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President Trump went from Making America Great Again to making America sad again. I had high hopes for him to succeed since he was the elected President. Note to self; never bet on an underdog. He has held office for over 100 days and the future looks bleak at best. I have been told by people that they voted for Trump because the other option, Hillary Clinton, was much worse. I thought about their logic for a couple days arguing the pros and cons with myself and the reasoning does not make sense. The most simplistic way to explain this logic is in this example:

I needed to get my car serviced. I did my research for the most experienced mechanic in the area and then took my car to their shop to get serviced. That is the most logical thought process that most or all people take when in need of a mechanic. Another option could be to ask friends and relatives for a good mechanic. You certainly do not take your car repairs to the local pizzeria and hope they can fix it. They make pizza not fix cars. You can substitute the term mechanic with anything; use doctor, lawyer, dentist, chef, construction, accountant, etc…

Let’s correlate this thought process with the Presidential election:

America needed a qualified President to run the nation domestically and globally. America decided to pick a comedic reality television star with absolutely zero experience in politics, government or military. He never even held a local council position. Trump probably didn’t even take any political science courses while acquiring his education. Let’s see if there could have been a friend recommendation for Trump. The answer is emphatically, No. Trump had such a lack of experience in politics that no one in his political party supported him throughout the Presidential race.

Let’s recap:

Americans will hire a qualified mechanic to work on their cars but did not hire a qualified candidate to run their country. The current President is a loose cannon that uses simplified words such as great and good to get his points across to the public. Does he think he is speaking to a public whose average age is six years old so he condescends with small words? Yes.

He has threatened the former FBI Director, James Comey, with a release of taped recordings. This is the same Comey who refused to mix politics with the FBI. Seems the new rule by Trump is that if you don’t mix politics with the FBI then you are fired just like a dictatorship. Trump leaks classified information to Russia during a meet and greet instead of in a professional manner behind closed doors with his security advisors and then fires Comey the next day. What a grand coincidence. Ironically, no one should know about classified information but yet everyone knows.

He attempts to convey all his messages in 140 word tweets, which is absolutely ridiculous. Any of us who tweet regularly know that scenario just does not work. He has attempted to put a halt to daily briefings in true Nazi form. I suppose some of his supporters, including David Duke from that sect of American society, will applaud him.

The new health care act will fail resulting in unaffordable rates for people over the age of 50 and those with pre-existing conditions. Young people will certainly not take the insurance and if they do buy the insurance their lower rates will not be subsidize the older people on individual plans. Taxes will be only reduced for the rich, while everyone else pays more to subsidize the millionaires. The CEO of Aetna stated single payer should be discussed nationally as was Medicare in 1965. Single payer is the only solution since all other attempts have failed. http://www.giannifranco.com

The Future:

Sean Spicer will quit the daily briefings because he no longer can take the pressure from the haphazard Administration. You can only sidestep lies for so long before you can no longer respond. That scenario probably intertwines to Trump’s threat to stop the daily briefings. Trump’s angle is that it is better to have a dictator-type administration and not communicate with the public rather than to inform them with side stepping lies that build upon other lies. A saying we were all told as children, “Don’t tell white lies because they will catch up with you.”

Trump may quit the Presidency or have his one or two closest friends in politics set him up to withdraw amicably. Note he has no other friends in politics. Trump may get into legal trouble and that will negatively impact his Presidency forcing his removal. His shotgun approach to international issues may ruin his presidency as well. If he initiates a nuclear world war or additional bombings of countries where we do not belong his domestic political retribution will be severe.

He will fail as Julius Cesar failed in his last year in office. Do not get this confused; I am not comparing President Trump to Julius Cesar. Cesar is an example of a leader beloved by all who was politically destroyed and assassinated by his closest allies. Trump will probably not literally be removed fatally like Cesar but he may be politically assassinated by his allies within government. You can sense this scenario currently occurring because Trump has no experience and relies on his staff to give him advice. When given the wrong advice he will spiral into certain failure. This is not a conspiracy theory since those theories do not exist. It is a logical thought process that can occur by his enemies within government, as did with Julius Cesar.

