Dear Friends and Supporters ~

HB 121 passed unanimously on the House floor - the bill now moves to the Senate for consideration!

Below is a recap of the proponent testimony provided during the 4/29 ( second) hearing on HB 121:

HB 121* AWARENESS WEEK (Stinziano, M., Ruhl, M.) To designate the last week of July as "Service Dog Awareness Week." (REPORTED; 2nd Hearing-All testimony-unanimously passed in State Government committee; moves to House floor for full vote on Wed., 5/6)

Mary O'Connor-Shaver, of Lewis Center, testified in support of the measure on behalf of seven grassroots animal welfare organizations: Animal Cruelty Task Force of Ohio, Joseph's Legacy, Justice for Herbie, Nitro Foundation/Nitro's Ohio Army, Ohio Coalition of Dog Advocates, Ohio Voters of Companion Animals, Paws and the Law and Angels for Animals.

            One may wonder what there is new to say about the civil rights movement.  In the immediate aftermath of Barack Obama’s first election it seemed to some as though the entire movement completed its mission and could be summed up like the ubiquitous tee shirt seen after the votes were counted: Rosa sat so Martin could walk so Jesse could stand so Barack could win so our children can fly.  Oh yeah, and as Julian Bond, long time freedom fighter and a founding member of the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), would add “and the white kids came down and saved the day.” The truth of the matter is, however, that the many, many books about the 1960s freedom movement have barely scratched the surface.  Arguably there are as many stories as there were participants. 

  Police misbehavior has been a trending topic for months now. In case after case, officers have been accused of using excessive force, especially against black males.
  It’s in this atmosphere that director Tiller Russell has released The Seven Five, fresh evidence that bad cops were around long before cellphone cameras were available to catch them at their worst.

  And “worst” is the appropriate adjective here.

  The subject of Russell’s documentary is such a blatant example of police corruption that it’s a wonder he got away with it for as long as he did. The best explanation is that his fellow officers either supported his actions or looked the other way due to a misguided sense of loyalty.

  As former New York police officer Michael Dowd explained it, a “good cop” was someone who backed his fellow cops, even when they were breaking the law they were sworn to uphold.

  The film’s title refers to Brooklyn’s 75th Precinct, a reputed hothouse of crooked cops in the 1980s and early ’90s. And Dowd was the crookedest.

"First Person Singular" is an occasional column by JP Marat that empowers artists, musicians and community activists to speak in their own voice. Sincere thanks to the Columbus Free Press for the opportunity to let our voices be heard . . . 

JP Marat Writes . . . 

What is House Music ?

House Music is a form of Electronic Dance Music (EDM) that emerged in the early 1980’s following the decline of disco. It is characterized by steady 4/4 kick drums, ubiquitous bass lines and syncopated cymbals. Each track in a DJ’s set is ‘beat matched’ to the previous song to create an uninterrupted symphony of sound that runs from the drop of the first platter to bartenders last call.

Record samples, chosen by the DJ, enhance this audible feast. These samples may add a splash of flavor or instead be the foundation of an entirely new arrangement. Artists as varied as Skrillex, Kanye West, Rihanna, Daft Punk and Fat Boy Slim have built some of their most loved songs around song sampling.

Why do they call it House Music ?

Barely Eagle’s new record is laden with hatred which is ironic because the Barely Eagle guys are some of the chummiest people.
  I don’t think it’s fake.

  They’ve been friends since grade school, and have made music together since the age of 18.

  You have possibly seen one or many of them perform in Go Evol Shiki!, Deerhead, Church of the Red Museum, Muscle Puzzle or Nick Toldford & Co. over the years.

  Tom Butler, who pens many of their misanthropic anthems, is a friendly radio personality on CD102.5 who hosts speciality radio programs Frontstage and the Independent Playground

  Their album will be released on the 1980 Records imprint based in Chicago.

  Barely Eagle has two release parties scheduled.

  One at Carabar June 13th.The other at Spacebar June 27th.

  Although, Barely Eagle are pleasant in person, musically one could reference the Murder City Devils or Shellac when describing their music.