Memoirs of an Amnesiac

Picture for the Day: January 27

2012-01-27T18:01:00.000-05:00

Chart for the Day: January 26

2012-01-26T21:14:00.002-05:00

Timeline of the National Debt

Chart for the Day: January 24

2012-01-24T23:42:00.000-05:00

Newt Gingrich – Liar and Hypocrite

2012-01-19T19:21:00.002-05:00

“The Presidency is about character.” How many aspiring politicians and television talking-heads have uttered that phrase or a variant thereof? I’m sure former House Speaker Newt Gingrich has said it. But does he understand it?

Now that Gingrich is running for President, a spotlight has been shone upon his life. They say sunlight is the best disinfectant, but like the neural parasites of Deneva, some things are allergic to light.

Let’s take moment and review Newt Gingrich’s character. And since Newt is so obsessed with protecting marriage and peeking into other people’s bedrooms, let us concentrate on that aspect of his character.

Gingrich met his first wife when he was in high school – Jackie Battley was his geometry teacher, to be precise. They married when he was 19 and she 26. Newt ran around on his first wife, and belittled her as “not young enough or pretty enough” to be a politician’s wife. He told Jackie he wanted a divorce while she was in the hospital recovering from cancer surgery. (Newt’s campaign has tried to dispute this, but court documents back up Jackie’s account.) Newt’s mistress at the time, Marianne Ginther, became Wife No. 2 a mere six months later.

While Gingrich was leading the House Republicans’ crusade to impeach President Clinton, he was having an affair himself, with Callista Bisek. Newt had already told Marianne that he wanted an “open marriage”. As any right-thinking person would, Marianne was not welcome to that idea. When Marianne was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis, Newt jumped ship, paving the way to install Callista as Wife No. 3.

Callista Gingrich has had the good fortune to maintain her looks – if that’s your cup of tea – and, so far as we know, her health. So, Newt has sought fit to lavish her with six-figures in goodies from Tiffany’s. Callista is 23 years younger than Newt. But one wonders what Newt, now 68, will do when Callista begins to sag. The best predictor of future behavior is past performance.

Newt’s wives have a tendency to become sick while married to him, and he discards them as if they were used condoms. Apparently, the phrase “in sickness and in health” means nothing to him. This is the very definition of a toxic person. Yet the whole time, Newt preaches the “family values” agenda - which has long been nothing more than an attempt to outlaw abortion, served up with a side of thinly veiled gay bashing.

In my experience, those who crow the most about family values are the least likely to live them.

For contrast, consider President Obama. He has consistently supported reproductive rights. He has been consistently for LGBT rights with the exception of full marriage for same-sex couples – to the extent that he’s done more for LGBT people than any President in history. He’s even stated repeatedly that he’s “evolving” on the marriage issue – coded-language to all but the completely tone deaf that his position will evolve to full marriage rights on November 7, 2012. By all reliable accounts, Barack Obama has led a morally upright life, and has been a model father and husband. He doesn’t spend his time telling others how to run their private lives, content to manage his own.

There is a great divide between “having character” and “being a character”, and Newt Gingrich is on the wrong side of that divide.

Chart for the Day: January 18

2012-01-18T17:58:00.000-05:00

Click to enlarge. Right-click to open in a separate window.

Those who state that President Obama has done nothing to further the cause of LGBT rights are telling what Winston Churchill called a "terminological inexactitude." Anyone who calls him the worst President ever for LGBT Americans needs to have his head examined.

Chart for the Day: January 17

2012-01-17T21:55:00.000-05:00

Click to enlarge.

Chart for the Day: January 16

2012-01-16T21:49:00.004-05:00

There are certain things in our nation and in the world which I am proud to be maladjusted...I never intend to adjust myself to economic conditions that will take necessities from the many to give luxuries to the few.
- Martin Luther King, Jr.

Response to a chain e-mail

2012-01-15T09:30:00.005-05:00

An email chain has been going around, purporting to be a response to a comment by a “young cashier” about the environment.

The use of certain terminology (e.g., “nappies” for diapers, “petrol” for gasoline) indicates that the writer was British, so I can’t vouch for the timing of some events such as switching from bottled to store bought milk. But I'm sure there's an American version of this going around. So, I’d like to make a point by point response:

Bottled milk hasn’t been delivered in the United States for decades. In fact, I’ve never seen it in my 44 years – although the 70 year old house I live in has a miniature door for milk delivery. Frankly, drinking milk after childhood is not healthy, and is also hard on the environment. Besides, didn’t the delivery of bottled milk to each home result in the burning of more fossil fuel?

I can’t speak for the cashier, but I certainly recycle my pop cans and beer bottles! Our generation had to fight your generation to get city hall to make recycling available.

Speaking of generations, is this writer 90 years old? Escalators have been around for at least a century. Are you really blaming 20-somethings like the cashier for escalators?

More and more young people, and even those not so young, bike or walk whenever we can. That’s why some of us are so passionate about walkable cities and suburbs – and why I supported rezoning at Oakwood. We’re trying to reverse the growth of the exhurbs brought about by Eisenhower’s Folly. As for gas guzzling cars: that was the product of earlier generations - my car is certainly not 300-horsepower – more like 123.

So, you washed your babies’ diapers rather than getting disposables? Good for you. And how many kids did you have? Probably too many. Generations such as yours that popped out five and more kids per couple are responsible for our huge overpopulation problem. Thanks for breeding like rabbits in heat! (Not that that’s just a problem for an earlier era.)

Sure, we use more appliances. We have larger TV screens, since thanks to the
economic collapse caused by the older generation we can’t afford a night out at the movies – with the expensive tickets, food, and gasoline it takes to get there. Walk to the movies, you say? No, we can’t walk to the movie theater – thanks to the suburban sprawl you invented, it’s out of reach.

We make do with compact fluorescent lightbulbs, even though they make us look pasty and don't work with dimmer switches.

Ordinary people, by and large, do not make use of styrofoam and bubble wrap – it’s corporations, the large behemoths that run out of control thanks to deregulation by your generation.

You may have used a push mower to cut the lawn, then you doused the grass with toxic fertilizers - which entered the runoff and damaged our water supply. See the next paragraph.

You drank from a water fountain? Oh, yes, you did – and it was segregated! Some of us need to drink bottled water because your generation demanded tax cuts and neglected the infrastructure, which made the water undrinkable.

I’d love to take the bus, but your generation created the car-worshiping America that made bus service the transportation of last resort – where one often can’t even feel safe.

And yes, I DO take reusable bags to the grocery store!

Fitness quest: January 5, 2012

2012-01-05T19:39:00.002-05:00

A new year has begun. Instead of reviewing the details of my latest workout or changes in my body, I’d like to review the most important factor in fitness: proper diet. Most fitness instructors will tell you that eating the right foods in the right amounts is 75% of the battle in becoming and staying healthy. Think of all the athletes who may be sidelined by injuries and unable to workout – the proper diet is the critical factor between staying in shape and dissolving into a puddle of jelly. There is also the fact that what we eat has as much impact on the environment as what we drive. With that in mind, I’ve put together:

Hank’s non-Mammalian, ecologically responsible, yet very tasty diet.

Foods to avoid:
Any food derived directly or indirectly from mammals. This includes:
Red Meat & Pork (replace with Poultry & Fish)
Dairy products, including Milk, Cheese, and Butter (replace with Soy milk, Vegan cheese and margarine)

Other foods to avoid:
Potatoes (including baked, fried , chips and sweet potatoes), white bread, white rice – replace with wheat bread and brown rice
Sugared or Diet soda – replace with Diet Snapple or Green Tea. These will give you the energy and provide superior hydration.
Salt – use a salt substitute instead

Tips for Healthy Food Preparation:
Poultry or fish can be baked or cooked in a pan.
When cooking food in oil, avoid products like Wesson oil or Crisco – use Olive or Sunflower Oil. Check the labels to avoid hydrogenated fats.
Vegetables can be stir fried or steamed – avoid overcooking as this removes nutritional value and taste.

Food Allocation
40% of your calories should come from Breakfast & a mid-morning snack
35% of your calories should come from Lunch & a mid-afternoon snack
25% of your calories should come from Dinner – no snacks after dinner, which should take place no less than four hours before bedtime.

Healthy Meal examples:
Breakfast: Egg beaters (can be made omelet style with onions, peppers, vegan cheese, etc); oatmeal; fruit juice (a tall glass mixed ½ & ½ with water)
Lunch: Chicken breast with two servings of vegetables.
Dinner: Salmon burger on wheat bun with a large side of vegetables

Exercise:
You should get at least 30 minutes of Cardio exercise at least 3 times per week
You should get at least 30 minutes of Strength training at least 2 times per week.

Control your portions: stop eating when you’re no longer hungry, don’t wait until you’re full! Avoid all-you-can-eat buffets. Remember, there is always room for exceptions such as special occasions – but the important thing is to practice restraint and moderation.

My weight varied over the holidays, and by January 1, my weight had ballooned to 216#. But reapplying myself at the gym and in the kitchen has worked out and my weight is back down.

1/5/2012 212 1/2#

Stop Ohio’s Puppy Mills

2011-12-30T19:28:00.010-05:00

There is an evil thing happening in Ohio right now – the reckless breeding and exploitation of canines via puppy mills. Such mills have existed for decades in America, but have become an epidemic problem in recent years. Ohio currently ranks sixth nationally for high volume breeders, and Holmes County is Ohio's epicenter for dog auctions. The vast majority of puppy mill operators in Ohio are Amish.

Before I proceed, let me make it plain that there is a sharp delineation between puppy mills and legitimate breeders. In puppy mills, female dogs are constantly bred – delivering litter after litter nearly without pause. They spend their entire lives confined to cages. Typical puppy mills can have literally hundreds of breeding dogs, which give birth until they are no longer able to carry. At that point, the dogs are removed from their cages and shot. These dogs are never properly socialized to humans – and the litters they give birth to are not properly cared for in the first weeks of life. The puppies are auctioned off to pet stores or, increasingly, sold via the Internet to unsuspecting buyers.

This is not the case with legitimate breeders, where the health of the mother dog* is paramount, stud dogs are carefully selected, and puppies are closely monitored in the earliest weeks of life. There is a place for dog breeders in our society, particularly in the creation of service dogs.

Puppy mills were common in Pennsylvania – with Lancaster County called the “puppy mill capitol of the world” – until Governor Ed Rendell signed legislation that clamped down on such practices. Following that, a portion of mill activity found its way to Ohio. There is currently an effort underway to outlaw dog auctions in Ohio either through legislation or a ballot initiative - such a ban would deal a major blow to puppy mills.

Some people have opposed this initiative based on a rose-tinted image of the Amish: simple folk who live in harmony with nature and God. But in recent years, a truer picture of the Amish has arisen, one in which cruelty toward animals and even fellow humans is common. Others oppose it based on the false idea that we should not be worrying about dogs when there are so many humans who live in misery. My response is that human problems are generally caused by humans – either by themselves or through the actions of others. The problems dogs face, including the tragedy of puppy mills, are also caused by humans – and require a human solution.

Recent evidence indicates that the human/canine bond has existed far longer than previously thought – as long as 31,000 years – and that man’s domestication of wolves may have been reciprocated. The presence of dogs in our lives may have been a critical factor in the evolution of human society from loose groups of hunter-gatherers to stable communities. To this day, dogs continue to be of service to humans in war and in peace. How have we repaid canines for their service to man? By ignoring the need to spay/neuter, we’ve allowed them to overpopulate – to the extent that millions are euthanized each year. We’ve created designer breeds in a manner that has placed appearance above health. For example, the English Bulldog, once a great breed, has been inbred to the extent that cardiopulmonary problems are common and their lifespan has been reduced. The posture of the German Shepherd has been adversely affected by breeding for an aesthetically pleasing appearance – resulting in epidemic hip dysplasia. Is this any way to treat Man’s Best Friend, a creature WE created, and which aided us in our own formative era?

Legislation to outlaw dog auctions is only part of the solution. The more critical element is raising the awareness of those looking for canine companions. Far too many people have been so caught up with dogs of specific breed that they are unaware that dogs of mixed breed can often be a preferable option. I hold the American Kennel Club responsible as the primary perpetrator of this snob appeal. More often than not, a mutt will carry the best traits of each breed in its mix – this is known as hybrid-vigor. I’ve seen it personally in my Labrador/Collie/Shepherd mix Mason: He has the friendliness and playfulness of a Lab, the intelligence of a Collie, and the watchfulness and protectiveness of a Shepherd.

Dogs are not accessories - they are living, beathing, feeling creatures!

I urge all my readers, both in Ohio and out, to support this effort.

* I refuse to use the term “bitch”, which is more commonly a pejorative term in America .

Fitness Update: The revenge of Christmas dinner

2011-12-26T18:12:00.004-05:00

Despite the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, I have been managing to keep up with my workouts. I worked out every day this past week, including Wednesday which I usually skip. I even managed to get in a Christmas Eve (well, the afternoon of Christmas Eve day) workout at Progressive’s gym, which was nearly devoid of people. I wish I could say I was being as vigilant about the diet end of things. Between the food offered at various project and seasonal work events, and the treats shared by coworkers, I’ve put a couple pounds back on.

Dan had to work overnight, so while he slept Christmas morning, I began work on dinner: Candied Yams and Stuffin’ Muffins (muffins made of stuffing). After he awakened and we opened presents, Dan made Pasteles and arroz con gandules, and we washed our meal down with coquito. A traditional feast, but one that mixed several traditions.

Making the Stuffin' Muffins - note the time on the stove.

12/24/2011 214#

Beethoven's deafness and his compositional style

2011-12-22T06:05:00.000-05:00

The British Medical Journal has published a fascinating article about how Beethoven's increasing deafness may have influenced his compositional style.

Click here to read the full article.

The Nutcracker

2011-12-11T08:35:00.004-05:00

When counting the years on the modern calendar, we often refer to BC and AD (or the more politically correct CE). When considering ballet, one could easily refer to BT and AT – before and after Tchaikovsky. The Russian composer put ballet music on the map. For those who doubt that assertion (and there are some who will merely so they can “dis” Tchaikovsky) consider this: How many memorable ballet scores - that can stand on their own in the concert hall, and away from dancers – were written before Tchaikovsky? And how much did that change after Tchaikovsky put his stamp on ballet music? Probably the most noteworthy original ballet score before Tchaikovsky was Beethoven’s Creatures of Prometheus. The score, to be blunt, it not particularly interesting or memorable, except for a serviceable overture, and a theme he used several times – as the finale of the Eroica Symphony and in the Eroica Variations.

I’ve seen The Nutcracker more times than I can recall. Dan and I went to the Saturday matinee at the State Theatre. The production, by the Royal Winnipeg Ballet had a particularly Canadian flavor. The Nutcracker is flexible enough that in can withstand changes in tone – even the cutesy-poo addition of a dancing bear. But I found much of the choreography cautious and not up to the standards present when Cleveland had its own ballet company (albeit shared with San Jose). This was Dan’s first live ballet and I wish the dancing had been more virtuosic and the staging more imaginative.

The RWB production took some liberties with the music: the arrangement of pieces in the second act was altered and the Waltz of the Flowers was early on rather than near the end. They even added a piece (the Marche Miniature from Tchaikovsky’s Suite, Op. 43) to the second act – being less harmonically advanced it didn’t really fit into the score. Tempos were cautious during the faster pieces – whether this was to accommodate the dancers or the players I do not know. The playing by the pick-up ensemble was accurate but small scaled.

I learned a lesson: when attending a cultural event which may involve children, always opt for the evening show - never the matinee. Young children simply do not know proper etiquette. Appallingly, too many parents don’t know how to behave either. There was a man in front of us reading a pro-Newt Gingrich blog on his brightly-lit smart phone drawing our attention from the performance.

But for me, the marvel of The Nutcracker, after seeing it live many times, is and will remain Tchaikovsky's score. It shines through even in a less than stellar production. All the more remarkable is that Tchaikovsky composed the ballet’s score under very restrictive conditions imposed by the producer (and some say choreographer) Marius Petipa. The composer was told: "I want seven bars in 3/4 time, then ten bars in 6/8 time, then twenty bars in 4/4 time, at the following tempos..."

It has been said that art thrives on restrictions, and The Nutcracker score is an extreme example of that. I wish I could go back in time and tell Tchaikovsky, who was notoriously insecure about his work and was disappointed in this ballet, that a century later there would be annual productions of this ballet in nearly every major city, that audiences would enjoy the Nutcracker Suite in concert halls and on recordings without even the need to watch the ballet, that even a musical novice would recognize a tune from the score and it would bring a smile to his face - and a tear to his eye.

A New Musical Direction

2011-12-09T20:53:00.002-05:00

My love for classical music (by which I mean the repertoire from baroque to the moderns and even some minimalism – along with orchestral film scores) goes back 35 years. The classical repertoire is so vast that one can barely acquire a deep knowledge of it in the course of a lifetime. Consider, for example, the many fine works by otherwise well-known composers that are rarely played, various pieces by Schumann and Liszt. It occurred to me early on that if I was to know enough repertoire, I would have to limit my time with other genres. That’s OK, because much of what I heard from the pop world didn’t appeal to me – particularly what is referred to as the Top 40, to say nothing of Rap and its various offshoots. True, there are a few things in my collection that are nowhere near the Classical repertoire: dance mixes, some Madonna, even some 70s disco. But those are exceptions and as often as not, only serve the purpose of speeding up my workout. Also, I don’t really care for music with lyrics of any kind (opera is a relative blind spot for me, although choral music is not). I’m more interested in the melodic/harmonic lines which often contain emotions too deep for words to convey.

But I’ve spent so much time studying scores and listening to music that, I must confess, it seldom makes a direct connection to me on an emotional level anymore. Instead, my emotional response is filtered through my intellectual understanding of the music.

By happenstance, I put a documentary called Scott Walker: 30 Century Man, into my Netflix queue – mostly based on the fact that he was shown singing Jacky. It arrived last week, and I watched it Monday night. For someone who started off singing in a boy-band, Walker has taken a remarkable journey. Songs such as Big Louise and Two Ragged Soldiers are melodically ambiguous, harmonically complex, richly orchestrated, and utterly heartbreaking. It has been a long time since any music made such an immediate emotional connection with me.

Fitness Quest: Illness and recovery

2011-12-04T20:37:00.000-05:00

As mentioned in my previous post, I was ill with a sinus infection and sore throat for most of my vacation. Even at this point, I have not fully recovered – although I have been able to resume workouts. I had already decided not to schedule training sessions the week of my vacation since I didn’t know where I would be in my home improvement. But I planned on working out on my own – which illness put the kibosh on. So, from November 20 – 27 I didn’t work out at all. The most exercise I got was pulling the carpet and walking the dog – neither of which amounted to very much. When I resumed training last Tuesday, my weight had upticked. But I have tapered down and my weight is at its lowest point since I began training. How much of that loss is due to atrophy and how much is due to fat loss I don’t know. But I felt energized enough to combine two workouts into one on Saturday.

12/3/2011 212#

Staycation renovation

2011-11-27T10:22:00.005-05:00

I was on staycation last week, watching Mason and the house while Dan traveled to his brother’s place in Virginia. Although I was sick with a sinus infection for all but two of those days, I took the opportunity to get some work done in the house: I removed the carpeting from the upstairs hallway. Taking out the layer of tan, shag carpeting, I found remnants of bright orange shag underneath it, along with the carpet pad. I also found evidence of some sloppy tile work in the threshold where the bathroom meets the hallway. The entire job would have been done in three hours if not for that sloppy tile work. As it was, I had to neaten that up, buy a new threshold cover, and fit that to the door frame. But it was worth it. The existing floor has been preserved by the carpeting and looks better than the bedroom floors – which have a bit of wear.

I also considered taking out the carpeting in the family room, but there are two obstacles which make that impractical. For one, the existing wood floors are poor quality and would have to be heavily renovated or covered with better hardwood. Also, the family room is an addition to the house (added in 1956, according to records) and is built over a crawl space that vents to the outside – so the floors would become very cold in winter. So, we have decided to replace the existing carpet.

Dan returned on Thanksgiving day via Akron-Canton airport. We stopped at the Waffle House in Green for our Thanksgiving dinner. Surprisingly good – and no clean up on our part.

Season 3 of The Bionic Woman is a letdown with a few good moments

2011-11-14T18:28:00.005-05:00

As a child, I watched both The Six Million Dollar Man and its spinoff, The Bionic Woman, but quickly became more enthusiastic about the latter. While I was entertained by Steve Austin's derring-do, I cared about Jaime Sommers. However, by the time the final seasons of TBW and 6M$M came along, my interest in each series had declined. So with a few exceptions, I am seeing these episodes for the first time. With the exception of a few episodes, including The Bionic Dog and On the Run, season 3 is a bit of a letdown.

Click to read my review...

Mason is enthralled by Max, the bionic dog.

Thoughts on the 2011 Election

2011-11-10T22:33:00.007-05:00

The election of 2011 has taken place. The votes have been counted, and the people have spoken.

I am very relieved that Issues 1 and 2 were defeated at the polls. As for Issue 3, the practical effect is nil. Federal law generally trumps state law, and the insurance mandate of the 2010 Healthcare law will likely end up in the Supreme Court. If the court rules for the mandate, all will be required to purchase health insurance. If the court rules against it, the ruling will probably reignite the push for single player health care or - at the very least - a government option.

I am disappointed that Tony Caroscio was not reelected to council at large. Tony’s a nice guy who has served the city honorably. But with so many challengers this year, it was likely one councilor was going to lose his seat. Caroscio was narrowly defeated by Marty Gelfand, who brings a strong background to the office.

Issue 96 was certainly the most hotly fought, bitterly debated contest in South Euclid I can recall. Despite the relatively close vote, I retain my opinion: passing Issue 96 was the best viable option for this land. On Tuesday, I spent six hours working at two polling stations: City Hall and the University Heights Library. During my time there, I saw three people from the No on 96 campaign: Rich Sones, Fran Mentch, and Garry Kanter. All three were from Cleveland Heights, which confirms my initial belief that they were the drivers of this campaign. (Sones’ home was the No on 96 headquarters.) The fact that Fran Mentch in particular felt the need to verbally confront me and other Yes on 96 campaigners and repeatedly accuse us of being paid (which we were not) is an indication of how little they had in the way of facts to support their side. My comment in an earlier post that they relied upon suppositions, hysteria, and character assassination to drive their campaign was vindicated not only in their behavior at the polling stations (with the exception of Sones, who was reserved and polite), but by the increasingly shrill and desperate flyers they sent in the waning days of the campaign, and the vandalism of pro-96 signs.

I am glad this election season is over, and I am looking forward to putting thoughts of the rancor behind me. There used to be an American tradition: after Election Day, we pulled up our lawn signs, life returned to normal, and we all just “got along” as we had before. I don’t feel confident that that’s the case anymore – and not just because of the reaction to Issue 96’s passage. Witness the years of nagging about President Obama’s birth certificate, then the conspiracy theories about Osama bin Laden’s death. For myself, despite my best efforts, I can’t pretend that there are “no hard-feelings” on the Oakwood issue after the way front groups with phony websites, shadowy funding and a group of activists from a large suburb tried to sway the voters of a suburb only half its’ size. Many of these people are now saying they’ll never shop at Oakwood. And these same people bullied those of us who dared to speak our minds. I was personally the recipient of such behavior, as was Jane Goodman. They defamed us as paid shills or worse. And I don’t think I’ll be able to bring myself to spend my money in any of those businesses which aided them - whether those businesses were in South Euclid, Cleveland Heights, or elsewhere - for quite a while.

A bitter election season is over, yet the bitterness lingers.

Fitness Quest: November 7

2011-11-07T17:27:00.002-05:00

Two steps forward, one step back. I’ve observed that my weight is like a ball bouncing down the stairs. The overall trend is downward, but it does bounce back up. Over the past week, I have been tremendously busy with work and canvassing for Issue 96. Although I’ve certainly been active, I have not adhered to my diet principles as I should. Last night, I fell off the wagon in a bad way when I ate a bison burger at burgers 2 beer, a new place across from Progressive’s main campus. (The burger was excellent, by the way, as were the fries that accompanied it.) So, my weight has upticked.

I used the time change to my advantage this morning to grab a cardio work out before my shift rather than after.

11/07/2011 weight: 214 #

Another reason we need Oakwood Commons

2011-11-04T06:35:00.001-04:00

This is another reason we need Oakwood Commons. The average one-way daily commute in the United States is 16 miles - and that doesn't include how far we drive to shop. We need to bring people closer to where they work and where they shop. We need to return growth to cities and their inner-ring suburbs.

A look at No on 96 funding.

