I write this from the Philippines, reflecting on our intrepid traveler who has traveled on. Perhaps Howie is revisiting the Hippie Trail from London to New Delhi and other routes of the far flung days of his youth.

I didn’t know Howie during his impressive career in music, and wasn’t aware of all the amazing musicians and bands he helped gain a foothold, from his DJ days to his years successfully shepherding Reprise Records, the venerable label created by Frank Sinatra.

I didn’t know the accolades that found him as a champion of free speech and an advocate for progressive voices. Those can be partially surveyed in obits by Variety: “Howie Klein, Top Executive at Sire and Reprise Records, DJ and Political Activist, Dies at 77“, and Billboard: “Howie Klein, Longtime Reprise President and Free Speech Advocate, Dies at 77“.

I stumbled across Howie’s wild and free-roaming blog, DOWNWithTYRANNY!, with its intriguing offerings on everything under the political sun. A slow writer, I was stunned at how Howie fired words like a Gatling gun, one topic falling after another. When I reached out to him pitching a piece promoting Bernie in the 2016 primaries, Howie was welcoming. For better or worse, his encouragement was what got me scribbling on politics again, which I will always appreciate. Even better, Howie allowed me to murder the elements of style. No prosecutions thus far.

Here’s my first piece for Howie: “Reflections on an Election Year When It Finally Hit the Fan“. Like the majority of my offerings, it appeared in his older DWT format, now mostly lost to the Internet’s UpsideDown.

I didn’t always agree with Howie on every point. For example, I never really bought Russiagate. I couldn’t swear Howie did, it might have been just too good a needle for him to resist. That doesn’t mean I was above having fun while hinting at my skepticism. It’s touched on in this scribble on the first inauguration of Cheeto Caligula: “Inauguration Day Weather Forecast: 54 Decrees, Cloudy, Light Wind, Chance of Golden Showers“.

I was frustrated that Russiagate was such a focus for many Democrats at the expense of time better spent explaining to the public the real damage and corruption underway behind the scenes. Not Howie’s sole focus, I hasten to say. His Gatling gun strafed the waterfront.

But for Democrats like Schiff and Schumer and their media support dogs, so earnestly repeating their recycled talking points, one couldn’t help but wonder if they were running interference for a different culprit of foreign influence. Certainly I believed in Israelgate. Howie let me fire away. With the horror we all see every day, that corruption is as painfully obvious as stepping on a nail. Unless you’re in the bought and paid for bleachers of Congress, or in media intimidated by the billionaire bullies.

The great irony of Russiagate, one Howie would appreciate, is that Cheeto Caligula couldn’t be doing any more damage to Americans and their freedoms, or to the world at large, than if Putin had a walkie-talkie under Cheeto’s pillow, suggesting, “Why don’t you pass the time by playing a little solitaire?” The demented grifter has already set in motion measures that, unchecked, will speed the deaths of millions around the globe.

Early on, I also quibbled over the play of Trump as Hitler, thinking it over the top. How quaint of me that is now. Howie knew the likes of Trump, and of the Steve Miller ilk, and what they’d get away with if allowed.

To paraphrase Sun Tzu, you know people by their enemies. Howie’s rogues’ gallery was unsurpassed. Fearless as his road trips in the dicey far flung, he happily alienated the purveyors of bipartisan hypocrisy, assailing the corporate Dems who foisted GOP-lite candidates on us, selling us out to the Big Money.

As I’d missed much of his writing of late, I wondered what Howie most wanted to impart as he raged against the dying of the light. Going back and reading Howie’s posts of the last half year, the distillation of the values he prioritized, the importance of his uncorrupted voice was clear. I appreciated the insights into his life, the around-the-corner correlations that Howie shared toward the end.

