People in Northeast Ohio love to debate when Rock and Roll Hall of Fame nominee time rolls around. Everyone has their favorite artists who have been slighted and maligned time and again come voting time. With the induction ceremonies returning to Cleveland in 2012, excitement could get remarkably high, especially as it relates to the ceremony itself. The possibility for an extraordinary live show at Cleveland Public Auditorium - perhaps even a revered event like The Concert for the Hall of Fame - exists.

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum President and CEO Terry Stewart is never one to predict such things, although he and his staff are working diligently on making the events surrounding the 2012 Inductions every bit as exciting as last year’s to-do at Public Hall. Regarding who'll be honored, Stewart won't speculate. “There are no slam-dunks,” Stewart told Ohio Authority about the potential Class of 2012. “I’ve been doing this for 11 years and you can never bet on a particular act getting in because of the voting process. At this point, it’s undeterminable. I wouldn’t even venture a guess at this point.” 

With respect to Stewart, that won’t stop intrepid crystal ball readers like me to attempt just that.

Submitted for your approval (and cross-referenced mightily through the Rock Hall website and the fan blog/discussion forum Future Rock Legends) here are some of the possibilities for the Class of 2012”that might be rocking (or rapping) in a historic venue near you.

First Time Inductees

N.W.A., the Pixies, Jane’s Addiction and Public Enemy are among that year’s first-time eligibles. N.W.A. basically invented gangsta rap and Public Enemy perfected socio-political rap. Both groups remain viable and influential, with a test for echo appearing in a lot of rock music long after their first records. If Grandmaster Flash and Run-DMC are in, these groups are likely to get in early. (Also, Anthrax just reformed, so the rock-rap summit “Bring Tha Noize” can happen, too).

As for the Pixies and Jane’s Addiction, both acts were hugely influential on the breakout of alternative rock in the 1990s. Jane’s leader Perry Farrell also re-imagined the touring festival concept, introducing mainstream America to Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, Nine Inch Nails, Tool, Primus and Smashing Pumpkins. We’re not sure if Kurt Cobain and Nirvana (see also “the most influential band of the 90s”) happens if not for Black Francis and Co. Cobain even said as much in print. Play that chaos theory out: does Warren, Ohio native Dave Grohl end up drumming for Nirvana if Cobain doesn’t hear Surfer Rosa?

On the flip side, do Nickelback or Stone Temple Pilots have a career if not for the Pixies? Only a butterfly flapping its wings in the Amazon knows for sure.

Still in Play

They haven’t been eligible for that long, but the likes of Tom Waits, The Cure, Depeche Mode, The Replacements and the Beastie Boys are all possibilities.

All are alive and kicking, and all have been a peak of influence in their respective genres, although we believe that it would take an act of God to get the Replacements back together on stage for the night. Still, if anyone can perform said divinities, it’s the Rock Hall.

Speaking of divinities, if Guns N’ Roses are still on the board after 2011, expect a full-blown reunion like The Eagles and Fleetwood Mac before them.

Long-Suffering

This is where it gets interesting. In some instances, these bands have been eligible for more that ten years and always inspire a rallying cry from their respective fan bases.

Would a lion’s share of us even be alive to read (or write?) this if it wasn’t for Neil Diamond? (OK, maybe that’s just me.)

Still, Alice Cooper owes some of his macabre to Cleveland’s “Screamin’” Jay Hawkins, but he has been an influence on bands for four decades. Everyone from Kiss to Slipknot owes a debt to Cooper, who proved that rock concerts could (and should, at the edge of sanity) stand as events and spectacles. Then there’s Kiss, who invented music marketing long before Hall of Fame inductee Madonna did.

Does orchestral rock, dreampop or the bands-with-orchestras phenomenon happen without The Moody Blues? Do air guitar-and-drumming, or marathon Dungeons & Dragons weekends happen without Yes, King Crimson, Todd Rundgren, Roxy Music, Peter Gabriel and the ultimate canuck trio, Rush? (OK, maybe it’s just me on that last one, too… but, c’mon! It’s Rush!)

Consider that in April of 2012, you might see any combination of these acts live and on-stage at a public induction ceremony, right in the very heart and soul of downtown Cleveland and beamed around the world for everyone to see. Stewart looks to build upon the success of 2009, offering that the days and events leading to and including the induction ceremony “seemed to work pretty good” for everyone involved.

“Regardless of who is inducted, we’ll be looking to base 2012 on that experience,” Stewart says. “Probably some seven, eight days of activities and some free stuff for residents leading up to the inductions.” Just like that show at the ol’ stadium that happened 15 years ago this weekend? It’s possible. I just hope someone brings the lasers, greasepaint and flashpots that night. Seriously.

