McDonald's back sliding!?!
Yep! Even though they adjusted their menu after the Supersize Me movie, they have slid back this summer by offering toy Hummers to children in Happy Meals. Read it here: http://www.nytimes.com/2006/08/10/business/media/10adco.html?_r=1&oref=s...

An annual tradition sponsored by Great Lakes Brewery and several other local foundations and organizations is the Burning River Fest.  This event combines great and healthy food, local entertainment and vendors, local environmental conservation and advocacy groups, and of course, a selection of one of the world's most famous beers.

It is summertime and hot, and Cleveland feels it. As REALNEO has been feeling too hot for comfort, as well, it is time for a cooling down period this August. Over the next few months, the team supporting REALNEO is creating an organization for moving forward with our social network, and our lives, so we'll all be posting as we may... please feel free to post as well.

The area in the city of East Cleveland and Cleveland that is most certainly blighted is the corner bounded by Euclid Avenue on the North and Lake View Cemetery on the west and south, which is a serious dead end in two ways. One is the lack of flow through of traffic and healthy human activity. The other major issue is that the most remote inner corner of this dead end happens to be in Cleveland, isolated in East Cleveland away from the rest of Cleveland by part of Lakeview Cemetery (it's just east of the gates on Euclid). So this corner does not get good Cleveland police and other services and has deteriorated into a very rundown and unhealthy area - the impact zone extends about four or five blocks east into East Cleveland. At that point, the neighborhood becomes lovely, with large historic homes that tend to be largely well kept. Investment in helping this historic zone really fix up their homes and heighborhood would really pay off for homeowners and the city.

You may have noticed REALNEO was off line some Sunday and on Monday, for the first time since we moved to our current server. We apologize for the longer-than-anticipated down time. We literally relocated the physical server where REALNEO and lots of our other sites are served to fasted bandwidth (this is all in California). So now that is done and we should be up and running again for another many years without interruption

    Given the recent court decision on eminent domain and the upcoming decisions on how to define "blight", CSU professor Tom Bier's testimony on the issues is important reading.  Go to http://www.greaterohio.org/policy/policy.html and click on "testimony".  And while you're there do some other reading.  Clearly the state's policies encourage sprawl.  Sprawl is not good for our air, our land, or our water.  We need a coup in Columbus.

I just had to share this. It is so cool (to me anyway)...

http://www.martinbonadeo.com.ar/23_chocloen.html

This discovery follows this one made earlier this year:

SORRY... This videodance was removed now that the filmmaker's DVD is for sale. Nice for the 130 of you who were able to view it...
here's what the site says "We have now removed thefree quicktime downloads of'Moment' and There's Something You Should Know
Katrina McPherson FIVE VIDEO DANCES featuring Pace, Sense 8, Moment, The Truth, There's Something You Should Know. Price 25.50 GB pounds makingvideodance.com.

My 18 year old, who yesterday learned to make a rain barrel, today turned me on to what one of his favorite band's is doing to lend a hand to the climate change awareness.
http://www.dmband.com/news/view/0c7d1589d4993d6f6263d71c8d1f9f5d The band is buying energy credits for all CO2 emissions for the band's touring activities since 1991. He's not the only corporation who is partnering with these guys.

NativeEnergy is a privately held Native American energy company.  In August 2005, the Intertribal Council On Utility Policy (COUP) acquired a majority ownership interest in NativeEnergy on behalf of its member tribes, marking another significant step in the Great Plains tribes’ historic effort to power America with Native wind. Learn more about COUP’s investment in NativeEnergy …

There is a very interesting article in the NYTimes on line today observing "one of the most striking shifts in human existence — a change from small, relatively weak and sickly people to humans who are so big and robust that their ancestors seem almost unrecognizable." The lengthy article, found here, concludes: "Today, Mr. Keller says, he is big and healthy, almost despite himself"... "Maybe it was his good fortune to have been born to a healthy mother and to be well fed and vaccinated." "I don’t know if we have as much control as we think we do”.

I find the point of the article is that we as society can do much to control the lifelong health condition of our community members, if we focus on controllable factors like prenatal environment and health care - especially addressing pollution exposure for pregnant women. While leaders and citizens of NEO hate to think and talk seriously about such issues as pollution and our environment (hell, the powerful Ohio coal industry lobby still challenges the finding there is human behavior related global warming),  the NYTimes article cites research that indicates Northeast Ohio is a place where lifelong good health and longevity of life are especially controllable, as we have a most unhealthy environment and so more, higher risk factors than most regions of our country. From the City Mayors website: "Parts or all of 11 Midwest cities (in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio and Wisconsin) rank among the 25 worst for year-round particle levels, while six also rank in the 25 worst for short-term particle pollution."

