ColumbUS

Wear Pink Friday | Take a Stand Against Gay Violence

Fri, 14 Jun 2013 11:22:48 -0400

Wear Pink Friday | Take a Stand Against Gay Violence:

We’re all doing this, yes? Because we’re breathing human beings with souls, correct? Good.

Happy 614 Day, Columbus. Please make me proud of you.

Speaker for Catholic graduation disinvited because he supports gay marriage

Fri, 07 Jun 2013 11:29:43 -0400

Speaker for Catholic graduation disinvited because he supports gay marriage:

A local politician says he was asked to step aside as the commencement speaker at a Catholic high school in Columbus because he has been an advocate for same-sex marriage rights. Franklin County Commissioner John O’Grady offered the explanation yesterday after a parent told The Dispatch he had failed to show up at Saturday’s graduation at Bishop Ready High School on the Hilltop.

Ok, this is fucked. Thoughts: A) the principal’s name is Seamen. That’s inherently hilarious. B) It’s the same diocese that fired an experienced and beloved Bishop Watterson teacher for being a lesbian earlier this year. C) Does the Columbus diocese and the administration of Bishop Ready really think that treating a dedicated alumnus of their school like this encourages loyalty in the class O’Grady was to address? Uhhhhhhhhhh….no. You just told them that being liberal, loving, and HUMAN is not the way to get recognized by your old school. That’s whaaaaaaaaaack. The more I think about this, the faster my heart beats and the angrier I get. Imbeciles.

Do you remember rock 'n' roll radio?

Fri, 17 May 2013 12:39:32 -0400

Do you remember rock 'n' roll radio?:

Columbus, Ohio’s WWCD-FM is a throwback. It’s one of just a handful of independent, major-market commercial music stations left in America.

Man. I do love me some CD101.

spaceplasma: Large Binocular Telescope image shows the...

Fri, 10 May 2013 10:07:17 -0400

spaceplasma:

Large Binocular Telescope image shows the supernova in M51

In a Star’s Final Days, Astronomers Hunt ‘Signal of Impending Doom’

An otherwise nondescript binary star system in the Whirlpool Galaxy has brought astronomers tantalizingly close to their goal of observing a star just before it goes supernova.

In the first survey of its kind, the researchers have been scanning 25 nearby galaxies for stars that brighten and dim in unusual ways, in order to catch a few that are about to meet their end. In the three years since the study began, this particular unnamed binary system in the Whirlpool Galaxy was the first among the stars they’ve cataloged to produce a supernova.

The astronomers were trying to find out if there are patterns of brightening or dimming that herald the end of a star’s life. Instead, they saw one star in this binary system dim noticeably before the other one exploded in a supernova during the summer of 2011. [ … ]

The system is believed to have contained one very bright blue star and one even brighter red star. From what the astronomers can tell, it’s likely that the red star is the one that dimmed over the three years, before the blue star initiated the supernova.

Full Article

Credit: Ohio State University

Yes, yes, very cool. More importantly: OHIO STATE.

Did you know that we have a pretty kick-ass astronomy department? And that we share many of the world’s best telescopes with other institutions, even in Chile? Dude. It’s the coolest.

inothernews: blossom-bamford: stfuconservatives: smdxn: Eliz....

Thu, 09 May 2013 09:28:47 -0400

inothernews:

blossom-bamford:

stfuconservatives:

smdxn:

Eliz. Warren wants to cut student interest rates to near zero

Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) has introduced her first piece of legislation. It’s called the Bank on Students Loan Fairness Act, and would reduce the rate students pay on federally-subsidized student loans for one year, from 3.4% to 0.75%.

Without congressional action, on July 1 the rate is set to double from 3.4% to 6.8%.

Warren brings up an interesting point – her bill simply asks students to pay the same rates that big banks pay for borrowing.

She’s literally just asking if college grads can get the same deal as bank CEOs. The exact same interest rate. Not even a bailout or anything fancy (pipe dreams!) - just the same interest rate.

BLESS YOU ELIZABETH WARREN.

YOU GOTTA FIGHT! FOR OUR RIGHT! To pay no interest on our bullshit college loans.

I wish politicians gave as much of a shit about us as Elizabeth Warren does.

Elizabeth Warren is a goddess. Clinton/Warren 2016.

thepeoplesrecord: The troubling viral trend of the “hilarious”...

