This is another fine mess, Oliver!

 

"What to do, what to do. The old saying is you got to dance with the one you came with. Well Democrats, grab your partner and enjoy the dance. I know we sure will."  

As one of my former co-workers would say when the train really came off the tracks (so to speak), "This is a mess of biblical proportions." Where we are right now in this 2024 campaign season is just that - only if you are a Democrat. That was a pretty smart move back in 2020, picking the often passed over Joe Biden to be your torch bearer. Even smarter, to pick the unelectable Kamala Harris as his Veep. A few shenanigans with the voting process, and whammo - we have an octogenarian and an idiot running the country. Anybody but Trump. As funny as it was for the Democrats back then, it ain't so funny right now. 

And now, after last week's stunning debate debacle, the Democrats would love to deep six Joe and Harris and start fresh. But they can't. They are stuck with Joe and Kamala for the duration of the campaign. As Joe continues to wander down this one-way street called dementia, not even the most heartless power grabbing wife in the world (Dr. Jill), can prop him up enough to make him look alive and somewhat cognizant. Is it really too late to get someone else on the ballot? Maybe not just too late, but maybe even impossible.

Normally someone could come up with a scheme to Article 25 Biden before the election and then have Harris be the standard bearer. One small problem - her poll numbers are worse than Biden's (still). Plus - Harris has demonstrated to the American public time and time again, just how worthless and bizarre she is. It is not just the southern border she has mucked up - it is everything she has been assigned to do.

What should Trump and the Republicans do while this circus plays itself out? Nothing but keep going after every single vote they can. Campaign until like Trump is 10 points behind. Take nothing for granted. After the last election, most, if not all of us, remember the gremlins which popped up in the vote counting. 

Jill, escorting Joe to a campaign rally, is breathing fire. "Not only are we not dropping out, but we are also still going to debate again in September." Really? Wow! What is the definition of insanity? Doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different outcome. There is no reason to think the September outcome will be any different than the last one. There is not enough Red Bull or kick-some-more juice that could animate Joe enough to win a debate. Chances are, he would just drift off into la-la land again, and talk to his imaginary archrival, Corn Pop.

I can just see the powers that in the DNC, looking at each other, and in Laurel and Hardy fashion, saying "This is another fine mess we are into to". What to do, what to do. The old saying is you got to dance with the one you came with. Well Democrats, grab your partner and enjoy the dance. I know we sure will.  

  

Brandon Judd's wake up call

"Just remember this going forward. Cops love Trump. ICE loves Trump. The Border Patrol loves Trump. Trump will clean up the cities from out-of-control crime. He will secure our borders once again. Old Yeller Biden will do nothing except more lies and yelling." 

Imagine for a minute, you are Brandon Judd. You are sitting back, relaxing trying to digest what "Old Yeller" was talking about during the debate. The out of the clear blue sky, when immigration was being discussed, "Old Yeller" said the Border Patrol Union endorsed Joe Biden for re-election. I will bet Brandon Judd just about fell off his sofa when he heard that one! Especially from the liar-in-chief who said after the debate, "I know how to tell the truth".

Not just Brandon Judd, President of the National Border Patrol Council, but also Art Del Ceuto, who is Vice President of the National Border Patrol Council, had quite the wake-up call. The man they despise the most for what he has done to our southern border, and how he has stripped the normal job description away from the Border Patrol - lied through his teeth. So much so, and so heinous of a lie, the Border Patrol went on "X" (Twitter) and fixed that fib. "We have never endorsed Joe Biden, nor will we ever." 

I was going to say, the Border Patrol would not even endorse Biden for dog catcher, but the Border Patrol has too much respect for dogs. So, they would endorse Biden for NOTHING. Donald Trump on the other hand - they love this former president. He knew how to work with the Border Patrol to keep us safe. 

Just remember this going forward. Cops love Trump. ICE loves Trump. The Border Patrol loves Trump. Trump will clean up the cities from out-of-control crime. He will secure our borders once again. Old Yeller Biden will do nothing except more lies and yelling. 

The war drums of the Governors

"Some say our country is hardly recognizable from what it once was. If Biden is given another term, what little is left of the fabric of our republic will be gone. Replaced by a government our forefathers warned us about."

Before I get started, can I do a brief shout out to the Supreme Court? The Chevron Case, which was decided on Friday, is HUGE! What is a good analogy? It was like sunlight hitting BIG GOVERNMENT, when big government acts like a vampire. Putting it simply, we can now tell BIG GOVERNMENT to take many of their useless regulations and rules and put them where the sun does not shine. It was a HUGE victory for the citizens, and a big defeat for the tyrants.

After the debate the other night, the scenario I am going to draw will look implausible to many, but it does lie in the realm of possibilities - especially with the way our current voting system works. Biden wins re-election. The man who can hardly put a sentence together, is going to be our president until he is almost 90. His mandates on the southern border remain intact. Trump's tax cuts sunset, and everyone's taxes skyrocket. Biden's green energy mandates go into full gear, and a gallon of gasoline costs a mint. 

My vision of this dystopian future does contain a ray of hope. The governors of many red states cry out in a loud voice - ENOUGH IS ENOUGH! We will not comply! We can see it already in how some governors have sent National Guard and law enforcement down to the southern border to help out other red governors. Screw the feds! We are governors! My feeling is that was only the start. If Biden is re-elected, he will be treated as if he is King George, and the governors of red states will be like the Minutemen. 

What am I saying? The stakes will be too high to revert back to being subjects and serfs once again. We are citizens. We will be governed by our states, and not an out-of-control federal government.

American citizens are a funny lot - they really take this freedom thing seriously. The thought of going back to tyranny is just not in the cards. And their governors know it. Our borders WILL become secure again, one way or another. If the feds can't or won't do it - the states will! A nation without borders is not a nation at all.

These are the times which try men's souls. True words spoken today. Some say our country is hardly recognizable from what it once was. If Biden is given another term, what little is left of the fabric of our republic will be gone. Replaced by a government our forefathers warned us about. And that is why the words, "Shall not be infringed" are so critically important. Yesterday, today and tomorrow, those words are critically important. 

   

Clean up on aisle 1600

"I will say this. Seeing the complete destruction of Joe Biden last night was not on my bingo card. I knew Trump would win, but I did not ever think Biden would lose this badly. Any villains last night? Only one. Jill Biden. She should be ashamed of herself." 

I really did not know what to call this article. I almost chose "It's all over, for the lying dog faced pony soldier." Anyone who saw the debate last night, might have similar thoughts. Like, what in the world is wrong with Biden? He has been bad in the past, but never this bad. Donald Trump was on his game, so much so that Uncle Joe might have gotten spooked. But in any event, we all saw the end of a Presidency. Joe may not know it yet, Jill certainly may not know it yet, but have no doubt - POTUS 46 is over.

