Rebuilding the hemisphere, brick by brick

 

"If you hate Donald Trump, I am sure he has you tied up in knots by now. If you love the way Trump is rebuilding our hemisphere at the same time fixing what Biden broke in our country, this is a joyful event. It is a master class on how to govern." 

Call it what you like. The Monroe Doctrine. The "Donroe" Doctrine. Or the Trump Doctrine. Little by little, brick by brick, Donald Trump is changing the landscape - and may I add, changing it for the better. Why does this need to be done? Because after eight years of "lead from behind" Barrack Obama, and four years of "asleep at the wheel" Biden, our neighborhood became polluted. Polluted with drugs, gangs, and unwanted commie interlopers. And now the tide is turning.

Some like Rossie O'Donnel don't like it - to they left the country. They liked the USA being a doormat and an ATM bank for the world. But most of us became sick of it. Users and graft left unfettered, resulted in a failed state like Minnesota is right now. Trump did not want that for our country. He knew to have a better country, a more prosperous country, he needed to clean up the neighborhood at the same time. And he is doing that right now.

He is also ensuring that Europe is stronger so the US can step back a bit over there. So far, so good. Except for the Muslim problem which the Euro zone needs to fix, NATO is in great shape over there. We still have their backs if push comes to shove, but we can still take a step back. 

What is on the menu over here? Venezuela for starters. Maduro needs to go, and the rightful president needs to be sworn in. When Maduro goes, so goes his cartel. Speaking of cartels, the Mexican cartels are next. We need a strong, drug free, and crime free Mexico. Trump will ensure that will happen. Brick by brick, that will happen.

What about Greenland and Canada? Are they still on the menu? Absolutely. Will we make Canada our 51st state? That was a Trump joke. But we still want Greenland. Stay tuned on that one. That being said, we still need to have Canada sharpen their game. Carney may not want to admit it right now, but Canada is a mess. Just ask Alberta. A different kind of mess than Mexico, but still a mess.

If you hate Donald Trump, I am sure he has you tied up in knots by now. If you love the way Trump is rebuilding our hemisphere at the same time fixing what Biden broke in our country, this is a joyful event. It is a master class on how to govern. 

This is my Christmas present - and I know it is the present for millions of others in this great country. Trump the fixer, Trump the builder, Trump the patriot is doing his thing. And when he does his thing, our things get a whole lot better!

  

 

Behold! Our new class of battleships!

"If anybody can get this thing unstuck, it is Donald J. Trump. The thought of having two brand new battleships, afloat and ready to go before Trump's term is up - brings a smile to my face. In his first term, Trump gave us the Space Force. In this term, he is giving us the Golden Fleet of Battleships. Proud to be an American? I sure am!"

To say this old Navy guy is excited after yesterday's news would be quite the understatement! Holy cow! I have been waiting for this for a long, long time. Ever since Desert Storm. To me, our old battlewagons belong on the front lines of battle - not as museum pieces. Why is that? Dang near unsinkable. With solid steel sides ranging from 6" to 12", they were about as safe and safe can get. But now the battlewagons of yesteryear are way too dated to join the fight. Trump's solution? Bring on the Golden Age of Battleships! Brand new from the keel upward!

They will be called the Trump Class. The lead ship will be the USS Defiant (BB1). Nuclear powered, and bristling with state-of-the-art weapons which exist today, and ready for the weapons which will exist tomorrow. We have scrapped the idea of having a new Frigate class called the Constellation Class. We will keep the two that are in construction and forget the rest. Why? Cost and schedule.

The Commander-in-Chief as ready to wade into our weapon procurement snafu. No more sky-high overruns. No more schedule extensions which go out to the edge of the horizon. No more half empty shelves for munitions. Trump is calling together all our defense production gurus for a bit of a scolding. For example, this new battleship class, of which there will be two built initially, Trump wants done in 2 1/2 years with zero, zip, nada cost or schedule overruns. In other words, the entire defense industry needs a giant "do better".

However, as a former employee of the defense contracting industry, I do need to say this. Government - heal thyselves also. Part of the problem of staying on schedule and within budget is the nine zillion rules and regulations which need to be followed - many of them unnecessary. Cut the crap, cut the red tape and then the industry will have a fighting chance to clean things up. If we keep the morass of rules and regulations as is, it will be an uphill battle. 

If anybody can get this thing unstuck, it is Donald J. Trump. The thought of having two brand new battleships, afloat and ready to go before Trump's term is up - brings a smile to my face. In his first term, Trump gave us the Space Force. In this term, he is giving us the Golden Fleet of Battleships. Proud to be an American? I sure am!

     

Baddies will always be baddies...

 

"Getting the new (and rightful) government in Venezuela would be huge win for the good guys. And the baddies? Go be bad someplace else. This is our hemisphere. This is the new Monroe Doctrine."  

Ever since I was in high school, I have noticed this. Good guys seemed to flock together. And by the same token, so did bad guys (also known as baddies). It is the same today. Oil is leaving Venezuela to be part of the Russian sanctioned oil, or to go to Iran. Wait - what? Iran? I thought we took care of them. We did. With our B-2 bombers. But even though Theran has run out of water and that country is in a world of hurt, they are spending scarce resources on reconstituting their ballistic missiles.

Israel is well aware of this. As are we. In fact, Israel is so worried, Netanyahu is coming to Washington later this month to have talks will Trump. It is anticipated that the talks will be about a number of things, but what to do about Iran might be at the top of the list. In fact, after we bombed Iran's underground nuke facilities, we gave ourselves the option of bombing Iran again should they misbehave.

Any oil which comes out of Venezuela and is headed for sale to help Russia - only prolongs the war effort in Ukraine. We have already taken over two illicit vessels coming out of Venezuela (flying false flags), and on the news this morning, it was reported that we were in chase of a third ship. When we commandeer these ships, it not only hurts Putin's war effort, but also starves Maduro. 

