kanesrealm

Well it's New Year's Eve and 2015 will soon be a memory. I feel compelled to file a final post. You may have been wondering, where is Kane? Why haven't we heard from Kane? Has he foresaken us? No dear readers I have not. I could do a year in review thing, but there are a ton of those and do you really want to review the year that gave us Donald Trump for President? Here's a story on just how lame our elected officials can be. Hawaii just announced it will become the first state to raise the smoking age to 21. You can put on a uniform and go fight and die for your country but you can't have a beer and now a smoke. The governor and legislators of Hawaii have just demonstrated what government often chooses to do in place of actually addressing and fixing real problems. They prefer the easiest road to make themselves feel like they have accomplished something good. It's also non- controversial, don't smoke and drink kids, it's bad for you. Statements akin

Yes, that's the title of the post, I don't create the news I just comment on it. First let's address the statement of Hillary Clinton during last Saturday night's Democratic Debate. Clinton made the case that Trump's Muslim rhetoric is bad for America and hurts our fight against terrorism, that his views are being shown throughout the Islamic world and is a tool for recruitment. This is true, the media in the middle east including Al Jazeera is following our election and broadcasting the words of candidates including Donald Trump. Clinton added in the second part of her statement that ISIS is using Trump in recruiting videos. No video has yet been seen directly made by ISIS or their surrogates. That does not change the fact that she is correct in her analysis and frankly the analysis of every expert on the subject. Trump demanded an apology from Clinton, which he really doesn't want because it keeps a non-story alive and his name in play. Trump firmly embraces

For bitching and moaning I don't think the current field of Republican candidates has been surpassed. Among the biggest complainers have been the poll dominaters themselves, Trump and Carson. There is of course a big difference between those two. Trump is a master of media manipulation and relishes the chaos he has unleashed. Carson is completely inadequate to meet the tasks of running for President and genuinely suffers from a martyr complex. Trump used to threaten he would run as an independent if he wasn't treated fairly, whatever that means, but then he made kissy kissy with the party and signed a pledge not to be naughty. He's again hinted he might go out on his own, this is one of his weapons of leverage to get what he wants. He will never do it because he will never spend the three to four hundred million dollars of his own money it would take to make certain he was on every ballot in every state. Ben Carson has now said he might run as an independent if the par

When you're wrong, you're wrong. I'm among the smartest people I know but even I get it wrong sometimes. Making a mistake is not the problem but failing to acknowledge it is. In my post "The Politics of Tragedy" I said if you're on the no fly list for terrorists you shouldn't be able to get a gun but I am in error in that assessment. I know that there have been problems with this list in the past, some very prominent, such as the late Ted Kennedy but according to our own federal poohbahs approximately forty percent (40%) of the names on that list are a false positive. Which means it's fucked up. Even my flabby white Irish ass might be on the list, I wouldn't know cause I never leave the country, I barely leave the county and as the unelected Mayor of Hindtit I'm above reproach. So there you have it dear readers, an acknowledgement of my mistake, I swear it will happen again but I will always own up to it. Note: this in no way changes the

Donald Trump is a depressing and negative person. He is not depressed himself but he is a carrier. Therefore I, listen now this is big stuff, I W.R. Kane am calling on the Centers for Disease Control to immediately quarantine Mr. Trump until such time as we can figure out what the hell is wrong with him. Because of the fear of depressive radicalization it is now imperative that all of the infected supporting Mr. Trump be required to register and carry special I.D., we simply have no choice, the homeland is at risk. We are now at war with stupidity, this may require the adjustment of some of our liberties until this crisis has passed. We must be prepared to go anywhere and do anything to confront this pervasive stupidity. I know you're frightened but with surety of purpose and unity of reason I believe we can win this war. If  someone you love has been infected you have a duty to report them so that we can effectively treat them and help them lead a sane productive life. Thank y

