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In Norm Foster’s Screwball Comedy the Canadian playwright emulates movies of the film genre of the same name that had their heyday during the Depression. These breezy pictures were known for their clever, rapid fire patter and word play, with droll dialogue and plots penned by witty wags such as Ben Hecht, Charles MacArthur, Moss Hart and George S. Kaufman.

 

In We’re In the Money author Andrew Bergman described screen Screwballs as “comedy at once warm and healing, yet off-beat and airy… [Their] overwhelming attractiveness… had to do with the effort they made at reconciling the irreconcilable. They created an America of perfect unity: all classes as one” at a time when capitalism was in deep crisis. Prime examples of Screwballs include Frank Capra’s 1934 It Happened One Night with Clark Gable and Claudette Colbert and 1938’s You Can’t Take It With You starring Jimmy Stewart and Jean Arthur plus Leo McCarey’s 1937 The Awful Truth featuring Cary Grant and Irene Dunne.

 

Movie star Eric Roberts has joined the cast of TOWARDS THE MOUNTAINTOP: COMMEMORATING DR. KING and the 55th ANNIVERSARY OF THE MARCH ON WASHINGTON to re-enact Senator Bobby Kennedy.

 

Mississippi-born actor Eric Roberts has been nominated for an Oscar and three Golden Globes. His big and little screen credits are far too long to list here, but during the 1980s alone, they included “Star 80”, “The Pope of Greenwich Village”, “The Coca-Cola Kid”, “Runaway Train” and “Blood Red” - the only movie Eric acted in with his kid sister, Julia Roberts. More recently, Eric Roberts appeared in “The Dark Knight”, “Entourage”, “The Young and the Restless”, “Glee”, “Hawaii Five-O”, “CSI”, “Suits” and “Grey’s Anatomy” - to name just a few.

 

Colorful drawing of a landscape with a sun, windmills, people holding hands, some trees and the words Ohio Community Rights Network

CHILLICOTHE, OHIO:  On August 8th, the Fourth District Court of Appeals dismissed the Athens County Bill of Rights Committee’s (ACBORC) appeal to place their rights-based county charter initiative on the ballot. Athens County residents were denied the right to vote on forming a county charter government in the November 2017 election. The Athens Board of Elections and the Common Pleas Court blocked the people’s initiative, which also banned fracking wastewater injection wells, despite residents duly qualifying the measure.
 

The appellate court claimed there was a technical mistake made at the Common Pleas Court, thereby justifying the higher court’s refusal to issue a decision. ACBORC asks why the court took more than six months to decide not to decide.
 

Black and white photo of black man in muslim outfit, glasses and a beard

On Tuesday, August 14, Imam Hasan went before the Serious Misconduct Panel (SMP) for allegedly leading a riot, workstoppage, and other unauthorized business through the phones.

As he expected, the fix was in at the SMP and he was found guilty of all counts. More details below, but the summary is that none of his witnesses were allowed to testify, he was not allowed to view all of the evidence against him, and new charges and witnesses were brought against him.

Apparently the SMP is no more serious about due process than the Rules Infractions Boards we're more familiar with. Hasan faces a one year phone restriction and transfer to "Extended Restrictive Housing 3". Hasan has been on some version of "ERH" since it was invented, and on "level 5" the previous highest level since that was invented with the construction of Ohio State Penitentiary.

White woman with long blonde hair and large breasts with lots of cleavage in a green dress smiling

Columbus “Vice” Squad in Action: Somehow the Columbus Police missed evidence over the years that their chief spokesperson was into kiddie porn, but they did manage to put together a major sting operation to arrest stripper Stormy Daniels at the Sirens Gentlemen’s Club for brushing her breasts against two undercover cops. Email obtained by CNN indicates that Columbus police officers targeted Daniels for arrest here in Columbus.

If you think Stormy Daniels’ arrest was a set-up for political reasons, the history of the Columbus Police suggests you are absolutely right.

In our city there’s been a long-standing operational link between the police vice squad and those who investigate political crimes. Free Press Editor Bob Fitrakis wrote a series about this in 1999 in an anthology called Cops, Coverups and Corruption. Then-Columbus Police Commander Curtis Marcum used the so-called “police intelligence unit” to spy on and blackmail local politicians and political radicals.

Black & white photo of a thin bald man sideways speaking and gesturing with arms outstretched to a crowd of people

A hundred years ago, the greatest political show trial in United States history took place. It began in Canton, Ohio when the legendary socialist Eugene Victor Debs denounced U.S. involvement in World War I.

On June 16, 1918, Debs allowed all the elements of his democratic socialist faith to flow forth. Debs’ speech made it clear that there could be no socialism without democracy: “Everywhere they are moving toward democracy and the dawn; marching toward the sunrise, their faces all aglow with the light of the coming day. They are the Socialists, the most zealous and enthusiastic crusaders the world has ever known.”

Debs’ political strategy for advancing democratic socialism was straightforward: “To turn your back on the corrupt Republican and the corrupt Democratic Party – the gold-dust lackeys of the ruling class – counts for something.” Debs told the crowd “Do not worry over the charge of treason to your masters, but be concerned about the treason that involves yourself. Be true to yourself and you cannot be a traitor to any good cause on earth.”

Veganshift logo at bottom and quote "vegan choices are for anyone who wants to: love deeply, think critically, live responsibly

When we think of loving deeply, we think of expanding that love to all self-aware earthlings. When we think critically, we think of the consequences of our actions not just on ourselves but also on all other individuals (human and non-human) who share our world. When we think of living responsibly, it means that we live consistently with universal values in every aspect of our lives and the desire for freedom from violence and oppression for all innocent individuals, equally.

 

Once you have embraced the decision to live with integrity in behavioral consistency for respecting all living beings, your next step is to connect with people who have been living vegan and can show you how:
 

  • Join the Columbus Vegan Meetup

  • Attend events that connect you to the people and places that empower vegan living

  • Educate yourself on equivalent vegan alternative options: food, clothes, entertainment, medicines, rescues vs. pet stores etc. Many of these resources are found on veganshift.org.

Pink background and large words Stand up for Choice comedy at Ace of Cups

Tuesday, August 21, 7:30-10pm
Ace of Cups, 2619 N High St
It's a dark time for women in America. An administration with a palpable disdain for the reproductive health and wellness of American families is getting it's second SCOTUS pick and the end of Roe v. Wade may be around the corner.

We aren't going down quietly.

Join us for the best comedy show and rally this state has seen yet! You're still going to get the best of the best comics from the mid-west and beyond - laughter is always the most important part of CSU4C - but this time you're also going to have the opportunity to get involved with abortion and social justice advocates from Ohio River to Lake Erie coast.

Featuring:
Bridget Denman
Brooke Cartus
Keith Bergman
Samantha Rager
Hosted by Pat Deering and Amber Falter

We advocate best when we advocate together, so this time, CSU4C is benefiting the Freedom of Choice Ohio (FOCO) Coalition, an organization that represents groups advocating for a better Ohio all across the state!

FOCO Includes:
-American Civil Liberties Union of Ohio

Rashida Tlaib has nothing about war or peace on her website. And she’s going to be elected to the seat held by Congressman John Conyers, famous for giving speeches for things like impeaching George W. Bush while telling reporters and colleagues that impeaching Bush needed to be avoided. So, take statements for what they’re worth (very little until followed by action).

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