Sounds of the neighborhood

A new family moved in next door awhile back. That means adjusting to a whole new set of sounds. My neighborhood is very much working class bordering on scavenging class. There are plenty of families on the street. Their children contribute to the sounds of summer during the day. There is no convenient playground here, so the kids spend long hours rolling down the slope of the street on plastic toys with rumbling wheels. I hear them pushing their little tyke bikes up past my house, then the roll of the wheels and the delighted squeals as they rush back down the street. Sometimes, the journey ends in a crash to the pavement, and then mighty wails are added to the soundscape, along with accompanying howls from the dogs hidden behind the fence across the street.

The house next door is a rental property. The former family had lived there for more than a dozen years. They were avid collectors of stuff that ended up in the back yard, but on the other hand, they loved to garden and the front yard was always full of flowers. They played top 40 AM radio during the day, and sometimes late in the evening, friends came over for beers round the back yard fire pit. They got loud, but not out of control. Every now and then, voices might be raised in a family squabble, but these were only short bursts that seemed to fade quickly and resolve themselves behind closed doors.

The new family has increased the decibel level of the neighborhood to an alarming pitch. There is a teenage boy with a minibike who roars up and down the block and around their backyard. This is the only place the boy has to ride his bike apparently. The family dynamic seems to thrive on confrontational yelling. Adults yell at children and children yell back and at each other. Calm requests don't seem to be a part of their communication skills. They have three small dogs with high pitched barks. Throughout the day and night, I can hear their mistress order them in loud and imperious tones to "Go potty!" Sadly, I never here the sounds of dog and human play or the happy sound of "good dog!"

The family has many visitors who arrive in pick up trucks with loud motors. This goes on throughout the day. Since we share a driveway, I am always hearing trucks pulling in and pulling out, radios blasting with bass on so loud that my house shivers from the sound.

Their evening party sessions are loud and obnoxious, ending all too often in loud angry tirades. Last night for example, after a session of illegal fireworks being set off way too close to my house for comfort, the neighbors and their guests settled in for an hour's worth of screaming at each other. It was a male vs female battle, with several participants on each side booming and shrieking in tones that would surely upset any of the little children who live in houses up and down the street. So far the violence has been limited to vocal tones, from what I've heard at any rate. However, the potential for escalation sounds real and scares me.

I ponder what to do, if anything. Yell out my window? Call the police? Is it worth antagonizing unstable people? What if they seek revenge? Fortunately, last night was quite chilly, so I could shut all the windows and hide under the covers until the noise subsided some time after midnight and I was able to fall asleep.

The house on the other side of my property was originally purchased by a mom for her daughter to live in while she attended the university. It quickly turned into a party house with ongoing drug dealing 24 hours a day. That lasted for about a year, and then suddenly it all got quiet while a for-sale sign beckoned new owners to check it out. The family living there now hardly makes a sound except when the lawn is being mowed and the garage door goes up or down. Sometimes, kids and a dog show up for the weekend. Their sounds are lively and fun.

Late at night, the train rolls by on the tracks to the south of our neighborhood. It is a comforting sound that signals all is well and on schedule. During the day, a particular sound cues us to look upward to see the Goodyear blimp leaving or returning to its docking site to the east of us. For many days this summer, the sound of rain has dampened the other noises and provided us with an oasis of calm before the next period of sunshine sets off more chaotic sounds of human activity.

Right now the sky is cloudy and a drizzle of rain keeps the firework setters indoors waiting for better conditions. Outside the front window, birds are chirping to one another, while inside the dog and cat snooze, and the human makes clicking sounds on the keyboard.

Another dog blog

For the nonce 't'would seem that this blog has gone to the dogs. The blogger is writing other non-bloggy things this summer, and when she is not writing, she is definitely out playing with the dog.






Last night, we tried agility training for the first time -- what fun! There is a place in Sharon township (Medina County) on Route 94 called the Medina Swarm Agility Club. They have two complete agility courses set up, and an ongoing series of classes for teaching humans and dogs how to negotiate all the thrilling obstacles and challenges. Hamlet had a great time and so did I! We are signing up for beginner's agility and look forward to the weekly classes. On weekends, the club hosts competitions, so if you are into observing or participating in Agility, check out this group.

I didn't think to take a camera last night, but I will definitely be taking some agility photos soon. Instead, here are some at-home shots. Ophelia the cat has taken a fancy to curling up on the top of Hamlet's crate. It is a very convenient spot for one of her favorite sports: tail snagging!
























A shot showing Hamlet's unusual blue merle markings:















And finally, to get a sense of Hamlet's size -- here he is next to an exercise ball. That's a Kong squeaky toy holding the ball in place.

Walking the towpath by Summit Lake

At long last, city and county leaders have decided to take a look at the Summit Lake area, no doubt due to the recent extension of the towpath corridor along the eastern edge of the lake. A Beacon Journal article announced a public gathering and walk along the towpath from Wilbeth Rd to the Summit Lake Community Center. An impressive collection of politicians and community leaders from the city and the county were there to see first hand what towpath walkers and bikers will be viewing as the towpath nears completion.

The walk attracted a large crowd of people from both sides of the lake. We met in a room in the center, where we were given impressive packets of research submitted by Cazzell M Smith of the East Akron Community House and a Summit County Council member. Entitled "Reclaiming Vacant Properties, Building Leadership to Restore Communities: Transforming distressed neighborhoods into healthy communities of choice and opportunity -- good places to work, do business and raise children," it provides examples of ways other communities have tackled the problems of unstable and grossly neglected neighborhoods.

I have blogged about the problems associated with living next to a toxic lake before. In today's ABJ, Mark Price gives a history of how swimming in the lake was banned in the early decades of the 20th century. (Here and here, for example.) A dumping ground for the rubber factories and an outlet for city sewers, the lake is still a place that nobody swims in.

So what will the passing hiker or biker see as they travel along this section of the towpath trail? Here are some photos from today's walk, with a few comments:


















The walk from Wilbeth Rd to Kenmore Blvd was rather like traveling along a narrow strip of scenic pathway with glimpses of a Mordor-like industrial landscape hidden beyond tall fencing and other strategically placed screening.
























We are walking through an area framed by industries still belching smoke and who knows what kinds of pollutants.








































Who knew that another kind of landscape existed underneath the Kenmore Blvd Bridge? The towpath gives a splendid view of this obviously much-used area, a place for kids to create art, and perhaps a dwelling place for homeless folks. It had a kind of museum-exhibit feeling to it -- it just needed a placard detailing the history of graffiti art of the 20th century and some wax figures dressed in raggedy clothes sitting around a fire.






































Trash could be seen everywhere along the walk. Beautiful water lilies and liquor bottles float above a sea of lily pads. I counted exactly one trash bin along the walk, which is one more than can be found on the western shore of the lake.



















The lake attracts a large number of ducks, geese and blue heron. Swans usually swim on this lake, but I haven't seen any this year. It is an odd situation, living next to a toxic lake that has been ignored for so long. We can walk along it and observe the wild life, the plant life, and the ripples of the waves bearing plastic detritus to the shoreline, but we dare not participate by swimming in the lake. An occasional boater takes a risk and can be seen out on the lake, and many people fish along the shores. I wouldn't eat a fish from this lake, but there are some people taking buckets full of fish home for family dinners.