Even though Joe Biden got involved in quite a bit of gibberish and mumbling last night, I did not relish in seeing our President look like he was ready for Cozy Acres. My main thought was, my Lord - who in our government has his or her finger on the red button? I can't be the only one thinking about this very important issue. How about Putin? Xi? The Norks? Iran? Our allies? We may appear to others right now, like a truck barreling down the hill with no brakes and no driver. 

Donald Trump's prize line of the night was after Joe had some mumble-fest of gibberish, the moderator asked Trump if he would like to respond. Trump's response - "I don't know what he just said. I don't think he knows what he just said." It was a kodak moment. It was at that moment, there was "kind of a hush all over the DNC world". The bottom had just bottomed out. Everybody could see that our Emperor was not wearing any clothes. There was no equivocation, no excuses, no cover-up. Everybody could see just how far down the drain Joe had gone. 

Joes mental wondering had gotten so bad last night, I really thought Joe was going to start talking about "beating the hell out of the racist Corn Pop" once again. Or how he was born in Poland and raised in a Jewish home. In Joe's world of make believe, anything goes. 

Guess who is now on board with how bad things are with Joe Biden. Fox News? Na, they have been reporting on this issue for months - maybe longer. The left leaning MSM. The ones who have carried Joe's water for years. And now they are in a full state of panic. "OMG! TRUMP IS GOING TO WIN!!!" Looks like the August DNC convention is going to be must watch TV.

I will say this. Seeing the complete destruction of Joe Biden last night was not on my bingo card. I knew Trump would win, but I did not ever think Biden would lose this badly. Any villains last night? Only one. Jill Biden. She should be ashamed of herself. 

Tonight, tonight...

"What is going to happen tonight? Will it be for all the marbles? Truthfully, I am amazed that the race is this close. Seriously. Living in Biden's America right now, one would think that most everyone would feel the same pain."

Well folks - here it is. The tell-tale, tell-all debate between two men who are older than I am. And I am not that young anymore. Am I going to watch it? Not live. We have my wife's brother over, and we are not equally yoked on politics. Not even close. So, I will watch the replays later this night on Fox News. But what about tonight? Is it important? Will it change the outcome? 

I have said this before. Instead of having two men who have never served before, we have two men who HAVE served for the seat they are running for. And instead of just ideas or promises, they have records. Not subjective - empirical data. If the debate hinges on that alone, the outcome will be certain. That is - unless CNN buys into the lies and sophism that the DNC is spreading around.

My advice to Donald Trump is the following - don't take the bait. Don't fight with the CNN tools. Just keep talking about what you did during your four years as POTUS. Their game plan, as admitted to by the DNC, is to "show you as un-hinged". And that is it. Besides all the lies about how you did not create enough jobs (of course, they ignore COVID), and how many of the pandemic jobs that Biden is counting in his "job creation".

I hope you talk about the border tonight, President Trump. And talk about it almost non-stop. Biden is as weak as a kitten on this issue. He should have no truthful response. Sure, the economy is also a winner for you to talk about. But the border, the lack of security from baddies all over the world - that is important to most. Crime also, is good to discuss. Why? Stats. The cities are a sewer right now. Donald Trump can fix them the right way.

One more issue which in my opinion is HUGE! The world is on fire right now, and inches away from someone, someplace, making the mistake of launching a nuke. It was not this way before Biden took office. Donald Trump could make clear some facts of life about how close we are to WW III which would wake the dead. No matter now liberal someone is, nobody wants to get nuked. And right now, we are close.

What is going to happen tonight? Will it be for all the marbles? Truthfully, I am amazed that the race is this close. Seriously. Living in Biden's America right now, one would think that most everyone would feel the same pain. And would want that pain to change. To mollify. If people were clear thinking instead of mind numbed robots right now, Trump would win by 30 points. It would be a bigger landslide that the 1984 Reagan win.

But remember what Ron Whites favorite saying was - "You can't cure stupid". And in 2020, we had the opportunity to show the world how stupid we are. Please don't do it again.       

Our two Dorothys...

"Our 50th anniversary trip quickly developed a new title. It was the 'Tale of the two Dorothys' trip. The two Dorothys who helped to make northern Minnesota so famous. Would we do it again? In a heartbeat."  

Recently, my wife and I visited Northern Minnesota for a get-away. Did we have an agenda? Kind of. For starters, we wanted to spend our first night in Grand Rapids. Why? The Judy Garland (Baby Gumm) museum. A few years ago, we traveled to Florida and stopped in Kansas to visit relatives. While there, we decided to visit the Oz Museum in Wamego (Where??) Kansas. It was high point of our trip down to Florida. To complete the circle, we decided to see the Oz related museum in our own back yard.

"Dorothy" Number One. In other words, Judy Garland. One of the Dorothys who made Minnesota famous. For those who have visited up in Grand Rapids, know about this place. As much as I knew about the Wizard of Oz, and how many times I have seen it, I learned a whole lot more. The fabulous, yet tortured life of Judy Garland. Her love for family and her homestead in Minnesota. A must see for all who desire to wander down that yellow brick road.

We continued on our journey. Final destination was Ely Minnesota. Why? That is where we spent our honeymoon. Since it was our 50th anniversary, we decided to go back to where it all (our marriage) began. For those who have been to Ely, no matter how many times, understand the magic of that area. Perched on the edge of the BWCA, and just outside the Mesabi Range, Ely is an easy place to fall in love with.

"Dorothy" Number Two. My wife had been reading up on a woman named Dorothy Molter. There is a museum up in Ely about Dorothy's life. Truthfully (and I am ashamed to admit it), I had never heard of her. Either that, or I had heard about her at some time, and forgotten. So, we decided a visit to Dorothy's museum and "go learn something".

As a Minnesotan, I have always been impressed with the life of Bronko Nagurski. He was from the icebox of the nation - International Falls. Once Bronko retired from football and wrestling, he returned to International Falls. He was as rough and tumbled in the way he lived in that rugged town, as he was in the squared circle. But as close as Bronko was to living "off the grid" in International Falls, that was nothing compared to the life that Dorothy Molter had up in Ely.

Dorothy lived a life on Knife Lake in Ely which was one of true adventure. But it was hard - very, very hard. So hard that many male survivalists at that time, wanted no part of living in that harsh environment 12 months of the year. But Dorothy did. From cutting ice out of the lake to manager her "icehouse", to cutting wood for heat, to fishing for food, Dorothy survived day to day, no matter of the season. Her life was regulated by the length of the days. And despite of all the hardships she endured, she invented a root beer and bottled it, right where she lived. "Kwitchurbeliakin" (quit you belly aching) was the name of her brew. We bought a six pack and brought it home.

