The Miracle on East 105th T H E RI S E A N D FA L L O F W I NST O N E . W I L L I S’ O P P O RT U N I T Y C O RRI D O R .
MUSIC / ENTERTAINMENT / ARTS + CULTURE / LIFE / INDEPENDENT / PRESSURELIFE.COM
1 IN 5 CHILDREN IN CLEVELAND ARE HUNGRY. YOU THINK YOU KNOW ABOUT POVERTY IN CLEVELAND? IT’S TIME TO THINK AGAIN WITH
INTERTWINED Learn the root causes of why our kids are really going without food. Think. Learn. Act.
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CONTENTS Fe b r u a r y / M a r c h 2 0 1 9
06 From the Van to Japan
22
The heavy dream pop and business savvy of Cleveland’s Niights.
30
08 Cleveland’s Page Master
10 (Will You) Mary Me
24
One archivist’s attempt to tie the city’s past and present together.
The importance of honesty in the dating game.
06
12 A Simple Plan
12
How Newburgh Heights aims to attract new, long-term residents
14 Ferris Shawarma
Dine with the PressureLife team.
16 The Miracle on East 105th
The rise and fall of Winston E. Willis’ opportunity corridor.
22 Life on the Grande Stage
How two brothers went from living in Strongsville to dancing with a pop superstar.
24 The Great Wide Open
Before flat earthers, there was Ohio’s John Cleves Symmes Jr.
26 The Connection Game
James Douglas’ journey from skiing hopeful to sought-after photographer.
28 Tech Trends
The Good, the Pricy, and the Weird from CES 2019
30 St. Paddy's War
How to End the War on St. Patrick's Day
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Fuel Fury The Weird World of Ohio’s Yelp Gas Station Reviews Kevin Naughton as a useful tool for deciding where to eat, the popular online review aggregator is also a place for dissatisfied customers to anonymously vent their unrestrained rage at an establishment. Whether or not these reviews are helpful is up for debate, but they do beg the question: who finds it worthwhile to write vitriolic cries for help into the void of the internet? More importantly, why?
WHILE WE GENERALLY THINK OF YELP
That question is all the more pressing when the target of such blind, mouth-foaming fury are directed at something as innocuous as a gas station. It’s also hilarious. Some gas stations, like Speedy’s Grub Shack in Lakewood, have some fried food under a heat lamp in case you’re hungry and pressed for time. Oddly, they also receive a lot of orders from UberEats. “it was not a gyro..” one reviewer protests. “it was a pita and hamburger.. dry..and for 3.99 i ordered potato wedges went all out at [sic] i had 6 cold..soaked wedges..never again.smh” One star. Another negative review of the food from Speedy’s Grub Shack reads “I'll go get my food from the Get Go gas station instead.” Again, one star. Gas station service is most often the source of customer complaints. One two-star review contained the line “The guy at the checkout counter could give a statue a run for its money. He barely said a word and had a look as if he didnt want to be there.” Some negative reviews are simple, understandable, and even relatable. “Slushy machine seemingly always down,” cries one Cleveland Speedway reviewer. “Frozen Mountain Dew machine always broken,” laments another, adding “They raised the price of refills from 79 cents to 1.29.” The positive reviews are puzzling, as well. Phrases like “This gas station is incredible” and “This GetGo is a life saver!” offer insight into our society’s impressive capacity for hyperbole as well as a desperate need to get out more. What do we take away from all this? Is there some grand lesson to learn from the plight of the Yelp reviewers who truly believes they are doing a public service by sharing an opinion that only an absolute psychopath would consult before patronizing a fuel-refill station? It’s hard to say, but it may be best not to order delivery from Speedy’s Grub Shack.
come a long way since finding Niights on Bandcamp six years ago and now supports many large acts doing world tours. Niights was the label’s first international act and has served as the guinea pigs that have since launched a lot of careers. The label also released Fournier’s solo EP, only in Japan, which contained We will work an early version and rework of Hellebores’ lead songs almost single, “So Into You,” by far the to exhaustion poppiest song on in order to get the album.
From the Van
to Japan
it just right.
The heavy dream pop and business savvy of Cleveland’s Niights.
Dave Sebille Photography // Kristen Lauber
J
enna Fournier and Frank Maraldo started their musical relationship more so as a used car saleswoman and a guy that needed a van than writing partners who often tour internationally.
In late 2009, Maraldo was looking for a singer for a project then called “Nights” with one “i,” but he also needed some wheels. When he inquired about a van for sale, Fournier was on the other end. Her previous band had recently broken up, hence the van up for sale. Maraldo told her he was looking for a vocalist. A couple of months later, Niights took form. Niights’ second full-length album, Hellebores, is slated for release on Japan’s 2670records Feb. 15, 2019. The album shifts between guitar-heavy atmospheric tracks, pop anthems, and the classic shoegaze one may expect from the band. All of these shifts are held together by Maraldo’s signature guitar layering and Fournier’s unique vocal harmonies. “We didn’t really have a band when we started writing and recording Hellebores,” Maraldo says. The band’s rhythm section moved away between records, creating a new challenge of writing an album in studio without workshopping new material in front of a live
6 PRESSURELIFE | ISSUE 23
crowd. This process was very kind to Niights. Hellebores is haunting and mesmerizing, and it’s very easy to lose yourself in the production subtleties and studio-based writing style of the album while still imagining the songs being played by a real live human band. Fournier says Hellebores is “definitely cleaner sounding” in comparison to their first fulllength album, Whispers, but also proudly states, “we’re not a band that says ‘here’s our songs, mix them however you want. We are very hands on.” “We will work and rework songs almost to exhaustion in order to get it just right,” Maraldo adds. With a tour starting late February with stripped-down pop duo Elvis Depressedly, Niights speaks with anticipation of the new live set. “We never play the songs note for note like they are on the albums, they are always evolving and changing,” Maraldo says. ”The bands we are touring with are a little softer and more stripped down, so we tend to play to those strengths.” After a three-week-long American tour which circles through Cleveland Feb. 27 at Mahall’s, Niights will head back over to Japan to tour on Hellebores. 2670records has
As much as Fournier considers herself “an organic artist who prefers to work with her hands,” she and Maraldo know the importance of being highly searchable in today's music business. That is the pure and simple reason for the on purpose misspelling of Niights. Although the members of Niights come off as very humble and soft spoken, they may be a little more business savvy than they appear. Between an international record deal, tours of Japan and the U.S., changing the band’s name, and actively avoiding SXSW because “it doesn't really make much sense unless someone is paying for you to be there” according to Maraldo, Niights seems one step ahead of most other bands in this city. The members of Niights have their eye on a more distant horizon than your average Cleveland band. They are the only Niights in existence so it’s pretty easy to find the band. Give Hellebores a listen all the way through—it would be hard to not find something that scratches your itch on this album.
