tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16653658756018404492024-03-11T21:51:24.983-07:00Patchwork Nation: Akron, OhioPatchwork Nation is a reporting project that aims to explore what is happening in the United States by examining different kinds of communities over time. Akron, Ohio represents the "Campus and Careers" community type. These blogs are the voices from Akron.Akron adminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16595879749727283532noreply@blogger.comBlogger20125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1665365875601840449.post-31071861671268987262010-03-01T07:18:00.000-08:002010-03-03T07:45:14.831-08:00Weary & Wary in the HeartlandOur online NewsHour editor requested that the Patchwork Nation bloggers comment on the fact that consumer confidence had fallen in February to the lowest level since last spring. She asked if we were confident consumers? Why or why not?Here’s the deal. As far as I'm concerned -- and as far as a lot of people I talk to are concerned -- we are simply fed up with greedy business institutions, Jessie Raynorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05428132623852975692noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1665365875601840449.post-40915595847719695832010-01-05T10:44:00.000-08:002010-01-05T10:46:36.970-08:00A new year ...2009 is now a memory and what a year it was! For our extended family, it meant new beginnings with four new babies! That’s what made my holidays so special this year. Seeing the holidays through a child’s eyes can really put things into perspective. Most little ones are as pleased with the packaging – ribbons, bows and tissue paper – as they are with what’s inside!Spending time together meantUnknownnoreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1665365875601840449.post-19702356550532235602009-10-31T14:02:00.000-07:002009-11-01T17:46:33.892-08:00The Final Payment in Kafka's World: My StoryRING. RING.I sleepily answer the telephone on my nightstand at 8:30 am Friday, September 25 – my day off.Bank: Hallo. Is this Hessy Rye-no?Me: That’s Jessie Ray-nor. Just like it’s spelled.Bank: Yes. Yes. Mrs. Rye-no. This is Its-urg Bank calling. Can you verify your home address?Me: Who did you say you are?Bank: Its-urg Bank. Please verify your place of employment.Me: Are you saying Pittsburg Jessie Raynorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05428132623852975692noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1665365875601840449.post-51401458922957490362009-10-16T16:01:00.000-07:002009-10-17T07:23:11.915-07:00OH YEAH -- DO THEY ALSO GRADUATE THERE?If Akron had a writer laureate, it would be my Patchwork Nation-Akron colleague David Giffels, a longtime newspaper columnist and book author. His September 24 blog titled “OH YEAH – THEY ALSO PLAY FOOTBALL THERE” inspired my writing this piece.With bands, barbecues, fireworks blasts, parachutists and a sold-out crowd of over 30,000 people, the University of Akron (UA) celebrated opening day of Jessie Raynorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05428132623852975692noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1665365875601840449.post-39984337443293045022009-09-30T11:03:00.000-07:002009-09-30T11:07:11.378-07:00Why There Are Starving ArtistsI was recently forwarded an email about internationally renowned violinist Joshua Bell who, at the urging of a Washington Post writer, played his Stradivarius next to a trash can in a D.C. subway station for spare change while mid-level bureaucrats rushed by with little response. Starting at 7:51 AM, Bell played for 43 minutes some of the world’s greatest classical music on a $3.5-million violin.Jessie Raynorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05428132623852975692noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1665365875601840449.post-76771696926838666842009-09-30T05:44:00.000-07:002009-09-30T05:47:42.731-07:00The true value of a home …When my husband I bought our house last year it was sort of a “no brainer.” We bought his grandmother’s home at a price that we couldn’t resist and we could afford. Grandma was looking to downsize to an apartment and with current state of the housing market she knew that it would take a long time to sell. We bought it to avoid having to rent and in turn got a house payment lower than our some Unknownnoreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1665365875601840449.post-8048132192011831912009-09-24T13:51:00.000-07:002009-09-24T13:55:48.675-07:00OH YEAH – THEY ALSO PLAY FOOTBALL THEREStanding in the full parking lot on a mid-September Saturday afternoon, next to an actual tailgate, I could hear the marching band coming across campus, the cheerful punch of bass drum cut with brass and timpani, the sound and the feet beneath it charting the course toward the new football stadium.The sun was warm in the way apple pie is warm: the bees were drunk on it. These are lush, leafy David Giffelshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06463555227234380058noreply@blogger.com215tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1665365875601840449.post-32863141264541914852009-09-18T07:59:00.000-07:002009-09-18T08:26:04.862-07:00The gas bill is paid off just in time for winter!<!--[if gte mso 9]> Normal 0 false false false MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 <![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]> <![endif]--> <!-- /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; Unknownnoreply@blogger.com69tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1665365875601840449.post-56204420676300355142009-09-09T13:36:00.000-07:002009-09-09T13:40:57.528-07:00No Capers in this EconomyEver since my children went off to college and beyond, I hate grocery shopping. When my family was around, I prided myself in cooking excellent dinners. But now when I get home from work I’d rather grab some cheese and crackers, pour some wine and enjoy my repast with Alex Trebek and Jeopardy!Besides my disinterest in cooking, another reason I hate grocery shopping is that I’m an impulse buyer.Jessie Raynorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05428132623852975692noreply@blogger.com42tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1665365875601840449.post-50022185678814969782009-08-18T11:18:00.000-07:002009-08-18T11:47:34.693-07:00"This Is The Promotion That Jack Got" (with apologies to Mother Goose)This is the promotion that Jack got.This is the raise that Jack didn’t get that goes with the promotion that Jack got.These are the duties