[guest post by Dana]

I was going to suggest a drinking game, but if we drink every time Hillary lies, I’ll be hammered in no time. And if we drink every time Bernie shakes his bony finger in our faces and hollers that we need to give more money to the government, I’ll be passed out on the floor from the get-go. I can’t remember, is there a third candidate???

Anyway, before the Paris attacks, John Dickerson, who will be moderating the debate, held meetings with each of the campaigns in what are being referred to as “informational in nature.” Uh-huh. You know what that’s code for… But just because Dickerson was doing “intense research”, you should not suspect him of prepping candidates so they wouldn’t be caught off guard by some unpleasant questions about, I don’t know, emails, or wigs:

“[Dickerson] and his team were very interested in getting to better know the senator’s stand on a wide spectrum of issues, what he would do about income inequality in this country,” said Bernie Sanders’ spokesman Michael Briggs. He said they discussed issues where there are real differences between the candidates — including gun control, the death penalty and raising taxes on the middle class. “John Dickerson’s a smart, impressive guy who cares a lot about the issues,” Briggs said. “I’m sure we’ll see a smart, issues-oriented debate.”

However, since the Paris attacks, CBS has been reworking the debate focus. And if Dickerson didn’t inform them of the change in plans, the NYT did:

The CBS News team immediately shifted gears and reformulated questions to make them more directly related to the attacks. Mr. Capus said it was important for the debate to go on because the world looks to the American president for leadership during international crises.

“American leadership is put to the test,” Mr. Capus said. “The entire world is looking to the White House. These people are vying to take over this office.”

“This is exactly what the president is going to have to face,” he added.

…

“It is the right time to ask all the related questions that come to mind,” he added. “We think we have a game plan to address a lot of the substantive and important topics.”

The Des Moines debate is scheduled to begin at 9 p.m. Eastern time and can be viewed on CBS or live-streaming here.

If you intend to watch, let us know. And kudos for your courage. (Of course, if the party of old white people is the best you can do on a Saturday night, well, I’ll also say a little prayer for you…)

–Dana

[guest post by Dana]

Less than 24 hours after President Obama claimed that ISIS has been “contained”, we learn that’s not quite accurate:

President François Hollande of France said on Saturday that the Islamic State was responsible Analysts said that the nature of the attacks was more in keeping with actions of the Islamic State than with those of Al Qaeda, and the timing and extent of the celebration expressed online by the group’s supporters added weight to the claim.

“Eight brothers, wrapped in explosive belts and armed with machine rifles, targeted sites that were accurately chosen in the heart of the capital of France,” the group said in the statement, “including the Stade de France during the match between the Crusader German and French teams, where the fool of France, François Hollande, was present.”

“Let France and those who walk in its path know that they will remain on the top of the list of targets of the Islamic State,” the statement added, referring to the attacks at the Bataclan concert hall and several districts in Paris.

Meanwhile, in the U.S., the gun control crowd is worried about that sort of “gun violence” happening here. From an actor, to CNN, to a group of moms, the attacks are being shamefully politicized without laying blame where it squarely belongs.

It boggles the mind to realize the full absurdity of the situation when one considers that while radical Islamic terrorists have been forging ahead and terrorizing the West, some leaders still refuse to call them what they are and wrongly assume that “This is an attack on all of humanity and the universal values we share.” Most obviously, all of humanity does not share the same values.

Look, I know it’s tough, but we must not let the horrific massacre of 127 individuals and the wounding of another 180 by radical Islamic terrorists distract us from the very real threats and distressing concerns we here face today: a lack of gun control, climate change, and the hurt feelings of a miserable lot of children on our college campuses. Priorities, people.

–Dana

He does the voices and everything.

He’s a nerd! (That’s a compliment.) And without a doubt the coolest guy running for President.

Thanks to DRJ.

So I got a refurbished Yamaha ATS-1030-R that presumably was tested to make sure it output sound. But I cannot get sound.

The soundbar is turned on. The lights flash.

The dust caps are off the optical cable and firmly clicked into the sound bar and TV.

The input on the soundbar has been chosen that corresponds to the connector on the back. No matter what input I choose I get no sound.

The soundbar volume isn’t muted (I have hit the mute button many times to mute and unmute) and is turned up (I have clicked up button several times).

I have gone into the TV setup menu and disabled the TV speakers. When I try to turn up the TV sound it tells me I am connected to outside speakers, and that I need to adjust the volume with the outside speakers (which, again, I have done).

It is true that on the TV setup menu the optical connection does not show up in the sound menu. I’m not sure if it is supposed to. But I can’t even get the speaker to play audio from my phone with bluetooth. The phone recognizes the sound bar, yet no audio comes out. I have tried the RCA cable to connect it to the TV as well, also with no results.

So: nothing from optical cable, nothing from RCA cable, and nothing even from Bluetooth. No sound at all.

I am wondering if this sound bar is just a dud. But I also wonder if I am overlooking something basic.

Anyone have any ideas?

UPDATE: I figured out how to set up a sound bar!

Step 1: get a sound bar that works.

Step 2: the rest is easy.

Turns out the first one was just a dud. Sometimes it happens.