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Todd, Mike, Susan, Don, Terry, Julie, Victoria, Nancy and Laura, welcomed Marlisa, Nathalie, Julia and Marty to their first meeting. Welcome back Susan from your year's work abroad.

Mike opened the space as we gathered outdoors in the beautiful courtyard area just north of the DePaul University Library entrance. Following a brief round of introductions, the group created the following list of discussion topics:

*EMF/ELF Waves (electromagnetic frequencies)

*Diet - Why Vegan/Why not, fasting...

*Photovoltic smoke detectors...

*How to get someone nicely off the "same story" => moving them forward

*Cars => what to do when someone close to you has a passion for something that conflicts with your values

*Recycling => how can I recycle in a Chicago Loop high-rise when I don't have a car?

*Announcements...

RECYCLING => in a Chicago high-rise when I don't have a car...?
Good question - when your building doesn't have a recycling program and your transportation capabilities have limits, what can you do? Discussion included a seeming lack of public environmental consciousness. What ever happened to Chicago's "Blue Bag" program? Folks today in general seem far more likely to throw something out, rather than recycle OR even THINK of recycling (as Don said, "Folks won't even say 'Thank you' when you hold open a door for them so they don't care about composting"). What has happened?? Solutions included looking for local community gardens that would welcome materials for composting. Nancy mentioned houseplants can easily compost small amounts kitchen scraps. Search the web for the "Chicago Greens" and contact them for recycling, especially when living in the Loop area. And Todd reminded us all, the first R in the Recycling Triangle is "Reduce".

Discussion then continued about lack of interest/involvement - "Everyone's too busy", "No one seem to care", "Lack of respect", "What happened to the passion?"... Mike mentioned concerns seem to be split so evenly down the middle these days -- there is no clear-cut support for anything (ie, elections, war, recycling...). Is this deliberate? By "keeping" the masses neutral, just about any agenda can move forward. Case in point - Radio. At a song writing class five years ago, the instructor mentioned songs played on the radio are no longer very popular songs. Radio marketing focuses on searching for songs that are "neutral" -- folks don't like or dislike them. This way, one is far less likely to change stations in search of "...that great song I just heard." Are we all, "...being kept neutral", perhaps distracted by loads of other things coming our way? Beginning living simply, helps clear out this kind of neutrality, leaving space to find for one's passions. And what can you do when someone asks about your simple life?

(From Laura, list of Recycling Resources)

• Recycle newspaper, aluminum, glass and tin. You could Blue Bag it, or you could drop it off at any of the following locations:
• Bucktown Recycling Station, Inc. at 1800 N. Milwaukee only takes metals and auto parts
• Chicago-Grand Recycling, Inc. at 2900 W. Chicago only takes non-ferrous metals
• West Town Recycling Station at 2060 W. North only takes cans
• Huron Paper Stock Co on 2545 W. Fulton paper (newsprint and office paper) and cardboard
• Somewhere on 10330 S. Woodlawn (773.995.9850) bottles and jars
• Strategic Materials Inc. on 3717 S. Albany plate glass
• For info on what the city takes, you can try to call 312.744.1614 or find out who your alderman is and tell them, the Mayor, and the Department of Environment, what you think of the current recycling program.
• Recycle motor oil. How do I do this? http://www.recycleoil.org/ DuPageCounty seems to be the closest hazardous waste recycling drop-off. Check out: http://ec.dupageco.org/solidwaste/hhwlist.htm

SAME STORY => How to get someone nicely moving them forward...
Nancy had a very good question - "What do you do when someone keeps telling the same story why they can't do this, or that?" Lots of great discussion followed. For Todd, when someone approaches, he finds it helpful to understand the person is "searching". Being an example probably provides the best anyone can do to "...move someone forward." Victoria mentioned sometimes YOU can't move anyone forward. Perhaps that's not your job anyway -- perhaps your job is to be the example, to be open, understanding and available. Available 'to a point' - Linda and Mike have found sometimes cutting off "the same story" is effective at moving some forward, ie, "I can't do any more for you. If you don't want to follow this, that's ok. It clearly doesn't work for you, so best to leave it behind and move along." They are still available, but now have limited the discussion area. Laura mentioned children and how best to reach them. Julie, Don, and Terry brought the thought that it's probably best not to tell someone what to do, ie, "You should do this...". Meet children/folks where they are. Simply be an example and remain open for any questions. Isn't everything we do a step in life? Whatever anyone is going through, perhaps it is simply a step in their life, something they need to do that leads them on to the next thing. We could interfere with their progress by leading too much.

