Sunday, December 28, 2008

Quote for the Weekend


"The Earth Changes that we all anticipated are upon us. This is why lightworkers such as yourself are on this planet at this time. We are here as role-models of peacefully walking through these changes, and staying centered in love instead of fear. The angels have shown me an energy field that looks like a thick layer hovering over the earth. They said that we have the choice of living below this energy field, or above it. You live below it by becoming fearful about the news stories of earth changes. You live above the energy field by taking healthy action and staying centered in love." -- Doreen Virtue

Monday, December 22, 2008

Barbara L. Bakus, DO, Graduates from Pioneering Integrative Medicine Program


After two years of intensive training in areas including botanical medicine, mind-body interactions and nutrition, Dr. Barbara L. Bakus, a Balanced Living advertiser, has completed her Fellowship in Integrative Medicine at the University of Arizona. Launched in the summer of 2000 by internationally-recognized integrative medicine pioneer Andrew Weil, MD, the Center in Integrative Medicine Fellowship combines residential sessions in Tucson with a “distributed learning” model in which participants learn via the Internet, in the comfort of their own home or office. Bakus, a board certified family physician in Chagrin Falls joined 74 other physicians and nurse-practitioners from all over the world in a graduation ceremony on December 12 in Tucson.

“Dr. Bakus has received the best training available in integrative medicine,” stated Dr. Andrew Weil. “I consider her fully prepared to go out in the world and help transform the practice of medicine and healthcare in the directions consumers want,” he concluded.

The program, which includes 1,000 hours of instruction, emphasizes clinical applications and collaboration to establish a broad knowledge base that will transfer into clinical practice. The curriculum utilizes patient simulations, collaborative dialogues, research updates and dialogues, problem-solving exercises, selected readings, group projects, and presentations. The focus is on the practical application of approaches that have scientific evidence and/or a history of traditional use. Methods of healing are explored, and physicians gain the ability to discuss these areas with both their patients and the practitioners of these disciplines. Fellows explore the Art of Medicine, Philosophy of Medicine, Medicine and Culture, Mind-Body Interactions, Nutrition, Botanicals, Physical Activity, Spirituality, Leadership, and Legal Issues.

Sunday, December 14, 2008

Quote for the Weekend


What are you being? What are you choosing to be? Is it loving? Is it caring? Healing?You can be more of that no matter what you are doing. Yet, the magic of it is, the more of that your are BEING, the more what you are DOING will fall perfectly into place to allow you to "be" even more of that!Trust this process. It works.You will discover that forms - physical ways to "be" a thing - will suddenly start to just "show up".Beingness becomes form. -- Neal Donald Walsch

Monday, November 17, 2008

I have some good news!


It's time everyone got to know more about the Good News Network. It's mission is to provide a "Daily Dose of News to Enthuse." The Good News Network is a clearinghouse for the gathering and dissemination of positive news stories from around the globe. Daily stories will confirm what we already believe — that good news itself is not in short supply; the advertising of it is. Negative news is an important staple of any well-informed citizenry and necessary for society's evolution. But, today we are in dire need of a well-balanced media diet. Local TV news, especially, has been continually feeding us junk food. We need to be informed by a world view that is not dripping with sensationalism and attuned to the police scanner. Let's start looking up! Check on the Good News Network today.

Sunday, November 16, 2008

Quote for the Weekend


“What is opportunity, and when does it knock? It never knocks. You can wait a whole lifetime, listening, hoping, and you will hear no knocking. None at all. You are opportunity, and you must knock on the door leading to your destiny. You prepare yourself to recognize opportunity, to pursue and seize opportunity as you develop the strength of your personality, and build a self-image with which you are able to live with your self-respect alive and growing.”

Wednesday, November 12, 2008

Paper or plastic?


An article in the Christian Science Monitor reports that in an effort to curb waste and generate revenue, New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg has called for a 6-cent fee for every plastic shopping bag given to shoppers. Under the proposal, for each bag, 1 cent would go to the retailer and 5 cents would go to the city. Officials estimate that the surcharge could bring in $16 million a year, offering a revenue boost to a city that faces a $4 billion deficit over the next two years.The surcharge is technically considered a fee, not a tax, so it needs only to be approved by New York’s City Council, not the state legislature. While this is considered a lower hurdle, the proposal’s passage is by no means assured, according to The New York Times.

Wednesday, October 22, 2008

Evening for the Earth


Don't miss the Earth Day Coalition's 11th Annual Instrumental Evening for the Earth. In addition to tasty food and a fabulous silent auction,the evening culminates in a performance by Cleveland Orchestra members.

