Casting a long shadow

"Jeff Johnson has been referred to as Minnesota's Scott Walker. As much respect as I have for Governor Walker, I disagree with that statement. I think Jeff will be better than Governor Walker. Better by a long shot. Get ready Minnesota. We could be on the cusp of greatness once again."   

He does cast a long shadow, does he not? After all, Allen Quist ran for Governor in 1994 against a purple Arnie Carlson. The party faithful decided a good, decent Christian man was a whole lot better than the liberal, pro-choice Arnie Carlson. So Quist won the primary. "Not so fast", Arnie said. "We will see you on the primary battlefield". Then Arnie took his money and his wide spread name recognition to the hinterlands and beat Allen Quist in the primary. 

Why do I bring this up? The long shadow of Allen Quist. I have been waiting to see how long it would take someone to draw the analogy from 1994 (almost 25 years ago) to today. And they have. It is like the new Arnie Carlson in this race is the old Tim Pawlenty. Too liberal to win the endorsement (as Arnie was), TPaw will use the name recognition he received as Governor (as Arnie did), to go out into the hinterland and woo the masses. 

Well that was then and this is now. As Dylan says, "The times they are a changing". The person some are trying to equate with Allen Quist is Jeff Johnson. Nice try on that one. Not to besmirch Mr. Quist, but Allen Quist and Jeff Johnson are quite different from each other. In fact, they are as different from each other as Tim Pawlenty and Arnie Carlson are similar to each other. 

BTW - just a bit more history. In 1990, Arnie became our 37th Governor due to the endorsed candidate slipping up in this personal life. The party did not endorse Arnie in 1990, and as a sitting Governor in 1994, the party did not endorse him then either. They endorsed Allen Quist in 1994. Why? Lets just say that Arnie did not fit the suit which was hanging in the closet. But oh that name recognition! Now that was a winner!

Here is the long and the short of it for 2018. Donald Trump is our President and is on a red hot path right now. The country is healing form Obama by leaps and bounds. Our own little corner of the universe (that be Minnesota) however, is not. We have some bumps and bruises and some very ugly warts from eight years of Mark Dayton. We need a Trump like figure to come in here and rip the faulty gears out of this state, and replace them with new ones. Ones which are better and cheaper. Tim Pawlenty had his chance to do that in his eight years as Governor, and failed. Jeff Johnson will not fail. 

One more thing before I close this out. As a man of deep faith and character, Jeff has said from the get-go that if he does not win the party endorsement, he will immediately hop over to the endorsed candidate's team. Most, if not all, of Jeff's team will also do that. I know I would. That would have included Tim Pawlenty, should he had chosen the endorsement process. 

There will be no primary challenge from Jeff Johnson. They only way Jeff would put heart and soul into a primary is if someone decided to primary him. Why would Jeff do that? Because first and foremost, Jeff believes in Team Red. He knows a bitter and tough primary could split the party, as well as drain precious resources. Then the chances of having a Governor Walz go up quite a bit.

Well, I am packed and ready to go. Headed up north. There to help out where I can. Ready to spread the word to those who are still undecided.

Jeff Johnson has been referred to by some as Minnesota's Scott Walker. As much respect as I have for Governor Walker, I disagree with that statement. I think Jeff will be better than Governor Walker. Better by a long shot. Get ready Minnesota. We could be on the cusp of greatness once again   

PIGS and beyond...

"In any event, I am very happy right now with the course this country is on. Being a Globalist is so very yesterday. I am liking our 'American first' mantra more and more all the time." 

Your 401k or IRA might have taken a hit yesterday. Why? The market went down about 400 points. Why? PIGS. specifically, the "I" in PIGS. For those who cannot remember, PIGS is the acronym for Portugal, Italy, Greece and Spain. Basically the southern Euro Zone countries. They seem to be the ones who are the most plagued with debt and financial issues. So this time around it was Italy and not Greece who almost set the world markets on fire. Stay tuned - more coming.

A few days ago, my wife and I were discussing a large cruise type vacation for 2019 - to celebrate our 45th anniversary. One of the ideas she suggested was a European cruise. I vetoed that immediately. For those who have been reading the fine print recently, know what I am talking about. Big trouble might be right around the corner.

More "Brexits" might be coming in the near future. According to the Washington Post, France, the Netherlands, Greece or Sweden might be next. Bottom line? The Euro and the Euro Zone are a mess right now.

To compound the financial issues in the Euro Zone, they also are struggling with how to assimilate a whole bunch of new migrants, many of whom chose not to assimilate. When I am talking big numbers, I mean really big numbers. For example, in Amsterdam, the population is now 14% Muslim. That is quite a change from when I would travel to Amsterdam many years ago. And in Antwerp, it is almost 17% Muslim. By 2030, demographers are predicting France will be 10% Muslim and the entire Euro Zone will be 8%. This is huge.

Why do I bring this up? Am I picking on Muslims? Not a bit. I am however, very suspicious of people who do not want to assimilate. Then when I hear spokespeople for a religion say once they are a majority, they will initiate Sharia Law, I get way beyond suspicious. 

Yesterday on the radio, Glenn Beck was talking about the "Bubba Effect" which is happening in some countries in Europe. What is the "Bubba Effect"? A term which has been given to the the rise of the New Far Right. This is where the trouble is going to come. It will be a clash of wills between those who believe in the "Bubba Effect", and those who choose not to assimilate. Because of that reason alone, things in Europe could get very bad, very fast.

