Guess who dropped in to Sgt. Peppercorn's Annual Beatles Marathon at the Bluestone the Saturday before Christmas?

A) Brian Epstein
B) Jeffrey Epstein
C) Herman of the Hermits
D) Paul McCartney!

Yes, via a 40-second video in which our beloved Macca wished Joe Peppercorn and his Lonely Hearts Band of talented locals the best of luck in their nowhere-else-in-the-world event of performing every officially released Beatles song in chronological order.

Talk about thrilling!

I believe he said something about 'stamina,' haha, and then very nicely suggested the first song to be Love Me Do, thereby establishing the word “love” as the first word the Beatles ever officially sang.

I'm down wit' dat, yo!

And so was our fearless, peerless leader, Joe Peppercorn, who delivers more love and emotion than any musician in this town when he performs. And all night long, baby, he goes all day and much of the night long. He ain't no 60-minute love man, he's Mr. 13-Hours of Heavenly Beatles Love Power.

OK, that's me being silly. But honestly, who plays every goldurn Beatles tune and then some – who?

Back in October at the historic federal opioid lawsuit in Cleveland, Cardinal Health and other opioid distributors were several hours away from opening statements. But then a settlement was reached by two Ohio counties, Summit and Cuyahoga.

Outside the courtroom waited several parents who’s pain pill addicted children had moved on to heroin and overdosed. The settlement was another bitter blow as they seek closure. Because it meant Dublin’s Cardinal Health and others made no admission of wrongdoing.

The Summit and Cuyahoga County’s case was a bellweather trial which will lay the groundwork for hundreds of other cases across the country.

The two counties settled for $260 million. The Free Press did the math: The CEOs of the companies that settled had a combined annual salary of $66 million in 2018. Thus the total settlement amount is equal to four years of these CEO’s annual earnings.

4th and State just opened in downtown Columbus – literally on the northwest corner of 4th and State in December 2019. What an exciting opportunity for folks working in the area to have easily accessible, fully-vegan breakfast and lunch equivalent alternative that has a fabulous affordable menu and vibe.

4th and State  offers breakfast: decadent French toast, pancakes, “vrunch” wrap and even vegan bac’un and “eggs” (for those who haven’t tried the humane, mung-bean-derived JUST egg here’s your chance). Lunch options include: salads, unique and delicious sandwiches (blueberry and mozz cheeze and the roasted red bell pepper and avocado are absolutely delightful!), smoothie and veggie bowls, and great sides such as sweet potato home fries, Mediterranean pasta salad (yes, vegan feta exists) and scrambled eggs!

If you are in the mood for donuts and coffee (with actual vegan CREAMER- not just plant-milk), it can be had here. They have really developed a fantastic menu that must be tried as nothing has disappointed. They even accommodated a side of vegan sour cream and blueberry compote for the “blueberry blintz” (my family tradition) pancakes I asked for.

World War I tale uses gimmick to jaw-dropping effect 

When a director tries a novelty such as pretending to tell a story in one uninterrupted take, we’re likely to approach it with a little cynicism. After all, isn’t this just an attention-getting gimmick?

Admittedly, that was my suspicion when I began watching Sam Mendes’s World War I thriller, 1917. And I remained skeptical as British Corporals Blake and Schofield (Dean-Charles Chapman and George MacKay) set out on a seemingly impossible mission.

Eventually, though, Mendes won me over with help from co-screenwriter Krysty Wilson-Cairns and cinematographer Roger Deakins. This is a gimmick, yes, but a devilishly impressive one. More importantly, it’s used in the service of an exciting adventure and a sensitively told war story.

Esther Flores is a fighter. She champions for the rights and dignity of all people and she fights against bigotry and prejudice. You want Esther on your side.

A Registered Nurse, Esther has created and developed a program, One Divine Line to Health, which provides vital services health care to those women caught up in sex trafficking in Columbus and especially on the infamous Sullivant Avenue on the Westside. She has also set up several safe houses within Columbus for women in recovery.

Raised in New York City, Esther is a woman of strong faith and characters. She teaches us that we can change our attitudes about trafficked women by calling them what they are, “Street Sisters” who deserve our care and understanding. One can see her red minivan driving around attending to her Sisters on the Westside.