For now Stewart is concentrating on the Rock Hall Ball celebrating the Rock Hall’s esteemed 15th Anniversary on Cleveland’s lakefront this Friday, September 3, and a speaking engagement at the City Club of Cleveland beforehand. Details for both events can be found online. Check out Fresh Start for details.

“We’re expecting a great night,” Stewart says. “And we’re happy to be celebrating 15 years of success - beyond which was predicted.”

As a little boy, the one exception to television during dinner time came during one week in late fall, when a cable channel featured nightly broadcasts of classic Bond films. I sat at the top of the table, eyes glued to the screen. Doing something that was otherwise taboo only added to the films' appeal. 

My father was a fan, and my mother likely approved purely on the grounds of it keeping me wholly enthralled. I quickly became enamored with Sir Connery's role as Bond in Dr. No, From Russia with Love, Thunderball, You Only Live Twice, Diamonds are Forever and, to an admittedly lesser extent, Never Say Never Again. However, Goldfinger changed everything in less than two hours. 

Whereas McQueen and Dean had an everyman appeal, Connery offered something different. Like a debonair Buddha under the Bodhi Tree, he'd achieved perfect coolness enlightenment, though under the cover of Bond. 

In Goldfinger, Bond travels to then-exotic Mexico, lively Miami Beach, sophisticated England, beautiful Switzerland and Fort Knox, Kentucky. He shares the company of beautiful women each stop of the way, last seen with Pussy Galore. He plays golf, chills Dom Perignon '53, enjoys martinis, sips a "30-year-old fine, indifferently blended ... with an overdose of Bon Bois". He wears a Rolex Submariner, and perfectly tailored suits, tuxedos and shoes from Saville Row. He carries a sly Walther PPK. He flies in private jets and drives a gorgeous Aston Martin DB5, with the added bonus of Q-approved machine guns, oil slick, rear deflector, ejector seat and more. He chases bad guys, and always wins. He always keeps cool, no matter how dire things become. He is witty, humorous and supremely confident. He filled my formative years with dreams of elaborate espionage.

As puberty came bumbling, it became clear through the acne and braces, that I was not growing into Sean Connery. Instead, I bore an uncanny resemblance to Fred Savage's character of Kevin Arnold from The Wonder Years. That would've been fine if I were interested in chasing Winnie, but I wanted to chase bad guys through the Swiss Alps in a fully optioned sports car. With MI6 issuing a freeze on "00" hires, I went the high school and college route. I took up a more mundane profession, though the nature of it allows me access to places and people many would be denied, and I'm encouraged to be inquisitive and meet some of the world's most interesting people. I never fully got over Bond, though. My collection of Bond ephemera will attest to this.

This past Saturday, thanks to PlayhouseSquare's Cinema at the Square series, I saw Goldfinger on the big screen for the first time, for $5. I own the book (along with all the other Fleming Bond books), I owned the VHS version, I own the DVD, and I've seen the movie no fewer than 300 times, but I'd never seen it in a theater. Despite the opulent environs of the Palace Theatre, a truly stunning venue, I was again that boy at the dinner table. My thoughts raced to traveling, exploring distant lands; to blindingly fast mountain road passes in an Aston Martin; to craftily dispensing with the bad guys and saving the day; to fittings for bespoke suits and hand-stitched dress shoes; to sipping fine spirits at lunch. It was, and always will be, wonderfully transportive – as a great movie should be. I already had a starring Bond girl. Sometimes, reality wins.

The school year is underway, and regional officials and administrators are bracing for another rash of "sexting" incidents. Lawyers are having a field day in Ohio divorce courts thanks to well-documented infidelities on Facebook. Corporate attorneys are making the case for libel against local Yelp authors. However, the greatest Internet-led crackdown is occurring on Ohio's motorways, and social media users are willingly giving themselves up. 

Foursquare is among the country's most popular web and mobile applications, allowing registered users of the free service the opportunity to "check-in" at locations, earning them points and "badges". Among obsessives, the "mayor" status is highly coveted, and tells other Foursquare users they visited a certain location more frequently than any other user. Recognizing the public's constant need for acceptance, restaurants and bars are using the application to drive business. Currently, a number of establishments offer discounts, specials and more to Foursquare users who regularly check-in. 

"The FBI developed an algorithm to track patterns of usage among users of social media applications, among them Foursquare," says Ohio state patrolman Frank Itidio. "It was clear that certain individuals most frequently 'checked-in' at bars, night clubs and restaurants. We've been using this algorithm locally, in a unique tracking system that allows us to monitor the whereabouts of certain Foursquare users." 

