Is Texas turning?

"2020 is coming sooner than anyone can imagine. What will our country look like when the election is over? Will anyone be able to recognize it? Or will be (please God), return to our roots. The choice is ours. And remember - every vote will count." 

The time - November of 2018. The place - the great state of Texas. The event - the 2018 general election. To look at the future, it might be time to revisit the past. In 2018, one of the most capable and powerful Senators was up for re-election - Ted Cruz. The man who Professor Dershowitz said was his brightest law student - ever. A former presidential candidate. All in all, a gold plated candidate.

His opponent? A new comer. An upstart. A nut ball. A guy with a police record. Robert Francis O'Rourke. A guy who ate dirt. A guy who fed his wife a baby turd in her sandwich. A guy straight out of Mad Magazine. The stage was set for a landslide of historic proportions. Cruz was going to beat this nut ball like a drum. Then came the results. Instead of winning by 30 points, Ted Cruz almost lost. He won by less than three points. This race might have been the canary in the coal mine for Republicans living in Texas.

Texas, a sanctuary for patriots and citizens who think the nation is turning blue, might also be turning at least a shade of purple. Some blame the flood of folks migrating from California. Even though they are fleeing California to get away from the socialism, they are bringing some of their bad voting habits with them. 

Others blame the migrants coming in from Mexico. Since Texas is our largest southern border state, many migrants settle there. And many vote Blue Team over Red Team. But with all this being said, it still does not explain how a bucket head like Beto O'Rourke could have almost toppled Ted Cruz in 2018. And now Beto is running for President.

Where are the states to move to which can still be considered safe? Florida? That almost tipped in this last election. Very close race. Wisconsin with Scott Walker? Gone. Walker defeated. Nevada? Remember Harry Reid? South Dakota? Even though Minnesota is infecting the eastern part, still much promise. How about Wyoming? That would have my vote. Very few Democrats. In fact, very few people.

2020 is coming sooner than anyone can imagine. What will our country look like when the election is over? Will anyone be able to recognize it? Or will be (please God), return to our roots. The choice is ours. And remember - every vote will count. 

Shutting the border

"2019. The year of reckoning for our border crisis. Will Trump kick this issue down the street like his predecessors have? Nope. Not the way he rolls. Hang on tight next week. Things are about to get real bumpy."

Interesting take this morning on our southern border crisis. Crisis? You mean the crisis or emergency, which according to most Democrats, does not exist? That is the one. You mean the crisis which grows more desperate every single day? That is the one. You mean the one which has totally stripped and overwhelmed our Border Patrol of its resources? Yes, again. Well, our President has HAD IT. Big time. Next week the ship is going to hit the sand. Stand by, thing are about to get real ugly.

The final card Donald Trump has to play is his most powerful card. He has been hesitant to use it, as he was hoping for a better solution. But with illegal crossings up around the 4,000/day rate (and expected to go higher), he has told the nation he will shut the southern border next week. With rumors of the "mother of all caravans" on the move through Mexico, he really has no choice.

What happens when the border shuts down? Some good, some bad. First off, after 9/11 when the border was shut for just a short period of time, the impact on our drug trade was immediate. The same will probably happen this time. Our drug problem gets better quickly, and Mexico's problem gets a whole lot worse just as fast.

It will be an economic earthquake for Mexico. Yes, it would hurt us also, but not to the degree it will be an economic body blow to Mexico. In 2017, over 1/2 trillion dollars worth of produce crossed the border. To lose that conduit, even for a few days, would be devastating to the Mexican economy. But they have been warned. Many times. Control your southern border Mexico, to keep these caravans from forming. And yet, they have done next to nothing.

My feeling? The southern border is a mixed bag. Some good commerce, yes. But it also brings a host of negative issues. And rather than help us solve these issues, Mexico has only turned a blind eye. So, next week comes Trump's final card. The last arrow in his quiver. Get ready Ms. Nancy - you helped create this mess.

One final word. Jeh Johnson, Obama's DHS Secretary was asked this week how bad the southern border is right now. His response? As hard as it was to control the border with the numbers they had back in his day, the numbers today are impossible. How impossible? Our Border Control is forced to let illegals get lost "in the wind" (in our country) after captured. They have outstripped our ability to contain them. 

2019. The year of reckoning for our border crisis. Will Trump kick this issue down the street like his predecessors have? Nope. Not the way he rolls. Hang on tight next week. Things are about to get real bumpy.

The source of the rot...

"Next time one of the youths in your family tree is around, ask a few common sense questions. Why? To demonstrate how little they know. You might want to have a stiff drink before you start. You will probably need it." 

How many times have each of us heard this familiar question? "How did we get here? How did we become so divided?" The sources of our discord have many fathers - most of them wrongly accused. We are so anxious to lay blame for this mess on our favorite boogie man, all we want to do is point our finger and say, "See! See! It is (fill in the blank) fault!" And the beat goes on.

Well, I am one of those social critics who have been trying to determine the source of the "rot". I have had decades to come to my conclusion. And it is not brain surgery - I am sure many other patriots and citizens have come to the same finding. 

It started in the 60's, and the school system was the petri dish which was going to host this rot. The school system was perfect. It had been good for so long, that starting in 1969, who would notice a bit of social engineering being thrown in with the mix? And so it started. The government school system. The system our tax dollars pay for. Slowly, like frogs in slowly boiling water, our kids were being taken from education to indoctrination. And the parents? Most hardly noticed. After all, those were busy times.

