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Wednesday, November 28, 2007
Sokolowski's University Inn
Cleveland, OH 44113
(216) 771-9236
By Edward Sandwichhands
Getting excited about cafeteria style food can be difficult - unless, of course, you happen to be at Sokolowski's University Inn. I was immediately struck by the warm atmosphere while waiting in line. (Apparently no matter how early you get to Sokolowki's there is always a line due to the loyal customer base and general notoriety of the establishment.)
A large sign over the entry way reminds us that we "enter as strangers and leave as friends." If I ever needed a friend in Cleveland I would certainly want that friend to have the attributes of: pierogies, sirloin steak, cabbage and noodles, rice pudding, hot corned beef, mashed potatoes, and pecan pie. We ordered so much food that the cashier exclaimed, "you boys must be home visiting from school!" We weren't, but I certainly felt like a child as I approached the food counter. The variety of delicious foods is nearly overwhelming. It is one thing to be presented with a large menu, it is another to have a years worth of prepared food looking at you from behind a glass window.
The sirloin steak was incredible. It was slathered in warm gravy and endless love. The cabbage and noodles were so buttery and delicious that I wanted to stay with them forever (unlike any woman I've ever been with). The pierogies were to die for; Mrs. T could certainly learn a thing or two from the staff of Sokolowski's. It's hard to explain just what makes an incredible pierogi, for me it had to be the texture. They were neither too soft nor too turgid – an incredible infusion of potato and dough. The rye bread on my corned beef sandwich was buttered and then grilled. The corned beef was chewy, but manageable. Overall, the sandwich was fit for a better man than I.
My biggest worry was that we wouldn't finish the food we had ordered. There was no way I was going to lose face in front of Cleveland's finest, so I threw caution to the wind and ate until I was ready to puke and die. During the last three years in Cleveland I never imagined that I would have a reason to come back to sweet CLE - Sokolowski's could be that reason.
Tuesday, November 20, 2007
Slyman's Restaurant for breakfast
3106 Saint Clair Ave NE
Cleveland, OH 44114
(216) 621-3760
By Edward Sandwichhands
The breakfast sandwich is an interesting creation. Origins unknown, the sandwich undoubtedly owes its popularity to the emergence of the American fast-food breakfast movement of the late 1960's. Whether we like it or not, McDonalds has helped to popularize the trend of taking the entire breakfast plate and putting it on the toast. This is exactly how I approached Slyman's breakfast experience. I ordered the corned beef and cheese omelet with rye toast as well as the standard egg and cheese breakfast sandwich on wheat toast. The waitress was not pleased with my order. She politely told us that we were ordering a lot of food. We responded with laughter.
My omelet came first. It was somewhat intimidating. I had imagined a standard omelet with some corned beef and cheese. Of course what I received was more the creation of Slyman's than breakfast convention. It was a massive mound of delicious corned beef wrapped in a small amount of eggs with some Swiss cheese in-between. It wasn't actually a small amount of eggs – it just seemed that way because of all the corned beef. When no one was looking (shhhhhhhhhh!) I took some of the corned beef and put it on my breakfast sandwich. It was incredible. Why do we let McDonalds decide which meats we are going to eat on our breakfast sandwiches? To hell with breakfast convention – give me massive amounts of corned beef in the morning, or give me death.
Sunday, November 11, 2007
230 W. Huron Rd.
Cleveland, OH, 44113 - USA
Ph: 216-574-2868
Bite: Massive, tasty, satisfying.
by Beau Cadiyo
Tower City has always seemed crowded, dark and oppressive. I wandered through the food court looking at options and people. The former were plentiful and the latter were motley – some looked homeless, some like bankers. I spied Dan in his suit and bumped into him aggressively while chewing on a sample that the immigrant woman had called "Chicken Buffalo." I was sure she'd misspoke, but it didn't take like a Buffalo Chicken Wing sandwich. Dan had ordered the Chicken Philly sandwich, and when I looked at the menu, the immigrant woman was vindicated – Chicken Buffalo. Almost immediately his sandwich was ready, and my eyes bulged at how huge it was. I immediately ordered one.
The story of Charley's is inspiring. A junior at OSU borrowed his mom's life savings and opened his first restaurant, and twenty years later there are 200 or something around the world. Inspiring and stupid – I would never gamble like that, either as a son or mother.
The sandwiches are prepared quickly. The fries were soggy and unimpressive, almost cardboardlike. The first bite of my sandwich was not too good, but as I kept eating it kept getting better. The chicken was a bit tough, but the lettuce was fresh and the tomatoes were some of the best I've ever had in restaurant food, much less fast food – very red and unusually tasty. The server had slathered mayonnaise on it, which made it fatty-tasting.
Eating it while overlooking the crooked river, I thought of Woody Allen's "Love and Death." There's a scene where Napoleon has his chefs create a pastry good enough to bear his name and compete with the freshly-emerged "Beef Wellington." In our world there are Philly cheesesteaks, California rolls, boston beans, New England clam chowder, Kentucky Fried Chicken, Maryland Fried Chicken, Chicago and New York pizza and probably dozens more I can't think of. Will we ever have anything besides the Steamer? We need something to bear our name. Cleveland Brownies, for example, or a "Burning River" shot of cinnamon liqueur and tequila, lit or unlit. Instead of having a contest to determine what it is, though, it has to emerge organically. Every independently owned restaurant in Cleveland should produce a "Cleveland" food and, in twenty years, something will emerge as the Cleveland food.
I finished in two portions. The sandwich, at the end was phenomenal, and weighed in my stomach for the rest of the day. Cleveland food, though – I'm still thinking about what it can be. I'm pretty sure, thought, that I will not be borrowing my mom's life savings to start my own restaurant.
Monday, October 29, 2007
Silver Spartan Diner
Cleveland, OH 44106
(216) 368-0634
Bite: Don't mix what you don't understand.
By Beau Cadiyo
I grade friends on multiple scales. Two are closeness (i.e., knowing a little or a lot about each other) and goodness (i.e., friendship based on similarities and mutual respect, not circumstances or closeness). You don't need to be close to be a good friend; I prefer good friends over close, and my best friends are good and close. Bob was a good friend. I liked and respected him a great deal, but there was always a barrier up to getting too close.
We both had some free time and he suggested the diner. We got a back corner table, which I think is always a symbol of power – you can see everything that goes on if you're the one with your back to the wall. Chicago establishments used to do the same for Al Capone. Diners not so well-respected included professors and a student couple I knew who conversed intimately over their retro table. The décor, though contrived, projected an impressive authenticity. It wasn't a bad thing in this situation but if they'd gone any less than whole-hog on, it would have been a disaster.
I had a cheese Spartan Stack. I appreciate the concept of fries on a sandwich. It's cute, and I might have let it slip were it not for the fact that the coleslaw was also on the sandwich. Imagine pouring red wine on a steak and telling the diner that it will cleanse the palate while you're eating. Coleslaw goes ON THE SIDE, IN A MINIATURE BOWL. If they'd put the sandwich, fries and coleslaw separately on a plate I think it might have been very, very good. But.
After lunch we sat around. Bob told me about his children, and how he was writing books, and the things he would never forget but didn't quite know how to remember. I ran business ideas by him and talked about fighting blind people. We moved a little more toward the closeness quadrant. An attorney I work with told me that at her first clerkship, a partner made her call all the partners by their first names so that she quickly established herself as an equal. I don't know that I'll ever feel comfortable enough to call him "Bob" in person – face to face, he'll always be Professor Lawry. But going toward close with a good person and a good friend is rare and special, and I'll always be thankful for that lunch, even if the sandwich was disappointing.
Monday, October 15, 2007
Painesville, OH 44077
(440) 357-1388
Bite: Worth the trip to Painesville.
by Beau Cadiyo
Aesthetically, DC's is a dismal failure. Patrons sit at what appears to be old church café furniture. Thrift store paintings decorate the walls, with small little league awards distributed in a seeming random manner. There is poor lighting, an awkward front door, and, in the back, a large, unlit deli freezer with suspicious few old-looking cakes inside.
Luckily we were not put off by the appearance. DC's serves breakfast all day, so Gary got a make-your-own omelet and Greg got a breakfast sandwich. Shelly went with biscuits and gravy, and I got a fried perch sandwich with a side of biscuits and gravy.
The long, long, long wait was well worth it. DC's fried perch sandwich was rather unfulfilling. Two fried pieces of fish were placed on a piece of lettuce, a tomato and put inside a rather dull hamburger bun, with relish-tasting tartar sauce on the side. However, it all tasted fresh – the fish was not fatty or greasy, the breading was crisp, the lettuce was crunchy and you could actually taste the tomato. The French fries were fresh-cut, and while perhaps a little soggy were not overly-salted.
It was the biscuits and gravy which stole the show. The biscuits were warm, crisp on the outside and soft on the inside. The gravy was served in a bowl on the side, and looked suspiciously like grits – a mass of mash, mixed with sausage bits, in tablespoons of oil. However, mixed, it was heavenly – while not, perhaps, traditional gravy, the waitress explained that it was made like normal gravy and separated because of the ingredients; the chef made it up special. It was smooth, not fatty-tasting, and not too runny. The sausage, liquid and biscuits created a heterogeneous mixture, allowing the diner to push parts together and cut the biscuits with a fork.
While I love biscuits and gravy in general, I now realize what has been long with it for so long – it's like living with poor eyesight for your whole life and, upon putting on correct-prescription glasses at 33, seeing what things actually look like – and realizing you've had a problem. These are worth the trip to Painesville alone, but when you get there, don't be put off by the interior decorating. Judge DC's for the food and the surroundings will cease to matter.
Cleveland Heights, OH 44106
By Edward Sandwichhands
Ambiance is the word. Waterfalls, Japanese maples, lavender, well dressed Clevelanders, and sheer exuberance. When I first walked into Nighttown I was positive that I was at the wrong place. You just get the feeling that you've stumbled into a private party and you are underdressed. It was exactly like Wedding Crashers except for the fact that it was almost nothing like that and that movie is absolutely terrible.
