A year to remember, a year to forget...

"Well, there it is. In a nutshell. The good, the bad, and the apathy. Here is an auld lang syne message for 2018. My slate is wiped clean. No hard feelings nor grudges remain for anyone. And more importantly, here is for a great 2019 - for every person, near and far."  

Every year on this day, I do what many of us do. Get retrospective as well as introspective. I think back on the year which is now wrapping up. The highs and the lows. If you don't mind some rambling thoughts, I will jot some of them down:

• Major Low - This past year my singular focus was working on the Jeff Johnson campaign. In my heart, I really did think this was the year. A normal Governor, a conservative, working with a Republican Senate for at least two years. Besides for Jeff, we had the best crop of Republican candidates I could ever remember. Then the unthinkable happened. I won't ruminate about this any longer. Getting our butt's handed to us in November, was by far, my biggest low for 2018.
• Low - Way too many funerals this year. Losing more friends and relatives seems to increase every year. Also sicknesses. More of our friends have been diagnosed with chronic or terminal illnesses. I know, I know. This is part of the cycle of life. But it does not get any easier to say goodbye to people we hold dear to our hearts.
• Low - Immigration. For some reason, this one issue seems to vex this country every single year. Right now, it has our nation split right down the middle. And sinister forces are spreading false truths in Central America and Mexico, about how easy it is to get into America. The President is resolute on solid solutions, but gets very little help from Democrats, the MSM, or establishment Republicans.
• Minor Low - Vikings. Instead of minor low, I should have said "constant low". The Minnesota Vikings is the team which keeps on giving year after year - disappointments.

• High - Having Cindy and Steve Yager come back home this summer for a visit. We hosted a party in our back yard for a bunch of the Yager's Minnesota friends. It was a beautiful evening, and everyone seemed to have a great time.
• Major High - Family. Now that my wife and I are done working, we delight in seeing how our kids are navigating their careers. Our family continues to be blessed beyond belief, and our two grandies give us pleasure and enjoyment just about every day. 2018 was a good year for health as well as zero bumps in career or family paths.
• High - For the second year in a row, we spent part of the winter in Florida. Always nice to be out of the ice box for a while. Frosting on the cake was watching the Super Bowl (played at US Bank Stadium), with our patio door open, and the gulf breezes coming into the condo.  
• High - Even though the election did not turn out well, my wife and I had the opportunity to meet some new folks. Many became friends, and some of our existing friends became closer. Friendship is something I never discount. I value good friends. The old saying, "make new friends, but keep the old - for one is silver and the other is gold", has never been more clear to me.
• Major High - Hey! For another year, we did not blow each other up! Cheers! Plus, what President Trump pulled off with North Korea is beyond amazing. Even though the President is taking fire from what seems to be all quadrants, stuff is getting done. Our "trade war" with China is long overdue, and good things will result from it once it is over. Finally, our military is back on its feet again after the drubbing it took under Obama.

• Who Cares? - I have to close out with this one. Did anyone notice the government was closed down? Does anybody really care? This issue ranks high in my apathy list. 
• Mega Who Cares? - The Mueller investigation. Enough said.

Well, there it is. In a nutshell. The good, the bad, and the apathy. Here is an auld lang syne message for 2018. My slate is wiped clean. No hard feelings nor grudges remain for anyone. And more importantly, here is for a great 2019 - for every person, near and far.   

When NASA dreamed big...

"Yes, there were days that NASA dreamed big. And when NASA dreams big, our youth also dream big. Today, NASA is more concerned with global warming and PC this or that, than true science. Oh well - what could have been."

Back in the early 70's, as the Apollo Program was winding down, NASA was replete with dreamers and doers. This was the dream team which answered President Kennedy's challenge to put a man on the Moon before the end of the 1960's. And against all odds - they did it. And did it again, and again, and over again, until the waning days of 1972, when Apollo 17 blasted off. That was the final time we set foot on the Moon.

A while back, one of the scientists who was involved with the Moon landings, was asked on a science program what the biggest bang for the buck was. In other words, was it worth going to the Moon just to bring back a few rocks? The scientist gave a polite grin and answered it this way, (if I may paraphrase a bit). "Going to the Moon allowed us to think like scientists. It allowed us to believe that just about anything was possible, in space or back on Earth. It started a well spring of young people with a renewed interest in the sciences." Bingo. And with that well spring, this nation was off and running, once again.

What some don't know, or maybe have forgotten, years after the Apollo Program ended, we had the chance for NASA greatness, once again. In 1989, twenty years after the first Lunar landing, and over a year before the first Gulf War, President Bush (41) announced the Space Exploration Initiative (SEI). It was a whopper of a program, and made the Apollo Moon landings look puny in comparison. 

The SEI was set out to send people to Mars. And not just decades away, but near term. It involved a do over on most of the existing space station. Bigger, better, and able to do some space construction on rocket parts. It also involved a Moon base to house astronauts while the final assembly was occurring on the massive Mars explorer. Basically, the SEI told NASA to reach for the stars in its dreaming and planning. So they did. And came up with a program costing $450B.

Needless to say, when this program, along with the price tag, was submitted to Congress, it went absolutely nowhere. DOA. It would have been the most expensive program since World War II. But what if? What if this nation took the challenge and did it anyhow, price tag be damned?

In 2019, we would have numerous bases on the Moon. Some for research, some for low gravity manufacturing, some for mining. We might even have a lift off area for launching from a low gravity location. Mars would be yesterday's news. We would also have a colony on Mars. Trips to the Moon, Mars and the Asteroid Belt would be so routine, they would barely make the paper.

Some might yell out, "Bird! You idiot! We can't spend that kind of money when we have so many needs here on Earth!" You mean, like spending almost $1T on Obama's stimulus program and coming up with spit? I would love to see what other technologies we would have today if we had taken that bold step in 1989.