2011-11-03T06:30:00.007-04:00

Click to enlarge:

The Ohio Fact Check item is a $25,000 donation. Donald McTigue is listed as the treasurer of Ohio Fact Check - he is also the lawyer for the No on 96 group. McTigue's registering of that internet domain (which redirects to SouthEuclidFactCheck.org) resulted in pointed criticism by the real factcheck.org. The section marked residents outside SE and CH includes a $200 donation from the Avon branch of the Northeast Ohio Sierra club. The prospect of an "environmental" organization trying to stop inner-ring renewal with a donation from a far-flung exurb boggles the mind, and I have decided not to renew my membership in the Sierra Club.

Source: here.

2011 Election Endorsements

2011-11-01T19:19:00.009-04:00

Mason says: Vote NO on Issues 1, 2, & 3.

Issue 1: This is to raise the maximum age at which a justice can be appointed from 70 to 75. Issue 1 is nothing more than a twist on FDR’s court-packing scheme, in which he tried to pack the court with younger – and more Liberal – judges. Now, the Republicans in control want to pack the court with older – and more Conservative – judges. Republicans already have solid control of the courts in Ohio, which Issue 1 would only entrench. VOTE NO ON ISSUE 1.

Issue 2: Everyone’s hearing about this one - on TV, in print, and via mailed flyers. Issue 2 is an attempt to destroy collective bargaining rights for public employees in Ohio. If this passes, private employees will be next. This is part of a continuing erosion of Union rights that started in the 1980s. It is no coincidence that the middle-class started to shrink at around that time. Governor Kasich claims that he simply wants to balance spending by reining in overly generous benefits. Two facts that belie Kasich’s claims: 1. Public employees have already agreed to wage freezes and benefit cuts; 2. If Kasich wants to avoid a deficit, why is he giving tax breaks to millionaires and corporations when it’s been proven they don’t stimulate economic growth? Kasich’s stand might be good politics – at present – but it’s bad economics and bad governance. Don’t fall for this, Ohio. VOTE NO ON ISSUE 2.

Issue 3: The disingenuously named Ohio Healthcare Freedom Amendment is simply an attempt to destroy the progress that’s been made in health care reform over the past few years, and take a political swipe at President Obama. It will not protect anyone’s freedom, except the freedom to be irresponsible at the expense of the responsible. Passage of Issue 3 will, at best, continue skyrocketing health care costs and leave more people uninsured. It will also provide a disincentive from employers offering health coverage as part of their benefits package. VOTE NO ON ISSUE 3.

Issue 96: Issue 96 concerns the South Euclid portion of the former Oakwood Golf Club, which was sold to First Interstate, run by developer Mitchell Schneider. The No on 96 people, who are largely funded by Cleveland Heights residents and by Severance Center, are gambling that if they can stoke enough opposition by playing the Wal-Mart card, the zoning will be reverted to Residential and Schneider will donate the land in exchange for a tax write-off. That idea flies in the face of all logic and business sense. More likely, he will develop the land as residential or sell to another developer who will then develop the land. Under a residential paradigm, non-profits such as a church or health care facility could be built, which would be exempt from property taxes. Most likely, any development under a residential template would be a gated community. (The fact that the general economy and housing market are poor does not negate the fact that there are still plenty of people with money who would love to live close to the city and cultural attractions, without the negative implications they feel inner-ring suburbs bring: namely, integration and a large stock of smaller, older housing. Witness the developments at University Circle and the Gordon Square neighborhood.) The pittance of money that South Euclid would collect in property taxes from housing (most of which will go to the Cleveland Heights-University Heights School District) will not even begin to cover the costs of road upkeep, trash collection, et cetera.

A Yes vote means the commercial zoning approved unanimously by the South Euclid city council will remain on the books. It means the development of a new shopping center similar to Steelyard Commons, and the chance for local access to retailers that we now have to drive miles to get to. South Euclid recently ranked 10th in walkability among the 114 largest communities in Ohio. That’s a remarklable asset that Oakwood Commons will only enhance. First Interstate will cover ALL costs of remediation for the 21 acres of parkland it’s donating to South Euclid, as well as improvements on Warrensville Center Road including a new traffic signal and a sidewalk on the western portion of the road – where only a decaying fence now exists. Oakwood Commons would pay for trash collection and upkeep of their parking lot. Then there are the fiscal benefits, including income taxes from the jobs created and property taxes – although, again, most of the property taxes will go to CH-UH schools. There is also the potential to make a real dent in the local youth unemployment rate, which is a huge problem no one wants to talk about. Incidentally, both Mayor Welo and her opponent, Robert Schoenewald, have told me they favor a Yes vote on Issue 96. This is the most important issue on the South Euclid ballot, which will determine our city's financial fate for at least a generation. VOTE YES ON ISSUE 96.

Issue 97: For the past several months, a single speeding camera has been moved from side street to side street, clocking vehicles that travel more than eleven miles per hour over the limit. News of this camera’s impending use has been in the local media for at least two years, often accompanied by consternation and accusations of political misdeeds – with no supporting evidence. The best argument that can be made against the camera is that a ticketed individual cannot face his accuser in court. Indeed, the tickets issued are not reported to the Bureau of Motor Vehicles and points are not issued to the licensee. Also, the title holder may not even be driving the car at the time of the infraction – it may be loaned to a friend or family member. But fines are still collected, after the camera manufacturer gets its cut. There are real problems with speeding on some streets in the city – including on South Belvoir, where I witnessed a pickup driver going at least 45mph on a recent Saturday morning. There is also the 25mph speed limit on Mayfield Road, for which I can find no justification, which leads many to use side streets as cut-throughs. I have yet to see evidence of stepped up police presence since they were supposedly “freed-up” by the camera from writing speeding tickets. (NOTE: I am not bashing our police force, which I hold in high regard, but I question their leadership.) Therefore, despite the hyperbole of the anti-camera set, I am urging a YES VOTE ON ISSUE 97.

For Mayor: I certainly have reservations about Mayor Welo’s performance. She seems to decide on who to endorse or appoint based on whether or not they go to her church. Many of these have led to an insularity at city hall that discourages constructive criticism and open debate. The purchase of Cedar Center North was, at best, badly timed and poorly executed and, at worst, a serious breach of private property rights. And many feel a more creative, less expensive solution could have been found to the troubles on Greenvale Road than the purchase and demolition of nine perfectly acceptable houses. Cuyahoga County councillor Sunny Simon, a resident of the Greenvale neighborhood at the time of the purchase, has vigorously defended Welo's stance. But it’s very unlikely that the money spent on these two items will ever be recouped. It’s also true that these events took place before the 2008 economic collapse, which very few people saw coming. The argument can also also be made that if the city did nothing with regard to blighted property, both commercial and residential, we’d be headed down the road to East Cleveland. Also, the city has made good faith efforts to rein in spending since the recession began, there has been no tax increase (a proposed increase for residents who work outside the city was quickly withdrawn), and South Euclid recently earned an above average credit rating from Moody’s.

A 1974 Brush High School graduate, Robert Schoenewald, Mayor Welo’s opponent, has been very civil in his criticism. I spent 45 minutes talking with him at a meet & greet and he seems like a very nice, personable human being. But his refusal to repudiate the tactics of some of his more over-the-top supporters bespeaks a serious lack of political courage on his part, especially for someone who calls Mayor Welo a “friend”. Schoenewald does have some good ideas, including better verification of residence for local students to make sure they're really local, and an approach to housing inspection that essentially amounts to “if it can’t be seen from the street, it’s not the city’s business”. But there were some things he told me that came right out of the Ayn Rand playbook which set off my radar. While he’s told me personally that he favors passage of Issue 96, his refusal to take a public stand, once again, is a bad omen for rudderless leadership were he to become mayor. His campaign has been long on statistics and short on specific solutions. Mayors have to do more than count and balance the books, they have to lead, and sometimes take unpopular stands.

In the end, I have chosen to vote for Mayor Welo. While some of her actions can be questioned, her general leadership has proven she's willing to fight to reverse the decline that has plagued South Euclid for the past 35 years.

For City Council (at large): Ward councilors are not running this year. Their four year term will be up for renewal in 2013. There are three open seats with eight candidates running. The seats are non-partisan, although not all the candidates are.

Michael Fortner: Fortner is unique in that he’s the only declared Republican in the race. I am not a Republican and don’t agree with all his ideas, such as replacing the city’s housing initiative with tax breaks for people who buy and rehab/replace distressed housing. The realities of the market are that tax breaks would not begin to cover the expenses involved, and distressed housing would remain on the market and an eyesore to neighborhoods for years. One such house on my street that was finally torn down this year after it began to lean. Having once lived in Slavic Village, I saw the potential for abandoned houses to attract vermin, including Chihuahua-sized rats. That would be a far worse problem for South Euclid than a few vacant lots – which can potentially be turned into community gardens or resold when the market improves. However, Fortner is a thoughtful individual who listens to both sides of issues, and he would bring some ideological balance to a council that has been little more than a rubber stamp for the mayor. Alternative ideas, no matter from whom they come, need to be raised. South Euclid needs a “loyal opposition”, and I believe Fortner would fill that role admirably without becoming overly strident.

Marty Gelfand: Only one candidate running has extensive experience in navigating the byways and pulling the levers of government, and that’s Gelfand. For years he’s worked as an assistant to Congressman Dennis Kucinich. I’m well aware that Dennis is a lightning rod for controversy, both positive and negative. But Gelfand’s connection to Kucinich may help in securing funds from Washington.

Tony Caroscio: A 1987 Brush High school graduate who was appointed to council in 2009. At the time, some noted Caroscio’s other occupation, as a manager for the Nike store at Aurora outlets, as not being distinguished enough for someone seeking city office. I don’t feel that a retail job is a disqualification for government office, but I may be a bit partial since I worked retail for 16 years. After all, Harry Truman ran a men’s clothing store, while Herbert Hoover was known as the “great engineer.” Make your own judgments. The primary job of a city councilor is to work with constituents, and discuss and vote on ordinances. These are largely people skills that have nothing to do with engineering. Caroscio has been willing to take stands on various issues, including a bill that would require a minimum of five votes (of seven total on the council) for any tax increase. He was also active in raising (private) money for the Playground of Possibilities. His contribution to the council and the city has been constructive, and with the ankle-biting that’s been going on in South Euclid, Caroscio’s performance in office has been refreshing.

School Board: I went to South Euclid-Lyndhurst Schools from Kindergarten onward (with some breaks when my parents divorced) and am a proud graduate of Brush High School – class of 1985. So, even though I don’t have kids of my own, issues facing our schools are of great importance to me. Watching the dwindling performance of our local schools over the last 15 years has been a depressing sight. There are two open seats on the school board this year, with three candidates running. One of those candidates, Arizinnia Hood, could not even be bothered to file her paperwork on time or show up for an interview with the Sun Messenger. Frankly, that’s the kind of attitude that put our schools in the position they’re in today. Therefore, by default my endorsements go to Stefanie Rhine and Alfreda Wynne.

South Euclid Municipal Court: There are three candidates for one seat. Only one has received consistently excellent ratings from area Bar and Lawyer Associations, and that’s Lee Koosed. His average rating of 3.75 blows the other candidates’ 2.5 ratings out of the water. VOTE FOR LEE KOOSED.

Three wonderful years

2011-11-01T07:30:00.003-04:00

Three years ago today, Dan & I headed to All-Breed Animal Rescue near Akron to look over a litter of seven puppies. We immediately spotted a brown pup with white paws and a white patch on his neck who seemed to be lording it over his brothers and sisters. Dan & I knew immediately that he was meant for us. The last three years have flown by, largely thanks to Mason.

Here's the first picture we took of Mason - one day after we adopted him:

Here's a photo of Mason in Halloween costume, taken last night:

Deceptive practices by No on 96 coalition

2011-10-29T20:38:00.006-04:00

The real FactCheck.org has issued an objection to the deceptive use of their name by the No on 96 crowd. Read here to learn more.

If the No on 96 group can't be trusted to tell the truth about who they are, how can they be trusted to tell the truth about the real implications of voting no on 96?

If you value the future viability of South Euclid, vote yes on Issue 96.

Letter to the Sun

2011-10-26T18:00:00.002-04:00

I have decided to reenter the frey on Oakwood, which I left several months ago after receiving threatening comments from people on the other side. The following is a letter I sent to the Sun Messenger which is not being published due to length:

To the editor:

Like many, I was saddened to learn that the Oakwood Club had been sold to a developer – First Interstate, run by Mitchell Schneider. I wanted the land to be preserved as a green space – although as a fertilized and manicured golf course, it has never been a true green space. But the developer bought the land fair & square after a neighborhood group failed to raise more than a small fraction of the money required for purchase.

Now, there is a choice facing the citizens of South Euclid: Should the land be zoned commercial or residential?

Some very noisy people have dug their heels in, clinging to the belief that the land can become a park. Many are hoping that if Issue 96 is rejected, the developer will throw up his hands, magically “see the light” and donate the land to the Metroparks (which never bid on the land when it was for sale) or to the city of South Euclid (which cannot afford to reclaim and maintain all 60-plus acres). This hope flies in the face of all logic and business sense.

Zoning the Oakwood land residential does not mean it will become a park. It means housing would be built, most likely a gated community – because there are people who want to live close to the city, but not in the open neighborhoods with smaller houses that South Euclid has. New housing will exacerbate the glut of existing housing on the market and further depress property values. The bulk of property taxes paid on those houses will go to Cleveland Heights-University Heights Schools – meaning whatever South Euclid collects won’t cover the costs of road upkeep, trash collection, et cetera. South Euclid will also lose the 21 acres of parkland that First Interstate is offering to donate, remediate, and maintain. Beware: a No vote is gambling with our city’s financial future – and means a tax increase for sure.

Certainly there are some in South Euclid who have been misled into opposing the rezoning of Oakwood. And there are some here who oppose it based on delusions of a massive urban park or on rigid ideological grounds. But the driving force of the opposition comes from activists and business in Cleveland Heights. They can’t vote on this issue, so they are trying to influence how South Euclidians vote. Don’t be fooled by them. I have also noted online comments at Cleveland.com which make negative references to the developer’s religion/ethnicity. Really - in this day and age? How sad that individuals use the anonymity of the Internet to engage in this kind of baiting.

A Yes vote will mean over 700 permanent jobs – in addition to the jobs required to build Oakwood Commons. True, these will be retail/restaurant jobs, which are not the highest paying. But they will go a long way to alleviate the problem of youth unemployment. The money earned by these employees will mostly be spent locally. The income taxes collected will benefit South Euclid’s coffers. First Interstate will cover the costs of putting a sidewalk on Warrensville Center Road – where only a fence exists now. First Interstate will NOT be seeking any tax abatements – unlike the developers of Cedar Center and Cutters Creek. For shoppers, it will mean additional choices without requiring a long drive.

Of course, there are those who don’t want you to have a choice of where to conveniently shop. There are also those who believe stores should move into existing storefronts on Mayfield Road. Problem is, most retailers aren’t interested in those kinds of sites, and no one can force them to do business where they don’t want to.

I have spoken to both of South Euclid’s mayoral candidates – and both have told me that they favor a yes vote on Issue 96. Of every candidate for South Euclid city council, both incumbent and challenger, only one has stated his opposition to Oakwood Commons. This is not a partisan or political issue. This is an issue of communities having the right to control their own destinies without outside interference.

Sure, I would have liked to see Oakwood become a park. Guess what: Ain’t gonna happen. Voting yes on 96 is not the perfect solution. It is the ONLY viable solution.

Hank Drake

Rachmaninoff finally gets a complete edition...

2011-10-25T18:51:00.000-04:00

The days are long gone (except among a few pseudo-intellectuals) when Rachmaninoff was written off as a lightweight, pops composer - as an old edition of the New Grove Dictionary of Music& Musicians notoriously did. Grove's statement that the popularity of a few of Rachmaninoff's compositions would not last has been resoundingly disproven. Not only are the old warhorses - the Second Symphony, Second Piano Concerto, and Paganini Rhapsody - as popular as ever, but many of Rachmaninoff's previously obscure works have entered the standard repertoire. But this set from Brilliant Classics marks the first time a complete edition of Rachmaninoff's works has been released. It's long overdue.

Read my full review here.

Fitness Quest: October 24

2011-10-24T21:58:00.001-04:00

I had a pleasant surprise this afternoon when I stepped on the scale: my weight has dropped again – this time to 212 ½ pounds (yes, I am counting fractions when they work in my favor – I need all the encouragement I can get). This boosted my mood at a time fraught with some personal strife I’d rather not go into here. During the previous week, I’ve had a slight reoccurrence of my brachial plexus injury (that’s fancy talk for a pinched nerve), but I soldiered on through my workouts. I find myself able to do things with coordination and weights that were impossible for me before. But I still have limitations: my right knee remains inflexible and weak, so that my right leg can only hold my weight for a short time while bent. This is a problem that’s been creeping up on me for many years – I first noticed it when I lived in New England – but it has definitely grown more pronounced as of late. Both my ankles, but particularly the right, also have limited stamina. I have upped my time on the elliptical machine to 35 minutes. At that point, my body is not fatigued, but my ankles start to pain. So at that point I switch to a stationary bike.

10/24/2011 weight: 212 ½ #

Have you seen this gravestone?

2011-10-16T09:17:00.000-04:00

The gravestone with the Out to Lunch inscription was stolen from our yard Saturday night/Sunday morning. If you know what's become of it, you can anonymously leave a comment below.

Fitness Quest: October 15

2011-10-15T09:14:00.001-04:00

I had a potential setback on Thursday, October 6. Toward the tail end of my workout, while doing some intense work on my “core” (back, abs, and obliques), I felt a pull in my back and let out a yelp of pain. Bryan, my trainer, immediately halted the workout. Despite the use of Icy/Hot when I got home, I continued to feel sore Friday, and took a Flexeril that night – which more than did the trick as I was something of a Zombie well into Saturday.

By Sunday morning, I felt completely better, and headed to the gym for what turned out to be my best workout in a month. Toward the end of my routine, while doing a tricep pulldown, I noticed something I have never seen before: defined biceps and triceps. This is part of a trend over the last few months: first there was definition in my lower legs, then my shoulders – particularly where the trapezius runs from the shoulders to the neck – then my forearms, and now my upper arms. Previously, I’ve been able to get a decent sized but undefined lump of muscle. Now, for the first time in my life, I’m starting to see some striation. This indicates that my modified diet and my combination of strength-training and longer cardio sessions is finally working – even though my actual weight loss has been minimal. The definition is not always noticeable, only when I’ve just worked out and am “pumped-up”, but the progress is definite.

A side benefit of getting into better shape is that my sleep has improved. I’ve grown accustomed over the years to having two poor nights of sleep per week – being unable to fall asleep due to worries, an excess of energy, or physical discomfort. Now, I’m asleep almost immediately after my head hits the pillow - and I sleep through until morning. I had to work late on Thursday night, so my sleeping patterns were disrupted.

10/15/2011 weight: 214#

Elegy for VSD

2011-10-07T05:13:00.001-04:00

An Elegy composed in memory of my mother, who was born on this day in 1933.

Horowitz plays Medtner (original take)

2011-10-01T17:53:00.001-04:00

Happy Birthday, Volodya

My review of Earl Wild's memoirs

2011-09-28T11:05:00.004-04:00

Here's my review of Earl Wild's autobiography, A Walk on the Wild Side. As it's not exactly a rave, I'm sure it will earn me brickbats from Wild's coterie.

Not so much Wild as rambling & bitter

Earl Wild (1914-2010) had one of the longest careers in the performing arts. He was a pianist of remarkable technique who made everything he played look easy. He'd been claiming - or "threatening" if one had ever heard him in interviews - to be working on his memoirs for decades before his death.

Early in A Walk on the Wild Side, the author complains that Arthur Rubinstein's two-volume memoirs contained too much recounting of social events, meals, and love affairs - and not enough about music. Reading that complaint, I became hopeful that Wild's book would be largely centred on music. Sadly, it is not. Wild's early years are dispensed with quickly enough - he claims his family was not close knit, to the extent that Wild once didn't recognize his own brother who came backstage to see him after a concert. He recounts his years as staff pianist for NBC, which he left when he entered the Armed Services during World War II. Wild recalls the various dignitaries he met over the years, including Eleanor Roosevelt and various Presidents (he describes Franklin Roosevelt as an "intelligent and sensitive" man who would sit close to the keyboard to watch Wild's hands, but writes that JFK wanted to be elsewhere than the post-Inaugural concert). Wild also relates how he met Michael Rolland Davis, who became his life partner from the early 1970s until Wild's death. Wild's unapologetic candor in describing his relationship with Davis - while refusing to use it as an excuse to plead for "tolerance" - is refreshing at a time when some people still feel the need to justify love. It is what it is and if you don't like it - too bad for you.

Neither editing nor fact checking appears to have been done. Wild's prose style is of the kind that would be discouraged by any decent high school English teacher. He seems to finish every third sentence with an exclamation point! Some of Wild's statements are impossible for anyone with musical knowledge to take seriously, such as his comment that Josef Hofmann played at the top of his form until the end of his career. Also, there are so many factual errors that everything Wild writes comes into question. For example, Wild relates that President Truman, upset by critic Paul Hume's review of Margaret Truman's concert, wrote Hume a letter in which he called Hume an unprintable name. In fact, Truman's letter was published and, although Truman's distaste for Hume is evident, there is no profanity. This story is well known and easily verifiable - yet no one seems to have bothered to check it.

There are a few musicians who earn Wild's praise, including Paderewski, Toscanini, Garrick Ohlsson and, of all people, Liberace! There are also moments of amusement, such as when Wild catches Wanda Toscanini Horowitz staring at his face, apparently looking for evidence of cosmetic surgery and a hairpiece (Wild maintained naturally full hair until his death).

But for the most part, the book is a diatribe against the classical music "business" and those who run it. A few - and there are many - targets of Wild's bile include: Isaac Stern, Virgil Thomson, and the Steinway company. In short, Wild claims that Isaac Stern blocked Carnegie Hall from presenting him - so that Wild had to finance his own concerts there; that Thomson gave him bad reviews after Wild spurned a sexual advance; and that Steinway loaned him poorly prepared pianos. From what I've learned over the years, these three examples are entirely plausible. But it doesn't end there. It seems that anyone, particularly pianists, who had what Wild perceives as greater success than he, is a valid target. So, Wild states that Claudio Arrau's career was entirely the product of publicity, and goes on to lambaste Alfred "Bren-dull", Vladimir Feltsman, and even Yehudi Menuin. In the end, it reads like Wild is whining that he didn't get what he deserved because others either conspired against him or ignored him. Even supposed friends, like Harold Schonberg, are not spared.

The best part of A Walk on the Wild Side is the chapter devoted solely to musical and pianistic matters. Wild's holistic advice on how to physically approach and play the piano should be memorized by every piano student - particularly in these days of swooning by the likes of Lang Lang - who Wild refers to as "the J-Lo of the piano". But one chapter does not make up for the air of bitterness that pervades the rest of Wild's book. Wild comes across not as charmingly egocentric, but as someone with scores to settle - and settle them he does. In the end, one wishes that the pianist had consulted a psychologist to deal with his lingering anger rather than subject the rest of us to it.

The book includes a discography which is very useful, because when Wild mentions any of his own recordings he makes it clear that he likes them better than anyone else's. No false modesty here! The book comes with a CD that includes a rambling interview with Wild (some anecdotes are recounted nearly word-for-word the same as the book) and selected recordings - none of which show Wild at his best.

I've never had any illusion that Wild was one of the deep thinkers in pianistic history, but his true pettiness was not revealed to me until reading this disappointing book. I recommend you skip this book (or at least try to find it at a library) and spend the $45 on some of Wild's better recordings - particularly Rhapsody in Blue, which is sui generis. They will bring more pleasure and less disillusionment.

[Note: As I predicted, my review of this book on Amazon resulted in many negative votes and comments. Several positive reviews of the book were immediately written from accounts which had never submitted a review before. Interestingly, many of my other reviews there have also earned negative votes - which indicates one or a few ax grinders are trolling my reviews. These people (or is it one person using multiple accounts?) seem obsessed with avenging Wild's memory which I have ruthlessly defamed. They seem uninterested in the positive reviews I've written for Ivory Classics recordings, such as that by Igor Lovchinsky. I have no control over what people write on Amazon, but I am not permitting comments on this entry of my blog. I have been harrassed enough already by Wild's groupies.]

From Teddy Roosevelt to Rachmaninoff – when revisionist spelling runs amuck

2011-09-25T10:31:00.002-04:00

Theodore Roosevelt is known for many things: President, hunter, conservationist, Bull-Moose candidate, trust-buster, foreign policy expansionist, prolific author. One thing nearly forgotten by history was his effort to simplify spelling in American-English. I believe the motivation behind this was TR’s desire to separate the American language from its British roots – all the more because this came at a time when the American Navy was eclipsing England’s.

