Water woes...

"If you live in Denver, Las Vegas, Tucson or Pheonix, you might need to think about moving - soon. When 'Day Zero' happens, you could not give houses away in cities which have no water. Think about that chip manufacturer who just built a huge plant in Phoenix. Chip manufacturing takes lots of water. What were they thinking? They were not thinking at all."  

News flash! Our world is awash in water. Over 70% of the planet is full of water. Now the bad news. Most of that 70% is non-potable water. Good for saltwater fishes, and that is about it. Our nation has had water since the get-go. But now we have some challenges which have been ignored for years. In particular, we have some of our larger cities which are starting to run out of drinking water. And when that happens, those cities will have to migrate to "Plan B". The only problem is - there is no "Plan B".

Four of the harder hit cities are Las Vegas, Denver, Tucson, and Pheonix. Western cities, who are in the middle of a serious multi-decade drought. Here is the issue - those cities continue to grow, and the available water continues to shrink. Snowpacks, which are the lifeblood of the west, are not what they once were. Lake Powell and Lake Meade are close to "dead pool" status. The once mighty Colorado River has way too many straws coming out of it, and it too is shrinking. 

Most Americans use about 80 gallons of water per day. Oh yes - we use water for just about everything. The last gasp before the taps run dry, is when cities go on a mandatory rationing program. That is where only 8 to 10 gallons per person per day will be allowed. That would be a huge problem for many. However, when "Day Zero" comes, there will be no water to use. Zip. Taps run dry. Mexico City has flirted with that day for years. Pheonix might only be five years away from "Day Zero". And then what?

When I say there is no "Plan B" for these cities, there really is no plan should "Day Zero" come. We have been warned about this situation for years. We have done nothing. For example, the number of desalination plants we have built in the last couple of decades is peanuts. With almost 100,000 miles of shoreline (including Alaska and Hawaii), a few dozen well placed desalination plants could be a lifeline to thirsty cities. But these plants take time to build. Permitting is required. NIMBY needs to be overcome. With Phoenix only being five years from "Day Zero", we really need to start on these plants yesterday.

MIT is developing something known as Atmospheric Water Generation (AWG). It would be taking water out of the air, even in low humidity. That is the good news. The bad news - it is only in the development phase. Years away, maybe many decades away from having it scaled where it could be used for cities. For a current crisis like we have right now, it is too little, too late.

If you live in Denver, Las Vegas, Tucson or Pheonix, you might need to think about moving - soon. When "Day Zero" happens, you could not give houses away in cities which have no water. Think about that chip manufacturer who just built a huge plant in Phoenix. Chip manufacturing takes lots of water. What were they thinking? They were not thinking at all.  

  

 

Can Iran ever be our friend again?

"War is a crappy thing - it really is. But a threat like Iran needed to be taken very seriously. The US and Israel had no choice but to go to battle with them. We know the regime lied to us over and over again over the past few years. How could we tell when they were lying? When their lips moved."   

Lots and lots of bad blood right now between the regime in Iran and US. Even with the regime gone, can we ever have a normal relationship again? Ever? I don't know - but then again, there is Viet Nam. Our relationship with Viet Nam is good right now. Maybe not perfect, but good. And how about out WWII enemies? Germany? Good. Japan? Better than good. I guess time will tell. But before the end of the day (so to speak) in Iran, much more hurt is yet to come.

Here is what I do not understand. What we are doing in going to war with the regime right now, is for the good of the world. Good of Europe. Really for the good of Israel. And yet, I read an article which said American Jews are against this war (figures). What do the American Jews want? A nuclear Iran which could wipe out Israel? Sometimes I wonder where American Jews are really at. They side with the progressives up to the point of throwing Israel under the bus.

Europe is also against this war. They think it is "our war" instead of being peacekeepers for the world. Even though they now have seen Iranian missiles can reach every city in Europe. Do they want to take the chance of getting nuked by some pissed off Mullah five years down the road? What is wrong with Europe today? They have gone soft in the belly (NOT Poland), and many now wonder if Europe will ever have our back again.

