The most brazen attack ever?

"It will be an interesting autumn. Maybe an historic autumn." 

Good morning, Hezbollah. Welcome to the world of the Mossad. Did you really think that you could almost daily lob 50 to 70 missiles into Israel and not garner the attention of the most deadly and dark organization in the Middle East, maybe the world? Well Mr. and Mrs. Hezbollah, you have now opened Pandora's Box. And the Mossad has repaid you with the magic pagers and walkie talkies which at any time can go "BOOM". But don't worry - there are probably more tricks up their sleeves. 

I know, I know. Both Hamas and Hezbollah are straight out of the 10th century. As we saw from the October 7th attack, Hamas can be as barbaric as any tribe in history was. Truthfully - we can put Iran's ruling Mullahs, Hezbollah, Hamas and the Houthis all in the same tub of evil. After years of threats, missiles and bloody incursions, it might be time for (as said in the Godfather movie) for Israel to "take care of family business. 

If it is war they want, I just might be war they will get. Wait a minute - will it pull us into this fray? If it is true that Hezbollah has over 100,000 missiles and drones, and if Iran calls on all of its proxies to mount a coordinated attack on Israel to defeat the Iron Dome, then yes - it will involve us. And probably Jordan. But know this - should this devolve into a shooting war; Israel will not be satisfied with giving Iran a "pin prick". They will want to "fix the problem". Maybe even go after the almost finished bomb factory before a nuke enters the picture. 

What then was the purpose of the exploding pagers and walkie talkies? That was Mossad telling the bad guys "We know who you are and where you are." Some wearing the pagers were injured, some were even killed. But the message was simply this - we can reach out and get you, any time we want to.

"Wars and rumors of wars". For those in the faith, we know what the Bible states about Israel. If war comes to that part of the world, it is much better to stand with Israel than not to. And as far as Iran is concerned? I have had it with them since they took our embassy staff hostage in the 1970's. Time for a little payback? Maybe. It will be an interesting autumn. Maybe an historic autumn. 

Two stories: Teamsters and Longshoremen

This is the story of two unions. Story one will be about the Teamsters Union. Story two will be about the Longshoremen Union.

Story One - I am old enough to remember when if you mentioned a Republican's name around a union member, it was like uttering a four-letter word. So, what in the world is happening to the rank and file these days? The union leadership remains corrupt and in the pocket of the DNC, but not the workers. Many have seen the light. Especially with a man like Donald Trump. They know the Democrat Party is all foam and no beer. But the "Don"? He can really help union families.

The union where Donald Trump's support is the strongest is the Teamsters Union. A poll was taken earlier this week for presidential preference. Guess what? Trump got a shade under 60% approval! That is HUGE! But it was a bit too much for the union president, Sean O'Brien. He just could not pull the lever to have a formal endorsement for Trump. Even after being invited to speak at the RNC convention! Never mind most of his union faithful love Trump. I guess O'Brien has not purged the last few drops of "union boss" out of his bloodstream.

Story Two - For the first time in years, the Longshoremen Union has gone out on strike. First strike in decades. What - what? I thought the Longshoremen were some of the highest paid union workers. They are. Currently, a longshoreman makes $81,000/year as a base salary. BUT - many make a whale of a lot of overtime. With the overtime rules, is not unusual for a longshoreman to make as much as $200,000/year! Hint: This strike is not about money, although they are looking for a bit more.

As discussed yesterday on Fox Business channel, these guys have been doing their homework. They know this might be their last negotiation. Why? Automation. Humanoid robots. Many of their jobs will be some of the first to go when the "age of the robot" starts. When that happens, the bargaining power of a union worker goes down to about zero. So, this is it. The last shebang. They need language in the contract which will stem the growth of automation.

There you have it. The story of two iconic and strong unions. But soon every union will be affected by automation. This is a cold hard fact. When will that happen? Sooner rather than later. All unions are going to change. From the UAW to the Teamsters to the Teacher's Union. The change will start during this upcoming presidential term. Hearing much about those changes from the campaign trail? No? Neither am I.     

Trying to understand a bad choice

"Supposedly Kamala has nudged ahead of Trump in the polls right now. Really? How? Why? Because Trump has had two attempts on his life? Because Trump has promised to take the federal tax off of tips, social security and overtime? Because Trump has promised to take us back to energy dominance?"

Maybe I spend too much time thinking about this. But I can't seem to stop doing it. It perplexes me. Befuddles me. I had similar thoughts when Barack Obama ran for president. A paper-thin resume and a slogan. "Hope and change baby, hope and change." But he was "historic", if that means anything. And now we have another "historic" person running for president, who has the same type of resume. Just not the pervasive slogan that Obama had.

Somehow, Kamala Harris has managed to cast a spell on many of the sheeple, convincing them that she will "fix things". That the past almost four years did not really happen - it was just an extension of the Donald Trump's "mess". But here is my conundrum - love him or hate him, Donald Trump's metrics while president don't lie. Neither do the Biden/Harris metrics. Even knowing that prices are 20% higher than when taking office, we have millions of illegal immigrants all over the country, we are on the precipice of a major war - sheeple have either forgotten all of that, or they just don't care. They love the cackle. 

One of my RINO FB friends said he does not like Trump because Trump is too "authoritarian". Excuse me - what? Trump never mandated the type of cars we would drive. Trump never weaponized the DOJ to be a "lawfare" agency. Trump never dragged this country into numerous wars. Biden and Harris were the authoritarians. And that is just the start of what I could say about them. Of course, the list of their offenses while being the president and Veep would end up with tyranny. Maybe treason. 