Another mass shooting but with a twist. Unlike the usual lone wolf assailant without an exit strategy, the San Bernardino act was carried out by a married couple. We do not yet have the complete picture but the F.B.I. will successfully develop the case and fill in the gaps. It would certainly appear that these two were, at the very least terrorists in training, with intent to carry out some form of attack or more likely attacks. Their assault on the Board of Health gathering, a department he worked for, does not logically fit the surrounding evidence. It would seem to be a personal diversion that preempted their true purpose. The husband was an American citizen born in Illinois, his wife was from Pakistan. Naturally politicians, particularly in an election cycle, never let a tragedy occur without capitalising on it. The Republicans in general tweeted out thoughts and prayers and there's nothing wrong with that. We all say inane things because that's how you console the inco

On Monday night there was a fundraiser and rally in Washington, D.C. for Hillary Clinton. The reason for the event is that thirteen of the fourteen women in the U.S. Senate endorsed Clinton for President. In punditville the story was not about the thirteen but instead the one that was a no show. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts skipped the gathering. She has not endorsed anyone and was the focus of a very vocal group of progressives that wanted her to run for the nomination, she chose not to. Her reason for not endorsing at this point is quite simple, she has street cred with those progressives and hopes to use her influence to sway the future Democratic nominee to work on the issues she cares about. All politicians seek endorsements from other politicians, they're nice to have but mean nothing to voters. There only relevance is a party institutional one, more simply put, good will in the future. Warren will ultimately endorse the nominee of the party because there's no othe

The Republican Party is officially scared of Donald Trump but they shouldn't be. Sure, if he gets the nomination they will once again lose the White House but that might actually be what needs to happen to reshape the party into a modern forward thinking ideology that can actually have appeal. Donald Trump is an anathema. Any other person would have already been driven out of the race for their frequent insults and fact challenged speeches. Fortunately for Trump his supporters don't care about his behavior, in fact it's why they're following him. They want his outrageousness. They want to hear his vitriolic assaults on those he dislikes and to listen to him bash entire cultures and nationalities. They are angry and  letting Trump be their blowhorn. The big question is will they actually vote for him when the caucuses and primaries begin? What does he actually stand for? Advancing the Trump name is the answer. It certainly isn't because of his carefully thought out

The poet Ashraf Fayadh has been sentenced to death for renouncing his religion. Islam was his faith and apparently one man's dissent is a threat to God. I suppose this is to be expected from a poor third world country. Oh that's right, it's not a third world country, it's our old ally Saudi Arabia. Our good friends who love to have us fight wars for them. Our good friends who bred the terrorists who attacked us on 9/11 including their leader the filthy rich Bin Laden. Our good friend we refuse to call out on their bullshit. Must be all that delicious oil. We need complete energy independence if for no other reason than to tell the Saudis to lick our crack. Fayadh is a Palestinian living in Saudi Arabia. The crime he was charged with is denouncing his religion but he is also considered a troublemaker by the Saudi government. This is the perfect opportunity to get rid of a radical who dares to express sentiments of free thought. Sharia Law rules Saudi Arabia, through th

With all the Trumpisms, Carsonian quips and general media hysteria, one might think that America is changing into an environment hostile to outsiders or at a minimum suspicious of non white protestants. There is certainly nothing in our history to suggest such a thing. Well, perhaps a blip or two. The original Americans were nearly driven to extinction, those that survived were rounded up and placed on reservations where they could roam free, within certain limitations. We did have slaves in the country for 245 years, even over 75 years after proclaiming all men were equal. We did import, abuse and kill thousands of Chinese to build railroads, dams and bridges. The Catholics were not well liked but they were after all servants of the demon Pope of Rome. My own people, the Irish, need not apply for employment but who could blame proper Americans for this, we reek of whiskey and potatoes, plus many of us were Catholic. Women were not allowed to vote or talk out of turn, now look what

Bobby Jindal dropped out of the Republican sweepstakes, so yeah, not much more to say there. So long Bob. After the terrorist attacks and the intensive press coverage I had to shut the news off last Saturday and that is why you, my dear readers, received no thoughts on the Democratic debate that night. Without seeing it I can tell you it was irrelevant. I opted to binge watch episodes of Stargate and Xena, my time was well spent. Sometimes you've just got to pull the plug and disconnect. I want to take this opportunity to tell all of the news channels to stop playing the combo sad and ominous soundtracks while reporting on Paris. Just stop it, this is not a movie or T.V. show, just stop. Everything seems bleak but I tell you it is not. Something quite uncommon may be about to happen. ISIS/ISIL may very well have just signed their death warrant and accomplished the unimaginable. All 28 members of the European Union are unified and have invoked full cooperative security measures,