Conclusion:

America, you signed up for this, and now must reap its false rewards. Next time you decide to vote; look for a candidate with experience if you don’t like the opponent. Do not just vote for a candidate because it is your only option. It is your right not to vote. There were other options and you did not have to pick the comedic reality star who grew up as a child with a $200 million bank account. Most Americans grow up with .001% of that number which is $2000. At best, if Trump wanted to be involved in politics he should have just acquired a talk show on Sirius XM.  www.giannifranco.com

This interview with President Donald Trump took place on Friday February 17^th 2017; exactly 30 days after Inauguration Day, at the Mar-a-Lago Resort in Palm Beach, FL. I was flown into Fort Lauderdale, FL by way of private jet that was supplied by the Trump family. After landing, a Presidential limousine picked me up and brought me to a helicopter that took me to the Mar-a-Lago estate. I was escorted to the front door of the mansion and instructed to immediately begin the interview at 3 am. Below is a portion of the interview that took place with Donald Trump the President for approximately fifteen minutes; rewritten word for word from a voice recorded session. I may or may not publish the additional portions of the interview.

Craig Anfinno: Thank you for meeting me Mr Trump. I mean President Trump. My name is Craig Anfinno. How does it feel to be President of the United States?

Trump the President: Well, Mr Anfinno, It feels good, very good. I’m king of the world right now so it feels great. I’ll be honest with you. I wasn’t expecting this surprise but it is good. It’s great. I’m number one. I like that feeling.

Craig Anfinno: Please call me Craig, Mr President. Do you have many friends in Washington? The only reason I ask is because no one supported you to your road to the Presidency.

Trump the President: It’s a fair question Craig. I really don’t give an F about friends. I don’t give a crap. I’m President and if they don’t follow me then they will be in trouble and so will the rest of the country. I’m the guy. I’m the man in power.

Craig Anfinno: Do you think the lack of friends in Washington will stop your or this party’s progress?

Trump the President: No I don’t think so. I’m the guy. They have to respect that now. Will it stop progress? Maybe, but what do I care; I’m still rich and will be rich when this is all over. If Washington screws up then oh well. No different than before, right?

Craig Anfinno: I suppose Mr President but it will be your legacy on the line if you are or are not a success. If you fail then you will be viewed as a failure forever.

Trump the President: Really? I didn’t think about that outcome. We businessmen don’t think 20 or 30 years out. We only think a few months or couple years out. Have you read Let’s Make a Deal; I mean The Art of the Deal?

Craig Anfinno: Yes I have read it. It was ok.

Trump the President: Did you know it was number one? That book is exactly how I will run government.

Craig Anfinno: Did you know if you can’t make a deal then the government shuts down and then you affect 300 million people. It’s not about real estate or negotiations because the government doesn’t work that way.

Trump the President: Really? That is so weird. So weird. It should be quick with the deal making like building a golf course or a building. You know what I mean?

Craig Anfinno: I do but that’s not how government works. You will soon learn how it works. It may get ugly without political friends because you have to please so many people. It is completely opposite of the process that you are used to when dealing with a building inspector. Are you ready for that situation?

Trump the President: I am because I am the President. You can’t say no to me. By the way, I want to thank you for this interview.

Craig Anfinno: You are welcome. Let’s move on because they can say no to you. You are not a dictator. We have three branches of government and checks and balances. If you can; please elaborate on your resume for President?

Trump the President: Well, I ran on the ballot, traveled the country, and made speeches.

Craig Anfinno: I mean your prior resume. An example is a senator, governor, mayor, councilman etc.

Trump the President: Oh, I got ya. I negotiated contracts for new and old buildings. I obtained loans from banks. I also did comedic drama for The Apprentice on NBC. You remember that show Craig? I used to fire people and I was funny and the drama was the firing part. That was a good gig. Easy. Very easy.

Craig Anfinno: Yes I do remember. Was there any other political experience? I am just trying to be fair here because you didn’t mention any other experience.

Trump the President: Yes. I did go to dinners and I was on the Howard Stern show as well as other shows. I wasn’t political but I did comedy and shook hands with people. Isn’t that how politicians actually work at their jobs?