You can see Niights and Elvis Depressedly Feb. 27 at Mahall’s main stage. And you can always find Niights on Spotify.
Pressure Picks Upcoming Events to See.
Radiate 2019 Feb. 16 // Agora Theatre
Coheed and Cambria Feb. 26 // Agora Theatre
Pleasure Leftists March 2 // Now That’s Class
Set It Off March 5 // Grog Shop
Jim Jefferies March 9 // Hard Rock Rocksino
Downtown Cleveland Restaurant Week March 1 – 10 // Downtown Cleveland
The Sound of Animals Fighting March 9 // House of Blues
Mushroomhead March 16 // Agora Theatre
Tokyo Police Club March 22 // Grog Shop
Tape Face March 29 // House of Blues
PRESSURELIFE | ISSUE 23 7
Cleveland’s
PAGE MASTER Meet John Skrtic, the archivist tying the city’s past and present together. Wilson Rivera
W
hen most people think of Cleveland now, it's mostly just a small city with a bunch of hip restaurants, an ever-thriving bar scene, and a complicated relationship with its sports teams. John Skrtic sees something much more romantic.
John is the director of main library and research at the Cleveland Public Library, a position that gives him access to the library’s vast archives. In turn, John takes it upon himself to digitize old photographs that predate even some of our parents, sharing with us a very different view of Cleveland. What is it about this city that inspires John to dig deep into the archives of old newspaper ads and front pages of the past to almost obsessively compile photographs from time immemorial? It's simple: nostalgia. Born in 1974, John grew up on Cleveland's East Side off of Superior Avenue, describing it as “a very diverse neighborhood” with no shortage of different cultures, history, and languages. He explained that the people in his neighborhood had a certain “grit” to them, but that
Images courtesy of the Cleveland Public Library
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grit also came with a mutual understanding. John found a similar sense of community at The Cleveland Main Library, stating the people there were “indiscriminate, and accepting of everybody” and that “they didn’t throw out kids.” Aside from the libraries, John also enjoyed baseball, mentioning how listening to his older family members talk Cleveland sports would fuel his curiosity of the city’s past. John spent most of his education at parochial schools, first at Immaculate Conception on East 40th Street. He later attended high school at St. Ignatius on the West Side. He described his culture shock and how it seemed more homogenous at that time, but also credited the school for the quality of education he received. John spent most of his time after classes at the Carnegie West Branch of the Library, while also still frequenting the Main Library. Eventually, the workers would say to him “You come here so often, why don’t you work here?” At age 15, John did just that and took his first step onto a lifelong path. John graduated from Ignatius in 1993 and continued 11 more years of schooling, studying literature analysis at Cleveland State University and obtaining a master’s degree in library science at Kent State University. In 2002, he got a job as a librarian at the Cleveland Public Library, John found himself interested in the other library branches throughout the city. He obtained his masters in Public Administration at Case Western Reserve University and in 2006 obtained his first role in management of the libraries, followed in 2010 by the position he had held most currently as director of public services.
John's passion for the library was more than apparent. The question now was how could he share that love with others? What would he show people? In came the age of social media. In 2019, John’s title changed to director of main library and research. As a result, he now oversees 11 million items in the library collection like a mad sage in an attempt to share it with the people of Cleveland. During a brainstorming with his boss, Director of Cleveland Public Library Felton Thomas, Felton jokingly mentioned John’s vast amount of “useless” knowledge and his deep-seated connection People from the with the city. John took to Twitter on neighborhood his personal account and began sharing images of a very different Cleveland. often ask ‘where He digs through the archives looking can you find for interesting, old photos of notable things?’ and the landmarks in Cleveland, noting how it satiated his inner “library nerd” to do greatest thing research and tap into the nostalgia of is, it’s all at the his fellow Clevelanders.
library.
Eventually, John moved on to more than just landmarks, including pictures of anything from athletes to general stores in his search. He compared the expanded interest to when a family member or friend shows you an old band that becomes a new obsession. “You just become hooked and can’t help but dig deeper into their discography,” John explains. Once people started taking notice, they contacted him through Twitter or Facebook to find old landmarks or family businesses. His collection grew to include old ads in the newspapers for restaurants and Cleveland nightclubs in the ‘70s and ‘80s. John's love of sharing knowledge is really only rivaled by his love of the city and its cultural evolution over time. “People from the neighborhood often ask ‘where can you find things?’ and the greatest thing is, it’s all at the library,” John says. “Generations of Clevelanders built this library and collected all this stuff for them.” John seems to treat the library as his old neighborhood: a place that has something for everybody and where everyone is welcome. If you like sports, head to the sports research center, which boasts the second-best baseball collection of any library. It’s interesting to see how Cleveland has changed over the years through their collection of over 45 different languages, including Yiddish, Hebrew, Spanish, and 42 other dialects. John not only wants to share history, but build a bridge between then and now with the tools he’s provided.
Get a look at Cleveland’s past through John’s Twitter account @SkrticX. After that, find out what your local library has to offer at cpl.org.
PRESSURELIFE | ISSUE 23 9
(Will You)
and impossibly good looking. Timing wasn’t going to match up for a date for a few weeks, but that didn’t detour us. We talked on the phone and texted until the day of our date.
MARY ME The importance of honesty in the dating game. Mary Santora @marysantoracomedy
“H
We met up at a local bar for drinks, but the vibe was different than what we had electronically. When we started talking and getting to know one another past “how was your day?” we realized that we could not be more different. He was in his late 30s, owned his home and car, had a great job, and was looking to settle down with someone and start a family. I was 27, at the beginning of being busy on the road with comedy, and dreamt of a life where I had the cutest apartment in New York City with a cat and not a single kid. Ever.
If you like someone, tell them. If you don't, tell them... For the love of God, stop playing games.
onesty is the best policy” seems to ring true for everything in life, except for dating. Yes, you want to put your best foot forward when trying to find a partner—we all do. I don't suggest that you lead your first date with the story of how you once fist-fought your sister outside a gay bar on a Tuesday afternoon. First, let’s break down some stupid “rules” and swap out ridiculous games for honest answers on what you're looking for in a partner.
Maybe we could still enjoy some drinks together in the meantime, right? Wrong. He was boisterous, entitled, and treated the bartenders like trash. With every sip of vodka, his MAGA was showing and I couldn't have been more turned off by him.
At the same time, he was throughouly unimpressed with me. I’m used to people asking about stand up, but his questions were less from general interest, and more of a condescending, “it's cute you’re trying” tone. Questions like “how long are you going to try this before you give up and settle down?” and, “as a woman, don't you feel a biological need to have a husband and children? You can't really do that from the road, can you?”
For instance, everyone knows that if you’re actually into someone, you better not text them first. Why would you? So you can lose all the power? People time out text messages and purposefully ignore others to evoke a response. It’s like a shitty version of chess where instead of a rooks and queens, you have a drummer who doesn't respond for days at a time and a hair stylist who sends 12 drunk texts in a row. See how that might make it impossible to master a game that ultimately ends in a dog or a house?
