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Dispatches from the Front - Save Ohio’s environment

Two hands going around the earth

Alliance for Ohio’s Future Plans Public Demonstration Against Fracking on Ohio’s Public Land
Alliance for Ohio’s Future will hold a public demonstration on Wednesday, June 14th at 1pm at the Ohio Statehouse in Columbus to protest HB 49, a state budget bill that contains Amendment HC 2241, which strips the governor of the power to appoint members to the 4-member Oil and Gas Leasing Commission, and gives these appointment powers to the speaker of the house and president of the senate.      

Heathers 3: No, I Did Not Miss Tallica

A list of bands with a lot of handwritten notes all over it

I began my month certain that Metallica possessed the mother bread of justice. I feel they understand the human condition and have a special role in American culture. Everyone I know says, “I love the first three or four Metallica albums.” Metallica only got popular during the past 25 years.

In 2017, Monday is dedicated to Metallica. Tuesday is dedicated to bands influenced by Metallica. In 1989, they couldn’t even win the Grammy over Jethro Tull.

The month ended with me watching Metallica begin their set at Rock on the Range screaming in Columbus: “Hard-Wired to Self-destruct.”  This was in front of the largest crowd I’d even seen for music in Columbus. This is from Metallica’s platinum album of the same meme.

How do you interpret this meme?  Human death drive?  The condition of our country that appears to have spited themselves into Russian subterfuge? Who are the fall guys for the oligarchical revenge of the one percent?

If a FISA warrant falls in the Russian Mob’s woods does it record a sound? Do they reference technology that leaves issues of surveillance, hacking and electronic mishaps? 

This gay college football player found total team acceptance from day one

Football player running with the ball in his arm in brown and orange uniform

A gay football player. Even today it seems to be something very rare in the game.

Growing up, football was always my outlet to get out whatever I had built up inside me. When those pads came on, I felt at home. I started playing football in third grade, and I still fall more in love with the game every year I play.

I grew up in a very small town called Richwood, Ohio, and graduated with a class size of barely 100 students. In high school I never had a problem with standing out. I made friends with everyone and tried to stay positive and nice to every kid in the school.

My coming-out story is a little different from many others you see today. Freshmen and sophomore year of high school I knew I was gay, but the thought of anyone knowing that part of me was single-handedly the most terrifying thought in my head, especially growing up with a family full of farmers who weren’t really exposed to that kind of thing yet.

I was always terrified with the locker room talk that went on about gays and how gross they are and how wrong being gay is. Yes, that talk was there. It just pushed me further into the back of the closet.

Socially Just Dining: Vegan Desserts In Columbus

A cinnamon bun with a sign on it saying Sticky Buns

Do you ever wonder how vegans survive, or rather, have the discipline to live without dessert, or actually believe vegans live a life of such stinking deprivation? Are you a would-be-vegan or a new vegan desperate for vegan dessert in what seems like a vegan dessert desert? Wonder and despair no more. These Columbus locations provide delicious, decadent vegan dessert options:

Community Shares Night at Denmark on High

Wednesday, May 31, 4-10pm
Denmark on High, 463 N. High, 2nd floor
This is a great way to meet other Friends of Community Shares or just have a relaxing time at one of Columbus' most innovative Cocktail Lounges. Even if you don't drink..., they have other innovative soft drink selections and small bites. In addition they are locavores and source almost all of their supplies and ingredients within the state of Ohio, and much of it within a 35 mile radius. 
15% of all beverage sales for May 31st will be donated to Community Shares of Mid Ohio.
http://shortnorth.org/businesses/denmark-on-high/

AT&T workers, community supporters hit the picket lines

Guy in a strike protest holding a sign that says On Strike

Building on a successful strike against Verizon last year, on May 19 the Communications Workers of America hit the picket lines again to protect their livelihoods against corporate greed in the telecom industry. 21,000 AT&T Mobility workers in 36 states; 17,000 AT&T wireline employees in California, Connecticut and Nevada; and 2,000 DirectTV workers went on a three-day strike.

There was an outpouring of community support for the strikers in central Ohio. At 3 p.m. picket lines formed outside multiple AT&T stores in Columbus, Reynoldsburg, Hilliard, Upper Arlington and Westerville.

“Hey Randall, you can’t hide. We can see your greedy side!” 50 protesters chanted outside the AT&T store in the OSU Gateway district. AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson took home $28.4 million in 2016. AT&T Mobility made $13 billion in profits last year.

The AT&T Mobility workers have been working without a contract since February. AT&T has not budged on its offer of a 2 percent raise, which would not be enough to cover increases in health care costs. But the strikers’ main issue is not pay. They are more concerned about the company’s outsourcing jobs. 

Growing Pains: Ohio’s marijuana med law has long road to fully operational

Marijuana leaf on top of a health cross symbol

A year ago this month, Ohio finally did the right thing and passed a medical marijuana law. It was a caring and honorable move, especially when you consider there are hundreds if not thousands of children and adults in the state suffering from epilepsy.

Research has proven time and time again that cannabidiols or CBDs with extremely low levels of THC, such as Charlotte’s Web or Epidiolex, are miracle medicines for epilepsy. Unlike what Big Pharma has to offer, CBDs work and don’t have potential side-effects like vomiting and liver damage. These researchers say many of their patients report nearly half as many seizures when using a CBD. What’s more, their patients are also more cognizant, happier and, no surprise, a little more hungry.

That being said, a father from Ohio with a 9-year-old epileptic daughter told the Free Press he’s still unable to legally acquire a CBD because the Ohio Medical Marijuana Control Program is going through growing pains as it crawls toward full functionality.

An Open Letter to People with 'Mental Health' Issues

As 'mental health' issues gain more attention, sympathetic and
otherwise, in a wide variety of contexts and countries around the world,
the opportunity for inaccurate perceptions of what causes these issues,
and how to treat them, are likewise expanded.

So if you or someone you know is supposed to have a 'mental illness'
such as anxiety, depression, schizophrenia, obsessive-compulsive
disorder (OCD), bipolar disorder, anorexia nervosa or post-traumatic
stress disorder (PTSD), I would like to give you the opportunity to
consider an explanation and a way forward that you are unlikely to have
come across.

My first suggestion is that you ignore any label that you have been
given. These labels are an inaccurate and unhelpful way of labeling the
appropriate, diverse and complex emotional responses that a normal human
being will have to emotionally disturbing events. It is inaccurate
because words such as these imply a 'disorder' that a normal individual
should not have in response to emotionally challenging events in their

Mapping Columbus Power

People sitting in a big room at a meeting

Tuesday, May 30, 6:30-9:30pm
700 Bryden Rd.
Columbus is a tale of two cities where luxury condos and militarized police are prioritized over schools and community health. Columbus could be a city that works for all of its residents, but right now big developers and CEOs are the ones calling the shots. Join us for a workshop on tools to analyze and map the power of the shot callers in Columbus and a strategy session on how we can come together as a community to make change by leveraging our resources and our greatest asset-- our people.

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