Submitted by Norm Roulet on Tue, 05/24/2011 - 01:06.
I'm always happy to hear from eternal real NEO activist Max Eternity and see his fascinating work - whether his art or his commentary on the art or others, Max Eternity is unique... and is always exploring "What is Art"?
What Is Art is a new podcast series that I'm making available on Youtube. In this first installment, I critique a rather peculiar doll I stumbled across on the sidewalk, while on a trip back from a nearby grocery store.
Submitted by Norm Roulet on Mon, 05/23/2011 - 06:00.
The Other Night I Remembered A Dream - And I Never Remember Dreams. This Was Serious.
Evelyn and I were sitting in the foyer of our home talking, at night, when gunmen in black masks suddenly rushed through our front door. We dove to the ground and lay there wondering what would happen. Suddenly there was a nine millimeter pushing forcefully against my forehead.
Then, I felt a numbing pain in my back and I could feel something was sucking the life out of my spine - and thank God I awoke.
Now I have been stabbed in the back so many times by so many people in Cleveland it is made of steel. I'm in the middle of showdowns with liars and cheaters all over town and the country - no big deal. No - this was near and dear. Big surprise to find out the chairman of realNEO Jeff Buster has been in hyper-back-stab mode and trying to destroy My realNEO. Your realNEO!
Submitted by Norm Roulet on Mon, 05/23/2011 - 03:34.
I'm Proud of My Wife and My realNEO for Educating Over 200,000 People About Healthier, Happier Childbirth, to-date... and the traffic is increasing with time. While most of the traffic has been direct to YouTube, I never would have bothered to save a clip or post it if I wasn't active with realNEO. realNEO equipped and incented me to share this moment, like I have shared so much in life here.
And Clara's birth will be here, on realNEO, forever.... and has been viewed 1,000s of times here, alone, in a year.
Most interesting, if you view the charts below, from YouTube Insight, this video is especially popular in the Middle-East and Asia (outside the USA) - its relative popularity by top country is in the following order:
Submitted by Norm Roulet on Sat, 05/21/2011 - 04:22.
IntraCom/UCANX Update: GROHIO Sprouting - States of Emergencies - On the road again - BTWs
Ohio-based Board members have spent lots of time this week meeting and discussing options for development of the cannabis industries in Ohio - dozens of emails a day - and we have made various outreaches in our own ways. We'll compile a report for the board.
In brief, while we agree Ohio is a perfect place to base the hemp industries, and it looks the same for MMJ, assuming Lewis' campaign is successful, the politics of Northeast Ohio have been and still are so corrupt, corrupting so much here, we are not confident leaders here will make good decisions. We have certainly not thrown in the towel - we have been focused on Cuyahoga County, VC-types, and the broader community... which is very receptive. Next week, we will expand our focus away from Northeast Ohio, to a broader state-wide exploration.
Feel free to start reaching out in your states as well, as I can't guarantee Ohio leadership will make the right decisions, and we need to be prepared for serious action ahead.
I've helped the world's greatest organizations optimize IT for all their stakeholders, as a consultant working around the globe, and I am enabling Ohio and the world to optimize IT for all citizens, as an information technology innovator in my home of Northeast Ohio. One important expression of my mission to optimize IT for all is realNEO.US - Regional Economic Action Links for North East Ohio - which I founded in 2004, moved into the dysfunctional but living Real Coop co-operative owned structure a few years later, and have since used to transform the information, technology, insight and action of the people of the world interested in Northeast Ohio, and the world.
I recently received an email from Bill Densmore, co-director of Journalism That Matters, inviting me to "Create or Die 2", offering a nice global opportunity to share the realNEO story more broadly. Journalism That Matters is "an evolving collaboration of individuals supporting the pioneers who are shaping the emerging news and information ecosystem" - Create or Die 2 is about "Disrupting the Status Quo with Journalism Innovation and Entrepreneurship" - and I can't imagine initiatives that fit better with realNEO and my mission.
Submitted by Norm Roulet on Wed, 05/18/2011 - 04:21.