Wednesday, November 12, 6:00 - 9:30 p.m.

West Shore Unitarian Universalist Church
20401 Hilliard Blvd
Rocky River, OH 44116

$75
RSVP by Friday, November 7
Call (216) 281-6468
Click here for details.

Tuesday, October 21, 2008

FirstEnergy: mercury in retrograde?


As you may or may not know, know, FirstEnergy's Lake Shore Plant in Cleveland has
petitioned the Ohio EPA for a mercury variance that would completely eliminate any limit on their mercury discharge into Lake Erie. According to World Can't Wait-Cleveland, they currently exceed the legal limit of 1.3 parts per trillion at a rate of 2.9 ppt. They are also requesting that their copper discharge limit be upped, from 38 parts per billion to 77 ppb. FirstEnergy has consistently shown itself to be a bad neighbor in Cleveland as they have been found to be non-compliant with various environmental standards for the past 12 consecutive quarters and have been issued a formal violation twice in the past 5 years. The neighborhood surrounding the plant is in serious jeopardy; residents within a three-mile radius of FELS find themselves above the 90th percentile nationwide in terms of risk for cancer (95.1 percentile); neurological hazards (95.3 percentile); and respiratory hazards (91.5 percentile).

It is my hope that you will forward the following link to anyone you know interested in this issue.

Sunday, October 19, 2008

Quote for the Weekend


"Your life will be transformed when you make peace with your shadow. The caterpillar will become a breathtakingly beautiful butterfly. You will no longer have to pretend to be someone you're not. You will no longer have to prove you're good enough. When you embrace your shadow you will no longer have to live in fear. Find the gifts of your shadow and you will finally revel in all the glory of your true self. Then you will have the freedom to create the life you have always desired." -- Debbie Ford

Tuesday, September 30, 2008

Walk for Autism

Random observations from the Walk for Autism, by Balanced Living guest columnist Paul Sherlock . . .

On my travels to the walk:
I witnessed an interaction between a guard dog that was protecting an auto repair shop and a child in a stroller being pushed by his dad in front of the fence around the building. The dog got up and wagging his tail greeted the small child - as if to say I won’t bark at you, you are young and innocent so I won’t scare you. To me it was a moment of vulnerability and protection, the dog could have easily done what he was trained to do which is to be defensive and bark and growl at people approaching in case they might be an intruder, which may have ended up traumatizing the child, but the dog must have sensed differently and instead chose to be friendly.

At the walk:
The energy of community and love at the autism walk- people united behind a cause. The energy fed upon itself: each individual’s energy being enhanced by the positive energy from all the people around them. People from all backgrounds: political beliefs, faiths, and nationalities united behind one common cause. Committed to helping loved ones and those born. The ability to unite, to have a cause greater than our differences gives me faith that we can endure and prosper as a country and member of the global community. I am grateful for the opportunity to be a part of the walk.

After the walk:
I sat down to lunch with my family and I had a civil discourse about politics with people who don’t share my beliefs. In the past these conversations usually deteriorated into arguments since we are generally diametrically opposite in our beliefs. But what I observed today was a much more productive discourse because we were honest in the assessments of our respective candidates and their flaws. We abstained from playing politics and defending our candidate without exception simply because he is our guy. This more honest interchange of thoughts I feel helped lead to a better understanding of one another’s beliefs. We won’t change each other’s opinion but at least the honesty helped to promote greater acceptance and lessen the animosity towards one another.

And after lunch:
The idea of us being up front about the flaws of the candidate my family and I support got me to thinking about the political games most people play. This gamesmanship is the refusal to ever admit that you or your candidate is wrong. This gives you the candidate an illusion of being a decisive leader and prevents their opponent from gaining ammunition that can and will be used against them. Yet when we look back at some of the historically and universally admired leaders, it is the honesty with themselves and with others that they have about their humanness that makes them so revered. We look at the humility on display by the Dalai Lama or Mahatma Gandhi - their willingness to admit that they do not know all the answers, to the self doubt experienced by Mother Theresa and Abraham Lincoln about some of the tough choices they made in their lives, and rather than being repulsed by such struggles in a leader, we embrace them further. These leaders and those that they influenced knew they weren’t perfect and as leaders they accepted and even embraced this imperfection as part of their being; enabling people to better accept them as one of their own

Therefore I would love to see a politician in this day and time be a little more disarming, be willing to deal with the fall out of being honest about their doubts and concerns and see if people might not gravitate towards them. Leadership is not always about being decisive. Leadership is about taking stock of the situation and admitting that one is human and will make mistakes. A huge part of the charisma that is essential in leaders is that people see you not as being better than everyone else but instead that you are just like everyone else- ordinary men and women doing extraordinary things.

