MayDay

Not yet - I've heard great things about it but thanks to my metabolism bailing a few years ago, I have to watch my pasta intake.

Nah, River gets a pass - the residential areas north of I-90 are nice, the Beachcliff/Avalon Drive area is gorgeous, and their "downtown" is a great little area that's relatively pedestrian-friendly. Now if we could only get Rocky River Brewing Company to move somewhere more accessible than the horrid stretch on Center Ridge...

I love frites but can we please get more non-mayo options? I can only spend so much time on the elliptical!

Listen here, McCleveland - you can take your "can't do" attitude somewhere else. ;-) People who really care about this stuff prove it by ranting and raving and complaining!!! ;-) Don't even dare suggest that people have a little patience, and don't EVEN CONTEMPLATE suggesting that people have a little more information and familiarity about the project or real estate and development before they go on their rant!!! ;-) If you're suggesting people look at things objectively, then you obviously want to turn downtown into Brunstucky and you don't care about this city!!! ;-)

Photojournalism? Like riding along with cops and snapping action pics? No thanks! :police: :shoot: :-o :police: :wtf: Seriously though, I've been working with the folks at Zaremba with photos for the Avenue District and that seems to be going well. Stark Enterprises is also using my photos for the massings for the Warehouse District project. That's the kind of stuff I'd like to get into (or *more* into), but of course it would be nice if there was more of a market for it in Cleveland.

The problem is the guys get distracted long before the female gives one bit of advice. Pigs. ;-) Seriously David - who do you think women go to when it comes to gossiping about you guys? It's either other women or "my people" - and smart hetero guys know that any Queen worth mentioning has a Princess* or two who are also worth mentioning. *Note, I do not use the term "f@gh@g" 1. I'm no common f@g, I'm a Queen. and 2. My galpals aren't hags, they're princesses (well, one's a lady-in-waiting but that's another story). Anyway, I've love to be a philanthropist - of course, being a philanthropist would require a few more million or billion dollars than I currently have. Oh well. Things I think I might enjoy (if I didn't enjoy my day job so much - and if they would actually pay the bills): 1. Tour guide for Cleveland - focusing on newcomers. This is one of those "it'd be nice, but it wouldn't pay the bills" ideas. 2. Personal trainer/life coach - focusing on women with weight issues. I tend to bond well with women, and I have empathy for what they're going through. 3. Marketing for high-end urban properties. I have no desire to actually deal with the nittygritty of real estate (legal-ese, math, contracts, etc.) but putting together the materials for marketing could be fun.

I guess I just get itchy around guys that make ME feel ultra-butch! :-D

I'm not saying that RTA should (or could) ensure that every bus stop be pristine - but with ECP, it's a whole different animal. They've commandeered the street but aren't willing to help maintain passable walkways for pedestrians? That's a way to drum up support - not!

Honey, even *I* wouldn't be comfortable around Carson Kressley! :laugh:

"All bus stops are on sidewalks that are cared for by municipal governments. So, no, RTA is not responsible." Fine, but since Euclid Avenue (streets *and* sidewalks) have been commandeered by RTA and the construction crews, it would behoove RTA to remedy this. Access to businesses is naturally going to be hampered by construction and while there might be grumbling, people expect that. However, when snow/ice makes it even worse - and it certainly has - why wouldn't RTA want to make some effort? There's plenty of ill will about the ECP being a "boondoggle" and making downtown a mess - allowing the construction site to be snow/ice covered is just more ammo for the naysayers, especially with the notion that "it's not OUR problem". If even that is beyond RTA's capacity, perhaps some sort of collaboration with the Downtown Cleveland Alliance?

:roll: Considering that most of my closest friends are women, I find your stupid cliche not only tired, but offensive.

Well I usually just make that as a dip for parties so whatever preferred chips (Tostito scoops, etc.) seem to work. I *have* heard of people serving it with tilapia or other fish but my partner doesn't like seafood.

Why not! Share what you've got! I'm of the KISS school of thought when it comes to cooking (Keep It Simple, Stupid) so here are a few relatively easy recipes with ingredients that won't have you traipsing all over town to find, and likely don't have to use a measuring cup. There are however, certain kitchen tools and basic food items you should have to make life easier: Colander Grill (Foreman, whatever) Aluminum foil Garlic Press A decent knife or three Pepper Grinder (and peppercorns) Sea Salt (some places sell sea salt in containers that double as grinders - get one) EVOO (Extra Virgin Olive Oil - light tasting if it's available) I Can't Believe It's Not Butter spray (yes, despite Fabio's endorsement) Mango Cucumber Salsa A perfect dish for a hot and humid summer day - it's light but flavorful and something different. All the ingredients are pretty common to most grocery stores. As with any recipe that relies on produce - it's gotta be fresh! This recipe will make enough to fill a decent sized bowl for a party: 3 ripe mangos, peeled, pitted, and diced (about 1 1/2 cup) Half of one medium red onion, finely chopped 1 Jalapeño chile, minced (include ribs and seeds for a hotter taste if desired) Half of one cucumber, peeled and diced (about 1 cup) About five fresh cilantro sprigs, chopped Juice from half of a fresh lime Salt and pepper to taste (go easy on the pepper) No-knife pasta Gotta give credit where it's due - this is a Martha Stewart recipe but unlike so many of her bizarre things like "this lovely ingredient can be acquired in the bush country of Pango Pango", this is really simple and easy: Two servings of noodle pasta (angel hair works well) - cooked separately 6 to 7 plum tomatoes - shred by hand 8 to 10 sprigs of fresh basil - shredded 5 to 6 sprigs of fresh oregano - shredded About a half cup of fresh mozzarella (the stuff stored in brine) - shredded 1 clove of garlic - pressed A few healthy pinches of sea salt Half-cup of EVOO Mix all ingredients except pasta in a bowl. Cook pasta - drain in colander and put back into cooking pot. Add ingredients and stir - mozzarella should be melted thoroughly. Easy Asparagus Need a quick healthy veggie side? Preheat oven to 300-350 degrees. Take a baking pan (preferably 1" or more deep) and lay out aluminum foil - enough to cover bottom. Spread out a half-bushel of asparagus - drizzle with juice from half of a lemon, a few sprays of I Can't Believe... (or use a few pats of butter if your arteries can take it) and sprinkle dried dill weed over asparagus. Cover with another sheet of foil and bake for 10 minutes for al dente, 12-15 for more tender.