How long can this go on before push comes to shove in the Caribbean? My sense is not too long. Either a hot war will break out with the Venezuelan Navy, or Maduro would step down. Then the rightful winner of the last election could be sworn in. That is the best possible scenario. Have a hot war would not be good, but it would not last long. We have Maduro way, way overmatched with our forces down there. The Venezuelan Navy would not stand a chance.

Once Maduro leaves, the other baddies will also be forced to leave Venezuela. This is high stakes poker, even for Trump. But this is an important gambit. It is all related - Russia, Iran and our war on drugs. Getting the new (and rightful) government in Venezuela would be huge win for the good guys. And the baddies? Go be bad someplace else. This is our hemisphere. This is the new Monroe Doctrine.  

 

 

  

The shortest day, the longest night - and Donald Trump

 

"Winter Solstice. Enjoy this break in the action. We will have Christmas, New Year's and then start the long cold month of January. But that is when things will start to heat up (politically). If you thought the White House moved at warp speed in 2025, just wait until 2026."

Around ten o'clock this morning, when many are still in church, the Earth will hit a speed bump. Winter Solstice will happen. Not with a bang, but with a whimper. Now, for the next two weeks or so, the days will stop getting shorter. Then, on January 6th, the days will slowly, very slowly, start getting longer. Slowly at first, and then faster. Soon, the first signs of spring will appear. And we will be knee deep in the second year of the second term of Donald Trump.

As many of us know, President Trump is a pragmatist. A realist. He knows the odds are stacked against him in keeping the House and/or Senate after the midterms. I am sure his Chief of Staff knows this also. That being said, Trump and team are going to fight like crazy to be an outlier to history. To be one of those rare administrations who can stay in control after midterms. And how do I think he is going to do that? Back to phenology for a minute. 

By the time we are at Summer Solstice in June, the politicking for the midterms will be in full swing. It is of the highest importance that come June, the economy will need no explanation like it needs right now. People need to feel it. In everything they do, they need to feel better off. Gas prices at their highest need to be $2.50. Why not $2.00? I heard an energy expert saying that when oil gets too cheap, some of the marginal wells stop producing. Not worth it. Less oil, the price comes back up towards $2.50/gal. My opinion? I can live well with $2.50/gal gasoline.

But here is the rat in the woodpile for Trump. Insurance. Home insurance is going through the roof (so to speak) in certain parts of the country. Better solutions are needed quickly. But the real stinker is health insurance. Trump and the Republicans had better have a fix for the failed Obamacare insurance and do it quick. Why? Even though Trump and any other Republican had NOTHING to do with Obamacare, they are stuck owning it now. If we don't come up with a better solution and do it very, very soon - Obamacare will be Trump's Waterloo.

Other than insurance, the metrics on the economy should continue to look good. Tariffs will continue to be adjusted to keep the cost of food coming down. The economy will continue to evolve as jobs come back onshore, and other jobs go away due to AI and robotics. GDP should be strong, and the stock market should continue to be in the stratosphere. But all that will be for naught if the fix for this insurance thing remains at large. 

Winter Solstice. Enjoy this break in the action. We will have Christmas, New Year's and then start the long cold month of January. But that is when things will start to heat up (politically). If you thought the White House moved at warp speed in 2025, just wait until 2026. Why? If history repeats, 2026 might be the last year where Trump can get stuff done in an unfettered manner. Sit down, hold on, and get ready for a much higher warp speed than we had this year. 

 

The still, be still, and await

 

"Time to be still. Time to wait and prepare. Time to wish everyone far and wide, the merriest of Christmases. Why? As the Christmas song goes, 'Christmas comes but once a year'." 

Ever talk to friends and marvel at how fast December goes? It is like December has jet packs on its feet, and then when January comes, it is we are reduced to slow motion. Why is that? Especially this year, when Thanksgiving was right on top of December 1st. I have some thoughts if you don't mind me sharing.

The Still - ever notice on a winter's night, when the snow is gently falling, everything is still. That is, unless there is some brutal northwest wind which is an unwelcomed visitor. But sans any wind, it is like everything has been put on pause. The air is crisp, the ground is bright white, and ambient light makes the nighttime almost as bright as day. But it is the silence that I notice the most. It is like nature itself, is reminding us to be still. Just for a while - be still.

Be Still - One of my wife's favorite Bible verses comes from Psalms 46:10 - "Be still and know that I am God". With the confluence of all the commerciality of the Christmas season, going into the depth of winter via Winter Solstice, gatherings, seasonal parties, football, hockey, etc., etc. - it is often hard to find the time just to be still. To listen for the voice of God. But this is the perfect time of year to slow down - not speed up. In the hustle and bustle of daily life, it is so very important to heed that well known verse - "Be still and know that I am God". 

Await - Many Christians celebrate a time of advent leading up to the birth of Christ. The word advent means to await and prepare. It was valid during the time of the birth of Jesus, and it is still valid today. Christians celebrate this event which changed the world. Changed everything. It is the most famous day in history when the baby Jesus was born and will remain so until Jesus returns to take his church to Heaven. 

The still, be still, and await. To me those three things sum up the majesty, the mystery, and the wonderment of this time of year. It is hard to believe that next week Christmas will be upon us. But if busyness has taken over your life, there is still time. Time to make time slow down. Time to be still. Time to wait and prepare. Time to wish everyone far and wide, the merriest of Christmases. Why? As the Christmas song goes, "Christmas comes but once a year".    

 

Fraud town, USA

 "'Staggering, industrial-scale fraud' - Assistant U.S. Attorney Joe Thompson estimates bogus claims could account for 'half or more' of the $18 billion billed through 14 Medicaid-based programs since 2018."

KSTP Channel Five

"What the Fraud?"

I kind of feel sorry for the US Attorney for Minnesota. Why? His jaw has hit the floor so many times in jaw dropping moments while discovering Minnesota Somali fraud, he might need to see a medical professional to get his jaw realigned. I remember not too long ago, President Trump saying that Minnesota fraud was much higher than $1B - it might be as high as $8M. The left leaning press excoriated him. ""No proof!", or "Typical Trump BS". Based on what Joe Thompson, our US Attorney has recently found out, Trump might have been right. In fact, maybe a touch low.