In any event, I am very happy right now with the course this country is on. Being a Globalist is so very yesterday. I am liking our "American first" mantra more and more all the time. 

I hate to say this, but it is true. The Euro Zone allowed themselves to get into this mess, it will be up to them to get themselves out of it. Even though Italy is the country in the spotlight right now, many economists believe we are going to hear from Greece again, sooner rather than later. When that happens, it could spell the end of the Euro as well as the Euro Zone.  

Common Ground?

"Our Founding Fathers often disagreed when constructing the basis for our government. But they discussed, talked, negotiated, and then discussed again, until they had enough consensus to cobble together our founding documents."

A thought I have been having as of late is our great political divide. How in our country, it seems to have grown from a crack to a gulf. To survive, to move forward as a society, we need to figure something out. We have gotten very, very good at talking over each other, past each other, and about each other. That solves nothing. Then I had this thought - with the zillions of things going on in this country, is there anything we can agree on?

Sure there is. It is called common ground. A term we don't hear much of these days. When I talk to someone who lives on the other side of the political street, I like to reach out and find out if there is ANYTHING we can agree on. Guess what? There usually is more than one thing. Actually, quite a few things. One person I was talking to recently, agreed with me (and I with him) on most things. Not all things, but most things. 

The progress comes when once the things which can be agreed upon, are set aside. Then the points of disagreement can (hopefully) be discussed in a respectful way. This does NOT mean surrendering principals nor values. It does however mean this - listening with open ears, an open mind, and sometimes even with an open heart.

The best part about entering into discussions like this is it is self serving. How so? It allows me to practice introspection on my positions. If I am not able to articulate a position in a cogent fashion, maybe my thinking on that matter needs to be refined.

For example, many politicians have different positions than they once had on certain issues. Why? Through the course of discussions and introspection, they might have had the chance to re-think the argument. Anyone who says they have never had this happen to them, might not be totally honest.

Just as aside, one of the things which really helps to win the argument, win the day, is using facts over hyperbole. As the saying goes, "Facts are stubborn things". Anecdotal evidence, hearsay or hyperbole make a poor foundation to build a strong argument on. Empirical evidence, and immutable facts on the other hand - make the strongest of foundations.

Our Founding Fathers often disagreed when constructing the basis for our government. But they discussed, talked, negotiated, and then discussed again, until they had enough consensus to cobble together our founding documents. I dare say if they suffered under the same discourse we have today, nothing would have happened.

And if nothing happened? We could still be subjects of the Crown, speaking with a very proper British accent. And the great American experiment might not ever have happened.   

Tomorrow it starts!

"So I am ready. The troops are ready. This is the big shebang. The Bird will be reporting from up in Duluth. Stay tuned - this story is far from over."   

For those who follow the political landscape in Minnesota, know that once Memorial Day is over, the races juice up to hyper drive. The DFL is going to be down in Rochester next weekend, and MNGOP is going to be up in Duluth. The platform of the two parties could not be more different (again), and the stakes are high for the future of our state. Both sides believe their platform will save us from doom.

It is an odd year for sure. First off, due to the the misbehavior of one of our Senators, we are going to be electing both Senator positions in the same year. The pundits are saying the GOP does not have a prayer for either, but the GOP is saying "hold on!". Jim Newberger is (in my opinion) one of the smartest people in Minnesota on energy issues. Why? He is from the Becker area, and he has studied the SHERCO Plant for years. He is also an EMT in his day trade, and knows the ins and outs of Minneapolis like the back of his hand. He would be a welcome addition to the United States Senate, and Amy can retire and go write casserole cookbooks. 

The other Senate position is a tough one. This is the one being filled by a placeholder. Only this placeholder is a champion of abortions. Yes, Tina Smith of Planned Parenthood fame is not deserving of this position at all - not even as a placeholder. She is a one trick pony, a child of the system. Either Bob Anderson or Karin Housley would be light years better than Smith in the Senate. Once she is defeated, Tina Smith can just go.

I am very excited about our candidates for Auditor and Attorney General. I know both Pam Myhra and Doug Wardlow. Capable, knowledgeable, and dedicated. After way too many years of having DFL stooges fill these two statewide constitutional spots, we are way overdue for a change.

That leaves the Secretary of State position. I just found out recently that John Howe is running for this position for the GOP. I have nothing to say, as I know nothing about John, and so far his campaign has been, well, stealthy. In any event, this position is highly important in Minnesota, and to beat Steve Simon, we need more than a stealthy campaign.
I am not bullish on us getting this seat - not a bit.

Then we come to Governor. Jeff Johnson is probably the most well trained, qualified, and capable person we have had run for Governor for decades. He really is. If you don't believe it, glance at his resume some time. On top of his qualifications, he is a person of high principal and faith. The difference in how Jeff and Dayton would govern this state is greater than night and day. Jeff will be the king of change agents. He won't tinker with the transmission, he will rip it out and replace it with one much better. He is a fixer, not a talker. With Governor Johnson, we will proudly display the sign at our border, "Welcome to Minnesota - open for business and senior friendly!"