Yes, there were days that NASA dreamed big. And when NASA dreams big, our youth also dream big. Today, NASA is more concerned with global warming and PC this or that, than true science. Oh well - what could have been.

Back to back trouble!

"Elections have consequences folks. We (not me) elected these morons. Now we will all have to live with the financial consequences of this past election. Your blind hatred of our President has allowed some of the biggest morons in the known universe to assume power. Heaven help us all." 

This really is the calm before the storm. Storm? What storm? THE BIG SNOW moving in? Not a bit. The storm called Walz. And even though we are in a "calm" as Mark Dayton begins to fade to black (politically), we still had a election which has given us a bunch of party hacks. And their reign of power starts in just a few short days. More on that later.

When Jeff Johnson was running for Governor, he warned us about Tim Walz. He told us he is a much bigger progressive than Dayton. I mean, Mark Dayton has been about as popular with conservatives as having a root canal. It was really hard to believe there was someone out there worse than Dayton. Then Tim Walz started to verbalize his vision for this state. His vision requires funding by quite a bit of what remains in your wallet. But why not? According to the progressives, all that money belongs to the state - not to you.

Christians believe that Heaven has streets paved with gold. Tim Walz wants our streets to be paved with your gold. Most Minnesotans look at the price of gas dropping close to $2/gallon with glee. It is about dang time! After all, we have now been called the Saudi Arabia of North America.

However - where we look at the price of gas with glee, Walz and his minions look at it with disdain. Why? They want more and more money for ALL of their transit projects, especially trains. PLUS - let us not forget about the scam of scams - global warming. Statists like Walz worship at the shrine of man-made climate change.

Oh, there is more. Robin Hood Walz and his merry band of taxers also are looking into some kind of mileage tax. So not only will we pay more for the gas we use, but then also the miles we drive using that newly taxed fuel. Oh - one more thing. He is also looking at taxing the producers of our fuel. Because he is a Democrat (never known for being bright), he fails to realize that taxes become a cost of doing business. Translation = they will be passed on to the consumers. That be you and me.

I would like to say it stops there, but it does not. The other day, it was reported that Melissa Hortman (the new power broker in the DFL controlled House), has a whole mitt full of legislation she is just dying to get passed, and then signed into law by Rocks and Cows. Hint = all of these items will grow government, as well as the cost to run it. More dollars down the drain, for a state which has recently been dubbed the worst state to live in (as far as taxes are concerned).

One final thought before I close this morbid posting out. The feds also have a new bunch of nut balls coming into Congress. They are highly emboldened, and are itching for a fight with the President. They all think the Golden Grail of government was the New Deal, followed up by the Great Society. So they want to introduce the Green New Deal. It will be the carbon tax on steroids. More on this next month after they unwrap it. In any event, it will be yet another cost driver.

Elections have consequences folks. We (not me) elected these morons. Now we will all have to live with the financial consequences of this past election. Your blind hatred of our President has allowed some of the biggest morons in the known universe to assume power. Heaven help us all. 

"Poor Me..." Ha!

"So once again President Trump does an end around the press. I love it! 'Poor me' - what a great idea! This trip caught everyone by surprise, and that is good. Not the safest place in the world to put our President."

He did it again! Nobody on Planet Earth is better at it than Donald Trump is. He plays the press like a pool player plays stripes and solids. The MSM really thought they had him this time. He was after all, becoming almost "Nixonesque". This alienated President sent his wife and youngest son down to Mar A Largo to celebrate Christmas, and this brooding President stayed in the White House all by his lonesome. He became so dour, so down in the dumps, he tweeted out "Poor me". He was all by himself, his government shut down, and his family was gone at Christmas. 

One small problem. It was all a rouse. A secret trip to visit the troops in Iraq had been in the planning for some time. Not only Iraq, but stopping by Germany on the way home to give the troops a Commander in Chief's "thumbs up". Just as the MSM was excoriating the President for not only acting like Nixon during Watergate, but also this President never went to visit the troops around Christmas time. 

Now he is back in a "shutdown" Washington, and a VERY successful trip is in the rear view mirror. Anything for the MSM press to carp about now? Besides their beloved government being shut down? Oh yes - the MAGA hats. The President had the GALL to autograph some MAGA hats for the troops. The press crying foul as that was "electioneering". The patriots respond with BS, as MAGA is the symbol of this Presidency, not the campaign. 

But the real question is, not what the Democrats thought, or what the MSM thought, what did the troops think? You mean besides shouting "USA, USA!" when he walked in the hanger? And the rousing cheers? To say the troops loved having him there is an understatement. This is a President who is not cutting the military (like Obama did for eight years), this is a President who is restoring the military through proper funding. To say this President has the military's back is nothing short of the truth.

So once again President Trump does an end around the press. I love it! "Poor me" - what a great idea! This trip caught everyone by surprise, and that is good. Not the safest place in the world to put our President. But he pulled it off, and the MSM has egg on their collective faces (again). MAGA!

Drugged out, once again

"Our best Christmas present to ourselves would be to save lives in 2019. Lives which will be snuffed out way too early by the curse of drug addiction. Closing the border would not stop all drug deaths, but it will stop some. Just saying..."

Bill Bennett was on one of the cable channels this morning. This former Drug Czar was talking drugs. Lots and lots of drugs. Like, how they get into our country. The two biggest culprits in his book? China for fentanyl, and our southern border for heroin and many other nasty things. Then he reminisced about what happened with our drug problem right after 9/11. Then all of a sudden, I had a moment of clarity.

