Browns Update

Lance A. Gentile

It was another close game, coming right down to the wire. It almost seems as if the Browns just don't want to win any of these games. Game after game, the offense gives the defense a lead, and the defense tries to give it away in the fourth quarter.

The Browns built up an 8 to nothing lead when Buffalo got the ball on the 30 yard line with 1:51 left to go in the fourth quarter. The Bills were able to drive all the way to the Browns 10 yard line, but turned it over on downs when the Browns defense played a bend but don't break style.

The Browns got great games out of Jamal Lewis, Braylon Edwards, and Phil Dawson who kicked some amazing field goals. Dawson kicked 49 and 35 yard field goals, which normally would be unspectacular, but in a blizzard, there were some of the best plays of the game. Cleveland also scored a safety when the snap to Bills punter Brian Moorman went over his head and Moorman booted the ball out for a safety instead of give up a potential touchdown. Jamal Lewis had 33 carries for 163 yards. He got better and better as the game went on and ate a lot of clock which really helped the defense out, who pitched a shutout. Opponents had scored at least 18 in every game before this, but the weather, along with Jamal's physical running, gave the defense a helping hand today.

Early in the game before Jamal toke over Braylon Edwards was dominating the secondary, jumping up and making circus like catches at will. If Braylon does not go to the Pro Bowl this year, something is seriously wrong. He has already posted career numbers in receptions (69), receiving yards (1170), and receiving touchdowns (13), and he still has a couple games to improve on those numbers.

As far as the playoffs go, Tennessee beat The Chiefs, so nothing is for certain, but the Browns are in the driver's seat for the 6th seed, and are actually tied with the Steelers for the Division Title. However, because the Steelers swept us in head-to-head play, the Browns need to win 1 more game than the Steelers to actually win the Title. Both the Steelers and Browns have weak schedules going forward, so it will be interesting to see the race for the Title plays out. The most encouraging thing is that the defense is finally starting to catch up to the offense ability, which will be huge in the post season.

Cleveland Browns vs Buffalo Bills

Lance A. Gentile

Tailgaters beware, because the weather for this week's Browns game versus the Buffalo Bills will be quite extreme. The forecast at game time is 29 degrees Fahrenheit with a 90% chance of snow. There is a chance that the predicted snow and 20+ mph winds may cause the Browns to lean more on the power running game of Jamal Lewis instead of the strong arm of Derek Anderson. The weather may actually be an advantage for the Browns, as it negates the Deep Threat of Bills speedster Lee Evans. This is a big week for the Brownies, because a win, coupled with a loss by the Titans, and the Browns clinch a playoff spot for the first time since Butch Davis took them to the post-season in 2002. A win for either team would be huge, and would help to set the tone for the future of either franchise.

Cleveland Browns Scouting Report: What will most likely be the keys to this game will be how Jamal Lewis runs against Buffalo's 30th ranked defense, and how the Brown's 32nd ranked defense plays against the Bills. Cleveland will score, but what has cost Cleveland in its five losses has been the ability to run out the clock and hold the opposition's offense in the second half. If the Browns are able to overcome the harsh conditions, they should find much success in the air against a 28th ranked pass defense. Also, while the stat sheet hasn't shown it, the defense seems to be improving and an improved defense would be a huge asset in this game. If Cleveland can get a win, coupled with a loss by Tennessee, the Browns have clinched a playoff spot. Hope for a division title is slim, but still alive because of a weak schedule.

Buffalo Bills Scouting Report: The Bills appear to need to win this game much more than the Browns. They have a tough schedule to finish the season, with games against the Giants and Eagles. A win against the Browns would put them in a tie with the Browns for the 6th seed. The Bills have not had a berth since 1999, and a loss would have them waiting another year. Rookie quarterback Trent Edwards is 5-1 as a starter, and seems to have chemistry with big play receiver Lee Evans, and while no one outside of Buffalo would say that there offense is explosive, putting up 39 points on the scoreboard shows they are capable of scoring, especially against a weak defense like Cleveland's.

Prediction: Cleveland has played very well at home this year (5-0 when Anderson starts) and I think that continues. The Brown's defense steps up to win Browns - 28, Bills - 17.

Candlemass in Cleveland

Candlemass is coming to Cleveland with Daylight Dies on May 23, 2008. Blabbermouth posted new tour dates and tickets for the Peabody's show are currently on sale for only $18 from The Vault until December 20, 2007.

Epica is also coming to Peabody's on April 12, 2008 and we are eagerly awaiting the dates for the Progressive Nation Tour with Opeth, Dream Theater, Three, and Between the Buried and Me.

