This morning, my blogs were not political. I wanted to be upbeat in trying times. Since those posts, the U.S. seized a Russian oil tanker on the high seas, an act of war. [FN1] Sec’y of State Rubio, briefing members of Congress, said the U.S. will “run” Venezuela & 1/8

sell its oil for U.S. benefit after our military attack. [FN2] Use of military force to invade another country & seize its natural resources is an act of war.

trump stated/ Rubio parroted, U.S. intent to…

After I completed my first Mini [FN3] in 1999, I swore to myself I never would miss a Mini unless I was dead or MS had a cure. My vehemence about the Mini dates back to In January, 1994, when my leg, below the knee, grew numb. The numbness progressed 1/12

until my left foot was nearly completely numb & parts of that leg that weren’t numb tingled. I thought it was circulation. I tried standing on my head for a few minutes. [FN4] An off-hand comment led to an appointment with a…

A move can be daunting, especially when you know only one person there. Undergrad, over 50 years ago, was one such prior experience for me, but nearly all the first years [FN1] at DePauw were in the same boat, so we were not alone, plus we were 18 & resilient. 1/7

Over ten years ago, I blogged about my diagnosis of Multiple Sclerosis (“MS”). That turned out to be an erroneous diagnosis. I’m not bitter, as I hope you’ll learn from these posts. A dynamic of those blogs is race…

Dictator trump had to acknowledge the Monroe doctrine [FN1] in regard to the illegal invasion of Venezuela he ordered: superseding it with his “Don-roe doctrine.” [FN2] The bullshit [FN3] that is #47 has put this country at risk of opening a broader, world-wide war. 1/13

1) Risk of broader war is real. Russia & China [FN4] condemned the invasion. China, a major trading partner, has extended billions of dollars in oil-backed loans to, Venezuela. [FN5] China has superior anti-ship…

To be “obscene” is to be “repulsive; deeply offensive to morality or decency.” [FN1] Hours after U.S. military forces attacked Venezuela, trump explained oil production would be improved. This is a distraction to add to #47's decoration of the Oval Office as tasteless as 1/7

the bordello where he met his third wife, demolition has smashed the East wing, and immunity SCOTUS conferred on trump (of a type the Framers would have found shameful. Without even bothering to pay lip service to…

IN Gov Mike Braun’s latest brilliant idea is to erect [FN1] the Ten Commandments (“the 10") on stone & place it outside the State House. The Establishment Clause of the 1st Amendment was construed as preventing religious inroads on government. However... 1/15

SCOTUS under Chief Justice John “We Can’t Be Bought But We Can Be Leased” Roberts gives a green light to ignoring we-settled precedent. Hell, Clarence Thomas doesn’t know why there is a fascination with stare decisis. There…

A post appeared today that repeated falsehoods that are aimed at immigrants of the Islamic faith. In order for the reader to understand what I am writing, I have to set out, in full, what was posted on FB page "People Over Politics." I apologize to those who are offended by the bigotry in the original post. That is the only way to effectively address it:

The meme:

"True or false?

"'PAY ATTENTION

85% of the world’s refugees are Muslim.

Not one of the 56 Muslim…

There’s no “fine line” between church & State: “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.” [FN1] That IN’s Constitution is more explicit [FN2][FN3] is of no matter to IN GOP Lt Gov Beckwith. 1/20

A “Christian nationalist,” [FN4] Beckwith’s rise in politics validates H.L. Mencken. [FN5]

But hey: Time is short. While free speech still is allowed, Beckwith’s claims of chats w/his “Lord” about politics should be…

Indiana’s Constitution [FN1] lists grounds for impeachment of State officers, [FN2] broader than similar grounds in the U.S. Constitution. [FN3] That IN’s Lt Gov & Christian nationalist Micah Beckwith can be impeached must be viewed in context the office he holds. 1/13

IN’s Constitution creates the office of Lt Gov [FN4] and the Lt Gov’s position as President of the Senate. [FN5] [FN6] The title is ostentatious, but the scope of authority is narrow. The Senate’s rules give…

NOTE: The following was a reply I posted this morning on a social media platform. I feel compelled to post it on my blog. Page breaks occur to fit on other social media platforms:

"I don't know what everyone else was watching. I thought this speech will be regarded as the kind of event that, years from now, people will regard in the same way as remembering what they were doing when they heard JFK was assassinated or the space shuttle Challenger blew up, or ...  1/7

the Cubs…

Say “corrupt politician” & people think “$$$.” An old quip shows Indiana’s no different:

Q: How do you get a bill through the Indiana General Assembly?

