Minnesota's Man-Child strikes again!

"With childish behavior like this in the Governor's mansion, it should not be Al Franken wearing the diaper - it should be Dayton."   

As my wife always says when someone acts totally bizarre, "You can't make this stuff up." However, before I dissect this Man-Child, I need to take care of some business. I need to offer an apology to Al Franken. Sir, I have been most unfair to you, when I referred to you as the biggest rube our state ever produced. I was wrong. You are only the second biggest. The biggest is our Man-Child Governor, Marx Dayton.

What happened yesterday with the line item veto issue is yet one more example of not knowing what makes this man tick. He has been hounded since he left the Senate to release his medical records. And he still has not. The citizens have no clue what his mental ailment really is, and more importantly, what kinds of drugs he is using. Anyone with an honest heart on either side of the aisle has said for years this Man-Child is too sick to govern. Not only too sick, but also too immature.

So, what really happened yesterday? It started last year in 2016 when this dishonest broker VETOED a well deserved tax bill. Why? Because last year the citizens of Minnesota were overcharged on their income taxes. This resulted in a huge surplus. The Man-Child did not want to return this overcharge to the citizens. Thus, he VETOED the tax bill in 2016.

This year, the Speaker had learned his lesson from last year. To make the tax bill "veto proof", House Republicans also included funding to run the state revenue department for the next two years. So if Marx vetoed the tax bill this year, the revenue department would not be able to function. I LOVE IT!!!!

Consequently, the Man-Child used the line item veto to zero out all funding to run the legislative branch of our government for the next two years. He did however, sign the tax bill - so the Speaker's gambit worked.

What do I think the Speaker should do now? Nothing. Let the wheels fall off of Dayton's government. The Man-Child broke it, now he needs to suffer the consequences. With childish behavior like this in the Governor's mansion, it should not be Al Franken wearing the diaper - it should be Dayton.   

Hoe, Hoe, Hoe!

"This was a critically important test today. We now have the ability to take down short and intermediate missiles with our Patriot and THAAD batteries. And, should the Norks launch an ICBM at our shores, we have shown we can take that one out also."

Not to date myself, but in the 1980's, I worked on the HOE. HOE - what the heck is HOE? Homing Overlay Experiment. The grandfather to the successful ICBM intercept which happened today. Only in the 1980's, the technology to take down an ICBM was more like a wish than a fact.

In 1984, the HOE was part of the SDI (Strategic Defense Initiative). Some might remember this program to be known as "Star Wars". Well the truth of the matter was just this. HOE did not work very well. This "shooting a bullet with a bullet" sounded good, but sound was all it produced. It was a flop, as was the rest of SDI. But the Soviets did not know that. Good thing too, as this helped end the Cold War.

Flash forward to today. We have the BMD (Ballistic Missile Defense). And shooting a bullet with a bullet still exists. Guess what? The technology has really improved - big time. Today, a dummy ICBM was launched from the Marshall Islands. When detected, a missile killing rocket was launched from Vandenberg AFB from California. And now the "shooting a bullet with a bullet" seems to work very well, thank you.

This was a critically important test today. We now have the ability to take down short and intermediate missiles with our Patriot and THAAD batteries. And, should the Norks launch an ICBM at our shores, we have shown we can take that one out also. And very soon we will have other counter-measures which we can add into the mix to take out threats to our homeland.

Is this check or checkmate with the Norks? I would much rather be working with them to help their country heal and get out of poverty and hunger. But like ISIS, the Norks seemed more focused on death. Not our choice. Not our path. But if that is the path they choose to trod, we are here to help them. If it is going to be them or us, it will be them.

To what end?

"What the Republicans don't fully understand is this simple truth. If they go into the 2018 mid-term showing nothing, that is exactly what they will receive from the voters when they vote in November."

It sure was interesting during the President's recent eight day trip overseas. A few news sources talked about the history being made on this trip. CNN and MSNBC on the other hand, spent a whole lot of time talking about "Russia gate". And now that Jared Kushner has been fingered as a "suspect" of sorts, a thought went through my head - to what end is this witch hunt going to come to?

I was somewhat bemused to hear the latest charges against this 36 year old real estate investor. Shortly after the election was over, when the transition team was in place, Kushner is alleged to have made contact with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak. He wanted to set up a "back channel" for communication. This is the funny part. "Back channel" is a term of art in the diplomat business. Jared is a real estate guy. He probably does not know "back channel" from Channel 4 on the television.

In reality, this is probably what happened. Kislyak made contact with Kushner about establishing some "back channel" communications. There was no SOS in place as yet with Team Trump, and the Russians knew they could deal with Kushner. That is it. According to honest news brokers this past weekend, "back channels" are very common in any Administration. If anything, what Team Trump was guilty of (mostly due to nativity) - is violating the "one President rule". They probably should have established the "back channel", and then left it idle until after the inauguration.

However, Democratic Congressman Adam Schiff is not satisfied with that reason. He wants to have Jared's security clearance yanked. Really? Hello Adam? Where were you when Hillary had classified information "in the wind", flying all over the place? I don't recall any outrage then. But of course - that was different. She is on "your team", so she kept her clearance.