After the second double drink he ordered from the “barmaid,” I had enough. I simply told him that this wasn't going to work out because we were clearly headed down different paths in life. He very quickly agreed and then we sat there and stared up at the TVs. He broke the silence with a “well, what do we do now? I don't really see a point in us having another drink.” I laughed, agreed, and we shook hands and parted ways. Not three months later, I saw he was engaged. In those same three months, I performed in Hawaii, worked with a comedy idol, and paid an entire month’s worth of bills from comedy money alone.
If you're really not into someone, you better make something up about being too busy for a relationship. You sure as shit can't admit that you would rather blow your brains out than listen to one more terrible story. I can't tell you the number of times I’ve had great conversations with men where we seem to connect and then poof! Disappeared into thin air. No explanation. No texts back.
Honesty is absolutely the best policy. If you like someone, tell them. If you don't, tell them. If you hate the restaurant or bar they suggest, tell them. For the love of God, stop playing games. Imagine what you could have if you stopped being an idiot and just text them first.
That hurts. You're left alone and confused with a million questions running through your head. Was it something I said? Am I not good looking enough? Was it because I made fun of his Weezer obsession? You question everything about yourself when a simple, “Hey, I’m just not feeling it” or “I’ve started talking to someone else” would’ve solved everything. In two years of actively dating, I’ve had one encounter where we each actually spoke our minds. It was the most refreshing experience. A man named Adam and I matched on a dating app and hit it off immediately. Conversation flowed, and he was so funny
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Image Courtesy of Michael Prewett
Civil Discourse in Modern Times
60TH SALE
One local group tackles tough topics through cordial conversations.
ANNIVERSARY
Alex Bieler for communication than ever before, but a single, contrasting view can turn a promising conversation into stunned silence—or worse, a shouting match. However, one group wants to give people a place to converse about difficult topics in a civilized fashion.
HUMANITY HAS MORE MEANS
Craft Beer & Conversation is an outlet for Clevelanders who crave cordial conversations about important topics, even if everyone’s viewpoints don’t align. The series began in January of 2017 after Founder Megan Anderson noticed a frustrating trend following the 2016 presidential election. “I saw on social media that a lot of people didn’t want to have conversations with anyone who may have voted a certain way in that election or had a contrasting view,” Anderson says. “That made me sad because even though the conversation is challenging, people of opposing views need to sit down now more than ever and have those tough conversations in order to find common ground or just understand why that opposing point of view exists.” Given the inspiration, the events tend to lean toward heavier topics. Anderson decided that adding the craft beer element created a lighter atmosphere where guests could talk in a relaxed environment, such as Noble Beast Brewing Co., Market Garden Brewery, and Goldhorn Brewery. According to Anderson, these environments, along with an expectation that controversial opinions may pop up in conversation, allow guests to stick to civil discourse instead of blocking off communication. “Human nature is to go into defense mode when something comes up that surprises you,” Anderson explains. “A lot of people don’t need to do that [at Craft Beer & Conversation] because they know it might be coming.” With topics such as immigration, gun control, and the government shutdown, contrasting opinions are certainly on display. Guests are split into groups and given a set of suggested questions and a little more than an hour to discuss topics while moderators walk around to help when needed. As the months pass by, Craft Beer & Conversation will tackle new, timely topics, including an upcoming discussion on the #MeToo movement at Noble Beast Sunday, Feb. 17. Technology may give people new ways to tune each other out, but Anderson and company are ready to give Clevelanders an outlet to communicate about vital topics in a time when civility is an increasingly important attribute.
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A Simple Plan How Newburgh Heights aims to rebuild from within using creative means. Tesh Ekman
T
he village of Newburgh Heights, a small, inner-ring Cleveland suburb, has faced decades of decline. Since the year 2000, its population fell approximately 15 percent to just under 2,100 people. The tax base shrank and property prices plummeted, bringing the town to the brink of bankruptcy. Mayor Trevor Elkins knew something creative had to be done to bring in new residents and brighten the town’s prospects.
In December of 2018, Newburgh Heights Village Council approved a proposal—the first of its kind in the nation—to offer home buyers student loan repayment assistance in an effort to attract higher-income, long-term residents to become a part of the community and grow with it. The program offers repayment of 50 percent of student loan debt or $50,000, whichever is lower. There are also some stipulations. The first payout occurs at 80 percent after 10 years with 100 percent being vested after 15 and only homes valued at $50,000 or higher are eligible.
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The program is designed to be self-funded, but some of the current residents still had their concerns about how it would affect them. “What happened is that people—the old-time residents—said ‘nobody paid for my school, nobody paid for my career, why should I do that for someone else?’ or ‘are my taxes going to go up to cover this cost?,” Elkins states. “We explained to the current residents that new property owners, whether building a new house or buying an existing house, are not costing us money. In fact, they’re generating revenue that wouldn’t have been here without this incentive.” Elkins was also quick to point out that the alternative isn’t very palatable. “Without growth and broadening the tax base, when we do have to come back to the residents for additional revenue the burden is always larger the smaller the population,” he explains. “Broaden the tax base, make that pinch a little less painful the next time. We don’t want to hit that tipping point where we need to start over." Elkins himself admits this program isn’t a panacea for all the issues they’re facing as a community. Rather, this incentive is part of a package of proposals to help revitalize the city. When Elkins came into office in 2011, he understood that the turnaround would take time and require a foundation. “Newburgh Heights didn’t get this way overnight,” Elkins explains. “It took 30 years of not planning for the long term to get to a place where we were very nearly insolvent… We aggressively went after public money for sewers, roads, demolitions. [We] did foundation work quickly and aggressively to show residents even though it’s long term, you can see tangible short-term success that will lay a foundation to layer these growth incentives on top. Start with incentives, you put them on top of nothing.” It’s essential for Newburgh Heights to have the right mix of homes for sale that people will want to buy, but currently only seven properties
fit the criteria for the student loan program. It’s been a hard sell to get developers to build new homes in the village, so some incentive had to be given in the form of a tax abatement. At the same time, there are incentives to encourage current residents to improve their homes. “If you do a renovation that improves your property value as a current homeowner, then you get that abatement as well,” Elkins says. “Last year, we also created a home maintenance grant program for residents of 55 years-plus and military veterans. Basically, a 50 percent grant up to $1,000. So, if that resident were to put $2,000 into house, we’ll give them a check for $1,000. [This is] just to help people do things like put new Newburgh porches on, patch driveways, that sort Heights didn’t of thing.”
get this way overnight.
One possible side effect of rising property values is gentrification that could price current residents out of their own neighborhood. Even with new home builds, Elkins is confident that those already living in Newburgh Heights won’t be adversely affected. He anticipates the city has room for an additional 30-to-35 houses in the next five years and that number increasing to 50-to-75 if a 13-acre lot is acquired from the City of Cleveland.