Perhaps they are the people who live along the lake. The eastern side is a mix of public housing, decaying cottages from Summit Lake's glory days, and other rotting buildings.


















































Heading north up the east side of the Lake, the hiker/biker can observe the wonders of nature to her left and with glimpses of a decaying urban neighborhood
to the right. A mighty mullein plant sends its yellow spike toward the sun:
























The towpath trail itself is beautifully constructed. The floating dock-like section is wide enough to hold bikers and hikers traveling in opposite directions. Here we see a section of the towpath that edges right along the lake leading toward the community center to the north:


















The group arrived back at the center, but there was no formal sit down and respond to what we saw session afterward. More meetings will take place. Stimulus money will be sought and discussion about the quality of neighborhood life issues must take place. This is a high crime area, naturally. To be honest, I have been a bit nervous about testing out the new trail. Today's gathering was my first look at life on the eastern edge of the lake.


















The main problem remains the lake itself. It was polluted by people long since dead, and abandoned by city, county and state officials. The state has no money to clean it up properly. Everybody is afraid of stirring up the sediment on the lake's bottom. Meanwhile, it is no surprise that the communities to the east and west of the lake house the city's poorest white and black neighborhoods. The opening of this new section of towpath is an opportunity to reclaim and rebuild. I was very pleased to find other people thinking this way as well. Let's hope today's inspires the pols and the community leaders to take some positive actions. Hell, if we can get some trash cans on both shores out of this, I'll count it a victory!

Akron Dog Park

School is finally out and Akron's Dog Park is where we are headed for summer human and canine fun! This is a wonderful fenced facility for dogs to run off leash and play with other canine pals. There's a water fountain for both dogs and humans, and ample supplies of plastic bags for waste removal.

Some people don't pick up after their dogs, which is a crying shame. You'd think that pet owners who go to the trouble of packing up their dog and taking them to this special park could give back in this one small way.

But that's my only quibble after four days of using the park. We've met some really nice folks and their dogs.

Yesterday, we met a very nice family,with two dogs and two kids, a young girl and her brother who were very knowledgeable about dogs. The girl tries to guess the type for each dog she meets. She guessed that Hamlet was a cross between a dalmatian and a collie. Not a bad guess! She told me all about their dog, a very large shepherd mix named Panzer, after a German tank.

We did run into a way too boisterous dog that bowled over Hamlet upon arrival. It looked like a boxer-rottie mix. I moved quickly to calm the dogs and let them sniff and go through the rituals of dog greetings. Hamlet trotted off and the big dog jumped on him again, knocking him to the ground. Hamlet yelped his dismay and got up limping. The boxer dog's owners, a man and a woman, finally got up off their bench and leashed up the dog to take him away. They sort of apologized by saying their dog was overly hyper. Yeah, right -- so why not do something about that -- like finding a trainer to work with them, rather than taking the dog to a public dog park where it can continue knocking over smaller dogs. At least they followed the park rules and took their dog away since they couldn't control it.

Hamlet really likes the two pugs that show up every morning. He thinks they are Shetland sheep, and he tries very hard to herd them. However, they don't care to be herded and look at him like he is some kind of crazy mutt!




















I found a website that lists many of Ohio's dog parks. Some of these parks have pools and fountains to cool your dog off on a hot day. Many of them have separate areas for small and large dogs. It strikes me that one could have a very fun summer, checking out dog parks around the state. Here's the site -- maybe we'll see you at one of these parks this summer!

Leaving you with an image of a happy dog who has had his exercise and now just wants to hang out in the shade!

First Harvest and other growing things

Lettuce, basil leaves, three cherry tomatoes and the first strawberry of the season -- harvested from the garden this past Monday. The lettuce, basil and tomato plants came from Dunkler's Farm on Collier Rd. The cherry tomato plant is in a hanging basket and was full of green tomatoes and yellow blossoms when I bought it two weeks ago. All the recent rain and cooler temps have brought the lettuce along at a very fast clip. It's salad time in the city!

The strawberry plants were here when I moved in. They have migrated to the other side of the garden patch over the course of the past ten years, but they never seem to diminish in their spectacular juicy red abundance. Tomorrow, there should be enough ripe ones to fill a good sized bowl.

Vegetables are not the only things thriving in my garden. Check out the electric purple and blue stars blooming on this clematis I planted only last year. It is three times the size of last year already.


















The garden isn't the only thing that is growing fast. Hamlet is now four and a half months old and a graduate of puppy class already. We work on the training every day, and the results are very gratifying. He is very quick to learn and enjoys new challenges in between bouts of intense chewing, as his adult teeth are in full erupt mode. I've been giving him ice cubes when his gums look red and swollen -- the ice brings him some relief and he happily licks and noses the ice around the floor until it has melted.




















So far, Hamlet's been very good about chewing appropriate items, such as bully sticks, Kongs and various fleece toys. I quickly learned not to leave my shoes and socks lying about, and he has been very good about all the books. Shortly after he arrived, he pulled "There's No People Like Show People" off a shelf and gave it a few licks and nibbles before I caught him in the act. A loud "Uh Oh" stopped him cold and he hasn't gone after a book since.

21st Century Breakdown

Am playing Green Day's new album, 21st Century Breakdown over and over in the car stereo and here at home. Somehow they managed to top American Idiot -- or maybe they just picked up and moved forward from where they last left off.

This new one is highly singable and full of fire. (You know you have a winner when after the first time through you hit replay and can sing along with all the choruses without even looking at the lyrics.) American Idiot is going to become a staged rock opera -- I read the casting notice for it in Backstage magazine over spring break. 21st Century Breakdown is also written as a rock opera, with Christian and Gloria as the leading characters.

The first single, as noted on the Kinks Preservation Society email digest, takes the opening chord sounds from Word of Mouth and then goes in another direction with them. Green Day resonates with some of my favorite bands of all times: the Kinks, Sex Pistols and the Clash. It's a natural progression from "20th Century Man" to "21st Century Breakdown":



And here's the title song from the Kinks' Word of Mouth (1984)

Summit Lake, neglected and trashy

There's a beautiful new section of the Canal Towpath that cuts across the southeastern portion of the lake. Too bad the lake is so toxic and perpetually neglected by whichever entity is in charge of maintaining it.

I've never seen so much trash bobbling all along the shoreline as I have this year. There are no trash cans for the public's convenience, therefore the public who show up every day to fish (ew! Imagine eating fish that some how manage to live in a lake bottomed by generations of nasty industrial waste.)















On my to-do list this week is to contact Keep Akron Beautiful and see if they can do anything about greening Summit Lake. With the next section of the towpath due to come right through the lake (and I assume the eastern shoreline is just as bad), now would be the time to start addressing clean-up issues.


















Along with the trash cans, a dispenser for doggie waste bags could be a way to train the locals to pick up after their canine pals. At points along the shoreline, one can connect a dog barking from across the street to a sudden onslaught of dog poop underfoot. Sheer laziness. They don't want the poop in their own yards, so they let the dog go across the street to poop where others pass by every day. Grrr!

Much as I love sharing the lakeside with ducks, geese and blue herons, I have to be sure to wear a really old pair of shoes when walking by the lake. I wonder if the city has one of these:

Down the garden path

Why am I hearing "torture" non-stop all over the mediaverse? Anything except deal with real-world problems how to provide health care for all. And stop global warming while switching over the economy to one that is based upon sustainability, fair trade while discovering the least toxic ways of conducting our every day lives. While the politicians squabble, squack and balk at genuine reform, my thoughts retreat to the back yard and garden.

Here at the Village Green, today's intermittent showers made it a perfect day for mudding in the vegetable garden. Dunkler's Farms is the place to go for reasonably priced flats of tomato varieties. I put in Mr Stripey, Beefsteak, Roma, Yellow Pair, Heirloom and Pink tomato plants, along with basil, catnip, lettuces, and finger eggplants. Will be doing beans and peas and maybe some peppers. I hope to get the flowerbeds done by Memorial Day.

