Adventures of a Gonzo Journalist
Posted in Creative Commons, and Journalism
This is the third and final part of my interview with scott crow.
We discuss what comes after antifa finish driving neo-nazis and white supremacists from our streets. In the second part of my interview, crow commented that the left is great at building “fire brigades” but less effective at building power.
I asked crow what building power looks like to him.
“I think that it starts with asking the question, ‘What does it take to build power?'”
Posted in Journalism, and Ministry of Hemp
A new Indiana CBD law makes the supplement legal for all residents without a prescription, ending months of confusion. It could also serve as a model for other states looking to address the legality and purity of CBD oil.
Last year, Indiana state police interpreted a state law designed to help people with epilepsy access CBD as a mandate to raid vendors who were selling it for other purposes. While CBD is known to relieve symptoms of severe epilepsy, its benefits are numerous and its popularity is growing fast nationwide. Legislators insisted they’d never intended to spur a police crackdown, necessitating the new bill which was signed by Gov. Eric Holcomb on Wednesday.
Now, “any consumer in Indiana by state law can consume hemp products with CBD without any repercussions,” said Brian Furnish, a hemp farmer from Kentucky and the president of the US Hemp Roundtable. Furnish served as a consultant to several Indiana legislators and their staff during the process of writing and passing the bill to legalize CBD.
Posted in Gonzo Notes, and Journalism
In the face of tyranny and environmental apocalypse, does our activism still matter?
I felt my heart sink recently when I saw an old comrade, largely retired from activism, questioning the value of his work. As a passionate advocate for LGBTQIA rights, he was one of the most radical and outspoken, never willing to settle down and wait for the human rights he deserved. I don’t in any way judge my friend for stepping back from activism, which is often a valid and eminently sensible decision. I’ve done it myself, lately, for various reasons including a legal battle I just won.
The stakes are higher now, to be sure. While Trump’s administration constantly seems on the verge of collapse, his election seems to signify a new era in which old standards of political behavior are abandoned in favor of accelerated, unchecked avarice and unmasked bigotry. Simultaneously, even the most pessimistic of climate scientists seems shocked at the rate at which things are getting worse for our planet.
Posted in Creative Commons, Journalism, and Radical Media
Black Rose Book Distro, a network of radical “pop up” bookstores in St. Louis, was attacked by white supremacists in January.
I first heard about the incident via Twitter as the distro’s volunteers spread the word about the damage to their books, zines, and safer sex supplies.
Authors, publishers, and activists of all kinds quickly stepped up to replace almost everything, and all of the Black Rose Book Distro locations are open again. But I still think it’s important to spread word about what happened, because American nazis pose a growing risk to not just the physical safety of marginalized groups in the U.S., from LGBTQIA folks to immigrants and people of color, but also our culture and knowledge too. The members of Black Rose agreed when I approached them for an interview.
Posted in Austin, Journalism, and Ministry of Hemp
I adore the chewy delight of a gummy candy, and I loved getting the chance to pick out the best CBD gummies.
I may be a bit biased, because I’ve always enjoyed gummies, from gummy bears to gummy worms, and they’re even better when you add the healing power of CBD. Obviously I’m not alone: store shelves are full of gummy adult vitamins and numerous other nutritional supplements in candy shapes. When it comes to CBD oil, the beneficial supplement made from industrial hemp, it’s no surprise there are lots of sweet, chewy CBD treats for sale now, too.
The appeal of CBD gummies is obvious: the flavors and texture make CBD easy to ingest, particularly if people have trouble swallowing pills or dislike the flavor of conventional tinctures. While all gummy supplements should be kept out of reach of children, some kids do take CBD, particularly for especially serious forms of epilepsy, so CBD gummies have an obvious appeal for those parents. It can also be easier to take a precise dose with edibles like gummies compared to a dropper of liquid CBD tincture.
Posted in Creative Commons, and Journalism
“I’m not into the politics of reaction,” scott crow said.
“You need dual power. You must resist on one hand, but you have to build and create on the other hand.”
In December, I caught up with anarchist organizer and author scott crow when he stopped by my house to drop off some copies of his book “Emergency Hearts, Molotov Dreams,” which I gave away to my Patreon patrons. I took the opportunity to talk with crow about American politics and antifa after a year of the Trump regime. In the previous part of this interview, I got crow’s thoughts on the media, so in this part I’ll focus on our conversation about everyday antifascism and the limitations of antifascist tactics.