“[That’s] a large number for a community that hasn’t seen any new construction in 50-plus years, but really not a number that’s going to move the needle on gentrification,” Elkins explains. “We don’t anticipate even with that to drive the market to the point where someone who’s lived here for 40 years would say ‘I can’t stay here.’” The plan makes sense. Incentivizing people with higher incomes to move to Newburgh Heights and stay at least 10 years means more tax revenue, rising property prices over time, and a safer, more stable community with a higher quality of municipal services and amenities. In the past year, the first pizza shop the town has had in more than 25 years opened and the hope is to see more small business growth as the local economy improves, further strengthening the neighborhood. The program has been approved for five years after which it’ll be evaluated for renewal. The city expects to start taking applications the first half of February 2019. Time will tell if this plan, along with the other initiatives, will reverse the fortunes of Newburgh Heights.
PRESSURELIFE | ISSUE 23 13
What We Ate
Ferris Shawarma
The group's menu item ratings
Dine with the PressureLife Team.
H
ate onions? Put ketchup on your ketchup? We all have unique likes and dislikes, but you don’t always know if a reviewer’s tastes align with your own. Instead of reading a review from one source, take it from four members of our team. Even though we are woefully under-qualified to review a restaurant, at least one of us will likely share some of your distinct tastes.
For this issue, the PressureLife crew visited Ferris Shawarma. Ferris– not the steakhouse–has been around on Lakewood Heights Boulevard for years, but the restaurant gave locals quite a scare when it closed down for renovations late last year. Now that it’s been back open for a couple months, it was time to revisit Ferris to try out an assortment of Middle Eastern favorites. Our crew stopped by for a to-go order during the polar vortex and found that it was well worth braving the cold.
ALEX:
There wasn’t a single item that I tried that I didn’t love. Scratch that, the fries weren’t anything special, but they served me well as vehicles for the garlic and hot sauces. Oh lord, those sauces… I’m a garlic fiend, so it hit me right in my happy spot. The beef shawarma dipped in the sauces was divine. Chicken shawarma with hummus? Tremendous. The fattoush had more herby goodness than a dispensary. I’m not even a big falafel fan, but the sandwich was mighty tasty. The kanafa was also a nice surprise, even if it was served cold. It was so good that I went to get more shawarma a week after we went for this review. Rating: 4.5/5
Likes + Dislikes Get to know the group's taste preferences 14 PRESSURELIFE | ISSUE 23
Alex: Mango is death; thinks garlic is a beautiful ingredient; can be seduced with a good meat and /or cheese board but hates blue cheese; loves meat in pretty much all forms. Jim: Prefers a salad over a burger but a steak over anything else; loves spicy
JIM:
Chicken Shawarma with Hummus Platter: 5 Beef Shawarma Platter: 4.5 Shish Tawouk Sandwich: 4 Falafel Sandwich: 4 Fattoush: 4.25 Hummus: 4.75 French Fries : 2 Kanafa: 3.5
This shit is legit. If I could walk around with Ferris’ hummus, hot sauce, and chicken shawarma in my pocket at all times, I 100 percent would. The fattoush salad was refreshing with a floral essence to it. I couldn’t tell you what the spice/herb mixture was, but I enjoyed it. The shish tawouk sandwich had that similar essence which took their chicken to a D3 (different delicious direction). The falafel was moist, well seasoned, and wasn’t a dry hockey puck. If you’ve ever had falafel, you know what I mean. If you like some cocktails with your dinner, the to-go service was fast and accommodating. I was pleased in everything we tried, except the kanafa, but that’s only because I don’t like sweets. Rating: 4.5/5
HANNAH:
What an absolute delight. Every item I tasted had more authenticity than eating food in the actual Middle East. With a middle name like Mahmoud, you might want to take my word for it. The shish tawouk was marinated and grilled perfectly. The hummus was the best hummus I have ever had. I swear on the Quran. The kanafa dessert is a conglomeration of what I might describe as a mozzarella stick and cheesecake if you can even imagine such a thing. It’s best served hot and Ferris himself warned me it would get cold quickly. It did, but I had no qualms with that. Ferris obviously knows exactly what he’s doing and I thank him and Allah for his food. I plan to eat there every week.
and sour flavors; despises donuts and dry bakery; will try anything once. Hannah: Enjoys foods that are savory and slightly over-salted; meals are typically a collection of small snacks; hates funky cheeses and properly cooked red meat; generally not a picky eater.
Dave: The bolder, the better. Prefers big flavors that stick around in your molars. Not a huge fan of sweets; would rather have an Irish coffee for dessert. Tries to keep it as unique and local as possible, but is not above McDonald's breakfast. Please hold the zucchini and squash.
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PRINT LOCAL Side note: It was like the movie Multiplicity in there. There were 25 Arab guys who all seemed to look exactly alike. All with cell phone accessories. I think I might be engaged to six of them already. There’s a good chance they’re first cousins with my first cousins, if you know what I mean.
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DAVE:
Cleveland is on this wild culinary upswing where you can find Fernet milkshakes or $30 burgers at every turn. What if you’re on your way home and you just want some food because you’ve procrastinated on some deadlines and you’re pregnant girlfriend is starving? Ferris Shawarma is there for you. We pretty much ordered the entire menu, and nothing fell flat. I would order our dessert again, and I don’t think I’ve ever said that. I spent most of my 20s as a vegetarian, so I ordered the falafel wrap to see where it ranked against the 40 million falafel wraps I’ve eaten. It ranked very high, although it was the least exciting dish that we ordered, except maybe the fries, but you can only take a french fry so far. The most exciting for me was the chicken shawarma with hummus. Dump some of the hot sauce on anything you order and you’re in for a treat. The whole experience inside the restaurant screamed of authenticity. We took it to go because there is no bar, and that’s kind of a necessary part of dining for us. In the words of the great James Earl Brassfield, “I need to fill my belly with that good chicken!” In short, Ferris is quick, delicious, cheap, and the real deal.
Pressure Life - 2019-v02.indd 1
2/5/19 11:06 AM
Rating: 4.5/5
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The Miracle on East T H E RI S E A N D FA L L O F W I NST O N E . W I L L I S’ O P P O RT U N I T Y C O RRI D O R .
INDIA PIERRE-INGRAM ILLUSTRATIONS // GLEN INFANTE
One morning
in 1965, an explosion went off in University Circle. The source of the explosion were two dynamite sticks placed in the kitchen vent of the Jazz Temple. Winston, 23 years old at the time, would wake to find his thriving jazz business had been forced to close seemingly overnight. This wouldn’t be the last time that Winston’s properties would be destroyed, but these acts would not mark the end of Winston’s entrepreneurial spirit in the Cleveland area. In fact, it was just the beginning.
