WENDELL ROBINSON . COM

I’ve been sitting in my office at home for the last thirty minutes or so trying to figure out how I’m going to say this.  Maybe it’s more about trying to explain it to myself as it is about how I’m going to tell those of you who have so fatihfully supported this page over the last year or so, but well, it’s over…

I’ve got to say goodbye.

As many of you have noticed in recent months, this page has become less reliable for regular content flow.  The reasons are many and in the end, my time has become too limited to provide a product that’s worthy of daily publishing.

I’ve loved this opportunity to write and share my thoughts with all of you who have been so kind to show interest in what it is I have to say.  The feedback has for the most part been flattering (and occasionally maddening), but in all ways it remains humbling.  I’m proud of what we accomplished here.  I’m proud of the product that was created.  And I’m too proud to try to fill this page with anything less than the best I can offer. 

Professionally my life seems to have found the rails of a track that it jumped a few years back, and the time I once used to bleed my soul on to this keyboard is now filled with a never-ending list of tasks that I relish accomplishing.  The time to write that once lay in between the cracks of responsibility is just not there - or at least it’s not there on the daily basis that I think is requisite for the kind of conversation that this page fostered.

So I’m done with the blog.  Maybe not forever, but I’m done with this blog for now. 

Instead of writing here everyday, I’ll be focusing on my clients and business partners - helping them to succeed and build a new business that we started from scratch only a few months ago.  I also plan on making my family more of a priority instead of an afterthought (writers are humanity’s great narcissicists).  There’s just too much good going on in my world to ignore, and I’ve spent enough time for now with this journal.  

The end of this blog doesn’t mean I’m done with writing.  I’ve got a couple of manuscripts that are collecting dust on the shelf.  Stories that could stand a little bit of editing, burning and most certainly replacing.  I’m looking forward to getting back to writing in the long form where the daily pressures of cranking out product will take a backseat to developing an idea on paper that’s deserving of a cover on the front and back with some binding in between.  The opportunity to write when I can (and want to) will only make the process better for me (and hopefully for anyone interested in reading the result).

To all of you who have been so kind to me in the blogosphere I want to say thank you.  I’ve got friends that I’ve never seen except for your names and email addresses on a computer screen.  While our relationship may have only been bits and bytes, I feel as though it’s been more substantive than the majority of connections I’ve made in the flesh.  We may have disagreed, but I believe I’ve done my best to treat you with respect and you (for the most part - 99.9%) have returned that favor in spades.  I can’t walk out this door though without condemning the competitive touchdown dance-like taunting that some bloggers are so keen to exhibit (granted I’ve done a few end zone discos myself).  Pointing out that someone’s an idiot may make you feel better, but looking under rocks simply for the sake of massaging one’s hatred is a waste of bandwith (and the intellect of your audience).  We all could make a better use of our abilities if we focused on why we’re right instead of why the other guy is wrong. 

Beyond the global nature of the medium, the blogging connection has also been local for me.  Without the encouragement and support of my friends in the Meet the Bloggers network, I would never have conquered the code and process that makes blogging a great people-powered platform (by the way if you haven’t done it, you really should scroll down the list of podcasts over at the MTB site - it’s a monument for what a REAL oral history is all about).  I would be remiss when writing about local bloggers if I didn’t single out the blogopimp of Northeast Ohio, George Nemeth, and his place over at Brewed Fresh Daily.  George has been brewing up a fine pot over the last few years and without his incessant purcolation, this page would have been significantly less.

Again to all of you, thank you…

and good luck. 

In Hawaiian, “aloha” means “go @#$% yourself Ohio’s 10th District.”

From yesterday’s Openers:

Touting his presidential campagn in Hawaii over the weekend, Cleveland Democratic Rep. Dennis Kucinich called himself the “Aloha candidate” during a Hawaiian television interview in which he wore a white lei over his dark suit.

As the people of Cleveland’s west side wonder what the future holds for the local economy and our children’s future in the region, the Conman’s out on the islands getting leid.

Please allow me to digress.

The Conman’s Hawaiian swing culminated with the following:

Ala Moana — Poetry slam and fundraiser, 8:30 p.m.-midnight, Hawaiian Hut, Ala Moana Hotel.

- I’ll bet the moaning was noticeable by the night’s end - which begs the question, did DK drop any slamworthy rhymes? 