Kamala is younger than Trump. That is a fact. Trump has more energy than Kalama - you can see that in how much he can get done compared to Kamala. Kamala has a big mouth with lots of teeth - you can see it when she smiles and laughs. Trump grins more than he smiles - that is his affect. But let's put looks aside and talk only about results.

Let's assume for a minute that we did not vote. That elections were decided only on the resume. Only on past performance. Not on the promise of "two chickens in every pot" - that never comes to pass. But when one candidate promises "more of the same" and the "same" was pretty darn good, why is that not enough for the sheeple? It sure is for me!

Supposedly Kamala has nudged ahead of Trump in the polls right now. Really? How? Why? Because Trump has had two attempts on his life? Because Trump has promised to take the federal tax off of tips, social security and overtime? Because Trump has promised to take us back to energy dominance? By the way, as this country also travels down the road to AI dominance, we will need MASSIVE amounts of energy. Far more than our windmills and solar panels can offer.

Okay sheeple. You don't like Trump - I get it. You don't like the fact he would mean tweet during his first term. You don't like his mannerisms. You don't like he counter punches. But you can't in good faith tell me his metrics were worse than Biden's. If you think so, prove it. I know - you can't prove it, because Biden was terrible. And Kalama will be worse. 

Will the term "teacher" start to sunset?

"They will be able to cook, clean, garden, converse and - teach. Teach and tutor. And according to Musk, these humanoids will know your child's learning style and adapt the teaching to fit it. In fact, teachers might very soon become a thing of the past. No more teacher unions, no more schoolteachers."

The couple who camps next to us at the RV park is a nice young couple. When we met them, the woman told us she was a teacher by trade. My wife responded by saying she was a retired teacher. Her response? "We have to talk sometime soon. I would like to know what teaching was like before it became a total s**t show". I thought wow! She has at least 25 years to go before retirement. Is it really that bad now? 

Maybe it is. We know other teachers who are still working who give similar stories. But many don't know the worst of it as yet. I saw an interview with Elon Musk the other day, and he was talking about his new Optimus humanoid robot. He was almost giddy. He said this humanoid would do just about everything around the house and yard. And when is the Optimus Gen 3 going to be available for private purchase? 2026, as the humanoids in 2025 will be used by Tesla Musk's factories.

Musk's dream is to have millions of these humanoids (priced no more than $20,000/each) on the market and in houses by the end of the decade. They will be able to cook, clean, garden, converse and - teach. Teach and tutor. And according to Musk, these humanoids will know your child's learning style and adapt the teaching to fit it. In fact, teachers might very soon become a thing of the past. No more teacher unions, no more schoolteachers.

Why is Elon talking so much about this humanoid which is set to hit the market sooner rather than later? Two reasons. First, the Chinese are also close to a "go to market" humanoid robot. They are aware of Musk's Optimus humanoid and want theirs out first. And have it be less expensive. Like maybe $12,000. Musk is aware of this and trying to figure out how to get Optimus down to about $10,000.

The other reason is pragmatic. Over 90% of the public has no clue as to what is coming. When these humanoids hit the market, they will hit like a bomb. People who thought Tesla was only an EV car maker, will soon find out there is so much more. It will be a shock to the marketplace unlike we have seen before.

I read an article recently penned by a lesser-known technologist. When asked how much is going to change this decade, he responded with only on word. "Everything". By the end of the decade the real question will be what has not changed. Education and learning for sure will change. Grab on to something - 2025 is just over three months away.   

Providence? I think so...

"The Providence of God. It is real. The messages are right out in the open now for all to see. Donald Trump has been spared for a reason. Twice now spared."

It happened again. Never in my lifetime, not in this country's history, has that happened before. Twice, in two months, an attempt on a former president's life. Not just a former president, but the man who could (or should) be president again. When I first heard this as breaking news yesterday, I thought I was a stupid joke from either the Onion or Babylon Bee. But it was not.

The fact this attempt on Trump's life was foiled was almost as miraculous as the first attempt being foiled. Why? This shooter was holed up quite well right next to a fence and hidden in the bushes. He had the Russian version of an AR-15 and some back packs full of ceramic to keep him as "bulletproof" as possible. It was almost a perfect "sniper's nest". To me, seeing a dark barrel of a long gun barely sticking out of the bushes and through a chain linked fence would have been very hard to see. But one sharp Secret Service guy did see it. And immediately opened fire. 

All I could think of after I let this latest attempt sink in, was this - everything happens for a reason. Donald Trump's life has been spared twice now. Some on the other side might read this and scoff. That is okay - scoff away. But here is the truth as I see it. God Almighty does not like the hard left turn this country has made. How we have become almost like the ancient Romans with our human secularisms. How we have turned from God. The Holy Bible is replete with stories on how God has used men, many less than perfect, to do the right thing. To do what God would like to have done.

The Providence of God. It is real. The messages are right out in the open now for all to see. Donald Trump has been spared for a reason. Twice now spared. Just to refresh for a second about the first time he was spared. The graphic he turned to look at is one he usually always saves until the end of his speech. For unknown (to us) reasons, he turned to look at it early. That saved his life. Accident? Maybe. Providence? Absolutely.

To get this country back on track, we need Trump in the White House. To end these endless wars, and to move us back from the brink of WW III, we need Trump in the White House. To keep God in the middle of our country, as the Founders did when they constructed our founding documents, we need Trump back in the White House. 

