police throw grenade in playpen

Another report on the war on drugs: Middle of the night 'swat team' raid over drug possession.


http://www.wsbtv.com/news/news/local/toddler-critically-burned-during-swat-raid/nf9SJ/

Mother of 19 month old, “It landed in his playpen and exploded on his pillow, right in his face”.

Sheriff, “There was no clothes, no toys, nothing to indicate that there was children present in the home”.

The man the warrant was for, was not there.

Dog on Quincy

know justice know peace

rustbelt monster collective at the museum

The Parade the Circle workshop has been moved to a giant tent in front of  Rodin's Thinker at the old entrance. Last year it was on the grass next to the Natural History Museum.

 http://rustbeltmonster.com/

Six young artists have been making a series of collaborative instant murals in public places. To-day, they painted near the oval entrance of the Cleveland Art Museum.

 and some times you need that lucky seventh painter

some of us like tall girls

flowers and legos

There is a traveling exhibit of Sean Kenney's sculptures with plastic building blocks, "Nature Connects". It is visiting Cleveland Botanical Gardens, in Missouri there begins a second series. This is good contemporary art. He has here 14 pieces and groups of sculptures. Some settings enhance the sculpture.

 Ruby throated hummingbird

 at the end of a rectangular pool lined with late season tall white tulips (Darwinian)

 

augmented by live mallards

 in the glass house a chameleon blends in the Madagascar desert half

 fascinated by a butterfly in the Costa Rican portion

#bringbackourgirls Cleveland/Nigeria

To-day, at Saint Adalbert's Cleveland was a Mass to specifically pray "bring our girls home". At the end of Mass spokesmen for the Nigerian community (Yoruba and Ibo) in northeast Ohio, and local mothers spoke. They, and Fr. Damian Ezeani, explained the current situation in the old country (Nigeria), and that such things happen all around the world, and here too. Afterwards there was a pilgrim march to the Juvenile Justice Center and back to Saint Adalbert's. The marchers sang along the path, soft and deep, "All we are saying is bring back our girls".

#bringbackourgirls
#bring back our girls
Say no boko haram!
Say no human enslavement!

 American schoolgirls petition with sign for the Nigerian girls.

 Fr. Damian Ezeani during Consecration.

 A Mother, and Grandmother, speaks.

 Outside St. Adalbert's  before march.

#morethan200girlsarestillmissing
# more than 200 girls are still missing

Cleveland Asian Sunday

The Dragon Dance was more like a Dragon March with wonderful troupe, and elegant dragon. Many people wanted fotos, and they and balloons got in the way of other people wanting to fotos. Guarders in light blue shirts further got in the way There is gotta be a better route for viewing. The dragoneers were from CSU Confucius Institute.

Shri Kalaa Mandir group doing Bharathanatyam flute dance

At first traditional dances from the old country, unfamiliar old countries in particular, is confusing because of the unfamiliarity and the lack of context; but giving it time to flow, and if it is done well, the appreciation of it grows. Often, the first viewing may not take hold, but when it does, it is enjoyable.

 Yume Daiko Stongsville

At one point five little kids sat on Payne Avenue in front of the stage watching and listening, and for a short time a sixth, but most of the time this one transfixed girl. This group was great (and their leader was out of town). They were energetic, enthusiastic, as were the other local taiko drummers i've seen; but they were having playful fun, while performing properly the music. They shared a little bit of the drums' histories. My kinsman passed his interest in this art to me. This is funny, since he is very little interest in music, and i do not care for most drumming (an orchestra only needs one percussionist). Not pictured, is their big drum. Everyone in the audience had to be sober, an hangover could not stand it. All in all, they were good.

 Sho-Jo-Ji Japanese dance troupe

And we both share an appreciation of many items of Japanese culture. The costumes, parasol, and fan dances were all pleasant; but the star was the most non-chalant performer. This child pegged the cuteness meter. While the others were dancing, she insisted on just standing, just being. I could hear her think, "you got me to wear the outfit, that's good enough, i will stand still if i like, and i will walk when i want, and at my own speed. OK? everybody".

face painting

Over-all 'make up' is a failure, a non-necessity. It does make money. But, a theater masque from paint has entertainment value.

It is the Year of the Horse. I came looking for the ponies. They are one of the Chinese zodiac signs. In the past few years, the painted fiberglass zodiac animals were installed about town on the day before the festival begins. That would have been Friday, but the horses shipped from Chicago were the wrong size. Delay. Installation expected June 5.

