Taking back the limelight...

"Anyhow, another great trip for POTUS. Once again, we realize just how lucky we are that we do not have President Hillary." 

After watching Joe Biden and the nineteen dwarfs steal the nation's spotlight this past week during the Clown Car Debates, it sure did not take our President long to strike back. During the tail end of the G-20 Summit in Japan, the President struck gold. I mean, the mother lode of gold. Stole the limelight back from the Democrats - Bigly! 

First off, as worthless as these summits are, it gave Prime Minister Abe the chance to play host, and show off the beautiful country of Japan. It was kind of funny - Fox News had Tucker Carlson on site during the summit. Before the summit started, Tucker was in a major transit station doing a spot on Japan. In this busy transit station, there was not one inch of graffiti; not one speck of garbage on the floor. Why? The Japanese people look upon their country with respect. It is their home. They keep their home in very good and clean condition. They would be embarrassed to have it any other way. Hello America? Are you listening?

Anyway, towards the end of the summit, Donald Trump met with General Secretary Xi of China. Purpose of the meeting? To try and kick start the trade talks again, so this tariff war might end. Trump's big move? To take off the embargo (so to speak) on Huawei. That got things rolling. Bottom line - the trade talks are back on so we will not up any more tariffs (for now). That is great news for not only our stock market, but also the world economy.

Donald Trump then "tweeted" that he will be stopping in Korea on the way home, and would like to meet Kim on the DMZ. It was a "Hail Mary" shot, as nothing had been planned, and the last talks in Viet Nam did not go well. But up to the DMZ Trump went, and guess who was there waiting for him? Chairman Kim. This impromptu meeting between Kim and Trump lasted about an hour. Before they sat down to talk, Trump stepped over the line into North Korea (giving his Secret Service detail heartburn). First sitting President to EVER venture into North Korea. Then the two of them turned around and stepped back over the border. Kim became the first North Korean leader to venture into South Korea. Wow!

Nobody is better at this. While the Democrats keep bashing Donald Trump for all the things he has not done, all Donald Trump can do is keep on performing. And performing. His eyes have never left the prize. In all his years in business, he has learned that talk is cheap - it means nothing. But results? That is a whole different story.

I will love to see how the Dems will spin this one. They will probably focus on the fact that the President said "ISIS was full of bullshit" when addressing the troops at Osan Air Force Base. The troops loved it, the statists and globalists will hate it. Anyhow, another great trip for POTUS. Once again, we realize just how lucky we are that we do not have President Hillary. 

Our next President

"That is it for now. Enjoy the hot weekend. The politics however, is about to get a whole lot hotter." 

Just close your eyes for a minute and imagine whom of the twenty or so Democrat candidates for President might look good living at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. Who would be good in dealing with a ruthless dictator like Kim. Or a cagey former KGB agent like Putin. Or Xi, who has designs on taking over most of Asia and some of Europe (economically). Or Iran, who if we are not giving them pallets full of cash, think we are the "Great Satan".

We have tried appeasers like Carter and Obama. That did not work well. By the way, did you hear that Jimmy Carter thinks Russia put Trump in the White House? And therefore Trump is illegitimate? Hey Jimmy - this is for you, one more time. Putin HATED Hillary for what she tried to do to him. Do I think Putin did things to derail her bid? Absolutely. But it had nothing to do with Trump. The Republicans could have been running Bozo the Clown, and Putin would have done the same thing. Not love for Trump - hatred for Hillary. Trump would have won with or without the Russians

Each one of the clowns running for President on the Blue ticket have plans for this country. Plans to take it straight into the toilet. Plans to operate way outside of the Constitution. Here is what some pundit said Trump needs to say when the campaign season heats up. "Is this really what you want America? Open borders, abortion going into the fourth trimester, gun confiscation, 70% tax rates, free everything with a debt to pay for it going so high, it will wreck the nation? If so, vote for the Democrats. Each one is promising basically the same thing."

If the Republicans spent scads of cash to hire the best PR firm in the world to come up with a whiz bang campaign ad for Donald Trump, it would not be as effective as Clown Car - Part 1, and Clown Car Part 2. The funniest part of those two nights of debates is the Democrats have NO CLUE on how badly they hurt themselves. None, what so ever.