Many government schools have done a wonderful job in cranking out useful idiots faster than widgets in a widget factory. How bad is it today? When a cross section of kids were recently asked what our biggest problem with taxes were, many responded with this pile of goo - "The rich are not paying their fair share." What? These are kids coming out of our education system. If they were being taught, they would know the top 10% are paying 70% of the freight. But they are not taught that. Rich are greedy. Rich exploit the poor. They are being taught that socialism is better than capitalism. I present AOC as Exhibit "A" to my argument.

How long will this continue? Until the majority of us wake up and smell the coffee. This "rot" is pervasive. Our kids now believe our country is filled with nothing but "white privilege". We have abused every other race. We owe reparations to everyone. Soon, left unabated, there will be more of these useful idiots than patriots. That day will mark the end of the Great American Experiment. 

Next time one of the youths in your family tree is around, ask a few common sense questions. Why? To demonstrate how little they know. You might want to have a stiff drink before you start. You will probably need it. 

Painful history

"Donald Trump said he would go to Washington to drain the swamp. It is time sir, it is time. Just know this President Trump - the citizens, the patriots are behind you." 

Listen up Earthlings! Team Trump is about ready to come to bat. Since it is opening day, I thought I would throw in some baseball lingo. For the last two years, it was the Deep State's turn at bat. They pummeled the President. It was unrelenting. But the President never broke. In fact, he never even bent. Probably 99% or more of the strongest men in America would have broken. But the President knew two things: 1) he was innocent of any collusion charges, and 2) he had a job to do for the American people.

For two years, many of us on the Right were just waiting for the counter punch. But the President held his fire. He knew he had to wait until the Mueller report was released. Now it is released, no collusion shown, and the one aching question is begging to be asked - who was the "puppet master" behind the dossier? I mean, this did not happen in a vacuum. The answer to that question probably lies buried within a FISA warrant. And the President is getting ready to declassify that warrant and any other document which might be hiding the truth.

History is being written on this issue, day by day. And this history could end up being huge - like Earth shaking huge. Right now, we know this trail will lead us up the food chain in the Deep State. The only thing we don't know as yet, is just how far up it will lead. Senator Rand Paul already has some reliable information that John Brennan might have played a Deep Throat type of roll in this mess. Like when he was still employed by the Obama Administration. So, the contamination could not only infect the Clinton Campaign, but it might also reach the highest levels of the former administration.

Should the tentacles reach high up into the Obama Administration, for many Democrats, that news would be more shocking than proof of UFOs in Antarctica. The pristine, button down, thought by many to be the cleanest administration in history, could end up dripping with goo from the swamp. Many could be going to trial. Many could end up doing the perp walk. This will be the end of the swamp as we know it - but to totally rid the country of this vile contamination will be painful. Very, very painful.

Donald Trump said he would go to Washington to drain the swamp. It is time sir, it is time. Just know this President Trump - the citizens, the patriots are behind you. 

Playing liar's poker for a nothing burger

"It is hard to play checkers with a guy who excels in four dimensional chess. Ask any Democrat. Blind hatred will keep them coming back for more punishment, and Donald Trump is more than happy to oblige them."  

This is almost anti-climatic. No - forget the word "almost". Those of us who live on this side of the street, knew all along this was just a witch hunt. But - for the good of the country, this scratch had to be itched. Even though the President had already been tried, convicted, and the gallows were being prepared by the Left and the media, having an anal exam by a guy like Bob Mueller was important. So, the nation was dragged through the mud for two years, spent millions of dollars, and all the goofballs on the Left (and the media) ended up with - was the standard "nothing burger".

What is next in this national game of liar's poker? How about, the President receives letters of apology from the DNC, CNN, MSNBC and a host of others. I mean, after being called a traitor and a crook for two years, that would be the right thing to do. Nope. The truth deniers on the Left are now going to take that pair of deuces and double down on their bet. The Mueller conclusion? That meant nothing. The Loony Left is POSITIVE Bob Mueller either missed something important, or (gasp), was bought off. 

So, here we go again. The full report will be released. There will be no surprises. That won't matter to the Left. They are going to ride this pony all the way to the 2020 elections. The agenda for the Speaker of the House? The people's business? Nada. This is the agenda. There is no hiding it. They don't care. As one Democrat said yesterday - "This does not end our investigation. It is only the end of the beginning."

Many have said this in the past. The Left has no clue who they are messing with. Donald Trump is playing this group of socialist goofballs like a finely tuned violin. The longer this goes on, the better his chances for re-election in 2020. Plus - here is the frosting on the cake. Since NOTHING is happening in the House to move the President's agenda forward, the Senate also has not much to do. Well - that is not really true.

The Senate Leader has been confirming Trump's judges like crazy. More than just the two new Jurists on the Supreme Court. District Court, Appellant Courts and so forth. I have read more than one article (penned by neutral sources) that Trump is re-shaping the courts now which will last for years - maybe decades. No, when the Democrats decided they want to investigate the President for the next two years, the parade of new judges will continue. #WINNING!

So, all in all, it was a good weekend. Good hoops, my virus was much better, the snow continued to melt, and - the report was finally released. During one of my pensive moments, when the Democrats started to implode after finding out Mueller was not going to be their savior after all, I had this moment of profundity. The Left is now, and has been since November of 2016, so blinded by rage, they have lost all reason. They have lost any hope for resurrecting their floundering party. Destroying Trump is the only objective. Even if it ruins the Democrat Party for years to come. 

It is hard to play checkers with a guy who excels in four dimensional chess. Ask any Democrat. Blind hatred will keep them coming back for more punishment, and Donald Trump is more than happy to oblige them.  

"I am done!"

