Mike Polk's New Book

Some days it is damn fine to be a blogger. Because of my little blog I occasionally get to do awesome things because someone thinks someone else is listening to me.

That my friends, I will proudly and gratefully take and run screaming down the street with.

I was recently invited to the book release for Mike Polk's new book, "Damn Right I'm From Cleveland," and let's face it, with a title like that, how could I not be intrigued?

It may seem sacrilegious, but before the party, I had never seen Polk in person, and all I knew about him was the hilarious true "Hastily Made Tourism" videos for Cleveland. His book is in a word - fantastically Cleveland.

Please don't mistake me, Polk isn't going to win any major award for his book, but if you are a Clevelander, and you don't at least crack a smile, then you you need to get on the bus and go back to Pittsburgh. Any man that suggests adding Bernie Kosar and wolly bear lovin' Dick Goddard to the Cleveland flag is a good one in my book.

The joys of googlefu. A little guy and his bop bag.

Polk does highlight our sports fails and all of the things that outsiders poke fun at Cleveland for. If you didn't know anything about him, you might think he was attacking the city he proclaims to love. I am giving Polk the license to use his Cleveland card and poke fun at us, as well as himself. Clevelanders are a special breed, watching as helpless victims to drives and fumbles and decisions, but we always come back for more, like those bop bags from the 70s. You smack us down with all your might but we pop back up for another punch to the gut. That is Cleveland.

"Damn Right I'm From Cleveland" is a great gift for any diehard Clevelander on your list. His alternative tag lines for Great Lakes Brewing Company's Christmas Ale is something we have all discussed at some point with our friends late into the night.

The only thing I don't like about Polk's book is I didn't come up with it.

"Damn Right I'm From Cleveland" is published by Cleveland publisher Gray and Company and is available at book stores and your local Costco.

Now if you will excuse me, a Christmas Ale is calling my name.