No limits what-so-ever

"I wonder if Pollard had requested a sex change if he would have served less time. Or if Manning did not, if he would have served more. Just wondering."

Even I was shocked by what he did yesterday. When the news came across the wire yesterday afternoon, it really started to sink in. This man knows no limits. None. This community organizer from Chicago can smell his end coming up. End of what? End of his unbridled power. So he is now commuting prison sentences by the hundreds. And yes, even the "trans whatever" who leaked thousands of our nation's secrets to Wikileaks.

While he is at it, I am surprised he did not also pardon Bowe Bergdahl. Or Leonard Peltier. Or Mumia Abu-Jamal. Or even Charles Manson. But hey - it is only Wednesday morning. The week is still young. Knowing Obama, he will have pen in hand right up until Trump's hand in on the Bible.

But Private Manning is a horse of a different color. And I will say this as a retired military man who held a high level clearance for over two decades. The United States Code is very clear - clear as a bell, on the rights and responsibilities of having a clearance. Also the penalties should the privilege of having a clearance be abused. Everyone who has had a clearance had the opportunity to turn the clearance down. Turn it down should the responsibility of having one be too high. But once a person accepts a clearance, that person is bound by our ALL of our federal national security laws.

I find it interesting that Jonathan Pollard served 30 years before being released on parole. His sin was spying for Israel, an friend and ally of ours. Manning's sin was leaking classified information to Wikileaks. Once disclosed by Wikileaks, all that classified information became known to everyone on the planet.

Pollard gets 30 years, Manning gets 7. I wonder if Pollard had requested a sex change if he would have served less time. Or if he had been spying for someone other than Israel. Or if Manning did not want a sex change, if he would have served more time. Just wondering.

Rush was right when he said the final days of Obama would be the most dangerous. He does not need to fool anyone, anymore. Now he can be really be himself. And we are now able to see live and in color, what he is capable of. He knows no limits. None, what-so-ever. 

A letter to Chicago

"Last week the AG of the United States came to your city. To talk about the heinous effect on young lives from all this violence? Nope. To continue the eight year old war on Police." 

Oh Chicago! My heart does bleed for you! And bleeding is something you have become very used to as of late. You were my home base when I worked at IBM. I traveled to you. I walked your streets. And I never felt ill at ease. Today, there are parts of your city which look no different than a war zone. In fact, more Americans have been killed by violence in Chicago in the past few years than Iraq and Afghanistan combined.

And this past weekend. What is disgrace. 10 killed and 29 wounded on Martin Luther King weekend. This past weekend, we all of us, honored this great man. A hero to us all, he is particularly revered by the black community. And what was done to honor this great man whose life was ended by gunfire? More black on black crime in Chicago. After the unbelievable number of people killed in 2016, one would think that city leaders would have had a better solution for their citizens in 2017.

Last week the AG of the United States came to your city. To talk about the heinous effect on young lives from all this violence? Nope. To continue the eight year old war on Police. To talk about the bad "culture" in Chicago's police department. Ms. Lynch - could you imagine a tougher job in America than being a cop in this war zone called Chicago? I sure can't. I think considering the circumstances, the cops in Chicago are doing an admirable job.

But (and this is for your highly ineffective Mayor), how about taking the shackles off the police and letting them do their jobs? Rather than wetting your pants worrying about being an illegal "sanctuary" city, how about letting the cops be cops? Letting them practice "broken window policing" and "stop and frisk" in the worst parts of your city? By putting more restrictions on your police, all you do is let the thugs rule the day (or night).

Part of me is tempted to say, "Chicago, you are a deep blue city. You keep voting for these morons, so you get what you vote for." But I will not say that. I really do like Chicago - a lot. I have met some wonderful people from Chicago. Chicago you deserve better - you really do. And I hate to be the bearer of bad tidings, but our President Elect will fix things if your Mayor will not. It will be painful to have the feds come in to take over your crime problem, but you will all feel much better when it is over.

Trust me. One way or the other - better days are coming for Chicago. Until then, hunker down and bunker up. 

The mystery in our neigborhood

"I like many of us, have taken this orb for granted most of my lifetime. It is only during the Apollo days that the moon seemed to have more significance."