The highlight of my meal had to be the bangers and mash. My guess is that these bangers and mash were better than any served in tyrannical England. The cabbage was not overcooked, the potatoes were well seasoned, and the sausage reminded me of breakfast at a greasy truck stop. The dish was extremely well presented with green onions and a light dressing that helped to sweeten the cabbage. I think the bangers and mash were so good that I was bound to be disappointed by my grilled chicken sandwich. Although adorned with Canadian bacon and Swiss cheese, the sandwich was boring. When a sandwich makes you excited to take another bite of your pickle you know something is wrong. If you go to Nighttown I recommend you go to check out the scenery. I promise waterfalls, waitresses wearing neckties on their heads, 30 something's ignoring each other at lunch while they talk on their cell phones, and a bunch of people who dress better than the cast of CSI Miami.
By Beau Cadiyo
It sounds cheesy, but the hostess made the trip to our table sensuous. We followed her outside to the patio, past dividers and next to a small waterfall, framed by Japanese maples, lavender and hanging flowers, all the while swaying her hips and looking back in a way I thought was suggestive but Ed blew off as a normal reaction to his raw animal sexuality. After we sat down we realized that the average age of the other patrons hovered somewhere in the fifties, and except for us everyone was in at least khakis and a polo shirt. It was a quality establishment, and we expected the same from the sandwiches.
We ordered bangers and mash as an appetizer. Cabbage, mixed with green onions and a salty sauce, lay under two scoops of fluffy, delicate mashed potatoes, and two sausages leaned casually against the pile. The sausages were crispy on the outside, tender on the inside, and willingly yielded to a very dull knife. We had to look at the menu to determine that the cabbage was not some exotic green. The potatoes were finely mashed and buttered and slid into my mouth, dissolving completely under pressure from my tongue.
I had the crab cake sandwich, which came with a side of fries and a pickle. The crab cake was served on an average bun, a zig-zag of some unidentifiable sauce spread on it. Two slices of tomato and a piece of lettuce lay unenthusiastically on the side. Biting into it, the crab cake squished apart; the bite mark left a window into interconnected crab fibers, reminding me of a summer spent near the docks in Maryland, watching Vietnamese immigrant women pull crabs apart to make patties. Entire, the pieces all formed a nice sandwich, but not a spectacular one, which I would have expected from the establishment. The waitress actually asked us if we wanted ketchup for our mediocre fries, and returned later with a slightly dusty unopened bottle of Heinz. Ed suggested that perhaps we were the only people to use ketchup in the entire establishment. It wasn't for my sandwiches, mind - it was for the fries, although in retrospect it might have done the crab cakes good. But we felt a bit like it was a blunder. Note to self: on job interviews, no sauces. Finally, the lack of coleslaw disappointed me.
Still, there's something sexy about Nighttown. It's not the hostess, really, or the waitress with the pink tie wrapped around her forehead and rouge on her cheeks, or the cougars one table over talking obnoxiously on their cell phones to other people and obviously reacting again to Ed's animal magnetism. We were there on a late summer afternoon, but the club held the promise of dark evenings, smoky rooms, drinks, chatter and horns – magic, really. If only their sandwiches delivered as much.
That Place
Cleveland, OH 44106
(216) 231-4469
Bite: Best veggie burger and fries I've had.
by Beau Cadiyo
One of my pet peeves is people who talk on their cell phones in the library. If it were up to me, they would all be suddenly struck by severe nut allergies while hiking miles and miles from civilization, their throats constricting horrifically, and just before they black out from a lack of oxygen a forest fire would engulf them, leaving their suffocated bodies charred beyond recognition. Their small, immature minds cannot grasp the concept of letting a call go to voicemail. It's really quite pathetic. It was after correcting an unfortunately overweight girl for this offense that I realized I was almost late for lunch at That Place with Dave. I was in an agitated state of my own making; it was a relief to escape the library for business.
My mentor, Tom, recently sent me an email saying that most business happens best over lunch, not at meetings or conferences or golf courses. "Eating is the most intimate thing you can do with your clothes on," was how my college literature advisor put it. This was not an exception. I ordered a veggie burger with cheddar and extra fries; Dave got a regular burger. That Place was loud and crowded, or I'm going deaf; the waiter, however, was calm and pleasant, and we were served promptly – but not so promptly that we didn't accomplish a mind meld and form, from exploding synapses and bursts of absurdly doable eurekas, the next new important e-business.
The veggie burger was amazing. A learned and distinguished friend of mine had to have her boyfriend taste her veggie burger because she wasn't sure it was not meat. The portabellas are perfectly packed into patties and cooked; the buns are not cheap, and the tomatoes and lettuce taste fresh. The extra fries did a lot to fill my belly. Growing up, I despised coleslaw. The coleslaw at That Place is about the best I've ever had.
Upon returning to the library I was in a much better mood than when I'd left. However, a 2L started gossiping loudly with the girl who works in the computer lab about some inconsequential matter. I often wonder why girls talk about so many things that even they don't seem to care about much. Well-fed, however, it didn't bother me all that much.
La Bodega
Tremont, Ohio
Bite: Big promise, small delivery.
by Beau Cadiyo
Terminally cool, the proprietor said that my friends weren't there, but I should sit down. The first thing I noticed was that the stools all had three legs. It's funny what you remember: in ancient Greece, three-legged chairs were apparently common because three legs don't wobble. Four legs are supposed to be the symbol of some sort of quality craftsmanship. Second, my Boylan's Orange Soda was delicious (and reminded me of YouTube's Fake David Blaine #2).
That was sadly the high point of the trip. When Jen and Tom arrived and we sat down at a proper table, we found the menu long and confusing. The groupings do not correspond with the numbers; thus, if you tell someone "I'm getting 53," there is a good chance that "53" is near neither "52" or "54." I initially liked mine (#33), enjoying the softness of the smoked salmon and the spice of the wasabi cucumbers, until Jen asked me how fresh the bagel tasted. I then realized that it didn't taste fresh at all, but store-bought, frozen, thawed, not even toasted to give it some crispness or semblance of recent boiling/baking. Tom noted that sometimes restaurants propose a spin that doesn't really work with food. For example, one might try to freshen up PB&J with tomatoes. He got a tuna salad sandwich which had sesame seeds; after deliberating he decided that the seeds worked. For me, if you have to deliberate, it doesn't work. Jen got something with eggplant which she found lacking; after a while she realized that the cheese was soft. She wanted a harder, firmer, chewier cheese, a cheese of substance. She didn't even touch the flaccid, probably store-bought pickle.
Done and mostly disappointed, we talked art. The pieces on the wall were interesting, but somewhat forgettable; the wall itself was intriguing, with what appeared to be old boards inserted between the bricks. I proposed that true art only occurs in the face of its opposition; Jen argued that seeds can't grow in the desert; Tom pointed out that every seed is different. It's all a matter of figuring out what works and what doesn't, and that requires extensive experimentation. There's promise in La Bodega, but they're going to have to keep trying.
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
Slyman's Restaurant
Cleveland, OH 44114
(216) 621-3760
Bite: This is the best of Cleveland in every way.
By Beau Cadiyo
After Ed and I had waited on the sidewalk for fifteen minutes we found out that there are two lines at Slyman's: one for takeout and one for sit-down. The siren-song of waiting and smoking outside had caught us; we had been in the former. A little embarrassed, we walked in and took seats at the counter, where a woman large in both body and personality shoved menus, drinks and utensils at us.
Slymans, busy, is a feast for the eyes. The other waiting patrons represented a cross-section of Cleveland, all colors, shapes, ages and economic levels. Ed noted that it seemed like they were united in their search for excellent food. The mechanical corned-beef slicer becomes hypnotic if you stare at it for long enough: slabs of meat are thrown on and gravity pulls them into the blade, resulting in a pile which is constantly diminished and replenished. I'm sure there is a Greek myth to which I could compare it. The "everything Three Stooges" décor is carefully, lovingly arranged – it's overwhelming but not tacky. Finally, watching the staff cooking and arranging and serving and charging as a unit is like watching world-class choreography. They looked so busy producing greatness that they didn't even stop to exhibit justifiable pride in their work. I wish I'd had a camera.
When our sandwiches arrived, a token slice of Swiss cheese and two slices of rye bread garnished the massive, warm, leaning twin towers of corned beef on my plate. We'd earlier agreed to split our sandwiches; I here forgo describing the corned beef as I don't believe I could do such an exquisite experience justice. I inhaled my half and started in on half of Ed's BBQ Beef sandwich. It was a little too vinegary, and Ed had made the near-fatal mistake of ordering white bread, but otherwise it was tastier than most. The fries were excellent – they'd been frozen, but they'd also been cooked perfectly, or as well as I've ever had. We mixed them first with ketchup, then with an unidentifiable pink sauce which tasted like mayonnaise mixed with relish for texture. It, like everything, was amazing.
At 2:00 p.m. we stood in line to pay, then squeezed through the door past patrons, lined up to the sidewalk, waiting for take-out. When we got to Chester and 105th, we both felt like we'd been on an odyssey longer than an hour and a half. At 4:30, halfway through my swim, I burped mid-stroke and realized that mere hours earlier I had truly tasted excellence.
Das Schnitzel Haus
Parma, OH 44129
By Edward Sandwichhands
Cleveland is a smelly place – a smelly, smelly place. When I moved here I blamed the smell on the lake. But the stench isn't localized, it follows you. It's in your dresser when you go to put on your morning clothes – and it crawls into bed with you each night.
Every year Cleveland has this wonderful event called "Taste of Cleveland." It costs five dollars to get in, the food is overpriced, and it's located right by the smelly lake. About thirty local restaurants attend this event and serve some of the finest sandwiches this side of Akron.
I attended "Taste of Cleveland" with several close friends. My friends and I were filling our time with comfort food until Nathan arrived on the 9:30 pm Greyhound from Toledo. The Greyhound station is possibly one of the smelliest places in America, especially when the unique smell is compounded with Cleveland's own. If I was going to make it through a night of horrifying smells and another morning of crippling loneliness, I would have to eat.
I knew that only a hearty sandwich of massive proportions could ease my worries and satiate my hunger. The Germans are a hearty people, who consume all of their traditional foods with mustard and sauerkraut. When the fine employees of 'Das Schnitzel Haus' asked me if I would like sauerkraut and mustard on my Schnitzel sandwich I could hardly refuse. Wiener schnitzel is the type of Schnitzel most commonly served in Austria. It consists of thin veal coated in bread crumbs and deep fried. Americans tend to think of Wiener schnitzel as being some type of extravagant hot dog, but really it's very similar to veal parmesan – minus the parmesan. The schnitzel was delicious. Served on a thick roll and covered in whole grain mustard and sauerkraut - a simple, but filling sandwich. In one bite I felt happy, German, and a little smelly. Despite my predisposition toward taking pleasure in the little things, no sandwich could help me cope with the fact that I would soon be scouring a Greyhound station for my friend in hopes that he hadn't been murdered or urinated on.
