Thursday, May 13, the US Bureau of Labor Statistics released their U.S. IMPORT AND EXPORT PRICE INDEXES – APRIL 2010 finding U.S. import prices advanced 0.9 percent in April, following a 0.5 percent increase in March. Higher prices for fuel and nonfuel imports contributed to the overall advance. Prices for U.S. exports also increased in April, rising 1.2 percent after a 0.7 percent advance in March.

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.

Close: Salati, a ten-monthSpot the difference: The leopard and the golden retriever who are the best of friends
 

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Today President Obama finally started talking straight to the world about some aspects of the environmental disaster taking place now in the Gulf of Mexico, polluting his nation and economy, putting his entire legacy and career and the global economy in jeopardy. As reported by CBS - video above:

The president seemed genuinely angry today, on a beautiful spring afternoon in the Rose Garden. Having watched him on a daily basis for about a year and a half, I'm confident he wasn't faking it.

Another day on a bike in the City of Cleveland, Ohio....

The second largest auction in eight years, Aspire Auctions brings the most diversified collection of art, antiques, & jewelry to the world via the best online auction software known. In the up-coming May auction there are 1551 lots from various owners and collections including the Textile Art Alliance of the Cleveland Museum of Art. The online catalogue has detailed images, condition reports and auction estimates. Bidding is online only with phone bidding assistance available.

One of my kids' favorite videos these days is an animated adaptation of Dr. Seuss' 1984 The Butter Battle Book - we're watching it now (in legal VHS, no less).

Last week, the world's largest vermicomposter under roof - Sansai Environmental Technologies - hosted an open house to showcase their products and technologies, and I stopped by with friends to see the action. While it was a treat to meet over 60 million worms, they are boring - walking through the former TRW plant where they live was more fascinating to me.

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.

This triangular shaped Marathon Gas Station in Cleveland, Ohio is one of the most iconic gas stations in America - soon to be demolished in the ODOT inner belt bridge scheme. 

The pumps are pulled, it is getting ready for the ball. Who will measure it up and record it for history?
 

Around 6:00 p.m. this evening two people were injured when an East bound RTA bus attempting to get through the crowded intersection of Jefferson and Professor Avenues struck a vehicle in the West bound lane.  Police and EMS were on the scene and the two victims were transported to a local hospital.  The extent of their injuries are unknown at this time.

                               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 am amazed by the fact that the City of Cleveland, Ohio has so many concurrent events driven by civic organizations, community development organizations, social service organizations, businesses, veterans groups, institutions of higher learning, and philanthropic entities that continually cycle through the Cleveland region annually and that there is no 1 entity that tracks them all for their meeting dates, their event dates, and their administrative/organizational events which should-in most cases-be open to the public.

Dear realNEO Members and so Real Coop owners,

realNEO was founded October 7, 2004, making this our 6th year providing a free, open source content management system and social computing platform to the citizens of Northeast Ohio and the world... for the past few years as a cooperative. In this 6th year, we have reached a stage of ad hoc organizational maturity whereby we have a large, real, engaged community of members who have been active with realNEO for years, who share foundational commitments to openness, truth and freedom, and who are working in concert for the sustainability of our communities... both our virtual realNEO/coop community and our real NEO neighborhoods, around the world.

With maturation comes the opportunity to evolve, with the knowledge we have gained in our lives, now including over 5 years of realNEO.

An old brick garage, the roof long ago collapsed, shards of glass remain in the broken widows. Trees over grown, the remains of a cultivated flower bed by the side door of a house. Plants grow in cracks in the driveway. A slow return to nature.

In 2006, Gen-X Consultant Rebecca Ryan came to Cleveland to speak at the City Club and lead some roundtable discussions (hosted by realNEO) on making this region more desirable to the global Generation-X population.  She was working on Gen-X planning in Akron and Canton and proposed to the City of Cleveland some collaboration with her regional efforts - she was suggesting to brainstorm very openly at very little cost to the city. Her outreach received the cold shoulder here. The last time I remember communicating about this was with Chris Ronayne, then with the city of Cleveland, and I was basically told the development people were too busy trying to close a Nike Cavaliers advertising deal to bother with Rebecca Ryan's proposal - the city economic development resources were too focused on Cavaliers advertising to care.