Something to be thankful for

by M. Stewart

Not much happening locally that I can see. If I've missed something, please let me know. So let's keep our focus on the Tea Party circus.

I haven't been paying a lot of attention to the antics of Christine O'Donnell, the Tea Party candidate for the U.S. Senate in Delaware. There are so many of these Sarah Palin clones out there now that they all blend together. However, a story in today's news caught my attention, and that involves O'Donnell's chronic lying about her education.

Her previous claim about attending Oxford University turned out to be a lie. Her claim to have attended California's Claremont University as a "graduate fellow" is a lie too. My understanding is that she did graduate from New Jersey's Farleigh Dickinson University this month, but the woman claimed she earned her FDU degree several years ago.

In case you don't know, O'Donnell is the Tea Party Christian Reconstructionist candidate who has spoken out against masturbation; she is also on record saying that she wants to stop the whole country from having sex. Where do the Republicans find these nuts? And why all the lying? Does O'Donnell think that no one can check out these claims?

As embarrassing as the "Mama Grizzly" crowd is to mainstream Republicans, the party has embraced them because of their popular appeal among the whacked-out Tea Partiers, who get a lot of media coverage. It reminds me of when Ronald Reagan embraced the old "Christian Right" and "Moral Majority" so he could get elected president. If you'll recall, he immediately dissociated himself from the Jerry Falwells and Pat Robertsons of the world as soon as the election was over--so much so that Pat Robertson ran against Reagan in the next Republican primary. Thank god, he lost.

The Tea Party Channel--a.k.a. Fox News--now employs a host of screaming women as faux news broadcasters/commentators (at Fox, there is no difference between the two). Speaking of Fox, and just in case you think of Fox News as a legitimate news source, let me point out that the network actually employs four potential Republican presidential candidates: Sarah Palin, Newt Gingrich, Rick Santorum, and Mike Huckabee.

The point is that American politics seems to go through this fascination with right-wing fanatics periodically. In recent history, there was the McCarthy era, the Moral Majority, and now it's the Tea Party. So far, none of these nut jobs actually have managed to get their fingers on the button, and the Tea Party will be be no different.

Americans are collectively too smart to turn over the reins of power to extremist candidates. Sure, the news media love to cover them. After all, the "bizarre and strange" is a standard category of news. (See any journalism textbook.) But in the end, we tend to sober up and think more rationally in the voting booth. Yes, the occasional flip-dick finds his way into a state house, Congress, and even the Senate, but so far, Americans have managed to keep the real nuts out of the White House. Dick Cheney is about as close to real madness that we've come in recent times, but that's over now.

I still have faith in the diversity of America. Quiet, sane, reasonable people don't often make the news, but they still constitute the majority in our country, and we can all be thankful for that.

The Tea Party: How to be a xenophobic

Steelers win big, go 3-0

by M. Stewart

In today's Post-Gazette, sports columnist Ron Cook begins his column with a quote from Hines Ward. I think I'll start with that quote as well. "The league doesn't want us to be 4-0 with a mad Ben coming back." Ward's comment came after Sunday's 38-13 rout of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

If the NFL channel is any indication of what the league thinks, Ward is absolutely right. Not only did all the NFL channel TV guys talk up and pick Tampa Bay in the pre-game coverage, this morning's NFL.com coverage features stories on the Jets, the Falcons, the Packers, and the Seahawks. You have to dig deep to find coverage of the Steelers.

What happened in Tampa yesterday was a great story for football: A fourth-string, 35-year-old quarterback led the underdog Steelers to a blow-out victory in a Florida stadium filled with Pittsburgh fans. I guess everyone around the league still loves to hate the Steelers.

Even in Pittsburgh, fans were entertaining the possibility that the Steelers would enter week five at 0-4 due to the Ben Roethlisberger suspension. As it stands, the worst they can be is 3-1, and the big bad Baltimore Ravens are currently 2-point underdogs in next week's big showdown at Heinz Field.

After throwing an interception on his first attempt Sunday, quarterback Charlie Batch came back with three touchdown passes that easily would be enough to secure victory, especially with the way the Steelers defense is playing.

Ok, it's very early in the year and a lot of things can happen between now and January, but I'm going out on a limb to say that this Pittsburgh defense is the best I've ever seen. This crew is loaded with future hall of famers playing at the top of their game. By halftime, the goal of Tampa Bay wasn't to win the game, but only to score a touchdown, which they did in the closing minutes. Yes, it was that bad for the Buccaneers.