"I would like to have the election of Tim Walz be a teachable moment for all Minnesotans. But it won't be. Why not? Minnesotans never learn. Free stuff. Santa Clause. Shiny penny."

He is pitching a fit. Going from stop to stop to lay our his case. Frustrated? Oh yeah! He really thought he could peel off a few wobbly Republicans. Just two or three. That would allow his tax whoppers to get through the House (easy), and then slide by the Senate. Done deal. Those stupid Republicans could not stop him after all. His nefarious plan to skin Minnesotans would be on track.

But then in Anoka on Tuesday, his veneer wore thin. Our "Mr. Rogers" Governor let his true colors show. "I am done. We won the House by a large margin, and the Governor's race by the largest vote count in the history of Minnesota. But we have a bunch of Senators who were not up for election this past year, all they can do is say no."

Wah, wah, wah. By the way Timmy - elections have consequences. And one more minor issue. Yes, you did get the highest vote in Minnesota history. But Jeff Johnson got the second highest vote total in Minnesota history. My point on this? If Walz had not hoodwinked as many people as he did with the "One Minnesota" mirage, we would have Governor Johnson now, and none of the silly BS about a 20 cents a gallon tax increase, plus that universal heath care crapola.

The Framers of both the federal Constitution as well as our state Constitution had a similar goal - make it hard to pass legislation. Not impossible, but hard. That way, you would not have a Nebraska cowboy like Walz, running rough shod over the taxpayers of Minnesota. Right now, even though "Taxing Timmy" is in the throws of frustration, the Framer's plan is working. And saving the taxpayers from getting skinned financially.

One of my social media friends did have a good suggestion however. Rather than the Senate Republicans giving the appearance of standing tall with their arms folded across their chests, submit a plan. In that plan, expose this 20 cent a gallon gas tax for what it is. Show how this state already takes in plenty of transport money to repair roads and bridges. Then give a counter proposal. Like if anyone really, really wants to pay more gas tax, give them the OPTION of doing so.

I would like to have the election of Tim Walz be a teachable moment for all Minnesotans. But it won't be. Why not? Minnesotans never learn. Free stuff. Santa Clause. Shiny penny.
So we have an idiot as Governor instead of Jeff Johnson. And right now Minnesota is just inches away from becoming another California. 

  

STEMing the specter of "Q" Day

"There it is folks. Something else to worry about if you forget about the Polar Bears drowning on the melting icecaps. It was a wake call to me once again on how crappy our government educations schools have become. 2025 is getting closer folks. Soon we will be counting the months."

Okay Bird. You have had some goofy titles for your articles in the past, but this one might take the cake. What the heck is STEMing? And what the Sam Hill is "Q" Day? Fair questions, both of them. So I will start out this article with some definition. STEM as many of us know who have had school age kids as of late, stands for educating students who have the aptitude in science, technology, engineering and math. It is at the other end of the education spectrum from STEP, which stands for school to employment program or secondary technical education program.

Okay - no big deal. Those two programs have been around for a while. But this "Q" Day - that was a new one for me. It is something we all need to become much more aware of. Get smart on it. It could be a world changer, and it is right around the corner.

Quantum computing. The bright shiny thing for the techno geeks. It is coming, and "Q" Day may be as early as 2025. Actually, IBM has a quantum computer in the field right now. And IBM is not the only company chasing this rabbit. Whomever invents the quantum computer which meets all the metrics of this fearsome super computer, could rule the world.

Why? What is the big deal about yet another computer? Because this one will change everything. It is so much faster, has so many more capabilities, it will be able to crack every encrypted code in the world - including block chain (goodbye crypto). If we are the ones who reach "Q" Day first, it gives us a chance. If it is China or Russia, big trouble could be looming prior to 2030.

In a very short period of time, quantum computing has gone from theoretical to reality. Not all of it, but some of it. How whiz bang could this be? Some computer scientists think we will be able to establish "pocket of time" within the quantum computer. In other words, it will stop time. Not for long - a small fraction of a second. But with a computer this powerful, this fast, that is an eternity.

One of the radio shows had a scientist on the other day, discussing this issue. The first thing he said was a "DUH"! He told the host our education system is a mess. Teaching for yesterday instead of tomorrow. Tell that to "Lazy Man" Walz! We are nowhere near ready for the future. We should be pushing the STEM Program (for those who have the aptitude) like crazy. We need more software engineers, computer engineers, math geeks. And we need them yesterday.

There it is folks. Something else to worry about if you forget about the Polar Bears drowning on the melting icecaps. It was a wake call to me once again on how crappy our government educations schools have become. 2025 is getting closer folks. Soon we will be counting the months. 

And who is (are) the sleeping giant(s)?

"If ever there were a time for the sleeping giants to be bright eyed and bushy tailed, it will be in 2020. Yes, the next election will be just as important as 2016. If we lose the White House to a socialist, it will be game over."

My wife and I love to travel up the North Short of Lake Superior. Been up there in all the seasons. Once in a while, we cross the border and head up to Thunder Bay. As you are getting close to the town of Thunder Bay, a magnificent scene appears on the horizon. A huge rock formation, which looks a bit like a man sleeping on his back. The locals call it the Sleeping Giant. 

But that is not the sleeping giant I want to talk about. Right after the sneak attack on Pearl Harbor, Japanese Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto is reported to have said, "I fear all we have done is to awaken a sleeping giant and fill him with a terrible resolve." Closer, but still not the sleeping giant I want to talk about.