A: Toss a paper bag full of cash over a transom in the Claypool Hotel in the dead of night. 1/12

The Claypool’s gone, hotel transoms are rare, but $$$ only partly defines “corrupt”: “Perverted from uprightness and fidelity in the discharge of duty; influenced by bribery or the like; venal.” [FN29] In the 1980s, R’s &…

Bill Levin, [FN1] in a post on FB, noted generally that Indiana, like other States, provides for impeachment of gov’t officials. The context of the post was last week’s efforts by some in IN’s GOP to adhere to demands of #47 & gerrymander U.S. House districts mid-term. 1/9

In the lead-up to the vote in the Indiana Senate, GOP members of that body were threatened. The threats had an effect opposite what was intended. Over half the GOP members of the IN Senate voted against the…

3.2: Filter out wastes of time. In 2017, a case (“16-907") before SCOTUS challenged the legitimacy of the 2016 election for Pres/VP. [FN24] In late February, engaged as counsel, I filed a motion for a special master. On 3/27/17, 16-907 was dismissed. [FN25] 1/13

Over several weeks, I tried to correct shortcomings in 16-907's pro se [FN26] petition. That was filed. (“16-1404") In 16-907, the 3 petitioners were all from one, “blue” State; in 16-1404 the petitioners included a Clinton…

3: Filter out wastes of time. We near a cliff & a fall into authoritarian government. We can’t afford to waste time. Wasting is a strategy, but aimed at one’s opponent. [FN18] This was called a “time suck” in college debate. [FN19] Resistance against trump/magaGOP 1/11

must consider many ideas. A plan can contain a sub-part that people like. In the last blog, I referred to an idea Greg Olear had offered. [FN20] The possibility of putting the position of Speaker is legal, quick…

The Constitution states how to change our structure of government. [FN1] Gerrymandering to create artificial majorities in the House of Representatives and the “electoral college” [FN2] is not listed. People want to know how to stop the maga/trump takeover. 1/18

On 10/21/25, Greg Olear [FN3] offered a solution. [FN4] A lot of replies were to the effect of “Finally! Someone’s talking about solutions.” We can disagree on specifics of how to reverse damage of trump & magaGOP, &…

Some on the far right are, at best, confused or, more probably, lying about who is responsible for incidents of “swatting” [FN1] of GOP members of Indiana’s General Assembly. [FN2] “False equivalence” is a maga ploy as invalid as usual. Several reasons maga is lying. 1/9

1) It’s what “maga” does. As noted in a meme: “Majorie Taylor Green has been hated by the left for more than 5 years; she has been hated by the right for three days. She has now had to hire security for death threats…

Attention! Do you love Hoosier history? Ever pine away for historical re-enactments where you could wear a costume that isn’t the same old gray thing of the side you backed in the Civil War!? We have the opportunity for which YOU have waited for so many decades! 1/10

That’s right! You can take part in a D.C. Stephenson Heritage Tour just in time for a GOP fund raiser at the end of the line! You’ll start your journey in Irvington, on Indy’s East side, out side the mansion where “Steve”…

In magas-on-the-street interviews last weekend, some spoke of trump as divine. One went so far as to say: “trump is my savior.” As numbers of his supporters plummet, trump’s situation ripens for extreme measures. Once trump’s a full-on dictator, he’ll never cede power. 1/14

“The searchers all say they'd have made Whitefish Bay/If they'd put 15 more miles behind her.” [FN1] trump’s hold on office as “dictator for life” will be secure if circumstances combine with various events. Mob…

We have few defenses against heavily armed, masked thugs who drag people away. People wear masks so they can’t be identified. The “bad guys” (e.g., bank robbers) don’t want to get caught. The only “good guys” who wear masks are in comic books and works of fiction. 1/9

“Rule of law” means every person is subject to the law. [FN1] That standard was fundamental to our system of justice. At the State of the Union, Tony Soprano could have played the part of the POTUS, thanking the Chief…

Yesterday, the DePauw University football team won the Monon Bell for the fourth consecutive year, 41-20. Since at least 1999 I have watched the game streamed live at the “official” Indy site, Broad Ripple Tavern. (It’s extremely annoying when one repeats a garish 41-20 score.) 1/6

DePauw’s website has a logo for the game on the University’s website. Some people might not realize there actually is a bell for a traveling trophy. The Monon Bell, kept for the fourth year in a row by…