If the Democrats stick to their script all the way to their convention, and the winner starts to have debates with President Trump, Donald will chew them up and spit them out. It will not be a fair fight. Not even close. Trump will have facts and history on what he has done to the country. A Democrat will have hyperbole and nonsense who what they will do to the country. The difference in vision is not slight - it is stark. 

More to come folks. Now that we know what these people are made out of, watch you local elections in 2020 also. Just look at what happened in Edina. This is an infestation of socialism. "Get even-ism". We heard it again from Biden the other night. If you have done well, it is not because of you. It is because of the rest of us. Therefore, you have the moral obligation to share the fruits of your success with the rest of us. That is what is coming. Once that is done, they will be after your wealth in the form of a wealth tax. Oh yes - I have that mentioned also.

That is it for now. Enjoy the hot weekend. The politics however, is about to get a whole lot hotter. 

The green light for illegals

"Sound far fetched? Listen to the words spoken in these debates. Now I will use their term. Also listen to the 'dog whistle' of tyranny. It is there. Trust me, it is. This black and white world, instead of the technicolor one we have now, is just waiting for us in the next election."

This country is on the verge of a major sea change. Maybe not on the verge - let's just say on the precipice. I have said this before, but it might bear repeating. I thought abortion was going to be the final irreconcilable split in this country. I might have been wrong. It just might be illegal immigration.

Last night in Clown Car - Part 2, there was a very good question asked by a moderator. "Raise your hand if you would like to decriminalize the act of coming over our borders undocumented." Most raised their hands. The green light to come here illegally just got a whole lot greener.

Then another moderator asked even a better question - "Raise your hand if you will provide FREE healthcare to undocumented people". ALL of them raised their hands. The green light then went from very bright green to neon bright green.

Now let's assume anyone of these clowns beats Donald Trump, the House stays Blue and the Senate flips. Here is what will happen:

• The National Debt Clock will no longer be needed. Our national debt will be so high, so unsustainable, people will just stop paying attention to it.
• We can reassign Border Patrol agents and ICE agents to other jobs. Illegals can come and go unfettered, and by then everyone documented or not, will be given free health care. 
• All drugs will be legal. We will have so many drugs pouring over the southern border, the long lasting War on Drugs will be lost. We will just surrender. As so many additional young lives will also be lost due to drugs. But who cares? With no southern border, this will become just a cost of doing business.
• Our major Blue cities will become like Chicago was in the 1930's - run by crime bosses. Only this time it will not be Al Capone. It it will be MS-13 (and others like it). Since they can stroll across the border anytime they like, our cities will become theirs. 
• Since Democrats will be running everything, human trafficking will be looked upon as a non-crime. After all, pedophilia has been considered by some on the Left as normal (remember NAMBLA?). Sex will be what ever, when ever, and with whom ever. No holds barred. Marriage will be tossed out the window and many in this nation will be poluamerious.
• The stock market will tank, as capital gains will be fully taxed, and all stock transactions will now have a tax put on them.
• Wealth will be confiscated, as there will also be a wealth tax to supplement the income tax .

Sound far fetched? Listen to the words spoken in these debates. Now I will use their term. Also listen to the "dog whistle" of tyranny. It is there. Trust me, it is. This black and white world, instead of the technicolor one we live in now, is just waiting for us in the next election.

If these people don't scare you, they should. I can see our freedom and liberty going right out the window in less than two years. These are perilous times patriots. Really, really perilous. 

No longer your grandparent's country

"Watch your school boards and city councils folks. That is where the cancer starts. Before long, you end up with people like Ilhan Omar representing hundreds of thousands of Minnesota citizens in Washington, DC. That should be a wake up call for just about anyone." 

Of all the nut ball ideas of late, this latest thing to come out of St. Louis Park might just be the nuttiest. Seems the wise elders of that first ring suburb will no longer say our Pledge of Allegiance before council meetings. Huh? Not enough time? What is it then? I am still shaking my head in disbelief over the real answer. The Pledge might be "uncomfortable" to some of our new arrivals in this country. So, we will just scrap the Pledge. Soon, we will get rid of the National Anthem at ball games. Finally, that very offensive American flag flying all over the place, will be toast.

Folks - this is no longer your grandparent's America. In fact, Norman Rockwell might be spinning in his grave right now. Everything this country, once considered sacred, is now being sacrificed on the un-holy alter of PC demons. What is next? Not saying the Pledge in school? I have heard some schools have already gotten rid of it. Don't want to offend the "you know who" people. 