I saw the sleeping giants. Close up and personal. It was a sight I will never forget - nor will my wife. It was 2016, early winter. After almost 8 years of Obama, caucus night was upon us. My wife and I were conveners. The frustration within the patriots and citizens was at an all time high. At the caucus, there was going to be a straw poll to pick the Presidential nominee for the November election. Our little precinct was full up and busting at the seams. We had over a hundred people - similar numbers were also present at the other precincts.

In November, people who may have been sleeping during the past eight years, came to the polls in droves. The desire to purge ourselves of the Obama legacy, and to ensure we would NEVER have a President Hillary Clinton, was at a fever pitch. And it worked! Even though Hillary won the popular vote (supposedly), Trump took enough key states to seal the deal. It was Nirvana! For a change, the country was going to work again! The White House, Congress and the Senate belonged to the Red Team. Then came the 2018 elections. The giants had once again fallen back to sleep.

So who then, are the sleeping giants? Truthfully? They are not the Republicans, not the Democrats, and not the independents. However, they reside within all three sectors. They are the normal folks. The taxpayers who believe in the wisdom, and therefore the ruling authority of our Constitution. Plus - they have a deep, abiding love for this country. They are consumed with the alluring freedom of our liberty. Who are the sleeping giants? Real Americans. Those who were once called the silent majority.

Pay attention to the rhetoric being spewed by the nut balls who are vying for the Democrat Presidential nomination. If ever there were a time for the sleeping giants to be bright eyed and bushy tailed, it will be in 2020. Yes, the next election will be just as important as 2016. If we lose the White House to a socialist, it will be game over. Not hyperbole - fact. Game over.    

Government accountability and stewardship

"And for you, 'Lazy Man' Walz - you and your band of tricksters. NOT ONE MORE DIME IN TAXES UNTIL YOU FIX THE WASTE, FRAUD AND ABUSE! Dayton was bad, you are worse. If you want to waste money, waste yours. But leave ours the hell alone!"

Those of us who work or have worked in the private sector, know of knew of one immutable fact. Your success or failure depended upon being accountable. The more accountable you were to your management or the shareholders, the better your fortunes. However, when your accountability dwindled, and you ceased being a good steward of the companies finances, your days were quickly numbered.

For example, if I had misplaced large sums of company cash which was never found, I would not have been put on "paid administrative leave". I would have been canned and then maybe prosecuted. If I had done something like Lois Lerner did while at the IRS, I would have been run out of that company on a rail. Not Lois - she was put out to pasture with full pay until she could receive a full retirement. Compliments of the United States taxpayer. 

What is it about government where you can get away with just about any infraction? Where you can treat the people's money like play money? Where stewardship is only a word in the dictionary? We allow all kinds of flawed people to work in our government. They are suppose to be working for us. But to them, they see the world much differently. All money we have really belongs to them. To the state. It is theirs to squander, theirs to waste. No accountability is required. And when accountability is requested, it is met with silence or obstruction. 

Today, "Lazy Man" Walz is coming to my town to pitch his fool's errand of raising our gas tax. HE KNOWS there has been more than enough money collected to maintain our roads and bridges. So where is it then? "I dunno..." is the answer often received. Rather than demanding accountability for EVERY CENT OF TAXPAYER MONEY COLLECTED, "Lazy Man" Walz just finds it easier to ask for more. Twenty cents a gallon more. Which is nothing short of outrageous. 

Here is a novel idea - let's start treating the folks in the public sector the same way we treat folks in the private sector. No more two tiered justice system. For negligence in handling taxpayer money - instant termination. For anything more sinister than negligence, prosecution with jail time. I mean, the citizens, the patriots, have HAD IT! 

And for you, "Lazy Man" Walz - you and your band of tricksters. NOT ONE MORE DIME IN TAXES UNTIL YOU FIX THE WASTE, FRAUD AND ABUSE! Dayton was bad, you are worse. If you want to waste money, waste yours. But leave ours the hell alone!

Are we losing Fox News?

"Fox News - this is your wake up call. Your base is very concerned right now you have discovered the path CNN took from greatness to PC hell."

Back in 1991, I was in the twilight of my Naval career. After Viet Nam was over, the world was for the most part peaceful, with the exception of some firefights are terrorism in the Middle East. However, most of that did not affect me, and I continued on with my Cold War mission. 

Then came the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait. George Bush (41), wanted no part of Saddam Hussein getting the oil wells of Kuwait by force. So started Desert Shield. It was the largest movement of troops this country had seen in many a year. How did we know what was going on? The king of cable news at that time, CNN, was all over the coverage. For news junkies, this was worse than crack. 24 X 7 pre-war coverage? And CNN had a polished former Marine who was doing the on-site, as well as anchor desk reporting. His name was Bernard Shaw, and he was excellent during that time.

From 1991 to present day, CNN went from Superman to super dud. Fox News, which came on the scene in 1996, was a huge gamble for the Fox Corporation. They hired Roger Ailes, and he had a vision. Before long, Fox was knocking at CNN's door. It was game on! Slowly, Fox News started to chip away at CNN's market share. Soon, it was Fox News who was the big dog, and CNN started to morph into a poor man's MSNBC. It was sad to see. CNN at one time was so very good. 

But Roger Ailes is no longer in the picture at Fox. Bill O'Reilly, the cornerstone of night time news is gone. And the bite and bluster that Fox News had at one time, is slowing fading away. One of the bright spots Fox still has is Judge Jeanine Pirro.

However, as most of us know by now, the Judge is on suspension. Why? She called out our beloved Omar. Nothing racial - just factual. But in these days where Muslims are like balsa wood, one must tread lightly. In the former days of Fox News, the Judge's reporting would have been a plus up rather than a suspension.

