What if Trump shows up … ?

August 29, 2026 kanelis2012 Leave a comment

Two weeks from takeoff from Love Field and I am beginning to run some things through my noggin and I should vanquish them … because none of them could actually take place.

Then again …

I am leaving on Sept. 11 for an overnight trip to Washington, D.C. I will be one of 45 veterans taking part in an Honor Flight, an event devised to salute military veterans for the service they gave to the country. I served for two years in the Army, from 1968 until 1970. I was sent to Vietnam for a time to work on airplanes and then assigned to the tactical operations center in Da Nang.

I came home and was greeted mostly with shrugs from friends. I didn’t get any “thank you for your service” greetings from strangers. That’s all changed. No longer do we treat service personnel as being at fault for our planners’ failures.

Honor Flights are designed to demonstrate a nation’s gratitude. Some of us on this trip are old enough to remember how we were treated when we completed our service in S.E. Asia.

OK, now about those thoughts.

Our trip coincides with the 25th year since the 9/11 attack by terrorists. My thought involves the four former presidents of the United States, all of whom should be honored for the work they did to bring the terrorist in chief, Osama bin Laden, to justice.

Will any of these men be around to greet us, or to receive our thanks for their service to the country? That’s what I am hoping will happen. Furthermore, I have a bit shared history with one of these gentlemen. I met then Texas Gov. George W. Bush in a personal 90-minute session I had with him in the summer of 1995. I have been hoping to see him again and remind him of that meeting and hope he remembers me.

The 9/11 attacks occurred during the first year of his time as president.

Barack Obama was on duty when the SEALs found bin Laden in May 2011. I have seen viral videos of him greeting veterans on earlier Honor Flights. Maybe he can find some time to do it again. Bill Clinton felt bin Laden’s wrath in 2000 when al-Qaeda terrorists blew a hole into the Navy destroyer USS Cole. Joe Biden was in the Situation Room as vice president the night of the SEAL raid. The former 46th president is ill with cancer, so I don’t expect to see him … but I would love to shake his hand and thank him for his 50 years of public service.

That brings us to the current president. What if he makes an appearance? My gut struggles with my brain. I detest the guy who is in office now. I respect and revere the office he occupies. What would I do if were standing in front of me? I would shake his hand … and that’s all I will say about that.

Will any of this occur? Probably not. I just wanted to let you know once again that am taking part in this Honor Flight with great pride and thanks of my own.

national news, religious news

This preacher has it exactly right

August 28, 2026 kanelis2012 Leave a comment

Rafael Warnock wears two hats and both of them fit him perfectly. He is at once a Democratic U.S. senator from Atlanta, Ga., and also a Southern Baptist preacher who preaches from the same pulpit that once featured the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

He knows a thing or two about the U.S. Constitution and the Bible. If you listen to Warnock long enough you understand the wisdom contained in this gentleman’s facile mind.

He recently called himself a “Matthew 25 Christian,” meaning that he follows the Gospel taught in the New Testament how God fed the hungry, gave water to the thirsty and provided comfort and aid to the ill. Today’s Republican Party, he said, cut $1 trillion from Medicare, slashed insurance coverage for 15 million Americans’ health insurance … all in the immediate aftermath of passing the “Big Ugly Bill” promoted by Donald J. Trump.

And yet these politicians all stand foursquare behind the Bible as their guidepost for the legislative agenda they want to become the law of the land.

Warnock also said that the thing that unites Americans isn’t religion, but it is the liberty granted by the U.S. Constitution. which includes the freedom to worship as we please, or not worship a deity. “We have freedom of religion,” Warnock said, “and freedom from religion.”

Well … and yet states such as Texas are requiring the posting of the Ten Commandments on public property and are mandating that public school children study the Bible as a historical document. What utter garbage! The Bible I read is an article of faith. Either you believe what it says, or you don’t. The Constitution grants us as citizens the right to accept or reject the Bible … period, full stop!

We should teach historical events for what they were, matters that occurred in a secular world. And we should keep matters of faith where they belong … in houses of worship.

national news

Just who suffers from TDS?

August 27, 2026 kanelis2012 Leave a comment

Many of you already are aware that I’ve been accused of “suffering” from Trump Derangement Syndrome. I actually don’t consider it a malady I should shake. I am proud of the variation of the syndrome I lug around in my head and heart.

What I should say right off the top is that my accusers suffer from it, too. Only their syndrome is an affliction that is causing them distress that might be going unrecognized.

