But does Mike have the right timber to be governor?

"One more thing. And I learned this a long time ago about politics. To win, you also need to be likeable. Is Mike Lindell likeable? I don't know him well enough to formulate an opinion. But I will not pre-judge him, as some others have."

Years ago, while at the Minnesota State Fair, my wife and I decided to try the My Pillow product by buying some promotional pillows at Mike Lindell's booth. While there, Mike happened to be in the booth. We had a chance to meet Mike and have a pic taken with him. While one can argue that from a politics standpoint Mike Lindell might be a bit on the green side, on the business side his success has been good. How so? Using his own story, he came from the dumpster dump of doing heavy drugs, to kicking that habit and starting this pillow company from basically nothing. And now his brand of pillows are some of the most recognized in the world.

After the very contested 2020 presidential race, that is when Mike Lindell really made his mark with Donald Trump. While Trump was taking fire from all sides, Lindell was spending part of his personal fortune to expose what he thought were some very suspicious irregularities with the voting machines used. I won't go into detail, as most know this story. Time will tell if the facts uncovered will bear fruit someday. But that was then and this is now. Part of the afterglow of what Lindell did for Trump, was getting the loyalty prize this year. Donald Trump endorsed Mike Lindell to be our next governor.

What has that endorsement done to the candidate race coming out of the convention? Basically, turned it upside-down. The endorsed candidate, Kendall Qualls (via the polls) is now riding towards the bottom. Lisa Demuth is now polling towards the top. But it is Mike Lindell who is out in front. Will that last? Will Mike Lindell win the primary? Is he better suited for this job than Lisa Demuth, who has the political experience? I guess we will find out on August 11th.

The field is interesting this time around. Two of the people running for the MNGOP governor spot don't have a lick of political experience. Highly successful in business, but nil heard on holding any political office. I know, I know - neither did Donald Trump - and look at what he has done. Lisa is the one with the hard-core experience from being Speaker of the House. Will that help her on August 11th? Maybe.

One more thing. And I learned this a long time ago about politics. To win, you also need to be likeable. Is Mike Lindell likeable? I don't know him well enough to formulate an opinion. But I will not pre-judge him, as some others have.

Win, lose or draw- whomever wins the primary will get my vote. ANYTHING to keep Amy out of the governor's house. After Marx Dayton and Tampon Timmy, we deserve just a bit of normal for a change. 

     

Is Iran going to be Trump's Waterloo?

 

Maybe when Netanyahu is meeting with President Trump this week, Bebe can convince him it is time. Maybe finish this before August? The Saudis would love to help us. So would other Arab nations who have been attacked by Iran. Heck, we can even pull Ukraine into the fray. The table is set sir - time to eat.  

A new poll came out this weekend and showed that 2/3 of those polled wanted this Iran War over - like yesterday. I know Donald Trump is the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, but for the love of Mike, can we not just dispense with these guys? I mean, even Zelenskyy is taking pot shots at Russian ships by the coast of Iran. Israel is "locked and loaded". And yet, here we are, in another "pause". Why? So, we can "talk it out" with Iran. Come to a negotiated deal. Note to POTUS (and I have said this many times before) - these guys are playing us. Stalling. They don't want a "deal" - they want the American people to get so sick of this war, they will demand we leave. And that - seems to be working.

Some of our sailors have not had a break for over 200 days. They are tired. They want to get this thing over with. We know that just recently we sent an additional 150 medics to Germany to care for the wounded should we really get down and dirty with Iran. We have thousands of additional Marines on the way over there. My vote would be very simple. One more chance to sign a surrender agreement. Our terms only. If they refuse, unleash our dogs of war. Shock and awe on steroids. Finish them. 