Be that as it may, in 1906, the Simplified Spelling Board was founded in New York City. Board members included Samuel Clemens (aka Mark Twain), library organizer Melvil Dewey (of Dewey Decimal System fame), U.S. Supreme Court Justice David Brewer, publisher Henry Holt, and former U.S. Secretary of the Treasury Lyman Gage. Among the board’s recommendations: make American-English more phonetic by deleting silent letters, such as "e" (as in "axe"), "h" (as in "ghost"), "w" (as in "answer"), and "b" (as in "debt"); spell “enough” as “enuf”, remove the “u” from honour, colour, and favour; change centre to center, rhyme to rime, socks to sox, and so on.
A few of these changes have come to pass, but many have gone the way of the 1970s proposed conversion to the metric system – which made more sense in retrospect. As far as spelling is concerned, I am old fashioned and still use grey, not gray, when describing my car’s color.

History remembers the Soviet Union for many things: Stalin’s bloody purges, the high price paid for victory in the Great Patriotic War, their early lead in the Space Race, Glasnost & Perestroika, and the way it all ended – not with a bang but with a whimper. Early Soviets also decided to reform spelling. But unlike TR’s attempt, the Soviet restructuring of the Russian language took firm hold – not always with the positive results.

Nowhere in music is this more evident than in the spelling of a certain composer’s name as Rachmaninow, or more commonly Rachmaninov, instead of Rachmaninoff.

For the record, the Cyrillic spelling of the composer’s name when he was born is Сергей Васильевич Рахманиновъ. That “ъ” at the end is known as a tvyordiy znak – but it's use was altered early in the Soviet period, which in turn changed how words were transliterated.

And thus is was that, by the 1970s, European musicologists were inevitably using the Soviet spelling for Rachmaninoff’s name and transliterating it as Rachmaninov. European record labels caught on and this is now the standard spelling as seen on European based labels. Sergei would turn over in his grave (which, incidentally, is in New York, not Russia) at this turn of events.

In some ways, the European insistence in spelling Rachmaninoff’s name with a “v” mirrors Teddy Roosevelt’s desire to change American-English: Misguided, provincial, and reactionary.

Rachmaninoff’s signature, which shows both how he spelled his name, and his exquisite penmanship.

Spelling Rachmaninoff’s name with a “v” is wrong on so many levels: It ignores the way the composer signed his own name in Western Countries (where he lived the last 25 years of his life); it does not take into account the original Russian spelling of his name – Рахманиновъ – and it leads readers to mispronounce his name, which should end with an “f” sound, not a “v”. Not to mention, it was during the Soviet era that Russian musicians – both in and out of official positions – were downgrading Rachmaninoff as a composer. I recall asking a Soviet-era Russian musician how his fellow countrymen rated Rachmaninoff. “About like Gershwin”, he said. It’s a cruel irony that, 20 years after the Soviet Union wound up on the “ash heap of history” the post-Revolutionary spelling of Rachmaninoff’s name dominates Western music.

But I will never succumb to the Euro-snobs. For me, this often underrated composer will always be Sergei Vasilievich Rachmaninoff.

Fitness Quest: September 19

2011-09-19T21:45:00.001-04:00

Over the weekend, I noticed an ingrown toenail which became very painful by this morning. Despite that, I did a short cardio workout after work today. Sunday, my workout was disrupted by an emotional upset that I won’t go into here. But I was thrown off my bearings and forgot how to do several of the exercises Bryan showed me.

I won’t have my usual Tuesday morning session with Bryan tomorrow, so I plan on working my upper body and staying off my feet.

A bit of good news: I continue to make slow progress. Despite occasional obstacles, I’ve lost another pound. This is more significant than it seems, as my upper chest and legs are significantly more toned and my pants are noticeably looser.

9/19/2011 weight: 214#

2011 Cleveland Ingenuity Fest

2011-09-18T18:25:00.001-04:00

Borders: a post-mortem

2011-09-12T22:42:00.002-04:00

Well, it’s over. The last Borders bookstore closed today – ironically, the same place where the first one opened in 1971: Ann Arbor, Michigan. For years, I was a regular at the La Place Borders. Their Classical CD selection couldn’t be beat locally, and I was building a collection. Music of Note on Shaker Square had recently closed, and The Music Box was long gone.

I was peripherally linked with Borders. From 1985-1986 and again from 1994-1997, I was employed by Waldenbooks. In the 1990s, K-mart owned Waldens, along with Brentano’s and Borders Bookstores (at the time, a small chain based in Ann Arbor, Michigan). By the middle ‘90s, K-mart was in something of a financial crunch and was seeking outside investors. One group of fundamentalist Christian investors balked at the prospect of investing in K-mart because Waldenbooks sold Playboy, Penthouse, and the like. So, in order to secure investor money, K-mart merged Waldens and Borders and spun them off into their own company: The Borders Group. By the way, it was around that time that Waldenbooks and B. Dalton Booksellers were fined by the FTC for colluding on the closing of bookstores at several locations (in other words: Walden and B. Dalton agreed that “if you close your store at Mall A, we’ll close ours at Mall B”) a gross violation of anti-trust laws.

I was working at Waldenbooks when the Borders spinoff happened. At the time, we thought Borders was the wave of the future. Those big stores with their comfy leather chairs, coffee shops, and huge selection were irresistible, and Borders started popping up everywhere. Borders’ rapid growth was at the expense of mall based bookstores like Waldenbooks and B. Dalton – and independent stores suffered even more. By 1997, the writing was on the wall for Waldenbooks: Who wanted to shop for books in cramped stores in the midst of thug-infested malls? The paucity of remaining Waldens meant that it was impossible to advance working there. Many Waldenbooks employees started interviewing at Borders. Even Waldenbooks managers took clerk jobs at Borders - the pay and benefits were competitive (mostly because Walden pay was lousy). I myself left Walden that year and went into a totally different arena.
Whatever the selection at Borders, once the competition from independents was gone, Borders was charging full price on their Classical CDs and only discounted bestselling and remaindered books. Then the Internet came along and by 2000, I was usually buying my CDs at Amazon or other online retailers for less money – and I could even listen to a sample online. What had happened to the independents was now happening to Borders, and their classical selection dwindled.

Borders is not just a victim of changes in the way people shop. In some ways, I think Borders is the victim of its own expansion. Just a few years ago, there were Borders, B&N or Jo-Beth in Richmond Heights, Cleveland Heights, Lyndhurst, Beachwood, and Woodmere. The technical term for this is Market Saturation. Far more than the local population could sustain - especially with retail rents which have increased far beyond inflation. Jo-Beth was the first to go belly up, about a year ago.

This brings up the question: “Why have Jo-Beth and Borders gone out of business yet Barnes & Noble is still running?” I think it’s a combination of several good decisions on the part of B&N management: 1. B&N made better decisions on where to open stores and did not hesitate to dump locations that were not profitable – such as at Richmond Town Square; 2. B&N was much more savvy on the electronic side of business, with a better website, e-books, and enabling customers to listen to samples of CDs they were browsing just by running the bar code under a scanner.

There is also the e-book factor. I prefer real books myself. But I know someone who travels frequently, and the e-book is a great convenience: It's not heavy, more portable since you can store several books in one package, and if you're reading while eating, you don't have to hold the pages open. Borders totally missed the boat on this one.

Fortunately, some independent bookstores survived – but not many music stores with a good selection of Classical music. When I was in Montpelier, Vermont last September, I visited at least five bookstores all within walking distance of each other. Borders never bothered with small towns like Montpelier (the only state capitol without a McDonald’s). A few stores in Ohio, like Fireside Books in Chagrin Falls and Mac’s Backs on Coventry, have survived the life and death of Borders.

Mason at Three

2011-09-07T19:45:00.002-04:00

Mason, our 3 year old Lab/Collie/Shepherd mix, really knocks us out with his idiosyncratic behavior. Even when Dan & I are going about our business without thought to what we’re doing, Mason is present - observing us and taking in every detail of our routines.

Mason is very accustomed to our work schedules – Dan works nights, and I work a more standard shift. One advantage of our schedule is that someone is nearly always home. Mason does not want for company! I leave for work around 7:20am, after the first segment of the Today Show winds up and goes to commercial via some cheesy outro music. At that point, Mason jumps up from his spot on the floor or the futon, and starts barking at me. Usually, it’s three short, sharp barks, almost as if he’s saying “Go to work!” The same thing happens when Dan leaves for work around 10:30pm. With Dan, Mason is a bit less certain of the schedule, because we may be watching various programs or the TV may not be on at all. With the shortening days and earlier sunsets, Mason is sometimes barking at Dan to go to work, and we have to remind him it’s too early. He also reminds Dan when it’s time for his afternoon nap, barking at Dan until he goes up to the bedroom and retires.

Mason is a picky eater – has been since we adopted him at age eight weeks. We’ve been through several kinds of food, from Kirkland Signature brand, to Purina, to Iams, and tried supplementing it. But he never filled out and was chronically underweight – not severely, but I definitely noticed when I bathed him and his hair was wet. We’ve finally hit on the solution about six weeks ago, when we started using Blue Buffalo brand dry food. It’s expensive, but it has done the trick. Mason is much more enthusiastic about eating, especially when we supplement it with Kirkland Signature canned food. His frame has filled out, although he still has a rather svelte appearance. Another benefit - and not to be too graphic here – is that Mason’s stools, which had been chronically runny, have improved and are now solid. So, if you have a picky dog, I’d definitely recommend incurring the extra expense and trying Blue Buffalo food.

Mason keeps abreast of current events, and wants to send a message to Michael Vick:

Horowitz plays Great Sonatas

2011-09-07T18:09:00.002-04:00

Sony has issued a ten CD compilation of Horowitz playing Sonatas by various composers.

Click here to read and rate my review.

Fitness Update:September 6

2011-09-06T21:54:00.003-04:00

Three weeks into my new routine. My training sessions with Bryan seem to be going well. By working with him at 8:30am, I am able to get 25 minutes more sleep on Tuesdays and Thursdays. I repeat the routine he gave me on Saturdays, with Daniel if he's available. Mondays and Fridays I do straight cardio. I have increased my cardio time from 25 minutes to 40 - although I have had to stop early twice. Wednesdays and Sundays are off days - no workout.

So far, I have not lost a substantial amount of weight – in fact, during the first two weeks, I gained two pounds, then tapered down by three in the next week. Over the last ten days, I have started to notice minute changes. While brushing my teeth last week, I noticed that my chest seemed better developed. And on Sunday, I caught sight of myself in the gym mirror and noticed my calves looked more cut. I am not particularly looking for more definition in my legs, but there it was. Bryan has told me this is to be expected. As the body loses fat, the legs and upper chest become more defined first – and the belly last. So, I have a lot of work in front of me.

9/06/2011 weight: 215#

Rubinstein plays Liszt

2011-08-22T23:11:00.002-04:00

Sony has issued a 2-CD set compiling many of Arthur Rubinstein's Liszt recordings.

My review of Rubinstein: The Liszt Album

Fitness Update: August 21

2011-08-21T22:00:00.001-04:00

I had my first session with my trainer, Bryan, on Thursday. This was preceded on Wednesday by a fitness assessment – the results of which were worse than I thought. Because I intend to maintain a modicum of privacy, I won’t go into all the details here. But suffice it to say we have our work cut out for us. I weighed in Wednesday at 216#. As stated before, I hope to get my weight down to 180# - although hitting that number is less important than improving my Body Mass Index, increasing my lean tissue, and greatly reducing my body fat percentage. We put together a fitness plan and Bryan confirmed that a goal of losing five pounds a month until I hit my target weight is realistic. I also signed up for Progressive’s Healthy U class – although the next available session is February 16th.

During my Thursday morning session, Bryan put me through a series of exercises including working with free weights – the first time I’ve done this in years as my balance is not the best. This was followed by some stretching, and then I went into work. I did no cardio during that session, although my heart rate was elevated during the strength training. I plan to arrive ten minutes earlier for my next session to get in a cardio warm-up beforehand.

I felt mostly OK for the rest of Thursday, just a feeling of mild shakiness and a somewhat “tight” feeling – I became progressively stiffer during the day and was beginning to feel sore by the evening. (I bought Ibuprofen at Costco that evening.)

I felt rather sore Friday and Saturday – and Friday morning I encountered spasms in my right hand between my thumb and index finger. I don’t believe these were caused by my workout – but are related to use of the computer mouse. There was no pain involved, just involuntary contractions. They recurred slightly on Saturday and were gone by this morning. Also this morning, I repeated the workout with Dan and felt fewer side effects than before.

I will be doing cardio and abs Monday afternoon and have another session Tuesday morning.

I will be reporting weekly on my progress. As this is a family friendly blog, I will not be providing shirtless beefcake (or in my case, flab cake) pictures. Small variations in weight of a pound or two are meaningless, but for the record, here’s where I stand:

8/18/2011 weight: 215#

My Most Important Project

2011-08-15T16:25:00.006-04:00

Those who know me personally know that I’ve long battled my weight. I won’t lapse into politically correct speak of “body-issues.” I have no issues with my body save for one: I’m fat. I’ve long made peace with my other “issues”, including baldness, allergies, and aging.

I haven’t always been fat. Despite being the shortest kid in the class, and the last picked for the team, my body was height/weight proportionate during my pre-adolescent years. That all changed when I was about twelve. There were a number of factors that led to my weight gain: my best friend moved to another area, so there was no more horsing around on his jungle gym; my parents divorced, and in my sadness, I fulfilled myself by stuffing my face and zoning out in front of the television. I am also the inheritor of an endomorphic body type from both sides of my family.

My adult height is 5’9”. My weight has yo-yoed over the decades. I was at my slimmest when I was 19: dirt poor, I was working at a grocery store in Massachusetts as a cashier. The constant physical activity brought my weight down to 134#, but the combination of continuous handling of (germ-ridden and filthy) cash, walking to and from work, and poor nutrition (I was practically living on potato chips, dip, and pop) meant that I was near constantly sick. Between being underweight and sick, I actually began to fear that I had AIDS – until I realized I hadn’t done anything likely to transmit the virus. At the time, people were always commenting that I was too skinny. But after years of being overweight, that was a comment I was very happy to hear.

With several changes in jobs and eating habits, my weight increased and by 1987 I was what would be considered a healthy weight. I remember a co-worker commenting that I’d gained a few pounds and “it looks good on ya’.”

But soon that was surpassed and by 1992 I was fat again and had little in the way of muscle tone. It was at that point that a friend of mine told me bluntly: “Hank, you’re fat - get off your butt and join the gym” whereupon he shoved a flyer in my face advertising gym rates so cheap even I could afford them.

Thus began my first serious attempt at physical fitness. I did not use a trainer, but borrowed books from the library and watched what others did. I was particularly inspired by a man in his ‘70s who was remarkably fit and strong. Paradoxically, my weight did not decrease over those months. As the fat was replaced with muscle, I actually gained a few pounds, but the shape of my body changed for the better. By spring of 1993, I was in such good shape that the gym actually hired me as a part timer.

In autumn of 1994, I moved back to Ohio to take care of my grandmother. There are numerous differences between Massachusetts and Ohio, but the most relevant to this post is that the cost of car ownership and availability of public transportation in Massachusetts meant that I walked a great deal more there – even if it was just to the bus stop. Upon returning to Ohio, I bought my first car – at the age of 27. And it was at this point that I began to gain weight – despite still belonging to a gym. The muscle largely remained, but layers of fat began to accumulate. I returned to Ohio weighing 168#, but 1996 I weighed 176#, 180# in 1997, 190# by 1999, until I hit 200# to coincide with the end of the millennium. That increase continued over the next decade. Despite my weight gain, my most recent blood pressure was 108/76 –nearly miraculous considering the shape I’m in. My cholesterol is slightly elevated, but steadily improving over the last several years. I’ve never taken medication for either of these.

I started off 2011 weighing 225#. At that point, I decided to ditch my usual New Year’s resolution of losing weight, and pledged to finish my Will. But I also decided to change my diet – not so much for health reasons as for ethical ones. Much of this was brought on by seeing two films: Food, Inc and The Cove. I dropped whatever food I could that derived from mammals: Red meat, pork, dairy products. I also cut back on my intake of carbonated beverages, replacing Pepsi with green tea. My dinner, which would have been a meat dish, along with carbs and a serving of vegetables, became poultry or fish, along with a double serving of veggies.

Since mid-2010, I had been doing Yoga which didn’t affect my weight but made me feel better. And, I kept up my standard workout routine, which was 30 minutes of cardio, work on my abs area, and a bit of nautilus - as much as I could make time for between work, taking care of the dog and keeping the house in order.

After starting my new diet, I immediately started dropping weight: from 225# on New Year’s Day to 210# an April 1. Then nature played an April Fool’s joke on me and my weight loss hit a brick wall. For the next two months my weight hovered between 209# and 212#. In June, Dan & I went to Disney World for a week, and I went off my diet. I also messed up my right ankle, and had trouble keeping up with my cardio workouts. By August 1st, my weight was back to 217# and I’d had enough. With the stock market tanking in the wake of the debt fiasco, I decided to take some of the money I’d been investing in other money – and invest it in myself. I'll be working out with a personal trainer.

I am 44 years old. The older I get, the harder it gets to bring myself into some kind of acceptable shape. I have no illusions about transforming myself into some kind of Adonis with washboard abs and all the prerequisites of a “perfect” body. But the time to act is now – and this is not about vanity. It’s about the determination that 2011 be the approximate half-way point in my life, not the two-thirds mark. This is so important that I am putting all other priorities aside, including my reviews, the Horowitz Project, and all but the most necessary work on the house.

I will up the ante on myself by reporting on my progress in this blog over the coming months.

Stay tuned.

Review: The Bionic Woman, Season 2

2011-08-01T18:05:00.000-04:00

As a child, I watched both The Six Million Dollar Man and its spinoff, The Bionic Woman. But quickly became more enthusiastic about the latter. While I was entertained by Steve Austin's derring-do, I cared about Jaime Sommers.

Click here to read the rest of my review

Review: A Queer History of the United States

2011-07-30T20:38:00.003-04:00

Back in the 1980s, my friends and I would flock to see any film or television show, or read any book that touched on homosexuality. It's not that these were all great works of art (although some were), but that the paucity of available material made any LGBT related material noteworthy. We would surely have devoured and debated Michael Bronski's A Queer History of the United States then, but there is little to warrant such indiscriminate attention these days.

Click here to read my full review.

If a picture is worth 1,000 words...

2011-07-20T20:29:00.011-04:00

How many words are seven charts worth?

Verna's Veggie Dip

2011-07-09T07:54:00.004-04:00

Here's a dip I grew up with, yet I didn't know the recipe until I was nearly 30. My grandmother's veggie dip brings a piquant but not overwhelming flavor to raw vegetables.

The recipe:
* 2 parts mayonaise or Miracle Whip
* 1 part mustard (preferably Cleveland Stadium brown mustard)
* Liberally season with curry
* Mix in a small dipping bowl
* Garnish with curry for a decorative touch.

Should South Euclid merge (and with whom)?

2011-06-26T17:15:00.009-04:00

One of many possibilities (click to enlarge)

The communities of Orange, Pepper Pike, Moreland Hills, and Woodmere are studying a proposal to merge their small communities into one larger one. These four towns already share a school system. Combining police, fire, and other services would save them a substantial amount of tax dollars and increase efficiency. I believe it would also help root out the corruption that is inevitable when fiefdoms take root as happened in Woodmere during the 1990s. There has been speculation about what the new suburb would be called, from Chagrin Hills to Pepperwood. The latter sounds too much like peckerwood, and is best left alone.

There has been talk of other communities merging, including Parma/Parma Heights, Seven Hills/Independence, Olmsted Falls/Olmsted Township, and Cleveland Heights/University Heights. There has also been talk of South Euclid merging with various bordering towns. For the purposes of this post, I’m going to stick to South Euclid and its bordering communities.

Should South Euclid (population 21,000) merge with another community, and which one? University Heights? Richmond Heights? Lyndhurst? Let’s examine the various possibilities.

I didn’t mention Cleveland Heights above because I think a merger with that city would be out of the question. It’s very unlikely that citizens in either community would agree to it. Also, Cleveland Heights – with a population of over 46,000 - is arguably large enough by itself that a merger is not warranted.

Some have suggested University Heights (population 13,500) merge with South Euclid (calling it, Euclid Heights, perhaps?). This idea has its merits: both are about the right size for combination, and a merger would not make the combined community too large. The demographics of South Euclid and University Heights would commingle nicely. But there are obstacles, too – chiefly that University Heights and Cleveland Heights already share a school system. It’s my opinion that any new communities should match their school systems – and the state board of education makes decisions in those matters. If the South Euclid and University Heights school systems were combined, it would mean construction of a new high school and the shifting of a lot of kids to new schools.

Merging South Euclid with Richmond Heights (population 10,500) would benefit neither and possibly harm both. Consider that both SE and RH have mostly older housing stock and a struggling tax base. Any improvement in efficiency would be marginal at best – for example, the SE and RH fire stations are so far apart, both would need to remain open. Then there is the issue with the school system: Richmond Heights High School would be too small to accommodate a large number of additional students, sits on a cramped parcel of land where expansion is impractical, and would have to be replaced. Finally, the Se and RH borders don’t fit together well, and the physical layout of the area would look like an infant gerrymander.

Under just about any reasoning, it would make the most sense for South Euclid and Lyndhurst (population 14,000) to merge. For one thing, both cities have had a long history of mutual cooperation – though there have been some rough patches lately, mostly caused by South Euclid’s city council. For another, South Euclid and Lyndhurst already share a school system and even a branch of the Cuyahoga Library. In many ways, South Euclid and Lyndhurst are de facto merged already, so the transition could be accomplished with the least difficulty.

I’ve thought of various names for a new, merged SE-L suburb. I’ve never been a fan of the South Euclid name. It makes it seem as if we’re an appendix of Euclid – when in fact our border with Euclid is tiny. The name that strikes me as most apropos is Hillcrest, a nod to an earlier era. Some are under the impression that Hillcrest refers only to the area adjacent to Hillcrest Hospital, which is not the case. Historically, Hillcrest has referred to the entire hilltop area intersected by Mayfield Road, from Lakeview Cemetery in Cleveland Heights to the western border of Gates Mills. (Early geographic surveys referred to that region as Hillcrest, later calling the western portion Heights and the eastern part Hillcrest.) That’s why the Hillcrest branch of the YMCA is located in Lyndhurst near the South Euclid border. Since the SE-L area sits dead center in that region, and is literally at the top of this hill, calling a merged suburb Hillcrest would be historically and geographically accurate.

Merging communities is not an easy prospect to sell. Most Lyndhurst residents would probably be against it. I lived in Lyndhurst from 1983-1985 and 1994-1998. Many there have long had a somewhat “nose in the air” attitude toward South Euclid which is totally unwarranted. Some have proposed separating South Euclid and Lyndhurst into individual school districts, even though the combined district is smaller than it has been in decades. The best way to overcome these objections is for the County to give Lyndhurst a choice: merge with South Euclid or merge with Richmond Heights. It would be a no brainer for them to choose South Euclid.

University Heights, I propose, should merge with Beachwood (population 12,000). The combined population would be about 25,500 and would balance nicely with Cleveland Heights’ 46,000, the proposed Hillcrest’s 35,000, and Shaker Heights’ 28,500 (Shaker is large enough on its own that a merger is not warranted). The distinctive housing would make the Beachwood/University area even more of a gem; and the plentiful retail would keep taxes low, helping to dissuade people from moving to a far off exurb. Most importantly, University Heights would greatly benefit from joining with Beachwood’s excellent school system – far superior to the struggling system in Cleveland Heights. Another option would be for University Heights to merge with a combined South Euclid/Lyndhurst, making the total population about 48, 500.

That leaves the question of Richmond Heights. In the new paradigm, it would be too small to remain on its own. As a standalone, Richmond Heights is barely viable. Since Euclid already has a population of over 50,000, I would recommend that Richmond Heights merge with Highland Heights and the name be changed to Richmond Highlands. The existing school infrastructure would remain the same, with kids going to the same schools as at present, but would be under the jurisdiction of the Mayfield City school district.

Hillcrest,Ohio. Has a nice ring to it.

Walt Disney World – final post

2011-06-22T19:14:00.001-04:00

This is a long post with a somewhat rambling diversion. But it contains some thoughts I need to put front and center, because it deals with what I see as a decline in American morals. Some people, most of them religious fundamentalists, define morals on the basis of who you sleep with or how you make love. I define morals based on whether you apply the Golden Rule to your conduct (so, from the available evidence, did Jesus Christ). An example: While waiting at Akron-Canton Airport for our flight, an announcement went over the PA asking if any couple would be willing to split their seat assignments so a mother could ride with her young daughter. Dan & I volunteered. That’s the Golden Rule in action. (Air Tran bumped us up to Business Class for our return trip, which was a pleasant surprise.)

