From the Desk of…
I would like to start by thanking the person who, given free entry on a Google Form, submitted the text of the script for Bee Movie along with their address. In other news, to keep things fresh for everyone, I’ve shaken up my Recommendations. For those of you local who would like to potentially get more involved, particularly if you have an eye or ear for transit issues, consider checking this out:
In addition, if you enjoy analysis of ‘80s/‘90s media coupled with thoughts on RPG game design, you may similarly enjoy this:
Right, that’s enough of that. Takes it out of me to be so laudatory. Let’s open the news wire.
Something positive in progress: a state version of the CROWN Act, which would prohibit discrimination against natural hair in jobs, housing, and schools, has passed out of committee and might actually move through the morass of our state legislature. Columbus already has a local version, and Cincy too (I think), but it would be nice to see something like this happen at the state level.
Here’s a nice piece by Andy Downing about how Columbus really cares about its unhoused residents (it doesn’t). After sweeping a South Side encampment and relocating people to motels and hotels around town, the pilot program has spun down and… “residents were given a list of 13 income-based rental properties scattered around the city. Of the seven places [one] had called in an attempt to find housing, she said the shortest waitlist she has encountered is eight months.” There is a housing crisis in Columbus, not unique to Columbus but in Columbus, and we have to figure out how to treat our neighbors with dignity and respect, rather than tearing down their encampments and shoving them into roach-infested motels with broken heat for a while and telling them to figure it out when the money runs out. Huh, really makes you think about that profit motive.
Hey, remember that dude who put up the huge flag and Ben Franklin poster on the luxury apartments he was having built because of woke “in protest of shutdowns” back in 2020? Well, to the surprise of everyone, he has now decided to put up a Trump flag estimated to be “a couple car-lengths width” at another property. Hold on, I’m almost having an idea… profit motive… housing crisis… tax abatements… openly advertising one’s bigotry… wait, is it possible that capitalism is an economic system built on exploitation? Has anyone thought of that before?
Staying on flags, some jagoffs in a minivan drove around German Village and ripped down a lot of pride flags. We know they were in a minivan because German Village is the kind of neighborhood where there are cameras on every doorstep and garage. Anyone who would do something so foolish in such an area would probably struggle to get through so long a list, and I’m no Biblical scholar myself, but I’m pretty sure stealing made the list of Christianity’s Ten Do’s and Do Not Do’s. Oh, Sheheqazaramesh, will you ever learn?
Hey, can anyone tell me if it’s good that 71% of Ohio’s eighth graders weren’t proficient in math in 2022? I have a hunch, but I also wasn’t proficient in math in 2022, so I’m not sure. Three years prior (2019), we managed to only be at 62% there, indicating trends in the wrong direction as we drain more and more funding from public schools into choice vouchers as well as long-term impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on education and development. To be fair, Ohio did do better in math and reading than the country average: 74% of nationwide eighth graders weren’t proficient according to the report, and 68% of fourth graders weren’t proficient in reading compared to Ohio’s 65%. Maybe that’ll give us the edge to break out of being “one of the worst economies in the US.”
Also, it sounds like Cleveland has been brought to its knees by The Joker by some cyberattack. Sounds like ransomware that they don’t want to admit. Someone’s gonna be in trouble with IT! Having to shut down city services for several days and tell staff to go home… that’s not nothing.
The Brain Dump
just saw someone with the license plate NO WOKE and I would've shook his hand if he weren't driving like a jagoff in the rain
wow so every baddie in Columbus went to Chappell Roan, I see
nacho, nacho fan
i want to eat some nachos, man
Civ VII should bring back Baba Yetu and Leonard Nimoy
in my opinion, Kenny Loggins wrote one of the best songs about getting footloose
At the Movies
We come to this place for magic.
Fright Night (1985), dir. Tom Holland ⭐⭐⭐⭐
this did hit better for me this time but I still wish it were just a little more... something. like there could be a version of this with Zach Galligan and Vincent Price that I just love. just doesn't quite gel for me, even though I love Roddy
Not for Publication (1984), dir. Paul Bartel ⭐⭐⭐
This movie wants to be smarter than it is and funnier than it is, and those desires often work at cross-purposes here. That said, I do like Nancy Allen and David Naughton, so... it was alright.
Flag Wars (2003), dirs. Linda Goode Bryant, Laura Poitras ❤️
impossible for me to give an objective rating. required watching for anyone interested in historical Columbus politics and development
One Picture
I can’t stop looking at this. It’s beautiful.
In closing,
A number of folks close to me are in and out of the hospital, albeit some for elective reasons, and I found out yesterday that a colleague of mine fought her cancer to a draw over the weekend. I don’t say it a lot, but your health is important. Try to stay on top of it.
Until next time, try to do good and be well.
Dude, thank you for the recommendation! That's very kind. I'll try to actually write something valuable this month to earn it.
Also, funny enough, I was in the hospital yesterday when you published this - for baby's first kidney stone. Turning 40 has been brutal so far! (The stone has now left us)