Is the Maryland Man really the Maryland Monster?

 

"The question remains, was Garcia a man or a monster? Or was he a man who became a monster? I do know one thing - he was illegal and NEVER should have been here. But thanks to Joe Biden, he was. And thanks to Donald Trump, he was caught. Karma? Maybe. Justice? Absolutely!"

What is that old saying? Be careful what you wish for. Why? Gosh, can we use the much-cherished Mayland Man as an example? When gullible senators such as Chris Von Hollen found out he had been rounded up and sent to that awful prison in El Salvator, he pitched a fit. Even the Trump Administration admitted it was a mistake to send him there (sort of). Why a mistake? All we knew about this guy at the time was he was illegal and a probably MS-13 member. Good enough for me, but not Von Hollen.

There were protests, numerous trips by Democrats down to El Salvador to visit with Kilmar Abrego Garcia (The Maryland Man), and tons of fawning by the lapdog media. "He is just an innocent father of three boys, living in peace in Maryland. He was snatched up by those mean people in ICE and sent to a far-off land." In reality, the Maryland Man was sent home. He did not belong in the United States - he belonged in El Salvador. In CECOT. Period.

But hold the horses! It seemed that being in the public spotlight had its downside also. The more which was revealed about Garcia while living here illegally, the worse it became for him. The real Garcia was uncovered. He was a monster. Beat his wife twice. Involved in over 100 trips up and down the coast smuggling other illegals. In fact, that was his occupation - human trafficker. There were other charges by the US AG which included trafficking kids, kiddie porn, possible accessory to murder and other vile misdeeds. And just like that, the Maryland Man went from saint to sinner. He was now radioactive.

Now the bad news. He's back! He will be tried in a US court, and if convicted, he will do his time here. Then be sent back to El Salvador, never to return. But the Democrats will have this guy all lawyered up. This will cost a mint to try him here and take lots of time. All for what? A monster? But what about jurisprudence? What about it? He does not live here. Not a citizen of this country. My vote would be if convicted, have him serve his time in CECOT in El Salvador. Why should we pay to house this guy?  

Here is the irony of this entire saga so far. Garcia was lionized so Trump and his team could be vilified. Whoops - I guess that did not go well. Once the wraps were taken off this guy, he was the one vilified and Trump and team were lionized for doing darn good police work. 

The question remains, was Garcia a man or a monster? Or was he a man who became a monster? I do know one thing - he was illegal and NEVER should have been here. But thanks to Joe Biden, he was. And thanks to Donald Trump, he was caught. Karma? Maybe. Justice? Absolutely!

  

The Big, Beautiful, Beaten (down) and Battered bill

"Where do we go from here? Good question. This bill, which is being held together by spit, chewing gum and will power - might be running out of gas. Do I blame Trump for the possible failure of this bill? Not a bit. It was a grand idea. But reality has taken the wind out of the sails. What reality? Republicans. Whimpy, snotty little Republicans."   

We have seen the enemy, and it is us! Really? Come on now! We are not the enemy, that is the other guys. After all, we won the election and control all three levers of power. How in the world can you say we are the enemy? Because we don't understand power. The Democrats do. We don't. The fact we control all three levers of power does not mean a thing right now. Donald Trump's Big, Beautiful Bill is on life support. Hanging on by its fingernails.

First, a fact of life. Every Democrat is sticking together like glue. Not one, in the House nor Senate, will vote for this bill. Why? Just because. If there is one thing the Democrat are good at, is holding their noses while voting. Always voting as a monolith. Republicans? Never happen. Same is true for this bill. Every Republican wants to be like Goldilocks. Not too hot, not too cold, not too small, not too big. And then, with Trump's Big, Beautiful Bill living on the razor's edge, we now have an Et tu Brute with Elon. Is Elon a truth teller, or a traitor du jour?   

The Senate Leader has already informed everybody, that the Big Beautiful Bill, which passed the House by one stinking vote, is going to look like a much different bill once the Senate is done with it. And then what? Back to the House for reconciliation? What if the new revised Senate bill does not pass muster in the House? Are we going to be in for the biggest tax hike in recent history should this bill die in Congress? Just asking, as that is a real possibility. Trump's signature bill could turn out to be the Big, Beautiful, Beaten (down) and Battered Bill instead.