Craig Anfinno: No Sir. There is no comedy in Washington and it is not fun. You can fire people and that could have other serious effects because they are not on a TV show. They are actually working within the government to create laws and get them passed that affects 300 million people.

Trump the President: Hmm. That is very interesting Craig. I promise I will figure it out or someone in my Party will figure it out.

Craig Anfinno: Can you rely on your party members since you have no government experience?

Trump the President: I suppose I can. I can fire them and keep hiring people that agree with me.

Craig Anfinno: Sir that is not how it works. What you just described is a dictatorship. In the USA you can’t fire everyone. There is a voting process. Remember the checks and balances thing I mentioned before in our conversation? Plus if you don’t hire the right people or make the right decisions you affect 300 million lives plus possible global repercussions. Did you know that Sir?

Trump the President: Global? Why are you talking about global?

Craig Anfinno: The USA is part of the global community and is a leader globally. Any actions you take in America affects the other 8 billion people in the world. Did you not know that?

Trump the President: I did know that. I’m just saying it will be great and I will fix everything.

Craig Anfinno: Moving on Sir. How will you handle North Korea?

Trump the President: Easy question. Thank you Craig. I will nuke them and everyone else around there just like Truman did back in the day.

Craig Anfinno: Mr President are you sure about that answer? You can’t just nuke countries because there are severe repercussions, especially innocent lives and nuclear fallout. Are you sure?

Trump the President: Yes I’m sure. I make the final decision but I have a great team that will figure it out.

Craig Anfinno: What if no one on your team likes you? Do you remember Julius Cesar? He was killed by his close confidents.

Trump the President: Yes I will nuke them, bomb them, and remove them from the map. I am President of the World. It will be fine. My team you ask? I am not concerned with them or Julius Cesar. Cesar controlled Rome; I control the World. It’s all about winning at all costs like The Art of the Deal or Charlie Sheen.

Craig Anfinno: Ok. Let’s move on. How do you feel about the Middle East and Syria? What will you do with them?

Trump the President: I will nuke them, bomb them, and remove them from the map. If you screw with America then you will pay the price of the toll.

Craig Anfinno: Sir, there are no tolls. There are innocent lives. Killing people like Truman did in the past does not make for a successful future. We are a global economy and having global allies is important. Do you understand that ideal?

Trump the President: I do but nuking and bombing will fix everything. We will just destroy everything and then start over again like 1960. That was the time when America was great. I’m better than Regan, better than Truman, and better than Kennedy. It will all work out.

Craig Anfinno: What if it does not work out?

Trump the President: Well, I guess I don’t care. I have so much money that me and all my fellow rich people will survive any war hiccups, nuclear or not.

Craig Anfinno: Ok. So you have no friends in politics, no experience, and no knowledge of government. How do you see yourself after four years in office?

Trump the President: You know, I am just going to go with the flow. I’m not being fake. I can’t predict that far in advance nor do I want to. Could be bad; could be good; could be even. If people get out of line then I will take care of them with force or without force. Again, I am President. I have protection, bunkers, planes, helicopters, and money. I’ll be fine with a hiccup. The Captain of the ship is the only one left after everyone else falls off. I will make sure I will be the only one left except my ship won’t sink. I’ll have a separate ship.

Craig Anfinno: Wow. Ok. Thank you for the interview and thank you for your time. I am going to go now and I wish you and your team the best.

Trump the President: Why are you going so soon?

Craig Anfinno: Our time is up and you have explained enough of your priorities. I feel it is best that we do not continue any longer and I thank you for your time. Have a good morning Mr President.

Trump the President: Bye bye. It will be great. Great again. Bye bye. Very good.

Needless to say, I was completely disappointed in the interview and I left slightly worried and scared. Perhaps I would have felt more at ease if he had some prior political experience nationally and globally. Only time will tell and I do not believe it will be positive.

 

 

Disclaimer: Thank you for reading. Please re-read only the boldfaced italicized & underlined words sequentially to explain the article.

Seems Trump was a good idea for America a few months ago but his true colors may have just shown through to appease other members of the government. His lack of experience in government has now become evident and his actions show complete disregard for the global ramifications.