• This piece from September 29th, which starts “Although the first time I went to Morocco I was hanging out with Jimi Hendrix…”
• His Cancer Diaries, natch, which show how to rage, rage against the dying light, but do so with class and humor. They’re for anyone who has already struggled, personally or with the helplessness of a loved one’s struggle.
• In particular, this, from August 29th: “Cancer Diaries: Agency In The Face Of The Unthinkable— Negotiating With My Own New Body“. [I strongly recommend reading this; it’s one of Howie’s best pieces. –TN (Writer Thomas Neuburger, a long-time colleague of Howie’s and author of God’s Spies @ Substack)]
• Reading the comments to his work, it’s clear his personal revelations touched many as we inevitably contemplate mortality, allegedly a unique human enterprise. (But I wonder, what of elephant graveyards?)
• There are also his settled opinions on musical meanderings, like this one from Sept. 13, “Sorry To Say So But The Beatles Built Cathedrals, While The Stones Built… Bonfires“. [Another great read. –TN]
• Howie’s August series on failed republics and their comparisons to America, were among his warnings on hitching a ride in a handcart to Hell.
• Recent columns stepped up his revulsion at our forced complicity with genocide. From July 30th, “AIPAC Is A Reverse Litmus Test Now— No Progressives For Genocide“.
• He personalized his own situation on Sept. 9th: “Living on Edge— And Thinking About Gaza’s Endless Siege“. [From the piece: “My own suffering feels small by comparison. And yet, in some tiny way, it connects me to theirs.” –TN]

No doubt Howie realized early on that once a country covers for and enables genocide, it has tumbled into anything-goes territory. As we now see, in Trump’s America anything goes.

• His jabs against bipartisan hypocrisy on this matter showed no quarter. Knives out for Schumer and Jeffries were extra rusty. From Sept. 14th, “How Is Hakeem Jeffries’ Silence On Gaza Genocide Any Less Complicit Than Trump’s And The GOP’s?”
• From August 11th, “America’s Real Enemy Isn’t Just Trump… It’s Also The Democratic Party Establishment’s Cowardice“.

Where would Howie be training his gatling gun now? Perhaps he’d be reminding us of the warnings of George Orwell as billionaire bullies like Larry Ellison purchase legacy media.

His targets would likely include the despicable among Democrats and their Big Money contributors who can claim big credits for Israel’s success in getting America’s political structure to mirror Israel’s — one page after another copied from the authoritarian’s handbook.

I’ve read recently that Rahm Emanuel is testing the waters for a run for President. Do a search on him at DWT for an idea of what Howie would do to him now to warn the Democrats.

Gavin Newsom wouldn’t fare much better under Howie’s gun. Do we really need any more political leaders who say, at this late stage, they’re confused over what genocide is?

Howie was a master at connecting the dots. He reminded me of the late artist Mark Lombardi, whose intricate drawings bewildered viewers, including law enforcement, as he made connections to the farthest reaches of the political and economic scandals of his day, providing substance to conspiracy. Lombardi is well worth a search.

My best offering to Howie was introducing him to the amazing artist Nancy Ohanian, NancyOhanian.com. Her tribute to Howie appears at the top of this piece.

We surely need an army of Howies now.

Footnote: “Game of solitaire” refers to the brainwashing trigger sentence in The Manchurian Candidate. 

The post Skip Kaltenheuser: We Surely Need an Army of Howies Now appeared first on Traveling Boy.

The passing of Pope Francis on April 21, 2025, at the age of 88 marked the end of a transformative 12-year papacy. Known for his humility, advocacy for the poor, and efforts to foster inclusivity within the Roman Catholic Church, Francis left a profound legacy. His death, caused by a stroke leading to heart failure, has set in motion the centuries-old ritual of the papal conclave to elect his successor, scheduled to begin on May 7, 2025, in the Sistine Chapel. This real-world event draws striking parallels to the 2024 Oscar-winning film Conclave, which dramatizes the secretive process of selecting a new pope, prompting comparisons between fact and fiction.

Pope Francis, the first Latin American pope, was a polarizing figure. He championed progressive reforms, such as opening discussions on women’s roles in the clergy and outreach to LGBTQ+ Catholics, while facing resistance from conservative factions within the Church. His appointment of 108 of the 135 cardinals eligible to vote in the upcoming conclave suggests his influence may shape the election, though tensions between progressive and traditionalist camps remain. The conclave, a sacred and secretive gathering, will see these cardinals sequestered until a new pope is chosen by a two-thirds majority, with white smoke signaling success.

