Archive for September, 2009

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Beach Boys’ Mike Love recharges at The Raj

September 6, 2009

 

Picture 28WHITE_GROUP_8x10_lo-resSPECIAL TO THE REGISTER
The Beach Boys, from left: Christian Love, John Cowsill, Bruce Johnston,
Randell Kirsch, Mike Love, Scott Totten, Tim Bonhomme. Johnston and
Love have been members of the band since the 1960s.

By SOPHIA AHMAD
September 4, 2009
sahmad@dmreg.com

With its tight falsetto harmonies and sunny lyrics, the Beach Boys’ sound is immediately recognizable to both young fans – who consider it a retro band – and to older fans who grew up on hits such as “California Girls” and “Surfin’ USA.”

The legendary ensemble that has been entertaining audiences since 1961 will perform Monday in Fairfield – a quick return trip to Iowa after a recent show Aug. 14 at Meskwaki Bingo-Casino-Hotel in Tama. But Monday’s outdoor concert on Labor Day at a middle school in Fairfield also will deliver a different “vibration” for singer Mike Love. “My main place for rest and relaxation and recharging has been the Raj and meditating in the domes,” Love said last month during a stopover in Fairfield. The Raj is a Fairfield spa that integrates holistic practices into its treatments.

And Love routinely practices transcendental meditation (T.M.) inside the domes of Maharishi University of Management, founded by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi.

Love, one of the remaining 1960s members of the Beach Boys, will be named Energy Czar for the day by Fairfield Mayor Ed Malloy. He will also help unveil the city’s 40-point Green Sustainability Plan, funded by an $80,000 grant from Iowa’s Office of Energy Independence. The plan calls for energy conservation and support of local farms, among other initiatives. “Energy independence is something that is close to my children and grandchildren and their children’s heart,” Love said.

Proceeds from Monday’s concert also will benefit the David Lynch Foundation, which supports T.M. education, and the Fairfield Arts and Convention Center.

Love is a longtime fan of the eastern Iowa city.

“I’ve been going to Fairfield for a few decades,” he said. “One time I came here for three weeks and did treatments every day, and that was fantastic. I never felt better. “Transcendental meditation is so important to Love that he wrote a song about its founder: “Cool Head, Warm Heart.”

“Maharishi said once in a meeting, ‘You need a cool head and a warm heart,’ so I made a little sound out of it,” Love said about his inspiration for the song.

Love, who performs nearly 150 concerts per year, said he has a special connection to Iowa and its “small-town environment.” He recalled a recent memory of the “little gem in the heartland” when he landed at a Tucson airport. “This woman that drove me from the airport said she heard us at the Dance-land Ballroom in Cedar Rapids … Now how ironic is that?”

Additional Facts
The Beach Boys with The Nadas

WHEN: Monday, gates open at noon.

WHERE: Fairfield Middle School Outdoor Field, 404 West Fillmore

TICKETS: $12-$37.50 through Iowatix. Proceeds benefit the David Lynch Foundation and the Fairfield Arts and Convention Center

INFORMATION: www.fairfieldacc.com

http://bit.ly/4swpoN

Also see Mike Love, Not War | Ireland’s Edwin McGreal interviews Mike Love for The Mayo News | Mike Love of the Beach Boys on Stories of Success | Beach Boys concert ‘fun, fun, fun’ for all | Beach Boys bringing green concert to tiny Fairfield

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Posted in Articles, Health, Music | 2 Comments »

William Stafford—The Way It Is

September 5, 2009

This is my favorite William Stafford poem, and, much to my surprise, I came across a quote from the Vedic Literature with a similar theme, only it extends it to its ultimate spiritual conclusion. So I call this grouping: uncommon thread … cosmic thread.

THE WAY IT IS

There’s a thread you follow. It goes among
things that change. But it doesn’t change.
People wonder about what you are pursuing.
You have to explain about the thread.
But it is hard for others to see.
While you hold it you can’t get lost.
Tragedies happen; people get hurt
or die; and you suffer and get old.
Nothing you do can stop time’s unfolding.
You don’t ever let go of the thread.

—William Stafford

————

He who knows the fine-drawn thread of which the creatures that we see are spun, who knows the thread of that same thread—he also knows Brahman, the Ultimate.