What is really going on? Duh! Anyone with over a 5th grade education can see through this canard like a pane of glass. Of course there is no "there, there"! This is not about any Russian collusion. It is not about "back channels". It is not even about this squeaky clean son-in-law of the President's. It is all about the destruction of the Trump agenda. 

So far it has been working just fine, thank you. Between the unlimited vacations that Congress takes, a half baked health care fix, and this endless witch hunt - nothing is getting done. What the Republicans don't fully understand is this simple truth. If they go into the 2018 mid-term showing nothing, that is exactly what they will receive from the voters when they vote in November.

June will be make or break for Paul Ryan. Stuff better start happening, and soon. If not, we might end up with some Botox'd socialist from California as Speaker of the House in 2019. 

Ready for WW III?

"Our message to the Norks should be very simple. Either stand down, or face the same fate that ISIS will face. This is having a future or no future. It is life or death. It really is as simple as that."

See this pic I am using in my graphic? It is one of my favorites. It is North Korea and South Korea after sundown. North Korea is so dirt poor, lights out. South Korea - booming economy, and light up the night.

I have to tell you, I am pretty impressed with how our previous Administration(s) have handled North Korea. UN sanctions, scolding, angry letters and so on. How we doing with that anyhow? 

Well, they are practicing duck and cover in Japan. Hawaii and Alaska have dug out their old civil defense manuals "just in case". Just in case of what, you might ask? An attack from Russia who has nukes in the thousands? An attack from the ChiComs who has nukes in the hundreds? Nope. The country who can't even afford to keep their lights on at night. The country who has maybe twenty nukes right now.

Really? On Memorial Day you are bringing this up? Yes I am - for one very important reason. The Norks don't give two poops and a holler about our Memorial Day holiday. It is just another day to get prepped for war. The war which has been "on pause" for 60 years now. The war which now could have some real teeth in it. Yes, this third generation dictator in North Korea has the Western Pacific (including Hawaii and Alaska) jumping through hoops right now.

We have tried everything with this little tin pot dictator, except one very important thing. We have never called his bluff. The Norks want to nuke Washington? We should show them a video of what their entire country would look like after a first strike from us.

We should start an orderly evacuation of Seoul. In conjunction with that, we should raise our DEFCON level. We now have three carrier task forces in the area, that should be enough. We should also riddle the sky with stealth fighters, stealth bombers, B-1 bombers and even the old reliable B-52 bombers.

In other words, we want to put North Korea on the edge of war. Consider it a modern day Cuban Missile Crisis. Kim Jong-un will either back down, or face the wrath of the United States. Why in the hell do we have to be the ones cowering from this guy? Time for us to be the bully instead of the bullied. We are 1,000 times more powerful. I, like many others, am sick to death of this. 

The snowflakes of the world can take their "Coexist" bumper stickers and stick them where the sun don't shine. This is not a Mouse that Roared movie - this is a dictator from a third world country threatening the civilized world with nuclear weapons he should have NEVER been allowed to obtain. If we continue to do nothing, in the very near future, North Korea can kill millions and poison one of our cities for generations, simply by putting a nuke on a rocket and hitting us.

By the way - the Korean threat has been around since General Mattis was a Second Lieutenant. He knows what to do. It is not our choice to act, but the Norks have left us no choice. Failure to act continues to be our biggest obstetrical. We know where that course has gotten us now. 

Our message to the Norks should be very simple. Either stand down, or face the same fate that ISIS will face. This is having a future or no future. It is life or death. It really is as simple as that.

   

Terror's new frontier

"Much of our PC will fly out the window and I fear there will be street justice like we have not seen in many a year. We can't let that happen." 

Is it over yet? Seems like it has been going on for just about forever. This War on Terror is what I am talking about. It has become the ultimate game of Wack em' Mole. Hit one place and they pop up in another. And why? Has anyone ever determined what their ultimate objective is? When they feel they can claim victory and stop all this nonsense? I sure don't know the answer to that question.

Besides being a game of Wack em' Mole, the War on Terror is also a game of cat and mouse. Once we think we have thwarted an avenue of attack, they come up with another one. And now we are getting ready to enter a whole new frontier. Where just about everything and everyone in every place in the world is a target.

What we saw happen in Manchester this month is an example of the evolution (or devolution) of terror. Too risky to get inside a venue to set off a bomb? Just wait outside a venue until the rush of people come out when the show is over. What to really cause some serious heartache with a population? Go after their kids. The younger and more innocent the better.

General Kelly was on the talk shows yesterday. He was very frank about new rules that TSA might be implementing. Flying is about to get a whole lot more inconvenient. Because the terrorists are trying very hard to miniaturize and conceal enough explosive to fit into a lap top to bring down an airliner, Kelly is seriously considering banning lap tops from the cabin. They would have to be part of the luggage which is checked in. In fact, it might come to where very little is allowed in the cabin with the passengers. Why? It is too hard for TSA to catch everything at the screener position.  

Right after the Manchester massacre, ISIS released a phonied up tape showing a bomb going off on the Las Vegas strip during Ramadan. Why? Lots of people there, with a smorgasbord of "soft targets". And as far as targets are concerned, the softer the better. In fact, why not a day care? Go after the youngest of kids. Why would any group, no matter how callous they are, do such acts? Because they have no soul. 

