Bus Stile Activities celebrated the Columbus Metropolitan Library’s (CML) 150th anniversary. Our libraries were founded in March 1873 after the Civil War showed the importance of literacy. CML still astound me. Our society agrees acquiring knowledge can exist as a public collective agreement. I used the library as a kid.

Once I became good at shoplifting I didn’t need the library.

By 6-20-2016 I had stopped shoplifting. I had stopped shoplifting before 2016 but this was the day I decided I needed a library card.

My first library items 6-20-2016…as an adult:

Rules For Radicals: A Practical Primer for Realistic Radicals, By Saul Alinksy.

Eric Rohmer’s La Collectionneuse, Love in the Afternoon, Claire’s Knee, Suzanne’s Career and My Knight at Maud’s.

I celebrated CML’s 150th Anniversary by perusing these items last week:

A Decade Under The Influence: the 70s Films That Changed Everything

This documentary discusses Jean Luc Godard, Frederic Fellini, Visconti’s and other 1960s European directors influence over 1970’s movies. Hollywood directors were influenced by European art films and found viewers after social revolution and Vietnam changed our country. Martin Scorsese, John Cassavetes, Francis Ford Coppola, Jane Fonda and others are interviewed about 1970s film.

Remember the Ladies: Celebrating Those Who Fought for Freedom at the Ballot Box by Angela P. Dodson

Angela P. Dodson’s book documents the history of women’s suffrage, aka voting. Remember the Ladies found release in 2017 while our country digested that Hillary Clinton won November’s 2016’s popular vote by 2.9 million but lost the electoral college, which led to Kamala Harris’s VP election, winning with 81,290,000 million votes.

Angela P. Dodson’s relative Daymon Dodson is a deceased Columbus music icon who helped build our city on Rock'n'Roll. Angela P. Dodson’s husband Michael Day wrote a book about Barak Obama’s life. Angela P. Dodson became the first Black woman Senior Editor at the NY Times in 1992. Please Remember the Ladies while analyzing who January 6 rioters were contesting. Ninety percent of black women voted for Kamala Harris, and Hillary Clinton.

I picked my library items, and looked at my Burger King app.

Impossible Whoppers for Cheap at Burger King

My BK app said I could eat an Impossible Whopper Meal for eight dollars at Burger King. Vegan burger, fries, and a drink….eight dollars and 12 Cents.

I swiped my iPhone and jumped on the 33 from the 102.

The 33 dropped me near Sun Center at Sawmill, and 161.

I had hoped Palestinian lady was working.

I find it interesting to attempt a conversation with a Palestinian immigrant at a fast food place. This woman found refuge at a Dublin Burger King, and this vegan who disappeared for awhile because Donald Trump figured out his graffiti name was Anon wants a discussion about the Gaza Strip.

During library day, Mexican men were working.

I am a regular. I received my vegan Whopper meal order quick with a familiar informal politeness. While pondering Palestine and Mexico, I remembered I was in Dublin during St. Patrick’s Day weekend. I caught the 33 and arrived at downtown Dublin in five minutes.

I looked at the Off White Boutique next to Tucci’s and the new Dublin Library. While Virgil Abolah didn’t own the Off White Dress Shop, it’s almost a Marfa installation piece with the Dublin Library in vision.

Dublin was bustling but I didn’t see leprechauns, a pot of gold or anyone who wanted a discussion in regards of Protestant-Irish Catholic relations.

I walked over into North High Brewery.

Filth McNasty

I ordered a six-pack of Filthy McNasty with the intent of riding back on the 33 and make it home.

Plus, a six-pack is 12 bucks, and some change. Even with a tip, this is cheaper than drinking at the bar. This is a beer and half @ draft beer in most Kraft breweries .

Three things always occur while a waitress places a clean Filthy McNasty in my palm.