Okay, this one is going to be a bit different this morning. It is going to sound like a bit of politics, a bit of science, and a wee bit of science fiction. But hold in there - I think you will see my point before it is finished. And the mystery I will talk about in our neighborhood is really our celestial neighborhood. Yes, and that mystery is real close to us. I am talking about our Moon.

I, like many of us, have taken this orb for granted most of my lifetime. It is only during the Apollo days that the Moon seemed to have more significance. Then this past week there were two stories that related to our Moon. The first story was about the passing of Gene Cernan. Gene was the last of us to have walked in the Moon. The second article was about the United States maybe doing the same thing China wants to do. Return to the Moon to mine helium-3. It is thought by many scientists the Moon is rich with this rare element.

First the politics. Even though Newt Gingrich is not on Trump's staff, he does have Trump's ear on certain things. Newt has been a proponent of going back to the Moon for quite a while now. And earlier this month, President Elect Trump was heard to have said that might indeed be in the cards.

Back to helium-3 for a second. The Moon is thought to have over a million tons of this stuff. Energy engineers have estimated that once we have the correct technology, only 40 tons alone could give our country a year's worth of energy. I am sure that China has the same thought.

Now the science. Most of the planets in our solar system have moons. Some big, some small, and some strange. I have always thought the strangest moon in the solar system was Europa (a moon of Jupiter). That moon, with its promise of surface water and possible aquatic life, has fascinated astronomers for years. But our Moon is also an odd ball. Although not the largest moon in the solar system, it is huge considering the size of our planet. 

Here is where the mystery deepens. Scientists still to this date do not have a consensus on where our Moon came from. For Earth to capture such a large orb is indeed a mystery. And how far the Moon sits from the Earth is dead perfect for our seasons and tides. However, the moon rocks which came back from the Apollo visits also contain a mystery. It is said they had traces of titanium. And some showed traces of magnetism. Where did that come from? Plus (and this is huge), the core of the Moon is the biggest mystery of all.  

When the Apollo flights landed on the Moon, one of the first things done was to set up seismometers on the surface. Once operational, they detected something very interesting. When something impacts with the Moon, or if there is a "moon quake", the sound detected by the seismometers is similar to a "ringing of a bell". Whereas when a major earthquake hits the Earth, seismometers may continue to register the sound for up to 30 seconds. On the Moon, it can go on for a half hour or longer. 

Finally, a wee bit of science fiction. There is a growing number of folks who think the mystery of the Moon might be tied up in one fact - the Moon might be hollow. Now before you think I am a lunatic (a bit of Moon humor) for mentioning this, most scientists believe the Moon's core is much different than ours. Maybe not hollow, but very different. And they have no clue why. But some of the science fiction lore has the Moon being artificial - and was "put here" millions of years ago by (who knows). That is all the deeper I am going down that rabbit hole! However, if you want to read the "maybe" to the outright "wacky" on this subject, the internet is replete with tons of articles on this issue.

I will sum this up this article by saying the following - we are going back to the Moon. If not us, China. Or maybe Elon Musk or Jeff Bezos without the help of NASA. We came back from the Moon in the 1970's with far more questions than answers. It is time. No, we are long overdue to return. I just hope it can happen in my lifetime.

The new poor

"In any event, 50,000 seniors are now enrolled in the food stamp program. And that is slightly over half as many that could receive food assistance."  

I know. Compared to the rest of the world we have no poverty in this country. We simply have where some folks have more money than others. An article in yesterday's Sunday paper caught my eye. And it was not the first time I had read an article on this subject. In fact, I had read one a few months ago called The New Poor. Who was it about? Our newly retiring seniors.

Most Minnesotans did not even know this is a problem. That is, unless you are one of the lower income seniors. How bad is it? According to the Star Tribune on January 15, 2017, people 65 and older are the fastest growing segment of people who use food stamps. Wait a minute! How can that be? Did not all of these senior citizens salt enough away when they worked? What about defined pension plans? 401k plans? 403b plans? IRAs? Social Security? Cash in bank? The value of their house? 

