The rise of "Grizzly Steppe"

"Time to wake up people. This threat is real. It is not hyperbole. It is just a matter of time."

Me thinks we are watching the wrong show. We are so concerned about the Russians trying to meddle with our elections, we are not seeing what the other hand is doing. And by the way, most of the meddling has not been the Russians messing with voting machines. Rather, it was putting "fake news" on social media about certain candidates. THAT really upsets me! If anyone is to do "fake news" around here, it is CNN and MSNBC!

Did you know that in 2016, the state of Vermont was the victim of a Russian hack? On their voting machines? Nope. On their electric grid. The Russian operation was dubbed Grizzly Steppe by the Obama Administration. The purpose of the operation was to inject malware into the Burlington Electric system. The malware was designed to go out into the grid. Fortunately, the area of the infection was autonomous, and not connected to the grid. To me, this was a warning shot, heard loud and clear.

Oh, the Russians have meddled before. In December of 2015, the Russian group Sandworm injected it's malicious code BlackEnergy3 into the Ukrainian power grid. 80,000 residents lost power for six hours. So what, one might ask. Nobody died, did they? No - that is true. Nobody died. However, this was just a harbinger of what might be yet to come. 

Did you know that this past Friday, Energy Secretary Perry testified on the Hill about the prolonged cyber attacks on our grid in 2017? I was not aware of it. But it happened. Not once, but many times. Again, another warning shot.

How bad can things get with our ancient grid? In the graphic above, this picture from space shows the United States during the 2003 northeast electric grid failure. Now imagine the entire country looking like the northeast did in 2003. And not just for a few hours, try a few months - or longer. That transcends meddling. That is murder on a massive scale.

I for one am sick and tired of this crap. I really am. We knew about the vulnerabilities of our grid since the 1980's. We knew about EMP threats. We knew about the coming cyber threats. We knew how to harden our grid, how to make it smarter. Yet we have done nothing. With the massive amounts of money authorized in the Stimulus Bill  in the early years of the Obama Administration, we could have taken part of that funding and fixed our grid. Yet we did nothing. 

Messing with another county's electric grid should be considered an act of war. It should not be trivialized. People will die from exposure, hunger, dehydration and disease. Our lifestyles will go from good to barely survivable in an instant. Are we just going to sit here an wait for the next intrusion of Grizzly Steppe, BlackEnergy3, or something worse? 

Time to wake up people. This threat is real. It is not hyperbole. It is just a matter of time.   

Grabbing the bull by the horns can get you gored...

"For those of you who think it is trendy or sexy to mess with this President, listen up. He knows who is friends are, who his enemies are, and most importantly, who the patriots are. If you want to be an enemy of this Constitution, the country, and our President, you will lose. If you want to help MAGA, you will be warmly welcomed. The Deep State - get ready for the next hit. It is coming soon."

Has anyone else noticed this? Seen Andrew McCabe smile lately? Ever? He is Mr. Stone Face. I have been like that in the past. I know most of us have. Most of us have had this experience way back in our teens. We have done something wrong, our parents don't know as yet. We walked around with the chiseled look on our face. If were found out or "outed", we were toast. Welcome to the world of Andrew McCabe.

Okay - McCabe got caught. So what? Here is the "so what". If I had decided to bring classified material home from our SCIF and look at it over it during week, that is a huge no-no. If I had been caught doing it, even with 19 1/2 years of good service under my belt, that would be tough toenails. The worst that could have happened, would have been prison and a fine. The absolute best that could have happened, would have been revocation of my clearance and then discharged, with "other than honorable conditions." The Navy could have chosen a dishonorable discharge, and then it would have been good-bye pension.

Before you sob a good cry over what happened to this 21 year corrupted civil servant, consider this. He had plenty of time to turn around. But he did not. After he put his finger on the scale, he lied about it. A huge "no-no" for anyone in the Justice Department. He had plenty of time to come clean - and maybe, just maybe, just only suspended and/or busted. No - he did not. He lied. And now he has been caught in his lie - with his fingers in the cookie jar.

For those in the Deep State who might be reading this (probably zero of you), listen up. If you are fair with Donald Trump, he will be fair with you. If you try and torpedo him, stand by for general quarters. McCabe has been on Trump's radar for quite a while. Our President is not stupid - he knows the game being played. And Mr. McCabe, I am sorry. I also would be knocking my head against the wall. But you got caught brother - and there is a price to pay.

For those of you who think it is trendy or sexy to mess with this President, listen up. He knows who is friends are, who his enemies are, and most importantly, who the patriots are. If you want to be an enemy of this Constitution, the country, and our President, you will lose. If you want to help MAGA, you will be warmly welcomed. The Deep State - get ready for the next hit. It is coming soon.