We have seen the results of kicking God out of the classroom. And it is not good. Schools today are NOTHING like the schools of yesteryear. Many schools are mayhem where real learning is obsolete. If we follow that up by kicking any type of patriotism out of schools, they will become nothing more than education gulags for the next generation. No education, only indoctrination. George Orwell's dystopian vision of 1984, will soon be passed in the fast lane by a society which is devoid of King and country. And that King, is King Jesus. 

I grieve for the Greatest Generation. Their hard work and sacrifice by leaving us this great country, continues to be besmirched and sullied by the most unworthy of us. Where this flag and Pledge hatred comes from, escapes me. It really does. This country may not be perfect, but it is far and away the best in the world. At one time, our collective desire was to create a more perfect union. Today, the desire by many socialists is to divide us into a country made up of fractional war lords. 

When I was growing up in the Lake Conference in the 1960's, I loved St. Louis Park. Had friends there, and loved going there to hang out. A great city, with a great heritage. Now, you can have it. Like so many cities in this now Stalinist state, it is lost. 

Watch your school boards and city councils folks. That is where the cancer starts. Before long, you end up with people like Ilhan Omar representing hundreds of thousands of Minnesota citizens in Washington, DC. That should be a wake up call for just about anyone. 

Refugees - another blot on the feckless UN

"The UN reminds me of someone who was hired in an office to do some kind of important job. This person is paid a boatload of money, and given a nice title. But day after day, when the rest of the office is turning out product, this highly paid individual is doing nothing."

Can anyone with a beating heart, give me one solid reason why we still have the UN? Is it to keep nations from warring with each other? If so, classic fail. Oh yes, I remember now. It was established to do just that. But somehow on the way to world peace, it fell off the turnip truck. Today, it is mostly concerned with social re-engineering the world. At the expense of the United States. 

Instead we have countries in Africa, Asia, South America and Central America, with governments so dysfunctional and broken, with policing so inept or corrupt, that some of those countries become unlivable for the citizens. What happens then to those citizens, under the auspices of the UN? They become refugees. They get dumped in another country, who can hopefully take care of them. Say for example, the United States, and what is currently happening on our southern border.

Now as we all know, there is no way on this good, green Earth the United States can handle all the refugees which are showing up at our border. Even if we all wanted too, we could not do it. So whose fault is the mess on the border? The Democrats? Partly, for putting votes ahead of fixing our broken amnesty laws. Mexico? Partly, for allowing safe passage of numerous caravans through their country. Any one of our Presidents from Reagan to Trump? Nope. They were just following our laws as written. The UN? BINGO! That is where most of the fingers should be pointed.

The UN reminds me of someone who was hired in an office to do some kind of important job. This person is paid a boatload of money, and given a nice title. But day after day, when the rest of the office is turning out product, this highly paid individual is doing nothing. When someone asks, why we can't just get rid of that person, a loud gasp is heard. "We need that person! If our office is to survive, we need that person!" So that person stays on, for reasons unknown, making big money, and doing nothing.

This organization should be pulled up by the roots, and thrown away. Never to be found again. The land this building sits on is worth a mint. We should sell that land, take the money we send to the UN every year, and finish the wall. And while we are at it, we could also get rid of the World Bank. Let's clean house of all these statists and globalists.

There you have it. Now that the Bird has his vision back, he can see clearly, once again. What I DON'T see however, is any further need for the UN. Get rid of it - NOW!

No birds nor bees, for the SWLRT

"Welcome to the era of the new Left. Conflicted, confused and commies. What do they want? Everything and nothing. Depends on the day. This day however, nature and all that exists in it will take a back seat to social engineering." 

I am old enough to remember when the Left was very concerned about the environment. They stopped a major project because it might have affected breeding grounds for the snail darter. An animal nobody had ever heard of. There are more examples of this nutty behavior, but I am sure most of us remember them. The Left were warriors for the birds and the bees, and the flowers and the trees. Today - not so much.

One of the first examples of the Left's change of focus happened with the advent of the energy windmills. You know, those ugly things which are staining our landscape. Not only to they ruin the view in just about any direction in which they are located, but they are also prolific bird and bat killers. Birds, including protected species of birds. Raptors. You mean they should at least be as protected as the snail darter? Nope. Today the snail darter would be nothing but road kill with the new Left.