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Winston arrived in Cleveland in 1958 by the way of Detroit, Michigan. Already a trained manager and entrepreneur, he set his sights on creating his own thriving businesses. Winston was a talker and made friends as soon as he arrived in Cleveland, even becoming close with Carl Stokes prior to his mayorship. The people who knew him described him as charismatic, confident, black business man. When Winston arrived in the Cleveland area, he found that the East Side was struggling economically, especially the pre-
Image courtesy of Cleveland Public Library / Official City of Cleveland Photography
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Aundra remembers managing the concession stand the opening day of Super Fly. “I went to work early when I came down and turned down on Euclid Avenue,” she said. “There was a line waiting outside of the theatre and around the block. I wanted to turn around and go home.”
Image courtesy of Verle Majied
dominantly-black community of Glenville. He set up shop in the area and opened three businesses in the span of five years: The Jazz Temple, a jazz coffeehouse; Winston’s Place, a fine-dining establishment; and Scrumpy-Dump, a local cinema. It was around this time that Winston’s name began to appear in local publications such as the Call and Post and the Plain Dealer. The Plain Dealer presented him as “Cleveland’s Porno King” due to the nature of films played in his cinema, but getting big-name films were hard at the time for a smaller cinema, especially for black owners.
The Short, Bright Reign of The Jazz Temple
“It wouldn’t have been necessary for us to deal with so-called pornography if blacks had been able to have real relationships with banks and lending institutions,” wrote Elmer Turner, vice president of the University Circle Property Development, in a Cleveland Press article entitled “Brave New World of Winston Willis.” Once Winston had access to more wealth, the films offered at the cinema changed. It hosted screenings of blaxploitation films that were popular in the early 1970s that brought in large crowds. Winston’s sister
Winston Willis opened The Jazz Temple, a liquor-less jazz club and coffeehouse, in the early ‘60s. The venue opened in the University Circle area close to Little Italy, a predominantly white location, and had immediate success because of the wide range of notable artists who performed and came as guests. Winston was able to secure well known jazz musicians such as Miles Davis, John Coltrane, and Dinah Washington to perform. While having comedians Richard Pryor, Dick
Winston was inside of the building sending out workers to buy more popcorn and hot dogs for the hungry, waiting crowd. However, none of this would have happened if it weren’t for a few lucky nights amid some chaotic times in Cleveland. In the late evening of July 27, 1968, the city of Cleveland was held together by martial law after the Glenville shootout. Close by, Winston emerged from a three-night gambling session in the back room of his late-night restaurant Hot Potato with $500,000 in cash in two trash bags. He had won the money against six other gentleman, including a notable pimp named Git. In the end, Winston’s luck ran so hot that his fellow gamblers called him the “negro with the magic hands.”
Gregory, and Redd Foxx. The Jazz Temple brought in diverse crowds that brought both a level of racial integration as well as white hostility and black-lash. The Jazz Temple received numerous racial threats, culminating in its eventual destruction by bombing. Despite the threats and the venue’s early demise, The Jazz Temple served as a mecca for music during Winston’s influential run on the East Side of Cleveland.
It was the black people’s downtown. Instead of us going downtown, we went to 105th." As Winston earned his winnings, his neighborhood swarmed with national guard and cops. Aundra describes that night as one of fear from the shootings, the joy of a new baby, and how small knocks on her front door woke her from her sleep. Winston had driven home and then to Aundra’s in a white jaguar convertible, where he brought money for her to deposit in different banks around the city. Aundra agreed. Winston used his winnings to buy properties between 105th and 107th streets and Euclid Avenue. At first, he faced issues with the Cleveland Trust Company, which he believed wouldn’t sell him property due to his race. After some finagling, including setting up an adult bookstore in an abandoned building, Winston
acquired most of the properties. It was at this point when Winston began to expand and build his “Miracle on 105th” and the “inner-city Disneyland.” The string of properties included more than 23 businesses, including an arcade, bookstores, and other various shops. Winston’s properties also housed The University Circle Property Development, an organization created to continue entrepreneurial ventures in the community through a black-led organization. Winston told reporters Emmanuel
Hughley, Jr. and Dick McLaughlin of the Cleveland Press that his businesses made him the city’s biggest employer of black people in Cleveland. “I grew up in that area; it was a hustling type community,” says Johnnie Johnson, an East Cleveland native. “It was the black people’s downtown. Instead of us going downtown, we went to 105th. Everything you wanted was on 105th.” Winston told the Cleveland Press that he just humanized the space and made it something people wanted. With the steady progress and reinvestment from both black and white Clevelanders, the UCPD and Winston’s opportunity corridor should have been admired and upheld by the city. However, buying up the property made Winston a target. There were numerous fire inspections of his properties. Winston faced threats to both his life and businesses, and police were routinely in his locations. Winston could have kept his head down or left the business while he was ahead. Instead, he started to speak openly about what he felt were attacks on him just for his race by placing handdrawn billboards on the side of his building.
Images courtesy of Cleveland Press Collection / Cleveland State University
his name was Corrigan. He wanted black people hanging Corrigan.”
Winston’s empire all came crashing down due to a single check." These billboards called out the city and even specific people. Winston got a local street artist named Mike Kirpatrick, a man who Winston had allowed to do portraits in his nightclubs and had seen around the neighborhood. The images ranged from Winston facing off prosecutors to blocks of texts calling for out racism in the city. “[Winston] would tell me what he wanted and I would draw it,” Mike said. “One he had...I think
Indeed, Mike drew former Prosecutor Attorney John T. Corrigan being hanged by black people with the devil laughing at his back. However, Mike also made sure to mention that it was Winston’s interpretation and that he just drew it. Corrigan had been trying to bring an organized crime charge against Winston. The charges were eventually dismissed, but that didn’t stop the heated tension noted in newspapers during the time. Winston’s empire all came crashing down due to a single check. In 1983, Winston was sentenced to a year in prison for a check worth a little more than $400. The check had been made to a lumber company, but it had bounced. Aundra alleges that Winston himself had never even signed it. Instead, she claims Winston’s Chief Financial Officer Elsayed Aly Ayoub had signed the check instead. Despite this, Case Western Reserve University Law Professor Spencer Neth was able to prove that Winston shouldn’t have been convicted because the check was initially approved by the bank and should have cleared according to banking laws at the time. While imprisoned, many of his properties were seized and torn down to
make room for Cleveland Clinic to expand. According to his sister, the buildings were torn down swiftly with no news coverage and Cleveland Police surrounding the area. Winston filed a lawsuit against the city, Cleveland Clinic, University Circle, and numerous other entities in 1977, but it went nowhere. His final billboard set the tone for the future of University Circle.