—Atharva Veda Samhita 10.8.37

————

Listen to The Way It Is performed by Daniel Sperry from his CD: William Stafford: Cutting Loose ~ A Tribute To William Stafford.

See a video of cellist and composer Daniel Sperry perform William Stafford’s poem, “The Way It Is.”

And see William Stafford’s last poem: “Are you Mr. William Stafford?” also performed by Daniel Sperry.

This post sheds additional light on the notion of following a thread: William Stafford’s poetry lightened his life having woven a parachute out of everything broken.

In this post, William Stafford prescribed creative writing to find your own voice and reveal your inner light, I mention that Kim Stafford used the lines of the poem, The Way It Is, as chapter headings in his wonderful biography, Early Morning: Remembering My Father, William Stafford.

— Written and compiled (citing sources) by Ken Chawkin for The Uncarved Blog.

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Posted in Other poems, Poetry, William Stafford | 12 Comments »

Mike Love, Not War

September 4, 2009

Picture 29
Mike Love, Not War
Get Ready for Good Vibrations
by Virginia McEvilley
Picture 28
It’s Endless Summer for Beach Boy Mike Love (third from right), as the band wraps up its summer 2009 tour in Fairfield, Iowa, and makes plans for its 50th anniversary celebration in two years.

It may come as a surprise that America’s best-selling band of all time has chosen Fairfield, Iowa, for the grand finale of its 48th annual summer tour. But for long-time lead singer Mike Love, playing Fairfield is nothing short of “special.” And though it has been many years since 1961 when the Beach Boys’ first hit single “Surfin’ ” was released and since Mike Love, together with his cousins Brian, Carl, and Dennis Wilson, hit the charts with the group’s first nationwide hit, “Surfin Safari,” the feelings of happiness generated for millions of people by the Beach Boys’ music is still as lively today as it was almost 50 years ago.

Since then, the Beach Boys have performed their original hit songs recounting the Southern California life experience thousands of times, recapturing the innocence of an era that propelled them to the top of their profession. Mike says he is proud to have been the lead singer for so many of the Beach Boys’ hits, and in spite of the loss of his cousins, Dennis and Carl Wilson, Mike’s experience has remained fundamentally positive.

“I still treasure all the great times we had together,” Mike says. “The loss of Carl Wilson 11 years ago was profound, but I still feel like he’s looking down on us whenever we do ‘Good Vibrations’ and ‘Kokomo.’ At first I thought no one could ever sing our songs like Carl, but as it turns out my son Christian has a beautiful voice and not only can sing Carl’s parts but actually sounds a lot like him. This is great because we like to keep the re-creation of these songs consistent to the best of our ability.” Whether it is to preserve the Beach Boys’ legacy or for the sake of all their loyal fans, this may be one reason why the momentum of the Beach Boys’ greatest hits has lasted until today.

The Beach Boys are, in fact, among the top three groups who recorded from the late ’50s to the early ’70s, along with the Beatles and the Supremes. The Pet Sounds album was voted the number one album of that era and “Good Vibrations” the number one single. The time that passed between “Good Vibrations” in 1966 and “Kokomo” in 1988 was the longest period of time between number one records of any group in history.

“The amazing thing about music,” says Mike, “is that as long as you have the right piece of music and your abilities intact, you can experience great success irrespective of how many years you’ve been at it.” This basic theme of optimism and positivity has pervaded most of the Beach Boys’ musical history.

And just as “Good Vibrations” differed from the earlier surfin’ songs in subject matter, Mike’s lifestyle began to differ from others in the group, and many of those in the recording business in general. While others chose drugs and alcohol as a method of relaxation, Mike chose Transcendental Meditation as taught by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. Several group members learned the technique from Maharishi in Paris in December of 1967, but Mike was the only one to go to the widely publicized course in Rishikesh, India, two months later, which was also attended by the Beatles, Donovan, and Mia Farrow.

Mike remembers Paul McCartney coming to breakfast one morning strumming his acoustic guitar and playing “Back in the U.S.S.R.,” an experience Paul himself writes about in his autobiography. Mike often recounts other moments in India and has written a song entitled “Pisces Brother” about his 1968 birthday party at Maharishi’s ashram with the late Beatle George Harrison.

