shs96

Girls in bikinis in high heeled shoes (pumps) with a bis a$$ (bump).

I would ride a bike to work if I had somewhere to ride it, other than sharing the road with a car. Just need to get someone in charge who is open to this idea.

Just keep in mind spreading cremated remains is illegal in public places without a permit ($$$)...no one ever gets a permit, but it's better to not make a big production out of it...like maybe just dump the bag in the river rather than have everyone grab a handful and toss you in. As for the question at hand... This is right - you won't notice anything. People come in and out of the office all day and have no idea people are being cremated just on the other side of the wall, let alone if they are living/working across the street or in the nieghborhood.

Count me out. You would be surprised the number of people who want to watch. It was actually installed b/c so many people asked about it. Everyone needs closure. You can't actually see anything, other than the box being loaded into the oven door.

I am involved with a cemetery, mausoleum, and crematory. There are no impacts environmentally and you can stand in the cremetory area and can't smell anything. In fact, there is a viewing area where you can watch cremations through a window if you so desire. There are pretty strict regulations that this is the case so there should be no impact.

First, I think he's exactly right on this. Bad lending decisions led to high losses - too high for most banks to sustain. To dig deeper, ask yourself why lending standards were lowered, what events triggered the ability to have lending standards lowered and you are lead to the impetus behind all of this. Second, the italic comment is dead on, IMO. Once you find the answers to the first section, then look at the people involved then and the people involved now, I find "what happened" to be crystal clear.

On my Thanksgiving morning trip - I encountered 11 employees. 1 of which was responsible for doing all the work (driving the train and making sure payment was collected). I shouldn't have to point out that imbalance to the RTA. Observation is a powerful information tool.

To expand on this part - take the Settler's Landing platform. Anyone can walk up to that, ticket or not. During Browns games, there is no way the driver can monitor who paid and who didn't as they board the train - there are too many people. And then when you get off the train, there is a mass of people exiting and all you have to do is flash your ticket to the police officer or RTA employee as you get off - it could be any ticket really, a 5 ride farecard that you may or may not have used. I've used this for many Browns games and frequently haven't even had the opportunity to swipe my card on the way there. The train station there (and anywhere) should be completely enclosed with some type of revolving door or turnstile, or other barrier that prohibits entry without payment.

As for living in transit friendly areas but having it not be practical...See KJP trying to get to work using the RTA. Or, another example, I live in the west bank of the flats and just finished graduate school at CSU. To get to CSU from home my options were: Transit (20-25 minutes, including walking/waiting) or car (5 minutes). For the record, I still took transit most of the time, however many times, I simply ended up walking the 1.5 miles it is from my condo. I'm not complaining about it, but if the option to take a bus was there and it took me 10-15 minutes, driving would never have even crossed my mind...and on many days, I wouldn't have walked in the rain/cold thus giving the RTA mroe ridership. As for payment...I'm criticizing paying when you get off the train. I don't see why that should ever happen. It's pretty easy to hop off a train and not pay. I'm also criticizing paying when you board the train as oppose to paying prior to entering the train platform. Like I mentioned, the train platform can be staffed with people (and, for example, the Tower City platform already is) to ensure payment is processed. Instead, its left to the driver - who has other responsibilities, like driving the train - to do it.

Ultimately, the RTA is part of the service industry. People use services for quality of service. Plain and simple. The quality of RTA's service isn't that great. That's the problem; nothing else. I'm sure we can toss out a million theories as to why, but I'm not sure that's any of the customer's problem. But consider a few basic items that go a long way towards this: - There are people who want to take public transportation who can't because it's just not practical all the time....and these aren't people who live in transit unfreindly areas. - The collection system is quite simply horribly planned. Aside from fare boxes not working, the idea of paying when you get off the train is perhaps the dumbest thing I've ever heard of, and paying when you get on a train isn't that well thought out either. You should be forced to pay upon entering the system, period. Get on a bus - pay. Pay before you enter the train platform. Any reasons excuses why that can't work is just, well, an excuse. Make it happen. Consider my RTA trip to the airport on Thanksgiving Day. I enter Tower City early in the morning of Thanksgiving and see a fleet of RTA workers standing there at the turnstiles. I am ready to have my fare card swiped when they tell me "pay on the train". That's ridiculous. I, a rider, am about to enter the system. You have ample employees sitting there to process my payment and ensure I pay yet they tell me to pay on the train where there is 1 employee and multiple points of entry to the system. So whatever, I go and board the train and swipe my card in the fare box, only it doesn't work. The train driver, who has to keep a schedule, tried to help me, but ultimately just say "go ahead" because it wasn't working. So I never paid (along with everyone else who got on the train that morning). Meanwhile, if this had happened in the lobby, I could have had those employees (who were otherwise standing there doing nothing...all 10 of them) take care of this issue while not interrupting service to ensure I paid. The consumers responsibility is to consume. The service providers responsibility is to provide service. If they need the consumer to tell them what's wrong with their service, then that simply points to the overall problem: it's not being run properly.

got married since the last time I posted, although the official wedding has yet to take place.

This is exactly right. I am dying to never use my car again. However taking public transit to many of the destinations I frequent simply isn't practical. I was encouraged that for all the letters I have written to public officials requesting increased funding that I received a response although I am still waiting for funding to be increased...