Hamlet has been amazed by the gardening activities, and is especially excited by water coming out of the garden hose. The vegetable garden is fenced in with a mulched path all around it -- which has turned into a Sheltie dog track. Hamlet zooms around it non-stop until he can zoom no more, then suddenly drops to the ground in a thicket of violets or pile of leaves. The path is also very useful for extended chase and fetch the ball sessions, as seen above.

Hard to believe our last puppy class is over this week. We've learned and continue to practice the basics. Hamlet is great at sit, down, stay, go to your spot, and shake a paw. Since he's in the throes of teething, dropping his toy has been difficult to master as his instinct is to chew chew chew on every object that goes into his mouth. But today we had a big breakthrough with fetch and drop it. It's fun to see the light go off in his eyes when he figures out what behavior makes the treat appear as I praise him lavishly.

We are also making strides with leash work and finally made it out the driveway and down the street to Summit Lake this morning where he was mesmerized by the waves lapping the shore, the geese and ducks and kids on bicycles. He's a cautious pup, but getting bolder every day.

After a long day of adventures, he's one pooped pup, but manages to keep an eye on me while I'm over here at the computer.

Akron Changes

Some recent changes in and around Akron:

We can now purchase yogurt and cottage cheese without becoming overwhelmed with guilt when confronting the empty container, as Akron's recycling program has been upgraded to collect and recycle all plastics labeled 1 through 7. I no longer have to bug The Mustard Seed about their number 5 plastic take-away containers. While I'm glad the city is boosting its recycling program, I still think we need to be more mindful of the amounts of plastic we consume and toss away on a daily basis. Look at all the plastic in your life that doesn't come with a convenient recycling number,such as plastic potato chip bags, plastic bubbles around electronic products, plastic windows in junk mail envelopes, plastic notebooks, lunchboxes, brushes and combs, your toothbrush and so on.

Along with the recycle upgrade, Akron officially launched its much anticipated Green Print (you can download it in its entirety here). The ABJ's Bob Downing summarizes the goals:

Suggestions include promoting green buildings; cutting the use of electricity; boosting water conservation; expanding the urban forest; increasing green jobs; encouraging neighborhood revitalization; better managing the city's fleet of vehicles; increasing parks and walkable areas; turning more sewage sludge into electricity; boosting recycling and bicycling; adding grass-covered roofs; limiting pollution in storm-water runoff; building rain barrels and boosting new urbanism and regional smart growth.

All of those proposed changes sound good to me. Too bad we aren't focused on making those changes realities. Instead, we must put up with a small band of opportunists who want to "Change Akron Now." They aren't talking about making positive substantial changes in Akron's environment. No, these are the folks who want us to kick out the mayor -- for reasons that range from petty to vindictive, as they can't seem to find anything illegal.

We all got to vote for the mayor less than two years ago at which time we could discuss and debate the mayor's policies and abrasive personality all we wanted. He had competition in the primary, won that race and then faced no opposition in the general election. Nothing I've read from the Change Akron Now folks has convinced me that I made a mistake in voting for Don Plusquellic in 2007.

The only good thing that can come out of this is that the political careers of the opportunists instigating the re-call drive come crashing to a halt when they fail to drive out Mayor Plusquellic. If anything, this recall election should wake up the electorate enough to consider who our future political leaders might be.

The darling buds of May

Spring rushes on so swiftly. Last week, I stepped out on the front porch, and a giant lilac bloom appeared in front of me. Surely the day before, the branches were only dotted with tiny green shoots amid just a hint of lavender buds. Out back, the ostrich ferns thrust higher every day, while the columbine comes on strong. The bleeding hearts approach full glory amid a sea of foamy sweet woodruff.

This weekend, I made my final Critical Links sojourn to Cincinnati. The drive down on Friday was under dramatic skies with scattered storms popping up along the way. There had been a tornado warning in Columbus an hour or so before I passed through. I left Akron late, and so didn't get into the hotel until almost midnight.

Cincinnati's trees were much further along than those in northern Ohio, and I spotted great big iris buds rising high from their beds. The rain vanished on Saturday, and we were drawn from our conferencing to walk outside to bask in the warmth of the day. By Sunday morning, light rain and clouds greeted the Cincinnati's Flying Pig Marathon runners. By the time I headed the smart car for home, the rain had vanished making the drive home most pleasant. I admit to applying more pressure than usual to the gas pedal, and zipped home in record time! First time away from young pup Hamlet. The sitter took good care of him and Ophelia cat while I was gone.

In case you forgot to celebrate it, Shakespeare's birthday was April 23rd. At the conference, we had an opportunity to win some theatre books by identifying quotes from plays old and new. I jumped on top of lines from Hamlet and Richard III. We all ended up with two new books each, along with a wealth of new knowledge and ideas. Little buds that burst into blossom in our classrooms. Can't wait to get up and go to school tomorrow!

Political musings

Haven't been motivated to do any political blogging lately. After the huge dramas of the 2008 year elections, a number of bloggers just stopped blogging, Or have scaled way back in output. I know I have been unable to summon the energy for it. After years of outrage and constant shock and horror emanating from the Bush regime's actions, it feels good to not tune in to every damn talk show on MSNBC. Haven't watched the Daily Show or Colbert in months.

Even my Google Reader has been neglected. Piles of posts to catch up on all my favorite blogs. Summer approaches. I want to think about the garden and the new puppy, not torture and Republican posturing. But the morning radio manages to keep me updated on the latest political goings on.

Obama's got a lot of work ahead of him. Too bad he's really not the socialist the right wing parrots proclaim he is. They use that word -- socialist -- to mask their fear of equal health care for all. In their world, it is mandatory that every fetus must proceed to birth, but after that, it's every person for him or herself. Oh too bad you got cancer and could no longer work so no more affordable health care for you. I ask myself why I live in a country where people are forced to go into massive debt and lose their homes because of medical bills.

I might as well ask why I live in a country where government officials think it is OK to waterboard someone 183 times. The release of the torture memos brings images to mind of Condi Rice sitting at her desk with a pile of documents detailing the parameters for "legal" torture. She was all into it, as were Rummy, Cheney and the rest of Bush's handler's. Not pleasant to think about as we go through the annual Holocaust remembrances.

Dog Training Classes - the nonviolent way

Redhorse asked for it, so here it is -- a recommendation for dog training in the greater Akron area.

We are fortunate to have living in Akron, Terry Cranendonk, a co-author (with Paul Owens and Norma Eckroate) of The Puppy Whisperer, a wonderful book to help you through the first year of your pup's training. Please be advised that this book and its predecessor, The Dog Whisperer, have nothing to do with a certain television program featuring the negative and often cruel tactics of one Cesar Millan. Millan's way of training is out of date, based on old assumptions of the human must be the pack leader. The latest research clearly shows us that wolf packs in the wild are far more collaborative than earlier studies showed. The alpha male and female roles are primarily for procreation and very severe survival situations. There is no need to terrorize your dog to assert your authority. Certainly choke or prong collars, electric collars, and pinning your dog to the ground are not humane training choices.

I bought The Puppy Whisperer and have been devouring its wisdom and practicing the lessons with Hamlet. I am proud to share that he can now "sit," lie down, touch my hand with his nose on the command "come", and respond immediately to his new name. We are working on "go to your den." This training is all about positive reinforcements and classical conditioning. It is based upon how dogs actually learn.

