Clamoring for war

"Here is my advice to the homeland. The days of 'walking softly, but carry a big stick' are long over. Now our 'woke' government have made us a joke. We are a paper tiger, compared how we used to be. Our shameful retreat from Afghanistan proved that out."

It was a blessed Easter! Lots of joy and celebration! However, in the midst of all that joy celebrating our Risen Savior, something very sinister and dangerous is going on in the South China Sea. The war drums are beating. Communist China, who has zero stake in Taiwan, is getting ready to envelope and absorb this tiny island into the land mass of China. By force. If it costs millions of lives, who cares? If it destroys this vibrant economy, again, who cares. Red China is clamoring for war, and that is all we need to know.

Communist China is playing war games, right off the coast of Taiwan. They are within inches of having a seaborne embargo of the island. But don't worry, we have sent in one (1) destroyer into the fray to "show the flag". And here we have the rub.

The analogy I like to use, is the United States military is like a championship pro sports team (a few years past). Since that championship season, the United States has lost key players to free agency, and have spent little to gain back our greatness. Bottom line? Right now, our military is undermanned, outgunned, and stuck in a morass of "woke" leadership.

Red China on the other hand, has gone from a JV military to one which wants to "compete for the crown". They are big, they are outfitted, they are bad. A non-nuclear "dust-up" between China and the United States, makes me shudder. I worry that we could lose thousands of our young men and women, many of our ships, and ultimately - the war. 

Here are the facts. Ukraine has bled us dry. Biden has no clue, no clue what-so-ever, how to jump start our industrial base. I keep reading reports we have only weeks left in stock of 155 mm "arty" shells and certain types of missiles. We have promised many weapon systems to Taiwan, and delivered little so far. And yet, we have Chairman McCaul over in Taiwan right now, telling China they better "watch it", or they will have us to deal with. Our boots on the ground. Huh?

Here is my advice to the homeland. The days of "walking softly, but carry a big stick" are long over. Now our "woke" government have made us a joke. We are a paper tiger, compared how we used to be. Our shameful retreat from Afghanistan proved that out.

Time to either buff up our military, or time to stand down. Spilling our blood and treasure over lost causes is in nobody's interest. 

 

Is your church charismatic, apostolic and/or evangelistic?

"For those who have a busy Easter weekend coming up, with faith, family, and fellowship - enjoy this season! On Sunday, our most holiest of days, only one thing needs to be said. 'He is Risen! He is Risen indeed!'"   

Today is Maundy Thursday. It is the start of Holy Weekend in the Christian Church. It is when Jesus and his disciples gathered together for their last supper. Really, it was the first communion. That is where Jesus gave us the words of institution for communion, which are still used today.

Some churches worship on Maundy Thursday. Some do not. Some of the newer non-denomination churches, may worship only on Easter Sunday. Some may also have worship services on Good Friday, for a Tenebrae Service. Our church is doing something different this year. No Thursday service, but a Good Friday experience service. Holy Communion, with worship at stations of the cross. And - it will be for the entire family. Kids are encouraged to sit with mom and dad.

For years after we got married, my wife and I went to churches and were "back benchers". We attended on most Sundays, had our kids baptized as infants, and were involved in very little. Then when our kids were of high school and middle school age, they discovered a church in Ramsey which they loved to go to. My wife and I soon followed, and for the first time, we attended a church which was charismatic in nature. We loved it. It changed us. It woke up our faith.

To make a long story short, our current church is absolute perfect for us. It is charismatic. No, we don't have people wandering around speaking in tongues. But we do recognize the gifts of the Holy Spirit. After learning about the gifts of the Spirit while in the Alpha Program years ago, it is a journey we have been on, of which we will never go back. 

Our church is also apostolic. We have learned how important it is to be "Ambassadors of Christ". Paul talks about this in the New Testament. To further the faith, living a Christ-like life is of the highest importance. 

