iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

This is a dumb way to run an election. Now, Columbus City Council is all elected at-large.* The citizen measure would turn Colimbus City Council into a district-only system. Council’s measure would eventually mean 11 district’s and 6 at-large seats. Of both pass, Council’s version prevails.

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The “life or death” quote in this article is from a gay man who’s the Columbus City Council’s president, and he’s arguing to stick with the D party despite its flaws. And yes, I know, Kaptur, Acton and the Ohio D party seem bound & determined to make that harder.

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Ruining what’s great about this country, and unjust to people who earned the right to be new Americans: “Immigration officials have canceled 13 naturalization ceremonies in the Cleveland area this year, according to [N.Dist.Ohio], including almost every ceremony scheduled between May and October.”

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The Ohio Dem Party apparently pays no attention to Bluesky. They censored this elsewhere (used the accounts’ passwords), but it’s still here. More seriously, both groups are right that D leadership is behaving atrociously, and that Rs in power would be dramatically worse. bsky.app/profile/ohde...

Screenshot of quote posted skeets:

Post
PRIDE
Ohio Democrats Pride Caucus @ohdemspride.bsky.social
Teleportation Accident (Clone edition)
We stand with Lucas County Democrats and Lucas County Stonewall Dems E
LUCAS COUNTY
DEMOCRATS
P.O. BOX 1494
TOLEDO, OHIO 43603
(419) 210-1733
LUCASCOUNTYDEMOCRATICPARTY@GMAIL.COM
September 22, 2026
Congresswoman Kaptur's campaign recently began running ads with hurtful language and references to
"trans ideology". This is the type of harmful ad we expect from Derek Merrin and the Republicans. We are disappointed and ashamed that the Kaptur campaign stooped to their level by using this incredibly dangerous anti-trans rhetoric.
The ad gets one thing right, Derek Merrin would rather talk about his obsession with trans people than his party's disastrous handling of the war in Iran, or his part in the largest corruption scandal in the history of the state of Ohio. So why let him change the subject? Right now EVERY Ohioan is feeling the pain at the gas pump, in their electric bills and at the grocery store, all thanks to Merrin, Trump, and the Republican Party.
We are confident that Congresswoman Kaptur will once again win re-election, but it will be because of her long record of bringing investment to Northwest Ohio and fighting for working people while Derek Merrin will be nothing more than a rubber stamp for continued Trump chaos.
We stand with many in our community including the Lucas County Stonewall Democrats in calling on the Kaptur campaign to take this ad down immediately.
10:23 AM • Sep 22, 2026 • Everybody can reply
2 reposts 1 quote 10 likes

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All this talk about That Song reminds me of the NYT list of the supposedly best tv shows of the 21st Century, most of which are fake because I haven’t heard of them.

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Wait. Is Columbus considered part of the “Rust Belt”? Maybe it’s self-delusion, but in south-central Ohio (Beatty’s district), we’d mostly use that term for areas further north, like Toledo, Akron, Youngstown, & Pittsburgh that were much more dominated by steel and automotive production.

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Late #Caturday. Here’s the floof that sometimes at least pretends to like me, but she might just be hoping for treats.

Long hair black cat lying on a homemade checkered guilt (shades of blue, yellow and white). She’s looking at the camera with look that says, “Give me treats and I’ll pretend to like you for another day. OK, maybe for only another hour. Don’t get greedy.”

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One what I know that I have the perfect job for me—finding fascinating the issue of lower-court jurisdiction while requests for discretionary appeals are pending in higher courts.

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Brian Johnson: Shades On in Breakfast Club

Changed the oil, filters, and spark plugs (including the tricky one hidden in the back) of my generator, and did it quickly and without any hitches with everything I needed already waiting for me on a shelf in the basement. For me, this is an organizational and mechanical miracle.

static.klipy.com

Alt: Brian Johnson puts sunglasses on in the breakfast Club

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Happy #Caturday from the little bugger who still treats me as an enemy (but who adores my wife so can’t be all bad, I guess).

Short hair black cat looking up out of a box.

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Kinda relatedly, it took me too long into my career to figure out it was ok to pause during an oral argument to take a sip of water, which I keep within a step of the podium if at all possible. Better that than dry mouth, coughing, or that I’m-dehydrated grating sound a voice can get.

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Stephen Hardwick @nonfinality.com · 25/09/2026

There’s a parallel between Bastille Day in September and Oyster Fest in Columbus.

