Weekend forecast - Monday, a return to normal

"What is the real weather forecast? Cold and colder yet. But who cares? Having Donald Trump back in the White House will warm the cockles of many a heart. MAGA is back in town, and Dark Biden is still out there, looking for Corn Pop. Why? That is the world Biden still lives in."

Our last weekend of living under the tyranny of Slow Joe Biden. I swear, he might have to be pulled out of the White House kicking and screaming. Why? He has a case of stolen valor. Even though he sucked as a POTUS, he wants us to think he was as good or better than Donald J. Trump. In reality, he will be remembered as the placeholder between 45 and 47 - and a crappy placeholder at that!

Today, the decision was made to move Monday's ceremony indoors. Smart move. This has not been done since 1985 - when Ronald Reagan was president. That is just one of the many things these fine two men have in common. Soon, very soon, Joe Biden will only be a footnote in history. All the garb and dysfunction he created will be undone by a blizzard of Executive Orders signed by President Trump. The skies will start to get sunny almost immediately. 

America has been richly blessed to have had two presidents like Reagan and Trump. I have been equally as blessed being an adult during both of their terms. Even though different in style, their passion for America and American results are equal. Peace through strength is their anthem. A rising tide lifting all boats could be their motto. Starting Monday, Americans will be more joyful. Most of the free world will be more peaceful. The Golden Age of America will have started!

Will there be bumps in the road? Always are. But they will be managed and managed well. Will Trump get all of his cabinet picks approved? Maybe - if not all, most of them. It will be an awesome cabinet with some of America's best filling them. Unlike the circus that Biden put together, this team will be (dare I say it?) - Trump tight.

What is the real weather forecast? Cold and colder yet. But who cares? Having Donald Trump back in the White House will warm the cockles of many a heart. MAGA is back in town, and Dark Biden is still out there, looking for Corn Pop. Why? That is the world Biden still lives in. 

What is REALLY behind the Greenland issue?

"Greenland is only part of the excitement of having Donald Trump back in the White House. With the Donald, there is never a dull moment. And with the Donald, there is always a deal to be made somewhere. MAGA!"   

This came to be like a bolt out of the blue - or should I say green. What is this sudden interest in Greenland? I know there has been interest before, but nothing like today. Is it the Artic, and keeping the baddies out of there? Is it where Greenland is positioned in the Northern Atlantic and Artic Ocean? Is it just plain expansionism? But then it came to me - it might be something completely different.

When Elon Musk was on some techie show talking about his new AI supercomputer located in Memphis, the question was raised - why did you not build it in Texas, where so much of your activity is based? His answer - "To hot. It would take too much to cool it off. In fact, maybe upstate New York would have even been better place to build it." 

More and more tech companies are going to be building bigger and bigger data centers for AI. Cooling and energy are the big issues on running them once completed. Where would be a perfect place to build them if cooling is a big issue? How about northern Canada or Greenland? 

Have some place to build data centers where the newer, smaller, more efficient and cleaner nukes could be constructed without going through a bunch of legal hoops like they would in the USA. That could be one problem fixed. But the cooling would be the other. That is, unless the outside of the data center was already cool. Then cooling the data center down to optimal temperatures might be easier and cheaper. I could see our American tech giants flocking to Greenland to build future data centers. 

I might be off on this, as the main reason for getting Greenland might only be the Artic. I get it. Or it might be the strategic location of this gargantuan island. Or it might be something altogether different that our government is keeping tight lipped about.

Here is one thing which is somewhat unique about our incoming president. When he wants something, and wants it badly, he usually finds a way to get it. Sometime, read up on how he came to get a real jewel like Mar-a-Lago. It is worth a mint and Trump basically bought it for a song. It took some finesse and patience - but he got the prize he was after.

Greenland is only part of the excitement of having Donald Trump back in the White House. With the Donald, there is never a dull moment. And with the Donald, there is always a deal to be made somewhere. MAGA!   

A bad deal is no deal at all

"Remember - this war started during a cease fire. What does that tell you about the integrity of the other side? Not worth the paper it is written on. Put this deal on hold for a week and then let Team Trump take a crack at it. I don't know this for sure, but this bad deal might look a whole lot better for the good guys."  