But the longer we sit and wait for these hoodlums, the longer our gasoline is over $4/gal due to what they are doing to the Strait of Hormuz, the longer our food and fertilizer keep going up due to almost record prices for diesel, the more unpopular this war is. President Trump - please don't let this war taint your presidency. Forget the "art of the deal" and replace it with "here is a taste of our steel". You have shown enough restraint for ten lifetimes with these guys. Remember all the Americans their proxies have killed over the past few decades. End this thing with a victory, let's bring our brave men and women home for a well-deserved R+R.

BTW - the IRGC continues to execute their own people. Why? For expressing a desire for freedom. That in and of itself deserves a lethal response from us. Get rid of these murdering hoodlums. Bring real peace back to the Middle East. Restore free passage in the Red Sea and the Strait of Hormuz. Do I need to put this in sailor talk? Time to kick ass and take names. I can be no blunter than that.

Maybe when Netanyahu is meeting with President Trump this week, Bebe can convince him it is time. Maybe finish this before August? The Saudis would love to help us. So would other Arab nations who have been attacked by Iran. Heck, we can even pull Ukraine into the fray. The table is set sir - time to eat.  

 

Behold! The Minnesota School Gender Dolls~

 

My folks and my wife's folks are no longer with us. As much as I miss them all, I am glad they are not here to see what a fruit bowl this state has turned into. The saddest thing is that many lefties in this state do not think the politics are left enough as yet. 

Hey taxpayers! Here in the loony state of Minnesota, we have yet another national embarrassment. It seems the state Department of Education has funded some leftie at the University of Minnesota to come up with some "teaching tools" for our young heads full of mush (primary school kids). To ensure that kids stay confused about their sexuality, the U of M has come up with Gender Dolls. I had to search long and hard to find a picture of such which did not violate my personal standards on my blog as well as the fact I did not want to get punished by Google for showing smut.

In classrooms this fall, these dolls can be handed out to young students so they can (this is the part which is hard to believe) - take the private parts off the young boy and put them on the girl, and vice versa. What is the purpose of doing this? How about indoctrination. Just when kids are starting to wonder about different parts of their bodies, now is a great time to jumble everything up and tell them they might be made wrong. That a doctor can do some snips and tucks and then little boys can become little girls, or the other way around. 

If I were a parent of a primary school aged kid in a Minnesota government school, and found out this was on the menu, I would pull those kids out of class so fast it would make your head spin. Of all the dumb and vile things that the Democrats in Minnesota have come up with, this goes to the top of the list. 

Yesterday, Bill O'Reilly was talking about the once great state of Minnesota. He was totally disgusted. He said he would visit Minnesota in the summertime. Fish, swim and so forth. But that is before the government in this state became corrupt and vile. Now - he would not come here for anything. To toxic. To poisoned. And who is the poster child for this state gone amuck? Tampon Timmy. The governor who insisted on putting tampons in men's rest rooms.

My folks and my wife's folks are no longer with us. As much as I miss them all, I am glad they are not here to see what a fruit bowl this state has turned into. The saddest thing is that many lefties in this state do not think the politics are left enough as yet. Not until the secular humanists get socialist everything. Are those days coming? Oh yes - hopefully not soon, but they are coming.   

 

E-bikes, E-scooters, Egad!

"All of sudden, a joy ride on a toy can end up with a long hospital stay - or worse. It is too late to outlaw these things, as the 'horse is already out of the barn'. These things are here to stay. But they need to stay in the bike lanes, should your city have bike lanes. Not the best solution, but the best I could think of on short notice."

Am I the only one who sees the proliferation of E-bikes and E-scooters as a problem? I know, I know - the kids love them. But here is my issue with these semi-toys. First off, they are not toys at all. They are motorized things which can take a twelve-year-old into traffic and have an unfortunate meeting with a much larger car or truck. Wait - am I saying these things should not be allowed on the street. Yes, that is exactly what I am saying. Then where to ride them? Sidewalks? Nope. Too dangerous for the peds who should be using the sidewalks.