My only regret in the Governor's race is Mary Giuliani Stephens is not running for Secretary of State instead. I really, really like her. She has the background, backbone, and spunk to take that SOS position, turn it upside down, and make it viable once again. 

The Jeff team will be eyes wide open looking for possible shenanigans pulled by the Pawlenty team. As we all know, Pawlenty pulled out of the endorsing system as he knew he could not win. In fact, we are finding out not only would he have not only finished behind Jeff, but also Mary, and maybe even Phil. So Pawlenty's "Hail Mary" is to go to primary and try to win the nomination. Let's just hope after he loses the primary he does not consider a run in November as an independent. If he does, it will be "Hello, Governor Walz".

So I am ready. The troops are ready. This is the big shebang. The Bird will be reporting from up in Duluth. Stay tuned - this story is far from over.   

Too little, too late...

"I think it would be prudent for President Trump to hold a water summit with all fifty governors. Come prepared to discuss each states problems and/or anticipated problems as they pertain to water. Then get ready for some out of the box thinking. Not only thinking, but viable solutions." 

The Bird has been chirping about this issue for years now. Specifically, since 2011 and 2012 - http://veryangrybird.blogspot.com/2012/08/the-slow-passing-of-ogallala.html. Then today, in an article which is years too late making it to press, the local newspaper finally addressed it. What issue is that? Water. It has been the best kept secret in America (save UFOs and Bigfoot). We are running out of water, and fast.

This is a perfect example of reactive crisis management. To those poor folks who sold everything, packed up and moved to the sunny desert southwest, I am afraid you might have bought a pig in a poke. According to NASA, as bad as things are in the southwest right now, we might just be entering an historic 50 year mega-drought. 

So what does all this mean? It means the Colorado River Basin, which for years allowed the desert southwest to "cheat" nature, is falling short on what it can deliver. Really? Yes - just look at the current level of Lake Meade for example. Soon it will just be nothing more than a puddle. Since the water which comes down from the mountains due to snow melt is plan "A" for desert southwest, what then is plan "B"? Nada.

The paper addressed a very hair-brained idea to help ameliorate this crisis. Pipe about 50 billion gallons a year or so out of the Great Lakes, to the Colorado River Basin, and then down to the desert southwest. Great plan except for some very "minor" issues. The Great Lakes states would never allow it. Canada, who we have a Great Lakes treaty with, would never allow it. Our federal government would need to sanction it. And (here is the big one), the power needed to pump that much water to the elevation required to reach the Colorado River basin outstrips the power Minnesota currently produces - by a hundred times or so. One postscript - even if it were possible, 50 billion gallons of water would barely make a dent in what the desert southwest will need.

We have seen this coming for a long time, and have done nothing. We are coming up on a water crisis of almost biblical proportions. It is not just the southwest - the mid-west also. We have about pumped the Ogallala aquifer dry. This once massive body of underground water has allowed us to become the breadbasket of the world. Once it is no longer able to produce enough water to irrigate the crops in a dry year, we, and a hungry world, will be in big, big trouble.

If you can handle being a bit depressed, our water situation in this country is something all should read up on. Especially, if you are considering a move to a location which is living on borrowed time. If we don't come up with a viable plan "B" (and fast), the states of Arizona, New Mexico, Nevada and parts of Texas will start to look like an over-sized Death Valley.

I think it would be prudent for President Trump to immediately hold a water summit with all fifty governors. Come prepared to discuss each state's problems and/or anticipated problems as they pertain to water. Then get ready for some out of the box thinking. Not only thinking, but viable solutions. 

It seems odd when over 70% of our planet is water, we should have this problem. We have known for generations that of that 70%, over 95% of it is ocean water. Some arid counties have figured out to survive, they need to tap that resource via desalination. We have not, except to the smallest degree.

Get ready folks. The times they will be a changing. I remember one trip down to Tucson on a business trip driving past a golf course when it was 105 degrees. The course was emerald green. I asked my customer how it is possible to have such a lush course in weather like Tucson has in the summer. "We water the s**t out of it, that is how", he replied. And ergo - we have part of the problem.   

Jeff Bezos - Enemy of the Left!

"Is Jeff Bezos going to be the world's first trillionaire? No clue. However, if he is, he deserves it. The world is changing. The only question is who will change it."

What? Bird! You made a grievous typo! Everyone knows that Bezos is a Seattle Leftist! Well maybe. Yes, he does have his feet tied deeply in the "cause". He is (or was) a Leftist. So what changed? He did. He became not only rich, but MEGA rich. He is making more money than Mars can make M+M candies. In fact, some analysts think this young billionaire might end up being the world's first trillionaire before he "cashes in his chips."

I get it. How could anyone love this guy? After all, he came up with a new recipe for retail which has saved the world zillions of dollars. He bought the failing Washington Post (big frigging deal), just to jab at our new President. But he also founded Blue Origins, which along with Space-X, is going to change the world - and what lies beyond it. 

Do I have distaste for Bezos just because he is left of center of me? Nope. He, along with other Leftists, like Elon Musk, Eric Schmidt, Tim Cook, Bill Gates and others, are our new "Captains of Industry". As such, they will become wealthy - fabulously wealthy. Should we hate them? Not a bit. As we ruminate about all the wealth these innovators have accumulated, Fujitsu (Japan), Samsung (Korea), and China are nipping at their heels. 