Pray for those affected by gun violence

On Cleveland's Euclid Avenue by the campuses of Case Western Reserve U., and Church of the Covenant Presbyterian.

gathering the goslings

 Canada geese are very attentive parents

 they teach and guard their children

  father gander and mother goose stay mated for life

 out for a swim

a difference between people

There are people of good will, and there are others. Sometimes this is readily apparent in political views. A terrible thing has happened in Nigeria. There is a #BringBackOurGirls social media campaign to bring attention, and to push for a good end. Boko Haram (a Moslem guerrilla and bandit group) kidnapped 200-300 teenage schoolgirls, they have only value to them as sexual flesh. They want to forcibly islamicise them and sell for use. Many regular, and prominent people have used a social media convention to focus attention.

Now, there is a political faction in the United States that mocks the participants in this activity. Some of it is racism, the hatred of black people; and some of it is just that ultra-conservative streak in this country, which combines that racism, with nationalistic jingoism, and hatred of anything that Democrats may approve of.  There are individuals who profit off this sort of thing, political, mercenary, agitator-clowns.

Ann Coulter makes a grand living by obnoxious spite in the guise of 'humour', she is an operative of what Hillary Clinton so accurately called "the vast right wing conspiracy".

The internet, and social media can by sarcasm neutralise arrogance, falsity, and crudity of inhumanity, and propaganda. Here some one has a  view on Coulter's 'humour'.

gold window

 inside and out

Grace Lutheran. Cleveland Heights Ohio.

This is the only stained glass window, i think, in town that is far more interesting viewed from the outside. I have put up a lot of fotos of stained glass. I like stained glass, and have seen much about town. This may, or may not be the gold standard; but i do not see putting up another post on local glass.

Willet was the first, perhaps only, artist and studio to create sculptured gold windows. The first in 1948-9, the first one in a church was across the street from UCLA in 1951 [and i have not seen a picture of either].  By repoussage, pushing up (with punches and hammers) on a sheet of lead and forming a bas relief sculpture an overlay (with gold leaf applied) is created to be placed over stained glass.

I would like to find out if anyone at the church, now, has details. The church was completed in 1927. The congregation began in Hough, and followed a streetcar line out of town.

The inside [or the back of the sculpture] has an initially jarring color palate, but after repeated viewing, one gets used it; and perhaps it does have a charm too. What the lead on top of the glass does has to effect the color, it is not a foto negative, i don't think it is a hue or shade shift; chemical reaction?

cleveland flea [market]

well, it is a temporary market at which you can see people, and stuff...

Some people are willing to pose, unprompted. I am somewhat timid in approaching subjects, but these princesses almost seemed to volunteer, and they look happy.

 incongruence

the shirt on the left is quite new, the one on the right is not the most pleasant brag

Archangel Michael Orthodox

in Broadview Heights since 1977, these cupolas are sometimes visible from I-77

atheist billboards

A lot of committed atheists have a chip on their shoulder. Some feel abused and belittled by the greater society. In addition, some want to evangelise. Some want to form a community, like a parish.

A few hours ago,  a local group paid for eleven different signs to go up about Cleveland and Akron [click]. Supra, is #1. They are calling this their "Out of the Closet Campaign".

It is a personal thing, whether one believes in a God or does not. Some can, some would like to, some can not. Those in the middle suffer a sort of anguish, a desire for a presence that seems absence. Perhaps, one day they can find peace one way or another.

Whether one is a theist or an atheist, either can be good or not as a human being. There are good and bad people, within and without. All men are brothers. In search for peace in the world, it is important to have good will. Most religions proclaim the good. One does not have to have religion to also proclaim, and do the good.

One unfortunate thing about some atheists is that they promote unpleasant exemplars (Madalyn Murray O'Hair, Richard Dawkins, Christopher Hitchens, Ayn Rand). These are shitty heroes. They prefer confrontation, to gain some selfish sense of superiority. This sort of (often strident) mean-spiritness prejudices many against atheists.

These billboards attempt to be positive about unbelief. Perhaps, it is a plea to enter general society as an equal member.

'M' is for Migratory

Early May is the best time for birding in Ohio. Magee Marsh (Ottawa) often gets national attention, as we are in the biggest week in birding. Migratory Bird Day is this Saturday. The most numerous species will be the warblers.

The last three days, i went to Cuyahoga Heights, North Ridgeville, Brecksville, and the mouth of the Cuyahoga, and many birds, and few people looking at them.

 Myrtle Warbler, sub species of Yellow Rump Warbler

 Spring starts with the return of the red-winged blackbirds.

All four parks had Baltimore Orioles visible. Thursday, there were several frolicking about Wendy Park.

I was told by an ornithologist, yesterday, for every Swainson's thrush you see, a thousand flew over the lake the night before.

A scarlet tanager is visible from a goodly distance away.

'C' is for Caterpillar

Yesterday, the beginning of installation of sculptures of a creature's life cycle began at Ohio & Erie Canal Reservation (Cuyahoga Heights) of the Metroparks.