Who Gets What?

To increase the number of Republican seats in The House of Representatives, certain states have been asked to re-district, or, perhaps better expressed, to "gerrymander" in favor of the Republican administration.  Julia Vaughn, Executive Director of Common Cause Indiana, which long has campaigned that districts should be drawn impartially, with no original bias.  If successful, parties in the future could re-district at will instead of just after the decennial census.  

As co-president of Hoosiers Concerned About Gun Violence, Jerry King thinks daily about use of guns in violent situations.  Generally, gun violence has been declining in The Untied States except among young men for whom his organization conducts camps and seminars.  

After a brief discussion of DNR orders (Do Not Resuscitate), we learn about the Mobile Integrated Health Service of The Pike Township fire department.  Out guest is Wendy Utzig who is an Emergency Medical Technician, Registered Nurse, with advanced training in hospice and palliative care, who serves as Community Resource Paramedic.  Services include fall prevention education, home safety evaluations, medication reconciliation and chronic disease support.  

As part of a retired/covid activity, Jeff Rasley and his wife Alicia visited, photographed, and wrote about more than 200 Indiana towns.  Their reports are on his Facebook page, as well as at JeffreyRasley,com.  (Kokomo, Marion, Converse, Winona Lake, Clay City, Linton, Lawerenceburg, Tell City, West Baden and Princeton are mentioned.)

Sam Carpenter, Executive Director of The Hoosier Environmental Council, visits us again to discuss working with other groups to achieve common goals.  

What is an economist?  Who was the first?  What is a "just price?"  Is the Finance Department different and separate from The Economics Department?  Should economists provide moral leadership?  Do/should economists predict?  Consulting?  Effects of consulting?  Will people do "the right thing?"  

Ariana Beedie is Community Journalism Director of Mirror Indy, a non profit news gathering organization, readily available at Mirrorindy.org, and in easy-to-read emails every week.  In this conversation we cover its history as well as philosophical issues about journalism itself.

Sam Carpenter, Executive Director of The Hoosier Environmental Council, starts by describing obvious, direct, intentional withdrawal of environmental protections both nationwide and in our state.    Indiana is listed in one magazine as the state with the least environmental protections.  That is right.  Number 50.  

This conversation starts with fictional candidate Willy Stark, a favorite subject of our guest, Steve Ealy. Steve has written on how to read the Qur'an, the Federalist Papers and constitutional interpretation, the philosophers Jurgen Habermas, Michael Oakeshott, and Eric Voegelin, and the writers C. S. Lewis, Ralph Ellison, Fyodor Deostoevsky, James Fenimore Cooper, John Steinbeck, and Robert Penn Warren. He is currently working on a book-length study of Robert Penn Warren.  In other words, he is qualified to dicsuss Donald Trump in the perspective of history.  

From responding to new legislative requirements, some contained in bills over 800 pages long, to visiting homes and handling aggressive property owners, Judy Sharp has been doing it all for almost four decades.  

Michael Claytor has served as an auditor of public activities since 1974, including being a candidate for the position of Indiana State Auditor in 2014.  

The Trimedx Foundation sends volunteers around the world to install and maintain sophisticated medical equipment.  It is affiliated with Trimedx, an Indianapolis company with more than 3000 associates, which has relationships with most hospitals in Indiana.  The foundation will conduct about 40 medical missions this year.  Our guest, Audra Plopper, is director of the foundation.  

Government is changing philanthropic activities by suspending federal economic support and taking direct charge of administering programs especially of arts organizations.  Our guest Gene Tempel is Founding Dean Emeritus of the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy and a Professor of Philanthropic Studies.  

Indiana University Teaching Professor, and founding member of The Society, tells us all about the many genres suitable for guitar, and about this society, which has a special event the night of April 16.     For readers and listeners.  Please email us to tell us what you think about our efforts.  MMJGPodcast@gmail.com

are just three of the many subjects in this wide-ranging discussion of performing arts, with D. Paul Thomas, an actor, producer, director and more.   For two years, Mr. Thomas taught acting at the historic Lamb’s Theatre in New York City, serving as its first Artistic Director while premiering Noel Paul Stookey’s, Puff the Magic Dragon. This was followed by seven years as President of Victory Films, directing over twenty productions including the video series, Celebration of Discipline; One Is A Whole Number (Religion in Media Award); the docudramas They Cry in the Night, filmed in Swaziland, Africa, and The Calling, filmed in the Amazon jungles of Peru; the dramatic musicals, The Fanny Crosby Story, Man of the Morning and Love Divine. Feature films include Kiki, starring Emmy Award winner, Michael Moriarty, and Years of the Beast. He has written, directed or performed in seven “one-person” shows, including A Heart Strangely Warmed and Who Stands Fast?

How do we know what we need to know?  In the mythical "old days" local newspaper editors selected stories for us to read, and, in Indianapolis, people read only three sources, The Indianapolis Star, The Indianapolis News, and The Indianapolis Times.  Therefore, everyone shared common information.  Not so today.  No one tells us what is important.  We must seek it out ourselves, usually without a foundation from which to seek.  Meanwhile,  the magnitude, the quantity of news sources, the diversity, has increased exponentially which means that a person seeking information must work hard, must check multiple sources, to find and evaluate.  

Larry Deboer,  Professor and Extension Specialist in Agricultural Economics at Purdue University, who has consulted about taxation of property for decades, describes Indiana's property tax and various issues about it.  

Rob Walch describes the podcasting business nation wide.  We also learn how to start a podcast, the different types of programs, the three basic formats, plus a number of specifically recommended listening experiences.  Rob is Vice President of Podcaster Relations for LIBSYN (Liberated Syndication), which provides the technical services for podcast publication.  (Libsyn.com)

Larry Wallman, a manufacturers' representative and leader in The International Micro Electronics Assembly and Packaging Society, tells us about Indiana's declining position in his industry.  Morton calls attention to recent announcements that electronics companies are coming to Indiana. 

Audrey Johnson not only sings.  She teaches.  John encountered Audrey in this context.  She provided both a wonderful musical experience and a history of Jewish American composers, this with the collaboration of pianist Clare Longendyke.  More information about Audrey's programs can be found at OFTHEEISING.COM.  (Yes:  two letter e).  In the next year and a half, she will help celebrate the Semiquincentennial of The United States with public and private performances.