Time To Vote

Time to Vote

In this week’s issue:
* Cool Cleveland Endorsements on relevant issues and candidates for Cleveland on Tues 11/2
* Election Resources and Election News to help increase voter turnout in this critical election
* RoldoLINK on endorsing Kerry and on the PD’s “embarrassing episode”
* Cool Cleveland People on DJ, manager, label owner and musical impresario Eric Schulte
* Skirting The Issue on PD publisher Machaskee’s overruling of his editorial staff

Cool Cleveland Endorsements

John Kerry for President Because President George W. Bush has enacted tax refunds and fiscal policies that have driven up record deficits, because he has shown he would stack the Supreme Court with ultra-conservative Justices (up to four may be nominated by the next President), because he has squandered American treasure and blood on a disingenuous and distracting war on Iraq instead of al Qaeda, because his administration has used the USA Patriot Act to reduce American freedoms, because of his ineffectual healthcare and drug coverage policies that have left millions at risk, and because he’s squandered the USA’s international power and standing through a unilateral foriegn policy, he doesn’t deserve a second term. John Kerry’s extensive experience, personal toughness, universal respect and collaborative leadership style are vastly preferred in a post-9/11 world.

Eric Fingerhut for Senate More of a referendum on George Voinovich’s 38 years in leadership positions as Cleveland Mayor, Ohio Governor or Senator, this election shines a light on his poor stewardship and lack of aggressive leadership in a region of the country that has been devastated both by a sagging and transformative economy and a lack of imaginative solutions. Fingerhut’s long-shot campaign challenges current Federal policies, and represents a new-school approach that is more in touch with Ohioans’ needs, represented by his recent 335-mile walk across Ohio.
NO on Issue 1 Proposed Ohio Constitutional amendment. Regardless of your view on gay marriage, which is already disallowed by State law, this overly broad measure would legitimize discrimination, contradict the Bill of Rights, and negatively impact the Ohio economy by making it more difficult to recruit and offer benefits to qualified workers. Cincinnati has already lost $46 million in convention business due to their similar city charter, and this unnecessary amendment would make Ohio the most intolerant state in the US, and would spawn a flurry of costly lawsuits.
YES on Issue 112 Cleveland Municipal school levy. This $68 million operating levy, the first since 1996, would cost the owner of a $75,000 home $261.84 per year, and would be used to buy books and restore programs. Under CEO Barbara Byrd-Bennett, the District has moved from “academic emergency” to “academic watch,” and has continued to suffer from $31 million in State funding cuts, and soaring health care costs. We should be outraged that the State continues with a school funding system that has been declared unconstitutional four different times by the Ohio Supreme Court.
YES on Issue 120 Cleveland Metropolitan Park District levy. This levy will raise $56 million to run the 20,300-acre park for the next ten years, build additional Zoo exhibits, fund improvements, keep them debt-free, and help pay for its staff of 503. Passage of the levy will add only $13.29 a year in additional tax for an owner of a $100,000 home. The Emerald Necklace park system, golf courses and Metroparks Zoo are all jewels in the crown of Northeast Ohio, and conscientious stewardship is well worth the small additional cost.
Dennis Kucinich for Congress, 10th District Although his Presidential campaign will no doubt cost him some votes back home, Kucinich’s strong experience and avid attention to the details of his District’s needs, especially in fighting for local jobs and hospitals, continue to win him overwhelming favor.
Tim O’Malley for Cuyahoga County Recorder It is unfortunate that decisions regarding candidates are too often predicated upon the poor behavior and performance of incumbents, rather than qualifications or platforms. Incumbent Patrick O’Malley has disgraced himself and his position. Tim O’Malley’s willingness to merge the office of Recorder in a countywide consolidation plan should be considered.

Election resources
How To Vote Poll hours: 6:30AM to 7:30PM on Tuesday, November 2nd. As long as you’re on line by 7:30PM, you can vote. First-time voters: You must bring a photo ID or a copy of a current utility bill, bank statement, paycheck, government check, or other government document showing name and address.

Polling locations Call your County Board of Elections, or log on. For Cuyahoga County, see: http://boe.cuyahogacounty.us/boe/default.htm or call 443-3298. For Summit County, visit: http://www.SummitCountyBOE.com or call 330-643-5200. For Geauga County, go to: http://co.Geauga.OH.US/departments/board_elec.htm or call 440-285-2222. For Lake County, see: http://www.LakeElections.com or call 440-350-2700. For Lorain County, go to: http://LorainBOE.Erienet.net or call 440-326-5901. For Medina County, surf to: http://www.co.Medina.OH.US/election/elect.htm or call 330-722-9278. For Portage County, go to: http://www.ElectionOhio.com/portage or call 330-297-3511. For more information, see the League of Women Voters at http://www.LWVohio.org

Rating the judges One of the most challenging parts of any election is deciding which judges to vote for. Finally there’s an impartial organization that has interviewed and rated the judicial candidates. The Judicial Candidates Rating Coalition lays it out for you at http://www.Judge4Yourself.com

Vote absentee Unable to visit your polling location on Election Day between 6:30AM and 7:30PM on Tues 11/2? Be sure to submit an absentee ballot. You must request an absentee ballot by 12:30PM on Sat 10/30 and submit it by 7:30PM on Tues 11/2. Ohio voters are entitled to vote by absentee ballot if: You will be absent from Cuyahoga County on Election Day, OR you are 62 years of age or older, or you are a firefighter, peace officer or provider of emergency medical services, have a family member hospitalized on Election Day, or if you have a physical illness or a disability. You also qualify if you can’t make it out because of religious beliefs, are in jail for a misdemeanor or awaiting trial, are an election official or Board of Elections employee, or if you are on active duty in the state with an organized militia. Get an absentee ballot here: http://boe.cuyahogacounty.us/boe/default.htm. Submit the ballot to 2925 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44115. 443-3231. Ohio voters outside Cuyahogoa County, visit http://serform.sos.state.oh.us/sos/boe/index.html

Election Protection Election Protection 2004 is a non-partisan organization focused on ensuring that voters know their rights and are able to vote. They desperately need Spanish speaking poll monitors for Election Day. Please volunteer with the folks at Election Protection 2004. People can have shifts that work in their schedules and they want to target precincts with high Latino population. People who are interested can contact Lynne Algrant at 216-571-6661 or email her at harwellalgrant@ameritech.net or Maria Valle 214-406-0597 and email mavalle@sbcglobal.net

Impartial analysis Confused by the spin, counter-spin and outright lies from candidates and their 527’s? This Presidential campaign may be the worst yet for playing loose with the facts, on both sides. Keep it straight with a couple of impartial, non-profit sites to help you sort out the blarney and the BS. http://www.FactCheck.org, http://www.SpinSanity.org