General Mattis has vowed to keep hitting ISIS harder all the time. President Trump has vowed to get rid of them. From where? From Planet Earth. While our Euro buddies snicker and sneer at our President when he talks about the real threat today (no, it is not global warming), team USA is trying to fix this problem for once and for all.

I have said this since 9/11 took place. All it will take is one more serious hit on our shores from terrorists and the "ship is going to hit the sand". Much of our PC will fly out the window, and I fear there will be street justice like we have not seen in many a year. We can't let that happen. We must win this War on Terror before there is another major attack on America. And we need to meet them head on - before they establish their new frontier. 

UN-do NATO

"As far as I am concerned, this is put up or shut up time for both NATO and the UN. If the UN cannot help keep peace in the world (via their charter) dissolve them." 

There have been many times while on the campaign trail that Donald Trump would say something and eyes would roll. "There he goes again - spouting off about something he knows nothing about." Really? How about NATO? When Donald Trump said that NATO had outlived its usefulness, it was almost like speaking blasphemy. And then to put frosting on the cake, he called out a bunch of NATO members for being "free riders" and they were paying practically nothing for dues.

This past week the NATO honchos got together for a meeting in Brussels. It was also a chance to show off the new Taj Mahal type of headquarters which is nearing completion. And what a headquarters this is! Fancy and big (and expensive). Once finished (it is 80% done right now), it will house 4,000 NATO members and cost slightly over $1.25B. 

As we know, the United States pays the lion's share of the NATO budget - over 22%. Germany and the UK also pay a fair amount and then it drops off sharply from there. I tried to find out how much of the this new building we paid for, but I can't find an exact figure. Even the President, when he was in Brussels joked that "he has never asked what this new building cost." My question is deeper than that - what is the purpose of this building? In fact, what is the purpose of NATO?

My opinion is simple. NATO and the UN are both huge organization of which the United States pays a huge amount of money to support. True, we get a bit of help (heavy on the term "a bit") from NATO in the War on Terror, but we get nada, zip, nothing out of the UN (except of course, social engineering). 

NATO was a good shield against the Warsaw pact during the Cold War. "Was" is the right word. Now it offers very little. When President Trump chided members for not living up to the 2% of GDP rule, some could be seen snickering on the sidelines. Why? They know that the US does not have the guts to do anything about it. Or do they? I am thinking our new President just might.

As far as I am concerned, this is put up or shut up time for both NATO and the UN. If the UN cannot help keep peace in the world (via their charter) dissolve them. They are no better at peacekeeping than the League of Nations was. The same goes for NATO. If the "free rider" mentality continues, dissolve it. The old Europe is over. The new Europe is lost.

What in the world are we going to do with this shiny new NATO headquarters should NATO be dissolved? I am sure that the Trump empire could make a nice five star hotel out of it. That is, once he is done being President.

The night old sine die(d)

"What do I say to this session? Good riddance to bad rubbish. A lot of hard word by some very fine people resulted in a bunch of nothing burgers. Period. Sine die special session - and die quickly." 

Sine die. Man, what an odd term to still be using. It is an old Latin term which literally means "without day". Or there is no other day scheduled, so we are outta here! I have a better definition. Only the last word - die. Our hopes for a normal Social Security fix died this session. Oh, there is some relief for those seniors who are dirt poor. But those who are not rich, yet have a "normal" retirement, got screwed again. And who are those people? Most of the retired folks whom I know.

Trust me on this one. I have been fighting this issue for the good people in Minnesota long before I totally retired. And I have heard every excuse in the book from our elected officials. "It is too hard." Or, "We tried, but we are only one leg of a three legged stool" (of course, this year they had two legs). Then there is, "The state really can't afford it." Or my favorite of all time -  "We need the money for other things." 

What else died under sine die? My patience. Plus the patience of tens of thousands in Minnesota. Anything else die? The chances of me giving one dime or minute of time to candidates who were not TOTALLY committed to fix this travesty. 

I made this threat before the session came to an end. The war paint is going on before the next election. This was our golden opportunity to get this fixed for once and for all. We had a $1.6B surplus due to over taxation (part of that was from over taxing Social Security). We controlled the House and Senate. The issue just by itself is (or should be), bipartisan. The table was set. This should have been as easy as falling off a log.

Sine die(d). What a miserable session this was. Sunday liquor sales. Big whoop. Most who plan, never run to the liquor store on Sunday anyhow. Real ID. Another big whoop. Un-needed and un-wanted by many. If someone chooses not to get an enhanced licence, that is up to that person. There will be some doors which will be shut to that person, but that is a personal choice. 

What do I say to this session? Good riddance to bad rubbish. A lot of hard work by some very fine people resulted in a bunch of nothing burgers. Period. Sine die special session - and die quickly. 

The son-in-law issue

"On behalf of much of the American tax paying citizens, I would like to apologize to Ivanka and Jared Kushner. You don't deserve the treatment you have been receiving by the lap dog media or the Democrats. You really don't." 

When I heard that Jared Kushner is now in the spotlight of this witch hunt going on in Washington, I first thought about Jared's wife Ivanka. I wonder if she has ever gone into the West Wing to have a chat with dear old Dad. Something like, "Dad, our lives were so good, so uncomplicated before you decided to go on to this quest. Now my husband, whose record is as clean as a whistle, is going to be looked upon as possibly a law breaker."