Does it give anybody solace to listen to the nightly national news and hear we are the laughingstock of the country right now? Our Twin Cities latter-day hippies with the help of NGOs like Lutheran Brotherhood and Catholic Charities have loaded up the Cedar Riverside with so many Somalis, driving through that area is like driving in a town overseas. And what are we finding out about these "newcomers"? Fraud, lots of fraud. Not all Somalis are fraudsters, but a highly disproportionate number of them are.

But don't worry - Mr. Stolen Valor Walz is all over this. As far as the fraud is concerned, he has vowed to prosecute the guilty. Does the guilty include the governor who for years looked the other way? Just asking. And Walz is mortified that some in this state are blaming the Somali community. Walz thinks we should blame the white people instead. Translation = Walz needs the Somali community to carry Minneapolis should he run again. So, there is no way on this green Earth that he will say ONE BAD WORD about any Somalin.

Many patriots have said the same thing over and over again. The thing they hate the most about Minnesota is the taxes. Now we can do one better. Not only do we pay high taxes, but a sizable portion of those taxes are stolen, and maybe sent overseas. Does that make anybody else feel like a chump? I sure do.

I want to see two things. First, lots and lots of people, Somalian or white, doing the perp walk. People need to go to jail for a long, long time. Second, I want our stolen money back. I don't care how Walz does it, but this all on him. Anybody who would vote for this ignorant carpetbagger for a third term should have his or her head examined. Getting rid of Walz is step one in getting our reputation back. We are patriots, not patsies!

ps. I also want our old flag back!

Willow, weep for me...

 

"I know, I know - this sounds like somebody took a long walk off a short pier. But next year, as quantum chips get bigger and faster, there just might be more "spooky" events happening. Will quantum computing change our world? Probably. Will it change how we view physics? It just might. We need to hold on tight and keep an open mind."   

Last year, Google introduced a 105-qubit superconducting quantum computing processor named Willow. Why bring this up a year after testing? Because something happened in testing which falls in line with what Einstein said of about quantum entanglement being "spooky science at a distance". What does that mean? Quantum computing is very new and very unexplored. It means that exploring quantum computing might be like reading the Book of Secrets, opening Pandora's Box, and falling down Alice's rabbit hole, all at the same time.

When the testing commenced in 2024, things were going along just fine. The speed of this new Willow Chip is about (paraphrase) a zillion times faster than a regular computer. As Willow was working on a problem in the lab, all of a sudden, the test stopped. Equipment problems? No - even though the processor needs to be cooled down to almost absolute zero for Willow to operate correctly. Something appeared on the display which was a jaw dropper. Designs which were not supposed to be there. Intelligently created designs, even though nobody on the team created them.

The scientists knew what kind of output which was expected. What showed up was none of them. How strange was this? It would be like going into an echo chamber and yelling "Hello!" and getting a response of "Hi" back. How could that happen? In our world - it couldn't.

It gets stranger. Willow will only work when it is just a smidge warmer than absolute zero. When this unexpected design appeared on the display, the chip warmed up all by itself. Not much, but just enough for it to be weird. Plus, Willow got just a bit brighter. Not supposed to, but it did. Things got so strange in the lab, that three senior scientists, left the testing, never to return.

We are on the cusp of finding out some of our physics which we have held to be infallible, might just need a tune-up. I have read that some of our more reputable scientists think this event might be proof of the "string theory". That we have parallel universes. And the speed of processors like Willow might be a key to unlock the door into another universe. Bottom line? That strange output might have been created by somebody in another universe. 

I know, I know - this sounds like somebody took a long walk off a short pier. But next year, as quantum chips get bigger and faster, there just might be more "spooky" events happening. Will quantum computing change our world? Probably. Will it change how we view physics? It just might. We need to hold on tight and keep an open mind, no matter how strange things might get.   

We demand that DOGE comes back!

 

"It is great having our financial bucket so full going into 2026. It is criminal to have holes in the bucket due to fraud, waste and abuse. Bringing back DOGE could be a huge help in fixing some of those holes."

Fraud, waste and abuse. Three terms I have heard mentioned ever since I started working. I remember one time many years ago, some guru I was listening to at work explaining the gravity of fraud, waste and abuse. He said it consumes as much as 20% of an organization's assets. In other words, if you wanted to give a jolt to the p/l statement of your organization, just focus on reducing fraud, waste and abuse.

Guess who the worst at detecting fraud, waste and abuse is? If you guessed the government, any level of government, you would win the prize. Minnesota is the state which is in focus right now. Why? We invited the Somalis into our state, to live with us, and now we found out they have stolen our silverware. And I mean LOTS of silverware. We are finding out this fraud, this abuse also exists in other states. Bottom line? Due to our PC culture, mostly exhibited by the latter-day hippies, we have allowed ourselves to be fleeced, and fleeced well.

We need to bring back DOGE. We need DOGE involved in every facet of government. Rumor has it that one of the main reasons Musk threw in the towel and left government is the amount of fraud that his group was uncovering. He wanted to wade into that fraud with pickaxe, and he was told to only use a small shovel. For Musk the CEO - that response was crap. Since he was not going to be allowed to fix the problem the Elon Musk way - he quit. And ever since Musk left, DOGE has fizzled out.

I think it is great that so many Americans will get some tax relief from the BBB starting next month. It is about time! I also like that tariffs have brought in so much money into our ERS (External Revenue Service). Finally, I think Trump being able to bring almost $20T in new investment into our country this year will pay huge dividends in the future. It is great having our financial bucket so full going into 2026. It is criminal to have holes in the bucket due to fraud, waste and abuse. Bringing back DOGE could be a huge help in fixing some of those holes.

Right after Trump was sworn in, the subject I heard mentioned the most was DOGE. Why? People loved it. It worked. I can still work. The Democrats hated it, but I don't give a rat's behind. The citizens and patriots loved it. Bring it back President Trump - please bring it back. We demand it. 

