Where have all the Russians gone, long time passing...

"It is estimated since the Ukraine conflict started, almost 1,000,000 Russians have left their country. And that number went up steeply when Putin's latest conscription started."

Okay. I stepped on that old Pete Seeger folk song, Where have all the flowers gone. When I was a youth and played the guitar, that was one of my favorites. Why do I think of it today? Maybe, because we need to resurrect that old anti-war song. For today, it is not about young Americans protesting the Viet Nam War. No sir, indeed! It is about young Russians, telling their government, they want NO PART in Putin's illegal and immoral war.

During the Viet Nam conflict, it is estimated that 30,000 young Americans fled to Canada to escape being drafted and sent to Viet Nam to fight. Big numbers back then, but nothing compared to today. It is estimated since the Ukraine conflict started, almost 1,000,000 Russians have left their country. And that number went up steeply when Putin's latest conscription started. 

Last night on the news, they once again showed the endlessly long lines of cars, trains, and planes trying to leave Mother Russia. Throngs of young people, ready to start a new life in new lands, not ruled by former Soviet henchmen and tyrants. Whereas in America, we don't have people trying to leave this country instead we have 3 million illegal immigrants sneaking over our southern border. My guess is there is not one person, not one, who is trying to sneak into Russia these days. 

I am reminded once again, the saying Thomas Jefferson started, and then morphed over time into this famous liberty motto - "When government fear their people, there is liberty. When people fear their governments, there is tyranny." Amen. What we are seeing in Russia right now, is a perfect example of that phrase. Putin is a tyrant, and his people want no part of it or him. They want freedom and liberty. They don't want to be forced to fight and die in an unjust war.

Just like with the Bolsheviks in 1917, Russia is primed and ready for another revolution. Only this one will not be to install a worse tyrant like Lenin. This one would be to rid Russia of a really, really bad guy. And once that is over, Russia will need to humble itself, and atone for its sins committed in Ukraine. War criminals will need to be tried, and restitutions will need to be paid.

It will take Russia years to be accepted back into the league of nations, but if they truly  embrace freedom and liberty, it will happen.

  

For every action...

"The pendulum swings. Always has, always will. However, it is not suppose to swing this wide and hard. Time to slow it down."  

I have addressed this before. After two terms of Slick Willie, the country was deeply in need of a President who did not sully the Oval Office. A FLOTUS who would not throw lamps around the West Wing. So we elected a Christian Governor from Texas. That went okay until the terror attack - then George W. Bush became a wartime President.

After two terms and two wars with Bush, the country decided we needed a "transformative" President. Plus, Obama was the first President of mixed race. However, that did not go well. After two terms, Obama divided this country right down the middle. Rather than being more united, we became more untied.

Then came MAGA. Rather than having a junior Senator from Illinois with a paper thin resume, we decided to have a businessman with no political resume. All Donald Trump wanted to do, was make this country better again. Make it great again. Oh, and if elected, he wanted to declare war on the Deep State. The Deep State made up of globalists and statists from both parties. Trump thought the Deep State was a cancer growing within our government.

Then for four years, the Deep State fought back. They fought back real hard, and real dirty. So much so, Donald Trump was a one term President. Then to heal any scars from all that infighting, the country elected the biggest moron we have had since Jimmy Carter. And that brings us to right now.

As a citizen, I feel like the child of a couple who has been through six or seven divorces. Always fighting, never harmony. Some want Donald Trump to run for a second term. For many on the left, they hate that idea. The Deep State would continue its war on Donald Trump until either the Deep State was destroyed, or they destroyed Donald Trump. It would be very ugly for this country.

For those who know me, know that I am anything BUT a Trump hater. I thought he did wonderful things for the country. He could have done more, if he had a friendly Congress, rather than a den of vipers. That being said, for the country's sake and Donald Trump's health and safety, I think we need to move on. In 2024, we need two candidates running against each other whose names are not Trump, Clinton or Biden. 

More and more, I think Ron DeSantis is the person we need to run this country starting in 2025. I also think the Democrats will pick Gavin Newsom to run against DeSantis. It will be California against Florida. Which outcome would the country like best? The sinking ship in the west, or the newest golden state in the southeast. I think DeSantis would have an easy time articulating the benefits of the country having Florida type governance. Newsom on the other hand, would be defending the Captain of the Titanic, right after the ship hit the iceberg. 

I know many of my pro-Trump friends will not agree with me on this one. And I respect that. Like I said, I was pro-Trump before, and I think he did wonderful things for this country. But we need someone who is halfway between the counter puncher (Trump), and the punching bag (GW Bush). To me, that is DeSantis. Plus - DeSantis is a vet. A Navy vet. A former JAG officer.

The pendulum swings. Always has, always will. However, it is not suppose to swing this wide and hard. Time to slow it down.  

Annex Canada!

"I wonder if President Xi is watching this with great interest. Like, maybe he could do the same to Taiwan. If he did, that could really be the match which starts this tender box on fire."

Okay. Just kidding. I was trying to get some raised eyebrows. Of course we would not annex Canada (although, as a young man, I would fantasize about it). Only a tyrant would think about illegally seizing a part(s) of another country and calling it his own. Oh, you mean like Putin. Have to hand it to him - this idea of seizing part of Ukraine and calling it part of Russia is so him. And then, should the Ukrainians try to reclaim THEIR land, Putin would call it an invasion of Russia, and retaliate in kind. What a putz!

Here is the plan. Only a nut ball like Putin could come up with something this dire. Take some territory in Ukraine. Install a puppet local government. Have a rigged election. When the results show that the people want to be part of Russia, declare that land now part of the Mother Land. Draft 300,000 more young people to act as soldiers. In reality, they will be nothing but target practice for the very experienced Ukraine fighters. When Russian forces start to get their butts kicked (again), Putin would declare a state of war on Ukraine for invading his territory. Nukes would also be threated. That is it in a nut shell.

What is this succeeded? More to come. What an easy way to grow your country. Meanwhile, Russia is coming apart at the seams. Riots, bloodshed, mayhem, the whole ball of wax. What does a tyrant to do? Threaten the protesters with long prison terms if they won't join Putin's army and become cannon fodder. Some international experts think it is now only a matter of time - before saner heads will prevail in Moscow. And then this mess will be fixed.

On the news this morning, it was reported the "results" from the elections are in. 90% of those who voted, want their part of Ukraine to be a part of Mother Russia. Must have been using Dominion voting machines to get that kind of result!