Only in the make believe world of Washington DC, could a "goody, goody two shoes" like Jared ever get into trouble. And here is the irony. After the Soviet Union fell and Russia was stumbling, our government encouraged our business leaders to get involved in Russia. Help them out. Trump (as well as Rex Tillerson) have done a lot of business with Russia over the years. And it has all been looked at favorably. Not any more. Not since (and I love this one) the Russians and Team Trump ganged up to take out poor old Hillary.

My feeling is this. If this witch hunt is going to peer under the tent of the inner circle of the White House - stand by. President Trump is VERY close to his daughter and son-in-law. Not only does he trust them both, he has given Jared incredible influence in the West Wing. And very recently we saw what this young man is made of. He was the driver behind making the numbers work for the Saudi arms sale.

The Democrats are going to spend every last cent to hurt this President. And if they can't get to him, they will go after his kids. With all the good things happening on this trip, the long knives continue to be out for Donald Trump back on the home front. Even if there is no "there, there", the Democrats will keep scratching this itch until it bleeds.

On behalf of much of the American tax paying citizens, I would like to apologize to Ivanka and Jared Kushner. You don't deserve the treatment you have been receiving by the lap dog media or the Democrats. You really don't. 

Cobbling together a cow-pie in St. Paul

"I blame the DFL for just being the DFL. None of those statists have ever met a government which was too big. And I blame the Republicans (once again), for not having the balls to act like the majority when they are in the majority." 

"We have a deal! We have a big deal!" Really? With whom? Our Governor, who depending on the day and if he took his meds can't remember what time it is? Or Melissa Hortman, the House Minority Leader? Or Senator Bakk, the Senate Minority Leader? And what kind of a deal is being cobbled together? Is it a good deal? I love what Senator Gazelka keeps saying, "Nobody gets everything in a negotiation." Translation: The citizens going to get another St. Paul cow-pie.

I have said this many times. Why any conservative who is certifiably sane would want to jump into the St. Paul cesspool, is beyond me. I mean, being part of the legislative session is not even as clean as watching sausage being made. If this was a movie, what happens in St. Paul would border on a NC-17 rating. The audience, the spectators to this spectacle, are also the stakeholders. A  good potion of us are the bill payers. Many others are free riders. Free riders who just want more, more, more every year. Why not? Not their money.

So the "deal" which was reached seems to be very hard to put on to paper. Memories are short, and integrity of the DFL is even shorter. And the side shows are starting. ISAIAH, our homegrown group of socialists who masquerade as clergy, will never be happy until the wage gap between the very richest and very poorest is exactly zero. In fact, they think the "cuts" in the current state budget are shameful (I am surprised they did not use sinful). Some of them (as well as other nut-ball organizations) are camped out by the Governor's office DEMANDING he veto everything!

Meanwhile, the bill payers. That would be the taxpayers who fund this mess. Many of us are VERY anxious to discuss the additional growth in state government this session with any representative who was a part of it. How a Republican controlled House and Senate could get cowed once again by Marx Dayton is jaw dropping. Many of us have become horse from yelling this mantra, but I will try once again - CUTS IN GROWTH ARE NOT THE SAME AS CUTS IN GOVERNMENT!!!

One more thing as a former negotiator. NEVER, EVER negotiate when you are dogged tired. Nothing good ever comes out of it. In fact, mistakes are common. The special session should have been delayed by at least a week so the members could absorb what was in the handshake and if could be fit into a bill. 

I could go on and on and on about the failures of this session. It was a classic fail. I blame the DFL for just being the DFL. None of those statists have ever met a government which was too big. And I blame the Republicans (once again), for not having the balls to act like the majority when they are in the majority. 

Thanks for the cow-pie folks. Personally however, many of us are tired of being handed a s**t sandwich after every session from St. Paul.

The Matthew 25 dilemma...

"The King will reply, 'Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me'." 

Matthew 25:40

NIV

One of my favorite verses from the Bible is Matthew 25:40. It is not only a favorite, it is critical to believe if one is to be a follower of Christ. In our married life, it has guided our charitable giving for years, and will into the future. It is a simple verse, and yet says so much. No matter how many times I hear this verse, I get (as the church expression goes) Holy Ghost Bumps.

 "The King will reply, 'Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me'."

Okay - so what is the problem. Jesus did not make this cryptic. It seems pretty straight forward to me. Well, not quite. What is straight forward is it needs to be done. What is not straight forward, is who should do it. Confused? Let me explain.

Mick Mulvaney just released the "teaser" for the GFY 2018 budget. And it is a budget like no other. Instead of the usual "cuts" a Republican budget has (which are only reductions in the rate of growth), this one has honest to goodness cuts. Cuts which will hurt. Hurt? Why?

They will hurt because in the past Uncle Sugar has been the one to administer much of the charity in this country. And no offense Uncle Sugar - you really do a crappy job. In fact, if you were a 501(c)(3) charity, I would hate to see what your rating would be on Charity Navigator.

So now comes the tough part. Should even a portion of the GFY 2018 budget pass next year, who is going to pick up the slack? The states? The local counties? Churches and local charities? Someone is going to need to do it. 