BREAKING NEWS: Biden and company have finalized a deal with Hamas to get what is left of the hostages released. Grandpa Joe almost broke a leg limping up to a hot mic to take a victory lap. FINALLY, somebody was going to do something about getting the hostages home! But hold the phone for a minute. What kind of a deal is this? When you peel the onion skin back a bit, you might find out this deal is no good deal at all.

October 7th, 2023 - during a "cease fire", Hamas invades the sovereign state of Israel. Kills (and mutilates) 1,200 citizens. Thirty of those were Americans. Takes over 200 innocents as hostages, 10 of those were Americans. During the past 15 months of captivity, some have been killed. Some have just died. Of the 10 Americans, three were killed by friendly fire, four are dead from other reasons, and (we think) three are still alive. 

WHAT SHOULD HAVE HAPPENED. Slow Joe should have sent a message to Hamas similar to what Donald Trump is saying. Release our hostages, or all hell will break loose. Israel did the right thing by grinding as much of Hamas as possible into dust. Bibi should have sent the same message. Release all hostages or face total destruction of everything. What got in the way? Leftists, in both Israel and the US (plus the chicken named Biden).

WHAT IS THE DEAL? Trade innocent hostages for guilty prisoners. What is left of the hostages will be returned over time to Israel and the US. In return, Hamas gets up to 1,200 criminals back - many of which are convicted murderers. Normal folk, who have never negotiated anything, might look at this deal and shake their heads. Why? Even to the untrained, this is a horrible deal. Donald Trump's deal was much better. Release them all by January 20th, or all hell will break loose. 

By the way - according to the soon to be gone Blinken, Hamas is already reconstituting. They are not gone as yet. They can (and probably will) still attack Israel. Same with Hezbollah. They can (and probably will) still send rockets over the border. What is the solution? As a former Marine D.I. knew would say - "Crush them until there is nothing left". 

Who is going to be held accountable for the 1,200 killed, including 30 Americans? Are we going to assume all the guilty are dead? Or are there some left who need to stand trial? For the sake of Israel's survival, we need to exterminate any cockroaches in the building. Clean house. That includes the Houthis. 

Remember - this war started during a cease fire. What does that tell you about the integrity of the other side? Not worth the paper it is written on. Put this deal on hold for a week and then let Team Trump take a crack at it. I don't know this for sure, but this bad deal might look a whole lot better for the good guys.  

Shrill, no will, and a real pill!

 

                             

"Advise and consent is one thing - a mud fight is something else. I would like to implore the Democrats to act like citizens going forward on these confirmations. To act like spoiled children will only lengthen them wandering in the wilderness."   

Yikes! I watched and listened to a good share of the Hegseth confirmation hearings. It went as expected - the Republicans in the hearing were honoring Pete's service and his commitment to fix the bloated and DEI infested DOD. And the Democrats treating this hero as if he were Satan. The Democrat women were especially bad and ill-mannered. They did all of them, come across as shrill, no national will, and real pills (pills is a term my mother used for people who acted particularly bad.)

For the rest of the week, we have a half dozen more hearings on other posts. I am wondering if the Democrats used all of their venom on Pete Hegseth, or if they will try and poison the other fine Americans who will stand before them. I guess gone are the days when a bipartisan vote would be the order of the day. Today, it is strictly a numbers game. If you have more seats than the other party, your guy (or gal) is probably in. If not, you (and your president), have big problems. 

I guess the one Democrat who really surprised me the most was Tammy Duckworth of Illinois. This is a woman who served in the Army, a combat soldier, was severely wounded, and lost both of her legs. I would have thought as a retired Army officer, she would have not judged another retired Army officer so harshly. But she did. In fact, she was the worst of the bunch. I respect her service and her sacrifice, but quite frankly, I was very disappointed in her.

If I were much younger and still serving in the Navy, I would have been very happy and proud to be serving under Pete Hegseth. He is the polar opposite of the man who now occupies that seat in the Pentagon. We have had a host of former Defense Department Secretaries who have only been place holders. Having a younger person, who has walked the walk in combat, who understands the issues of vets, and who is as sharp as a tack - is what the doctor ordered right now. 