Our 50th anniversary trip quickly developed a new title. It was the "Tale of the two Dorothys" trip. The two Dorothys who helped to make northern Minnesota so famous. Would we do it again? In a heartbeat.  

Blue language

"Tomorrow night we have the long-awaited debate. It will be on FCC regulated TV. That means the language should be age appropriate. I know - Donald Trump can be a bit blue at times also. I do wish he would leave that skill set up to the Democrats. Our side does not need to use it." 

There is an old saying, that when one uses profane language, sprinkled with invective or harsh slang, it is considered to be "blue language". Seems to be quite the coincidence that the color of Democrats is blue, and quite often many of them will use "blue language". Or is it just a coincidence? Is it part of the secular humanism that many Democrats love to demonstrate? (Remember the convention when they booed God?). Maybe we should we look at something much more current.

Jamaal Bowman. The "Squad Member" from the bowels of New York. He is the guy who pulled the fire alarm in the Capitol Building, and then said it was an "accident". This man, who was a principal in a government middle school in New York, who was to set a good example for our youth, gave quite a show with AOC and Socialist Bernie at a rally before the primary election. As a former sailor, I have to admit I thought I had heard just about every derivation of the "F" word which could be used. During the rally, this former principal taught me some new ones. His language was so dirty, so profane, it led one news commentator to ask, "Does he eat with that mouth?"

Seems appropriate that Jamaal Bowman should appear at a rally with AOC and the atheist Bernie Sanders. Are these the type of people we want to represent us? I sure don't. But let's look at the bigger picture. I know we all have human frailties, and we are all broken to some degree. But I have to say this - many Democrats take this secular humanism to a whole new and different level. They are like the "ying" to the "yang" of many of the family friendly virtues that many Republicans hold dear.

Even kindly old Joe Biden, when he was Obama's Veep, let out of whopper. When asked about Obamacare, his response was, "It is kind of a big "bleeping" deal." Right on a hot mic. For all to hear. Even tender young ears. I know, I know - LBJ could swear much worse than a sailor. Plus, his racial tolerance left much to be desired. But as the leader of the free world (or as it once was called), many of our international friends expect better from us. We have not only murdered the King's English but have taken that corpse out and stomped on it.

Tomorrow night we have the long-awaited debate. It will be on FCC regulated TV. That means the language should be age appropriate. I know - Donald Trump can be a bit blue at times also. I do wish he would leave that skill set up to the Democrats. Our side does not need to use it. Why? We don't need shock value, as our side has the ideas - better ideas. And good ideas beat out bad language any day of the week, and twice on Sunday. 

    

The monolithic problem

"One might ask, with the evidence all around us, on how Joe Biden has really messed things up, why are not more people voting for Donald Trump? Even a hapless fool can see that things were much better when Trump was president." 

There was an incident in California recently, where some Jewish folks were attacked by socialist mutts as they left worship. One lady was assaulted. It was quite a scene, and much panic was felt by the worshipers. Why? Because this is America, and this kind of crap is not supposed to happen. It was a blot on every red-blooded citizen.

This morning, one of the young men who was harassed during that California event was on the news. The moderator asked the young man towards the end of the interview who he was going to vote for in November. Since Jews are usually a monolithic voting block for the Democrats, the moderator was anxious to see if this incident would sway him over to the Republicans. "I have been a Democrat all my life, and I believe in Democrat principals. Joe Biden needs to understand that." That is all he said. The inference was that he was going to stay in the Jewish voting monolith this time around. 

Ergo lies the problem for the Republicans. Not just this year, but every year. Generational voting. Where certain races or religions of people vote in monolithic blocks. After all the crap that Jewish people have gone through in this country in 2024, one would think they would be escaping like crazy from the Jewish Democrat monolith. Nope. 

And the black folk. After decades of empty promises from the Democrats, their voting monolith is still very strong. Sure, Donald Trump has made some very good headway. But the majority of black folk still vote the blue ticket. Why? When it was Lincoln (a Republican) who fought for freedom of the black slaves. And in the very important Civil Rights Act of 1964, a greater percentage of Republicans voted for it than Democrats. And yet - today we have this black monolith of Democrat voters. The majority pull the blue lever each and every time. Generational voting. 

The one voting monolith which has shown some huge cracks as of late, is the Hispanic vote. In fact, Donald Trump has made so much headway with the Hispanic vote, this might be a game changer this election. In 2022, 26% of Latino and Hispanic voters said they would vote for Trump. A recent poll this year, shows that 39% of this voting block would vote for Trump. That is a huge gain. If this continues, Latinos and Hispanics could be a big part of the Republican voter base. And that might be the difference between winning and losing. 

One might ask, with the evidence all around us on how Joe Biden has really messed things up, why are not more people voting for Donald Trump? Even a hapless fool can see that things were much better when Trump was president. I am reminded of the old adage, "You can lead a horse to water, but you cannot make him drink." Get the idea? The generational brainwashing is so strong in some people, even with strong evidence presented, going from blue to red is a non-starter. SMH...

 

The heat goes on

"The stage is set; the fuse is ready to be lit. Sometimes I have to shake my head in wonder - like, how did we get here? How did we go from the end of the Cold War to on the doorstop of World War III in such short order?"

Some parts of the country are baking like bread in the oven. Other parts have had an entire season of rain so far - and then some. But this is not about weather, or the "existential threat" of climate change. This is about the real heat in the world right now. Not just the heat, but the odor. The heat and the odor of conflict, just waiting around the corner. More and more people, far smarter than I, believe the next big conflict is coming - and coming soon.

Right now, we have played our best hand in the Western Pacific. China has been beating the war drums loudly as of late - so loud, the innocent folks in Taiwan would be sure to hear them. The wizards of smart (our war planners), feel strongly right now that China is going to make a play for Taiwan sooner rather than later. It could be tomorrow, but for sure will be sometime this decade. 

We know for a fact any conflict over Taiwan which would involve us, Japan and the PI, would be decided by air more so than sea. In other words - air dominance. We know, and China knows, the country in the world which is leading in air dominance right now is us. And most of our air dominance comes from our F-35s which live on our carriers. So, what then, is our best play?

Since carriers can house up to 50 F-35s when deployed, our war planners felt we needed to have five of our carriers in the neighborhood just in case push came to shove over Taiwan. That would give us a force of 250 F-35s just from our carriers alone. We also would have assets in Guam, the PI, Japan, Australia and South Korea. It is hoped all this fire power from our F-35s could act as a deterrence. Not a provocation, but a deterrence.

For many years now, our military has been built on a "two front" concept. In other words, we could fight and win a war in Europe, and also a war in the Pacific. Kind of like World War II. With Putin also rattling his saber right now with NATO, that is exactly the threat we are looking at. A possible Russia/NATO conflict in Europe with a simultaneous United States/China war over Taiwan.