As much as it saddens me to say this, it is only a matter of time before some kid makes a wrong decision. And not to take sides, but in my opinion, the scooters are much more dangerous than the bikes are. I have seen some of these young kids, wearing no helmet, going 30mph or faster on a scooter. I may be old school, but that is a prescription for disaster. I have seen young folks driving these things, going pel mel fast, taking all kinds of chances. Why? Young people think they are bullet proof. I know I did when I was young. The young brains are not developed as yet to sense danger.

The RV campground where our RV is located, is terrible for allowing young folk to ride these things fast and loose. Two years ago, some kid came a few feet from meeting his maker. Why? Taking chances on his E-scooter. Almost had a head on collision with a Ford pickup truck. One would think that after a very close call like that one, this foolishness would come to an end. It has not.

Here is the long and the short of it. When in traffic, E-bikes and E-scooters are no different than motorcycles or motor scooters. One wrong move and a much larger vehicle will ruin the day. All of sudden, a joy ride on a toy can end up with a long hospital stay - or worse. It is too late to outlaw these things, as the "horse is already out of the barn". These things are here to stay. But they need to stay in the bike lanes, should your city have bike lanes. Not the best solution, but the best I could think of on short notice.

  

 

Oh endorsements - where art thou?

"I feel for Kendall Qualls and Adam Schwarze. What a slap in the face. I feel sorrier for MNGOP, however. This organization may not be dead, but it sure is on life support. As an old Marine Corps Gunny that I knew in the service would say, when something was totally useless - 'Better kick some dirt over it before it starts to stink'. And with MNGOP, I can smell the odor already." 

As I live and breathe, I have never, not ever, seen anything like this. The MNGOP endorsement convention is long over, and it is as if it never happened. Somebody looking in from the outside might even think that there is (was) major disconnects between the delegates at the convention and the rest of the interested voters. How so? Some of the endorsed candidates will probably not survive the August 11th primary.

The race which is the biggest head scratcher is the one for the open senate seat. Adam Schwarze. Adam, the former Navy SEAL, came out of practically nowhere and won the endorsement. He even beat Michelle Tafoya, who had a ton of name recognition (and money). Now it was onward and upward to the general election, with just a minor pause at the primary. But wait! That minor pause for the primary has turned into a showstopper. Adam, who was king of the hill at the convention, is now in last place in the polling. He has less support than the nebulous person named "undecided".

That race, in and of itself, is a real cluster. But it gets worse. Mike Lindell, who recently received a tip of the hat from POTUS, is now in first place, ahead of Lisa Demuth. But wait - what? Lisa did not receive the endorsement - that was Kendall Qualls. Even though this race is a bit tighter than the blow away race for senate, the endorsed candidate (Qualls), is in third place behind Mike and Lisa. Riddle me this - what the what is going in with the MNGOP endorsement process?

As a former state delegate three times over, I can attest to the fact that attending these conventions are not always a bowl of honey. They are expensive. They are time consuming. They can be (and often are) - confusing and frustrating. After the nothing burger that this past convention became, good luck on getting volunteers to attend the next one. As they say in the citrus industry - the juice was not worth the squeeze.

I feel for Kendall Qualls and Adam Schwarze. What a slap in the face. I feel sorrier for MNGOP, however. This organization may not be dead, but it sure is on life support. As an old Marine Corps Gunny that I knew in the service would say, when something was totally useless - "Better kick some dirt over it before it starts to stink". And with MNGOP, I can smell the odor already. 

 

Isreal please! More decapitation!

 

"I don't think we can finish the deal without the help of the IDF. Time to get them back into the fray. They are solid fighters with excellent intel, and they always have our sixes (putting the USS Liberty aside). Time for the kill shot Mr. President. Let's take it."   

Ever since the jump, the IDF had one major focus in the war with Iran. Decapitation. Regime change. Why? They knew that the only way to change the snake was to cut off the head of the current snake. The United States on the other hand, was only concerned with the degradation of Iran's military and missile program. Oh - one more thing - the nuclear dust at the bottom of the Fordow facility. Between the IDF and US forces, much of what was on the menu - was accomplished.