So I'm all about positive training techniques (with students as well as dogs!), which is where Terry comes in. He trained and worked with the original dog whisperer, Paul Owens, whose methods were presented in his book and various videos. He's available for private training and he holds puppy and basic dog training classes in Hudson as part of the Hudson Community and Education Program. Here's a description of his classes, with contact info:

Basic Dog Training

Instructor: Terence Cranendonk

Taught by local trainer Terence Cranendonk, co- author of the national best-seller, “The Puppy Whisperer,”

this course helps you teach your dog the basic behaviors he or she will need to be a well-mannered member of the household. Behaviors covered include, but are not limited to: sit, down, stay, come when called,

and heel. The class uses all non-violent, reward-based training. Please bring your dog on a flat collar (no pinch or choke collars) and six foot nylon or leather leash ( no flexi-leads.) Also bring plenty of soft treats and vaccination records to first class.

Fee: $ 75

#879 5 Wed. 6:45 p.m. - 7:45 p.m. 4/15 - 5/13

#882 5 Wed. 6:45 p.m. - 7:45 p.m. 6/10 - 7/8

Evamere Multi-Purpose Room

Contact terry@dogoodog.com for more information.

7:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. HHS B102

Puppy Play and Learn

Instructor: Terence Cranendonk

Taught by local trainer Terence Cranendonk, coauthor of the national best-seller, “The Puppy Whisperer,” this course is an introduction to basic skills for puppies under five months old. The emphasis of the class is on socialization with other dogs and people, learning how to sit politely for greeting, stay still for grooming and handling, play nicely, share food and toys and come when called. Puppies must have their first set of vaccinations by the first day of class. No training prerequisite. Students should bring puppies on a six foot leash (no flex-leads please) and flat buckle collar, along with vaccination records and a large supply of soft treats.

Fee: $75

# 881 5 Wednesdays 7:45 p.m. - 8:45 p.m. 4/15 - 5/13

Meet the new pup!

Life without a canine companion is no fun, so welcome the new Village Green puppy. His name is Hamlet and he's 12 weeks old. I traveled to Coshocton to pick up this Sheltie yesterday.

When I was a kid and living in the former wilds of Medina County, I had Collies for companions. We roamed the fields and woods together. I loved the Collie temperament as well as it's beautiful stance, majestic shape and long hair. Now that I'm an urban dweller, I decided to go for a smaller version. I realize there are distinct differences between Shelties and Collies and look forward to gaining more understanding of this diminutive herding dog.

I was fortunate to find a reputable breeder who was offering this pup on a pet contract. He is going to be too big for showing in the ring or breeding. (The standard is from 13" to 16" in height at the withers.)

I did consider getting a rescue dog, but I've been looking for quite some time now and didn't find any puppies. It's mostly senior or rescued from puppy mill types. Having lost my two senior dogs in the past couple of years, I wasn't emotionally ready to take in another senior dog. And as for puppy mill survivors, those poor creatures need round the clock care in order to combat all the behavior consequences developed under horrifying conditions.

There are pups on Petfinder offered up as "part Sheltie." About 17 years ago, I took in one such pup who had glorious Sheltie markings but grew up to be a giant-sized Beagle with all the Beagle habits and none of the Sheltie's! I loved him very much, but learned the lesson that if you want a specific type of dog, it's best to know exactly who their parents were!

Here's Hamlet in his new indoor pen. He's a blue merle in color, and quite the theatrical personality! So his nickname will be Hammy! He came crate trained and beautifully socialized, running right to me as I entered his Coshocton living room. He immediately gave me a bunch of puppy kisses and I was in completely enamored! He rode without any crying to his new home in the back of the smart car, observing the rolling hills of Amish country as we drove back up to Akron on Route 93. I'm enrolling him in puppy classes and look forward to lots of fun training time over the summer. Yesterday, we worked on "sit" and he got it in a matter of minutes! First thing this morning, I asked him to sit and he did so without hesitation -- quite the intelligent pup!














So Hamlet the pup and Ophelia the cat are in the beginning stages of sorting out their relationship. Ophelia has lived with dogs before, but in the past two months has been top animal around here. Hamlet just wants to have fun, but she is alternately fascinated and extremely upset. Hmm, sounds just like a certain play by William Shakespeare! Notice Ophelia giving a coy head twist while rubbing against Hamlet's pen:

From Ohio to NY and back again in my smart car

My trip to NY and NYC over spring break was everything I hoped for. Saved a bundle by driving my smart car there and back. Averaged 47 mpg and spent 60 bucks on gas for the entire trip of over 1100 miles. That made it possible to splurge on excellent theatre tickets and enjoy time with friends in upstate NY as well as in the city.

The trip provided just about every type of driving experience imaginable -- I really got to know my smart car and bond with it! We drove through the mountains in high winds, rain and flurries, as well as through balmy and sunny weather. I highly recommend taking a trip on the Grand Army of the Republic Highway. The views are stunning and the small forgotten cities and villages along the way are a delight to behold.

ON this entire journey, I only saw two other smart cars. One amazingly, appeared in my rear view mirror along a stretch of route 6. The other was in NYC, and bore the name of a business. Got lots of looks and comments along the way. The best was in Manhattan, where a traffic cop stopped me and came over to my window. She asked about the mileage and went on and on about how great that is, then waved me on. The worst encounter was on the way home, when a crazy old trucker appeared out of nowhere at a rest stop. He started in on my "tonka toy" of a car, finding great delight in putting it down with no basis in fact. I tried to give him a smart brochure to quiet him, but that only got him going more. Why do certain men seem threatened by a cute little micro car?

I drove up to Albany and then down along the Hudson and into Manhattan. Truly the smart is meant for urban driving. I never thought I'd want to drive in NYC, but in the smart, it was really fun and parking spots were there for the taking.

Here's a photo album of scenic views along the journey. A charming diner on the Grand Army of the Republic Hwy, otherwise known as Route 6. Stopped here for a grilled cheese with pickles.


















Gorgeous brick work in an old building along the Grand Army of the Republic Highway:

















Signs of decay along the way. People are still living in this building:




















Mr Flash poses under the Lackawanna Railroad bridge:























A visit to Russell Sage College in Troy, NY where I found beautiful architecture:























and a sign commemorating the filming of The Age of Innocence:


















and here's a snap of my friend Ron the actor in front of the New York State Theatre Institute's regular performance venue on the Russell Sage campus.























Staying with Dred in Brooklyn, I managed to find a good parking spot. One has to pay attention to the parking signs. There are certain days and times of days when cars have to be moved from one street to another. I visited Mr Flash everyday to make sure he was OK. One day, a man was walking down the street ahead of me, trying every door handle to every car. When he got to Mr Flash I wanted to scream out at him, don't touch it! But I restrained myself and was glad that the doors were locked and that the alarm system was installed and working.


















I didn't take many photos in Manhattan. I went there for theatre and music mainly, not sightseeing. However, I did walk past the Swatch store in Times Square and took a photo in acknowledgment of Swatch's involvement in the design of the smart car. Did you know that the name "smart" comes from Swatch + Mercedes + art? I went inside the store and looked at the watches. Very colorful and clever designs, but I would rather spend 125 bucks on a theatre ticket than a watch.























Here's a photo of Dred Scott at the Rockwood Music Hall. You can catch the Dred Scott Trio there every Tuesday night at midnight. Most of the pictures (taken without flash) turned out lousy, but this one has a kind of artsy feel to it:
















And finally, if you saw a red and black smart car tooling along the highways and byways of PA or NY last week with the following emblem, then you saw me!

Two avant-garde operas in NYC

I'm not an opera fan, unless speaking of rock operas by the Kinks, however I had the opportunity to see two of the world's premiere experimental theatre companies take on the operatic form while in NYC last week. Here are a few reflections on the avant-garde opera experience.

