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My brother Adam made an excellent point yesterday and because my last original idea died of loneliness, I wanted to saddle it up and ride it for all that it's worth.

The three digit number that serves as the title isn't the winning number in a Powerball drawing or Keno or whatever other sad sack get-rich schemes folks invest too much time and money in playing. It's the number of days left until we reach Tuesday, November 8 which is Election Day 2016 in the USA. Everyone around the world is watching, even if our own eyes are closed.

We're accused as a country of being insular, with good reason. Name the Presidents of five other nations. I'll wait, but certainly not forever. Did you just guess Angela Merkel of Germany? Zero points; she's the Chancellor. Joachim Gauck is the President.

Let's make it easier: the leaders of our northern and southern neighbors? My point, unlike Adam's, is easier to see which is why I wear a hat. It's possible one of the two major parties' "presumptive nominee" has no idea with whom we share the continent (but might build a wall of poutine on one border to keep us safe from people 'bringing drugs and rapists') while the other may have sent illicit email from a personal server that has managed to evaporate before being turned over to the State Department.

H. L. Mencken once offered, "democracy is the art and science of running the circus from the monkey cage." But we must never forget, it is our circus and these candidates, such as they are, are our monkeys. Right now in early July most of us look at the elections mostly with 'meh' and I can't blame you for feeling that way but we got ourselves here and we have to get ourselves out.

So do your research, delete your twitter account, make it a point to read at least two different news services with contrarian political points of view. And think for yourself. Pay no attention to the incessant ticking of the clock counting down to Election Day.

There's just enough time for each of us to form an opinion and arrive at a conclusion and then vote our conscience. As we have since the founding of the republic.
-bill kenny