I'm glad to be an A mer i can ...

http://video.foxnews.com/v/120114542700 ... r-pacific/

Miocic debuts at UFC 136

Not to belabor the point, but the UFC could use some homegrown heavyweights to step up into contention. With Brendan Schaub losing at UFC 134 to a non-contender in Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, and Travis Browne underwhelming in his victory over Rob Broughton at UFC 134, one of the names to track is debutante Stipe Miocic, who'll be fighting veteran Joey Beltran this weekend.

Miocic has an intriguing enough back-story to sell himself as the one to do it. He was a nationally ranked collegiate wrestler at Cleveland State, as well as a Cleveland Golden Gloves champion and national quarterfinalist in boxing. He was recruited by major league baseball teams as a third basemen. He has the athleticism to outlast the bigger heavies, genuine punching power (he is 6-0, with five of those wins coming via knockout) and an ability to dictate where a fight takes place. Of all the big names fighting at UFC 136 this weekend in Houston, Miocic's might be the most interesting -- at least when talking about necessity. The UFC could use an up-and-comer to go along with Matt Mitrione as threats to Cain Velasquez's belt.

(there have been a number of guys to come out of Ohio and win world titles in the UFC. Mark Coleman and Kevin Randleman were wrestlers from Ohio State who went on to win the UFC heavyweight title. Rich Franklin was a school teacher in Cincinnati before becoming a full time cage fighter and winning the UFC middleweight title. And Forrest Griffin was from Columbus and won the UFC light-heavyweight title. Hopefully Miocic will be next)

J.R.:

Probably a dumb question but just in case ... I never thought before to ask you if you knew this guy ...

Prior to becoming a full time MMA fighter, Rich Franklin graduated from William Henry Harrison High School. He earned a bachelor's degree in mathematics and later earned a master's degree in education at the University of Cincinnati, and taught mathematics at the Oak Hills High School in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Steve Jobs has died:

http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/steve- ... d=14383813

HB: Don't know him, nor have I heard of him. But if I were still teaching at my former HS in Cincy, I'd ask a friend of mine there, a shop teacher and weightlifter who is a big MMA fan.