It is nice to have control of the House, Senate and White House. However, it sucks to have such thin majorities mixed in with Republican idealogues. Can Trump pull a win out of this bill? Can we get it to signature? As we have seen with brokering a peace deal in Ukraine, Trump might be losing a bit of his mojo. The warring factions in Ukraine don't care if Trump wants peace. By the same token, the recalcitrant Republicans who will vote against this bill are basically just blowing the president off. Sorry, not sorry. 

Where do we go from here? Good question. This bill, which is being held together by spit, chewing gum and will power - might be running out of gas. Do I blame Trump for the possible failure of this bill? Not a bit. It was a grand idea. But reality has taken the wind out of the sails. What reality? Republicans. Whimpy, snotty little Republicans.   

Has our national tapestry started to unravel?

"Was our nation built on immigrants? Absolutely. No argument there. But immigrants from the past wanted to become Americans. Live in America as Americans. Today, not so sure. We have many people who want to change America - not to become Americans."

In our country right now, we have some welcomed guests and a whole slew of unwelcomed interlopers. In our country right now, we have some new Americans who want to become a part of our national fabric, and some who would prefer not to be. But we are no different than Europe is right now. Many countries in Europe look or act nothing like they did a few decades ago. Why? Sticking round pegs in square holes. Trying to assimilate people who don't want to be assimilated.

Many who have come to America, as in Europe, don't give a whit about coexisting with other people. Joe Biden and company let millions of people, from all over the world, into our country without vetting them. NEWS FLASH: Many of people who arrived here during Biden's term, hate America (and Americans). Then why are they here? They are here only for the freebies. Sound cruel? Sorry. When some illegal Muslim from Egypt decided to blowtorch some elderly Jews just for the hell of it in Boulder Colorado, I would say that is a huge problem. So much for that "coexist" BS.

Some countries in Europe are ringing the five-alarm bell right now. Why? They fear they are losing their countries. To what? To uncheck immigration. Unvetted immigration. Forget assimilation. Forget peace and harmony. For many in Europe, this has become a battle to regain sovereignty.

The same is true for America. Under Biden, with the non-stop flow of border jumpers unchecked, our national tapestry started to turn into total tribalism. Fear, distrust, hate have started to replace national brotherhood. And to make matters worse, we have people on one side of the aisle who are just fine with what is happening (Democrats). They have fought tooth and nail to keep our once national tapestry - frayed and fraying.

I have said for a long time now that what has happened to Minnesota can happen to the rest of the country. We have areas of downtown Minneapolis which no longer resemble America. In these areas, there is no assimilation. No coexisting. Minneapolis looks nothing like it did when I was a kid. 

Was our nation built on immigrants? Absolutely. No argument there. But immigrants from the past wanted to become Americans. Live in America as Americans. Today, not so sure. We have many people who want to change America - not to become Americans. We also have some who came here illegally who want to do harm to America. Do harm to Americans. This is what no vetting, no screening, no knowledge has given us. 

To save America, to keep our national tapestry intact, we need to let DHS keep doing the "who is who" drill. For those who immigrated here legally (and vetted) - welcome to America. For those who came here ILLEGALLY, your time is up. For those illegals who want to do harm to ANY American, regardless of race, creed or color - we will find you and export you someplace out of this great country.  

  

Audaciously, searching for peace

"What about the UN? Were they not formed to keep these wars from happening? Don't make me laugh. All they are concerned about these days is climate this or that. War and peace? Sorry - no longer in their job description."   

Don't look now, but the beatitudes are taking a beating. Specifically, "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God." The only Bible verse that Vladimir Putin seems to practice these days, is being the Red Horseman from Revelation. Yes, Putin envisions himself as the horseman sitting upon the Red Horse, with a sword with which to slaughter. Donald Trump, on the other hand, has searched high and low for at least a ceasefire. But the animus, the history, between Ukraine and Russia are such that any type of peace is not in the offing.