My fear is this - we are in the twilight of Fox News as being a pillar of truth. A beacon of light. It has always been a safe harbor for those leaning Right. This "deep six" maneuver of the Judge over what she said about this embarrassment from CD 5 in Minnesota, was unforgivable. The Judge (as usual) was right on! Truthfully? Glenn Beck was just waiting for Fox to fire the Judge. He would have hired her in a heartbeat.

Fox News - this is your wake up call. Your base is very concerned right now you have discovered the path CNN took from greatness to PC hell. One more slip like you did with the Judge, and your base will be leaving in droves for blogs, pod casts, internet TV, or whatever. If we can't trust you anymore Fox, why have cable at all. Just saying...

   

The correct age to start voting

"Do I think that is harsh? Not really. We need more people in this country to vote with their brains and fewer with their hearts. If we voted with our brains, we would have never had Obama as President. Nor Clinton. Nor would we ever have Beto. Enough said."

I cast my first vote when I lived up in Maine. It was 1972, I was on active duty, and the Presidential race was between Richard Nixon and George McGovern of South Dakota. Legal voting age was 21 back then, and in 1972 I was 22 years old. Many young men on the base were excited by this unconventional (at that time) candidate from the prairies of South Dakota. Others, liked the familiar face and mannerisms of the current Commander-in-Chief, Dick Nixon. 

One of the guys on the base came from a very strong Democrat family in Delaware. He was a HUGE McGovern supporter. Wanted me to wear a McGovern button on my jacket when I was off duty. I declined. But at 22, I was conflicted. The "cool thing" to do was vote for McGovern, the underdog. Even though one of his campaign promises was to gut the military. That really bothered me.

Finally, after a lot of soul searching, I made up my mind. The military was just too important to gut. The week before the election, I told my friend from Delaware I was going to vote for Nixon. That was the last time he ever talked to me. Welcome to politics. 

Why do I tell this story? At age 22, for my first time voting, I almost fell for the "shiny penny". Even though Nixon did a dumb thing which forced him to resign, he was still the best choice of the two.

For the next election in 1974, I can't remember if I voted or not. I was out of the active Navy and living in Minnesota. I was 24, and still informed enough to cast a  thoughtful vote. In fact in 1976, when Fritz Mondale was the new "shiny penny", his name was already being mentioned as future President. I though having him as President would be cool, as we could have a President from MN. It for that reason alone, I came close to voting for the Carter-Mondale ticket. It took one of my conservative friends to talk me off of that ledge!

I was in my 30's when I first really started using my head during elections. Not in my 20's, not 18, and certainly not 16. Actually, when I was 16, I did not know my butt from a six pack of beer. Even after serving four years active time in the Navy, and then graduating from the University of Minnesota, my voting brain was still pretty scrambled. I really needed to be in the work a day world, owning a home, raising a family, to really understand how government affects my life. 

All this being said, why in the world would Democrats want 16 year old kids to vote? DUH! They know how uninformed kids are. They are counting on them to be uninformed. Just like with immigrants who don't understand the issues yet, 16 year old kids are low fruit on the tree for Democrats.

Looking back at my life, at what age did I vote when my vote really mattered? When I say mattered, I mean when my vote had some thought behind it? Age 30. Therefore, I would advocate that the national voting age be raised to 30. And legal immigrants not be allowed to vote until they have lived here five years. 

Do I think that is harsh? Not really. We need more people in this country to vote with their brains and fewer with their hearts. If we voted with our brains, we would have never had Obama as President. Nor Clinton. Nor would we ever have Beto. Enough said.

Time to come from the shadows

"It is time folks. If you have been in the shadows, this is the time to re-engage."

Someone asked me a few years ago, why the Left is always so vocal. Why they seem to be the ones out in the street, always protesting down by the capitol. Is it that our side does not believe or care as deeply as their side does? I mean, our side gets out on occasion, but it is not an every day event like it seems to be on the Left. I will first answer these questions with a very simplistic answer - that is not how we roll.

Well how do we "roll" then? First off, our side for the most part, practices civil obedience. We don't block freeways. We don't pound on cars. We don't break stuff. And we don't use all kinds of vulgar language when we practice our Constitutional right of peaceful assembly. Plus (gasp), dare I bring this up? Many on our side work. Work to pay the taxes which support many of the vociferous and unruly ones on the other side. 

When did the Left start becoming so unhinged? Some think it was during the union riots in 1886. Others think in the 1930's around the time of the Great Depression. Myself, I think the "sea change" for the Left really started in 1968 during the Democrat National Convention in Chicago. That was a doozy. About wrecked the town. And - it established the Democrats for once and for all as the party of lawlessness. The party of taking it to the streets. Of being anti-cop.

Meanwhile, while folks on the Right have gone on with their lives, gone to work, raised families, attended church, and paid their taxes, the one moderate Left has been going through a dangerous metamorphoses. They have decided that absolute power is worth having, regardless of the cost. Regardless of what it does to the security of this great country. Regardless of who or whom we let vote in our elections. While folks on the Right have stayed in the shadows just living their lives, a cancer has been growing in the Left. A cancer which left unchecked, could kill this great republic.

Last election, many on our side were so disheartened, they did not vote. They stayed in the shadows. Others voted, but that was about it. Here is the reality as I see it today. The future belongs to the most committed. Even though the Left is as wrong as wrong can be, their side is staffed with legions of true believers. Come 2020, if our side stays in the shadows and their side stays fervent as they are now, we could lose the White House. We could lose the Senate. We might not be able to take back the House. In other words - we could lose the country.