   

Our immigration quagmire

"In closing, here are the ingredients to this quagmire. Congress wrote our immigration laws. Homan and crew, as good LEOs, are following the law. Many of the latter-day hippies hate this law and want it ignored. Big blue city mayors and big blue state governors also want this law ignored."

What a mess. I will admit that as a citizen, I am not happy with our illegal immigration problem. And to be truthful, we have put our ICE LEOs in a real predicament. First and foremost, is ICE doing the right thing? Yes, they are following the law. But to find the illegals, with zero help from the local LEOs, blue mayors and blue governors - sometimes is a bridge too far. Right now, it is a quagmire, and every day it seems to get worse.

Some think the worst thing that Biden did to us was spending money like a drunken sailor, which led to our inflation and interest rate problems. I respectfully disagree. I think the worst thing he did was to open our borders for four long years. This allowed the cartels to stash people, drugs, gangs, trafficked youth and so forth, all over our country. And now to ask ICE, with zero help from the lefties to find, detain and deport - is hard beyond hard.

This, more than any other issue, is a problem in search of a solution. Why? It is ripping some neighborhoods apart. It is making our brave men and women of ICE and Border Patrol look like thugs instead of the honest LEOs they are. In a perfect world, we would get everybody together to agree this is a problem which needs fixing. However, when a large percentage of those on the other side of the aisle think that what Biden did was cool and just, then we are back to this standoff we find ourselves in. 

To top everything off, there are rumors flying around that Trump is not happy with the speed of the deportations. So much so, the rumors are that he might replace Noem with somebody closer in style to Tom Homan. Why? Homan is a cut and dry type of guy. If you came here legally - you stay. If you came here illegally - you go. Even if you are an Eagle Scout, if you came here the wrong way - you go.

Why is Homan so literal? He is a lifelong cop, and he follows the law. Kristi Noem also follows the law, but she does not have jet packs on her shoes like Homan does. In closing, here are the ingredients to this quagmire. Congress wrote our immigration laws. Homan and crew, as good LEOs, are following the law. Many of the latter-day hippies hate this law and want it ignored. Big blue city mayors and big blue state governors also want this law ignored. Oil and water. Night and day. This mess will be with us for years to come.  

Step one - stop electing nut balls!

Bottom line? We have a nut ball problem in this country and also this world. So long as we have nut balls electing nut balls, we will keep on keeping on. And that is not a good thing. 

It is almost as if many people inside this country as well as outside this country have a death wish for personal safety. How so? I had the chance to listen to the Prime Minister of Australia yesterday on a news presser. The subject was the massacre of Jewish people on Bondi Beach in Sydney. Who did it, and why? Again, for the umpteenth time - Muslims. Why? Who knows. They just hate Jewish people.

Anyhow, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, who has been bending over backwards for Muslims and the radicals in Gaza, refused to address the real problem behind the killing of innocent Jews in his country. Rather than say Australia has a Muslim problem, which allowed some misfits to use a gathering of Jews on Bondi Beach as target practice, Albanese said Australia just needs better gun control. Really? This guy sounds like a good candidate to be a mayor in one of our big, blue cities.

Now, I have been to Sydney. I have been to Bondi Beach. It is a beautiful venue, and good location for a celebration. To celebrate the opening of the Hanukkah season there makes sense. To turn it into a shooting gallery, where many were killed or wounded simple for the crime of living out their faith - is beyond obscene.

Then we have my favorite Euro atheist, Keir Starmer This Prime Minister of the UK said yesterday the biggest problem we have in the world right now is the far right. Uh, excuse me Mr. Prime Minister - have you seen what is happening in London as of late? With your unfettered open border policy? You have a real mess sir, and it is not due to your "far right" hatred.

Of course, in our country we have our own collection of nut balls. Newson from California. Hochul from New York. Whitmer of Michigan. Hobbs of Arizona. Kotek of Oregon. Pritzker of Illinois. And of course, our own prized nut ball - Tim Walz. None of these Democrats have the sense to come in out of the rain. Nor do they have the guts to call out evil, when evil is active in the states they govern.

Bottom line? We have a nut ball problem in this country and also this world. So long as we have nut balls electing nut balls, we will keep on keeping on. And that is not a good thing. 

       

Power from the people!

"In a perfect world, by 2030 will be leading the world in quantum computing. We will also be leading in AI data centers, as most, if not all, of the new data centers will come with a mini nuke onsite. The future AI and quantum will offer us is only there if we pave the road for their development."

Wait, Bird! You got it all wrong (again). It is supposed to be power TO the people. Yes, that is true, in another context. But for this article, I am talking about power, and lots of it. So much power, that until we fix the shortage, power will need to be taken FROM the people. What kind of power? Electric power. More than we have right now, to run our proliferation of data centers.

We have two very exciting and world changing new technologies right now. Both are in development. Artificial intelligence (AI) is the one getting the most press. The other one is quantum computing. AI will be the one which will start to sputter and lose traction the first. Why? AI will need more power than we could ever imagine. Without the necessary power to run the AI data centers, AI will be eclipsed by the developments in quantum computing.

I read an article recently penned by one of the big AI futurists. The author of this article was ringing the panic bell on this issue. Why? AI needs lots and lots of care and feeding to ensure we can keep our slim lead over China. Having a lead in quantum computing and a second-place finish in AI will not cut it. We know what the fix is - and that is power. Failure to address this issue, and to keep going developing AI at warp speed - could very well result in brown outs and black outs. AI will be taking power FROM the people.

Sorry Greta, but windmills and solar will not cut it. China is building coal plants like crazy right now. That is also not a perfect solution. Then what is? Mini nukes. How Trump always talks about this issue is when it really hits home. When the management of a huge AI data center is up and running, they will also be managing a utility. That would be having a mini nuke onsite, powering the facility. Just because we don't have that now does not mean we will not need it in the near future.