In any event, the next act is about to start. Zelenskyy has said numerous times, he is not giving up one inch of property to Russia. Contested land still belongs to Ukraine. Will Putin make good on his threat? That if Zelenskyy tries to take this land back, it will be viewed as an attack on Russia? Stay tuned on that one. 

I wonder if President Xi is watching this with great interest. Like, maybe he could do the same to Taiwan. If he did, that could really be the match which starts this tender box on fire. Or if Putin decides to go after Poland. Or Estonia, Latvia, or Lithuania. NATO countries all. Then what? Article 5 kicks in and we are involved in a huge land war in Europe? And maybe Asia at the same time? That would be definition be a world war. Like World War III.

Mankind is hanging on by its fingernails to any sanity we have left. If we allow our most primitive tendencies to rule over sanity, our collective futures will be re-defined. And not in a good way. Why? War, the scourge of mankind, will have shown its ugly head once again. Who really wins in war? Nobody does. But we just can't seem to learn that lesson.

Confessions of an "extremist"

"But guess what? Name calling does not deter us. We will still talk the issues. We will defend valiantly, and vociferously, the cornerstones of our beliefs. Why? EVERYTHING depends on it. Now, and in the future."     

Might as well get it out there. I am an "extremist". How do I know? The left is painting me with that brush. Or, at times, I have been called a Grinch. What was mainstream 20 years ago, is anything but today. And why is that? Because the left has shifted so far to the manic side of socialism, even John F. Kennedy would be looked at as an "extremist" today. SMH.

Do you believe in God Almighty? Do you believe in Jesus Christ? The Resurrection? If you answered yes to these three questions, you are on the short list. "Religious extremists". The new god of socialism is government. Their holy place is Washington, DC. If you are a person of faith, you could be marked. Today, the trendy thing is to be a "none". No faith in God, or any other religion.

Do you believe in the sanctity of life? At any age, including in the womb? Just a few decades ago, if you asked someone that question, you would have received a quizzical look in return. Like, what kind of dumb question is that? Of course I believe in life. That is what most normal people do. No longer. Sorry. A baby with a heartbeat in the womb, is no different than a tumor these days. What is next? Maybe euthanasia. Or - maybe even Soylent Green.

Being an "extremist" today also means you question the social engineering in our government schools. Today's conservatives are VERY pro-learning. We believe in education over indoctrination. However, in many of today's government schools, our kids are treated as property - property of the state. If you don't like the garbage which is being shoved down your child's throat, just sit down and shut up. Failure to do so, might get you a visit from the FBI.

We (the "extremists"), also believe in sovereignty, freedom, liberty and so forth. Kind of like what is spelled out in those ancient and out of day documents called the DOI and Constitution. Today's left would not only like to re-write the Holy Bible (or just deep six it), but also all our Founding Documents. Why? Progressives can't see progress if we have these chains around our necks. Conservatives ("extremists") don't see it that way. We see our Founding Documents as being sacrosanct. They give us stability and meaning. 

With the mid-terms coming up, the left is no longer discussing issues. They have resorted to only name calling. Ultra-MAGA, deplorables, extremists, Hitlerite's, knuckle draggers, and so forth.

But guess what? Name calling does not deter us. We will still talk the issues. We will defend valiantly, and vociferously, the cornerstones of our beliefs. Why? EVERYTHING depends on it. Now, and in the future.     

Euro's newest refugees

"If something unfortunate should happen to crazy man, there would be a sign or relief which could be heard around the world. We could once again, step back from the brink. But until that happens, we stand on the brink of war. The brink of extinction. The end of everything as we know it."  

Most of us remember when Russia's invasion of Ukraine started. There was a huge wave of refugees which entered into Poland. Of all the countries who agreed to host refugees from Ukraine, Poland took the most. In a time of great need and turmoil, Poland really stepped into the gap. They are heroes, all. But now we have a different wave of refugees which need to be hosted.

Oh how things have changed in the past five or six months. These new refugees are not from Ukraine however - they are Russians. What - wait - Russians? Seems the crazy man who is in charge of Russia (Vlad), does not speak for everyone in his pursuit of this unjust war. In fact, finding airfare out of Russia right now is just about impossible. And there is a non-stop line of cars and trucks, waiting to get across the border of Finland. Why? As the line goes from John Denver's song, Readjustment Blues, many Russians are saying, "We don't want your war!". 

Most young Russians are trying to live as normal life as they can. And most are not stupid. Enough information has slipped through the new Iron Curtain, they know things are not going well for Russia. Lots and lots of body bags coming back from the war zone. And now crazy man wants a partial call-up of able bodied men from Russia's general population. Maybe about 300,000 or so. Go fight, maybe get killed, for a war you don't understand, nor want. Many are saying "no thank you", and leaving. 

And it is not just the draft aged men who are leaving. As I said, many Russians are not stupid. They know if crazy man decides to nuke ANYTHING in Ukraine or NATO, all hell will come raining down on Mother Russia. This would be the end. Even if the west did not retaliate after crazy man nuked a town in Ukraine, the fallout would or could, come drifting over the border into Russia. In other words, if Putin does not get hit by a bus or fall off a building, Russia is now in grave danger. 

I feel sorry (kind of) for the folks in Russia. They have allowed themselves to live under a tyrant. A tyrant who is very alone in the world right now. India is about to throw him under the bus, and China is very nervous even knowing him. Putin is off his rocker, and both his friends and enemies know it. The first nuke which is lit off, changes the face of warfare forever. Changes the world forever. If it were an all out exchange, it would be an extinction level event for most living things on this planet - including us.

If something unfortunate should happen to crazy man, there would be a sign or relief which could be heard around the world. We could once again, step back from the brink. But until that happens, we stand on the brink of war. The brink of extinction. The end of everything as we know it.  

Sure hope these things work!

"We can only hope and pray that saner minds will prevail in Russia. I would like my kids and grandkids to have a normal life. Even surviving a nuclear exchange, would not offer much of a normal life. It would probably we a short and painful one."  

By now, we have all heard the trials and tribulations of NASA in getting the Artemis I rocket to launch. It seems that NASA has more problems than Carter has pills these days. What should be easy peasy for the organization which put Apollo after Apollo on the Moon more than 50 years ago, has been like a third grader becoming a, well, rocket scientist. Seems we need a good rocket scientist in getting Artemis I to light off. The magic has gone out of the hat for NASA. 