Recently, Mike has written a number of other songs that draw from his experience in India, music he says was inspired by Maharishi and the ancient Vedic scriptures. Some of these tunes include “Ram Raj,” “The World is My Family,” and “Make Love Not War.”

After his visit to India in the spring of 1968, Mike attended many meditation courses, becoming a teacher of Transcendental Meditation in Mallorca, Spain, in 1972. “Too many people in my family and my profession paid a heavy price with their health and well-being by not using the knowledge Maharishi made available to us,” Mike says. “This knowledge has relieved me of stresses that certainly would have otherwise accumulated to my detriment, and has also improved my life dramatically.” Mike also schedules regular Ayurvedic treatments for rejuvenation, often at the Raj Resort in Maharishi Vedic City just north of Fairfield.

When asked about retirement, Mike says, “I don’t think of retirement as it is viewed by most people in our society. People work for 20 to 30 years, then get a pension and move to Florida, play bingo, clip coupons, and go on group excursions. . . . For me, my goals would be to become more creative, more productive, and produce more positive, uplifting actions for humanity, while becoming more saturated in knowledge and spiritual life. The retirement of retiring to the self appeals to me—the kind of thing you read about in the spiritual literature of the East. Still, in the future, we may become more selective about how we present our music . . . .”

Mike says there are a lot of other things he envisions for the future. Currently, an Emmy Award-winning documentarian is interested in filming a biography about the Beach Boys for the PBS American Masters series. “So there’s really no need to talk in terms of retirement—there’s no retirement in sight for the Beach Boys at this time,” Mike says. “In fact, we’re really looking forward to our 50th anniversary celebration in two years. We’re getting offers to do concerts in Australia, Japan, Mexico, and the Caribbean.” Even though it can be tiring moving from place to place Mike admits he still enjoys touring. “What’s not to like!” he says.

This relentless positivity and optimism combined with a focus on health and spirituality are the foundations of Mike’s life. This has been his contribution to the Beach Boys since the beginning and is now the engine that drives the band. Together with “I Write the Songs” Bruce Johnston, who has been a Beach Boy on and off for decades, and several other musicians, including Mike’s son, Christian, and John Cowsill of the ’60s group The Cowsills, the good vibrations continue.

Now, for the first time ever, though he has been a frequent visitor to Fairfield over many years, Mike Love and the Beach Boys will be performing all the great songs here that have made them famous the world over as “America’s number one band.”

“Every year we play all the major cities—New York, L.A., Chicago, Dallas, Atlanta,” Mike says, “but those people have so many choices because a myriad of performers come through there. It’s almost like they become a little jaded. That’s why it’s special to go places we’ve never been before. It’s exciting and fun, and we’re inspired by the feeling of appreciation we get.

Don’t miss this special performance sponsored in part by the David Lynch Foundation, whose successful fundraising concert at NYC’s Radio City Music Hall this spring featured Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, Donovan, Moby, Sheryl Crowe, and others, including Mike Love, who says, “I have great admiration for the David Lynch Foundation. The Love Foundation currently has a project for veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder to learn TM, but we’ve never been as organized and dynamic as the DLF. Their work is inspirational and makes me want to do even more.”

The Beach Boys perform the finale of their Endless Summer Tour in Fairfield on Labor Day Monday, September 7, 2:00 p.m. at the Fairfield Middle School Outdoor Field, 404 W. Fillmore. Tickets range from $12.00 to 37.50, available at http://www.fairfieldacc.com or (641) 472-2787.

Visit the index for more articles on music and musicians.
http://www.iowasource.com/music/2009_09.html

Watch Fairfield’s Beach Boys End of Summer Concert promo on YouTube. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t1rOugfBi1k

Related: Here’s an Interview With Mike Love of the Beach Boys posted May 29, 2012 on Stories of Success. At about the 9:55 mark Mike answers the question of what kept him from getting caught up in drugs and alcohol, with the responsibility of acting as a role model, by talking about his TM practice, dharma, and persevering to fulfill your chosen career path. http://vimeo.com/43009744

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Time Out Abu Dhabi: Transcendental Meditation

September 3, 2009

Transcendental meditation
Dismissed by cynics, applauded by medics, transcendental meditation is nothing if not controversial

‘It was a great gift,’ said Sir Paul McCartney earlier this year. ‘For me it came at a time when we were looking for some stability towards the end of the crazy ’60s. It’s a lifelong gift that we can call on any time.’