Someone penned an article to the newspaper recently, complaining about the dearth of song birds as of late. It seems since the construction crews have been taking down mature shade trees by the dozens, to make way for the SWLRT, many birds have taken a hike. I guess the backers of the SWLRT have never heard about Earth Day. Or ecology. Or "old growth" trees. Nope. Those trees, and the birds who lived in them, are being sacrificed for a boondoggle train which only 5% (at most) of the people who pay for it, will ride.

Then - while crews were grubbing some land to get ready for construction on a SWLRT transit stop, they uncovered some very rare honey bees. Holy smokes! What a find! With the shortage of honey bees today, it seems for sure they would take priority over this stupid train. Nope. Bye-bye bees. Don't let the (door?) hit you on the way out. ANYTHING, for this beloved train, which the Left thinks is almost a deity. 

Welcome to the era of the new Left. Conflicted, confused and commies. What do they want? Everything and nothing. Depends on the day. This day however, nature and all that exists in it, takes a back seat to social engineering. That is our world folks. Remember that in 2020.

Selective Outrage (again)

"It is nice to know as the nation spins out of control, almost into the Twilight Zone, we have people like Steve Drazkowski who is a truth teller." 

Last night, our own Steve Drazkowski was on the Tucker Carlson show. Why? Tucker wanted to know more about the fraudulent Ilhan Omar. Trucker seemed a bit perplexed on how this state rep from Mazeppa, Minnesota, could scoop the great and powerful Star Tribune on some very important facts. Or the New York Times. Or the Washington Post. How in the world could Steve have come up with this much immutable proof that Omar was a tax cheat, a liar and a possible bigamist, and the lap dog media missed it? Or did they?

Once again selective outrage and PC nonsense is ruling the day. The MSM has however, found some nut ball (and she is loony) gal, who said President Trump sexually accosted her. E. Jean Carroll, the accuser, said the President made moves on her back in the mid-1990's. Huh? And why are we just hearing about this now? And where is the proof? Well, there is not proof (unlike what Drazkowski has dug up on Omar), but that is not stopping the MSM. No-sir-re-Bob!

You wonder than why so many young people are turning off and tuning out when it comes to the news. Unlike my generation, who every night could listen to "Uncle Walter" tell us the news with some degree of credibility, the current crop of misfits who work for the MSM do not have an honest bone in their bodies. They are shameful. How so, you might ask?

Also in the "fish wrap" called a newspaper this morning, was a tale of tears about how the "children" were being mistreated at the border. No, they are not. They are treated the same way, maybe better, than they were treated under the most revered Barack Obama. And yet - nary a peep out of the press about him. On, no. He was untouchable, for obvious reasons. Plus - if Ms Nancy would get off her botoxed butt and do something to fix this amnesty loop hole which is the root of these immigration problems, the "children" would not be suffering on the border. 

Here is the almost funny thing, if I can get back to Omar for just a sec. While Draz is dropping a dime on her on national TV, Omar is appearing with that ancient commie, Bernie Sanders, DEMANDING that all student loan (all $1.7T of it), be eviscerated. Now money may not mean much where she comes from, but $1.7T is a lot of cheddar in this country! But who cares? The MSM will never print THIS IS THE NUTTIEST IDEA YET to come out of the Left.

It is nice to know as the nation spins out of control, almost into the Twilight Zone, we have people like Steve Drazkowski who is a truth teller. In a time when telling the truth is almost a forgotten art, people like Sever Drazkowski show us once again, why truth matters. 

"Neither hawk nor dove..."

"Donald Trump is like the parent who much prefers to reward his children for good behavior, rather than to spank them for bad." 

Interesting week last week. We are learning more and more about our President. After Iran acted very badly in the Straight of Hormuz, by mining two tankers, and then taking out one of our expensive Global Hawk drones, Trump had every right to deliver a punitive blow to the bad guys. But - as the story goes, the bombers had their orders, and were on their way. Then ten minutes from the target. the President recalled them.

What the what? The uninformed masses thought this guy from New York City was trigger happy! He was going smoke both North Korea and Iran once he took his hand off the Bible on inauguration day. Instead, despite some continued bad behavior by both, he has established a "bromance" with Little Kim, and has told Iran he could be one of their best friends. In fact, in addition to letting Iran off the hook last week, we also sent a letter to Little Kim, which North Korea called "beautiful".

