A couple of my friends waiting for the riots to start, but we’ve got no riots here. What we have here, in Portland, Oregon, are concerned citizens, loving their country, speaking out against a lawless president and his gang of masked thugs.
By D.S. Mitchell
With Morning
Every morning I wake up, praying it’s not true….but, it is; Donald Trump is president, and the nightmare continues. Day after day, Trump continues his consolidation of power. Any restrictions that limited his accumulation of power during his first term have been removed. He has surrounded himself with yes people; and as such, Trump has, since the 2024 election, been on a single minded pursuit of supreme authority.
No Limits
Donald Trump has for years made no secret of his total disregard for limits on his power and during his 2024 campaign said more than once that he was going “to be a dictator on day one,” following up with, “a lot of Americans want a dictator.” No one seemed to be listening, pretending Trump was “joking” around. From what I’ve seen this last nearly 10 months, supports the idea that he was as serious as a nuclear meltdown.
It Was Predicted
During Trump term 1, officials surrounding him suggested, not so quietly, that he wanted to politicize the military, using it to target Americans, and potentially using those troops to hold onto office. Currently, Trump is going well beyond what looks like any legal authority to militarize the streets of America by declaring imagined emergencies.
For Example
In recent days alone, Trump has taken major steps on this front. He federalized the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department and has deployed the National Guard to the nation’s capitol to deal with his fabricated, “out of control crime.” The federalization of the D.C. police department has been called “unprecedented” and the deployment of the National Guard is “extraordinary,” because the NG is usually called up for widespread, violent rioting, not some agitated president trying to distract from a building sex scandal. After sending the Guard into Chicago, Los Angeles, D.C. and Memphis, now has set his sites on the “Little Beirut” of the Pacific Northwest, my beautiful, beloved hometown, Portland, Oregon.
I Better Like What You Say
Whether you’re Jimmy Kimmel or the Commissioner of Bureau of Labor Statistics, if Donnie Dumb-Ass doesn’t like what you are saying, expect to get fired. As a further politicization of federal information and data he fired BLS Commissioner, Erika McEntarfer, calling her reported July jobs report, politically “rigged.” Rather than reassure financial markets that they would be able to trust data he replaced McEntarfer with a presumed MAGA loyalist, William Wiatrowski.
Demanding Investigations
It’s been a long summer of Trump demanding one investigation after another of all his political opponents-and his demands keep growing louder screaming that everyone from Hillary Clinton to John Bolton will be investigated and jailed. First of the big opponents to be dragged into court is, holy crap, James Comey, former FBI Director. Mr. Comey has been indicted and charged with making false statements and obstruction of justice. I personally believe it’s more about Comey posting on his Instagram account the now infamous image of “8647” made of sea shells on a beach somewhere.
An Authoritarian Turn
With all this going on, it’s as good a time as any, to explore the most recent significant and consequential power grabs by Trump and his inner circle. With the help of dozens of media outlets I’ve put together a list of 7 actions that Trump is using to expand his authoritarian control of our government. Is this how we, after nearly 250 years of sovereignty, lose our democracy; to a fat, demented psycho, signing illegal executive orders? Is this our crossing of the Rubicon, that moment that can’t be reversed? I guess only time will tell. But the kamikaze attack Trump is carrying out against our institutions is alarming. This is looking, scary, folks. So, here is my 7 point list:
1. US Military On US Streets
I guess in Trump’s shriveled mind, all you need to do is declare an emergency and then call in the military. Wahoo! Not so fast, it looks like he wants to militarize the county, at least all those cities and states with duly elected Democratic officials. J.B. Pritzger, (D) Governor of Illinois said he thinks Trump wants to make it common place seeing soldiers on the streets of our great cities, so when elections begin in 2026 Trump’s storm troopers will be available to intimidate, harass, and even arrest citizens as they attempt to vote.
The primary legal reason that the U.S. military generally is not allowed to occupy American cities is the Posse Comitatus Act of 1878. This federal law prohibits the use of armed military forces for domestic law enforcement purposes, based on a long standing belief that military interference in civilian affairs is a threat to democracy. Furthermore, the 10th Amendment to the Constitution is the pillar to state independence and the foundation for state sovereign immunity, which declares that powers not delegated to the United States are reserved to the states or the people. Reinforcing the federalist principle, ensuring the federal government’s powers are limited; and that states retain significant autonomy over their own affairs.