One of my major complaints about how we do business in this country is the "pay it forward" game. Actually, it should be called "pay it upward" instead. We just pass these huge financial needs on to Washington to let the money trees on the Washington Mall take over.

Wait - there are no money trees? How have we paid for all these things over the years? High federal taxes and an even higher national debt. And President Trump has said that has got to stop. Now. Left unchecked, it will ruin the county.

My vote is certainly not the majority vote on this issue, but it is the way I feel. Who should pay for food assistance? The churches and local communities. Trust me, I have been involved with many of them. They do amazing things. Nobody can stretch a dollar further.

The Medicaid cuts will need to be picked up by the states. Sorry - it would make no sense to pass them down any further. In fact, one of the reasons the feds want to have the states handle Medicaid is fraud. The feds cannot control the enormous fraud in Medicaid system. It is felt my many the states will do a better job in the funding and administering of Medicaid and cutting fraud at the same time. 

I am actually a bit excited about having more control of some of these big ticket items. They should be controlled at the state, local and private levels. That is where they should have been all along.

Do I think the least of us will suffer more without having the highly ineffective hand of the federal government involved? Not one bit. Bring it on. People I know who love to give and serve can't wait to show the feds how this should have been done all along. Yes, we truly are our brothers (and sisters) keeper.  

Governed by nincompoops in Minnesota

"Bottom line - we live in a very high spending, very high taxed state run by nincompoops. 'Should I stay or should I go?' That questions is getting easier to answer all the time."   

Many of us Minnesota seniors have a song which keeps playing in our heads. "Should I stay or should I go." Why? this state is being run by nincompoops. Sorry - was that too harsh? Let me try and frame this a bit better. Under the CEO of our state (that be Governor Marx Dayton), our state budget has gone up over 20% since he has taken office. I just checked my pensions to see if they went up over 20% in the past 6 1/2 years. Nope. In fact, they were somewhat stationary.

For years now, seniors living in this state, who have been paying confiscatory taxes their entire working career, have been railing against the unfairness of having their Social Security taxed. The response from Marx Dayton and his merry band of progressives - tough toe nails. Looking more like King Midas instead of a statesman, Dayton hugs our money which does not belong to him. Then with a wicked smile, he mutters and mumbles, "mine, Mine, MINE!"

To pay for this steep increase in the growth of Minnesota state government, Marx has found a wonderful source of income. He raised the top bracket in Minnesota up to an astounding 9.85% for single incomes over $155,650. Proud to say that bracket is the third highest in the nation. In fact, if Marx had his poop in a group, he would have raised the bracket another .05%. Then we could have beat out Oregon for the second highest in the nation. We can't touch California's however, as Moonbeam raised their top rate to 13.3%. Of course, that rate does not kick in until someone makes almost $265,000, compared to Minnesota's 155,650.

Okay - so what. Marx is soaking the rich. Is that not the primary life function of any progressive/statist? But he is also hitting up the seniors. The drugs Marx is on really jump into high gear when someone asks him about the fairness of taxing Social Security. In fact, the drugs start to affect his hearing. For example, he can't hear or understand any question about Social Security. Being a trust fund baby himself, Marx really does not need Social Security, so as far as he is concerned, the issue is moot.

If he does understand parts of the question, Marx will mumble something like, "Well, we can't afford to give that money back." Huh? Social Security taxation should be a bipartisan issue. For some reason, kool-aide drinking seniors who have been life long progressive voters, agree with Marx on this issue. Nobody on the Left seem to care we are one of a handful of states who still tax 100% of Social Security.

I won't even go into the death tax or the corporate tax. Both are outrageous. Thanks to Spendy Wendy, we still have the Minnesota Miracle formula where we dump boatloads of money into education. This year, an additional $50M of wasted dollars will be going into Pre-K. Meanwhile, the graduation rates in some Twin Cities high schools is abysmal. In Minneapolis, only 67% graduate on time. Plus, many who do graduate, have suffered through so much dumbed down curriculum, they don't know spit from Shinola.

There you have it. We have a Mayor in Minneapolis who gives the State of the City in a Mosque. The City Council in Minneapolis is made up of greenies, progressives and socialists. The Congressman from Minneapolis is a hard core leftist. And I have already addressed the Governor. Nincompoops all.

Bottom line - we live in a very high spending, very high taxed state, run by total nincompoops. "Should I go or should I stay?" That questions is getting easier to answer all the time.   

The Shkval, the Hoot and the Ford

"By the way. We don't come to this game empty handed. Our Mk-50 torpedo is quite lethal, and if the need arises to build a speed demon like the Shkval or the Hoot, I am sure we are up to the task."

What kind of a goofy title is that for a afternoon blog on a cloudy May day? Unfortunately even on a cool green day such as this, the business of world peace is still on many minds. As I wrote about a while back, the United States will soon have a new class of super carrier. The USS Gerald Ford (CVN-78) will soon become the lead ship in a new class of carriers. This new class will slowly start to retire the Nimitz class carriers, which has served this country very well during the Cold War.

I have said for a while now, when one of our carriers sits in the middle of a AEGIS battle group, it is practically invincible. The current version of the AN/SPY radar can just about pick out a gnat's but (literally) from wave top to azimuth.

