If I had been in the debate – Travis Irvine

Young white man with dark rimmed glasses and a suit with lots of political buttons and a big smile

As we barrel towards Election Day, it’s become clear the Ohio Debate Commission wasn’t actually created to ensure robust debate for Ohio’s voters. On the contrary, it was meant to stifle any real discussion about the issues and keep Ohioans from knowing about all their options on the ballot in the gubernatorial race this year. Case in point – the recent debates held between the two major party candidates for governor, Republican Mike DeWine and Democrat Rich Cordray, that excluded half of the candidates on the ballot, including myself, the Libertarian Party candidate, and Constance Gadell-Newton with the Green Party.

As was to be expected, all this exclusion did was allow for the “debates” to descend into the typical arguing and mudslinging Americans have become accustomed to in our duopoly-dominated discourse, as opposed to actual conversation about policies and the problems facing our state. DeWine and Cordray predictably attacked each other on their equally dismal records as attorney general, directly quoted their negative ads and blamed each other for Ohio’s opioid crisis, all while only offering big government solutions that waste more taxpayer dollars.

Finally we believe women.

Brett Kavanaugh Is Long Past His Sell-by Date as a Credible Human

I have been speaking with a number of people on the other side. We’ve had conversations ongoing for a while with regard to making sure that we do due diligence here….

– Senator Jeff Flake, Arizona Republican, September 28, 2018

Election Protection 2018

The words Protect the Right to Vote

Wanted: Election Protection Volunteers

Help us protect our right to vote.

Green Party/Free Press will again be placing election observers inside the polling places for the critical November 6th election. Fair elections require vigilance. The Free Press continues to be the leader in election reporting. We held the public hearings after the 2004 election debacle, and have worked hard on election issues since. For more information: http://freepress.org/article/election-protection-2018

Election Protection Observers:

Ohio law allows election observers inside the County Board of Elections and/or local polling places if appointed by a political party 10 days in advance of the November 6th election. The Free Press, in conjunction with the Green Party, is looking for interested activists to observe and report on this election. Training and materials will be made available.

What is the job of an Election Observer? The answer is to show up, to observe, to ask questions and take notes.

Free Press Awards Event will feature Brian Griffin & the Coffee House Rebels

Psychedelic colorful background and white man in a cap with glasses drinking a cup of coffee with the words Coffee House Rebels

Brian "Clash" Griffin, honored at last year's Free Press Annual Awards Event, will perform  with the Coffee House Rebels at the 2018 Free Press Awards ceremony on Monday, October 8 at Woodlands Tavern, 1200 W. Third Avenue. The Coffee House Rebels are  an electric, folk-rock blues, acoustic punk, rock band made up of Brian Clash on vocals, guitar,  and harmonica, Chuck Oney on bass and vocals and Sarah Noble on drums and vocals. To hear them, come to the event!

Facebook event

Geek Speak: Ohio Linux Fest 2018

Cartoon of Penguin on top of a map of the state of Ohio with the word FEST in front of it

The Ohio Linux Fest (OLF) will be at the Ohio Convention Center this October 12-13. OLF is like a Comfest for people who love computers, and specifically the free software known as GNU/Linux (winks at Richard Stallman).

OLF is also for people who prefer the term open-source, work at corporations and just call it Linux. If you didn't get the point of distinction, I could spend this article explaining the distinctions between copy-left, copyright, MIT vs. BSD and GPL 2 v 3 and you would probably not have any better idea of why you should care. So instead just take my word for it that there are good reasons for people who work with technology to care about these things and read on.

OLF certainly caters to people who are already familiar with Linux and know what a kernel is, but it is also a kid friendly community event. If you are Linux curious you will still find a lot to learn with various introductory sessions that will hold your hand while introducing you to new concepts.

Socially Just Dining: Ye’s Asian Vegan Kitchen

Pineapple cut in half with lots of rice and vegetables inside

Ye’s Asian Vegan Kitchen just opened in Hilliard’s West Point strip mall just south of the Kroger at Roberts and Hilliard Rome on Sept 16, 2018. While vegan options are expanding in many dietary diversity conscious restaurants globally, Ye’s is now the fourth 100% vegan restaurant operating concurrently in the Columbus metro area (Loving Hut, Portia’s, Eden Burger) where one does not have to worry about any animal product cross-contamination. There are a full spectrum of vegan appetizers, main courses rice-based and noodle based dishes, soups, salads, spring rolls, dumplings and  more. The only thing they have yet to develop is their dessert menu. The Vegan Columbus community has been raving about their Ye’s Asian Vegan Kitchen experiences, so check it out!  

Street Fight Radio joins Chapo Trap House for a live show October 10th in Columbus

Different sizes and types of white guys sitting on stools on a stage, a couple talking into mics

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1SFPd9yE8ZdRtkQUQiOz8VmV3UWG2uoQ3gw1-MIBHNpc/edit?usp=sharing

Columbus’ own anarcho-comedy duo Street Fight Radio will perform alongside Chapo Trap House as part of the Chapo Trap House tour for their book The Chapo Guide to Revolution on October 10. They both represent a revolution in comedy.

Street Fight Radio started as a community radio show on the local WCRS LP (92.7 & 98.3) in 2011 and now has fans around the world. It was a project by two local comedians, Brett Payne and Bryan Quinby, who were disenchanted with the state of comedy in Central Ohio and wanted to do their own thing. The two started performing skits and providing a working-class anarchist critique of politics. In 2016, the show transitioned from a hobby project to a full-blown gig as the duo found success with the crowd funding platform Patreon. I asked Bryan what about their recent success.

7 days in … the GOP’s not-so-grand but very old Senate

Never before has the Republican Party so explicitly shown its true colors. It is now so far off to the right the Clintons look like raging communists. The all-male Republican membership of the Senate judiciary committee refused to interview a female sexual assault victim themselves. They hired a prosecutor to interrogate the victim and say next to nothing to the accused. Senators whom had previously railed against Trump lost all moderate credibility when they leapt to the defense of a Supreme Court nominee accused of sex crimes and perjury. The entire party has been astoundingly flagrant in its disrespect and disregard for women.

GW Pharmaceuticals: Savior of mankind or bane of human existence?

Two very large marijuana plants in pots under a grow light

GW Pharmaceuticals: Savior of mankind or bane of human existence?

Once upon a time, there was a guy who knew a lot about marijuana. He attended cannabis conferences and participated in presentations. He hobnobbed with a wealthy well-known insurance magnate.  Eccentric described him, but he also had a wonky, biochemical side intent on legitimizing marijuana as medicine. He claimed he had “no beef with people who grow, smoke, or provide their own cannabis.” He decried the drug war’s toll on U.S. marijuana policy. 

But there was another side. He’s been portrayed as the master mind behind an unfair marijuana monopoly that patents plants, extraction techniques, medicines and extract inhalers – and then sues violators. A Monsanto that resorts to heavy-handed police state scare tactics. A purveyor of prohibition that prevents people from managing personal healthcare or growing personal medicine.

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