2. Tariffs
Now this whole ‘effin tariff game is just another Trump power play. He is, of course, far exceeding any presidential authority. The U.S. Court of International Trade has said so, but we haven’t gotten to the Supreme Court and he seems to have neutered them, right along with the Congress, and is currently running around like a dictator, changing the terms and tariff amounts willy-nilly in some schizophrenia bargaining strategy. The end result, is an ever shifting and changing level of taxation on American citizens and businesses.
It may not seem like it now, but the Congress does have the power to slow this wanna be tyrant down, but the GOP controlled Congress has no interest in stopping or even slowing down their party’s standard bearer. What a sad display of weak kneed cowardice for the world to see.
3. The “Enemy Within” Investigations
I’m sure you have heard Trump say, at multiple rallies, “I am your retribution.” Well, he was not talking about “your retribution,” he was talking about going after his own enemies. He’s pushing for investigations against key figures that headed four high profile efforts to scrutinize Trump in his first term; the Russian investigation, his first impeachment, the January 6, 2021 riot investigations, and those leading his personal criminal and civil cases. The retributive nature of using the Justice Department to bring charges against his perceived enemies, is to say the least, a break with historical practice. At the beginning of Trump term 2 he signed an executive order explicitly demanding the investigation of Miles Taylor (a Homeland Security official in Trump 1) and Christopher Krebs (a top cyber security official in Trump 1) both well-known and vocal Trump critics.
Even if the investigations fail to produce indictments, they subject the targets to large legal fees, politically motivated threats against their health and welfare, and public embarrassment; sending a clear message to anyone else who may be thinking of blowing the whistle on Trump’s actions, that they better not. If you question him, he and his political attack dogs will come after you. That’s a powerful recipe for keeping people quiet.
4. Loss Of Independent Functions
Trump’s actions with the Bureau of Labor Statistics could have big time implications. Here again, its all about the message it sends to others who might deliver bad news for Trump. And although his nomination of E.J. Antoni, to replace fired BLS commissioner, Erika McEntarfer, was withdrawn due to sharp bipartisan criticism, the nomination was an obvious effort to undermine the expectation of independence from such officials.
Trump has a long history of trying to fire nonpartisan government officials and watchdogs. Just look at his continued attacks against Federal Reserve Chairman, Jerome Powell, attempting to force him to lower interest rates, by repeatedly threatening to fire or investigate him. President’s aren’t supposed to do this kind of shit. Well, until Trump that is. Trump’s active and very public, often by tweet, threats against the Chairman should be alarming. Such political pressure in apolitical government functions is reprehensible.
5. The Disregard of Due Process
In order to ramp up those lawless deportations, Trump and his advisor, the ever shrinking, “4’10” Stephen Miller”, have made some serious power grabs. Most notably; by just ignoring the due process clause of the Constitution and the rule of law. Trump invoked a wartime authority-the Alien Enemies Act-to quickly deport undocumented immigrants, which in itself is quite a stretch of authority.
In the heated rush to deport the undocumented there have been numerous wrongful deportations and attempted deportations. These actions in some cases have been blocked by the lower courts. In one case, in total defiance of court order, the Trump administration ignored the court order to turn around planes carrying migrants headed to prison in El Salvador. It seems the lower courts have stepped up to check Trump, while the Supreme Court continues to bend over backwards to indulge whatever perverted whim strikes our demented leader. The power struggle continues with dire prospects for democracy.
6. Ignoring Congress/Tik Tok
Trump has no intention of heeding the will of the Congress; and his acquiescence to his every demand is growing dangerous and increasingly alarming. A great example is the legislation regarding Tik Tok. The legislative branch passed a bipartisan bill requiring the social media giant to divest from its parent company ByteDance or be banned, with lawmakers citing urgent national security concerns. The bill was later unanimously upheld by the Supreme Court. But Trump, until last week, seemed to be intentionally ignoring the legislation, giving ByteDance (Tik Tok) multiple extensions, despite him having no authority under law to take such action.