A pro-Donald Trump reader of this blog, and I believe I have more of them out there than I probably know about, is as stricken with the ailment as I am. Only he or she will never acknowledge it publicly. Therein might lie a fundamental difference between them and me. I wear my TDS proudly and I call it what it is. They don’t. They hide behind some fiction that life has been better for them and for the country since Donald took office a second time in January 2025.

How in the world can it be that they believe such fecal matter? We’ve gone to war with Iran after Trump said categorically he would never sanction such an activity. The individual has imposed tariffs against the entire planet, driving up the costs of essential goods and services. He said he would end the Russia-Ukraine War on “day one” of his new administration; it rages on.

He continues to lie about the scope of his victory in 2024 over Kamala Harris, calling it a landslide when in reality he just barely squeaked by her.

If you’re going to accept his lies and disregard the fact that he has added trillions of dollars to our national debt, well … I believe you have the Trump Derangement Syndrome you accuse me of having.

Just own it, OK?

business news, economic news, education news, entertainment news

Falling short in tribute to Dolly

August 26, 2026 kanelis2012 Leave a comment

As clear as it now looks, it is obvious that my brief tribute to the late Dolly Parton — and yes, it’s strange beyond belief to refer to her in that fashion — fell far short of the mark. So … I will seek to remedy that with this brief post.

Dolly Parton was a brilliant businesswoman with a heart of pure gold. She was generous with her immense wealth. She had a wonderfully self-deprecating wit that she used on herself without apology.

I did note that she was an extraordinary talent who composed some of pop culture’s most durable music.

She also was a champion for literacy among our children. She came by that desire honestly, as her beloved father never learned to read and write. When Vanderbilt University closed for a time during the COVID pandemic, Dolly donated $1 million to get the university up and running. She reportedly furnished hundreds of millions of books to children around the world, encouraging them to enjoy reading and having the whole world open up to them.

She said she wanted to create a fantasy amusement park near her East Tennessee hometown. She declared she would name it “Dollywood,” and it would cater to families seeking to get away from the travails of life.

I mentioned to you already that I am not a huge country music fan, but I sure know talent when I see it. Dolly Parton was an extraordinary woman whose legacy will live on not just in her music, but also in the lives of children who were blessed to receive the gift of literacy that she encouraged.

The world will miss Dolly Parton’s huge presence, but it also will continue to reap the rewards she left behind.

entertainment news

Dolly: legend in her own time

August 25, 2026 kanelis2012 Leave a comment

Few entertainers ever reach legendary status, even after they have passed from the scene.

Dolly Parton was the rare individual who attained that exalted place even as she continued to enthrall us with her music. Parton died Tuesday at age 80, leaving a legacy that well could be unmatched by her peers.

And I say this as someone who isn’t a huge country music fan, but one who recognizes talent and, yes, legendary status when I see it. Dolly was the real deal, man.

She carried herself with an air of flamboyance that no one would dare copy. She would gussy herself up and then speak to her fans through that unmistakable Southern drawl that only could come from the back of her throat.

Dolly Parton, though, was far from being a mere glamorous star who merely looked the part of a legend. She delivered the goods through her timeless music, delivered with one of the sweetest voices God ever created. That divinely inspired voice sang lyrics that came from her very own heart.

This world has lost another huge talent. She lived a full and rich life and has left behind a treasure trove of music that we can enjoy for the rest of our eternity.

Rest in eternal peace, Dolly Parton … and thank you for sharing your enormous gifts with the rest of us.

economic news, International news, national news

So very tired of ‘winning’

August 25, 2026 kanelis2012 Leave a comment

Why is that, why would “winning” wear me out, bring me down, make me wish for the real thing?

Because not a damn thing Donald J. Trump describes as “winning” is anything of the sort. Trump is the loser in chief.

Think about this for just a brief moment. He says we’ve already “won” the war with Iran, but he won’t stop bombing the Iranians. His tariffs are punishing Americans, the people he was elected to protect. In a related matter, Trump has leveled a 50% tariff on Canadian goods. Yes, goods produced and brought into this country by our most reliable (until now) trading partner and worldwide ally.

Prime Minister Mark Carney says Trump has declared war on Canada. He vows to fight back. Will Trump be able to declare he is “winning” this latest trade war with the nation with which we share the world’s longest unsecured border? Hah! Hardly.

We have no allies in the Iranian war. Oh, wait. We have one. Israel has joined us in the bombing campaign.

Even North Korea is on the Iranians’ side. Trump, though, has this lovey-dovey relationship with North Korean killer/despot/thug Kim Jong Un.

Yep, that’s “winning” in Trump’s perverted world.

local news, political news, State news

Here is a sure-fire political prediction

August 23, 2026 kanelis2012 Leave a comment

A while ago I gave up trying to predict political tides … particularly in Texas, a place I have called home for the past 42 years.