Ghoulardifest 2011 Release

OCTOBER 6, 2011 BY OHIOMEDIAWATCH LEAVE A COMMENT
This release on the annual Ghoulardifest is reprinted here in full, due to its wide appeal to our regular readership…the wording is as sent to us… — Your Primary Editorial Voice(tm)
————
GHOULARDIFEST
OCTOBER 14th, 15th, 16th
UAW HALL
5615 Chevrolet Blvd.
Parma, Ohio
Friday, 5:00p.m. til 9:00p.m.
Saturday, 10:00a.m. til 7:00p.m.
Sunday, 11:00a.m. til 5:00p.m.
Cleveland’s giant pop culture celebration, Ghoulardifest returns with a star studded weekend saluting one of the great radio stations of all time, the legendary WIXY 1260. Ghoulardifest VII will see the debut of Mike Olszewski and Richard Berg’s much anticipated history of the station, WIXY 1260: Pixies, Six-Packs and Supermen (Kent State University / Black Squirrel Press). Along with Mike and Rich, Ghoulardifest will host WIXY jocks Jim LaBarbara, Larry Morrow and Bob Charles, discussing the book along with their own stories about a very special time in Cleveland radio. It’s a rare and exciting opportunity to meet the pioneers of rock radio!
The 2010 Ghoulardifest was a huge success drawing more than 5000 to visit with the personalities that shaped their lives. This year’s Ghoulardifest promises to be the biggest yet, and one of the most successful conventions of its kind in the entire Midwest!
HOLLYWOOD LEGEND TO MAKE RARE APPEARANCE AT GHOULARDIFEST VII!
Charles Herbert has been in dozens of yours (and Ernie Anderson’s) favorite films, including The Fly, 13 Ghosts, House Boat (with Cary Grant and Sophia Loren), Please Don’t Eat The Daisies (with Doris Day), The Monster That Challenged The World, The Colossus of New York ….and many more. You’ve also seen Charles in The Twilight Zone, The Donna Reed Show, The Patty Duke Show, My Three Sons, Family Affair, Julia, One Step Beyond, Science Fiction Theatre, Johnny Carson… and on and on! Charles Herbert will be meeting fans all three days at Ghoulardifest!
ADDITIONAL GUESTS ANNOUNCED!
More guests have been announced for this year’s Ghoulardifest, including:
Dick Goddard
– The long time Cleveland weather forecaster returns to Ghoulardifest with stories of his own career and tales of the pioneering days of Northeast Ohio television. And don’t be surprised to see one of Ghoulardifest’s favorite guests, the Plain Dealer’s Tom Feran discussing his best selling book “Ghoulardi – Inside Cleveland TV’s Wildest Ride”
Bill Ward
- The legendary voice of WJW joins us for a behind the scenes look at a career spanning four decades! Bill will also talk about his movie roles, including the film “Unstoppable.”
Son of Ghoul
- The longest running TV show of its kind in Northeast Ohio history, the Son of Ghoul returns to celebrate his 25th anniversary on the air! A huge fan favorite, SOG presents a side-splitting stage show that’s great fun for everyone in the family!
Jungle Bob
– Carrying on a Northeast Ohio tradition, Jungle Bob will present his hilarious look at the animal world that’s informative as well as entertaining.
Mark Dawidziak
– The respected Plain Dealer TV critic and author will cover a wide range of topics during his visit to this year’s Ghoulardifest.
Mike Olszewski & Rich Berg -
- They’ve authored what is expected to be one of the hottest books this Christmas season, WIXY 1260: Pixies, Six-Packs and Supermen. Rich and Mike will have a special stage salute to WIXY along with the jocks that made the station famous! It’s a rare opportunity to get your book signed by some of the legends of Cleveland radio!
Jim Szymanski
– Veteran radio personality and the original master of ceremonies carries on that long tradition at Ghoulardifest VII. There will also be a special retrospective and salute to Jim for his own work on the Big Chuck and Lil John show. Plus, a Ghoulardifest celebration honoring the comedic talents of Art Lofredo, Roy “Captain Eddie” Leasure and, of course, the one and only Big Stash!
Mary Anne Winkowski,
- The ” Ghost Whisperer” – The true-life inspiration for the show “Ghost Whisperer”, you won’t believe the surprises Mary Anne has for fans at this year’s Ghoulardifest! She’ll be greeting folks at the Ghoulardi fest Saturday and Sunday and will also have autographed books and merchandise
John Thornburg
- You’ve enjoyed his work for years! The long time card artist will be discussing his many contributions to the Big Chuck and Lil’ John show.
The WIXY 1260 Band
- One of the busiest bands in Northeast Ohio makes a special appearance on Saturday to salute the legendary radio station.
Caesere
- You’ll swear that Elvis has returned when Caesere channels the King on the Ghoulardifest stage!
And, of course, your hosts…
“Big Chuck” Schodowski and “Lil’ John” Rinaldi – Chuck will also discuss his book detailing his life in front of the camera starting with the king himself, Ernie “Ghoulardi” Anderson. John Rinaldi remains one of Northeast Ohio’s most beloved television personalities. Bob “Hoolihan” Wells – The “heir apparent” to WJW’s late night legacy returns with tales of the early days of Friday night lunacy.
And those are just a few of the stars who will be making appearances at this year’s Ghoulardifest, with many more to be announced in the coming weeks.
DEALER’S ROOM
What would Ghoulardifest be without a HUGE dealer’s room? Here’s a chance to get a jump on your Christmas shopping with one of a kind collectibles, autographs, and hard to find toys, posters, videos, and much more. The dealer’s room has memorabilia and merchandise for every budget, available only at Ghoulardifest! Even more vendors this year!
Ghoulardifest is also a FAMILY FRIENDLY event! This year’s ‘fest includes continuous live entertainment on stage, plus contests, prizes, games, and a movie room featuring nostalgia TV shows & live skits.