Yes I understand and am not emotionless. I have seen the pics of babies dying on the news. I certainly hope that the President didn’t base his decision on bombing Syria based on news pictures.

Let’s begin with the premise of Syrian situation. A country 6000 miles away may or may not have bombed their citizens intentionally with toxic gas. America then decides to bomb Syria in an aggressive act of retaliation while breaking International Law. In general, the Law states that you cannot intentionally bomb a country unless your country is threatened. America retaliated against a country (Syria) for a country (Syria). As you can see that statement makes no sense, thus the bombing of Syria is a declaration of war. America has just proven to ISIL that they are the bully on the block willing to bomb Middle Eastern countries at their leisure. America’s actions will cause more people to join ISIL that will increase the acts of terrorism globally.

The global implications now puts the West vs the East. The United States and NATO vs Russia, Syria, Iran, North Korea and China. This scenario can lead to WWIII, where deaths can tally well into the millions, all because President Trump decided to meddle into the business of Syria. I recall a statement that was taught to me when I was a child and even repeated to me as an adult. When someone tries to pry into your situation you explain to them, “To mind their own business and not worry about yours.”

That being said, Americans watch the pictures of the babies dying on the news and jump to an emotional conclusion that Syria should be bombed. Let’s not forget the Americans drawing these conclusions live in nice homes with money in their pocket, food on their table, and a 60 inch plasma tv on their wall. It seems really easy to make the justification about bombing a country when it is not your country.

Syria should not have been bombed. Total death toll from the chemical attack is 72 per ABC. 72 people is a very small percentage of the 440,000 that have died in the civil war in Syria. Thousands have died in other countries as well but America does not bomb those countries. There have been terrorist attacks across the globe but America doesn’t send military to Britain, Sweden, or France. Mind your own business America and concentrate on your country instead of starting a world war.

America doesn’t seem to send military to Chicago, New York, or Los Angeles when children are shot and killed due to street shootings. President Trump will bomb Syria, 6000 miles away for 72 deaths, but will do nothing about our own children’s deaths.

How does that make any sense? It does not.

Ask yourself if bombing Syria was really worth it. It was not.

What was there to gain from bombing Syria, other than upsetting the global community? There is nothing to gain.

Do you even know any Syrians personally? Doubtful.

Syria is not our problem, just as Russia, Italy, France, or any other country is not our problem. America is our problem so fix America and don’t meddle in any other country’s business. Trump should not be defended for his actions.

The Kim Dynasty has been in place in North Korea for over a hundred years and its power and reputation has slowly deteriorated, changing dramatically in the last fifty years. Originally a socialist regime that has now turned into a dictatorship, as typically happens with all socialist societies.

The Supreme Leader of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (North Korea) is Kim Jong-Un. His father was Kim Jong-IL. Kim Jong-Un inherited the empire in December 2011 at the young age of 27, and now is 33 in 2017. To put the age into perspective, his father Kim Jong-IL did not gain power of North Korea until he was 52, in 1994. Kim Jong-IL was not the best father figure for his son Kim Jong-Un. While growing up Kim Jong-Un experienced his father’s severe treatment of the North Korean people, including famines, political uprisings, government repression, and assassinations. Perhaps Kim Jong-Un can’t be directly to blame since his family upbringing and environment instilled the prior mentioned ideals upon him.

During the Korean War (1950 – 1953) North Korea had the support of China, the Eastern Bloc, and the Soviet Union. Money, arms, and military were supplied to North Korea for the war and for the reconstruction after the war. A few months after the Bay of Pigs invasion of Cuba in 1961 the Sino-North Korean Mutual Aid and Cooperation Friendship Treaty (July 1961) was signed by the Soviet Union, China, and North Korea. This treaty supported economic advancement as well as direct military support to any opposition.

The Soviet portion of the treaty has expired since the Soviet Union was disbanded in the 1990s but is still in effect on consultative basis. China’s portion of the treaty is still in place and expires in 2021. This means if there is any military action against North Korea; China must help defend North Korea from anyone including the United States. If they choose not to honor the treaty, then it will be a different story. I do believe that China will have to honor the treaty because if they do not they will lose face. Losing face on a governmental level will send a shockwave throughout the Chinese population potentially causing a civil uprising.