Dr. Bennett reminded us that right after 9/11, we did not know who the enemy was who attacked us. So to be as safe as possible, we shut down air travel AND the southern border. Completely. The purpose was to keep anymore bad guys out who wanted to do us harm. What happened in reality when we shut the southern border, was we put a huge dent in the drug trafficking. The supply chain of drugs coming in from Mexico is so complete, to tight, that as soon as we shut down the border, the price of drugs in this country skyrocketed. Why? Supply and demand, baby!

Since the wall will not be built overnight, we can help the process along by immediately shutting down the southern border. Oh sure, Mexico will moan and wail, but guess what? They are part of the problem. A big part. They are unable to stem the tide of illegal drugs in their country. Tens of thousands have been killed in Mexico in drug wars. And Mexico KNOWS the ultimate destination of the drugs they are producing is the United States. So - shut it down. Now. 

Once Mexico takes ownership for the endless tide of illegals trying to cross into our country, once Mexico takes ownership for the tons of drugs which cross the border and murder our citizens, once Mexico takes ownership for the growing epidemic of human trafficking and sex trafficking which is crosses into our country - then we can re-open the border. Until then, give me a sound reason why it should be open.

Mexico, a land rich in natural resources, now acts like it is inches away from being a banana republic. A true third world country. If they want to be a trading partner of ours, they really need to step up their game. Dr. Bennett said the President's instincts in building a wall are spot on. Should have been done years ago. In fact (my opinion), we never should have re-opened the border after 9/11. 

Day 2 of the shutdown. No big thing. In fact (yawn), it is somewhat boring. Football games were played yesterday. We went and got out hair cut. We had friends over. Bottom line? Life goes on. And Christmas will come like it does on every year. Presents will be exchanged, people will travel to see relatives, and way too much food and drink will be consumed.

Our best Christmas present to ourselves would be to save lives in 2019. Lives which will be snuffed out way too early by the curse of drug addiction. Closing the border would not stop all drug deaths, but it will stop some. Just saying...

A message from the bunker...

"My real feeling about this "Christmas Shutdown"? Best Christmas present in years. If this could break the ugly cycle of constant CR's, it will all be worth it. Stay strong Mr. President. Once again, you have the Congress right where you want them - and you are in the driver's seat."  

Here I sit in my darkened bunker. I have my 12 gauge sitting across my lap. My portable radio is tuned to EBS. My generator is at the ready, but is not on as yet as we still have electricity. What is today? Today is DAY ONE of the dreaded "Trump" (as Chuck Schumer calls it) shutdown. What ever bad which will be visited upon this great nation by this cruel shut down, I am ready for it.

Well, that was fun. This is how bad the Democrats would like us to believe it is. You know - Armageddon or something like that. After all, without the precious federal government controlling every aspect of our lives, why go on living? Well, here is reality. Donald Trump may be excoriated by the MSM as well as the Loons on the Left, but this shutdown is just what the doctor ordered. 

Everyone is crying right now that this is no way to run a railroad. Washington is a mess. It is chaos in our fair capitol. Yes it is. But not because of the shut down. The shut down is only a symptom of the disease - not the disease itself. The disease is called "not getting your Constitutionally mandated work done in time". Not just this year - most years. Yes, the media can scream and caterwaul about Donald Trump all they want, but they are shouting into an empty room. The real culprit remains Congress. Period.

If I were Donald Trump, I would tell the Congress two things. First, show me a funding bill which has (at a minimum) $5B for the wall and border security. And second, this must be part of the final funding bill for GFY 19. No more CR's. Ever. That was the campaign promise, and now the President has them right where he wants them. Why? The bottom line is until the President gets a bill which fits Article One of the Constitution, which funds the government for what the federal government is only suppose to do, which does not explode the deficit with a bunch of nonsense, the President does not have to sign anything. Until he signs a legit bill, the government stays shut down.

But standing strong on this issue has its problems. Mostly from the camera hungry Democrats as well as the lap dog media. Soon, the stories will come out about widow and orphans going hungry due to the shut down. People dying in the street due to no medical care. Veterans going without much needed paychecks. Kids crying at Christmas as they sit under Christmas tress with no presents. Boo hoo! 

My real feeling about this "Christmas Shutdown"? Best Christmas present in years. If this could break the ugly cycle of constant CR's, it will all be worth it. Stay strong Mr. President. Once again, you have the Congress right where you want them - and you are in the driver's seat.  

Turning into a pumpkin at midnight...

"I think tonight I will try to stay awake until midnight. I need to find out if anything will turn into a pumpkin. According to the Democrats and media, the sky will start to fall. According to the citizens and patriots, it will just be another day." 

Once again, the only person in Washington with a pair of you know whats, is going to save the day. After months of quibbles and whining, the House FINALLY put almost $6B of funding in the latest CR for wall funding. And the Senate? What about them? After all, the clock is ticking. If they don't agree with the House version by midnight, we will all turn into pumpkins. Or the government will shut down. 

So, let me address this issue head on. And I will take the liberty to speak for tens of millions of citizens and patriots. One short sentence - Who gives a rat's butt? There - I said it. Case closed. NOBODY CARES if the government shuts down. It is always a farce. Why? Because it never really shuts down. Oh, some non-essential parts will, but again - so what?

If I were playing poker with Donald Trump, I would see his bet and then raise him. Not only would I shut down the government over insufficient wall funding, I would shut it down over the use of CR's. After all, candidate Trump did tell us that he would not tolerate the use of CR's to run the government. Congress is mandated by Article One of the Constitution to have a BUDGET in place for the fiscal year no later than October 1st of that year. In anyone's language, CR's don't cut it.

Actually, if you don't mind a rant or two on this subject, I will continue. As important as border security is, adhering to the Constitution is more so. Congress had ALL YEAR to prepare the GFY 19 budget - and failed to get it done. As President, Trump as nothing to lose. The Democrats hate him, and stand ready to impeach him. The establishment Republicans resent him. The media has a seething antipathy for each and every thing he does. So - the President should shut the government down UNTIL he has a viable GFY 19 budget on his desk. 