Wed, 08 May 2013 11:02:46 -0400

thepeoplesrecord:

The troubling viral trend of the “hilarious” Black poor person
May 7, 2013

Charles Ramsey, the man who helped rescue three Cleveland women presumed dead after going missing a decade ago, has become an instant Internet meme. It’s hardly surprising—the interviews he gave yesterday provide plenty of fodder for a viral video, including memorable soundbites (“I was eatin’ my McDonald’s”) and lots of enthusiastic gestures. But as Miles Klee and Connor Simpson have noted, Ramsey’s heroism is quickly being overshadowed by the public’s desire to laugh at and autotune his story, and that’s a shame. Ramsey has become the latest in a fairly recent trend of “hilarious” black neighbors, unwitting Internet celebrities whose appeal seems rooted in a “colorful” style that is always immediately recognizable as poor or working-class.

Before Ramsey, there was Antoine Dodson, who saved his younger sister from an intruder, only to wind up famous for his flamboyant recounting of the story to a reporter. Since Dodson’s rise to fame, there have been others: Sweet Brown, a woman who barely escaped her apartment complex during a fire last year, and Michelle Clarke, who couldn’t fathom the hailstorm that rained down in her hometown of Houston, and in turn became “the next Sweet Brown.”

Granted, the buzzworthy tactic of reporters interviewing the most loquacious witnesses to a crime or other event is nothing new, and YouTube has countless examples of people of all ethnicities saying ridiculous things. One woman, for instance, saw fit to casually mention her breasts while discussing a local accident, while another man described a car crash with theatrical flair. Earlier this year, a “hatchet-wielding hitchhiker” named Kai matched Dodson’s fame with his astonishing account of rescuing a woman from a racist attacker. But none of those people have been subjected to quite the same level of derisive memeification as Brown, Clark, and now, perhaps, Ramsey—the inescapable echoes of “Hide yo’ kids, hide yo’ wife!” and “Kabooyaw,” the tens of millions of YouTube hits and cameos in other viral videos, even commercials.

It’s difficult to watch these videos and not sense that their popularity has something to do with a persistent, if unconscious, desire to see black people perform. Even before the genuinely heroic Ramsey came along, some viewers had expressed concern that the laughter directed at people like Sweet Brown plays into the most basic stereotyping of blacks as simple-minded ramblers living in the “ghetto,” socially out of step with the rest of educated America. Black or white, seeing Clark and Dodson merely as funny instances of random poor people talking nonsense is disrespectful at best. And shushing away the question of race seems like wishful thinking.

Ramsey is particularly striking in this regard, since, for a moment at least, he put the issue of race front and center himself. Describing the rescue of Amanda Berry and her fellow captives, he says, “I knew something was wrong when a little pretty white girl ran into a black man’s arms. Something is wrong here. Dead giveaway!”

The candid statement seems to catch the reporter off guard; he ends the interview shortly afterward. And it’s notable that among the many memorable things Ramsey said on camera, this one has gotten less meme-attention than most. Those who are simply having fun with the footage of Ramsey might pause for a second to actually listen to the man. He clearly knows a thing or two about the way racism prevents us from seeing each other as people.

Source

Now that you know this is a thing, please stop sharing these memes. Poor Black people speaking candidly about various serious incidents isn’t a hilarious joke.

“Great. Another poor black person meme” was pretty literally my first thought when I heard about how the women were rescued and what Ramsey had said in his local tv interview. What the fuck does someone have to do to get a shred of respect?

npr: With bourbon sales growing fast, small distillers are...

Fri, 03 May 2013 16:12:25 -0400

npr:

With bourbon sales growing fast, small distillers are looking for ways to get their product to market faster. One Cleveland company has come up with a way to shrink the aging process from years to just days, while also cashing in on the craze for all things local.

— How A Distillery Ages Bourbon In Days, Not Years : The Salt

Photo: Courtesy of David Kidd

Liquor. Local. Ohio.

I’m so there.

Trans woman stabbed, dumped in pond tied to concrete in Ohio

Tue, 30 Apr 2013 22:11:21 -0400

Trans woman stabbed, dumped in pond tied to concrete in Ohio:

thepeoplesrecord:

fuckyeahmarxismleninism:

A transgender woman was stabbed repeatedly and dumped into a pond tied to a block of concrete in Cleveland, Ohio.

Only known by her birth given name, Carl Acoff, police announced yesterday they had identified her body after she went missing a month earlier on 27 March.