Then it dawned on me this past weekend. In fact, the President himself said it during a presser. "Some think I am a hawk. Some think I am a dove. I think I am neither." Bingo - he is neither. Nor is he an appeaser, like you know who was (BHO). Donald Trump is like the parent who much prefers to reward his children for good behavior, rather than to spank them for bad. 

Then, why in the world have we spent so much money to modernize our military? Because, in order to spare the rod WITHOUT spoiling the child, the child always needs to know a mighty rod is lying in wait - just in case. Donald Trump (the builder), has plans for these two countries. Just like Viet Nam, who has leap frogged out of the dark ages from the 1970's, he also envisions that for North Korea and Iran. By the way - you could throw Cuba in the mix also. I think that chapter is yet to be written before the President term(s) are up.

The other thought I had, was much more global - literally. I think he is ready to go from MAGA to MTEGA (Make the Earth Great Again). He wants FAIR trade agreements for every country (especially ours). We wants good living conditions and peace for everyone, so people from other countries do not have the need to immigrate nor become refugees. He wants peace and prosperity to break out everywhere. Again, spare the rod without spoiling the child. No spankings, just candy for good behavior. Naivete or visionary? That is the question historians will have to answer. 

One more thing. The Iranian who shot down our drone said he knew there was also a manned spy plane in the area. He considered shooting that one down instead. If he had, and we had lost over 20 innocent American souls, how would have President Trump responded? Thank God we did not need to find out. But that question remains. How far is the President willing to take this "no spanking" thing? Where is the point where the dove becomes a hawk?

Once again, the American people are finding out we have never before had a President like Donald Trump, and probably never will again. Some think he is totally ignorant, others say he is dumb like a fox. Some say he is clueless in his dealings with people, others say he plays four dimensional chess, while the other team plays checkers. I have said from the start of the Republican debates prior to the 2016 election, the road is littered with the political bodies of those who underestimate this man. Yes, he is that good.

Just like Ronald Reagan was not the trigger happy moron the Left warned us about, neither is this President. And that should give us all comfort. By the way Ms. Nancy - he is doing the same with you. Get busy, and get the amnesty issue fixed in Congress. Otherwise, the "hawk" in this President is going to come out and start deporting illegals in droves. 

Tombstones...

"I do know this however - compared to eternity, time here, is never our friend. It is very limited. What will be on our tombstone? That story is still being written and lived."

Years back, there was a pizza company who came up with a very cleaver ad. "What would you like on your tombstone?" It was cleaver, as Tombstone was the name of the pizza company. For many, it was a "ha-ha" moment. For others, it was an "ah-ah" moment. I am one who fits into the "ah-ha" crowd. It gave me pause to think and ponder.

Today's tombstones (grave markers) are very limited in the space allowed to describe the departed loved one. Trust me, I have been through this enough. So, with the advent of newspapers, and the evolution thereof, thus came the famous "obit" pages. There we can blather on for a column or two (depending how much money you have), on every single thing your loved one did while on Planet Earth. 

For many followers of Christ, what really matters is what we have done between the birth certificate and death certificate. But at the end of the day, when we have drawn our last breath, there is really only one thing which matters. And that will not be on our headstone, nor in our obituary. It will what is uttered by the words of God Himself, when we approach Him on Judgement Day. "Well done, my good and faithful servant."

That is a tall order. To get to that point, I know I am not there as yet, but I want to be. I then started thinking - what really is a "good and faithful servant?" Is it to fully believe in John 3:16? Or as Max Lucado writes about, is it more than that. "Just because you are in the life boat, does not mean you leave the others to drown." Holy cow, what does that mean?

It means (in my humble opinion), the Great Commission (Matthew 28 16-20) was given to us for a purpose. It commands us to spread the good news, the very good news, about life in Jesus. Since Jesus is no longer here living among us, it is up to us. Yes, even the Muslims, agnostics and atheists need to hear this good news.

Why in the world would our Lord care about them? Are they not lost? Yes, right now they are. But it gets back to that whole agape love thing. Our teachings tell us there is not one human being that God loves more, or less, than any other human being. Bottom line - He does not want ANY human being lost.

When the Holy Bible predicted that the fields would be vast, yet the workers few, it was correct. And the closer we get to the end times (and MANY think we are very close), we need to (as Max states), "get as many into the lifeboats as possible".

That is my pondering for a Sunday afternoon. Some may think I am nuts, others not. I do know this however - compared to eternity, time here is never our friend. It is very limited. What will be on our tombstone? That story is still being written and lived.