President Trump said after he got snookered by the Democrats into signing a garbage bill for GFY 18 - NEVER AGAIN! Well Mr. President - consider this your "never again" minute. Stand firm and don't sign a bill unless it contains adequate funding for border security as well as everything else need to fund the government for the entire fiscal year. I mean, quite a bit of the funding is already in place. Finishing this up should be as easy as falling off a log, right? Ya, right.

I think tonight I will try to stay awake until midnight. I need to find out if anything will turn into a pumpkin. According to the Democrats and media, the sky will start to fall. According to the citizens and patriots, it will just be another day. 

In the year 2025, if man is still alive...

"Oh yes - the down side. What if we decide, just for the hell of it, to blow each other up first? You know we can do it. We have been able to do it for years. Or an EMP strike. Boom - dreams ended. That can happen - but will we let it?"

If you went out and bought a new car next month, and financed it on a six year note (common these days), your car would be paid off in the year 2025. Six years. Or, 72 months. Or, 312 weeks. But in that six years, a lifetime of change is going to take place. Changes most futurists can only scratch the surface on imagining. But we know this much - it will be a wonderful, and exciting time to be alive - that is, if we don't kill each other first.

Just look at our homes for example. The IoT (Internet of Things) will be ubiquitous in every aspect of our living. Rudimentary AI devices like Alexa or Google Home will still be around, only not a bit rudimentary. They will be high order. 

Many other devices will have entered what will soon be a crowded home AI field. With them, you will have total control of your house, no matter where on Planet Earth you are. Home security will be just about "trump tight". Miniature cameras, sensors, alarms - will all be activated from the moment you step out your door, until the second you return.

While at home, your home AI will be the workhorse in orchestrating all of your IoT devices. All electrical outlets will have "smart" technology built into them. Your home AI will control lighting, the amount of lighting, the heat and/or air conditioning, communications, media, kitchen appliances and so forth.

A growing portion of the power for your home will come from the newest solar technology. Using nanotechnology, efficient solar collectors will be embedded in your homes roofing. They will be durable, protected and - efficient. The rest of the power required to power your home will come from the community smart grid. 

At night when you go to bed, sensors within your bedding will detect your breathing, heart rhythm, blood pressure and temperature. If your heart shows afib, or your blood pressure spikes, or if your breathing shows sleep apnea, that data will be sent immediately to a heath center. All other information will be stored in your home's data center, to be used when you see a physician for a routine, or emergency physical. 

Then - for the first time since it was envisioned, "on demand" will truly mean "on demand" in entertainment. Like I have said, many years ago at IBM, this is the model they envisioned for entertainment and software.

Home entertainment centers will be common in most houses with enhanced Dolby sound, 8K or 3D visuals, as well as "sensory" enhancements. Just about any show, or any movie ever made, will be available. Most will have been remastered with the most current technology. Besides entertainment, the home media centers will be used for learning and education. The amount of information contained on the internet in 2025 will be beyond comprehension.

Oh yes - the down side. What if we decide, just for the hell of it, to blow each other up first? You know we can do it. We have been able to do it for years. Or an EMP strike. Boom - dreams ended. That can happen - but will we let it?

An apology to Zager and Evans. I love your song, and would never try to steal from it. However, 2025 is 500 years different than 2525. But I love your theme - "if man is still alive". Today, that is not histrionics - that is a real fear. But I want to be here when that mythical car I bought is paid off in 2025. That is, if I can also handle the change.

  

Born (not) to lead...

"I will quote one person whose post I read on social media today. He was so frustrated about caving on the wall funding, all he could say was this - 'Time to bunker up'. It might be time to get yellow vests and take to the streets folks. Without ourselves to protect our interests, we have nothing."

Somebody once told me Republicans make the best minority party in the world. They are great at figuring out how to throw road blocks in front of the Democrat when the Blue Team is in control. Then they know how to fight light heck to win the next election. How? By convincing the masses they have the better idea. The better mousetrap. Then they win. They are in control. And then - nothing. They seem to have forgotten what it is like to lead. Or how to lead.

Let me first say I am excluding President Trump from this diatribe. As a long time successful CEO, he knows how to lead. How to win. But no man is an island. He can't take on the Democrats and the establishment Republicans 24 X 7. Nobody can.

So where are we right now? The current Congress, which I was going to refer to as "lame duck" Congress, is about done. I hesitate to call this Congress "lame duck", as I have too much respect for ducks to do so. In any event, this Congress is getting ready to limp home for Christmas break.

Then once the holidays are over, the new Congress will be sworn in. I have gone from fear and trepidation about this new Congress, to apathy. Actually, it will be hard to tell the difference from the current Congress to the new Congress. Both will probably go down in history as being as useless as ice cubes at the North Pole.

Two years. Two years - we had control over EVERYTHING. The wall could have been funded. Health care could have been fixed. Entitlements could have been reformed. The list goes on and on and on. But no. The visceral hatred aimed at this outsider, who dared invade the sacred confines of "the Washington Club", was too much. Like I said, Donald Trump can do a lot, but he can't fight the enemy, and fend of friendly fire at the same time. 

One of my good friends back home in Minnesota said about this about the Republicans losing control of the State House - "This comes as no surprise they did not get re-elected. What did they have to run on? Accomplishments? They didn't do anything but grow government, only slightly slower than the Democrats do." Bingo! The same could be said for the Congress. What did they do to merit re-election? Saying they are slightly better than the Democrats does not cut it. 