A Civil War a comin' ?

"The patriots on the Right will continue to be vigilant in protecting our freedoms, liberties and Constitutional way of life. Will they fight to preserve what we have? Absolutely. Foreign or domestic, they will fight to preserve.     

Andrew McCabe just took one for the team. Team? What team? The Deep State team, of which there are still hundreds - maybe even more. And the "team" of the Deep State includes their loyal allies, the Lap Dog "media". Was I sad to see McCabe shown the door just hours before he could have collected a pension worth $1.8M? Actually, yes. Not that I condone what he did. He definitely got caught with his hand in the cookie jar, and paid the price. I was sad to see him go astray and put at risk a 21 career, and a lucrative government pension.

But this is not about McCabe. Even though he might not get a government pension, he will be picked up by Terry Mcauliffe and the Dems. He will be given a cushy job somewhere with the other apparatchiks. This is about the midterms, and the dire and evil plan of the Left. How do I know what it is? Am I clairvoyant? Not a bit. They have been very clear, crystal clear, in telegraphing their intent. One Democratic member of the House even tweeted last night the President was "next" - they were going to get rid of him and his "corrupt organization", down to the last nut and bolt. And if that comes to pass, I fear for this great nation. I fear it will put us on a path to another civil war.

Some might say we are in somewhat of a civil war right now. That our national discourse is all but dead. That the next step might be something more truculent than simple name calling. Why do I say that? To me, the nation is now split three very distinct ways . First, the "never Trumpers" who are trapped living in November, 2016, are just itching for the "blue wave" to take over the House. Why? So impeachment proceedings can begin. Impeachment? For what? Does not matter. They will try and impeach the President for having the wrong color tie on. 

As much as the "never Trumpers" hate the President, that is how much his base still love him. He has done astonishing things for the country in the very short time he has been in office. For many in his base, he has exceeded expectations. I know he has for me. He has shown he is not a RINO, not an impostor, not a squish. His base will not take kindly to anyone trying to end this Presidency for no reason other than blind hatred. Trust me - that is a fact.

The third group as always, are the ones in the middle. It is these folks we are trusting to save the day. To keep the other two sides at bay. They need to inform the new Speaker of the House one of two things: First, if it is Speaker Ryan again, tell him to keep up the good work. Very positive things happened in 2017 and hopefully will again in 2018.

However, if it is Speaker Pelosi, don't you dare try and impeach this President unless you have rock solid proof of high crimes and misdemeanors. And don't you dare try and un-do what was done in 2017 and 2018.

I fear for our country right now. Donald Trump could perform a miracle more impressive than what St. Patrick did in Ireland. The Left would still hate him. They will not be satisfied until he is driven out of office, his name sullied, and then by some magic and unconstitutional trickery, Hillary Clinton installed as our first woman President.

The patriots on the Right will continue to be vigilant in protecting our freedoms, liberties and Constitutional way of life. They will protect our country. Am I that sure they will fight to preserve what we have? Absolutely. Foreign or domestic, they will fight to preserve. Oaths are never forgotten.    

They stood in the gap...

"I looked for someone who might rebuild the wall of righteousness that guards the land. I searched for someone to stand in the gap in the wall..."

Ezekiel 22:30

As time goes on, I realize one thing about our nation's recent history. Not enough has been written nor taught about the Cold War. "The Cold War?", some might ask. "That was a big nothing burger!" True - if you compare it with the dangers and tactical strategies used in a hot war. But the our Cold War was long, hard, and expensive.

How long? Some say it started the day World War II ended. Some say it started before then, as Stalin and Truman were growing apart as allies. As we all know, the Cold War ended when the Berlin Wall came down in November of 1989. Thus, we can safely say the Cold War lasted over 40 years. 

How serious did the Soviets take the Cold War? When it started, some in the Kremlin referred to this newly started Cold War as World War III. And it could have turned into World War III in a New York Minute. Not too many years ago, I was asked what it was like to serve during the Cold War. My response was simple - it was a non-stop game of cat and mouse. Sometimes boring, other times anything but.

The Cold War was also complex. The main foe of NATO was the Soviet Union. Big, tough and formidable. However, there were also the ChiComs and the Cubans to deal with. Speaking of the Cubans, as we all know from our history, that was probably the closest the world came to seeing the Cold War turn hot, and hot in a hurry. Was that the only time? Heavens, no. Often, we never about the "other times". That is, unless you had a high level security clearance.