“Farewell Friend & Neighbor. After 10 years serving this community soon we must close our businesses to make way for …. U.C.I - Cleveland Clinic - State of Ohio …. To Build a New Hospital for Whites”
“I did see when the area changed,” Johnson said. “He was forced out by the Cleveland Clinic. The Cleveland Clinic started buying up everything there, which they are still doing today.” Winston didn’t leave Cleveland after his thriving businesses were torn down. Though he’s stepped out of the city’s spotlight, Winston didn’t back down. He took his fight against wrongful property seizures and foreclosures to the court system. After his appeals to the City of Cleveland’s court, Winston and Aundra petitioned the Supreme Court to review his case. It was denied in 2007. If you take a walk down Euclid Avenue today, you won’t see a single marker of Winston’s businesses. No billboards, no scrumpy-dump cinemas with lines wrapped around the corners waiting for the next blaxploitation film to open. The street is no longer a bustling black entertainment hub. All the remains are blocks full of medical buildings and the fading memories of the Miracle on 105th.
Life on the
GRANDE STAGE How two brothers went from living in Strongsville to dancing with a pop superstar. Stevie Verlie Photography // Cory Graves + Alfredo Flores
All
good things come to those who wait is a philosophy that has never resonated much with twins Brian and Scott Nicholson. While time and effort doesn’t guarantee results, the Cleveland-born brothers turned their natural talents and determination into success on the Grande stage.
The brothers currently reside in Los Angeles, where they’re gearing up for Ariana Grande’s Sweetener Tour in March, their third world tour with the pop star. These days, the twins serve as creative directors, choreographers, and dancers for the pop megastar. While the twins now spend much of their time on international tours, their tale began in the suburbs down I-71. Brian and Scott were raised in Strongsville by parents Ellen and Harry Nicholson. Harry passed away when the boys were 11, leaving them a tight-knit family of four with their mom and sister. This mentality is something that would prove to be a valuable tool in pursuing their dreams. “We were raised with a team mentality, especially once our father passed away,” Scott explained. “My mom was like, ‘we’ve been a team and we are going to stay a team.’” The duo attended the University of Akron together for five years. While they started out as voice majors, it wasn’t long before they realized that dance may be their true calling. After taking a tap class for a gym credit, they soon joined an on-campus dance group called Ill’u’syn and another off-campus crew. It wasn’t long before they were noticed by the dance department as standout talent.
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After college, Brian and Scott were offered a job to teach a hip-hop dance class at a studio in New Jersey. This would require a move to New York City, but it proved to be the right decision. After about two months, they signed with their first agency, Clear Talent Group, and started to land professional dancing gigs. This also meant occasionally auditioning against each other. “Obviously we are in competition because we look exactly the same, but it was never an awkward thing,” Scott said. “We were happy just as long as one of us got it.” Jobs rolled in and the duo started to dance for huge names in the entertainment industry, such as Mariah Carey, Janet Jackson, and the producers of Glee and Dancing with the Stars. In 2010, Scott got an audition for Ariana Grande. Brian couldn’t go because he was rehearsing for the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show with Nicki Minaj. “I made it to the very end of the audition,” Scott said. “They found out I was a twin and asked where Brian was. Luckily, he was rehearsing in the studio right next door. I ran over and grabbed him on his lunch break for a quick audition. We both got the job. The rest is history.” What was supposed to be one music video and two performances snowballed into an eight-year collaboration and friendship with arguably the biggest pop star in the world. “They’re two of the most talented people on the face of the planet,” Grande said in her docuseries Dangerous Woman Diaries. “As a human, as an artist, I’m incomplete without Brian and Scott.”
The Dangerous Woman Tour launched in February of 2017 and was Grande’s most successful tour to date. Things took a tragic turn May 22 of that year when a suicide bomber took the lives of 22 concert-goers and wounded hundreds of others. Instead of focusing on the horrific aspects of that night, the twins reflected on the power of love in overcoming evil. “We were scared, but we had each other to lean on,” Brian said. “It was traumatic, but it was also a huge learning experience. There were realizations of what’s important. How scary the world is, but how awesome it is when you overcome something. We turned it into a positive as much as we could.” That positivity manifested into One Love Manchester, a benefit concert for the We Love Manchester Emergency Fund attended by 55,000 people two weeks after the attack.
We’ve been a team and we are going to stay a team.
“When we did the One Love Manchester event, so much beauty came out of so much pain and tragedy,” Scott said. “There was never a question of ‘do we do something positive? Do we stop or keep going?’’’
The value of acceptance and love for everyone is not something that the twins take lightly. For example, the brothers were thrilled to be the art directors and choreographers of the VMA performance of Grande’s “God is a Woman,” bringing their vision to life.
“We are huge allies to women—huge,” Brian said. “We wanted to celebrate every single woman and their individuality, but also their connectedness and wholeness. We wanted to make sure that everyone watching felt included and celebrated. We really put our heart and soul into that, and Ariana did too.” Aside from dance, the twins have their own side projects. Scott actively works with Facebook groups and law enforcement to save endangered dogs. He uses his platform of 370,000 Instagram followers to showcase these animals and find them forever homes. Additionally, the duo recently launched a line of apparel and accessories called KiiD. “The reason for the name is for that kid mentality,” Scott explains. “Kids don’t think about it, they just do it.” That same sentiment applies to the journey of two Cleveland kids whose blue-collar work ethic led them to become creative partners with a pop superstar. However, they still return to Strongsville to visit their family whenever they have a free day or two. It turns out that you can dance if you want to, but you don’t have to leave your home behind.
Check out the twins in Ariana Grande’s Sweetener Tour in Cleveland on March 28. For a closer look at life on the road, catch Dangerous Woman Diaries on YouTube.
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The Great
WIDE OPEN
A small Ohio village is home to the theory of a hollow earth… and ensuing misadventures. Adam Dodd “I pledge my life in support of this truth, and am ready to explore the hollow, if the world will support and aid me in the undertaking.” –John Cleves Symmes Jr.
earth was not solid, but in fact a series of concentric spheres that each rotated independently upon their own axis.
(Spoilers: They didn’t.)
A
small village hidden within Miami Township along the southwest border of Ohio owes its name to Northwest Territory pioneer and delegate in the first Continental Congress, John Cleves Symmes. As for namesakes, sleepy Cleves, Ohio could do worse than a colonel in the American Revolution who was also the fatherin-law to President William Henry Harrison and great-grandfather to President Benjamin Harrison.
Symmes also included a certificate of sanity in each of the mailings.
Symmes also believed there are holes at each of the earth’s poles that allow access to the hollow inner earth. He theorized that the holes were so wide and the curvature so gradual one would not even notice they were entering. He would eventually drop the concept of concentric spheres in favor of a single inner earth.
For all his resume building, the real stuff of legend belongs to his wayward nephew of the same name and the exploits that arose from his unwavering belief in a hollow earth.
This was no passing notion either. Symmes soon sank all his time and resources into the theory. In 1818, he attested to mailing 500 copies of his first treatise on the subject, Circular No.1, to “each notable foreign government, reigning prince, legislature, city, college, philosophical societies, throughout the union, and to individual members of our National Legislature.”