Meanwhile, get ready. The socialists will be coming after every dollar they can find which is not nailed down. Who is our Little Dutch Boy who can put this fingers in the dike? The Senate? Yes, the Republicans still have control, but so what? Mitch the turtle? The man with no spine and no balls? That is what we are hanging our hat on?

I will quote one person whose post I read on social media today. He was so frustrated about caving on the wall funding, all he could say was this - "Time to bunker up". It might be time to get yellow vests and take to the streets folks. Without ourselves to protect our interests, we have nothing. 

Our Indefatigable Voyagers

"I know many of us have been very hard on NASA in the past. I know I have. But they have done some wonderful things. Amazing things. The Voyager Program is only one of them." 

Who would have thunk it? I mean, these two mechanical explorers we launched from Earth in 1977. That was a long, long time ago. I had barely graduated from college, and was working at my first company. My wife and I just celebrated our third anniversary by buying a "starter home" in Coon Rapids. The Vikings played in their last Super Bowl that year. The state of our technology was like cave man era, compared to what it is today. And yet - not only did we land on the Moon in 1969, we also launched the two Voyagers in 1977 which - are still operating today.

Talk about exceeding expectations! Not only have they zipped by many planets and their moons, not only have they collected a boat load of data, they have been able to "phone home" all that data to NASA. And now, as they would say on Star Trek, they have entered a place where no man, no Earth launched machine,has ever ventured -  Interstellar Space. 

And then what? Well, there is a whole bunch of the Milky Way to travel through. As even though they are screaming away from Earth at a speed of almost 40,000 mph, they will only be halfway to our closest star in a mere 40,000 years. In other words, the days of learning new stuff using the Voyagers might be about over. Or is it?

One of the greatest unsolved mysteries of our solar system "neighborhood" Is the Oort Cloud. This massive sphere of space debris starts at the edge of our solar system and stretches out into interstellar space. Many astronomers believe the bulk of the comets which take a trip by the sun, might start their trip in the Oort Cloud. And some scientists think this cloud might contain a whole lot of space debris like comets and asteroids and mini planets. How much debris? Some think the cloud might contain a couple of trillion pieces of space junk or debris. 

Since NASA is hopeful now these Voyagers could still phone home until 2025 or so, maybe they could learn one more secret to share with us. Up to now, all the knowledge we have on the Oort Cloud is theory. Maybe the Voyagers can give us something more than just theory. Time will tell.

The new mechanical explorers which NASA has on the drawing boards will be quite a bit different than the Voyagers. Their max speeds will a lot faster than 40,000 mph. Some feel that using a solar sail, powered by laser bursts, these new explorers could travel four times as fast as the Voyager. Other scientists are looking for the "golden fleece" of space travel. A propulsion system which will allow our mechanical explorers to travel up to half the speed of light. Even with that speed, it would take 8 years to reach our closest star. 

I know many of us have been very hard on NASA in the past. I know I have. But they have done some wonderful things. Amazing things. The Voyager Program is only one of them. Keep it up NASA. Many of us down here on Terra firma like the "wow factor". We are ready to be wowed once again.  

5G, IoT and 4K

"Can you see the future? It is peeking at us from 2019. In 2020, things will start to really accelerate. The five years from 2020 to 2025 will be a time like nobody has ever seen before."

What kind of a mumbo jumbo title is that Bird? Well, it is a we bit about some major changes which are either here, or coming in 2019 or 2020. BTW - 2019 is just days away. When I say changes, this is all part of the big change in how we live out lives which will take place between now and 2025. It really is starting to come together.

By now most of us have heard the term "5G". It is supposed to be the biggest thing in cellular phones since, well, since they were invented. But hold on for just a second. 5G will not only juice up your cell phone like nobody's business, it will also breath some real life into the emerging IoT (Internet of Things) technology.

And if you don't think this 5G innovation is going to be the "big shebang" for the cellular phone companies, you should see how much money they have, and are now investing. According to a Business Technology report dated this month, by the time the entire roll-out is finished sometime in 2020, 5G manufacturers worldwide will have invested well over $1T. In anybody's language, that is a whole bunch of money.

What? All this just to make your phone faster? And the networks more capable? Yes and no. It will make your phone faster. And it will make your network much more capable. Not by a little bit, but a lotta bit. 100 to 1,000 times so (according to some experts). But the real prize is in the IoT arena. With 5G up and running by 2020, manufacturer Ericsson estimates there will be 50 million things connected via IoT. Cars, things in your home, computers, and so forth. IoT, as well as AI is when many futurists believe we will have crossed the Rubicon into the brave new world of digital everything. 

I can't close this out without saying a word or two about 4K, as in computer or TV lingo. While we were busy living our lives, most, it not all, of the new TVs sold have been upgraded to 4K technology. That is good and bad. Good because much of the streaming you can get right now is in 4K. Bad in that most of the channels you get off of cable still do not support 4K. Most of the new computer screens do support 4K. Well then, what about 8K? According to some I have talked to, it will fizzle. The human eye will not be able to discern that big of a difference between 4K and 8K. 

Can you see the future? It is peeking at us from 2019. In 2020, things will start to really accelerate. The five years from 2020 to 2025 will be a time like nobody has ever seen before. If you are a change agent, you will love it. If you are adverse to chance, you might need to take some new meds.   

Wither Downtown????

"For those of us who do not have rose colored glasses on, it is as clear as a bell. Wither downtown? Only in the history books, my friend."   

It was not too long ago, there was an article in the media bemoaning the fact that retail is fleeing downtown Minneapolis. WHAT??? You are kidding! Put me in a time machine, and send it back fifty or sixty years. It was fun to hop on the old 5C (yes, I still remember the MTC bus number) and take the ride from Robbinsdale into downtown Minneapolis. Back then, it was so easy, so safe to ride the city buses, I was allowed to do it by myself or with friends when I was in Jr. High. 