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New to me: The Ohio Supreme Court today issued a “vote change” for a merits opinion issued yesterday. The 2nd announcement switches Justice Brunner from concurring in jm’t only to joining Justice Fisher’s dissent “after further consideration.” Case goes from 3-1-1-2 to 3-1-3. (Links in 1st reply)

Screen shot of linked announcement:

The Supreme Onurt of Chin
CASE ANNOUNCEMENTS
September 24, 2026
[Cite as 09/24/2026 Case Announcements, 2026-Ohio-3749.|
MERIT DECISIONS WITH OPINIONS
2026-1151. State ex rel. Duckett v. Hancock Cty. Bd. of Elections, Slip Opinion No. 2026-Ohio-3747.
In Mandamus. Writ granted. Costs assessed to respondents in accordance with Rule 18.05
De Wine, Deters, and Shanahan, J., concur.
Kennedy, C.J., concurs, with an opinion.
Brunner, J., concurs in judgment only.* Fischer, J., dissents, with an opinion.
Hawkins, J., dissents, with an opinion.
* Reporter's Note: Please see the revised announcement for updated vote lines: 2026-Ohio-3772.

Screen shot of linked announcement:

The Supreme Court of Ohio
CASE ANNOUNCEMENTS
September 25, 2026
[Cite as 09/25/2026 Case Announcements #2, 2026-Ohio-3772.]
MERIT DECISIONS WITH OPINIONS
2026-1151. State ex rel. Duckett v. Hancock Cty. Bd. of Elections, Slip Opinion No. 2026-Ohio-3747.
In Mandamus. On issuance of a revised slip opinion to reflect a vote change.
DeWine, Deters, and Shanahan, JJ., concur.
Kennedy, C.J., concurs, with an opinion.
ischer, J., dissents, with an opinion joined by Brunner, J., after further consideration.
Hawkins, J., dissents, with an opinion.

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Stephen Hardwick @nonfinality.com · 25/09/2026

Judicial rapproach is a dish best served icy cold.

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Stephen Hardwick @nonfinality.com · 25/09/2026

“Cleaned up” in the wild: Two sitings in this opinion of Ohio Supreme Court Justice Deters. Also, I don’t understand why the relator here decided to challenge the someone’s voter registration at a lot she bought & where she planned to build after moving out of their prior home. (Links in 1st reply)

Screenshot from opinion linked in next post with “cleaned up” highlighted near the ends.

ANALYSIS
{para. 6} Duckett seeks a writ of mandamus to compel the board of elections to strike Hill's registration. To be entitled to a writ of mandamus, Duckett must establish, by clear and convincing evidence, (1) a clear legal right to the requested relief, (2) a clear legal duty on the part of the board of elections to provide it, and
(3) the lack of an adequate remedy in the ordinary course of the law. State ex rel.
Miller v. Union Cty. Bd. of Elections, 2023-Ohio-3664, 1 15. The parties do not dispute the lack of an adequate remedy in the ordinary course of the law. The questions here are whether Duckett had a clear legal right to the relief he requested and whether the board had a legal duty to provide the relief sought by Duckett. "In a mandamus action challenging the decision of a county board of elections, the standard is whether the board engaged in fraud, corruption, or abuse of discretion, or acted in clear disregard of applicable legal provisions." (Cleaned up.) Miller at…

Screenshot from opinion linked in next post with “cleaned up” highlighted near the ends.

{para 12} The board of elections' arguments to the contrary are unavailing.
The board notes that "Hill was taking steps to make 209 Farmers Lane her residence prior to her temporary displacement and then continued to take steps to make 209 Farmers Lane her residence up to the date of the [board-of-elections] hearing." And it points to caselaw in which we have emphasized the importance of a person's intent in determining whether a place constitutes a residence for voting purposes.
For example, the board points to State ex rel. Husted v. Brunner, 2009-0h10-5327, in which we stated, "R.C. 3503.02 provides that the person's intent is of great import and thus emphasizes the person's intent to make a place a fixed or permanent place of abode." (Cleaned up.) Id. at 30. But in that case, the question was not….

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Stephen Hardwick @nonfinality.com · 23/09/2026

You can’t call the Supreme Court of Ohio “SCOOH” because half the freakin’ state would add “IO”

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Stephen Hardwick @nonfinality.com · 23/09/2026

My heart goes out to this family, who have a valid grievance. Because grand juries are secret & largely controlled by the prosecutor, they absolutely suck as tools of public accountability. How can the public trust anonymous people meeting & deciding stuff in private.

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Stephen Hardwick @nonfinality.com · 21/09/2026

How unconnected am I? I’ve seen all of only one of these (Andor), and some of a second (30 Rock), snippets only of a few, and I haven’t even heard of four of them. And where’s Murderbot?

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Stephen Hardwick @nonfinality.com · 19/09/2026

The cops’ Facebook page includes this version of the photo, and as much as I hate to give them any credit, they seem to know that it’s an absurd photo. It’s still mostly minor stuff, but the cops are intentionally poking fun at themselves to make a point. And, alas, it appears to be working.