That being said, China has not turned a blind eye to North Korea’s current nuclear development and testing. China has enacted severe economic sanctions. They have closed the main foreign exchange bank, restricted all coal imports, and stopped investments into some of North Korea’s processing plants.

North Korea’s future looks dire to say the least. The best case scenario is that Kim Jong-Un will be able to work with all the world leaders leading to peace. I doubt that will be possible considering his past. The worst case scenario, which will probably become reality, is that an all-out war ensues between North Korea and the rest of the world. I use the term, world, loosely. I mean it signify support from the world but only involving the United States, Japan, and South Korea in the actual conflict. The latter scenario will cause a large loss of civilian life, probably not seen since Vietnam, which was about 600,000 lives. I do believe the loss of life will eclipse a million, especially if nuclear and chemical weapons are used. Kim Jong-Un has specifically stated that he is not afraid to go into a nuclear war with the United States or any other country.

To the West of North Korea is the Syrian issue. On April 7, 2017 Syria was bombed by the United States, albeit for good reason it violated International Law. Russia has adamantly stated that the attack should not have happened and will defend Syria against any further military action by the United States.

Russia’s argument may be valid if Bashar al-Assad is proven to not have purposefully launched a chemical attack against his people. There is speculation that al-Assad bombed an ISIL depot to stop further advancement of the terror group and that he had no knowledge of the hidden chemical weapons at the depot. If the prior statement is true, then the United States will be viewed as the violent aggressor. The same type of violent aggressor that invaded Iraq and the non-existent weapons of mass destruction were found.

In summary, China will need to defend North Korea militarily and Russia will defend Syria in the same manner. The two largest superpowers of the East have now been poised against the West. The Eastern Powers are now much wealthier and heavily armed than they have been in decades and do pose a legitimate threat. They all have full scale nuclear and chemical capabilities given to them by the United States and Europe. The possibility of a world war occurring has just increased to 70%. The United States and Europe (NATO) vs China, Russia, Iran, Syria, and North Korea. Chess can be a dangerous game.

President Trump issued an Executive Order on February 6^th to prevent the IRS from rejecting any tax returns that do not have line 61, on the 1040 form, checked. Prior to February 6^th, if you did not check line 61 then you were not able to file your Federal tax return.

What is line 61 on your 1040? Line 61 is labeled as Health Care: Individual Responsibility. You are telling the IRS if you had health insurance coverage in the prior year, either through your employer or through the Federal Exchange. You will receive a form from the insurer or your employer showing you had coverage. That form is called a 1095.

What are the penalties if you did have health insurance?

The fee is calculated 2 different ways – as a percentage of your household income, and per person. You will pay whichever is higher.

1. Percentage of income. It is 5% of taxable household income. Maximum Penalty: Total yearly premium for the national average price of a Bronze plan sold through the Marketplace
2. Per person. $695 per adult and $347.50 per child under 18. Maximum: $2,085

The Affordable Care Act was not repealed so the penalties still apply. The Executive Order does not waive the penalty in any manner. The President’s Executive Order only allows you to file the return and the IRS to process the return, without checking line 61 of the 1040 form. The IRS can and probably will contact you for proof of insurance in the near future. If you did not have insurance then the IRS will penalize you and collect the funds. If you do not send them the money, then they will take it from your future Federal Tax Return. The media has typically only reported that you do not have to check line 61 and has not reported about the tax consequences. Be very cautious and speak with your tax preparer.

Additional information can be found here:

https://taxpayeradvocate.irs.gov/estimator/isrp/

https://www.healthcare.gov/fees/fee-for-not-being-covered/

I watched the show 3 times. Once when I was drunk. The next when I was buzzed. The last when I was sober. I can assure you that at whatever mental state you watch Jim Norton you will not be disappointed. Stoned, drunk, or sober you will laugh your ass off.