In a perfect world, by 2030 will be leading the world in quantum computing. We will also be leading in AI data centers, as most, if not all, of the new data centers will come with a mini nuke onsite. The future AI and quantum will offer us is only there if we "pave the road" for their development. And we now know that energy, especially lots of energy, is the best way to pave that road.  

 

The CDL nightmare

"How long will it be before We all feel safe on our nation's highways again? That question has an unknown answer. With an estimated 50% of all CDL licenses being issued in New York to be improper, this could take a while. Thanks a lot Biden, for another fine mess you have gotten us into!"

Sometimes I wonder if Democrat governors are trying to kill innocent Americans. Why? Because they are making some kind of statement which does not make any sense to me. To show purpose, to show that illegal immigrants who have no driving skill and little to no English skills can qualify to drive an 85,000-pound semi across country, is a showstopper. But that is what is happening.

It sure woke me up from my false sense of security. For many years now, while I am driving in proximity to a semi, I feel at ease. Why? I know the folks who have CDL licenses are the best of the best. So, no worries, mate. Boy, was I ever wrong on that one! With the number of faux CDL drivers on the road these days, our highways have turned into a kill zone.

It did not take long, nor too many fatal accidents for Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy to be all over this mess. The two biggest offenders are Hochel from New York and Newstrom from California. To make sure that these two bozos are going to follow the law in how to properly license CDL drivers, Duffy could pull to pull some of their federal funding. Meanwhile, LEOs from all over the country are looking for CDL drivers who "No speak no English".

Wait - how long has this been going on? Ever since the Biden nightmare. When the "Boy Mayor", who had zero skills for this job, was appointed to be the Transportation Secretary. Pete Buttigieg was more interested in DEI, and how a man can breast feed a baby than public safety. Pete was all show and no go. And now it is up to Duffy to clean up this mess.

How long will it be before we all feel safe on our nation's highways again? That question has an unknown answer. With an estimated 50% of all CDL licenses being issued in New York to be improper, this could take a while. Meanwhile, driving anywhere using a highway is like "let the buyer beware." Thanks a lot Biden, for another fine mess you have gotten us into!

 

Fraud? Maybe not just in Minnesota!

"Fellow Americans, fellow Minnesotans - face facts. If we don't fix this fraud, it will fix us. We need to find the guilty, prosecute them, deport them, fine them. This is so unfair to the straight shooters in our communities. Get rid of the fraudsters, and let's get back to MAGA. To this request I say please and thank you."  

Oh boy. It is not just that EVERY SINGLE NIGHT we hear about the fraudsters in Minnesota. It seems this fraud thing is all over the country. True, much of it is the Somalian communities. But we also found out from the short life span of DOGE that fraud is everywhere. Social Security, Medicaid, Medicare, you name the government program, and fraud is there.

The other evening there was a congressman from another state being interviewed about the fraud in Minnesota. His response to the first question was jaw dropping. When asked how it is possible that we could have this much undetected fraud in Minnesota, he responded by saying that with our dozens and dozens of major federal welfare programs, many overlapping others, it is easy for a fraudster to get lost in the noise. In other words, fraud is not rare - it is endemic.

This morning in the news, some local government person from Ohio said they have suspected fraud in that state's Somali population also. Her words - "What is happening in Minnesota might only be the tip of the iceberg." Seems as if we are hearing that expression quite a bit as of late, when we are discussing Somali fraud.

Now for my rant. We need to bring DOGE back. Why? It was excellent in uncovering fraud. With the size of our welfare state, if 20% of the benefits go to fraudsters, that is a huge number! We can't just turn the other way or do like that BS artist Walz does and deny it. Here is the plain truth. We are awash in frauds, and people from Somali whom we trusted, quickly figured out how to crack the safe. And now that they have been outed, we are the "racists" for calling them on this crime.

Fellow Americans, fellow Minnesotans - face facts. If we don't fix this fraud, it will fix us. We need to find the guilty, prosecute them, deport them, fine them. This is so unfair to the straight shooters in our communities. Get rid of the fraudsters, and let's get back to MAGA. To this request I say please and thank you.  

Need a job?

"I have done quite a bit of reading on this the past few months. No matter how many folks blow sunshine at you about the job market, here are the facts that I have discovered. The job market will never be the same again."

Interesting article in the news this morning. About how hard it is to find a job. It is hard for people who have college degrees. It is even harder for those who do not. This might be the start of when the job market starts to curve inward. Wait - don't we keep hearing about all the jobs that President Trump is going to bring back into the country? And he will. But - some of those factory jobs which are coming back might already be filled by machines instead of a human.

One might ask this question - the economy is good, wages are up, why is it so ding dang hard to find a good job these days? One word - uncertainty. If you are employed and bringing home a livable paycheck, count your blessings. If you are on the outside looking in - good luck. It is time to get creative. And not to sound like a Debby Downer, but next year it will be even harder. 

I have done quite a bit of reading on this the past few months. No matter how many folks blow sunshine at you about the job market, here are the facts that I have discovered. The job market will never be the same again. If you have an unskilled job, those jobs will leave first. The some of the white-collar jobs. Why will so many companies want to replace humans with AI driven machines? Cost and dependency. No sick days, no late days, no lunch breaks, no performance issues, and so forth. The do more with less crowd will be dancing in the streets.

Some futurists think we will be coming into an age of guaranteed income. Translation - getting money from the government with no work involved. Just enough money to live on. During the last election season, Andrew Yang proposed everybody getting a Universal Basic Income (UBI). Yang was suggesting $1,000/month - not enough to live on, but enough to help. Net result? Yang got laughed off the stage for this idea. But wait - maybe Yang was just a bit early. Maybe this is the path with many will walk on in the very near future. 

As the job market continues to curve inward, life with those on the outside will continue to be a struggle. It will not just happen in the USA - it will be happening all over the world. By 2040, we will be living in a world without work for the majority of people. Many jobs that the few people who will be working will have, don't even exist right now. Is it going to be strange to enter these unchartered waters? Oh yes, very strange and very scary.  