Monday, September 29, 2008

Quote for the Weekend


"Anyway, I keep picturing all these little kids playing some game in this big field of rye and all. Thousands of little kids, and nobody's around - nobody big, I mean - except me. And I'm standing on the edge of some crazy cliff. What I have to do, I have to catch everybody if they start to go over the cliff - I mean if they're running and they don't look where they're going I have to come out from somewhere and catch them. That's all I do all day. I'd just be the catcher in the rye and all. I know it's crazy, but that's the only thing I'd really like to be." -- Holden Caulfield, The Catcher in the Rye

Saturday, September 20, 2008

Quote for the Weekend


The Prayer To Our Father
(in the original Aramaic)

Abwûn
"Oh
Thou, from whom the breath of life comes,

d'bwaschmâja
who fills all realms of sound, light and vibration.

Nethkâdasch schmach
May Your light be experienced in my utmost holiest.

Têtê malkuthach.
Your Heavenly Domain approaches.

Nehwê tzevjânach aikâna d'bwaschmâja af b'arha.
Let Your will come true - in the universe (all that vibrates)
just as on earth (that is material and dense).

Hawvlân lachma d'sûnkanân jaomâna.
Give us wisdom (understanding, assistance) for our daily need,

Waschboklân chaubên wachtahên aikâna
daf chnân schwoken l'chaijabên.

detach the fetters of faults that bind us, (karma)
like we let go the guilt of others.

Wela tachlân l'nesjuna
Let us not be lost in superficial things (materialism, common temptations),

ela patzân min bischa.
but let us be freed from that what keeps us off from our true purpose.

Metol dilachie malkutha wahaila wateschbuchta l'ahlâm almîn.
From You comes the all-working will, the lively strength to act,
the song that beautifies all and renews itself from age to age.

Amên.
Sealed in trust, faith and truth.
(I confirm with my entire being)

Friday, September 19, 2008

Holistic Showcase planned


You are invited to a Holistic Showcase featuring Polarity for Wellness, Karma Essence and BodyWork by Michelle, on Wednesday October 1st, 2008 1 pm - 4 pm and 6 pm - 9 pm At the Lexington Ridge Clubhouse in Medina (map and directions) All who attend will be eligible to win a gift. Meet Beth Albrecht and experience Polarity!! FREE 10 minute demos of Foot Reflexology! Beth Albrecht, PhD, APP, is a polarity practitioner, holistic health educator, and public speaker. Reflexology is part of the Polarity system, a natural-healing energy therapy. Polarity is deeply relaxing and is an excellent way to promote your body's ability to heal. Its goal is to decrease stress and improve ones health. Coupons for a discount on 1 hour polarity sessions will be available!

Karma Essence, owned by Medina resident Rosalyn Smith Karma Essence products include unique artisan handmade jewelry, candles, relaxing/energizing essential oils and soaps, eco-friendly journals, purses, bags & accessories, affirmation boxes, books and yoga items. Their products are local, national and fair trade artisan made. In keeping with a holistic mind set, being aware and conscious with our mind and body, all products are natural, pure, and safe to use. Karma Essence is full of wonderful gifts to give to yourself or to create a one of a kind gift to share with others. All Karma Essence products will be available for purchase. For a sneak peek check out www.KarmaEssence.com.

Michelle Bunn, of Body Work by Michelle, is a Licensed Massage Therapist in Medina. She features relaxation massage, therapeutic massage, sports massage & prenatal massage. She also does corporate on-site chair massage, as well as, at home parties with a chair or table. Michelle's philosophy of massage is to keep it affordable for everyone so that massage may be a part of your regular healthcare routine. Michelle will be featuring 50 cent a minute sample massages and selling gift certificates and package specials.

Don't miss this event!

Tuesday, September 16, 2008

Studio e opens its doors


Studio e, a new energy education practice headed by Fairlawn psychologist and life coach Jane Lehr Eckert, PhD, formally opened its doors (left) yesterday with a blessing of the facility and open house. "We have created an amazing learning community with a goal of promoting health and wellness through the study of human energy systems," said Dr. Eckert. In addition to Dr. Eckert, the Studio e facility will include certified energy practitioners and other highly trained professionals offering a wide range of energy modalities including Passion Test, Soul Collage, healing touch and yoga, among other things. For more information, visit the studio e web site or call 330-808-8558.