When Ronald Reagan was President, he hoodwinked the Soviet Union by telling them we had a Star Wars AMB system, set up and ready to go. Why in the 1980's, would the Soviets believe we could do something like that? Because of what we did in the 1960's and 1970's with the Apollo Program. They thought we were wizards when it came to rocketry. Well, we were back then. Just not Star Wars wizards.

Time has gone on. The Soviet Union is gone, but Russia remains. Russia, who owns more nukes than any other country on Earth. So we have some defenses against a nuclear attack. It is called the GBI (Ground Based Interceptor) System. Will it work? I sure hope so. Will it work against a nuclear saturation attack by the Russians? Maybe, maybe not. How about against the new hypersonic missiles the Russians claim to have? Unknown. 

Here is what we know and what we don't know. We know the GBI system has been tested against our own "dummy" ICBM missiles, and had some success. We do know we also have some AEGIS SM variants which have shown some success in being ICBM deterrents. Those are what we know about. I believe there are also some things that DARPA has cooked up which have not made the light of day as yet. Lasers, particle beam weapons, and so forth. 

All this being said, the wise people who walk this planet still know one immutable fact of life. A nuclear war is unwinnable. MAD (Mutually Assured Destruction), still rules the day. It is the only true deterrent to a nuclear exchange. But - here is the fly in the ointment. The world's newest crazy man, Vladimir Putin, now believes he can win a nuclear war against the west. That the subsequent "nuclear winter" is only a fable. That he can nuke Ukraine, and the fallout will not affect the western regions of his country. In short, Putin is a moron. He has become the Thanos of our generation. He can snap his fingers (by pushing his red launch button), and much of the world's population will disappear. 

We can only hope and pray that saner minds will prevail in Russia. I would like my kids and grandkids to live a normal life. Even surviving a nuclear exchange, would not offer much of a normal life. It would probably be a short and painful life, at that.  

 

Brains vs. Bluster in November

"Maybe a couple guys with some intellect could come in and make things better in this state. We tried bluster, and that did not work well. Let's not make the same mistake again, this coming November." 

Did you know our carpetbagger from Nebraska is leading Dr. Scott Jensen in the latest polling? Why? I have no clue. Walz claims since he is a former high school teacher, he knows everything about education. Like, he advocates "fully funding" education in Minnesota. What in the world does that mean? I has been proven over and over again, that money and results in education are not necessarily related. In fact, in many of the failure factories called "schools" in the Twin Cities, the more money which goes in, the less improved results which come out.

Somehow, Tim Walz beat out the most qualified person ever to run for Minnesota Governor in 2018. If Jeff Johnson had won the election, this state would be quite a bit different right now. But he did not, so lets look at the Tim Walz record:

Graft - Under his administration, Feeding our Future fleeced the federal government for over $250M. What did that have to do with Tim Walz if it was a federal crime? Because the Walz Education Department was working with this organization. But how was Walz's government involved? To quote the CNN article, "The Department of Justice alleges that despite Feeding our Future's knowledge of their own fraudulent claims, they still submitted them to the Minnesota Department of Education, which administered and oversaw this federal program for the state." This is a fail for Tim Walz.

Crime - In 2022, Minneapolis has the most violent crimes (per 100,000) of any city in the state. St. Paul comes in second. Just about every crime statistic is up. By June 1st of this year, there had been 200 car jackings in Minneapolis. What does this have to do with Walz? As Governor, he and the mayors of the twin cities are RESPONSIBLE for the safety of its citizens. The crime issue in Minnesota is a FAIL for Walz. 

Education - Keeping us locked down during the pandemic led to some abysmal test scores by our students who are educated in government schools. Having an "educator" as Governor should have helped get better scores in reading and math. It did not. According to the publication Education Week, Minnesota gets only a C+ rating for K - 12 government schools. For the amount of money we pour into education, we should be getting a AAAA+++++ rating. (ps - Minnesota schools rank 22nd in the nation for safety). A fail for school teacher Walz.

George Floyd - This was Tim Walz's signature moment during his first term. In the anarchy which lasted for days after the Floyd incident, part of the Minneapolis burned down. Some of Minneapolis still shows the scars of that mayhem. Tim Walz and the boy wonder mayor of Minneapolis did NOTHING to stop this carnage, while a police precinct was attacked and burned, and over a thousand businesses were destroyed. The damage to Minnesota was enormous, but who cares? The taxpayers will cover it. This was Walz's biggest failure.

There is more, but I will stop here. Tim Walz is not a very sharp guy. He has proven that over and over again. In fact, he is a failure. He does have bluster however - lots and lots of bluster. Dr. Scott Jensen and Matt Birk are very smart. They both have the pedigree to prove it.

Maybe a couple guys with some intellect could come in and make things better in this state. We tried bluster, and that did not work well. Our last two Governors have been way less than smart. Let's not make the same mistake again, this coming November. 

 

    

Will he, or won't he?

"If he does not use his nukes, but continues to scorch the Earth in Ukraine, he will be remembered as another Hitler. If he does use nukes, he will be remembered as Satan."

I am in a dispute with a neighbor who lives to the northwest of me. It has become very heated, so I decided to take this dispute to the next level. The other night, I took my garbage can over to his house, and dumped it all over his driveway. It was putrid! About 4 in the morning, I needed to shut all my windows. Since the wind always comes out of the northwest, I got stuck smelling my own garbage. What a bad mistake! 

Okay - that is a fairy tale. It never happened. Sorry to write about Putin again this morning, but he is the man of the year right now (and not in a good way). It would be like not writing about Adolph Hitler during World War II. But what up with this garbage intro? What is that all about?

As most of us know who are following this misbegotten war, there has been a sea change. Russia is getting it handed to them by the Ukrainian Army. Putin is VERY frustrated. So much so, he is calling up 300,000 more conscripts. He is going to annex more territory in eastern Ukraine, and will need troops to protect this "new" territory of his. Then he laid out the big threat, once again. "If my new territories are threatened by Ukrainian forces or NATO, I will use some of my nuclear forces." 

Will he, or won't he? That is the question. Back to the garbage example. Should Putin nuke Ukraine, especially in the eastern part, some of that radiation will be caught up in the prevailing westerlies, and come back over Russia. That is a big problem for not only Ukraine, but also Russia. AND - should some drift over Poland or another NATO country, that could trigger an Article 5 response from the offended country. Then that slippery slope would be more like a cliff. It would be a horrible outcome for everyone.

Today, Biden is addressing the UN. The Secretary General should also address the members. He should tell the Russian delegates, that if Putin does use a nuke or nukes, Russia would be kicked out of the UN - forever. China and India also need to tell Russia that should he do this, he is on his own from now on. No more trading, no more support, no more oil sales - nothing.