 

Staying in the fight

"Even if I chose to protest when I was younger, I couldn't. Why? I worked. Had a house to maintain. Had a family to raise. I had better angels telling me what the right path was, and that path WAS NOT fighting against our own LEOs. I understood that we are a nation of LEGAL immigration."

Yesterday, we had another large American city choose a blue mayor. Miami, in red Florida - chose a Democrat over a Trump backed Republican. During her victory speech, one of the things she announced she would do during her term was - wait for it - protect immigrants. If she meant illegal immigrants, chalk up another blue city to ignoring the laws of the US Congress. But who cares anymore? We will now have the latter-day hippies who live in Miami, fighting with ICE.

Time to take a trip in the way forward machine. It is 2028, and the next presidential election is coming up in November. Tom Homan is still the Border Czar, and deportations continue. All over America, latter-day hippies are STILL protesting ICE enforcing the law. And the mayors of large blue cities are also advising their peeps to resist. In other words, the mayors of many big blue cities, are not following the laws of the land. Is there a word for this? How about insurrection.

When you hear the description of some of the baddies that the mayors are protecting from ICE, it is jaw dropping. Why in the world would these insurrectionists protect felons? Why would they want to keep them in their communities? Is this all of a sudden one of those parallel universe things that the scientists are now telling us about? It has to be, because in our universe, THIS KIND OF CRAP DOES NOT HAPPEN!

Why do these mayors and the latter-day hippies stay in the fight? For what gain? Why protect criminals as well as criminal aliens? Do they want total anarchy? Wild, wild west type of crime? What gives? And why, oh why, does the media side with them? ALL-THE-FLIPPING-TIME? 

Even if I chose to protest when I was younger, I couldn't. Why? I worked. Had a house to maintain. Had a family to raise. I had better angels telling me what the right path was, and that path WAS NOT fighting against our own LEOs. I understood that we are a nation of LEGAL immigration. When Biden let in 20 million illegals, the latter-day hippies were nowhere to be found. But now that we have a law-and-order administration, latter-day hippies are as common as fruit flies in a pantry.

During Biden, we had the Floyd riots. Under Trump, we have the ICE riots. Bottom line? Fights, fights, all over the place. Downtown is a great place to be from - that is, far, far from. I rest my case. 

 

 

Affordability and unaffordability

"Just think for a minute with your take home pay. Where gross would only be slightly higher than net. What would happen? For many, the term unaffordability would never again be used. Our economy would take off like a rocket. But the statists in Congress who love to spend our money? Too bad, so sad. Now go suck an egg."    

Did you hear the good news? Gas is now under $3/gal nationwide. Of course, that is an average. I am still seeing some stations in our area that are as high as $3.15/gal. But then again, we are Minnesota. The outlier. Another piece of news is the Fed is having their last meeting today for 2025. Even though Trump has called them every name in the book for not acting quicker, it is only a 50/50 chance that we will get another 1/4 point of relief. Big hairy deal.

What is President correct on? First and most important, is what caused this runup on prices to start with. Joe Biden - or should I say Biden and the autopen. Whatever. The immutable fact on why prices went up an average of 20% when Biden was POTUS was nobody had a clue on how to run the economy. They did, however, know how to ruin the economy. Even with the globalist utopia of almost total offshoring, prices continued to rise. Why? The old economic truism - too much government money chasing too few goods. Throw in the fact the Fed was late to the party. Result - sky high prices coupled with sky high interest rates.

Now that Trump has been in office less than a year, some things have improved. And many have not. Is Trump not aware of the many which have not improved? Keenly aware - and he and his team are working on them. But Biden and his team have broken this finely tuned watch. Trump and his team, even though skilled at putting broken watches back together, know that some parts of the watch, more so than others, take longer to fix. Bottom line? As was said in the TV show Kung Fu, "Patience grasshopper".

Many think that tariffs are the pathogens which are causing our current "unaffordability" crisis. Wrong. Trump is an old-time economist. Pre-income tax thinking. In Trumps way of thinking, tariffs done right could replace the income tax that many of us struggle with. He has mentioned that more than once. Not just lowering the income tax - getting rid of it. I mean, it is not like income tax is tattooed on our foreheads - it has only been with us since 1913. Time for this POS to go bye-bye.

Just think for a minute with your take home pay. Where gross would only be slightly higher than net. What would happen? For many, the term unaffordability would never again be used. Our economy would take off like a rocket. But the statists in Congress who love to spend our money? Too bad, so sad. Now go suck an egg.    

  

Entitled fraud

 

"When I was a kid, my folks would always warn me about stealing from friends. Why? Besides the moral reasons, all it would take is one time that you would steal and then get caught. From then on, you would be considered to be a thief. Good lesson for the 'newcomers'. Now that they are outed, guess what? No more trust for them."

Is there such a thing as "entitled fraud"? Seems so. In Minnesota, we are seeing it play out, live and in color. This weekend, I read an article about a "newcomer" in Maine who was "allegedly" defrauding the state's Medicaid Program. His peeps wanted to put out contracts on the people who blew the whistle on this fraud. Why? Entitlement. Maybe that is in the culture of some of our "newcomers". 

We were recently at a political event. The term "fraudster" seemed to come up quite a bit. As the old saying goes, "the jig is up". How so? EVERYBODY knows about the Minnesota tax theft right now, and the good guys in white hats are about ready to pounce. AND - the feds are all over this fraud thing like white on rice. This is not going to end well for Taxing Timmy, nor many of the "newcomers".

In the DFL friendly Strib, there is an article about how much Trump is exaggerating the amount of fraud there is in Minnesota. Huh? There is an interesting slant. Why? The Federal Attorney for Minnesota knows about the current fraud, and thinks (his words), what we have only seen the "tip of the iceberg". Many others seem to agree with him.

When I was a kid, my folks would always warn me about stealing from friends. Why? Besides the moral reasons, all it would take is one time that you would steal and then get caught. From then on, you would be considered to be a thief. Good lesson for the "newcomers". Now that they are outed, guess what? No more trust for them. As the natives from old would say, "We will trust them no more - forever." 

