Found in my electronic chapbook.

Where does one get one”s ideas? I had a friend who told askers of this particular question that there was a magazine published twice a month called The Idea Book, or some such nonsense. “It”s loaded with excellent plot ideas,” he said. “I have a subscription, of course, and as soon as I get my copy I write in and select half a dozen ideas and get clearance on them, so that no other subscriber will go ahead and write them. They I just work up stories around those ideas and Bob”s your uncle.” An encouraging number of oafs bought this premise, and of course they all wanted to subscribe to the magazine. “You have to be a professional writer,” my friend said, dashing their hopes. “Have to be a member of Author”s League and have a dozen sales to your credit. But keep plugging away by all means.” p. 128

From Telling Lies for Fun and Profit: A Manual for Fiction Writers by Lawrence Block.

I wrote 1,667 words yesterday morning and my total word count is now 12,006

Previously…

I’m thinking that the name should be the State Big Piece of Development Council, but the military dictators of Myanmar wouldn’t want to be as blatant with their official title as they are in ripping every resource out of the country they care nothing about. If not stopped, they’ll leave Myanmar the Easter Island of South Asia.

From Voice of America:

Minority communities in Burma say the exploitation of the country’s natural resources is damaging the environment and increasing the military presence in their areas. The activists say greater public participation is necessary in the development process to ensure that communities benefit.

The Burma Environmental Group says the government’s development policies and efforts to extract natural resources have destroyed the homes of thousands of people in border areas and is increasing hunger among ethnic minority groups. On Thursday, the group released a report saying there are more troops in minority areas and environmental damage is spreading.

The group includes representatives from the Kachin, Karen, Lahu, and Shan ethnic communities in Burma. Most of these communities live in Burma’s border areas.

How evil do you have to be to clear cut a nation?

Charter for Compassion…

Roldo Bartimole writes:

It didn”t even take a day for the Pee Dee to setup the next pillage and plunder of Cleveland.

Listen to what the Pee Dee said editorially the day after the casino issue, strongly backed by the paper, had to say about the use of its tax revenue:

“So consider this idea, which is already germinating among downtown boosters (read: looters): Divert some of the new property taxes the casino will pay – from the city”s share, not the school district”s – to complete the Towpath Trail and Canal Basin Park, to redesign Public Square and to add pocket parks, waterfront access and other residential enhancements.”

Forget about Imperial Avenue. Forget about all the Cleveland Imperial Avenues.
Let”s spend a few more million on a bike path and redo Public Square. Again.

Just read the intention of this proposal. You will see a community looting being pushed by the Pee Dee. Continue Reading »

I could never bring myself to forward all the email jokes, cartoons and other Internet comedy that land in my inbox. But then I started posting the ones my dad sends me. Judging from my comments and emails, my dad has become one of my greatest blogging assets. So for your morning blog head scratch I present: From My Dad.

In my many years I have come to a conclusion that one useless man is a shame, two is a law firm and three or more is a congress. — John Adams

Warning: never trust an Internet quote without checking something other than Google. I’m willing to bet that less than 10 percent of these are real or accurate.

Roldo Bartimole writes:

Cleveland Browns fans may be angry with Randy Lerner and the Cleveland Browns football team but that didn”t stop them from contributing $10.9 million to help him this year.

In October, Cuyahoga County taxpayers slipped another $1.2 million to pay for the Browns Stadium.

The Browns are 1-7 this season. And a pretty putrid 1-7 from what I hear.

This year, sin tax contributors – all we purchasers of wine, alcohol and cigarettes in Cuyahoga County only – have paid $10,900,768.11 to help Lerner. Continue Reading »

Found in my electronic chapbook.

When I watch a character behave stupidly, I find myself calculating what he should do, and what the effects of this proper behavior will be. Occasionally my solution to his problem is sufficiently different from the author”s, and seems to constitute a sufficient improvement, so that I”ll go ahead and write a story on my own. p. 125

From Telling Lies for Fun and Profit: A Manual for Fiction Writers by Lawrence Block.