One final word about the shrill nature of the Democrats yesterday. From a male perspective, one of the worst was Tim Kane. This former VP candidate looked like (as someone pointed out), Tim Walz after going through a washing machine. He was anything but professional. And then, after being the running mate to Hillary Clinton, for him to ask about character? Where were those questions about Bill Clinton? Or Hillary? Again, when Democrats open their yaps, they reveal themselves. Nothing more needs to be said. 

Advise and consent is one thing - a mud fight is something else. I would like to implore the Democrats to act like citizens going forward on these confirmations. To act like spoiled children will only lengthen them wandering in the wilderness.   

 

Out with the old - in with the new

"Why am I excited about next Monday? This was just a taste of why. We are taking our country back. This is like Independence Day all over again. Donald Trump, the man they tried to take out with a bullet to the head, is going to fix the broken. Restore the downtrodden. Make America great again. Hallelujah!"    

In all my years on Planet Earth, I can never remember being as excited as I am now about a change in administrations. Why? If we were just getting someone ordinary from the Republicans to take over this dumpster fire that Biden created, I would be happy. But we are not getting someone ordinary. We are getting Donald Trump. We are getting rid of someone just plain awful and replacing him with someone wonderful. 

I did not want to elaborate on this before his funeral, but Jimmy Carter was an awful president. A great humanitarian once his term was up, but while in the White House he was terrible. I lived though that dumpster fire also. Never had America looked as weak as it did under Carter. But right now, Jimmy Carter is looking much better compared to this evil man who somehow got elected to lead us. I don't know if Biden is the worst president in our history, but he sure is the worst in my lifetime. He is hateful, spiteful and delusional - plus inept. 

Next Monday is when the deep cleaning starts. Besides getting rid of Biden and his giggle infested sidekick, we need to fumigate just about every square inch of Washinton. If anyone who served in this administration can even spell Biden - they are gone. Gone and then their office needs to be scrubbed down with bleach. The corruption in Washinton has gone off the charts. But to fix it, it all starts with today.

Pete Hegseth is the first up for Senate confirmation. Getting Pete confirmed is a "must do". Why? Secretary Austin has turned our DOD into a DEI playground. Our numbers are WAY down, and so is our morale. Just the mention that Pete might be our new Secretary of Defense has caused a spike in recruiting. Pete will scrub the Pentagon clean and make our DOD strong again.

What about DHS? Kristi Noem is scheduled to be up shortly in front of the Senate. How much do we need change at DHS? If we were a pirate ship instead of a nation, I would have Mayorkas walk the plank. The organization which was founded to make us safer in the homeland, has been turned into another DEI petri dish. Kristi needs to clean house and do it fast and furious. We can NEVER have a DHS secretary like Mayorkas again. NEVER!

Finally, the DOJ - or as President Trump calls it, "the Department of Injustice". NEVER again can we allow "lawfare" to creep into our system. This misfit named Garland should be tried for treason. Seriously - things have been that bad. Pam Bondi has the knowhow and guts to really clean this place out. Never, ever, never again can we allow our system of justice to become bifurcated or contaminated.

Why am I excited about next Monday? This was just a taste of why. We are taking our country back. This is like Independence Day all over again. Donald Trump, the man they tried to take out with a bullet to the head, is going to fix the broken. Restore the downtrodden. Make America great again. Hallelujah!    

Paradise Lost

 

If we only learned one thing from the Maui, North Carolina, and Los Angeles disasters it is this - expect the unexpected. Plan for a worst-case scenario. Why? Because they can and maybe will - happen."  

Confessions from my youth. In 1960, my family vacationed in the southwest and California. I fell in love with both Colorado and California. My Aunt lived in Glenwood, CA, so we stayed with her. I could not understand why anyone would live anywhere else but the Golden State or Colorado. To my young brain, both states were like a paradise back then. I could not wait to grow up so I could move to one of them. 

So, I did grow up. And traveled for a job. Most of my travels were to Washington DC, but a couple dozen trips were to the West Coast. The California I remembered as a youth, the paradise I wanted to live in - changed. California was expensive, it was smoggy, there was lots of crime, fires and earthquakes. It was far from paradise - it was paradise lost. 