By far the most frustrating part of our trip to Walt Disney World was something we encountered every day: rude behavior from children and a good number of adults. As I previously related, Dan and I used Disney’s transportation for travel throughout WDW. If I could only air one complaint about Disney it would be that they do not provide adequate transportation: there were too few buses and monorail cars – so we often waited longer than necessary and vehicles were standing room only. We also encountered one bus driver who was plainly not fit to be behind the wheel of such a large vehicle. The transportation situation must be even worse at peak season.

It was in the buses that we observed children lazing in seats while adults (some of them elderly) stood while the vehicle made its way to and fro. Dan and I were appalled – and we weren’t the only ones. I was far from a perfect child, but I would certainly have had the sense of mind to surrender my bus seat to an adult. If I hadn’t, my parents would have swatted the sense into me via my backside. Of course, the parents here were to blame - they often lacked the good sense to put small children on their laps so another adult could have a seat. Discourteous behavior on the buses was duplicated at restaurants, in queues, and even on rides: kids ran around like plague ridden rats, shoving adults out of the way and throwing temper tantrums at the slightest provocation.

All of the badly behaved children had one thing in common: they were American. I have rarely been as ashamed of my country as I was during the week I spent at Disney. Watching how they behaved, I shuddered to think of what foreign visitors would say about Americans after returning to their homelands.

As touched upon at an earlier post, Dan & I observed a family with superbly behaved kids at San Angel Inn one evening, and I thought to myself, “This is a nice change”. Listening to their conversation, I realized the family was British. The father spoke to his children like they were grown-ups, and these kids did behave like miniature adults (British adults, as some American grown-ups were as bad as their kids). Indeed, during our entire trip to WDW, we never observed a foreign child who was discourteous in any way.

Where did we go wrong? Let’s compare & contrast two societies: The United States and Great Britain.

It seems to me that America’s expectations of instant gratification (which the Great Recession seems to have done little to correct) came about in the generation following World War II. After the war, American soldiers came home, got married, bought homes, and had kids – all in an era of unprecedented prosperity (the likes of which would be repeated in the 1990s). For the first time in world history, a nation held a prosperous middle class – which in & of itself was a good thing. (It’s worth remembering that during the war, food, clothing, and gasoline were rationed – and the President regularly took to the radio to caution Americans not to make unnecessary purchases, especially those involving installment payments.) After the war, whether one paid for something in cash or financed it made little difference; if an American wanted something, he bought it. And over time, the homes became bigger, cars became fancier, children’s toys became more elaborate – but just as quickly discarded. The values of thriftiness learned in the Great Depression and shared sacrifice learned during World War II were lost. At the same time, the value of working with one’s hands was diminished as the service economy took over – and fewer & fewer Americans could be troubled to paint their own homes or fix their own cars. Also, an attitude of “me first” (or even me only) took hold among the adults. Such an attitude (and I won’t deign to refer to it as a philosophy, despite its designation as such by Ayn Rand acolytes) didn’t have to be indoctrinated into children – “me first” is their default position.

Contrast this with England’s postwar experience. As pianist Stephen Hough relates, the experience of England’s people in the decade after World War II was far removed from Americans’:

“It is often forgotten that the years immediately following World War II involved more suffering for the British people in many ways than the six years of combat. Rationing lasted well into the mid-1950s, and homelessness, hunger, and deprivation, along with listlessness and depression amidst the cities’ unrepaired, litter and rat-infested bomb sights, made those years of ‘victory’ seem at times like a cruel irony. With air-raids, threats of invasion, and a certain man with a moustache as an enemy there seemed a moral purpose behind the hardship. People joined together and cheerfully kept ‘the home fires burning’ as a community through the dark years of the war. When all this was over things just wouldn‘t return to normal – like a nasty virus which lingers: insufficiently serious to take time off work, but debilitating enough to make useful activity impossible.”

On top of all that, the British Empire was crumbling, while America’s Empire (which was as much economic as military) was just solidifying. England’s parents had to tell their children that they weren’t going to get everything they wanted for Christmas. On the rare occasions the family could afford to dine out, the children would be expected to sit in their seats without fidgeting. Also, the English were more accustomed to public transport than their American counterparts, whose parents were part of the car culture – so kids already knew to surrender seats to adults, especially the elderly.

English culture has long been based on the concept of respect – it may have started with deference to the monarchy, but with the demise of England’s class system, it has evolved into mutual respect for everyone. At the same time, America, with it’s not-so-rugged individualism, has devolved into “I’ve got mine, you’re on your own, pal.”

But sometimes, the kindest thing you can do for a child is to say “No.”

The Parks at Walt Disney World

2011-06-18T17:19:00.016-04:00

A map of Walt Disney World

As stated previously, the last time I went to Disneyworld was in 1979. I was 12 years old. (I also visited Disneyland, which does not compare to the Florida park in quality or quantity of attractions, in 1980.)

First, a few quick tips: If you’re traveling to WDW and staying for more than one day, your best option is to stay at a Disney resort (more on that in a later post). The main reason for this is that you get extended hours at the parks, and there is free and reliable (if crowded) transportation to the various parks via bus and monorail.

A note about the rides at the parks: Most popular attractions offer the Fastpass option, which lets you come back at a pre-selected time and avoid a long queue. If encounter a long line at a ride, don’t hesitate to take advantage of this option - it saved us hours of wait time.

I don’t remember much about that 1979 visit to the Magic Kingdom - it took place during a particularly difficult time in my life. Of the park, I only remember Space Mountain and the monorail with any clarity. I returned to Space Mountain during this trip, and it hasn’t changed much. Not a particularly challenging roller coaster when compared with the coasters at Cedar Point, it’s the lighting effects which sell it. Still, as a middle-aged person with a bad back, Space Mountain was about the limit for me this time around.

During our trips to Magic Kingdom, we walked through the entire park, visiting most attractions including The Haunted Mansion (not at all scary), and It’s a Small World (which became a bit nightmarish after we briefly became stuck). Experiencing Magic Kingdom from an adult perspective was interesting. Some of the attractions, like Country Bear Jamboree with its primitive animatronics, seemed dated. (A worker there informed me that it will be shut down this year.) The Hall of Presidents, recently refurbished, suspends one’s disbelief. A bit of that was necessary during the “historical” film which precedes the unveiling of the Presidents – the sanitization of Andrew Jackson’s role in the genocide of American Indians was especially galling. Still, the experience of seeing a faux Abraham Lincoln rise out of his chair and deliver the Gettysburg Address was more than impressive from a technological standpoint; it was haunting and emotionally moving. Lincoln, along with Washington and Barack Obama, were the only three Presidents who spoke at this attraction. All three figures had full articulation and Obama’s hand gestures were mostly realistic. All of the figures had some level of articulation, at least to the extent of nodding their heads when their names were heard in the Presidential “roll-call”. During our trips to Magic Kingdom, we walked through the entire park, visiting most attractions including The Haunted Mansion (not at all scary), and It’s a Small World (which became a bit nightmarish after we briefly became stuck).

With a friend in Frontierland.

1979 was an era before Epcot, before Hollywood Studios, before Downtown Disney. Most of those places were already in the design stage by then. (Indeed, Epcot was designed in the 1960s while Walt Disney was still alive, and was envisioned by him as an actual city, not an amusement park.)

If a visitor had time to visit only one park at WDW, I would recommend Epcot, particularly if the visitor is an adult. Although there are several kid friendly attractions, including Mission: Space and Soarin’ (one of the best attractions in the entire WDW complex), the World Showcase is clearly aimed at adults. Indeed, each represented “country” has several stores selling themed wares, so this area is aimed at adults’ wallets. The Showcase pavilions include Mexico, Norway, China, Canada, Germany, Italy, Japan, Morocco, France, the United Kingdom, and America (which is somewhat redundant with a similar area at the Magic Kingdom. Surprisingly, there is no pavilion for India, although a pavilion for the world’s second-most populous country would be warranted – especially given India’s plethora of cultural riches. Everyone who visits Epcot should experience the nighttime IllumiNations show – more than entertainment, it’s a summation of Walt Disney’s vision.

Hollywood Studios is a faux recreation of a studio backlot, circa 1940. There are some stage attractions like Beauty and the Beast (a condensed stage version of the animated musical) and Indiana Jones (a best hits stunt demonstration), along with some rides such as Twilight Zone Tower of Terror and Star Tours. But the shopping-to-attraction ratio is higher here than at any other park, so some sections here might not be appealing to kids. There is a nighttime show with music, water lighting effects and fireworks called Fantasmic. This was a crowd pleaser for adults and kids alike, at least until the wind shifted during the fireworks finale and we ended up with ashes in our eyes.

Beauty and the Beast

Animal Kingdom is the newest of the Disney parks, and the least focused. The problem with AK is that it can’t decide whether it wants to be an amusement park or a zoo, so neither aspect satisfies. There are a few animals visible, as with some primates in one area, a show dealing with birds (the highlight of our trip to this park), and a trolley ride past some jungle animals. There are also some rides, such as Expedition Everest, and shows such as Festival of the Lion King (featuring some impressive acrobatics). But I never experienced the awe I’ve felt when visiting the Cleveland Zoo.

Animal Kingdom Lodge in the background

Downtown Disney is not a theme park, although it’s part of the Disney complex. You don’t need a ticket to go there, because you’re essentially going to a hyped-up shopping center. (Think Legacy Village, but larger, and almost entirely devoted to Disney.) A 24 screen AMC movie theater there shows first run films with ticket prices at $11 per person. At one time, Downtown Disney was envisioned as an adult-oriented place, but has been tweaked to make it more kid-friendly. Still, there are a number of bars there and I observed some public intoxication that didn’t seem Disneyesque. I would not bring my kid here.

Food, Glorious Food

2011-06-12T10:27:00.010-04:00

Dan & I traveled to Walt Disney World from May 31st to June 6th. It was the first time I’d been there since the summer of 1979 – a time before Epcot and many of the other attractions now available. In my posts detailing my previous travels, I’ve related the events of the trip chronologically. However, for this trip, I didn’t have my computer with me and didn’t take notes. So, I will be posting my thoughts on different aspects of our trip.

First, for those who are contemplating a trip to Disney, I strongly urge you to use the Dining Plan that Disney offers, especially if you are staying at a Disney resort. There are several versions of the plan available. We chose the version that offers one quick-service meal (essentially, fast food), one snack, and one table service meal per day. Alcoholic drinks and gratuity are not included in the plan. (It should be noted that some of the higher end restaurants will count as two meal credits per person. Still, you’ll wind up paying less than if you bought each meal separately.)

Also, for table service meals, make reservations as far in advance as possible (Disney allows restaurant reservations up to 180 days in advance). Dan & I made reservations in February, and by that time, several restaurants were already booked – notably Le Cellier in the Canada pavilion.

As mentioned, quick service meals were essentially fast food – just a step up from the fare you’d find at McDonald’s. Each of the value resorts has a food court much like what you’d find at a shopping mall. Dan and I used them for breakfast most days, where they served omelets made-to-order with home fries, waffles (shaped like Mickey Mouse’s face, I felt I was committing rodenticide through food proxy), juices and fruit. They also have lunch and dinner options of the hamburger/pizza type.

Snacks can be purchased at the food court, or at any of the food carts that dot the various Disney parks: anything from ice cream to sweets or healthy options like fruit. With the large breakfasts we had, Dan & I only needed a small snack to carry us till dinner. On one occasion, we purchased one of Disney’s legendary smoked turkey legs - one was enough for both of us.

In each of five full service restaurants we went to, Dan & I experienced attentive service. Each restaurant was staffed with people recruited from their respective countries. Here are the details on each of the restaurants we went to:

Boma – Animal Kingdom Lodge: This is a buffet, specializing in African dishes. The food is prepared in an open area and I conversed with one of the chefs, who was from Mentor. Since the African continent is vast and encompasses many cultures, the selection was highly varied. Highlights there are various meats cooked over an open flame, salmon with capers, a delicious seafood bisque flavored with curry and coconuts (which Dan had to skip due to his shellfish allergy), and a huge selection of desserts. There was simply too much food for Dan & I to sample everything, and I came closer to gluttony than I have at any time since I started my diet in January. (Incidentally, my dietary restrictions were suspended for the duration of the trip). But I would recommend it to anyone who thinks buffet food is automatically second-rate.

At Boma

San Angel Inn – Epcot, Mexico pavilion: Obviously, this is a Mexican restaurant - part of a shopping complex, all interior, which is designed to feel like an outdoor setting in a small Mexican town. .The food here was good, but not extraordinary. The chips and salsa, for example, were no better than you’d get at a garden variety Mexican place anywhere in Cleveland. The most arresting thing here was a family we spotted at the next table: Two perfectly behaved children with their parents. I was within earshot of their conversation and they were British. More on this observation in another post.

A possible Hidden Mickey at Teppan Edo

Teppan Edo – Epcot, Japan pavilion: This was a real treat for Dan, who’d never been to a Japanese teppanyaki restaurant before. We shared our table with another group. Here, as at the other restaurants we went to, the staff were proactive in asking about food allergies. The chef cooked Dan’s food separately from everyone else’s to avoid contamination. Rather than going into detail about our food, this video tells the story:

Rose & Crown Pub & Dining Room – Epcot, United Kingdom pavilion: As I may have said before, my ancestry is English, and I adore their culture and the temperament of their people. As for their food, it’s agreeable to me, but doesn’t send me into waves of ecstasy. Rose & Crown recreates the English pub experience, complete with a live performer singing bawdy songs. We sat outside, under a shade so the heat wasn’t too oppressive. I had the Surf (broiled to medium rare perfection) & Turf – and for dessert, Chocolate Scotch Cake, (and I sampled Dan’s Sticky Toffee Pudding).

California Grill – Contemporary resort: This is one of the most popular restaurants at Disney. Located on the top floor of the Contemporary Resort, you can only gain access via a special elevator guarded by the maître’ d. One of the reasons for this is the restaurant’s balcony, which is ideal for viewing nighttime fireworks. Like many higher end restaurants, California Grill serves smaller portions, so we were able to enjoy our appetizers (flat bread and salad) and entrees (I got the Veal), with room left over for dessert.

I almost felt guilty eating this artfully presented dessert

Trip to Walt Disney World

2011-06-09T08:20:00.001-04:00

Hello all.

Dan and I returned from a trip to Walt Disney World. I will be posting about our trip over the next several days.

Rubinstein Revisited

2011-05-28T21:58:00.003-04:00

(The recordings on this video correspond to some of the recordings discussed below.)

Arthur Rubinstein (I include the “h” in his first name as he preferred) was easily the most beloved pianist of the 20th Century. His concerts regularly sold out, his recordings consistently sold well, and he seldom got a bad review. Rubinstein’s career had such endurance that by the time he retired, he had crossed over from the limited niche of Classical music and was known to the general public. (He did this, by the way, without straying from the Classical and Romantic repertoire that he loved, and continued to make known his distaste for popular music – the Beatles in particular.) Rubinstein’s recordings of much of the core repertoire, particularly Chopin and Brahms, became the standard for how those works are played and will be with us for many decades.

Some of the hallmarks of Rubinstein’s best playing – the gorgeous tone, technique that was solid but never for show, healthy temperament - were so obvious that much else that distinguished the pianist from many of his contemporaries was missed. It was not Rubinstein’s style to offer the high-wire excitement of a Horowitz, the dynamic contrasts of a Hofmann, or the gaunt angularity of a Serkin. At the tail end of the “Golden-Age” of piano playing, Rubinstein’s straightforward, uncluttered performances must have come as a splash of cold water across the face of the cognoscenti. It’s not for nothing that Paderewski, who Rubinstein considered the epitome of the “bad” 19th Century school, much preferred the young Horowitz. (Paderewski described Horowitz as “self-disciplined, and above all, he has rhythm and tone…Without any doubt, he is the most convincing of the younger pianists.”) Rachmaninoff, whose own style of playing was straighter than Paderewski’s but still rooted in an earlier tradition, considered Horowitz his heir. If Rachmaninoff ever had any opinion on Rubinstein, aside from his advice to his Polish-colleague to stop playing “dirty modern music” like Stravinsky’s Petrouchka, I have yet to see it.

I never heard Rubinstein in person. I was only nine years old when he retired. I first heard AR's playing in 1983, when I found an old 78RPM recording of Beethoven's Appassionata Sonata in my grandmother's basement (it was the 1946 recording, in retrospect a pretty slapdash performance - despite the surface thrills). Since that time, I’ve come to know his playing much better.

Several times, I’ve heard young pianists comment to the effect that they didn’t understand why Rubinstein was so popular with the older generation of music lovers. The recordings they’d heard (which would naturally be the most easily available) sounded cautious or even stodgy.

The historical view of Rubinstein as pianist and musician has become somewhat distorted. It’s not easy to get a grasp of the totality of Rubinstein’s career. It may be impossible, since there’s no one alive today who would remember his earliest performances. Recordings give a very incomplete picture: Rubinstein’s very first recording, made in 1910 when he was 23, has never been issued on LP or CD and is nearly impossible to find. (I have never heard it, but have been told that all one can hear through the poor sonics is rather careless, sloppy playing.) His next recording wasn’t made until 1928 when he was over 40 - the same age Evgeny Kissin is at this writing. From that point on, Rubinstein recorded prolifically until he was 89 – at one point he was the world’s most recorded Classical pianist. But he was loath to make live recordings, and the few he made reveal that he played differently in concert than in the studio. RCA (now Sony) reissued Rubinstein's stereo studio recordings several times - going back to the early CD era, while the most of the mono recordings have been issued only once - and many are hard to find. Problem is, most of the stereo recordings capture the final phase of Rubinstein's long career - and it's impossible to have a balanced view of his playing without knowing more of his output. It would be like judging Toscanini's conducting based only on his last years at NBC, or Horowitz solely on his Deutsche Grammophon recordings.

About ten years ago, I bought RCA’s mammoth boxed set of Rubinstein’s complete recordings with that label – over 106 hours of recorded music covering a period from 1928 to 1976. Many of these performances were unfamiliar to me. But it was fascinating to follow the evolution of his playing from middle to old age. Rubinstein’s recording career coincided with a quantum leap in recording technology, starting in the earliest years of electrical recording (that is, recording with a microphone instead of a horn) during the 78RPM era, to the LP, and stereophonic sound. (By time digital recording came into common use, Rubinstein had retired – and early digital recordings seldom sounded very good anyway.) Every time recording technology improved, Rubinstein would rerecord his core repertoire – so we often have at least three recordings of the same works.

There were basically three phases of Rubinstein's recording career:

* 1928-1946: Impetuous playing, full of brio, but sometimes uncontrolled, very much a virtuoso but sometimes gets carried away, more freedom and imagination than in later years.
* 1947-1962: greater maturity, still hot blooded but starting to mellow, most secure technically, increasing understanding of musical structure.
* 1963-1976: maturity giving way to stodginess, control of pianissimo failing, best in contemplative repertoire like late Brahms.

In short, if you haven’t heard recordings drawn from Rubinstein’s early and middle periods, you haven’t heard Rubinstein. Examples of the evolution in Rubinstein’s playing can be found in the many works he recorded several times. One that comes to mind for me is Brahms’ Second Piano Concerto, which Rubinstein recorded in 1929, 1952, 1958, and 1971. (There are other, unauthorized recordings from broadcasts and the like, but I am only including the authorized versions here since they presumably reflect Rubinstein’s wishes.) The 1929 version is a hell-for-leather performance that runs contrary to “traditional” Brahms, and quite marred by technical lapses and over-pedaling. But wrong notes were inevitable in the days before tape editing, so those can be forgiven, and Rubinstein may have been falling back on his youthful habit of leaning on the pedal to avoid exposing cheated passagework. The question is: Did Rubinstein not practice enough for this recording? Or was he determined to present his conception of the work no matter what the obstacles and blemishes? I am inclined to believe the latter. It should be noted that Rubinstein’s tempos in this performance are closer to Brahms’ metronome markings than any other recording I’ve heard.

The 1952 and 1958 are very similar in approach, although the stereophonic sound of the latter makes it preferable. These are still rather impetuous performances, not as extreme in tempo as the 1929 version, but outgoing. The pianist often stated that since Brahms was alive until Rubinstein was ten years old, he thought of him as a living composer instead of an old master. This is not the tired, grey bearded Brahms, but a vigorous, temperamental, even lusty conception.

The last version, with Ormandy, is the weakest. His conception of the piece had changed dramatically in the intervening years, and he seems to have traded one extreme for the other. The octogenarian pianist’s tempos are slow here, phrasing is flabby, then opening flourish of the Scherzo is played in an almost dainty fashion, and Rubinstein seems overwhelmed by the Philadelphians. A pseudo-reverential quality drains the spontaneity and passion that marked his earlier recordings. One wonders if Rubinstein was thinking of this recording when he stated in his autobiography that the first versions he recorded inevitably remained the best.

Much the same could be said for Rubinstein’s Chopin as for his Brahms – but there is a twist since Chopin wrote across more solo piano genres from Brahms.

Rubinstein recorded the bulk of Chopin’s solo works three times (roughly: in the 1930s, late ‘40s/early ‘50s, and in the stereo era starting in 1958). There are exceptions to this pattern: the Ballades were recorded only once, as were the Op. 28 Preludes and the Third Sonata – and some assorted pieces were recorded more than three times.

As has been noted by many, Rubinstein never recorded the Op. 10 & 25 Etudes in the studio (an attempt in the late 1960s was abandoned after one session). But he did record the Trois Nouvelles Etudes twice – the early stereo version from 1958 is a bit more alert than the 1962 remake.

Rubinstein’s one traversal of the Preludes, from 1946, is a perfunctory rendition and not among his best efforts in any composer’s work.

I heartily endorse his 1950s Chopin Polonaises which I reviewed under the headline "The Best Polonaises – EVER!". (That headline earned me a good amount of hate-mail, particularly from Pollini fans. The headline was a parody of a famous line from Mommie Dearest.) I have yet to hear a set of Polonaises that combines the fire, swagger, and gravitas of this idiom better than this cycle. The same for his 1949 Scherzos – although the superior sound in the 1959 Scherzos compensates for a slight falling off in tempos.

But in the Nocturnes and Mazurkas, I recommend the 1930s set, which have many moments of magic missing from the later sets. Why is this? For one thing, some of these pieces were probably new to him. Rubinstein played only a small selection of Nocturnes and Mazurkas in concert, and the idea of recording a complete set of them was unusual in the 1930s and fairly daring on Rubinstein’s and HMV’s part. (Schnabel’s set of Beethoven Sonatas had to be financed in advance via subscriptions.) The freshness in this set is palpable. But by the 1960s, Rubinstein was very much aware that he was the "elder statesman" of Chopin; he knew this would be his last cycle of Chopin's music, and he was thinking of "posterity." As such, his last set of Mazurkas was over-thought and rather stiff – “stripped of pungency” in the words of David Dubal. There's also the problem - likely caused by his failing hearing – that Rubinstein consistently played too loudly in the last decade of his career. That especially marred his last version of the Nocturnes.

Indeed, of Rubinstein’s later Chopin recordings, I can only recommend one without reservations: His 1961 recording of the famous Funeral March Sonata is head and shoulders above his 1946 version. There is a relaxed kind of virtuosity here, and a keener grasp of the totality of the piece than in 1946. The B minor Sonata (his only recording of the piece, made over a two year period) is not on the same exalted level. Rubinstein seems to have had a troubled relationship with the B minor sonata, and legend has it he threw a tape of a concert version of this piece into his fireplace.

There is a pattern to be discerned above in the Brahms and Chopin examples above, and it can also be confirmed by listening to Rubinstein’s recordings of other works like Franck’s Prelude, Chorale, and Fugue or any of his concerto recordings: His understanding of large scale works improved as he aged, while his recordings of shorter works tended to lose imagination with time.

(I do not endorse the notion, claimed by some, that Rubinstein’s last producer, Max Wilcox, was responsible for the character of Rubinstein’s later recordings. There are plenty of instances in the later years, such as the all-French album or the Chamber music recordings, where Rubinstein is clearly “on.” In any case, recordings were never issued during Rubinstein’s lifetime without his consent, and one can presume that they met his standards. The idea of Wilcox pressuring Rubinstein into playing in a certain way, or tricking the pianist into releasing something not to his standards, is at once laughable and defamatory.)