This war will come to a conclusion. The Strait of Hormuz will reopen. Donald Trump will force the issue by taking out every speck of power that Iran has left. That includes Kharg Island. It is really too bad that the Iranian people will have to suffer for a while. But to make the juice worth the squeeze, we need to finish the job. We would have preferred that the Mullahs and their henchmen in the regime just called it quits. But it is what it is. Soon, it will be time for lights out in Iran.

War is a crappy thing - it really is. But a threat like Iran needed to be taken very seriously. The US and Israel had no choice but to go to battle with them. We know the regime lied to us over and over again over the past few years. How could we tell when they were lying? When their lips moved.   

A new solution to an old problem?

 

"Few wars ever fought have been clean and easy. Just ask Putin about Ukraine. This war in Iran is starting to get messy. There are no easy solutions right now. A quick surrender by the regime would have been nice, but now it looks like that is not in the cards. Meanwhile, the pain at the pump continues to get more painful."    

After weeks of combat in Iran, we need to face facts. We have degraded their military. Sunk their navy. Killed their leadership. Destroyed their air force. And neutralized their air defense system. With all of that, we probably did not get all the snakes out of the ground. In other words, the regime still stands. Missiles still fly towards Israel and Arab countries. And the most vexing problem of all, the Strait of Hormuz - remains a big problem. 

The Saudis and the UAE have come up with a solution to this problem. Keep the ship traffic away from Iran as much as possible. Why? For ship captains, making it through the Strait is tantamount to in the old west, making it in and out of a box canyon. Plus, because the threats are numerous from the sea, under the sea and from air, many captains (and the insurance agents), are opting for a "no go" posture instead. The result? Merchant shipping stacked up like cordwood in the Persian Gulf. 

For about $200B, Saudi Arabia and the UAE could build a canal through the desert. One which would bypass the dreaded Strait of Hormuz. On the plus side, this could be an answer to a very old problem. Oil could once again flow, LNG ships could again pass, and the world would not be on pins and needles, worrying about 20% of oil and gas being unavailable. 

But there also is a dark side. One ballistic missile coming from Iran, could put this new canal out of business for months or longer. Even the Houthis from Yemen could be party poopers to this new and innovative idea. Waves of drones, coming in over the desert, could bring shipping to a dead stop. What would that mean? This new canal would need to be guarded like it was Fort Knox. It would mean the United States would have a more permanent presence in the Middle East.

One more thing. This new canal (if built) would take some time. Time the world does not have in waiting for improvements in getting oil and gas to needy customers. Already, one of the major LNG facilities has been damaged by the Iranians, and estimates are three to five years to totally repair. Until it is fixed - then what? 

Trump is toying with the idea of not waiting for the last remaining snakes in Iran to be eliminated. That could take a long time, wasting expensive munitions. He might go back on this word and send in the Marines and some Army units. Boots on the ground. Why? Fixing this problem by air will only work so good for so long. Our Marines and Army "door kickers" are trained and ready to do some close quarter fighting to fix things. But it could be bloody. Our body count could go much higher in a short period of time. Is that the risk worth taking? 

Few wars ever fought have been clean and easy. Just ask Putin about Ukraine. This war in Iran is starting to get messy. There are no easy solutions right now. A quick surrender by the regime would have been nice, but now it looks like that is not in the cards. Meanwhile, the pain at the pump continues to get more painful.    

Clowns on the town

 

"Some who were protesting, were current or past teachers. Remember that folks - these clowns are the ones who are sowing the seeds on idiocy in our youth. It was a reflection yesterday on just how far off base the Democrats have come. How do I know they were Democrats? Republicans don't act like clowns, for all to see."

As I was channel surfing on YouTube last night, I saw somebody interviewing a shrink about this display of unhappiness which infiltrated many of the big, blue cities yesterday. When the shrink asked what was wrong with these useful idiots, he was at a loss to explain. Let's just say, many are unhappy in their lives, and all that unhappiness and rage is focused on Donald J. Trump. Of course, there are other theories which abound. Like - secular humanism. Why that? The day before Holy Week should be a time of reflection, not a time of reaction.