Itidio won't divulge how users are "red flagged", but notes that "becoming mayor of your favorite bar may make you look cool among your Facepage [sic] friends or on Mytown [sic], but it makes you a problem driver in the eyes of local law enforcement." 

Since the program started in June, officers have recorded 38 arrests for DUI, following stops based on Foursquare user updates. Regina Pantiodano was one of them. 

"I thought it was harmless," says Pantiodano, a 38-year-old marketing executive and blogger living in the suburbs of Columbus, Ohio. "I wanted everyone to know how often I went out, how often I supported local businesses. I wanted people to know that I had a cool social life. I wish I had just kept it to myself, and enjoyed it for what it was." 

Pantiodano became mayor of her favorite bar (which she prefers not to name) in Columbus' Short North district. "I often went after work with friends," she says. "I went at least four times per week." On Friday, June 4 at 11:45 pm, moments after leaving her favorite Short North bar, Pantiodano was stopped by a special social media mounted police task force, when she failed to indicate at a turn.The mounted task force were waiting for her after her name was picked out by the FBI-created algorithm being used by Columbus law enforcement.

"While I am not familiar with all the details of Ms. Pantiodano's case, I do know that her Foursquare check-ins, in combination with her Twitters [sic] and Facepage [sic] updates indicated a pattern of activity that was perceived as reckless." A visit to Pantiodano's Facebook page, which still contains her Foursquare updates from June 4, indicates 11 different Foursquare check-ins: a grocery store, a beauty supply retailer, her home, a gas station, a restaurant, convenient store and five bars. 

That night, she was arrested and later convicted of a DUI, sentenced to two nights in jail, ordered to pay more than $1,000 in fines and lost her mayor status. She has since quit using Foursquare and "only really uses Facebook to update my profile picture and post pics of my dog."

This summer, I purchased a bicycle. It was the first "new" bike I'd purchased since the days of weekly allowances, bed times and Flintstones vitamin tablets. It was a big deal. I wanted it for therapeutic sojourns around my new-to-me North Collinwood neighborhood, lakeside cruising and park runs. I had no intention of biking across the mountains or racing through 10 speeds along congested roadways. I had no interest in BMX tomfoolery, nor an awkward retro beach cruiser. 

I scoured Craigslist for the perfect set of wheels. One subject line stood out: "Perfect Vintage Cruiser". The pictures sent my heart racing, and I arranged to be at the owner's apartment the following day. I brought wrenches. The bike was big, heavy. I took the front tire off, loaded it in my car and sped home, grinning like Ralphie with his Red Ryder in A Christmas Story. I had taken ownership of a 1960  (or '61) Murray Comet VI. 

It was all original. The previous owner had been given it by her friend, whose family  bought it new. It had the original headlamp, two-tone seat, chrome fenders, front rack, chain guard. It had all the 60s space-age style cues, with afterburner taillight and streamlined faux gas tank. It had the original paint, original decals. The rear still bore the era-appropriate Cleveland bicycle license plate. It was a time machine. A time machine with a lot of surface rust, grimy bits, a busted chain, two spent tires and a burnt out headlight bulb. Still, I was smitten. 

I spent the following weeks dismantling it, gently removing rust, polishing it, removing rust, ordering new white walls, tubes and tack, removing rust, visiting my local hardware store for a new bulb, removing rust, and visiting Century Cycles for a new chain. My girlfriend patiently watched as bits of bicycle found their way into the office, kitchen, dining room, living room and bedroom. Within a couple weeks, I had it back together and took it for my first ride. I rode until after dusk, just so I could fire up the headlamp and taillight. I felt like a kid again. A group of cyclists passed me, shouting, "Cool bike!", and a man seated on a bench in the park said, "Man, that's one cool bike – must be old!" Having added a bit of oil to the enclosed Sturmey Archer three-speed unit, I effortlessly shifted home. Fifty years later, the design was still turning heads and making people (namely me) happy. 

When my friends saw the bike for the first time, they agreed it was cool. When I spoke of the history of Murray Manufacturing of Ohio, they nodded with friendly feigned interest. When I spoke of Viktor Schreckengost, I lost them. Many had never heard of Cleveland's greatest designer, America's DaVinci, the man who had styled my bicycle. The man whose designs were responsible for millions of Murray bicycles and pedal cars, among many, many other things. I was strangely perturbed by their lack of knowledge or interest. Knowing that Schreckengost had something to do with my bike, however tangentially it may be, made it extra special to me.