New research from around the world has begun to reveal a picture of humans today that is so different from what it was in the past that scientists say they are startled. Over the past 100 years, says one researcher, Robert W. Fogel of the University of Chicago, humans in the industrialized world have undergone “a form of evolution that is unique not only to humankind, but unique among the 7,000 or so generations of humans who have ever inhabited the earth.”

I'm very appreciative of REALNEO members who responded to my posting "Recommendations for taking this old house solar, and better...", for responding to my challenge: "Can anyone recommend a short path on how to get solar potential assessment of a property and suggestions for other alternative energy and conservation approaches."

Based on this experience, the region's truest champion of social computing and alternative energy visioning in action is Bill MacDermott, of Cleveland Solar and Wind, who John MacGovern referred to my challenge (thanks again for stepping up, John). At John's suggestion, Bill contacted me by email about the challenge with specific suggestions, and made a point to drive by the properties I may influence to go green, and today met with me and my parents to investigate the potentials at their old Shaker home, show some solar products in action, and educate my family about how solar works in this marketplace and context - I call this a personal NEO Excellence Roundtable and it offers lessons to learn for this community (Bill also added valuable content to REALNEO, directly providing knowledge to the community at large). I'll definitely plan a full NEO Excellence Roundtable for Bill to share his broad expertise more directly with a concerned audience, but here are my observations from our discussion today.

I returned to Northeast Ohio, over two years ago, to help drive forward progress with regional economic development and arts and culture, focusing on helping the community leverage free and open source software (FOSS) and social computing to transform how we collaborate, communicate and operate. For nearly 10 years, my belief has been if we, as a region, focus on using the best available information technology (IT) in the most effective ways possible, that will provide us with competitive advantages. My intention for REALNEO has been to demonstrate that purpose.

I am now more certain than ever that is the case, but I have found it personally difficult to bring people together around a collaborative strategy to make that happen. Just as critics of economic development progress in NEO claim the leaders of the economic development space do not collaborate well in some ways, I find they are not open to collaborate on sharing information technology purposes... perhaps from a sense of competitiveness, lack of understanding of next generation IT, lock-in and loyalty to legacy IT solutions and providers, resistance to change, and the unfamiliar purposes and intentions demonstrated by FOSS and social computing.

To address all these challenges, consider an outcome of two fascinating on-line REALNEO discussions with a member in the UK - one on collaboration and the other on NOLA Lessons Learned for NEO - which developed a formula for collaboration that may be applied to this situation and open doors for a remarkable outcome for this community:

collaboration=dialog+inclusion+knowing+intention+purpose

July 27, 2006

In addition to the 52 Weeks 52 Works Desk Calendar, all selected artists will have the opportunity to show their work this January at The Pop Shop Gallery!!!

If you are an artist living and working in Northeast Ohio and you’d like your artwork to be included in 52 Weeks 52 Works, ACT NOW!  In addition to your artwork being included in the 2007 AGC desk calendar 52 weeks 52 works, all artists who are selected will also have the opportunity to show their work at the 52 Weeks 52 Works Artist Art Show sponsored by The Pop Shop Gallery this January! I kindly ask that you please forward and/or distribute this information to any artist(s) you think might be interested in this creative opportunity.

Click here

For the Full version of TinyMCE with all scripts loaded

To Clevelanders who missed RFTT at the Beachland - oops. To Pittsburgh and the rest of the tour, see Rocket From The Tombs... more to post when my ears stop ringing...

I was really thrilled to get access to photograph the Rocket From The Tombs show tonight at the Beachland Ballroom (if you are reading this before 10 PM - get over there now and read the rest later) - but when I got a call this afternoon from their publicist Ilka saying if I wanted to drop by the soundcheck at 6:30 to do a quick interview with lead singer and founder of RFTT and Pere Ubu and all sorts of other art music projects that I love, I was exstatically intimidated, as I've seen both RFTT and Pere Ubu (many times) so know in every way David Thomas is larger than life - and his music and words foretell a seriousness and directness that doesn't give the sense this is an easy person to chat with... and I was right. But nothing worthwhile is easy, so I took my chances and Evelyn and I hit the Beachland for the treat of hearing a seminal musical force tune their sound, and then be intimidated by the man Pere Ubu in person... well worth the punch.