The opening song sets the tone for the whole special. “Wicked World”, by Black Sabbath (Black Sabbath 1970). Ozzy Osbourne sings, “The world today is such a wicked thing / Fighting going on between the human race.” The lyrics explain the Jim Norton comedy special as well as the state of modern day society. I do not believe Jim could have selected a better song or band for his special. I will admit I am partial to his music selection since I am an avid Black Sabbath fan since I was 12, nonetheless, the song fits perfectly.

Rewind a couple of minutes prior to the song and you have an impressive introduction from three A-listers. Jim is asking for some pre-stage encouragement and Ricky Gervais puts him in his place reminiscent of a one-sided roast battle. The next stop on Jim’s trek for encouragement is begging Louis CK for support at Louis’ door. In typical nonchalant Louis CK style, Louis slams the door shut on a pleading Jim. The final encounter is with Robert De Niro, who obliges Jim’s need for support that ends with a few face slaps and an ass spanking. You should be laughing by now and the above mentioned only happened in the first two minutes.

Jim’s humble down-to-earth persona is shown immediately to the audience and viewer. His $20 fake Yeezys perfectly match his plain gray shirt. His opening lines explain how he is not mainstream. He’s just an ordinary looking guy and no one can ever remember his name. Some have called him funny only because he is self-deprecating. I don’t see it that way. He is self-deprecating at times, but the reason why his comedy is so good is because it’s relatable to the audience. Jim’s personal situations have happened to us, individually, or someone we know at some point in time. The crowd interaction throughout the comedy special proves this point perfectly.

Jim made hilariously logical jokes about Charlie Sheen, Bill Cosby, Jared Fogle, and Caitlyn Jenner to name a few. You could do nothing but laugh and then think to yourself, ‘Wow! Jim is right.’ Jim’s timing is impeccable whether talking about mainstream stars, himself, or during the crowd interaction.

Jim did skip one thing that most other comics touch upon to get a laugh, which is politics. I have not read any reviews or articles that address this for Jim Norton. Even if you don’t like Jim’s comedy you should applaud him for this feat. He did not have to bring politics or his political ideals into his special to get a laugh. In my opinion if he did bring politics into the special it would have taken away from the comedy. Personally, I just stop paying attention during a show if an artist is trying to push their ideals on me. He brought pure unbiased comedy and brought it flawlessly. Jim Norton may not be a mainstream name currently but he will be in the foreseeable future.

The simplest and correct answer to the question is yes. President Trump did lose and lost horribly. The future does not look very bright for his term.

How bad was the loss, is the next question? As Donald Trump typically says, “Very bad. Very bad.” The Republicans failed to meet an objective and per the Speaker of the House, Paul Ryan, Obamacare will continue to be implemented for the foreseeable future. This means that the current situations regarding health insurance and healthcare may get worse. A 20% increase may become the norm as we move forward. The removal of the tax penalty mandate, box 61 on your 1040, will cause Obamacare to lose some of the money needed to fund the program that will cause premium increases.

Why do the rates keep going up? The reasons are actually very simple. The more the government regulates the health insurance sector the more the premiums increase. Currently, there is no freedom in healthcare. You buy a plan stipulated by government mandates and then hope to see a doctor that accepts that plan. If you do not have the money to buy a plan then you go to an emergency room and get serviced. The public pays into a health tax fund that pays for the people that go to an emergency room and do not have health insurance. Those that go to the emergency room can be billed but if they have no income they never have to pay. This law was instituted as part of the 1986 Omnibus Cobra Reconciliation Act. In 1986, most had health insurance so the point was to subsidize the few that did not have health insurance. Today, most do not have health insurance and the pool of money to subsidize the uninsured has dropped dramatically.

Medicaid. Another aspect of health insurance that is spiraling costs out of control is Medicaid and Medicare. The fraud associated with these plans is unreal. Total fraud for both plans in 2016 amounted to over $200 billion. Almost a quarter of a trillion dollars. This is one major reason that the programs need to more restrictive or removed. These statistics are provided by the Justice Dept and their fraud unit, Medicare Fraud Strike Force.

