I turned my Nexus One to Pandora tonight to stream some free music while I work. It launched to my Pere Ubu radio and the first track that played seems so fitting for this week - "Chinese Radiation". I just heard Pere Ubu play it live at their performance of Modern Dance, at the Beachland, but I can't find any place to stream the song to you from on-line... here is a sample on Pandora - so you will have to just read the lyrics below and imagine the rest of the tune in your head... the song does not remain the same, but the story does, 32 years since 1978... buy Modern Dance:

He'll be the red guard
She'll be the new world
He'll wear his grey cap
and she'll wave her red book
He'll tell her
One way?
I want you all ways
One way

I try hard to ignore what folks at Cleveland City Hall and City Council do, day to day, their performance is so depressing. I just expect the worst and hope that won't harm my children. So I have not been following the odd trade missions Jackson's people have apparently been making to the Far East lately (when, on what Fundation's dime, why) cutting odd long-term deals with Chinese lighting companies promising to bring clean jobs to America (does "clean jobs" even translate into Chinese?). Jackson... 10 year deal... "Far East" trade mission... Sunpu-Opto... yeah, right. I like touring China too... sounds well worth the effort?!?! 77% of Clevelanders did just re-elect Jackson, and the Foundations and PD love the man, so let it ride...

But then I noticed GE has attacked the Mayor for his jet-setting wheeling-dealing economic development ways and I realized I'm not alone in this backwater slum of East Cleveland noticing what a mess Jackson and his cronies are making of the region and world, now that he has gone global. Some important people like the shareholders at GE are starting to care.

Join Phil Metres and Robin Pease-Kerr for an evening of poetry, stories and discussion Saturday, May 22nd at 7:30 pm.

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Source: Ceridian-UCLA Pulse of Commerce Index

Ceridian reported today the Ceridian-UCLA Pulse of Commerce Index™ (PCI) fell 0.3 percent in April, suggesting the economic recovery may have stalled. "The latest PCI numbers are disappointing and cast considerable doubt on the strength of the recovery and the strength of GDP numbers for 2010," said Ed Leamer, the PCI's chief economist. Five of the nine US census regions were weak in April. With a decline of 1.7 percent, the PCI in Ohio's East North Central region fell the most.

The ICEarth Welcome Wagon stopped by Sansai Environmental Technologies this weekend to tour the world's largest indoor vermitechnology facility and meet Cleveland's greenest, meanest, fighting machine - the 60 million worm team bringing the world "Magic Dust". See Sansai for more information on their amazing processes and products... here are some pictures of their crib, right in the heart of South Collinwood - Cleveland - Ohio.

The variance appeal for treehouse to expand has been withdrawn, due to the support, unity and vigilence of concerned residents, businesses and political organizations. We now have a grand opportunity to create a most unique greenscape in the heart of tremont. A format for the neighborhood which both residents and businesses can share in pride without adding to the parking congestion of the neighborhood and further solidifying  it as a vibrant , progressive and sustainably oriented neighborhood. A win win situation for all.

                               Today I walked through one of the most exciting plants in the Collinwood community. and I learned that this plant is for health, and I saw some of the most interesting things. And seeing the product that this company produce is incredible. This company is producing something that is good for us all, and also trying to create jobs for the community, and as needed how cool is that.

I may hate old time politics, but I love this video - thanks Channel 5 - found on the Cleveland.com website. According to a poll on realNEO, "Does Jimmy Dimora deserve the privilege of being considered innocent until proven guilty?", 63% voted "Yes, Jimmy Dimora deserves the privilege of being considered innocent until proven guilty".

CLEVELAND, OH— Cuyahoga County Commissioner Peter Lawson Jones will discuss the State of the County at The City Club of Cleveland at noon on Monday, May 10, 2010, at The City Club of Cleveland, 850 Euclid Ave, Second Floor. 

Although county government will look different come January, it will function as is until that time. Lawson Jones will address issues and challenges facing the current administration.

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About two months ago I asked the question: Should ICEarth Be Developed In Real NEO Or Elsewhere In The World? In general, the response has been to develop here, and a Strategic Technology Analyst for the Cuyahoga County Department Of Development has asked for a brief overview of my development plans for the activities I propose for Cuyahoga County to help make Northeast Ohio

The following was sent as a an email message to many editors and reporters at the Plain Dealer and public relations executives at the American Public Transportation Association. You can find a list of recipients at the end of the this article.

The American Public Transportation Association is holding a national conference in Cleveland at the Cleveland Renaissance Hotel through May 5th. Attendees at this conference will be touring the Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority's new Health Line.

Friends of Charlie Mosbrook (seems nearly everyone in Cleveland) have been concerned for his sudden health issues this year, and gladdened to see him back up, around, and performing stronger than ever. Featured above is a video from Charlie's website - inspiring, as is all his work - and he has many events upcoming - two in Lakewood may interested realNEO readers (we have lots of traffic in Lakewood)...