Sunday, September 14, 2008

Quote for the Weekend


"Beliefs have the awesome potential to create or destroy. … Learn to choose the beliefs that empower you; create convictions that drive you in the direction of the destiny that calls to the highest within you. Your family, your business, your community, and your country deserve no less." — Anthony Robbins

Thursday, September 11, 2008

Green energy = 2 million jobs


As America confronts the current energy crisis, a new report released today by the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) and partner labor and environmental groups shows that the U.S. can create two million jobs by investing in clean energy technologies that will strengthen the economy and fight global warming. The report finds that investing in clean energy would create four times as many jobs as spending the same amount of money within the oil industry.

"This new report shows that investing in clean energy is a win-win solution. Shifting to clean energy will put more people to work, provide consumers relief at the pump, help reduce global warming pollution and revitalize our economy at a time when many Americans are hurting," said Frances Beinecke, President of NRDC.

"Green Recovery - A Program to Create Good Jobs and Start Building a Low-Carbon Economy" analyzes the potential for a two year $100 billion green investment program - which would be comparable to the size of the April 2008 federal stimulus package dedicated to consumer rebates - to be an engine for job creation in the U.S. This type of investment is a component of a broader clean energy strategy to create a low-carbon economy and reduce global warming pollutions.

Read more here.

Wednesday, September 10, 2008

Environmental songs


The Christian Science Monitor's Bright Green Blog lists the top 11 environmental songs of all time. I don't want to spoil it by listing them for you. Just check it out yourself!

Saturday, September 6, 2008

Quote for the Weekend


"To enjoy good health, to bring true happiness to one's family, to bring peace to all, one must first discipline and control one's own mind. If a man can control his mind he can find the way to Enlightenment, and all wisdom and virtue will naturally come to him." -- Buddha

Thursday, September 4, 2008

The Dhammapada


The Dhammapada consists of 423 verses in Pali uttered by the Buddha on some 305 occasions for the benefit of a wide range of human beings. These sayings were selected and compiled into one book as being worthy of special note on account of their beauty and relevance for moulding the lives of future generations of Buddhists. They are divided into 26 chapters and the stanzas are arranged according to subject matter. Here is a nice version, illustrated and with helpful explanations and guidance.

Saturday, August 30, 2008

Quote for the Weekend


"If you can imaginatively enter into another person's life, you cannot hate and wound that person. You know what it is like to be them. They are not Other. They are the Same. Art allows that imaginative connection with people and situations outside our own. Art gives us more than mental understanding or generalised sympathy - it shows us another's pain, another's struggle. It joins life together where hatred would sever it."-- Jeannette Winterson

Tuesday, August 26, 2008

New alternative health site


Alternative Health Journal announced the launch of the Web's first alternative health community with Web 2.0 functionality, directly competing with the well-known medical information site, WebMD. The new site, found at http://www.alternativehealthjournal.com, features original editorial and user-generated content focused on natural health news, information and alternative healthcare solutions for consumers. Editorial contributors for the new site include award-winning health blogger, Bob Condor, author of The Good Mood Diet and managing editor of health at MSN.com, renowned former NASA scientist Dr. William Judy, and Dr. Glen Halvorson, who worked with the U.S. Olympic team. The new site offers visitors free access to timely information about alternative healthcare solutions and the latest in Web 2.0 interactivity. Alternative Health Journal also hosts one of the Web's largest collections of alternative health articles, videos and vitamin-supplement glossaries, allowing consumers to make informed decisions about vitamins, supplements, herbal remedies, minerals, enzymes and other natural products.

Sunday, August 24, 2008

Quote for the Weekend


“If you don't get what you want, you suffer; if you get what you don't want, you suffer; even when you get exactly what you want, you still suffer because you can't hold on to it forever. Your mind is your predicament. It wants to be free of change. Free of pain, free of the obligations of life and death. But change is a law, and no amount of pretending will alter that reality.” -- Dan Millman

Wednesday, August 20, 2008

Hybrid cars too quiet?


Electric and hybrid vehicles may be better for the environment, but the California Legislature says they're bad for the blind. It has passed a bill to ensure that the vehicles make enough noise to be heard by visually impaired people about to cross a street. The measure would establish a committee to study the issue and recommend ways the vehicles could make more noise. The state Department of Motor Vehicles says more than 300,000 of the vehicles are on state roads. Officials say they don't keep statistics on pedestrian accidents involving those vehicles. The bill has been sent to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, who has not taken a position. Source: CNN