What’s a comparable scenario for choice? Let’s briefly talk about car insurance. You are required by State law to have car insurance. You buy car insurance across State lines and find the best deal. If you crash your car then you pay a deductible and then the insurance covers after the deductible. Interestingly enough, car insurance can cover a portion of your medical bill as well. Health insurance does not work that way. You can only buy policies from your State insurer and those benefits are mandated. If you are a 60 year old male you can only buy the same policy as the 23 year old male. Both policies offer maternity coverage even though neither can use that benefit. Health insurance should allow flexibility for someone to buy a policy that fits their needs from any insurer in the country.

What are the next steps? President Trump has lost as well as his fellow Republicans. They could have sold Trumpcare much better I suppose. They failed because they did not explain parts II & III fully to the public. The public felt that parts II & III were the same force fed changes that occurred with Obamacare. Obamacare stated the same things. Pass the bill now and we’ll decide later. Later we are at the same point, or worse, from prior to Obamacare. The future actually does not look so bright.

Lobbying. There are large donors who want to keep things status quo. Trump did not drain any swamp. He cannot drain the swamp. The swamp thrives with thousands of alligators and crocodiles with exaggerated kickbacks to insurers and lawmakers. Those kickbacks will never allow forward motion within the House, Senate, and Congress.

What are our options moving forward? The first is that House and Senate come together and fix the current healthcare law to make it more like a car insurance marketplace as described prior. The 2^nd option is that we move to a single payer option. If Republicans fail to fix the plan and lose the next election then single payer will become the new law. Single payer will completely change the health insurance landscape as will the potential Trumpcare Act.

How will it play out? I believe President Trump made to many promises and he cannot change the current health insurance law with all the mandates. Trump’s premise was accurate for positive change but it cannot happen. The kickback lobby policy will always trump President Trump. In President Trump’s prior world kickbacks were illegal. Within the government arena lobbyist kickbacks are legal, which destroys any of his premises.

If President Trump loses the next election then single payer will be the new insurance wiping out most brokers and agents. Trump’s option wipes out most agents and brokers as well but not to the extent of a single payer platform. I am not siding with the brokers or agents nor do I care. These are just an example of the changing landscape. I just want the best option for the population of the United States of America. I think the best option is to have free choice to buy what you want or need like car insurance, but that scenario has a very low probability of being implemented now. Call your local politician’s office to discuss your options and create change.

A question that probably means more in the present century than all past centuries. Ironically most people do not even use pens or pencils anymore to write and writing has become more important than in the past when pens and pencils were widely used. I still do write some of my longer pieces on paper but the shorter ones are usually done by computer. At the other end of the spectrum is the 140 character tweet that barely describes the article or idea and lends much of the reader to infer. In fact, the prior sentence is 141 characters showing how Twitter is so constrained. That being said, Facebook and blogs do seem to allow for a better communicative experience for the reader and writer.

The news organizations have failed us and that is evident in most print articles and television networks. I include all of television because it seems the reporting of the news has spread from news networks to talk shows to television shows. The problem is not that news is spread across many avenues but that the news is completely distorted by the time the news anchor or talk show host speaks. The information is either falsely reported or it is so politically skewed to one side or the other that the actual news is convoluted. News reporting is supposed to be same and not change as it is transmitted. Example original news: The dog stole a bone. News network: The carnivorous dog viciously attacked and bit the lone child and then stole a bleeding bone leaving no survivors.

Has the power of the pen died? I am a believer that it has not died as long as there are readers that believe in writing’s cause. Sift through all the written garbage and you will find gems that provide enlightenment. I certainly seek to accomplish that in every piece that I write, comment, and post.

I have been writing for over 20 years and have decided that the news or current events should be addressed in a concise manner without the need for political or monetary bias. I intend on writing consistent articles with only one goal and that is to enlighten the reader. The current article and newscasts do not typically enlighten their audience especially since the articles or posts are extremely biased. The articles will touch on a multitude of relatable societal topics and no topic is off limits. Comments, either negative or positive, are welcomed as well as sharing. You may submit articles for review and publication as well.

Today is St Patrick’s Day in America as well as other countries in the world. The celebration in each city will start with a parade and then develop into a binge drinking festival. Shots of Irish whiskey, glasses of green beer, and orange shamrock shirts will certainly fill all the bars and pubs throughout every city’s streets.

