FOLIO
SALUTE TO FOLIO’S FINEST
The annual Association of Alternative Newsmedia awards were revealed on July 28, and we are so proud to announce that our own A.G. Gancarski, he who scribes Fightin’ Words, was awarded third place in the Political Column category for papers of our size. AND Daniel A. Brown raked in a third place finish for his January 2017 Feature Story, “Let the Ceremonies Begin.”
Also notable, other former Folio staffers and editors were recognized in the awards, such as Gwynedd Stuart, who got an honorable mention for her Art Feature in L.A. Weekly, “Who Was Anton LaVey? An L.A. Exhibit Sheds Light on Satanism’s Black Pope.” And Indy Week, helmed by former Folio editor Jeffrey Billman, raked in an amazing SIX awards and honorable mentions! Congrats to all nominees and winners of AAN awards.
HIGH HUMOR IN COLORADO
We were super, duper sad to learn that a year-and-a-half into
the presidency of Dear Leader, the Colorado State Capitol still doesn’t have his portrait displayed with all the others. Well, one darling, daring prankster was having none of that, taking it upon themselves to fill the empty space where Trump’s face should be—with a portrait of Vladimir Putin. Cue the accordions and assemble the national media, which came a-galloping.
The prank had a likely unintended effect: Raising awareness that the state had not raised the $10,000 necessary to pay for a big, beautiful painting, and in turn inspiring donations to fill that void. Colorado Springs Independent reports that Colorado Senate President Kevin Grantham, a Republican (duh), has made it his personal mission to raise the cheese on GoFundMe. Grantham reportedly said in a release that in lieu of seeking a single Deep Pockets, he wanted to take a more grassroots and “populist” approach. The campaign launched on July 31; by Aug. 2, it had met its goal.
WE HEART HART
Hear this, audience members: WE DO NOT WANT TO WATCH THE SHOW ON YOUR SMARTPHONE. Put. It. Down. You’renever going to watch that five-minute long vertical video of Jethro Tull standing on one leg tooting his flute, anyway. And neither are your friends. Snap a pic or two for posterity’s (read: Instagram’s) sake, then put the damn thing away! YOU’RE RUINING THIS FOR EVERYONE BEHIND YOU!!!! Whew.
Alright, now that we’re back from getting that burst blood 
vessel in our eye checked out, we’ve gotta long-distance high-five comedian Kevin Hart, who, according to Creative Loafing Tampa, warned attendees of his Aug. 4 show not to even bring their phones. “No texting, talking, tweeting, cameras, social media or recording/audio devices of any kind,” Hart said in a release. It’s not just about ripping off the copyrighted work of performers; it’s about ripping off the experience of the person behind you staring at the maddening cube of light emitting from the device you’re ham-handedly holding aloft. Trust, no one pays good money for that. If you don’t like it, stay home and watch TV while compulsively scrolling. That way the only person’s evening you’ll ruin is your partner’s.
BEST SON EVER
Seeing a loved one suffer is devastating. Alzheimer’s and dementia are particularly impactful on friends and family who every day witness a little bit of their beloved slip into the grey mist. The family of 79-year-old advanced Alzheimer’s disease sufferer Barbie Strong is handling her illness with unparalleled grace, compassion and respect for her wishes.
Strong’s son, Eric Schechter, tells Madison, Wisconsin’s Isthmus that he has established a round-the-clock “village of people” to care for his mother so that she can live in her home. Together they give her a quality of life that very, very few in her condition probably enjoy. Since her 2012 diagnosis, Schechter has taken his mother to Spain, New Orleans and Cuba, and continues taking her to activities she likes, such as festivals, the dump (seriously) and a weekly brunch at a local tavern. Although he acknowledges that the disease brings grief—she no longer remembers her son’s name—Schechter says, “If my mom dies today, I know what I did—there will never be a regret because I cherished every moment. This is the best phase of our relationship.” #Inspired
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