My opinion? The world is now changing faster than anyone could imagine. We are headed towards 2025 at a speed which is just a bit slower than light speed. If you hate technology or innovation, there is a seat reserved for you in the "left behind" section. If you are ready for world class changes, get ready.

Is Jeff Bezos going to be the world's first trillionaire? No clue. However, if he is, he deserves it. The world is changing. The only question is who will change it. My vote is for Bezos. I see good things coming. We now have a change agent for President - all we need now is a change agent in Minnesota.  

Sweating bullets in Chicago

"I love our freedoms dearly, and each one is worth protecting. But the Fourth might have to take a back seat in Chicago until we get control of the city once again. Otherwise, this summer the good folks of Chicago will be sweating bullets once again." 

As an American, I am ashamed. Okay, I will go one step deeper. As a human being, I am ashamed. What we have allowed to go on in Chicago defies any logical explanation. As we all know by now, Chicago is not a war zone - it is far worse. And to the poor people who are stuck there, watching and listening to this non-stop carnage, the carnage which goes on each and every weekend, the city, the state, and the country have said one thing to them -tough toenails, sucks being you.

I am not going to go into the statistics again. How many dead, how many wounded. It really does serve no purpose. The shock value seems to have worn off. For us that is. For the people who are trapped in the combat zones of Chicago, they look forward to weekends with dread and fear. Then to wrap in some summer time temperatures, everyone knows the cauldron starts to boil over.

What do we do, ban guns in the city? Been there, done that. Guns, like drugs, always seem to find a way into areas where they are illegal or highly regulated. Should we just accept the fact that parts of  the city are lost, and suggest to those who live there, they should leave? That won't work, as many impoverished folks who live in those neighborhoods do so only because they have no other choice. Or should we try something radical and very controversial? 

No hate mail, please! This is something I put forward only because nothing else has worked. To save human life, to stop the carnage, we might have to relax the Fourth Amendment in Chicago. I know - ouch. But there are way, way, way too many illegal guns being carried by youths and hoodlums in that city. So here is my solution to save Chicago:

• Initiate "Broken Window" policing. Every law, no matter how minor, is enforced.
• Initiate "Stop and Frisk" - Police will have the right to stop anyone and check for weapons. I know, I know - this is a "third rail" for our Constitutional rights.
• Initiate mandatory sentences. Get caught with an unregistered gun of any type, one year in jail. Commit any crime with a gun, minimum of five years with no parole. Shoot someone without a fatal result, 20 years with no parole. Shoot someone with lethal results, life with no parole. 

I invite any of my civil libertarian friends, please feel free to weigh in. This is a problem which will not go away. I don't care what color, race, creed or faith people are who are killing each other. It has to stop. It is 2018 and this is the United States of America. 

I love our freedoms dearly, and each one is worth protecting. But the Fourth might have to take a back seat in Chicago until we get control of the city once again. Otherwise, this summer the good folks of Chicago will be sweating bullets once again. 

Say what???

"So, we will see how this plays out. Trump did leave an opening for Kim to take. Or - he can crawl back under that rock and let his people continue to starve and want. A good leader Kim, cares for his people. A despot, only cares for the oligarch. Remember that fact. Either become the most honorable Kim Jong-un, or go back to being the 'Rocket Man'."

Those who said it was too good to be true, were not just whistling Dixie. One of the world's biggest thugs, had his sister visit the Olympics in Seoul, get wooed by the western culture, and then report back to her brother. All of a sudden, Kim Jong-un wants to play nice instead of being a jackass. Only one problem - way, way too many moving parts right now. All those moving parts will make it tough for this to be a smooth U-turn. In fact, it became a panic stop instead.

Just like a drunk who well off the wagon, Kim and his minions could not resist going back to their old ways on the cusp of this historic summit. Logical minds wonder if he had taken a long walk off a short pier. Nobody in their right mind would have screwed up the deal of the century (or longer in North Korea's case) that Trump had laid out for Kim. A chance to go from the dark ages (literally), and move into the same playing arena as his southern brothers.

But a two letter word is suspected of getting in the way. A two lettered word? Yes, spelled Xi. He hates the idea of a unified Korea. A split Korea, with a bit of manageable friction between North and South, plays right into his hand. It ties up tons of resources and troops for the United States. That allows China to be more and more adventuresome in the South China Sea and beyond. If peace breaks out all over Korea, and the United States starts a Korean draw down, that means a much stronger Seventh Fleet footprint in China's new playground.

There is something else which I would not be surprised if mentioned to the North Koreans by Secretary Pompeo. Viet Nam. Look at Viet Nam's lifestyle today as compared to what it was before they decided to play nice with us. Trading partner, friend, travel destination, and (stand by for this one), maybe a future allie. Life in Viet Nam is good. Life in South Korea is better than very good. Life in North Korea sucks. Trump has offered to change that, and change it quickly.

One of the things I learned early in my life as a negotiator, was a iron clad rule of the game. Know where the cards are on the table. Trump has a very, very strong hand, and Kim is not even holding a pair of deuces. In other words, if Kim listens to Xi instead of Trump, he will be worse than an all day sucker. Xi will give him spit; Trump will give him the 21st century.