My opinion only on this matter. The folks who decided to live on this very expensive land between the San Gabriel Mountains and the Pacific Ocean were trying to make a silk purse out of a sow's ear. There is no way I would have traded my life in this cold northland to live in Los Angeles. Most folks knew it was only a matter of time before there would be a catastrophic earthquake which would change everything for everyone. The "mega fire" like they are having right now was not on anyone's "bingo card".

Where does that leave this once thought of paradise when the fire is finally out? Maybe no place. Many houses are destroyed, schools are gone, stores have vanished, and Los Angeles now looks more like Hiroshima after the bomb had hit. The ground may not be radioactive like it was in Hiroshima, but it is poisoned from all the toxic items which burned and the fire retardant which was dropped from the tankers. 

Here is where the hard part comes in. The City of Angels, the city where many Angelenos grew up in, where their parents live or lived, will never be the same again. At best, people who lost everything will have the insurance coverage to make them financially whole again. But the fear is those people will be in the minority. Even for those who are fortunate enough to become financially whole, will probably never be able to build on the site they once had. Why? It will take years - decades to rezone the land for affordable and safe building. That is the reality. Regardless of what the governor or mayor is telling folks, the LA from yesterday will no longer be rebuild the same way. Yes, paradise is lost.

It is hard to believe we have had three major disasters in the past couple of years. First the fire on Maui, then the floods from Hurricane Helene in the mountains of western North Carolina. Now this mega fire in LA. What will the damages be for all three disasters? Over $100B for sure. Here is the irony however - the fire in Maui was something NOBODY saw coming. Having hurricane damage in the mountains of North Carolina, was something NOBODY saw coming. This mega-fire in LA was something SOME should have seen coming. Maybe some did, but they just ignored it. 

Even Superstorm Sandy caught many off guard. No matter where you live, having an "E Plan" for your family, and "Bug Out Kits" is smart planning. Planning for what? The unexpected. If we learned nothing but this from the Maui, North Carolina, Los Angeles disasters - expect the unexpected. Plan for a worst-case scenario. Why? Because they can and maybe will - happen.  

 

  

You can never go home again...

"Tonight, those winds are supposed to start to pick up again. Maybe this fight is far from over. Then once the final sparks are extinguished, the fight over rebuilding will start. Money and location. It will be a mess. And to clean up all the toxins in the ground due to the fire, will take many, many months." 

There is an old adage which I heard quite a bit as a lad. Whenever I would get nostalgic about the good old days, especially in the town I grew up in, I often heard, "you can never go home again". Why not? Why can't I go home again? Because things change. The home you once loved, you might not love anymore. In fact, you might hate it. But there is a point to this rambling.

The good people of Los Angeles might not know this now, as they are still going through the shock and awe of this mega-fire, but the City of Angels might never look the same again. Houses that were built and grandfathered in to be right up to the water - gone. Houses on the hillsides - maybe never again. Out of control dry vegetation in every nook and cranny? No more. 

This fire was something which should have been expected at some time. Why? Fire season happens every year. In the past, LA has been very lucky as most fires have been rural. Some structures burned, but nothing like this year. All it was going to take was a perfect storm of government mismanagement, lack of rainfall, and Santa Ana winds on steroids. Then it happened. The fire that even at this writing, is eating up more acreage and structures in LA. 

Some are asking now what the cause of the fire was. Was it some homeless person, trying to heat up some food? Was it malicious arson? Some are thinking it was the wrath of God to punish the Hollywood elite for mockery during the Golden Globes the night before the fire started. Maybe we will never know. But we do know one thing. As capable and intelligent as mankind has become, we are no match for nature. Seeing those 80 to 100mph winds whip those flames into a frenzied inferno, is something I will never forget.  

Tonight, those winds are supposed to start to pick up again. Maybe this fight is far from over. Then once the final sparks are extinguished, the fight over rebuilding will start. Money and location. It will be a mess. And to clean up all the toxins in the ground due to the fire, will take many, many months - maybe years. 

Can the Angelenos ever go home again? Where then, will they go? Many states will welcome them as new residents. There are, however, some states that will have one caveat. Leave your politics in the smoldering ruins of your former city. Why? California politics are as toxic as the soil in LA is right now. Sorry, but that is my opinion.