But when the question of the new super torpedoes comes up, will our Ford class carriers be able to withstand one of these speed demons? The Shkval Torpedo (VA-111) is a speedy little super-cavitating instrument of death which can travel up to (and maybe beyond) 200 mph. It was primarily designed to take out our Los Angles class attack submarines, so it did not need a huge warhead. And even though very fast, the warhead might be too small to break the keel of a Ford class carrier.

As we know, good news gets around. The Iranians, looking for an equalizer against our carriers, have built their own lethal torpedo. And this one is very fast also. The Iranian version is called the Hoot (Persian word for whale), also uses super-cavitation, and looks suspiciously similar to the Shkval torpedo. The Iranians brag this little puppy can max out around 220 mph. However, it too has a lighter warhead. 

Where is the world does all this lead? With torpedoes, speed and weight are at the opposite end of the spectrum. They can make these warheads heavier, where they can inflict more damage on a large ship, but then the torpedo will be slower and less stealthy. Since the Shkval has been around for a while, our war planners fully understand the pluses and minuses of how we will stack up against it with our newer ship classes.

By the way. We don't come to this game empty handed. Our Mk-50 torpedo is quite lethal, and if the need arises to build a speed demon like the Shkval or the Hoot, I am sure we are up to the task.

By the way, there are plenty of other things cooking in the kitchen right now. Rail guns, lasers, maybe even a particle beam gun. And that is just we what we know of. Just imagine what we have not heard of. Stuff so secret, its very existence is known but to a very few. Move over Buck Rogers. I am thinking the future might just be about now.    

Kill them all, let God sort them out!

"Obama would be blaming the NRA, the manufacturers of screws and nails, talk radio, or whatever. Not our new President. He has his sights set (figuratively and literally) on ISIS." 

Just when you might think things might be settling down in the War on Terror, the "losers" struck again. "Losers"? What is all this "loser" talk? We can thank our new President, Donald J. Trump. He not only refers to Islamic Terrorists as Islamic Terrorists (gasp!), he also has this new name for them. He was tempted to refer to them as monsters after yesterday's Manchester attack on the kids, but Trump thinks that is too kind. They are losers. Losers in life, and losers on their macabre decisions to end innocent life.

In the old days (during the Obama Administration), the credo of "never letting a crisis go to waste" would now be in effect. Obama would be blaming the NRA, the manufacturers of screws and nails, talk radio, or whatever. Not our new President. He has his sights set (figuratively and literally) on ISIS. 

It was right before the President left for his overseas trip. He gave the most ominous order to the Pentagon. He had to give it to General Mattis in Marine Corp jargon (so to speak) - "Kill them all, and let God sort them out!"

ISIS is to be looked at like having a pest in your house and you just called in the Orkin man. Or having cancer, and you about to get a dose of powerful chemo. General Mattis is to hunt ISIS down and kill them. Do not let them escape and go else where. Do not capture them and throw them in GITMO. Do not try and reform them. Kill them all. Every last one of them.

Wow! What a change an election makes! What we need now is for other countries to be filled with that same resolve. Prime Minister May, what say you? How about supplying some of your assets and troops to help with "project extermination". I think you owe it to the innocent children in your country who were just executed by these losers for the simple crime of seeing a concert.

The days of running to the United Nations are over. The days of writing bad guys a nasty letter are over. The days of threats are over. The days of not calling these guys out (or not even calling them by their name) are over. We are now in the days of annihilation. Of extermination. Of shoot on sight - and shoot to kill.

I don't want to sound numb, but the shock value of what this group of losers is capable of is starting to wear off. The anger however, is still there and deeper than ever. And the anger has turned into a resolve with our new President.

If you are a terrorist, pack your bags. You are about to go on a one way trip. You bought and paid for this trip by your heinous acts against humanity. I won't tell you to enjoy your trip, because you are probably not going to like what awaits you on the other side. Hint: It is not 72 virgins.


  

Donald of Arabia

"I really don't care if Trump becomes Trump in front of the Europeans. They don't like our new President anyhow. I do however, hope that Donald Trump keeps playing his 'A' game in Israel as well as the Vatican."

Well he did it. Much to the chagrin and surprise of those on the Left (not to mention the media). Donald Trump rode into Saudi Arabia on Air Force One, and conquered. Conquered what? Conquered the fear that many in the Middle East had that America, their one time great friend, was going to leave them high and dry and start playing footsie with the hated Iranians.

Whereas T. E. Lawrence (the real Lawrence of Arabia) was known as a liaison in the Middle East during the very messy Ottoman Empire days, Donald Trump did not go to Saudi Arabia to be a liaison - he went to be a fixer. Were the Saudis apprehensive about this new President who on the campaign trail threatened to put an end to Muslims entering the country? Not a bit. As one man on the street of Riyadh said, "That was just campaign talk."

When President Trump addressed a hall full of diplomats from Saudi Arabia and neighboring countries, he stuck to the script. He softened his tone about Islamic Terrorists, and put about three coats of paint on Iran for being the new Satan of the Middle East. The suppressed joy in that room was palpable. After being thrown under the bus for eight years, the Arab world finally believes that America has a President who "gets it".