PRIDE in ???

"Well, July is almost upon us. Then Pride Month will be over for another year. In July we can get onto celebrations which most all of us can agree on - like our Independence Day."

This is Pride Month. You did not notice? Living around this large metropolitan city, not to notice Pride Month, or Pride Festival, means you must be living under a rock. It is a chance for the 2% of the population who identify themselves with some kind of letter, can march in a parade and be, well, sometimes offensive and mostly noticed.

But don't worry. The Minnesota Methodists, who recently have thrown in with the ELCA, had a HUGE add in the paper this morning. It told all the participants in Pride Fest that God had pride in them. And by the way, any gay person who identifies with any of the alphabet letters would be welcome to worship at anyone of the Methodist churches in the area. 

Is this going to be some kind of homophobic rant Bird? Not a bit. I have absolutely nothing against any gay person, no matter what letter of the alphabet they identify with. But what about this church thing Bird? Do you go to a church which is unwelcoming to gays? Nope. In fact, I have not only never been to a church like that, I have never heard of one either in this neck of the woods. It is true many churches may not condone marrying gay people in the church or ordaining gay clergy, but gays are always welcomed to worship in any church I have gone to. It is that whole hating the sin but loving the sinner thing. 

I guess this does need to be said however. I will speak for some (maybe many) of the 98% of the folks who are not gay - you might want to tone it down. There is a HUGE playing field which exists between living in the shadows and flaunting your lifestyle for an entire month in Minneapolis. My gosh, they have even painted the crosswalks to look like rainbows! Sure glad that city, with a huge homeless problem, has money to burn doing that kind of foolishness. 

Here is my vision of reality. I accept the fact that 2% of the population are gay (or some version thereof). I get it. I do not hate them. I do not dislike them. I have had gay friends. I have worked with gay people. No big shakes. BUT - I do get tired of having this shoved down my throat. I DO get tired of having this politicized. I DO get tired of government schools allowing our kids to become sexualized, to find out if they are "gender fluid" or some nonsense such as that. It seems that community, along with the PC police, has taken the system of "live and let live", and pushed a few light years further down the road.

Well, July is almost upon us. Then Pride Month will be over for another year. In July we can get onto celebrations which most all of us can agree on - like our Independence Day. And celebrating 50 years since Armstrong set foot on the Moon. Should be a good month. 

Dust up in St. Cloud

"Good luck St. Cloud. Just hope and pray the NorthStar never gets extended up there."

Oh boy. The immigration issue seems to have moved from Cedar Riverside up to St. Cloud. Well, not really. It is still there, in Cedar Riverside. It is just that there is so much PC BS in Minneapolis today, that you don't hear too much about it anymore. But St. Cloud? That is a city which has a proud German and Catholic heritage. Deep in the faith, hard working folk. How do I know? I went to school up there prior to going in the Navy. I got to know what the population was like. They really are good and solid citizens. Even with having a few colleges in the area, St. Cloud still has it's head screwed on straight.

A few years ago, a St. Cloud activist who I met on social media, wanted to get together to discuss the "changes" happening up in St. Cloud. We set a date, and I traveled up to Saint Cloud to meet her and another friend for lunch. My, oh my - did I ever get an ear full. Seems this newly arrived group of immigrants, is not fitting into the long established St. Cloud culture very well. In fact, more like a round peg into a square hole.

What is the most aggravating to many up in St. Cloud area, is the new immigrants also know they are a round peg trying to fit into a square hole. Only they want the hole to conform to their shape, not visa versa. Plus (and this a HUGE issue), the number of immigrants in St. Cloud keep increasing. Why? Even though Catholic Charities (CC) and Lutheran Social Services (LSS) try to distribute arriving immigrants in a somewhat equitable manner, there is nothing to keep them there. Being very clan orientated, they soon pull up stakes, and travel to the largest concentration of people of their own ilk. Like Cedar Riverside, and now St. Cloud.

According to a letter put out by LSS, "Minnesota is also the number 1 state in the nation for "secondary migration" - refugees moving to Minnesota after their initial resettlement, because Minnesota is such a welcoming state."  Okay LSS - I call BS on that one. I agree we are the number 1 state for "secondary migration". A drive through Cedar Riverside will confirm that fact. But they are NOT coming here because we are welcoming. They are coming here because we are easy. We give welfare money away like it is candy. That is one of the reasons Minnesota is a high SALT state.

