Star Wars Rebels Sticks To Its Roots

When Disney bought Lucasfilm and the rights to everything Star Wars from George Lucas in 2012, there was an explosion of speculation about what this would mean for the franchise. Some worried that this would mean a dumbing down of any future movies for a younger audience. Others noted how well Disney handled Marvel Studios and how badly Lucasfilm was already managing Star Wars. Now we’re getting our first look at Disney’s take on the series with Star Wars Rebels, an animated action series that just premiered on their own Disney XD cable network.

After Disney bought Lucasfilm, it was no surprise when they brought competitor Cartoon Network’s Star Wars: The Clone Wars series to an end so they could create something of their own. And with a similar computer-animated look and some of the same production crew, it’s hard not to compare the newer show to The Clone Wars.

Occupy the Police!

Dateline: Beavercreek, Ohio, 8:51pm October 6, 2014

At least 15 activists with the Ohio Student Association (OSA) are currently occupying the Beavercreek, Ohio police headquarters as of Monday, October 6, 2014. Their demand: Justice for John Crawford. In August, Crawford, a 22-year-old African-American man, was shot without warning in a local Walmart while holding an air rifle, ironically in a state that allows the open carry of A-Ks and other military assault weapons.

James Hayes, organizer with the OSA told the Free Press that, “We expect justice and we will push for justice on behalf of John Crawford.”

Hayes said the Student Association has posed three questions to Beavercreek Police Chief Dennis Evers:

1)      What is the police force going to do about the officer who shot Crawford, Officer Sean Williams, who has killed two people in the past few years?

2)      What is the police force going to do about the 911 caller Ronald Ritchie, who lied to the police, which led to the death of Crawford?

3)      What are the Beavercreek Police going to do about their training and protocol regarding deadly force?

British Prime Minister uses death of his own child to cover up national healthcare bonanza for party donors

In a speech to Conservative Party members last week, British Prime Minister David Cameron invoked the death of his disabled son in 2009 to argue that he has a “personal” commitment to protecting the National Health Service (NHS). Ivan Cameron, who was six years old and suffered from epilepsy and cerebral palsy, died in February 2009 in the care of NHS nurses fifteen months before Mr. Cameron became Prime Minister.

 

Delivering the keynote address at this year's Conservative Party conference in Birmingham, England, Mr. Cameron took on accusations of cronyism and corruption by charities, opposition politicians, and leading members of the NHS itself, accusing these figures of scaremongering and claiming “for me this is personal.”

 

In a reference to Ivan's death, Cameron said “I'm someone who has relied on the NHS and whose family knows more than most just how important it is, who knows what it's like when you go to hospital night after night with a sick child in your arms, knowing that when you get there, there are people who will love that child and care for that child just as like it was their own.”

 

Video Premier of The Ipps Everything Is Real

The Ipps were nice enough to have the Columbus Free Press debut their video for “You Need To Bleed” off their new record Everything Is Real which was released on Spencer Morgan’s SuperDreamer Records.


The clip itself is a bleached-out, psychedelic colorful foray in bubbly liquids that resembles a 70’s PBS Science show if the science show was an art show instead.


If the clip reminds you of the Times New Viking/Columbus Discount Records-era of Columbus,Ohio music that is because the Ipps are made up of 3 members of Necropolis (Emily Davis, Bo Davis, Matt Bisaro.)


The other member is Michael O’Shaughnessy who played in another CDR band: El Jesus De Magico.


Obviously the song references the controversial medical practice of Bloodletting.

Rigged premium rates in Ohio’s Workers’ Compensation System were illegally covered up for years

 

Last month The Free Press reported on illegal and unfair premiums that the Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation (BWC) charged to hundreds of thousands of employers from 1991 to 2009. BWC agreed in July to pay $420 million to settle a class-action lawsuit brought on behalf of the harmed employers, rather than continue the agency’s appeal to the Ohio Supreme Court.

Future Shock: a BAC level of .00?

If Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) can convince the Ohio Statehouse to pass “Annie’s Law” or HB 469, all first-time DUI offenders wishing to drive during any probationary period will have to install a breathalyzer in their car and pass it for the car to start.
  MADD’s Ohio office in Columbus believes the law is innovative because it allows driving privileges to first-time offenders in lieu of a judge denying them the right to drive for any determined amount of time.
  The bill is known as Annie’s Law in honor of 36-year-old Annie Rooney, a successful lawyer from Chillicothe who lost her life last year when her SUV was slammed into by a habitual drunk driver.
  MADD says they’ve gotten the message that single mothers, occupational drivers – and anyone else dependent on their car for that matter – need to drive to survive.

Reefer blandness

Despite decades-old rumors that John Kasich may be self-medicating, the Governor vowed that there will be no medical marijuana legislation passed in Ohio this election year!

 In fact, this summer, his Public Safety Department deployed undercover officers into the Community Festival. These plainclothes officers spent their time writing tickets near the Ohio Rights Group booth that was collecting signatures to put medical marijuana on the ballot.

 Kasich came into politics as one of Richard Nixon’s freshly-scrubbed “Nixon Youth.” It would be more understandable for Kasich’s undercover cops at Comfest to secure the best dope for their boss. But instead, they were there to show that John Kasich is tough on pot.

Socially Just Dining: Coffee, Donuts & Cake

Coffee has become a rare indulgence however I felt many would appreciate knowing about these options in Columbus.
  The Grandview Grind on Grandview Ave in Grandview: Was an absolutely delightful experience and I was elated to discover not only do they offer soy milk they also offer almond milk AND coconut milk options! The most impressive thing is that they don’t upcharge for the soy milk option. (YAY!) They do upcharge for the almond and coconut as they cannot get it in bulk yet. They proudly display the VEGAN OPTIONS INSIDE sticker on the door, too. (NOTE- they are seeking vegan treats to offer. HINT- Columbus has a gap in vegan pies and scones. Any takers?)

Interview: Sinkane’s Ahmed Gallab Discusses Mean Love & More

The driving force behind Sinkane, Ahmed Gallab, is from everywhere: Brooklyn, Sudan, London, Boston, Utah and Ohio.
  In recent times, he also has been everywhere. Sinkane just released an album, Mean Love, on DFA records which seamlessly blends African, Country, reggae and soul influences while having a dialogue on human interaction and existence.
  The past year saw Ahmed music directing a series of performances of Afro-Electronic genius William Onyeabor’s music called “the Atomic Bomb Band.” Members of Sinkane were joined by people from Hot Chip, LCD Soundsystem, the Lijadu Sisters, Money Mark and more. A highlight of “the Atomic Bomb Band” was a performance on Late Night With Jimmy Fallon, that had David Byrne singing “Fantastic Man” next to Gallab.
  Although Ahmed has been all around the world and lives in Brooklyn, I will always view him as an extension of here. He went to OSU, and was heavily active in the Columbus DIY, and Hip Hop communities.

QFM96 and the Pink Floyd/Germain Nissan Correlation

Musically speaking, it was a brutal September. The quality locals were apparently spending their time putting together the perfect Halloween costume, and I couldn’t get a sitter to go see George Clinton. According to Songkick.com, on September 19th some guy named Ben Davis, Jr. played a show in some place called Chillicothe. Which sounds about right.

  Otherwise bored, one Saturday I decided to head up to the Dublin Chiller and play some drop-in hockey. While fussing with the radio, I heard the opening riff from ZZ Top’s “La Grange.” Excellent, I thought and turned the volume up. As the last magnificent pinch harmonic faded out, I heard station identification for QFM96. Wow, I said to myself, it has been about a decade since I listened to these guys.
  ZZ Top was to be expected, but I was surprised when the next track was Nirvana’s “In Bloom.” Goodness me, Classic Rock now encompasses the grunge era! Intrigued, I kept the station on for the rest of the half-hour drive. When I got to the rink, I grabbed a notepad and tried to recreate the experience in something approaching chronological order:

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