I wrote 1,667 words yesterday morning and my total word count is now 10,339

Previously…

Talk is cheap, and talk between diplomats is typically bargain basement. Having asserted that caveat, however, I continue to be optimistic about the visit of U.S. diplomat Kurt Campbell to Myanmar and his talks with both the State Peace and Development Council (aka, military dictators) and the opposition National League for Democracy.

From The Irrawaddy:

Meeting with the opposition National League for Democracy and ethnic leaders on Wednesday, top US diplomat Kurt Campbell has vowed he will try to achieve genuine dialogue for national reconciliation in Burma.

During separate meetings with the NLD and ethnic leaders on Wednesday afternoon, Campbell, who is the US assistant secretary for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, said dialogue between all stakeholders in Burma is important for resolving Burma”s problems, according to NLD and ethnic sources.

“Mr Campbell told NLD leaders he agrees that engaging in dialogue is an important step toward resolving problems in the country,” said Ohn Kyaing, a senior member of the NLD. “He added he came to Burma to try to establish dialogue between all parties.”

During the meeting with Campbell, NLD leaders reiterated their policy calling for the release of political prisoners, a review of the 2008 Constitution and political dialogue for national reconciliation, according to NLD sources.

A tremendous amount rides on, and foreign policy wonks are watching closely, how the still nascent foreign policy apparatus of President Barack Hussein Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton may shift the relationship between the United States and the rest of the world. While indicators are positive, tangible change in relations and the behaviors of world actors is still in the future.

Roldo Bartimole writes:

Roger Stone, a Republican PR hit man, took quite a shot at Pee Dee editor Susan Goldberg, on the Issue 3 coverage: PD Editor Pimps for Casino Gambling.

She claims “to be an objective and principled journalist but her actions during Ohio”s recent campaign over casino gaming demonstrates that she is neither,” writes Stone in his blog “StoneZone.”

He was a hired gun against Issue 3.

He also calls Dan Gilbert a “nouveau rich loud mouth.” Pithy stuff.

You can read how Goldberg distorted a poll, giving Issue 3 some needed boosting. It worked.

As I”ve said before, the Pee Dee allowed editorializing to spread across its front news page on Issue 3 and, of course, on Issue 6.

Charter for Compassion…

Roldo Bartimole writes:

The biggest story this day after the election isn”t approval of County government reform or approval of a monopoly casino for a billionaire.

No. The biggest story is about the numerous murdered bodies found in the middle a city neighborhood. In fact, not far from famous Shaker Square in the new 4th ward.

That it could happen with little notice says so much more about Cleveland, its priorities and what it cares about than any election issue. Residents count little in this world.

The question is how does this happen? Why did it happen? Why did it happen so easily? Why did it escape notice so easily? For so long?

Where were the police? Where were health officials? Social workers? Community development personnel? Community activists? Continue Reading »

I could never bring myself to forward all the email jokes, cartoons and other Internet comedy that land in my inbox. But then I started posting the ones my dad sends me. Judging from my comments and emails, my dad has become one of my greatest blogging assets. So for your morning blog chuckle I present: From My Dad.

How old is Grandpa?

One evening a grandson was talking to his grandfather about current events. The grandson asked his grandfather what he thought about the shootings at schools, the computer age, and just things in general.

The Grandfather replied, “Well, let me think a minute, I was born before:

Television, Penicillin, Polio shots, frozen foods, Xerox, contact lenses, Frisbees and the pill.

There were no credit cards, laser beams or ball-point pens.

Man had not invented: pantyhose, air conditioners, dishwashers, clothes dryers, Continue Reading »

Found in my electronic chapbook.

Like many people who wind up writing, I’ve always tended to be interested in a great many things. I’m given to intense if short-lived enthusiasms, taking up hobbies and areas of interest with a passion, reading everything I can get my hands on about them, pursuing them relentlessly for three months or so, then shelving them and moving on to something else. I used to regard this fickleness as a character defect, but have come instead to view it as a useful aspect of my personality in that it enabled me to learn a fair amount about a curious mix of subjects. p. 120

From Telling Lies for Fun and Profit: A Manual for Fiction Writers by Lawrence Block.