The barbaric terrorist attacks in Paris over the weekend is a reminder of how much fanatical groups like ISIL hate the free people of the world. They seek to murder and destroy freedom. They want to establish a one world order subservient to a sadistic twisted version of religious barbarism. They are delusional. We must not allow these thugs to determine our way of life. As frightening as it can be we must get up and go about our business. Eat out with friends, attend concerts, go shopping or take a stroll. As usual Donald Trump couldn't resist chiming in with his usual depth of sensitivity. He just had to say this happened in a city with strict gun laws, if only the citizens had been armed. Donald, for you and those who share your bizarre disconnected views let us reflect with logic. These were suicide attackers each wearing bomb belts ready to die for their demented cause. They struck quickly and in succession. Before any citizen could have drawn their weapon it was over. At th

HUD Secretary Julian Castro has announced that his department intends to federally ban the smoking of cigarettes, pipe and cigar in public housing. The public has 60 days to offer comment. That comment will of course be ignored. Understand the meaning of this, the federal government is going to order that residents of public housing may not smoke in the privacy of their homes. Not only must these citizens suffer the indignity of needing housing assistance but they will be told that they cannot engage in a legal activity if they so choose. I personally do not like the smell of cigarettes but I am a pipe and cigar smoker. If Secretary Castro said they would ban smoking in the common areas such as hallways and lobbies I could barely stomach it, wouldn't like it but could tolerate it and even sympathize with it. But a person's home is their personal sanctuary. What this action says is you're poor and therefore at our mercy, we will dictate how you live your life. You would b

Donald Trump was on Morning Joe today recapping his glorious debate victory from last night. Yeah Donald, you go, wait what did he just say. Mika Brzenski pushed Trump on his opposition to raising the minimum wage. Trump brushed it aside with standard false reasons and added he wished he could, he'd love to make it $50.00 an hour but it's just not possible. He said America isn't competitive and in his speedy diarrhea delivery he said and I quote, "wages are too high." Unbelievably he was not pushed on this by the Morning Joe crew. I've watched it three times to make sure I heard it right, I did. If I were a Democratic operative I would make certain that comment was pounced on. I wonder what his supporters, most of whom are low wage earners and middle class workers would feel about their billionaire champion saying their wages are too high? Last night at the debate Ben "I walk in the footsteps of Jesus" Carson also said he wouldn't raise the min

Today is Veteran's Day and it is easy to offer up platitudes. Yes we should thank all of our veterans and honor the memory of those who have sacrificed their lives. My late father served this country not once but twice. He never  complained about the draft era and the fact that after he had already served and returned to civilian life he was then recalled to active duty because of national crisis. He simply served, quietly with dignity. It isn't enough to simply say thanks. We have a covenant with veterans that must be honored and all too often it isn't. We are in a Presidential election cycle and it's up to you to sift through the rhetoric and support those who actually believe in veteran benefits and improving every facet of them including the disability process and guaranteeing no one has to wait for vital treatment and we must not allow the V.A. to be dismantled and handed over to the for profit medical industrial complex. Say thank you with the most powerful too

Are you tired of the lingering stench of the political seasons debates? New from Kanesrealm's R&D labs in Hindtit, Indiana comes Debate Begone®, it's a huge aerosol can available in pine, lavender and mixed nuts. Simply spray a thick fog, then sit back and think of something else. You may be looking for analysis of last night's Republican Debate on FOX Business, what's that, you couldn't find that channel, don't worry neither can Rupert Murdoch. The debates are completely meaningless at this point and frankly are making me nauseous. My cable provider doesn't carry FOX Business, is it really a channel? I saw enough of the highlights to know it had  zero content of insightful information. It continued to confirm that Donald Trump is HUGE and Ben Carson knows nothing about foreign policy or economics. Speaking of Carson it amazes me how pundits so often refer to him as this nice soft spoken man who is pious. Ben Carson's ego is bigger than Donald Tru