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The steel is rising…at The Pinnacle Condominiums in the historic Warehouse District. These new construction, contemporary condominiums will offer incredible amenities, panoramic views and the opportunity for you to design your own unique home! Let the Pinnacle provide you with spacious and light-filled rooms, gourmet kitchens, luxury baths, oak hardwood floors and balconies. Other amenities include a fitness center, indoor parking and rooftop gardens! You’ll be in the heart of Downtown Cleveland’s bustling Warehouse District – with restaurants, galleries, nightclubs, shopping and so much more available from your front door. Plus special financing and 15 year tax abatement! Located on Lakeside between W. 6th and 9th Streets and starting in the mid $300’s – come by for the open house on Fri 10/29, 11:30AM-2:30PM and the following weekend on Fri 11/5, 11:30AM-2:30PM and Sun 11/7 from 2-4PM. For a complete list of properties and open houses this weekend, please visit www.ProgressiveUrban.com
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Election News
PD editors Bushwhacked (again) According to the leading newspaper trade journal Editor & Publisher, on “Super Sunday” 10/24, when most newspapers make their endorsements, 35 papers that endorsed Bush in 2000 came out in favor of Kerry, while Bush only picked up 2 papers that had previously endorsed Gore. Kerry has been endorsed by a total of 125 newspapers (total 16 million circulation), while Bush got only 96 (representing 10 million circulation). Strangely absent on Sunday was The Plain Dealer’s endorsement. According to E&P, “the paper’s nine-person editorial board decided earlier this week that it wanted to endorse Kerry, but Publisher Alex Machaskee, who has final say, has decided on Bush. The paper backed Bush in 2000. This has caused consternation in some quarters at The Plain Dealer, with sources telling E&P that the endorsement editorial, which was expected to run Sunday, was put off.” Instead, the PD on Tue 10/26 declined to endorse either candidate, apparently ignoring their own editorial staff who reportedly voted overwhelmingly in favor of Kerry. See PD editorial here. E&P also wrote, “If Machaskee deflected The Plain Dealer editorial board’s choice, it reportedly won’t be the first time: In the 2002 gubernatorial race, according to Plain Dealer insiders, Machaskee decided the newspaper would endorse Bob Taft despite the editorial board’s preference for his opponent, Tim Hagan.” See Editor & Publisher here and here.

Vote gay friendly We’re convinced that making our region more welcoming to all people, regardless of their sexual orientation, will help attract a desireable entrepreneurial and consumer demographic, provide an incentive for progressives and their partners to locate and remain in NEO, and provide basic human rights for a sizeable and growing chunk of the population. Richard Florida’s landmark study found higher economic growth in gay-tolerant cities. Others insist on demagoguing the issue, however, so you may want to refer to the handy voting guide provided by the Cleveland Stonewall Democrats at http://www.ClevelandStonewallDemocrats.org

VoteMob Only 36% of Ohioans age 18-34 turned out for the 2000 election, and VoteMob is the only partisan GOTV organization that’s mobilizing this age group in Ohio. Since June, they’ve been talking with young people at concerts, festivals & college campuses, convincing more than 97,000 of them to sign a pledge to vote. Help VoteMob contact them and get progressive voters to the polls on Tues 11/2. The result will be about 22,000 progressive votes statewide. Call 321-1552 or email abby@21stdems.org

American Idle Whether you’re a woman or not, you’ll find this 80-second animated webtoon amusing, and it’s message disconcerting: more young women voted for a contestant on the TV show American Idol than in the last election. Let’s hope it doesn’t happen again. http://www.saveroe.com/americanidle

Cool Cleveland News
Unchain Cleveland Sat 11/20 is America Unchained Day, and individuals in communities around the country are urged to shop in locally-owned stores for that one day, to maximize the impact of each dollar spent into the local economies. Cleveland Originals, a chapter of the Council of Independent Restaurants of America (CIRA), will host the first Dine Originals Week with a guest chef dinner, providing a fabulous 6-course tasting menu with matching wines, so you can savor the local flavors that make them unique in their communities on Sun 11/14 at 6:30PM at Moxie, 3355 Richmond Rd. in Beachwood. Then, the following week, enjoy special 3-course prix-fixe menus at participating Cleveland restaurants. http://www.ClevelandOriginals.com

Feasting on films A mouthwateringly delicious fundraising series, Film (and other Arts) Feasts is a series of parties, soirees and gatherings to celebrate all that is film and art oriented in Cleveland. The Cleveland Film Society is responsible for bringing the Cleveland International Film Festival (CIFF) to life every year, FAOF raises funds to help keep that vision alive, offering something for everyone with a plethora of festivities. Check it out at http://www.ClevelandFilm.org or call 623-FILM, ext. 10. Upcoming, see Unprecedented Fri 10/29 at 7:30PM and The Photographer Sat 11/6 at 7:30PM. Get more info by emailing mailto: media@clevelandfilm.org

Greater Ohio sets smart growth agenda What’s smart growth? Trying to slow or stop urban sprawl, re-energizing older cities and saving the countryside. How is Greater Ohio doing it? If you check their website, they have 10 principles that include: involving citizens from throughout the state in creating a new vision for economic development and quality of life in Ohio; supporting tax reforms that encourage the redevelopment of existing cities and towns, historic preservation, tax-base sharing strategies, the preservation of open space, and school funding equity. It supports public policies that promote a more balanced transportation system that offers choices, encourages walkable communities, and reduces traffic congestion. http://www.GreaterOhio.org and see Cleveland.com here.

Webcasting the arts economy At Cool Cleveland, we try to keep you up to speed on the ways that arts and culture are helping to drive economic development in our region. Now you can watch a streaming webcast right on your screen, featuring Susie Frazier-Mueller, Artist and co-founder of Sparx in the City; Chris Carmody, President of the Greater Cleveland Film Commission; Marina Marquez-Zenkov, Artist and owner of GOPA (Gallery of Photographic Arts); and Joan Perch, Owner of ArtMetro Gallery and co-founder of Sparx in the City. The 60-minute program is appropriately titled Arts and Economic Development in Greater Cleveland. http://www.wkyc.com/news/news_fullstory.asp?id=25251

BioScience is big business in Cleveland How many Bioscience companies are there in the region? Would you believe 362? That’s the number BioEnterprise came up with after spending two months studying the industry. Most of the companies are small, but at least 42 companies on the list have sales of $5 million to $50 million a year. See Cleveland.com here

Gund launches site, gives away $5 million The George Gund Foundation, one of the region’s largest foundations, has re-launched their site, http://www.GundFoundation.org, which now provides grant guidelines, news, staff contact info and a database of all grants back to 1997. The Gund Foundation has consistently commissioned area artists and photographers to design their annual report, many of which have won awards. Some of these images are also on the new site. In September, the board voted to make almost $5.3 million in 92 grants in the areas of human services, education, environment, arts and economic and community development. See details here.

Irina Danilova votes for those who can’t Cleveland’s Performance Art Festival presented the quirky work of New York artist Irina Danilova, who was obsessed with the number 59. She led a 59-minute tour down Route 59 with 59 people on a bus headed for Kent, Ohio. Now, she’s doing a new performance work, VoteHere, in which she plans to represent those in the US who don’t have the right to vote: the mentally incompetent, those under 18, currently in prison on felonies, and resident non-citizens. Those parties can log on and indicate their voting preferences, and “all votes will be processed by Irina Danilova and she will vote for the candidate who garners the most.” http://www.thing.net/~irinadanilova/votehere

Richard Florida @ EJ Thomas Dr. Richard Florida shares insights and prompts introspection as guest speaker for The University of Akron’s Forum Series on Thu 10/28 at 7:30PM. Some folks seem to have a knack for sparking controversy, and Florida is one of them. As author of The Rise of the Creative Class: And How It’s Transforming Work, Leisure Community and Everyday Life, Florida has ignited an international debate. The Rise of the Creative Class has been widely acclaimed in The New York Times and other major media for showing how the most profound changes in our workplace, culture and everyday lives form the rise of creativity as an economic force. The book has stimulated a national debate about the causes and consequences of economic growth and development. At EJ Thomas Hall. Call 330-972-7570. Or visit http://www.TicketMaster.com. and http://www.EJThomasHall.com or http://www.AkronCivic.com

Crawling around Cleveland Another Performance Art Festival alum, William Pope.L of Lewiston, Maine, will be a visiting artist at the Cleveland Institute of Art starting on Tue 11/2. Known for his performance crawls– he once led an audience of 50 in a crawl on all fours around Cleveland State University– Pope.L will conduct a crawl workshop and interdisciplinary seminar with CIA’s Saul Ostrow and Tina Cassara. His no-charge lecture will take place Wed 11/3 at 7:30PM at Aiken Auditorium, 11141 East Blvd. A small exhibition will be mounted in the the CIA gallery for one week.