The stage is set, the fuse is ready to be lit. Sometimes I have to shake my head in wonder - like, how did we get here? How did we go from the end of the Cold War to on the doorstop of World War III in such short order?

The heat is coming. Some say the heat is already here. War could start in an instant, over something foolish or a mistake. Once it starts, thing could escalate quickly. Pray for peace folks. Pray that cooler heads will prevail. Yes, things are that serious right now.   

Once upon a yesterday...

"Marriage can be tough at times. But when you marry the right person, every day is worth it. Be they good days or tough days - they are always worth it."

Years ago, my wife and I went to an event where they had hired an "old man" comic to tell some older folks' jokes. I guess even back then I was considered to be an "older folk". Shortly after his routine started, he said - "How many of you have gotten up in the morning, looked in the mirror, and said 'What the hell just happened'?" In other words, where is the young person I always thought I could be? Now, we are all looking more like our parents - or our grandparents. 

Why tell that story? This past week, my wife and I celebrated our 50th wedding anniversary. It was a big thing for us, as my folks made it to 50, and so did my wife's folks. Now we have joined their club. It is an honor, a privilege, a gift from God.

Staying at a lodge up in Ely, we started to reminisce about all of the highways and byways we have had during the last 50 years. I would like to share some with you. Excuse my sentence structure - I am going to "free form this one" -

Got out of the Navy, went to college and met my wife who was also in college. We fell in love, got married (both still students), and were flat broke for our first two years. My wife graduated, I graduated, my wife started teaching, I found a job in Eagan Township. We could see some daylight from being so broke. Then my wife went back to school for her Master's, and we were flat broke again. I went back in the Navy Reserve to get some more money coming into the house. Our careers continued, I changed jobs a couple of times, and we built a house in the outer burbs. We had two daughters. Meanwhile, I finished my 21 years in the Navy and Naval Reserve and retired. Our girls grew up, graduated from high school, and both eventually got college degrees. Finally, our careers were over, and we retired. We were blessed with two grandies and did some of the travel we always wanted to do - just the two of us.

Many of us that are my age has done the same thing. Looked back at your life and wondered what happened. How decades upon decades could slip by so quickly. Soon it was five decades. How that thick lock of hair on my head, could not only lose it color, but also, it's roots. How all my pants suddenly started getting very tight. Then you realize it - you have just experienced this thing called life. The ups and downs and ins and outs as you walk this amazing journey with your best friend.

One of my friends who is single once asked me if every day is wonderful when you are married. I felt I needed to tell him the truth. No, not every day is wonderful. Some days are tough. Marriage can be tough at times. But when you marry the right person, every day is worth it. Be they good days or tough days - they are always worth it. And that is our story. Fifty blessed years together, and still going strong.    

Are EVs becoming the Goldilocks vehicle?

"Elon Musk is aware of all the shortcomings. Will he fix them? No doubt he will. In time that is. But today is not the day to buy a EV. Stick to the ICE and enjoy the ride. Can't be too hot nor too cold to bring the ICE to a standstill. Just saying."

I have said this many times, so I might as well say it again. We were not ready for the EVs. Not even close. Then one might ask, why in the world would Joe Biden push these so hard? The UAW prefers not to build them (not enough touch labor hours), we don't have enough raw material to build the batteries (we buy way too much of it from China), and charging stations are about as common as the Dodo Birds. But there is more. 

It took a cold spell last winter to find out the current crop of EVs are weaklings. Not cut out for very cold weather. Heck, even the very hard to find charging stations failed. Okay - lessons learned. If you live in the northern plains, don't buy an EV. Why? Studies have now shown that EV batteries can lose over 40% of their charge in very cold weather. 

Well, at least EV batteries perform well in the heat, no matter how hot it gets. What? No? This latest heat spell in America has exposed another weakness. It can be too hot to drive these things. Current studies have shown the EV batteries can lose over 30% of their charge just keeping the EV cool. More lessons learned. If you live in the desert southwest, don't drive an EV.

The question remains on the table. With all of these shortfalls with the EV, what is the rush? Why dent the economy? Why act like a tyrant with the citizens? I have also said before, I think EV cars and fuel cell technology will have their day in our economy. But today is not that day. We still have the ICE (Internal Combustion Engine) which is working just fine, thank you. 

Elon Musk is aware of all the shortcomings. Will he fix them? No doubt he will. In time that is. But today is not the day to buy a EV. Stick to the ICE and enjoy the ride. Can't be too hot nor too cold to bring the ICE to a standstill. Just saying.

The mystery and majesty of Minnesota's Duluth Complex

 

"The Duluth Complex is one of the largest minerals finds on Planet Earth. It is worth billions - maybe more. But - not much has been done, as digging in much of the Complex has been tied up in the court system." 

On our latest trip through the hinterland of Minnesota, we had the opportunity to travel into Range Country. That be the Iron Range. Specifically, the Mesabi Range. When I was young, my dad would always drag the family up to "Da Range". Why? My dad worked for a rock crushing company in St. Paul and had connections with the some of the companies who bought these rock crushers. Some of them ended up on Minnesota's Iron Range.

Seeing some of these open pit taconite digs is way beyond impressive. In the middle of Minnesota's northern woods, all of a sudden you have rocky and reddish-brown soil replacing the trees. Vast and deep digs are still going on, as there is still ore to mine. And here is the best part - the Mesabi Range is only part of this gargantuan geographic area called the Duluth Complex. 

The Duluth Complex is one of the largest minerals finds on Planet Earth. It is worth billions - maybe more. But - not much has been done, as digging in much of the Complex has been tied up in the court system. And here is the irony - our current government wants us to become the leader in EVs. (Remember? The cars that nobody want?). Many of the minerals which go into the manufacturing of the EV batteries are located deep underground in the Duluth Complex. So, we are buying those minerals from countries like China.

Minnesota is a leader in turkey production, hog production, corn production, and so forth. We live in a land which has an embarrassment of riches. But one of the biggest riches of all, is the one we are barely allowed to touch - the Duluth Complex. Hundreds of good paying and (ready for this Joe?) union jobs could be created. The "greenies" are saying the drilling companies could ruin this pristine area forever. The drilling companies responded by saying maybe that was true 100 years ago, but today, the drilling methods have changed to embrace protection of the environment first. Many safeguards are in place to protect the people and the environment.

Will the good people in Minnesota ever be allowed to take advantage of the treasures contained in the Duluth Complex? I hope so. Mostly for the sake of our kids and grandkids. Until then, enjoy the Mesabi Range. Much of Minnesota's history resides there.      

Our lord of war?