Astronome, a Night at the Opera at the Ontological Hysteric Theater is now over, but received a great deal of positive attention from the NYT, the Village Voice and even the Wall Street Journal. A collaboration by Richard Foreman and John Zorn, the piece is a visual construct to Zorn's music. Audience members were warned about the intensity of the music they were about to hear and we were all given ear plugs just in case we needed them. A voice over at the beginning gave a very physical almost sensual description of how to insert the plugs into the ears. I chose not to use them -- hell, I'd once made it through a Ramone's concert standing next to a huge stack of amps without evident harm.

The music turned out to be loud but not painful, in fact it was quite good. No warnings were given about the visual content to which we would be exposed. I found it to be more shock-filled than the music. The set was filled with an intensity of props that one began to contemplate before the action began. At one side of the stage was an enormous nose, with bristling black nose hair coming out of the nostrils. Various objects went into the nose at certain points during the piece. Tarot cards were strewn over the floor, and a model of the Hanged Man dangled from above. Scrawled writings in English and Hebrew were chalked on the walls and other surfaces. Opposite the nose on the stage side, was an area divided off by Plexiglas, behind which an actor with a green face and a mohawk created by amazingly tall feathers lurked, occasionally coming out to scream to the music.

Five other actors interacted with the music and the props. There was a man who looked like an Egyptian Pharaoh, and another who wore a fez and a kilt. The costumes were all very bizarre. Most of them wore nose masks and some of them wore veils. Their actions were completely choreographed and not at all improvised. I know this because one of the actors happened to be a former student of mine. His description of the rehearsal process made it clear that what was seen was definitely the work of the director. What was his intent?

From the program: "What my theater offers is the ever changing image of human beings buffeted by forces that invade human life, hinting at the urges inside us all that are hopefully transcended, and may occasionally open doors to provide a brief glimpse of where we might better locate our spiritual selves."

I quite got the "urges" part of the piece and got a great deal of satisfaction watching the actions evolve. I particularly enjoyed the the physical responses one action might set off in the others. Didn't catch any glimpses of where I might locate my spiritual self, but that's par for the course. Didn't really matter -- there was more than enough there to keep me interested and for the most part, fascinated.

The Wooster Group continues to present La Didone at St Ann's Warehouse in Brooklyn through April 26th, so you can still see this amazing infusion of mid 17th century Italian opera with mid 20th century Italian sci fi movie. As mentioned earlier, I really don't enjoy listening to opera much, but this one grabbed me big time! First of all, the music was much closer to the Renaissance than the typical bombastic opera sounds of the 18th and 19th centuries. And then the young woman singing the part of Dido was amazing. Her name is Hai-Ting Chinn and not only did she sing her heart out, she had incredible stage presence.

Add in the amazing ability of the Wooster Group to recreate live actions from video recordings and you will experience an opera like no other! The movie, Planet of the Vampires, finds two space ships investigating a signal from the planet Aura. Scenes from the movie flicker on video screens placed about the stage. Both casts are dressed in really slick silver space suits and intermingle throughout. A table and desk roll into the action, and one gradually realizes that the rolling furniture mimics the effect of the camera pan shots in the movie clips. Exquisitely timed, the sci fi actors roll into position and pick up the action shown on the video screens. Over on stage left, is a miniature green screen set up where a technician puts on different hand and arm treatments to become interposed hands that appear on the video screens as the actors on stage reach into the video screens to manipulate space ship controls that appear on the screens. Very clever!

The whole endeavor involved a huge amount of collaboration. Along with the actors and technicians, an amazing band consisting of keyboards, theorbo, Baroque guitar, accordion, Tambourine and electric guitar played the haunting score. Most of the actors doubled in both the Dido and Aeneas opera and in the Italian space opera. I've been a fan of the Wooster Group since the 70s (when they were known as the Performance Group), but this one is definitely the best yet. Directed by Elizabeth LeCompte with set design by Ruud van der Akker and costumes by Antonia Belt, this piece is one that will linger long in my visual and aural memory banks.

Absurd theatre is current again in NYC

Final NYC theatre totals:

2 experimental opera pieces
2 plays by my two favorite playwrights.

This post will focus on the plays.

Waiting for Godot by Samuel Beckett was playing at Studio 54 with an all star cast: Nathan Lane as Estragon and Bill Irwin as Vladimir. John Goodman as Pozzo and John Glover as Lucky. The most startling thing about the show was the set. Lots of realistic fake rocks stacked up around a diagonal playing lane. Big theatre, so the void had to be filled with more than a black stage floor with a scrawny tree growing out of it. We were in the mid mezzanine seats, pretty high up. Could not hear every word, alas. This just started in previews, so hopefully they'll get the audio levels up.

Bonus points for anyone who can post a link to the definitive, authoritative pronunciation of "Godot."

Had much better seats for Exit the King at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre, a charming place to see a play. Fourth row center for this one, and what a treat it was! An Ionesco classic that I have never seen performed before. This production originated in Australia with Geoffrey Rush as King Berringer in a new translation/adaptation by the director Neil Armfield. and Mr Rush. The set was amazing and inventive, as were the costumes. The royals all had long heavy velvet capes that stretched out at least ten feet that became obstacles and twisted burdens that the actors pulled about the stage with them while the king refused to prepare to make his final exit. The acting was brilliantly physical, the concept and design and direction of it -- everybody involved with this production deserves great applause. Hope it gets a national tour.

More on the operas in the next post.

Dred Scott Trio at the Blue Note

The Dred Scott Trio gave us two astounding sets of music last night at the Blue Note in NYC. I'm very proud to say I've been a fan of Dred's for 20 years and I have always thought of his music as "beyond jazz." He can take any form of music and make it into something uniquely his own. His playing has a physicality about it that results in fingers and keyboard making sounds and patterns of notes you never would expect possible. For me, his music has always been extremely visual. In the early days, I used to take a sketch book along and draw to the music, trying to capture in line and shape the unexpected connections, tones, rhythms and patterns I always "saw" when listening to his music.

When I first met up with Dred, he was part of a trio in Akron known as Third Plane (Dred Scott - keyboards, Wilbur Krebs - bass/guitar, and JoJo Brigandi on drums). They played in a little art bar on South Main called The Bauhaus. Every Wednesday night for a year or so they played original jazz experimenting with avant garde sounds, and also transformed themselves into alternative bands, playing with punk or heavy metal forms. They were such a brilliant thing to have growing there on the dark abandoned streets of downtown Akron at that time. But you know how it goes -- an urban spot is blighted and abandoned, so the only ones who can afford to live there are artists and other dregs of society. The artists succeed in drawing attention to the area, so the developers follow and pretty soon it becomes too pricey for the artists and they all move along.

In the case of Third Plane, they simply outgrew NE Ohio. They were ready for bigger ponds, and so moved out to San Francisco and eventually went their separate ways. Dred played with the San Francisco Mime Troupe, was in Alphabet Soup, a really cool jazz hip hop group, and then moved on to NYC. He pretty much plays all over the world these days. His current trio (Dred - piano, Ben Rubin - acoustic bass, and Tony Mason - drums) can be seen in the clip below. Live last night, they were in top form, playing everything from Dred originals to Black Sabbath and modern spins on California 50s jazz. Guest artist MC Extra Cheese joined in for a couple of raps in both sets.

The Blue Note is a big deal jazz club -- they take it seriously at that club. There are rules: no jackets or coats can hang on the backs of chairs. The lights dim and the announcer lets us know that talking is not appreciated during the music. You can sit at a table for ten bucks or stand at the bar for five. Plus food/drink minimums and tips -- big night out for a Monday. (The weekend acts get $20 for bar tickets and $30 for table seats.)