On 9/25/2025, Donald Trump, by executive order, of course, approved the deal to sell Tik Tok to American investors, Oracle Chairman, Larry Ellison, Fox Corp Chairman Emeritus, Rupert Murdoch, and Dell Technologies CEO, Michael Dell. With concerns for free speech and privacy in the forefront these names should light a fire under all of us. In case you didn’t notice, these men are all close Trump allies. Per the agreement, ByteDance will retain 20% ownership. Furthermore, under the agreement, Americans will hold six of the seven seats of the US Tik Tok Board of Directors. The takeover of the U.S. media by a few MAGA individuals leaves me and a whole lot of others deeply worried. There was good reasons that the Founding Fathers protected free speech and a free press in the Constitution as essentials to a free functioning country. Pretty soon these rich guys will own all the media outlets in the country. A real time for thoughts and prayers.
7. Dominate Media, Colleges, and Law Firms
The media, the universities, and many of the most high powered law firms in the country have made unexpected and quite remarkable concessions to Trump’s demands. It seems that many have made the calculation that it is better to stay on the fat guy’s good side, than to resist. New precedents are being set and those precedents could negatively impact other institutions and further embolden Trump and his supporters.
A gleeful Trump during an interview at the White House in March of 2025, said, “You see what we’re doing with the colleges, and they’re all bending (the knee) and saying, ‘Sir, thank you so much. We appreciate it. Nobody can believe it, including law firms that have been so horrible, law firms that, nobody would believe this, just saying, ‘Where do I sign? Where do I sign?'” I don’t believe a word that this delusional guy says, except in this case, I do believe he has humbled the mighty and just as with every other move he has made the intent is to silence those who would oppose him and his authoritarian actions.
***Mark October 18, 2025 on your calendar and commit to join the growing army of anti-Trumpers and hit the streets with sturdy shoes and inspirational signs. The NO Kings event is revving up as we get closer to 10/18/25. Please come out and visibly display your hatred for kings and oligarchs. My sign says: NO CROWNS for CLOWNS with a big crown and below it a clown riding a unicycle. I know you guys are smarter than me and can come up with something better, just do it!
References: Union and Labor Standards, Wages, Incomes, and Wealth, the Perkins Project, the New York Times, Mother Jones, The New Republic.
By Cate Rees-Hessel with D.S. Mitchell
Since taking office less than a year ago, “The Donald” has made quite the mess of our nation…. again. I feel like sending him right along with his policies to the nearest dump site. Here are just a few of his deliberate faux pas:
Mark 10/18/2025 on your Protest Calendar and hit the streets and tell Trump we’ll have ‘No Kings Here.’
** “Canonization is the declaration of a deceased person as an officially recognized SAINT specifically, the official act of public veneration.”
**The White House announced that Charlie Kirk will be posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
Charlie? Charlie? Hmmm….Charlie. Charlie Kirk? Mmmm, Charlie Kirk. Who? I don’t know who this guy was but apparently his death beat out Jesus Christ for the top political murder in history. On September 10, 2025, Charlie Kirk, an American right-wing political activist, was shot and killed while making a speech at the Utah Valley University campus in Orem, Utah.
So-o-o-o this guy, Charlie Kirk, that more than three quarters of the country never heard of, is getting more fevered press than the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. Certainly more histrionics than we got when then Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi’s 82 year old husband, Paul Pelosi, was attacked in their home and nearly beaten to death with a hammer by a pissed off MAGA guy. Or on Jun 14, 2025 — House Speaker Emerita Melissa Hortman (D) Minnesota lawmaker and her husband, Mark, were fatally shot in their home by a right wing extremist with little more than a ripple on the political airwaves.
It’s another cloudy day in Grants Pass, Oregon. The morning news sounds just like last night’s news. Does this mean we are entering an overly long season of re-runs coming out of the Trump White House? It looks like the Orange One has given me enough time to play a game; maybe more than one. If you’re thinking the woman is sounding a bit crazy, you could be right. I need a break from the freaking asshole taking up space in the people’s house. I’m not in the mood to be serious today. I was going to write an in-depth, thought-provoking, political post on Trump’s “emotional” response to the actions of his buddy, Vladimir Putin., instead, I am going to play a game my mother taught me close to 60 years ago.