In September 2007, Northern Ohio Live magazine, where I was an editor, hosted the publication's annual Awards of Achievement ceremony, recognizing outstanding individuals and organizations making a difference in Northeast Ohio. That night, a special lifetime achievement honor was awarded to Viktor Schreckengost. Many wondered whether his health – he was then 101 – would allow him to make the event, but he attended with his family. He accepted his award, and his wife spoke on his behalf. He waved from his wheelchair. I later introduced myself, and we shook hands. He smiled, likely wondering who the hell I was. My brush with genius stayed with me long enough to draw me to a 50-year-old bicycle, to reverently revive it and share its cool midcentury lines with my contemporaries. When not in use, it can be found parked in my office. Inspiration comes in many forms. I'm sure Viktor would've agreed with that.

Click here for more about Viktor and how a group of Cleveland Institute of Art students are preserving his legacy with a line of products that will be available in retailers later this year.

There are a lot of us who didn't roar through the 20s or live through the Great Depression; nor did we see the financial impact of two World Wars, nor directly feel the effects of the fuel shortage of the 70s. Despite being born into an 80s era of well-documented excess, those of us in our twenties and early thirties weren't really equipped to understand the preponderance of white bread and orange roughy at the dinner table. For us, this is the first time experiencing an economic crisis first hand.

A recent article in the New York Times magazine by Judith Warner expounded on how the Great Recession has encouraged a greater sense of community, a better natured society, helping each other more often, with no strings attached. The article recounted research findings, including a report by  Pew Research that found half of the U.S. labor force "had experienced some 'work-related hardship' – a period of unemployment, a pay cut, a reduction in work hours or an involuntary move to part-time employment – since the recession began in 2007;" and data from the Rockefeller Institute found 20 percent of Americans saw their available household income shrink by 25 percent. The study made it clear that the ramifications of the recession are not unique to Cleveland, but the facts in evidence didn't say how difficult the economic downturn has made life for twenty- and thirtysomethings. No hard feelings.

It's important to have perspective. As a young person, it's imperative a great deal of perspective come from those older and (hopefully) a bit wiser than you. ( The alternative is to coast through life thinking you know everything until, inevitably, everyone around you realizes your narcissistic blindness has rendered you an imbecile.) 

It was in the spirit of cognitive upward mobility that I met with a friend, OhioAuthority contributor, author, writer and overall good guy. A man who has worked in journalism for roughly my time on Earth, and among the many whose opinion I value immensely. He's a man whose passion for the written word and local media is surpassed, it would seem, only by his family. I like that.

I explained how many friends had fled Cleveland in a post-collegiate crusade to search for "the" job in a bigger market. Many have since returned. Very few have found their dream jobs. Most, when visiting, are disgusted by the comparatively low cost of living in their hometown. They often "forget" all the places worth sussing out, from bars and restaurants, to landmarks and events. It's a not-so subtle reminder that, despite the hackneyed reports of a new school of bullet-point journalism, Cleveland is a great place to be. At the very least, the employment situation isn't much better anywhere else. Sure, there may be more jobs in [insert name of big city here], but how many of them are relevant, and how many more people are applying for them?

Cleveland has always been a blue collar town, and despite the closure of much industry, my friend and I agreed that the hard-working ethos is still pervasive. Most of us twentysomethings who've chosen to stay in Northeast Ohio don't quit so easily, blue collar background or not. Perhaps it's naivete, but it's also determination. There will always be lame seeds in the bunch. I hope one twentysomething basketball player won't reflect poorly on all of us. 

We discussed the proliferation of young people starting their own businesses, partly out of inspired creation, but also because there's nothing else to do. A community of young, local entrepreneurs has sprouted and flourished. The vibrant seeds have taken root, and have started to spread. It's getting to the point where there are simply too many incredibly talented small business owners, restaurateurs, designers, artists in their twenties and thirties to list them all. 

The Cleveland Clinic, University Hospitals and other medical organizations continue to expand our region's reputation as among the world's premier medical centers. It also creates jobs. Jobs that require extensive education, and tend to pay well. Jobs that provide people with income to invest back in the community as patrons of the arts, local restaurants and more. We talked about the positive domino effect of it all.

While the support amongst young entrepreneurs is laudable,there has been a cadre of forward-thinking men and women, wiser with age, to guide us, help us. Whether or not the camaraderie stems from recession or not, it's moving the region forward. We agreed it wouldn't be easy, though nothing worth doing ever is. With that, we went our separate ways. He, back to his family and work. I, back to running a small business. Both, looking forward to tomorrow.