These are very dangerous times. Putin appears to be someone who is ready to commit murder/suicide. Like I said, Putin is the man of the year, and not in a good way. He is directing traffic right now - only because he has nukes and might use them. 

If he does not use his nukes, but continues to scorch the Earth in Ukraine, he will be remembered as another Hitler. If he does use nukes, he will be remembered as Satan. Neither outcome is good for Putin. He has made his bed, he has sealed his fate. Whatever happens in the world, will be on him.

 

 

 

Pain is a coming!

"Until we take back control of our country, the Fed will make us feel the pain. Why us? This is not our fault! Yes it is. The 80 million who voted for Slo Joe, are culpable."

The Fed has promised us pain, and it is a coming! How much pain? Word on the street it will be a .75% interest hike, just like last time. Me? What do I think? With inflation burning hotter than a June campfire, I would like to see it raised one full point. Why? Nothing is being done by the administration to curb the red hot inflation they created. And letting our strategic oil reserves out into the market place, was a terrible idea. That did help to dampen down the sky high gas prices, but it cashed in one of our best insurance policies by doing so.

Some think that Powell is going to go into "Paul Volker mode". Like, so long as inflation stays where it is, have monthly interest rate hikes. Do that until inflation starts to subside. But does Powell not know that might put us into a deeper recession? Sure he knows it. But that will be the lesser of the two evils.

Please - no hate mail from the left when I say this. The economy might be so screwed up right now, that not even Donald Trump could get it back to what it was, pre-Biden. That being said, there are certainly some things which could be enacted which would help mollify and assuage the coming pain. Like what? Like this:

• Drill Baby, Drill - Open up everything immediately for drilling. Re-start the Keystone Pipeline. Immediately grant permitting for the newer and smaller nuke plants. Keep Sherco open in central Minnesota. You get the picture. Make America the energy capital of the world, once again.
• MAGA - For you MAGA haters, remember this. Before Biden turned MAGA into a four letter word, MAGA stood for something really good. Making America great again. Building more things in America. Cutting our corporate taxes, which would attract more businesses back to America. 
• Spend more on DEFENSE - Guess what? China and Russia are not our friends. They are not business partners (sorry Hunter), they are adversaries. And after seeing what Russia has done to Ukraine, should be a stark reminder to us all. Any country who names its ICBM missiles  II, is not on the side of the angels. China already has more ships than our Navy, and Russia wants to nationalize the resources in the Artic. Next up - the Moon.
• CLOSE THE DAM SOUTHERN BORDER! - In all the decades I have lived in this country, what is happening with the southern border is the nuttiest. Millions of illegals, tons of drugs, crime, gangs, trafficking, and so forth. This is as bad as bad gets. It is ruining the country (what is left of it).
• STOP THE SPENDING! (except for Defense) - We don't need to forgive student loans. We don't need the mis-named Inflation Reduction Act. Get rid of it. Monies not spent on Covid should be returned to the Treasury (and then the taxpayers). Any money for green energy should be stopped and returned to taxpayers. Private industry would take care of anything green, just like it is taking over space exploration.

Until we take back control of our country, the Fed will make us feel the pain. Why us? This is not our fault! Yes it is. The 80 million who voted for Slo Joe, are culpable. Biden broke the country, and now Powell is going to make us all pay for it. 
   

The days of our jackal

"These are the days of our jackal. Our new Hitler. The world's bad guy. Putin is going down. We know it, he knows it. The only question is this - will be take the rest of the world down with him?"

Some think we have now entered the most dangerous time in the Ukraine War. Why? I thought the Ukrainians were doing well. They are. Maybe too well. In the beginning, the Ukrainian Army fought the best Russia has to offer, and did not break. In fact, as summer continued, the Ukrainians received more and more very effective weaponry from us and NATO. Now into September, the Russian Army looks more like the Iranian Army did, after Desert Storm.

Vladimir Putin continues to prowl around like a caged jackal. His army, which he is so proud of, has taken a beating. How much so? The number of Russian casualties to date is somewhere between 30,000 and 50,000 troops. That includes some of his best special forces and high level generals. He has lost 25% of his tanks. Some of his remaining troops have turned tail and run, as shells from the M777 Howitzers rained down. Russian soldiers have abandoned their heavy armor as the rockets from the HIMARS systems, found their marks. If you were in a Russian uniform, these are very bad days.

What does that leave Putin with? There is a real possibility that Russia could lose this war. Not only lose the war, but also have dozens (or hundreds) of their leaders wanted for war crimes. Billions of dollars in restitution for Ukraine could also be in the offing. In light of these bleak outcomes, Putin is left with one option, and one only. Nukes. He continues to  threaten NATO countries like Germany and the UK with nuclear mayhem. Russian TV just reported that Russia could turn London into a "Martian landscape". And what a tempting target London would be with the Queen's funeral going on. 

From a military perspective, this war has been of interest to see the difference between the Russian weapons and the ones supplied to Ukraine from NATO. Russia's order of battle has always been to throw everything at an enemy but the kitchen sink. Use saturation attacks. Instead of smart weapons, Russia uses and lots of dumb ones. Odds are, some will hit their mark.

Ukraine on the other hand, is using some of our latest and greatest stuff. Very smart munitions. "Shoot and scoot" delivery systems. Just the HIMARS system alone, has given the Russians fits. In fact, the "best" anti-air system in the world (S-400 missile system), has had a tough time countering the HIMARS system. 

Biden was on 60 Minutes yesterday. When asked about Putin using nukes, Biden responded by warning Putin - "Don't, don't, don't".  Even a tactical nuke in Ukraine would tip the kettle. Start a fire which maybe could not be contained. In other words, the nuclear war many have worked to hard to avoid during the past 70 years, might happen after all.

These are the days of our jackal. Our new Hitler. The world's bad guy. Putin is going down. We know it, he knows it. The only question is this - will be take the rest of the world down with him?

  

Our gassy gaslighter in charge

"They can keep telling us that black is white and red is green - but if our eyes tell us otherwise, that is a big problem." 

Gaslighting = "psychological manipulation of a person or persons over an extended period of time which causes the victim(s) to question the validity of their own thoughts, of their own reality." In my adult and pre-adult life, I have never seen one person tell so many cock and bull stories in my life. Not just a little bit fabricated, but a lot bit fabricated. Here is the real bad part - he is our current President.