The Left can smell blood now folks. This impossible dream, hatched by Bernie Sanders, AOC, Beto and host of other, that dream of turning us into a socialist utopia, might be within their reach. Even though we outnumber them, and have more cogent ideas on how this country should be run, that very vocal minority could win the day. 

It is time folks. If you have been in the shadows, this is the time to re-engage. I have heard many folks much smarter than I say this over and over again - "If Hillary had won the White House, it would have been game over now." I totally agree with that statement. If we lose the White House in 2020 to one of these socialists or nut balls, it will be game over. 

"Teach your children"

"Here are the facts young ones. Our air is clean, and getting cleaner every year. Our water is clean. Socialism sucks, and it never works - period." 

Back in the 60's (yes, I lived through them, and even remember part of them), there was a song by Crosby, Stills and Nash called Teach your children. Even though the song was somewhat counter-culture, I am going to steal the title for this article. Why? What happened yesterday, with this student walk out (skipping school), should be a wake up call for us. It was Exhibit "A" of all the garbage (instead of facts) that kids are absorbing in our government schools today.

First one minor point of personal history. When I was in high school in the 60's, if I skipped out on a day of class, there would be hell to pay. First, the school would have given me some kind of punishment. Maybe detention, maybe a day of suspension. Then at home, the real punishment would have set it. I could not even imagine what my parents would have done to me, but it would not have been pretty.

Anyhow, in today's "anything goes" attitude in our government schools, I am sure the students who skipped and ventured down to the capitol were "green lighted" by their progressive teachers. Once they arrived there, the reasons they gave for skipping school could have come straight out of the mouth of AOC. "We only have 11 more years to fix this before it is too late!" Or, "We need to implement the Green New Deal, now!" Or, one 13 year girl (that is middle school age) decided it would better for her "not to have kids". Why? Climate change.

When did our schools start teaching science fiction instead of science? I mean, for the love of Pete, what kind of lemmings are we turning out these days? No wonder the Democrats want sixteen year old kids to vote. Their heads are filled with mush. Not facts. Not figures. Mush. 

One would think we lived in a city in China right now, where the air is so polluted, you can hardly see across the street. But we do not. Our air is very clean. So clean right now, the air inside a home is dirtier than the air outside. Let that sink in. When we do have an air quality alert in the Twin Cities, it is a rarity - not commonplace. 

Here are the facts young ones. Our air is clean, and getting cleaner every year. Our water is clean. Socialism sucks, and it never works - period. In the next five years, we will have tens of thousands of new, electric cars buzzing around. Our houses are getting "smarter" and more energy efficient. This is the best, most prosperous country in the history of man. We invent things, we manufacture things to make not only our lives better, but people all over the world. Finally, thanks to our technology, hunger all but eliminated in this country. Plus, we are a bread basket for the world.

How do I finish this? With three messages.

Parents - teach your children. Don't rely on the schools, because it ain't happening anymore.
Teachers - start teaching and quit indoctrinating. We don't give a crap how you feel politically, we only care that you teach meaningful and true facts.
Students - sit your ass down and shut up. Your job is to learn. When you become adults, it will be your turn to drive the car. Until then, your only job is to learn.

"We are coming for you..."

"This is what the last election has given us. Another Democrat who does not give a damn how much money in this state is being lost due to waste, fraud and abuse. Another Democrat who only knows how to raise taxes instead of govern. Another Democrat whose wife thinks she too, was elected." 

For years in the past, there was an unwritten rule that you laid off of the spouse and/or kids of elected officials. That rule worked out fine until we elected Slick Willie. Remember that famous quote? "Elect me and you get a two for one!" That meant if we elected Bill, we also got Hillary. Kind of like a twin President. And sure enough, Bill put this unelected person in charge of changing this nation's health care system. Then the gloves came off.

Seems like Minnesota's laziest Governor has a wife (unlike our last statist Governor). And this quiet, demure First Lady of Minnesota turns out to be not so quiet and demure after all. She has decided to jump into the gun control debate, head first. This educator, daughter of two educators, should have stuck to her knitting. Like helping her husband re-invent education in Minnesota so it works for all. So we can teach kids - not indoctrinate them. So when they graduate, they KNOW THINGS! And education in Minnesota will not cost and arm and a leg, like it does now. Thanks for nothing, Education Minnesota!

But no. Sweet little Gwen had to run her yap while addressing a bunch of DFL gun grabbers. She was pissed the DFL controlled House passed some out of touch gun grabbing bills, and the Senate would not bring them up for a vote. Wise choice on Leader Paul's part. So Gwen threatened Leader Paul. And also Senators in districts her husband won this past election. "We are coming for you". I'm sorry - does that not sound a bit like Germany in the 1930's? Like at a German beer hall putsch? 

Seems that reading Gwen's bio, her other pet rock besides education is helping the LBGQRTYS community. Not a minute of her time has been devoted to helping stop the genocide in Minnesota. For someone who says she cares for kids, what about the ones who are ripped out of their mother's womb before, during or after birth? Now she wants to go after innocent gun owners, who have done nothing, except exercise their Second Amendment rights. 

Sorry Gwen. You should have modeled yourself after Barbara or Laura Bush instead of Hillary Clinton. If you had, people on my side would have left you alone. But no longer. Now you are fair game, just like your lazy husband is. To threaten Minnesota Senators for doing nothing but protecting our Bill of Rights, is way beyond the pale. 

Good people of Minnesota - this is what the last election has given us. Another Democrat who does not give a damn how much money in this state is being lost due to waste, fraud and abuse. Another Democrat who only knows how to raise taxes instead of govern. Another Democrat whose wife thinks she too, was elected. 