So, we will see how this plays out. Trump did leave an opening for Kim to take. Or - he can crawl back under that rock and let his people continue to starve and want. A good leader Kim, cares for his people. A despot, only cares for the oligarch. Remember that fact. Either become the most honorable Kim Jong-un, or go back to being the "Rocket Man".

Countdown to a nothing burger

"What does this mean? It means all eyes will be glued on the horizon, looking towards August 14th." 

A week from today, my wife and I will be pulling up stakes and heading north. Fishing? Boating? Nope. The long awaited MNGOP get together in Duluth. Is it an honor to be picked as a delegate to go to this event? Always. This is my third trip. Am I excited? Not really. Always fun to go to Duluth and see some out state friends. But the convention itself? Turning out to be a nothing burger.

Did not have to be that way. Our former Governor, Tim Pawlenty caused it to be so. The long awaited showdown at the OK Corral, the fight between Hennepin County Commissioner Jeff Johnson, who has been working this state mile by mile, dollar by dollar and vote by vote, and Tim "money bags" Pawlenty will not happen. TPaw, surveying the landscape for delegates, knew that a convention vote would leave him in the dust. His only shot then, would to try and be a spoiler in a primary.

TPaw knew from the beginning that his trip back to the Governor's mansion had to go through Jeff Johnson. He cleared the field by getting rid of Matt Dehn and then Keith Downey. He was not successful however, in getting rid of the "B" Team (TPaw's words) of Mary and Phil.

In any event, so what. The big excitement for the convention will be to see how many ballots it will take for Jeff to get the endorsement. Why do I think so? Jeff took every straw poll at district conventions save CD 7, which Mary won. And CD 7 is where Mary's running mate is from. With that, Jeff came within four points of winning that one also. 

The Senate endorsements will be first ballot events. I like the fact there were two outsiders also vying for the endorsement. But lets face facts. It takes money to play. Neither outsider have much of a war chest.

The Auditor and AG should be slam dunks with no competition. SOS? Hello? If someone has filed, it is the mother of all stealth campaigns. 

What does this mean? It means all eyes will be glued on the horizon, instead of looking at Duluth. Everyone's gaze will be locked on August 14th. And why not? MNGOP is still a mess, and the ship is swaying back and forth. We now have the chance to use all our money on a expensive and useless primary. Meanwhile, Team Walz will sail into the November general election fat, dumb and happy.

In any event, it will be fun being in Duluth. Maybe a growler of Castle Danger and a walleye sandwich at Grandma's will make the trip worth it. Or not.  

Minneapolis - A..hole central

"What happened with both the Tomi Lahren situation and blocking the train are classic examples of the intolerant Left. The intolerant Left in Minneapolis is made up of lots and lots and lots of pure a..holes. Sorry my language had to slip a bit this morning, I will do better tomorrow."

Back in the day when the hippies walked the Earth, I was still in the Navy, helping to save mankind from the evil Commies. When I got out, I noticed some of my old HS friends had grown their hair and starting dressing in counter-culture clothes. I remember asking why. "We are non-conformists dude. We don't wear what the man wants us to wear." The only problem was, all these "non-conformists", conformed to what a hippie was suppose to look and act like. Go figure.

The same can be said for the "youth" who currently inhabit Minneapolis. Sure, they all look the same. Tats, piercings, black (goth) t-shirts, and multi-colored hair. But it is what is within the cranium which makes them all act like Stepford Wives. They are all the same in their politics. Most are somewhere between an anarchist and a socialist. And all would rather be dipped in boiling oil than support (or even like) a Republican or a capitalist. 

There are many times I am ashamed of the largest city in Minnesota, but yesterday was worse than most. One of the sharpest young ladies on the scene today, Tomi Lahren, was in town for an event. She had her parents with her. The morning after the event, she was at brunch with her parents at a restaurant in Minneapolis. Some of the Minneapolis misfits were also there. They recognized her, so they heckled her, swore at her, and then threw a drink on Tomi and her Mother.

The Left really hates people like Tomi Lahren. Why? She is pretty, and she is smart. That is antithetical to everything the Left sees in a woman. 

Also yesterday, some more misfits decided they did not like our immigration policies (like, if you are not here legally, you have to go). So, they decided to obstruct one of the LRT lines. The fact there were people on the train who needed to go somewhere, was just tough toenails. Hey - take one for the team folks! This is important! Like I say - these folks are a..holes in the first degree. And this is why we needed to have Goofy sign the Zerwas bill.

Tomi was on the national news this morning discussing some current topics. Of course, the Minneapolis incident came up. Well played Mayor Frey! I would hope you sent Ms. Lahren and her parents a personal note of apology. Or are you fine with what happened? What if she had been a visiting Muslim and this happened? It would have been front page in the paper for the rest of the summer. But a conservative? Good riddance to bad rubbish. Stay the hell out of my town!

What happened with both the Tomi Lahren situation and blocking the train are classic examples of the intolerant Left. The intolerant Left in Minneapolis is made up of lots and lots and lots of pure a..holes. Sorry my language had to slip a bit this morning, I will do better tomorrow.

Running the party or ruining the party?

"Seeing a nomination stolen by folks who do not follow the rules sends the strongest of messages. What message? Time for a new party." 