The film Conclave, starring Ralph Fiennes, depicts a fictional papal election rife with intrigue, ideological clashes, and a shocking twist. While its dramatic flair— including a surprise ending—diverges from historical reality, the movie captures the essence of the conclave’s secrecy and politicking. For instance, the film portrays cardinals engaging in discreet lobbying, a dynamic mirrored in real life as cardinals have already begun discussions in Vatican corridors following Francis’ funeral.

Some interesting observations:

• In current discussions (in both the real life political drama and the movie), there has hardly been any mention of faith. This sadly emphasizes the lack of Biblical faith in the structure of the Catholic church. Is it really more of a political establishment than a spiritual bastion?
• Ralph Fiennes’ portrayal as a frustrated pious cardinal is a dramatic change from his villainous portrayals in his past films. For starters it was the first time he was shown sobbing in deep remorse. His nomination for best actor is well deserved.
• I wondered if the scenes were accurately portrayed under the gaze of Michaelangelo’s Sistine Chapel because there was a scene where they focused on the depiction of hell. Upon investigation, that chapel is indeed where the political battle ensues. What a strange environment to contemplate the future of the church amidst the reminders of sinful man and punishment.
• One can easily imagine the tension in the conclave. Where else can you find a more stressful conglomeration of type A personalities?
• With today’s rising dementia epidemic, one wonders why it’s still a good idea to choose a pope for life. Will future popes have the decency to resign like Pope Benedict XVI who realized his failing health?
• There was a scene where a woman (Isabella Rosellinni) addressed the conclave. In reality, I doubt it would have occurred because the conclave is supposed to be a “men only” club. And Rossellini winning a nomination for her short role? Really?
• It was interesting to see the cooking staff preparing the meals. Imagine the juggling act during those days anticipating the “chosen king.” Who says the Catholic Church holds a vow of poverty? One is reminded of another movie — “The Shoes of the Fisherman.”
• As with many current Hollywood movies, this movie has a definite liberal agenda. It’s good to be aware of its intentions.

One last observation: Some writers mentioned that despite Pope Francis’ humility and piousness, he himself doubted that all his efforts were enough to earn his salvation. However, there is no definitive evidence from Pope Francis’ public statements, writings, or actions that he explicitly doubted his personal salvation in the sense of questioning whether he would be saved. However, he frequently spoke about doubt as a natural part of faith, emphasizing its role in deepening one’s relationship with God, and made remarks about salvation that some interpreted as controversial. Below, I explore these aspects to address your question, incorporating relevant context from his teachings and public reactions.

Pope Francis on Doubt and Faith

Pope Francis often framed doubt as a constructive element of spiritual growth, not necessarily tied to personal salvation but to understanding God more deeply. In a 2016 general audience, he admitted to having “many” doubts about faith, stating, “We do not need to be afraid of questions and doubts because they are the beginning of a path of knowledge and going deeper; one who does not ask questions cannot progress either in knowledge or in faith.” He suggested that doubts, when approached with humility and a desire for truth, lead to a stronger faith, citing saints who experienced such trials without losing trust in God. In a 2018 dialogue with seminarians, he called doubt “a richness” that prompts seeking truth and encountering Jesus Christ.

Sometimes the answers to important questions (like the question of salvation) is very plain to see. Two verses come to mind:

“For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.” — Ephesians 2: 8-9

“Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” — John 14:6

The reason it seems so complex to many is because people are not satisfied with the answers and justify their proclivities with more favorable conclusions.

Links:

• Pope Francis says doubt is key to life of faith
• Faith Without Doubt Cannot advance
• Pope to Italian seminarians: “Doubt is invitation to seek truth”

The post Pope Francis and the Upcoming Conclave: A Real-Life Parallel to the Film “Conclave” appeared first on Traveling Boy.