Elections have consequences folks. Just think - if the DFL takes the Senate in 2020, we will be (as we would say in the Navy), "screwed, blued, and tattooed..."

Taxation is lazy government

"We need to demand more from our government - regardless of political stripes. This is our money which is being WASTED. We need to say NO to more taxes. We need LESS TAXES to do more. We need NO TAX on Social Security."

A long time ago, I worked for a company which made widgets. I thought it odd when I signed on, as there was no job description nor job metrics. Then once a month, we had program reviews with the VP. First, Procurement would present. "Our costs keep going up on numerous components. Most of these are single or sole sourced items. We pass those costs on, so the cost of the end product keeps going up." The VP nodded his head and then asked for the QA manager to present.

"Our scrap, attrition, and re-work keeps going up, and we don't have a clue why. We also have no clue if we are getting better or worse, since we keep no records, nor use any metrics." "What ever", said the VP, and motioned for Engineering to speak. "Our current product has many problems, so product returns keep going up. To date, we have not issued a single change proposal to improve our product. Design Engineering has another golf outing today, since they have nothing to do."

Now we all know, no company in America would run like this. Maybe in a socialist country, but not here. HOWEVER (comma), this is EXACTLY the way our government works. No need to improve, wildly inefficient, and out of control costs. In the real world, even the most mediocre of all companies would figure out how to get better. Not our government - that is too much work. For government, what is the lazy way out of problems, the one which NEVER works? Raise taxes on the citizens. And the laziest man to come along for many decades - is "Tim the Taxer" Walz.

Take the gas tax. We are already paying more gas tax than the average state pays. We take in a ton of money with our overpriced license tabs. We have more than enough money to have (what Walz calls "a world class transportation system), so why do we need any more money? Laziness.

"Tim the Taxer" is hell bent of spending valuable transportation money on LRT. Remember those things? They are the trains which we all pay for, and 95% of us will never use. Plus, don't forget those POS bike paths, which also leach money from our transportation fund. But never mind all that - Timmy still wants an additional 20 cents per gallon of YOUR MONEY to waste. Pure laziness.

Education is another prime example. Every time we hear the term "free education", it is never free. Costs have just been shifted to the tax payer. Since costs in education always go up, therefore, so is their need for more money. Now "Tim the Taxer", instead of doing more with less (and there are miles of improvement which could be had) wants more money. To pour good money after bad. Meanwhile, this "former educator" continues to fail the kids in Minnesota. He is not preparing our kids for the future. He is a lazy SOB, who is now our Governor - and he is in charge of our education system. 

There are so many more examples, I could go on all morning. Let me just say this - if any company in the civilized world ran like our state government, it would be out of business in less than a year. Should we not expect our state government to practice at least SOME improvement principles which would lower the cost of government? Instead of doing less for more, should we not be doing more for less? 

Folks - I am not going tell you anything you don't already know. Taxation is the laziest of ways to run a government. Is taxation theft? Some think so. But it is laziness for sure. So then, what in government is not lazy? The New Republican Caucus for starters. They are not stuck in the status quo. They are change agents for sure. And this group of iconoclasts want a better and more affordable Minnesota. 

We need to demand more from our government - regardless of political stripes. This is our money which is being WASTED. We need to say NO to more taxes. We need LESS TAXES to do more. We need NO TAX on Social Security. Make sure your Representative is on board with this. If not - get rid of him (or her).  

"Tim the Taxer" remorse...

"When it comes to our new proposed twenty cents a gallon hike in state gasoline tax (which will make our gas as expensive as jet fuel), Timmy the Taxer had this to say: "'This new tax increase will give us the best transportation in the world.'"

Someone asked me a couple of weeks ago if I thought there was any Tim Walz remorse as of yet. My answer? "None by me, as I did not vote for the phony". Phony? Come on Bird, sticks and stones! No, he is now, and always has been, a phony. How the good people of CD 1 got cowed into voting for this guy for a few terms, is only slightly less confusing than how the state of Minnesota voted for him in 2018. He and his platforms are as original as Tums commercials.

Now Timmy is starting to feel his oats. Enough with the wedding - time for the honeymoon. It was time for Timmy to get undressed and show his stuff. For those of us who had been following his career, seeing him naked was no surprise. All that is under his veneer is nothing but taxes, more taxes, and followed by fees. For those who Timmy had hoodwinked during the election (and there are legions), all you can hear right now from some is a collective gasp. A gasp as in WE HAVE BEEN HAD!

Today, Timmy the Taxer pulled the curtain back to expose some more of his new taxes and fees. I guess Timmy fell asleep when it was reported that Minnesota was the nation's least tax friendly state. He must have, because normal Governors would have just about declared an emergency to fix that issue. Not Timmy. He has more new taxes and fees than Minnesota has inches of snow on the ground. And everyone of them will be a back breaker. But who cares? Timmy's base will not have to pay them - only the producers.

Today in the paper, Timmy the Taxer told his best whopper yet. I know, it is hard to beat the ones he has already told. When it comes to our new proposed twenty cents a gallon hike in state gasoline tax (which will make our gas more expensive as jet fuel), Timmy the Taxer had this to say: "This new tax increase will give us the best transportation system in the world."  What? Are you smoking hemp Timmy? Is this the Onion reporting this, or our hometown newspaper? The best transportation system in the world? You might need one of those cognitive tests which I have to take every year Timmy!

