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Top 10 Reasons Bill Maher Is Not "Our Best Weapon Against ISIS"

10. This sort of argument for debunking Islam in the media as the best way to "defeat" ISIS/ISIL misses the fact that ISIS recruits from the United States make up almost certainly much less than 1% of recruits, so that 99% of the problem, even on its own terms, remains completely unsolved.

Come to the mini-conference to stop nukes in Ohio

STOP THE CARBON-NUKE BAILOUTS!!!

Mini Conference on the PUCO’s Upcoming Energy Decisions

Win a Carbon/Nuke Free Ohio

Move to Renewables and Efficiency

SUNDAY APRIL 12, 2015; 1pm to 5:45 pm

Columbus State Community College
Center for Teaching and Learning Innovation
339 Cleveland Avenue at the southwest corner of Grove Street Parking is in the lot by the building.

1:00 pm: Welcome by Emcees Harvey Wasserman, author/activist Bob Fitrakis, Prof. Political Science, Columbus State Community College

SPEAKERS

1:10 pm: Kevin Kamps, Radioactive Waste Watchdog, Beyond Nuclear, Takoma Park, MD.
Davis-Besse nuclear reactor, a threat to Ohio and the Great Lakes.

1:50 pm: Carolyn Harding, Organizer, Radioactive Waste Alert & the Columbus Community Bill of Rights.
Challenging fracking in Columbus and Ohio – from injection wells to

2: 30 pm: Break

community rights.

2:45 pm: Ned Ford, Veteran Ohio energy activist and consultant.
EPA’s Clean Power Plan; Ohio’s Senate Bill 310; the big picture on Clean

Matt Bors comic

U.S. vets return to air to help birth state of Israel

  Some subjects are so controversial that it’s impossible to address them without raising extreme emotions.
  The Iraq War is one. Even though director Clint Eastwood avoided addressing the politics behind the war in American Sniper, the film still sparks angry reactions. While some viewers hail it as an anti-war document, others see it as a defense of an invasion that most Americans agree was a disaster.  

  Equally contradictory emotions are likely to greet the documentary Above and Beyond—or they would if it attracted any viewers who didn’t already agree with its sentiments. Directed by Roberta Grossman (Hava Nagila: The Movie), it details the efforts of flying World War II veterans who returned to the air in 1948 to defend the new state of Israel.

  It’s a compelling story, and an uplifting one for those who see Israel as these Jewish Americans did: a haven for a people who’d been the targets of the Holocaust, and who could never fully escape the age-old problem of anti-Semitism.

Is DC Comics finally getting the point?

For the last few years, DC Comics has seemed to be smack in the middle of a big nostalgia trip to the 90s, and not the kind that involves pogs, Pokémon and Power Rangers. Despite decades of success with adult-quality but kid-friendly fare on television, the company that owns Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman and the rest of the Justice League has been doubling down on the bleakness, violence and gratuitous female thong-shots that defined the worst of 90s comics.
  The overhaul of their entire line as the “New 52,” launched in September 2011, put far more emphasis on catering to the old straight white male market than expanding their audience. Ever since then, the company has been mired in a series of tone-deaf fumbles. There was the gross over-sexualization of Catwoman, Starfire and Harley Quinn, all of whom had been popular with women readers. There was the restoration of former Batgirl Barbara Gordon’s ability to walk, despite her role as one of the only significantly disabled superheroes in a major comic. And there was the editorial cancellation of lesbian Batwoman’s marriage, which led to the creative team leaving the book.

Freep Hero – Charleta Tavares

  Those of us in Ohio’s 15th district (the east half of Franklin County) should be proud to call Charleta Tavares our State Senator. Active in central Ohio politics for over 20 years, she has served as an Ohio House member, as a member of Columbus City Council, and is currently the Assistant Minority Leader in the State Senate. Charleta was the first African-American woman to hold a leadership position in the Ohio Legislature.
  Unfortunately, in 1998, J. Kenneth Blackwell bested Charleta in the race to become Ohio Secretary of State. Think of how different our state and country would be if Charleta, instead of Blackwell, had overseen the 2004 Bush-Kerry presidential election. No long lines. No flipped votes. No outsourcing the final tally. No stolen election and no second Bush administration.

A Personal Memorial to Leonard Nimoy

This article is an expression of my deepest condolences to the family, friends and colleagues of Leonard Nimoy, and illuminating my friendship with him.
  Leonard contacted Heather after Zoe Wiseman approached him at his exhibit for The Shekina Project (an earlier book of photographs). Zoe asked him why he only used thin models, and would he be interested in photographing women with larger bodies. He said, “Yes.” Zoe introduced him to Fat-Bottom Revue.
  In February 2005 I was accepted into the first all plus-sized touring burlesque troupe, The Fat-Bottom Revue of San Francisco. In September 2005, while touring the Southwest with blues singer Candye Kane, we stopped in Los Angeles. This photoshoot began a friendship between myself and Mr. Nimoy.

The Bummer’s vinyl release – A night in historic Franklinton

The Bummers

A friend of mine invited me down to see the Bummer’s vinyl release at Strongwater Food and Spirits on March 6th. I was unfamiliar with both the Bummers and the other bands on the bill, and had also never seen Strongwater function as a live music space. At least things promised to be educational; I bundled up on what turned out to be the last cold night of the year.
  The cool kids release vinyl these days folks. CD’s are yesterday's beer coasters, relegated to traditional Celtic Music and Chad Mitchell Trio compilations. I think the vinyl thing is a little precious, a triumph of hipster revisionism, but that’s probably sour grapes -- the needle on my record player is broken.

The electronic scene mourns and I took a walk down Beat Street

The Columbus electronic community is hurting right now. Connor Compassi died unexpectedly.  Connor promoted, deejayed and just in general helped make things happen.
  Worst importantly: Connor was beloved and a good friend to everyone he interacted with.
  This is an informal writing.
  A bulk of his friends went to Mississippi for Connor’s funeral so there will probably be something more written down the road.
  However, I can say that Connor played a special role in our city.
  Connor was amongst the Nightmode Squad.
  He deejayed at bars, helping with equipment, and also being a trusted glue.
  Connor promoted many events in DIY settings like garages, loft apartments and other non-bar spaces through his party Signal.

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