Beauty and Art

I updated the Artists and Galleries and Beauty Salons and Spas pages. Please check them out if you get a chance. I know there are many more wonderful local websites out there and it's challenging to find them all.

Please feel free to share your favorite local websites anytime. I love discovering all of the variety that our area has to offer.

Cleveland Shopping

Traditionally, November is the start of the Holiday shopping season in Cleveland. The masses make their pilgrimage to the malls to find the perfect gift, or great buys from the after Thanksgiving sales.

Personally, I find the crowds annoying and the discounts not that amazing. For over a decade, I have made a vow to avoid the malls as much as possible and have done virtually all of my shopping online. I love it! I don't have to fight the crowds, waste gas warming up the car, wander around aimlessly trying to find what I'm looking for or drive around crowded parking lots trying to find a space.

This year I decided to focus on some of our local merchants and what they have to offer for the holidays. Follow me for a virtual shopping tour of Cleveland.

The Humphrey Company
For anyone who loved Euclid Beach, a gift from Humphrey would be a wonderful momento. Included are Euclid beach T-shirts, ornaments, and their famous popcorn balls and taffy kisses.

Little Tikes
The best kids toys and playcenters available are made right here in our area and now you can shop online.

Malley's Chocolates
Malley's Chocolates offers a variety of gift ideas and you can order online, in person, or by phone and have a classic Cleveland treat delivered anywhere.

Mommy Mall
Save yourself the hassle and shop at one of the oldest online shopping malls, located in Greater Cleveland.

More Cleveland Shopping Links

Porcupine Tree - October 22, 2007

Late Sunday night, October 21st, the Cleveland Indians officially lost the chance to be in the 2007 World Series. Less than twenty-four hours later, all of the sorrow was washed away by a special event. One of our favorite bands put on another amazing show at one of our favorite venues. Porcupine Tree returned to the House of Blues for the second time this year simply because Cleveland rocks!

We haven’t missed a PT show since they came in with Opeth in the summer of 2003. Our twelve year old daughter has attended the last three shows with us – another avid fan of this excellent band.

Officially, Monday’s show was part of the second leg of the Fear of a Blank Planet Tour to support the album of the same name. PT has also released a mini-EP called ‘Nil Recurring’ that closely follows the musical style on ‘Fear.’ All but one of the four tracks on the EP were played, and roughly half of ‘Fear.’ The Cleveland show featured a good mix of tracks from the last few albums and some older tunes that went over very well with the crowd. We were treated to classics like ‘Dark Matter’, and a condensed/combined version of both phases of ‘The Sky Moves Sideways.’ One of my personal favorites, ‘Even Less,’ made its return this time around during the encore (which replaced a huge fan favorite – ‘Trains’).

Anyone that listens to or knows about Porcupine Tree should notice one thing straight away – the quality of the sound. PT is a band that really needs to be heard live to fully appreciate. Beginning with our first show in 2003, I’ve been immediately drawn to listen to the tunes played live long after the concert. Even though we’ve had ‘Nil Recurring’ for a few weeks, I hadn’t played it too often. Now that I’ve heard the tracks live, I can’t stop playing them in the car, at work, and at home. I find myself remembering how they sounded at the concert. Their presentation is professional and their musicianship is exceptional.

Many of their songs have a certain power and energy played live that simply can’t be experienced from the original recording. One of them in particular is ‘Sleep Together’. The backdrop of Richard Barbieri’s keyboard sound is so dark and foreboding; it simply overwhelms me with emotion, especially during the final few measures, at the climax of the performance. The epic, 17-minute masterpiece from the current album called ‘Anesthetize’ seems to have become a crowd favorite, and when played live, it’s easy to see why. They ended the show with another crowd pleaser called ‘Halo’, complete with over-the-top keyboard and vocal effects that give it a distinct edginess. It’s also one of my live favorites.

Porcupine Tree is: Steven Wilson – lead vocals, guitar; Gavin Harrison – drums; Colin Edwin – bass; Richard Barbieri – keyboards. During U.S tours, the excellent John Wesley also adds his vocal and guitar talent to the shows.

The set list was as follows:

What Happens Now?
Fear of a Blank Planet
The Sound of Muzak
Lazarus
Nil Recurring
Dark Matter
Anesthetize
Cheating the Polygraph
Open Car
A Smart Kid
Way Out of Here
Sleep Together

Encore:
The Sky Moves Sideways
Even Less
Halo

If you were at the Cleveland show, or any show for that matter, drop us a comment to share your experience with this awesome band!