At a press conference for Change Begins Within (an initiative that hopes to get one million children involved in transcendental meditation, or TM, put together by Twin Peaks director David Lynch), Macca’s fond enthusiasm was somewhat at odds with the general malaise that soured the Beatles’ meditation retreat back in 1968. After the fab four followed Maharishi Mahesh Yogi (the man credited with introducing the Indian-Himalayan meditation technique to the West) to Rishikesh, India, John Lennon dismissed him as a charlatan. Though he apologised for his youthful outbursts later, it seemed impossible that a Beatle-tarnished reputation could ever be wiped clean.

Not so. By the mid-’70s some 40,000 Americans per month were reportedly signing up for classes, many of whom found the simple, schedule-friendly techniques so beneficial that they practise it to this day. David Lynch, a practitioner since 1973, has said that a mere fortnight of twice-daily practice was all it took to reduce the angers and anxieties that controlled his life at the time. ‘Those negative things started lifting,’ he said recently. ‘It sounds strange, but I appreciated and enjoyed the doing of things more.’ It’s not just the ageing hippies who talk it up, either. Empirical evaluations have shown that the technique can have an effect on human physiology, reducing stress levels significantly and even having some positive effect on heart diseases. Even the science bods are recommending it now.

‘It’s practised by people of all levels of intelligence, of all ages, cultures and religions,’ explains Surendra Kumar, a teacher at the Creative Intelligence Consultancy in Dubai. ‘There are many reasons they come to us. Some just want to learn, others come for health reasons and many just want to be happy in life.’ Surendra is willing to travel to teach keen students – a kind of TM delivery service, if you will. In fact, he recently finished a TM course in Abu Dhabi, which was hailed a success by its participants.

A misconception commonly held is that TM has religious connotations – possibly cultish in nature. Again, this was an unfortunate by-product of the Maharishi’s association with The Beatles: George Harrison, in particular, was an enthusiastic advocate of Indian religions, and many observers jumped to conclusions. ‘It has nothing to do with religion,’ says Surendra with the air of a man who has had to deal with this line of questioning before. ‘It’s a peaceful mental activity that takes the mind to deeper levels of the thinking process. Though it was only introduced to the Western world 50 years ago, it’s as old as life itself.’ It is estimated that six million students have studied TM in that short space of time, a number that puts it slightly beyond the realms of cult status.

But, why TM rather than other forms of meditation? Put simply: people seem to find it easier. Whereas other techniques require you to blank the mind (often the largest hurdle for many students), or focus on a single aspect, TM uses a repetitive technique – a series of vocal vibrations or sounds, often with no meaning – to lull the mind into a peaceful state, ‘transcending’ the regular thoughts and conundrums that bombard us from minute to minute.

Unfortunately, the mumbo jumbo associated with TM is hard to avoid. Wondering what the effects of ‘bliss consciousness’ and ‘self-referral intelligence’ might be, we spoke to Arif Dawood, a participant on the recent Abu Dhabi course. ‘I’ve done several types of meditation and heard about TM a long time ago,’ he explains. ‘I would say it’s one of the easiest to practise and, although it’s too early to notice any major benefits, it certainly makes me feel very relaxed.’

If it’s so easy, why bother finding a teacher? Well, just as you might benefit from instruction in the gym, an experienced teacher can help shape the techniques to suit your situation. Whether you come to it as a student of relaxation, for health reasons, or even via an out-of-control Beatles obsession, one thing quickly becomes apparent: transcendental meditation may be as old as the hills, but in this frenetic modern world where instant results are imperative, you might find it’s a lifelong gift you wouldn’t wish to return.