Just like when I say, "Thank God for Donald J. Trump is our President!", I also need to say, "Thank God for the Republicans holding the Minnesota Senate." Love them or not, the Minnesota Senate is keeping this lunatic at bay with his new taxes and fees.

How will this end? Poorly, if we don't keep reminding folks we elected a lemon. In 2020, we need to not only keep the Senate, but also retake the House.  

In a million years or so...

"If you are a change agent, good times await you. If you hate change, and wish things would just slow down a bit, I have some bad news - ain't gonna happen. Very few of us will be around to see what happens in 2069. But our grandchildren will be."

Did you know it was late in the year of 1903 when the Wright Brothers kicked off the era of aviation? Just think - from December of 1903 to July of 1969 (a mere 65 1/2 years) we went from wishing we could fly, to walking on the Moon. If you think that is impressive, I am with you. Did you ever ponder what the next hundred years would hold? From 1969 to 2069? Since we are halfway through that hundred years, we know part of the answer. But what about the rest of the story?

Also in 1908, Henry Ford unleashed the Model T from the assembly line. "Sell the horses Ma! We got us a car!" In that short period of time from then to now, cars have become the main mode of transportation in most developed countries. The are ubiquitous - it is estimated today there are over a billion cars worldwide. Even though cars are everywhere, the day of the car is about to change. In fact, everything is about to change. We are about to reach a major milestone on our journey to 2069.

I addressed this before. I am convinced 2025 will be remembered by future historians as the start of a new renaissance age of technology. Everything is going to change in how we live. Plus, the speed of those changes will be lightening fast. Our beloved Model T will start morphing into a self driving pod - or something that can fly. We will be discovering more and more energy sources which will be abundant and less costly - hint: not wind. Everything we do, how we live, where we go, will be controlled by the internet. "I o T" (Internet of Things) will become so common, it won't even be noticed anymore.

I recently saw on the Science Channel that NASA is working on a new propulsion system which will allow us to send a probe to Proxima Centauri (one of our closest stars) by 2050. It will use a laser type of propulsion to get its speed up to half the speed of light. So even though Proxima Centauri is over four light years away, this probe could be there in about ten. That will be our first step in true interstellar travel. 

Meanwhile, in our own solar system, we will have bases on the Moon and Mars, and will be mining the asteroids. Robots will be commonplace on Earth as well as in space, and AI will be in just about everything.

How different will things be? Kids who are in school at that time (that is, if schools still exist) and study history, will think we lived like cavemen in 2019. They will wonder how people today could live the way we do.

Why do I bring all of this up? If mankind can make the progress we have since the early 1900's to now, just imagine where mankind will be in 2100. Or 3100 - a thousand years later. Right now, we are racing forward to 2025. As different as things will be six years from now, that is only the beginning to wave after wave of huge changes. 

If you are a change agent, good times await you. If you hate change, and wish things would just slow down a bit, I have some bad news - ain't gonna happen. Very few of us will be around to see what happens in 2069. But our grandchildren will be.

As for us in 2019, the future is ours to make or break. I am banking on we make it. 

Again - Which Witch is Which?

"All this being said, with Ms. Nancy holding the gavel, none of the people's business is going to get done until at least 2020. If the Republicans do not take back the House, it will be even longer."

Come on Bird! Stop picking on poor old Ms. Nancy again! You know she is low fruit on the tree! Yes, she is. Plus - she is about as transparent as a pane of glass. But this last thing she said - it was a doozy. In fact, it was the dooziest of all doozies. To take impeachment off the table? After all the pomp and circumstance leading up to this? If you think there was much more to this - you are right.

First off, Ms. Nancy is a fraud. You know it, and I know it. Her net worth, based on her speaker's salary as well as her days in Congress not as Speaker, is close to $70M. Nice gig! How is that salary going to work in with the Green New Deal? Plus she lives in a multi-million dollar mansion in the Bay Area. Huh? That's not fair! What about income re-distribution? Socialism? Fairness for the proletariat? And does she have a fence or a wall protecting her home? When she says a southern border wall would be "immoral"? How about armed protection? When she hates gun ownership so much. No - Ms. Nancy is a piece of work. You can see her picture when you look up "limousine liberal".

She is also very long in the tooth. Old enough to be the grandma or great grandma to these twenty something "young Turks" who are now infesting her turf. Because of the age difference, as well as economic differences (Ms. Nancy loves her money), there is a whole lot of trouble brewing in her caucus. And with this latest stink bomb she lobbed in there, the in-fighting could reach a fever pitch.

In reality, the ONLY reason she is not going after the President via impeachment is she knows it is a loser. First - no case. If there was, Mueller and Schiff would have found it long ago. Second - popularity. The country remains strongly divided on Donald Trump. His supporters are resolute and strong. To go after this President only because he beat the esteemed Hillary in 2016, could or would lead to an insurrection. And dumb as she can be, Ms. Nancy is smart enough to figure that one out.

Of course, the Republican's are still steamed at her for her backing of H.R. 1 - "For the People's Act". This piece of trash, which has zero chance of making it through the Senate and even less of a chance of the President signing it, is a good reminder of what would have happened if Hillary won the election and the Dems took the Senate. We would be having illegals voting in our country. After investigating the President for two years now, to see if he allowed foreign interference in our 2016 election, Ms. Pelosi just championed a bill which would allow foreigners to vote in every election. 

All this being said, with Ms. Nancy holding the gavel, none of the people's business (the Trump Agenda) is going to get done until at least 2020. If the Republicans do not take back the House, it will be even longer. Ms. Nancy may be good fodder for Republican fund raising, but she is poison for the country. So, which witch is which when it comes to Ms. Nancy? Depends on the day.