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Posts Tagged ‘Ohio’

Ohioana Book Festival

Posted in Books, Ohio, tagged , , , , , on May 18, 2013 | 1 Comment »

I promised to post something about the 2013 Ohioana Book Festival last Saturday, and I’ve been remiss.

IMG_3700The Festival keeps getting bigger and better.  Having stood behind a table at the front entrance to the Fort Hayes Metropolitan Education Center for four hours, giving away Ohioana quarterlies and pencils to visitors and hawking $5 Ohioana coffee mugs and tote bags — and thanks to every book lover who was gracious enough to accept my spiel and pony up a fiver, by the way — I can say with confidence that there were a lot of people there.   Positioned as I was directly across from the book-buying check-out line, I can also say that many books were being sold.

There were families and reading friends, would-be authors and genre fans.  At times, during the interim periods after one set of panel discussions ended and before the next began, the authors’ table area was jammed.  The picture above, taken from my table near the entrance, gives you some idea of the crowd.

Everyone I spoke to was enjoying the Festival and was glad they came.  Next year, maybe you can join us?

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Driving With Your Foot Out The Window

Posted in Humor, Ohio, Photography, tagged , , on May 16, 2013 | 1 Comment »

IMG_3711Sometimes, when you’re driving, you see something that causes you to do a double-take.  And sometimes you see things so weird that only a triple-take can do them justice.

So it was today, as I drove home from Cleveland, and the Speed Speaker pointed out this young driver who had her leg and foot hanging out the window, by the side view mirror, as she barreled down I-71.  I couldn’t tell whether she was also talking on the phone.

My first thought was: how can you drive like that?  My second thought was:  how could you be so limber that you could have your left foot out the window and have your right foot on the gas?  What, is the woman a contortionist or a yoga instructor (which actually are the same thing).  My third thought was:  why would you want to drive with your left foot hanging out the window?  Maybe she was drying her freshly painted toenails?  And my fourth thought was:  how can you drive like that?

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Shiznite, Good Night!

Posted in Books, Food, Ohio, tagged , , , , , on May 11, 2013 | Leave a Comment »

IMG_3704If you live in Columbus, go on the Green Meanie website, find out where it’s going to be over the next few days, and see if they are going be be serving their Shiznite sandwich.  If they are, do yourself a favor — take some time, drive to wherever they are going to be, and have the Shiznite.  It is that good.

According to the hand-letter menu, the Shiznite is a panko-crusted dirty water hot dog on a New England roll with jalapeno cream cheese.  It is then topped with thick chopped bacon, avocado, onions, diced tomato, scallions, and cilantro, and drizzled with this butt-kicking shiznite sauce.  I tried it during the Ohioana Book Festival today — more on that tomorrow — and it was spectacular.  I don’t even like half of these ingredients, and I consumed the entire sandwich with relish, licked my fingers, and enjoyed every instant of the experience.  Seriously, the Shiznite is one of the best sandwiches I’ve ever had.

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Free, And Open To The Public

Posted in America, Columbus, Ohio, tagged , , , , , , on May 11, 2013 | 1 Comment »

A reminder to all of you book lovers and readers out there:  the Ohioana Book Festival is today, at the Fort Hayes Metropolitan Education Center, downtown.

The Ohioana Book Festival is free, easy to reach, and open to the public.  Parking is free, too.

It is one of the great, yet perhaps underappreciated, things about living in America — our country and our communities are chock full of civic organizations that put on street fairs, speeches, church festivals, neighborhood bazaars, and other activities that don’t cost a cent and are open to whoever would like to come.  The events tend to be put on by charitable groups and hard-working volunteers who support what the groups are doing.  They are the kind of quirky, non-cookie cutter activities that can give a weekend more flavor, introduce us to new friends, and draw communities closer together.

We’re lucky to have interesting events that are free and open to the public.  And speaking of which — the doors to the Book Festival open at 9:45, with panel discussions, a book fair, author signings, and other activities continuing throughout the day.

 

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Crashing The Gatekeeper

Posted in Entertainment, Ohio, Travel, tagged , , , , , on May 9, 2013 | Leave a Comment »

Cedar Point, in Sandusky, Ohio, has a new roller coaster — and it looks awesome!

It’s called Gatekeeper, and it’s the first new roller coaster at the Point since 2007.  It uses a winged, center rail approach that is supposed to give riders a sense of flying as they plunge, twist, and turn at speeds of almost 70 miles per hour — which is faster than you can legally drive on most Ohio highways.  The video above shows the coaster during its early testing phase, when it was running at significantly reduced speed, and it still looks like a fantastic ride.  The story linked above includes a video showing the Gatekeeper today, when it was opened to some lucky members of the public for a sneak peek.