Monday, August 18, 2008

Quote for the Weekend


"A hidden energy crisis threatens our world. Our high-tech, volatile society thrusts many of us into chronic physical, emotional, and spiritual depletion. With information overload, we sink into techno-despair, the burnout of being enslaved by beepers, email, faxes, and phones. Meanwhile, geopolitical realities grind us down. We’re confronted with hostile forces on a global scale. No surprise: our energy suffers. Most alarming, we come to tolerate tired, joyless states as normal. We must shift this socially condoned pattern of madness, no matter what external threats are looming." -- Dr. Judith Orloff

Friday, August 15, 2008

8 Sacred Sites in Beijing


The Summer Olympics began in Beijing on August 8, 2008 (08.08.08) at 8:08 pm. The date and the time were chosen for the auspicious meaning in the Chinese language, the pronunciation of "8" sounding close to the pronunciation of "wealth." As the world continues to focus its attention on Beijing and to the elite athletes there for the Olympics, here is a virtual tour of the 8 most sacred places in this historically prominent city.

Saturday, August 9, 2008

Quote for the weekend


"I will grow. I will become something new and grand but no grander than I now am. Just as the sky will be different in a few hours, its present perfection and completeness is not deficient, so am I presently perfect and not deficient because I will be different tomorrow. I will grow and I am not deficient." -- Wayne Dyer

Friday, August 8, 2008

Cars that run on air?


This just in from CNN: "You've heard of hybrids, electric cars and vehicles that can run on vegetable oil. But of all the contenders in the quest to produce the ultimate fuel-efficient car, this could be the first one to let you say, "Fill it up with air." The compressed air car planned for the U.S. market would be a six-seater, a New York company says. That's the idea behind the compressed air car, a vehicle its backers say could achieve a fuel economy of 106 miles per gallon. Plenty of skepticism exists, but with many Americans trying to escape sticker shock at the gas pump, the concept is generating buzz. The technology has been the focus of MDI, a European company founded in 1991 by a French inventor and former race car engineer. New York-based Zero Pollution Motors is the first firm to obtain a license from MDI to produce the cars in the United States, pledging to deliver the first models in 2010 at a price tag of less than $18,000." Read the entire article here.

Thursday, August 7, 2008

Indians go solar


The Cleveland Indians, already one of the "greenest" teams in major league baseball, and Green Energy Ohio have partnered on the new solar electric system at Progressive Field – the first American League ballpark to go solar. The solar installation provides 8.4 kilowatts of clean, renewable electricity and introduce solar energy concepts to millions in Northeast Ohio. Green Energy Ohio worked in concert with Doty & Miller Architects to design and install 42 GE solar panels on a newly erected pavilion located on the south-facing upper deck concourse of Progressive Field, overlooking Carnegie Avenue and I-90. The electricity produced from the solar installation is enough to power all of the 400 television sets throughout Progressive Field. Support for the solar project is made possible by the State of Ohio Department of Development and The Cleveland Foundation.

Saturday, August 2, 2008

Quote for the Weekend


"We are surrounded by an All Seeing, All Knowing Mind, which is One and runs through all. The belief in the dual mind has destroyed practically all philosophies and religions of the ages, and will continue to do so until the world comes to see that there is but One. Whatever name is given it there is but One. It is this One that creates for us, whatever we believe. Our thought operative through this One produces all our affairs. We are all centers in this Mind, centers of creative thought activity. There is nothing which appears in the manifest Universe other than an objectified thought, whether it be a bump on your head, a growth on your foot or a planet. It could not be there were it not made out of Mind, for mind is all there is to make anything out of. Whatever is made is made out of it. Nothing exists or can exist without a source from which it springs." -- Ernest Holmes

Monday, July 28, 2008

The greening of law


Interesting article in the Plain Dealer about law firms going green. From the story: "A recent survey of law firms found that each attorney generates up to 100,000 sheets a year. Assuming a 2,000-hour work year, that's 50 pages an hour. Almost a sheet a minute. Enough paper laid end-to-end to wrap around the U.S. Supreme Court Building 66 times. No wonder some green-minded lawyers are saying no mas."

How much is 100,000 sheets of paper?
A single lawyer can use up to 100,000 sheets of paper every year, a survey found. That's enough to:
• Make up 12 40-foot trees.
• Line Interstate 90 from Dead Man's Curve to Lake County.
• Balance the scales of justice with 50 medium-sized pumpkins.
• Publish 271 copies of John Grisham's "The Partner."
• Stack as high as LeBron James . . . on stilts.