The audience is serious about listening to jazz, and the place was packed with a very receptive audience. Dred always stretches the limits to places you never expect to be going -- I don't know that the Blue Note had ever experienced anything quite like it. A show to remember!

The continuing adventures...

So far so very good on this spring break adventure. I am absolutely loving my smart car -- have traveled over 400 miles so far and have been achieving excellent mileage. I'm saving the gas receipts and keeping track of the miles so I can give out a final total at trip's end. I will say that driving route 6 through the parks, mountains and charming old towns and villages got me the best mileage yet. At a top speed of 55, going through high winds and some snow flurries, then on into brighter and warmer weather, the smart was shifting for the best mileage and certainly got it. For that stretch of the highway, we managed 334.9 miles on 6.557 gallons of premium (93). That's 51.07 mpg! Wow!

Of course, the true smart enthusiasts will caution that mpgs must be measured over time for a true average. I think the new gps system helped with the mileage. It made me constantly aware of the posted speed limits as I drove into and out of towns and along the way, all the while informing me of my actual speed. I found that I was always working to achieve the posted limit and not go past it. Oddly enough, the only other smart car I have seen along this journey suddenly appeared in my rearview mirror on old route 6.

The car did great through the Endless Mountains (sounds like a place in Middle Earth) and on up to Albany and Troy, where I stopped to stay with my good friend Ron, an actor with New York State Theatre Institute. Then yesterday afternoon, I drove down a beautiful highway on the eastern side of the Hudson to NYC and on to Brooklyn. From totally rural to the most intense urban streets in this country!

Tonight I'm off to see the Dred Scott Trio at the Blue Note. Two shows, one at 8 and one at 10:30 PM. I've been a fan of Dred's music since the good old days of Third Plane at the Bauhaus in Akron. Have been looking forward to this night for weeks now! More later -- gotta go have some great jazz!

On the road

This week's glorious weather vanished as spring break approached. Rain and wind storms -- not my favorite driving conditions, but better than snow and ice. Fortunately, the rain had mostly dissipated by the time I had Mr Flash loaded and ready for the road.

My plan was to leave right after school let out, not wanting to waste a precious second of time off from work. I had most everything packed and ready to go. Had been working on the spring cleaning all week -- both at school and at home. Still, a bit remained so I beat it home and did the final tidying as the coffee heated and the cat watched in amazement as I dashed from top to bottom with loads of laundry and bags of things headed for the recycling bin.

I was on the road by 5:10 pm, and as I approached the expressway I noticed that traffic was jamming up. Time to take an alternate route through the city and catch 76 East beyond the central interchange. Somewhere between Akron and Youngstown, the smart car finally reached one thousand miles. I did feel the wind a bit on the highway, but it wasn't too startling. My old Ford Ranger was even more prone to being pushed about by the wind.

My plan was to get off the highways and head up Route 62 to the Grand Army of the Republic Highway, which stretches across PA from west to east on a more northern and far more scenic route than Interstate 80. Only got as far as Franklin, PA tonight before I decided that a room in a motel would be much more enjoyable than negotiating mountains in the rain and dark of night. The smart is handling the hills and curves with ease. I'm looking forward to better driving conditions tomorrow as I head across PA toward Albany to visit my friend Ron.

Back to the blog!

Time to sneak in a blog post before March of 2009 vanishes completely. I am happy to share with you that the spring musical was worth all the effort poured into it -- the show was a huge success with our audiences and the young cast and crew members all managed to get healthy enough to make it through all four performances.

I don't know if this is just in Ohio or is happening elsewhere -- you tell me. We've had the most obnoxious germs and viruses showing up at school this year, far more than I can ever remember. Kids and adults have been out for days at a time, suffering from lingering fevers or nausea, wracking coughs and even bouts of dizziness that some have labeled the "vertigo disease." It wasn't simply one disease manifesting itself in different ways. Some had influenza B, a very contagious virus, and then went on to catch the next nasty bug going around. It took a dreadful toll on our cast members, particularly those who resided in the castle. The villagers were pretty much spared. It reminded me of Poe's Mask of the Red Death, as one by one the actors playing castle characters caught "the plague" and vanished for days on end. Opening night was the first time in weeks we had everybody there and in a relatively healthy state!

So no more long weeks of rehearsals after school. It was a thrill to leave at a normal time today and to see the sun shining and feel the earth basking in its glow. I was happy to take a walk around the garden this afternoon and note all the signs of spring. Forsythia blooming already and the tulips sending forth tall leaves. The lilac bush is noticeably active and already there are weeds trying to take over beds. The chives are a brilliant shade green in the herb bed. I bought some peas and spinach seeds to put in the garden. They need to be planted now while the ground is still cool and the temperatures are just right.

Spring break is almost upon us. I'm going to take a nice long trip in my smart car, traveling to upstate NY to visit friends and then down to the city for a few days of intense theatre-going. Will take the laptop along for blogging updates.

Until then, it is spring cleaning time here at the Village Green. Sweeping out the debris of winter and letting in the fresh air of spring!

Absent with leave

If anyone has been taking attendance here in the Village Green , the blogger has been absent and will be out for a couple more weeks. We're in production mode at the moment, and the spring musical is all-consuming in its demands. Deadlines loom, etc.

Still love my smart car. The night manager at the Kenmore Akron came out to chat in the parking lot with me about, peppering me with questions. Then he came up as the cashier was toting up my bag of groceries and told the cashier all about the smart car in the lot. So she had to close up her register and follow me out to see it.

Everybody wants to know if it is safe. Yes very. And no, I am not afraid. I am a safe driver. No crashes since the age of 16 when I totaled my mom's Falcon. It wasn't some big smash up either. Somehow the brakes locked up as I went over a small hill and had to stop at a light. The car slid into one in front of me stopped at the light. That car didn't get a scratch but my mom's car crumpled right up. I had my brother and a group of inner city school children we'd taken to a picnic in a park. We'd been volunteering in the big city that summer. This was a culminating activity and I got us all in a wreck. Nobody was hurt except for me -- and only just a scratch on my cheek where it hit the steering wheel. It was a slo-mo kind of event, fortunately for all of us. It was a huge lesson and I've done my best to never crash again.

See you when the show is in shape and there's time to write again.

If someone smashes into you at high speed, it doesn't matter what you are driving -- the forces of physics will have their way with you and the hurtling metal.

Let's go Dri - i - i - i - iving!

It's been a week since I brought Grippy home to Kenmore, which is where I've done most of my driving this week. We are in the "breaking in" mode which means that I've got about another 900 miles to go.

I did drive down to Green township this morning and then over to Barberton, to shop at the Price is Right Fabric store on Tuscarawas Blvd. The folks in the fabric shop were full of questions about the smart car.

How many gallons per mile?

From smart USA: The smart fortwo is designed to achieve 33 city/41 highway mpg according to 2008 EPA standards, which involves measuring mpg while taking into account real-life driving conditions such as start/stop city traffic, air-conditioning, heating etc. According to information obtained on fueleconomy.gov, the smart fortwo is the most fuel-efficient non-hybrid gasoline-powered vehicle in the USA today. The gas tank of the smart fortwo is 8.7 gallons.

*Fuel economy estimates were derived in accordance with the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) vehicle testing procedures for model year 2008 as specified in 40 C.F.R. pts. 86 and 600 (2007). These estimates are intended for comparison between other vehicles within the same class. Individual drivers’ actual mileage will vary depending on how they drive and maintain their vehicles.

