Richard T. Andrews writes an insightful blog called "The Real Deal", which he describes as "Periodic reporting and commentary from Cleveland Heights OH. Primary interests: Cleveland/NEOhio regional public affairs; African American politics, commerce, culture and society; public education; national and international affairs; Cavaliers∫Browns∫Indians." I receive it by email and suggest everyone on realNEO check it out. I strongly agree with his most recent posting "Brunner the Best for Ohio Democrats" and suggest all Ohio voters read through to his posting, which I introduce below:

In reflecting on the future of the food economy in America, one must understand the role of genetically engineered crops, which have blown-apart food economics and ecology in America and increasingly worldwode since their monopoly-mounted introduction 14 short years ago, driven by Monsanto covering the Earth in Roundup, AKA glyphosate.

I just received this email from Anita the Weblady, of Shaw High On Line and many other important social networks in the area, about the "Current Plus Plan." This seems to offer valuable help for area residents struggling with their past heating expenses this time of year... I thought I would pass this on to realNEO members . Note, the compliance deadline is April 15th! While reflecting on paying your Winter 2009/2010 heating bills, now, plan for how you will reduce consumption, conserve energy, and pay less going into 2011!!!!! Read on for your options in paying for your mistakes of the past...

CLEVELAND, OH—The City Club of Cleveland will host the Democratic Debate for U.S. Senate tomorrow, Tuesday, April 13 at the Cleveland Marriott Hotel, 127 Public Square from noon to 1:30 p.m. All candidates on the ballot will participate: Jennifer Brunner and Lee Fisher. 

The broadcast schedule is as follows:

Live on WCPN: 12:30 PM-1:30 PM
WVIZ: 11:00 PM
WVIZ/Ohio Channel: 1:30 PM-2:30 PM

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CLEVELAND, OH — Douglas A. Blackmon, an author and winner of the 2009 Pulitzer Prize in the General Nonfiction category for Slavery by Another Name: The Re-Enslavement of Black Americans from the Civil War to World War II, will address The City Club of Cleveland at noon on Friday, April 16, 2010, atThe City Club of Cleveland, 850 Euclid Ave., Second Floor. 

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Ohio Secretary of State and realNEO member Jennifer Brunner shows love for realNEO, so there is certainly much to support about her (besides thanking her for cleaning up the Secretary of State's office)... and she is running for US Senate, so now is your chance...

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I received an email from Earl Pike about the upcoming ArtCares benefit for the AIDS Task Force of Greater Cleveland, at Saigon Plaza - here are some details from the Plain Dealer - this sounds like a great and clearly worthwhile event:

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There can be no question Ohio has a dismal record on public policy and the environment - we are a national disaster. The Governor-appointed Public Utility Commission has failed to protect the public interests of citizens and has embarassed the citizens of the state in countless ways, most recently with matters surrounding an absurd light bulb subsidy program they divised with First Energy, report on realNEO here..."Let Me Introduce To You Five Public Servants Who Just Cost Citizens Of Unreal NEO Millions Of Dollars, While Poisoning Them".

Today, the Cleveland Plain Dealer reports energy policy in Ohio is moving from laughable to criminal... damn-well communist... announcing that "Governor pushes for permanent discounts on all-electric heating", leading off with the following:

How low will Cleveland and Northeast Ohio sink in the global new economy, as a result of the embarrassment the leadership of the Cleveland Plain Dealer and their Newhouse parents have brought upon this community, as a result of their pathetic if not illegal misuse of information technology and the Internet here? It doesn't get much lower than this... "Cuyahoga County Judge Shirley Strickland Saffold files $50 million lawsuit against The Plain Dealer and others".

Linked above is the PD spin on this case. Read the actual lawsuit linked as a PDF here (1.13 MB)... and read all the way to the end, where it concludes "Plaintiffs demand a trial by jury by the maximum number of jurors permitted". Smart move for the citizens-Saffold to choose to be judged by their peers.

The coal-industry group Families Organized to Represent the Coal Economy, which doesn’t actually allow families to join, has a wonderfully crappy coloring book for children. Let’s have a look!

by Greg Haegele, Sierra Club on 10.15.09

by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY on 04. 5.10

 Eggs a sign of the resurection and new life, but just a days work for my hens.  (A view inside my hen house.)

Coincidence or global warming? The rhubarb I planted last year has justed started to come up and already I have had to water it. Look at the soil and you might think we are experiencing a late summer draught.

On April 13th you can benefit IRTF, Cleveland Peace Action, and Women Speak Out for Peace and Justice simply by grocery shopping. The Food Coop will generously donate a portion of your total on the second Tuesday of every month.

Just mention one of the organizations to the cashier when you check out.

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I include below in its' entirety the most irresponsible words ever published by a newspaper, and I include the profiles of the Editorial Board of the Cleveland Plain Dealer that published these words, on this day, for the permanent record, for all history. I include this editorial here because the Plain Dealer has a history of hiding their online content, and this content is terrorism that may not leave the free public view and record ever... this Plain Dealer editorial is the equivalent of bio-terrorism and should be prosecuted by the Federal Department of Homeland Security. The line: "Many youngsters and some adults suffer from respiratory problems, particularly in the summer, when smoggy days can be pure misery" is especially harmful and insulting to the citizens of Northeast Ohio, who live under health-crisis conditions here. The Plain Dealer is highly responsible for the poor health of our citizens, and the poor state of the regional and global environment, even as their editors deny the reality of climate change. They are hereby disgraced forever.

Would any Realneo members like to participate in a seed and plant swap? I would be happy to host. Please post your thoughts on possible dates and times. We could also include garden tools and other gardeing related items if people are interested.

There has been a great deal of anti-community if not illegal Troll activity on realNEO, since it's beginning. What Internet activity is "illegal" and what are the consequences are increasingly being defined by new terms in society and the courts, like cyber-sex crimes, cyber-harassment, cyber-terrorism, and cyber-stalking, as early cases of attacks over the Internet against individuals and society are working their ways up the legal systems in America, and around the world, to supreme levels.

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 This sculpture, LIGHT YEAR, 1979 painted aluminum, 80" x 156" x 19," was acquired Fall 2009 and installed near Kelvin Smith Library on the Campus of Case Western Reserve University. It is best viewed on foot, but you can catch a glimpse of it from East Boulevard over the entrance to the parking garage by Severance Hall. Ronald Bladen (Canadian born American 1918-1988) was long considered one of the most important Minimalist artists but his oeuvre has since been reassessed. In this site LIGHT YEAR seems to be about more than form. See for youself.

Over the past three months, since I posted "2010 REAL COOP Annual Report and REALNEO Five-Year Report, at 10,000 Nodes", realNEO has continued to show 30%+ annual growth, having the second highest "Monthly Unique Visitors" of the realNEO ICE 25 Regional Social Media Benchmarking Sample, as of 02/10.  Cleveland Scene has higher traffic than realNEO, most months, and has demonstrated the fastest growth of any site in the region for this sample period.

Please save the date for the 2010 Greater Cleveland Lead Advisory 5th Annual Symposium. 

What: 2010 Greater Cleveland Lead Advisory Council 5th Annual Symposium

            Healthy Kids, Homes, & Places – Ensuring a better future for our community

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