Saturday, July 26, 2008

Quote for the Weekend


"We wage, in our way, a revolution based on love. We seek to replace an old, oppressive order, not so much politically or socially, but within our minds where it lives and works. We try to hate no one, for we recognize that hatred itself is the enemy. We hope to change the world into a place of grace and love. The first shots have rung out in this revolution, and they were not shots. They were bursts of light, streaming silently yet dramatically through the hearts and minds of millions. This historic unfoldment has already begun, and it is playing out on inner planes." -- Marianne Williamson

Thursday, July 24, 2008

Burning River Fest 2008


Don't miss Burning River Fest 2008, Saturday, August 9th at the Nautica Entertainment Complex. This one day family-friendly festival celebrates our local:


Environmental Organizations
Green Companies
Musicians
Artisans
Sustainable Farmers and Restaurants
Historic Coast Guard Station and
Waterways!


The Nautica Entertainment Complex location provides a scenic view of Cleveland’s riverfront and serves as a living exhibit of the river’s environmental and economic impact on our community. Celebrate and support the crown jewels of our region! Environmental Awareness"Green" organizations, companies and sponsors will delight attendees of all ages with inspiring, interactive and eco-friendly exhibits and demonstrations.


Current exhibitors include:
American Institute of Architects Cleveland
Audubon Ohio
Biodiversity Alliance
bluewaterohio
Chas E. Phipps Company
City of Cleveland - Division of Water
City of Cleveland - Office of Sustainability
Clean Air Conservancy
Cleveland Waterfront Coalition
Cuyahoga Valley National Park Association
Chris Dunmore - Green Stockbroker (FBW)
Dike 14 Nature Preserve Committee
Dovetail Solar and Wind
Earth Day Coalition
EarthWatch Ohio
Ecologia LLC
EcoVillage Cleveland
Environmental Health Watch
Fox Natural Building - Straw Bale Building
Friends of the Crooked River
Good Nature Organic Lawn Care
Great Lakes Bioneers/Cleveland
Great Lakes Brewing Company's "Pint Size Farm"
Green Clean, Inc.
Green Energy Ohio
Hale Farm & Village (property of the Western Reserve Historical Society)
Holden Arboretum
Leeners/LD Carlson
LilyRox Pet Treats
Load My Groceries
Karma Yoga
Mercy for Animals
Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District
Ohio Concrete - Pervious Surface "Waterpark"
Ohio Department of Natural Resources Office of Coastal Management
Ohio Ecological Food and Farm Association
PURE FUEL LLC
Royal Oaks Recycling
Royalten Supply Landscape Center
Standing Rock Cultural Arts
Stonyfield Farm (represented by Music Matters)
Stop Beer Warming
Tinkers Creek Watershed Partners
West Creek Preservation Committee
Western Reserve Land Conservancy

Wednesday, July 23, 2008

Office Depot goes green


According to LOHAS Online, Office Depot celebrated the grand opening of its first “Green” store, located at 2620 W. Anderson Lane in Austin, Texas. Office Depot’s “Green” store, which is pre-certified to Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) standards by the U.S. Green Building Council, will use less energy and water in its daily operations, increase recycling and leave a much smaller overall environmental footprint than the typical store of its size. “The City of Austin is the birthplace of the USGBC and a leader in our nations fight against climate change,” said City of Austin Mayor Will Wynn. “We are proud that Office Depot chose to select Austin as the site of its green retail prototype. We think what they are doing shows real leadership and paves the path for more retailers to invest in green building.” Now let's get one in Cleveland.

Sunday, July 20, 2008

Quote for the Weekend


"It comes down to the age-old choice of separation or unity. Do you want to be fragmented, conflicted, torn between the eternal forces of darkness and light? Or do you want to step out of separation into wholeness? You are a creature who acts, thinks, and feels. Spirituality fuses these three into a single reality. Thinking doesn’t lord it over feeling; feeling doesn’t stubbornly resist the higher brain; doing occurs when both thought and feeling say, "This is right." The one reality can be recognized because once you are there, you experience the flow of life without obstacles or resistance." -- Deepak Chopra

Friday, July 18, 2008

Repowering America


Al Gore delivered an incredible speech titled, "A Generational Challenge to Repower America," at D.A.R. Constitution Hall in Washington, D.C. It starts like this: "There are times in the history of our nation when our very way of life depends upon dispelling illusions and awakening to the challenge of a present danger. In such moments, we are called upon to move quickly and boldly to shake off complacency, throw aside old habits and rise, clear-eyed and alert, to the necessity of big changes. Those who, for whatever reason, refuse to do their part must either be persuaded to join the effort or asked to step aside. This is such a moment. The survival of the United States of America as we know it is at risk. And even more — if more should be required — the future of human civilization is at stake." Read the speech here.

