Wednesday, February 7 2018

A new Showtime documentary series highlights Columbus’ opiate epidemic 📺

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Hello snow. It's James.

It feels like the opiate epidemic has taken a backseat recently to the incessant insanity of the daily political news cycle. 

But, as we all know, we are still looking at a daily public health crisis in central Ohio. A new Showtime 5 part documentary series will look at the epidemic, from growers, to dealers, to addicts, to law enforcement, and Columbus plays a major role in the series. Director Matthew Heineman is probably best known for 2015's

Cartel Land

, which dealt with the drug trade along the US-Mexico border, making this series a natural evolution for his work. The series premiere is already streaming online, and the show will air Fridays at 9pm.

Wednesday Weather 🌡❄️ 28. You'll be waking up to 2-4 inches of snow, with a further 1-2 inches possible. The snow should stop by 9am, so this storm is perfectly timed to wreck commuting.

Navigator Originals ✏️This Private, Wooded Retreat Feels Secluded, But It’s Just 30 Minutes North Of Columbus 🏡You wouldn't think mid-winter would be the time a bunch of amazing houses would come on the market, but evidently you'd be wrong. Following yesterdays stunner comes this house which feels like a nature retreat, and has one of the best covered patios I've come across in central Ohio.These New Babes At The Zoo Will Definitely Brighten Up Your Work Week 😍It turns out gazelle calfs are the cutest things on planet Earth, which I did not previously know.Columbus Music Organizations Team Up For Mindful Music Moments Program 🎵The Columbus Symphony (partnering with CAPA and Opera Columbus) has introduced a new school program aimed at helping kids focus. Kids listen to classical music and relaxation prompts with the goals of decreasing stress and increasing mindfulness.

Around Town 🏘Anthony Precourt is striking out all over Austin. His preferred stadium locations are Austin parkland, and opposition to giveaways of public land is rabid. Precourt Sports Ventures has already moved on from it's top location (Butler Shores Metropolitan Park) leaving Guerrero Park (angering local residents) and McKalla Place (not in the urban core) as the remaining city owned properties available. The Austin parks and rec director has requested a postponement of a February 15th meeting to allow time to gather more community input, which would push the process out through May. [Dispatch/Erickson]Did you know Ohio has petroglyphs? There are nearly 40 drawings thought to have been made by people from the Fort Ancient culture in Leo, Ohio, near Jackson. [Atlas Obscura]The Ohio Supreme Court upheld abortion restrictions on Tuesday. The law requires abortion providers to enter into a "transfer" agreement with a local hospital but the Ohio state budget bars public hospitals from entering into these transfer agreements, leaving only private hospitals (often run by religious organizations.) This leaves clinics in a Kafkaesque situation, as designed. [Dispatch/Ludlow]The most baffling/ridiculous thing you'll read today: an Ohio teen claims to have made a million dollars trading cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin (down 40% so far in 2018) and would like to teach you how (at just $29 a month. What a steal, right?) If you still needed evidence that Bitcoin is madness, here you go. [Business Insider]

Longread 🌊In mid-January a German pro surfer named Sebastian Steudtner rode a wave off the coast of Portugal estimated to be 115 feet tall, a new world record. There is video, and it's as amazing as you'd expect.Kottke: Surfer rides a wave 115 feet tall

Something to say? Hit reply - we read it all.- James