A person's Facebook post criticizing Starbucks holiday cup as part of the war on Christmas has been viewed 12 million times and lead to numerous commentaries. When will this war end? How many elves must die before we stop the insanity? This years cup is red with the green Starbucks logo in the middle. In previous years it has been red with the logo in the middle but had reindeers, snowflakes and tree ornaments and nothing says Jesus more than symbols taken from commercialism and pop culture. At first I thought surely this can't be right but then I did some in depth research and found some very interesting information. In the apocryphal writings of sixth century prophet Arabica. Arabica wrote: "in 15 and 20 the deceiver shall empty the cup of joy; you shall know his ways by the bitterness upon your tongue and he shall be called forth from the land of Java." Powerful stuff. The Winter Solstice is coming and that's a real thing from which the majority of Christma

This commentary will touch on a few topics because none deserve in depth reflection. Even as a political junkie it is difficult to remain interested in the nonsense of the day at this stage of the 2016 Presidential election. So here for your pleasure are some snapshots. Up first is Donald Trump because it just happened last night. The Donald hosted Saturday Night  Live for the second time. The show has mostly received negative criticism. First let's acknowledge the elephant in the room, SNL is like Forrest Gump's box of chocolates, you never know what you're gonna get. Mostly it's a shadow of it's former glory and is suitable only as a night light. Once in awhile they rise above. Trump is not a professional entertainer, he is a brand and as such did just fine. He delivered to SNL it's highest ratings since 2012 so good for them. It was semi-huge and who cares. The first in the south Democratic Candidates Forum was held Friday night in South Carolina. It was ho

According to the masters of statistics at Google, this blog has had a surprisingly large number of views in Russia. To say I'm surprised by this is a bit of an understatement. I've written a few pieces about Russia here and some more in the past in other places. Vladimir Putin has just been ranked as the most powerful person in the world according to Forbes Magazine. Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany is number 2 and President Barack Obama is number 3. I'm not quite certain how they arrive at their decision but it can't be denied that Putin is a powerful leader and one that will not be fading from the international stage anytime soon and no matter what Trump and his fellow Republicans think dealing with him is not a simple matter. You can't wag your finger in his face and say do what we tell you to do. Putin is flexing Russian military power in Syria and frankly it was an opening we handed him. This action has removed attention from the Ukraine where the reality

Before proceeding with our reading of the day I would like to take a moment and reflect on the singular achievement of Kanesrealm's one year anniversary, it was actually on October 29 but who's counting. Three out of four Hindtittians get their news from Kanesrealm and I'm greatful, I'd be more greatful if you paid for it. Onward and upward readers, hold on to your seats cause it's about to get rowdy in here. No, not really. Ben Carson is facing a couple of tiny controversies today. They're bigger for reasonable people but let me stipulate up front that his supporters will not care. The first concerns Carson's life narrative, specifically about how he was an angry child and teenager, venting his rage on various people in various ways including trying to stab someone. This is what Carson has been saying for twenty-five years which is the prologue to him finding Jesus and becoming the peaceful and sedate creature you see today, somewhat akin to a human valiu

Lions and tigers and republicans oh my! Kentucky elected Republican Matt Bevin to be it's next Governor. Bevin is a darling of the Tea Party and tried to unseat Senator Mitch McConnell during the primary last year. In light of Bevin's election the pundit world is exploding with ramblings about what this means for 2016 and it's dark tidings for the Democrats. Wow, these people really need to leave their bubbles a bit more. Here for the first time I present to you the truth of what Bevin's election means. Are you ready? Please sit down, Kanesrealm is not responsible for injuries suffered from fainting. Alright, it means that the citizens of Kentucky elected a Republican to be their Governor. I apologize for that shocking revelation but truth cares not for your feelings. They also elected a Democrat as their Attorney General. Although Bevin despises the Affordable Care Act, even though Kentucky has been one of the most successful states with that law, he backed off his