Rewind back to the first quarter, and Tampa looked like it would have a chance. They were running and passing well in the first few possessions, but the Steelers defense wouldn't let them in the end zone. After giving up two field goals, Pittsburgh's defense shut the Bucs down completely.

It was defense that won the Steelers' first two games while the offense looked terrible. Yesterday, the Steelers decided to play real offensive football and utilize the talent they have. Batch looked like a veteran at the top of his game. You could see the confidence in his eyes on every play. Running back Rashard Mendenhall rushed for 143 yards against what was supposed to be a good run defense, which means the Steelers' offensive line played extremely well.

The victory would have been sweeter if the Cleveland Browns could have pulled out a win against the Baltimore Ravens, but I suppose that was too much to ask from the Brownies, who actually had a fourth-quarter lead in the game. The NFL pundits continue to talk about the Ravens as a team everyone should fear, but the evidence isn't there. Baltimore is a fairly solid team, yes, but I'm still waiting to see anything like greatness from this team.

Any way you cut it, next week's game between the Ravens and Steelers at Heinz Field will be the biggest of the season thus far for both teams. Now that the Steelers aren't afraid to throw the football, I look for Pittsburgh to prevail, but anything can happen. If the Steelers do win, the rest of the NFL most definitely will take notice. If Ben's return is anything like we expect, 2010 could be a very good year.

More from the PNB building

The top photo is a view of the Kent State East Liverpool Campus from the second floor of the Potters National Bank building looking west. Below is what appears to be an upside-down bar tossed in a small east-facing room on the second floor of the PNB. Forty years ago the floor was restored as an apartment by the building's owner, the late Willis Smith. On Nov. 13, 1972, Smith was shot and killed there by thieves. Click here to read an account of the murder by Glenn Waight.

Potters National Bank

The old Potters National Bank building at the corner of Fourth and Broadway was recently purchased by Kent State. University officials have not announced a specific date for the demolition, but if all goes as planned, the building should come down sometime this fall. The bottom photo was taken inside the building on the first floor, where the bank did business in the late 19th century. The vault door was removed by the previous owner, but the vault itself remains. The old story about four-feet-thick walls can be put to rest. In fact, the vault wall is about 20-inches thick. I had an opportunity to tour the building on Thursday. Those who claim this building can be saved have never been inside of it. The water damage and neglect is profound, and the overall condition of the building is far worse than I expected. Still, it was a very interesting experience. (M. Stewart)

Potters National Bank 2

These photos were shot from the second floor of the Potters National Bank building at the Kent State East Liverpool Campus. The top photo looks east and the bottom to the north. Once the building is razed, these precise vantage points will not longer be available. (M. Stewart)

Potters National Bank 3

The third floor of the old Potters National Bank. For those of you who think that lens refraction "orbs" are spirits of the dead, there are two dead spirits floating in the door on the right (top photo). By now, the third floor of the building is home to East Liverpool's pigeon population. At one time, it was a showroom for the East Liverpool Potteries Company, at least I think so. Any old timers out there who can confirm this? (M. Stewart)

Homicide and confusion

by M. Stewart

Today's local newspapers have more information on the murder-suicide that went down early Wednesday morning on Avondale. The shooter, Steven Youngblood, is described in the paper as a "Liberty resident," but most people I've talked to said he was from Wellsville.

According to the newspaper, Youngblood shot and killed 22-year-old Salem resident Andrea Foster before opening fire on his former girlfriend, Rachael Wilcox, who survived. He then went outside and shot himself.

Apparently Youngblood had come to 1126 Avondale to "see his children" in the middle of the night, bringing with him a handgun while his current girlfriend waited outside in the car. Based on the photo in the Morning Journal, it looks like Youngblood shot himself at the corner of Franklin and Avondale. The newspaper indicates that according to a family member, Youngblood's sister had been "stabbed to death in Steubenville a few years ago."

Makes you feel normal, doesn't it?

On other fronts, I have on very good authority that the recent challenge to city Safety-Service Director Ryan Estell involves nefarious undercurrents that have not been made public. Because what I learned was off the record, I can't give any more details. I will say, however, that Ryan is not the bad guy in this mess.

As I've said many times, appearances are all that matter in politics, but we all know that appearances can be deceiving. I've always felt that when someone is under attack, the truth is the best shield. Perhaps the truth eventually will be made public; I sure hope so. As it stands, we could eliminate the street department altogether, and no one would know the difference.