Despite the changes in his performances, positive and negative, that came with age and maturity, Rubinstein's interpretations were always very normal, in the sense that they didn’t call attention to themselves. In the last half of the 20th Century, there were growing numbers of pianists who offered straight interpretations of the standard repertoire (Ashkenazy was the king of normalcy, IMO). But when Rubinstein was starting out, this kind of straightforward, unfussy approach was somewhat new. The notion that Glenn Gould put forth, that one shouldn’t perform a work unless one consciously intended to perform it differently, was anathema to Rubinstein’s philosophy. As Daniel Barenboim said, Rubinstein put all of his musical ideas through a “strainer of naturalness” and if an idea didn’t pass through that strainer, Rubinstein rejected it. His early Chopin performances put off the old-schoolers, who expected a more personalized approach. Rubinstein once said that his masculine approach to Chopin, performed without the “swan dive into the keyboard” angered many critics – “they said my Chopin was ‘cold’”. But there were pianists before Rubinstein who rejected swan diving, including Hofmann and Rachmaninoff.

Although Rubinstein’s never recorded the complete Beethoven Sonatas or Mozart Concertos, his repertoire was vast stylistically – encompassing Bach to Szymanowski. And he seemed to play so much of it remarkably well, in the same suave, warm, uncluttered way his public came to expect. It’s no surprise that the concert going public, who felt fear/awe at Horowitz and respected Arrau, considered Rubinstein to be their “beloved Artur.”

It may be a false sense of causation by way of correlation on my part, but I feel that Rubinstein’s knowledge of various human cultures helped him musically. Born in Poland, he studied in Berlin and spent his adult years living in London, France, and the United States. He traveled so widely that he became fluent in eight languages. (He once stated that he would play anywhere except Tibet, because it was too high, or Germany, because it was too low. Contrary to popular belief, he was not referring to the Holocaust in his condemnation of Germany, but to that nation’s behavior during World War I. I have sometimes wondered if Rubinstein’s boycott of Germany is an underlying reason why some have never accepted him as a Beethoven interpreter – I can’t find a musical justification for the dismissal by some of his Beethoven.) It seems to me, also, that Rubinstein was able to play an uncommonly large swath of repertoire with a high degree of authenticity. Although it can fairly be pointed out that Rubinstein sometimes glossed over details - particularly with regard to dynamic markings - everything he played had a clear, high-level approach. Neither his German, French, nor Spanish repertoire was ever played with a Polish accent. His Chopin, appropriately, was. Yet even in his countryman’s music, he was more urbane and cosmopolitan than, say, Witold Małcużyński.

Now, following an era when normalcy gave way to stultification, it seems like interpretations are moving back into a more personalized approach - witness the explosion of pianists who play transcriptions (their own and others) and the very individualistic performances by pianists such as Lang Lang, Denis Matsuev, Alice Sara Ott, and others. But without the tradition of 19th Century performance practice as a foundation, many of these youngsters flounder in their attempts at individuality. Rubinstein was able to balance his individuality (that tone alone makes him instantly identifiable) and his romantic temperament with his innate classicism – note the small “r” and small “c”.

Arthur Rubinstein proved that Classicism and Romanticism, upper or lower case, are not opposing virtues.

Memorial Day - to honor those who gave their lives

2011-05-26T19:20:00.008-04:00

Two decades ago, the phrase "card carrying member of the ACLU" was used to smear political candidates as soft, liberal, and un-American. I've always found it ironic that one veteran who served honorably, George H. W. Bush, used this smear to impugn the patriotism of another veteran who also served honorably, Michael Dukakis.

Today, the American Civil Liberties Union sent a letter to South Euclid Mayor Georgine Welo urging that a blatantly un-Constitutional ordinance banning candidates for office from marching in the Memorial Day parade be rescinded. This ordinance does not apply to incumbents and is hypocritical.

Let us remember the reason for Memorial Day: It is to honor those who died in service to our country. Memorial Day is not about barbecues, baseball games, or political aggrandizing. It is about sacrifice. But we also live in a country that was founded on the principle of free speech and an open political system, and if incumbent office holders want to march in a parade, then their opponents should be allowed. It must be pointed out: political groups - including the Cleveland Tea Party - have marched in South Euclid's Memorial Day parades before.

Let all the candidates march, or none at all - including incumbents (unless they are marching as veterans and not office holders).

***

UPDATE: Political candidates will be allowed to march in the parade.

Oakwood Commons – Final Post

2011-05-17T18:33:00.006-04:00

This will be my final post on the situation at the former Oakwood Club. I began posting on this issue in January. You can review my posts here.

In summary, at first I was reactively opposed to any development at the former Oakwood Club. I thought the land should be a park. At that time, I did not know the full history there, including years of attempts by the owners to sell it, the inability of a local group to raise funds to purchase the land, the unwillingness of local municipalities or the Metroparks system to purchase it. One can call my initial response idealistic, or one can call it uninformed and naïve – one could even call it both!

Over time, as I studied the issue, I pondered several scenarios, including more housing (not likely in the short term, but possible in the longer term – disastrous for our area in any case), retail, non-retail commercial, senior housing, or a combination of the above. It seemed to me that a combination of retail and senior housing is, if not the best, then the least bad use of this land. Leaving it unused (as it is not accessible to non-Club members) in an unacceptable scenario.

I have already stated elsewhere that I am somewhat skeptical of putting more retail in an area with a declining population. Both sides of this debate have legitimate arguments. It’s certainly true the some existing retail might be harmed by the construction of this center. Niche retailers like Big Fun would probably be unaffected, but chain retailers like those at Severance might face some stiff competition. To those who oppose development on these grounds I say: competition is the American way, deal with it. I also find it interesting that there has been nary an objection to First-Interstate’s proposed use of the Cleveland Heights portion of the land, which is slated for mixed use senior housing/assisted living. The CH portion of the land is considerably larger than the SE portion. It gives the lie to those who state their opposition on environmental grounds.

I’m sure many who remember South Euclid and the surrounding area in the 1970s would love to return the area to the way it was back then: Whigam’s farm on Anderson Road, Connor’s Ice cream up Mayfield Road in Lyndhurst. But there was a dark side to our area then, which those with rose-tinted glasses have forgotten, like the time an African-American family in Lyndhurst was harassed to the point that they left the area.

Sadly, those opposed to this project have never tried to engage the developer in a constructive manner. Instead, they have made repeated attempts to demonize the developer, as they trotted out the same rumors and talking points and repeated them ad nauseum – on their own Facebook page, in the Sun Newspapers, and in the Heights Observer. As a result, they have found themselves described as a “somewhat fringe” group by the developer and without leverage with the city of South Euclid.

In March, Susan Miller contacted me to try and convince me to spearhead the push for a Community Benefits Agreement with First Interstate. CBAs are generally accomplished between a developer and those opposed to development – so I thought it was a bit strange that Ms. Miller had contacted me since I had already spoken in favor of Oakwood. She and other members of the Citizens for Oakwood group had burned their bridges to South Euclid and First Interstate (not that they had any to the latter), so it was obvious that Ms. Miller was feeling me out to see if I would do their bidding. (Disclosure: I met Ms. Miller when, in a moment of frustration with the foot-dragging of the Obama administration on several issues, I flirted with the Green Party in October of 2010. Looking back, I can only be baffled as to what I was thinking. Reactive decisions made in frustration are seldom the right ones.)

As stated above, there are legitimate arguments on both sides of this issue – actually, all sides as there are more than two sides here. But the bottom line for me is that I support private property rights. The right to own land and do what you want with it (subject to reasonable regulatory restrictions) is a hallmark of America’s economic system. That goes for a business person’s land as well as a private person’s land. To override that right requires, in my opinion, overwhelming evidence of harm to the community at large. The arguments of those in opposition to Oakwood Commons did not meet that burden. Fact is, at this point, the only way to guarantee that Oakwood would become a park would be for South Euclid and Cleveland Heights to both invoke eminent domain on the land – a move which neither city can afford, and which would almost certainly be defeated in court.

Emilie DiFranco of South Euclid Oversight has suggested putting the question of rezoning to a popular vote, and I would support that, with several caveats, including: any vote on rezoning the South Euclid portion of the land would be voted on by South Euclid residents only (Emilie told me she agrees with that); any ballot referendum must be worded in a neutral manner (no WHEREAS verbiage about parkland and the evils of big box retail) – accordingly, the verbiage must be clear about choices: residential and commercial, period.

As I stated before, this will be my final post on this matter. This blog was established as a place to post my reflections on culture (particularly music), politics, and life. The posts on Oakwood were exceptions to that, and what I have to show for it are anonymous comments that ran the gamut from irrational to threatening. Those comments, which I declined to publish, came from people on both sides of the issue but the more harassing ones were from those opposed to Oakwood Commons.

The time has come for me to refocus my blog along the parameters in which it was initially envisioned. Accordingly, my next post will be about pianist Arthur Rubinstein.

Letter to Coucilman Romeo

2011-05-17T07:00:00.002-04:00

Dear Councilman Romeo:

As a citizen of South Euclid and your ward, I am writing to express my opinion in favor of rezoning the South Euclid portion of the former Oakwood Club.

When the sale of the former Oakwood club was announced, I was opposed to rezoning and published a blog post to that effect. After researching the issue in depth, I came to realize that a refusal to rezone could lead to several alternatives – all of which would be devastating to South Euclid. You are welcome to review my blog posts here: http://hankdrake.blogspot.com/search/label/oakwood

Many of those opposed to rezoning at Oakwood have cited this as a decision that should be made regionally. The issue of regionalism has been a hot topic in Cuyahoga County for several years. While I favor regionalism in terms of smaller communities collaborating to save costs on things like rubbish collection and recycling, opponents of rezoning at Oakwood are using regionalism as an excuse for a larger suburb to exert undue influence upon a smaller one. It’s no coincidence that the majority of those opposed to rezoning hail from Cleveland Heights – indeed the primary driver of the opposition is the Severance Neighborhood Association, in collaboration with Heights businesses.

One of the factors that led me to support rezoning at Oakwood is that First Interstate has been very above board in their statements to the media and on the Oakwood Commons facebook page (to the extent of leaving comments from those opposed to rezoning on the page) while the anti-rezoning group has made many unsubstantiated claims, repeated them ad-infinitum, and censored their page – deleting many comments which do not agree with their agenda.

Basically, the issue of rezoning comes down to the best use for the community as a whole, as opposed to the needs of the few who would be negatively affected by rezoning. It is certainly understandable that those who live on streets bordering the old Oakwood Club would not want the area to change. But efforts to sell the Club have been common knowledge since the 1990s, so they should not be surprised or outraged that this is happening. Many of those opposed, either deliberately or through a form of collective delusion, refuse to comprehend that denying First Interstate’s zoning request does not mean the area will magically become a park. Instead, it will remain an unused empty space and eventually, the site of more housing – the LAST thing this area needs.

I also see the Oakwood Commons project in the larger context of the great things that are happening in University Circle and Gordon Square, which are helping to bring population back to the urban/inner-ring area. These efforts are vital if we are to combat exurban sprawl, which is the driving factor of fossil fuel consumption in America - a point that seems to be lost on those who claim to be concerned about the environment.

Many of those opposed have also stated that they do not oppose development per se, they just oppose development at Oakwood. The problem with that line of thinking is that developers wishing to invest in an area will look to a municipality’s history in dealing with business. They are far less likely to invest in a city which denies rezoning requests or engages in arbitrary and needless over regulation. They are far more likely to work with a city that shows genuine interest in improving its business areas – even when that city holds the developer to rigorous design and environmental standards. That is exactly the course South Euclid should follow after approving First Interstate’s rezoning request.

Hank Drake

Clumsy Cover up at the Plain Dealer

2011-05-09T06:54:00.000-04:00

As mentioned here, on May 3, I wrote a letter to the Plain Dealer regarding the death of Osama Bin Laden. That letter was published, in edited form, on May 8. The Plain Dealer’s clumsy editing removed an important point in my letter, which drew comparisons between the operation to get Bin Laden and the failed Operation Eagle Claw in 1980. But for an incident of bad weather, Operation Eagle Claw may well have been a success. Indeed, it’s very possible that, had the hostages been rescued, Jimmy Carter might have been reelected that year.

I made several attempts at Cleveland.com to link to the original text of my letter, but all posts have been censored. The only reason the PD would have for this is to cover-up their hack job on my letter.

The Plain Dealer makes it, well, PLAIN that they reserve the right to edit letters. Pity that they did such a poor job on mine.

Eagerly anticipating...

2011-05-07T17:33:00.002-04:00

On the remains of evil and their disposition

2011-05-04T20:00:00.004-04:00

A brief meme went out over the social networks on Monday, taking into account that the world learned of Adolf Hitler’s death on May 1, 1945, and Osama Bin Laden’s death on May 1, 2011. It’s a bit of a misnomer on the face of it. First of all, Hitler died – in his Berlin Bunker and by his own hand – on April 30th. In the pre-Internet age, and with Berlin bombed to smithereens, communication was going to naturally take longer. Bin Laden was killed on May 2, at around 1am local time. Some have complained about the delay from Bin Laden’s death until President Obama announced it to the world. But it took time to dispose of OBL’s remains and notify world leaders.

To be blunt, I'm glad Osama Bin Laden is dead, just as I'm sure many were glad to learn on May 1, 1945 that Hitler was dead. In both cases, the world would have been a lot better off if it had happened sooner. Both in 1945 and 2011, the decision arose as to how the physical remains of these evil people should be dealt with.

Let’s take a look back in time:

Following their suicides, Hitler’s and Eva Braun’s remains were incompletely burned and buried in a shallow bomb crater outside the bunker. Hitler’s death was reported by German radio on May 1st, with the report stating that the Fuhrer fought “to the last breath” for Germany. On May 2, Hitler’s remains were found by Soviet Intelligence forces, along with those of Joseph Goebells, his wife, and their six children. The question arose as to how to handle their remains. Benito Mussolini had recently been executed, his body then hung upside down after a mob had kicked, spat, and urinated on his corpse. These events were on the Soviets’ minds. So, the physical remains were dealt with in a manner that would prevent both the creation of a neo-Nazi shrine and the desecration of their remains: Hitler's remains (along with those of Eva Braun, the Goebells family, and Hitler's dog) were quietly buried in a secret location in Berlin. But, as would happen in 2011, rumors began to circulate. Rumors led to conspiracy theories that Hitler’s body had been taken to Moscow for an autopsy (which led to rumors, among other things, that the Fuhrer was mono-testicular). Later, there were rumors that he didn’t die but went to South America. A death photo, circulated shortly after Hitler’s death and later exposed as a fake, only served to fuel the conspiracy theorists.

In fact, the remains of Hitler and his entourage were moved several times over the decades, eventually to Magdeburg, a suburb of Berlin, were they were buried in the courtyard of SMERSH (later KGB) headquarters, which was promptly paved and used as a parking lot.

In 1970, Yuri Andropov, then head of the KGB, feared that knowledge of Hitler’s remains would spread and become a neo-Nazi shrine. So Andropov ordered remains of Hitler and his party exhumed, cremated, and scattered in the Elbe River. Andropov, by the way, later became head of the Soviet Union in the 1980s.

The history of the end of Osama Bin Laden’s life is still being sifted through. But it’s already known that OBL died in an above ground bunker in Pakistan at the hands of Navy SEALs, and that his remains were buried at sea where the chances of them ever being found are nil to none. It’s reasonable to assume that the United States disposed of OBL’s remains in the way they did for much the same reasons as the Soviets were so careful with Hitler’s corpse. The difference is that the U. S. has been more open about what was done, and why. There has been a lot of second guessing over this decision, but I feel it was, on balance, the best decision possible.

Give credit where credit is due

2011-05-04T06:13:00.005-04:00

My latest letter to the Plain Dealer (~~as of May 4, it has yet to be published~~ written on May 3rd and finally published on May 8):

The birthers, schoolers, and others who are blinded by their hatred of President Obama never cease to amaze or appall. Shown the President’s long form birth certificate, they trumpet that it’s a fake. With Osama Bin Laden finally killed, something the Bush administration failed to do, they now state that the President approved the operation on purely political grounds.

President Obama put his presidency on the line when he approved Operation Geronimo. If this operation had been a failure, like Operation Eagle Claw was in 1980, the President would have received all the blame and surely been defeated in 2012. Though our Navy SEALs and intelligence operatives deserve the bulk of the credit for Operation Geronimo’s success, President Obama deserves kudos for making the right decision at the right time.

Osama bin Laden: Good Riddance

2011-05-02T07:19:00.001-04:00

Let history record that Osama bin Laden was killed on President Barack Obama’s watch, and that the order to capture or kill him came from the President. This could not have happened without the strategy he announced at the beginning of his presidency, scaling back our involvement in Iraq while re-engaging the fight in Afghanistan. He also enacted the policy he announced during the Democratic primary debates in 2007, that he would not hesitate to move against bin Laden in Pakistan if credible intelligence was found. Hillary Clinton and others pooh-poohed Senator Obama’s statements as proof that he was not experienced enough to be president.

Let’s review a bit of history: The mission to capture Osama bin Laden “dead or alive” began under President George W. Bush following the 9/11 attacks. Bush dropped the ball very early on in Afghanistan, when he committed far too few troops to the mission – fewer troops, in fact, than the number of police in Manhattan. America’s mission in Afghanistan was further eroded when Bush began beating the drum for war against Iraq, based on phony intelligence of weapons of mass destruction and a supposed “link” between Saddam Hussein and Al Qaeda – both of which proved false. By the time Obama was sworn into office, most intelligence pointed to Pakistan as bin Laden’s most likely location. Our people acted on that intelligence, often gained by following the movements of couriers and less on highly touted satellite technology.

Osama bin Laden is now dead. The world is still a dangerous place. Al Qaeda is still very much a force for terrorism. But the symbolic importance of this day cannot be overestimated. President Obama’s actions vindicate his policies vis-à-vis the war on terror, including his decision to recommit to Afghanistan - which was met with criticism from the left and right. Abroad, it is a reminder of American persistence. At home, it soundly refutes the notion - touted by birthers, schoolers, and political opportunists - that Barack Obama’s rise to the presidency was some kind of conspiracy or that he was a “Manchurian candidate” in a plot to Islamify the world.

Our entire armed forces, from those who conducted this raid to the Commander in Chief, deserve a round of thanks for their efforts. But the best way we can thank our troops is to refrain from endangering them unless absolutely vital to our national security.

Gordon Square, a Cleveland success story

2011-04-26T20:25:00.004-04:00

Those of us in the Cuyahoga area lamented the bad news that arrived on the heels of the 2010 Census: Cleveland’s population dropped to under 400,000 for the first time since the beginning of the 20th Century. The reasons for the population decline in Cleveland are complex and best left to another article, but suffice it to say, since hitting its peak at over 900,000 residents in the 1950s, fewer and fewer people have wanted to live in Cleveland. Thanks to the Interstate Highway system and, until recently, cheap gasoline, those who have had the means to leave have left.

Today, however, I’d like to focus on one of Cleveland’s rare success stories: Gordon Square.

Ten years ago, I dated someone who lived in the area of Detroit Road and West 65th street. We hadn’t even thought to call it Gordon Square back then. It was a rather unsavory area, save for a small Italian-American enclave to the north of Detroit Road trying to insulate itself from urban
decline. The only signs of life there were a Vietnamese restaurant and Cleveland Public Theatre. My date and I would leave the windows open on summer nights, and the most common sounds were screeching tires, police sirens and prostitutes yelling at johns.

But there were a few leaders with fortitude and a vision for the neighborhood, including James Levin (owner of the CPT) and Councilman Matt Zone, who were determined to forge a diamond from the rough.

In a previous post, I sang Capitol Theatre’s praises. For those with kids, or the young at heart, they will be showing The Wizard of Oz on May 8.

Rincon Criollo has long been a favored place for Dan & me. It’s the nearest place, aside from our own kitchen, where we can get a true taste of Puerto Rican cuisine. Afterwards, we walked west on Detroit Road and soon found ourselves inside Sweet Moses. Going here was like returning to my childhood, an authentic ice cream shop from an earlier era, before chains like Dairy Queen took over the confectionary landscape. Here were authentic soda-jerks, working a restored soda fountain where one could get a variety of floats and phosphates. Dan & I settled on more traditional sundaes, appropriately served in a traditional glass bowl. (Those of us east siders
past a certain age will remember Connors Ice Cream on Mayfield Road. This was similar, except in place of the player piano there was piped in 1940s Big Band music.)

Bike racks are placed conveniently outside, so you can work off the calories you're about to consume.

After the cold treats, we headed into the warm sunshine and strolled off Detroit Road to sample more of the neighborhood. The area between Detroit Road and the railroad tracks holds a new development called Battery Park, with new townhouses in various stages of completion, and a community center being created from the old Eveready Powerhouse. Ten years ago, I could
never have imagined myself living in this neighborhood. Now it would be tempting if Dan and I didn’t work in the eastern suburbs.

This diversity in restaurants, retail, and housing means that there is something for everyone, a far cry from the monolithic experience of exurbia. Gordon Square is now a walkable neighborhood (a true neighborhood, not a bunch of McMansions crammed into cul-de-sacs), where residents can access a variety of experiences without having to drive all over creation.
(Indeed, one could live quite nicely here without owning a car.) All of this is offered in an area that has a diversity of housing options (from spacious rambling century homes, small craftsman houses, and the new townhomes I mentioned) while the shopping district has a unified and unique style. At the same time, the designers have not gone overboard trying to prettify or Disneyfy the area, it retains the grittiness that is an essential part of Cleveland. The only aspect of the GS redesign that I take issue with is the bus stops, an ultra-modern look that sacrifices
practicality for trendiness – as shelters they are practically worthless.

It comes as no surprise to me that the Detroit Shoreway area (of which Gordon Square is a part) has bucked the trend and seen a population increase over the past decade.

Gordon Square may soon have an East Side counterpart in University Circle. They are not totally similar; UC has long been an arts hub thanks to the Cleveland Orchestra, the Art and Science Museums, and an economic base driven by Case Western Reserve University, University Hospitals, the Cleveland Clinic, and the local VA. But for decades, suburbanites have
descended on UC to do the “arts-thing”, high-tailing it back to their safe homes. Over the past decade, UC’s assets have developed dramatically, and new, upscale housing and more affordable apartments are being constructed. The increasing price of transportation (and yes, the price of gas will remain high into the foreseeable future) can only help the revival of cities and their first-ring suburbs.

On Religion...

2011-04-24T10:41:00.005-04:00

Recently, I received an email from a reader about my religious beliefs, more specifically on how I reconciled them with my sexual orientation. Since this is a freely published blog readable by anyone, I seldom go into very personal matters. It may be the WASP reserve which I inherited from my parents, but I find religious proselytizing of any kind distasteful. Religion, to me, is a deeply personal matter, moreso even than sex. Too often, it has been used to persecute others - I blame no specific faith, but the monotheistic sects have been particularly egregious violators of free-thinking.

But my philosophy is neatly summed up by the philosopher-king:

"Live a good life. If there are gods and they are just, then they will not care how devout you have been, but will welcome you based on the virtues you have lived by. If there are gods, but unjust, then you should not want to worship them. If there are no gods, then you will be gone, but will have lived a noble life that will live on in the memories of your loved ones."
— Marcus Aurelius

Regardless of my readers' religious beliefs, or lack thereof, I wish you a happy day. If you're celebrating Easter today, I hope the celebration is a joyous one.

25 years ago today...

2011-04-20T06:21:00.002-04:00

The date of April 20 is pregnant with historical import. The French Revolutionary wars began on April 20, 1792. Hitler was born in Austria on this date in 1889. 110 years later, Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold killed 13 people and injured 24 others before committing suicide at Columbine High School in Colorado. Last year, the Deepwater Horizon oil well exploded in the Gulf of Mexico, killing eleven workers and beginning an oil spill that would last five months.

But I prefer to remember April 20th by a happier occasion that took place in 1986: Vladimir Horowitz's first concert in his native Russia since he defected from that country in 1925. I clearly recall the sense of anticipation as I awakened in Haverhill, Massachusetts that Sunday morning to watch a live telecast of the concert, on a black & white television. Despite the grain and lack of cable TV quality, I couldn't take my eyes off that event, as the 82 year old man shuffled onstage, patted his piano like a beloved pet, and began spinning sounds that had no right to be heard from a percussion instrument. I even recorded the recital on a small audio cassette recorder, and when the VHS tape was issued, I bought my first VCR.

Click here to read my review of the CD.

Click here to read my review of the DVD.

Gallic and Gallant Mozart from Casadesus

2011-04-15T06:02:00.001-04:00

Sony has reissued all off Robert Casadesus' stereo recordings of Mozart's Piano Concertos with the Cleveland Orchestra (sometimes billed as the Columbia Symphony) under George Szell, along with the Concertos for Two and Three Pianos that included Casadesus' wife and son. I hope Sony issues the mono recordings in a future set.

Click here to read my full review.

Gallant Mozart from Casadesus and Szell

2011-04-13T04:06:00.000-04:00

Sony has reissued Robert Casadesus' recordings of two of Mozart's Piano Concertos with The Cleveland Orchestra under George Szell.

Click here to read my review.