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Early Music finder Robin Snyder, an Assistant Professor of Theoretical Ecology at Case Western Reserve University, has created a website for the Cleveland area early music community, that includes both a concert calendar and a musician’s directory. The directory is intended for both professional and amateur musicians with the hope that people will use it for a wide range of purposes from forming new ensembles, (“I’m hoping to start a group dedicated to performing late medieval German music”) to one-off groups, (“I’ve just found this great piece I want to perform–if only I could find a crumhorn player.”) to social gatherings. It also hopes to find musicians or ensembles for hire (“I want a Renaissance wind band to play the procession at my wedding.”) It’s is a much needed, classicly cool endeavor, created right here in Cleveland. http://SquareNote.org

SayYES deadline is 11/1 SayYES! to Cleveland wants you to come and celebrate the business successes in our town. Come network with the entrepreneurs who are growing and thriving, then meet representatives from larger businesses and hear how they are reinventing growth through technology. They’re connecting current and former Clevelanders to draw on the emotional equity we have for our city, to support local start-ups and to encourage successful non-residents to consider starting their next enterprise, expansion or consolidation in Cleveland. They’ve helped 14 companies find funding for growth; come out to particpate in Celebrate our Successes on 11/17 from 8:30AM–4PM and register on-line by 11/1 at http://www.YesCleveland.org or email sdr@yescleveland.org

Twin Cranes Press’ contest for a poem about peace Call out for poetry; poems should be 40 lines or less, and all poetic forms will be considered. Translations and previously published poems are welcome and there is no entry fee. Winner will receive 12 copies of his or her poem, lettered I-XII, on an illustrated broadside and will be invited to read at the Poets for Peace Reading at the Word Crafters Festival on Sun 11/2 at the Cleveland Public Library. Deadline is 11/1. Submit up to three poems, typed, to Twin Cranes Press, P.O. Box 20251, Canton, Ohio, 44701-0251. Include your name, address, phone, and e-mail.

Cool Cleveland This Week
10.27-11.03

Send your cool events to: Events@CoolCleveland.com

Knocking Down Walls: Pain, Pride, Prejudice…and Stereotypes Karamu Performing Arts Theatre, Ohio’s premier African-American theatre, presents Stonewall Jackson’s House, in which sensitive subjects surface in this controversial yet funny play by Jonathan Reynolds. Affirmative action, political correctness, nontraditional casting, the welfare state, black studies, ethnocentrism, multiculturalism run rampant; this play will push many buttons! You don’t have to agree with the inexhaustible supply of opinions to get a kick out of this play. Preview Night hits on Wed 10/27 & Thu 10/28 at 7:30PM. Regular performances begin 10/29 at 8PM thru 11/21, Sun show time starts 3PM. Call 795-7070 x 226. Karamu House, 2355 East 89th St. http://www.Karamu.com

Get the Scoop! fundraiser You’re cordially invited to chill with Youth Opportunities Unlimited to meet up with well intentioned young people who participate in our programs. While you’re there, continue the chilling and try out their ice cream selections, talk to the staff about their innovative ways that motivate youth to stay in school, and how it prepares them for the world of work. Maximize your networking with their boardmembers and volunteers, because you never know who you’ll meet; check it out Wed 10/27 from 4:40-7:30PM. Call to RSVP at 566-5445 x231. 1361 Euclid Ave. kfields@youthopportunities.org

Girl With A Pearl Necklace: An Act of Love Varla Jean Merman, applauded for her amazing vocals, original music videos, and cheez whiz, adds fun to the cabaret as she returns to Cleveland for her fourth year in a row. She has shared the 2003 Outfest Film Festival “Best Actor” Award and the Aspen HBO Film Festival “Best Actress” Award. That being said, with her biological clock ticking, Varla is desperate to get married, but will she be institutionalized in a state of matrimony or installed in a state institution? Will the girl with a pearl necklace find that special someone who will get under her skin and see through the Vermeer? See it Thu 10/28 at 7:30PM. Show runs through 11/6. Fri shows begin 8PM and Sat shows begin 8 and 10:30PM. Call 631-2727. Cleveland Public Theatre’s James Levin Theatre, 6415 Detroit Ave. http://www.cptonline.org

Unique Beat Recording Artist & Excursions Release Party Live performance with Cleveland native, Conya Doss with super-subtle musical accompaniment featured on her new 15-song release, A Poem for Ms. Doss. Phat tracks among this soulful collection include “You Really Hurt Me.” It’s the perfect type of weekend chill music for zoning out; presented by Unlimited Wealth Entertainment, LiquidSoulRadio.com, and The Spa Lounge on Thu 10/28 at 9PM. Call 776-9999. Peabodys, 2083 E. 21st. St. http://www.Peabodys.com

what grows glass Green Panda Press announces the release of R.A. Washington’s story collection, what groes glass, packed with soulful, poetic, raw sketches of the urban. They hit you hard, and then kindly attend to the hurt. They’re beautifully bound in deckled stock, with artwork by Jeffrey Vincent, Jim Lang and bree. Meet and hear this respected underground author who will read and sign books, backed up by a performance from several poets from Green Panda Press Anthologese #4: educator Mary Weems, Zen poet Larry Smith, all around great guy Ben Gulyas, the reflective Kathy Walker, and Markk of deepclevelandpress Thu 10/28 at 8PM. Nighttown on http://www.NightTownCleveland.com

Dr. Richard Florida @ University of Akron’s Forum Series shares insights and prompts introspection as guest speaker; he’s author of The Rise of the Creative Class: And How It’s Transforming Work, Leisure Community and Everyday Life. Florida has ignited an international debate why we live as we do today – and where that lifestyle might lead us. He is a founder and principal of Catalytix, a strategy-consulting firm that works with regions, governments and corporations around the world, showing how profound changes in our workplace, culture and everyday lives form the rise of creativity as an economic force. Come out to get a piece of philosophizing with a spark of controversy on Thu 10/28 at 7:30PM. Call 330-972-7570. E.J. Thomas Hall, 198 Hill St. in Akron. http://www.EJThomasHall.com or http://www.AkronCivic.com http://www.heinz.cmu.edu/~florida or http://www.catalytix.biz

Rock, Rock, Rockin’ on Heaven’s Door: The Quest for Social Justice in Educational Organizations The 2004 annual conference for Research on Women and Education keynote speaker, Coleen Capper from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, will focus on leadership, spirituality, and social justice. The conference will close with a discussion panel of Ohio women college/university presidents,discussing social justice issues on the college campus. Interested persons can opt to attend for 1, 2 or all 3 days beginning Thu 10/28 through Sat 10/30. Call 696-9200. Marriott Key Center, 127 Public Square. Registration info, cost and more details can be found at http://www.Ursuline.edu/grad_studies/events2.htm

The Musical Ragtime Set against the backdrop of early Twentieth-century American life, characters become entangled with real-life figures from the period that include Henry Ford, Emma Goldman, Booker T. Washington, and Harry Houdini. A diverse score, drawing upon traditional Jewish folk sounds, Vaudeville’s outrageous style and one of Black America’s most vital genres becomes an early form of jazz known as “Ragtime.” It paints a powerful portrait of American life through three families: an upper middle-class white family, a socialist immigrant Jewish family and a Black family in Harlem. The musical intertwines three distinct stories that poignantly illustrate history’s timeless contradictions of wealth and poverty, freedom and prejudice, hope and despair, and love and hate. Preview on Thu 10/28 at 7:30PM, opening night is Sat 10/30 at 8PM. For tickets, call 382-4000 X274. Cuyahoga Community College Eastern Campus Performing Arts Center, 4250 Richmond Road in Highland Hills. http://www.tri-c.edu/campus/default.htm