For more information on arranging a TM course in Abu Dhabi, call the Creative Intelligence Consultancy on 050 207 0347 or email info@tm.ae. A website will soon be up and running at http://www.tm.ae

Time Out Abu Dhabi 30 August 2009

http://tinyurl.com/kupav7

3 Comments:
Posted by: Dr. Jean Tobin on 01 Sep ‘ 09 at 03:54
Thank you for this article highlighting the benefits of Transcendental Meditation. I’ve read quite a few articles on the subject and your treatment is more precise and fair than most. I wanted to share with your readers a summary of the research on TM. TM distinguishes itself not only in how easy it is to practice, when learned from a qualified teacher, (TM.org) but also in how effective it is when compared with other mental techniques. There has been so much rigorous research validating the benefits of TM in all areas of life. The majority of these studies compared TM to other practices or control groups. 350 peer-reviewed research studies were conducted on over 10,000 subjects who were practicing the TM technique. These studies included numerous randomized controlled trials, along with eight meta-analyses of 597 separate studies on the effects of meditation. The studies were conducted at Harvard Medical School, Yale Medical School, Stanford Medical School, University of PA, University of Kentucky, and more than 200 other independent institutions, and were done by 360 scientists from 29 countries. Learning TM was the best decision I ever made. It has improved my life in every possible way. Thanks again for bringing your readers attention to an important topic.

Posted by: kennyji on 31 Aug ‘ 09 at 18:37
This has to be the most intelligently written article so far assessing the value of the Transcendental Meditation technique for the average individual that I’ve come across. It sifts out the misunderstandings of a confused past and enlightens its readers to the practical benefits of this simple but effective technique for living a less stressed and more productive fulfilling lifestyle. Thank you.

Posted by: Archie on 31 Aug ‘ 09 at 15:21
I love TM and have been practicing it twice a day for over 35 years. It has enriched my life in ways that I never could have expected but would never want to have had to do without. Yes, it has been a lifelong gift that I wouldn’t return for anything in the world. Thank you, Maharishi.

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Extreme City: Maharishi Vedic City, Iowa

September 3, 2009

Associated Content | Travel
Extreme City: Maharishi Vedic City, Iowa
August 29, 2009 by Sherri Granato

Capital of the Global Country of World Peace

Iowa is often referred to as the American Heartland so it comes as no surprise that a vast amount of people would find a peaceful refuge within its borders, or at least within one of the cities located within the state. The city of Maharishi Vedic City, Iowa named for the famed yogi Maharishi, Maharishi Vedic City is the fastest-growing city in all of Iowa. So the question is why are people suddenly flocking to this small community in leaps and bounds, and is it worthy of sharing?

The Travel Channel decided to investigate what they dub an “Extreme Town” for themselves and share their discoveries with anyone who cares to know the hidden secrets and vast treasures that are luring citizens into relocating to the Midwest region of the United States. So pull up a chair and learn a little bit about Maharishi Vedic City, Iowa, and “Welcome to the Capital of the Global Country of World Peace”.

The city itself is spectacular in the fact that it is squeaky clean and virtually crime free. The Travel Channel was so enamored by their findings that they included the city on their list of most unique zip codes and brought it to television for viewers to catch a glimpse of something you wouldn’t otherwise believe.

The unbelievable part is that every person that lives within the city limits of Maharishi Vedic City happens to practice Vedic Natural Law, which is in layman’s terms an ancient Indian science focusing on transcendental meditation. The ultimate goal in this practice is nothing more than a deep mental cleansing and physical peace that is practiced for 15 to 20 minutes twice a day. The ending result leads to revitalization and happy thoughts that are free and clear of stressful situations.

From the beginning the original idea of the city was the master plan of San Francisco real estate developer Chris Johnson. In 1991 his idea evolved into a working municipality centered on the principles and teachings of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, including his views on architectural design.

Due to his vision the town offers homes all facing toward the east, clean cut lines, beautiful in nature, and all offer a gold colored kalash on the roof. Since 2001, the population has grown ten times its original size with 1,200 residents now calling it home.

The significance of the kalash on top of the house is that it completes the desired form. The mental peace one finds in the heart of a temple whose top is a dome-shaped kalash and having a kalash placed on the peak most obviously testifies the importance of the roof-component of Vedic architecture. All homes built in the city must face the east simply because the design promotes health, happiness, and good fortune.

Maharishi Vedic City is made up of a ring of ten circles covering slightly more than one square mile, the town has its own observatory with ancient astrological and astronomical instruments to orient itself within the cosmos. City leaders and educators recognize that the solution too many problems with today’s youths is a lack of proper education that develops the total brain potential in every child.

With this in mind the city developed an ordinance on January 28, 2004, to establish Maharishi Vedic University to provide a public university, colleges, and primary and secondary schools for the city’s residents. Just a few miles south of the city is Fairfield, Iowa, the home of Maharishi University of Management, formerly known as Maharishi International University.