Symmes fought against the British like his uncle, this time at the siege of Fort Erie in the War of 1812 before being honorably discharged. There’s scarce information on how he conceived the notion, but shortly after a failed second career as a trader between the U.S. Army and Fox Indians, Symmes came to realize that the
Hedging his bets, Symmes also included a certificate of sanity in each of the mailings. For some reason, the scientific community did not respond favorably. The open derision he received did nothing to stop him from touring the country, speaking in support of his theory.
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Symmes’ siren song eventually reached the ears of Jeremiah Reynolds, editor of Ohio newspaper, The Spectator. While Symmes is reported to have been a poor public speaker, Reynolds knew how to draw an audience and soon the two were touring the east coast together, charging 50 cents a seat to sold-out houses.
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One of their speeches was received by Count Romanoff, chancellor of Russia under Czar Alexander. The Count was planning a polar expedition and invited Symmes to join them. He declined, but used the offer to leverage an audience with President John Quincy Adams. Not wanting to be outdone by Russia, Adams agreed to finance an expedition to the South Pole to test their theory. Unfortunately for Symmes and Reynolds, Congress was no fan of Adams and his desire for a more federalized government. Because of this, they kept him on a short leash during his single term and an incoming Andrew Jackson quashed all pending legislature, which included the financing for Symmes and Reynolds’ South Pole expedition. Disillusioned, the two soon fell out of favor with one another. Reynolds would eventually abandon his partner, but not before stealing all the globes and maps that they used in their presentations. Symmes returned to his Ohio home in 1829, broke, maligned, and the champion of a cause no one believed. He died of a stomach illness the same year.
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Reynolds had little time for mourning. By October of the same year, he convinced New England sealing captains to organize the South Sea Fur Company and Exploring Expedition. The “Annawan” set sail south from a New York harbor on their dime and made it as close as eight degrees from the South Pole, or roughly 480 nautical miles, according to ship records. It was also within those eight degrees that they ran out of food and found their preparations no match for the frigid Antarctic weather. They retreated to a port in Valparaiso, Chile, but with little to show for their efforts, a spurned crew mutinied and opted to repurpose the “Annawan” as a pirate ship. Down and out in South America, Reynolds wound up fighting as a colonel on behalf of an Araucanian territory before the USS Potomac made port on its way from Sumatra. Reynolds talked his way aboard and served as a private secretary until he was able to return to New York. Chronicles Reynolds penned, which recounted his larger-than-life exploits, proved a direct influence on Edgar Allan Poe’s Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket. Likewise, Herman Melville’s 1851 masterpiece Moby Dick is unlikely to have existed without Reynolds first publishing Mocha Dick: Or the White Whale of the Pacific in 1839. As captivating as Reynolds haphazard exploits are, they would be nothing without John Cleves Symmes Jr. first daring to ask, “what if?” History did not favor him, but it does owe Symmes for spurring some of its more fascinating diversions.
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The
CONNECTION GAME James Earl Brassfield
The
James Douglas’ journey from skiing hopeful to sought-after photographer.
elevator operator in the Artcraft Building will know precisely where you’re heading if you’re holding beer. “I see you’ve got your fee–third floor?” he’ll ask. Knowing you’re about to sit down and have a beer with a guy who is arguably Cleveland's biggest commercial photographer, you’d expect models moving hurriedly around the studio. Instead, all that exists on the third floor is a white door and metal sign that reads “James Douglas Studio.” The welcome party was a fluffy, blonde dog named Ginnie, a tall barefoot man, and his assistant, Jacqueline.
The barefoot man, James Douglas Shields, didn't grow up thinking of being a photographer, even though the family business revolved around printing National Geographic. In a time before Instagram or functional internet as we now know it, James had full access to the best photographs in the world. However, a photography career wasn't even a thought. James was on his way to the Junior Olympics as a skier.
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“I was a racer,” James says. “You know... The guys wearing skin tight suits.”
However, tragedy struck around his 17th birthday in Stowe, Vermont. James hit a tree going about 45 mph while skiing, cracking his femur, humerus, three ribs, and two vertebrae. Goodbye, gold medals. The injury made him toss those dreams aside, but led him to a new path. “Instead of doing dumb shit like going 60 miles an hour on skis, I started taking photographs of my friends doing dumb shit on skis,” James explains. After the accident, James’ mom and dad were on board with him avoiding physically demanding sports. As a result, he learned how to take photos by climbing mountains with 40 pounds of camera gear.
Initially, the photos he took on the tops of the mountains created a desire for his work among many influential companies. James was the youngest person to have his work featured on the cover of skiing publication Powder Magazine, which got the attention of some major brands. When Patagonia and North Face called, James was unavailable because he was still in high school. When you’re asked to come to Zermatt, Switzerland, the home of The Matterhorn, and have to say no because you have class, that’s a sign you found your calling. Still, James didn't even go to school for photography. He went to the University of Delaware for art direction. He believes the attention to small details he learned while there is what draws people to his work. After finishing school, James used his relationships to go into commercial photography. In 2014, James started an ever-growing project called The Dark Portrait Series, which consists of photos of Cleveland’s highlevel movers and shakers. James says the cost for your portrait was “a six-pack When Patagonia and an introduction.” He even had and North Face someone offer $10,000 for a dark series called, James portrait, but he turned it down. In short, people can’t just buy their way into the was unavailable series. James lets the project grow based because he was on the connections made over a six pack.
still in high school.
James does not consider himself a full-on Clevelander, as he was born and raised in the D.C. area. He’s spent less time here than in New York City. Still, James was into Cleveland before it was cool, starting with when he met his wife in Manhattan. “I asked her where she was from,” James recalls. “She said North Olmsted. I said ‘what is that, in New Jersey?’” Before LeBron came back, James was here. A North Olmsted Girl got him here and the opportunity is what made him stay. In that time, he changed the thought process of the people who need highlevel photo work. James is a New York-by-way-of-D.C. transplant who is making the Cleveland corporate world stop looking to the coast for the stunning photography they’ve always been able to find right here in town.
Want to see James’ work for yourself? For more, check out jamesdouglas.com
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TECH TRENDS The Good, the Pricy, and the Weird from CES 2019.
John Hill
F
or more than half a century, the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) has presented new products and technologies that can change the world (or at least do something cool). The most recent CES took place in Las Vegas this past January and once again had records in attendance and exhibitors. While you may have missed the show, you don’t have to miss out on some of the highlights showcased in Las Vegas. We don’t have the space to go over everything, so I picked out the most appealing products and narrowed out my personal best in show for a few select groups: health, TVs, home automation, and weird products. ___________________________________________
Health–Y-Brush For anyone who has kids, we know what a challenge it is to get them to brush their teeth. This amazing product needs only 10 seconds to properly clean your teeth. The Y-Brush resembles a small sports mouthguard and is lined with nylon bristles positioned at 45-degree angles. Add toothpaste, put the Y-Brush in your mouth, and turn on the motor–it’s that simple. As the brushes vibrate, you make a chewing motion for five seconds, remove the Y-Brush, flip it, and repeat. That’s good for the kids and great for me.