Originally my decision was to not write about this, you have my word, but the situation has evolved or rather devolved to the point it warrants a bit of my much loved brain flatulence. The Republican Presidential candidates have been in revolt since the CNBC debate last week. Well, not all, well it seems they can't even agree on their revolt. You have my analysis of the debate, it sucked. CNBC does share significant blame for this. It was they who billed it as a night that would focus on the economy but it didn't. Most of the questions were personality driven. The stupidest question was the first one, "what is your greatest weakness?". That question should never be asked in any job interview or of any political candidate. For the record the correct answer is, my greatest weakness is my zero tolerance for ridiculous questions. The second worst question was asking Mike Huckabee if Donald Trump has the moral authority to be President. That issue entirely rests with the

The latest Republican Presidential debate was held last night in Colorado and hosted by CNBC, MSNBC's conservative sister network. I wish I could tell you it was insightful or at least entertaining, it was neither. The topic was supposed to be the economy but it quickly drifted into more personality driven issues. Go to factcheck.org to see a list of the untruths which were told. They were in Colorado so maybe they should have all smoked a joint before the debate, then it would have been worth watching. I'm not so sure I'll watch the next one and I'm a political junkie. I know, I know you want analysis. So here it is. The winner of the debate was Marco Rubio, not because of his policies but because he displayed a remarkable ability to turn the negatives thrown at him around and back on his opponents. Bush attempted to make an issue of Rubio's chronic abscence from Senate votes. Rubio immediately shot back at Bush and shut him down. Marco Rubio is not the first sit

Dr. Ben Carson wants to get rid of Medicare. He wants you to get your insurance only through the private sector. Are you young, rich and healthy? Then this might be the right direction for you. Dr. Carson is like a lot of doctors who like to bitch about Medicare and the fact that they don't bow and pay them whatever they say they should get. Complaining about bureaucracy is a national past time and just fine. Write a blog, you'll feel better. But here's my recommendation for current doctors or those considering being a doctor, if you don't truly believe that it is a calling and an extraordinary opportunity to play a vital role in your fellow human beings lives, get out or don't consider it to begin with. Dr. Carson's vision, and he's not alone, would result in tens of millions of people being thrown in a ditch and left to die. That's not hyperbole, it's a fact. Just one more reason Ben Carson is batshit crazy! What? You knew I was gonna say it.

Paul Ryan has been elected Speaker of the House by his fellow Republicans, at least enough of them. The public vote will occur on the floor tomorrow. Enjoy the evening Paul, sit in the Speakers chair, spin around and soak in the glory cause after tomorrow your nightmare begins. John Boehner did Ryan a big favor by cutting a budget deal, including raising the debt limit into 2017. Ryan's response was to say it stank but then he said it's okay. After winning the grand poobah seat he gave Boehner a backhanded compliment for his service but then made it clear there's a new sheriff in town and things are gonna change. If you aren't really familiar with Paul Ryan here's your best insight. He is a disciple of Ayn Rand. He began playing that down when he ran for Vice-President in 2012, particularly when he was hit with questions revealing that he is as ignorant of the true Ayn Rand as everyone else who embraces her political philosophies. But there is a long on the recor

The W.H.O. (World Health Organization) has issued a report placing processed meats such as hot dogs, sausage and bacon in the same carcinogenic category as cigarettes. It also stated that red meats "probably are carcinogenic". Probably is not a definitive word. If you read this blog regularly you should be aware that I'm pro science. Sound evidence driven research can lead us to a better life. Sketchy research evidence can lead to unwarranted fear. Placing sausage in the same category of cancer causing agents such as cigarettes is over the top. What will our friends in the U.K. do? Bangers and mash are a treasured dish, this report could cause a national crisis with millions of Brits taking to the streets. In America the venerable hot dog is as sacred as Mom, apple pie and the flag. I suppose this could finally unify our country, only time will tell. I support independent health organizations issuing sound warnings about the food we consume, but I do not accept findin