Finally, our church is evangelistic. Spread the word. Practice the Great Commission as spelled out in Matthew 28,16-20. With most outer suburbs of the Twin Cities only having 15% or so attending a church, inviting people to the church you go to is a must. With many churches shrinking in number, this trend must be reversed. Invite, invite, invite. We might not have much time.

If you attend a church which feeds your hunger and thirst for the Gospel, you are blessed! If however, you do not have a church, there are many in this area to choose from. Our current church, as well as our last church we attended, had a similar motto - "We are not a cruise ship, we are a row boat." What does that mean? A church is not a building. It is the people who attend. And in order for a church to grow, to be a healthy church, serving, as well as attending is important. 

For those who have a busy Easter weekend coming up, with faith, family, and fellowship - enjoy this season! On Sunday, our most holiest of days, only one thing needs to be said. "He is Risen! He is Risen indeed!"   

  

That visceral thing...

 

"Donald Trump thought he knew the swamp in 2016, but he only knew a part of it. Now that the swamp has been wrapped around Trump's feet for eight plus years, Donald Trump's knowledge of the swamp has gone up by an order of magnitude from what he knew before."

I had one of those moments of clarity yesterday. I was watching the news, and they showed some of the responses to the Donald Trump "legal" issue. Many on the left were very harsh. So here is my clarity: Under Joe Biden, half the country hates him and what he has done to the country. And most of the other half, tolerate him. There is a small sliver of people who love him (for reasons unknown). Under Donald Trump, half the country has a visceral hatred for him. And the other half love him, for what he did for our country.

Will we ever have a President who may divide the country politically, but not viscerally? I asked my wife this morning, and she doubted it. She thinks we are way too divided now as a country to ever even think of mending. She might be right. 

I do find it interesting that some on the hard core left have seen the red flag. The red flag with what is happening right now to Donald Trump. To many, this looks like a persecution instead of a prosecution. As such, whomever is in power, can do the same thing to the other side. That being said, Joe Biden should be wetting his pants right now. What Hunter's laptop contains is a treasure trove of goodies, for any honest prosecutor to wade through. What is good for the goose is also good for the gander. And Biden's gander is very fowl indeed! (Sorry- I could not resist that one!)

With many in the country, what has happened recently to Donald Trump, as well as what has happened during his Presidency, has lionized him. Almost martyred him. Right now, his approval numbers are more than respectable. If the loony left is torqued at those numbers, here is a news flash - you helped Donald Trump get those numbers. In other words, visceral hatred and a pluralistic system of justice, has made those numbers possible. Might even ensure that 45 will soon be 47.

As much as I like DeSantis, having Trump in 2024 would have this advantage. Donald Trump thought he knew the swamp in 2016, but he only knew a part of it. Now that the swamp has been wrapped around Trump's feet for eight plus years, Donald Trump's knowledge of the swamp has gone up by an order of magnitude from what he knew before. With a friendly Congress, Trump could cut out the cancer, and put this country back on the right track.

Dave and Gary - don't even bother to respond to this. I know your feelings. Donald Trump is not a perfect man, but he certainly is not imperfect like the President we have now. But Trump can fix this country. On that, I would bet the house.  

  

  

Our Social Security Conundrum

"Or - we can just let the system implode and let our kids and grandkids pick up the pieces. What sense does that make? As much sense as leaving them a 50 trillion dollar debt. I know - it is not 50 trillion - yet. But it will be. No matter who is President. Just saying..."    

If I had a nickel for every time in my adult life I have heard the Social Security fund was going broke, I could retire all over again. So the question begs to be asked - is the Social Security fund going broke? Our world famous Ponzi Scheme? Yes, yes, and yes all over again. Actually, I am surprised it has lasted this long. Why is it going broke? It is simply a game of numbers. Too few workers paying in for too many to receive. Plus, our seniors are living longer. Whereas making it to 65 at one time was like winning the lotto, today 65 seems like "half life" to many seniors.