Monday, September 24, 2007
Organic Energy Restaurant and Power Juice Cafe
Solon, Ohio 44139
By Hammond T. Amato
Organic Energy was the only thing keeping the boxy strip mall on Miles road from seeming dark and looming as we drove up after dusk. The high ceilings and straight walls of new plazas typically turn me off, but inside, the store managed a welcoming atmosphere with a few big comfortable couches, a wall lined with two-seater square tables, and a coffee table covered with cooking magazines and books about farming and food politics.
Beau and I started off with shots of wheatgrass. Never having had one before, it tickled me to have a shooter of lawn juice put in front of me like tequila, my chaser a slice of orange. Warned otherwise, I didn't find the taste repulsive, though I wouldn't substitute it for my morning cereal. I read the extensive list of juices, food and smoothies on the menu board behind the counter, getting caught up in the names (the Ninja noodle bowl, for example, and the salad simply called "Big"). Picky veggie eaters such as me will appreciate house-made veggie burgers, tempeh, and hummus, options that avoid the ubiquitous cheesy alternative to meat.
I thought very seriously about having a simple almond-butter sandwich, but opted for something more complex. I had the #4 on ciabatta bread. Over the low counter, I chatted with one of the two workers as he spread pesto sauce and hummus and arranged sun-dried tomatoes, slices of tempeh and strips of marinated mushrooms. Beau and I settled on a long couch while our dinners toasted, and in a moment we received both of our sandwiches in little plastic baskets, accented by a pickle spear and, to my delight, a little container of quinoa salad. What other restaurants think to serve such a quirky grain?
The best thing about my meal was the fact that it managed to be crisp despite the spreads lining the bread. It's all too easy to create a soggy panini, and I'd like to thank OE for toasting my supper without soaking it. The pleasure of crunchy food added to the evening, although ultimately my meal only simply satisfied. I certainly enjoyed it, as I tend to enjoy the flavors of hummus and tempeh no matter what, but I wish that the pesto had been spicier.
Even though prices exceeded moderation- seven dollars for a sandwich, not counting bottled water and wheatgrass- I'll go back. I liked the store, lit by charming hanging lamps, and I liked the menu, peppered with interesting ingredients and lots of build-it-yourself options. The people manning the operation that night weren't pushy about us leaving as they began to close around us; we were treated with a smile right up to our exit. Despite its home in a rather common shopping complex, Organic Energy has some good vibes (and good sandwiches) to share.
Sunday, September 23, 2007
Lakewood, Ohio
By K. Sediya
Only a few tables were open on Saturday afternoon at Melt, and only one on the patio. Of course, choosing the patio meant sacrificing the ambiance including random cartoons on various televisions, Cleveland memorabilia- particularly related to the Tribe- and the glowing plastic Dracula statute statue above the bar. The patio, in contrast, lacked décor and the tables were strangely and sparsely arranged, producing a slightly sterile and empty feeling. The waitress was almost cartoonish because of her stature (at least 6'2") and un-worldly large breasts. Still, neither she, nor the sing-along oldies music, nor the stunning weather, came close to matching all of the stimuli inside of the restaurant.
We started with fried tofu. As a 16-year vegetarian I consider myself a tofu connoisseur and "fried" is one of my favorite presentations. The crunchy outside pleasantly contrasted to the soft, but not gelatinous, inside. The tofu entirely absorbed the flavor of the BBQ sauce, which was tasty- thick and slightly sweet with a very mild zing- though would not win any awards for creativity. Still, the appetizer was a satisfying "tide-me-over" after a long day of photographing on the West Side.
When the gargantuan sandwiches arrived, accompanied by a generous portion of French fries and coleslaw, it became apparent that the tide-me-over was unnecessary. First, my family believes that cooking French fries is an art. The fries at Melt were crispy on the outside without being burnt and would have more than passed muster at our dinner table in their generous portions. Second, the flavors of the Mushroom Melt blended flawlessly. The sweetness of the caramelized onion nicely complemented the provolone and portabellas. However, the Spinach Pie sandwich was less satisfying. The feta did not melt very well, so the sandwich, including spinach, roasted red peppers and grilled onions, fell apart and the flavors and textures seemed like separate entities rather than cohesive parts of a whole.
Though I would happily return and re-order the Mushroom Melt, the appeal of this typically Lakewood joint- chock-full of hipsters, heavily tattooed punk rockers, middle class families (probably of Irish-American descent), and the occasional neighborhood jock- is not the gourmet food. Rather, it's the nostalgia that the restaurant evokes from the grilled cheese sandwiches, a favorite food from childhood, to the retro album cover menus and the historical Cleveland Decor. The past often seems better in hindsight, doesn't it?
Thursday, August 23, 2007
Jimmy O'Neills Tavern
Cleveland OH 44118
By Edward Sandwichhands
Occasionally a sandwich is good. Sometimes it is too good. Jimmy O'Neil's is a pretty great place. Good service, great food, and they have all sorts of old time trash up on the walls (in case that happens to be your thing.) If I had ever been to Ireland I'm sure it would be a lot like that. Before ordering food our hearts were swept away by a delicious basket of warm bread. I enjoyed the whole grain variety; it tasted really rustic, like Ireland (which I've never been to). I had the buffalo chicken sandwich because I'm a sucker for anything involving copious amounts of hot sauce. It was fantastic. I find that most places are able to cover a chicken breast in hot sauce and serve it up pretty well, but I genuinely appreciated the quality of the chicken as well as the bun it was served on – I imagine they would settle for nothing less in Ireland. For those with more refined tastes Jimmy O'Neil's offers a variety of delicious sandwiches including a portabella mushroom Reuben. The prospect of a Reuben lacking in corned beef both horrified and amazed me. I'm sure if I'd ever been to Ireland I'd have stronger feelings on the subject.
Monday, July 23, 2007
Bob's Big Boy
Cleveland, Ohio 44130
by Beau Cadiyo
We'd just gotten out of a go-karting session and there was a giddiness present of otherwise entirely responsible people who had just played hooky for the first time in months. Youth, we were learning, really is wasted on the young. We are apparently in the beginning stages of trying to hold on to it.
As if to drive the point home, Noreen, the 45-ish smiling waitress, arrived with old sailor tattoos on both forearms. The smeared ink implied that she'd gotten them when she was an immortal 17-year-old. I silently wondered if the girls and Asim were already using wrinkle creams.
First, the coleslaw arrived independently as an appetizer. Asim said, "That's stupid," and he was correct. It was mayonnaise-heavy and the cabbage was too finely shredded –more confetti than tickertape.
The bread on my tuna melt was well buttered, but the rye was almost entirely masked by salt from an unidentifiable source. The tuna was lightly mayonnaised, with celery flecks here and there, and they used two different types of cheese. However, the cheese was pre-packaged and had not been exposed to enough heat to alter the indentations of the plastic wrapping. The wilted pickle slices, crinkle-cut, lazed on the plate; the "Famous" onion rings may have been famous, but it wasn't for being exceptional. The highlight was the elbow straw provided for my Wild Cherry Pepsi, with the pleasant service coming in a close second.
Asim, Shelly and Emily enjoyed their Big Boys, although Shelly's didn't come with special sauce ON the burger whereas Asim's did. She made a little bit of a fuss out of it, then backed off; I realized that it was the second time I got the distinct impression that she, a black woman, received inferior service to someone else in the party. The immediate tendency was to blame racism, but Asim is Muslim, and in this America I'd expect him to be treated even more poorly. Brandy's chicken sandwich arrived, and really was "Beyond the Bun." The gimmick was a clever idea, but perhaps a bit impractical for eating with one's hands. It did, however, draw attention away from the earlier problem.
In the beginning, it felt extremely teenage, all six of us packed around the table, with toddler's mazes, coloring pictures and cheap crayons cheerfully provided by the hostess (and Sharpie markers found in Emily's purse). In the end, when we stood up, we were six more law students with reasonably certain, bright futures, leaving behind pictures carefully colored, shaded even, mazes completed, bills paid.
Sunday, July 22, 2007
Dunkin' Donuts
Middleburg Heights, OH 44130
Bite: for cheese like plastic, you can't beat Dunkin'.
by Beau Cadiyo
Mike called Brett his girlfriend, but said she was a player and didn't want to commit to any concrete description of their relationship. They'd jointly planned the trip and booked the hotel room that eight of us crowded into. We got ice and started drinking there, and then we went to the Irish festival. By midnight Brett and Mike weren't talking, Georgette had picked up a musician and I'd picked up nothing, even though there were plenty of pretty, belligerently drunk girls around. At 12:30 a.m. Brett and I were sitting on the curb outside the hotel. She was crying, and Mike was standing thirty yards away with everyone else, waiting for her to go inside so he could walk with them to a bar. I half expected him to find some Englishmen to festa.
Brett, Bill and I all ended up at Dunkin Donuts the next morning. The blueberry bagel with egg and cheese wasn't as good as at Lucky's, but it had a plastic-chemical quality that I liked – it wasn't good, but it was satisfying in a way that might be admired only in America. The egg portion was thin and flecked with pepper (I think); the cheese was fake, but melted well, squeezing up through the bagel hole and solidifying uncomfortably on my right forefinger. When I peeled it off it left a thin, greasy layer which mostly wiped off on my sock, but a bit lingered in the crack between my nail and skin. For a moment I thought that I should lick my finger to get it off, but that would have been a little too desperate, so I left it. The bagel itself smelled (and tasted) so strongly of blueberries that Brett asked about it from the front seat. My hazelnut coffee was well-flavored but a bit too sweet, and a lot too hot. I ended up dumping it out two hours later.
We listened to a live CD made by one of the "Irish" bands we'd seen the night before and laughed at the jokes they apparently told every show. When Brett dropped us off she was clearly disturbed again. They were both wonderful people. We all could have had such a good time together. It was pretty to think so, anyway.