Ben Carson has surged ahead of Donald Trump in Iowa in a recent round of polls. Huckabee, Santorum, Bachmann and Cain all surged in Iowa. Santorum and Huckabee won, remember the triumphant presidencies of all of those people? Carson will probably be in the top three on the day of the Iowa Caucuses, he might even win it but he'll win nothing else. Carson is constitutionally qualified to run for President but he is not fit to serve in the position. He is willfully ignorant and displays it every time he opens his mouth. He is also not refreshingly honest as some commentators have stumbled to find polite words to describe some of his answers. This was particularly notable when he was recently asked as President what preparations he would be taking to address the coming hurricanes? His answer was "I don't know." That's not refreshing, it's scary. Even if he didn't know the answer he should have been quick enough to say "everything possible to help those

Jeb Bush wants to be President of the United States but his campaign is stuck in a muddy ditch. The wheels are spinning and it seems he can gain no traction. So what went wrong? The Bush Campaign has announced it's slashing salaries by 40%, a fiscally wise decision but a horrible political one. Is there blood in the water? As an observer I've struggled to understand why such a well known figure in American politics is struggling so hard to gain momentum. It's not because the field is so large, it's about Bush himself. What exactly does he stand for? Sure he repeatedly denounces the Obama Presidency, repeal the Affordable Healthcare Act, bad foreign policy, blah, blah, blah...It's boring and uninspiring. What does he really want to achieve other than to be the Republican who replaces the Democrat? There are plenty of those to choose from. Not only has he not distinguished himself but he often comes off as being pissed off that he needs to. On paper he's the pe

When last this little blob of insight seriously addressed the issue of Speaker of the House, Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy was about to ascend the throne. On the very day of the preliminary vote he said emphatically he was running, less than four hours later he was out and the vote delayed. Oh to be a fly on that wall. What could possibly of transpired in that four hours to stop the ambition of a man who so clearly wanted the job? For most of the history of our country anyone serving in the House of Representatives most certainly would like to be Speaker of the House. Only in the last several years of Republican dysfunction has it become a stinko position. For a party that was once known for it's discipline they can no longer agree on what to have for lunch. The cries went out, we need a hero, we need Paul Ryan, the one man who adamantly said he didn't want the job. Yes his Chairmanship of Weighs and Means is the plum job of the House but it's not better than being Speak

Democratic Presidential hopefuls Jim Webb and Lincoln Chaffee have now both dropped out of the race. Chaffee says he'll work to help elect a Democratic President. Webb on the other hand is having none of that. Not only is he not offering support for the Democrats, at least right now, but he is clearly stating that he may run as an independent. Webb will soon discover that the enthusiasm for him to run as an independent won't even register as high as his staggering 1% in the Democratic polls. More importantly he'll discover that getting on the ballot in all fifty states and deploying the ground operations necessary will cost even more as an independent. It's difficult to see how Webb could pull this off or why he would want to try. Martin O'Malley might get a boost from these departures and rise to 3, maybe even 4% in the polls. If the money lasts he might make it to February but short of the withdrawal of both Sanders and Clinton from the race, he will not be the

It's not a clever post title. It's not witty or snarky. It's not funny, it's just the fact. Hillary Clinton testified at the Select Committee on Benghazi for eleven years, I mean hours, but it felt like years. Let me reiterate that the true name of this committee is Scamgazhi. Institutional Abuse of Power, how does that make you feel? Do you care? The phrase is not a new one but has it become so commonplace that we're numb to it? Are we so bitter and resigned to accepting this shameful behavior from the highest legislative body of the land that we look the other way and say pass the cheesepuffs? I don't care whether you like or dislike Hillary Clinton, facts are facts. Seven Congressional Committees and one federally mandated independent review have all closed the books on Benghazi and issued their findings. Speaker of the House John Boehner did not want to form this select committee because he felt it served no purpose. He was forced to form it by the hyper

Spinning on a dime as they say.  I just wrote a post about Joe Biden's possible Presidential run and boom he has announced he's not running. His statement came with his wife Jill and President Obama by his side. It was a firm and classy statement. He felt it was now too late to run and he did not endorse Clinton or anyone else. Good for you Joe!