If I were in charge, and not afraid of the "third rail" of Social Security, what would I do? I would sunset the current system immediately for those under 40. It is not fair to them to pay into a system which might not be there when they retire. I would replace it with a system which was realistic and self funding. One where the participant has the option of controlling his or her investment, and (here is the big one), should the participant die before retirement, that self directed fund could be kept by the heirs, and not turned back into the government.

I know, I know. When the fund was set up, it was not supposed to be counted on. If you lived long enough to collect it, great. If not, it just went back into the giant fund to help the collective. But today, things are different. We have become dependent on Social Security. Most companies are no longer paying pensions. 401K and IRA funds can either be very good or very bad. And money in savings does not pay spit in interest. But Social Security? That has been solid for many seniors. A lifeline in turbulent times.

However - if we really want to help our seniors, stop all COLAs for five years. In exchange for that, take all federal and state tax off seniors who receive Social Security benefits. Is that the best solution? Maybe - or maybe not. But at least it is something. Better than being on the train, going 100mph towards a brick wall.

How about our President? Is he all over this thing? You bet he is. In true "Corn Pop" fashion, Slo Joe is telling all who want to hear, it is THE REPUBLICANS, who are trying to steal your Social Security. Other than that, he has nothing. No game - nothing. 

Or - we can just let the system implode and let our kids and grandkids pick up the pieces. What sense does that make? As much sense as leaving them a 50 trillion dollar debt. I know - it is not 50 trillion - yet. But it will be. No matter who is President. Just saying...    

Our grossly misinformed electorate

"What did Minnesota once have, which it now does not? A majority of citizenry who are Godly. Now we have "meh" voters, who don't give a wit how far down that dark tunnel the secular socialists take us. Many just no longer care."

What is up in Minnesota? This once normal state, which has now become a cauldron of evil and debauchery? This weekend, there was a "Trans Visibility" celebration in St. Paul. It was a DFL love fest. They had trannies of all stripes and colors, drag queens, and so forth. Why was this event so important to the DFL? Great question. One drag queen (allegedly), even admitted to being a satanist. And with this Sodom and Gomorrah event happening in our state capitol, where was the Governor? The citizenry? The people of God? Or have we just ceded the capitol to the forces of darkness?

Some might think I hate trans people. I do not. I recognize them as fellow humans, and they are loved like any other person. But I will judge them when they try to corrupt children. That is wrong and evil, and deserves condemnation. Drag queens "twerking" close to children, deserves condemnation.

But enough about last weekend. It is one I am trying to forget, put it out of my mind. On Palm Sunday weekend, secular socialists had no problem putting this spectacle on at the start of Holy Week. But my concern is mostly the electorate. The people who keep electing people, who are misfit for governing. People who vote for candidates who will not only tolerate things such as "Trans Visibility", but also support it. And to do it at the start of the holiest week in the Christian calendar.  

I reported last week, the number of people who have fled Hennepin and Ramsey counties during the period of July 2021 to July 2022. It is projected that more will leave during the period of July 2022 to July 2023. But who are these people who are leaving? Those who can. "Normals", who have had it up to their chins. But the "Crazies", are just fine with the "Normals" leaving. They cannot leave fast enough. 

I still believe the number of normal thinking people in this state, far exceed the crazies. But here is the problem. Passive/aggressive behavior. Many people either get so frustrated and angry, that they don't vote. Or - others who know better, vote for the status quo in Minnesota. You know - "Prairie Populists" like Garrison Keillor. Just sit back after voting for secular socialists (once again), and listen to some Prairie Home Companion. The net result of doing this for years and years? The most extreme abortion law in the country, and "Trans Visibility" Day for starters. Trust me, there are more - a lot more.

What did Minnesota once have, which it now does not? A majority of citizenry who are Godly. Now we have "meh" voters, who don't give a wit how far down that dark tunnel the secular socialists take us. We just no longer care. We are turning our back on God, only to embrace the craziness and evil which now pervades just about everything in Minnesota.

Father God, please forgive us. And please open our eyes to this evil, before it is too late.    