What do you expect to see?

Three things

by M. Stewart

There are three interesting stories in this morning's Review. First, East Liverpool police nabbed three Youngstown men on drug charges last Friday. If you want to see what heroin addicts look like, check out the mug shots at the Review site. I have yet to see these young men around town; I thank our police department and the DEA for keeping that from happening in the future. These are some creepy dudes, to be sure.

Secondly, it looks like the Baard Energy project is on its last legs unless the company can take advantage of yet another extension to get its funding together. The state of Ohio is ready to hand over $4.5 million to support Baard, but so far the company hasn't been able to excite investors. If this coal conversion plant were a good idea, people would be eager to invest. Frankly, I'll be surprised if we hear from Baard again.

Lastly, East Liverpool Councilman Brian Kerr made a move on Service-Safety Director Ryan Estell at last night's city council meeting but could get only one of his colleagues to join him in a no-confidence vote. In politics, appearances are everything, and the people I talk to around town regularly express little or no confidence in city hall.

Protecting the status quo is not the answer. If everyone is so wonderful and competent, then why do we have so many problems? If the only thing council can do is circle the wagons and defend the paralysis, then we're in worse shape than I thought.

I appreciate Councilman Kerr's willingness to express the people's disgruntlement, but if he wanted to make a more effective move on the administration, he might have spent time developing consensus among council members before the meeting. Springing votes on people, especially when they're unsure what "no" and "yes" mean, is not necessarily the way to do it. Still, I think the administration needs to hear Kerr's general message. There is a great deal of dissatisfaction here.

Crying "poor" is getting old. If we don't have enough revenue to manage the city properly, then why doesn't someone come up with a comprehensive plan to change that condition? Why won't anyone at city hall even acknowledge the root problem? WE HAVE TOO MANY NON-TAX PAYING CITIZENS IN EAST LIVERPOOL. Nothing will change until someone can muster the balls to take on the Columbiana Metropolitan Housing Authority.

If Kerr is right and Estell really is running the town, I'd be happy if he'd ask for a day's work out of the street department. As we all know, there is no excuse for the condition of our streets, and it's not about money as much as it's about men getting out of the truck and working with their hands. Or does the union contract prohibit physical labor?

The brick portion of Fourth Street hasn't been touched in my lifetime. Mulberry Street is a mine field that could be fixed in an hour. We already pay their salaries, so why not ask our people to work for it? There is absolutely no legitimate way to defend this gross negligence, and someone needs to be held accountable.

Steelers win a weird one

by M. Stewart

It's hard to imagine winning an NFL game when your quarterbacks complete 9 of 17 passes for a mere 33 yards and no touchdowns, but that's exactly what happened Sunday to the Pittsburgh Steelers.

The Tennessee Titans were completely stymied by the Pittsburgh defense, which forced seven turnovers and held the league's best running back to just 34 yards . But if we remove those turnovers from the stats sheet, it was Tennessee who dominated on defense, allowing Pittsburgh a mere 127 yards total offense. But the seven turnovers don't come off the sheet. They were the difference, thanks to a perfect 4-4 day from Steelers' place kicker Jeff Reed.

Played in 95-degree heat, the game was bound to be a difficult one for both teams, but it's been a long time since I've seen such a defense-dominated game from both teams. Pittsburgh quarterbacks Charlie Batch and Dennis Dixon were, in a word, terrible. It's hard to imagine a scenario in which the quarterbacks play that badly and win the game.

Truly the defense had a better chance of scoring than the offense, and that's an upside-down way of playing football, so I think it's safe to say that if Pittsburgh should somehow win its next two games against Tampa and Baltimore, it will be the defense that does it.

Next week's game in Tampa is clearly the easier of the two, which means it's the more dangerous. The Steelers are known for losing to teams they should beat. Baltimore's loss to Cincinnati on Sunday revealed the kind of offensive weakness that a jacked-up Steelers defense can exploit. If somehow Pittsburgh can manage to win even one of these next two games, the team will be sitting pretty for the return of star quarterback Ben Roethlisberger in game five against Cleveland.

As it stands, the 2-0 Steelers lead the AFC north. Yes, it's still very early in the season, but barring key injuries, the Pittsburgh defense is going to win games this year--plenty of them. With Ben at the wheel, there is no reason to think the offense will continue to sputter. It may be a good year after all.

Art Party Tonight

The Ohio Valley Regional Arts Council opens its Fall 2010 season tonight (Thursday, Sept. 16) with a reception/exhibit featuring members of Apollonova, a professional artist collective based in Akron.