I watched a bit of it on the news this morning. A wee bit is all I could stand before I felt the urge to wretch. Grown adults, some needing assisted living, parading around dressed as chickens, frogs, lice and so forth. And to what end? As Shakespeare would say, "lots of sound and fury, signifying nothing." When it was all said and done, there were mountains of garbage, arrests for acting like morons, and loads of video tape for the authorities to sift through to eventually grab more evil doers.

Some who were protesting, were current or past teachers. Remember that folks - these clowns are the ones who are sowing the seeds on idiocy in our youth. It was a reflection yesterday on just how far off base the Democrats have come. How do I know they were Democrats? Republicans don't act like clowns, for all to see. Plus, Republicans, if they were going to march for anything, would be a "No King but Jesus" march. Why? Many Democrats may not believe it, but it is true.

Will there be more "No Kings" rallies in the future? Count on it. Why is that? It sure beat working or serving. In the land of self-first, the selfish will always outnumber the selfless. Maybe next time the theme could be "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band." Why is that? Because even though the throngs yesterday were measured to be in the thousands, these were some very lonely and miserable people. Where was the joy? Not present. Not ever for this group. Sorry about that.    

Do we govern, or just do crazy?

"Can this get better? Will it get better? Or are we on a spiral downward. What we have now is not what we have had in the past. Maybe it is time for a king. Somebody who can rule with an iron fist. Maybe that is all the crazies can understand."    

Watching our government in action has been a bit painful as of late. Why? It is embarrassing. Our fine art of governance seems to be lost someplace in the kitchen, along with other misplaced recipes. Truthfully? It is not just at the federal level (which is a hot mess). It is also at the state level, and even the city level. As an old friend of mine would say when things got way out of control, "Now we have crazy". And crazy today, is where we are at.

How bad has it gotten? Let me first start with the City of Minneapolis. The City Council, which is made up of 100% socialists and a handful of Democrats. Not one Republican, however. Plus (and this is so important it will probably be repeated in this article), most of the council members are activists. Not representatives of normal citizens - but activists representing the lunatic fringe.

Even with no Republicans, a loud shouting match broke out this week. It was progressive against not as progressive. Doing the city's business? Nope - trying to put some spin on the country's affairs. Not their purview. But who cares? It made for great theater. Will the people of Minneapolis revolt and throw the bums out next election? No way, Jose! They will simply re-elect them. Why? Minneapolis is now crazy town. All they elect are activists.

State government in Minnesota is also a mess. What is the big issue for the crazy folks in the House and Senate? How to punish ICE for doing their job. How to lionize lawbreakers who got killed trying to keep ICE from doing their jobs. What about innocent young folks who have been killed by illegal aliens? Nary a peep from the crazies in the House and Senate. Thus, the state government chugs along, with nothing good coming out of it. Meanwhile, fraud and theft by the "newcomers" runs rampant. 

Finally, we have the federal government. This is hotter than a hot mess. Part of the government is shut down, and important areas of the government are working without funding - without pay. Why? To punish Donald Trump. We have gone from governance, to craziness, to all stop due to the hatred of one man. To the rest of the world, we look like idiots. Morons. To the normal folks who pay the bills in this country, we look like idiots. Morons.

Can this get better? Will it get better? Or are we on a spiral downward. What we have now is not what we have had in the past. Maybe it is time for a king. Somebody who can rule with an iron fist. Maybe that is all the crazies can understand.    

Maybe the dumbest thing ever?

"Tomorrow, the normals will stay as far away from Minneapolis or St. Paul as possible. We once again, will let the crazies take over. The law breakers. The paid protesters. The grey-haired latter-day hippies. You name the one-off species, and that species will be represented tomorrow."