Oh boy. Did we ever have a stinky diaper this morning. Seems now that the session is over, our former Governor has rallied his fellow Minnesota swamp dwellers. This esteemed group of 30, who include the Speaker of the House and the Senate Majority Leader, are going to hold a fund raiser for the un-endorsed former Governor of Minnesota. Who? Arnie Carlson? It might as well be. 

What is the message here that this group of thirty is trying to convey to the party faithful? You know, the ones who play by the rules. The message is in sign language. It is the middle finger held up as high as possible. Somehow they have drunk the TPaw Kool Aide, and have lost not only their way, but also their principals. 

With this brand new crisis to face the MN Grand Old Party, it will be interesting to see how our relatively new MNGOP Chair handles it. This is a time where she can either run this party, or ruin this party. If she turns a blind eye and a deaf ear to this attempted hijacking of our endorsement process, she will be complicit in the ruining of the party. On the other hand, if she stands tall and calls these 30 "Republicans" on the carpet, and tells them it will be the endorsement or nothing, it will show the party faithful she knows how to run this party.

This could be the final nail in the coffin for MNGOP. After the shameful reign of the former MNGOP Chair, and what he did to his Deputy Chair, the party almost went on life support. Then with the election of the new chair, some thought the extreme damage which had been done could be cleaned up and we could move on. And this this happened.

I know there are people in this world who shy away from conflict. I get it. But in leadership, sometimes conflict is a necessary evil. Silence is not golden - a strong voice is needed at time to right the ship. 

It will be interesting to see how this thing is handled prior to the convention. If things are still unsettled by the time the convention is graveled in, it could be a rocky weekend.  Why? Way too many of the party faithful are rule followers. People of principal.

Seeing a nomination stolen by folks who do not follow the rules sends the strongest of messages to all who listen. What message? Time for a new party. 

What makes Elon tick?

"So what makes Elon tick? History. He knows we are in the greatest space race since the United States and the Soviet Union were trying to be the first to the Moon. Musk, like Bezos and China, are pouring billions into new technology which will get us there - and soon."

I have said for quite a while now that I find Elon Musk to be one of the most fascinating people on Earth. Yes, I said "on Earth" for a reason. If it was up to Musk, we would be living on one or more planets by now. What? I thought he is a business genius. He is. But like most geniuses act, there is a bit of eccentric behavior thrown in with the brilliance. 

Musk wants to get humans to Mars - like yesterday. Why? Ready for this? He grew up liking science fiction. Does he care some might scoff at this? Nope. He will tell you Goddard and von Braun also liked science fiction. More importantly, he is also fearful that our days on Planet Earth might be numbered. Asteroid, AI, war, whatever - might cut short our stay here. Therefore, we need a lifeboat. Someplace close - like Mars.

Is this a pipe dream? Oh, no - not even close. Now that he was launched his Tesla into space using a new powerful rocket design, he is on to the next big thing. And I mean bigger thing. The rockets on his Mars shot will even be more powerful than the Tesla rocket. Now before you think he is a nut ball, consider this.

China is also gearing up for a Moon shot as well as a Mars shot. While NASA may be sitting on their butts going in snail mode, other humans on this planet are in hyper-speed mode. China is looking at the 2020 or 2021 time frame for a Mars shot. That is right around the corner. And Jeff Bezos with his Blue Origin company is also in the hunt. Bezo's vision is to have millions of people living and working in space. 

So what makes Elon tick? History. He knows we are in the greatest space race since the United States and the Soviet Union were trying to be the first to the Moon. Musk, like Bezos and China, are pouring billions into new technology which will get us there - and soon.

When someone walks down the halls of progress and passes the NASA door, please knock and wake them up. Tell them it is time to act like NASA once again. In other words, to quote a line from Total Recall, "Get your a$$ to Mars!"

Are we even governable anymore?

"Are we still governable? That be a yes - with the right people. We do however, need to stop electing idiots. And that choice - is ours."

At long last, we finally have reached a critical agreement. Most everyone is saying the same thing. Red, blue, left, right, conservatives, progressive - all agree on one main item. This legislative session was a mess. Not a little mess, not just a big mess, but a big, HOT mess.

I am not going to go into the good, the bad, and the ugly of this session. Whoops - forget the good. Enough people are dissecting this session. I however, have a bigger concern than this "nothing burger" session. In fact, it supersedes Dayton, Daudt and Gazelka. They are just three guys filling slots at this point in time. Replace Dayton with Erin Murphy, Becky Otto, or Tim Walz, and the result would have been the same, or worse.

As bad as things are in Minnesota, they would ten times worse should the "Blue Wave" really happen, and the Red Team lose the House and Senate. As messy as the last year and a half have been in Washington, they will look like a Sunday picnic compared to a divided government with the Dems holding the House and Senate. Nothing, and I mean nothing, would get done to make America great again.

What do we do? Fight for the right to teach our kids about the real America? How America was founded? The wisdom of our founding documents? How important our Judeo-Christian roots were in our founding? Or do we just scrap it and start from scratch. Rather than equal opportunity, focus on equal outcome. Rather than capitalism, a blend of socialism and communism where everyone gets the same, no matter what.

The country is no longer divided by rich or poor, labor or management. Nope. The great divide is now urban and rural. If you look at a map where all the votes were in the last few elections, the majority of the blue votes came from urban areas, and most of the red votes came from rural. What the what?