Same photo as article. A bunch of cops standing very seriously around a ton of toilet paper. The words on the photo are:

— OPERATION
CLEAN SWEEP
SEIZED:
650 ROLLS

EST. STREET VALUE:
$1,708.66

MAJOR TWO-PLY TRAFFICKING RING DISRUPTED
Contraband intercepted during Homecoming Week
JOINT BATHROOM TASK FORCE

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Stephen Hardwick @nonfinality.com · 17/09/2026

Trump lawyers to SCOTUS: “Motion for Emergency Administrative Stay of Injunction Barring Dear Leader from Drawing & Quartering Opposing Counsel” SCOTUS, 5-4, “Admin Stay granted as to drawing but denied as to quartering” Brett Stephens: “See how fair they are—they don’t ALWAYS do what Trump demands”

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Can we call the concurring opinion a “Kavanaugh Pause”?

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Proposal for an economics professor or student—write a paper on the market for school bus drivers. I’ve been reading stories about this for a decade, & local officials here claim that dramatically increasing pay & benefits hasn’t helped. They need CDL holders with clean driving & criminal records.

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I’m from Columbus, but I’ll stand by Cleveland on this.

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Homeland Security Dept. Asks for Inquiries Into Voting Machines (Gift Article)

Flat-out lying. I don’t see how we could have a more secure & efficient system than markers that print-out names and include a bar code for electronic tallying. In Ohio, we have a system of random & chosen (by each party) audits of electronic tallies using the paper ballots.

nytimes.com

Critics of ballot-marking devices have claimed that hackers could manipulate digital codes on ballots. Election experts say the systems are safe to use.

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Here that Columbus City Council and Mayor Ginther? Donald Trump like Flock cameras. Keeping Flock cameras (or bringing them back after a short hiatus) is what Donald Trump wants you to do, and you know how I incredibly popular he is with your voters.

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Voters turn out to reject Arena proposal

I’m trying to remember what scam the City of Columbus used to get around the resounding defeat of using taxpayer more to build this hockey arena? Was it using the city’s bonding authority? Diverting taxes from the site to only the site instead of the city as a whole? Other? All of the above?

thelantern.com

The independent student voice of Ohio State

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I just got my work assignment for the November election—managing the same location that I’ve been at for several years. Are you interested in helping make sure your small corner of the election is run professionally & lawfully? Learn how to sign up anywhere in the US: www.eac.gov/help-america...

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This is big news. Ohio State University’s law school, Moritz College of Law, is moving to a historic office building in downtown Columbus, across from the Capitol.

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Stephen Hardwick @nonfinality.com · 11/09/2026

In a two-party system, the effect of a non-vote or a third-party vote is to give ½ a vote to each major-party candidate. You can say, “but that’s not what I meant” all you want, but refusing to accept responsibility for your choice doesn’t change your choice.

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I was in Colunbus working. Well, at the office. My BIL was in NYC, nowhere near Ground Zero as far as we knew. But “in NYC” was enough to make us nervous. We texted him in the morning asking if he was OK. It wasn’t until the afternoon that he could text back “yes, and you?”

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Stephen Hardwick @nonfinality.com · 10/09/2026

Why can’t journalists routinely upload and link to legal documents they write about? This should be Journalism 101 now. Yes, I know. Not an original thought. But that’s part of the problem. We shouldn’t still have to be making this complaint.

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Stephen Hardwick @nonfinality.com · 10/09/2026

Lawyer-telling-professional-screenwriters-how-to-write-scripts take of the day: Data’s line in First Contact should have been: “Resistance is NOT futile”

m.youtube.com

Star Trek: First Contact (1996) - Resistance is Futile Scene | Movieclips

YouTube video by Movieclips

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Stephen Hardwick @nonfinality.com · 10/09/2026

Legal resistance is not futile bsky.app/profile/nonf...

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Stephen Hardwick @nonfinality.com · 09/09/2026

As I’ve written elsewhere, I don’t see this as intending to put l any fault on the paralegal (I see it as blaming the software), but the reaction to it shows the peril of even mentioning support staff when describing an attorney mistake.

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Stephen Hardwick @nonfinality.com · 09/09/2026

How are perfect-attendance awards legal without religious and ADA exemptions, especially when the awards have a definable cash value? If the answer is government immunity, then how are these outside groups who fund them safe from litigation?

fox2detroit.com

Detroit public schools pay money to fight absenteeism

Detroit district leaders are making big efforts to get as many students to class as possible as back to school begins Monday, with the Attendance Pays program.

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The correct first thought when a judge at oral argument calls you on something dumb you just said.

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Why Michigan got 1 second put back on clock before controversial win vs. Western Michigan (Gift Article)

Deserving of mention—the sportsmanship of MAC officials & the Western Michigan coach. “I thought that this crew tonight did a really nice job handling multiple close calls and review situations. We had several where the spot was questioned and reviewed, and the review went our way.”

nytimes.com

Coach Kyle Whittingham won his debut with the Wolverines thanks to a controversial decision vs. Western Michigan.

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This sounds like a disturbingly close call.

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