I'm actually kind of glad that I don't work (or live near) the Market. It would be waaaay too easy to just stop by with the intent of picking up one or two things and end up with a side of beef, herbs measured in raw tonnage, and eighty pounds of produce I don't need but "hey, they were offering it a such a great price!". As far as the GF grill - most of the time, smoke isn't even an issue - the only time it produces some (not a lot, but some) of smoke is when I've marinated something in olive oil or I've applied a rub that has leafy herbs. It's never been enough to stink up the house (aside from a glaze mix I bought from Crate and Barrell). I know grilling purists scoff at anything other than gas or coal, but for me I love it. There *is* a little less flavor from using a GF grill versus the typical outdoor grill but again - I'm a dabbling cook, not a hardcore cook. The only thing I should have done was buy a larger version that can accomodate two sizable steaks at a time. I bought it when I was single and Target had them on sale for $20.00. And this gives me an idea for a thread... :-)

Don't laugh but yes... honest to god some of the best $20 I've ever spent.

Having just finished some sirloin steaks with jerk seasoning (both purchased from WSM yesterday), I wholeheartedly agree...

^To quote Scooby - "Arf?!?"

^

"Parts is Parts"? :wtf: Dohar's - if you need Hungarian sausage, they have every kind (boy, that's a loaded statement!) Why is she so perplexed? What could she be deciding? Well, okay - having to choose between all the fabulous pastas from Ohio City Pasta - I can understand: Over to Orale and their amazing salsas, ceviches and whatnot: Making sure it's just right - I have to say, I'm glad the meat vendors at the West Side Market don't laugh (too hard) when I ask if a certain cut would fit on a Foreman grill: Duh! It's Cleveland after all: I'd love it if they fixed the bulbs in all of these: And back out into the cold - better grab some coffee! Hope you enjoyed!

rockandroller, don't let anyone's comments ruffle your feathers too much - I think a lot of it is a backlash against the non-stop negativity toward the city that exists outside of this forum (cleveland.com, Feagler, etc.). To JDD's comments - when you're in Queens there are a lot more people out and about and thus more "eyes on the street". That conveys a little more sense of "if I'm in trouble, there are people around to possibly help" whereas the "dead zones" of Cleveland are really foreboding. I might be male, but as a gay man I'm a little more attuned to areas where someone would feel vulnerable - there are areas of Cleveland that I love but I would NEVER recommend them as a place to live for a single female. Don't get me wrong rockandroller, I think it'd be great if you could find a setting in a closer-in 'hood that suits you, but regardless you live in the 'burbs but you obviously spend quite a bit of time (and money) in the city, supporting locally owned places, and that's something we can ALL encourage - even from the head of RTA. ;-)

Not sure if you realized, my comment was directed at oengus1963's insinuation that the hillside was declared unstable because "you know how those Ohio City people are". I'm very much aware that the hillside is a geological mess and that's the reason there hasn't been construction, and the former projects were razed, etc. Driving on Franklin several times a week, it's become very evident that it's shifted even further over the past year. It has nothing to do with some sinister plot concocted by Ohio City residents and businesses to keep out a "controversial project" as oengus1963 tried to suggest (aka armchair geotechnical engineering). Hope I clarified everything :-)

One of the coolest posts ever made at 4am! :-)

Read all about it :-) http://www.amazon.com/Opteka-45x-Wide-Angle-Minolta/dp/B000BY59ZQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=photo&qid=1201352905&sr=1-1 I've been kicking around the idea of upgrading to a DSLR but I may just hang onto to the Z6 a little longer and see how she holds up.

I'm loving the accusations being tossed out by armchair geotechnical engineers :roll: And yeah, the way some people are on this board, they'll just post whatever little helterskelter thought goes through their head because it fits whatever agenda they have that hour. Like KJP said - take a drive along Franklin... and then think first, then write.

Funky Buddha is no longer and hasn't been there for a while (and it was on West 9th, not Public Square). You're right though - Fat Fish Blue is definitely a great spot to catch a live act. :-)