It’s a good thing Yours Truly Restaurant in Mentor has WiFi and is open.

I struggled with a post for Memorial Day, and finally decided not to post it. Instead I offer something that Jack and I talked about the other day:

“In constructive living, we don’t work on ‘relationships.’ Such an amorphous,abstract concept evades our effort for improvement.” - David Reynolds

While I don’t have many positive things to say about the Cleveland Plain Dealer, I will heap praise on one reporter - Laura DeMarco.

I have to thank Colin Toke for mentioning my name to her next time I see him online.

Anyway, I think Laura did an excellent job researching the story, talking to the contacts I suggested, coming to the mixer and talking to people there, and getting the lowdown from experts and analysts. I’d even go so far as to suggest she used Ryze to contact Scott Allen, but that’s just conjecture on my part.

Hopefully, Laura will come to the next Ryze mixer too. I’m working on having it on the roof at the Velvet Dog. Maybe that will attract more of the successful, young, and hip.

I also want to thank Laura for referring to me as a ‘web activist’. How cool is that?

One last thing, I had no idea this would be front page news on a Sunday.

When you get the chance, stop by Smart Meeting Design by clicking on the title of this post. Jack has done some serious work on re-organizing the wiki. I’m also pleased to announce that Adele DiMarco Kious is leading her energy to helping us create space for new conversations.

Speaking of which, Adele has started a blog called Sicilian Soulfood. We’re hosting it on the SMD webserver, so the link above is not the permanent link. When the DNS finishes transferring the URL will be http://www.siciliansoulfood.com

If Adele’s first post is any indication of the themes she’ll be writing on, it’ll be a powerful read. She jumps right in to the paradox of the intimate and the infinite, and the importance of being rooted locally to be effective globally.

Needless to say, I’m looking forward to working with her and Jack, and reading her blog.

Dave Bayless writes:

Last week, I interviewed Mark Solon of Highway 12 Ventures.  I was struck by how conscious Mark is of his firm’s role in building bridges among the nascent entrepreneurial technology community in Boise, Idaho, the Intermountain West region, and the rest of the country.  The bridges are grounded in an understanding of (a) the lifestyle that attracts and holds area entrepreneurs and (b) the challenges growing companies face in the region…

You’ll have to click through for his bulletpoints.

To me, it raises the question of who’s doing the same thing in Northeast Ohio [notice I’m not saying Cleveland here]? For that matter, who’s connecting Cleveland to Northeast Ohio to the freakin’ STATE of Ohio to the rest of the country?! Next question: who are they/aren’t they working with and why?

The language Dave uses reminds me of the way the Charleston Digital Cooridor describes their mission as being a passageway from the old economy to one built on knowledge-based firms.

My favorite new band from the Scooter show yesterday:

The PRIESTS are a quartet based in Rochester, NY that believes in the myths of rock and roll whole-heartedly. The larger-than-life imagery and dark, sexual, seedy characters that embody a rock and roll show are what the PRIESTS come to expect. Their music reflects their beliefs. It�s primitive and has it�s roots in r&b, punk and garage. Inspirations are usually derived from bad relationships, bad movies and bad drugs. While none of the PRIESTS are virtuosos in their own right, the band as a whole really shines when together and their onstage performances are full of a weird kind of energy that is both offensive and attractive.

When I bought a CD from Rob the bassist/organist, I asked him what there influences where. First band out of his mouth - perennial BFD favorite The Cramps. The inspiration is obvious when they’re on stage. Rob said they got to open for them last year when they came to Rochester. Here’s an FT for ya, that link that you didn’t click yet is a post by Cory Doctorow where he comments, “the greatest sludge-a-billy act of all time. It’s expecially keen to hear this old, unironic rockabilly version performed, and realize that this was indeed ‘bad music for bad people.’” Yet another reason Cory rocks.

Or is it kilts for casual Americans. Either way, I ordered one in black. To match my Chuck Taylors.

I spent the day down in the Flats at the Cool Cleveland booth. It was a great show with lots of cool vendors and great bands. I expect that the crowds will be huge as this event gains popularity. Hopefully, I’ll win the scooter giveaway.