"Americans - it does not matter if you are red or blue. This next election is not only for all the marbles, but also for the world as we know it. Donald Trump is right. Joe Biden is dragging us into World War III. When the nukes start popping, and the lights go out, nothing will work." 

One of the pundits who follows and studies this stuff was on the news yesterday made a very good point. Ever since our retreat from Afghanistan, the fragile peace we had in our world went up like a refer in Seattle. The SHTF is about to go full nuclear in many places in the world. Our open borders are producing more murders and mayhem. Gas is still high, food is still high, buying a house is still very hard, crime is still king. With all of that, guess who is now ahead by 2 points in the polls. Our lord of war himself. Joe "where am I?" Biden.

I told my wife, if Biden ekes out a victory this time and we have four more years of this crap, I might want out. Out where? Beam me up Scotty! I remember taking a Bible class a few years ago, and the question came up - "Why is not the United States mentioned in the final battle?" Great question. The instructor did not have a good answer for it. Maybe Joe will. Maybe Joe will take the US of A right out of the game. Gone. The greatest country ever - gone. Remember those immortal words - "It is a republic, if you can keep it." Under Joe's leadership, we will lose it. Forever.

Ladies and gentlemen - it pains me to say this to you. If some of your friends and neighbors pull the level in the voting booth for Joe Biden, and he wins in 2024 - it is over. I am not kidding on this one. Anyone who saw the look on the Italian Prime Minister's face when she pulled him back from la-la land, saw that look of disgust. And the look on the Pope's face when he got head butted? It was a Kodac moment.

Peace brings strength. Peace through strength. Weakness brings defeat. Are willing to let someone from NATO or maybe Japan be the next leader of the free world? Because this guy, still thinks he is dealing with Corn Pop and the back of the gym. And so long as Joe Biden feels that way, we are in trouble.

Americans - it does not matter if you are red or blue. This next election is not only for all the marbles, but also for the world as we know it. Donald Trump is right. Joe Biden is dragging us into World War III. When the nukes start popping, and the light go out, nothing will work. And then if we are close enough to a major target, we will be turned into dust. Will we hit the bad guys back? Maybe - but who cares at that point. We will have crossed the Rubicon. 

 

Old man, take a look at yourself...

"It is title of leader of the free world gone forever? Never again to be held by an American? Not hardly. Trump will get the title back, just by being Trump." 

There is an old joke for old guys. It goes, "Growing old is the ability to shake hands with someone new, and then forgetting his name by time you are done shaking hands." It is a joke, but with Joe Biden, it is not that funny. 

Okay - I paraphrased the title of this post a bit. Sorry, Neil Young. What we are seeing now, live and in color, is something nobody has seen before. It is the unraveling of a president. Bit by bit, piece by piece, he is falling apart. In other words, he is losing it. Even the densest of us, the most unaware, know this much - Joe Biden has dementia. He has not only "lost his fast ball", but Joe also has no pitch left at all. None. But wait - are we not talking about the leader of the free world? I guess, but maybe not.

Well, if not Biden, who is the leader of the free world right now? That is a great question. Is it one of Biden's unseen handlers? That is the best guess. Some might also say Macron of France. He seems to be the ballsy type of guy who could fill the shoes. Maybe Olaf Scholz of Germany. Okay, he might be a socialist, but he is popular with the home folk. Regardless of if he is a capitalist or socialist, can he stand up to Putin? Most say yes.

Me? I like Duda of Poland. He is tough and he is experienced. Most importantly, he hates the Russian menace. He has an awesome military and is not afraid to use it. Poland and Russia are kind of like the Sharks and the Jets from West Side Story. One says to the other, "I hate you!", and the other responds - "I hate you right back". No equivocating or cowering by Duda. He fears Putin not.

Here are the facts as I see them. Our turn to be the leader of the free world is now over. Biden showed that in spades during the last G7 meeting. Heck, Biden even got bested by the Italian Prime Minister. Is title of leader of the free world gone forever? Never again to be held by an American? Not hardly. Trump will get the title back, just by being Trump. 

But what about Biden's Veep? Harris? Would she not become the DeFacto leader of the free world should Biden get the Article 25 ouster? Please - don't make me laugh. As Donald Trump recently said, "They have put her in charge of AI, but she does not know what AI means." 

Old man, take a look at yourself...What does Joe see when he does look at himself? Does he know he is a mere train wreck of what he once was? What about Jill? How can she allow this to happen? Yesterday, Biden could not even remember who his DHS Secretary was. It is time to pull the plug on this guy and take him to Cozy Acres. Why Cozy Acres? So, he won't wonder off like he did in Europe. 

The real insurrection - revisited

"My guess is nobody will work downtown, until we fix our cop situation. Bring back 'broken window' policing. Bring back 'stop and frisk'. Until we get tough on crime, and let cops be cops, get used to more hollowing out of major metropolitan areas."

Most normal people know what happened to change the crime profile in many of our larger cities. It was the real insurrection of 2020. It started after George Floyd's Death and continues on into today. Just think about that - from May 26, 2020, to present day, life in our larger blue cities has not been the same. Then throw in a bunch of Soros money to run socialist nitwits as District Attorneys, and you have the perfect recipe for hollowing out our cities. And the collateral damage continues.

The city of Seattle has just sent out the most alarming statistic. Right now, their police forces are at the lowest level in 30 years. During the past five years, about 700 cops have left. That is a huge hole to put in a large city which has a growing crime problem. With the number of wussy DAs we have in our cities, even if a cop catches a bad guy, the chances of that person being charged are slim to none. Just let them go. Then the question begs to be asked - why be a cop?

And the Floyd riots in Minneapolis. How many were arrested? How much damage was done? Over 700 buildings were damaged or destroyed. Over 1,500 businesses were affected. The 3rd Precinct has still not been rebuilt. Nationwide, 18 people died during that insurrection, and $2B of damage was done. Of the thousands retained or arrested, most charges were dropped. Why? These rioters needed to let off some steam. Compare this with the faux insurrection from Jan 6, 2021. Garland has gone after everyone related to that day, just like Nazi hunting during the Nuremberg Trials.

Anyhow, today most cities are way down on the number of cops needed to bring back public safety. Walking down the street in most of our big blue cities after dark is a fool's errand. Nobody wants to work downtown, live downtown, or eat downtown. Without cops, there is scant law and order. And without law and order, there is only chaos and mayhem.

Minneapolis just lost a good officer to being assassinated by a Somali immigrant. Why was this young and very good cop shot? No reason. And that is part of the point. Why should someone want to become a cop, make only a modest income, get NO BACKING from the socialists who run our cities, and then also have a target on his or her backs. No thanks. 