Once downtown, it was a thrill. Stores galore. Stuff to do. My Mother worked part time in the office in the downtown Dayton's. When I would go downtown, I would stop up to visit her. Sometimes, she would treat me by taking me to the Sky Room for lunch - very fancy, and very fun. I would then go to Donaldson's, Penny's, and some of the lesser known stores to kick around. When I was finished shopping and exploring, I would hop on the 5C and ride it back to Robbinsdale.

Today - Dayton's, Donaldson's, and JC Penny's are all gone from the downtown scene. Many city leaders have tried to revive SOME kind of retail in downtown, but all have failed. Today in the paper, it was reported that even the fast food joints have also deserted this Lefty paradise. Why? Labor cost is one issue. That $15/hour specter which is hanging over many businesses. Plus the clientele. With the growing number of homeless, drifters and gangs, a fast food joint makes for a good magnet to attract trouble.

What is left downtown to make it livable? High end this, high end that. Great for the Yuppie class. Bad for the minimum wage class. Want to buy groceries? Good luck with that one. By the way - the City Council wants the residents to gear up to be a car-less town. So if you don't have a Cub Foods close by where you live (and there are precious few in town), enjoy your expensive natural food co-op. I suppose you could take a choo-choo or a bus to buy your food. That is, if you don't mind riding with a bunch of gang-bangers.

The Utopians, whose eyes glaze over when thinking about how wonderful Minneapolis will be when it is "racked and stacked" (and compliant with Thrive 2040), are in for a rude awakening. Why? You can't make a silk purse out of a cow's ear. The good news? The new minimum wage will be $15/hour. The bad news? There will no place to work which hires low skilled labor. All the jobs in downtown will be Yuppie centered, as will be the housing. The net result? Minneapolis will become more and more hollowed out. 

The glory days of Dayton's, Mary Tyler Moore and Lou Grant are relegated to the dust bin of history. Those of us who can remember those days, have good memories of those days gone by. When downtown was normal. The future of downtown however, looks dystopian, and anything but normal.

For many who do not have rose colored glasses on, it is as clear as a bell. Wither downtown? Only in the history books, my friend. Only in the history books.  

Living in the land of felons

"Pay close attention as to what is going on in St. Paul this coming year folks. Make sure your representative is up to speed on this issue. If we are not careful, we will end up being just like New Jersey. How so? We too, will be living in a land of felons..."



The one thing I will say for the snowflakes we elect to higher office is simply this - life must be wonderful living in a land of rainbows and unicorns. However, if a snowflake wants to govern in the land of "realville", he or she is going to have some difficultly. Here is a classic example. In New Jersey, under the tutelage of their new snowflake Governor, and using a complacent Democratic legislature to pull this off, an utterly stupid gun law was passed. And this gun law makes instant felons out of hundred of thousands of previous law abiding citizens. 

In New Jersey, it is now illegal to own a mag which holds over 10 rounds. Period. End of story. If you are found to be in possession of such, you could be cited and/or arrested. Here is the problem. MOST 9 mm handguns (unless they are the light "carry" type), have mags which hold more than 10 rounds. Since the 9 is a smaller round, it is easy to find mags which hold around 15. In addition, even though the 40 cal has a slightly larger round, it is also common (unless it is the smaller "carry" type) to find mags which hold slightly more than 10 rounds. 

It seems the Second Amendment citizens of the Garden State are giving the "Hawaii Good Luck" sign to the Governor (that be the middle finger for you young folks). Even many of the cops (when off duty), have mags which exceed 10 rounds. Question - what to do? Get search warrants for all who have carry permits and try and confiscate their illegal mags? Build new prisons to house these newly minted felons? Or (gasp) rescind this STUPID law?

Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the slippery slope. If you don't think something stupid like this can happen here in Minnesota, you were not listening to Mr. Rocks and Cows when he was on the campaign trail. He is one of a legion of socialists who would love to clip the wings of gun owners. If the gun grabbers have their way, soon just going to a gun range will be as risky as going to a speakeasy was in the 1930's. By the way - prohibition did not work out very well then either. 

Many of the gun owners I have talked to agree on one very salient point. Not one inch. That is how much we will give up to the gun grabbers. Nada. Nothing. If anything, the gun owners want more rights. Like "stand your ground", or "constitutional carry". That would be progress. Restrictions on the size of mags is the just the opposite of progress. 

Pay close attention as to what is going on in St. Paul this coming year folks. Make sure your representative is up to speed on this issue. If we are not careful, we will end up being just like New Jersey. How so? We too, will be living in a land of felons...

The farm bill fiasco

"But everyone who is honest knows the farm bill is a mess, and is every four years. Nobody however, has the intestinal fortitude to fix it." 

How does Washington work? Not very well, I am afraid. Bet that is a surprise. Kind of like saying that water is wet. The latest example of the entropy that Washington exists in, is the long awaited "farm" bill. Excuse me for putting farm in quotes. But it seems like this monster of a bill has everything in it but the kitchen sink. Farm stuff? Maybe a little bit - but not much.

The frosting on the cake was to punish Saudi Arabia for what they are doing in Yemen. Stop supplying support so that Saudi can try and stem the tide of what the Iranians are doing over there. But of course, this goes deeper than that. It is about the Crown Prince. About what the CIA believes he orchestrated. You know - the dismembering and painful death of Jamal Khashoggi.

And food stamps. Why on Earth (I ask this all the time), are food stamps and nutritional programs in a farm bill? Should this not just be about farming? But it never is. For example, the last farm bill (they last four years) which was signed in 2014, was almost 1,000 pages long, and worth almost a trillion dollars. Like the one which just passed through the House, it too was a mess. And of the total, $756B was for SNAP (food stamps) and other nutritional programs.