Time is running out. Only Trump can fix what has been broken. That's it. No more and no less.     

Hit by a truck, going 100mph

"The changes coming are going to hit many of us like a truck going 100mph. Can't stop this change; can't hide from it either. All we can do is get smart on what is coming. Prepare for it. Accept it. Will this be Frankenstein's monster? Maybe. Or it could take us to a brave new world."  

Many decades ago, I was selected by my local YMCA to represent them at a statewide youth conference in downtown Minneapolis (when it was safe to go there). It was an honor, and all of us high school kids were on our best behavior. In one small group I was in, the subject of "What is the biggest concern of the future" came up. War, pollution, overcrowding, were some of the topics brought up. But then some geeky kid from Edina brought up something from left field. "I think the biggest problem we will have in the future will be too much leisure time." That gave everybody a few chuckles but not much else.

By the end of this decade, a scant five years from now - history will prove that young man from Edina to be correct. Correct in spades. Ray Kurzweil, Sam Altman, Elon Musk and others, have been telling us this for the past few years. AI is coming and coming faster than anyone could predict - or could imagine. We are on a superhighway which will take us from AI to AGI to ASI at almost light speed. The changes coming will be massive, rapid and pervasive. Those who are not prepared for these changes, will be on the outside looking in.

One of the smartest people I listen to on YouTube is a young lady named Julia McCoy. She is the CEO of a software firm who uses AI. She is wicked smart on this technology and is sounding the alarm bell for all to hear. As most know, we are living in the world of AI right now. Big deal, right? Most have Siri, Alexia, or something similar. Well guess what? We are about at the end of that stage. The next stage (who some think that Google has already figured out, but not yet released as yet - is AGI (Artificial General Intelligence). When that becomes commonplace in the next few years, that is when change really starts to happen fast.

Meanwhile, most of us still have blinders on. Especially our schools. We are educating most of our kids to be unemployed when AGI starts taking over the workplace. Pie in the sky? Not according to the futurists and experts. This is coming and coming fast. If your kid is schooled in robotics or AI programing - there is a future. If, however, you kid is majoring in gender studies or art history - he or she will be riding the bench for a long, long time.

Julie McCoy thinks by 2030 (five years from now), billions worldwide will be without employment. Leisure time become the norm, just as the kid from Edina predicted many decades ago. Humanoid robots will be commonplace, and their numbers will be legions. The convergence of AI, quantum computing, and robotics will rule the day. Gargantuan data centers, powered by smallish yet efficient and clean nuclear power stations, will dot the landscape. Every home will be "smart", and self-driving cars will be as common as cars which need to be driven by humans. 

One more thing which Julia said in her last podcast. This election we are having in November, might be the last election which looks anything like previous elections. AGI will be so invasive by that the time the next election comes about, who knows what the landscape will look like. BTW - anybody hear one peep about the coming and changes AGI will bring during the last debate. No? Me neither. 

The changes coming are going to hit many of us like a truck going 100mph. Can't stop this change; can't hide from it either. All we can do is get smart on what is coming. Prepare for it. Accept it. Will this be Frankenstein's monster? Maybe. Or it could take us to a brave new world.  

 

Does he have the stones?

"The question then remains - does Putin have the stones to bump this war up a notch? Many in the world, including myself, are very nervous on how this could turn out. One wrong move, one misstep, could put us in a boxed canyon with no escape."  

Just when you think things could not get any more tense on our world, Ukraine has become the mouse that roared. Ukraine went from being an argi-business country, whose location just happened to be tucked in by the belly of Mother Russia. And then when big, tough Russia decided to attack this bunch of farmers and accountants, Russia soon figured out they did not have a mouse - they had a tiger by the tail. And now after almost three years of fighting a war of attrition, Ukraine has done the unthinkable. They have attacked Russia - and taken territory.

Truthfully, if not for the help of NATO supplying much needed weapons, this war would have been over a long time ago, with the Russian flag flying over Kyiv. Many times, over the past 2 1/2 years, Putin has threatened the west with death and destruction should these weapon deliveries continue. Even though Joe Biden had to stiffen his spine more than once, they did continue. But now we are at a different fork in the road. Where longer range Storm Chaser and ATACMS missiles might tip the battle over to Ukraine. And Putin does not like that - not a bit.

With these two game changing missiles going to Ukraine, there are two types of thinking right now. First way of thinking is this - Putin has shown his best stuff, and it is not good enough. Allowing Ukraine to hit deep inside of Russia, especially their military bases, could bring this dreadful war to a conclusion sooner rather than later. 

The second way of thinking is much grimmer. Like it or not, Russia still has more nukes than any other country. Poking this bear once too often might lead Putin to do something very foolish - declare war on NATO. Putin could unleash a barrage of conventional missiles towards many soft targets all over Europe. Or (God forbid), he could unleash a nuke or two.

The question remains on the table - does Putin have the stones to take on NATO after this slugfest with Ukraine? If he does, it will be the start of World War III. It will be the start of a war which could change everything for everyone for evermore. 

But if Putin puts up with Storm Chaser and ATACMS missile destroying parts of Russia, it will probably be the end of Putin. Because this war has not gone well for Russia, Putin is living on borrowed time. To have this bunch of farmers and accountants best the mighty Russian war machine - would probably spell the end of the story for Putin.

The question then remains - does Putin have the stones to bump this war up a notch? Many in the world, including myself, are very nervous on how this could turn out. One wrong move, one misstep, could put us in a boxed canyon with no escape.  