Vote Hemp President Eric Steenstra, Ron Paul and Vote Hemp lobbyist Ben Droz pose for the record on new hemp farming bill.
May 18, 2011 IntraCom UCANX Board Update: Vote Hemp - Finding Roots - Board Building - Energy Building
A few updates to the board, in brief.
1. Vote Hemp
Congratulations to everyone involved with the successful efforts of the Hemp Industry Association and Vote Hemp supporting the introduction of the "The Industrial Hemp Farming Act of 2011, To amend the Controlled Substances Act to exclude hemp from the definition of marijuana, and for other purposes", signed by its sponsor, US House Representative of the 14th District of Texas Ron Paul, around 1 PM, May 11, 2011, and introduced to the US House of Representatives to be enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 112th US Congress.
The spring of 2011 has brought tension to the air for everyone involved with cannabis in the United States. Federal authorities have unleashed a coordinated attack on political efforts to tax marijuana and they have made war on medical marijuana programs. This has been matched by additional states changing local laws, putting more skin into the game than ever.
The bets are now in for the biggest cannabis policy showdown in our generation – right in Washington DC. The Schedule I status of marijuana in the federal Controlled Substances Act will either be re-affirmed or changed, likely over the next 24 months.
Marijuana prohibition has become the most refined and serious states’ rights issue of the 21st Century. Millions of Americans are now participating in a multi-billion dollar medical cannabis economy.
Submitted by Norm Roulet on Tue, 05/17/2011 - 04:21.
In December, 2010, a Congressional Research Study on Hemp as an Agricultural Commodity was released, finding: "Some estimate that the global market for hemp consists of more than 25,000 products. It can be grown as a fiber, seed, or other dual-purpose crop. The Industrial Hemp Farming Act would amend Section 102 of the Controlled Substances Act (21 U.S.C. 802(16)) to specify that the term “marijuana” does not include industrial hemp, which the bill would define based on its content of delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), marijuana’s primary psychoactive chemical. Such a change could remove low-THC hemp from being covered by the CSA as a controlled substance and subject to DEA regulation, thus allowing for industrial hemp to be grown and processed under some state laws. This legislation, or other legislation related to hemp cultivation, could be introduced in the 112th Congress."
Submitted by Norm Roulet on Wed, 05/11/2011 - 16:21.
Ron Paul's signature on hemp paper version of the Industrial Hemp Farming Act.
realNEO readers are among the first to see "The Industrial Hemp Farming Act of 2011, To amend the Controlled Substances Act to exclude hemp from the definition of marijuana, and for other purposes", signed by its sponsor, US House Representative of the 14th District of Texas Ron Paul, around 1 PM today, May 11, 2011, and introduced to the US House of Representatives to be enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 112th US Congress.
As Paul previously concluded, in a a statement for Hemp History Week: "The federal government should change the law to allow American farmers to grow this profitable crop as American farmers have through most of our nation's history. I plan to reintroduce the Industrial Hemp Farming Act next week."
Paul clearly is a man of his word. Above is "The Industrial Hemp Farming Act of 2011"... on hemp paper, and below is Ron Paul signing the bill.
Submitted by Norm Roulet on Tue, 05/10/2011 - 23:05.
Vote Hemp got the word earlier today that the Industrial Hemp Farming Act will be introduced in the U.S. House tomorrow. So far there are 19 original cosponsors, plus Ron Paul! Your phone calls and emails are helping a lot. If you have not called or emailed yet please do so now online at http://bit.ly/CapWiz or here on Facebook at http://bit.ly/Hemp
Please Call Your Representatives in Congress
Ask them to become an original cosponsor of the Industrial Hemp Farming Act of 2011
Submitted by Norm Roulet on Tue, 05/10/2011 - 16:21.
US veterans and their friends and families turned out by the 100s for the 2011 Cleveland Medical Marijuana Rally
I can't ever remember enjoying converging with 1,000 or so amazingly diverse Clevelanders so much as I did Saturday afternoon, May 7, as Northeast Ohio held the 2011 Cleveland Medical Marijuana March and Jobs, Peace and Freedom Rally. The crowd created the buzz of a perfect championship game day - Cleveland was in the World Series again.