My 20 Insanely Great Minutes With Steve Jobs

By Lucas Haley

Published October 06, 2011

Jan. 27, 2010: Apple CEO Steve Jobs holds the new iPad during a product announcement in San Francisco.

EDITOR'S NOTE: When Lucas Haley wrote his first letter to Steve Jobs in the summer of 1996, he was an unemployed college grad. 15 years later, he's the owner of Animatology Studios in Portland, Ore.

“Hi. This is Steve Jobs.”

Those are five words no one expects to hear from their telephone. You can imagine my surprise when those words came across the line. Here's my story.

Like many people, out of college I wasn't sure what I wanted -- or more specifically, how to get where I wanted to be. This was a "pre-i" world: no iMac, no iTunes, no iPhone. Gil Amelio was CEO of Apple, a company producing beige boxes and stock value losses. And Steve Jobs was quietly heading companies that would soon define their industries: NeXT (soon to be Apple OS X), and Pixar.

He was a bit of a hero of mine.

So I wrote a letter.

Sure, email existed at the time, but a letter seemed more real. I wrote about how I grew up with a Mac Plus, about my experience at our alma mater Reed College, and about my hopes for my life.

I explained that I knew he wasn't going to give me my magical dream job, or any job for that matter. But I wanted to let him know that he was an example to me of how to live one's life -- to take chances, work hard, and never compromise on yourself.

After dropping the letter in the mailbox, I promptly forgot about it, never thinking it would ever get past the gates.

Several months later, on a rainy Sunday afternoon, I got a call. It went exactly like this:

“Hello?”

“Hello. May I speak with Lucas Haley?”

“Speaking.”

“Hi. This is Steve Jobs.”

At this point I was ready to call bull on whichever friend was prank calling me. I barely caught myself in time, remembering that I hadn't told anyone about the letter. This couldn't be anyone but Steve Jobs.

The sudden realization strengthened my suspicion that I hadn't said anything in an awkwardly long time, and I blurted out a weak “Can ... can I help you?”

Steve Jobs and I spoke on the phone that afternoon for over 20 minutes, about college, about work, about chasing dreams, and about how he couldn't give me a job but here's the name of someone who could. It was all very surreal, and immediately upon hanging up it felt like it couldn't have happened.

I've thought about that phone call many times since then, for many different reasons. When the news of his cancer broke, I wrote another letter wishing him well; this time I wrote from a different perspective, having a family, a career, and new dreams.

And when I heard he had passed, it really made me think. In this day and age, when CEOs are vilified -- often rightfully so -- for corporate greed, shady dealings, and backhanded politics, there remained at least one captain of enterprise who took the time to call a young, underemployed pup ... just because he had written a letter.

For me, the world is a smaller place without Steve Jobs. He was a leader who fought for the best, not the most.

Nice share, Hillbilly. I wasn't much of an Apple or Steve Jobs admirer, though my thoughts changed quite a bit with my first iPhone. That's a really cool story.

Back to Ghoulardi, I don't think many Clevelanders remember that Carol Burnett often had a "plant" in the audience for her audience Q&A at the start of her variety show.

The "plant" occasionally called on during the shows asked the question: Who is Ernie Anderson?


Dodge trucks are Ram tough

Tribe Fan in SC/Cali wrote:Back to Ghoulardi, I don't think many Clevelanders remember that Carol Burnett often had a "plant" in the audience for her audience Q&A at the start of her variety show.

The "plant" occasionally called on during the shows asked the question: Who is Ernie Anderson?

I remember she would point to the audience, and say, "Look, there's Ernie Anderson!"

On many episodes of the Carol Burnett show, Tim Conway would have Ernie Anderson (who served as the show's announcer from 1974 to 1978) in the audience and Carol would ask him to stand up and take a bow, without explanation, as if he were a famous celebrity beyond his Cleveland bailiwick.

The Tiger Woods story of the game day involved a hot dog.

Go figure.

A couple of recent personal positives to our current economic climate.