Tomorrow is the long-awaited sequel to the "No Kings" demonstration. Okay - I will bite. Who are they protesting against? Donald Trump does not think he is a king - he has said many times he is the 47th PRESIDENT of these United States. Are they protesting against Trump's MAGA supporters? If so - why? I don't know of one person who believes we have a king. And actually, most Euro countries who still have a monarchy are a joke. The king or queen are only figureheads. Very little if any power. So, I am a bit stumped today.

If I were to pick a past president who at times did act more like a king than a president - that would be Barack Hussein Obama. Here was a guy, with a resume lighter than paper thin, who wooed the minions just because he was half black and (as Joe Biden said), could talk well and had a nice crease in his pants. Huh? That's it. The extent to his prowess. Other than that, Obama was a nothing burger. His legacy after eight years was to gut our health care system and give us something unaffordable in its place.

How about Biden? Now there was a guy who acted like a king. When he was awake that is. He ruled with an iron fist. Told us what kind of cars to drive. Told Detroit what kind of cars to build (which almost bankrupted the industry). Or what kind of stove to buy. What kind of furnace to have. In other words, all the freedoms we had, were about to go out the window under Sleepy Joe. 

I guess I would have a lot more respect for this event tomorrow it they called it for what it is. This event has nothing to do with royalty - it has everything to do with hating Donald Trump. If the people demonstrating were people of faith instead of mind numbed robots, they would know celebrating this kind of hate speech right before Holy Week is wrong. But they don't care. This "I hate Donald Trump" event will go on, large and in charge, brought to you by the stepchildren of the left-wing news cycle. Will tomorrow's event change anything? Nope - just further show the world how messed up we are as a country.

Tomorrow, the normals will stay as far away from Minneapolis or St. Paul as possible. We once again, will let the crazies take over. The law breakers. The paid protesters. The grey-haired latter-day hippies. You name the one-off species, and that species will be represented tomorrow. As for the rest of us, it is time to get ready for Holy Week. Time to be with family. Time to be thankful we don't now, never have, and never will - be ruled by a king.    

Schoolyard blues

I guess the one word which is never taught in government schools these days is value. The term which is taught is status quo. And oh my - do we ever have status quo in education!         

What the what (or, what the fraud) is going in with Minnesota schools these days? I mean, school districts bellyaching about not having enough money, is as common as thunderstorms in the spring. Just the other day, the largest school district in Minnesota (Anoka Hennepin), confessed they are in deep "dodo" for money going forward, so they need to cut scores of school counselors and social workers. That was enough to set off the caterwauling from the chattering class. "You can't cut positions such as those! These kids have been traumatized by ICE and Trump!"

But wait! That might be a good idea these days. Minneapolis also confessed they have misspent their budgets this year and are now also considering cutting social workers and counselors. That was enough to energize the chattering class in Minneapolis. "We need more money, not staff cuts!" Boy is that song ever getting old. People who are paying attention have already figured out the math - more money equals worse test scores.

I have addressed this issue before. Cristo Rey, a private Catholic school in the center of Minneapolis, spends a fraction of what the City of Minneapolis spends per pupil. And yet, the graduating stats for kids coming out of Minneapolis are stunning. The kids who go there, are cut from the center of the demographics. No cherry picking - just normal kids. Money is spent wisely at Cristo Rey, and the results are simply amazing.

In the heart of Coon Rapids, is a private Christian school called Legacy Academy. It is expensive to send a kid there. But the results, are once again - incredible. A Legacy graduate comes out with a very strong moral compass as well as a top shelf education. All for about a thousand dollars less a year than it costs to educate a kid in the Anoka Hennepin school district. I could go on and on, but I think my point has been made. More money for government schools does not mean spit. Much of it is just a waste of resources and time.

What is an immutable fact of life? School districts begging for more money this time of year. Why is that? Cultural for starters. The old myth that more money equals better results. It does not. Most of our school districts are being run by morons. The Department of Education(s), federal and state, are stocked with statists and idiots. Who suffers? The kids and the taxpayers. 

I guess the one word which is never taught in government schools these days is value. The term which is taught is status quo. And oh my - do we ever have status quo in education!