St Patrick was certainly not a drunken priest and the celebration of St Patrick’s Day was created to honor St Patrick and Christianity in Ireland. The Church decided to lift the Lenten restrictions to consume alcohol on this day and that is why drinking became so prevalent.

Whether you are religious or not you do have the ability to celebrate, drink, and eat today because you live in a free Democratic and Capitalistic society. When you live in a Socialistic society then those freedoms are removed.

Case in point is today in Venezuela. Socialism has reached an unnerving point in modern global society. While everyone celebrates today they must understand that in Venezuela they are arresting bakers for selling bread and pastries. A baker in Venezuela is only allowed to make French and white bread using the government controlled flour. Bakers have been accused of making additional items, such as pastries with government flour, and have been arrested and jailed. They have also been arrested for charging incorrect prices. There is a shortage of food, wheat, and medical supplies. Patients cannot be treated in the hospital and children cannot be fed. The government’s solution to mitigate product discrepancies is to arrest as many people as possible in any industry. That is not a solution but a repercussion of socialism.

The situations that continue to unfold in Venezuela are much disparate than ours in America or for that matter the rest of the world. The next time you think of attempting to vote for Socialist or Anarchist parties remember Venezuela. Remember that in a Socialist society you do not have any freedom. An individual does not have the ability to own a business nor has the ability to buy products not owned by the government. A Socialist government is tyrannical, removes freedom, creates deadly class divisions, and kills the economy and its people. Total freedom should be the only primary objective by all people! No government control!

This man, or as some refer to him as the devil, terrorized every village, city, and country he visited leaving a trail of dead bodies. He killed men, women, and children of all ages in the United States and Canada. His real name was Herman Webster Mudget, born May 16, 1861, in New Hampshire. Raised by a violent alcoholic father and bullied relentlessly by his classmates did nothing to detract from his future endeavors of death.

He became obsessed with skeletons and dissecting animals at an early age further feeding his desire to become a doctor. Dr Mudget graduated from the University of Michigan’s Department of Medicine and Surgery in 1884. After being accused of stealing cadavers and then placing life insurance on those bodies to collect the payouts he fled to New York. In those days death certificates were not filed as they are today so that allowed the doctor to file the claims on the dead and collect the money.

While in upstate New York he may have killed his first victim, a young boy. The boy hung out with the doctor a few times and then disappeared without a trace. Dr Mudget left New York quickly after the boy’s disappearance to make certain no investigation followed him. The next logical move was to Philadelphia since it was fairly close to New York in distance. The second victim died there and he too was a young boy. The doctor gave the child a poisonous medical cocktail deliberately. There were other deaths as well. This time he began the life insurance scam using living people instead of cadavers. He would kill them and collect the money since he was the beneficiary. When an investigation was opened for the murders and insurance scams he denied any involvement and fled to another city.

The city, Chicago, was much further west and almost guaranteed no further pursuit by authorities. While in Chicago he changed his name to Dr Henry Howard Holmes, known today as HH Holmes. Chicago is where Dr Holmes thrived. A more populous city allowed the doctor to use more people for his insurance murder scams. He began to make so much money that he built the three story Murder Castle located in the 600 block of West 63^rd Street where the Englewood Post Office is located today.

The Murder Castle consisted of death chambers and vaults where people were brought and then tortured and killed slowly. Some death chambers were filled with natural gas to suffocate people. Other chambers were sealed for natural suffocation and starvation. Once the bodies were removed by Dr Holmes he would strip their flesh and remove all their organs. The organs and bones were then sold to science offices and medical schools.

In 1894 the law finally caught up to Dr Holmes and he was arrested and eventually executed. The investigators found bones, hair, dried blood, jewelry, shoes, a dissection table, and human scratch marks on the insides of the chambers. Dr Holmes admitted to killing 27 people and was suspected to have killed as many as 200.

Do not fear. He may have been the first documented serial killer and certainly will not be the last. We see massacres and murders daily on the news. Just remember it is nothing new and it will never change. Hopefully the DiCaprio/Scorsese film will come out soon and shed more light on the infamous HH Holmes.