Wednesday, July 16, 2008

Green patriotism


I read the below post over at GreenCityBlueLake, written by Marc Lefkowitz. Very interesting and very applicable:

During the Second World War, conservation at home was more than a virtue, it was a crucial act that every American man, woman and child was asked to make in their daily lives. Saving every last scrap of metal, paper, even grease from frying pans for the good of the troops abroad was embedded in every move you made.

A brilliant series of posters sold the American public on quickly mobilizing around actions like “Plant a Victory Garden”, “Is your trip necessary?” or, emblazoned above an image of a war-weary soldier, “Have you really tried to save gas by getting into a car club?”

The fight against manmade global warming demands a similar mobilization campaign. On July 4th, 40 busses hit the streets of Cleveland with banners designed by Michael Bierut. They are asking people to enlist as a Green Patriot by using mass transit, advocating for green jobs, and changing their daily habits–right now–to improve our chances for survival. The Cleveland posters are a pilot for a nationwide Green Patriot campaign.

This Thursday at 10:30 a.m., join a local group of Green Patriots mustering at Public Square to ride RTA buses and spread the message while building support. You can also go online, sign a petition to fight global warming and create green jobs, figure out ways to tweak your actions to be more green, and view the WWII-era posters that inspired Green Patriots.

Saturday, July 12, 2008

Quote for the Weekend


"Spiritual growth is not an easy escape from the painful circumstances of your life. It begins with an eyes-open exploration of them and their cause. You are the cause. Every insight that brings you to this realization is a new beginning." -- Gary Zukav

Wednesday, July 9, 2008

Spirituality in healthcare


One third of American medical schools have decided to bring spirituality back into healthcare and many of them require courses on spirituality and health, reported Dr. David Larson at the recent Spirituality and Healing in Medicine symposium, sponsored by Harvard Medical School's department of continuing education.

The question of spirituality becomes very important when facing serious illness or chronic illness, especially where "there is not much we can do as doctors," according to Larson, president of the National Institute for Healthcare Research and adjunct professor of psychiatry at Duke University Medical Center in Durham, North Carolina. He added that, "When people have an illness in the United States, God becomes a very important part of who they are."

Physicians are not well equipped to deal with patients with terminal illnesses, according to Larson. "There is much less fear of dying and (our skills) can be much more effective when we begin to address and support this, especially in their last year of life," he said.

The National Institute for Healthcare Research is collaborating with the John Templeton Faith and Medicine Curricular Award Program to help train medical students on how to address the spiritual needs of their patients. Many of the courses include looking at death and dying from different faith traditions.

"What we've found is, when we simply show them what to do, how to ask the questions, how to begin to address the issues, there is a lot of receptivity. Many of these medical school courses work with chaplains. That's been unheard of. (Students) will (go on rounds) with chaplains, and these are the most skilled group in dealing with death and dying," Larson told Reuters.

The rapid growth of spirituality in the medical school curriculum is demonstrated by one simple statistic: "Three years ago, only three US medical schools taught courses on religion and spiritual issues; there are now nearly 30," Larson noted.

Friday, July 4, 2008

Quote for the Weekend


"Here is my advice as we begin the century that will lead to 2081. First, guard the freedom of ideas at all costs. Be alert that dictators have always played on the natural human tendency to blame others and to oversimplify. And don't regard yourself as a guardian of freedom unless you respect and preserve the rights of people you disagree with to free, public, unhampered expression." ~ Gerard K. O'Neill, 2081

Tuesday, July 1, 2008

Our July/August issue!


The July/August issue of Balanced Living hits the streets today. This month we are featuring three articles on the benefits of chiropractic; an article about removing the toxins from your home -- beginning with the bedroom; a piece on backyard ponds, a very cool article on integral golf; a little something on volunteering and a "one tank trips" piece written by Tim Zahn, with a little help from Neil Zurcher. And of course you'll find all of the great columns you've come to expect from Balanced Living. Enjoy!

Wednesday, June 25, 2008

McCain wants to drill in the Great Lakes


How would some nice oil platforms look sitting just off the shore of Lake Erie? That would be a great sight looking north from the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, eh? Sen. John McCain's support for offshore oil drilling is primed to become a campaign issue. In a letter to McCain, Rep. Rahm Emanuel of Chicago asks McCain to "clarify" his position on drilling in the Great Lakes, which, Emanuel, who obviously passed geography in high school points out, are bordered by Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. "As you are undoubtedly aware, in 2005 a bipartisan majority in Congress enacted a permanent ban on drilling for oil and gas in the Great Lakes," Emanuel wrote. "Drilling in the Great Lakes would adversely affect millions of Americans in the eight states that border these lakes, further endanger the ecological web and threaten the beauty of our shores." McCain has come out in support of offshore drilling -- a flip flop on his previous position -- and most experts agree it would do nothing to help oil and gas prices for at least 20 years.
For my money, if anything goes offshore, let's do a forest of wind turbines.