Every week my wife and I drive by one of our large commuter parking ramps. Most are either totally empty or only have a few cars parker in them. Why? Nobody is working downtown. My guess is nobody will work downtown, until we fix our cop situation. Bring back "broken window" policing. Bring back "stop and frisk". Until we get tough on crime, and let cops be cops, get used to more hollowing out of major metropolitan areas.

   

Second verse, same as the first

"Welcome to Biden's America. Even though the mayhem in Chicago predates Biden, it sure as heck does not predate the Democrat machine which runs the windy city. We really need to take America back. That includes Chicago. People deserve better."

Good Monday morning. What is special about this Monday? Not much, except it is a repeat of many other Mondays as of late. As the song goes, second verse, same as the first. Can we start by looking at Chicago? As we know from listening to or watching the news, Chicago is nothing more than a shooting gallery every single weekend. Even though gun ownership is next to illegal, thugs are able to get guns - easily. This past weekend (Father's Day) - 46 shot and 7 killed. 

According to Hey Jackass, a website which tracks the violence in Chicago, here we are coming up to the halfway point in this calendar year, and already 1,238 people in Chicago have been shot with 212 of those victims dying. Second verse, same as the first. Chicago can change their mayor, their police chief, their everything, yet the beat goes on. Living in Chicago is almost as dangerous as living in Ukraine.

What else is typical for a Monday morning? Another victim of crime living in the upper east coast. An innocent victim of a crime committed by a criminal illegal alien. An alien who snuck into our country, over the southern border in Texas. What can we do to stop it? Not much. Second verse, same as the first. When the very smug looking Mayorkas is questioned about illegal aliens by Congress, his answer is always the same. "The southern border is under control." Liar, liar, pants on fire. Now with over 10 million illegal aliens among us, every state is a border state.

And I would be remiss if I did not have tales of Joe Biden. Just back from his dismal trip to the G7, Joe jetted out to California to be with the rich and famous (and very old) West Coast elite. He even had his friend Barry Obama there to help him. But during the festivities, Joe had a "Juneteenth" moment. He froze again. However, it is Barry to the rescue. Second verse, same as the first. Obama put his hand on Joe's back and guided him off the stage. 

Here is the big question which remains for second verse, same as the first. Are the sheeple in this country so dumb, so naive, that they will elect this empty suit once again? Four more years of morass and stagflation? Four more years of being dragged closer and closer to WW III? Four more years of watching dementia ravage this 81-year-old man, for all too see? Is that going to be our second verse?

Welcome to Biden's America. Even though the mayhem in Chicago predates Biden, it sure as heck does not predate the Democrat machine which runs the windy city. We really need to take America back. That includes Chicago. People deserve better. They deserve to live better. Americas deserve to live safer. Is this mess now called America fixable? We will find out in November. American patriots and citizens deserve a new verse, different from the first. 

 

We the people, have had it!

"Congratulations Europe. You have taken the first step in getting your freedom back. We are right behind you."

Did you hear about the tidal change in Europe? Seems the left has over played their hands in the Euro Zone. Kind of like the left has been doing in this country. And what have we learned about the recent Euro elections? Be it here or across the Atlantic, freedom loving people are rejecting tyranny. With a singular voice, the call for freedom is going up. It is so loud; we can hear it over here. 

Hats off to the farmers in Europe, as they were the ones whose protests were the most vociferous. There is something about the visuals as well as the rich aroma of a manure spreader spraying effluent all over the government buildings in town. What is that saying? WE THE PEOPLE, HAVE HAD IT! In other words, the people, the citizens of many different countries, are not children. They know how to live. They know what is best for them and their families. And farmers? They know how to grow their own crops, thank you. They don't need the bootheel of government (who know nothing of farming) on their necks.

To our brothers and sisters in Europe, we can only say thank you! You are setting the tone. You may be a bit ahead of us, but we are firmly behind you. We are about to oust the mother of all tyrants (Joe Biden) and replace him with the father of MAGA (Donald J. Trump). We are going to turn the clocks back four years, and once again live in the land of prosperity and opportunity. Gone will be the days of green bs, DEI, equity, lawfare, lawless crime in the cities, open borders, energy confusion, mandated appliances and car choices and so forth. You see, Americans, just like the Europeans, don't like being treated like children. We like being treated like citizens. 

When freedom is in the air, it is tantalizing. It is invigorating. It is motivating. The skies are blue, and the birds are singing. On the other hand, when tyranny rules the land, all landscapes become gray-scapes. Hope is replaced by hopelessness. Joy is replaced by despair. What do most people realize when living outside of freedom? This is not how life is meant to be lived. 

How valuable is freedom for the people in this country over the years? We have sent money as well as our national treasure of young people, to fight for freedom in other lands. Some were wounded, some never came home - just so others could have the freedoms we have. Yes, freedom is that important to us.

Congratulations Europe. You have taken the first step in getting your freedom back. We are right behind you. What happens when thugs use extreme force to rob you of your freedoms? Just look at Ukraine. We should never let something like this happen again. Ever. It all starts and ends with that simple phrase - We the people.

Since it is Sunday, can I get an AMEN on that?

 

The happy (or hapless) wanderer

"The question many are asking right now, is can Joe make it to the first debate in two weeks. That is a good question. Will he wander off? Will he talk to dead people? Will he shake hands with imaginary friends? Will he drool? This could be a defining moment in Biden/Harris 2024. Or the last moment."

Well, it is finally over. Grandpa is home after a "memorable" time in Italy with the G7 meeting. I would have loved to have someone in the Italian press ask the Prime Minister of Italy, Giorgia Meloni, how the meeting went. And it would have been great if she had told the unvarnished truth. Her response would have been something like, "I did not know that being an adult daycare provider was part of my job description." Was it really that bad taking care of old Joe? Yes. And that was before Joe "head butted" the Pope.

Was I embarrassed to see our president on the world stage, acting like he was on a day trip from Happy Acres Care Center? No - I am way beyond embarrassment. I have disowned him. Truthfully, I have disowned his wife more so than Joe. Why? She knows that Joe has lost it. What little he had when he was sworn in, is now gone. Our enemies look at him and laugh. Our NATO allies look at him with great trepidation. Joe Biden is technically the leader of the free world. Let that sink in and marinate for a while. As Donald Trump recently said, "Joe Biden is dragging us into World War III."

Then we have Joe, the fallen Catholic, meeting the Pope. This was after Joe had wandered off during an air show event. To show the Pope the proper respect, Joe decided to "head butt" the Holy Father. The look on the Pope's face was really a "Kodak moment". It was like the Pope was thinking simply this - in all his years of being alive, nobody has ever "head butted" him before. And why did Joe do it? Because Joe did not like the Catholic church's position on abortion? Or was it that it seemed to be the right thing to do at the moment. Strange things happen when you lose your "filter".