Friday, July 6, 2007
The Oberlin Market
Bite: Like the 1960s: so much promise, so much disappointment.
by Beau Cadiyo
Prevented from ordering sandwiches at the Feve, which doesn't serve weekend lunch until 3 p.m., Lara talked us through a graceful exit and we continued down the street. A small sign caught our eye, and we followed it between two buildings and out into an oppressively hot parking lot, bearing right. Through the "market," which was shelves of carefully arranged products, and over a sneeze-guarded fridge, a youngish woman took our orders, armpit hair sprouting proudly. She was very pleasant, wanting to make sure that she knew where we were sitting so she could find us.
Outside, we found the picnic table too hot to sit at. Inside, we found Zen Blocks, a non-competitive game from the 1960s, which proved too difficult to play casually. The waitress brought our drinks as we were playing backgammon. My iced chai came in a mason jar, which pleased me. I generally approve of this brand of utilitarianism. Then, when she brought my water, it was in a mason jar with a drinking handle, which set my jaw. Something about it struck me as inherently poseur-ish. It was an "authentic" touch, a tromp de l'oeil, a façade of hippiness that middle-aged suburban women who had no intention of giving up their SUVs but wanted to "experience" Oberlin would approve of excitedly while they misremembered the glory of the past. My lips thinned in indignation. Then, Lara realized that she lost her phone somewhere when we were taking pictures and couldn't concentrate.
The sandwiches arrived fifteen minutes after I asked after them – they took so long that Lara suggested they might be making fresh cheese. Idea: pesto grilled cheese with veggies, Lara's with chips, mine with salad. Reality: small slices of bread, slightly stuffed with pesto, cheese, tomato, and cucumber, and apparently lightly grilled, although the bottoms of both of our sandwiches seemed soaked through with some unidentifiable oily liquid. My salad was outstanding – sunflower seeds, greens and house vinaigrette. After waiting so long, hunger was a good spice, but eating at the back of our minds was that we waited so long for so little.
I paid up and we went from the market into the parking lot, then back through Oberlin to look for Lara's phone. Something felt oppressively, unpleasantly unsatisfying, but we wanted to be positive about the experience. In the end, like the 1960s, there was much promise and so, so much disappointment.
Saturday, June 30, 2007
Big Dogs 'N' More
Wade Park Wednesdays
11609 Corlett Ave
Cleveland, OH 44105
(216) 491-3647
Bite: get ready to bend over and take it.
by Beau Cadiyo
We stepped over the yellow chain barrier and seized an empty table in the back corner of the beer garden, which gave the impression of being more adult than the surrounding area. It seemed like a small version of one of Gatsby's early parties, with groups of people intricately connected to each other in ways we couldn't know. Ed had just broken up with his girlfriend, so we talked about that as we ogled three girls in spring skirts, aloof and confident, at the next table over. Two people asked to sit with us, and then their three friends joined them. Like vultures, they hovered over us, waiting for us to leave, spreading themselves around the table. When Emily, Kyle, Laura and Mike arrived and agreed to hold our chairs, Ed and I got up to get food.
Ed's text – and I quote – had promised "live music lots of sandwiches and Sarah Duffy." It was 33% wrong. Only two "sandwiches" were available from the same stand: a $7 Turkey Croissant and a $6 Hamburger. Inexplicably Croissant-less, they offered bread instead. The sandwich came with chips and soda; Lou asked if he could trade the chips for a brownie, but was denied by the old woman; a brownie was an extra $1.25. The man under the tent, dreadlocks held back by a bandana, energetically put my sandwich and Lou's hamburger in cardboard boats, made sure we got our small Snyder's of Berlin chips, let us choose either cans of Strawberry/Cherry or Orange Cotton Club soda and asked for $13. In parting, he asked about the Cavs; I said that perhaps they should just bend over and take it.
Which is what we did. The sandwich had overwhelming tones of Giant Eagle Wheat Bread and mayonnaise, generously scooped from Ziploc Tupperware. The two slices of processed turkey and crunchy tomato were subtle complementary notes. The chips were thin slivers, heavily salted and oiled, with little flavor to speak of, and the soda tasted like Hi-C, heavily diluted with over-carbonated water.
However, most of the vultures had left, and we were firmly in control of the table. A pug ran over and wanted to play; little children were chastised for ripping up grass and throwing it in each others' hair. The reggae band played for what must have been three hours. When I left, the scene had the "fade to black" quality of an old movie; people would always be drawn to East Egg and West Egg, but my directions were to move on.
Thursday, June 28, 2007
Beachland Ballroom
Cleveland, OH 44110
By Edward Sandwichhands
The Beachland Ballroom is an old Croatian social club. It smells like a Phish concert, but you know it isn't because everyone is way too well dressed. My jeans are never tight enough, my shirt is never cool enough, and when I am there for a show I just don't think I'll ever be pretty again.
At the bar you have your choice of grilled cheese, a hamburger, and a deep friend peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Deep fried sandwiches are actually the reason my family decided to come to this country. Genetically, I can't pass up an opportunity to have a complete stranger needlessly deep fry food for my consumption. The sandwich complimented my Pabst tall boy well, but would have been better suited as a dessert. It was very rich and similar to a fried donut. They used crunchy peanut butter, which added a unique texture to the deep-fried mass of oil and bread staring me in the thighs. Just kidding. I don't care what my thighs look like – that'd be ridiculous.
After the sandwiches we saw "The National." It was an amazing show. Unlike most other shows at the Beachland, we were able to get up to the stage. After the show I ran into an old neighbor named Vinny. Last I had heard Vinny had gone insane and had to move back in with his parents. I guess he pulled himself together enough to make the show. That's why the Beachland is so great. We drown our sorrows in music, beer, and comfort food trying to pretend that we aren't crazy as shit.
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
South Euclid, OH 44121-4017
by Beau Cadiyo
When I was four I was sitting in my dad's new office. My whole family worked for him – I stuffed envelopes for a penny per. My mom asked him about dinner plans; he said, "What about M-C-D-" and I shouted, "Yeah!" He was surprised; it turned out "McDonald's" was the first word I knew how to spell. I got a hamburger as a reward.
My parents were proud; 23 years later, most would be appalled. The obesity epidemic has destroyed one of the great American experiences: fast food. A halcyon romanticization of the past, perhaps, but I bet that at one time Americans considered McDonald's a luxury to be taken in moderation. Now, many see only Morgan Spurlock's excess and react with disgust at how unhealthy the country is. For me, the golden arches remind me of an Anaheim McDonald's where, holding my 16-year-old hand, Catherine Grace Bell ordered a cheeseburger without the meat and I instantly became a vegetarian. Well, pesco.
Mayfield McDonald's is wonderfully well-windowed; the view compels consideration of the car-centric culture which grew up with drive-thrus. The lighting is not overwhelmingly bright, and the plants, piped music and uniformed staff add nostalgia. The menu is different from what I remember – the salad options almost made me feel more guilty for being there, not happy that their menu now reflects society's healthy desires.
My fish sandwich was just like I remembered them, if slightly fishier. My pessimism returned and made me think their chemists overcompensated. The small fries were crisp, the big ones almost soggy, the barbecue and sweet and sour sauce recipes apparently unchanged. The chocolate shake may have been engineered to balance the saltiness perfectly, and to make me burp.
Granted, the patrons next to me were massively overweight. However, watching them laugh made me think that while perhaps fat people should watch what they eat, at least they still understand the magic of a happy meal. Or four in one sitting, as the case may be.
Monday, June 11, 2007
Coventry Panini's Grill
Cleveland, OH 44118
(216) 321-6444
By Edward Sandwichhands
Loneliness is a dish best served on two pieces of bread – with a pickle. Panini's on Coventry is possibly the worst place I've ever been. Every time I go there I die – and I am reborn in a puddle of vomit. This time it was different and it was personal. I was there to get sandwiches.
I just can't go inside Panini's on Coventry. I think of Panini's patio as a safe-haven - the last vestige of hope in an otherwise Shitville-Ohio-Yuppie-Frat-Boy-Pull-the-Fucking-Trigger-Already-Bar. So we ate on the patio, despite the protests of a Carol Rubin and a mid-summer chill in the air.
My original plan was to get the cheapest sandwich on the menu because I'm poor as hell. I mean I have some money, but seriously – I'm poor as hell. I went with the patty melt. Rye bread, beef, onions, butter, and Swiss cheese. That's how I do. The sandwich was great. I always eat the fries first. I thought they were fine. The other people I was with complained that they were cold and undercooked. What the fuck are fries anyhow? Filler. Needless Filler. That's kind of what Panini's is all about.
A patty melt is basically a hamburger on bread. If Panini's had screwed it up I probably would have punched the bartender in the face. However, the sandwich was fine. About 4 hours later I picked a rye seed out of a molar in the upper-left part of my mouth. It reminded me of a satisfying dinner and a bar that makes me think it might be cool to start hanging out at home.
Monday, May 28, 2007
Lucky's Café
(216) 622-7773
By Beau Cadiyo
I'd walked in worried I wouldn't recognize her, but Kate wore the same expectation on her face and when I smiled we did recognize each other and things became easier. She moved us to the big plush chairs near the front; the line was too long and slow-moving, so rather than wait we started planning. She'd already gotten coffee.
When the line was smaller, I walked up and ordered. Flummoxed by the choice of bagels on which I could have my eggs and cheese, I chose blueberry; the friendly waitress said, "Fuck it, it's Saturday, we're crazy," and got me a medium cup of coffee. She made me specify the size, but it wasn't clear that there was any difference between the cups. Next to the cream and sugar bar I overheard a mother and two teenage girls lamenting the exchange rate with Britain; upon returning to my chair, two men – one a video artist who walked with a cane – talked loudly and excitedly about what they'd done and would do real soon, and how amazing it would be.
The server had huge eyes; they stared at you excitedly, like a hippie camp counselor who was expecting great things of you and wanted to be encouraging and help you develop to someday be as enlightened as her. Annoying on one level, but I also didn't want to let her down.
The eggs she brought were not too wet, not too dry; not warm, but not prohibitively hot; not angel-cake fluffy, but not dense; not falling out of the sides, but not sparse. They would have pleased Goldilocks. The cheese played a minor role, sticking clammily to the eggs and sweating, but with the eggs, saltily contrasted with the sweet, fresh-tasting bagel. A single, probably organic, orange slice provided a small dessert.
