My name is Frank Austad. I use the moniker of Frank No Mustard or Franken Honest because I value my privacy. Conversely, I also frequently post on a number of social media platforms such as Facebook, Deviant Art (Frank10290), YouTube (@franknomustard), BlueSky, and the Franken Honest blog (hello!) - and also on Substack, look for Frank, No Mustard there! I don’t like being a privacy maniac, but I don't like sharing too much personal information here (or anywhere else, for that matter), either. What I would rather draw your attention to is the importance of public discourse on Science, music, art, and politics. Being a fairly average American, I believe in the right that everyone has to hear my opinion on these and other subjects. However, the purpose of today’s article is to share with you about my loving mother, nurse Dorothy Austad, RN. Mothers are very important to families. I believe that if we showed more respect, caring, dignity, appreciation, and a beholden respo...

Please read this letter all the way through. I would urge that you copy and paste this into an email (or spend the stamp and mail a letter) to your elected representatives. At the bottom of this article are also some other considerations. Dear [Senator/Representative] [Last Name],  I write to you as a concerned citizen deeply troubled by the ongoing abuse of power stemming from President Donald Trump’s emergency declaration, which has been used to justify sweeping deportations, the detention of public officials, and the erosion of constitutional norms. While immigration enforcement is a legitimate function of government, the weaponization of emergency powers to bypass Congress, target political adversaries, and undermine due process represents a dangerous precedent that must be stopped.  Article I of the Constitution grants Congress—not the president—the power to legislate and allocate funds. The National Emergencies Act of 1976 was never intended to be an end-run around congr...

In a stunning display of democracy in action, thousands of Americans took to the streets for " No Kings Day " protests—a nationwide rejection of Donald Trump’s self-coronation as America’s first "President for Life" (or at least, that’s what he seems to be aiming for). The protests were peaceful, spirited, and, most importantly, not attended by a single tank—unlike a certain military parade we all remember.  The People vs. The Parade Let’s talk numbers. The No Kings Day protests saw massive turnouts in cities like Philadelphia, Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York, where crowds waved signs reading "Not My King" and "Democracy Over Dynasty." Meanwhile, Trump’s "I Love Me Some Military Hardware" Parade in Washington, D.C., was about as well-attended as a MAGA rally in downtown Manhattan, which is to say, not very.  The contrast was glorious. On one side, you had Jamie Raskin in Philadelphia, delivering a barnburner of a speech abou...