I was a crypto guy during the Cold War. Many people might think that was a pretty cushy assignment. It could be, or it could be very dangerous. For example, in January of 1968, one year before I entered the Navy, the USS Pueblo (AGER-2) was illegally taken by the North Koreans. Most of the crew on the Pueblo did a job similar to what I did when I first entered the Navy. The crew was held as prisoners of war until the end of December of that same year. During that time, members of the crew were abused and tortured. The USS Pueblo remains a commissioned ship in the United States Navy, and is being held (illegally) by the North Koreans to this date.

The following year in April of 1969, just days before I reported to boot camp in San Diego, a plane full of Navy crypto specialists was shot down by a North Korean MIG not that far off the coast of Korea (in international waters). Thirty sailors and one Marine on board that plane were killed. It was the largest loss of life during the Cold War. Why we did not go to war with North Korea over that incident, just a year after the Pueblo incident, still baffles me.

One more thing I should mention. The high death toll in the North Korean shoot down was eclipsed by the USS Liberty incident during the Six Day War in June of 1967. Again, this ship was full of crypto specialists. For some reason yet unknown, the ship was torpedoed by the Israelis. To this date, either nobody knows or nobody is telling. The Israelis said it was accidental. Others say not. At the end of the day however, 34 sailors lay dead and over 170 wounded. Because this happened with an ally, it was not considered a Cold War incident. 

Some think we might be entering another Cold War. I sure hope not. Cold wars may be better than hot wars, but they are expensive and put the world on the edge of nuclear holocaust. In other words, "been there, done that", and sure don't need to do it again. But to those who "stood in the gap" during that 40 +year Cold War, thank you. Thank you for what you did to keep this Cold War, cold. 

A slope so very slippery

"Many of us believe in 'shall not be infringed' as much as we believe in America. Why? For without that phrase, we might not have an America much longer. Our Founders understood that. Why can't we?" 

Yesterday a bunch of young kids, co-opted by the Loony Left, left class to demonstrate against - law abiding gun owners. Wait Bird! That is not true! They were demonstrating against the NRA! No, what I said is true. Since the NRA is an organization made up of law abiding gun owners (some members don't even own a gun - they just believe in the Second Amendment), that is who these poor, uninformed kids were protesting against.

Supporters of the Second Amendment have talked until blue in the face on why the Second should not be messed with. My belief is this - one of the reasons the Founders put the phrase "shall not be infringed" in the Second Amendment was they were afraid of the slippery slope. And so am I. How would the slippery slope work? Here is how.

The gun grabbers talk Congress into making a small change in our already voluminous gun laws. Initiate a more universal back ground check (even though right now they are extensive). That passes, and six months later there is another school shooting. The gun grabbers are back at it, demanding that Congress pass an "assault weapons ban". Since there are no assault weapons which are legal right now, they will demand certain semi-automatic weapons be banned, and the size of magazines be regulated. A cowed Congress agrees, and another new law is passed.

Three months pass, and yet another school shooting happens. With one of the banned guns using a number of magazines larger than what is now legal. How can that be? Those guns and magazines are illegal. Anyhow, the gun grabbers are back, clamoring to Congress to DO SOMETHING! We are a civilized country with police and a military, so there is no need for any person to own a gun! Hunting? That is so yesterday. If you are hungry, just go to Cub Foods and buy some meat.

Congress agrees. It is time to end this ancient right. The process begins to amend our Constitution. After a couple years, the amendment process is complete, and the Second Amendment is gone. All guns in the United States are now illegal, except for law enforcement and the military. The ink is barely dry on our newest amendment, when in California, there is another huge school shooting. This one is the worst ever, carried out by MS-13 (who live safely in a sanctuary state). The weapons used are banned AR-15's with bump stocks, purchased in Mexico, and smuggled over the border. 

What else would be going on besides school shootings? Crime is running rampant all over the country. It is open season on victims. Home invasions, burglaries, robbery's, assaults, rapes, murders - all on the rise. Why? The cops are told by the mayors in large, blue, sanctuary cities to tread lightly. They don't want to be accused of profiling or anything like that. 

This is a future for America I never want to see. Nor do millions of other law abiding, gun owning citizens. Many of us believe in "shall not be infringed" as much as we believe in America. Why? For without that phrase, we might not have an America much longer. Our Founders understood that. Why can't we? 

The road backwards...

"Maybe if the 3 million Republican voters who chose to stay home in 2012 came out and instead voted for Romney, we would not have this Russian mess right now. Just saying..."   

I remember not long after the Soviet Union fell apart, some of the hard liners had a difficult time accepting what had just happened. The United States was optimistic that a true reformer would rise from the ashes of the Soviet Union, and be an honest broker we could deal with. The Communist government had left the Russian economy in tatters. The country was ripe for reform. We were willing to help. We were going to help Russia become a free trader. Heck, for a while there was even talk about this former Warsaw nation becoming a member of NATO.