Many residents moved to Fairfield to participate in the practice of Transcendental Meditation. The university campus, located on the north side of Fairfield, is home to two large golden domes used for the group practice of TM-Sidhi program. The other technique, referred to as the Yogic Flying technique consists of sitting in the cross-legged lotus position on a foam mat while the body lifts up and the subject moves forward in short jumps.

Living in Maharishi Vedic City is for anyone that wishes to live the remainder of their life on Earth stress free. The whole city enforces this notion by the way that the citizens do things day to day. Everything from the local businesses to the schools and restaurants are geared to maintain inner peace throughout a life style that is the choice of the people living there.

Everyone including school children stop what they are doing to meditate 15-20 minutes per day, everyday, twice a day. The mind is then cleared of lack luster debris, replaced by positive thoughts that promote all things good and wholesome.

The Raj Ayurveda Health Center offers comfortable lovely rooms, organic vegetarian food, and is simply one of a kind as it sits in the middle of a cornfield is this oasis. The health center explains everything you ever wanted to know about ayurvedic and transcendental meditation.

Visitors learn how individual factors in their make-up affect physical tendencies, moods, cravings, motivation, and behavior. The ultimate lesson from visiting the center is simple shifts in diet, exercise, and daily and seasonal routines can enhance their progress toward increased strength, stability and vitality. Contact the Raj for individual and group rates. Call: (641) 472-9580, ext. 0, or email: theraj@lisco.net.

As for the dietary plan of the good citizens of Maharishi Vedic City, Organic is in, and synthetic chemicals are out! Even the restaurants support the beliefs of the residents by only cooking with the purist of ingredients. City officials recognize the importance of healthy food for the citizens and have banned the sale of all non-organic food from its city. Construction has begun on the first of a planned 100 acres of greenhouses at Maharishi Vedic City Organic Farms which will grow organic produce for residents of the City and Midwest.

The city has been featured in various media venues from newspapers, magazines, radio, and news and most recently on the Travel Channel under Extreme Cities. For more information on the traditions being practiced in the American Heartland, go to: http://tinyurl.com/mo2326.

Places of Interest to Visit: the Rukmapura Hotel, a large Stapatyavedic, log-built hotel and see the nearby Pandit Campus, where nearly 1000 Pandits from India help create peace and harmony in the world.

http://tinyurl.com/msvfwr

Extreme City: Maharishi Vedic City, Iowa
Neighborhood: American Heartland
Maharishi Vedic City, IA 52556
United States of America

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Developer Celebrates How ‘Green’ Is Its Building

September 3, 2009

Picture 26
Developer Celebrates How ‘Green’ Is Its Building
Rockville Structure Gets Environmental Kudos
Picture 27
By Rick Rojas
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, September 3, 2009

Two Thousand Tower Oaks Boulevard off Interstate 270 in Rockville looks like most modern suburban office complexes. It’s a sleek and shiny metal and glass structure that seems to have plopped down like an alien spacecraft on a freshly mowed plot.

What’s special about this building, its developers say, is the technology inside, which earned it the superlative from the state government of being the “greenest” office building in Maryland.

Walking into the building, made of an assortment of recycled items including old bluejeans and wheat products, visitors might think they are entering an office with dirt floors, joked Marnie Abramson of the building’s developer, Tower Companies, which is based there.

The building’s insulation is made of recycled denim. A composite of wheat products makes up the doors. The floor is old carpet that has been shaved down.

But, Abramson said, the structure has the amenities of the average office building and then some.

The building has a fitness center, a three-level underground parking garage and flat-screen televisions embedded in its elevator walls. Every work space has an outside view. The air-conditioning system circulates fresh, filtered air in the building every 51 minutes.

Abramson said the building challenges preconceived notions about environmentally friendly structures, such as that having a green building involves sacrificing certain conveniences or that environmental friendliness is counterintuitive to business success.

Tower Companies received $1.6 million in a state tax credit for the building, Abramson said, and dangling carrots like that in front of the business community is a simple and effective way to encourage them to take part.

Because of the tax credit, the idea of green practices as the norm “permeates into the marketplace,” she said. “In the long term, we can build our way into a sustainable future.”

