Cool Cleveland readers write

On Cool Cleveland As 2008 turns the corner - hurtling towards a final stampede through the holidays - I wanted to take a moment to applaud your often thankless efforts to make Cleveland a better place. Frankly, I think they should invent an award – called the “Mulready” – for sustaining optimism in the face of imposing odds, for supporting those who endeavor to do something positive, and for committing to CHOOSING to see the fullness of the glass in most every situation. Plenty of people have ideas, a few of them actually DO something, but hardly any have the ongoing commitment and “staying power” to keep up these efforts year after year after year, especially when it seems like you’re the only one who hasn’t thrown in the towel.

I’ve also appreciated what you’ve done for me personally over the past year. Through your Cool Cleveland channel, I’ve been able to have several of my works published in your weekly eNewsletter, visibility which has enabled these articles and essays to be sling-shotted into the outer reaches of cyberspace, including linking to some notable financial periodicals like Seeking Alpha and the NY Times. Perhaps the most satisfying (albeit haunting) part of this experience has been watching over 13 individual predictions outlined in this spring’s Economic Manifesto come true over the 6 months which followed, and the “Red Christmas” predicted for retailers in August would fall into that category as well. In these cases, having these articles published and universally visible effectively gives them a “time stamp” and the opportunity to be out in front of stories before they happen.

I remain hopeful that we can still arrange a family get-together …before our kids head off to college; Grant as a soccer player, and Max on a full academic scholarship followed by an internship serving as Andy Rooney’s replacement.

Keep up the great work.

from Cool Cleveland reader & contributor Douglas O'Bryon

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