Tomorrow, the world! Saige Rook (right) shows off her prize-winning invention.

In the time it takes you to read your e-mail in the morning, the average kid has used seven different electronic devices (some of which you could never operate) to communicate with 35 people in a dozen area codes. They're smart and getting smarter all the time - like SkyNet, without access to nuclear missiles. And on Saturday, some of the smartest ones gathered at the Great Lakes Science Center to show off what they've been doing in their spare time.

The occasion was the second annual Invention Convention, organized by Just Think Inc. But this was nothing like the science fairs you remember; there wasn't a Styrofoam-ball solar system or "real volcano" anywhere. This was more like paper made out of grass, an LED-lit pencil and a motorized Christmas lights hanger.

Jacob Caraffi and Jimmy Duman, seventh-graders from St. Thomas Moore School, modified an electric pencil sharpener to drill holes into the ends of disposable pens and inject ink. What were you doing in seventh grade, besides breaking bottles behind a convenience store?

They're shrewd marketers, too, these kids. Lindy Warren, a second grader from a Lakewood school, offers her "Bedtime Butler" - an expertly crafted piece of plastic that fits on the side of a bed and holds your remote, your book, your glasses - in different styles, including one shaped like Darth Vader's head. (Yes, I ordered some.)

The grand prize went to Lakewood's Saige Rook, a second-grader at Lincoln Elementary. Her invention, "American Chopsticks," offered a solution to a common problem: trying to get food on a fork or spoon without using your fingers. If you're wondering why that's a problem, you'll probably be working for Saige in a few years.

Next year I'm bringing along my PDA, to see if one of these kids can teach me how to use it. - Jara Anton

LEFT LESS BEHIND

Last January, the then newly formed progressive umbrella group Progress Ohio held its first Rootscamp in Columbus. The free event was designed to be an informal informational exchange and networking opportunity for grassroots activists, sharing what they'd learned during the recent victorious statewide campaigns.

This year's Rootscamp took place on Sunday, Jan. 13 on the 31st floor of the Riffe Office Building in Columbus. Last year's attendance of 100 swelled to over 150 with a much wider range of people: many candidates for local offices and General Assembly and even a couple of congressional candidates mingled with union members and representatives from established groups such as Planned Parenthood and the Sierra Club. They came from all over the state, including from conservative rural counties. The age range was vast: A young woman who said she barely remembered the late Clinton years ("I was only 16") sat with a woman who likely remembers hearing of Roosevelt's death.

Other than a couple of set events - a welcome by First Lady Frances Strickland and a lunchtime talk by author Bob Creamer - the agenda was directed by "campers," who posted the seminars they wanted to host on a board, claiming meeting rooms and time slots. Topics ranged from how to get more women in office, to what the evangelicals are up to, to motivating volunteers and organizing neighborhoods. Initiatives such as health-care reform, reproductive rights, election integrity and changing draconian anti-drug laws earned time slots.

Cleveland-area bloggers Jeff Coryell (ohiodailyblog.com) and Jill Miller Zimon (writeslikeshetalks.com) led a panel on the intersection of old and new media based on their recent experience blogging for the Plain Dealer's Wide Open blog, which fell apart in confusion over whether restrictions on campaign donations by reporters did (or should) apply to bloggers who were hired to be partisan. Zimon also led a panel on getting more women to run for office, attended by, among others, an actual candidate: Kelley Wenzlaff, who's running for state rep from Delaware County's second district (momforthehouse.com).

What is most striking is how recent the surge of activism on the left is. During the introductory session, when one of the organizers asked how many had been active before 2004, only a scattering of hands went up. And a young Ohio Democratic Party employee expressed amazement that a speaker said there'd been only eight ODP employees at this point in the 2004 election cycle, exclaiming "We've got about 50!" Certainly, if the number of people attending Rootscamp is any indication, Ohio's well on its way to a blue election in November. - Anastasia Pantsios

AND WE WON'T RUN OUT OF FRESH WATER ANYTIME SOON

The old manufacturing jobs are going or in jeopardy. Steel, rubber and similar industries no longer provide secure jobs in the region. Housing values are down. Follow the local media and you know the drill. But look nationally and ...