At the 2011 Cleveland Medical Marijuana Rally, medical patients experienced an historic moment of personal freedom and liberty, in peace, and went home healthier - we all saw Cleveland may actually win the world championship, for the first time in our lives - as Ohio... an agricultural, healthcare, industrial and education powerhouse... realizes we must take our rightful place in the Cannabis Economy!
Submitted by Norm Roulet on Tue, 05/10/2011 - 13:51.
Undersecretary Says USDA Will Continue to Expand Alternative Fuels
Tonsager says the search continues for new feedstocks for biofuel production.
Compiled by staff
Published: May 10, 2011
The Department of Agriculture is looking at going beyond corn to make alternative fuels. The Undersecretary for Rural Development, Dallas Tonsager, is promoting the use of other crops and materials for ethanol production.
Tonsager says the Department can help operations get started with grants, loans and loan guarantees.
"These second and third generation biofuels, we can help finance those," Tonsager said. "They are generally very, very expensive projects, so we are interested in working with anybody who is interested in developing those kind of ventures and we are interested in getting into almost any kind of material that might be used for biofuel."
Submitted by Norm Roulet on Fri, 05/06/2011 - 02:13.
USDA Reminds Public of Deadline for Biomass Crop Assistance Program Proposals
WASHINGTON, May 3, 2011 – Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today reminded farmers, ranchers and forest landowners that the deadline for submitting project area proposals for the Biomass Crop Assistance Program (BCAP) is May 27, 2011.
“We know that viable solutions to combat high gas prices can be found in rural America,” said Vilsack. “America’s farmers, ranchers, rural businesses and communities are already important partners in helping to build a more secure, sustainable energy supply. The Biomass Crop Assistance Program provides incentives to producers of the materials needed to fuel the new clean energy economy and provide rural jobs.”
BCAP, which was authorized in the 2008 Farm Bill, provides incentives to eligible farmers, ranchers and forest landowners for the establishment and production of biomass crops for heat, power, bio-based products and biofuels. BCAP project areas are specific geographical areas where producers may enroll land to grow eligible biomass crops. Enrolled program participants may be eligible to receive financial and technical assistance as well as annual payments to establish these crops.
USDA and DOE Award Biomass Research and Development Grants to Reduce America’s Reliance on Imported Oil
Projects will help develop sustainable, renewable biofuels in the U.S.
WASHINGTON – As part of the Obama Administration’s comprehensive plan to address rising gas prices, U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu today announced a total of $47 million to fund eight research and development projects that will support the production of biofuels, bioenergy and high-value biobased products from a variety of biomass sources. These investments in clean, sustainable transportation fuels will help reduce U.S. oil imports, support economic development in rural America, create clean energy jobs for U.S. workers, and protect American families and businesses from future spikes in gas prices. The advanced biofuels produced through these projects are also expected to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by at least 50 percent compared to fossil fuels.
Submitted by Norm Roulet on Thu, 05/05/2011 - 03:00.
Did you know that it’s Air Quality Awareness Week? The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) National Weather Service urge Americans to "Be Air Aware" during Air Quality Awareness Week, May 2 - 6, 2011.
Didn't I see you at the big MetroHealth "Clean Up Mittal For Real" Air Quality Awareness Week Rally down at Public Square, today...? At Mayor Jackson's "Cleveland Thermal Kills Children and our Economy" Rally at Cleveland State, Monday? At the special City Council Meeting declaring their War Against Environmental Injustice From Air Pollution In Urban Cleveland!?!?
Of course not! There are no Air Quality Awareness events ever in Northeast Ohio - no in-depth reports on mainstream media about the harm caused by pollution - and there have been important findings released here recently about the poor air quality in unreal NEO, which is real news.
Submitted by Norm Roulet on Tue, 05/03/2011 - 02:03.