Local Animal Shelter to Aid Rescue Efforts in Southern Ohio

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Photographed by Ferrets Unlimited Ferret Shelter.

Even though the shelter is crowded, understaffed and underfunded, the director of Northeastern Ohio's only ferret shelter is working to help a massive rescue effort in southern Ohio.

Ferrets Unlimited Ferret Shelter in Cleveland, Ohio has taken several truckloads of supplies down to Lynx, Ohio to assist the rescuers who took in over 700 ferrets from a breeder who was apparently unable to care for the animals properly. Various animal welfare groups and shelters have been trying to work with law enforcement to force this breeder to provide humane conditions for the animals, or cease operation.

Ferret's Dream House, a shelter in Lynx, Ohio agreed to take in over 700 neglected ferrets in an attempt to help them receive good homes around the country. This is a huge undertaking and caring for this large quantity of animals requires a large quantity of supplies.

If you are in the area and are interested in participating in this effort, Ferrets Unlimited is planning to take another truck down there on Wednesday, October 03, 2007 at 8:00 am.

They are gathering donations of heavy duty welding gloves, disposable rubber gloves, water (for volunteers), garden hoes, heavy duty push brooms, heavy duty garbage bags, energy bars (for the volunteers), cereal bars (for the volunteers), floor squeegees not wider than two feet, newspaper without the shiny ads, paper towels, laundry soap, bleach, Wal-Mart gift cards (Wal-Mart is the only store near the shelter) , pieces of fleece cut to about 8 x 18 (to cover the wire in the cage and a blanket), and trash bags.

Donations can be dropped off at Ferrets Unlimited, 4116 Bucyrus Avenue, Cleveland, Ohio 44109. Both shelters are 501c3 charities, so your donations are tax deductible.

It's so amazing to see the way that people in our area work together to help others in need, despite the fact that some of those that give the most, have their own hardships.

Northeastern Ohio Squidoo Lenses

You may be wondering what in the heck a Squidoo lens is. Well, Squidoo is a fantastic free service where people may create a one-page overview on any topic of their choice. Squidoo calls them lenses.

You may also wonder how this relates to Cleveland. I'm getting to that part now.

I have been a Squidoo lensmaster (a person who creates lenses) since October 2005. Over this time I have created quite a few lenses on a wide variety of topics, including Cleveland.

I also manage the Ohio Headquarters on Squidoo, which showcases people, places, and things related to the great state of Ohio. I would like to invite everyone reading this to create your own lens, and join our group.

If you already have lenses related to Ohio, please join us.

Grand Rodeo

We finally visited Grand Rodeo last Friday and were very impressed. Finding a decent place to eat on a Friday night has become a challenge, so we decided to take a chance, since we knew they had a vegetarian menu. Grand Rodeo has locations all over town, but we visited the Wickliffe restaurant. We immediately noticed how nice and friendly the staff were, and the decor was bright and cheery. It looked like a fantastic family restaurant, but it could also be a fun nightspot, since they have entertainment on Saturday nights.

As soon as we sat down, we were given a bowl of warm tortilla chips with salsa. The menu was impressive with several vegetarian choices as well as a wide variety for meat eaters. The prices were all reasonable and our dinners were only $7.49 each!

The food arrived quickly and the portion sizes were huge. I ordered a combo that included a chalupa, a bean burrito, and a cheese quesadilla. It was the most amazing burrito I have ever had and it was covered with a zesty sauce that was to die for. The chalupa was loaded with refried beans and an addictive guacamole salad that I have not stopped thinking about. The quesadilla was amazing, but way too much for me to eat. My husband ordered a combo that included a vegetarian quesadilla that was filled with cheese, onions, mushrooms, and tomatoes, as well as an order of refried beans and that amazing guacamole salad. The quesadilla was perfectly prepared, light, crispy on the outside, and soft on the inside and everything was delicious. Our server was very friendly and attentive and the host asked us if this was our first visit and what we thought of the place. We replied that it was and that we would definitely be back soon. Actually, a vegetarian combo might make an interesting Sunday dinner. What do you think?

We did not find an official webpage for Grand Rodeo, but a local website has created a page for the Wickliffe location that includes their menu. They have locations in Wickliffe, Mayfield, Bainbridge, Mentor, Bay Village, Niles, Strongsville, and Stow. Even though they have several locations, Grand Rodeo is a family owned business, not a large chain.

There are more area restaurants listed on my Cleveland Dining page, too.