Four more years with sautéed cat on the side, please...

"No, this is not a joke. Maybe eating a cat is a joke. The rest is as serious as a heart attack. Or, one of Taylor Swift's love affairs gone bad. Beam me up Scottie - I have seen it all."  

Wahoo! I heard the big news as it broke! Taylor Swift, the woman phenom singer and socialite, decided right after the debate (better known as the 3 on 1 fight), that she was going to support (and endorse) Kamala. Shocked I was! No - not really. In fact, not only was I not shocked, I also could have given a rip. Big fluffy deal. "But Bird - she is an influencer! Now many of her Swifties are going to sign up to vote for Kamala". My reaction? As we would say in the Navy - DILLIGAF! 

Okay - here is the deal folks. If people in this country are THAT STUPID, they will vote for this fraud after suffering through almost four years of Biden, knowing that Kamala will only give us more of the same - then I quit. How this is possible, how this election could be this close, is a great mystery to me. Do you mean that some young Swifties and others with the same intellect could actually elect Kamala? You Betcha! Four more years with some sautéed cat on the side.

Come on Bird! Are you really buying into that whole cat thing? That illegals are eating stray (or family) cats in Ohio? Hey - could be true! There are people in the world who do eat cats and dogs to stay alive. Could they be here? Who knows? That to the Biden/Harris wrecking ball called border security, we have NO IDEA who is in this country. But that is okay. Since Taylor Swift said we should vote for more of the same, (as Pete the cat would say) - LET'S DO IT!

Now I will talk to those who don't give a flying flip about Swift. With Trump, besides giving us the same economy we had pre-Biden, Trump also wants to take the tax off of tips, Social Security, and overtime. WOW! What does Kamala want to give us? More abortion and more of the same stagflation. But wait - doesn't that suck? Yep - but don't worry about it. Taylor Swift said it will all be fine. 

Friends, we live in a world gone mad. Right now, thanks in large part to Biden and Harris, we are on the tipping point of World War III. Things cost at least 20% more than they did 3 years ago. Tim Walz's Democrats in Minnesota wants abortion legal up to full term. No, this is not a joke. Maybe eating a cat is a joke. The rest is as serious as a heart attack. Or, one of Taylor Swift's love affairs gone bad. Beam me up Scottie - I have seen it all.  

Alphabet Soup

"I have said this many times before - for us 70 plus folks, we have lived the good life in America. If kamala is elected, she can hurt us, but nothing compared to how she can hurt our kids and grandkids. We have seen the economic good times under Reagan and Trump. We have also seen the economic bad times under Carter, Obama and Biden." 

Which news show do you watch? If you are watching any one of the alphabet network news shows, it is just picking your poison. They are all the same. No, I did not watch the debate. I did not have to. I could have written the script for how it turned out weeks ago. When you have a (dare I use this term?) news organization, who when fact checked, had 89% favorable reporting on Kamala during the last year, and 91% unfavorable reporting on Trump - how would you imagine it would turn out?

This morning, Harold Ford (the Democrat), said we needed one more debate. On Fox. Why? Believe it or else, compared to the alphabets, FOX IS FAIR AND BALANCED. Ford said that having Brett Bair and Martha MacCallum as moderators would give the voters a clear picture of BOTH candidates. What we had last night was (as they say in football), a pile on. It was three against one all night long.

The question the pundits are asking this morning is "who won?" The answer to that question will mostly depend on which side of the street you live on. Me? I don't think anyone won - but I know who lost. ABC lost. Any shred of credibility which ABC had remaining is now gone. And not only ABC lost - I think this was the end for debates on any of the alphabet news shows. Last night might have been it - forever.

Actually, I felt pretty good about only popping in to watch every once in a while. But here is the problem. Kamala could have won the debate 99 to 1, and nothing would change. Her "policies", which are nothing more than Biden policies warmed over, will be in effect should she win the election. The good days of how Trump ran the country will be gone forever. Why? This is probably it for Donald Trump. If he does not make it this year, it (his political career) will be over. And the country will be over. Kamala, like Hillary, will drag us into World War III. Don't believe it? Just look around. If the man who hates war (Donald Trump) is defeated, war will be in our offing.

I have said this many times before - for us 70 plus folks, we have lived the good life in America. If Kamala is elected, she can hurt us, but nothing compared to how she can hurt our kids and grandkids. We have seen the economic good times under Reagan and Trump. We have also seen the economic bad times under Carter, Obama and Biden. 

I will agree with Harold Ford on this issue. One more debate on Fox. The voters deserve it. Trump's base does not need it, thank you. We are fine. But the squishy middle needs it. Otherwise, they will be like Swifties, and all vote for Kamala, even though she is a wrecking ball. And for ABC, let me finish this way. You can stuff it. 

♪♪ I've got you, under my skin...♪♪

"Will Kamala get under Trump's skin tonight? I hope not. I don't expect so. But - will Trump get under Kamala's skin tonight? Bet the house on that one. She will come back at Trump with lies, dam lies and statistics. No truth, just fiction." 

Tonight is the night. Probably the one and only debate between the sitting vice president and the former president. There will be no surprises coming from Donald Trump. He has been clear on the campaign trail on which direction he wants to lead the nation. Spoiler alert - it will look much like the same direction he had us on before. The one where most all of us did better. So, no surprises there. But there will be one question which will lead to maybe some real drama tonight.