Will he or won't he? Should he or shouldn't he? Joseph R. Biden was infected with the Presidential virus over thirty years ago. The only cure is to become President, Joe Biden is out of time. At 72 this is his last chance to reach for the brass ring. The pundits talk about whether or not there's a path to the Presidency for him, of course there is, he runs and wins, that's the path. Biden certainly sees himself as the person who would be the greatest defender of Obama's legacy, which is probably true. But any Democrat seeking the Presidency is not going to throw Obama under the bus, they can't afford to. There is no question, to a normal person, that Biden is more than ready for the job. Decades of legislative experience combined with eight years as Vice-president puts him in a unique position. But in a campaign against Sanders and Clinton can he ever rise above simply being number three? It's a tough lift when there is very little substantive difference

It's a lovely fall day here in Hindtit. I'm sitting in my favorite lawn chair staring at the fields across the road. The crops are all gone now, the ground stripped, a reminder of the winter desolation yet to come. Winters in Hindtit can be brutal, similar to our current Presidential race. With great anticipation I patiently awaited the first Democratic Party debate. Before continuing let me say that having more than six isn't necessary. There's a lot of disagreement amongst Democrats over this issue but in this modern era of social media and mass communication such venues as these joint news confererences posing as debates are not required. Some candidates want more, it is after all a cheap way to get your message out, if the moderator let's you. Now to the meat. The CNN Democratic debate was actually quite good. Anderson Cooper was forceful and sharp, hitting each candidate equally hard. The ongoing debate about the debate is who won. Well here's who lost.

And that's why I went easy on the Pope. Oh, sorry, I got ahead of myself. The Vatican has confirmed that Kim Davis met with Pope Francis last week. The ancient institution went further than usual stating that the meeting was brief and that the Pope in no way was voicing an opinion on the unique circumstances surrounding Kim Davis' situation. It has also been made clear that the meeting was arranged by the Papal Nuncio (Vatican Ambassador) in Washington, D.C. He is a very conservative fellow that didn't use good judgment particularly when you consider that we also now know that many American Bishops were opposed to the meeting. What has prompted the Vatican to respond in such detail? Because the Pope himself clearly was informed of what was being reported in the U.S. and the spin that Davis and the Liberty Council were putting on the meeting. If you carefully listen to what Davis states the Pope said to her, it's all very generic. It's the kind of comments a person

Would be Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy admitted in an interview on FOX News that the Select Committee on Benghazi is about tearing Hillary Clinton down politically, he pointed out the success with her falling poll numbers. This select committee is now the longest running in the history of our country. There have already been eight Congressional Committees and one outside investigation and all found there was no wrongdoing. There was no reason to form a select committee except to try and derail Hillary Clinton's Presidential campaign. The committee has cost taxpayers $4.5 million, is that alright with you? McCarthy has faced a firestorm since his remarks and he has now tried to take it back. Now Congressman Jason Chaffetz says he'll challenge McCarthy for the Speakership, though his quest is a long shot. Congressman McCarthy was caught accidentally telling the truth and he certainly regrets it but it's out of the bag now and that select committee needs to be disbande

Another mass shooting has taken place, this time in Oregon. While I agree with the Sheriff in this case who refuses to use the shooters name, in the long run it's irrelevant. Law enforcement will conduct it's investigation and as the public we will get a glimpse of that person's life. Murder Is murder whether it's one or nine. I agree with President Obama's comments about our numbness and were I in his position I too would be frustrated however, other than banning all guns, gun sellers and manufacturers, what's there to do? That doesn't even take into consideration all the guns already in private hands. Let's take the NRA out of the equation, they do not represent their membership, they represent the gun manufacturers. If you don't believe that, you're delusional. But it doesn't matter. We're not getting rid of guns, the will of the majority is not there. So what to do? No real proposals are placed on the table for serious review. Ther

"They seemed amazingly busy. I began to ask myself what they could be. Were they intelligent mechanisms? Such a thing I felt was impossible. Or did a Martian sit within each, ruling, directing, using, much as a man's brain sits and rules in his body? I began to compare the things to human machines, to ask myself for the first time in my life how an iron-clad or a steam engine would seem to an intelligent lower animal." So wrote H.G. Wells in the "War of the Worlds". NASA has announced the discovery of evidence of flowing water on Mars. It matters because it's one more piece of the puzzle as to whether there is or ever was life on Mars. The conspiracy theorists among us are having none of it. They claim it's a lie and they find it strange that the announcement has come just before the release of the new Matt Damon film, "The Martian". I suppose it's of no use to point out that Hollywood has made many films about Mars not to mention all tho