The tax credit, which was created in 2001, allows developers to recoup 6 to 8 percent of construction costs if a building qualifies for platinum status in the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, or LEED, rating system.

Reaching platinum status includes using 100 percent wind energy, limiting water and electricity consumption, reducing air and light pollution and making sure 90 percent of occupants have outside views.

Tower Oaks was the first building in Maryland to qualify and was named the greenest office building in Maryland by state Comptroller Peter Franchot (D) last month.

Joe Shapiro, a spokesman for the comptroller, said the building is a “shining example for the rest of the state . . . because it has an economic value and an environmental value.”

Shapiro said LEED platinum buildings save on utility costs and increase productivity. State officials hope the tax credit encourages prospective businesses to reach for platinum status, he said.

Abramson said prospective tenants have told her, ” ‘I don’t know if I can afford the premium for a green building.’ ” Her response: “I don’t think you can afford not to.” Constructing something like Tower Oaks isn’t just environmental citizenship; it’s smart business, she said.

Going green increased overall construction costs by slightly more than 1 percent, she said. But employee productivity has increased, and fewer employees called in sick this past winter than in any other year, Abramson said, crediting the fresh air and natural light.

Debbie Webb, director of property management for Tower Companies, has taken notice of the difference in her own work space. She has been at Tower Companies since it moved in February and worked for other property management companies for 18 years.

“You start off in the basement or in some place where no one wants to rent,” she said of the standard property management work area. And, she said, with the lights flipped off and the midday sun flowing in, “it’s just such a healthy environment.”

Abramson said the company is looking toward the next step: finding a way to generate its electricity on site.

“We’re superheroes,” she said. “It’s our job to save the planet through real estate.”

http://tinyurl.com/mrkf7x

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Beach Boys bringing green concert to tiny Fairfield

September 2, 2009

Posted Online:

Beach Boys bringing green concert to tiny Fairfield

Comment on this story
By Shane Brown, sbrown@qconline.com

More photos from this shoot
Photo: John Greenwood / staff
Lead singer Mike Love, left, and Bruce Johnson on keyboards and vocals are shown in the April 9 file photo during their concert at the i wireless Center in Moline. On Labor Day, the Beach Boys will close out their summer tour onstage in the tiny community of Fairfield, Iowa, in what’s being dubbed as one of the nation’s first ‘green’ rock concerts. ‘We need to move in the direction of energy independence,’ explains Love, ‘and what better place to start than Fairfield — the heartland of America.’

Watch out, Iowa. The “undesirable element” is headed your way.

But first, a little history.

The year was 1983, and our nation’s land management and conservation was in the hands of a fellow named James Watt, Secretary of the Interior to the Reagan administration. Watt’s tenure was marked by controversial decreases in environmental funding and deregulations to oil and mining companies. But nothing was more controversial than Watt’s decision to ban a July 4th performance at the National Mall in Washington, D.C., from a group he said would draw “an undesirable element” — The Beach Boys.

It’s no coincidence that Watt handed in his resignation papers later that year. At the time, the band’s frontman, a flabbergasted Mike Love, tried to defend his group. “We sing about patriotic themes — like ‘Surfin’ U.S.A.!’ ” Twenty-five years later, James Watt is a footnote in history, Mike Love still sings about surfing, and the Beach Boys remain the most outspoken celebrity advocates of global environmental reform.

On Labor Day, the group will close out their summer tour onstage in the tiny community of Fairfield, Iowa, in what’s being dubbed as one of the nation’s first “green” rock concerts.

“We need to move in the direction of energy independence,” explains Love, “and what better place to start than Fairfield — the heartland of America.”

What better place, indeed. Fairfield may seem like little more than a blip on the state map of Iowa, but this little town is making big headlines in its attempts to lead the nation in eco-friendliness. Fairfield Mayor Ed Malloy is a national leader in the field, recently having been named one of the “15 Greenest Mayors in America” by MSN.com. The concert will serve as the kick-off to Fairfield’s 40-point initiative to become “America’s Model Sustainable City.”

“We want to create a model community,” says Malloy, “a virtual template that other small towns can adopt to create the same results.”

The show will feature demonstrations of clean energy projects and sustainable practices, as well as educational booths to teach simple ways at becoming more energy independent. Bio-diesel generators will be provided by the Quad-Cities’ own Rexroat Sound, and Malloy is currently in discussions with Alliant Enegy to turn the entire event into a “green-powered concert.”