Finally, here is a news flash. There may be some latter-day hippies who live in the center of Minneapolis who also believe that "newcomers" are entitled to fraud our tax dollars. However, the vast majority of citizens and patriots do not. We want justice, and we want true justice. Not this BS called "no cash bail". We want perp walks, jail time, and deportations. Entitled fraud? Not in our vocabulary. 

 

(Can we) get Minnesota back to normal?

"Once we turn Minnesota red, the tide will have also turned. We can save this state. Like Trump said, this was once a beautiful state, but it is now a mess. We don't have to live in a mess. We can once again live in a normal and beautiful state. It is up to us. The other guys will just make it worse." 

Can anybody ever forget the debacle we had in 2023? When the Democrats had the trifecta of power and ran hog wild. All the Republicans could do was sit on the sidelines and watch. We ended up with legalized recreational weed, a crappy new state flag, unfettered abortion, a vanishing gargantuan surplus, and a saddlebag of new taxes and regulations which will kill many small businesses (which take effect next month). This was a nightmare, and our corrupt governor was pleased as punch to sign these horrible bills into law.

Since then, our Rocks and Cows governor has run for Veep under Kamala and been the butt of thousands of jokes. As Hugh Hewett put it, "Walz is the worst person to ever run for any major office in the history of our country". But that was just window dressing. The real crime, which is still unfolding, is the rape and theft of our tax dollars by fraudsters from another country (and are living in this state). The damage done by that theft is bottom line $1B, and maybe as high (according to some experts) as $8B. Who knows about this now? Just about everybody in this country.

The question I have been asked more than once (as I am sure other normal Minnesota folks have been asked) is simply this - "WHAT IN THE SAM HILL HAS HAPPENED TO MINNESOTA? HOW COULD YOU LET THIS HAPPEN???" That is a question to which I have no answer to. It is like an insolvable equation. But we must do something. I would like to give the Captain Obvious solution by saying we need to get the adults back in charge. Elect Republicans. But the Twin Cities are so tainted with socialism, communism, progressive nonsense, and anarchy - getting Republicans elected seems to be a bridge too far at times.

My advice to the Republicans (including POTUS), is simply this. This is not going to end well for the Democrats. If we get with a bunch of slander or name calling, it will end a bit better for them. Just keep investigating, and this will take care of itself. I know, I know - the "newcomers" can generate an unkind response, just because of how they act. But we need to be the bigger people. We will find the guilty, throw them in jail. The ones who got here the wrong way, will be deported. 

Once we turn Minnesota red, the tide will have also turned. We can save this state. Like Trump said, this was once a beautiful state, but it is now a mess. We don't have to live in a mess. We can once again live in a normal and beautiful state. It is up to us. The other guys will just make it worse. 

 

Intergenerational living - coming soon?

 

"All kidding aside, until the Fed can get our interest rates down under 4%, we (as a country) are stuck. Why? Wat, way too many existing mortgages in the 2 percent range. To sell your house and lose that bargain basement interest rate and then take on a 5 or 6 percent rate on a different house is a bridge too far for many folks. Result - houses are hard to sell and even harder to buy."

The great American dream. Grow up in a loving home with mom, dad and maybe a sibling or two, go to school, and then graduate, get a job or go to college, and then - move out. Maybe if the prices are right, find a starter home in which to buy and live in. Or not.

These days, more and more economists are using a new term - housing reset. Why and what is that all about? Tried looking for houses these days? The price of a decent house is out of this world, and the financing to buy it is close behind. For many a young folk who are not making some good money, buying a house is only a broken dream. Rent, rent, rent, blah, blah, blah. Or - as weird as this sounds, move back home with mom and dad. Family in tow, move back in the home you grew up in.

The new term of intergenerational household is just that. Either moving into mom and dad's house or having mom and dad move into your house. In Japan intergenerational living is not uncommon at all. Here it is uncommon (for now) but soon may be as common as having a family dog.

I keep teasing my oldest daughter that mom and I are thinking about moving in with them. The thought of that makes her hair turn white - but when the grandies hear of it, they LOVE IT. 

All kidding aside, until the Fed can get our interest rates down under 4%, we (as a country) are stuck. Why? Wat, way too many existing mortgages in the 2 percent range. To sell your house and lose that bargain basement interest rate and then take on a 5 or 6 percent rate on a different house is a bridge too far for many folks. Result - houses are hard to sell and even harder to buy.

We live out beyond the suburbs. Nice houses, but not that fancy nice. This past year, we have had two houses sell for just over 1/2 million dollars. They are nice houses, but in no universe would I pay that kind of money for either of those houses. Then to have the interest rates what they are? Yikes! 

In our new economy, we need to figure this one out - and fast. My vote has been to develop some tiny homes for singles or seniors to live in. Affordable housing these days is an oxymoron. In other words, there is no such thing. We need to be able to build new houses in a similar neighborhood, some new, very low maintenance tiny homes for under $100k. Without that option, we will be stuck with a slow housing market and more and more intergenerational housing. Just saying...   

Time to choose Mr. Modi!

 

"I would like Trump to practice more care and feeding of India. Let Modi know just how important India is to us. Have better agreements, both in trade and defense with India. If push ever comes to shove, I want the Indians as our friends - close friends. Why? If we have to go up against China, we need a strong India standing by our side."     

Guess who is over in India right now, having a two-day cozy meeting about many important things. Vladimir Putin. He is meeting with Prime Minister Modi. Now, I like Modi - please don't get me wrong. And I understand he needs to be diplomatic, but sometimes I feel as if he is playing both sides of the street. How so? Trump wants Modi to buy less Russian oil as it funds the Ukrainian war effort for the Russians. Putin wants Modi to buy more Russian oil as it funds the Ukrainian war effort for the Russians. What will Mr. "go along, get along" do? The world leader who tells Putin he wants peace in Ukraine. He will continue to buy Russian oil to fund the Ukrainian war effort for the Russians.