The 2nd Greater Akron Business Conference is putting on a rousing event to celebrate successes achieved by Northeast Ohio businesses. Akron Mayor Don Plusquellic will open the conference, and local business success stories will be followed by an awards luncheon at noon. Keynote lunch address is provided by David Brennan. Join your peers and hear real-life inspiration on what Akron is doing right on Thu 10/28 from 7:30AM-1PM. Crowne Plaza Quaker Square, 135 South Broadway in Akron. http://www.AkronBusinessConference.org or http://www.QuakerSquare.com

Día de Todos los Santos/Muertos Experience All Saints/Dead Day through a comprehensive arts exhibit featuring typcial Mexican folk art objects, authentic pre-Columbian music, traditional food and an informative presentation about the culture and its people Fri 10/29 thru 10/30 from 6-9PM; event is free. Call 421-8223. Galería Quetzal, 12400 Mayfield Rd. http://LittleItalyRedevelopment.org

The Art of Style The Akron Area Arts Alliance is taking the art off the walls, out of the concert halls, and onto the runway for a fast-paced, Paris-style runway exhibition of wearable art and accessories. Sway to music, dig the grand raffle, and browse a boutique filled with the work of 19 talented local artists, cocktails, and sumptuous small plates. This happening occasion benefits the arts alliance and Summit Artspace on Fri 10/29 at 7PM. Call 330-761-1950. Greystone Hall & Theatre, 103 South High St. in Akron. http://www.AkronAreaArts.org or visit http://www.visitakron-summit.org/COE_Files/COE1004.htm

I, Foreign Eye & VizPoKon: Concrete & Visual Poetry with two ways to fulfill your poetic freak fetish: an opening show Fri 10/29 where the visual and literary connect in unexpected ways, stop in at 7PM. Carlos Luis, Kevin Thurston, Nico Vassilakis, endwar, Christopher Franke, and others will be hanging at 7PM. The second annual Cleveland VizPoKon comes in for a landing on Sat 10/30 from 2-10PM and Sun 10/31 from noon-6PM, where visual poets can collaborate on visual poetry, demonstrate micropress technique, walk the Eastman Reading Garden, present talks or papers on issues in the vizpo scene. Don’t write poetry? Just hang out and enjoy the art and offbeat, evolving conversations. Event is free, and there’s a costume contest for those attending any of the three first days. If you prefer to leave the costume at home, that’s cool, too. Call 215-0350. Neopolis: A Gallery of Fine & Folk Art, & The Art Heart Books & Microbooks, 1900 Superior Ave. #101

Night Gallery IV: Muses, Monsters, and Madness Get into the masquerade spirit at this costume ball featuring local art, music, and words by several local artists. Musical ambience provided by Decadent, Missile Command, Morticia’s Chair, and Knowing Finkla with DJ DV8 will keep the evening mysterious. Hosted by The Decadent Nouveau, a group of Northeast Ohio artists, musicians, and writers working together to promote the group’s collective talent in a variety of mediums, styles, and genres. Check out this new and uncoventional community event on Fri 10/29 at 9PM. Call 218-1740. Phantasy Nite Club, 11802 Detroit Ave. in Lakewood. email:davidk@decadent.cc

Words & Weirds: A Convergence of Two One-Acts is the final production of convergence-continuum’s raucous 2004 season. The company will present two one-act plays, Tone Clusters by Joyce Carol Oates, and Whirligig by Mac Wellman, who wrote convergence-continuum’s boisterous 2003 productions of Cleveland, 7 Blowjobs and Sincerity Forever. Opening night will spout off its controversy Fri 10/29 at 8PM with a recepion for Words & Weirds at the nearby Atmosphere Gallery, 2335 W. 11th Street in Tremont featuring cocktails, appetizers and Colored Faces, a collection of art by Julius Lyles. Shows run Thu, Fri and Sat at 8PM; call 687-0074 for reservations. Liminis, 2438 Scranton Rd. in Cleveland’s historic Tremont neighborhood. http://www.convergence-continuum.org

First International Nanotechnology Business Idea Competition An exploration and celebration of how nanotechnology will transform medicine, materials and manufacturing­. Cash awards will go to “best ideas” in the areas of semiconductors and telecommunications, energy, biotechnology, medical devices, chemical/materials, aerospace/defense and environment. It all culminates Fri 10/29 at 8AM. Finalists in the competition will appear before a panel of judges to present an overview of their projects in the final competition; awards lunch commences at 12:30PM. Call 368-5354. Dively Executive Education Center, Room 202, 11240 Bellflower Rd. on the Case Western Reserve University campus. http://www.Case.edu

ExBe Showcase II Non-stop networkers and netrepreneurs as ExperimentalBehavior is proudly pushing off 2 days to assuage your rock fix: New Planet Trampoline, Oxymoronatron, Colorforms, Electric Grandmother and DJ Thoughtless on Fri 10/29 starting 8PM at The Winchester, 12112 Madison Ave. in Lakewood. Day II hits just as hard, serving up The Volta Sound, Paucity, To Box With Man, Missile Command, # Station and DJ Empirical on Sat 10/30 starting 8PM at Beachland Tavern, 15711 Waterloo Rd. Tickets are are available at the door or call 383-1124. ExBe is a rapidly growing community of artists, performers, writers, musicians, and like-minded individuals who participate in and support the advancement of creativity and entrepreneurship in northeastern Ohio. Discuss. Network. Promote. Spread the word at http://www.ExperimentalBehavior.com/showcase2

Us? Talking Across America: A Satirical Inquiry into the State of the Nation is area poet and actor Ray McNiece’s solo play; imagine a theatrical cross-country exploration of national character from Times Square to Hollywood Boulevard, told through monologues, poems and songs. The artist will portray a cross section of a dozen characters, from a WTC relief worker to a Gulf War vet, to a gay groom who depict the conflicting and sometimes comic opinions our fellow Americans. The Star Phoenix noted of this performance, “His thoughtful writing combines with perfectly timed delivery to create a powerful wordscape that owes as much to jazz as drama.” See it Fri 10/29 and Sat 10/30 at 8:30PM. Call 631-2727. Cleveland Public Theater, Parish Hall Space, east from the Main Stage @ W. 65 and Detroit Ave. http://www.cptonline.org or http://www.RayMcNiece.com

Bones, Bugs and Dead Animals The Cleveland Museum of Natural History’s annual Halloween Party, Sat 10/30 from 8PM-Midnight, sponsored by the Nature League, the Museum’s young professionals’ organization. Party among the dead with two live bands, tasty Halloween cuisine, open bar, costume contest and dancing! Don’t be a slug – dust off that costume, get out and party…plus, the event benefits this great Cleveland cultural institution! To purchase tickets (21 and over only please), call the Museum’s box office at 216-231-1177 or 800-317-9155, ext. 3279.The Cleveland Museum of Natural History, 1 Wade Oval Drive, 216-231-4600 www.CMNH.org and www.NatureLeague.com