The question many are asking right now, is can Joe make it to the first debate in two weeks. That is a good question. Will he wander off? Will he talk to dead people? Will he shake hands with imaginary friends? Will he drool? This could be a defining moment in Biden/Harris 2024. Or the last moment.

One more thing that Biden did to Prime Minister Meloni. When greeting her, Biden gave one of his faux salutes. She looked at him like, "what was that?" No - she did not salute back She knew better.

In any event, Joe needed to skip the last event on the schedule and fly back home. Why? A fundraiser with his papier mâché fan base known as the Hollywood elite. Why? Joe was just showing his priorities. 

All of a sudden, this is a problem

"I know most who read my blog articles are 'red pill' takers. That is a very good thing. There are, however, still some 'blue pill' takers out there who stumble across the Very Angry Bird's rants. To those people I say this - WAKE UP! We are in grave danger right now, and this is a call to action!" 

To the "blue pill" crowd, who are just waking up, let me welcome you to the party. Okay - not really a party. A panic. Or we can just call it reality. Us "red pill" takers have been shouting this from the rooftops, and ringing the fire bell for years now. Our immigration system was not really in good shape prior to Trump leaving office, but since he left 3 1/2 years ago, it has been a hot mess in the middle of a train wreck. And this week, the reality hit home. Finding out we have eight (maybe more) ISIS-K terrorists in our country, bidding to do us harm. It was only by luck and good FBI sleuthing that we caught these guys before they could act.

Here is the long and the short of it. It is estimated we have over 10 million illegals roaming around our country right now. I would give you the exact number, but nobody really knows what it is. So, for the sake of easy math, let's assume it is only 10,000,000 even. If only 1/10 of 1 percent of those folks are bad apples, people who want to do us harm, with a pool of 10,000,000 to choose from, that number would be one thousand bad guys. One thousand bad guys, just waiting to do us harm. Kill innocent people. Destroy infrastructure. Disrupt our lives.

Not to cast aspersions, but the Democrat Party is loaded with "blue pill" takers. So much so, when it came to throwing Mayorkas out of office once he was impeached, the "blue pill" lackies in the Senate all voted to keep Mayorkas. Even though his fingerprints are all over this mess. One might wonder how any red-blooded patriotic American could let this happen to our country. That is a great question. I would love to hear the answer.

But - here is the smidgen of good news. Now some "blue pill" folks are waking up. Not many, but some. They see the great and present danger to our country. They want it fixed and fixed now. Not by this smoke and mirrors bs which the president signed via executive order - they want it fixed - really fixed. As the saying goes, "All of a sudden, this is a problem. The "red pill" folks have known this is a problem for years, but I will not belittle that point.

I have said earlier, this mess is like Humpty Dumpty. The effect of the fall which broke Humpty was not hard to do. Eggs crack when dropped. But putting Humpty back together again - now that is a horse of a different color. I don't know if Donald Trump has enough tools in his toolbox to fix this. He can stem (not stop) the flow of illegals coming into this country, but getting all the bad apples out of here, might be a bridge too far. Lawsuits from the remaining "blue pill" litigants will stack up like cordwood. 

I know most who read my blog articles are "red pill" takers. That is a very good thing. There are, however, still some "blue pill" takers out there who stumble across the Very Angry Bird's rants. To those people I say this - WAKE UP! We are in grave danger right now, and this is a call to action! 

Subjugation, expansionism and "hellscape"?

 

"We are better than this. I mean, we should be better than this. Can we make it to 2030 in one piece? Or will the 2020's be our end game. Sometimes I wonder."   

One of Putin's allies, who loves to live in the past, came out the other day with a shocking thought. "Russia needs to start a subjugation of the nations around her. Just like we did during the days of the Tsars, we need to do it again. The Russians have always been a warring people, and we need to get back to those days." Needless to say, China, who at times tries to be the adult in the room, did not take too kindly to this brand of thinking.

But who cares? Russia has lots of friends right now (NOT!). Besides China (sometimes a close partner, sometimes just luke warm), Russia has North Korea, Iran, and - that's it. China prefers to take over the world via trade and expansionism. The old Belt and Roads thing. So then, why are we so worried about China? Their missing piece of the puzzle. Taiwan. Once China can get Taiwan back in their orbit, things can settle down a bit in the Indo-Pacific. That is, sort of settle down.

Of all the times I have seen the world be as unsettled as a boiling cauldron, it is right now. Should Putin take to heart that Russia has rights due to heritage to expand its empire, Ukraine could only be step one. Macron of France might just have it right. That Putin is just getting warmed up. That is why Macron has threatened to send in troops to Ukraine. In the minds of Macron and Duda of Poland, Ukraine might be the hill to die on. If Ukraine falls, all bets are Poland being next.

What about Xi? Will he be satisfied with taking Taiwan? Or is he worried that his move on Taiwan will turn the South China and East China seas red with blood? Every day which passes, the United States and Japan get more and more ready for what seems to be the inevitable. And that inevitability is projected by military experts to happen sometimes between now and 2027. 

Because of Biden's year after year military budget, our Navy is getting smaller while China's Navy gets larger. Thus, our military planners have been forced to "think outside the box". They have come up with an idea called "hellscape" should China make a play for Taiwan. Quite simply, it would be to overwhelm the battlefield with drones. Thousands of them. Make the Taiwan Straits an ultra large "kill zone". Make it so effective, that it would tie the Chinese Navy up in knots until more friendly forces could arrive on scene. 

Some are wondering if this is the best us humans can do right now. To think of more ways to terrorize and subjugate our neighboring nations. Or expand empires by force. And then set up battlefields so deadly, they will be called "hellscapes". We are better than this. I mean, we should be better than this. Can we make it to 2030 in one piece? Or will the 2020's be our end game. Sometimes I wonder.   

  

The Hunter, the GLOAT, and the Hyena

"Is this the end of Biden's war on America? We can only hope. If for some reason, sheeple are dumb enough to vote for this bewildered fool again, it will be the end of America. And remember - Kamala is worse. Seriously - Biden or Harris will end us. They came close the first time around." 

Well, well. Hunter Biden gets tried in Biden-land (sometimes called Delaware), by Abbe Lowell, the best criminal lawyer in DC, and gets found guilty on all charges? Seriously? Of course, if Hunter was allowed to walk, the "two-tiered justice system" that Donald Trump has been alleging would have really grown some legs. The irony is the next trial for Hunter will be the tax trial in California. That one is more serious and supposed to be a "slam-dunk" for the state.