The war in Gaza? Any better? Nope. Again, Trump has tried to broker a peace deal. No can do. Israel is split in half over this issue. Half the country wants the IDF to go into Gaza with guns blazing. The other half wants the IDF to withdraw so the remaining live and dead hostages can be returned. If not for the hostages that Hamas has illegally kept, Gaza would be a smoldering hole in the ground right now. But the Jewish people, like the American people, value life. The mutts from Hamas? They don't give a whit about human life. Theirs, Israelis or ours.

Our newly minted Secretary of Defense was just in the western Pacific meeting with some of our allies. He let the cat out of the bag. How so? He said to forget 2027 as the year that China could attack Taiwan - instead, it could come at any day now. Holy smokes! If that is true, are we on the verge of a third war right now? Only this one could or would involve us. Then what? It means our trade war with China would be superseded by a shooting war. And it would be ugly and bloody.

Where are the peacemakers in the world right now? The rare souls who audaciously search for peace instead of war. Or are things happening now as they have been predicted in the Bible? Are things all set, and we can't change them? Should we get involved in a war in the Pacific, this time around the oceans will not protect us. The war could come home to be an unwanted visitor for us. Both China and the US would lose ships, planes and people. Heartache and sorrow would be our bedfellows.

What about the UN? Were they not formed to keep these wars from happening? Don't make me laugh. All they are concerned about these days is climate this or that. War and peace? Sorry - no longer in their job description.   

Yesterday, no more

"Can we handle all of this change without going catatonic? First off, we must accept that change is now reality. Rapid change is reality. Yesterday is no more. Living in the past will leave you in the past - not prepared to embrace the future. If you think AI is a passing fad, it is not. It is here and will help shape our future." 

For those who like to remember and reminisce about what the life was yesterday, better wake up. I recently listened to an interesting interview with the author of a book called The future is faster than you think, and it was spellbinding. The authors, Peter Diamandis and Steven Kotler know of which they write about. This new book of theirs is a wakeup call for many. Why? Yesterday is no more. Today is fleeting, and tomorrow is coming, and coming fast. This book tries to prepare us for the next ten years of rapid technological disruption.

There are many examples of what this rapid approach of the future looks like. For example, look at what happened to Russia recently. Got caught totally unprepared for what Ukraine was able to do. Ukraine launched a series of drones, loaded with AI, deep into Russia to attack some valuable military Russian assets. By the time the attack was over, Russia had lost 1/3 of their heavy bomber fleet. Why is this important? Drones had gone from glorified toys at the start of the Ukraine War just three years ago, to strategic weapons which could penetrate an impenetrable country like Russia. 

AI is developing faster than expected. Humanoid robots are developing faster than expected. The are HUGE developments in battery technology, nuclear fusion, new materials which are lighter and stronger than steel, and so forth. Why are things going so fast right now? I read an article this morning that China has a new quantum computer they claim is 1 quadrillion times faster than the world's fastest supercomputer. The secrets of the universe will soon be laid bare to researchers using the latest and greatest quantum computers loaded with AI. Knowledge built on knowledge is what is driving this incredible speed of change. 

We are on the very edge of having robots loaded with AI fighting our battles for us. Loyal Wingman pilotless planes are no longer a fantasy - they are becoming reality. Robot dogs with automatic weapons are now in use in Ukraine. Drone submarines which can cause a "hellscape" for China should they ever decide to invade Taiwan -are coming and coming soon. It is like anything which can be imagined, can happen. Can be built. What was science fiction yesterday is quickly becoming science fact today.

Can we handle all of this change without going catatonic? First off, we must accept that change is now reality. Rapid change is reality. Yesterday is no more. Living in the past will leave you in the past - not prepared to embrace the future. If you think AI is a passing fad, it is not. It is here and will help shape our future. 

 

 

What the heck is a nuclear diamond battery?

"BTW - Elon Musk is all over this technology like white on rice. He has been waiting for something much better to come along so he could dump the lithium-ion batteries he currently uses at Tesla. As with most things, if Musk gets behind this technology and starts using it in Tesla cars (and robots), nuclear diamond batteries could become much more common than uncommon."

Don't look now, but one of the biggest and most impressive inventions of our age might have recently taken place in the United Kingdom. A team from the UK Atomic Energy Authority and a group of researchers from the University of Bristol have really stumbled across something very impressive. And it might solve two problems at once. 