I’m going to veer off that wagon for just a moment and offer this tidbit for you to ponder, which is that James Talarico doesn’t beat the stuffing out Ken Paxton their race for the U.S. Senate seat, the Texas Democratic Party might as well pack it in forever.

Talarico is the Democratic nominee; Paxton is running under the Republican banner. What is going to get plenty of play in the weeks to come is that Paxton well could be the weakest GOP candidate for statewide office in memory. I can think only of the late Clayton Williams, the GOP candidate for governor in 1990 as someone whose weakness rivals Paxton.

Let’s look for a moment at Paxton’s record. He served in the Legislature as a state representative from Collin County. Then he got elected AG in 2014. Almost immediately he got indicted by a Collin County grand jury on an allegation of securities fraud. Then several of his top lawyers resigned and then lodged a corruption complaint against Paxton. After that the GOP-dominated Texas House impeached Paxton on charges that he took bribes and cheated on his wife, state Sen. Angela Paxton; Sen. Paxton then filed for divorce from her husband, citing “Biblical grounds.” He then gained amazing wealth on an AG’s salary and recently has been frolicking with a married woman.

Kind of a head-spinning record, ya know?

Talarico is campaigning as a goody two-shoes. He’s a former school teacher, a Presbyterian seminarian, a man of deep Christian faith. He leans heavily on his faith but understands that the Constitution of the U.S.A. is a secular document and that our founders were consciously keeping religion out of government’s nuts and bolts.

I just want this young man to take his message across the finish line ahead of the other guy. If he doesn’t, then we’re in deeper trouble than I ever imagined.

political news

Five Democrats surge to the front

August 23, 2026 kanelis2012 Leave a comment

So … if you’re going to point a loaded pistol at my noggin and demand that I pick the Democratic frontrunner for the 2028 presidential nomination, you would have to settle on hearing me recite five names.

I rate them all equally, but understand that it remains far too early to single any of them out.

Here goes: Former Vice President Kamala Harris, California Gov. Gavin Newsom, former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, Arizona U.S. Sen. Mark Kelly, Georgia U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff. I haven’t ranked them. The is a random one. There might be a sleeper or two, maybe three, out there hiding in the tall grass. I’ll stick for now with the obvious choices.

Harris was the 2024 Democratic nominee. She should have won that race. But she ran out of steam down the stretch. Newsom is “telegenic” in the extreme, but I hear from my California family members and friends that he has a mixed record out there. Buttigieg is brilliant but it pains me to say this … he’s also gay. Say what you will about strides we have made in this country, I don’t believe we are going to just yet elect a gay candidate as president. Kelly keeps harping on how he’s “not afraid” of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. He needs to develop a forward-looking message. Ossoff has scored huge in his dressing down of the GOP and the POTUS. Plus, he has a certain “swag” that a candidate seems to need these days.

Who might the GOP offer? Vice President J.D. Vance. That’s it.

Do I have a favorite? Not really, although I believe Ossoff has the widest path to the top of the heap.

Polls at this stage of an election season mean nothing. Zero. They only speak to who’s leading in the moment. An hour is a lifetime, right?

political news

Most important election in history?

August 22, 2026 kanelis2012

Many of us have heard this refrain before, that the “next election is the most important in our nation’s history.”

Indeed, I recently watched a video that revealed a lengthy string of important politicians — dating back to President Truman — make that declaration of an upcoming election. Politicians from both major parties sang off the same sheet. Presidents Kennedy, Johnson, Reagan, both Bushes, Obama, Clinton, Biden, Eisenhower all warned Americans of the consequences if they don’t vote.

Well … I got news for you. The election coming up in fewer than 80 days might just be the most important ever in U.S. political history. How can this be more vital than all the previous “most important” elections? Because we have a maniac in the White House who is hellbent on dismantling our democratic form of government and replacing it with a form of autocracy.

I am in no position to tell you that despite the stakes of this election, that the 2028 presidential. election or the 2030 midterm election won’t be heralded as the most vital election in history. Although there exists in many people’s minds that if the Republican Party holds onto control of Congress that there might not be a next election — if you get my drift.

I remain resolute in my faith in the U.S. Constitution being able to withstand the immense challenges that confront it … and us.

A word of caution is in order. The Constitution’s strength rests in the hands of citizens committed to exercising their rights as Americans. If we do not take part in this midterm election, then we well might write the final chapter in the system of government we all say we cherish. It will fall on our shoulders to demonstrate our devotion to the government we want to keep.

Yep, this election could well be the most critical of ’em all!

High Plains Blogger