I’d be willing to wait in line for an hour or more for a chance to take a crack at this one.

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The Books, Authors, And Food Trucks Roundelay

Posted in Books, Food, Ohio, tagged , , , , , , , , , , on May 8, 2013 | Leave a Comment »

If you’re in Columbus on Saturday and looking for something fun to do, why not stop by the Ohioana Book Festival?

The Festival runs from 10 to 4:30 at the Fort Hayes Metropolitan Education Center in downtown Columbus.  There will be interesting panel discussions, presentations by authors, and a day-long book fair and book sales.  A PDF of the program for the Festival is here.

Oh, yes . . . there will be food trucks, too:  Ajumama, which serves up some very sweet Korean street food; the Green Meanie, which dishes out an ever-changing menu of eclectic choices; Jeni’s Splendid Ice Cream, with its irresistible and stunningly creative options; Mikeys Late Night Slice, for the devoted pizza aficionados among us (and who isn’t, by the way); and the Short North Bagel Deli, for those craving bagels and deli sandwiches.

The awesome collection of food trucks strongly suggests a rhythm and roundelay to the day.  Grab a bagel, catch a panel discussion provocatively entitled Crime, True Crime, and the Unexplained, browse for books.  Savor some Korean chow, talk to some authors, check out a panel discussion on eating out in Cleveland.  And speaking of eating . . . Repeat, and repeat.  There are great choices on both the panel discussion and food truck fronts.

I’ll be there when the Festival doors open, volunteering for the Ohioana Library Association.  Stop by and say hello!

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A Neighbor And A Rescuer

Posted in crime, Ohio, TV, tagged , , , , , , on May 7, 2013 | 3 Comments »

The story about the three kidnapped women held hostage for years in a rundown Cleveland neighborhood continues to unfold.  Questions are being asked about whether the Cleveland police properly handled earlier incidents involving the house — but for now the man who is enjoying his five minutes of fame is Charles Ramsey, a neighbor who responded to Amanda Berry’s call for help, aided her in escaping the house, and is pretty funny, besides.  His interview with a local TV reporter is an instant YouTube classic.

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Finding The Faces On The Milk Cartons

Posted in America, crime, Ohio, tagged , , , , , , , , on May 7, 2013 | 2 Comments »

An extraordinary story is being reported from Cleveland.  Three women who vanished a decade ago when they were teenagers have been found, alive.

The three women — Amanda Berry, Gina DeJesus, and Michelle Knight — apparently were held captive for years in a house on Cleveland’s near West Side.  One of the women escaped through a broken door with the help of a neighbor who heard her cries for help.  She then called police, who came to rescue the other two women from the house.  The three women were taken to a nearby hospital, where they were found to be in fair condition.  Three brothers have been arrested. 

As the Cleveland Mayor has been quoted as saying, there are a lot of questions to be answered in the coming days.  How were the three women held captive for so long in a Cleveland neighborhood?  Were neighbors aware of their presence?  Were there any signs that should have led to their rescue at an earlier date?

For now, though, the families of the three young women are just thankful that they have been freed from captivity and returned to their loved ones.  Their story should give hope to the families of others who have been missing for years, who are shown in the blurry pictures on milk cartons and whose families have experienced terrible pain and loss.  How many of the missing are still alive, held captive somewhere in an otherwise normal-looking American neighborhood, always hoping for a chance to escape?

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An Unfortunate Juxtaposition

Posted in Humor, Ohio, Photography, Politics, tagged , , , , on May 6, 2013 | 1 Comment »

IMG_1214I was driving in downtown Columbus today when I saw this unfortunate juxtaposition of signage and got a good laugh out of it.  I doubt that any political party would want to be identified as “available,” but I suppose a “for sale” sign would have been worse.

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Mr. Obama Comes To Town

Posted in College, Columbus, Ohio, Politics, tagged , , , , , on May 5, 2013 | 1 Comment »

Today President Obama is in town to deliver the commencement address at the Ohio State University graduation ceremony.  He will be the third sitting President to address OSU graduates.

It’s like old times — or, at least, it’s like the run-up to the 2012 election, when the President and Mitt Romney and Joe Biden and Paul Ryan and their minions seemingly were somewhere in Ohio every day.  Since then, Ohio has dropped off the political map a bit, and that is fine by me.  It’s been nice to return to our daily lives and get to the point where a visit by the President is once again a big deal, rather than a tiresome cause of another pre-election traffic snarl.