Bernard, the video artist, broke in and asked us questions about what we were doing; Kate handled it without batting an eye. She's professional. Sitting there, I felt very inadequate in the midst of so much potential.
Franks II
Corner of West 25th and Lorain in the Ohio City Neighborhood
Bite: the perfect winter sandwich.
By Beau Cadiyo
Even in April, March ice was on the streets. Sonny, a friend from college who then became a Marine Corps officer, had just gotten back from Fallujah; we were hungover in a way that felt even and accomplished.
Sonny was so tense from the war that he wouldn't sit with his back to a door, so dealing with the lottery-ball-like movements of the West Side Market must have required great self-discipline. I benedicted the fruit row and then we moved quickly through the vegetables; his shoulders were up and his head was down while I created a path through the muppies and hawkers. We lefted through the side aisle and crossed to the main hall.
There are two stalls, Franks Bratwurst and Franks II. Franks Bratwurst always has a line, and Franks II often looks abandoned. We headed for the latter, where the guy behind the counter jumped at the attention.
I got the regular with sauerkraut, Sonny got the Italian with mustard. There are no tables – one can walk up to the gallery and sit on long benches, but if you don't want to find the stairs then the only flat surfaces are the tops of the trashcans. The bread was a lesson in staging; you shouldn't have supporting characters who compete with the lead. Anything but bland would have detracted from the tender, spicy sausage, bursting but not dripping with flavor. Sonny's was better and we got two more. Upon tossing the napkins under our table, the market began to feel almost Christmaslike, and we were the center – two old friends, bundled up in a high-ceilinged, busy market in the wintertime, with full, warm bellies, satisfied.


text:
It's been one of the most unpredictable Tours for years, with seven different riders holding the yellow jersey - just one short of the record of eight - and more changes likely in the coming days through the mountains. Among the press pack following every twist and turn are some of the race's legendary riders, who told L'Equipe what they thought of the race so far.
Five-time winner Bernard Hinault: "It's an uncontrolled race, no one has a grip on the reins. I like that because it makes things very unpredicatable. At Pla de Beret a few riders should have taken control, like Landis, who does not have a great team. They could have put a lot of riders out of the picture, but they let Popovych and Pereiro back in, which is like letting wolves into the chicken coop. Just because Popovych lost minutes in the Pyrenees doesn't mean his performance won't improve. A lot of things could still happen in the heat and the Alps. I'm not making any forecasts."
Two-time winner Laurent Fignon: "It's the first time for seven years there's been no reference point. Armstrong is no longer around to control things, so the race is being run any old how. We're going from one surprise to another, like in 1983 when Hinault was not riding (and Fignon won his first Tour). Who is going to win? Phonak aren't a great team and Landis could well face a coalition of Discovery Channel with Rabobank. And you can't count out Sastre or Evans. The winner will be the rider who deals with the pressure best."
1988 winner Pedro Delgado: "At the start, the cycling world was depressed, especially the Spanish. The first week it was like the Tour hadn't even started because the sprinters dominated. Then, the Rennes time trial gave some indications, but the Pyrenees just increased the uncertainty. There is no logic, but that doesn't damage the level of interest. The sport is perhaps moving into a different era."
Seven-time King of the Mountains Richard Virenque: "It's a very open Tour, which has given some great opportunities to the French riders, who've been regularly out front. Overall, there's still all to play for. I thought that after the Spanish [Operacion Puerto] affair the ambiance would be leaden, but that isn't the case at all, it's just helped make this Tour different. Without Armstrong's expected successors things have become more complicated, which isn't a bad thing from the point of view of spectacle. Ultimately, I guess, it's a Tour for opportunists."
Two-time winner Bernard Thvenet: "I think it's a beautiful Tour. Some say there are no stars, but that doesn't bother me. I prefer to see young riders come through like [Marcus] Fothen. Landis seems well set, but he's a long way from having won it. The winner could come from as many as five or six riders. Strategically, no team is controlling the race, so that means it could go any number of ways. I prefer that kind of race. We are no longer seeing [Lance Armstrong's] blue train going like a TGV. Now the teams are like steam trains."
Legends reflect on topsy-turvy Tour
There are plenty of past Tour de France heroes on this year's race, and most of them seem agreed thi

subset: commoncrawl


text:
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text:
Is there a Wrasslemania 30 thread yet?
This Sunday. I'm going, gonna miss Smackdown as my flight is Friday. Last minute suggestions for things to see in New Orleans I might not've thought of?
Predictions for the event? HHH to make himself the champion for the billionth time?
we land
late on saturday night - gonna try to get up sunday AM to get big e's autograph from the wwe superstore place.
going to raw monday too.
activities-wise we're doing a gator boat tour, a voodoo walking tour, brewery trip and a cocktail based bar-hop type thing. also the following wednesday to saturday there's a massive free jazz festival.
also going to see doug stanhope on the friday after mania.
predictions for the card as follows:
1. tag titles - usos
2. battle royal - cesaro
3. shield/outlaws - shield
4. divas - don't care
5. wyatt
6. taker
7. d-bry/hhh - no contest leading to both men entering the main event
8. daniel bryan (though i want triple h to win and bryan to take the title from him on monday at raw)
what superfun extra-curricular activities do you have planned loveless?
we land late saturday night too as it happens
Am going access on Sunday morning, mania and raw on Monday.
Non wrestling stuff. Gonna check out the zoo, aquarium and some of the parks. Night times not so sure, need to research the blues and jazz clubs and nightlife really.
I'm only in new Orleans still Wednesday night (taking an internal flight to Minneapolis to meet up with a friend). Kinda wish I'd given myself more time for new Orleans. But will just blitz it those few days.
feel free to drop me a meesage
on here and come for a beer with us - ten of us going and we'll be out after mania and raw for drinks and seeing jazz/blues etc.
PM sent.
out of interest, how much have you guys spent on your wrestlemania trips?
it's something I'd like to do in the futureMehodor this'd this
This and the boat race thread in one day
Can someone do that thing where they
explain all the storylines and matches so I can know what's going on? Haven't watched it since the last Wrasslemania (and even missed the Rumble this year). DIE-HARD WRASSLING FAN ME.
looking forward to the raw shenanigans more than wm30
looks like sami zayn will be debuting too.
in the battle royal?
or on raw?
all explained here to an extent:
Got Monday off to enjoy this
Can't imagine a stage in my life where I won't watch Wrestlemania. Not expecting it to be good though, would be pretty funny if HHH did walk out as champ, the internet would explode.Severed799 and Mehodor this'd this
I, can't take monday off, so will work on 3 hours sleep on one of the busiest days of the year for me, easy money
I've not been watching that much
Just the odd Raw and some clips of stuff that sounded good. But I'm looking forward to anything Bryan, Wyatts, The Shield, Undertaker.
I'm still laughing a bit that Undertaker kicked off the fued with Brock by stabbing him with a pen.
Would have liked Shield and Wyatts to be used diffrently but I'm sure they'll still be some of the best stuff on the card. I mean the matches those two groups had recently were mania level, I'm not sure these two matches are going to reach those hights. Would have been cool to see The Shield go up against one another and spilt in epic fashion somehow but there you go.
Looking forward to how they book themsleves out of the Bryan, HHH, Orton, Batista thing. At least now the main event will be interesting. Would love to see Bryan come out on top but I've just got a feeling they're going to go with Batista and drag out the underdog stuff longer because its so hot still and they need to get Batista over still using that story more becuase he just hasn't so far and he needs to be somewhat over if they're going to pretend he's as big as he is and he's going to stick around for a while. Would be a pretty funny twist if they gave the belt to HHH though.
It all feels a bit thrown together to be honest, like they still need to build stuff to get a big mania vibe from it.
Dat HHH video promo last night was incredible
it's so refreshing to have a legit heel, sure it's HHH and Stephanie all over again but they're doing an incredible job of it... they have so much heat right now that this may be the hottest feud Wrestlemania has had for the best part of a decade.
Also for those looking to catch up
a user on Giant Bomb wrote a really strong run down of every wrestlemania match here
had a brilliant idea yesterday
- Bryan and Triple H is a draw, whatever.
- Fatal Four Way
- Batista and Orton are injured/disposed of whatever.
- Down to HHH and Bryan and there's a ref bump
- Out comes CM Punk. He hits the Go To Sleep on HHH with the ref still down.
- He gets as far as halfway up the ramp. Crowd is chanting YES! He puts his hands on his hips, shakes his noggin, runs back down to the ring and hits Bryan with the Go To Sleep. HHH pins him when the ref recovers.
* Next night on Raw CM Punk comes out and lays into the audience over the YES! chant and feeling disrepected/forgotten.
And then Daniel Bryan comes down the entrance ramp to a sold-out audience.
Punk isn't going to be anywhere near it
^^ Austin either proffesional troll
or he's returning, Austin has been saying he's coming back every chance he gets.
Alright Vince Rueso
whose on the poll?
- Yesiamaduck this'd this
Really enjoying these WrestleMania Today specials on the network
They just aired a couple of really great video packages on Orton and Batista, set to acoustic versions of their theme songs. Why don't they air these things on Raw?!!*
(*they may well have aired these on Raw - I tend to skip through a lot of it)
anyone up for a wrestlemania bet?
£1 each, winner takes it all?
most correct results win.
So who is watching The Hall Of Fame tonight?
It's got the potential to be a classic for all the right and wrong reasons.
A right wing nutjob + a man allegedly involved in a murder cover-up years ago,
+ two recovering drug addicts/alcoholics who have been hanging out in New Orleans for the past few days + a live microphone
What could possibly go wrong?
scott hall looks well these days
ddp seems to have got him back on track
I take it most of you have seen the documentary?
It's on Youtube if you haven't, only about twenty minutes long. Hard to watch in parts. The bits where he's wheeled out on some independent card and can't even stand up are particularly sad.
Yeah :(
but at least we can look at this
But back in 2012?
don't watch much wrasslin nowadays...
but i've had a look at the promos for this and skip-watched a few recent episodes of Raw, etc. Roman Reigns and the Wyatt Family seem like really great characters. Reigns particularly is scary as fuck. They should do more dark characters like that and y'know, less Seamus and Daniel Bryan shit.