And that question is -who is going to get under whose skin? Oh, the bait from Kamala will be on the water, just waiting for Donald Trump to take it. But this is a different Donald Trump than we saw in 2016 or 2020. He is much more disciplined. We saw that in the Biden debate this year where he dismantled Biden by letting Biden do all the work. Trump's supporters are relying on that same discipline tonight. Let Kamala talk. Let her word salads get her lost in box canyons.

Why will this be hard for Donald Trump? First off, Trump can't stand stupid people. Especially stupid people who are vying for the most important job in the country. Second, it is in Trump's nature to be a counter puncher. He is just the opposite of G.W. Bush. Whereas Bush would let most unkind things slide, Trump will let very little slide. Tonight, he needs to keep that side of himself locked up. Let Kamala do it to herself. 

Donald Trump has so many things to talk about which are winners tonight. I HOPE he talks about getting rid of the federal tax on Social Security. Now that - is a winner. And should be bipartisan. Just like "no tax on tips" is. That was Trump's idea - not Kamala's. Truthfully, many of the topics that Trump could bring up tonight, Kamala has no response to. That is, other than a side order of word salad. 

Will Kamala get under Trump's skin tonight? I hope not. I don't expect so. But - will Trump get under Kamala's skin tonight? Bet the house on that one. She will come back at Trump with lies, dam lies and statistics. No truth, just fiction. 

Where have all the choo-choo trains gone?

"The idea of having a Amtrac train station for trains going to Fargo is just as bad as the idea of the North Star being extended up to Duluth. The Duluth idea has gone nowhere, and it seems the Fargo idea might follow suit. What then, to do with the unused train stations? Maybe make drive through Starbucks out of them. Or something like that." 

Interesting article in the morning news. Seems the pro-train crowd wants an extension of the Amtrac line up to Fargo-Morehead. Really? Why? Ever been to Fargo in the wintertime? It is kind of like the movie. As the saying goes about North Dakota in the winter, "You are not at the North Pole, but you can see it from there". Not to besmirch the fine state of Northern Dakota. I actually kind of like it there (in the summertime). But to run ANOTHER expensive train which only a few will take - what a waste of taxpayer money.

By the way, most responsible taxpayers cringe when they drive by one of our abandoned North Star train stations. These stations were going to be statists dream. Walk to the station from your close by apartment, get on the North Star, ride to downtown in comfort, and then catch an LRT to where you work. When work is over, just do the reverse. That is the la-la land vision. The reality of course, is Democrat rule has turned Minneapolis into a lawless "no-go" zone. Thus, the North Star stations sit and gather dust. 

The dollars which went into constructing these stations are legion. Even though the North Star was a money pit, it still ran (for a while). Then the Floyd riots happened. And the pandemic. And the "defund the police" movement. All of a sudden, the adventure of going downtown became drudgery. Dangerous at times. Many folks just wanted to work from home, where it was MUCH cheaper and MUCH safer. Then - the very expensive ramps and train stations became relics from the past. Testaments to a foolish taxpayer WASTE of money.

The good people of Anoka have volunteered their unused station to be used as an Amtrac station for the long sought after train to nowhere (Fargo). If that comes to pass, after spending even more taxpayer money, it will be interesting to see how many cars will end up parking in the vacant ramp. My guess is very few. It will also be a drop off station for some of the fine folks from South Chicago who are looking for new territory. 

The idea of having a Amtrac train station for trains going to Fargo is just as bad as the idea of the North Star being extended up to Duluth. The Duluth idea has gone nowhere, and it seems the Fargo idea might follow suit. What then, to do with the unused train stations? Maybe make drive through Starbucks out of them. Or something like that. 

ps. A point of truthful disclosure. My wife and I did get tickets for the inaugural run of the North Star many years ago. That was back before I saw the light.  

Living in tubes - way up or way down

"To explore the stars, to explore the vast amount of ocean which is still unexplored - we need to live in a tube. Like, to journey to Mars, we would need to live in a tube for a very long time."

By now, most have heard of the huge cluster at the ISS. Boeing and NASA (who should know better), sent two astronauts up to the ISS for routine (and short) visit. One the way up there, some problems were noted. The capsule did make it to docking, and the astronauts made it into the ISS just fine. But the powers that be deemed the Starliner capsule "unfit" and unsafe to ferry humans back to Earth. Thus, after much consternation, the sick Starliner capsule was sent back to Earth unmanned. And the two astronauts are "stuck" in space until maybe February.

Some might read this story and think "so what". Big deal. Here is the big deal. This is NASA, for crying in the beer. NASA sent people to the Moon and back 50 years ago. Boeing has been around forever. And we don't know how to get two people back from the International Space Station? I thought today, all eyes were on how to get to Mars and back. Oh - that is right. That is Elon Musk. Elon Musk will and can do it. Elon Musk who might also have to save the day to get these two astronauts back home. By the way - February is a long way away when you are living in a tube, and only packed for a weekend visit.

Here is another "living in a tube" story which was much less publicized. The USS Florida (SSGS-728) set a record that they really did not mean to set. For a variety of reasons, this nuclear sub (which at one time was a "boomer"), set off on a routine cruise. Many times in the past, nuclear subs (which can stay underwater for just about forever), would be gone for six months at a time to undisclosed locations. Sailors knew in advance, that was part of the deal. I don't know about anyone else, but I would have a tough time living in a tube underwater for six months. Being in the submarine business was not for everyone. 

For a variety of reasons, most of which I don't know (other than the fact the Navy is spread a bit too thin right now), the USS Florida ended up being gone not for six months - rather it set a record for the longest deployment. It was gone just a shade under two years. True, it had to come up for replenishment, but the vast majority of the time it was underwater. Two years under water. Hats off to our sailors.