Number One: I love fresh oysters and had a dozen here tonight from Washington State at almost near thr price of oyster rich South Carolina at this time of the year. I had a dozen I purchased at the market to bring home and prep, purchased for $5.00 total. In California.

In the "good" economic days a dozen fresh in California would have cost me $12.00.....with me doing the prep and presentation prior to my consumption. Of course, in South Carolina I could go get my own oysters from the oyster beds for free if I was so motivated and inclined.

My oyster knife popped them open tonight as I was watching "Two and a Half Men" with my lovely wife.


Number Two: Remember the old days of our youth and "gas wars?" Out here we currently have "massage wars" going on. In our little suburb EVERY massage has a 95% chance of being entirely "legit"......due to.....our little suburb.

Asian massage and "health parlors" have sprouted like dandelions.

There are now TWO in the local strip mall where I get nuts and bolts and such from the local hardware store, and in the same strip mall I some rare Autumn days watch The Browns on a distant TV with no sound in the strip mall's bar.

There's also a shoe store there that resoles my Johnston and Murphy dress shoes as needed.

I've watched the massage prices go down. They are advertised in the windows, sometimes.

I also pick up pizza in that strip mall, and noticed last Friday that one was advertising One Hour Massage for $30.00.

$30.00

For ONE HOUR.

I bit today.

Wow.

It might have been the best $30.00 I have ever spent. No happy endings, and none were expected, but as the girl who gave me my massage brought my clothes to me I told her reach in my pocket and at least pull out a $20 as a tip. She was great in her touch and technique.

Of course she was reluctant to pull it out. The $20, that is.

Even with the tip, the best $50 I have ever spent.

Hey, anyone here who has ever had any concern about getting a massage, just get one.

A few people around here have mentioned the Showtime program Weeds before.

I just watched my first episode.


It's now replayed on a free channel I've never landed on before called 'The TV Guide Channel'.

Tuesday nights sometimes require deep TV surfing.

The first episode of Weeds I ever officially watched was titled "Suck n Spit."

The title had me at "hello."

Pretty sure I'll dig deeper into the show, and maybe share with my wife for her possible approval.

Family’s Corn Maze ‘Fun’ Ends In 911 Rescue


How do you find your way through a corn maze?

Call 911.

At least that was the approach taken by a Massachusetts family Tuesday after they lost their way amidst seven acres of nine-foot corn stalks and became scared.

Fearing for the safety of their 5-year-old and 3-week-old children, the couple, whose names were not released, used a cellphone to call 911 just after dusk on Tuesday night.

“We came in during the day time and we got completely lost and we have no idea where we are,” the caller told the 911 operator. “I’m really scared. It’s really dark and we’ve got a 3-week-old baby with us.”

The family was trying to find their way through the maze at Connors Farm in Danvers, Mass.

“We thought this could be fun. Instead it’s a nightmare,” the couple told 911.

Police quickly alerted farm management of the family’s situation, and sent a rescue team, K-9 unit and all, to the farm.



“They responded so fast,” Bob Connor, the farm’s owner, told “Good Morning America.” “It was unbelievable how fast they came up.”

The quick-thinking 911 dispatcher instructed the parents to yell out, “Hello K-9!” until they were finally escorted out to safety.

The entire search, and rescue, took all of about five minutes, according to Connor.

It turns out the family was just 25 feet from the exit when they were found by a police officer.

“They were in the heart of the maze,” Connor said of the family’s location. “Bridge, hanging out by bridge, right in the center of the horse.”

Connor said the family is the first this year to get stuck in the maze, which features maps and signs along the way to help people find their way.

The maze path has been a part of the Connor Farm for the past five years.

“We designed the maze for people to get lost but it’s all about family fun and it’s unfortunate that the family got stuck,” he said. “That’s not our goal. We want a positive experience for all.”

While the family, who declined an offer of free tickets from the farm’s management to give the maze another try, is probably hoping to erase the experience from their family scrapbook, Connors Farm is not.

“We are going to put a mark in the area where the family got lost,” Connor told “GMA.” “We’re going to say ‘This is the famous point where the family got lost.’”