- 8stepstoperfection, spiritofjazz, and Severed799 this'd this
would thoroughly recommend Wyatt's vs shield
At elimination chamber, was one of the best matches in a very long time, since punk vs taker last year at least
agree on reigns and bray wyatt
bryan's great though. looking forward to seeing more of cesaro and (hopefully) sami zayn too
check out sami zayn vs cesaro from nxt arrival, one of the best matches i've seen in a long while
The Raw after 'Mania will make Cesaro.
Really can't wait for it.
*note to self*
I'm never going to look at any wrestler that leaves the WWE for another promotion again.
Mr T's speech
anyone placed any bets? thinking of putting a lot of money on cena and taker. really can't call the other match outcomes but those two are obvious enough
right, this is the one night of the year i watch wrestling.
gunna warm up for it by watching the wyatts/shield tag team from elimination chamber, which is apparently fantastic. what else should i be looking out for tonight
BT literally fucked me over today
no internet, need to use a hotspot which means no ublockus which means no WWE network :I
Which means I have to pay for an illegal stream O.O
Fuck BT
My internet's been down on and off for the past few weeks
and I've been using BT Fon when I've had to. I've had no problem using Hola to get the network.
I just tried it
the live stream isnt working at all and when I tried to load a video I got 'media playback' error :/
I think that's probably a general network thing though, rather than Hola not working
I've read a lot of stuff online today about people having various issues when the network had prevously worked fine for them all along. Too much to hope that it's just them tinkering with their servers and that all will be well by 1200? :/
oh maaaaannnnnnnnnn
wrestling is so good when wrestlemania is happening
just some bloke saying '31' and i'm about ready to buy a flight for next year's eventMehodor this'd this
wish i was in new orleans so much right now
also wish i booked tomorrow off work a lot... ffs. really annoyed with myself.
Check out the Jake Roberts HOF speech if you haven't
Some mania thoughts.....
Bryan to win the title and Botoxista to teabag him on raw
Taker vs Lesnar to steal the show. Their hell in a cell match is still one of my faves. Bored of the streak though.
Shield vs Old men. Would've preferred them to face the wyatts instead of the last ppv.
that pre-match tag team was great
Austin wasn't planned
He just couldn't bear Hogan
this intro!
I'm waiting for teddy long to come out and make a tripplethreat
it's already one of the best manias
This could end now and I'd be happy! That Hogan botch ended up making that segment.
this HHH entrance
this Wrestlemania has been incredible and we havent even had the first 'proper' match!
This has been tremendous so far
The network hasn't skipped once for me either - impressed.
Im watching a stream of the stream
have to say... im shocked how well its ran! It gives me high hopes for future ppvs and shows the WWE network is well worth it... think they're going to get a lot of life time subscribers based on this.
Bray isn't only one of the best recent characters in WWE history
hes one of the best wwe characters ever IMHO
Ive been watching all the raws and ppvs from 1993
y'know the taker who wore white dust to make him look liek a zombie... this taker doesn't look like a zombie but more like..... a sunbie??!?!?! :(
Also I'm more excited for how they book the divas match
than this, seriously this match is ice cold.
genuinely didn't see that coming
well played writing staff
Shit match
but WHAT THE FUCK
Thats the most I've felt genuine emotions at the end of a match
since I was a kid... and for that reason alone thats one of the strongest/most incredible moments any wrestling promotion has ever conjured... even if it was to the wrong guy
ugh why wasn't it punk last year!
According to wiki its not happened: https://twitter.com/Hefff88/status/452993450603188224
Still think its smart booking
Lesnar has no legitmacy after he lost every other match last year and the year before. Now hes the guy to beat and young enough to put on outstanding matches for years to come. He can put people over whilst being a believable foil for an ageing taker. I wasnt sure at first but now I think it was great booking on wwes part for so many reasons.
this ppv guys
this show
it's not only the best wrestling show I've seen all year its probably the best tv ive seen all year!
Bryan Danielson just won the big one at WrestleMania 30
seriously I feel like an 8 year old right now, im shaking man... the whole show made up for every bad wrestlemania we've had since 26! It might not have been as good as 17 in terms of match quality but in terms of moments I think it may have been the single greatest show WWE has EVER put on. Just when I though I'd give up on wrestling it's made me remember why it could be so amazing.
- aggressively_passive and Yesiamaduck this'd this
if anyone hates that ending... based on that reaction.. they're marks or too smarky for their own good :3
what a crazy crazy show
what happens with sting now?
- Yesiamaduck this'd this
Taker spent the night in hopsital
- neck injury and possible concussion that he suffered early on. That would help explain the match quality. Meltzer seems to think the finish went off exactly as planned though - no audible.
What happends when your around 60+ going up against Brock.
It's a bozzare booking. They never did Cena vs the Streak, which would have been a massive money match. If Taker had to lose this year, they should have just done Cena/Taker!
Or give the rub to a younger guy that needs it
Imagine Roman Reigns doing what 14 year veteran and part-timer Brock Lesnar did last night.Severed799 and 8stepstoperfection this'd this
nah. it'd be too much of a weight and he hasn't proven himself yet
think this was the best way to end the streak
Yeah I didn't necessarily mean this year
or even that it had to be Reigns. My point is that the streak was probably worth more than the titles and spunking it away on Lesnar, in a match that was *cold as can be* going in, seems a bit senseless.
i think Taker might have decided within the last couple of months
that this Wrestlemania was going to be his last, which would explain the rushed nature of the build up. Lesnar was obviously his choice for it.
I guess the next big match coming soon will be Brock getting a title shot against Bryan. That'll be an awseome match.
what a great wrasslemania
Cesaro was MADE last night. Raw should be HUGE for him. I wonder if they'll bring back his old 'Chelsea Dagger' theme?
Triple H's first Wrestlemania as head booker and he put Daniel Bryan over clean, AND hit a Tiger Suplex!
Cena over Wyatt made sense. Love the 'whole world in his hands' and it should play off tonight.
Think the Bryan OVERCOMING THE ODDS was a bit overdone, but its what everyone wanted.
Finally, i think Taker losing made perfect sense. He's lost a tonne of muscle and speed in the last year, and his massive respect of UFC means Lesnar was the right choice to lose the streak to. Don't agree it should've been Reigns or an up and comer. It'd be too much of a weight for them.
Think it should have been Cena/Punk?Bryan.
Unless this is Taker's last match. There was a lot of value/story in Taker/Cena or Taker/Bryan which is lost now.
ppl say it shouldve been punk
But look what happened this year
sorry, that was my point really
it was Taker's last match. you could see it in him. if Taker decided recently that this would be his last match then Lesnar or Kane were the only possible options as Bryan was set up for the title win and Cena was being used for Wyatt. I don't think Wyatt or Reigns would've had the presence for a streak win, and in a way if they'd been booked against Taker the win would've been a bit too obvious.
probably would have moved Cena away from Bray and had a Shield/Wyatts rematch, where the Shield get their win back ( pinning Harper or Rowan). They could have save the Bray/Cena feud for after.
but i don't think Cena/Taker would have made a much sense as Taker/Lesnar
and imagine the uproar if Cena had beaten the streak
Lesnar may be a part timer but he's a pretty good heel and everyone is fine with that, they're fully aware of the irony of Cena as the hero character that no one actually likes.
Annoying he beat Bray but it was inevitable, but weirdly made up for by Taker result.
Taker/Lesnar didn't make sense as a feud. Underaker stabbed Brock with a pen and signed the 'open contract' for wrestlemania, and that was it.
never bought it up in the pacakages or interviews.
Well Bryan is now champ so he won't mind
Cena didn't need it and no one likes him. Yet if Punk won last year I think he'd still be around now... that match was effectively his peak despite the excellent but meaningless Lesnar match at Summerslam.
overall it was really great
Enjoyed every match except for Taker V Lesnar (slow and boring, urgh)
Before I forget....
How about some love for Paul Orndorff's moustache.
that whole segment in fuck was probably the best comedy segment at wrestlemania they've done, it was super feel good and piper was amazing.
So much amazing that I forgot about thisSevered799 and pip_ this'd this
The reason we are happy
and you're jaded :P
I mean obviously its ridiculous
that's why its so great
- Antpocalypsenow this'd this
Cannot believe the streak actually ended
That ending was fucking brilliant though, what a moment!
there have been lots of rumors
doin the rounds that Brock deviated from the script, and was meant to lose. and subsequently he will be fired.
don't buy that myself really. they were ready with the 21-1 gfx. the ref would have just given a 2 count yeah?
i thought the loss was a pretty powerful moment. nobody saw it coming and everyone was in shock (as we've seen in all the great gifs).
also "it's YESlemania" made me laugh out loud - the first time King said it, but not all the other times.
I think thats bullshit
from people who cant accept the fact The Undertaker wanted to give Brock the win. I mean they did a post match interview with Paul Heyman and everything and really ran with it. The ref would've known the finish and the Undertaker would've lifted his shoulder up before the end of the 3 count if he was meant to win.
Like the whole Montreal thing, I'm really curious about how all this played out
- it fascinates me. There's a pretty good chance that the referee and the announcers weren't told of the finish until the match was in progress.
A few people even seem to think that Undertaker called an audible (you can see him whisper something in Brock's ear just before that last tombstone reversal into an F5) to switch the finish. That would explain why it took forever for Brock's music to hit and there was at least a minute or two before that 21-1 graphic appeared. Not sure I buy it myself though....
Apparently they ended the match early because taker was injured
that was the audible
Raw should be amazing tonight
So glad I'm off work this week...
Thoughts after Raw
-> They're definitely going full swing with this new 'era' Bo Dallas, Rusev, Paige and Adam Rose all being introduced/teased tonight.
-> I can't recall a time since the attitude era when the WWE had so many over guys on their roster.
-> Cesaro is going to be HUGE with Heyman by his side
WWE is in a great place right now :)
I really hope so
I'm not finished yet so not reading above, but,
words I never thought I'd hear on RAW: "She's from Norwich, England"
a truely great 24 hours from WWE
lets hope they can keep this momentum going.
lots of new stars from NXT put fwd last night. NXT could quite actually become a more serious rival brand than TNA (not that that would take much i know). but there seems enough there to at least give a decent alternative to the main WWE
NXT is already a more serious 'rival' brand then TNA
TNA is dying pretty spectacularly at the moment and nothing about the promotion seems to want to save them from themselves.
