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In light of TransOhio’s recent decision to sever all ties with Stonewall Columbus (SWC), I would like to add a few comments.

And while I was not part of SWC’s executive leadership or a member of their Board... I was obviously close enough to that organization to see very intimately all of the events that happened before and after Pride 2017 and the brutal mistreatment of the Black Pride 4 AND the lack of a meaningful, apologetic response that still, after 2 years, was the impetus for TransOhio’s departure from a relationship with SWC. And kudos to them. It’s about time. And other Columbus LGBTQ organizations should gather up their courage and follow suit and cut off ties with SWC.

There is a very simple reason that SWC has become irrelevant and part of the problem instead of a solution to the intolerable treatment of our trans community and particularly our transPOC community...

Pride. Not the celebration. But the state of being enamored by one’s own opinion of the self/itself. “pride” lowercase.

Herbalists are often frustrated by not only the system we all live under (that devalues human life, is indifferent to suffering, and only supplies quality care to those that can pay) but also frustrated how that system has slowly indoctrinated us in how we think about “medicine.” The biomedical-pharmaceutical model has convinced us there is a magic bullet for each “diagnosis.” That’s marketing, not good medicine. That is not how herbalism works, either. Herbalism treats people, not conditions.

Herbalists hear it all the time, even from some of our beginner students: “What herb is good for depression?” or “What should I use for this eczema?” The implication in these questions is that there is an herb that is a plug-and-play, one-size-fits-all prescription for an umbrella diagnosis. However, folks are asking the wrong questions and don’t even know it.

Never been prouder of Columbus thanks to a spontaneous moment of dance at Bruce Nutt's Crazy Mama's 40th Anniversary shindig starring the indefatigable Fleshtones at Skully's, Friday, October 4.

Deep in their super-rock garage soul show, lead singer Peter Zaremba, guitarist Keith Streng and bassist Ken Fox began doing a 'boogaloo' line dance onstage to the catchiest stripper/tiki/funk beat I've ever heard compliments of drummer Bill Milhizer.

The lanky Zaremba and his fellow super-rock skinnies urged the audience to join them and 'boogaloo down High Street/c'mawn, c'mawn.'

With no further prompting almost the entire dance floor crowd did exactly that. Eight lines or so, each roughly a dozen people, instantly and joyfully in sync with the band began marching back and forth, like the best New Orleans' New Year's party you've never been to.

An already-hot Fleshtones show/special anniversary show kicked into ultra-high gear, spirits levitating, middle-aging bodies gyrating, the night now a happening and not just a remembrance of youth crazily spent.

The good news

As 2019 is coming to an end, the 1DIVINELINE2HEALTH Love Tribe survived purely on faith, hope, and love. These key ingredients expose the human suffering on Sullivant Avenue by sounding the trumpet of injustice through the written word, media, and by exercising the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. As a result of the word of our services for the sick and victims of human and drug trafficking and injustices – both locally and globally – has been promoted, the Love Tribe has expanded.  

Woodhouse Vegan Cafe and Space just launched in Italian Village on the corner of 4th and 1st off the 670 4th Street off-ramp in October. Their presence has transformed the vegan community restaurant footprint in Columbus with a level rivaling Los Angeles or New York City in a mid-century modern style with industrial flair, fresh-smelling immaculate restrooms, and sparkling dining ware.

The entire non-vegan neighborhood has embraced Woodhouse Vegan Cafe regardless of being a vegan establishment, due to the wide appeal of this socially conscious (nonviolent) sustainable, healthier take on traditional comfort food. The food is so delicious it doesn’t matter to the 30-40% of the nonvegan customers that it is 100% plant-based.

If you are craving a grilled cheeze sandwich, loaded nachos, an amazing South African peanut stew, caesar salad, mac and cheeze, pretzel bites, and or have a sweet tooth for some decadent rotating desserts such as brownies, pies, cupcakes and fudge – you can be satisfied! As the name indicates, they also offer private space rental in the upper level, for events.

Every Columbus progressive and lefty knows who Joe Motil is and thank goodness we have him. But with the City Council vote just days away, do you know Liliana Rivera Baiman? She’s one of three Yes We Can candidates seeking to unseat several incumbents, known by many as the endorsed Democrats.

If you are unfamiliar with Liliana, a former Dreamer from Mexico, one of the first things you should know is how her passion to organize and lead was inspired at a very young age when her family moved to the hardscrabble Texas town of Dickinson.

Her father was a construction worker, her mother a custodian. There were three siblings and several uncles, also from Mexico. At one point the family numbered a dozen. Even though all adults had jobs, they still needed to find something affordable.

So the extended family moved into a three-bedroom trailer where their next-door neighbor's house was the headquarters for a large and active chapter of the Ku Klux Klan.

I don’t smoke weed, instead I watch internet programming about marijuana. You know those Yule log videos? It’s kinda like the moment where the non-homeless learned their thermostats then watched TVs with fireplace images. While I would like to believe that this is funny…

Weed internet is flouring because medical marijuana opened the door for weed investors who can overpower previous monopolies.

I read High Times’ website because you're either gonna learn about the changing weed laws or read well-written news stories that are often funny because weed is the subject. I don’t smoke weed. I’m trying to figure out how to ride this economic wave. I never sold weed because I didn’t want to open my home to potheads.

Most weed dealers work 120-hour work weeks at commission rates from their living spaces. Allowing complete strangers who just want drugs into my home doesn’t appeal to me.

I’ve decided to write articles about social weed culture from the vantage of someone who doesn’t smoke, but understands music writers exist in the new legal weed economy.

Planning has officially begun for ComFest 2020

2020 will be the 50th ComFest event (for two years, there were two Festivals and one year there was no Festival). It's time to celebrate!ComFest is a great way to get involved in your community. There are lots of interesting and challenging jobs to take on. Volunteer with your friends as a group or volunteer and make new friends, ComFest is a wonderful way to give a little time back to your community and have fun doing it!

If you are interested in getting involved with the planning of ComFest 2020, please come to any of the General Planning Committee Meetings (see below)

Applications and deadlines:

(applications online at comfest.com)

ComFest Community Grants deadline: Jan. 20, 2020

Musicians, Performers, Speakers and Workshops deadline: Feb 1, 2020 

Vendor Applications deadline: April 20, 2020

ComFest meetings
Shelterhouse in Goodale Park:

ComFest General Planning Committee Meetings
Thurs. Nov. 7th at 7:30PM, Sunday Nov. 17th at 1PM, and Thurs. Dec. 5th. at 7:30PM.