that Jack took on that go with the raise that Jack didn’t get that goes with the promotion that Jack got.These are the layoffs that led to the duties that Jack took on that go with the raise that Jack didn’t get that goes with the promotion that Jack got.TheseDavid Giffelshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06463555227234380058noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1665365875601840449.post-3782454593560857472009-08-18T06:17:00.000-07:002009-08-18T10:20:00.637-07:00Making plans to have a plan …My husband I are back from vacation and back to the real world. We’re preparing for the arrival of our first child. We need to sterilize the house, paint the room, put the crib together, install new carpet and move furniture while maintaining our everyday tasks. Sigh. I don’t mean to complain but this sounds quite daunting to me. Maybe it’s the hormones or the heat, but I’m a bit Unknownnoreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1665365875601840449.post-77994651389559622552009-08-17T08:50:00.000-07:002009-08-17T11:17:45.727-07:00FORE! Another Swing at Health CareNote: I would not have blogged about health care again except that NewsHour's editor for Patchwork Nation Anna Shoup asked for local reactions to the raucous town hall meetings taking place across the country. My nephew, a college junior, has been working this summer as a caddy at a well-heeled country club near Washington, D.C. Last month he caddied for former speaker of the house Newt GingrichJessie Raynorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05428132623852975692noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1665365875601840449.post-64361823829876771022009-08-11T11:01:00.000-07:002009-08-11T11:04:42.558-07:00One Day Closer to Realization of OpportunityWhile the recession is taking its toll on jobs, there has been no shortage of good new technology-based business ideas. Simply having a great idea, however, is not enough. Taking an idea from conception to the creation of a successful technology company is no small feat. It takes a strong team and a diverse skill set to be successful. As Director of Entrepreneurial Services, I try to help Akron Global Business Acceleratorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12564947417693630359noreply@blogger.com24tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1665365875601840449.post-79260924483448540382009-08-03T10:58:00.000-07:002009-08-03T11:50:09.025-07:00Art is DeadIt is a sunny graduation day at prestigious Davidson College in North Carolina, and I have just invested over $120,000 in tuition to see my son receive a diploma from what is known as “the Princeton of the South.” (Of course, in the South they call Princeton “the Davidson of the North.”) He has earned a BA in liberal arts with a major in art history. After the ceremony we stand in the shade of a Jessie Raynorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05428132623852975692noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1665365875601840449.post-76642837508471298062009-07-30T11:46:00.000-07:002009-07-30T11:50:49.594-07:00Wait -- Where's the Rust?“There’s this big project called Patchwork Nation,” she said. “They’ve chosen eleven cities to tell the story of the national economy. And Akron’s one of them.” When you come from a place like this, a midsize city that has struggled for a generation with identity issues, being noticed always prompts a particular kind of thrill. Sometimes we feel like the Who’s down in Whoville, trying to get David Giffelshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06463555227234380058noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1665365875601840449.post-61798500955335437092009-07-23T08:36:00.000-07:002009-07-23T09:22:32.900-07:00The Uterus vs. The EconomyI was surprised at how many delighted women are walking around out there without uteruses and ovaries. This realization came about when I had a hysterectomy this past June. The surgery was definitely necessary. I am 59 years old, and although those parts of my anatomy had served me well – producing three bright, beautiful children -- they were now malfunctioning. I will spare you the gory Jessie Raynorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05428132623852975692noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1665365875601840449.post-15203555677807184262009-07-22T12:30:00.000-07:002009-07-22T12:37:17.498-07:00Staycation vs. Vacation<!--[if gte mso 9]> Normal 0 false false false MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 <![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]> <![endif]--><!--[if !mso]> st1\:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) } <![endif]--> <!-- /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; Unknownnoreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1665365875601840449.post-359196347254030032009-07-22T08:44:00.000-07:002009-07-22T08:49:23.961-07:00Innovate & Incubate<!--[if gte mso 9]> Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 <![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]>Akron Global Business Acceleratorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12564947417693630359noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1665365875601840449.post-14824895623045383852009-07-21T13:58:00.000-07:002009-07-21T15:42:54.297-07:00Economic overbite not easy to straightenMy wife’s father used to joke that if you wanted to see his Porsche, just look at his daughter’s teeth. It was his way of pointing out the high cost of braces, something so many teens need, including my two older sons, and which also aren’t cheap.My boys’ dental needs are fairly routine, or so says the local dental expert with degrees all over his wall. The bill? “Only $10,000,” he said. Only Eric Mansfieldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04712971532952999645noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1665365875601840449.post-80494427590340820762009-07-20T17:30:00.000-07:002009-07-20T17:49:42.619-07:00Murder on the blockTwo nights ago, three doors down from my house, a man stepped out of his car, took a few steps across the parking lot toward his apartment building and was shot dead.I pause here now at the curb on the following Sunday morning, on my way to the park for a walk with my wife and daughter and dog, looking at the police line tape that has fallen slack and sways weakly in the breeze, trying to place David Giffelshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06463555227234380058noreply@blogger.com7