Festival Dia de los Muertos Designed to build an understanding of Hispanic cultural traditions through a variety of art forms: visual arts, dream-like dance, mesmerizing theatre, and exploratory community workshops. Take part in the culminating events on Sat 10/30 at 7PM, unlike any Cleveland has seen before: a re-sized production of the Everts’ award winning production Alma de la Tierra (Soul of the Land), plus installations of Mexican altars created by various commmunity groups and individuals in the beautifully transformed festival hall. Hear Roberto Ocasio’s Latin Jazz band and try succulent Mexican food, and lots of Latino culture; this event is a tour de force from Tom & Susanna Evert Dance Company. Call 269-6985. La Sagrada Familia Church, 7719 Detroit Ave. For list of workshops visit http://www.DiaDeLosMuertos.info or email Bailarte@aol.com

GNOY Couture’s Fall 2004 Fashion Show Get first dibs on flashy fashion items which will be available for purchase after the show. See urban sophisticate stylist Gwen Martin, and get down to entertainment provided by Chiefrocka and Q-Nice Sat 10/30 at 8PM; show starts at 8:45PM. Swing over to the afterparty located at The Garage Bar on the corner of West 25th and Bridge Ave. Call 403-2652. Great Lakes Brewing Company’s Tasting Room, West 28th and Carroll St. http://www.Gnoycouture.com

Midnight Mixer SynthCleveland members notech, tofu and Luigi-Bob Drake will be providing the live soundtrack to the classic German expressionist silent film Nosferatu, this time at the Midnight Mixer. For the uninitiated, these gigs are monthly multimedia events that bring together cutting edge artists and performers; check it out Sat 10/30 at 9PM. Soak up Zone music as performers create live electronic music; Synthetik and The Indoor Flash will bring the mojo and realtime video Orthodox Cleveland, 6205 Detroit Ave. http://www.Midnightmixer.com and http://www.SynthCleveland.com

Fresh Flames performance Selected poets from the Fresh Flames anthology will be performing for a recording at Studio You. These emerging Cleveland poets will deliver an unforgettable open mic, and the Cuyahoga Community College Recording Arts and Technology Program Students will be producing this project. Take the time to hear and feel the live vibe of spoken word on Sat 10/30 from 7:30-10:30PM. Studio You, 2180 Lee Rd. in Cleveland Hts.

Your deepest darkest desires: Ohio City After Dark Put on your wildest disguise, ‘cos costumes are practically mandatory (OK, strongly encouraged) for this event. Guests can amuse themselves by drinking in the eclectic scene or by becoming part of the fun with costume contests, games, 50/50 raffle and a silent auction. More adventurous souls can look into their future with Tarot or palm readings by Fatima, snarf down hearty hors d’ oeuvres from four different Ohio City restaurants, and hear Ohio City’s own “chanteuse extraordinaire,” Lounge Kitty Sat 10/30 from 6-9PM. All proceeds of OCAD go directly to help sponsor the work of Ohio City Near West Development Corporation in this community. Moda Nightclub, 1871 West 25th St. http://www.Modanightclub.com

Video Psychotherapy A bad-ass DVD release party, that will also feature the aggressive video freestyling of internationally acclaimed experimental filmmaker Kasumi, with the music of the Asylum house band, Science Fiction. For hard core shut-ins and closet deviants, there will be a special midnight screening of vintage Asylum episodes. This is not a video festival! Every video was hand-picked or created for this presentation; don’t miss this unclassfiable event and visit to the Asylum for Shut-Ins, the television home of Video Psychotherapy, featuring the maniacal ravings of The Doctor. The legendary cult hit “The Asylum for Shut-Ins” returns with two all new shows, more intense than ever. More opinionated. More brutal. More therapeutic on Sat 10/30 at 7PM with screenings at 8 & 10PM. Call 383-1124. Beachland Ballroom, 15711 Waterloo Rd. http://www.Beachlandballroom.com

6th Annual Rock Hall Ball Hosted by Cleveland Legend The Ghoul, this year the Ball has added a pre-event cocktail party for VIP ticket holders: live music by a cappella urban jazz band Up in the Air, heavy hors d’oeuvres, an open bar, one-on-one sessions with psychics and Tarot card readers, and a special haunted tour of the Museum. Regular visitors can hear three bands and a DJ, see into the future with the psychic (if you dig that nonsense), strut it during the costume contests, compete for exciting prizes, hit the auction and cash bar. Serious selections of entertainment including rock and roll, power pop, and rocking soul to test your eardrums throughout the evening on Sat 10/30 from 9PM-1AM; this event helps secure funding for educational programs at the Museum. Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum, 1 Key Plaza. Get tickets at 800-493-7655 or at the Museum’s box office. http://www.RockHall.com

Come as You Were: Mind-Body-Spirit Connected will hold its first fall fun(d)raiser and masquerade ball, fabulous food stations, costume judging, DJ entertainment and dancing. Get in on the silent and live auctions, and all guests will receive a coupon booklet good for discounts on a variety of holistic services, such as massage, yoga, hypnosis, and Reiki. In addition to a wonderful selection of activities and entertainment; MBSC will also feature gift certificates for holistic services such as acupuncture, Feng Shui, spa treatments and much on Sat 10/30 at 7PM. Call 321-9181. LaCentre Conference and Banquet Center, 25777 Detroit Rd. in Westlake. http://www.MBSConline.org

The Hi-Fi hosts Punky Style This music and fashion show loves the edge, featuring local punk heavyweights Dropgun, The Comix, The F-Bombs, and Downing Street. See next-wave modeling showcase with hairstyles from David A. of Funk and Company and fun, flipped out clothes from Toxic Shock Sat 10/30 at 6PM; show will be headlined by Rounding 3rd. Grab your tickets in advance at 631-6916. Hi-Fi Club, 11729 Detroit Ave. http://www.hificlub.info and http://www.Rounding3rdMusic.com

Smoke, Mist and Mirror: The Cuyahoga Valley in the Artist’s Imagination celebrates the history, beauty, change and continuity of the Cuyahoga Valley. Using ceramics, painting, photography and prints, the show will present imagery by artists of the Northern Ohio area who have drawn their inspiration from the topography and history of the Cuyahoga River. Opening reception and introductory remarks are provided by William Busta, exhibit co-curator and Director, Heights Art Collaborative Gallery, and an illuminating talk about the past, present, and future of the Cuyahoga Valley is courtesy of Deb Yandala, Executive Director, Cuyahoga Valley National Park Association, along with Douglas Cooper, President, Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad on Sat 10/30 from 7-9PM. Event is hosted by Cleveland Artists Foundation. Call 227-9507. At The Beck Center, 17801 Detroit Ave. in Lakewood. http://ClevelandArtists.org

WCLVnotes A radio program that lasts 40 years with the same sponsor must have something going for it. On October 5th, WCLV’s Symphony at Seven sponsored by McDonald and Company and KeyBank turned 40, making it the longest running commercial sponsorship in Cleveland broadcasting. And WCLV and Key will hold a birthday party next Mon 11/1 at Severance Hall. The station will broadcast a live concert by Apollo’s Fire, Cleveland’s Baroque Orchestra at 8PM. To be presented before an invited audience, the program will include concertos by Vivaldi and Telemann and selections from Handel’s Water Music. On the day before, Sun 10/31 at 3PM, WCLV presents the first of this season’s live broadcasts of the Norton Memorial Organ from Severance Hall. Stephen Tharp does a chilling program just right for Halloween. It includes Saint-Saens’ Danse Macabre, Mussorgsky’s Night on Bald Mountain, and Liszt’s Totentanz (Dance of Death). “Turn out the lights, everyone”. (Admittedly a little hard at 3 in the afternoon!) More live, live, live, live music from WCLV 104.9. a Cool Cleveland partner www.wclv.com