Tonight's reception runs from 6:30 to 9 p.m. at the Mary Patterson Gallery, 213 E. Fourth Street (second floor) on the Kent State East Liverpool Campus. As always, there will be free food and drink.

The exhibit features the work of John Hill, Amber McElreath, and Kelley Hayes--all local Apollonova members. Earlier in the day, the artists will conduct a "live painting" exhibition from 2 - 5 p.m. at Coffee Fusion, located one block from campus at the corner of Fifth and Washington streets.

Hope to see you at one or both events.

Le Rouge et le Noir

by M. Stewart

Every time I read a newspaper story that involves East Liverpool city auditor Terry Sprague, I get more confused. Today's Review story, titled "Purchase order battle continues," is yet another case in point.

Are we to conclude that city hall is so dysfunctional that the mere issuing of purchase orders is an ongoing controversy? Are we to assume that the auditor cannot supply the council finance committee with accurate fund balances? Has the city's financial condition become a guessing game?

The Review quotes Sprague as saying that council has been "playing a game to keep it on paper that we are not in fiscal emergency, but truly we are. ... We keep it looking like we're fine when we're not."

First of all, a municipality either is or is not in fiscal emergency. It is a condition declared by the state auditor. At this point, no such declaration has been made. The city auditor, of all people, should know that.

Secondly, why is it that council members and department heads have to argue over whether there is enough money in various funds? Isn't it the auditor's job to supply council with up-to-date and accurate numbers when requested? Maybe I'm the one who is confused. If it's not her job, whose job is it?

According to the paper, "Sprague said she has been telling council the city is $200,000 short every year." Is this an opinion? Either the city is or is not in the red. It shouldn't be a matter of whether council believes or disbelieves the auditor. This is a knowable fact, and there should be documentation for any financial claim. Does anyone know?

Maybe the time has come for Columbus to take a close look at East Liverpool's fiscal practices. It is a violation of Ohio law for a municipality to operate in the red. If, as the auditor says, the city has negative fund balances "every year," then it certainly does qualify for fiscal emergency, but how long will it take the state auditor's office to act?

I can tell you this much: The village of Wellsville operated with negative fund balances for many years before the state finally declared fiscal emergency and sent in the troops. It took two fiscal emergencies before the state finally forced the village to move to a fiscal officer rather than an elected clerk.

How long will it be before East Liverpool frees itself from political control and moves to professional city management?

NFL: Week one

With replacement starting quarterback Dennis Dixon at the helm, everyone knew that the Pittsburgh Steelers defense would have to step up to win, and that's exactly what happened Sunday at Heinz Field.

Giving up just three field goals, the Steelers defense kept a capable Atlanta Falcons offense out of the end zone all day. The flip side is that the Falcons played equally well on defense in regulation. It was one of those games that would turn on one big mistake. Fortunately for the Steelers, they got away with Dixon's mistakes.

The stats show that Dixon threw one interception, but at least two of his passes bounced in and out of the hands of Falcons linebackers, either one of which could have turned the game. Jeff Reed missed a critical field goal at the end of the game that forced an overtime. The Falcons, who were virtually penalty free in regulation, were called for two costly penalties in their OT possession, resulting in a poor punt that gave the Steelers the ball on the 50 yard line.

All day long the Steelers handed off to running back Rashard Mendenhall on first down, so it was no surprise to see him get the call on first down in OT. But this time, the Falcons stacked it up inside, allowing Mendenhall to zoom through a hole on the right side and run past Falcon safety Erik Coleman to the end zone as if Coleman had on weighted boots.

It was a very important win for the Steelers, whose first four games without Ben Roethlisberger are critical to the team's chances against tough AFC North opponents. The 15-9 victory was extra sweet because the Cincinnati Bengals were blown out by the Patriots in New England. The Baltimore Ravens play the New York Jets this evening in a game that could go either way. I know it's only week one of a long season, but if the Ravens were to lose, the Steelers will be given the first taste of the luck they're going to need this season.

The Cleveland Browns started with a loss to Tampa Bay, which was no big surprise. I didn't catch any of that game, so I'll leave it to Browns fans to tell us how they looked.

Other big games on Sunday had the Dallas Cowboys losing to the Washington Redskins after a holding penalty negated a Tony Romo touchdown pass with no time on the clock. Year after year, the pundits pick the Cowboys as Super Bowl contenders, and each year the team disappoints. I saw nothing in last night's game that would make this year any different.