In order to give everyone proper credit, Jared Kushner did a wonderful job in "plowing the road". He got the negotiation rolling with the Saudis as well as Lockheed Martin. He was able to get Lockheed Martin to lower the price of the THAAD, just enough to where it would fit into the Saudi's budget.

So President Trump flew out of Saudi Arabia with the following 1) This was the first time ever a President started a trip by visiting Saudi Arabia first. That was a strong message. 2) We have a $110B arms deal with the potential of it growing to $350B. Jobs, jobs, jobs. 3) The Saudis agreed to "pony up" more money and troops to provide for their own security. 4) The Arab world knows we have their back when it comes to Iran.

One more thing could come out of this trip. Now that he is in Israel, the President is getting another warm welcome. We have two strong allies in the Middle East who do not have relations with each other. Yes, it is important that Donald Trump tries to broker a deal with the Israel/Palestine issue. But there is more.

I think it is also important that "Donald of Arabia" tries to be the liaison that Lawrence of Arabia was. Having better relations between Saudi Arabia and Israel would be the cherry on the frosting for this trip. 

As the trip winds down, I really don't care if Trump becomes Trump in front of the Europeans. They don't like our new President anyhow. Plus they are a lost cause.

I do however, hope that Donald Trump keeps playing his "A" game in Israel as well as the Vatican. So far, so good. I just hope his staff keeps his Twitter Account on idle for a little while longer.   

Where is the love man???

"So I am asking my friends and friends I have not met as yet, to do us all a favor. Lets kick it up a notch on how we talk to each other. Yes, and please don't be bashful on calling me on it when I slip up."

There are times I just shake my head in amazement. Good, decent people saying the most awful things to each other. And it is usually over...(ready for this?)...POLITICS. Good flipping grief, and often times it is people on the same side of the political spectrum saying those awful things. 

I know right now some are sitting on the edge of their seat getting ready to call me all kinds of names that rhyme with hypocrite. And they would be right. I have done that also. But I am really trying to be better. True, I am a bit harsher on those on the other side of the political street. But I try not to be too harsh. The one who is taking most of my ire right now is our Governor. Why? He is holding my money hostage. And I want it back.

Anyhow, back to how we all treat each other. My good friend Ben always tells others that it is okay to disagree, but you can do it without being disagreeable. Or be respectful. I like having an exchange of ideas. I don't even care if a little emotion gets cooked in the conversation. That just shows passion for a position. But when it gets personal, loud, abrasive, or combative - time to stop. Just agree to disagree and shake hands (literally or figuratively).

Cutting a person down is just about the easiest thing in the world. Without too much effort, I could think of 10 to 15 things to say to a person to really ruin their day. But to what end? What have I accomplished if I did so. The Bible tells us in the book of Ephesians to edify each other. To build each other up. To let an unkind word go unsaid. To tear someone down just to build yourself up is just plain evil - and wrong.

A friend of mine just told me he has heard some very vile things said about Islam on social media. Hateful things. And he told me much of it was coming from the Right side of the street. If that is true, that is shameful. That is not how we roll. We are better than that.

Rush (when he was really heavy), always knew when he won an argument. Why? The other person would call him fat. The other person ran out of ideas how to beat Rush in the arena of ideas. Thus, the name calling.

So I am asking my friends and friends I have not met as yet, to do us all a favor. Lets kick it up a notch on how we talk to each other. Yes, and please don't be bashful with calling me out when I slip up. Life is too short, and this next election is way too important. Where is the love man? I hope right here.  

South Korea and Saudi Arabia

"On the campaign trail, candidate Trump told us he was going to get more financial cooperation from our allies. And now as President, he is doing it."

Today is the tale of two allies. Two different countries from opposite ends of the Earth. Two very wealthy countries. And two countries who do not have nukes, and are sitting in the cross-hairs of two hostile countries who either have nukes or will have soon.

Yesterday, while the Democrats and their pet lap dogs (that be the press) continue to try and find the "there, there" in the Trump/Russian connection, our President was in Saudi Arabia being the billion dollar man. Not talking about his personal wealth - I am talking about bringing home the bacon. And oh what bacon he is bringing home!

It is an arms deal worth about $100B with growth potential up to $350B! No matter which way you cut it, that is a whole lot of cheddar! Now as Paul Harvey would say, I am going to tell you the rest of the story.

It is not just "jobs, jobs, jobs" as the President said. It is having one of our allies who has wealth, stepping up to the plate for self defense. The Saudis are buying the THAAD system. That is a great idea to keep the Iranian missile threat in check. They are buying Littoral Ships. This is the new ship class the United States Navy has developed to fight close to shore. And they are buying precision guided munitions, so when they battle the Houthis in Yemen, the possibilities of collateral civilian damage will be minimized.

Now lets compare that attitude with our long time allie, South Korea. For the new President of South Korea, having the THAAD system recently installed on his soil was like giving him castor oil. In fact, there is a growing chorus in South Korea who think if we just left and took our troops and weapons with us, the entire peninsula could return to nirvana. Sunshine and butterflies would rule the day. 

Here is a news flash. We are only in South Korea for one reason. This "war" which technically only hit the pause button, would be "game on" again the moment we left. It would be a deja vu of Saigon and South Viet Nam falling to the Viet Cong again in the 1970's. Many in this country are starting to wonder why we are spending so much money over there and risking our precious blood and treasure. If they don't want us, we should leave.