There are other things in this bill which have nothing to do with agriculture. Out state broadband. Huh? Mental health support for farmers. Again, huh? In other words, once again we have allowed a bill to become a Hodge podge of garbage. A true omnibus mess. But to vote against this insanity would be perceived to be voting against farmers.

Maybe in 2022, when the farm bill once again comes up for renewal, President Trump will be in his second term and we will have a conservative Congress. I know - figure the odds. But everyone who is honest knows the farm bill is a mess, and is every four years. Nobody however, has the intestinal fortitude to fix it. So, the SNAP Program continues to be one of the most fraud riddled programs in the country. And nobody can stem that tide. Our money, going up in flames.

Want to get elected and go fix Washington? Good luck with that one! Many have tried, all have failed. Bills like the farm bill are juggernauts. They seem to have a life of their own. Donald Trump is trying to change Washington, and look at the headwinds he is facing. So, enjoy the farm bill folks. We all paid for it, we all own it, we are all stuck with it.     

"Water always wins..."

"Drip, drip, drip. The leak will not stop. It will only get worse. It is hard to believe our country is the same one which saved the world in World War II. If we had the current Democrats in charge in the 1940's, we would all be speaking German or Japanese right now, and human rights would have no meaning anywhere on this planet."     

Years ago, we had one of our favorite plumbers out to the house to fix a slow leak. I had struggled with it for months, but could not get the leak to fully stop. When the plumber arrived, he explained it was the fitting itself which was shot, and not the "O" rings. He would need to replace the fitting to really fix the leak. Being somewhat frugal, I asked him what would happen if I just put up with the slow leak instead. He said, "Over time it will get worse, and more water will come to be in a place where you don't want it." Then he looked at me with a glint, "The plumbers cardinal rule is - water always wins".

I have been thinking about that saying as of late. Do I have a plumbing problem again? I hope not! We do however, have a "drip, drip, drip" down at our southern border. Even though we have stopped the caravan per se, there is a problem with keeping them all out of the country. With no new and improved wall, with an almost endless border, with determined illegals trying (on a daily basis) to breach our border, I am afraid the illegals will outlast us. And the longer this goes on, the more pressure the Loony Left will put on the Administration to just "give it up".

With a length of 1,954 miles, across all kinds of desolate terrain, it is the most frequently crossed border in the world. Will Donald Trump's $25B wall fix this issue? Not a bit. Not even close. But it will help. Is it possible to make this almost 2,000 mile stretch of land totally impenetrable from illegal crossings? Probably not. Not enough tea in China to pay for it. 

What is another solution? I think we have become way, way too lenient with companies, no matter the size, who knowingly hire illegals. Make the penalty painful, very, very painful. Mayors or Governors who declare their jurisdiction are "sanctuary" - send in the federal marshals to have them arrested. I mean, enough is enough! What am I saying? Part of the problem is on the Mexican side of the border. The other part of the problem is on this side of the border. 

And this drug thing is driving me nuts. It was just disclosed at the El Chapo trial, he was sending tons of product over the border in empty oil cars. For years! We may want to give drug users a pass, and not incarcerate them, but anyone selling drugs either flips on who supplied the drugs, or go to prison for a minimum of five years. Again, a big part of the problem is on our side of the border.

To me, border security is a whole bunch of things besides the wall. An common thread with of all of these items however is missing. It is how resolute we are. If we accepted border security as a national security issue, and treated it as such, our border would have been more secure years ago. However, if they let the blue goof balls continue to make a political statement of this issue instead, we are all in growing danger. 

Drip, drip, drip. The leak will not stop. It will only get worse. It is hard to believe our country is the same one which saved the world in World War II. If we had the current Democrats in charge in the 1940's, we would all be speaking German or Japanese right now, and human rights would have no meaning anywhere on this planet.     

Emboldened Idiots

"I am thinking that many in the sheeple class will soon have buyer's remorse with the government they voted for." 

The useful idiots are back! Well, that is not really true. Why not? They never left in the first place. But guess what? After having them locked up for a while, they have been sprung. In fact starting next month, they will be calling the shots. This clown car, this menagerie of misfits, will be governing the country as well as our state. And this year, besides being only idiots, they are also emboldened.

The emboldened idiots feel it is time to make things right. Teach the "neanderthal class" a lesson or two. By the way, the "neanderthal class" are the citizens and the patriots. Just recently, Senator Hirono said Democrats are so cerebral (my word), so smart (her word), they have trouble connecting with ordinary voters. You know, us knuckle draggers. And Tom Perez, the DNC Chair, said the Right gets way too much information from the church. Well spoken from the party of the secular gods.

They have promised to hit the ground running. In Minnesota, the gas tax will be issue number one. Mr. Rocks and Cows wants to have a sizable increase in our gas tax. He figures as a "green" statist, this will discourage driving and use the extra revenue to build more bike trails and choo-choo trains. We can't have gasoline at $2.25. We need it at $2.75 - or higher. How will the folks handle this? Some will shrug their shoulders and soldier on. Others will put on yellow or blaze orange vests, and take to the streets. A bit of Paris, maybe?

The gun grabbers will be next. They HATE our carry laws. What they want more than a stocking full of goodies Christmas morning, is to reign in these gun toting rednecks. They will try anything, and everything. More background checks, smaller mags, no AR-15 long guns, excise tax on bullets, limited number of guns or ammo in possession, and then - the golden fleece. The gun rights killer - "Red Flag" laws. That puts us all one step away from pure confiscation. 

Of course on the federal level, the goofballs who always gave Bill Clinton and Obama a pass, are fired up to start impeachment proceedings on Donald Trump. And just to show all of us these emboldened idiots can walk and chew gum at the same time, they will also look to reverse the Trump tax cuts, defund ICE, and open the borders. Then get us signed up to the Paris Climate Accord.  Oh yes - there are gun grabbers also, embedded with these idiots.