TNA just appointed Christy Hemme to their creative team
If the logo is anything to go by, Jeff Jarrett's new promotion is going to be the absolute shits too... http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Z7Xt0HvK91Y/U0Mmmnd8z4I/AAAAAAAALh4/1ztijKUFW64/s1600/SLIDE-01.png
How the fuck has Hemme still got a job?
people thought she was going to be murdered on the show and be sacked, thats the kind of money they are throwing away.
not had chance to see any of WM yet
but seena few reaction shots live from the crowd after taker lost. even thats pretty spine tingling
Just dropping this in here for anyone that hasn't seen it...
One of the best video packages they've ever put together IMO http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=iL-612wJJ-I
To be fair
WWE always tend to put together superb video packages. Whatever you think about their writing and the way they pull stuff together, it's difficult to find much to criticise in the presentation.
Their production team is world class
the is no denying that, they can make anything seem like the most important moment in history.
From today's Observer
"The crowd was so cold, maybe because the match wasn't good, maybe because everyone knew the outcome, that when Brock Lesnar hit his first F-5, and The Undertaker kicked out, there was no reaction. Even when he did it a second time, there was very little reaction.
Then he did it a third time. Referee Chad Patton, who knew the same finish that everybody else thought they knew, hit the mat once, and then twice, and then didn't know what to do.
He was told Undertaker was winning, but the rule every referee is told is that if the guys doesn't kick out, you continue the count.
Undertaker wasn't kicking out. There was slight hesitation, which is why people were confused. Because he was confused. But he did his job.
It was at that point that time stood still, while Lesnar whispered in Undertaker's ear, "Thank you."''
well the last id read was that
only 4 or 5 people knew the finish. perhaps one of these wasnt the ref. perhaps one of these wasnt even brock. taker wouldve called the match so it wouldve been easy enough to do it without lesnar and the ref knowing.
the way michael cole said 'the streak...is over' makes me think he mightve been told just as the third f5 was hit
Also Paul Heymans reaction
he's good but he's not THAT good
maybe. His speech was so so brilliant


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Two new TV spots for Man of Steel, plus character profiles and a new track from Hans Zimmer's score!
With just a month to go, the anticipation for seeing the MAN OF STEEL finally grace theaters in a manner befitting of his legacy has grown to monumental levels. For most, all doubt of Zack Snyder being able to pull off a Superman movie has been all but erased thanks to the slow burn of marketing materials that have singed their way to the masses. Today, we have more evidence of Snyder's vision hitting the marks, with two new TV spots and another track from Hans Zimmer's score for the film, all of which make for a healthy dose of Superman awesomeness.
I'm thankful that Warner Bros. has chosen to slowly release footage, rather than letting the cat out of the bag from the get go, turning doubt to curiosity to excitement to downright giddy anxiety over seeing the film. At this juncture the film will have to fall apart at the seams to fail, which is always possible, but from the looks of it, highly unlikely.
Here's the TV spots:
Here's Hans' new track "DNA" from Rolling Stone:
And here's the character profiles:
MAN OF STEEL, starring Henry Cavill, Amy Adams, Kevin Costner, Russell Crowe, Michael Shannon, Christopher Meloni, Diane Lane, and Laurence Fishburne, takes to the skies on June 14, 2013.
|Extra Tidbit:
|The fact that they continue to show off a strong, angry Superman makes me happier than a pig in shit. Not having to sit through an emo Superman for 2 hours plus will be a welcome change of pace.
|Warner Bros., Rolling Stone


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Not a good day in the office for Disney... I have to admit that I've seen the trailer for this a few times and always felt rather bemused by it.
"Walt Disney has said it expects to lose $200m (£126m) on its movie John Carter, making it one of the biggest flops in cinema history."
Source: BBC News
Now, have any of my readers actually seen it? If so, what did you think? Leave a comment!
Here's a trailer for the movie... though to be honest this isn't the one I remember seeing on TV. The trailer below is probably a bit more interesting, although it still looks like a cross between Prince of Persia and Stargate to me.
Movie Reviews and News


text: Jill without chocolate Donate So I have a sweet tooth. Chocolate is my main demon. I was practically weaned on Cadbury's and going a day without some sort of sugary fix doesn't usually occur to me. It's a habitual and ritual part of my life. Yet I know it's affecting my health and potentially storing up health problems for me later in life. At the same time, members of my family and those of my friends have been touched by cancer in recent years. It is through research into forms of cancer detection and treatment that I'm lucky enough to have most of those people still in my life. It is through taking more responsibility for my own health and further research that I hope myself and my loved ones can live with and survive cancer if becomes our turn to face it. So in June the chocolate goes. In fact I'm extending that to all sweet treats. So out with the ice cream (my next weak spot), biscuits, sweets and cake (fall back options). I'll be replacing those things with healthier snacks - particularly those low in sugar content.I'd love to have your support with this task. I know people take on bigger more dramatic challenges of stamina and strength. But it's all relative. This is my Mount Everest, my marathon, my tough mudder!Anything you can pledge to support my success will help benefit future generations of cancer sufferers, while giving me extra motivation to nail this and be a role model to my kids.PS, my 6 year old daughter Ellis is signing up for this too! Jill and Ellis Ramsay


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Development and Validation of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality Measures of Potentially Preventable Emergency Department (ED) Visits: The ED Prevention Quality Indicators for General Heal
Objective: To develop and validate rates of potentially preventable emergency department (ED) visits as indicators of community health.
Data Sources: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project 2008–2010 State Inpatient Databases and State Emergency Department Databases.
Study Design: Empirical analyses and structured panel reviews.
Methods: Panels of 14–17 clinicians and end users evaluated a set of ED Prevention Quality Indicators (PQIs) using a Modified Delphi process. Empirical analyses included assessing variation in ED PQI rates across counties and sensitivity of those rates to county-level poverty, uninsurance, and density of primary care physicians (PCPs).
Principal Findings: ED PQI rates varied widely across U.S. communities. Indicator rates were significantly associated with county-level poverty, median income, Medicaid insurance, and levels of uninsurance. A few indicators were significantly associated with PCP density, with higher rates in areas with greater density. A clinical and an end-user panel separately rated the indicators as having strong face validity for most uses evaluated.
Conclusions: The ED PQIs have undergone initial validation as indicators of community health with potential for use in public reporting, population health improvement, and research.
Copyright© 2018, Health Research & Educational Trust. All rights reserved. Content Disclaimer
Health Research & Educational Trust, 155 North Wacker, 4th Floor Chicago, IL 60606 (312) 422.2600


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For now we are mostly doing our own individual stuff but checkout what we achieved together.
Project 'Shop' is testament the power of working as a group and also the massive learning curve that can arrive from deciding to do something and then actually going at it for months until you achieve it. We all had to do so many things we had never done before, many weren't fun and some were seriously frustrating.
so what is OutsideIN?
During Project 'Shop' we joked a lot about the 7 of us being idiots that working together just about make one functional being… but I think of us as some sort of machine or organism made of different parts. We never form a perfectly ordered, settled and working production, we never became a beautifully functional factory because the with OutsideIN machine parts are always falling off and we are constantly having to pull and push it back together. Sometime we are one but other times we are 2 or 3 or even 7 separate entities… we are not fragile because of this, its our strength.
We live out an organic system of collapse, change and reformation.
Whatever state we are in things happen, results may vary but things happen. When we see an opportunity, quicker than we could ever fall apart, we unit again to make something exciting and new.


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By Admin
In order to avoid falling into water, touch the screen when the car is approaching the edge of the bridge. Try your best to drive much further!
Comments about this game by our active community!
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Name: Hunter
Age: 8
Favorite Pastime: Bike Riding
Gift Request: Transformer Action Figure
Budget: $168
Relation to Hunter: Cousin
Toys bring so much joy to a child, but shopping for them can be really stressful for everyone, especially when you take into consideration how gendered toys can affect a child and the messages they can send. Since Hunter is my cousin, I knew that his favorite activity was to bike ride, and I thought about getting him a bike as a gift because I knew it would make him happy. I had done some research and was able to find a bike for $79.99. It was the perfect find because it was decorated with the superheroes that Hunter requested for his gift.
Newman explains that "toys and games that parents provide for their children are another influential source of gender information. A quick glance at Saturday morning television commercials or a toy manufacturer's catalog or web site reveals that toys and games remain solidly segregated along gender lines" (Newman 112). While shopping for the bike, it was clear that there are distinctly gendered stereotypes of bikes. Bikes "for girls" were painted with light and soft colors, while the "bikes for boys" had dark colors, or superheroes painted on them. I was unable to find any bikes, that were unisex or gender neutral because the gender stereotypes manifested in the bikes went even beyond the paint. The structure of the bike can either indicate strong masculinity and sends a message of rough terrain biking and adventure or a bike decorated in baskets and ribbons that suggest it is to be ridden with friends around the paved driveway.
Baskets and ribbons are not the only bike accessories that deepened the gendered stereotypes of the bikes. Since safety is an issue for all, I needed to find a set of knee pads and a helmet. The set of items cost $24.99 all together and was an excellent fit into my budget. The helmet and knee pads were silver and decorated with characters from the Transformers. Even the helmet and reiterated the gender roles implied for children and the constant message of alpha masculinity in the toys of young boys.
With that portion of Hunter's wish list complete and some money in my budget left over, I moved on to find an action figure for him to play with. I was able to easily find a Transformer action figure which I felt was the perfect match to Hunter's request. I was able to find the action figure at a cost of $22.99. The figure was not of a particular color that represented a certain gender identity, however it definitely portrayed masculine characteristics. The edges were rough, appeared strong, unstoppable, and physically powerful which reiterates the gender characteristics of toys marketed towards young boys. Messner suggests that masculinity in boys is neither completely innate at birth nor developed from influence others, but rather "it is shaped and constructed through the interaction between the internal and the social" (Messner 121). Messner argues that the interaction of these is what develops gender identities for children as they grow up. This Transformer action figure is an example the social component which influences gender identities in children. I was also able to find a Transformer key chain valued at $4.99, which I also included into gift bag for Hunter.