The Detroit Lions lost a game they deserved to win against the Chicago Bears due to the NFL's rule of so-called clean reception. Calvin Johnson caught a winning touchdown in the final seconds before setting the ball on the ground. The officials claimed that he did not control the ball to the end of the play, which to my mind, was not the case. Apparently, the receiver has to get up after the play and hand the ball to an official. It's always sad when a questionable call from the officials determines the outcome of a game. The Bears definitely had one handed to them.

Somebody ought to sell tickets

by M. Stewart

Word came through last night that the Florida preacher who has gained the world's attention by threatening to burn Qurans on Sept. 11 had decided to cancel the stunt. By this morning, reports say that he merely put the plan on hold.

At one point Pastor Terry Jones said he would call off the book burning only if President Obama called him on the phone. In the meantime, Jones reportedly met with a Florida imam who allegedly made a deal that involved moving the location of the infamous "Ground Zero mosque." However, news reports this morning indicate that the book burning was not cancelled but "suspended" pending the results of the pastor's trip to New York City. Jones reportedly wants to meet with Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf, who is in charge of the proposed Islamic cultural center project. Rauf has said he has no plans to meet with Jones.

In short, this nut has the whole world jumping up and down. Aside from a million old people sending him their life savings, what more could a narcissistic evangelical preacher want out of life?

The pastor's daughter has told German media that her father was "run out" of Germany in 2008 because of personal extravagance at the expense of his former church's coffers. Referring to her father as "delusioned," the daughter said he has claimed a direct line to God and compared himself to Moses. We've learned that Jones and Rush Limbaugh were high school classmates in Missouri. I'm sure that by the time anyone reads this post, more will have come out on Pastor Jones.

Some Muslims aren't waiting to see whether Jones will burn his Qurans on Saturday. They're already protesting, and in Afghanistan, the protests have turned violent. Who knows what these "people of peace" will do next? As for what Terry Jones will or won't do Saturday evening. we'll just have to wait and see.

Please pass the forbidden fruit

by M. Stewart

So much for the news media ignoring the Florida book burners. By now, virtually everyone on Earth has heard about Pastor Terry Jones and his "International Burn a Koran Day." If you'd like to join in this international event and burn a Muslim holy book, get your people together from 6 to 9 p.m. on Saturday. That's the designated time for the ceremony.

In a way, you've got to hand it to Pastor Jones. He may be responsible for the most successful viral marketing campaign in history, and he's done it without spending a dime. Political and religious leaders throughout the world have made public statements condemning the upcoming 9/11 event, and the international news media have brought us every word. Even America's chief xenophobe, Sarah Palin, has asked the preacher to "stand down."

I don't know about you, but every time somebody burns a book, I'm compelled to read it. As such, I obtained a copy of the Quran yesterday and plan to spend some time with it this weekend. I must get that trait from my great, great, great, great, great, great (etc.) Jewish grandparents, who were told not to eat the fruit of that one tree in the garden lest their eyes be open and they become like gods.

How many of you recall when all those Southern teenagers listened to their Baptist pastors and burned Beatles albums in front of TV cameras in the '60s? Not exactly books, but it was religious fervor that drove them. As I recall, the problem was that John Lennon said the Beatles were more popular than Jesus, so American Christians were forced to declare war not only on the Beatles, but on rock and roll in general.

It was a war they lost.

In the 1920s, James Joyce's Ulysses may have become just another strange novel by an obscure Irish author had not the U.S. Supreme Court banned it for obscenity. Little did they know that the United States eventually would become a world leader in the production of obscene materials. [By the way, don't bother looking for the nasty bits in Ulysses. Chances are, you won't be able to find them.]

When I was a child, my parents forbade me to play down by the river. After all, two of my cousins drowned in the Ohio, and a third was scarred for life because he could not save his little brothers. Did I need more proof of the danger? Prior to the "no river" pronouncement, I was afraid of the river, but once it became the forbidden fruit, the serpent started whispering in my ear, and I wanted nothing more than to go down there and take a big bite. Is it coincidence that 50 years later I operate a Web site called Ohio River Life?

The seeds of sin were planted early.

So unless you're one of those people who always does what he's told, maybe you'll join me and read some of the Quran. It could be that once you do, you'll turn to the East, drop to the ground and start praying to Allah. Then again, maybe not. At least that's not my plan. Still, I'm sure we'll learn something about Islam, and that can't be a bad thing.