This is very recent and very exciting. It is a battery made completely different than any battery in the past. It is called a nuclear diamond battery and has a shelf life of (drum roll on this one) - 5,000 years. I know, I know. This sounds like a combination of science fiction and fake news. But it is for real. And how they are made is even more impressive than their shelf life.

One of the ingredients used is spent nuclear fuel. Why spend nuclear fuel? Still has a shelf life from decaying radiation. Rather than burying these fuel canisters, why not harness them? Into something safe? It is the continued radiation which gives the battery such a long shelf life. But that is not all. These batteries also contained diamonds. Not real diamonds, but diamonds which are grown in the lab. The spent nuclear fuel is put together with the lab grown diamonds, encased in a properly shielded battery, and there you have it! A new fuel source! 

This is a new technology. It only goes back to 2016 when scientists from the University of Bristol Cabot Institute for the Environment were experimenting with betavoltaic technologies (that is using the decay of nuclear waste). The very idea of having a battery with a shelf life in the thousands of years has been unheard of in the past. In fact, using a certain type of decaying nuclear material could give a battery a shelf life of 25,000 years!

BTW - Elon Musk is all over this technology like white on rice. He has been waiting for something much better to come along so he could dump the lithium-ion batteries he currently uses at Tesla. As with most things, if Musk gets behind this technology and starts using it in Tesla cars (and robots), nuclear diamond batteries could become much more common than uncommon.

What do I say? Hats off to the Brits coming up with something truly revolutionary. This battery could be an absolute game changer. But I do have questions. Are they safe? Price? How much? And disposal? Where do these batteries go when you are done with them? But those are tomorrow's questions. Today we are relishing in the wonders of this brand new (and unexpected) technology.       

Hating on Canada?

 

"Do I hate Canada, or do I love it? Maybe a bit of both. I love the natural beauty of the Canadian Rockies. I love the fierce independent nature of the folks who live in western Canada. But I hate the socialism which has gripped the eastern part of Canada. The authoritarianism. But most of all, I hate the smoke they impose upon us due to their mismanagement."

Hating on Canada? What's up Bird? I thought you said you love Canada (the western part at least). What is going on? Okay - since you asked. We go through six months of cold and gray every year. Yearning to get out in nature's finest - that would be spring and summer. Then - when it finally happens, we have air quality alerts. Why? Because the libs who run (ruin) Canada cannot control and properly manage their forests. Thus, poor forest management = forest fires = thick black smoke (and lots of it) = drifting over the US (Minnesota) and ruining another summer.

I know, I know. I am ready for a return volley from some ticked off Canadian. "Don't you dare lecture us on fire management! Just look at what happened to your city of LA just a few months ago!" True words - Los Angeles did almost totally burn down due to OUR lousy forest management. But - please keep this in mind. LA is run (ruined) by liberals. Has been for years. Rather than addressing the tons and tons of "fuel" just laying around, they wait until it catches fire. Why? You tell me.

If we have to go through an entire summer again with smoke alerts, I am going to pull what little remains of my hair out of my head. It is simply not fair. Another summer ruined. For older people with breathing or heart problems, smoke alerts are beyond a nuisance - they can be life threatening. Having fouled air coming over the border is tantamount to having your fresh drinking water come down in a river from Canada, only to find out it has been spoiled with pollution.

Here is the part which really gets to me. Nary an excuse nor apology has been heard from the Canadian government every time this happens. Just "suck it up, buttercup", or "Learn to live with it." This is enough to make me feel like to have Canada become our 51st state, we might have to do it by conquest. That way, we could take over the forest management program in Canada and really manage it.

Do I hate Canada, or do I love it? Maybe a bit of both. I love the natural beauty of the Canadian Rockies. I love the fierce independent nature of the folks who live in western Canada. But I hate the socialism which has gripped the eastern part of Canada. The tyranny. The authoritarianism. But most of all, I hate the smoke they impose upon us due to their mismanagement. So, I guess I have a love/hate relationship with Canada. Sad - I would prefer only a love fest with our northern neighbor.