Seriously? The way to not have Russo's name and face plastered on every gas pump is to not inspect them at all? :roll: I remember when the prominent word accross the center of the sticker read "Inspected". Now it reads "Frank Russo". Who authorized that change? :police: I mentioned alternatives: Change the law requiring fuel pumps to be inspected or to have that inspection prominantly displayed Hang it inside then instead of at each pump. But still, I didn't know a picture, as opposed to simply his name, was so much more powerful...as if voters who would be swayed with that kind of thing wouldn't just as easily remember his name alone, with or without a picture. Besides, the "power" in Cuyahoga County is not with Russo or Dimora. The power is with the Democratic Party. The leaders of the party may change over time, but it's the people of of Cleveland (and their political views) who ultimately give the party its power. Remember Russo became Auditor after McCormack (whose name was also at the pump) won the Commissioner seat - Russo was appointed. Dimora was Mayor of the ever so highly populated Bedford Heights (pop 11,000) before he became Commissioner. How do you think they won their susbsequent elections (or re-election in the case of Russo)? Because the political machine that is the Democratic Party got them elected. This whole "Russo / DiMora" network of politicians/government officials is not so much thier doing, but the doing of the Democratic Party...the same organization that has had a strong hold on the region since who knows when...longer than I've been keeping track. They were simply next in line. You want to be elected in Cuyahoga County? You need the backing of the Democratic Party. And even then, many Republican mayors became quick to befriend the leaders of the Democratic Party because without them, they knew they were in trouble. I know of a few who are registered Republicans to appease their constituants, but are just as much a part of the Democratic Party political machine as anyone else.

I realize eveyone hates the Cuyahoga County Commissioners, but some of this is way off base. 1. Ohio is not the only state that has the county auditor, or some form of auditor, picture or name/seal of approval on gas pumps. In fact, almost every state has this...similar to being required by law to display your food service license. So get over that. If you don't want to have the "tax payer paid free publicity/campaign advertsing/slap in the face" then change the law requiring fuel pumps to be inspected or to have that inspection prominantly displayed. 2. The original PD article is filled with statements that are just wrong. Funny how we are very critical of the PD for doing "poor journalism" on many other articles, but in articles where the Urban Ohio Message Board has the same general opinion being presented in the article, the PD and its journalistic integrity is miraculously spot on. Did it ever occur to you that the same poor journalistic habits seen in other articles are on display here? Knowing personally many of the people listed in the article, I can assure you no one from the PD contacted them to have them confirm statements made by other people - they basically took their word for it and moved on. Some of the accusations are flat out lies.

Yes - winners write history and get to call it what they want.

Dead on. Tell me one company who is receiving government help that wasn't responsbile for its own demise. At least with National City they had realized the error of their ways (albeit too late apparently...according to the government) and had taken steps to develop a revised business plan to ensure sustainability in the future. Meanwhile, GM, Chrysler, Ford...keep cranking out gas guzzling SUV's, not completing a full market life cycle with your sedans, and generally make horrible marketing and prodcution decisions and we'll step up and save you everytime (as some clown in DC starts looking up Lee Iacocca's phone number).

Someone should send that guys comments to the PD...

I'd still rather be having happy hour in the dining car of a high speed train on my way down to Columbus tonight, but at least I'll be saving on gas... http://blog.cleveland.com/business/2008/11/gasoline_prices_likely_to_fall.html Gasoline prices likely to fall to $1.65 or lower Posted by John Funk/Plain Dealer Reporter November 21, 2008 12:36PM Categories: Breaking News, Economy, Energy, Real Time News The average retail price of gasoline fell another 3 cents overnight to $1.80 per gallon in Cleveland and $1.79 in Akron, the AAA reported this morning. The average price in Ohio was also $1.79, while the national average slipped under $2 to $1.99. Decreases could continue over the weekend as local dealer wholesale prices fell sharply today to an average of $1.50. Add another dime or so for wholesaler fees, tank truck charges and dealer profits, setting the stage for average street prices in the $1.60 to $1.65 range. more at above link

I had a friend move to the area without visiting (I checked out his unit) about a year ago and that was no issue at all (Crittenden on W 9th / St Clair). He also needed his unit available as soon as he got to town. So I don't think that will be a problem if you're willing to sign a lease right off the bat. I think if you're looking to be around town for a month then commit, corporate housing or finding a student gone for the summer who would sub-let you their place for a month will be your only options. Might want to check if there are any Case/John Carrol/CSU message boards that offer this, or even Craig's List.

Another good question. I suspect they won't. But ask Jerry in the RTA thread. According the the Channel 3 news report last night, busses will also be banned from the bridge. It made me wonder about snow plows/salt trucks.

I do believe you get one complimentary pint or glass of wine with your haircut...

I can assure you, there is no inferiority complex. It's a marketing ploy used by some, but its mainly used by writers such as in the article to give people an idea of what PIB is. As C-Dawg pointed out, many people don't even know PIB exists, let alone know what it offers. My wife - being from Ft. Lauderdale - had never heard of it until she moved here. When we took her parents to PIB after talking about it for years, they were shocked to know that anything like this even existed in Ohio. You'd be amazed at the number of people outside of the Midwest who don't even understand the enormity of the Great Lakes...they're surprised you can't see across it. Key West has more name recognition and it's something people can make an association with. And next time you want to think about "nice weather" in Key West, think about what its like there from May-October...hot, humid, daily thunderstorms, and the occasional tropical storm or hurricane. They are both seasonal places which is why there are many people who work at PIB in the summer then head down to Key West to work in the winter...rinse, lather, repeat.

Speaking of... KEY WEST, FL February 12-14, 2009 Sloppy Joe's 5th Annual Put-In-Bay Music Fest Schedule of entertainers to be announced. http://sloppyjoes.com/events.htm

You've obvisouly never been to either place. They are both Island communities with similar cultures and atmospheres that are popular tourist destinations.

The Beer Barrel has those hideous neon plam trees though! Very true...PIB was Key West before Key West was Key West. The Hotel Victory was once the world's largest hotel; Presidents, Actors, Musicians and anyone with tons of money used to frequent the Island in the 1800's. There is the annual "Put-in-Bay Days" in Key West though...quite an event!