"What about anger? Sometimes folks are down right angry (at me) if they can't get their arms around what I do. "Discussion included jealously - perhaps they are simply jealous of you and anger is their way of expression. Or perhaps anger and "the same story" become ways folks find comfort in not doing something. Again, avoiding trying to change someone, having acceptance and respect of their views/feeling, were some of the suggestions the group discussed. This led nicely to......

Cars => what to do when someone's passion conflicts with your values...
So, the person you love has an incredible passion for cars, and you have concerns about our environment. What do you do when there is an inconsistency with passions? Much of the above discussion applies - meet them where they are, avoid "leading" them too much to your point of view, and stepping stones (don't know where this passion will lead, but it is most certainly a necessary step so be careful not to interfere with the natural way). Mike mentioned the book, "The Tao of Power" by R. L. Wing (a new translation of the 2500 year old Tao Te Ching by philosopher Lao Tuz). One gem from the book is an understanding that one's action automatically creates responses in others. If a leader is manipulative, his subjects will respond by finding ways around the manipulation - by becoming manipulative themselves. If a leader is helpful and leads by letting her subjects live creatively, they will return the helpfulness. This "Way" creates harmony. The first way, creates stress and dysfunction.

Diet - Why Vegan/Why not, raw, fasting...
Todd led a great discussion on diet. In summary, Todd was faced with life threatening medical situations. No traditional solution/s were working, so Todd looked inward, and found a great internal resource - his own mind. While being quiet and still, Todd began to think of making changes to his diet. He began eating more vegetables, less meat, eventually becoming a vegetarian and vegan. He also began eating his foods raw -- nothing receiving any heat over 108 degrees -- everything organic. His medical situations immediately began to improve and eventually completely disappeared. Todd "listens" to what his mind/body are telling him, and then eats appropriately. If today he hears, "bee pollen", he'll eat bee pollen until he hears his mind and body say, "That's good -- that's enough". Three years ago, he heard, "Meat", and strange as it may seem to all of us, he began eating meat, raw of course! (You had to be there to hear him describe it!) Todd continues to eat raw meats today, carefully selected from known sources. Raw beef, with a raw egg and honey is his staple. He weight lifts in the 500 pound range now, looks well and fit, and says his body's enzymes have adopted to recreate his natural digestive system.

So should everyone eat this way? Todd says, "No, of course not". But you could start listening to what your body/mind are telling you and adjust accordingly. Eat "whole foods", ie foods in their natural, whole state. His staple meal contains only three foods, and each one is whole. A good example is pasta and breads (processed combinations of different foods). If instead of choosing pasta, you choose a potato, you are increasing your uptake of whole foods as the potato is "whole". Todd believes (as shown in his life experiences) choosing whole any chance you get, is a great way to dramatically improve your diet. He says choosing whole reduces food cravings and results in normal weight loss. Interesting...

EMF/ELF Waves (electromagnetic frequencies/low frequencies)...
Continuing along health lines, appliances in our homes generate electromagnetic waves. Is too much (or any) not good for you? The earth naturally emits EMF's but what about the extras we create?? Todd bought an EMF indicator, measured the amounts in his home and found plenty. He moved the clock radio away from his head, and will be re-grounding his electrical system from his water pipes to a rod sunk into the earth (to reduce the EMF's he found in all his water pipes).

Chicago TIF Program...
Laura brought information of Chicago's TIF (tax increment financing) Program. There is money available to qualifying Chicago business for training and various reimbursements. For more information, check out this link at: www.cityofchicago.org/PlanAndDevelop/Programs/TaxlncrementFinancing.html. You can also contact Rona Abello, Projects Manager, Mayor's Office of Workforce Development, at 312-746-7962.

Other Announcements...
"Take Back Your Time Day" event - Remember this October event, see www.timeday.org for details.

HomeEconomizer - Mike handed out sample copies of a new newsletter, The HomeEconomizer. Written in style and context of the Tightwad Gazette, check out on-line sample copies at www.homeeconomizer.com

We adjourned and closed the meeting space at 11:40am. Several pleasant casual discussions then evolved under the warmth and beauty of a fine Chicago summer day. (And for those keeping count; no mention today of "fresh squeezed lemon juice")

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(Recorded by Mike Lenich)