LeTigre Attention girly-girls, stay-at-home moms, feminists, riot grrls – sisterhood is powerful, and all y’all should head out to this show with headstrong feministas, Kathleen Hanna and Johanna Fateman, emanating their own style of artist angst that addresses gender equality, sexuality, and what the hell is up with those Cassavetes films? Show up to hear what the song is about; it’ll make you question our current culture, as you well should. Eat it up Wed 11/3; doors open 8PM. Call 383-1124. Beachland Ballroom, 15711 Waterloo Rd. http://www.BeachlandBallroom.com and http://www.letigreworld.com/sweepstakes/html_site/fact/fact.html

New Urbanism Philip Langdon, national writer and editor on the planning and design movement known as New Urbanism will present Enlivening The City: How Cities Refocus and Rebuild. What is being done to revive and rebuild in ways that create lively, pedestrian-oriented neighborhoods and shopping districts, appealing to today’s workers and young people? Find out on Wed 11/3 at 7PM. Langdon is Senior Editor of New Urban News, a national newsletter that reports on the development of communities that organize homes, stores, parks, gathering places and other elements of daily life. R.S.V.P. at toklglobeck@ysu.edu or call 330-941-3355. Zona Auditorium, Butler Institute of American Art, 524 Wick Ave. in Youngstown. http://cfweb.cc.ysu.edu/sacredlandmarks

Send your cool events to: Events@CoolCleveland.com

RoldoLINK
Voting For Kerry Because This Election Is Too Crucial
by Roldo Bartimole

After voting for Ralph Nader for President in three successive elections, I am forsaking him this time.

It’s not because I’m enamored of John Kerry and John Edwards. It’s not because I’m angry with Ralph Nader.

I’m not even voting for Kerry because I believe he will make the significant changes necessary. I have deep reservations about his ability to get us out of Iraq or to deal with many domestic issues.

It’s simply that a change in this regime is absolutely necessary. It’s just not the time for wasted votes. A vote for a one or two percent third party candidate does not even send a message.

I believe it’s of the utmost importance not to elect Kerry but to punish and extinguish the policies and behavior of President George Bush. His policies of imperial preemptive war with no regard to reality have put the nation and world in jeopardy.

Bush and his crew have taken 9/11 and cunningly used this tragedy in similar fashion to that of the Nazis after the Reichstag fire in 1933. The Bushites have used 9/11 to crush reason and fuel passions. They have used 9/11 to make dissent at home traitorous. They have used 9/11 to promote fear and division. They have used 9/11 as a license to reduce American freedoms. They have used 9/11 to pursue an unnecessary war with tragic results. They have used 9/11 to distort debate on how to handle terrorism. They have used 9/11 to camouflage a shift of wealth to the richest. Finally, they have used 9/11 as a mere election ploy.

Bush and his crew used 9/11 to try to confuse people and to portray Bush as a he-man. Their decision-making, however, has all the qualities of the gang that couldn’t shoot straight. They have bungled wretchedly in Iraq, fueling terrorism that will eventually come home. They have made the entire world and us less safe.

Additionally, Bush will use a second term to destroy the Supreme Court by stacking it not with conservatives but with right-winger ideologues. He will use 9/11 and the courts to revoke hard-won civil rights and to destroy labor for capital.

Let’s cut this conservative-liberal talk to its essence. This is an election between at most a moderate (Kerry) administration and a right wing, if not neo-fascist (Bush) regime.

We can’t allow the country to drift further right. It seriously threatens our democracy…
Read RoldoLINK here

Cool Cleveland People Eric Schulte

Parma native Eric Schulte is the man about town when it comes to the Cleveland independent music scene. He’s the Program Director and a DJ at WCSB, the manager of up and coming local group The Dreadful Yawns (who just signed to famed Los Angeles imprint Bomp Records), and runs his own record label and booking agency called Van Gogh Round. Eric spoke with Cool Cleveland music contributor Ben Vendetta about his many musical endeavors and his thoughts on the Cleveland independent music scene; get out to hear Van Go Round recording artists The Twilight, a rock band with ’60s mod vibe 10/30 at Capsule, 10PM.

Cool Cleveland: What are your thoughts on the Cleveland scene over the past few years?

Eric Schulte: I think it’s great now because it has gotten to a point where I’m friends with people in all of these awesome bands. To me it’s just amazing that there are so many high-quality bands just concentrated into one area. I think it’s awesome. I want to say that it’s almost a matter of time before Cleveland’s big. I want it to happen but at the same time, right now in Cleveland it’s a great place to be for music.

I know what you mean. If it becomes like Omaha, Nebraska and guys from Spin start showing up at the Five O’ Clock…
I totally hear you, so you kind of guard it and try to savor every moment of it and know that if it does happen that it couldn’t happen to a better group of people.

People get this impression of Cleveland that there’s nothing going on.
There’s plenty. My big dream is…I’ve got the Van Gogh Round thing going on with The Twilight and Expecting Rain, the single most underrated band on earth, and The Dreadful Yawns. Then there’s the whole Davenport group, then there’s Exit Stencil and Elephant Stone. With my radio show I try to put this group of people…that’s my scene in Cleveland, that whole big circle. I think they have more talent than any group of people anywhere in America, or Montreal.

What are some of your predictions for where some of these bands and people might be next year at this time?
It*Men and The Twilight are the two bands that are going to be huge in Cleveland and the irony is that The Twilight would love to be this big rock star, national touring band. With The It*Men, the very thought of it makes Ben Gmetro [of The Volta Sound] cringe.

Ken totally wants to be a rock god.
Ken does, but if you mention The It*Men to any of the other guys, it’s always prefaced with some other gesture of contempt. That is my prediction, that this It*Men record is going to blow everything away. It’s going to be like the whole Seattle thing where some guy writes this song mocking teenage angst and everyone holds it up as a shiny example. The It*Men are going to be the new Cleveland sound. I’m totally convinced. That and Osama Bin Laden! They’ve had him in custody for months.

I’ve been saying that! October surprise.
It’s happening, dude! Make sure you put that in so everybody knows…!
Read Cool Cleveland People with Eric Schulte here

Skirting the Issue: PD B.S.
Cultural and social commentator Lyz Bly gets vocal about current media political wavering with an unabashedly feminist lens, discussing the facts behind local media’s questionable agenda toward the Kerry/Bush endorsement and the message it sends to Clevelanders.

It comes as no surprise to me to learn that The Plain Dealer’s editorial board voted 5-2 to endorse Senator Kerry for President. Further, it was not surprising to hear that Cleveland’s only daily newspaper was taking the endorsement “under consideration” on Monday (just eight days before the election). However, I was incensed at the 10/26/04 op-ed [here], which stated that the PD was not going to endorse either candidate. The publisher and editorial staff have attempted to mislead readers. Their decision “…not to add one more potentially polarizing voice to a poisoned debate,” is spineless, lame, and, frankly, embarrassing…
Read Skirting The Issue by Lyz Bly here

Instant Karma
Quik reviews of recent events
Going out this weekend? Take along your PDA and your digital camera. Scratch out a few notes to send us, along with a photo, for our Instant Karma real-world reviews of what’s really happening. We’d love to hear from you. Send your stuff to Events@CoolCleveland.com