How can you fit all your groceries in that car?

The smart holds a lot more than people think it can. There are plenty of pictures online of how much stuff people can fit in a smart car. The back hatch holds up to 12 cubic feet should you fill it to the roof line, and when the passenger seat is folded down, one can have room for anything from a tuba to a bag of golf clubs or two Labrador retrievers. It can certainly hold more than a week's worth of groceries for one person and one cat.

How fast can that thing go?

After lumbering around town in a Ford Ranger truck for years, this smart car feels very zippy to me. I had it up to 70 before I knew it, first time on the freeway. Then I remembered to always observe the speed limit, especially during the car's break in period.

What's it like to drive?

In a word: FUN!

Stimulating the economy with a smart purchase

Today I did my part by stimulating the economy with a purchase of a new smart car. The rep at the Smart Center in Bedford, OH said I would love driving the car and he was so right. I didn't want to stop driving it around today. I tested it in the city and the country, taking it out to Hinckley Park and Granger township to test the curves and hills on the narrow country roads.

The automated clutch takes a little bit of getting used to. I found that the lighter I was on the throttle in first to second, the better the shift. Yet out on the highway, I managed to zip up the entrance ramp and merge into traffic with no problem. Then I was going 65 before I knew it -- whoa! I could have easily gone faster if so inclined.

I took it to a few places in Montrose, checking out its parking capabilities. One should never pull a smart car all the way in to a parking place. Other drivers will attempt to pull in, because they don't see the rear of a car sticking out as they approach. A man and a woman came up to my window in the parking lot outside of Mustard Seed. Thought it might be an electric car. Nope, not yet -- a fleet of electric smarts are being tested in London this year. Maybe two or more years til they can be had here. The couple were totally struck by the car's uniqueness, and of course, cute-factor. The woman could not stop saying, "Oh how cute!" Like it's a pet or something.

Inside the showroom, the smart cars feel large and inviting. Outside, on the lot they almost look like toys compared to the rows of Mercedes in the lot next door. (in the beginning, Mercedes co-developed the smart with Swatch (watches) Group. The design elements are the result of forward thinking (ecologically and aesthetically) in approaching automotive design. Indeed the logo, a capital "C" (Compact) linked with an arrow (Forward Thinking) provides a visual manifesto, probably the shortest one ever written! The designation of an uncapitalized "smart" as brand name is playful and at the same time encourages us to be smart about everything that we make and use in our daily lives.

A smart car is exhibited in the Metropolitan museum of art. Smart enthusiasts wrap their plastic panels in skins and spray or hand-paint designs and images over the solid color plastic panels. The panels can be recycled into new panels for the smart cars of the future.

While some people view smart cars as design objects or fashion icons, I do think some smart owners have turned their cars into pets. They give them names such as "Bluebelle", "Mustard Seed" or "Bruiser" and assign them a gender. (Check out variously named vehicles at the Smart Car of America Forums, a place where the collective wisdom of smart enthusiasts is gathered and available for all.)

Today was a perfect Ohio all-kinds-of-weather-all-day-long day. I drove it off the lot into bone-chilling temps. So I reached for the seat heater button and felt immediate warming relief. Later, winds buffeted traffic on the expressway, but the smart stayed on course easily. After spending the evening with friends, I went out to depart to find snow and slush all over everything, including my new smart. I got in and headed up a slippery hill on one of Akron's delightful old red brick-paved streets. Not a slip or slide. "Grippy," I thought.

Naturally, by the end of day one, I was calling the car "Grippy" out loud, practicing my best Stephen Colbert imitation. I tried to avoid the issue of gender. Grippy is all black on the exterior, with a hot red with black interior design. I know when the panels are switched out to red against the black tridion, the car's name will change. And once the Kinks Preservation Society bumper sticker goes on, the car will gain a gender as well. Red and black and Preservation -- Here Comes Mr Flash!

And I swore I'd never name a car! Well, I'll never fork over the money for vanity plates. Because I have to save up for a navigating system. Gotta keep stimulating that economy, you know.

Pix to come soon. What you see above is a stock photo of a black Passion with black interior.

Sickly thoughts on health care

Home with the stomach flu -- ugh. I'm gaining a new appreciation for the restorative powers of BRAT (bananas, rice, applesauce and (dry) toast. I'm feeling a whole lot better after a day of rest and the bland diet. Enough so that I can manage to sit in front of the computer and check in with the world once again.

On the news today, I watched Obama's news conference in Canada with prime minister Stephen Harper. One interesting point -- when Harper said that the Canadian stimulus bill was very large but not approaching the size of the US stimulus package -- because Canadian health care doesn't need bailing out.

From the Orangeville Citizen:

We wonder whether he's aware of the fact that while Canada's medicare system had its beginnings in Saskatchewan under the leadership of a socialist premier who happened to be a Baptist minister, the most important step forward was agreement among the provinces that with federal financial aid they could operate their own programs that would be both universal and portable, so all Canadians can be covered even when they move to another province.

Perhaps Mr. Harper or Mr. Ignatieff might give their guest a few tips on the subject of federal-provincial relations, and even suggest he consider the idea of making universal health care a topic of a federal-state conference that would see him invite the 50 state governors to the White House for talks on jointly solving the current health care crisis.

The idea would be to have the governors agree to something similar to the U.S. Interstate Highway program devised by the Eisenhower administration half a century ago. Under that scheme, the impressive system of freeways and toll roads criss-crosses the 48 continental states with each state responsible for building and maintaining the roadways with the federal government contributing much of the costs.

Such an approach would no doubt lead to a wide variety of programs, with individual states deciding whether to offer a mix of public and private insurance options or simply to pick up the tab for those who couldn't afford the private-sector premiums.

However, if Ontario's experience is any indication, the public/private medley won't be cost effective.

Today, few Ontarians are aware of the attempt by the Conservative government of the day to give residents a choice between insurance from the private carriers and the Ontario Medical Services Insurance Plan (OMSIP). Not surprisingly, the private sector wound up with a disproportionate share of healthy Ontarians, saddling OMSIP with far too many with outstanding health problems.

The solution lay in OMSIP's replacement on Oct. 1, 1969, by the Ontario Health Insurance Plan (OHIP), which displaced all the private carriers for everything except supplemental coverage.

It's an idea that proved successful and today is employed in all 10 provinces, the only remaining differences being whether to finance health care through premiums or taxes and whether to cover some new medical procedures when experts cannot agree as to their effectiveness.

Can the US ever wrest itself from the private carriers and the pharmaceutical companies? Will 50 million uninsured folks ever receive affordable coverage? What I really don't understand is why it is so difficult for the people in charge to understand that health insurance costs are what is killing our industries. All because some people freak out at the term "socialized medicine."

Call me crazy, but I'd gladly give up my very decent school teacher health and retirement plans if all Americans could receive the same fair plans.

smart car football (soccer)

Forgive the lack of content around here this past week. Things are very busy and other projects have taken precedence. However, I am going to do my duty and stimulate the economy by purchasing a new car -- after Obama signs the stimulus package on Tuesday. Because then I can write off the tax on this purchase. There is some discussion on the smart Car of America forums as to whether the new car tax write off is retroactive to Nov 08.

While I tend to other matters, please enjoy this smart car football match, with England versus Germany. This was filmed for BBC's Top Gear program. Further details here:

Alas poor Oberon...

I took Obie for his final vet appointment last Friday. His life was no longer fun in any way for him. He had stopped eating, refused to take his pills and was having great difficulty getting up and down the stairs to go outside. His hair was coming out in huge chunks from all the stress and pain of shrunken muscles and arthritis in the hips. I couldn't bear watching him waste away.