OK - war over, right? Well - not exactly. Here is what the Washington Whispers are saying. Iran is a tougher nut than we thought they would be. Every time we smoked one of the IRGC goons who was in charge of something in Iran - up pops another goon. It is like a never-ending chain of bad guys. And then, when POTUS tried to show our other cheek during a "pause" and give Iran the chance to sell some oil, they used it to reconstitute some of their drones and missiles.

Meanwhile, the Strait of Hormuz is slowed to a crawl because of the IRGC continuing to take pot shots at commercial shipping. The flow through the Strait slows down, the price of oil goes up, the President's approval numbers go down. As far as Iran is concerned, their plan is working out nicely. As far as the good guys are concerned, the stench of a forever war is starting to be noticed.

Since Israel was the closest and best target for the IRGC, the US decided to turn down the heat a bit. Have the IDS stand down. Come to a peace deal with Lebanon. Here is the problem. Decapitation. It is not happening like it was. The Mossad was doing an excellent job in getting all kinds of current G2. My opinion? We need to get the IDF involved again in decapitation. Otherwise, this war could start to drag on. And on. And on.

I don't think we can finish the deal without the help of the IDF. Time to get them back into the fray. They are solid fighters with excellent intel, and they always have our sixes (the USS Liberty aside). Time for the kill shot Mr. President. Let's take it.   

Return to Pickaxe Mountain

 

"How is this going to end? No more talking as the IRGC have proven to be liars and cheats. All I know is this - I am grad I don't have to make the choice on what to do about Pickaxe. That is way above my paygrade, and I am glad it is."   

Yes, there really is a mountain in Iran called "Pickaxe". When I first heard that name, I thought it was either a misprint or a joke. Why? "Pickaxe" sounds like the name of mountain in our old west, which was named by an old prospector. But it is not. It is a real name for a real mountain in Iran. And right now, this real mountain with a real name, could spell trouble for us and for Israel. 

One of the things we lose sight of when thinking about Iran, is just how big this place is. Like bigger than Texas and California put together. So what? Here is the what - with a country that big, and that nefarious, there are PLENTY places to hide things you should not have. And Pickaxe Mountain, due to its heavy granite composition, was a perfect place for the IRGC to hollow out and put in a deep, deep underground storage and nuclear facility. 

The Iranians have done their homework. They know just how deep they needed to go to escape the power of our GBU-57 A/B MOP bomb. This monster bomb, which can only be carried by a B-2 bomber, can be dropped on a hardened target and penetrate (then explode) down to 200 feet. This what was used on Iran's Fordow facility during Midnight Hammer. The bunker busters dropped that night, were just heavy enough to get through to the bad stuff in Fordow and destroy it. 

Okay - if that be the case, why not try those bunker busters again on Pickaxe? Because Pickaxe is deeper and better contained in granite. Our current bunker busters would just make noise, with no real damage. And now we know the real problem. The real choice - and it is not a good choice.

We also have something in our hip pocket which has never been used before. It is called an Earth Penetrating Weapon (EPW). It is a nuke. It is the bad ass bigger brother of the non-nuclear bombs used at Fordow. If we use this weapon, it will be the first time since WWII that an atomic or nuclear bomb has been used in anger. It will be a game changer, in that warfare will never be the same again. We will have crossed the Rubicon should we use this weapon.

Wait - we must have other choices. We do. First off, we can do nothing and continue to attrit the Iranians by our nightly bombing. That may or may not work. Or - we can send in our ground pounders for some boots on the ground action. That could end up being bloody and messy, with no guarantee of success. So that is it. Our choices are do keep on doing what we are doing, start a ground war, or nuke the mountain. 

How is this going to end? No more talking as the IRGC have proven to be liars and cheats. All I know is this - I am grad I don't have to make the choice on what to do about Pickaxe. That is way above my paygrade, and I am glad it is.