2 days agoStaying AliveBy Ed Staskus One of the concerns of Cleveland’s early settlers was that Canada might invade at any time. They were just on the other side of Lake Erie and they had plenty of boats. They might land their Canuck army somewhere off the beaten path and lay siege to…9 min read9 min read
6 days agoThrills and SpillsBy Ed Staskus Two days after we got married in the Lithuanian Roman Catholic church on Cleveland’s east side my wife and I drove over the Rainbow Bridge to the Canadian side of Niagara Falls. It used to be called the Honeymoon Bridge, but it collapsed in 1938. When the…12 min read12 min read
Jan 24Missing in ActionBy Ed Staskus “Oy, where is it you are coming from?” William Murphy asked the pussycat going on tomcat at his feet. The half-pint was looking up at him. He had been in Thomas Spate’s coat pocket when Prince Albert’s hired gunman shot him dead. As the ferryman was spitting…7 min read7 min read
Jan 23Paint It BlackBy Ed Staskus “Everybody needs a helping out, if that ain’t what it’s all about, tell me what.” Amy Grant Going 9000 miles anywhere is a taxing no picnic undertaking. All roads may lead to the same end, but if you are an Iowa farmgirl since transplanted to Cleveland, Ohio…9 min read9 min read
Jan 22Being Three Isn’t EasyBy Ed Staskus The day push came to shove I had no idea what was going on. I was born 9 months 7 days and a handful of hours after my mom and dad were done with the art of romance one smile of a summer night. The day before…11 min read11 min read
Jan 19Ask the YogiBy Ed Staskus I was busy on our front porch one rainy afternoon, sticking my thumb into our cat’s mouth and springing his fangs with my fingernail, something he never tires of, when my wife interrupted us. “I’ve asked you to not do that,” she said impatiently. “You’re going to…9 min read9 min read
Jan 17Cloak and DaggerBy Ed Staskus Frank Laukaitis took a short pull on the bottle of Schlitz in front of him. He didn’t pay any attention to the talking and low-hanging cigarette smoke from one end of the bar to the other end. All his attention was focused on the two men at…9 min read9 min read
Jan 16Boom TimeBy Ed Staskus Tommy Monk had an alarm clock on the stand next to his bed, but except for Saturdays and Sundays he never set it. When 5:30 in the morning happened, he knew his dad would be shouting through the door for him to get up. It was Sunday…7 min read7 min read
Jan 15Rolling Up the OilclothBy Ed Staskus When Mary Smith picks up a fiddle, she’s got about 20 years of life with it behind her. When she picks up a guitar, she’s got about 70 years behind her. When she plays the mandolin, organ, or piano, it’s anybody’s guess. “We always had music at…14 min read14 min read
Jan 1326 Not Copyrighted Bikram Yoga JokesBy Ed Staskus There are 26 poses in the 90-minute Bikram Yoga sequence practiced in a room called the Hot Room. It is no laughing matter. It is sometimes called the Torture Room. Somewhere somebody is asking, are you kidding me? 1) A man walks into a bar and announces…9 min read9 min read