More than once now, our geriatric president has been asked point blank on a news show, "Will you pardon your son if convicted." One word answer - "No". Is there one person on planet Earth who believes that answer? I certainly don't. Remember, Joe Biden was in the running for the GLOAT (Greatest Liar of all Time). This is one you can bet the house on. Joe Biden will either pardon Hunter or commute his sentence. Why? Because he can. Just like Clinton pardoned his half-brother on his last day as POTUS, Biden will do the same.

But hold on - is there a fly in the ointment? Did anyone see Biden at the early "Juneteenth" celebration? He froze in time. While everyone else was doing some kind of dance, Joe just stood there - no emotion, no nothing. Frozen. In the middle of a plethora of Democrats pleading Biden to step down and let someone younger and sharper run in 2024, Biden gives them exhibit "A" at the Juneteenth celebration on why it should NOT be Biden. Who then? Hold on to your hats.

Kamala Harris, also known affectionately as the "hyena", is waiting in the wings. But hold on some would say - Harris is about as popular as strong case of the runs. According to some polls, she is more unpopular than Joe is - and Joe sinks further every week. Well, the Democrats can fix that - they can choose some white guy from California. Like Gavin Newsom. WHAT?? Do you want a civil war in the party of the donkey? Pass up this hysteric, I mean historic woman of color? She could be our first woman of color to be president! What in the world is wrong with that? Only one thing - she can't win. Not even close.

Two things coming up this summer which will be "must watch" TV. First the debate, which will be coming up shortly. The next will be August 19th, which will be the kickoff of the DNC convention. Every nut ball in the country might show up for this one, and it promises to be as raucous as the 1968 DNC convention (also held in Chicago). All this will be must watch TV.

Is this the end of Biden's war on America? We can only hope. If for some reason, sheeple are dumb enough to vote for this bewildered fool again, it will be the end of America. And remember - Kamala is worse. Seriously - Biden or Harris will end us. They came close the first time around. 

Biden's Irreversable mess

"What am I trying to say here? What Biden has wrought on this country, what evil Biden has visited upon us, might be as permanent as indelible ink. This might be his legacy. This mess. This hodge podge of drugs, sex and crime. Thanks Joe. I hope getting all these new votes was worth it."      

I was listening to some Democrat on the news being interviewed concerning the border mess that Biden recently enacted via executive order. Of course, the Democrat did not think it was a mess. No - it was great. It was just like the Senate bill which never passed. The only concern he had, was it was an executive order, and not something enacted into law by Congress. "This thing could be tied up in knots by the ACLU in the court system. It could sit in that limbo until it dies."

Then it dawned on me. In fact, it hit me like a sledgehammer. Once Donald Trump gets sworn in January of 2025, and if he immediately tries to fix what Biden has broken on the border, what happens if all Trump's new executive orders get tied up in court? Even if Trump has a friendly House and Senate, and legislation concerning the border is passed into law, what will keep those new laws from being challenged in court?

Even this "mother of all deportation" Trump has promised. I can see that being challenged in court by numerous lefty organizations. Then what? Are we stuck with millions of undocumented and illegal aliens with no place to go? We have people from all over the world right now, inside our borders. In fact, with the "got aways", we don't know who is here. 

People on the right can talk about all the child trafficking, sex trafficking, human trafficking, drug trade, terrorist cells and so forth. "We need to fix that! The cartels don't run our country!" Short of declaring war on the cartels, what are we going to do? Mexico seems content with the status quo. Any problem Mexico has had with illegal immigration, they have just shifted north to us.

Bottom line? If people in this country are dumb enough to re-elect Biden, NOTHING will change. The southern border will continue to be an open sore, a breach, letting in anything and anybody. If Trump wins (as he should), things could be very complicated due to our liberal court system. Even finishing the border fence could be challenged in court.

What am I trying to say here? What Biden has wrought on this country, what evil Biden has visited upon us, might be as permanent as indelible ink. This might be his legacy. This mess. This hodge podge of drugs, sex and crime. Thanks Joe. I hope getting all these new votes was worth it.      

  

The inflation bug-a-boo

"Can Donald Trump do something about this inflation? He can stem the growth. But short of deflation (which is seldom helpful), what has happened has happened. In other words, the item which once cost you $80, will now cost you over $100 from now on."

Hey! Inflation is getting much better! Time to crack the bubbly! How do we know all of this? We are being told (or gaslighted) by our current administration. Actually, a little inflation is a "good thing". Really? In which world is that true? It is helpful from time to time, to look at the reality of our situation. So - let's go!

Item 1 - Why is it, that more people are not "feeling the love" of this economy? That many things are crazy expensive these days. I mean, the current inflation rate (annualized) is ONLY 3.4%. But here is the rub. Unless someone had just crawled out from under a rock, they know things are 20% higher than 3 1/2 years ago. That means what cost $100 today, cost $80 3 1/2 years ago. That is a huge jump! Then next year (with a 3.4% inflation rate), our very expensive $100 item will cost $103.40.

Item 2 - As some of us know, there is a hook and ladder relationship between inflation and interest rates. Last week, there was an interesting exchange with a young person who was trying to buy his first house. Not a big and fancy house, just a starter home. BUT - without the Fed lowering the interest rates so the mortgage rates would become more affordable, that dream of buying a new house has become a nightmare. Why won't the Fed just lower the rates? Inflation is still over 2%. Why is inflation over 2%? Ask Joe (or Foe I have been advised to call him) Biden. He is the one who juiced up the spending machine.

BTW - as a postscript to this item, a second term of Joe Biden would mean the 3% (or more) inflation would continue for another four years. And interest cuts would be few and far between. Just saying. 

Item 3 - Guess who our Biden inflation is hurting the most? Seniors. Seniors on fixed income. They are really stuck. Sure, there has been some COLA help on their Social Security. And - maybe some had pensions which also had some COLA benefits. But many seniors only have Social Security, and that is it. Here is the real tragedy - about half of all seniors are living paycheck to paycheck under this crushing inflation. And to make matters worse, many only have one month's living expenses in the bank. This is a terrible way to retire. 

And yet, with all this misery, we are still being gaslighted and lied to. "Relax - things are fine. You are doing well." The only problem is this - we are not stupid. We are not doing well. We have been skinned alive by this cruel tax called inflation. 

Can Donald Trump do something about this inflation? He can stem the growth. But short of deflation (which is seldom helpful), what has happened has happened. In other words, the item which once cost you $80, will now cost you over $100 from now on. Fast food has been replaced with "not as fast and very expensive" food. Joe (Foe) Biden has put his tattoo on our finances. Once again, all Trump can do is stem the tide. Take it back to under 2% so the Fed can reduce the interest rates.

Maybe for lunch I will go to McDonald's and have a $5 Big Mac. Or is that only in my dreams? In reality, it will be a $8 Big Mac with $2 left from my ten-dollar bill to buy a quart or so of gas to get home on.