Here are the rules of today’s game. I will open a dictionary at some random place and I will, from the two open pages, keeping the words in sequential order, write a story. Today’s story will center on a well-known politician and his daughter. I challenge you to do it. It is harder than it sounds.
So, here we go. The dictionary I will be using is the one I keep on the shelf next to my desk in my alcove office. Everyday America English Dictionary, Edited by Ricard A. Spears, et al. NTC (National Textbook Company) 1987. Pages 130-131.
Donald Trump dropped his fountain pen on the desk, and asked, “What’s for dinner tonight?”
“Some form of fowl that Donald Jr, bagged when he was on safari in Texas,” Ivanka snickered.
“You are a fox,” Big Daddy Trump gushed, leering suggestively.
“Stop it, Daddy.”
“Do you know what fraction of the federal budget is being spent on Jr.’s security detail? Some woman reporter asked me today, and I had no idea. Do you know?”
“Oh, Daddy, don’t worry about such stuff. Just say that information is TOP SECRET, and if that ‘fake news’ lady asks again, you just tell her it’s, classified.”
“Of course, of course. You’re right, sweetie. I have more power in my Truth Social finger than ANYONE else in the world! Especially some ‘fake news’ reporter.”
“We should have that finger insured. What if there’s a fracture? It would be a disaster,” she said, bobbing her head up and down in self confirmation.
“Careful, Daddy, that bowl is very old and very fragile. Michelle Obama called it historic. She said something about Dolly Madison.”
“Historic?” Trump repeated, simultaneously tossing the object skyward and catching it with his left hand.
“Daddy, please, stop juggling it. Stop it.”
Political blogging requires mostly research and the desire to tell the world all of your political theories. Ideas you are driven to share with people who may or may not support your theories. I try to provide discussion, analysis and relevant topics from current U.S. political news. But, sometimes, I like to play, so for this session here are a few word chains, related in some twisted way, to the current political situation. LOL.
I can change black to white, by changing one letter at a time: black, blank, blink, clink, chink, chine, whine, white
I can change give to take, by changing one letter at a time: give, live, like, lake, take
I can change tears to smile, by changing one letter at a time: tears, scars, stars, stare, stale, stile, smile
I can change poor to rich, by changing one letter at a time: poor, boor, book, rook, rock, Rick, rich
I can change hate to love by changing one letter at a time: hate, rate, rave, cave, cove, love
Fun and amazing, huh?
I wonder if Donald Trump can change treason to impeach by changing one letter at a time, or impeach to imprison?
Join The New Resistance; protest, protest, protest. I want to encourage all of those who aren’t hospitalized or dead, to hit the streets on June 14th, 2025 to protest Trump’s 92 plus million dollar military-personal birthday parade. Millions of dollars for phony adoration while his administration terrorizes our veterans, the disabled, the sick, the poor, the disenfranchised, hungry children, and the elderly, with loss of funding for basic health care and other safety net services. We as a nation don’t have to take this shit. Destroying our democratic government and promised benefits for millions of Americans in exchange for tax benefits and special government contracts to a handful of sociopaths and oligarchs seems out of balance. It is clear that the billionaire values his needs above those of his country and his fellow equal citizens. There are more of us than there are of them. It is time we remind them of that fact. Show your outrage; make a sign, find the sneakers, and tell Trump, Musk, and that whole billionaire cabinet to suck dick.
Calamity Clown/ AKA D.S Mitchell
**Thank you Rod L Evans, Ph.D for your permission to use your work on this website. (Displayed word chain taken directly from his book Tyrannosaurus Lex). Look for it.
Making Signs
The alarm woke me at 4 a.m. I was up and out of bed in a flash. I was excited. The protest was scheduled to start at 11:30 and I still had signs to make. “RESIST MAGA,” “HANDS OFF!! EVERYTHING,” “Radio Free America, 2025” and “Musk to Mars”. The “Musk to Mars” sign was quite distinctive; big, bold letters on a field of white. It was definitely my favorite. All four signs only took me a couple of hours with poster board and project markers, but I thought they made a big statement.