I also decided to buy Hunter a Batman superhero action figure, which also reinforced the message of alpha masculinity sent through a toy. Batman appears as a heteronormative superhero that perfectly defines the hegemonic male with chiseled features and powerful strength. I chose Batman because of the recent release of another Batman movie, and knowing many boys would want to have this toy as a result.
Since the Transformer characters are not actually human but rather machines, the role of race did not come into play when shopping for Hunter based on his request. If Hunter has asked for an action figure such as a Power Ranger, the role of race when choosing which character to get for Hunter would have been present. Batman however does not come in more than one race, so that issue did not exist.
The subject of sexuality does not come into play as much when shopping for young boys as it does when shopping for girls. The way feminine dolls and figurines are dressed can greatly affect a young girl but based on the requests of Hunter, I was able to avoid that issue as well.
After shopping for Hunter and doing extensive search online for toys, it was evident that there is definitely a barrier between gendered toys. There are different approaches in how toys are marketed and appear towards children. There are very few toys that and neutral in gender and restricts enforces a stereotype and ideology on children that they had no input on.
Works Cited
Messner, Michael. "Boyhood, Organized Sports, and the Construction of Masculinities." Journal of Contemporary Ethnography (1990): 120-137. Print.
Newman, David M.. Identities and Equalities: Exploring the Intersections of Race, Class, Gender, and Sexuality.
Bike. Photograph.
Key Chain. Photograph.
Batman. 29 May 2009


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A Pastor's Story
Episode #15: Mike's StoryAugust 18, 2017 Brian Metzger / Mike Raburn
In this episode we hear some of the story of Mike Raburn, new senior pastor of the Gainesville Vineyard in Florida. Mike's story is full of the unusual twists and turns that make a pastor's story so fascinating. One of these days we'll have a story of obvious steps that led to pastoring, but not today. You can keep up with Mike at his blog: mikeraburn.com OR subscribe to the podcast he produces with his wife, Amy: itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/am-radio/id954072796?mt=2 AND at the church he's now pastoring: gainesvillevineyard.org AS WELL, you can pick up his book at: https://www.amazon.com/Lent-Heart-Prayers-Breath-Healing-ebook/dp/B06XCY5GP4/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1502907109&sr=8-2&keywords=michael+raburn


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Last Updated: 2 days ago
330 Round Lake Drive, Rosenberg TX 77469
At Summer Lakes
From $365,900
Why 'From' pricing?
New homes can be personalized to your needs and taste.
Builders pricing can vary greatly. Builders display base pricing because you have not selected your options and upgrades yet and some homes may indicate that the land cost is not included.
The Palmetto has exceptional flair and a design that fits the way families live today. Off of the foyer is a study, perfect for a home office. Passing the dining room, you enter the "living triangle": family room, eat-in kitchen, and breakfast room, all with walls of windows for maximum natural lighting. The private first-floor living spaces include three comfortable bedrooms and a voluminous owner's suite with a huge walk-in closet and an indulgent garden bath. The optional second level comes with a spacious gameroom and additional bedroom and bath.
A Radiant Design
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330 Round Lake Drive, Rosenberg, TX 77469
Sales Agent: Narda Temple
Hours: Mon-Sat 10am-6pm Sun 12pm-6pm
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Build your new Drees home on a 60' home site in the beautiful Summer Lakes community. Gorgeous lakes with sparkling fountains surround the neighborhood making for a peaceful and relaxing atmosphere. From nature trails to the resort-style pool to the playground, it is easy to stay active and keep everyone entertained. And when you are ready to kick back, enjoy the home you designed. Plus, Summer Lakes is convenient to everything you need.Visit the website Free brochure
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The blowing wind and rain Saturday were far more wild than the crowd waiting in line to get inside the health care reform town meeting hosted by Rep. Carol Shea-Porter.
The blowing wind and rain Saturday were far more wild than the crowd waiting in line to get inside the health care reform town meeting hosted by Rep. Carol Shea-Porter.
Only a handful of protesters turned out at the event, where police said the most serious problem was people trying to cut forward in line, hoping to be one of the 150 people allowed inside.
"People are very well behaved. It's a laid-back crowd," said Portsmouth Police Capt. Corey MacDonald. "You do have the line-cutting issues which are reminiscent of sixth grade."
MacDonald said police were prepared for the potential of rowdy protesters with a good number of both uniformed and plainclothes officers in position outside the McIntyre Federal Building. As of noon, only two people stood in line with signs opposing efforts for health care reform.
More opponents arrived before the 2 p.m. start time and a number of them were turned away, including Dave Entrekin of Somersworth, who said he was upset at the limit of 150 people. Entrekin sent Shea-Porter a letter before the event saying the limit was not a good way to get input from across the spectrum. He said he is opposed to the current health care reform plan because of the cost of insuring 17 to 40 million uninsured people. He suggested that people could be covered only for major health problems for much less money.
Susan Terry, a retired nurse from Rochester who stood in line with Entrekin, said she feared that a government health care system would limit the type and quality of coverage people were able to access. "You don't want a one care system," Terry said, adding that the federal government is not equipped, in her opinion, to administer any health care program. "What kind of business has the government ever run that doesn't run as a deficit?"
The majority of those in line, some of whom stood for more than three hours, held signs in support of health care reform, like Martha McEntee of Exeter, whose sign read, "Good health is good sense." McEntee lived in Prague before returning to the U.S. to volunteer for Barack Obama's presidential campaign and said she herself benefited from the national health care system in Prague. She continued her involvement after Obama's election because she felt it was important to see his health care agenda come to fruition.
"So that's why I came out, even though my feet are freezing," McEntee said as she stood in the rain.
Bob Mantegari and Ann Douglas were the first to arrive for the event Saturday at 8 a.m. before barricades were even put in place outside the federal building. Mantegari held a photo of a milk carton with a picture of Shea-Porter on the side, with a caption that stated she was missing. The Brentwood man, who has health insurance and works as a property insurance adjuster, said he thinks the government needs to curb spending.
"The country's going broke and they're coming up with more programs instead of trying to fix the ones they have," Mantegari said.
He questioned the reasoning behind the small meeting in Portsmouth. "That doesn't seem like a good sampling of the population," Mantegari said.
Douglas, of Hampton, agreed and said she was upset to learn that questions from audience members would be chosen through a lottery system, rather than those who arrived first. "So even though we've been here since 8 a.m. we may not get our questions asked," Douglas said.
Douglas held a sign urging health care reform without "a government takeover."
"I do think that the people who are really uninsured, or unemployed, need some help," she said, adding she would rather see competition among insurance companies to help bring costs down, than the plans being put forward now.
Three members of the Leftist Marching Band played a lively sampling of well-known patriotic songs while people waited to be let inside. Others did not plan to go inside but showed up to show their support for one side or the other, like Frances Elsemore of Portsmouth, who held a sign that said, "Thank You Carol Shea-Porter for working hard to get health care reform."
"I think she's a tireless worker for us and takes too many bad knocks from people who say she does nothing," Elsemore said.
Mike Smith of Hampton stood on the side of Daniel Street wearing a large white T-shirt he had hand-painted with the words "No Obama Care" to protest the current health care reform efforts. Smith handed out pamphlets of literature from The Heritage Foundation that listed 10 reasons why "Obamacare" is wrong for America. Smith, who was in both the Air Force and Marine Corps Reserves, said he can get health care now through the VA Hospital, which is full of "sexist bigots" that try to tell people what to do.
Greg Fowler of Somersworth stood next to Smith holding a sign that said, "North Massachusetts and the Socialist States of America," while smoking a cigar.
"I've had many compliments," Fowler said of his sign. "Even coming from the parking garage I was getting thumbs up."
Fowler said he is in favor of increasing the income level requirements for Medicaid and having more people receiving benefits from that program than the reform measures being put forward.
"Health care reform means health care rationing," Fowler said.
Doug Marino, 14, of Newfields said he is passionate about health care reform and has been involved since Barack Obama's presidential campaign.
"It's a base human right to have health care," Marino said, adding he agrees with Obama that "Forty-seven million uninsured is forty-seven million too many."
Bill Duncan of New Castle said it was important for him to attend Saturday's meeting because there is no issue more important facing the country today than health care. Duncan, who has health insurance, said he wanted to hear what Shea-Porter had to say in a smaller town hall setting.
"Medicare is the best deal anybody could wish for," Duncan said, adding an ideal reform would be to have Medicare for everyone.
Alex Jones, 17, of Exeter said he has been disgusted by the "vitriol and nonsense" coming from people who oppose health care reform. Jones, whose father is a family practitioner who used to work for Lamprey Health Care, said he has a good understanding of the issues facing those without health insurance.
"I have come to believe that health care is not a privilege but a right, especially in this very wealthy society," Jones said.


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Langston Hughes High School
About the Org: A title 1 HS in South Fulton, we have a strong arts program with three art teachers. we serve grades 9-10, 90% African American and 10% Hispanic. Mostly free and reduced lunch. Between us we service 540 students including Special needs students in the entire spectrum.
What they would like: I would love to work with a mural artist in the community, but I'm open to anything.
Potential Themes: the idea of community and the ability to learn from anyone they meet.
Dates/Times: Our schedule is pretty open. the school day is 8:20-3:30pm


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Steve Purdy talks with John Larson, CEO of Bestop Corporation, maker of Jeep soft tops, both OEM and aftermarket, about the huge auto aftermarket show in Las Vegas, the biggest trade show of its kind anywhere, put on by the Specialty Equipment Market Association. Bestop does much of its R&D in the Detroit area working closely with Fiat Chrysler Automobiles. John gives us a good sense of the show and his company's role in the auto industry.
For more knowledge, news, and insights visit:


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Right off the bat, I admit it: I went for the party. I don't follow motorsports. Being a mechanical engineer and a bit of a motor head, Mark is interested in cars. But when it came right down to it, he was there for the party, too.
We were not disappointed.
Because of my new association with Belevari Marine, we were able to secure a couple of tickets to the Belevari yacht, which included champagne, food, DJ, the works. I think our music was the loudest on the dock, thanks to Piers (what a great name for a captain.)
It was a party, and let's just say that there were people from all walks of life there. I will let the video and pictures tell the stories, but notice the details – VERY pricy cars in the parking lots, some of the most expensive yachts on the planet, entertainers on board yachts, entertainers on the docks … and, of course, the race. It was so loud that we didn't even need to stay for the Eminem concert.