Norm Roulet writes:

While not obviously ED related, it is worth considering the following study linking high fat diets - especially those high in trans-fats - to learning problems. My conclusion - stay far away from trans-fats, and keep NEO kids trans-fat free, for the sake of a better learning workforce for the future… and there is clearly opportunity for any region and foods related business to lead and prosper from excelling in the healthy food sectors…

Good point, Norm. How is Northeast Ohio as a place for the healthy food industry?

From Chris Corrigan’s Parking Lot:

Inspired by the blogger driven audio recroding of Lawrence Lessig’s book Free Culture, Alexander Kjerulf initiated a project earlier this year to produce a free audio version of Harrison Owen’s latest book, The Practice of Peace. Thanks to the folks at Human Systems Dynamics Institute, the book is now available for download in all its mp3 glory. Readers from around the world contributed to the project, all of them (I believe) Open Space Technology facilitators. The Practice of Peace is the latest journey in Harrison’s work with Open Space Technology. Since the book came out in 2003 it has spawned a variety of gatherings, projects and activities around the world. Have a listen.

Indeed.

“Good ideas are not adopted automatically. They must be driven into practice with courageous patience.” - Hyman Rickover

William Baldwin writes:

“We shouldn’t be so admiring of the factory jobs of yore. They were dreary, low-paid and repetitive and gave rise to strikes for a good reason. The safer course is to admire the machines that were made, but be thankful that today Americans have better jobs designing phones and selling boom boxes. “

Amen to that. How many people that are trying to bring back manufacturing jobs have ever done time in a factory? Let me tell you, if they had, they’d be thankful their gone. They’d be a lot more passionate about workforce development if they knew what they were sparing their brothers and sisters from

Yesterday at Le Oui Oui Cafe, I noticed they were preparing something called “french press espresso”. I ordered it and was pleasantly surprised at how smooth it was. I asked Lisa, our server [who’s a musician looking for other serious musicians who want to do original music 80’s style…] how it was done. She explained that they use an espresso roast and grind in a special french press that has a finer screen on it.

Looks like I need to get another press, maybe one of the finer screens from Sweet Maria’s…

Foodgoat and Ladygoat start Tryout Tuesdays, where they pick a resturant that they’ve never been to and give it a try. I’ve been to John Christie’s for drinks, but never dinner. Make sure you click through to check out the pics. My favorite is Foodgoat with the plate of perogies and the raised brow.

Hey, here’s a thought. Maybe some of us would joing Foodgoat and Ladygoat on their culinary adventures? I know I would. You?

Another good reason why wooing big boxes to the neighborhood ain’t all it’s cracked up to be:

A new retail study for a Chicago neighborhood discovered that for every $100 spent on an independent business, $73 went back into the local community. However, for every $100 spent on chain businesses, only $43 went back into the local economy.

The study, completed by Civic Economics, the leading firm in the country for conducting these kinds of analyses, found that independents had 26% more of their staff locally, bought more than twice as much of their goods and services locally, kept more profits locally, and spent more on local charities.

Check out more studies on how independents contribute more to you than chains here, and through a dedicated news resource at New Rules’ Hometown Advantage reports.

Thanks, Neil!

Kurtiss has a banner up on his site advertising CASE, that was taken from CNN.com. It describes the social scene as “slammin’”.

I’m not really sure what to say about that. What do you think?

Paul from PerfectTin.com emailed me this with the comment “Ahhh, the good old days of the 1990’s. You may find this Yahoo article
interesting…” :

Nathan Kelley, who graduated DePaul University in 1999, went to graduate school for a year. He then saw money being made in high-tech and joined a software startup in Chicago. When the company was bought by Accutel Inc. after six months, Kelley and five friends started up another software company � just as the tech bubble was bursting. His company soon shut down.

“At that point, the bottomless pit of money had dried up,” Kelley said. “When we went back to the well, it was dry.”

Kelley had no income, no health insurance and no way to pay living expenses � it was time to move in with his grandmother in Cleveland.

For a humbling six months, Kelley searched for a job in consulting. When he finally found one and moved out, he cut corners wherever possible.