A Lawless Operation
Despite all my frenzied activity I was still mad as hell. The Hands Off !! protest was my first protest march since 1968. A lot has happened since those days. I’m now grey-haired, and older than the Ten Commandments, but I’m pissed off. I’m so pissed off I’d even called a couple of friends and we agreed to do the protest together. Strength in numbers. The Trump Administration is running a lawless operation out of the White House and I wanted to let those a-holes know that me and a majority of Americans want it stopped. I could spend the next 1,000 words ranting against the Musk/Trump policies, but I won’t. Instead I want to tell you about my Hands Off!! protest experience.
Deep Red
First of all, let me make it clear. I live in deep red, Trump country. More specifically, Grants Pass, Josephine County, Oregon. Josephine County hasn’t voted Democratic since 1930 something.; that’s nearly a 100 years, it’s that red. However, over the last month, as the darkness of Trump’s agenda has emerged, I have seen fewer Trump yard signs, some of which have been in the ground since 2020. Furthermore, there is a significant drop in the pickup trucks with the giant American flags and mammoth Trump banners parading up and down the main street of our little town.. That boiling pot of MAGA outrage seems is cooling, while the Dems and the Independents are blue with rage.
Fingers Crossed
There were about 500 people at Oregon Senator(D) Jeff Merkley’s Town Hall a couple weeks ago. I hoped the Hands Off !! protest would draw at least as many. I had my fingers crossed. While I worried about attendance, I also fretted about parking. With one of my gang in a wheelchair and me using a walker; ease of parking was a priority. With that in mind, we headed out about 10 o’clock and easily found parking across the street from the courthouse. I high-fived my comrades and with help unloaded first the rollator and next the wheelchair and headed to the front of the Josephine County Court House on 6th street.
Drum Roll, Please
I was surprised to see such a large crowd an hour and a half before the scheduled event. It looked like people were fired up. I could hear the sound of a cow bell, a chorus of drum beats, and a megaphone shouting encouraging chants. People were flowing in from all directions, waving signs. The diversity was striking. The grievances many. There was a sizeable group of boomers, many like us using walkers and wheelchairs. I was happy to see a large turnout of all age groups. Boomers, Gen X, Millennials, and Gen Z; everybody was there. There was also a sizeable group of young folks flying the flag of many colors.
Too Many Problems
There were as many concerns as there were people. Women’s rights, Democracy, due process, Trump’s Imperial presidency, DOGE, corruption, the reckless gutting of essential government services like Social Security, Medicaid, Medicare, Veterans benefits. complaints. Despite the anger and outrage all the participants I encountered were respectful and even smiling and good natured, happy to be with a group of supporters and proud to be speaking out.
Democracy in Action
Peaceful protest is Democracy in action. We as citizens of this great democracy are expected to dissent when we see injustice. It is our duty as thinking, caring human beings to speak out. Right now, our country’s government is working against the many for the benefit of the few. The Trump administration is a disaster for the average working person. It is critical that the citizens of this country express their shared outrage over the direction Trump and his cronies are pushing the country. And people are speaking up. They are making signs, putting on their sneakers, and hitting the pavement. I hope the White House is listening. We want no kings here.
The Few Against the Many
The crowd stretched about three blocks up and down NW 6th Street. From my vantage point, it was hard to estimate the size of the crowd. With that said, I would guess that there were at least 1,200 Americans on the street making their voices heard. This was a very well-organized and well-attended event. Organizers repeatedly stressed that the 4/5/2025 Hands Off protests would be peaceful and non-violent. Respect and tolerance was the organizing message, and the crowd did not disappoint. At no time did I see any confrontations or disputes of any kind between the 3 Trump supporters and the 1200 gathered in opposition to him.
There is nothing more inspiring than taking action against injustice. Resist MAGA.
A True Leader
Monday, January 20th, we honor a great, charismatic leader who led a huge multitude of committed followers – and no, we are not talking about Donald Trump. The real man celebrated today is Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., the most visible champion of the civil rights movement. The men who were referred to as the “Big Six” were also key in the work: James Farmer, A. Philip Randolph, Roy Wilkins, Whitney Young, and John Lewis. But Dr. King, or MLK, as he is often referred to, was the center of the fight for freedom for all. We hear the echoes of truth in his quotable phrases and speeches.