Exploring the oceans or traveling to the stars means living in a container which will keep people alive. I remember reading an article a while back comparing how stout a submarine is compared to how stout a space vehicle is. The premise of the article was that should a submarine suddenly find itself in space, it could survive (for a while). I know - hard to believe. 

In any event, here is the point. We can explore most places on Earth which are not covered in water. Even though most places have been explored to date, some are left unexplored. But we can explore those places without living in a tube. To explore the stars, to explore the vast amount of ocean which is still unexplored - we need to live in a tube. Like, to journey to Mars, we would need to live in a tube for a very long time.

How many people have the mental toughness to live in a tube either way up or way down? People who do, all I can say is this - hats off to you! I don't think I could. Not today, not fifty years ago. I will stay on terra firma, thank you!   

  

Optimus Prime? No - Optimus Gen 3 Humanoid

One more thing. By the time we have our next presidential election, you should be able to see humanoid robots all over the place. And no - they will not be allowed to vote. Why not? First, they are not citizens. Second, they are way too smart. They will always vote Republican! 

Elon Musk, the one of the smartest people on the planet, one of the richest, and one of the craftiest, is about to shock everyone all over again. As the clock ticks down to 2025, the long-awaited Optimus Gen 3 will be released. And if it is half as good as Elon has promised, it is going to be a whopper. Because Elon is Elon, while other humanoid robot manufacturers are trying like crazy to get the cost per unit under $80,000 (and worth every penny), Elon once again is thinking on a different dimension. He wants the cost per Optimus Gen 3 to be about $10,000 - maybe $20,000 for some deluxe features included. 

Whoa - hold on! Right now, many of the techno experts are thinking Optimus Gen 3 will be heads and shoulders over the rest of the pack. And now Elon thinks he can make these things for a fraction of what the other companies are going to sell humanoid robots for. How, how, how can he do that? Plus, Elon has recently said these things will be so smart, and able to do so much, you can ditch your cell phone. You won't need to anymore. 

BTW, the graphic I post on this article is from the movie I Robot. I decided not to post a graphic of Optimus Gen 3 until it is released. But Elon is hard over in making the release date of December 31st, 2024, at the latest. He wants 5,000 of these humanoids working at his Tesla plants in 2025. And then in 2026, he wants Optimus Gen 3 to be ready to go to market. And he expects the order will be coming in fast and furious. 

I might have mentioned this before. The human hand has 27 types of motion. Most basic robots have just a few of those, as they are so hard to replicate. Elon is saying that Optimus Gen 3 will have 22 types of motion. That is crazy good if it is true! Once again, while the rest of industry is playing checkers, Elon Musk is playing chess. Or maybe three-dimensional chess. 

One more thing. By the time we have our next presidential election, you should be able to see humanoid robots all over the place. And no - they will not be allowed to vote. Why not? First, they are not citizens. Second, they are way too smart. They will always vote Republican! 

"Lights out factories"

"Please do not take to the streets with pitchforks and torches. This era is here, and there is no going back. Get used to seeing 'lights out factories'. Soon they will have gone from a novelty to commonplace. And those who have no training for this brave new world? Good question. Time for our leadership to address this issue."      

Shh. Don't tell anybody who hates change, but some of our future is not in the future - it is here. I learned a new term (least wise, it was new to me). "Lights out factories". At first, someone might think that this is a factory who is out of business. Like, "would the last one to leave please turn out the lights". But it is not that way. A "lights out factory" is where a factory produces a quality product - using zero human beings.

Last night (after the football game), I watched a YouTube about a factory making MacBooks. It had recently been brought back from overseas, and now resides in Texas. It makes MacBooks - with the help of zero humans. The factory is 100% automated, and that way, using "clean room" manufacturing is a walk in the park. Why? Humans are dirty and can contaminate. In addition, the tolerances achieved by these AI robotics, can be as little as eight one thousandths of an inch. Okay - I am impressed!

This is using current robotics - not the humanoid robots which will be coming in 2025 and 2026. For making chips, cell phones or other sensitive electronics, which require clean room manufacturing, these human-less factories work very well, thank you. But wait - soon, other factories and warehouses (non-clean room) will jump on board. What does that mean? The age of the robot (loaded with AI) is no longer in the future. It is either right around the corner, or it is right here. 

What are the advantages of using a totally automated factory? No sick days. No vacations. No retirement. 24 x 7 workdays. Almost perfect product. What are the disadvantages? No work, and no pay for people. This is the "great turn" in our economy which has been predicted for years. What to do with people whose skill sets have been such to work in a factory type environment. Now what? Have we been educating and training these people for this coming change? Of course not.

Please do not take to the streets with pitchforks and torches. This era is here, and there is no going back. Get used to seeing "lights out factories". Soon they will have gone from a novelty to commonplace. And those who have no training for this brave new world? Good question. Time for our leadership to address this issue.      

Realizing unrealized investment gains

"I do grieve for our country, that there are enough sheeple to actually put this woman in office. The metrics are crystal clear which compares the four years of Trump to the four years of Biden. And remember - the first four years of Harris will be worse than the four years of Biden." 

Confused a bit? Title of this article a bit "off-putting"? I should be. This morning on the news, Kamala's tax plan was explained. Well, they tried to explain it. It is kind of a mishmash of tax increases as well as an out and out confiscation of wealth. Yes, even down to sunsetting the Trump tax cuts promulgated during the Trump administration. That sunsetting tax increase will raise taxes on just about everyone (don't believe for a minute this would only affect those making over $400k/year).

