realNEO visitors have probably noticed the "Who's Online/Online Users" block in the left-hand column of the REALNEO.US homepage, indicating the people who are online and logged in at realNEO at a particular time. Ever wonder about all those people, always on realNEO... who they are, where they are, and why they are visiting here...?

Props to Jeff Shuler, realNEO's tech administrator. He has been implementing an anti-spam strategy that seems to be working... meaning admins don't have to block a dozen spammers and delete their lame links, each day....! Thank you Jeff S!

If you are a real realNEO user and you have any trouble with accessing or posting to the site, it is not because an admin hates you - there is software now analyzing all the content posted to the site and running tests to rate how likely it is that the content is spam, and Jeff is adjusting settings to try and block out the spam, without impacting real users. The system must learn - a type of "artificial intelligence" - and it is learning - and it seems to be working. IF YOU ARE BLOCKED FOR ANY REASON AND SHOULD NOT BE BLOCKED, GO TO THE CONTACT LINK IN THE MENU BAR ABOVE AND LET US KNOW!

I attended an excellent Software Freedom Day event in Toronto in 2006, which I introduced on REALNEO here, and covered on REALNEO here - I actually needed a copy of Ubuntu that day, so it came in very handy.

I'd like to see Northeast Ohio celebrate Software Freedom Day 2010 in a BIG WAY - Saturday, September 18 - and follow the model I saw in use in Toronto, which included active, friendly engagement on a busy street, with workshops and light training/Q&A offered inside a receptive place. Of course, the Linux Penguin was out-front to draw attention to the event... we definitely need a penguin.

Transforming the economy of Northeast Ohio - real NEO - will take incredible guts, new creations, a commitment to real openness, and 1,000s of Big Bangs.

real NEO, say hello to your little friend - ICEarth Big Bang 1. Created and Manufactured in Old Brooklyn - that's in Cleveland, Ohio, Earth.

It has been exciting to watch, over the past week, as this beautiful video clip of my beautiful wife Evelyn giving birth to our beautiful daughter Clara has been viewed by nearly 6,000 people on YouTube - a companion video clip of my wife in hypno-birth, water-birth labor has received nearly as much global attention... in a week. In a week, those two clips attracted around 10,000 unique viewers... about as many unique viewers as come to our REALNEO community, in a week. The value of sharing these videos on YouTube is obvious - that is a good distribution channel to teach people about childbirth. So is REALNEO.

There is a very disturbing article in today's Cleveland Plain Dealer, written by their urban-planning-master-in-training at Cleveland State University, that is so full of conflicts-of-interests and halftruths it will take weeks to dismantle the mess.

From SingingForOurLife's Channel on YouTube

In light of the recent decision by the John Carroll University administration to not specifically include the protection of Lesbians, Gays, Bi-Sexuals, Transgendered, and Questioning students in its Anti-Discrimination Statement, we, the students, faculty, and alumni of John Carroll University choose to voice our support for those the university leaves without protection.

What happens when a group of poor artists stage the death of a friend to drive up the price of his paintings? A fake funeral, cross-dressing, and lovers' deceptions, to name a few.  

Location

On the second Tuesday of each month you can benefit Cleveland Peace Action, Women Speak Out for Peace & Justice and InterReligious Task Force, simply by doing something we all have to do. Grocery shopping. The Coop will generously donate a portion of your total to the three organizations. All you need to do is mention one of the organizations to the cashier when you check out.

The Food Co-op is located at 11702 Euclid Avenue in Cleveland. Hours are Monday - Saturday 9am-8pm & Sunday 10am-6pm.

Location

Expert hypnobirthing mother, during her third naturally-wonderful, perfect hypnobirth, January 31, 2010, delivering and receiving her baby - no medications or medical intervention - one hour and 10 minutes after she falls asleep between strong contractions here.

Notice the complete lack of screaming, scalpels, doctors, pain and gore... not one drop of blood in the water - observe the natural joy and beauty, and the smile on the mother's face just moments after childbirth... the baby immediately comforted in her arms.

The midwife is heard saying "Not a small child" - she was right... 8 pounds 13 ounces.

Women in labor under hypnobirth

This High Definition ambient film clip is of an expert hypnobirthing mother, during her third naturally-wonderful, perfect hypnobirth, January 31, 2010, in hard labor, fully dilated - no medications or medical intervantion, other than a midwife breaking her water, later - one hour and 10 minutes before the baby was delivered - where she falls asleep between strong contractions that are less than 2 minutes apart. She has been up the entire night before tiling a bathroom, has not slept, and was stressed until she began focusing on her hypnobirthing.

Clara Evelyn Roulet, 1 minute old

I was so busy yesterday having a beautiful baby girl (by waterbirth - by hypnobirth - amazing photos and video to come), I didn't have a chance to thank Ronn Richard and the Board of the Cleveland Foundation for a second great gift that day, showing they recognized the need to transform our regional redevelopment and transformation efforts at the core, after many years supporting and funding what we now have. I believe this opens up new world's of opportunity for our region, just when they are needed most.

Authorized bootleg recording of Deyora jamming in Parma, Cleveland-area, realNEO, Ohio.

Deyora is:

I saw the following Fan Club posting for BENNY ORZECHOWSKI/BEN ORR, of Parma, of the Cars - on Craig's List (which I thought was interesting) - and I figured folks on realNEO may be interested and able to help out... and enjoy the early 1960s Cleveland roots rock classic posted below (nice guitar).

I met an old friend for drinks at Nighttown, the other night. Nighttown is definitely one of my old real NEO friends' favorite East Side places to gather, and has been for decades, for many good reasons... starting with a great owner (in the video above) and staff, excellent, consistent food, and the world's best jazz. Open every day, from 11 AM-2AM, the ambiance is as good as it gets, as well... for a club inspired by the Red Light District of Dublin.

Interesting, Nighttown is also the home of The Press Club of Cleveland, The Press Club's Hall of Fame and Visual Archives... lots of related information is linked here... the video above introduces the Press Club Hall of Fame, hosted at Nighttown, which includes our own new media idol Roldo... since 2004.

One thing that sets your life apart from that of the typical real NEO resident is having farm animals - in our case, four chickens and a rooster. Besides adding the barking of a rooster to your neighborhood's timbre - at any hour of day or night (like now - 3:46 AM) - and collecting fresh eggs each morning, you find yourself shopping for very different family pets, in very different local markets... like Wilson Feed Mill.... a true gems of the region.

I previously wrote on REALNEO about "Art of the Day: Houghs Angel, by Harry Bell". Since that posting, and painting, it seems Bell's patron Abe has grown his passion for this outsider artist, as there are now many new works at the pumped-up intersection at East 55th and Cedar Road, Cleveland, Ohio, featuring Abe's gas station and Bell's art.

The two most prominent new murals - which are probably 8'x8' or so - are anti-Israel.