I know, I know. The elites in the cities don't think us hayseeds in the country know spit from shineola. We are "cowed" by guys like Donald Trump, and because of our "racist" background, we never embraced Barack Obama. Well, here is the wake up call.

We are not as dumb as clueless as you think. Many of us out here in flyover land like divided government. We like it when not much happens during a session which grows either state, or federal government. We are not against government - we are all for efficient government. The problem is to get to efficient government, we need to cut away first all the inefficient parts of it. Yes, I am talking about shrinking the unnecessary parts of both federal and state governments.

Now I will walk one thing back. As hosed up as Minnesota has become, if in 2018 should we elect a true, bonafide conservative like Jeff Johnson as our next Governor, and still have our red team still controlling the House and Senate -  big, and much needed changes, will happen. Regardless of what happens with the "Blue Wave" or "Red Tsunami" in Washington, Minnesota will be fine.

Are we still governable? That be a yes - with the right people. We do however, need to stop electing idiots or charlatans. And that choice - is ours.

One big pile of goo...

"Anyone who decides to throw in the towel after this session, I don't blame you. I can only imagine the emptiness law makers must feel. Heck, this session was worse than the last one, and everyone thought that one was rock bottom."

I went out to get the paper on this fresh spring morning and noticed a foul stench in the air. Dead skunk in the middle of the road? Someone's garbage not been picked up for a month or so? Backed up septic system in the neighborhood? No, no, and no again. It is the annual end of the session stink. It comes from the pile of goo which resulted from what was worked on in St. Paul the past three months.

The bottom line is simply this. And it is a tale as old as time. Whenever we allow law makers to congregate together for an extended period of time, the size of government grows. That is a natural law. Like the speed of light, it never changes.

Even with that, this year's game of liar's poker between the House, Senate and the Governor, cost the taxpayers a lot of money. However (and this is where the comedy part comes in), for Mr. "I have my money in South Dakota" Dayton, the amount of money the Republicans wanted to put on the card was not enough. So as bloated with nonsense and goo as these illegal bills are (illegal, as they violate the single subject rule), Governor Goofy has pledged to veto them. Good!

There really was nothing for me in this pile of goo, so I have no dog in this fight. My biggest pet rock, taxation on Social Security, once again went ignored. "Can't afford it. We need the money for refugee resettlement", or some nonsense like that. The tax cut? Won't affect me but a few nickels and dimes, at best. Tax conformity? I want that to go unsigned. I want Minnesota to stick out like a sore thumb next tax season. That might FINALLY bring about the needed tax changes we all seek.

I know everyone worked very hard this session, gave up a whole lot of nice days, and are now bushed. If at the beginning, leadership had vowed to hold the line and not spend a dime, then it would have been worth the fight. As it was, many compromised a lot to get very little - except a big pile of goo. 

Anyone who decides to throw in the towel after this session, I don't blame you. I can only imagine the emptiness law makers must feel. Heck, this session was worse than the last one, and everyone thought that one was rock bottom.

Oh well - time to move on. In less than two weeks the big show up in Duluth. Wonder if this session will be discussed. Here is my guess - COUNT ON IT! 

No bad outcomes...

"There are many times I just have to remind myself of that simple fact. God is in control, I am not. Even though not every outcome will be the best while walking this Earth, we can rest assured the final outcome will be better than the best. How do we know that? It is God's promise to us. And that is all I need to know."  

Stepping back from politics on a Sunday morning, is a very good time to get reflective. Why? Because all week long, we are exposed to the very best, and sometimes the very worst that life has to offer. Sometimes life is indeed like the old expression tells us - a "bowl of cherries".  Other times, we wonder how we will get through the week.

Then the wake up call comes. A very serious health issue hits a close friend or loved one. And no matter how good or bad your week was or is, your concern now is for the person who might be in a life or death battle with a disease or injury.

This is a time in which people of faith are brought to their knees. Prayers for strength, prayers for healing. Prayers for the natural healing brought to bear by the skills of the medical professionals. Prayers for the supernatural healing of God Almighty when all natural healing has failed. Yet many times our prayers are answered with a quiet still voice for only believers to understand. A voice telling us everything will be all right. 

Why will everything be all right? It is really very simple. Death was given to us by Adam. The solution to death was given to us by Jesus. Believers in the Risen Christ know the rewards for our trust and faith, will be life eternal. A life so wonderful, words cannot even begin to describe it. In other words, there are no bad outcomes.

God is in control. He knew our name long before our parents conceived us. He knew the path He set for our life. And he knows the hour of our death. Most importantly, as many days as we dwell this beautiful yet broken world, we are surrounded by God's amazing Agape love.

There are many times I just have to remind myself of that simple fact. God is in control, I am not. Even though not every outcome will be the best while walking this Earth, we can rest assured the final outcome will be better than the best. How do we know that? It is God's promise to us. And that is all I need to know.  

The real threat to our Second Amendment

"As tragic as school shootings are, they are often times made more tragic by those who pontificate on the Left. Those who try to make this about the NRA or the Second Amendment. Why do they do that? Let me quote Obama's former henchman, 'Sharp Elbows' Rahm Emanual: 'Never let a good crisis go to waste'. And they never do." 