He not only lies like a rug, he has instructed his administration to tell the same fables. So why is this gaslighting, and not just lying? Because with gaslighting, Biden is telling one thing, when our lying eyes are seeing quite another. Like what? How about the southern border. We keep being told over and over again the southern border is secure. No problem. Nothing to see here. But our eyes and ears tell us a different story. We see the thousands of illegals pouring over the border each and every day. What we see, and what we are told by Biden and company, do not mesh.

The economy, Afghanistan, inflation, our energy woes, just about everything comes under the same dichotomy of truth. It is like Biden has his truth, and our eyes and ears reveal a different truth. Plus, to put frosting on this cupcake, usually when Biden gaslights us, he is yelling at us. Like, is that firing for effect, or what?

Why won't Biden or Harris go down to the border? Hard to gaslight when the non-stop stream of illegals are in the camera shot right behind you. Here is the bottom line. The truth is not in this group. None of them. They can keep telling us that black is white and red is green - but if our eyes tell us otherwise, that is a big problem. 

Maybe, just maybe if the midterms go the way of the red team, some of the gaslighting will stop. Or not. I guess we will just have to wait and see.  

   

Et tu, Modi?

"This is an opportunity for Putin to do the right thing. He cannot undo the damage and suffering he has caused. That is a fact. But he can stop any more from happening. Or, Putin can go out in a blaze of fire. That would be terrible for the world. Really bad for the people of Russia." 

Oh my. Putin went to India to have some high level talks, and the subject of Putin's war came up. Modi minced no words on how he felt. "This is not the time for war", he scolded Putin. I could just see what was going through Putin's mind when he heard that. I mean, first NATO is all over Putin's case for starting this war. Many of his own people are against this war, as it is costly and bloody, with no real purpose. Now India? What up with that?

First the good news. India is a huge customer of Russia. They buy arms, they buy Putin's dirty oil. The oil thing is really helping Russia right now, with Europe boycotting more and more of Russia's fossil fuels. Now the bad news. Modi, is a true Hindu. What does that mean? He is mostly a pacifist. War to a true Hindu, is always the last resort. Whenever peace is possible, that should be the first path. For Putin to invade Ukraine for no reason, goes against what Modi believes in.

Now the real bad news. Getting taken out to the woodshed by Modi, comes right on the heals of getting a similar message from Xi of China. This needless war in Ukraine, is wearing thin on just about everyone. If India and China start to distance themselves from Putin, Putin will be the last man standing. Except for that nut ball in North Korea, and maybe some Iranians, things could get really lonely in Moscow.

Bottom line is this. Putin's army is getting its butt kicked in Ukraine. Russia cannot beat the Ukrainians using convention forces. That has been proven. So what is Putin's next move? Withdraw, and admit this war was a mistake? His power in Russia would be over, and the international court would be calling for his scalp. Or - reach into his bag of naughty things, and pull out some VX gas, nukes, or some other terrible bio weapon. 

This is an opportunity for Putin to do the right thing. He cannot undo the damage and suffering he has caused. That is a fact. But he can stop any more from happening. Or, Putin can go out in a blaze of fire. That would be terrible for the world. Really bad for the people of Russia. 

Putin has etched his place in history. Unfortunately for him, that etching is on a page which is occupied by other terrible men. Hitler for example, is on that page. But nobody forced Putin to invade Ukraine. That was all on him. He will soon reap what he has sown. 

Divided! - And not about politics either!

"If our Washington leadership had any acumen at all, they would focus our resources in getting enough water to satisfy our population. To grow our crops. As it is, we hear nary a word about water. That is, other than buy an electric car." 

Saw an interesting piece on YouTube last night. Was it about something new or recently discovered? Nope. This subject has been around just about forever. It is about how divided this country is (geographically). Like, there is almost something magical about the 90th longitude. It is as if there is a line going from Winnipeg down to San Antonio, dividing the country. East of that line, that is where 80% of our population lives. West of that line, that is where the other 20% live. Pretty impressive, considering California (west of line), is our most populous state.

What does all this mean? It means simply this. From recorded history in this country, it shows that longitude 90 is like a magic line. West of this line, less rain. East of this line, more rain. Was this a factor in how this country was settled? Probably. The fact remains for those who decide to venture west to retire - take some water with you. The desert southwest is drying up, as are the water resources. Even though the occasional monsoonal rains give some relief, the hot, dry weather is ruling most days.

Who is the biggest culprit for our climate woes in this country? China? Internal combustion cars? ALGORE? How about some of the most scenic mountains in the world. The American Rockies. What is the unintended consequence for having all that majesty out west? How about a rain shadow? What the heck is a rain shadow? It is the eastern area of the Rockies where the rain has halted. The Rockies are not foothills. They are big! So for the next tens of thousands of years (or more), while the Rockies still stand, part of the country will be in this rain shadow.

The country of China has this great divide even more pronounced than we have. 94% of their population live in the eastern half of the country. The very vast western part of China only contains 6% if their population. So maybe a 80/20 split on our country is not so bad after all.

For those who chose to retire in the western part of the country, be advised. It is dry, it is arid, it is hot. And if there does turn out to be such a thing as man-made global warming, it is going to get drier and hotter. It is a shame too, as so much of our west is drop dead gorgeous. But after seeing the pictures of Lake Meade this summer, the future of some of our southwestern states looks sketchy at best.

By the way - I am not boasting that I live on the right side of longitude 90 - I do not. I am on the western side. Does that mean the drought we have had for the past two summers are going to continue? Going to get worse? I sure hope not.

If our Washington leadership had any acumen at all, they would focus our resources in getting enough water to satisfy our population. To grow our crops. As it is, we hear nary a word about water. That is, other than buy an electric car. 

 

"All are welcome here" - Really?

"The 'All are welcome here' signs and motto, are as phony as the Inflation Reduction Act. Both are just examples of word salads. Blah, blah, blah. Or as Shakespeare said, 'Sound and fury, signifying nothing."' 

Have you driven by a house who has a sign in front which proudly states "All are welcome here". It usually has some kind of rainbow or pastel background. I have been SO tempted, to stop over one day, ring the doorbell, and say in a clear voice, "I am here! I am ready for a cup of coffee and a visit". Just to see the look on their faces would be worth the price of admission. My guess, is the door would be slammed in my face. So much for being welcomed.

Let's take this up a notch. What about the endless wave of immigrants coming over the southern border? I know, I know. The administration keeps telling us the southern border is secure. Unlike the cruel treatment the prior (gasp) administration had shown these illegal immigrants, under Joe Biden, Camel Harris, and Secretary Mayorkas, today everything is Jody Toady. Those 4 million or so which have come over the border during the past 18 months, are only a mirage. 

