Real Kato Blog: In the News

Detroit evens the series in the NHL playoffs; a man dies of thirst; the pope compares a comedian to a terrorist.

So, how about them Red Wings? After a startling comeback victory, the series is 2-2 heading back to Detroit. Let's see if we can win one WITHOUT falling behind early for a change.

A man died of thirst on a wilderness survival adventure even though he was 100 yards from a pool of water... and just a few feet away from his guides who were carrying emergency water. Dave Buchow was delirious and barely able to walk at times. But the staff of the Boulder Outdoor Survival School (BOSS), and Buchow's fellow participants, did not recognize how close to death he was.

Of course BOSS is denying responsibility (citing the waiver that Buchow signed), and local prosecutors have declined to file charges. But you've got to place some blame on these guys. Did they have enough medical training to recognize the signs that Buchow was fatally dehydrated? What is their procedure for doling out their emergency water, especially when they don't recognize an emergency?

The Vatican is denouncing verbal attacks made against the pope by an Italian comedian, calling them "terrorism". An editorial in the Vatican's official newspaper wrote: "It's terrorism to stoke blind and irrational rage against someone who always speaks in the name of love, love for life and love for man."

Among the remarks made by comedian Andrea Rivera: "The Pope says he doesn't believe in evolution. I agree, in fact the Church has never evolved." "I can't stand the fact that the Vatican refused a funeral for [euthanasia advocate Piergiorgio] Welby but that wasn't the case for [Chilean dictator Augusto] Pinochet or [Spanish dictator Francisco] Franco."

This is terrorism? So is everything terrorism these days? "A guy made fun of me... that's terrorism." "A dog barked at me... that's terrorism." "I stepped on a nail. That's terrorism." I think the "T" word is being thrown around way too much nowadays. Fear of terrorism has become the rationale for trampling freedom and eroding civil liberties. It's got to stop.

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