Okinawa--In late October 2015, I was with 3 Okinawa peace activists and a British solidarity activist on a tour of local resistance to U.S. military bases. After an hour of driving north from the city of Nago, crossing deep ravines and shimmering blue bays, we approached a dense forest, where the U.S. military’s only jungle warfare training center is situated, way up in the northernmost section of the island of Okinawa.

As we continued driving, the highway was suddenly blocked by some large, camouflage military vehicles, and we got out to investigate. One of the vehicles was an armored personnel carrier with what looked to be about 25 soldiers inside, some of them looking out at us quizzically. I waved and a few of them waved back. We watched two soldiers get out and direct traffic around their convoy, while they waited to enter the training center’s main gate. For a few minutes we chanted and banged our drums at the gate. Once the first vehicle cleared whatever impasse they had at the gate, all the vehicles soon vacated the highway and disappeared into the training center.

Expert Tele-Briefing 2 pm (Eastern), Tues., Oct. 27 (See end of press release for call-in details)

Washington, D.C. – Thousands to tens of thousands of high-level radioactive waste shipments would cross through 45 states and the District of Columbia, if plans for the country’s first nuclear waste repository at Yucca Mountain in Nevada move forward. Today, Beyond Nuclear, in coalition with NIRS and dozens of grassroots groups nationwide, released maps of the likely routes radioactive waste shipments would use. The groups want residents in these corridor communities across the country to weigh in with Congress about the dangers.

Are you kicking yourself for missing this year’s Telluride Film Festival? Not to mention Sundance, Tribeca and Cannes?

  Have no fear. You can still catch a film festival—in fact, two of them. And you don’t even have to leave town to do it.

  Every November, a pair of festivals vie for local film lovers’ attention. True, you aren’t likely to see Hollywood celebs at either of them, but if you happen to like non-mainstream films—especially those with a Jewish, LGBT and/or Ohio connection—you’re in luck.

  First up is the Columbus Jewish Film Festival, running Nov. 1-15 at various venues. Just how Jewish is it?

  “We don’t really have strict criteria,” said festival director Emily Schuss, explaining that a film might be chosen simply because it has a Jewish director or touches on Jewish themes.

  Schuss noted that one film has little Jewish connection but is interesting because it focuses on the ever-controversial issue of gun control. Titled The Armor of Light, it’s a documentary about a prominent evangelical minister who has decided being pro-gun is inconsistent with being pro-life.

People say to me, write some damn previews. Spread the word. These are music events that Columbus will be hosting in the next month.

The Game

Xclusive Elite

October 31st

$30-50

  The Game just dropped the Documentary 2 and The Documentary 2.5 for the 10 Year history of his classic album the documentary. The Game is known to be hyper-referential in his lyrics.

  Well,the Documentary 2 both shows that  1) Game has personal history that can be -self-referenced and 2) also takes routes into 91-96 East Coast Hip Hop in addition to Game’s usual Dr. Dre’s cultural impact in the flesh existence.
   “The Documentary 2” allows a slew of guests like Diddy, Kanye, Will-Iam, Dre, Kendrick Lamar and others to present a history of “Hip Hop” through a Compton lens, then and now.

Brassica, a new comer in the Short North, hands down, gets my vote for “best falafel sandwich” in Columbus. If the custom opportunity of building the sandwich myself wasn’t enough reason to love it, the care they put into making every component downright delicious sealed the deal. Sumac and paprika seasoned fries was a fresh twist (though I rarely eat fries). Truth-be-told they had me at fresh baked pita, house made baba ganoush, “crispy” onions and that roasted red pepper sauce. They ensure you can get a robust infusion of healthy nutrients with fresh pressed juice that is fairly affordable.  Brassica continues to strive with their organic, local and sustainable packaging standards typical of their sister establishments, Northstar Café and Third and Hollywood.