I think President Trump and SOS Tillerson should invite the new President of South Korea to the White House to have "the talk". Tell him that South Korea still owes us for the sacrifices we made in the 1950's to keep South Korea from now looking like North Korea. They will not only accept the THAAD on their soil, but they will (as the Saudis have) pay for it. 

On the campaign trail, candidate Trump told us he was going to get more financial cooperation from our allies. And now as President, he is doing it. I have a feeling what we have seen in Saudi Arabia might only have been the tip of the iceberg. Nicely played sir, nicely played.  

Peeing where?!?

"Now before you think this is going to be tawdry or 'potty talk', please stay with me."

During my fishing days in Wisconsin, I would fish with a buddy who had a very nice "A" frame cabin with a nice deck out in front. Many trees kept it hidden from view, except from the fish and humming birds. Many years ago, my biddy found out his septic tank was on its last legs. To minimize flushing, in the morning when we first got up and during cocktail hour (when the need hit), we would pee off the deck. Over the years, we saved a whole bunch of flushes. Now before you think this is going to be tawdry or "potty talk", please stay with me.

I have been seeing more and more articles as of late (not written by kooks) which advocate peeing in the shower. For example, if you take a shower every morning and pee in the shower, you will save over 1,000 gallons of fresh, potable water every year (assuming you have a non-water saving toilet). With the water saving toilets, water saved by peeing in the shower would be about 600 gallons a year.

Why is that a big deal? I just addressed this issue earlier in the week. Our ability to have adequate fresh and potable water is starting to run out. 600 to 1,000 gallons of potable water going down the drain every year is a big deal.

One of the articles I read noted that currently 61% of all Americans pee in the shower, with that number going up all the time. Before you think this is too gross to mention, think of it this way. Experts say it is more hygienic, and the waste water from the shower as well as the waste water from the toilet end up in the same pipe anyway.

One more thing I should mention. Not too long ago, President Trump was talking to a female astronaut aboard the ISS. He asked her what kinds of things she was doing up there. She was very frank in her answer. They are trying to figure better ways to recycle pee to safely drink it as water. The President (I don't believe) was expecting that answer. "Better you than me", he joked. But this is a serious matter.

Unless we can come up with a space vehicle which can travel at a good portion of the speed of light, our journey to Mars will take many months. We can't take that much water in a space craft. It would weigh too much as well as take up too much room. So recycling is the name of the game. Since humans are mostly water, we give up moisture every time we exhale, when we sweat, cry, or pee. On a long space flight, as much of that water as possible needs to be reclaimed, processed and then re-used.

So the next you are in the woods, have a very large and concealed yard, or in the shower and feel the need to go - go ahead. However, please don't go on a street corner or in a public swimming pool - we can save water and still hold on to our decency.

Is there a "there, there"?

"We want him to get back to his agenda. We want him to make America great again. We can't do that if half the country still thinks there might be some 'there, there'."

One of my favorite expressions from Will Rogers is, "Never miss an opportunity to keep your mouth shut." As a teenager, I like many of us, did not have the right size filter on my mouth. Consequently, my mouth often times got me in trouble. In fact, it is so common that one's mouth can get them in trouble, it is addressed in the Bible. James 3:8 says the following: "but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison."

This past week, former President Obama was quoted in a news source by saying that President Trump is a "bullshitter". And that he might be. He is a salesman and developer from New York City. He grew up in a rough and tumble business where you take no prisoners. The grand prize is to make a lot of money, and the penalty for failure is usually bankruptcy. 

Many people I dealt with from the East Coast had the same characteristics. Self aggrandizement, embellishment, coarseness and as Obama put it, "bullshitting". It is the nature of the beast. However, this New York developer is now President of the United States. There is a lot of what he has to offer which got him that position. Non-political, rich enough to be owned by no person or no organization, and a nose for business. However, we are finding out there is another side to that coin.

First off, do I think President Trump has done something wrong enough to be impeached? Not a bit. There is no Russian connection and there was nothing improper about disclosing classified information about ISIS to Lavrov. If the classified information issue was improper, H. R. McMaster would have immediately resigned and "dropped a dime" on the President. But he said it was all proper and above board. There simply is no "there, there."

The single best things our President can do right now are the following:

• Fix the "deep state" problem which has plagued his Administration from the get-go with unauthorized leaks.
• Fill all open slots in the under cabinet positions. And fill them with trusted professionals.
• Augment the West Wing inner circle with trusted and experienced professionals. Using Trumps inexperienced son-in-law is probably not the best way to go.
• Now comes the first of the whoppers. GET RID OF THAT DAMN TWITTER ACCOUNT! Let the press secretary be the official mouthpiece for the Administration.
• Second whopper. Follow the Will Rogers advice. NEVER MISS AN OPPORTUNITY TO KEEP YOUR MOUTH SHUT! Once more, let the press secretary be the official mouthpiece for the Administration.

If he follows the above advice, I don't think it will stop the constant Trump Derangement Syndrome from the Left, but it sure will stop many of the self inflicted wounds the President suffers. 

We want him to get back to his agenda. We want him to make America great again. We can't do that if half the country still thinks there might be some "there, there".