Saturday, June 21, 2008

Quote for the Weekend


"Make a list of people in your life in whose company you feel more alive, happy, and optimistic. Make an effort to spend more time with them. Our spiritual selves resonate with others, and that connection is a healing." -- Andrew Weil

Friday, June 20, 2008

Green jobs


Northeast Ohio gets some play in a recent article in the Christian Science Monitor, which begins . . . "Kathleen Loa first began thinking about pursuing a green career while she was a student at Oberlin College. Now, armed with a degree in chemistry, she is taking the first step in that direction. She’s serving as an intern at the nonprofit Alliance to Save Energy in Washington, D.C. After earning a master’s in energy policy, she’ll find a job." Check it out!

Thursday, June 19, 2008

Bamboo to you!


It can be stronger than iron, yet fragile as paper. It can be eaten as well as worn. As a source of medicine, it can heal. It cleans the air and makes music in the wind. Cathy Sherman from Natural News reported that as the fastest growing woody plant on earth, bamboo has a short growth cycle. Some bamboo species can grow up to one meter daily, which makes it a rapidly renewable resource. Because it is so versatile and high-yielding, it solves the problem of replenishing many consumables within a short time. Check out this cool article on bamboo.

Tuesday, June 17, 2008

Tribe goes green


Is it possible that the baseball team that has frustrated us for more than 60 years scores some bonus points by being, gulp, green? According to a news item on WKYC's web site, the Cleveland Indians are leading the way as one of the Major League's recycling leaders. Well, judging by their 33-40 record, they aren't doing anything right on the field, but at least they're doing something right in the way they pursue a certain green standard.

Saturday, June 14, 2008

Quote for the Weekend


"I know a planet where there is a certain red-faced gentleman. He has never smelled a flower. He has never looked at a star. He has never loved any one. He has never done anything in his life but add up figures. And all day he says over and over, just like you: 'I am busy with matters of consequence!' And that makes him swell up with pride. But he is not a man--he is a mushroom!" -- The Little Prince

Wednesday, June 11, 2008

Working green


From today's Plain Dealer: How do you define a "green" job? In its purest sense, a green job is an occupation that wouldn't exist if not for the growing movement to conserve resources and make businesses more environmentally conscious. Something like a sustainable-practices coordinator at a large corporation. Or maybe a person who analyzes wind conditions to see it they're ripe for spinning turbine blades. More broadly, a green job also is a traditional vocation carried out in support of a green purpose. An accountant at a company that makes solar panels. An electrician who installs solar panels when not performing routine wiring jobs. But if the definition of a green job is hard to get your hands around, the ability to land one shouldn't be, especially in Cleveland, where industries as diverse as farming, renewable energy and an emerging business called deconstruction show promise. Read the entire piece here.

Monday, June 9, 2008

Summer program


A New Sunday Summer Program, "Boy's Club," for boys ages 10-18 will be held at Unity of Medina for 12 weeks from June 15 - August 31. It will be held on Sunday mornings at 11 AM. Twelve men are volunteering their time to discuss the timely and practical book George Foreman's Guide to Life: How to Get Up Off the Canvas When Life Knocks You Down. Two men will lead per Sunday. This is to give boys an opportunity to be with men for good male mentoring and role modeling. This may be especially helpful for boys who don't always have a father or father figure in their lives or boys who don't already have church support in their lives. There will be an outdoor group activity at the end of the summer for the men and boys to celebrate!
For more information call 330-764-7999 office or email unityofmedina@aol.com

Saturday, June 7, 2008

Quote for the Weekend


"An artist has come for a different purpose. Maybe a self-help group -- maybe a Dr. Phil -- would say, 'How you doin'?' I don't want to get harsh and say I don't care. You do care, you care in a big way, otherwise you wouldn't be there. But it's a different kind of connection. It's not a light thing." -- Bob Dylan

Friday, June 6, 2008

Emotions Anonymous


Human emotions are a necessary part of every person's life. Life becomes difficult when emotions get out of control. On Sunday June 8, you can attend a meeting of Emotions Anonymous, a 12-step organization similar to Alcoholics Anonymous. Their weekly meetings faciliate emotional recovery. The gathering will be held at the Cleveland/Fairview Park YMCA, 15501 Lorain Rd., in Cleveland, at 2:45 p.m. For more information, call Tina at 216-812-1275.