It would be hypocritical of me not to follow up on my previous post on Pope Francis with regards to the story breaking today. According to Kim Davis and her lawyer she had a private meeting with the Pope last week. She was in Washington being honored by a Christian family thingy for her brave willingness not to do her job. Davis is not the contientious objector she is being portrayed as. If she were she would leave her position and take up the burden of changing the law of the land. She is not going to do that. She is a publicity hound who will ultimately pile up cash in the name of Jesus, thus fulfilling Jesus command, gather unto thee as much silver as possible. The Vatican has not confirmed this meeting occurred nor have they denied. That means it happened. Say it isn't so Papa. Oh well, you're still a nice guy but a bit misguided. I would think a poor man from Argentina would know the stench of manure when he steps in it.

Pope Francis spent six glorious days in the United States this past week and as a citizen I want to thank him for shoving Donald Trump off the airwaves. For a brief lovely time we had a pleasant diversion from all the gloom and doom. We saw a person who actually believes in the core teaching of Jesus; love, hope and forgiveness. This Pope has raised a lot of eyebrows, particularly among conservative Catholics. It's not just about his insistence that everyone must be made to feel welcome in the Church, it's his reminders of the Church's centuries old teaching on social justice. If you want to shut down religious conversation with your conservative Catholic friends just say those two magical words, "social justice". Trust me you will get a very quick, "well maybe we shouldn't go there." Pardone, pardone but I do want to go there, I don't of course because it would be discourteous. These small "g" God devotees don't like to linger on

Let's get right to it. No one running for the Presidency in either major party is an outsider. No matter what spin you hear from the individual candidates or what the media regurgitates, don't believe it. Take some time for a little reflection and application of logic. A truck driver, auto mechanic, janitor or retail clerk, all of these people would be outsiders. It is in the Republican Party where this word is predominantly being used, specifically to describe three people. First up is Donald Trump, a billionaire real estate tycoon born to a life of privilege as the son of a real estate tycoon. By no stretch of the imagination can he be described as an outsider. By his own admission he knows politicians well and has been playing the game since day one of his business life. The second is Carly Fiorina. She loves to tell the the story of secretary to C.E.O. but it's a myth. She was born into a privileged family and had all the right opportunities. She spent six months work

Last Friday John Boehner came to the podium singing Zippety Dooda and announced his resignation as Speaker of the House. He's sang this to the press before but this time there was an abundance of joy in his voice. He will vacate the Speakerhip and his Congressional seat on October 30 and who could blame him. Boehner has been in the U.S. House of Representatives for twenty-five years, five as Speaker. Climbing to that ultimate position of power is what many members hope to achieve but for Boehner it has certainly not been a time of joy. He has had about 30 members of his caucus who have no interest in governing the country they simply wish to be obstructionists. They arrived in 2010 as Tea Party newbies that helped deliver the House back to Republican control. They now call themselves the Freedom Caucus. Their my way or the highway attitude has disrupted the nation's business and presented John Boehner with a massive headache. Boehner is a conservative but also someone that un

Ben Carson is batshit crazy. But let's put that aside for the moment. Carson is a retired pediatric neurosurgeon which means he had the ability to learn a complex skill but intellectually he is a complete zero. There is nothing difficult about understanding what Carson said this past Sunday about not letting a Muslim be President of the United States. If you didn't see the full interview just look it up and watch it. Carson is totally ignorant of our Constitution and of what our Founding Fathers actually believed about religion. The Carson apologists who constantly reach for the excuse of him being politically inexperienced to justify the stupid things he says is getting very old. His assertion concerning political correctness is simply not true. This latest outrageous comment, which is just one of many over the last few years, is proof that he is not fit to serve as the leader of the free world. Dr. Carson is supremely arrogant but lacks the mental acuity to back it up. Thi