Bracing Haydn from Szell and the Clevelanders

2011-04-12T06:57:00.000-04:00

Sony has reissued George Szell's recordings of Haydn Symphonies (including two mono recordings that haven't been issued on CD before). The bassoon fart in Symphony No. 93 is worth the price.

Click here for my review...

Some people have no shame

2011-04-04T21:11:00.003-04:00

Sadly, some people take delight in creating hoaxes - as is the case of the creator of this video. It claims to be a recording of Vladimir Horowitz playing Liszt's polyglot Hexameron. Trouble is, Horowitz never played this work, let alone recorded it. The actual performer here, with the recording slightly altered, is the late Raymond Lewenthal.

One wonders if pianohpiano also creates myths about weapons of mass destruction.

Shouters who drown out the barkers...

2011-04-04T06:26:00.002-04:00

Sunday, Dan and I drove around the Cleveland area with Mason. We stopped at Sonic in Parma, then took a leisurely route past the airport, through the Rocky River Metroparks reservation - which lead to a stop at Lakewood’s Dog Park for Mason’s enjoyment. I’ve driven past this dog park before, but never went inside. South Euclid has a small dog park, but Lakewood’s puts ours to shame in terms of size. Not only is it larger, but several trees within the fenced area give the space some variety. Of course, Lakewood is a much larger city than South Euclid, so this is understandable.

Lakewood’s Dog Park was the subject of a lawsuit between that city and Rocky River. The suit was the result of complaints from some residents on nearby High Parkway, who complained that noise and odors from the dog park were negatively impacting their way of life. (As an aside, I noticed several unattended piles of dog droppings at Lakewood’s park that would never be seen in South Euclid.) The suit received a great deal of media coverage and fomented resentment on both sides of the border. There were accusations that the plaintiffs’ were politically connected and exerting undue influence to get the city of Rocky River to take Lakewood to court. A noise study was undertaken and it was determined that the dog barking was not a barrier to the plaintiffs being able to enjoy their backyards. The court concluded the plaintiffs’ complaints were deemed unfounded and the case was decided in Lakewood’s favor – which meant the dog park could stay and that Rocky River would have to eat the court costs.

Sunday, as we were enjoying the dog park, we heard only the occasional bark - this despite the area being filled to full capacity. The real source of noise was traffic, particularly motorcycles whose riders were enjoying the warm weather. Did the plaintiffs ever consider filing a lawsuit against motorcycle riders? Of course not. They went after the easy target, the dog owners.

Had the plaintiffs won their case, the Lakewood Dog Park would have been forced to shut down, meaning that hundreds of dog owners would be unable to use that park, due to the complaints of a few connected and aggressive individuals.

Fortunately, the court decided that those who were shouting the loudest were not automatically entitled to get their way.

Happy Birthday, Mr. Rachmaninoff

2011-04-01T00:13:00.005-04:00

Sergei Vassilievich Rachmaninoff (for his last name, I use the spelling the composer himself preferred) was born on this date in 1873. He excelled as a pianist, conductor, and composer – although his mastery of the last of these has only been acknowledged over the last few decades – and he still endures condescension from some. The Groves Dictionary's curt dismissal of the composer ("The enormous popular success some few of Rachmaninoff’s works had in his lifetime is not likely to last..."), has been proven doubly wrong - not only are the popular chestnuts, the Second Symphony, Second Concerto and Prelude in C-sharp minor as popular as ever, but other works such as the Symphonic Dances and The Bells have entered the standard repertoire. Oh well, Groves hasn't had the best track record anyway.

Here are recording recommendations for many of his best known, and some not as well known, works. This is a personal list, which reflects my favorite recordings, and offers no pretense that these are the “best” or “definitive” versions. I have long since disavowed myself from the notion that music as oft-recorded and performed as this can ever have a “final” statement. As usual, I limit myself to a maximum of two recommendations per work (except for the Op. 36 Sonata which exists in different versions) and place the value of the performance before that of the sound quality, so many of these are historical recordings:

Op. 1 – Piano Concerto No. 1 in F-sharp Minor:
Byron Janis/Chicago Symphony Orchestra/Fritz Reiner/RCA
Krystian Zimerman/Boston Symphony Orchestra/Seiji Ozawa/DG

Op. 3 – Five Morceaux de Fantasie:
Ruth Laredo/Sony
(This opus also contains the infamous Prelude in C-sharp minor. The composer made several indispensable recordings of this piece which are on RCA.)

Op. 7 – The Rock:
Mikhail Pletnev/Russian National Orchestra/DG
Lorin Maazel/Berlin Philharmonic/DG

Op. 13 – Symphony No. 1 in D minor:
Vladimir Askkenazy/Concertgebow Orchestra/Decca-London
Mikhail Pletnev/Russian National Orchestra/DG

Op. 16 – Six Moments Musicaux:
Lazar Berman/DG
Ruth Laredo/Sony

Op. 17 – Suite No. 2 for two pianos:
Martha Argerich & Nelson Friere/Phillips
Vitya Vronsky & Victor Babin/RCA (not available on CD)

Op. 18 – Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor:
Sergei Rachmaninoff/Philadelphia Orchestra/Leopold Stokowski (1924 recording, made on a beautiful Mason & Hamlin piano)
Stephen Hough/Dallas Symphony Orchestra/Andrew Litton/Hyperion

Op. 19 – Sonata for Cello and Piano in F minor:
Edmund Kurtz & William Kapell/RCA;
Yo-Yo Ma & Emanuel Ax/Sony

Op. 22 – Variations on a Theme of Chopin:
Jorge Bolet/Decca-London
Earl Wild/Chesky

Op. 23 – Ten Preludes:
Vladimir Ashkenazy/Decca-London
Earl Wild/Chesky
(There are also distinguished recordings of various preludes by Sviatoslav Richter, Horowitz, and the composer himself.)

Op. 27 – Symphony No. 2:
Ivan Fisher/Budapest Festival Orchestra/Channel Classics
Mikhail Pletnev/Russian National Orchestra/DG
(There are other fine versions, such as Ormandy’s Philadelphia recording with Columbia Sokoloff’s Cleveland Orchestra recording on Brunswick – which was the world premiere recording – but I disqualify those from my list as they are cut.)

Op. 28 – Piano Sonata in D minor:
Ruth Laredo/Sony Alexis Weissenberg/DG

Op. 29 – The Isle of the Dead:
Sergei Rachmaninoff/Philadelphia Orchestra/RCA
Vladimir Ashkenazy/Concertgebow Orchestra/Decca-London

Op. 30 – Piano Concerto No. 3 in D minor:
Vladimir Horowitz/RCA Victor Symphony Orchestra/Fritz Reiner
Van Cliburn/Symphony of the Air/Kiril Kondrashin

Op. 32 – Thirteen Preludes:
Vladimir Ashkenazy/Decca-London Ruth Laredo/Sony
(Again, distinguished recordings of various Preludes have been made by Richter, Horowitz, and Weissenberg, and the composer.)

Op. 33 – Eight Etudes-Tableaux:
Vladimir Ashkenazy/Decca-London
(Authorized and non-authorized recordings of several of these on several labels by Richter are worth seeking out. Horowitz’s recording of the C major [from 1962] should be part of any piano library.)

Op. 35 – The Bells:
Kiril Kondrashin/Moscow Philharmonic/RCA
Vladimir Ashkenazy/Concertgebow Orchestra/Decca-London

Op. 36 – Piano Sonata in B-flat minor, Op. 36:
Original 1913 version: Van Cliburn/RCA
Revised 1931 version: Jean-Yves Thibaudet/Decca-London
Fusion version: Vladimir Horowitz (Sony, 1968) (From an architectural point of view, Horowitz’s fusion of the original and revised versions is the best compromise between the rambling original and eviscerated revised versions.)

Op. 37 - All-Night Vigil (Vespers):
Karl Dent/Robert Shaw Festival Singers/Robert Shaw/Telarc

Op. 39 – Nine Etudes-Tableaux:
Vladimir Ashkenazy/Decca-London
(Kissin recorded several of the Op. 39 for RCA during his early years – fragrant, colorful performances. Horowitz’s recordings of the C minor [from 1945] E-flat minor [1962] and D major [1967] are indispensable.)

Op. 40 – Piano Concerto No. 4 in G minor:
Sergei Rachmaninoff/Philadelphia Orchestra/Eugene Ormandy;
Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli/Philharmonia Orchestra/Ettore Gracis/EMI

Op. 42 – Variations on a Theme of Corelli:
Andre Watts/Columbia (shamefully, Sony has never issued this on CD, but it is available as part of Phillips’ Great Pianists of the 20th Century series)
Jean-Yves Thibaudet/Decca-London

Op. 43 – Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini:
Benno Moiseiwitsch/London Philharmonic Orchestra/Basil Cameron/Naxos
William Kapell/Robin Hood Dell Orchestra/Fritz Reiner/RCA

Op. 44 Symphony No. 3 in A minor:
Sergei Rachmaninoff/Philadelphia Orchestra
Leopold Stokowski/National Philharmonic Orchestra/Newton

Op. 45 – Symphonic Dances:
Kiril Kondrashin/Moscow Philharmonic/RCA;
Vladimir Ashkenazy/Concertgebow Orchestra/Decca-London
(Honorable mention goes to the stellar rendition of the two piano version by Martha Argerich and Nelson Freire on DG. RCA scandalously declined to record the composer himself with Horowitz in this piece.)

A former Clevelander returns home.

2011-03-30T07:23:00.004-04:00

Here's an excellent article about Cleveland in this month's Smithsonian magazine.

Excerpt: Signs of renewed vitality were everywhere. Downtown warehouses had been turned into lofts and restaurants. Several old movie palaces had been transformed into Playhouse Square, the country’s largest performing arts complex after Lincoln Center. The lakefront boasted the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum, in a futuristic design by I. M. Pei. The Cleveland Clinic had become a world center of medical innovation and was spawning a growing industry of biotechnology start-ups. How had so depleted a city managed to preserve and enlarge upon so many assets? And could a city that had once been a national leader in industrial patents in the 19th century reinvent itself as an economic powerhouse in the 21st?

What I like about being middle aged

2011-03-24T08:00:00.000-04:00

People call me “sir.” With what I’ve been through in life, I have certainly earned that title.

People tend to take my views more seriously. Being articulate helps, but I was articulate as a youth (by 5th grade, I was reading on a college level) and people didn’t take my opinion seriously then.

I am comfortable in my own skin, even when there’s too much of it.

Less hair makes for less maintenance. Cutting what’s left of my own hair by myself saves me hundreds of dollars per year.

And when I do want to look younger, Just for Men on my beard and a cap for my head do wonders.

Crostatas = Heavenly Pizza

2011-03-21T20:28:00.004-04:00

I have no real explanation for why it took so long for Dan & me to check out Crostatas, a pizzeria on the corner of Highland and Bishop in Highland Heights. Before we bought our home in South Euclid, we lived within walking distance of it. Now, I drive by it every day on my way to/from
work.

The building itself is not recognizable from its last incarnation, an Arabica Coffee House. Exterior and interior have been redesigned in an appropriately Italian style.

When we stopped at Crostatas Saturday afternoon, we were greeted at the entrance by Barbara, who was also our waitress.

We began with a beautifully prepared Caesar’s Salad, with the Parmesan cheese lovingly flaked over the greens. For a rarity, the dressing was an accoutrement and not an ocean drowning out the rest.

We decided on the Classico Pizza, which comes with Buffalo Mozzarella, roasted tomatoes, sautéed mushrooms, and caramelized onions – all cooked in a handmade, hickory wood fired oven. I must confess here, I am not normally a pizza fan. I don’t react well to all that grease and cheese, and chain pizzas (which, let’s face it, accounts for most Americans’ taste experience) are usually overwhelmed by salt. But the Classico was a revelation. (In musical terms, it was like hearing Toscanini’s crisp and vibrant Brahms after only hearing stodgy Germanic performances.) The caramelized onions were the perfect contrast and complement to the tomato sauce and Mozarella – all the ingredients were in perfect balance – none overwhelmed the other. It was also beautifully presented, with Oregano leaves forming a perfect trinity.

No diet of mine (thanks to which I have lost 15 pounds since December, and which I broke on Saturday) was going to keep me from the unique dessert: a Nutella Calzone. Huge enough that there was extra to bring home even after Dan & I split it, it was surprisingly unheavy. The bread was sprinkled with powdered sugar, and the delicate flavor was contrasted with the bolder
Nutella filling.

Dan & I will definitely be returning to Crostatas.

Mason assists in my newest review

2011-03-15T06:27:00.000-04:00

My video review (with Mason) for Newman's own dog treats

Oakwood Reconsidered

2011-03-11T08:51:00.006-05:00

Last night, the South Euclid planning commission held a meeting regarding the rezoning of the former Oakwood Club. Due to time constraints, statements from South Euclid citizens were kept to two minutes each - those from other localities 1 1/2 minutes each. Here is the complete text of my remarks, which I have also sent to the planning commission.

My name is Hank Drake. My family moved to South Euclid in 1971. I went to South Euclid-Lyndhurst schools – Anderson, Memorial, and Brush. After living in many towns all over America, I decided to move back to South Euclid in 2008. I have a vested interest in this community.

On January 5, I posted an entry to my blog in which I stated my opposition to the purchase of the Oakwood Club in general, and the building of more retail in this area in particular. I must confess, I am still skeptical about the creation of Oakwood Commons, in particular I do not want to see a Walmart or Sam’s Club there.

Concern has been expressed that the creation of Oakwood Commons would harm other local retailers. Both sides have cited studies which advance their own point of view. But we already have a real-life case study on the impact of additional retail: It’s called Legacy Village. Go to Beachwood Place. Go to La Place. They are as busy as they ever were before Legacy Village was opened – maybe more so. In any case, the purpose of zoning is not to protect niche retailers or to appease one set of people. The purpose of zoning is to ensure land-use that is fair to the greatest number of citizens, while also respecting private property rights. There have been times when politicians have overstepped those bounds and abused eminent domain, such as several years ago in Lakewood which got their mayor tossed out of office. I mention that case because eminent domain would now be the only way to overcome one simple fact: The South Euclid portion of the former Oakwood Club is now Mr. Schneider’s land. Whether we like it or not, it’s his private property to use as he sees fit, as long as it falls within an already established regulatory framework. Currently this land is zoned residential. Mr. Schneider could build houses on it right now, and we’d be powerless to stop him. The last thing this area needs is more housing. But anyone who thinks that Mr. Schneider, after spending all that money to acquire this land is just going to roll over and give it away for use as a park is living in Fantasyland.

What has changed my mind over this issue most of all has been the fact that, when I asked questions of First Interstate and those who support rezoning, I received answers that were factual and rational. But from the Citizens for Oakwood group, all I’ve heard were rumors, suppositions, hysteria, and condescension for the people of South Euclid.

I believe that our best option in South Euclid is to approve this rezoning, but to also use our resources to ensure that First-Interstate keeps their promises with regard to green, Leed-certified construction, mitigation of traffic issues, and builds the best center for the people of South Euclid and the surrounding communities to use. Those who don't like it don't have to shop there.

Non-cyclical Beethoven

2011-02-28T06:49:00.005-05:00

When speaking of complete recorded cycles of Beethoven's 32 Sonatas, the names of certain pianists are inevitably mentioned: Schnabel, Brendel, Kempff, and more recently, Goode and Schiff. But there are many individual recordings of greatness - some part of a complete cycle, and some by pianists who never recorded the entire ouevre.

Below is a list I've put together containing recordings I believe deserve a spot in every Beethoven lover's collection. I’ve limited this to two recordings per work, although there are many others that I would also recommend. All the Kempff recordings are from his stereo cycle (I’ve only sampled the mono, but know the stereo well).

Listed by Opus:

Op. 2:
No. 1: Schnabel – EMI; Perahia - Sony
No. 2: Horszowski - Nonesuch; Perahia - Sony
No. 3: Ohlsson - Bridge; Kempff - DG

Op. 7: Perahia – Columbia (afaik, this has not been issued on CD); Kempff - DG

Op. 10:
No. 1: Schnabel – EMI; Kempff - DG
No. 2: Horszowski – Nonesuch; Kempff - DG
No. 3: Horowitz – RCA; Jacobs - Arbiter

Op. 13 (Pathetique): Horowitz – Columbia; Kempff - DG

Op. 14:
No. 1: Kempff – DG; Ohlsson - Bridge
No. 2: Kempff – DG; Ohlsson - Bridge

Op. 22: Perahia – Columbia (afaik, this has not been issued on CD); Kempff - DG

Op. 26: Richter – RCA; Ohlsson - Bridge

Op. 27:
No. 1: Rosen – Nonesuch (afaik, this has not been issued on CD); Kempff - DG
No. 2: Horowitz - RCA (1956); Kempff - DG

Op. 28 (Pastoral): Ohlsson - Bridge; Kempff - DG

Op. 31:
No. 1: Gould – Columbia; Kempff - DG
No. 2: Gould – Columbia; Kempff - DG
No. 3: Rubinstein – RCA (1976); Kempff - DG

Op. 49:
No. 1: Kempff – DG; Schnabel - EMI
No. 2: Kempff – DG; Schnabel - EMI

Op. 53 (Waldstein): Ohlsson - Bridge; Jacobs - Arbiter

Op. 54: Richter, RCA; Kempff - DG

Op. 57 (Appassionata): Serkin - Columbia; Rosenberger - Delos

Op. 78: Kempff – DG; Ohlsson - Bridge

Op. 79: Kempff – DG; Ohlsson - Bridge

Op. 81a: Rubinstein - RCA (1940) – Perahia - Columbia

Op. 90: Kempff – DG; Ohlsson, Bridge

Op. 101: Serkin – Columbia; Horowitz - Columbia

Op. 106 (Hammerklavier): Serkin – Columbia; Pollini - DG

Op. 109: Podis – Telarc (afaik, this has not been issued on CD); Horszowski - Arbiter

Op. 110: Kempff – DG; Pollini - DG

Op. 111: Kempff – DG; Rosenberger - Delos

Classic Trek - refurbished and ready for a new generation

2011-02-20T21:39:00.003-05:00

I've watched the original Star Trek TV series as long as I remember. In the early days of syndication, WUAB Channel 43 ran the show using film prints of terrible quality. I've seen the original Trek on VHS, Laserdisc, DVD, and now Blu-ray. The picture quality improves with each new format, and the Blu-ray has the benefit of refurbished sound and new visual effects.

My review of Classic Trek on Blu-ray

Riveting, if somewhat rambling

2011-02-18T17:42:00.002-05:00

I vividly remember the events of this day. A new book about the assassination attempt on President Ronald Reagan, Rawhide Down, has just been published.

Click to read my review

Franklin and Eleanor, a marriage that worked despite difficulties

2011-02-17T18:31:00.001-05:00

Just finished reading a fascinating book dealing with the marriage of Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt. Click the link to read:

My review of Franklin and Eleanor

I may start watching MSNBC at 8PM again.

2011-02-15T06:31:00.001-05:00

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Oakwood Update with Links

2011-02-14T06:10:00.009-05:00

The saga at Oakwood continues. At this time, Oakwood Commons is pretty much a done deal in South Euclid. The city itself has relatively little power in relation to zoning: They can zone it residential or retail. (Currently, it is zoned as residential, which would be worse for South Euclid than retail.) But since the sale of Oakwood Club to First Interstate is a private transaction involving private property, the new owner can do what he wants with the land. The city has some jurisdiction to ensure certain standards are maintained in construction and landscaping. But South Euclid cannot arbitrarily zone it as greenspace, which is something many in the Citizens for Oakwood group fail to grasp. About seven years ago in Lakewood, city leaders tried to abuse eminent domain laws. The case wound up going to court, the city lost, and the mayor wound up getting tossed out of office. (It should be mentioned that in the Lakewood case, the city was trying to pave over existing residences for the creation of a shopping center - different than what is planned for South Euclid.)

The Cleveland Heights portion of the land has not yet been sold, but First Interstate has an option to buy the land. If FI does not buy by April, then it goes back on the open market. The Severance Neighborhood Association has a link for donations. No word on how much they've raised or what progress they've made.

I also recommend Jane Goodman's excellent, nuanced blog post about the situation at Oakwood, particularly in relation to how the current Oakwood Club is not greenspace, and how the city of South Euclid itself has relatively little retail space.

Idealism Vs. Reality

While some feel that these issues should be faced more regionally, the current reality is that there is no tax revenue sharing between local communities. The retail in Cleveland Heights, University Heights, etc., benefits those cities only. The relative lack of retail in South Euclid proper depletes its tax base, which places a strain on city finances - especially with plummeting housing values, foreclosures, and a huge surplus of empty houses. Last year, there was a brief attempt to raise taxes for those who live in South Euclid but work elsewhere. Given the lack of commercial space in South Euclid, that's an easy majority of people. After a huge backlash from citizens, the decision was reversed, and cutbacks were instituted.

I have tried, in this post, to include links to all sides of this story. If anyone has more, please include them in a comment. And remember, anonymous comments are generally not posted, so if you have a comment to go with your link, please include your name.

State of Shame

2011-01-27T06:21:00.004-05:00

From the Pleated Jeans humor site.

Highlights:

*Massachusetts has the worst drivers (probably the reason they call them Massholes).

*Alaska has the highest suicide rate (must resist the temptation to insert the obligatory Sarah Palin comment).

*Mississippi and Alabama are associated with Stroke and Obesity - not surprising since the mantra in the Deep South is "If it ain't fried, it ain't food."

*Louisiana has the highest rate of Gonorrhea - maybe that's why they call it "the big easy".

*Texas has the lowest high school graduation rate - certainly explains their voting patterns.

Well, I suppose there are worse things than being labeled the Nerdiest state.

An Interview with Earl Wild

2011-01-23T06:06:00.003-05:00

Earl Wild died one year ago today. This interview is from about late 2002:

An Interview with the Pianist Earl Wild

This fall the legendary pianist Earl Wild gave a concert, "Wild in Pasadena," as part of the Shumei Arts Council of America's 2002 - 2003 concert series. Among the pieces he played were Mozart's Sonata in F minor K. 332, Beethoven's 32 Variations in C minor, Mendelssohn' s Rondo Capriccioso, as well as works of Chopin and Liszt.

Born in 1915, Mr. Wild has been a major figure in the performing arts for well into seven decades. He has played to acclaim throughout the world and, among the many publications in which he has appeared, was twice featured in Time Magazine articles. Mr. Wild also has the singular distinction of being invited to play before six US Presidents. In 1997, he received a GRAMMY for the CD, "Earl Wild -The Romantic Master," which was devoted entirely to his own piano transcriptions.

The concert took place in Shumei Hall, Pasadena, on November 17, 2002. Mr. Wild played with a profound passion, and yet a subtle touch. The performance was brilliant, remarkable for its fluidity and grace. Judging from the audience's unreserved ovations and it's size, the largest for the series so far, it was the most successful concert held in Shumei Hall, Pasadena, to date.

This interview was conducted by George Bedell, Associate Editor-in-Chief of SHUMEI Magazine.

SHUMEI Magazine: You are referred to as "The Last Great Romanic Pianist." Are you?

Earl Wild: When they call me the last of the Romantics, I always have to laugh because I have lived through so many of the "last-ofs" that came before me. So, I'm the last one in line because I'm the oldest one of them now. It's very amusing for me to be put in that category. It doesn't mean anything really -- except to some people who try to put a moniker on everything, no matter what it is.

S.M: So, you suspect that you are not the last of the Last Great Romanic Pianists?

E.W: Oh, yes. And, some day soon, I might even predict the next one.

S.M: Rather like a Dalai Lama.

E.W: Yes. While the last one is dying, the next one is being crowned. It is sometimes very amusing. And sometimes the winners of that title don't really deserve it. Yet, if you last long enough, you might be able to progress enough so that something good happens when you play. Most people don't progress as they grow older. They go to Florida to die or play golf.

S.M: I've been rather holding out for that option.

E.W: Oh, don't you do that! Keep busy at something. You'll be happier. People would be much happier if they kept busy.

S.M: What does the word "Romanic" mean to you?

E.W: We usually think of Romantic as something fiery and passionate, like lovemaking or battles. It can be anything that has a lot of action. It could even be an early western. It has such a wide range of meaning. It is really a feeling more than anything else.

S.M: Another Romantic with whom you have an affinity, Franz Liszt, like you was not only a fine musician but also a fine transcriber of other's music and composer of his own music. Did your background as a composer and transcriber affect the way you play piano?

E.W: I think that any musician who can write music has an advantage over those who do not. This is because by writing music you understand it better. You understand the structure of it, where it is going, you see the whole picture. Liszt was wonderful. He opened up the gateway to modern music. For instance, his creation, "The Fountains of the Villa d'Este" was really some of the first wonderful water music. Ravel followed it with "Jeux d'eau," and, of course, Respeghi followed with his "Fountains of Rome."