I am thinking that many in the sheeple class will soon have buyer's remorse with the government they voted for. "Hey! That was not supposed to affect us! One the rich!" Guess what kids? In the eyes of the emboldened idiots - you are rich. Now shut up, and pay up!

I am not even going to go into this who "elections have consequences" again. There was no deception here. These socialists told us EXACTLY what they were going to do. And yet - they won by a large measure in many of the races. Now we are stuck with no adults in the room. It is going to be a long and expensive two years.   

Proud to be an American

"If watching that game did not send shivers up your spine, make you stand a bit taller, make you feel a bit prouder, you might not have been watching the same game as I did." 

I guess I have been writing quite a bit as of late about some of the nut balls who are trying to take this country off its tracks. The slow trickle of stories such of that has turned into more of a flood. But yesterday was something different. It was a strong shot in the arm of some much needed hope. What was it? A simple football game between two of the nation's finest military institutions. The Army-Navy game. Or was it just a football game?

It was a group of young men and women, some in their late teens, some in their early twenties, who excelled enough in academics and/or sports to be selected to attend West Point or Annapolis. These are simply some the best and the brightest lights this nation has. Then for one day in December, with everyone decked out in their dress uniforms, Army and Navy became rivals on the gridiron. For one day. Then once the game was over (yes, Army won again), all of these young people, who had been cheering for their respective service, were once again brothers and sisters in arms.

It was America as it should be. Nobody knelled during the anthem to protest our flag. Nobody was irreverent during the chaplain's wonderful prayer. Everyone was - well, respectful. President Trump was there, and was greeted with the cheers and respect which every American President should get.

But who are these young people? The ones about as American as a Norman Rockwell painting? They are the ones, if duty calls them to do so, who will have the responsibility to lead troops into battle. They will protect this country, our way of life, and our Constitution with every breath they breathe. Yes, if need be, they will lay down their lives to protect - us.

They did not have to choose the military. All of these young people were bright enough, accomplished enough, they could have done just about anything they wanted. But they chose this path. The path of service. Some will do their allotted time, and then leave for the civilian world. Some will stay for a career. A few will rise all the way to the top. Some will earn medals for bravery and valor on the battlefield. And a few may end up in either Walter Reed hospital or a federal cemetery.  

I loved watching the game yesterday. I loved when the camera panned over the sold out crowds. Heck, even many of the commercials were service related, and done very well. Yes, I rooted for the Navy. I even got involved in some pre-game banter with friends who were Army fans. It is all good fun.

But who really won the game? Was it Army for the third year in a row? Yes, Army did rack up more points than Navy did. But who really won - was us. America. If watching that game did not send shivers up your spine, make you stand a bit taller, make you feel a bit prouder, you might not have been watching the same game as I did. 

God bless these young people. May God bless and protect them and the men and women they will lead in peace as well as war. And most of all, may God continue to bless our wonderful country. 

Behold! The ungovernable masses...

"I don't know what the answer is. But it am looking forward to 2019 with a great deal of trepidation rather than excitement. So much for Auld Lang Syne...."  

Anyone who can't see this one coming, is either not paying attention or very naive. Seriously. People all over the world are starting to become ungovernable - including right here in the United States. If you don't like the election results, screw them! Take to the streets! Acquiesce to the leaders? To the government? No flipping way! 

As usual, all eyes are on the United States. How we do things. We are after all, the great American Experiment. And the Experiment has worked well for centuries. That is - until recently. I have penned about this before. I believe the wheels started getting a bit loose in our republic right after the Bush 41 term. That is when the White House became sullied. And very classless.

What do I mean? In the note which George Bush left for Bill Clinton, the last sentence read, "I am rooting hard for you." Class act. However, when Clinton left the White House before Bush 43 came in, Clinton's staff took all the "W" keys off the typewriters. You know - to poke Bush 43 in the eye a bit, for beating their heir apparent, Al Gore. 

Then during the eight years of Bush, the social fabric started to unravel. "Not my President!" was the cry coming up from the Left. "Take to the streets!", cried the precursor groups to Antifa. I was at a Bush 43 rally in St. Paul towards the end of his term. Dozens of filthy grubs in black t-shirts were in the streets shouting insults and obscenities at the Bush supporters. All the black t-shirts had the same thing printed on them - "F... Bush". No respect for our President. None. It was disgraceful.

The Right however, did NOT return the favor under Obama. They never took to the streets. Sure they criticized him often for trashing our Constitution. But they never practiced civil unrest. Then Obama's term was up, and once again someone from the outside beat their heir apparent champion - Hillary. After two years of Donald Trump, we are only one step away from France. Total mayhem and entropy. Think it is bad now? Just wait until the socialists take over Congress in January.

Today, it is not just Antifa. It will be the patriots and the citizens also. The people who love this country will be in hand to hand combat with those who either change it from what the Founders intended, or tear it down completely. This is not like watching the Army-Navy football game, where the teams play hard, and shake hands as brothers once the game is over. This contest between the Right and the Left will be for all the marbles. Our very republic is at stake.

There are no "healers" whom we can elect as President that can heal our fissures and cracks. We don't want to be healed. We want to eviscerate the other side. Get rid of them. Both sides feel that way. 

As we stumble forward into 2019, the world will watch and wonder. With the Euro Zone starting to fray and the United States taking their disputes to the streets instead of Washington, what will be the next step? One world government? Big Brother? Or one giant politburo with gulags springing up everywhere. 

I don't know what the answer is. But it am looking forward to 2019 with a great deal of trepidation rather than excitement. So much for Auld Lang Syne....