But here is the one which is a doozy, should a Democrat Congress put it in a bill for a President Harris to sign. Unrealized investment gains. Better known as a wealth tax. Why is this important? It signifies a huge U-turn in the way we tax. Like, income tax is no longer dependent just on income. Republicans hate it and the Marxists love it. It is only the first step in having the government come in and tell people they are making too much or they are worth too much. Confiscatory taxes could be right around the corner. 

I have said this before, but it bears repeating. I am flummoxed, confused, bewildered, or you name the term - on the way and how ANYONE with an ounce of common sense could vote for this phony. Under President Harris, our borders would remain open. Illegals, gangs, trafficking, and fentanyl would continue to flow into our country. Inflation and interest rates would remain high. Food prices would remain high. Our proxy wars would continue. In short, everything bad which happened under Biden, would only get worse under Harris. Her response to our misery? Giggle and kackle some more.

I do grieve for our country, that there are enough sheeple to actually put this woman in office. The metrics are crystal clear which compares the four years of Trump to the four years of Biden. And remember - the first four years of Harris will be worse than the four years of Biden. Then how in the world could anyone vote for Harris? If people were paying attention, Trump should be leading by 30 points. Instead, the race is razor thin. SHM...

If Harris is looking for a tagline for her economic program other than "Biden-omics", she might try "highway to Venezuela" instead. Why? That is exactly where her financial programs would take us. By the way - it was recently disclosed that the average time in business Harris' economic advisors has is 2.5 years. Really? 2.5 years? That explains quite a bit. 

  

Our half and half issue

"Our country is no longer light gray and dark gray. Different shades, but still the same color. Our country has devolved into half oil and half water. We don't mix well." 

I heard it again yesterday. By another pundit I rarely listen to. "This election is going to be razor thin. It is going to come down to the margins." Translation - this will be like the 2000 election or the 2016 election. But there will be a big difference with this very close election which is only two months away. Our country is no longer light gray and dark gray. Different shades, but still the same color. Our country has devolved into half oil and half water. We don't mix well. 

We are like half and half creamer. Or a 50-50 bar. What we are seeing right now at Columbia University (as well as others), is a growing part of the electorate who will "take it to the streets." Should Donald Trump win, I fully expect to see this same group of mutts "taking it to the streets" about the injustice of having the Orange Man winning. On the other hand, should Harris win, I can see the other half of the country simply sitting on their hands. Deciding not to contribute to socialism. 

What we saw in the one and only debate so far between Trump and Biden was a social mess. First off, neither wanted to shake hands with the other. That has always been a custom between the two parties. Next, during the debate the old lie was brought up again. "You called our soldiers losers and suckers. You are the loser and sucker." Wow, President Biden, that was not very nice. How are comments like that going to bring us together? Short answer - they won't.

During some particularly stressful and racial times in the past, Rodney King asked the famous question, "Can't we just get along?" That resonated with many folks back then. Today however, that same question would be met with a resounding - NO! There is no more "a rising tide lifts all ships" (even though it does). Now it is zero sum. You gaining one means I am losing one. Gone are the days of both of us gaining one. No, today it is someone wins and the other loses. It is a good prescription for socialism or communism, but lousy for capitalism.

Someone else asked two questions not too long ago which gave me pause to think. Question one - once this election is over, and if it is as razor thin as expected, will both sides respect it as legitimate. In other words, will the election be 100% clean? Question two - regardless of who wins, will this country be governable? Right now, we are on the verge of being ungovernable. Will the 2024 election push us over the edge?

Points to ponder. Can our great country withstand more turmoil? Or will the ancient words ring true - "we have a republic - if we can keep it."

 

"We are not going back!"

"Labor Day is over. The political season is now in full swing. Pay attention, as your BS filter could fill up real fast. Lies, dam lies and statistics will be in the air. And the gaslighting - oh my goodness, the gaslighting. And all this while, I thought the concept of Groupthink was fictional. A concept from a George Orwell novel."  

There is an old saying, that in an election year, things don't get real until Labor Day is over with. Well, yesterday was Labor Day, and now it will be politics 24 x 7 until November 5th. I have an angle on this year's race, and if I don't get censored by the FB THOUGHT POLICE again, I will share it with you.

On the news yesterday, I saw Kamala Harris revving up some union crowd on Labor Day. All of a sudden, her diction changed. Just like Barack Obama, she instantly developed a southern drawl with southern diction. Weird. Anyhow, she started to rail how bad things were during the four years Donald Trump was in office. In her new southern accent, she said, "We are not going back there!" Really? And why is that?

Is it because food was more affordable? Is it because young people could qualify for housing if they wanted to take out a mortgage? Is it because the price of energy was lower, so it was more affordable to drive a car? Is it because the crime statistics in most cities were lower? Is it because our borders were more secure? Is it because Jewish students could go to class in large universities without being harassed and spit upon? I mean, I could go on and on and on. Joe Biden and Kamala Harris created this mess, and now she is blaming it on Donald Trump. And, she has vowed to fix it, by using the same metrics which got us here in the first place.

I will say this about the Democrats - they have taken gaslighting to a new type of art form. Yes, they are VERY good at it. How much so? If normal people compared just about any statistic from the Trump years to the Biden years, the Trump years would win hands down. But the sheeple out there, who still believe the Moon is made out of green cheese, now believe the following - Orange Man bad and Kamala good.