TVs – LG OLED65R9 Rollable TV Have you ever seen a rollable TV before? Rollable refers to the fact that the TV panel can retract and roll up within its large, Dolby Atmos speaker-toting stand. The pros of this cool TV are its innovative design, a strong picture performance, and an attractive remote. The con is quite obvious–it’s going to be very expensive. Me, personally, I have always been a Samsung TV guy. This product certainly got my attention and I will look at LG before my next TV purchase.
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Home Automation – Numi 2.0 Intelligent Toilet Yes, you read that correctly–a toilet. Maybe you want to hear your favorite playlist while in the shower or you need to know what your day’s schedule looks like while you’re getting dressed. Kohler has just the product for you–the Numi 2.0 Intelligent Toilet, which features Amazon Alexa integration and powerful speakers. Personalized cleansing functions and interactive lighting that can adjust to different scenarios round out additional features. This commodity is quite pricey–$7,000 for the white finish or $8,000 for the black model– but singing toilets aren’t cheap.
Weird products – Monit Smart Diaper
“Singing toilets aren’t cheap.
Once again, those who have kids know the great smells babies can produce in their diapers. When your nose just doesn't cut it, the Monit Smart Diaper is a Bluetooth sensor that attaches to the outside of your baby's diaper. When your baby pees or poops, Monit sends you an alert. Thinking back to when my kids were babies, I didn’t ever need a device like this, but I’m sure people will buy this product. CES is a bucket list-item for many tech junkies like myself. Next year, I’ll be able to attend the event and fulfill a dream while sharing even more of what the world has to offer, whether it’s a game-changing gadget or an even smart toilet.
This article is sponsored by Aztek, a web design, development, and digital marketing agency located in downtown Cleveland. aztekweb.com
It’s Easy Being Green How a small local company makes the yard-to-table movement a viable option. Tesh Ekman movement has become all the rage in sourcing sustainable, healthy, organic foods from locally. Alex Russell wants to take that a step further by promoting a yard-totable lifestyle where people grow their own food in home-gardens.
THE FARM-TO-TABLE
Some people might like the idea of growing their own food and want to find ways to be greener, but setting up a home garden can seem like a daunting task given the time and knowledge required. Those who have a small yard, no yard, or live in apartments might not even consider it an option at all. Alex, who found a passion for gardening while growing peppers for hot sauces in college, wanted to change that perception, so he started the company Green City Roots. Based in Lakewood, Green City Roots offers a free consultation to evaluate individual living situations in designing and installing customized, easy-to-maintain, indoor or outdoor home gardens. “I thought if someone builds and plants a garden for these people, all they would have to do is water it a couple times a week,” Alex explains. “I didn't see anyone else doing this type of business in our area, so I started it.” Green City Roots offers several options to fit any needs with apartment or patio herb and salad gardens that start at $250. For those with more space, the company offers a larger-sized option in raised-bed vegetable gardens starting at $600. You can also have a completely-custom option built, with varying prices based on the solution designed. In keeping with its mission to help the environment and help people be more sustainable, Green City Roots even offers an option for garden soil revitalization using a fertilizer called Everbrew, which is made from spent beer grains and used coffee grounds. Alex understands that while it’s important for everyone to do their part in helping the environment, it’s also important to help make it easier for them to do so. Through Green City Roots, Clevelanders can use their yards to bring sustainability to the table.
To embrace the yard-to-table movement and for more information, visit Igreencityroots.com
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St. Paddy's
WAR Over the rainbow and under attack, St. Patrick faces a celebration annihilation. Dan Bernardi
It
seems the U.S. has always had a wavering tolerance for toleration, but no holidays are safe in these tricky times. First it was Thanksgiving. Then it was Christmas. Now a war has been waged against St. Patrick's Day, the age-old celebration of the patron saint of Ireland that dates back to the 17th century. The tradition was brought here by our forefathers, but opponents claim St. Pat is too manly, too drunk, too Christian, or too Irish. For some misandrous, straight-edge, atheistic xenophobes, he's all of the above. For the rest of us who refuse to let the saint go gentle into that drunk night, here's how we'll end St. Paddy's War.
After your squad leaves homebase, the war has already begun. Let your St. Pat-pride be heard by anyone within earshot as your travel to the nearest canteen for ceremonial emerald libations. Fuel up with the spirits of the saint. Your unit must army crawl through the bar crawl to receive your next marching orders. These will lead you straight into the heart of the parade. Surrounded by your allies, stride honorably through the middle of the streets, in spite of the enemies, commuters, and all-around parade-haters.
STORM THE FIELD
You can't fight a war without an army, and every army needs a few good men, women, or anything in between. Remember, tolerance is key. This war is not for the light of weight. No recruits under 21, on the wagon, or still hungover from last year. For sober allies looking to support the troops, every militia needs reliable transportation. We want YOU for designated drivers. Once you've sorted through the genuine draft dodgers and assembled you team, reveal the master plan: you're saving Private Patrick.
The parade is a swift victory. A four-leaf mushroom cloud lies in its wake, but don't celebrate the celebration just yet. Your elite unit better be locked and loaded—you may have won the parade, but you haven't won the bar. Inside the pub you hear shots—the bartender is serving car bombs. This is the perfect time to slosh the good word of Patrick to all in attendance. Your adversaries will promptly reveal themselves, unable to hide their disdain for your holiday. This is the final hoedown. If you can fend off the onslaught of bullshit and blackouts, you may just survive to last call.
It's time to gear up, or “pre-game” as the veterans call it. Dressing for the front lines of this fight won't require the stealth of camouflage fatigues, but instead something that screams “Kiss me, I'm Irish” because dammit, we're all Irish on St. Patrick's Day. Naturally, the only conceivable battle attire is a leprechaun hat, shamrock glasses, and a green sweatsuit. Before you kiss your loved ones goodbye, take a moment to enjoy a traditional feast of St. Patrick: corned beef, cabbage, and enough Guinness to set a world record. This war is hell on an empty stomach.
The war is over. You may be wasted, but the day was not. Today, you fought to preserve the legacy of St. Patrick by getting hammered among friends and strangers in public. Mission accomplished! You've learned a valuable lesson in the process—war is a warm beer and should be avoided at all costs. Now go sleep it off, but beware. In the dead of night, when the resistance inevitably sneak attacks your customs and shuns your allegiance to St. Patrick, just handle it the same way he would—like a saint.
GATHER THE TROOPS
PREPARE FOR BATTLE
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NUKE AND RALLY
GET HOME SAFELY AND GO TO BED
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