1. I ask a bartender if they’ve heard the Jaylib Song “McNasty Filth” for which I assume the North High beer is named.
2. Black Keys are played from the jukebox. Someone in the room laughs while recognizing me. I’m standing with a six-pack of Filth McNasty while smiling at a bar partying with Black Keys music.
3. I ponder the fact I purchased a “Russian Stout.” I drink this beer and think about Noam Chomsky’s speech where Chomsky opposes Putin’s attack but recommends solidarity with the Russian left who oppose Putin’s war conflict like Americans opposed Vietnam.

If the Russian Stout isn’t vegan I will still choose solidarity with the Russian left who oppose Putin’s war in Ukraine and drink something else. I predict our country never enter that war but will allow Russia to exist in a Vietnam setting as long at Russia attempts a Ukraine invasion.

Then I will try a different North High beer.

It’s kinda like if Russia invaded the capital of the United States January 6th. They could destroy some building and kill cops but the Republican Party still didn’t win the 2020 election January 6th.

If you don’t believe me: Who is President of the United States? Did the riot reinstate Trump?

With that said: I don’t think January 6th or Russia’s attack on Ukraine was needed.

It didn’t change Biden’s victory, and beer is still a legal drink.

I ponder Dilla, 60 + 70s art films, Black Keys, and my favorite line from “McNasty Filth” while walking around North High Brewery.

I swiped my phone while boarding the 33 Bridge Street, and High Street Bus in Dublin.

A person can use a phone and board the bus. You don’t have to scour for change.

I wondered how many DUIs would be avoided with a bus ride and Lyft now that COTA can trolley downtown Dublin with Bridge Park.

I looked at Bridge Park and realized if I jump off at Bridge Park’s Park and Ride, I could visit Pins, Urban Meyer’s Pinthouse, and a couple of other bars.

I don’t know if Urban Meyer’s still sells 10 dollar veggie burger and fries during Mondays.

I also think about the fact Bridge Park is home of a North Market,

While looking over the Scioto River I think Dublin’s downtown is scenic.

Should I do the 33 transfer either: the 1 at Kenny, or 2 at High Street, and head home?

I decided I will just Lyft from the Upper Arlington Pub at Henderson + Dierker.

UA Pub prices are the cheapest in town. I became a fan after one of the owners talked Bernie Sanders support with me in 2016 and I realized Trump supporters frequent UA pub without any conflict.

Cheap booze and a staff with social skills makes everyone comfortable.

I drink a three-dollar Bell’s beer special and a two-dollar PBR, and talk rap with various people who are either part of Rakim, Ice Cube, Too Short, Wu-Tang, El-P or Nas’ venue packing equation.

Every now and again a someone shows up in a Turnstile Sweatshirt.

All this while normal people of all ages and political ideologies drink and watch sports.

Again, inexpensive  booze and social skills have a calming effect on a setting.

I take the Lyft at UA instead of the Gettysburg and Henderson stop at 9pm.

My Lyft is 13-15 dollars.

I always learn something from my buzzed conversations with Lyft drivers. Lyft driver are immigrants or people who figured out their significant other will understand the idea of work.

Before I left UA Pub, I found the bartender already had his Wu-Tang/Nas Tour tickets.

 “New York State of Mind” entered conversation as the regulars were figuring out which Wu-Tang friends were attending.

I reminded everyone the Wu/Nas show received a strong response.

I asked him if he had watched the Hulu Wu-Tang show. He said didn’t have Hulu. I told him Hulu comes with Verizon so Wu-Tang TV shows were part of my phone plan.

I asked him if 50 million subscribers with the over 110 millions of people Hulu reaches are helping Wu Tang and Nas sell out the Schottenstein Center.

He laughed.

We agreed a Hulu series wasn’t working against Wu Tang’s arena tour’s ticket sales.

I walked in my living room and watched the Hulu Wu-Tang show.

Meanwhile, I was finding downtown Dublin resembling a liberal arts college next to a scenic bar area while thinking about Jaylib’s song “McNasty Filth.”