The 20-year-old was found three weeks later naked from the waist down with multiple wounds.

The man who found her initially believed the body was a mannequin, and contacted police who checked their missing persons list.

In the past, Acoff had clashed with police and the courts over her wish to be treated as a woman.

In January 2012, a judge found her guilty of possessing dangerous drugs after Acoff pleaded no contest.

These drugs included hormones used to boost estrogen in women. She was fined $1000 and sentenced to 100 days in jail.

There are no words.

What in the fucking fuck. Let’s hope that this gets a proper investigation and isn’t over-looked because it’s a transgender minority who’s been murdered. The fact this has gotten any attention at all is promising. Let’s go, Cleveland cops.

Never heard this song before and I was definitely crying when it...

Tue, 30 Apr 2013 21:41:36 -0400

Never heard this song before and I was definitely crying when it was over. Fun fact: Ochs went to Ohio State.

Firing of Watterson teacher necessary to maintain 'integrity of our faith,' Catholic bishop says

Tue, 30 Apr 2013 15:01:50 -0400

Firing of Watterson teacher necessary to maintain 'integrity of our faith,' Catholic bishop says:

hugesuccess:

columbusdispatch:

Bishop Frederick Campbell said that maintaining the Catholic values of the institutions under his purview is the main issue behind the firing of a gay teacher from a Columbus diocese school.

“That’s a fundamental responsibility for the bishop, to maintain that identity,” Campbell said today in an interview with The Dispatch. “We have to maintain … the integrity of our faith.

What Columbus Catholic schools lack in student population they more than make up for it blithering stupidity.

What integrity?
And why is this so-called integrity more important than retaining a beloved, and by all accounts, more than capable teacher who has done nothing wrong other than being born a homosexual? SOUND REASONING, CATHOLIC CHURCH! GOOD JOB! 2,000 MORE YEARS!

"There are other people out there that are very qualified and we’ve had enough Bushes."

Thu, 25 Apr 2013 10:11:37 -0400

“There are other people out there that are very qualified and we’ve had enough Bushes.””

- Barbara Bush: Jeb shouldn’t run for president (via brooklynmutt)

Babs Bush, layin’ it down per usual.

Quinnipiac poll: Ohioans support gay marriage

Fri, 19 Apr 2013 12:22:48 -0400

Quinnipiac poll: Ohioans support gay marriage:

Ohioans now support gay marriage by a slim margin, though Republican U.S. Sen. Rob Portman saw his approval rating dip because of his reversal on the hot-button issue last month. According to a survey released this morning by the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute, more Ohioans support same-sex marriage than don’t by a margin of 48 percent to 44 percent.

LET’S DO THIS, OHIO.

We’re in the shape of a heart, afterall. It’s science.

fuckyeahohio: I’d like to take this time to complain about the...

Thu, 18 Apr 2013 01:01:42 -0400

fuckyeahohio:

I’d like to take this time to complain about the jackasses in the Ohio House, but this is Fuck Yeah Ohio, not For Fuck’s Sake Ohio, so let’s give “I’m a Slut” by Howlin’ Maggie another listen instead.

“For Fuck’s Sake, Ohio”: I’ll take on that mantle.

Carry on, Buckeyes. Fight the good fight with bitchin’ tunes and tell the complete morons in the house to stop being such assholes and let Rob Portman know that he’s a fucking idiot too. I’ve had it with this day. I need some of this.

columbusdispatch: Dayton, Ohio native Jonathan Winters died...

Fri, 12 Apr 2013 14:33:19 -0400

columbusdispatch:

Dayton, Ohio native Jonathan Winters died yesterday evening at his Montecito, Calif., home of natural causes, said Joe Petro III, a longtime family friend. Petro said Winters was surrounded by family and friends.

In the 1950s, before he moved to New York City, the comedian performed on WBNS-10TV in Columbus as “Johnny Winters.” In this WBNS file photo, a young Winters is shown making a pitch for Gambrinus beer.

Once you step foot in Columbus, you are always and forever a Columbian. Respect, Mr. Winters.

columbusdispatch: Mara, a member of the swim team and an actor...

Tue, 09 Apr 2013 10:12:53 -0400

columbusdispatch:

Mara, a member of the swim team and an actor in the school play to be performed later on the day she was expelled, pleaded to stay.

“You say you’re trying to help me, but you’re taking me from a place I love,” she told administrators at her private school in Powell.

