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Christopher McQuarrie and Tom Cruise consistently show their passion for high-octane action-adventure movies. They are in the business of giving audiences a seat-gripping, thrilling experience every time they release a Mission Impossible movie.

The 7th installment in the acclaimed spy-action franchise delves into the imminent concerns surrounding AI –– a theme anticipated to be the next cinematic trend akin to multiversal movies. While the concept of AI as a threat is not new to cinema, MI7 presents it in an eerily realistic parallel, reflecting genuine fears driven by our forever-advancing technology. Everything that Elon Musk has warned us about AI is essentially the setup in this movie. The threat of AI serves as the most formidable challenge yet for Cruise's character, Ethan Hunt, setting a heightened atmosphere of paranoia, suspense, and tension.

The movie opens with a Russian submarine in the Bering Strait, followed by a series of thrilling action sequences in the desert and Amsterdam, all filled with tons of exposition, shootouts, explosions, and fake deaths –– everything you'd expect in an MI movie –– and this is before the title card shows.

Wednesday, July 19, 2023, 7:00 PM
In its starred review of War Made Invisible, Kirkus Reviews called the book “a powerful, necessary indictment of efforts to disguise the human toll of American foreign policy” and “an incisive and provocative overview of the consequences of the media’s appalling failures in making important truths known.”

The review summarized War Made Invisible this way: “With formidable clarity, Solomon, the executive director of the Institute for Public Accuracy and author of War Made Easy, documents how the so-called war on terror has spawned an endless and secretive program of foreign interventions. The author is particularly eloquent in explaining how the media’s exclusive focus on past and potential ‘American suffering’ in framing such activities has meant that ‘there [isn’t] much room to see or care about the suffering of others, even if—or especially if—it was caused by the United States.’

No one needs reminded that gun violence continues to inflict tragedy and spread fear throughout the community. Columbus police and City leadership believe approximately .05 percent of the population are mostly responsible, and one question no one seems able to answer is: Where and from whom is this .05 percent getting their guns?

This question has tormented every community suffering from the flood of (white man’s guns) over the previous two-decades.

Here in Columbus – on Bethel Road – is a firearms store and training center whose ownership is in love with their own celebrity. LEPD Firearms, Range and Training Center at 999 Bethel Rd. sells all things guns including mass shooter rifles. They also have a broadcast studio where the owners and their friends glorify guns and obsess over gun violence to a large audience.

LEPD is prominent on social media, but their greatest reach locally is “OnTarget,” a weekly Saturday noon AM radio show hosted from their Bethel Road store. Their AM channel is the Trump-cult 610 WTVN, which unfortunately is one of the most popular radio stations in and outside of Central Ohio.

Tuesday, July 18, 2023, 6:30 PM
Program at 7:00 PM on why a “NO” vote in the August election is so important to preserving the basic principle of one person one vote.  Join us to learn about the issue and what action you can take to help preserve our democracy.   

Location:  Whetstone Library Community Room, 3909 N. High St., Columbus.  

Facebook event. 

Part Two

Faculty members and OSU College of Education degree holders Gay Su Pinnell and children’s literature professor and Pinnell’s teacher Charlotte Huck were the receiving agents of Clay’s rhetorical sketch. Without testing to confirm Clay’s “observation” studies, Pinnell in conjunction with Lesley’s Fountas proceeded to institutionalize and promote Reading Recovery/Fountas and Pinnell. Neither has expertise in early literacy nor reading. Clay’s limited studies do not stand up to scrutiny. (See Buckingham, Chapman and Tumner)

While visiting Columbus in 1984-1985, Clay began “teaching one trainer, three teacher leaders, and 13 teachers,” according to the OSU College of Education. An entry on its website states that “Since 1984, Ohio State has trained over 200 teacher leaders and trainers” in almost 40 years. That’s approximately 5-6 per year, an unimpressive total. They do not define “leaders and trainers.” They do not seem to be classroom teachers. OSU exposes both its operating and marketing methods here.

Monday, July 17, 2023, 5:00 PM
Grassroots Election Protection Coalition/ALLIANCE 4 GRASSROOTS DEMOCRACY.  
Register here. 

NOTE NEW LINK: 
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZYqfuygpjIiHtc20uIOxdeqYRiAicjSLWUc

Starting Sunday, July 16
Pick up your "No On Issue 1" yard sign - they are on the front porch at 1021 East Broad Street now!
Contact:
Suzanne Patzer - 614-374-2448
colsfreepress@gmail.com

Saturday, July 15, 12noon-6pm
Maize Manor United Methodist Church, 3901 Maize Rd., and several other locations in Linden
Sites include urban farms, homesteads, community gardens, land banks and space-sharing options & examples of small gardening yielding plenty.

Explore beautiful gardens and sustainable living in Columbus' Linden neighborhood !

This in-person event will take place on Saturday, July 15, 2023, 12 - 6 pm.

The Urban Farm Church, located at 3901 Maize Road, Columbus, OH 43224, will serve as the Welcome Center, and be open from 12-6, with activities and tours.

The 8+ additional sites will be open 1 - 5 pm with owners/creators/gardeners being present, sharing their visions, tips and challenges.

Whether you're a seasoned gardener, a sustainability advocate, involved in community gardens, or simply curious about sustainable living, this tour is for you!

Friday, July 14, 6-10pm, The Vanderelli Room, 218 McDowell St.

This event will feature live painters, performances, and film screenings; cocktails and a prison-themed microwave bar will be available for snacking.

Curators’ Statement:

“Imagining Abolition: Reset” presents the talent of RAG [Returning Artists Guild] artists who are either formerly incarcerated or currently serving time, their works illuminating the potential for creativity to flourish under the most depraved circumstances. Through their artistic expressions, these individuals have emerged as pioneers of contemporary practice and production, redefining the boundaries of art and its ability to transcend physical and psychological confinement.

The first "Insidious" was released back in 2011 with James Wan as the director, and it's still undoubtedly the best in the series. Good horror films depend on characters, atmosphere, subtle occurrences, and mounting dread. "Insidious: The Red Door," the fifth and supposedly "final" installment in the franchise, only ticks a few of these boxes.

I wanted to love "Insidious 5," especially with it being Patrick Wilson's directorial debut––having established himself as a bona fide scream king between "The Conjuring" and the first two "Insidious" movies. Plus, with Blumhouse's reputation for producing some of the most acclaimed horror films to date, including "Get Out" (2017) and Paranormal Activity (2007), my expectations were high. However, the "final" installment of the "Insidious" franchise was a mixed bag for me.