S.M: Do the insights that you gain by being a composer who plays other people's music lend freshness to your approach because you understand the process a composer was going through while writing that music?

E.W: I keep the music fresh by allowing it to happen while it is happening. I don't set it. When you set it, it becomes like stale jelly. Sometimes my interpretation is affected by the lighting, sometimes by the atmosphere, whether cold or warm, and sometimes by the instrument, itself. If you have that flexibility, the audience feels the ease at which the music is coming out. It doesn't matter whether it is a little bit this way or a little bit that way, so long as one phrase connects well with the next. In that way, it is like good speech. It follows through and comes out better.

S.M: You are primarily known for your interpretations of 19th century music, but recently you have recorded works by 20th century composers, such as Barber, Hindemith, and Stravinsky. Is this a departure for you, or new venture, or have you always been interested in 20th century music?

E.W: Oh, I've always been interested in it. In the late-fifties, ten years after the Hindemith Third Sonata was written, I recorded it. I recorded his Second Sonata before that. I knew Stravinsky, and I liked his music very much. And Samuel Barber was a good friend of mine. So, I knew the three composers that I chose to record. I like each one of them, and I like them in this order: Barber, Hindemith, Stravinsky.

S.M: You have known and worked with many impressive people in the music world. Is there anything that you could share with us about the fellow pianists that you knew?

E.W: Well, I knew Rachmaninoff and liked him very much. He was the pianist. But I also had met Joseph Hoffman. Joseph Hoffmann was a strange person. As great as he was as a pianist, he was an even greater auto mechanic. He invented parts that were used on the Rolls Royce automobile. He worked in the garage a lot. I think he preferred working in the garage to what he did on the piano. His playing had a wonderful clarity to it. It was precise, and its tone was beautiful. And he had small hands, which sometimes is helpful. When you have big hands, you have more problems.

S.M: (Anyone who has shaken hands with Mr. Wild knows that he has a large, firm grip.) But I thought that a wide span of fingers benefited a pianist.

E.W: No. Small hands can be much more flexible, which makes the tone better. Big hands sit right on top of the keys and can sound clunky if you are not careful.

(Those who heard Mr. Wild at Shumei Hall will testify that his deft touch sounded anything but "clunky.")

E.W: But it's not really a matter of size, it's a matter of the brain. When you teach people, you deal with all different kinds of brainwork. Some students use their right hand as their guide, others their left. You never know where direction is going to come from. They have to find out for themselves, because I can't tell them. As they find out, I only can help them to be flexible. And that is really what good piano playing is all about. The moment anybody plays stiffly, whether their hands are stiff or their arms are stiff, it comes out like that. You can hear it in the sound. It's a big problem. That is why it is better to start when you are very young.

S.M: You have taught at Juilliard and Eastman, among other fine schools. You do not have to teach, yet you do. What draws you to helping young musicians?

E.W: It's mysterious. It is a mystery because you can't tell someone how to play something. But you can find out what works for them. That is always very interesting. Teaching is certainly better than opening a magazine or watching television. I enjoy digging into a personality and finding out what makes the coordination work and what makes the beautiful sound. You know, young people can't catch it all at once. It has to be worked at for years. You hope that their minds are fertile enough to continue the development that occurs as you work with them.
The minute a piano teacher says to you, "Do it this way, this is the right way," you should immediately find another teacher because there is no one way of doing it right. Sometimes what works for one person doesn't work at all for another. You have to work with them, watch them, and see how they react. You have to see what goes on with their neck while they play because a lot of people get stiff in the neck while playing, and you can hear it in their tone. Often times in moments of great stress, you forget to breathe because of the tension. But a good teacher can catch all that. And if one learns to breathe during the very difficult spots, it's much easier to play. You need oxygen to continue and if it is not there, trouble begins. The muscles tighten.
There are people who say that the tone comes from here or it comes from there. But it all works together. It's a natural thing. It is only when you are relaxed that it all comes together and music begins to happen. It is like life; once you become too definite, too set about something, you are finished. That's what causes a lot of divorces! Balance is another thing; how your ear tells you what to do with your fingers. Then there is the physiological thing, how your mind works. The fingers do absolutely nothing; it all comes from the mind. If you don't have the feeling, if you are only taught to play with your fingers, you will never get anywhere and it's ugly. It is important to train the fingers to do what the mind tells them, not to let the fingers be on their own. It's very easy to do that and when you do, it becomes mechanical. There are lots of people who are wonderful mechanics on the instrument, but they're also very boring. Often times they're very accurate, and so everyone says, "Oh, they are so accurate." Accuracy is not such a great accomplishment in my book. If you are relaxed and have a good sensibility about the emotional state that you are trying to display in the music, the playing can be very accurate as well. It is only when the emotions become befuddled and you are not sure where you are going with the music that all of a sudden you have to fall back on finger practices. It becomes just detail work.

S.M: As you may know, the Shumei Arts Council creates and sponsors children's concerts. It's one of their most successful programs. They also have created a venue in which young people can perform.

E.W: That's wonderful. Children play music that excites them, that does something for them. It makes them broader people and it feeds their imagination. Also, it feeds their desire to go forward and do more. Some children are apt to take in too much of this television junk and that Rap stuff. "Crap stuff" is what I call it. It's annoying to anyone who has any sensibilities.
But every generation has its popular music. We've had Rock, but that's starting to fade. No one knows what the new thing will be. I remember Arthur Fiedler coming back to Boston from England and telling me that he had just heard this new group play in a small town in England. He said he really didn't know what it was they were doing, but that it was really something, and that you had to give them credit for what they were doing. They were called the Beatles, and he thought they were going to be big. Arthur was very smart, he was a very fine musician, and I miss him very much. People used to say that Fiedler disliked children. He did not dislike children. He disliked their parents, who let them misbehave. In the Boston Pops, he would often invite teenagers, even twelve-year- olds, to perform in the orchestra. And if they were a little bit nervous about it, he would have an extra rehearsal after the main one, with just a few musicians, a few strings, woodwinds, and one bass to go over the spots that they were nervous about.
He was a very fine man. He made more money for the Boston Symphony than anyone else, and they never appreciated him in Boston.

S.M: So many of the young musicians that we hear at Shumei Hall are so impressive. Do you find that there are more very good young people playing today than in the past?

E.W: Oh, yes. Well, first of all, it's all the exposure that they have. And they enjoy it so much. The thing that you have to be careful of is that they understand why they are playing and what it is about, that the music they play is a projection of their thoughts and emotions, not just wriggling their fingers. You have to gain the confidence of young people so that they are willing to try everything. You do not say, "This is how you do it." Because the minute you say that, you are finished. You simply have to allow music to happen. It's poetic. Of course, "poetic" has a very wide range of meaning. It can be anything that you want it to be, but then there is a certain wonderful thing about that. That is why composers who purposely try to write "Romantic" music often times fail. They fail because they get trapped in the writing of it. One of the things that is very important about being a composer is the ability to improvise. Without the ability to improvise, you should never try to write music. Improvisation is the secret of all great composition. I was fortunate because I was able to improvise very well. I still can. And, I can improvise in any style that you want me to because I am so old that I have played almost every piece that was popular on the concert stage, and I have developed an understanding of the composers' thoughts. That sounds like bragging. But, I am not. Because there are so many people who become Beethoven experts, and just because they play all the 32 sonatas doesn't mean they are any good. There is not one person alive today that can play all 32 and play all of them really well. They can play eight or ten of them very well, and the rest are always ordinary.

S.M: Then this improvisational gift and the ability to relax and let the music happen directly affects the sense of play and brightness that is heard in a performance.

E.W: Yes, exactly. Because, as you know, in a poetic sense, if you are out in the woods and it's springtime and the sun is out and you are running through the leaves, the joy of it is so wonderful that you don't stop to think about it. You don't stop and analyze what you are doing; it is just there. If you play music that way, it just comes out, and people can hear it. In my lifetime, I have heard so many big-name pianists play in such a square fashion that it was revolting. And, I often wondered how they achieved the place that they were given. But, that's life.
(Mr. Wild reflects a moment, then chuckles.) And, of course, the worst thing a person can do is think that he is positively right about everything all the time - that's what starts wars!

S.M: You studied under Egon Petri, who in turn was a pupil of Ferruccio Busoni. Busoni's Piano Concerto has been said to be late Romanticism at its most overblown and over-the-top, the piano concerto to end all piano concertos. Have you ever considered playing it?

E.W: Egon Petri once gave me a copy of the concerto when I studied with him. It was a big volume. I never thought it was very good. He asked me one day why I didn't bring it in with me, and I said, "Oh, it's too heavy." He laughed. It's a piece that really never made it because the piano parts are not all that good, and it is boring in spots. No matter what you do with it, it can't get any better. Every once in a while someone comes along and revives it. The critics at this moment are prone to praising anything Busoni ever did. He wrote a terrible opera, "Doctor Faustus." That's another example. It was never accepted as a masterpiece. I have heard it many times in my life ? more than most people. It just doesn't come off. It is pseudo-intellectual , which I hate. There are so many pseudo-intellectual s around. They couldn't give you a performance of Beethoven's Minuet in G without making it sound stiff. And I love intellectuals. They are the joy of my life - but not when they play the piano.

S.M: So, I take it you lead from your heart.

E.W: Well, yes. That's the only thing to lead from. What else is there?

S.M: Shumei holds art, whether secular or sacred, to be spiritual in essence. Looking back over your life, have you ever felt that something more than yourself was guiding you in your pursuits as a composer and musician?

E.W: There is always something there that leads you on. But it should never be forced.
When I was a child, I started playing at three, and there was nothing else. At four, I took lessons from a teacher in Pittsburg who was very prominent. He smoked big cigars, and I couldn't see the music for the smoke. So, one day, I got up, said, "I have had enough of you", went home, and never came back. Then I studied at the Pittsburg Musical Institute where I had a marvelous teacher named Mrs. Walker. She was the one who discovered that I had perfect pitch and could improvise. By the time I was eight, I started to do transcriptions. I fell in love with the works of Ravel and my first transcription was the Paderewski Minuet, played in the style of Ravel. I never had it published. But even today, it amuses me when I see it. So many things happen like that. They are never forced. They just roll out. That is why I dislike so much of the work of contemporary composers, because they force things. You should never force things out. It never works that way. Things have to just appear.

S.M: Are there any composers working today whom you like or would consider playing?

E.W: That is hard for me to say, because I know there must be some -- definitely. And if I ever see anything that would work on the piano, I would certainly make an effort to play it.
But most contemporary composers haven't the slightest idea of how to write for the piano. It's often too noisy, and they haven't the facility. They may be starting to write too early. Mozart could write music at an early age because he could play the piano and the violin well by the time he started to write. It is necessary for a composer to have an instrument that can be used as the basis for the music ? and the piano is that instrument. People will disagree. It is very easy for critics and intellectuals to take you up on making a statement like that, because people are so wonderful with words these days that they can kill anything.

S.M: You said that there is always something that leads you on. What does it take to be able to pursue that something?

E.W: You have to believe in what you are doing. I always believed in what I did.

S.M: It seems that you always had the confidence and talent to become a very fine musician. But what part did the people in your early life and your family play in nurturing your musical gifts?

E.W: Half my family was Protestant and the other half was Catholic. They quarreled a lot when I was young, and so I drowned them out by practicing. It was wonderful. I avoided it by drowning them out. I practiced a lot. That's one of the best things music can do for you. (Laughter.)

S.M: I probably should delete that from the interview.

E.W: Oh, no, not at all. Not at all.

S.M: Yet, despite drowning out your parents, you have to face it, you were an extremely precocious child, and you also were extremely lucky to have a home that supported your - -
E.W: My mother liked music. My father was tone-deaf. He really couldn't recognize anything I played. If I played the same piece 15 times over, he wouldn't have known it. It just wasn't in his makeup. But my mother was terribly musical. She took piano lessons until she was twenty-one.
I have a sister who is very smart. Her name is Beatrice. She is ninety now. When she was 14, the depression was on and there was no money. She went to school at 15 and learnt dictation and typing. By the time she was 16, she was making more money than most men were at that time. She was always called on to work. She took me to concerts all the time. And I was thrilled, because I loved orchestra music. By the time I was 14, I was playing celesta and piano parts in the Pittsburg Symphony. I loved playing in the orchestra, because to me the tone colors of the orchestra were the most marvelous, imaginative thing in the world. It was there that I learnt to respect rhythm. Later, when I went to the NBC Orchestra, my improvisational skills helped me immensely. I often wondered why Toscanini picked me to perform Gershwin's "Rhapsody in Blue." Although I was on the NBC staff, there were thousands of outsiders who wanted to play it with Toscanini. It turned out that he used to listen in on chamber music concerts that we would do on Sunday mornings, and there he heard me play. One of the musicians that I played with was the cellist, Harvey Shapiro, who still teaches at the age of ninety. I had good training playing chamber music. It was all new to me. I used to go home on Tuesday and practice till midnight so that I could play on Wednesday. Harvey would come over to me and say, "take it a little easier" and "try this" and "try that." I remember it to this day. Most musicians don't try to help each other that much. They are just there. I was very lucky.

S.M: Your improvisational skills must have helped you considerably when you worked in early television with Sid Caesar.

E.W: I was first asked to take on an Italian opera skit that he was doing.

S.M: Did you work on the famous I Pagliacci skit?

E.W: Yes.

S.M: That was classic. I recall Sid Caesar playing tic-tac-toe on his cheek, while putting on clown makeup and singing.

E.W: That part was all Sid's work. The first opera spoof that I did was a take-off on Mozart. The cast was dressed in Louis the 14th period costumes and the opening chorus was based on "Santa Claus is Coming to Town," which sounds very much like Mozart when played in his style. It was a big hit, and we did quite a few spoofs after that. I enjoyed working with Sid Caesar very much. He is a most wonderful, sensitive man. When anything turned up in his work that he thought might be offensive to any group or any person, he would take it out - unlike Mel Brooks, who would trample on anybody.

S.M: During your concert at Shumei Hall, you will be playing one of your own transcriptions.

E.W: Oh, it's a very short piece. It's nothing, really, but it has a beautiful melody. It's based on the second movement, an adagio from Marcello's Concerto for oboe and strings. It's one of the most beautiful melodies from that period. I have loved that piece for a long time. It's a wonderful opener because it is calm and very beautiful. I try to plan my programs better now. Years ago, I wasn't so smart about the order in which I played things. I'd start out with a big Bach arrangement, which immediately set up a tonal range that I would be trying hard to make up for during the rest of the program. Now, I try to set things on levels when planning a concert.
As you may know, the human ear cannot hear a long crescendo. It can only hear steps of levels. That's why when you plan crescendos, they should be planned on levels. This works marvelously on a piano because the instrument takes care of a lot of it. It's the same way with playing different pieces in a concert.

S.M: You have shown an interest in playing works that have been neglected. How did your interest in reviving these works start?

E.W: One of the reasons that I play a lot of those things is that when I was studying at Carnegie Tech, I had a teacher who had been a pupil of Xaver Scharwenka and he gave me a copy of Scharwenka's First Piano Concerto, which I had never seen before. I learned it and became interested in other works of that period. I liked particularly the Paderewski Concerto. One day, years latter, I was sitting by my phone when I got a call from Eric Leinsdorf. He asked me if I knew the Scharwenka B Flat Minor Concerto. I told him that I had been sitting by my phone for the last forty years hoping that someone would call me and ask me to play it! We recorded it with the Boston Orchestra. It caused quite a scene when it came out. It's a good piece. It's straightforward, and there is no doubt about what it is saying. Very few people know that it was one of Richard Strauss's favorite pieces.

S.M: Is there any particular piano piece, which you think is great, but unduly neglected, that you feel a strong need to bring before the public?

E.W: I know most of the pieces that are available. But there must be one or two great ones out there somewhere that should be performed. There always is. I was always disappointed in the Scriabin Piano Concerto. I think it's a good piece but it's not a great work. The Medtner Concertos I like very much, too, but I don't think they are great, either, but they are very good. I adore his writing. The music is so melancholy and sad. I didn't know Medtner, but I did know his nephew, who lived on Long Island. He could only play if he had several drinks. He would refuse to play until after several glasses of booze. Then he would sit down and play one piece after the other, and it was wonderful playing. I can't have so much as one drop of liquor and play the piano. It's not in my makeup. I wish I could. It would be so nice.

S.M: I've been told by more than a few poets and prose writers that a stiff drink is an essential to creativity. It relaxes the mind and allows it to make connections between seemingly incompatible ideas. It allows them to come up with new approaches that would be impossible stone-sober.

E.W: But it's all in the thinking process, really. You have to believe and know how to say to your self, "Now, turn off," and "go after it."

S.M: This facility to calm your mind so that you can go with the music, was it an ability that you acquired or is it native to you, something you were born with?

E.W: I don't know. It's hard to say, because there are so many psychological points involved. Psychology and psychiatry have gone through such changes since I was young. And all the theories were disproved over that period. I had a friend who was a psychiatrist and he introduced me to a lot of great psychiatrists. It was all very interesting. I always thought they were amusing. I would have loved to have been a psychiatrist, but I didn't have time -- too busy with the piano. And when they start analyzing Beethoven! Beethoven was just a nice, ordinary man who happened to be stubborn. He did what he wanted to -- and that was it. So, why make such a scene about the great psychological disorder that they say he suffered?

S.M: What do you think about some of the critics who analyze and judge the works of great composers?

E.W: Oh, they talk about them as if they had lunch with them that day.

S.M: I think I already know your thoughts about music theorists, such as Theodor Adorno, who could be so scathing about fine composers, like Igor Stravinsky, and even disparage composers that he admired, like Arnold Schoenberg.

E.W: Well let's face it: Schoenberg was a sour pickle. His early works were wonderful. I loved them. But when he decided to put his foot down on all that had been done before, when he got into that 12-tone serialism it was the great mistake of his life. The composer Korngold said that Schoenberg played the dirtiest trick on music that had ever been done. That's never been in print, but I can tell you that that is what he said.

S.M: Erich Korngold said that?

E.W: I knew his son, George, very well - a marvelous fellow. He was a recording engineer, and very smart. So, I used to hear what his father said. So, I can guarantee that one.

S.M: Erich Korngold did some very fine things when he was in Austria. Yet, today most of us only know him as the father of the Hollywood soundtrack.

E.W: I wish people would stop talking about film music as if it were on some lower level than "serious" music. Film music can be so tremendous. And a lot of it is certainly better than some of the stuff we hear today that's suppose to be so new and cerebral. And that repetitive stuff, Minimalism -- when you start to write like that, you are writing yourself into a knot.

S.M: Yet, some composers who were considered founders of Minimalism have distanced themselves from that label. Today they are writing things that seem much more lyrical. And younger contemporary composers seem to be creating music that is much more accessible than that of the old Avant-garde.

E.W: Things are turning around. They always do. You see, if you live long enough and wait long enough, something good will occur. I am really an optimist. Of course, sometimes, we have to wait a very long time for this to happen. I always thought that in my last years everything would be very pleasant. That it would be like floating in the air and everything would be so wonderful. It's worse now than ever! Travel is impossible. The airlines don't know what they are doing. The government is having problems with safety, and we are in the midst of all this trouble. It is awful. But as I said before: it will straighten out. At least, I hope the traffic in Los Angeles gets better - for the first time in my life I am beginning to understand road-rage. But, things will straighten out.

REALLY?

2011-01-20T06:21:00.001-05:00

Representative Chris Smith (R-NJ) has stated that China is the most "egregious" violator of human rights in the world.

Really?

Worse than Iran?

Worse than North Korea?

Worse than Uganda?

Worse than Zimbabwe?

Worse than Saudi Arabia?

REALLY?

I am not disputing that China's record on human rights has been shoddy. But there are many countries that are far worse by any standards. I feel that the U. S. government is right to push China toward more open policies. But let's not lose our perspective.

And isn't it ironic that it has been Congressman Smith's party that has historically been in favor of free trade with China - under the debatable belief that free markets create human freedoms? Guess that didn't work out the way they intended.

A Day in the Life of Joe Conservative

2011-01-19T15:48:00.003-05:00

This has been posted before on numerous blogs - but it bears repeating now that the Republicans are in control of the House of Representatives.

A Day in the Life of Joe Conservative
by John Gray

Joe gets up at 6:00am to prepare his morning coffee. He fills his pot full of good clean drinking water because some liberal fought for minimum water quality standards.

He takes his daily medication with his first swallow of coffee. His medications are safe to take because some liberal fought to insure their safety and work as advertised. All but $10.00 of his medications are paid for by his employers medical plan because some liberal union workers fought their employers for paid medical insurance, now Joe gets it too.

He prepares his morning breakfast, bacon and eggs this day. Joe’s bacon is safe to eat because some liberal fought for laws to regulate the meat packing industry.

Joe takes his morning shower reaching for his shampoo; His bottle is properly labeled with every ingredient and the amount of its contents because some liberal fought for his right to know what he was putting on his body and how much it contained.

Joe dresses, walks outside and takes a deep breath. The air he breathes is clean because some tree hugging liberal fought for laws to stop industries from polluting our air.

He walks to the subway station for his government subsidized ride to work; it saves him considerable money in parking and transportation fees. You see, some liberal fought for affordable public transportation, which gives everyone the opportunity to be a contributor.

Joe begins his work day; he has a good job with excellent pay, medicals benefits, retirement, paid holidays and vacation because some liberal union members fought for these working standards. Joe’s employer pays these standards because Joe’s employer doesn’t want his employees to call the union. If Joe is hurt on the job or becomes unemployed he’ll get a worker's compensation or unemployment check because some liberal didn’t think he should lose his home because of his temporary misfortune.

Its noon time, Joe needs to make a Bank Deposit so he can pay some bills. Joe’s deposit is federally insured by the FDIC because some liberal wanted to protect Joe’s money from unscrupulous bankers who ruined the banking system before the Depression. Joe has to pay his Fannie Mae underwritten mortgage and his below market federal student loan because some stupid liberal decided that Joe and the government would be better off if he was educated and earned more money over his lifetime.

Joe is home from work, he plans to visit his father this evening at his farm home in the country. He gets in his car for the drive to dad's; his car is among the safest in the world because some liberal fought for car safety standards. He arrives at his boyhood home.

He was the third generation to live in the house financed by Farmers Home Administration because bankers didn’t want to make rural loans. The house didn’t have electric until some big government liberal stuck his nose where it didn’t belong and demanded rural electrification. (Those rural Republicans would still be sitting in the dark.)

He is happy to see his dad who is now retired. His dad lives on Social Security and his union pension because some liberal made sure he could support himself in old age so Joe wouldn’t have to. After his visit with dad he gets back in his car for the ride home.

He turns on a radio talk show, the hosts keeps saying that liberals are bad and conservatives are good. (He doesn’t tell Joe that his beloved Republicans have fought against every protection and benefit Joe enjoys throughout his day) Joe agrees, “We don’t need those big government liberals ruining our lives; after all, I’m a self made man who believes everyone should take care of themselves, just like I have”.

Rating the area’s grocery stores

2011-01-17T07:03:00.003-05:00

Clevelanders love to eat, and it’s not for nothing that we have one of the highest obesity rates in the USA (a nation not exactly known for svelteness). There’s no shortage of places to shop for food in Cuyahoga County, from standard supermarkets to health food, ethnic specialty stores to wholesale outlets. Here are a few with my opinions on each.

The list here – in no particular order - is not comprehensive, but rather representative – and it’s primarily geared toward the east side. So if I didn’t mention any place you either love or hate, don’t pillory me for missing it – but by all means comment and let me know.

General Markets:

Heinen’s: Cleveland’s premiere family owned grocery chain, currently with 17 stores. Slightly higher prices are more than made up for by the freshness and variety of produce and meats. The stores are beautifully designed with spacious aisles and intuitive layout, the grocery carts are well maintained (no stuck wheels here!), and every location I’ve been to is invariably spotlessly clean. Heinen’s is one of the rare chains that has bucked the unfortunate trend toward self-service checkouts – and curbside pickup is not just an option, it’s standard.

West Side Market: A Cleveland staple for over a century. Two decades ago, WSM had seemed to fall on hard times, but now seems to be undergoing something of a renaissance – as is the surrounding area. Simply put, when it comes to fresh food, WSM has nearly everything, from fruit & veggies to hand-made pierogis, rare cheeses to whole pigs (and I mean whole – head to tail). WSM stubbornly holds onto its 19th Century heritage – and is closed on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays. We just went there this past Saturday – in additional to the usual whirl and rush, a band was performing on the upper balcony. Go early to snag a decent parking spot, be prepared to haggle – and bring cash.