Two of the border Governors, Ron DeSantis from Florida, and Gregg Abbot from Texas have decided to rip this band aid off this scab. They are bussing and flying immigrants to blue cities in the north. Why? They are sanctuary cities. You know, "All are welcome here". But are they? Seems not. The big blue sanctuary cities in the north will welcome them in someone else's state, but not theirs. In fact, Lori Lightheaded and other Mayors are crying to Washington for support. But all Washington can do is chide those heartless southern Governors.

The funny thing is that last night two buss loads of immigrants from Venezuela, were dropped off in WDC, very close to the Veep's residence. Whoa! You mean the person who is responsible for border security? The one who does not know where the southern border is? Gregg Abbott said if Harris will not come down to the southern border, he will send the southern border up to her. Well played Governor Abbott! 

Also the very svelte Governor JB Pritzker has declared a state of emergency in Illinois. Why? Because of the hundreds of young black men who have been shot to death in Chicago this year. Ah - no. No, it is the handful of immigrants who have been dropped off in Chicago - another sanctuary city. Oh, boo hoo, JB. Learn to live with it. 

The "All are welcome here" signs and motto, are as phony as the Inflation Reduction Act. Both are just examples of word salads. Blah, blah, blah. Or as Shakespeare said, "Sound and fury, signifying nothing." 

 

It's deja vu - all over again...

"So where does that leave us? For many, shivering in the cold this winter. Why? It was reported on the business news that natural gas is up 30% from last year, and is expected to go higher this winter. But it is only inflation, and the President said this is no big deal. Just party on, dude!" 

IRA, which we know know in 2022 stands more for the Inflation Reduction Act, than it does Individual Retirement Account, or the Irish Republican Army, has a familiar ring to it. In other words, many of us old timers have seen this movie before. Like in 1974. Only then, beating inflation was a slogan, instead of a big, bulky bill. Back then, beating inflation was a movement. But it was a bust. But it had a cute title. It was called Whip Inflation Now, or WIN. Sound silly? Bingo!

Back in 1974, then President Gerald Ford told Americans to "save more, and spend less". He should have given that same speech to Congress. Now, I will not blame 100% of today's inflation on Congress - I am sure the pandemic, and its aftermath, had some to do with it. But I will give the lion's share of the blame to Congress. And right now, they are doubling down on the mess they have created.

Yesterday, there was a huge gala planned on the WH lawn. Every DNC staffer in WDC was invited. The image desired, was to have cheering throngs fawn all over the President, when he told the nation his IRA law was now working. We were beating inflation, just as the title of the bill had said. One very small problem however. 

Here is what happened. Earlier in the day, the CPI came out for August. Instead of another favorable move like there was the previous month, inflation went up by .1%, for an annualized rate of 8.6%. What really shocked the analysts about this move, was gas prices continue to come down. That means other items in the mix were still burning hot with inflation. Thus, the market tanked over 1000 points in response to that news. But who cares? Why let facts get in the way of a good WH party. So the festivities went on.

The only way to WIN or IRA is the one economists have told us since Econ 101. Somehow Congress never learns this most basic lesson. Inflation is too much money chasing too few goods. Passing all kinds of spending bills with money we don't have - is inflationary. Period.

So where does that leave us? For many, shivering in the cold this winter. Why? It was reported on the business news that natural gas is up 30% from last year, and is expected to go higher this winter. But it is only inflation, and the President said this is no big deal. Just party on, dude! 

 

Biden's latest "Moonshot"

"But who cares? Who cares about the facts? Biden? Congress? Anyone in Washington? The Deficit Hawks have gone the way of the Dodo bird. Spend, spend, spend. When the money runs out, we will just print some more."

Biden's latest thing to "give us", is his Moonshot program to reduce the cost of having cancer. It sounds very admirable, as cancer is still a major killer in this country. But guess what? Our war on cancer has been going very well as of late. I mean, we are not close to having a cure for all cancers, but there are vaccines in trials right now, aimed at preventing or fighting certain cancers. And some of the new vaccines use the very controversial mRNA technology.

Again, I believe the sooner the better to ridding the world of all types of cancers. That being said, is there going to be a price tag on this Moonshot? Or is this yet one more thing that Biden will use monopoly money on?

It was reported on the news yesterday, that the gapping wound called "student loan forgiveness". How much will this cost us (the taxpayers)? Depends on whom you ask. If you ask the liars in the administration, they will tell you zero. After all, the fictitious Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), was going to SAVE us money. And that fictional amount which we would have saved, would be eaten up by the student loan forgiveness fiasco almost immediately.

Anyone check out our National Debt Clock as of late? I confess - it has been a while for me. But I looked at it today. Our debt is approaching 31 trillion dollars. Wowsie! Hold on - it gets worse. The total of ALL unfunded liabilities we have right now, is $171.5 trillion dollars. What does that mean? If we taxed every citizen in the United States 100% of what they make and own, we could get $100 trillion. That would still leave us over $70 trillion short on making good on our unfunded liabilities. I guess if we had a credit rating issued by one of the three credit bureaus, it might be in the 100's - if we were lucky.

But who cares? Who cares about the facts? Biden? Congress? Anyone in Washington? The Deficit Hawks have gone the way of the Dodo bird. Spend, spend, spend. When the money runs out, we will just print some more. If the Fed really wanted to be the Fed, they would be raising interest rates by one full point every month until this madness stops.

It seems the only thing the right and left can agree upon these days is spending money we don't have. There is no fiscal sanity anymore. No stewardship of our funds. Only reckless and criminal spending. They should all be put in jail.   

 

 

The size of the fight in the dog

"Note to Vladimir. Call it a day. Retreat to Russia, and get ready to pay a boatload of war reparations to Ukraine. This was a stupid venture from the start, and it is not getting any better." 

Mark Twain is rumored to have said, "It is not the size of the dog in the fight, but rather the size of the fight in the dog." I thought about that old saying this weekend, when the news started leaking out that the Russians were actually getting beat in the eastern regions of Ukraine. So much so, some troops were (reportedly), turning tail and running. Why? War is an awful business, and it gets old very fast. Especially when the goals of fighting are ill defined. For many of the Russians, this war has been a mystery. For just about all Ukrainians, this war is for their absolute survival.