The sound check was clearly a challenge - David and band belted through core works to force into submission a sound system ill-prepared for the force of the Rockets, in a room not easily yielding to the range of rock blasting forth. Just hearing these talented artists work through the challenges of honing their sound was a great experience to behold, and with the right adjustments the show is set to rock very hard and loud tonight... more on that later.

That David Thomas would still sit down for 15 minutes, after an exhausting sound check, shows he is not a man to be feared - but he is a massive artistic force with an intellect to be respected, and addressed with great respect - super-smart, precise, articulate, certain of himself and his work - uber-artist I wish I had a better opportunity to learn from and observe in action... I'd follow the tour if I had the time and money - I will follow up with the other band members later to get more persectives on their whole phenomenum as it is all so impactful - this is a rare group of talented masters of their arts and the art of music.

Here are a few quick notes from my discussion today with Thoms, which I'll clean up and fill in more as I have time to think about what we discussed, and after the show that starts up in less than an hour... your your sake, I wish you would be there... I'll share photos and insight as I'm able to grasp what I may.

LET'S LEARN FROM NANTUCKET AND DO WIND TURBINE MANUFACTURING AND USE DEVELOPMENT WITH SINCERE PUBLIC  INVOLVEMENT IN NEO and across all 5 Great Lakes!

It was terrific to see Cleveland Foundation President Ronn Richard write an opinion column in the Plain Dealer today expressing his vision for developing an alternative energy industry in Northeast Ohio. This has been a topic of considerable discussion in Cleveland for two years, going back to several excellent Tuesdays@REI, back in the day, and more recently wind has become a visible promise on the horizon of Cleveland, with the installation of a turbine in front of the Great Lakes Science Center.

Ronn clarifies below what are his objectives for wind in NEO, which is not just to take as much of the region off the traditional electric grid as possible, but to build alternative energy technologies here, as a workforce and industrial development for the future. There is not doubt that is an excellent strategy with strong support in the region, and absolutely no opposition.

At the end of his column, Ronn writes "We're pressing for a move to advanced energy as an imperative for national security, local economic security and a healthier planet. Won't you join us?... Call Richard Stuebi at the Cleveland Foundation to get involved: 216-685-2011." There is also an opportunity to hear Mr. Stuebi speak at Case tomorrow - see http://realneo.us/SURES-RICHARD-STUEBI.

I took the picture at the top of this posting from Ronn Richard's office at the Cleveland Foundation, several months ago, and he spoke with complete confidence in his ability to make the alternative energy industry a strength of this region, so I am completely confident this will occur - those interested in that outcome should read Ronn's complete column below and follow through on his request - contact the Cleveland Foundation and get involved!

How would you describe (Rocket From The Tombs) show to someone that has never seen you playing live?

It is truly one of the great rock experiences you will have. We wouldn't bother otherwise. The people in this band do not belong together. Touring with this band has been the most miserable experience of my life. The only reason I do it is because what we do on stage is so satisfyingly hot.

RFTT have been described as one of the godfathers of punk, a kind of a bridge between the Stooges, hard rock and a more arty sound. What's your opinion about that?

RFTT was, in my opinion, not a punk band. We were a logical step along the progression and evolution of rock music. Our roots seem very obvious. People say the music is so angry you must be rebellious. Yeah, I don't know. It seems to me, as I remember it, what we were angry about was ordinariness. The mainstream rock bands who played in all the clubs were SO ordinary and unambitious, were satisfied with so little when there so much that could be done. That's what I remember. That doesn't seem too punk to me. But I'm not a chicken-hawker either.

What kind of reaction from the crowd did you get while touring? Which kind of feedback from your performances?

Audiences were stunned and extremely happy.

- David Thomas, of Rocket From The Tombs, Pere Ubu, and Cleveland

These quotes, from the liner notes from the 2004 RFTT Rocket Redux release of luminary Cleveland-honed, UK-based David Thomas, founder of globally significant Rocket From The Tombs (RFTT) and Pere Ubu, offer Clevelanders just a hint of what is in store for them tonight, July 26, 2006, at the Beachland Ballroom - the first show of RFTT's 2006 fast-track blast across the USA...in other words:

In trying to keep up with what's happening in Cleveland regarding the development of green technologies, I've never been able to find anything that tracks it on a local basis. 
Chris Varley at TechFutures  is likely the most prolific local blogger covering cleantech and posts often about the promise of clean/green tech and a bit about the burgeoning and growing movement here in NEO.