Whole Foods Market: Sometimes called Whole Paycheck market, America’s largest “health-food” chain came to Cleveland a few years ago. It’s true the prices on many items are on the high side – particularly premium items like venison. However, for more ordinary fare WF has its own store brand, 365, which includes everything from pop, milk, and cereal, to frozen veggies and pizza, to household items like detergent. A few years ago, WF’s CEO John Mackey caused a stir when he was caught making negative comments about competitor Wild Oats Market on an internet chat board (using an inversion of his wife’s name – not too slick there, John). WF eventually acquired Wild Oats – and that company’s former location on Chagrin Boulevard has been converted to WF. There was also a boycott of WF stores after Mackey, a strict Libertarian, penned an op-ed opposing President Obama’s health care plane. But that boycott never gained traction locally: Business is never less than brisk at the Cedar Center location – and it’s not advisable to shop there on Friday evenings when the store hosts social events. While there are now two WF locations on the east side, west siders have to commute or go to the next company listed.

Trader Joe’s: In my opinion, TJ’s is overrated. Both the Chagrin Road and Crocker Park locations are small and uncomfortable to navigate. Because of the small physical space, TJ’s cannot carry a broad selection of brands or items. Some would state that shopping, like art, can thrive on limitations, but I’m not buying. Others consider TJ’s the more politically correct alternative to Whole Foods. While I understand those who take issue with WF’s CEO John Mackey’s business practices and politics, need I remind anyone that Trader Joe’s is owned by ALDI’s? Despite that, items there are in the same price range as WF.

Giant Eagle: Currently the dominant supermarket chain in northeast Ohio, many branches are open 24/7. In terms of quantity, SUPERmarket does apply here. GE carries just about any food imaginable, including a generous selection of “ethnic” foods and brand names, like Goya. Most locations also have a formidable selection of alcoholic items – and I’ve even seen lawn furniture and local high school T-shirts for sale there. But the quantity does not always extend to quality: most GEs I’ve been to are only indifferently cleaned, the staff is unhelpful, and those self-service checkouts guarantee a long wait in line. Truthfully, I seldom go there unless it’s after hours.

Dave’s: Priced like Giant Eagle, Dave’s stores have a happier vibe. The chain is locally owned by the Saltzman family. Staff seems to enjoy working there, rather than just relieved to have a job. Good selection at reasonable prices. Dave’s has taken over many former Tops locations, (including the Hilltop Plaza location, which was briefly owned by Zagara’s). They currently have 13 stores.

ALDI’s: Cheap uber alles, this German owned chain is strictly for the budget minded who think price over value. The produce is not optimal. Brand name items are not available. Cash only – bring your own bag or pay extra for theirs, and bag it yourself. Bring a quarter for the privilege of using a grocery cart. Previously confined to more downscale neighborhoods, in recent years they’ve infiltrated Lyndhurst and Westlake.

Italian food stores:

Ferrara’s: Italian-American specialty grocery in Mayfield Heights. The selection is fair, the prices are a bit high – and they don’t accept plastic payment of any kind. Whenever I’m there, which is seldom, I half-expect to see Don Corleone looking for oranges.

Alesci’s: Locally owned, their South Euclid branch has a better selection than Ferraro’s. Very friendly staff, and great deals on pies. Not the place to go if you’re on a diet, but definitely the location for those who love food.

Wholesalers:

Costco: What can be said of the world’s largest members-only wholesale chain that hasn’t been said? Sam’s Club and BJ’s may be cheaper at times, but for selection, they are not in the same orbit. One either loves Costco or hates it. At times, for me, it’s both. I love shopping there – my pulse rate increases whenever I approach their doors – but hate braving the long lines and self-checkout when leaving. Costco has everything and then some. But for now, let’s concentrate on the food: Costco carries name brands for most types of food, usually packaged in bulk sets: frequently there are coupons for 8-packs of Progresso or Campbell’s Soup. These guys are master marketers: They send out a booklet of coupons every month, cannily timed. Expect to see a coupon for four 8-packs of hotdogs as the summer starts, for example. Their own brand, Kirkland Signature, offers excellent value on everything from oatmeal, canned veggies, soup, frozen items including hamburger patties, veggies, and pizza, even beer, ale, and wine. (Recently, Costco stopped carrying Nature Made brand orange juice, retaining only Tropicana – which I despise – and the KS brand, available in condensed only. I hadn’t had condensed OJ in decades, but tried it and love it – and expect to save about $15/month.) KS also makes non-food items including batteries, clothing, shampoo, conditioner, bar and liquid soaps, cleaning products, and that cookware I’ve had my eyes on. Often, the KS value is superior even when there’s a coupon for the big brand names. For those with large families or who frequently entertain, Costco’s value is indispensable. Even though it’s usually just Dan & me at the dinner table, our membership pays for itself with the savings on gasoline alone. One note to those who’ve never been there: Costco does not accept Visa, Mastercard, or Discover credit cards. They do accept debit cards, American Express (Costco has a program where you get a rebate coupon for a percentage of your AMEX purchases) checks (who even pays via check anymore?) and, of course, cash.

The Departed:

Tops: This chain took over Finast, which had been going downhill for years. A cheaper and more downscale version of Giant Eagle, all local stores closed a few years ago. Not missed.

Catalano’s: RIP. My market of choice when I lived in Lyndhurst, one of the last family owned grocery stores went downhill after it was taken over by Giant Eagle. Sales plummeted and the Catalano family briefly took over again before closing for good around 2007. The very simple store layout could be overlooked on account of their stellar bakery and deli. One of the rare grocery stores where bag stuffers wore ties in the 21st Century.

America's Epidemic of Gun Violence

2011-01-11T06:08:00.001-05:00

Rachel brilliantly lays the facts before the viewers. Commentators and ordinary people alike constantly repeat the words "unimaginable" and "inconceivable" - but the fact is, these events have been too common in the United States for all too long. Our nation has had a history of murder and political assasination that makes many third-world countries seem like beacons of civilization. Anyone who, after watching this, still denies that the United States has a major problem with violence is utterly insensate.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

How much retail is too much?

2011-01-05T06:47:00.013-05:00

Please be sure to read the comments on this entry. While I still maintain that there is too much retail for an area with a declining population, my position has evolved somewhat. Non-anonymous comments are welcome.

There has been a curious phenomenon happening in Cuyahoga County. It may be happening elsewhere, for all I know. In an era of declining population, recession, and increased shopping via the Internet, more retail exists than ever before. Perhaps I should clarify my statement: more storefronts exist than ever before, for many of these are empty.

Last week, it was announced that First Interstate Properties was purchasing Oakwood Country Club (which has land in both Cleveland Heights and South Euclid) and developing it into senior housing and retail. Part of the property, First Interstate says, will be preserved for greenspace (although this space will be divided into two parcels with the shopping center plunked into the middle of it).

The Oakwood Club and surrounding area.

Let’s take a look at some numbers:

91,392 <--- combined CH-SE population at its peak (1960 for CH, 1970 for SE).

67,036 <---combined CH-SE population as of 2008.

Over the past half century, the CH-SE area has lost almost 25,000 residents, or 27%. Part of this has been tied to people leaving Ohio for warmer climates, and part to an overall trend toward outer suburbs (whose residents will pay dearly when gasoline hits $4/gallon). Despite the population drain, the CH-SE area has seen an increase in housing stock. That increase continues, despite the foreclosure crisis, to this day. The Cutters Creek development in South Euclid, which involved bulldozing a wooded area for the construction of cluster homes, is a recent example. So are the Bluestone and Courtyards of Severance developments in Cleveland Heights.

The Cutters Creek clusterhouse development in South Euclid.

While the population has dropped, there has paradoxically been an increase in retail space. The major centers are listed below with their largest tenants - a small fraction of the total storefronts there.

*University Square (built on the site of the old May Company, early 2000s): Target, Jo-Anne Fabrics, Applebee’s
*Cedar Center South (rebuilt on the site of previous strip center, 2006): – Whole Foods, First Watch Café, Boston Market, Dollar Store, CVS, Tuesday Morning, urgent care medical facility
*Cedar Center North (construction pending): – Gordon’s Food Service
*Coventry Village (dating back to the 19th Century): – Record Revolution, Big Fun, Winking Lizard
*Severance Town Center (built 1963, rebuilt in the late 1990s): Home Depot, Walmart, Bally Total Fitness, Dave’s Supermarket, Regal Cinemas

Numerous retail options are within a short drive from SE and CH:
*Legacy Village (2003): Crate & Barrel, Cheesecake Factory, Urban Active fitness
*Beachwood Place (built 1978, expanded 1997): Nordstrom, Saks Fifth Avenue
*La Place (built in the 1970s): Borders, Talbots, Melange
*Richmond Town Square (built 1966, remodeled & expanded 1999): Sears, JC Penney, Regal Cinemas
*Golden Gate Plaza (early 1970s): Old Navy, Half-Price Books, TGIFridays, K&G, PetSmart (and a Costco and Best Buy across the street)

There are also smaller retail centers at the Cedar/Lee, Cedar/Taylor, Cedar/Green, and Monticello/Green intersections. The above is in addition to an endless strip of storefronts running along Mayfield Road from Coventry to SOM Center Road.

Anyone can plainly see the area is not lacking in retail/restaurants.

Supporters of First Interstate’s plan claim that this will 1) generate more tax revenue and 2) bring more residents. The first part of their claim is debatable: for there will probably not be a net gain in active retail, just more storefront. The second part of their claim is pure bunk and is not supported by historical evidence. In the era of the automobile, people don’t move somewhere because it’s close to a mall (it’s instructive to remember that when the exurbs started booming, there was no nearby shopping). People choose a place to live based on price, quality of life, and – if they have children – the school system. Neither the Cleveland Heights nor the South Euclid-Lyndhurst school systems are anything to boast about at the present time. That leaves price (which works in CH and SE’s favor), and quality of life. Ask any young professional about what constitutes quality of life for them, and they will reply with a laundry list that includes bike trails, greenspace, and cultural activities (they may also mention sports teams, which will definitely not work on northeast Ohio’s favor). The east side of Cleveland has culture up the wazoo – the orchestra, art and historical museums, the botanical gardens, art cinema – we’ve had it for the past 90 years and it will continue to be a draw. Our greenspace, however, is lacking compared to the west side, which has Edgewater Park and the Rocky River Metropark. In comparison, we have only the smallish Euclid Creek Metropark, then the North Chagrin reservation which is on the far side of SOM Center Road.

Politicians in CH and SE are being short sighted in their mad quest for tax revenue and development for their own sake. Better to reduce housing density and increase greenspace - thereby increasing property values and tax revenue.

Fact is, the “if you build it they will come” school of development doesn’t work in the 21st Century. Big box retail and chain stores struggling to survive in an era of high rent and shrinking population does not lead to quality of life. It leads to empty storefronts – which makes the area undesirable and hurts small business most of all. Jobs with good wages and benefits (which are not retail/restaurant type) improve quality of life – and northeast Ohio has been woefully ineffective in creating those. Greenspace improves quality of life – and those who benefit don’t have to spend money to enjoy it.

The answer to this article’s headline is: when there are empty storefronts and a declining population, there is an overabundance of retail.

If First Interstate really wants to improve the area, why not buy existing facilities along Mayfield Road and fix them up? It would cost a lot less.

The Mistake by the Lake

2011-01-04T06:28:00.000-05:00

Cleveland has often been erroneously referred to as “the mistake by the lake”.* In fact, that sobriquet was originally aimed at Cleveland Municipal Stadium. The venue for Cleveland’s baseball and football games (not to mention concerts, religious, and political events) from 1931 until the 1990s, it was designed in such a way that made fans and players subject to crosswinds and, in the winter, blistering cold temperatures.

By the time the Indians relocated to Jacobs Field (now Progressive Field) in 1994, Municipal’s days were numbered. The Stadium was badly out of date, including bathroom facilities with trough-style urinals and lacking stall doors – and much of the facility inaccessible to handicapped patrons. In addition, the structure itself was literally going to pieces, with chunks of concrete falling off and the pilings starting to petrify. When Art Modell took the Browns to Baltimore (renaming the team the Ravens), a new stadium became a prerequisite for getting another football team.

There is little doubt that Cleveland Browns Stadium, completed in 1999, is more aesthetically pleasing than its predecessor. It’s much easier on the eyes from the outside, with the orange seats adding a distinctive splash of color in famously grey Cleveland. The design also makes for more convenient viewing on the inside, with virtually unobstructed sightlines. It goes without saying that the Stadium is light years ahead of the old Municipal in terms of navigability and convenience.

None of those plusses alter the notion that if Municipal Stadium was a mistake on the lake, Cleveland Browns Stadium is pure boondoggle. Nearly 75% of the construction cost was borne by Cuyahoga County taxpayers. (The NFL kicked in most of the rest). The Browns lease the facility for a mere $250,000 annually. Therefore, the shrinking populace of Cuyahoga County – many of them cash strapped rust-belters – is paying for a facility that relatively few use (and at additional expense), for the benefit of the few: the players, managers, and corporate owners.

It can be, and has been, argued that the stadium boosts the local economy, creating jobs and bringing people downtown whenever there’s an event. The jobs created are mostly part-time, with low wages and few if any benefits. Lacking a dome (which was rejected due to the cost), and even more open to the elements than the old Stadium, the new facility was used a scant 10 times by the Browns this past season. (Non-Browns events have occurred, but are exceedingly rare.) So, the notion of a publicly funded stadium as a booster for economic development is dubious at best. In an era when tea-baggers complain of socialism, I have yet to hear a peep from them about this flagrant corporate socialism.

NOTE: My above complaints have nothing to do with the fact that the Browns suck.

*Cleveland’s location on the shores of Lake Erie may one day be the factor that brings the city back to prominence. The Great Lakes hold 21% of the world’s surface fresh water. Any climate scientist will tell you than in the not too distant future, water will be a more valuable commodity than oil.

Hank’s Top 5 Culinary Pet Peeves

2010-12-29T13:00:00.001-05:00

Overcooked vegetables: Steaming veggies until they’re mush kills the flavor and removes many of the nutrients.

Overcooked meat: It’s already dead. There’s no need to cook it so long that all the flavor is depleted. If one prefers a charred surface (which is potentially hazardous due to carcinogens), then quickly broil/flame the meat, leaving the inside tender and juicy. (Of course, no one should serve or eat meat which is dangerously underdone.)

Gargantuan portions: Few things turn me off to eating in a restaurant as when I face a huge plate overloaded with food. Not only does it make consuming the meal seem more like a chore than a pleasure, but it dampens the prospect of dessert.

Miniscule portions: The ultimate in culinary pretense, and often parodied, is the expensive restaurant that serves a tiny wedge of food, surrounded by empty plate surface. Skimpiness is not desireable.

Misuse of spices: The purpose of herbs, spices, and the like is to supplement the natural flavor of food. It’s not to drown out the flavor and bring attention to itself. Nor is it to overwhelm people’s senses and cause them physical distress (not only when the food is entering the body, but as it exits as well). A good indicator of whether food is too spiced is whether you want to take another bite, or you become desperate for a glass of ice water. Any restaurant that boats of serving chicken wings so hot that a customer is required to sign a release form before consuming them should be shuttered by the health department.

Which of the 50 states...

2010-12-29T10:30:00.004-05:00

Which of the 50 states has the highest suicide rate? (Hint: Its former half-governor is a reality show celebrity.)

Which state is the smartest? (Hint: I got married there.)

Which state is #1 in obesity? (Hint: It's in a part of the country where the mantra is If it ain't fried, it ain't food.)

Which state ranks #1 for speeding tickets? (Hint: There's a reason why they call them Massholes.)

Click the image below to find out...

Winter Wonderland

2010-12-29T10:27:00.003-05:00

I was amused by this article from Britain's Telegraph newspaper:

Why America is better at clearing snow than we are

I would also add that Clevelanders are more adept at this than New Yorkers.

Radiant and Ravishing Piano Playing

2010-12-28T06:35:00.001-05:00

My review of Vladimir Horowitz's Complete DG recordings

Thoughts on veganism and America’s addiction to meat

2010-12-27T18:07:00.001-05:00

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals has named Bill Clinton as their Person of the Year. The former President made headlines this year when he announced that he had been living on a diet largely consisting of “beans, legumes, vegetables, fruit…a protein supplement every morning… no dairy”.

It’s more than a bit disingenuous to promote Clinton as a champion of veganism: First, he still eats fish (which PETA fails to note); Secondly, Clinton has undertaken this restrictive diet out of medical necessity. For decades, he abused his body with cholesterol laden junk food, paid the price with quadruple bypass surgery in 2004 and has since had to have two stents placed in his coronary arteries. The former President represents an extreme case, where there is no alternative but to go “virtually vegan”.

I’m amused by the reactions of the pro and anti vegan crowd to this news. The vegans crow with vindication about Clinton’s late-life change, and the carnivores counter that all vegans are smelly, weird people. Then carnivores inevitably drop the Hitler bomb, even though Hitler was not, in fact a strict vegan or even a vegetarian. (By the way, I listen to Beethoven and Wagner and am not going to stop just because Hitler happened to have good taste in music.) While the vegans claim that Clinton looks astonishingly fit, the carnivores complain that he looks like a feeble old man. For my part, I do believe that Clinton looks somewhat gaunt, although he appears better than he did immediately after his bypass surgery, when his pallor reminded me of late-life photographs of Franklin Roosevelt. Clinton’s voice has also lost much of its projection, and there is a noticeable reduction in his legendary vigor.

As is often the case where both camps are convinced of their absolute correctness, reality is somewhere in the middle.

Fact is, humans are driven by evolution and biology to crave and eat meat (by which I mean all kinds of meat, including pork and poultry). That’s why we have incisors and canine teeth, unlike herbivores which have mouthfuls of molars. Early humans ate meat, fish, fruit, vegetables, and nuts. They did not, however, eat bread (which is a human invention). Neither did they drink milk (once they were weaned from their mothers’ milk) or consume other dairy products such as butter and cheese.

Most Americans, however, eat too much meat, particularly so called red meat. This is for several reasons: historically, Americans have been meat eaters since before our founding: There was a bounty of game animals on the continent that exceeded Europeans’ grandest dreams; in modern times, factory farming has kept meat available in plenty, and at prices most Americans can easily afford. Very few of them care, or are even aware, that the vast majority of meat and poultry is filled with growth hormones, antibiotics, and was raised in conditions that our 19th Century counterparts would have considered indecent. The overconsumption of meat and dairy products and reliance on processed foods (like bread and products made with High Fructose Corn Syrup), combined with the under-consumption of fruits and vegetables and our sedentary lifestyles have placed the American peoples’ health in jeopardy. What happened to Bill Clinton is a sample of what’s in store for many of us if we don’t change our ways. (And overconsumption of certain kinds of fish can lead to mercury poisoning.)

There is also the ethical question. I grew up with foods such as pot roast, steak, burgers on the grill – along with the veggies my parents made me eat. I never gave a thought as to where the food came from or how it got to the kitchen table – and I’d venture to guess that few of my classmates did either. But over the last few years, I’ve become increasingly uneasy with eating red meat and pork. I now try to keep myself limited to one helping of red meat per week – but even that has started to bother me, especially since watching The Cove. For what is the difference, after all, in eating meat that comes from a cow or pig, as opposed to a whale, dolphin, or even the family dog? They are all mammals, and all share the same evolutionary history. It may be irrational or false equivocation, but I do consider mammals to be a higher form of life than fowl, which are essentially reptiles. There is also the environmental impact deriving from the raising or so many cattle, which have to be fed and housed before they are slaughtered. So the struggle I face is between my body’s cravings for red meat, and my growing guilt in consuming it. Last summer, I totally gave up dairy for several weeks, and that combined with my reduction in red meat intake produced some unexpected results – in the form of dreams about cheeseburgers covered in ice cream. I don’t think I will ever be able to give up mammalian meat completely.

In the end, the answer is, as it has always been: moderation in everything. If President Clinton had observed that mantra in his younger years, he wouldn’t have to resort to extreme measures today.

Thoughts on the end of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell

2010-12-19T10:34:00.000-05:00

America’s ludicrous ban on openly gay and lesbian Americans serving in the military has finally been struck down – although it will probably take a year or more for the military to implement the repeal.

President Obama was roundly criticized for his handling of this issue. The military continued discharges even as it became increasingly obvious that DADT’s days were numbered. The President could have easily issued a stop-loss order suspending discharges, but chose not to. Indeed, I don’t think any President since Carter has been so roundly pilloried from both the right and the left – including my own comments. President Obama’s lack of executive experience has made itself most evident in his inability to control various processes. As has been stated elsewhere, instead of negotiating from a position of strength, he has frittered it away and gotten much weaker legislation than could have been passed – this has most recently been demonstrated with the Tax Package, but applies to Health Care as well. In the end, he got both done, but Obama must be a lousy Poker player. Fortunately, the repeal of DADT was a straightforward piece of legislation and it was merely a question of getting enough votes for passage. The credit for that does not go to the President, but to Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid and a handful of Republicans. (It must be pointed out that, despite the crowing by Log Cabin Republicans and the GOProud crowd, the overwhelming majority of Republicans in office remains homophobic in their voting and policy positions, regardless of what may or may not be in their hearts. A few Republicans yielding to common sense do not constitute a bipartisan victory.)

The Human Rights Campaign received a lot of flak for its handling of DADT repeal, along with Hate Crimes and the Employee Non-Discrimination Act. Much of that criticism was justified. While HRC will undoubtedly use the repeal of DADT as fodder in fundraising letters and for their lavish parties, the fact is that the primary driver of repeal was media attention to decorated service members who opted to come out, most notably Lieutenant Dan Choi, Lt. Colonel Victor Fehrenbach, and Staff Sgt. Eric Alva. These brave Americans helped push public opinion in the right direction. Without them, and ground level activists pushing HRC and the establishment, DADT’s repeal would have been delayed indefinitely. HRC’s slight pushing at the end does not forgive their record for ineffectiveness.

One commenter has raised the specter that DADT might one day be reinstated. Given the increasing acceptance of LGBT people in general society, largely driven by the work of gay activists going back 40 years, and a generational change in attitudes, a rollback of gay rights seems increasingly unlikely. It would take strong majorities of conservative Republicans in both the House and Senate, along with a Republican President, to reinstate any ban. It would mean the Republican Party would have to purge its moderate wing – which would make it impossible to elect Republicans in New England or the West.

But the gay community’s work is far from done: It is still perfectly legal to fire someone from his job for being gay in 38 states. With the upcoming party change in the House of Representatives, any enactment of ENDA seems unlikely in the foreseeable future – to say nothing about repealing the Defense of Marriage Act. The status of LGBT people in American society is still far from equal. It’s increasingly likely that any advance in employment and marriage in the near future is going to come from the courts and not the legislature. It needs to be pointed out that there are far more LGBT people in civilian society than in the military – and their rights are just as important.

As for myself, I have never seriously contemplated joining the military, and at 43 I’m not about to start now - especially considering the United States’ increasing propensity to undertake unwarranted wars of choice that neither make the world safer nor improve America’s standing in the world. Despite changes in party leadership, Dwight Eisenhower’s prophetic nightmare continues: the military-industrial complex thrives.

Afterthought for the day

2010-12-16T15:17:00.002-05:00

A clean conscience is its own reward...but food is a very effective incentive.

No Free Lunch...

2010-12-08T21:08:00.004-05:00

These two Gallup poll results, from the same day, illustrate the present dichotomy among the American populace:

66% of Americans (but not the same 66%) favor extending both the Bush tax cuts and unemployment benefits.

Large majorities also want to increase FDA and USDA regulation, while a plurality wants to postpone cuts in Medicare payments to doctors. In other words, the American people want increased government services, but don't want to pay for them.

People need to be reminded that there's no such thing as a free lunch.

Olbermann: Obama "God-damned Wrong" on tax-deal

2010-12-08T09:59:00.003-05:00

Once again, Keith speaks for the conscience of Liberal and Progressive America. It would have been better to let ALL the Bush tax cuts expire and return to Clinton-era levels. Need I remind anyone the 1990s were a time of unprecedented economic prosperity? Sound fiscal and tax policy had something to do with that.

Who is going to be hurt by the Obama/Republican deal? Americans making less than $20,000 a year. President Obama is betraying one of the core ideals which have guided the Democrats since the 1930s - a rising tide lifts all boats, and giving in to Trickle-down economics.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Mason: the Dog who likes Classical Music

2010-11-26T21:24:00.003-05:00

I've commented before that Mason can be calmed by music. Here's an example of that, as my friend Zsolt plays Schubert at our Thanksgiving celebration. (Before Zsolt started playing, Mason was frantic with excitement at seeing him.)

Return of the deer family

2010-11-21T22:08:00.002-05:00

If you double-click on the video, it will take you to the youtube page where you can watch it in full-screen.

Deer in South Euclid

2010-11-18T17:34:00.000-05:00