Well, old habits die hard. One of the KGB hardliners, was not impressed with Brezhnev, Yeltsin, or any of the other so called Russian leaders. This former KGB officer took what happened to his beloved Soviet empire very personally. So Vladimir Putin became a chameleon. His heart was still a hard liner, but his actions were that of a reformer.

He rose to power and become the President of Russia. How good was he? He fooled everyone. He fooled President Bush (43), and fooled him good. Remember that famous saying? George Bush saying, "I have peered into his soul". And what did you see there President Bush? Because many of us right now are wondering if this man has a soul. The charade is over. The game is over. He is out to right this horrible wrong which happened to the Soviet empire in the 1980's. 

Then for the eight years we had "Pajama Boy", the Russians had Rambo. While Obama decided unilaterally to "beat our swords into plow shares", Putin thought it would be fun to develop a nuke using scramjet technology which could travel at 10 times the speed of sound. 

Putin has shown us in his Ukrainian adventure, that he is nobody to mess with. Expansionism is in his world vision. And some of the lethal crap that the Soviets developed in the 70's and 80's? Oh, he still has his hands on it. Gave it a trial run over in the UK. This nerve agent he unleashed over there, is more deadly than VX nerve gas. In fact, it is preferred by the sadists, as there is no known cure for it once exposed. Death is very slow, and very painful.

Where do we go from here? BTW - the world is a mess right now. In the 8 year coma we all went through during Obama, China became a super power, Russia is back into the "next gen" Cold War, and Iran is just itching for a fight. Did I mention North Korea? Up until the Olympics, the United States was being threatened by them on almost a daily basis.

Not a huge Romney fan, I will say this. During the debates in 2012 with Obama, he had it right. Russia is our biggest threat. And even though "Pajama Boy" made fun of him during that event, Mitt was wise beyond his years. 

Maybe if the 3 million Republican voters who chose to stay home in 2012 came out and instead voted for Romney, we would not have this Russian mess right now. Just saying...   

When CEO's work for CEO's

"Thank you Rex, for your service to this country. And thank you for the decades of leadership you gave to Exxon. You have nothing to hang your head for sir. Enjoy the rest of your life. You have certainly earned it."

I was wondering how this was going to work out. Take a guy out of one of the biggest companies in the world - actually running one of the biggest companies in the world, and put him in a government job for which he has no training or background. Then have him report to another guy, who ran his own company, and is now in a job for which he had no training or background. At the end of the day, you have a CEO working for another CEO.

The hiring (and subsequent firing) of Rex Tillerson reminded me of one of my ventures shortly I stopped working in corporate America. I have worked in lay ministries for years, but always wanted to work as a paid staff member of a church. After I left IBM and, was going to enjoy retirement, a church opportunity presented itself. I was being considered for an executive director position at a large church close to where I lived. There was only one catch. The church council wanted me to "rope in" the senior pastor. Seems he did not play well with others.

What I found out shortly after starting was simply this. As talented as the senior pastor was (gave a heck of a sermon), he was also a megalomaniac. It did not take long before the honeymoon was over, and he and I were crossing swords. Finally, it came to a head. The senior pastor went in front of the council and said "It is him or me! If it is me, the attendance in this church will suffer!" Knowing that nothing good was going to come out of this, I abruptly resigned. As much as I loved my job and wanted to make it work, I could not get control this Senior Pastor.

Why do I tell this story. About a week after I left, I had coffee with a friend who was also a executive director at a large church. He looked at me and said he would not have taken the job working with that senior pastor. It was no win situation. There was no way this power hungry pastor was going to share power with anyone.

Back to Tillerson. He is a good man with a good reputation. But the guy he was working for (our President) has hired and fired hundreds, maybe thousands of people in his career. The President, without talking to Tillerson much, expected him to always be on the same page. Tillerson, since he was not talked to, thought he had more autonomy than he had. I dare say Rex had zero for a job description. Tillerson and Trump also did not see eye-to-eye on the Iran deal, talks with the Norks, global warming, and even tariffs. Bottom line - I am amazed Rex lasted as long as he did.

My feeling about working for the President in private life or in public life is this - expect one day to get fired. Working for President Trump is not a career move, it is just an event. And the event might last for a while, or might just last a few days. 

As Rex fades off into the sunset, what do I think of him? I think he is a patriot. He tried to do a good job in a post he has zero training for. Plus, the Deep State is alive and well in the State Department. So, thank you Rex, for your service to this country. And thank you for the decades of leadership you gave to Exxon. You have nothing to hang your head for sir. Enjoy the rest of your life. You have certainly earned it.