Ian Hunter @ Beachland Ballroom 10/7
Cleveland definitely rocked at the illustrious Beachland Ballroom when one of the city’s adopted sons came home to play, and to pay homage to the city to a near-capacity crowd. Ian Hunter, most notably known of-late for the Cleveland Rocks theme song for The Drew Carey Show, trotted out shining classic renditions of rockers and ballads alike from his 35-year career as a thinking man’s rocker—first in the ballsy, British Glam Rock band Mott The Hoople, and then as a fecund solo artist recording over ten releases, amongst them one of the few live albums worth owning, 1981’s Welcome to the Club. Hunter, perpetually-bespectacled in his trademark sunglasses but with his lion-like mane of curly locks trimmed to a fitting length for a man nearing sixty, wore charm and grace with casual rock savvy as he belted out nearly twenty songs, including two encores called forth by the crowd, equally genuine and in-control of the raucous audience whether playing acoustic guitar, piano, or simply singing while his band rocked out. (His black and white Gibson Les Paul electric was sorely missed!) Standout tunes of the night included a gentle rendition of I Wish I Was Your Mother from 1973’s Mott album, featuring Ian ala Dylan on guitar and neck-mounted harmonica; a shimmery Britpop version of Roll Away The Stone from 1974’s The Hoople release, which has stood up remarkably well to the passage of time; and the obligatory Cleveland Rocks, which had old and new fans all singing along in anthemic fashion. Beachland Ballroom co-owner Cindy Barber entered stage-left about half way through Hunter’s set to present him an award given him by the city fathers for his work in popularizing Cleveland, and Hunter, ever the showman, serenaded her with a sweet Vaudevillian version of Nightingale. You go, Cindy…!
Read the review of Ian Hunter by Cool Cleveland contributor Daiv Whaley here

Cleveland Orchestra @ Severance Hall 10/14
Last summer at Blossom Music Center the Cleveland Orchestra performed a concert called Bugs Bunny on Broadway, starring Bugs Bunny. This past week at Severance Hall guest conductor Osmo Vanska conducted an account of Beethoven’s Symphony No. 7 that might even impress Bugs Bunny. The concert began with Carl Nielsen’s Overture to Maskarade; a juiced up five minute starter for the evening, followed by Mr. Nielsen’s Violin Concerto, Op. 33 written in 1911. This concerto was receiving its first Cleveland Orchestra performance this past week with the orchestra’s associate concertmaster Ellen dePasquale on violin. A quirky concerto broken into two parts with several solo opportunities for Ms. dePasquale. Though an unfamiliar piece, Ms. dePasquale negotiated her way through a score which gave very little rest to the soloist. She was actually challenged early on in the piece by the Severance Hall ventilation system which threatened to whisk her score off its stand. Ms. dePasquale acrobatically controlled the unruly score with the end of her violin and bow, bravo. Next, the fun began: Mr. Vanska conducted Beethoven’s Symphony No. 7 in a manner in which not a single detail was unaddressed. If Mr.Vanska had the capability of running around the stage and playing all the instruments required to perform this piece, he surely would have done so. But since that was out of the question, he gave a sculpted, micro-managed account of this great symphony. Mr. Vanska gave strict instruction to the orchestra through expressive dancing hand movement and exaggerated body gestures; every detail was defined and communicated. There was no room left for other musical interpretation. I am sure what we heard last week was not what Beethoven intended, but it was wild, fun and everyone walked out smiling. I can’t imagine Bugs doing a better job. from Cool Cleveland contributor Brian Schriefer briancpa@msn.com

Calvin Trillin @ Writers Center Stage 10/19
Calvin Trillin, an acclaimed and prolific humorist whose remarkably diverse work translates into that of reporter, critic, poet, satirist and novelist, was featured in the first of a four-part series of discussions on writing at the Ohio Theater. “Writers Center Stage” featured Trillin, a humorist who is also respected for his courage to write books that range in subject matter from memoirs of an eccentric father to food critiques to George W’s administration – in rhyme. Trillin, a staff writer at the New Yorker for over thirty years, and columnist at Time and The Nation has been called “perhaps the finest reporter in America.” Wryly criticizing George W’s presidency, Trillin is known to make merciless remarks such as: “I believe we need a constitutional amendment that makes a C average the minimum for our presidential candidates.” All of the series’ writers feature book signings after their performances. The remaining writers include Suzan-Lori Parks on Tue 11/16, Frances Mayes on Tue 3/15/05 and E.L. Doctorow on Tue 4/5/05. Call Playhouse Square’s Box Office at 241-6000 for more information.
from Cool Cleveland contributor TL Champion tlchampion@sbcglobal.net

SynthCleveland’s Nosferatu @ Rain Nightclub 10/20
This Halloween we have a great treat with SynthCleveland’s Nosferatu, their live synthesizer score played with this classic vampire film by director F.W. Murnau. Cleveland is ripe for this progressive group and I was thrilled to see such a large crowd fill the space at Rain. Anyone who likes the thrill of live music and the storytelling power of great filmmaking will love live accompaniment of these classic silent movies. If you have never been to one, keep an eye out for them when they do come along, most often at the Cleveland Cinemateque, you won’t be sorry. It is a great look back at the early days of movies, when the town would gather in the grange hall to watch the newsreels, cartoons, serials, and features – a lone organist/pianist filling the silence. The musicians (including notech, tofu and Luigi-Bob Drake) are all obviously very talented, passionate and creative, with a setup that would make any film acoustically exciting, however once the film started I had the growing sense that they were watching it for possibly the first time. (This was confirmed in an overheard conversation with one of the musicians, who said that they had purposefully NOT watched their videotapes so that they could improvise.) The result was a soundscape that only occasionally changed with the film, and most often was simply a creepy ambient mix which would have been a good background for a halloween party…
Read the review of SynthCleveland by Cool Cleveland reader Larry Nehring here

Trophies of the Hunt: Capturing Nature as Art @ CMA 10/22
Trophies of the Hunt, at the Cleveland Museum of Art, is an exhibition that will immediately make your stomach turn at the barbaric photographic display of the power and dominance humans extend over nature. After leaving the gallery in complete disgust, a second look proved to be easier to handle. By far, the stand out Still life photograph of the exhibition, composed by Eikoh Hosoe, 1960, is a stylized black and white photo of a female figure holding a dead , white fish comments on the status of female/male relationships with the use of light and dark along with proportions and specific camera angles, making the piece visually appealing in place of the majority of the pieces’ appalling effect. Composition dates on the works range from the middle nineteenth century to as recently as 1995, but despite the vast time span, the animal manipulation is barely redeemed by threaded descriptions woven through the collection: “insanity of life,” or “finding beauty in the grotesque,” in which hunters are turned into hunted. Joel-Peter Witkin’s Feast of Fools representing the “deepest and ugliest aspects of human nature” through the display of fruits and vegetables along with dismembered hands, feet and an autopsied corpse of an infant proved to be the most insane piece in the show…
Read the review of Trophies of the Hunt by Cool Cleveland contributor DJ Hellerman here

Red {an orchestra} @ Masonic Temple 10/23
Faultless execution—musically—of a unique concept is the hallmark of Red {an orchestra}. You may not always agree with the concept—which doesn’t always work as well as the music—but the music is always performed precisely, with passion. That is exactly what emerged from Red’s season opener Saturday night at the Masonic Temple. Jonathan Sheffer, Artistic Director and Conductor titled this program Schubert: Unfinished / Refinished. Indeed, it featured music of Franz Schubert who died at the age of 31 in 1828. It also featured music of Luciano Berio, who died earlier this year. In his remarks before the concert, Mr. Sheffer identified Berio as a “great” composer. He went on to opine that not everyone would agree with that statement. In this, I suspect he was right. The Unfinished Symphony of Schubert (either his 7th or 8th) was given a lush, silky performance by a slightly augmented orchestra that was still of a chamber sizing. As always with this group, intonation and articulation are elements of beauty, to which the acoustics in the auditorium added drama and reverberation, making the sound bigger than it really was. At the conclusion, individual bows were first granted to principal winds before the entire orchestra was encouraged to stand for the loud applause…
Read the review of Red {an orchestra} by Cool Cleveland contributor Kelly Ferjutz here

Yr Turn
Cool Cleveland readers write
We encourage our readers to speak out by sending us letters and commentary. Send your letters to Letters@CoolCleveland.com. You must include your full name (required) and you may include your e-mail address (optional). You may also create a new Hotmail, Yahoo or Gmail e-mail address and submit that one with your letter. Letters submitted to Cool Cleveland, or edited portions, may be published in an upcoming issue of Cool Cleveland, at our discretion.