Kucinich-Ho in ‘08!

Campaign theme song - “Tiny Bubbles” (which happens to match the mental volume of the average Kucinichite).

What’s that you say? “Don Ho’s dead.”

The irony is so obvious that it requires no explanation.

By the way that’s Don Ho with Elvis.  It’s hard to believe that the King and Ho were lovers and nobody ever figured it out until now.  But more importantly, does that mean that the Conman is gay? - not that there’s anything wrong with that… imagine, gay Elvis.  Who’s next John Wayne?

I used to like Alan Keyes.  Even though I disagreed with some of his stances, I thought that among conservative voices out there he stayed true to his prinicipals and that was worthy of merit.

But enough is enough.  Apparently he’s running for president - again.  The guy has become a sensationalistic carpetbagger of the first order.  All that’s necessary for him to become a candidate for anything is for somebody (no matter how crazy) to ask him to run.

Come to think of it, maybe we should ask him to run for Mayor of Cleveland - he’s crazy enough to do it.

…when you can roll-over and play dead every time somebody disagrees with you.

Apparently that’s the new mantra over at the local fishwrap.  Well, calling it new might be a bit of a stretch - let’s just call it continuing.  It doesn’t seem to matter who the Publisher or Editor are, because when the wind blows against those in their elevation-challenged ivory tower over at 18th and Superior, they simply roll-over and play dead.

The recent brouhaha over a Jeff Darcy editorial cartoon (which I have linked to here but will not publish so as not to infringe on their copyright and so I don’t offend anyone) that rightly pointed out lethargic mayor Frank Jackson’s sudden desire to insert himself into just another (now over 100) murder investigations has got new Editor Susan Goldberg begging for forgiveness.  Instead of standing up for the paper’s editorial page and the use of satirically-charged artwork to hammer home a point, Goldberg chose to say she and the paper were sorry for the offensive and insensitive nature of the cartoon.

What was so offensive?  The cartoon depicted an African American child (which in keeping with the facts of the case the cartoon was referring was correct), an inner-city neighborhood street corner as a backdrop (which again as related to the case in point was correct), in that streetcorner scene was: a billboard showing Jackson with a derivative of the Cleveland + logo and a paraphrase of an oft heard Jackson statement about the citizens of the city; two  streetcorner thugs (one black and the other BTW white); and a wanted poster for the young girl’s killer.  Additionally the child was adorned in a tee shirt with a message that said, “Don’t shoot, I’m a friend of a friend of Mayor Jackson’s daughter” (again, pretty much in keeping with the facts associated with the case and the Mayor’s response).

So I ask you again, what was so offensive.  Except for maybe the price of milk shown on the corner store’s door was WAY lower than what it probably costs in that store today. 

Come to think of it I know what was so offensive,

REALITY.

The inevitable is closer to occurring in the quest to fill the soon to be vacated Senate seat of the gentleman from Virginia John Warner.  Today former Virginia governor Mark Warner announced his intention to seek the Democratic nomination for the seat (and is likely to be unopposed or at the very most in a token fashion) for the Democrats’ nod.

On the other side of the equation are the potential candidacies of my guy former governor Jim Gilmore and current Virginia congressman Tom Davis.  This is likely to be one of the most hotly contested races in the country next year.  Stay tuned… 

Could it be a FRED?

George Will on Fred Thompson’s presidential campaign launch: Thompson - Just a Fad?

Money quote:

Fred Thompson’s plunge into the presidential pool — more belly-flop than swan dive — was the strangest product launch since that of New Coke in 1985. Then the question was: Is this product necessary? A similar question stumped Thompson the day he plunged.

I agree with Will.  My take from a while back:

…when FRED figures out that his is the current version of Wesley Clark’s 2004 presidential campaign).

Anybody want to lay odds on how long the FREDmobile lasts in the campaign candidate caravan?  I’ll give him 3 months, tops.

- well at least his photography. 

Many of you may know John from his posts on this page so I thought you might be interested in an email from John that came this morning:

I’ve been slowly but surely trying to become a photographer over the past year or so.  Amazingly enough, in the past few weeks some of my work has been getting some recognition.  A gallery in Ohio City will be selling some of my work starting in Ocotber and an annually-published “guide to Cleveland” magazine will be publishing some of my photos this coming December/January. 