But that is exactly what the problem is. I have been shocked to find out how many folks while working did not have the opportunity to participate in some kind of deferred savings program. Or a good pension plan. While many think they are common, they are not in certain types of work. Or if a senior did not work, but was a homemaker instead. That reduces the amount of Social Security one will receive. In any event, 50,000 seniors are now enrolled in the food stamp program. And that is slightly over half as many that could receive food assistance. So if all seniors who qualify for food stamps signed up to receive them, the number would be close to 100,000.

This is the part where I once again turn into Dr. Rain Cloud. Many economists feel (as do I) that we are on the verge of a significant to major correction in our economy. In particular the stock market. What does this mean? Many seniors who are above the poverty line could find themselves on the other side of that line after the correction. Especially if they have 401k accounts, 403b accounts or IRA accounts tied into the market. Some say this correction could even be more server than the Great Recession of 2008. 

Here is the problem. We can only ignore our problems for so long before they come back to bite us. Our national debt is not going to ebb under a Trump Presidency. If anything, it will go up just as fast as under Obama's. The student loan bubble, the pension bubble, the states which are failing bubble - there is all kind of bumps in the road coming up. Maybe I am wrong on this - I sure hope that I am.

Back to our seniors. Be kind when donating to the local food shelves. Many times food stamps do not offer enough help for folks. People use the food shelves to fill in the cracks that food stamps leave. Life may be good for many right now, but there are many who no longer work that are struggling right now. And some may live right down the street from us.   

The Nemesis?

"And as most of us know by now, Donald Trump is a counter puncher. If you are going to 'swing' at him, have your guard up, as there will be a 'flurry' coming back at you."

When I was growing up, and someone wronged me, my parents would always counsel me to be the bigger person. Let it go. Move on. When our girls were young, both my wife and I gave the same counsel to them. There are extraordinary circumstances one needs to stand firm, and maybe even retaliate. But for the most part, life becomes much easier if you learn to shrug things off. Maybe that is one of the reasons that Jesus taught us to forgive. Like seventy times seven.

Of all the people in public life I have seen in my lifetime, the person who practiced turning the other cheek the best was President Bush (43). He was simply extraordinary. By the same token, I think our President Elect might end up being the worst at "letting stuff go". And as most of us know by now, Donald Trump is a counter puncher. If you are going to "swing" at him, have your guard up, as there will be a "flurry" coming back at you.

Recently, since the onset of "tweeting", Twitter has become Donald Trump's instrument of choice. He used it again yesterday to attempt to dress down John Lewis for accusing Trump of not being "legitimate". Trump responded by accusing John Lewis' district of being a mess. And rather than talk, Lewis should fix it. Then we were off to the races. Twitter wars resulted. Republicans and Democrats got into the fray. All in all, it made everyone involved look very, very small.

I have told this story before. Many decades ago, a man I worked with Montgomery Wards was named Tony. Every now and again, a customer would come in and lay into Tony because the paint the customer bought was not satisfactory. This was not Tony's fault. I asked him how and why he would take that abuse. He just smiled at me and said, "I love to kill people with kindness. The more they yell, the kinder I want to be to them." Wow! And for that reason alone, Tony was beloved by just about everyone.

My advice to our incoming President is simply this - let many things go. Take the higher road. Disable your Twitter account as it is not doing you any favors. In fact, I believe your Twitter account has become your nemesis. Donald Trump is going to be attacked by many during his four or eight years as President. That makes for a golden opportunity to be larger than life. Retaliate with success. Success with his Presidency, and success with the country doing well during his term(s). 

Be the bigger person. Forgive. Take the high road. Move on. I know that many people disliked Bush (43) for a multitude of reasons. I however, like and admired the man. He had class. If Donald Trump can learn to brush off what is expected to be constant attacks, he could end up with a very positive and very large legacy. Step one however, is unplug that damn Twitter!  

A tarnished legacy?

"This is also the week we celebrate the life of Martin Luther King. Like John Lewis, also a civil rights icon. If anything this week, in the spirit of Dr. King, Americans should come together. But no."

This coming Friday is inauguration day. It is a day every red blooded American should celebrate. It does not matter if the person being sworn in is your candidate or not. It does not matter if you are Republican, Democrat, Libertarian or Socialist. It does not matter if you are black or white, Christian or Jew, from the north or from the south. All that matters is that you want to witness what many countries on this planet do not have. And that would be a peaceful transition of power.