Somebody challenged me the other day. "You can't tell me Bird, that this country has enough gullible people to be fooled by this charade." Sadly, I responded - we do. But how can that be? The facts are evidentiary. That is a cold hard fact. What is possible, is this country could actually vote for the person who broke the back of our economy. Instead of a "fix" like Donald Trump would give, they would vote for more of the same. 

Labor Day is over. The political season is now in full swing. Pay attention, as your BS filter could fill up real fast. Lies, dam lies and statistics will be in the air. And the gaslighting - oh my goodness, the gaslighting. And all this while, I thought the concept of Groupthink was fictional. A concept from a George Orwell novel.  

A holiday like no other (thankfully)

"Wait - Bird! We can't get rid of the last holiday of the summer! Are you fallen off your branch? No, we can keep this holiday. But we really should name it something else. Like, 'end of summer' day. That would have more meaning than labor."

Today is Labor Day. It is now and always has been for me - a strange holiday. Why? What are we celebrating? All labor, or just organized labor. What about the work which was performed by people who were not in a union. Does that count? It is bazaar. I understand the why and how we needed labor unions at one time in our country. But those days are past. Now most unions are municipal workers (government types) and of course, the dreaded teacher unions.

Speaking of teacher unions, I would be remiss if I did not say a word or two about this crowd. Teachers, who at one time were a valued and respected profession, have allowed themselves to be co-opted by the likes of Randi Weingarten and the American Federation of Teachers. Dare I say this? This teacher association, who are self-serving to say the least, have allowed the United States to sink deeply in the very important test scores of students. How much so? It was all over the papers last week. Half of our kids can no longer read, write, or think at the level they are supposed to be at. 

With pathetic results such as these, is this the labor we are to celebrate on Labor Day? Or is it the lawmakers who have juiced up the minimum wage for unskilled workers to much as of late, "fast" food is no longer fast - nor affordable. And what is coming just over the horizon will really be a punch in the gut for unskilled workers. Unemployment. Why? Automation due to AI and humanoid robots. Trust me - this is not pie in the sky thinking. It is just about here. By the end of the decade, "labor" who have yesterday's skills or no skills at all - will be riding the bench. 

I know, I know. The "scrapper from Scranton" will be out giving a stump speech to some union folks today. He will rail against the "man" and talk about how (in the words of Samual Gompers), union workers need "more, more and more". Meanwhile, inflation continues to go through the roof. Part of the reason is inflated pay scales for jobs which are paid way too much for the skill level. But who cares? It is Labor Day baby! So, let's celebrate!

Wait - Bird! We can't get rid of the last holiday of the summer! Are you fallen off your branch? No, we can keep this holiday. But we really should name it something else. Like, "end of summer" day. That would have more meaning than labor. Or celebrate labor for what it once was in our country. True labor unions, and not political organizations. Just a thought. And by the way - tell the kids not to forget that school starts tomorrow. Now there is a bit of reality for you. 

  

And at the end of the day...

"The impression, which is given, is Joe Biden, Kamala Harris and millions of Democrats could give a crap about the 31 dead Americans in Israel and the 13 dead service men and women who died at Abby Gate. No outrage. No mention of the names."

Held hostage for over 300 days. Illegally taken from their own land and hidden with a den of thieves and murderers. Then when the IDF was getting close to maybe freeing them from this Hamas hell, the butchers of Hamas brutally killed five Jews and one American. And who do the Democrats who are protesting in America blame? Israel. Who do many of the Israelis on the left blame? Bebe Netanyahu. But really, who is to blame? If we were truthful and not political, it would be the ones who kidnapped these people out of Israel. The ones who illegally held them captive for almost a year. And finally, the ones who brutally killed each of those six young people.

When I saw this on the news this morning, my blood ran cold. The old war hawk in me came out and wanted more than revenge - I wanted Israel to send in some F-35I jets and bomb what is left in Gaza. Bomb it to smithereens. But that of course, is not the right thing to do. More innocents would die. The irony of Hamas (as reported on the news), is one of the shot callers in Hamas is someone who was released by Israel in a previous hostage trade. That trade was 1,000 Palestinians for one Israeli. Why so lopsided? The Palestinians don't give a rip about human life, whereas the Jewish people do.

Speaking of how much human life is valued, has anyone else noticed that right after the October 7th slaughter, 31 Americans were also killed? And 10 were taken hostage. Has anyone heard one peep coming out of our government? We should be spitting tacks mad - but we are not. Oh well. Now one of the six which were recently killed by Hamas is an American. Where is the outrage at the killers? The stupid mutts who are protesting at the University of Michigan are blaming Israel for everything - including getting themselves slaughtered on October 7th. 

The impression, which is given, is Joe Biden, Kamala Harris and millions of Democrats could give a crap about the 31 dead Americans in Israel and the 13 dead service men and women who died at Abby Gate. No outrage. No mention of the names. Heck, Biden and Harris could even find it within themselves to mention the names of the dead Americans at Abby Gate on the third anniversary of their deaths. I am sorry this had to turn political, but at the end of the day, there is nothing but silence from our government.

It is a sad day when we have to commit to killing people who are so vile and evil. But there is no reforming people who have this lust for death in their DNA. Bebe Netanyahu had it right from the jump. Go into Gaza and kill (or capture) each and every one of these butchers who are soldiers for Hamas. The ones who are captured will never see the light of day again. And the ones who are killed, have purchased their fate by the coldness and blackness of their own hearts.