From the get-go, this war has been a folly. Putin's folly. I don't know if Putin's generals were blowing sunshine at Putin, or if they were out and out lying to him. This very short war, has turned into a very expensive slugfest. So much so, that tens of thousands of Russian soldiers have now assumed room temperature. In fact, some of Russia's most elite troops are counted among the dead. Along with some of Russia's top generals.

Even though the Russian Army has known for some time now, how tough the Ukraine fighters are, this counter-offensive has caught them off guard. Way off guard. By the time the Russian forces knew what hit them, the Ukrainian fighters had retaken almost 500 square miles of occupied land. That was HUGE! How big is the fight in the dog with the Ukrainian fighters? Like Bulldogs or German Shepard's. How big is the fight in the dog with the Russians? Maybe like a Shih Tzu.

Now that the Ukraine has shown the world how ordinary the Russian Army is, that leaves Putin with only two things to fight with. Energy and nukes. It is unlikely Putin would escalate the war using nukes, but he could try and break the back of NATO by using his energy. And speaking of which, the cold months are right around the corner. Is Europe prepared for this? Are we, to help them out? Stay tuned.

How could the Russians have done so poorly in this war? One expert said the Russian were using weapons and strategies which were very effective 10 years ago - but not today. The Ukrainians however, are using many weapons which are state of the art. The SM-2 missiles for example, will take out even the most modern of Russian fighter jets. So much so, many Russian jets dare only to loiter by the border. 

The anti-tank weapons have been extremely effective, and sometimes the skies are thick with drones. Some drones for recon, others to be "hunter/killer" drones. The long range arty which has been supplied to Ukraine, is unmatched by what the Russian Army has. The HIMARS in particular, has been very effective.

Note to Vladimir. Call it a day. Retreat to Russia, and get ready to pay a boatload of war reparations to Ukraine. This was a stupid venture from the start, and it is not getting any better. Try peace next time Mr. Putin. Your standing in the world will end up looking much better - and there will not a price on your head by the Hague.    

Will we ever forget?

"This is a day of remembrance. And day we collectively vow we will never forget. That terrorist who try to harm this great country will be dealt with in the harshest of terms. That is what 9/11 should be. No more, no less."

Time heals. Most of us have heard that old expression. However, as far as 9/11 is concerned, I don't want time to heal. I want the feelings we all felt on that day to be raw. I want the shock and awe of that horrible day to be etched into our brains. For the hurt not to heal. Why? Because forgetfulness, will cause us to let our guard down. It will cause us to become vulnerable once again. As their (the terrorists) expression goes, infidels in the west have watches to look at; martyrs in the Middle East have calendars. In other words, time is on their side. As soon as we start to focus on the next shiny thing, that is when they will strike again.

One of the soldiers who went to Afghanistan in the early days of the war, was interviewed on the news. He said something very interesting. He said the reason he went into the service, and then to Afghanistan, was not to fight for freedom or liberty. Instead, it was to avenge every drop of innocent American blood which was spilled by the terrorists on that September day. That is what motivated him more than anything else, while fighting in that very tough terrain. Now that it is 21 years after the attack, has that former soldier forgotten? Not a bit.

Someone mentioned on the news this morning, with all the perps, who have been caught and listed on the terror watchlist, how many terrorists have not been caught? How many of the "got aways" are here to do us harm? Maybe something brand new, which we have not thought of. Something even more bold than hijacking airliners, full of fuel and passengers, and flying them into buildings full of people, just trying to make a living. 

I will never forget the videos coming in from certain Muslim countries in the Middle East, cheering when our buildings fell. These are our friends? The Muslim women in the street yelling and clucking their tongues in celebration. I will never forget that, just like I will never forget the attack. We are at war with radical Islam, and it will not stop. As said in the military, failing to prepare, is preparing to fail.

This is indeed a sad day for America. Barack Obama said this day should be a day of service, where we cut our neighbors grass or something. He was wrong. This is a day of remembrance. And day we collectively vow we will never forget. That terrorist who try to harm this great country will be dealt with in the harshest of terms. That is what 9/11 should be. No more, no less.     

Besmirch this pal!

"Slo Joe is doing such a good job with trying to cast a different light on an innocent term (MAGA), a new term has appeared. We are now 'hyper-polarized'. How is that going to work as we approach November?"

In our new era of opposites, where what was bad is now good, and what was good is now bad, the groupthink committee has offered up a new word (or term) to demonize. I know this is hard to believe, but the acronym MAGA has become the proverbial four lettered word. Almost worst than the "f" word. Huh? Make America Great Again is a bad term? Sure is. If you don't believe me, just listen to Slo Joe on the stump as of late.

Wait a minute! Hold on! Slow your roll pal! What do you mean MAGA is a bad term? Which word is the trigger word which gets the lefties all spun up? America? Great? Make? Again? Which word is it?

Of course, nary a peep has ever been said (by the left) about the term Antifa. Maybe that is because our President has also called the people who support MAGA ,"semi-fascists" (whatever that means). And since Antifa comes from "anti fascists", I guess that puts them on the side of the angels with the ruling elite.

In this insane world of honoring things which are evil, and besmirching those which are good, let me paint the canvas for you. Gangs of black clad hoodlums, burning, destroying, shooting fireworks at cops - are the good guys. Honoring perps by enacting "no cash bail", which allows offenders to re-offend to their heart's desire - is a good thing. Allowing homeless people to set up tent cities, then use LRT stations and ATMs as their bathrooms, and leaving spent needles on the sidewalk and in the street - is freedom. But MAGA, and those who support it, are worse than vermin. 

In this new canvas, which depicts our nation, the authoritarians have lumped MAGA hats in with KKK hoods and the Confederate flag. Why? It is part of the new groupthink. MAGA = racism = fascism = insurrectionists. Meanwhile, our cities have become shooting galleries and drug dens. Just about every major city has record or near record crime. When did that all start? After the Woke revolution started, and the aftermath of Floyd. Minneapolis, and its do nothing Governor, were at ground zero for that horrendous event.

Good is bad and bad is good. If I am not mistaken, the Holy Bible also addresses this issue. In our final days. Slo Joe is doing such a good job with trying to cast a different light on an innocent term (MAGA), a new term has appeared. We are now "hyper-polarized". How is that going to work as we approach November? Will our voting precincts be safe to vote in, or not?

A tip of the hat to our President and the Governor of Minnesota for pouring more gas on this fire called America. Our once great country, has turned into Honduras in less than two years. Well played. 

What is the end game?

"Ukraine knows they can fight the Russians to a draw, or maybe even a victory. Can the UN help? Get Russia to stand down? HA! They are way too busy with being climate cops. Meanwhile, Mother Earth is choking on the smoke coming up from burning Russian tanks." 