Why Fairfield? That’s an easy one. Love’s been coming to the small town for decades. At the center of Fairfield is the Maharishi University of Management, the U.S. home for studies of the ancient art of transcendental meditation (TM.) Love’s been a follower of the TM movement since being introduced to the technique in 1967 by a couple of familiar faces.

“We were performing at a UNICEF show,” Love says. “And up come John Lennon and George Harrison. We get to talking about TM, and two months later, I’m headed to India with the Beatles and Donovan to study with the Maharishi.” The Maharishi Mahesh Yogi was for years the public face of the TM movement and the creative force responsible for the University opening in Fairfield in 1974, forever transforming this quiet Iowa town.

Fairfield is also home to The Raj, a health spa that focuses on the ancient health system of Ayurveda. The treatment programs are said to restore balance and reawaken the body’s natural healing mechanisms. Love is a fan.

“Ayurvedic treatments help reverse the aging process,” Love explains, “and when you’re doing 160 concerts a year like me, it helps.”

Proceeds from the concert will go to support the newly built Fairfield Arts and Convention Center, as well as the David Lynch Foundation, a pro-TM organization created by the eccentric director of “Blue Velvet” and “Twin Peaks.” The Foundation works to provide free TM training and “consciousness-based education” to children across the globe, as well as funding independent research into the effects of the program on creativity, depression, intelligence, and brain function.

“The Transcendental Meditation technique has been so incredibly valuable to me,” Love says. “I can only imagine how beneficial it will be to kids in neighborhoods full of stress, tension, and crime.”

But the focus of the event remains on energy independence. At the event, Love will be bestowed with the honorary title of “Energy Czar of Fairfield” for the day, a title he takes somewhat begrudgingly.

“I tried to tell them that the Bolsheviks killed the Czar,” says Love with a grin. “I prefer Energy Emperor.”

But Love turns serious when the talk turns toward green technologies.

“The Beach Boys are in favor of anything that leads to energy independence in the U.S. Fairfield can be a model and an inspiration, and we’re happy to lend a hand. We as a nation need to be fully energy independent within the next 20 years if not sooner.”

Get Love talking about energy and you’ll barely be able to get a word in edge-wise. During our interview, he spoke eagerly of the new Chevy Volt, the future hybrid set to launch in 2010 with an unbelievable 230 miles per gallon estimate.

“Daddy needs to take your T-bird away and replace it with a Chevy Volt,” he says with a smile.

But Love is forgetting one thing. He’s about to take the stage in small-town Iowa. Does it ever concern him that The Beach Boys are wrapping up their tour in a veritable beach-free state where you could probably count the number of surfers on one hand?

“Hey, now,” he says, not missing a beat. “Wait a second. Do I need to remind you of the lyrics to the song? It’s ‘if everybody HAD an ocean across the USA,’ not ‘has.’ Iowans will do just fine.”

“Besides,” he said with a laugh, “we sing songs about cars, too. Just make sure they’re fuel-efficient hybrids.”

Beach Boys in Fairfield

The Beach Boys’ 2009 Endless Summer Tour will arrive in Fairfield, Iowa, on Labor Day — Monday, Sept. 7.

Opening for the band will be Quad-Cities favorites The Nadas.

Don’t say you heard it from us, but we’re hearing whispers of potential special guests at the gig — and with recent TM benefit shows pulling in the likes of Moby, Sheryl Crow, Donovan, and Paul McCartney… anything’s possible.

For tickets, directions, and parking information, call (641) 472-2787.

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Transformed—my first haiku

September 2, 2009

Transformed
(my first haiku)

Caterpillars spin
increments of commitment;
Butterflies fly free!

© Ken Chawkin

Published in The Dryland Fish, An Anthology of Contemporary Iowa Poets, 2003, within 13 Ways to Write Haiku: A Poet’s Dozen.

Written around 25 years later, In the Parkview Cave, seems relevant here.

Watch this NOVA documentary: The Incredible Journey of the Butterflies.

See this later post: Japanese culture: poetic aesthetics, artistry, and martial arts, inspired me to write haiku and tanka.

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Posted in My poems, Poetry | 5 Comments »

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