I check my email…Detroit post-punk band Protomartyr’s new album, “Formal Growth in A Desert” was dropping June 2. They were starting their tour in Columbus. Our city was the first who would hear the new songs. I’ve bumped Protomartyr every time I’m emailed about Protomartyr. There are a lot of bands whose emails I don’t open.

I found out it was at Soup Fest at Valley Dale. While I’ve never seen a rock show there, Valley Dale was my spot for rap shows as a kid. A music fest between ODU and Brittany Hills. I’m in. I just wanted to take the bus to Valley Dale. I looked at Soup Fest’s website. They had soups:

I’m vegan but I’m sure everyone who isn’t vegan loved every soup…including the winning soups…

People’s Choice: Dill With It
People’s Choice: Dragon’s Demise
People’s Choice: Tiramisoup
Best Vegetarian: Pom Du Jour
Best Thoup: Mama Nada’s Sweet Potato and Crown Chowder
Best Unique: Ajiaco Colombiano

Soup Fest proceeds benefited the Mid-Ohio Food Collective who serve 20 Counties in Ohio and provide over 170,000 meals per day. 

Soup Fest also benefited ADAMH which is Alcohol, Drug, and Mental Health Board of Franklin County.

I have food where I live. My mental health is chill.

I chilled on my couch reading Remember the Ladies because it’s never too early to register to vote. I wasn’t angry vegan soups weren’t included.

After watching OSU men’s basketball lose against Purdue, I resigned to the idea of that Columbus excitement soon: NCAA women’s tourney games in Columbus. The Ohio State’s women’s team is in the NCAA women’s tourney.

Who doesn’t love women athletes or soup helping the starving?

I ate some food and figured out which bus I should ride.

I live in north campus. I rode the number 2 to the number 7.

The 2 drops at High and Long. I’m standing at High. I wondered where the 7 was.

After a second, I realize you have to walk across Long 20 feet to grab the 7. I missed 7 because I was at the wrong stop.

I looked at my phone. Lyft was 13 bucks.

I Lyfted to Valley Dale.

Once inside, I found out all the soup was sold out. Soup wasn’t vegan so I delighted at the fact of all the full bellies from soup and proceeds for Mid-Ohio Food Collective.

Valley Dale is an old ballroom. I walked around looking at drawings of jazz musicians.

Protomartyr took the stage. The Detroit band felt at ease while they walloped into post-punk dirges,

Singer Joe Casey sang while I pondered if Ian Curtis would’ve lived after a bowl of soup and  visiting Adam H for a walk-in which would lead to 23-hour observation, and perhaps extended crisis stabilization and in-patient stay.

Or perhaps a substance use disorder treatment.

Joe Casey and Protomartyr’s mental health seemed stable.

Protomartyr’s performance seemed like Protomartyr’s new album FORMAL GROWTH IN THE DESERT would deliver upon a promise which understands “the necessity of finding joy and persisting — which comes with living longer and continuing to create.”

During Protomartyr’s last song someone in a Turnstile shirt stood in my eyesight. I found that familiar.

After Protomartyr delivered the will to avoid a drug addiction out of despair, I caught the bus because riding the bus feels like living in a city.

While a 14-dollar Lyft is cool, using a $2.50 transfer after watching a band at Soup Fest felt like environmental victory.

I walked out of Valley Dale feeling Soup Fest gave a vegan soup aura for everyone's vibe. 

I walked down Sunbury until I turned right at Holt.

After about 7 minutes I found the number 9 at Brentnell and Holt.

I scanned my phone after the number 9 stopped.

9 dropped me off in front of Nationwide Arena.

I found High Street.

I took the 102 home.

I entered with my Futura lanyard where my keys are attached with hemp from Michael’s. I had bought hemp string for $2.49 during three-dollar Impossible Whopper Wednesday. Michael’s employees were attentive despite the size of the store.

Post-punk, Futura Latchkey hemp, soup feeding the masses…

It was like Crass was playing at my doorstep.

I was impressed Valley Dale is now in walking distance from my north campus building.

In high school, it wasn’t simple as riding a bus into Valley Dale