For quite a while now, I have been penning articles about why we have a Second Amendment. I know, I know. It is like preaching to the choir, since most of the readers to this blog know as much (some a lot more) about the 2A as I do. But I always hope I can catch that one person who has an open mind and would like to learn more. And when I say learn more, I mean the truth.

Quite frankly, as the debate goes on and on, and then rekindled every time there is another school shooting, I retreat back to my rumination mode for some more deep thinking on this issue. Why? For the life of me, I can't understand why so many on the Left fail to grasp this is an all important issue is for them also. For their protection. Protection against a tyrannical, over-reaching government - gone amok. 

Then it hit me like a bolt out of the blue. I had been missing the forest through the trees. When you explain to a Leftist (who I explained in earlier articles is really a modern day Tory), you are really telling him (or her), it is to protect us all from the Tories! For the Tories ARE government! They worship the crown! The over-reaching government are usually comprised of Left leaning zealots, socialists and worse.

Whoa, whoa, whoa Bird! What about those governments who are coopted by Right wing nut balls? Like Hitler for example? The Nazi? Oh, do you mean the National Socialists? News flash - anything with "socialist" in the title is not "Right wing". Anyhow, Patriots who defend the 2A will not tolerate anyone threatening our most sacred founding documents.

I hate to say it, but I believe it to be true. As tragic as school shootings are, they are often times made more tragic by those who pontificate on the Left. Those who try to make this about the NRA or the Second Amendment. Why do they do that? Let me quote Obama's former henchman, "Sharp Elbows" Rahm Emanual: "Never let a good crisis go to waste". And they never do. 

One more time, whose fault is it?

"Bottom line - whose fault is it? Nobody and everybody. We do all of us, have skin in this game. But the biggest culprits? Our society and what it has become. Stay tuned." 

I was not going to address this today. With the session coming to a close, there is plenty of grist for the mill. But I had to. Some of it is the subject of chats I have recently had with family and fiends. Some by deep introspection. What is it? School shootings. The new cancer on our landscape. Not only how to stop it, but how to cure it. And to cure it, we need to dive deep in discovery, to learn how it all started.

First off, we have enough laws. Way more than enough. In every school shooting many existing laws were broken. So rather than just scratch the surface, lets try and dive a bit deeper this time around:

• Schools - Laugh if you want, but we have secularized our schools to such a degree,  God is not only unwelcome, His Holy name is all but unmentioned. 
• Students - Many of these school shooters were bullied. Everyone has a breaking point. I was bullied when I was in grade school. My breaking point came, and then I beat up the bully. That stopped it. Today, the breaking point might end up doing something far more lethal.
• Music - Ever listen to some of the lyrics in the music lately? Especially some of the hip hop, rap, or dark metal? Young brains are soaking all this trash in, and that is not healthy. 
• Hollywood - The Harvey Weinstein's of tinsel town have flooded the market with crap - and I mean crap. Senseless violence, unloving sex, and crude language. Again - young brains soak this up.
• Video Games -  We have come a long way baby since Pong, Pac-Man, and Asteroids. Now we are into massacres and mayhem, all live and in color. Is it glorified? "Oh, hell ya!", and that is a huge problem.
• Mental Health - For reasons we do not yet understand, un-diagnosed mental health issues in our youth is running rampant. These kids are nothing more than ticking time bombs.
• Parents - They are complacent in all listed above including those who own fire arms who do not keep them fully secured. 

Bottom line - whose fault is it? Nobody and everybody. We do all of us have skin in this game. But the biggest culprits? Our society and what it has become. Stay tuned. More of this to come in the upcoming weeks. Since the local newspaper once again cried out we have to "do something", let's go do something. Only this time, let's focus on the right causes.   

And over, and over, and over again...

"One more thing for you parents out there. I have addressed this before. If your kids are going to a government school which is not hardened, get them out of there. I would. The risk is not worth it. Until we address the real core issues of these shootings, they will go on until time immortal." 

I don't know if I should cry or scream. But before I would do either, I need to try and understand what in the hell is going on in our schools. Another school shooting today? Maybe ten dead? In Texas? Please don't take this the wrong way, but after the last shooting in Florida, I said the next one was already in the planning process. And it was going to happen somewhere, location yet to be determined. How did I know that? Because we refuse to harden our schools.

No, rather than hardening our schools, we would rather get into another inane nationwide argument on the Second Amendment and/or banning the NRA. Neither of those discussions prove fruitful. So the real problem(s) on why these shootings happen, and the viable solution, goes dormant.

I have said this before, but I think it bears repeating. As a child of the 50's and 60's, the thought of shooting someone was out of the question. Never considered. The thought of bringing a gun into a school, and shooting some fellow students - again, out of the question. Why do I bring this up? People my age feel like a stranger in a strange land trying to understand these recent shootings.

When we were up in Duluth this week, we drove by a somewhat large middle school. There was a deputy sheriff's car parked in the parking lot. I assumed this deputy was acting as a school community service officer. Least wise, I hoped so. 

There was another attempted school shooting earlier in the week. A school community service officer was present and took care of the situation. The youth only got off one shot and nobody was hit. The community service officer, then dropped (but not fatally) the youth with one shot. It was textbook how it was suppose to work.

One more thing for you parents out there. I have addressed this before. If your kids are going to a government school which is still not hardened, get them out of there. I would. The risk is not worth it. Until we address the real core issues of these shootings, they will go on until time immortal.