Quis custodiet ipsos custodes

 Cleveland, Ohio

“Sed quis custodiet ipsos custodes? Cauta est et ab illis incipit uxor.” ― Decimus Junius Juvenalis

From Juvenal's Satire VI,  347–8. 

In 1986-7 there appeared Watchmen, a twelve issue comic book series in Britain, by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons. It was an alternate history, and criticism of Reaganism. In 2009 a movie version was released.

In the story there is a police strike, and the costumed heroes take their place. This graffito is repeated. It is still a good political question.

on the innerbelt bridge

graffiti on Jefferson

 Cleveland Ohio

bug shell

west side Cleveland, Ohio

clark avenue bridge

those two pylons are what is left of Cleveland's Clark-Pershing Bridge

stained glass reflection

Holy Ghost Greco-Catholic. Cleveland, O.

Palace on Pearl

   Old Brooklyn, Cleveland, O.

19 February 2013

Octoberfest

chalk drawing.  Octoberfest. Berea Ohio. 2009.

I took several fotos and did not back up my computer. This is one of the very few that was retrievable. Octoberfest [in the old country spelt with a 'k'] is an ethnic festival with beer, and oom-pa-pa music. They also have dachshund (wiener dogs) races. They also have chalk artists, and a sand sculptor. I really have an appreciation for this popular art.  

Michelangelo painted, in the Sistine Chapel, God giving Adam life. Well, there is a Bavarian Pope in the Vatican.

Armed Goose

Now, Parma of Ohio, some years ago, became identified with pink lawn flamingos. Driving about i saw this [supra] to-day. Explain this to me. It is not hunting season. It is cold, windy, and snowy. Not Elmer Fudd? He is not wearing safety colors, but camouflage. Is he military? is he a gun nut (there is an issue concerning the Newtown Connecticut Massacre, and some are hugging their guns)? Or it is just funny.

I don't know the geographic distribution of cement porch geese. I don't know whether this was a garden decoration that took to the porch. I believe this migration began not too many years ago.
Maybe, the first were in dresses, an extension of Mother Goose. For years, i wondered where do they get the clothes. Just recently, i have seen tables set up at fairs and markets selling them. They are a real cottage industry.

At first, i noticed the clothing attire tended to reflect an up coming holiday (or rain, saw a few yellow slickers).  I don't remember any recent Valentine's sightings, or stove pipe hatted Lincolns, perhaps the next one i post will be dressed for Patrick.

For the record, i enjoy flamingos and geese; and as some note, they are cuter than garden gnomes. If any one has some history, or anthropological notes...

Lakewood Library Quijote

 Don Quijote with windmills

panels 4 and 5 of 12 by Reed Alan Thomason

Carroll, Irving, Cervantes, Shakespeare, Longfellow

Mad Hatter and Dormouse, Ichabod Crane, Three Blind Mice, Quijote, Bottom&Titania&Puck, Hiawatha

These were painted in 1977 and 1978 and hung above the bookshelves of the east wall of the children's wing of the Lakewood Ohio Library on Detroit Avenue. In 2008 the library was expanded, and remodeled and thee murals were split up and ten are inside of an often locked children's reading room; two are by its outside doors. The new neo-classical library fits  in with the two buildings across the street, a vacant Christian Science church, and a Masonic temple.

click here for the library's panels

They are beautiful. The website lists the scenes and characters, but they need to be seen and recognised. The artist was asked to paint an historical review of the Western Reserve. Thomason had a better idea. Some of the greatest characters in literature are painted. Some see this as children's literature, but it is more than that it.