Holy Scriptures in the news

by M. Stewart

By now, most football fans know that Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger had his six-game suspension reduced to four games on Friday during a meeting with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell. No surprise there. In fact, Steelers fans have been counting on it since the penalty was handed down by the commissioner in April.

Apparently Ben has been acting the model citizen since then, and part of his recovery has been reading the Bible. According to Fox Sports, the "first thing" Ben read "was about the shepherd who loses one sheep . . . . [and] leaves his whole flock . . . to find it." The article doesn't give chapter and verse.

While it's true that Ben's big life change has been forced upon him from without, it is possible that at least some of his reform is genuine. No one really knows what's in the man's heart, but losing a career worth many millions of dollars is a good motivator. Although Ben is not likely to ever discuss the details of his former profligate life, he has been talking a lot about getting back to the family values under which he was raised.

One thing is for sure: Ben now knows that he can no longer hide. Someone will be there watching no matter which bar in whatever small town he goes cruising for chicks. His public behavior in restaurants will be noticed and reported. He is truly reaping what he has sown, and anything like a private life is gone.

Should we believe that this new Ben is for real? I don't know. My experience is that people can be successful at changing their behavior, but changing one's essence is another story. Frankly, the guy's soul is his own business. As long as he can keep his act together for another seven years or so and play championship caliber football for the Steelers, who are we to judge his personal spiritual quest? If reading the Bible helps him play football, then the Steelers should make sure a Bible is always close at hand.

Speaking of holy scriptures, the Wall Street Journal reports that U.S. supreme commander in Afghanistan, Gen. David Petraeus, has appealed to a Florida Christian church in hopes of stopping a planned ritual burning of Qurans on the upcoming 9/11 anniversary. Basically, Petraeus doesn't want to give the Taliban any more ideological ammunition. He believes that the crazy stunt will put his troops in more danger.

Of course the American news media could always decide to ignore the actions of this "50-member Dove World Outreach Center" in Florida. They can burn whatever books they like, but if no one is there to cover it, who will know? It's not really international news when a tiny group of crazy Christians holds a book burning--that is, unless the international news media make it so. If or when Americans suffer for it, there will be plenty of blame to go around.

Prophets of Baal

by M. Stewart

Waving a Bible over his head, the Rev. Bill Keller (below) insists that Fox News evangelist Glenn Beck is a false prophet. Beck is, after all, a Mormon, and that's all the Rev. Keller needs to condemn him and his followers to Hell.

This information leaves me perplexed. If the Rev. Keller and his followers will be in Heaven, and Glenn Beck and his flock will be in Hell, where can my soul spend eternity? Certainly neither of those places. I simply refuse to live forever with Messrs. Keller and Beck and/or their followers. I won't do it!

What's left, Purgatory? Hah! That's just something the Catholics made up so priests could sell indulgences. But Heaven and Hell, those are real places all right. Eternal bliss in the clouds or eternal pain in the fiery pit. Which is it? God or Satan? Keller or Beck?

Nope. There's gotta be a better place. I know I'm not a woman, but men too should have the right to choose (a.k.a. free will), so perhaps I'll choose to float in space indefinitely, or at least until I can think up something good to do. I'm usually pretty resourceful, and given enough time--and eternity should be enough time--I'm sure I can come up with something.

Of course I could become a ghost and scare people at night. That would be fun. Then again, I might sign on for reincarnation and give life another go. I can seek Nirvana and have lots of deja vus.

Oh well, I'll think of something. In the meantime, maybe our Christian readers can set me straight on this thing with Glenn Beck. Is he or isn't he going to Hell?

ELO history photo quiz

Where was this Sohio gas station? There is a definitive clue for those who can find it. Click to enlarge.

Regressives and Progressives

Lay off the peyote, governor!

Another perfect day

by M. Stewart

It looks like another beautiful day in the neighborhood, but when you're reduced to talking about the weather, it's a sign that there's not much else going on.

I saw in today's Review that the city of East Liverpool is moving ahead with annexation plans for the old Riverview Florist property on Parkway. Does anyone know where the purchase of that property stands? It could be that I missed something, but last I heard there was some confusion about it. Anyone have an accurate update?

I noticed that Willis Smith seems to have vacated the old Potters National Bank building at Fourth and Broadway. My understanding is that Kent State's purchase of the building is in its final stages. Although I have no inside information on what's going on there, I assume the building will be coming down soon.