On April 29, 2010, EPA proposed a set of regulatory proposals under the Clean Air Act that address emissions from boilers, process heaters, and certain solid waste incinerators. These rules would significantly cut emissions of pollutants that are of particular concern for children. Mercury and lead can cause adverse affects on children's developing brains -- including effects on IQ, learning, and memory. The rules would also reduce emissions of other pollutants including cadmium, dioxin, furans, formaldehyde and hydrochloric acid. These pollutants can cause cancer or other adverse health effects in adults and children. Together, these rules would cut mercury and other air toxics emissions from nearly 200,000 units across the U.S.

In the past 24 days The Courage Express, a converted school bus bought on eBay from Southwest Licking Schools, has taken me to 96 stops in 43 cities, traveling over 6,000 miles. I have helped fill potholes in a Tuscarawas County township with one paved road, been welcomed into the home of Somali immigrants in Columbus, played "corn hole" on Fountain Square in Cincinnati, worshipped with congregations in Akron, Columbus, Cleveland and Youngstown, met with health care advocates in Xenia and students in Toledo and spoken to crowded rooms from Athens to Bowling Green to Lorain to Brecksville.

I know that this is the real Ohio. I know that when I meet people face-to-face, they can really judge for themselves what they want in a leader--and I can learn firsthand what they need. I've tried to set the tone in this campaign that we are one Democratic family, because it is in unity that Democrats will prevail in November.

Over the next 8 months, Cuyahoga County must remake itself, in designing and preparation for an entirely new government - that is a challenge of epic proportions under the best of circumstances, and this is happening under the worst of circumstances for nearly all in Cuyahoga County. While our nation may be rising out of recession, parts of Cuyahoga County reside in states of true economic depression.

Music video by The Clash performing Rock The Casbah.
(C) 1982 SONY BMG MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT (UK) Limited

One report I read today estimates that an Exxon Valdez worth of oil may be spilling into the Gulf of Mexico every two days, 50 miles off the shores of Louisiana, in what is in my mind the worst environmental catastrophe (besides war) in human history - and that may continue for months (no end in sight, at all). All happening 2 miles under some of the most treacherous seas in the world - I've known deep rig divers to confirm that - and they don't even know what caused this blowout. Bottom line, a huge area of the Gulf of Mexico and its shorelines are now probably dead for our lifetimes and generations to come, if not forever. Where the oil will invade beyond is to be determined by Mother Nature, in response. Man shook the Etch-a-sketch of the environment for eternity in an area spanning many states and international boundaries... ending the global sustainability movement forever.

It's 1969 all over again... America's rivers are burning... time for the punks to take charge!

I was driving through one of my favorite neighborhoods in the world yesterday and noticed a rare and important thing has taken bloom there - in University Circle - this Spring - Phase II of the Cleveland Museum of Art expansion is already visible and suddenly the seemingly-boxy, incomplete Rafael Viñoly transition has taken new bloom - and a roof.

Just some I-beams so far... ?!?! Not at all.

ICEarth Bigbang computers, our Linux distro, and our optimal open source data and application configurations are designed to handle the most processor (CPU and GPU), memory and transaction intensive challenges in the world, to save Earth. Doing that requires an integration of our regional and global geographic information systems with layers of valuable insight not yet integrated, like environmental, atmospheric and topographic data, to drive analyses of life impacting factors in our neighborhoods like environmental fallout from all sources of pollution, to the home and child, for free to them. A good explanation of the type of data and analyses included in such capabilities is described below, helping you make sense of what just doesn't make sense, by doing things like growing GRASS...

I received an email with breaking news and these photographs from a realNEO field reporter - I'll let her file her story later...

Norm. I shot a few pics in the last 30 mins of marchers as they marched from clark down Fulton. Their chant: "If you are not Native American, you are an immigrant. Boycott AZ. Because I am Latino does not make me illegal. Because I am an alien, I am not unworthy"!

Can you post it for me if you think that it looks ok?

I am not the best photographer.

I am also attaching a shot called "urban yard"

I was watching the Pere Ubu "We Have The Technology" video over and over today and I was thinking why doesn't everyone in NEO appreciate David Thomas like they appreciate LeBron James. Not in tennis shoe sponsorships, but with pride and celebration. Do area residents realize the king of ubu projex is from Cleveland and still makes this his home court? Very few places in the world may make such an important claim to modern cultural significance, and David Thomas is in his prime.

Yesterday, before falling into a fever-induced sleep--some 24-hour flu bug--I meant to look up the words to this song.  We've had some awfully beautiful days here in NEO. It's worth remembering:

AMERICA THE BEAUTIFUL

O beautiful for spacious skies,
For amber waves of grain,
For purple mountain majesties
Above the fruited plain!
America! America!
God shed his grace on thee
And crown thy good with brotherhood
From sea to shining sea!

The Courage Express is making a stop near you on Saturday, May 1st. 

We would love for you to come out and share the excitement as our grassroots campaign continues to gather momentum. This is your opportunity to meet Jennifer face to face. Come step aboard the Courage Express and snap some photos while you are at it!

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