“On any day, I could tell you the beer specials anywhere in the city,” Kelley joked, adding, “I became a nicer person � that sense of invincibility disappeared.”

To survive the workplace now, many young people have had to start over on the bottom rung � not exactly the position many expected to be in five years after graduation. According to Alexandra Levit, a Northwestern University graduate who recently wrote the book “They Don’t Teach Corporate in College,” her age group has aspirations that are “way out of whack with reality.”

“They’re very innovative, very entrepreneurial. … There’s a bit of a clash with managers, who are much more bureaucratic,” she said.

Kelley admitted that the last few years have been sobering. He now works at the Hospital Association in Cleveland, and is planning to make a down payment on a house soon.

“It’d be nice to be sitting on a pile of cash right now,” Kelley said. “But that’ll happen eventually.”

Michael McCullough, a 1999 graduate of Appalachian State University, is also in the process of buying a house, but only after living with his parents for the past five years to survive pay cuts. It’s a strategy Goodman said is common among today’s young people.

“There was no money to support living on my own,” McCullough said. “I lived meagerly � didn’t take on anything, didn’t have credit cards.”

Home ownership remains out the question for many twentysomethings, though, especially those that live in big cities. Goodman noted that while mortgage rates are on the decline, down payments are often unmanageable for young people who haven’t been working long enough to save.

I know I feel similarly. How many 30 somethings out there are feeling/experiencing the same?

SistersTalk lists BFD under the heading: LGBT Blogs Better Than Mine

“Wireless networking will drive adoption of advanced automated meter reading that reduces water, gas and electricity costs by up to 25%, according to a research study by ON World. With utility costs rising by as much as 10% per year, conservation is becoming increasingly important. ON World projects that fixed wireless endpoints will increase 52% annually until 2010 when 33 mln units will be shipped worldwide.”

I wonder if there’s a relationship between muni owned utilities and muni wifi networks?

Don’t worry. I contacted Wendy and asked her permission before reprinting this:

Hi George,
Hope all is well with you. Thought I’d share an interesting little connection made courtesy of BFD.

While perusing your blogroll one day I stopped on virtuallori.com. Checked it out and realized it was a high school classmate of mine. Turns out, she did the same with Creative Ink. We live down the street from each other (me in Bay, she in Avon Lake) and are meeting for coffee next week. Very cool. And just in time for the Berea High School Class of 1985 20th reunion, which Lori is chairing.

Thanks for all your work on behalf of creative Cleveland.

Best,
Wendy Hoke

Wendy comments “We had a great time reconnecting after so many years.”

I’m glad people are connecting here.

Lou Tisler emailed me a link to this article looking at the upcoming election from the buddhist’s point of view. Here’s the bullet points:

1. Vote!
2. Do the nitty-gritty work of supporting democratic elections
3. Give money
4. Read and write.
5. Listen and talk to people you don�t agree with.
6. Share the good news. Celebrate the positive. Thank your elected representatives when they act with courage.
7. Create community
8. Make a firm commitment to what you are going to do.
9. Don�t be attached to results. Persevere.

Click on the title for the full article…

Cities identified as “cool” or creative by Richard Florida have more bloggers, according to Rob Goodspeed’s analysis. These cities also have robust local online communities like Craigslist and Upcoming.

Florida says the cool cities are those with more of what the creative class. He defined this class in a Salon interview:

The
creative class is composed of two dimensions. There is the
supercreative core, which are scientists, engineers, tech people,
artists, entertainers, musicians — so-called bohemians that are about 12 percent of the workforce, up from well less than 5 percent at the turn of the century. And subsequent analysis by Robert Cushing suggests that the supercreative core is really the driving force in economic growth. In addition to the supercreative core, I include creative professionals and managers, lawyers, financial people, healthcare people, technicians, who also use their ideas and knowledge and creativity in their work. I don’t include people in service or manufacturing industries who use creativity in their work.

Would you say we have robust online communities? Do you have a blog? Do you use Craiglist or Upcoming? What about Ryze or Meetup?

“is fuzzy logic.”