The school had kicked her out suddenly and without recourse after learning that Mara had made cuts on her arm and posted the bloody photo on a personal blog that other students viewed.

More at Dispatch.com.

Photo, by Dispatch photographer Jonathan Quilter: Most days, Ana Dan says, her 15-year-old daughter, Mara, pictured, feels happy and healthy, her struggle with depression and anxiety kept in check.

In what world does that make sense? Yes, educators who are supposed to be supporting and instructing and assisting young people, you should totally make the bizarre choice of throwing them out of school for having clinical anxiety. As if the sad fact that this girl posted images of her externalized anxiety and depression would make it spread like a virus through her school. What in the hell is wrong with the admins of this school? Why aren’t you HELPING HER you paranoid, backwards bastards.

College life: Gee’s car gets towed from OSU lot

Fri, 05 Apr 2013 11:27:34 -0400

College life: Gee’s car gets towed from OSU lot:

columbusdispatch:

Even Ohio State’s President Gee isn’t immune to campus-area towings…

He’d been playing darts on Tuesday with an OSU senior and her friends who had invited him to Mamas Pasta & Brew. When he went back to his parking lot, his car was gone.

(Re: Someone’s comment… Yes, it was Shamrock Towing.)

Amazing.

Oh, Ohio State parking. You are literally the worst.

fuckyeahohio: Big thanks to Beekily for letting us know about...

Thu, 04 Apr 2013 09:42:03 -0400

fuckyeahohio:

Big thanks to Beekily for letting us know about The Kings Of Summer.

The Kings of Summer is a new movie that was filmed in Chagrin Falls, Ohio and just screened at the Cleveland International Film Festival.

It may be starring a bunch of non-Ohioans, but seriously, it’s impossible to not love folks like Nick Offerman, Megan Mullally and Alison Brie, no matter where they’re from. They have some really nice things to say about Ohio too.

I haven’t seen the movie yet, but definitely will. It looks like a love letter to Ohio summers, running through the woods, and getting into trouble.

Here, enjoy a teaser:

Oh, hell yes. That is all.

thebusstop: Columbus breweries | Drink Up Columbus Aw yis....

Tue, 26 Mar 2013 11:20:04 -0400

thebusstop:

Columbus breweries | Drink Up Columbus

Aw yis. Spring drinkin’ & porch-sittin’ approacheth!

columbusdispatch: Widowed at 22 when her Army-captain husband...

Wed, 20 Mar 2013 12:16:52 -0400

columbusdispatch:

Widowed at 22 when her Army-captain husband was killed in Iraq, Jenna Grassbaugh struggled through her grief, trying to find a balance between holding on and moving on.

Nearly six years later, she thinks she has found a fitting way to move forward: The second-year law student at Ohio State University has donated $250,000 (half of her husband’s life-insurance benefit) to the Moritz College of Law to fund an effort to help veterans.

Damn. Classy, classy, classy lady.

"For readers interested in learning more about how not to be labeled as registered sex offenders, a..."

Mon, 18 Mar 2013 12:37:28 -0400

“

For readers interested in learning more about how not to be labeled as registered sex offenders, a good first step is not to rape unconscious women, no matter how good your grades are. Regardless of the strength of your GPA (weighted or unweighted), if you commit rape, there is a possibility you may someday be convicted of a sex crime. This is because of your decision to commit a sex crime instead of going for a walk, or reading a book by Cormac McCarthy. Your ability to perform calculus or play football is generally not taken into consideration in a court of law. Should you prefer to be known as ‘Good student and excellent football player Trent Mays’ rather than ‘Convicted sex offender Trent Mays,’ try stressing the studying and tackling and giving the sex crimes a miss altogether…

Trent Mays and Ma’lik Richardson are not the “stars” of the Steubenville rape trial. They aren’t the only characters in a drama playing out in eastern Ohio. And yet a CNN viewer learning about the Steubenville rape verdict is presented with dynamic, sympathetic, complicated male figures, and a nonentity of an anonymous victim, the ‘lasting effects’ of whose graphic, public sexual assault are ignored. Small wonder, then, that anyone would find themselves on the side of these men—these poor young men, who were very good at taking tests and playing sports when they were not raping their classmates.

”

- Mallory Ortberg of Gawker, critiquing CNN’s disgusting response to the Stuebenville rape trial verdicts.

Her commentary is spot on.

(via cognitivedissonance)

Well said.