Unfortunately, this entire upcoming week, especially Friday, is going to be tarnished. Why? Because many on the Left are refusing to accept the outcome of the November election. The cry of "Not my President" is going up from both coasts as well as the progressive enclave of the Twin Cities. Even a pioneer in the civil rights movement, a man who wanted fair opportunity for every American, will not attend the inauguration.

Wait - there has to be some mistake! This is also the week we celebrate the life of Martin Luther King. Like John Lewis, also a civil rights icon. If anything this week, in the spirit of Dr. King, Americans should come together. But no. Mass protests are planned from every wacky leftie organization you could imagine. Even though President Elect Trump has not been sworn in as yet, has not signed anything into law as yet, has not spent one night in the White House as yet, he is being vilified. This is the reverse of Barack Obama, when he was given the Noble Peace Prize for what he might do. 

What we will be seeing this week is the ugly offspring of the sixties generation. That is when this division started. And every decade the division has become deeper and more toxic. The Left and the Right never talk to each other anymore. They talk (or mostly yell) at each other instead. As much as Obama promised to bring us all together in a "post racial America", just the opposite has happened. Things are so bad now that innocent cops are being executed on the street.

This next week would have been an excellent opportunity - no, a golden opportunity for a icon of the civil rights movement like John Lewis to step forward and be an example for all to admire and follow. For Representative Lewis to say, "I did not vote for President Elect Trump, but I look forward to seeing him sworn in on Friday. And even thought I might not support all of his positions while President, I, like every other American, will do what we can to help him succeed."

Instead he told Chuck Todd of Meet the Press, "He is not my President." He doubts the legitimacy of Trump's Presidency. He is so bitter about the election, he, along with other Democrats, are not going to attend the inauguration. This man John Lewis, for most of his life preached a fair shake for everyone, is not going to give President Elect Trump the same honor. 

There is a saying I learned when I was in the business world. I will clean it up slightly for this article. "One ah shoot, wipes out a whole lot of atta boys." Well Congressman Lewis, this is a huge "ah shoot" moment for you. Decades of atta boys will be forgotten. And if not forgotten, tarnished. I have admired you sir, for what you have done in the past. But this week, your star will dim quite a bit.  

Survival of the fittest....

"Jeff Bezos is making history as this is being written. In fact, he has been doing it for a while now."

I could hardly believe what my eyes were seeing or my ears were hearing. Nobody, and I mean nobody in the past few decades has announced they were going to add 100,000 new employees! I mean wow kabow! Yes, I am talking about Jeff Bezo's company, Amazon. And what makes this story even more amazing is this. A week ago there was an article about how Amazon has increased the robotics in their fulfillment (distribution) centers from 30,000+ in 2015 to 45,000 in 2016. And they expect that number to grow in 2017.

I have told my daughters this for years - be aware when history is being made. Jeff Bezos is making history as this is being written. In fact, he has been doing it for a while now. He is not the only one - there are others. But for this article, I will focus only on Bezos and his company, Amazon. 

My opinion about Bezos? He is a modern day Andrew Carnegie. Henry Ford. Alexander Graham Bell. Wait a minute! He is not an inventor? So what is he inventing? How we all shop, that is how. And that is only with his Amazon company. He has some other things in the cooker besides Amazon. Bezos is out to change the world, and so far he is doing a pretty darn good job. 

Last year the large shopping center by where we live closed two large brick and mortar stores. In 2017, and even larger one is scheduled to be shuttered by the end of this winter. Best Buy is opening up small "distribution" stores to help compete with this new behemoth in the industry. Meanwhile, many establishment stores are either going out of business or struggling to survive. And - Amazon is adding 100,000 jobs in the next 18 months.

One final word about these 100,000 jobs being added by Amazon. According to the press release, these jobs will all have decent wages with benefits. What? In this day of age? Yes. between President Trump running the country and the innovations of Bezos, Musk and others - we could be in for quite a ride in 2017 and beyond.

One more thing. In the near future, I will be addressing Google. There is much, much more here than the eyes have seen. Stay tuned.