 

Our AI issue at hand

"Remember - AI was only the beginning. Right now, simple AI is just about everywhere. But simple AI is not much more than a play thing. The real prize exists in the Machine Learning, or the very scary, Deep Learning. That is where Frankenstein's Monster could be created."

This past week has held an interesting issue for all who are interested in the development of AI. It kind of reminds me of when 5g first became introduced. Much worry abounded if the microwaves from 5g would do more harm than good. But - the band marches on. Many new developments were in their final stages, and having the reduced latency associated with 5g, was critical. So 5g marches on.

But AI is interesting from a different viewpoint. It is one thing to have rudimentary AI devices like Alexa and Siri. But to take the next step and dapple in the mysterious world of ML (Machine Learning)? That might be opening Pandora's Box. 

By now, many of us have heard about the first application of AI ML. It was developed by OpenAI and launched in November of last year. So far, it has been a jaw dropper. Why? It does not "parrot", rather it thinks for itself. It can construct research papers all by itself. What - what? How is that going to work with kids in college? It is for reasons such as this (as well as many dystopian other reasons), that many are saying we need to put the brakes on our development of AI ML.

But hold on for just a minute. Our military is also very interested in AI. For reasons most of which, they are not disclosing. And we do know this - the ChiComs are also going full speed ahead on AI. Especially for their military. So if we stop, and they continue - I think we all know the answer to that one.

Remember - AI was only the beginning. Right now, simple AI is just about everywhere. But simple AI is not much more than a play thing. The real prize exists in the Machine Learning, or the very scary, Deep Learning. That is where Frankenstein's Monster could be created. I mean, could any of us forget the 1983 movie Wargames? That was advanced AI which almost ended us all. 

How is this going to play out? No idea. But it will be interesting to watch. As it is, we now have to be on the lookout for Deep Fakes when we are watching the news. And Deep Fakes are only the beginning of what could go wrong. 

  

Living life in a snowbelt

"According to Axios and Minnpost, between July 2021 and July 2022, Hennepin County lost 13,000 residents, and Ramsey County lost 8,000 people. Wow!"

As most of us know by now, we got hammered last night. A Giants in the Earth type of spring blizzard. Rumor has it, we now have had enough snow to put us in third place for seasonal snow totals (since records have been kept). How bad has this winter been, besides all the snow? Tomorrow, it might hit 50 degrees. First time since last October. That is a long time to be in the freezer.

At one time, I would complain about the weather in this state. That and the taxes. But now, we can add one more thing into the mix. We have the weather, the ever growing taxes, and a socialist landscape, thanks to the last election. For many who have lived here their entire lives, they ask what happened to the Minnesota they once loved. At one time, it was only the endless winters which made living here challenging. Now the weather is only a third of the equation.

Tom Emmer, Jeff Johnson, Scott Jensen. All good people. All smart people. They are last three Republicans who ran for Governor of Minnesota. Emmer and Johnson are lawyers, and Jensen is a MD. I know Tom Emmer and Jeff Johnson personally. I was on Jeff's team twice, and we became good friends. But Minnesota decided to elect Mark Dayton and Tim Walz instead. Two flawed people, whose track record revealed those flaws in technicolor. And those technicolor flaws have dimmed the once bright lights of Minnesota.

How bad is it today in the Twin Cities? Many schools are still failure factories. Rather than fixing our education system using smarter systems, thanks to Education Minnesota and Tim Walz, we continue to throw good money after bad. Who suffers besides the taxpayers? Our kids.

According to Axios and Minnpost, between July 2021 and July 2022, Hennepin County lost 13,000 residents, and Ramsey County lost 8,000 people. Wow! Plus, people who can, have been pulling their kids out of the Minneapolis School system. Putting them in better schools, where they can succeed. Why are all these people leaving? For the same reason that New York, California and Illinois are hemorrhaging people.

What is life like living in a snowbelt? Cold, for starters. And frustrating, as this once great state is turning into a modern day Detroit. For no reason. We are a cold Omaha (no offense, Nebraska), filled with expensive trains, which few people use. The future here? Grim, at best.