This is turning out to be the war from hell. But I guess most wars are known as such. Only this war, started for reasons we will never understand, is bad for both Russia and Ukraine. The blitzkrieg war that Putin wanted, the go in, change government in Ukraine, and then leave - never happened. Russia found out that the annexation of Crimea in 2014, set the stage for a much more robust Ukraine. The words "never again" have been burned into the soul of every citizen of Ukraine. All of a sudden, Russia has a tiger by the tail.

The war in Ukraine has now become a war of attrition. But the longer it goes on, two things have happened. First, more and more countries are sending some very effective weapons to Ukraine. Like the HIMARS rocket system from the US for example. In addition, the toll on Russian troops and weapons has been astonishing. Why? This is the Russian Army for crying out loud! They were suppose to rank right up there with the best of the best! I guess not. We have now seen them for what they are.

Meanwhile, Russia is trying to strong arm Finland about joining NATO. Like, Putin might put nukes on the Russia Finnish border if NATO puts any troops there. Hello? Vladimir, are you listening? You are taking a bit of a butt kicking in Ukraine right now. Should your vision not be there instead? In addition, the only reason Finland finally agreed to join NATO, is because of your illegal and immoral invasion of Ukraine. 

Many international experts are now wondering the same thing. What is the end game here? Is Putin going to do a total melt down, and do something really stupid with a nuke? Will Putin finally think about his troops instead of himself, and withdraw? Or will Putin goad NATO into joining the fray. In any event, Putin has put himself into a box canyon right now, with maybe no way out. 

The tide has turned on this war, if only by a little. Ukraine knows they can fight the Russians to a draw, or maybe even a victory. Can the UN help? Get Russia to stand down? HA! They are way too busy with being climate cops. Meanwhile, Mother Earth is choking on the smoke coming from numerous burning Russian tanks.

In days of old, a normal US President might be able to talk Putin down, but then again, we don't have a normal US President.

  

 

Do we really have enough?

"I have said this many times before, and it bears repeating now. This country will evolve from fossil fuels to electric, hydrogen, better nuclear, and solar. It will happen. When? When it is ready. And it is not ready yet."

Okay. Now we have done it. We are heading pell mell down the road to an all electric vehicle future. Are we really ready for it? Ah - that would be a big NO. We are so far from ready, it is not even the least bit funny. How so? According to a recent study done by the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, and published in InsideEV, we are coming up against a serious cap in 2028. In other words, if we have more than 24 million EVs at that point, our national power grid will not be able to handle it. Ouch.

There are other factors also. Like, the size of the battery needed in EV trucks is bigger. Takes more juice. The weather is a factor. Some researchers in MN are concerned that the current battery technology will not do well in a frigid MN winter. And then there is the cluster of charging stations. Will a city like LA be able to handle tens of thousands of EV charging at the same time, when the global warming heat wave is hitting 98 degrees?

I heard one engineer (who seemed smarter than the rest) on a YouTube channel a while ago, saying out only way out is having lots and lots of nuclear power stations, nationwide. The new technology in building nuke plants is very smart - smaller, cleaner, and safer. Should be no reason to have a 20 year planning and build cycle to build a nuke plant. 

Plus - if we are truly going to have that many EVs in the near future, we better get humping on those EV charging stations. BTW - for those who like to have a charging station in their garage, time to open up that 401K account. They are pricey. And the cost to daily charge that EV - goes right on your electric bill. 

I have said this many times before, but it bears repeating now. This country will evolve from fossil fuels to electric, hydrogen, better nuclear, and solar. It will happen. When? When it is ready. And it is not ready yet. We still have cleanest way to extract fossil fuels - anywhere. A good Secretary of Energy would be managing this logical (and lengthy) transition to other fuels. 

Rushing this transition would be like cooking a good steak for only two minutes. Or making an award winning Eggs Benedict in 10 seconds. Neither would work well. In fact, they would both be disasters. Forcing EVs on a country which is not yet equipped for them, would also be a disaster. Just saying... 

Running out of gas?

"Are we running out of gas? Not really. We have enough supply to help out the world. Enough fossil fuels to 'bridge the gap' until we have RELIABLE alternate fuels. But truthfully, many energy experts are now saying before we can make a complete break from fossil fuels, it might be many decades." 

Did you hear the story about the person in West Virginia who ran out of juice while driving his EV? Lucky for him, he ran out close to a coal mine (BTW - true story). Some coal miners who were off of work saw this person, and went over to help. Since this EV had a lot of plastic on the frame, it could not be towed. So the coal miners got together, and pushed this car up a hill, to the coal mine. There, they found a charging station and plugged it in. Irony. This story is dripping with irony.

As has been mentioned many times before, this country has lots and lots of fossil fuels remaining. If not for Slo Joe, we would be sitting on top of the world right now. But we do have Slo Joe, and he is killing our coal and natural gas production. Plus, because he is blind to what is happening in the world, he can't see that Russia is in the driver's seat right now with natural gas. How much so? Between Putin and Biden, we have a projected worldwide shortage of natural gas. As this winter is predicted to be a doozy. 

To make matters worse, it was reported this morning on the news that Saudi Arabia cut back production last week. I thought Biden went over to see the Saudis to ask they increase production. I guess not. This story has more irony in it. We have done everything we can to hurt the Russians economically. Hurt their oil business. However the one thing we could have done, is to increase worldwide oil supplies to such an extent, it would drive down Russia's price of oil. But Biden did not, worldwide oil is worth a bundle. And Putin is laughing all the way to the back.

Where does this leave us, heading into what is suppose to be a brutal winter? Many in our country will need to make tough choices. Some will default on their mortgage. The price to heat our houses will be like something most have not seen before. How about our Secretary of Energy? What is Ms. Granholm doing to help us? Not a dang thing. Just like with Mayor Pete helping with our airport mess. Helpless and hapless. Meanwhile, the blue pill crowd think everything is hunky dory.

Are we running out of gas? Not really. We have enough supply to help out the world. Enough fossil fuels to "bridge the gap" until we have RELIABLE alternate fuels. But truthfully, many energy experts are now saying before we can make a complete break from fossil fuels, it might be many decades. 

The smart money is we keep on pumping fossil fuels as much and as fast as we can. If we don't, the outcome will not make us look very smart at all. In fact, it will hurt us deeply. But Joe Biden has never been accused of being smart. Not even by his old boss, Barry Obama.