I wrote 1,667 words yesterday morning and my total word count is now 8,672

Previously…

When First Lady Laura Bush took a specific interest in imprisoned Nobel Laureate Aung San Suu Kyi I had high hopes. I really did. In the end, Bush was unable to leverage her interesting into any kind of meaningful action. It has been 14 years since a high-level American diplomat has spoken with Suu Kyi. That changed yesterday.

From The Guardian:

Barack Obama’s policy of engagement with Burma made modest progress today after the detained democracy leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, made a rare exit from the home that has been her prison for much of the past 14 years to meet senior US officials.

The Nobel peace laureate met Kurt Campbell, the US assistant secretary of state for east Asia, at his hotel in the commercial capital, Rangoon, US embassy officials said, although they refused to comment on the substance of the two-hour meeting.

Campbell, accompanied by his deputy, Scot Marciel, reportedly greeted Aung San Suu Kyi with a handshake at the hotel, located a short drive from her dilapidated lakeside residence.

The pair are the highest-level US officials to visit Burma since 1995, when Madeleine Albright went as Bill Clinton’s ambassador to the UN.

Clearly, Albright’s trip produced little, if any positive result.

I have higher hopes for Campbell.

Charter for Compassion…

I could never bring myself to forward all the email jokes, cartoons and other Internet comedy that land in my inbox. But then I started posting the ones my dad sends me. Judging from my comments and emails, my dad has become one of my greatest blogging assets. So for your morning blog chuckle I present: From My Dad.

A recently widowed Jewish lady, was sitting on a beach towel at Cocoa Beach, Florida. She looked up and noticed that a man her age had walked up, placed his blanket on the sand nearby and began reading a book.

Smiling, she attempted to strike up a conversation with him. “Hello, sir, how are you?”

“Fine, thank you,” he responded, and turned back to his book.

“I love the beach. Do you come here often?” she asked. Continue Reading »

Found in my electronic chapbook.

While I may claim to want criticism, and while I may indeed be grudgingly grateful for advice on how to improve something I’ve written, I no more want criticism than does a proud parent holding up an infant for one’s inspection. When I show you my child, the flesh of my flesh and blood of my blood, don’t tell me the little bleeder’s head’s too big. Tell me rather that he’s the most beautiful baby who ever drew breath, with the wisdom of Solomon shining in his unfocused eyes, and I’ll love you and treasure you as a sage. p. 115

From Telling Lies for Fun and Profit: A Manual for Fiction Writers by Lawrence Block.

I wrote 3,027 words yesterday morning and my total word count is now 7,005

Previously…

Oil and gas, gas and oil. You’d think that Sarah Palin had joined the State Peace and Development Council, aka Myanmar’s military dictators as a full member of the drill, baby, drill pump it, baby brigade. Protests groups in 20 countries, however, aren’t rolling over for the Shwe Gas and Oil Pipeline project.

From The Epoch Times:

All but eight miles of the pipeline are set to traverse Burmese soil. The pipeline would be used to pump the oil shipped from the Middle East and Africa, and the natural gas from the Shwe gas fields of Burma (also known as Myanmar) to China.

The campaign groups-an alliance of All Arakan Students & Youth Congress, Arakan Oil Watch, Shwe Gas Movement India, and Shwe Gas Movement Bangladesh-sent an open letter to Chinese Communist Party leader Hu Jintao through 12 Chinese Embassies around the world. The letter asserted that if the pipeline is implemented, there would be two visible impacts; firstly, more militarization of Burma and secondly, more rights violations.

“The Burmese military regime will receive more than $800 million every year from the project,” said Kim, the Shwe Gas Movement coordinator. “But the money will never go to the people. And there will be more human rights violations like forced labor, lands confiscation, and even rape of women.”

And just what do you think they’ll buy with the money?