Paul Laurence Dunbar, born to ex-slaves in 1872 in Dayton, Ohio was a contemporary of Orville Wright and a prolific poet who was the first African American poet to reach national recognition. Here is a wonderful video essay of Dunbar's poem, "The Old Apple Tree." The narrator has a lovely deep voice and takes the view on a walk through the woods and countryside while reciting the poem. This is an edited video--the kind you want to share with people.

Two favorite Ohio pastimes are off-road 4-wheeling and barbecuing. This dude manages to combine both. At least he doesn't lose his sense of humor.

This video is astounding in a way. Neil Armstrong, the Ohio astronaut who put Wapakoneta on the map, can be heard, clear as a bell, when he is walking on the moon. There is more here than just the famous line . There is also a description about what it is Armstrong is doing while he is walking around on the moon. John F. Kennedy's speech is interesting to hear in terms of what he thinks landing on the moon will mean.

Asimo, the human-shaped robot built by Honda, normally moves with grace and eerily human-like movement. Unfortunately, in this clip his strides are more like mine, and I have a reputation for falling over gnats.

Everyone in Youngstown knows Bruce Springsteen's song about this city and its history. Listening to it, you can learn a lot about what kind of place the city once was, its importance to the United States in various wars we've fought. War is never something to brag about, but it's unfortunate when the rest of the country knows very little about a city that was once one of the main production centers to help establish and maintain the nation's defense and growth. What's sadder still is that, after the victories, the city's reward was abandonment by our country's industrial leaders. The "Jenny" Springsteen sings about in this song is in reference to the Jeanette Blast Furnace here in Youngstown, Ohio.

For anyone looking to see what sort of manufacturing jobs are available in a company this video is worth a look-see. This is the 10-year anniversary celebration video for the Taiho Corporation in Tiffin. There are closeups of how the company's production machinery works while folks for the company talk about what they do and what the company does. Taiho, it seems is a growing company with growth on the horizon.

There are several You Tube choices of Jerry Springer on Dancing with the Stars. This one is my favorite. After I wrote the blog, I went looking since I missed the actual show. I watched this particular video, added to You Tube Sept.12, 06 at least five times. The move where he lifts his glasses is my favorite. Just thinking about this video makes me smile because he looks like he is having an absolute blast. The song is also a fun one. Light-hearted and a real pick-me-upper.

It's good to remember sometimes how quickly communities can die. Youngstown is only one city abandoned by the American dream. There have been others, and will be more. It's best to be aware and try not to let it happen to anymore of our communities in Ohio.

Watch this video. Seriously. If there is any indication that there are wonderful, interesting and creative people out there, this is it. Sean Gowdy (film guy and editor) and Sean Chase (main singer and performer) of Portsmouth, OH made this video parody of Justin Timberlake's "Sexy Back." Their version is "Portsmouth Back." This is slick and includes a huge cast of characters including students and teacher's at Portsmouth's high school. It's currently in VH 1's "Show us Your Junk" contest. This video is in the Top 3. I don't know if the contest is over yet, but if any video beats out this one, I'd be surprised. This is a gem.

At the time rapper and Columbus native Bow Wow made this appearance in 1993 on the Arsenio Hall show, he was still known as Lil' Bow Wow, a name bestowed on him by Snoop Dogg. Little no more, he recently sold out the house in a hometown appearance.
BW is also an actor, and has appeared in several recent movies and commercials. Check out his composure as a six-year-old performer in this clip.

A neat look at Youngstown during the 60s using photos to walk you through.

Ekoostik Hookah is a Columbus-based jam band with a national following, in part because of the twice-yearly weekend music fest Hookahville that they host in central Ohio. The band recently reformed with the original lead singer John Mullins back in the saddle. Their sound shows the influence of the Dead, bluegrass, and rock. Steve Sweeney's hot guitar usually leads the way through their intricate jams.

The band will play New Year's Eve at the Lifestyles Pavillion in Columbus, where I've seen them the last two years. They put on a hell of a show. Here, they take on a Pink Floyd classic from last year's spring Hookahville.

State Auto Insurance in Columbus has been putting up this nativity scene for 75 years, making it one of the city's oldest Christmas traditions. The photos scan from left to right. Enjoy, and Merry Christmas.

Another in our series about musical talent from Ohio, this live performance of "Fragile" by Cleveland's Nine Inch Nails shows their stage presence and unique instrumentation, as well as the gutsy underpinnings. Major figures in the 1990's music scene, NIN continues to build their reputation and catalog.