Forbes magazine, in its just-released listing of the 100 best cities in which to get a job, noticed something locals have overlooked: The Cleveland-Lorain-Elyria and Akron regions, either alone or combined, are ahead of San Diego, Sacramento, Phoenix, Las Vegas, Fresno and others. And when you factor in cost of living (a new Manhattan development of low-cost apartments for young professionals is expected to have one-bedroom units for "only" $3,000 per month), we aren't doing badly.

As those national politicians have noted when trying to focus on the issue that affects everyone, regardless of where they live, "it's the economy, stupid." The nation is in trouble but based on the Forbes evaluation, we're often a step ahead in real opportunity. - Ted Schwarz

LOST IN THE MOVE? ARE YOU SURE THE DOG DIDN'T EAT IT?

A coup last week by new Ohio Senate Minority Leader Ray Miller of Columbus tripped the short-lived "reign" of Theresa Fedor of Toledo, who in just one year's time had grown prone to ripping out whole clumps of her own hair and shrieking obscenities at the sheer wall of GOP bullshit erected around her.

State lefties held out hope, though. Could this Miller guy deliver the party caucus some new clout, maybe add a few bucks to the fantasy football pay-out with fresh blood brought in from the Ohio Southeast, all despite its mere dozen members compared to 21 Republicans? They got their answer fast.

Seems the guy with the best cred in their eyes is also under order from Ohio Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner to provide seven campaign finance reports that've been neglected since just 2005, data that Miller first said were packed in preparation of a move, then said must have been lost in that move.

As much would be forgivable (we think it's kind of amazing that he was able to keep this kind of blundering under wraps through Ken Blackwell's reign of terror), if it weren't for the outright bullshit. After his rousting late last week, Miller bragged to the Columbus Dispatch that all 11 Democratic caucus members who aren't Theresa Fedor voted to give her the boot. In fact, the final count had just seven members voting to remove Fedor, with five voting to keep her at the helm.

Maybe what he meant to say is, "I'm a fucking liar and a cheat. But maybe more Democrats can get elected to office now that I'm in charge."

Fedor says, "I believe this was a power play for future political ambitions. I know how to take a punch; I'm a Democrat. I took on Blackwell years ago. This is nothing." - Dan Harkins

THE V WORD

The Plain Dealer seems to have not yet gotten over the excess of delicacy that led it back in the '90s to refer to Texas rock group the Butthole Surfers as the "BH Surfers."

On Jan. 11, the paper ran a brief story about the current dust-up in the Summit County Republican Party, noting that Democratic Board of Elections chairman Wayne Jones had called Summit County Republican Party chair Alex Arshinkoff a "vulgarity." Readers were left to ponder: Could it have been shithead? Cocksucker? Superman dat ho?

The Akron Beacon Journal, whose teacups apparently aren't as easily rattled, matter-of-factly revealed in a front-page, above-the-fold feature the same day that Jones had called Arshinkoff an "asshole." - AP

YOU'VE HAD THE BLUES, THE REDS AND THE PINKS ...

If you want to smack the deliriously happy couples in those eHarmony commercials, we should talk.

It's time again for Free Times' annual "Love is Grind" Valentine's Day essay contest. Tell us your tale of unrequited - or all too requited - love. Change names if necessary, but otherwise keep it real. If we're moved to tears or laughter (or even better, both), we'll share your pain with other readers in the February 13 issue. You might also get some prizes - we're still working on that.

The fine print: Essay must be an original work, written by the entrant, and 1,000 words or less. E-mail entries as attachments (Microsoft Word or RTF file; no "docx" files, please) to flewis@freetimes.com (in the subject line, include the words "Valentine's Day Contest"). Include your name, age (must be at least 18), address and phone number. Deadline: 5 p.m. Friday, February 1.

More information, and links to previous winners' entries, at [url=http://www.freetimes.com/valentinesday]freetimes.com/valentinesday [/url].