I’m envious of the graduating students, and their parents, who get to hear the President today.  I don’t remember anything about the speech given when I got my diploma from The Ohio State University in March 1980, although I have a vague recollection that the commencement address was an delivered by a female educator from a Midwestern university.  Her remarks left no impression on me, one way or the other.  I’m guessing  that hearing President Obama is something that today’s graduates won’t soon forget.

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Reflection, And Remembrance

Posted in America, Ohio, tagged , , , , , on May 4, 2013 | 2 Comments »

Forty-three years ago, four students at Kent State University in Ohio were killed when the Ohio National Guard opened fire into a group protesting the Vietnam War.  Another nine students were wounded.

Forty-three years later, it remains a mystery to me how anyone, Guardsman or officer or politician, could ever have thought that American soldiers should fire live ammunition into a crowd of protesting students.  It is one of the enduring questions about the shooting that, I think, will never be satisfactorily answered.  Kent State University, however, offers information that seeks to present the competing viewpoints on that issue and to answer other questions about the shootings and their aftermath.

Forty-three years is a long time.  The Vietnam War and Cambodian invasion that prompted the protests that led to the shootings ended long ago.  The lessons to be learned from the shootings, however, remain fresh and vital today.  Kent State was an example of what can happen when government goes too far and forgets its ultimate role as protector of the people and guardian of individual liberties.   American citizens therefore should be mindful, and skeptical, of the accumulation of governmental power.   Blind trust in governmental institutions is not wise.  I’m sure the students protesting on the Kent State campus 43 years ago never dreamed that the Ohio National Guard unit would fire — but it did.

That’s one reason why it’s an incident worth remembering.

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Cousin Jeff’s Big Day

Posted in Family, Ohio, tagged , , , on May 2, 2013 | Leave a Comment »

IMG_3675Today is Cousin Jeff’s birthday.  I’m not permitted to say how old he is, so I will only observe that his calendar age is irrelevant because he maintains an eternally youthful attitude about things.

Speaking of youthful, Kish recently found this wonderful, slightly blurred Kodak picture of her (at the far right), her sister Heidi (in the classic sailor suit with carefully knotted kerchief) and Cousin Jeff (somehow maintaining his ultra-cool persona despite wearing a short-sleeved rugby shirt buttoned to the collar on a hot summer’s day).  It was taken at Cedar Point on a family outing at some point in the distant past, but the day lives on in memory.

Happy birthday, Jeffrey!  May you have many more!

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Motorcycle Weather

Posted in Columbus, Ohio, Photography, weather, tagged , , , , , on May 1, 2013 | 1 Comment »

IMG_1181In central Ohio, when spring arrives and the temperature goes up, the motorcycles come out.  Chopper owners take off the tarps, wheel their rigs out of their garages, and let the bikes wind out in the fine spring weather.

Seeing motorcycles is a good sign that it’s going to be a nice day, because most bikers know to check the weather and only ride on days that are certain to be dry.  Once you ride a motorcycle in the rain, getting soaked to the bone and splattered by passing cars, you’ll do just about anything to avoid it.

And speaking of motorcyclists, let’s all be sure to keep an eye out for them, give them plenty of room, and let them share the road without incident.

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Why We Care About Who Is A Buckeye

Posted in Columbus, Ohio, sports, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , on April 25, 2013 | Leave a Comment »

If you’ve never lived in Ohio, you perhaps cannot truly understand the role of Ohio State athletes in the community.  They aren’t just football players or basketball players:  they are expected to be role models, good citizens, and able representatives of an important institution.  Buckeyes fans want Ohio State to have great players, to be sure, but we also want them to be great people so that they can fulfill that aspirational role.

This little video of a visit some Ohio State basketball players made to Nationwide Children’s Hospital, to hang out with some of the kids who are being treated there, gives a glimpse of what can happen when good people become Buckeyes.  And it happens all the time, usually without any fanfare.  When one of my colleagues was battling cancer, he was surprised by a visit from some Ohio State football players, including one of the biggest stars on the team.  They came, they sat down, they talked with him and listened to him, and they provided encouragement.  No photographers or publicists were there, and to my knowledge no news story about the visit ever appeared.  But my friend greatly appreciated the gesture and the fact that these football players took time away from being BMOC to visit an ill stranger.

It touched him deeply, and it made me understand, better than I had before, the great significance these young people can assume — if they are good people.  That’s one reason why we care so much about who becomes a Buckeye.

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Welcome Colors

Posted in Columbus, Ohio, Photography, weather, tagged , , , , , on April 13, 2013 | Leave a Comment »

IMG_3511When spring finally arrives (and we in central Ohio are keeping our fingers crossed that it’s here to stay) is a feast for the senses — particularly the eyes.  It’s such a pleasure to see flowers, and bright colors on the landscape!

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