It would be interesting to see should war ever come to the Indo-Pacific arena, which side India would be on. First off, India and China are still having a border fight. Not a cold war, but a hot one. Russia and China have a tight bond when it comes to mutual defense. Thus, if Russia jumped into a fight to support China, would India jump in on the side of Japan and the US? This is what I mean about playing both sides against the middle. Sometimes you just need to choose and choose wisely.

Having a rock-solid trade and defense agreement with India could be good for everybody who loves freedom. Having this squishy relationship does nobody any favors. My choice? I want India as a friend and an ally. The Indian people I have worked with and know personally, I really like. We need them as a buffer between China and the southern hemisphere. Russia has nothing to offer anybody right now. They can keep their weapons, their dirty oil, and their ill begotten territorial gains.

I have little time for Xi, and even less time for Putin. Until there are regime changes in both countries, we can just do very little with either of them. I don't want to trade with them or work with them on anything. Like I said, should there be solid regime changes in both Russia and China, I could see a reclama in our relationships. Until then - see ya later.

I would like Trump to practice more care and feeding of India. Let Modi know just how important India is to us. Have better agreements, both in trade and defense with India. If push ever comes to shove, I want the Indians as our friends - close friends. Why? If we have to go up against China, we need a strong India standing by our side.     

First strike, second strike...

 

"Any moral authority the Democrats thought they had, evaporated when we illegally became an open boarder country. Now Trump needs to clean that up. Trump needs to clean up the drug mess. And all Spartacus and the other statists can do is bitch and moan. All they can do is complain, complain, complain. No wonder they get along so well with the 'newcomers'." 

Before the term of Trump 47, drug running was a good business. The only risk was another drug runner trying to poach your business. Lots and lots of drugs coming up from Mexico and the northern coast of South America. As of late, the death toll is rising in our young people who take a drug and - whoops - they died. Why? It did not have in it what was expected. It contained fentanyl.

Donald Trump has declared war on drugs coming into this country. War on the drug runners. War on the drug cartels. And war on fentanyl, which is the deadliest drug of all. The war on drugs is going on right now. America has slowed the sea borne drug trafficking to a crawl. And as usual, anything Trump is doing right, the Democrats root for the other side. All of a sudden, the Democrats are saying the sea borne drug traffickers are similar to Boy Scouts and killing them is a "war crime". 

Here is the bottom line as I see it. Drugs are poison. Drugs are killing or impairing many of our young folks. If an American citizen is drug running, I want him (or her) caught and sent to prison for many years. If narco terrorists are running drugs in the sea, in the air, or over land - they are fair game. Why? They are shuttling poison, to be used by our people, any people, and it can kill. The word has gone out. If you are running drugs northward, we will do whatever, whenever, however - to stop you. And that incudes deadly force.

This brings me to the "second strike" canard, fueled by the Democrats. What a bunch of crap by a bunch of statists who suffer from stage four TDS. Trump, Hegseth and our troops should be cheered and not jeered. The word is out, anybody who is in a "go fast boat" with multiple motors, loaded with shrink wrapped packages - they will be a target. We don't have stupid tattooed on our forehead. We know these are drug runners, trying to get a few hundred pounds of poison up to North America.

What really interests me about this "second strike" from September is this. When Lloyd Austin blew the mission getting our people, our weapons, and the troops out of Afghanistan via Abby Gate, and 13 brave Americas died because of it - where were all those squawking Democrats? They all of them, sat on their thumbs and stayed silent. Meanwhile, Austin and his team all got away Scott free. 

Spartacus was on some left leaning news show and said about killing drug runners in boats, "This is not who we are." Really, Cory Booker? Where were you when Biden and Mayorkas let 20 million illegals into our country? That is not who we are. And yet you sat silent. Over and over, you did not say a peep. 

Any moral authority the Democrats thought they had, evaporated when we illegally became an open boarder country. Now Trump needs to clean that up. Trump needs to clean up the drug mess. And all Spartacus and the other statists can do is bitch and moan. All they can do is complain, complain, complain. No wonder they get along so well with the "newcomers". 

Crooked? Stupid? Or both?

 

"As far as Walz is concerned, I doubt if he will make it to the next election. If he does, he will be toast. I really want him to serve some time. He so deserves it for what he has done to this state." 

Donald Trump is not holding back. He has called out Ilhan Omar as being "rubbish". The fraudsters in her community also as "rubbish". "We don't want them here", he said yesterday. And more than once, he has referred to our dimwit governor as "retarded". If it was Walz's dream and desire to put Minnesota on the map, where it can be discussed every single night - mission accomplished for Tampon Timmy. Well played, you carpetbagger from Nebraska.

On the way home from a medical appointment this morning, I heard Tom Emmer refer to our governor as a "sociopathic and pathological liar". I guess that is the long and the short of it. In Timmy's words, because he grew up in a small town on the prairie, he can be a "knucklehead". For the citizens and patriots who are stuck living here, he is all that and SO MUCH MORE!

Tom Homan is bringing ICE into Minnesota, into the Somali community, and it is not going to be pretty. Secretary Noem thinks that up to half of our "newcomers" might have come here fraudulently (imagine that, with this group). If that is true and when the deportations start in earnest, the Republicans will stand up and cheer. The Democrats will weep because there goes guaranteed votes in the next election. 

What do I want? I want every single fraudster, who helped steal over $1B in our taxpayer money, to do time in Gitmo. I don't care if their skin is brown, black or lily white. I don't care if they are Christian, Muslim, Agnostic, or worship Gaia - they need to do some serious time in a place they can call home (like Gitmo). If we can lock up Chauvin on trumped up charges after the Floyd incident, we can lock up true fraudsters and toss away the key.

As far as Walz is concerned, I doubt if he will make it to the next election. If he does, he will be toast. I really want him to serve some time. He so deserves it for what he has done to this state. Somebody recently asked me if I had regrets voting for Trump. My response? He is all I that I hoped for, and so much more. He may not be a perfect man but is the perfect president for us right now. Period. Full stop.