And this weekend, I was selected to be one of the 5 “emerging artists” at the Tremont Arts & Cultural Festival in Cleveland.  If you’re so inclined and in the area, stop by and say hello. 

Here’s my website: http://www.jforristal.com  and here are a couple of links about the festival this weekend.

http://www.tremontwestdevelopment.com/twdc_events.htm

http://www.cleveland.com/sparx/galleryhop.ssf

Thanks and hope to see you,

john

I hope to make it over this weekend.  To give you an idea of some of John’s work, check out the button in the sidebar (and John if you’re reading this would you mind send me a jpeg so that I can make the thing look better?).

Updated… John sent me an iconic Cleveland shot for the button - my lay-out is rough, but John’s work is superb. 

…to the looming giant budgetary crisis behind the curtain.

Excellent piece yesterday from Roger Bundy at Cleveland Equnimous Philosopher about the Medical Mart, er… CONvention Center, er… General Fund Sales Tax Increase.

Here’s one of the worthy money quotes:

As is clear from the following excerpts of the Midyear Financial Report, the county is already hinting that it will need the revenue from this sales tax increase to support/offset and expected general fund operating deficit.

H/t to blogopimp bloGGopimp (Tim Ferris corrected my spelling) George Nemeth at Brewed Fresh Daily for the cross-post.

It’s been six years, get over it.

Sorry that sounds cruel, I’ve never been very good with grief.  It’s just the way I’ve been feeling lately when it comes to remembering 9/11, but not the way that it’s changed our world.

What I mean is that as soon as those planes hit the Twin Towers, smashed into the Pentagon and crashed in a Pennsylvannia field our world changed forever - there’s no denying that.  And whether you agree with the invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq our lives as Americans and non-Muslim citizens of the world will never be the same.

But that’s not what I’m talking about.  When I say that it’s time to get over it, what I mean is those people who continue to wear 9/11’s tragedy out on their sleeve as justification or reason for every problem they have now. 

This may sound callous, but when I see Katie Couric interviewing a New York firefighter who was too irresponsible to wear his breathing apparatus during his work at Ground Zero and now suffers from severe asthma problems, well… wear your mask next time. 

When I hear a 9/11 widow or family member clamor about the lack of disclosure or support from our government - I sympathize with you about your loss and recognize your never-ending right to grieve, but what more do you want?  Our country has opened our hearts, our wallets and used the full force of our military might in retaliation.  What more can we give?

Finally for all of those 9/11 conspiracy nuts (and this comes from someone who believes that Lee Harvey Oswald did not act alone) - GET OVER IT!  For the amount of time and effort all of you crackpots out there (including you Charlie Sheen who I used to enjoy on-screen until I realized that you’re more looney when it comes to politics than your I’m not the president, I just played him on TV father) spend looking for phantom clues and chasing down ridiculous theories you could have cured cancer (although given the collective IQ of your group, probably not… how ’bout could have gone to New Orleans and helped out after Katrina.  Oh yeah, I forgot that was a conspiracy too).  I do believe that Ron Paul may have a place for you though on his campaign team.

Please America, let’s never forget what happened that day - but let’s get over it and move forward in the world that will never again be the same. 

If you’re under the age of 40 and have yet to become jaded by the ineffectiveness of the listless leadership of the Cuyahoga County Republican Party, take note - you’re presence is requested (and will be greatly appreciated) at the next meeting of the CuyCo Young Republicans:

The Greater Cleveland Young Republicans will be holding the first organizational meeting with the new officers at 6:30pm at the Galleria (2nd floor just above the food court) on E. 9th and St. Clair on Tuesday, September 11th.  We are beginning to plan the future direction of the organization and welcome all Republicans ages 18 to 40 to stop by and give their input.  For more information about the organization check out: http://www.clevelandyoungrepublicans.com/

Seriously.  The greatest source of effective GOP activity in recent years has come from the YR’s in this county and they’ll be working hard to move the ball forward.  If you’re interested in taking an active role in the Republican ground game for 2008, you’ll find plenty of opportunities with new YR President (my error) Secretary Joe Amschlinger who’s pledged to work hard in building an organization that wants tomorrow’s CuyCo GOP to be better than today’s.