The Bible He Actually Read – And Lived…
The basis of what Dr. King strove for is rooted in the Scriptures he preached from – the Bible. That foundation is apparent throughout his words of wisdom, but particularly in these:
“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.”
“But I know, somehow, that only when it is dark enough can you see the stars.”
“Everybody can be great…because anybody can serve. You don’t have to have a college degree to serve. You don’t have to make your subject and verb agree to serve. You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love.”
And one paraphrased from his namesake, reformist Martin Luther:
“Live like Jesus died yesterday, rose this morning, and is coming back tomorrow.”
“And I say to you today my friends, let freedom ring.”
Muster The Mustard Seed
MLK pointed out everything should proceed from faith:
“Faith is taking the first step even when you can’t see the whole staircase.”
“I have decided to stick with love…hate is too great a burden to bear.”
“Love is the only force capable of transforming an enemy into a friend.”
“We must learn to live together as brothers…or perish together as fools.”
“Forgiveness is not an occasional act, it is a constant attitude.”
“We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope.”
“Life’s most persistent and urgent question is: ‘What are you doing for others?’”
“Nonviolence is absolute commitment to the way of love. Love is not emotional bash; it is not empty sentimentalism. It is the active outpouring of one’s whole being into the being of another.”
Editor: The world of the future may be at hand. Like other new technologies the potential is great, the threat terrifying. The development of the metaverse should put us all on high alert for the nearly inevitable privacy abuses, misinformation campaigns, and unprecedented targeting.
A New Name
In late 2021, Mark Zuckerberg introduced Meta as the parent company to Instagram and Facebook. This move left many of us in the dark; not understanding what Meta is and the future direction of the company. Since the announcement it has emerged that the main idea behind Meta is developing a 100% virtual world with AI (Artificial Intelligence) and VR (Virtual Reality) enhancements. A world where our interactions will be more digital than physical. The technology growth rate is at an all-time high. Most believe that the tech gurus have more power than they deserve and legal restrictions are necessary. Before we go into the nitty-gritty details, let’s look at what metaverse is.
What Is The Metaverse?
As mentioned above, think of the metaverse as a virtual universe. The metaverse combines numerous technologies, including Augmented Reality (AR), Virtual Reality (VR), and eye-tracking. These technologies combine to create the ultimate virtual experience. Now might be a good time to read or watch “Ready Player One.” It is a story set in 2045, where all people turn to VR to escape the real world. The feature could help you get a rough idea of how a metaverse might look.
What Is Inside The Metaverse?
The metaverse is usually digital assets, 3D avatars, games, and businesses. Each metaverse can have their virtual economy. There are endless activities to engage in while in the metaverse. You could meet friends, join virtual events, host business meetings, monetize your creations, and so on. The metaverse closely resembles the real world. Most have their own economies and accept virtual currency. For instance, Cryptoxles, a metaverse, accepts ETH, while Decentraland uses their original currency, MANA. The only significant difference is that you can travel the world, go to the store, climb Mt. Everest, all from your home’s comfort. Access to the metaverse is via an VR headset.
According to absurdist and other folks more clever than I, there is no inherent meaning to anything. Not that there’s no meaning, that would be nihilism, just that all things are arbitrary at their core. As famed genius Bertrand Russell put it, while addressing the issue of infinite regress, it is ‘turtles all the way down.’ An odd phrase based on the metaphor of the world sitting on the back of elephants, which in turn stood on the back of a turtle. Fans of Terry Pratchett’s Discworld series of novels will likely recognize the concept.
What does this have to do with the Supreme Court? Trust me, I’m getting there. The idea of ‘turtles all the way down’ also applies to society and the application of authority there in. Leaders, officers, and elites are not born. At least, supposedly, not anymore. Every position of power is designated by the people who constitute society. In a very real way the exercise of authority is ‘people all the way down.’ Humans chosen by other humans to hold power over them. In the context of a participatory democracy those humans are the elected officials.
"If puppies and kittens don't make you smile, you might consider therapy." D. S. Mitchell 2015.
Self-isolating has forced us to turn even more to telecommunication and social media.
The Major Cause Of Sex Trafficking Is Poverty
Many great charities, here are a couple that I support: Sierra Club, World Wildlife Fund, ACLU, and Planned Parenthood.