When I got to the vet's I found I had to wait in line for my pet to be euthanized. A woman ahead of me began sobbing inconsolably as her cat was put down. Fortunately, I had left Obie in the truck while I went in to handle the paperwork and payments. To sit there and wait with him while that was going on would have been too much to take. So I sat alone in the lobby and silently dabbed at my own tears while the woman mourned her cat. Once she left, I went out for Obie. Carried him in and held him in my arms. He buried his head in my chest as the shot brought him down.

I felt for the vet and her staff. Euthanasia's are scheduled at the end of the day. The final final appointments. Hell of a way to end your day and to have them stacked up in a row. Life sucks when it has to end, that's for sure.

Oberon was a big dog with a Husky's coat and eyes, and a retriever's joy in fetching objects. He lived a good 15 years. The past couple of weeks brought about a rapid decline. He wasn't going to get better and the pain was only going to get worse. It's a very hard thing to go through, but I only hope that should I face that kind of death, I'll find the help I need to go beyond the pain.

I got back in my truck and headed home to pack for Cincinnati for a weekend of professional development. I left the cat in the care of the pet sitter. Got on 71 and headed all the way down past Columbus through Queen City and on into Kentucky to a hotel at the airport. A four and half hour drive. For company, I had the new Kinks box set, Picture Book. I sang along through the six CDs all the way there. I sang away the ache in my heart for Obie for most of the way. But certain songs brought tears to my eyes. Misfits, for example: "Because it's true what they say, every dog has his day."

When I found Obie 15 years ago, he was a lost puppy in the middle of traffic in East Ave. I was a first year drama teacher, too poor to buy a car, walking home from school. I spotted this scrawny dirty puppy and called him out of harm's way. He attached himself immediately to me, imprinting like a newly hatched gosling, and he has been a one woman dog for the past 15 years. Totally loyal. I am missing my shadow tonight. He's not under the computer table. He's not giving me the bizarro eye stare indicating it is time to go outside.

Obie had one white eye and one brown eye. His eyes had been deteriorating of late. Sometimes I'd find him standing vacantly staring at nothing, looking lost and bewildered. Doggie dementia, perhaps.

Above is the last portrait of Oberon with favorite squeaky toy. We had a good time together over winter break. He loved to catch and fetch his toys. We had a good long run together.
Alas poor Oberon, I knew him well...a canine of infinite joy in squeaky toys.

Stimulus This: The Arts = Jobs

I was handed a flier today with the following information on it.

The Arts = Jobs

5.7 million jobs
100,000 Nonprofit Arts Organizations
612,000 Arts Centric Businesses
4.3% of all American Businesses
$29.6 billion in Taz Revenues
$166.2 billion Total Economic Impact

Keep support for arts jobs in the economic recovery bill.

Americans for the Arts
Americans for the Arts Action Fund
Arts & Business Council
Performing Arts Alliance
Chamber Music America
National Assembly of State Arts Agencies

www.AmericansForTheArts.org

Ohio's senators both voted for the Coburn Amendment

I just sent an email to Senators Brown and Voinovich. Both voted for the Coburn amendment yesterday, acquiescing to Republican demands for cuts in stimulus spending. The GOP won't be happy until we are all uneducated and uncultured louts. They made a long list of projects that shouldn't be funded, including museums and theatres along with other "entertainments" such as casinos. These projects were called "wasteful" and "non-stimulative." I agree that casinos are not essential to our survival as a culture, but grouping arts and non-profit museums into that category is a disgrace:

Here's my email:

I was horrified to learn you voted for the Coburn amendment yesterday. This is the amendment that lumped funding museums and theatre along with casinos into an amendment that cuts funding to such projects.

Make no mistake -- arts and non-profit educational organizations are in just as much danger of failing as banks and automakers. Which is more essential to our human condition -- an art museum or a gas-driven pollution machine?

I do not like the way this so-called stimulus package is taking on the face of congress -- white and male oriented. Are theatres too sissy for funding? Is it okay that the Akron Art museum is cutting back hours and staff because its endowment is shrinking along with the economy?

Theatres are closing across the country. Why won't you support funding opportunities that will keep theatre workers employed?

I hope to read a substantial response from you on your web site or in the media, not just one of your canned email replies.

Contact your senators if you think museums, theatres and other cultural institutions are worthy of stimulus funds.

Give me some stimulus, please!

Sorry folks -- real life intrudes way too much these days. However, I swear to you I will continue this blog sooner rather than later. Although I've been quiet here, I have been watching the continuing petty dramas imposed by the defeated GOP. Put me in the "fed up with the bipartisan approach" category. Get Franken in the Senate and a moderate New England style GOP placeholder for New Hampshire and keep slapping down the Republican amendments and hissy fits. Just do it!.

Also, if we must have bi-partisanship, then lets demand a genuine progressive appointee in the new government for every Republican brought into the Obama White House. I weep no tears for Tom Daschle and wish that Tim Geithner could be replaced by -- oh say -- Paul Krugman. As my mum says, nobody is irreplaceable. If there is only one superduper person on the planet to fill any particular slot, then we are all doomed. If ever a cabinet post needed to be filled by a progressive, it would be that of Health and Human Services.

Still waiting for more of a hue and cry against the rip off artists extraordinaire who ran the economy into the ground and who have their obscene profts hidden in off shore accounts. Also waiting to see changes in the programming on all the Home and Style networks on television. Reality shows about going through foreclosure. A Survivor series for the unemployed job seekers. Health Care roulette -- spin the wheel to see if you earn enough for a MRI. Now into the Bonus Round to see if you can win a free prescription.

Other than that, I've been staying inside away from the cold as much as possible. Wish I could go into hibernation mode, but there is too much work on my plate and not enough time to get it all done. I'll be away for the weekend, but will take the laptop in case there is time and motivation to blog.

Until the recovery, everybody sing:

Cheap is small and not too steep
But best of all cheap is cheap
Circumstance has forced my hand
To be a cut price person in a low budget land
Times are hard but we'll all survive
I just got to learn to economize

Here Comes Flash

More glimpses of what was performed as "Preservation, Acts One and Two" by the Kinks. These excerpts are from a 1975 Kinks concert at the Beacon Theatre in NYC, 1975. I just love the costumes and the old British music hall vibe. Is that Ray disguised as a Scared Housewife? Dave lays down some mean lead guitar in this number and looks totally hot in that spiv outfit. The chorus of Scared Housewives are

At the beginning of the clip, you can see a snow cloud of paper plates alighting on stage. An old tradition that continues to this day --fans requesting favorite Kinks songs by writing them on paper plates and tossing them on stage. (I remember two determined fans in Cleveland with a home-made banner they hung over the balcony requesting Waterloo Sunset and the utmost joy that emanated from that portion of the balcony when the request was granted at the encore.)

Flash is the attraction and allure of complete self-gratification and that tawdry glow that comes with being flush with other people's money. Flash is a Wall Street executive who made a lot of money on other people's misery and feels no regrets. He's a ponzi schemer and a hedge fund millionaire. As the song says:

There's no way that you can win,
You must obey his every whim
Or else he's going to do you in.
Here Comes Flash.

The rest of the sing along words can be found here.

Slum Kids

Here in the slums of lower south Akron, we're dealing with too much snow, a broken water heater, not to mention there's a crack up in the ceiling and the bathroom sink is leaking...

"Why do rich kids get all the breaks, while the poor slum kids have to work, sweat, struggle and slave?"

Here's another from the Beacon Theatre, in NYC 1975. A Preservation track. Everybody sing along now.