Send your letters to: Letters@CoolCleveland.com

On Ohio’s unconstitutional school funding system Please take a look at The Flannery Education Act at http://www.FlanneryForOhio.com Some times you have to scrap an old system and start fresh.
from Charles Sheehe Charles.J.Sheehe@nasa.gov

On how cool Cleveland really is Very nice issue, Thomas. Very Positive. I was sick after watching the VP debate and all the crappy economic outlook talk in Cleveland. Cool Cleveland is making an impact, I am sure. Keep up the good work! Cleveland has a lot!!
Dan Morgan, New York City http://www.AboutDanMorgan.com rex@straightshooter.com

On Cleveland’s experience economy In the Cool Cleveland Yr Turn for 10.20-10.27.04 [here], [a reader] write[s]: “…what I would like to see is somone from your staff interviewing a Republican office holder and/or candidate for his/her vision on growing Cleveland beyond a manufacturing based economy and into a technology based sector…” I would like to point you to my book, The Experience Economy (Harvard Business School Press, 1999) [here], in which my co-author and I argue that (manufactured) goods and (delivered) services are no longer enough to drive a prosperous economy. We argue that experiences — whether technology-based or not — will increasingly provide the basis for new economic output, creating the next wave of increased growth and job creation. The emergence of these (staged) experiences very much relies upon expertise typically found “in the arts.” And therein lies my take on the role of the arts: to help lead the shift to this new genre of economic output we need to stop thinking in terms of Left-and-Right and, as Ronald Reagan put it, start thinking in terms of Up-and-Down — looking for those in the arts to create new economic experiences versus merely draining old economic resources.
from Cool Cleveland reader Jim Gilmore, Shaker Heights JimGilmore@aol.com

On the political persuasion of Cool Cleveland readers Another conservative for the arts! I just wanted to let you know that I too, am a conservative and also a reader of your email newsletter. I am also an art gallery owner and do my share to support the arts. It is not easy being a conservative and owning an art gallery in Cleveland. Most of the other shop owners where I am located are hard core Dem’s. I can tell you it is rough when they all get going on a rant and want to tell me how horrible life in the arts (and life in general) is because of the current president. Some say they will just close up if “W” is re-elected. I say that will be more business for me if they do! My store is growing every month, my wife and I both work full time jobs, as well as run the gallery, and life is great. A new president is not going to make the arts in Cleveland any different, but all of us working together in Cleveland can! Anyway, I just wanted to let you know my thoughts and to add myself to your list of conservatives who support your newsletter. I think there are more of us than you thought! I think we live in the greatest country on earth and there is plenty of room for all of our opinions. Don’t you? Thanks for Cool Cleveland.
from Cool Cleveland reader Timothy Garton, Pavanna Gallery tagartman@alltel.net

On Cool Cleveland’s archives I’ve been getting your newletter for awhile now and I want to say I really enjoy all of the information about art shows and plays in the Cleveland area. I was hoping you could re-send me the 10-13, 10-06, and 9-30 newsletters. I read about some new galleries opening, and wanted their information.
from Cool Cleveland reader Andre Street andre_street@hotmail.com

Cool Cleveland responds: You can view all of Cool Cleveland’s past issues, and conduct a keyword search of our archives going back to 2002 by visiting our site, http://www.CoolCleveland.com.

On the PD’s perceived slant Despite Plain Dealer editor Doug Clifton’s Oct. 21 column to the contrary, it seems the Plain Dealer does indeed lean to the right. The word is out that even though the paper’s editorial board voted to endorse Kerry by 5-2, publisher Alex Machaskee overturned their decision and has decided to hand the Plain Dealer endorsement over to Bush. I know the Plain Dealer is not exactly a democratic state, but its readers don’t expect it to be a banana republic, either– after all, why should the editors even bother voting if their votes, ultimately, don’t matter? All this is a painful reminder of the 2000 presidential election, where the will of more than a half-million voters also didn’t matter. Al Gore won the popular vote –and, in fact, received the second highest number of votes in our country’s history– only to see the election go to Bush due to election irregularities in his brother’s back yard. I can only echo the words of former ambassador Joseph Wilson about the current political situation, quoted in Saturday’s Plain Dealer: “Be afraid; be very afraid.”
from Cool Cleveland reader Kristin Ohlson http://www.kristinohlson.com kohlson@en.com

Send your letters to: Letters@CoolCleveland.com

Top 5
Cool Cleveland uses Opticast tools to track which articles were clicked the most. Here are the Top 5 from last week’s issue, with one more chance for you to click.

1) Considering Lee Road now online It’s a great example of how a community works together to dream, plan and build. Future Heights hosted a five-day exhibit on the future of Lee Road, generating drawings, plans and comments from over 500 architects. http://www.futureheights.org/site/futureheights/section.php?id=9887

2) Euclid Corridor project breaks ground The four-year, $168.4 million project (85% federal money) will rebuild Euclid Avenue and connect this region’s two biggest employment centers using fast-moving, high-frequency, European-style buses. http://www.gcrta.org/pressreleaselist.asp?listingid=658

3) Cleveland’s underground economy KeyBank commissioned the group Social Compact to estimate Cleveland’s cash and under-the-table economy, which they found totaled $828 million. The study also found that the city’s population is actually 588K, higher than previously reported. http://www.csrwire.com/article.cgi/3131.html

4) Redford, Winger, Mulgrew & Sheen in Cleveland With all the Democratic heavyweights we have in Cleveland, it’s no surprise that they can convince Robert Redford, Cleveland Heights native Debra Winger, Dayton native Martin Sheen, and Cuyahoga County Commissioner-elect Tim Hagan’s wife Kate Mulgrew to a fundraiser in Shaker Heights. http://www.bringohioback.org

5) Euclid Corridor Here it comes, the most highly anticipated public transportation project in recent years: a cool bus/Rapid Transit system linking Public Square and University Circle. http://www.cleveland.com/cuyahoga/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/cuyahoga/109800559585411.xml

Cleveland’s saga of improvement continues Everyone’s faith in Cleveland is so real you can practically reach out and touch it. The efforts to get our city propelled into prominence is happening, and we’d like to thank our readers for making choices to support everything that’s great about Cleveland. If you’re actively committed to our city and what makes it tick, then you’re helping us out at CC; thanks to our readers who improve our city by getting involved in it, while sustaining alternative media by checking out CoolCleveland.com. Now you can tell people you regularly engage with to visit our website and discover what’s new in town. Send along friends and co-workers to register for the e-zine at http://www.CoolCleveland.com (and check out the new site) or have ’em send an e-mail to signup@coolcleveland.com

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Hard Corps vigilantes These kids go into massive overdrive managing all the goods we filter each week, and CC recognizes their unwavering determination to give our readers a slice of Cleveland with our famous special sauce. Thanks to the mojo generators Tisha Nemeth, Marcus Bales, Ben Vendetta, Deb Remington, Larry Nehring, Brian Schriefer, DJ Hellerman, Daiv Whaley, Kelly Ferjutz, TL Champion, Bill Nagode, George Nemeth, Roldo Bartimole and everyone who partners with us. Want to volunteer and contribute your writing to Cool Cleveland? Send your reviews, articles, or story ideas to: events@coolcleveland.com

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Get out and vote,
our future depends on it…

–Thomas Mulready
Letters@CoolCleveland.com (:divend:)