On November 20, 2004 - about a month after I set up realNEO, as I was still configuring the site - one of the first "books" I established was called "Dear Peter", in honor of Clevelander Peter B. Lewis, Chairman of Progressive Insurance. As I added "categories" to the site, and moved away from using books for general content management, I made "Dear Peter" one of the first categories on realNEO, allowing members to designate their content to be listed with other "Dear Peter" content. I doubt most realNEO visitors have ever noticed Dear Peter exists, or known the meaning.
For decades, Peter Lewis has been one of Northeast Ohio's most inspiring and demanding leaders. I dedicated a category on realNEO to Peter Lewis because he has inspired me to "disrupt IT" with his proactive, positive challenges of authority in Northeast Ohio and worldwide. I know the Lewis family to be high quality intellects truly committed to the betterment of this community and the world, and I support their pursuits here. They challenge me to push the envelop for realNEO.
Before realNEO was dedicated to Ed "Citizen" Hauser - while Ed was still alive and working FOR REALNEO - we were dedicated to Peter "Billionaire" Lewis... since November 20, 2004:
Submitted by Norm Roulet on Mon, 05/02/2011 - 16:27.
Until marijuana is legal for economic development in Ohio - and then America-wide - I will be sorting through the various MMJ proposals being developed for Ohio and the world and will keep realNEO readers informed of important developments, like... from the Columbus Dispatch, today:
The Daily Briefing: Billionaire Peter Lewis floating marijuana ballot issue
Monday, May 2, 2011 10:16 AM - By Alan Johnson - The Columbus Dispatch
Submitted by Norm Roulet on Mon, 05/02/2011 - 11:13.
I strongly recommend all Cleveland-area schools be required to implement the following cheap, simple, educational program to raise public awareness of our poor air quality in Cleveland, teach area children and their friends and families about the harm of pollution, and protect our children from excessive pollution and the mental and physical damage that causes them, their families and our society and economy.
To do this properly, each school should feature modern, effective air quality monitoring equipment, offering students and stakeholders an exceptional learning experience... and better health. The flags don't even need to be physical - they may be virtual, and presented via the Internet so all parents and concerned citizens may always monitor the air quality and health of our next generation of Clevelanders.... from real Greenversations from DC:
Last week, I joined security officer William Jones when he visited a group of students at the First Environments Day Care Center located on EPA’s Research Triangle Park campus. The purpose of our trip was to raise a yellow flag on the pole in front of the school.
When Officer Jones asked if the kids wanted to help him, they cheered in unison, “YES.” They eagerly held the flag while Officer Jones hooked it to the chain, watched as he raised it – and promptly asked why the flag was yellow. Officer Jones explained that the yellow flag meant that the kids could play outside, “because the air quality was pretty good today– not the best like what a green flag means.”
Submitted by Norm Roulet on Mon, 05/02/2011 - 00:31.
Industrial hemp has played a significant role in American history. In fact, in the early 1700's American farmers in Virginia were required by law to grow it. Today, healthy and sustainable hemp products are sold across the country, but American farmers are prohibited from growing this crop.
For the better part of a decade, advocates have attempted to pass bills in the Ohio General Assembly to provide Ohio's sick and dying citizens with safe access to medical marijuana (cannabis). However, when confronted by this issue, our state's elected leaders simply shy away. While the effort to pass a bill in the statehouse is still being pursued, there is another way citizens can enact change.
If a group of citizens feel strongly that an issue has not properly been addressed by the Ohio General Assembly, they can propose an initiated constitutional amendment to the people for a statewide vote. This is the route we've decided to take, placing the issue before the voters on November 6, 2012.
cnbc at 1 pm tomorrow est . (The Fed is due to release a policy statement tomorrow at about 12:30 p.m. New York time, and Fed Chairman Ben S. Bernanke is scheduled to speak to reporters at 2:15 p.m.) Bernanke Meets the Press
The Fed chairman is holding the first scheduled press conference in Fed history tomorrow.
cnbc at 1 pm tomorrow est . (The Fed is due to release a policy statement tomorrow at about 12:30 p.m. 