A conservative friend just wrote an article about what is happening in St. Cloud. She made the mistake of telling the truth, and is now suspended for 30 days from her employer. How will this end? Poorly, at best. Minnesota was built on immigration. LEGAL immigration. People from different cultures who wanted to come here and be part of the melting pot. But at the end of the day, they all wanted to be Americans. They want to live under the greatest Constitution in the world - not change it into some kind of Sharia adaptation. 

Good luck St. Cloud. Just hope and pray the NorthStar never gets extended up there. You are a good city with a good culture. Hold on to it. The PC police will be knocking at your door, demanded you become more like "them", and less like you. 

Ode to a lake on such a special day

Today, we will be leaving 'our' Gichi, and head back home. It has been mission accomplished. Batteries recharged. Souls refreshed. But it will not be good-bye to this wonderful lake - instead, see you soon. The pull of the North Shore can only be resisted for so long. 

Superior. Just the name itself speaks such volumes. This lake is to other lakes what Denali is to other mountains. It stands out. It is massive. It is magnificent. The Ojibwe nation called this lake Gichi-gami which means "great sea". To many today, just like from yesteryear, Superior is almost like a holy place. It is a good place to talk to God, to see His creation, to get your "batteries recharged". For those who live in Minnesota, it is by far and away, our crown jewel.

For a state which has much of its land ensconced in prairie or farm land, a short drive up north puts you in an area which more resembles the coastlines of Maine or northern California. It does happen just that quick to get here. And due to the somewhat unique nature of this lake, the water in Superior is always cold. When the breeze comes in from the lake, the North Shore of Minnesota can be dozens of degrees cooler than the Twin Cities. When the lake is angry with storm, the pounding surf on the rocks is something to behold. It is something which cannot be described - only experienced.

It is a great place to enjoy special occasions with loved ones. We have been to weddings up here. Today is our 45th anniversary. There are beautiful campus' up here. One of our former pastors, who was also an author, did some of his writing up here, while sitting on the vast shoreline. Even a blogger like myself has penned many articles up here as well as a short story. 

Further up the North Shore, the quiet and the still become more so. The smell of the fresh lake air is almost intoxicating. Food tastes better, sleep comes easier, days go smoother. It is a fun place to explore, and each time we come here, we try for either a different experience, a different time of year, or both. 

This time of year, the Lupine are in full bloom. That just adds what is already a great experience. In the fall, the Mountain Ash trees are full of vibrant orange berries. In the winter, the smell of burning poplar trees is in the air, and there is a quiet hush over the landscape. The winters have a unique beauty, many times matching the majesty of the lake in the middle of June.

Today, we will be leaving "our" Gichi, to head back home. It has been mission accomplished. Batteries recharged. Souls refreshed. But it will not be good-bye to this wonderful lake - instead, see you soon. The pull of the North Shore can only be resisted for so long. 

A value proposition?

"There is an old saying - when you find yourself in the ditch, the worst thing you can do is keep driving in the same direction. That is what we are doing right now - driving in the same direction. And that direction is taking us to $2T in student debt." 

Here we go again. The Regents have once again been cowed by "spendy" Eric Kaler, so the tuition at the "U" is going up (again). Of course, Kaler will not take any ownership for his ever rising costs. No, it is the Republican's fault for not funding the University enough this last session. The truth be told, the "U" gets plenty of dough from the taxpayers, but now Kaler feels compelled to soak the local undergrad kids $60K just for a four year degree.

Here is the secret which is not told. Because our government high schools have become so dumbed down to keep the graduation rates up, 40% of the kids entering college need to take remedial classes. So what? Here is the "so what". The cost to take these classes (which do not count towards a degree), are the same as the classes taken which do count towards a degree. Bottom line? Less and less kids are able to graduate in four years. So that $60K for a four year degree might end up looking for like $75K. Meanwhile, the student debt clock just keeps ticking away.

My wife and I are both proud graduates of the University of Minnesota. We both graduated in the 1970's. We got married before we graduated. Still, (with no help from Mom and Dad), we were able to pay our tuition, rent, books, food and so forth. All we had for money was just with my GI Bill (which was not much), and part time jobs.

I was debt free when I graduated. My wife had $1K in student loans from her undergrad and grad degrees. That loan was paid off the first year after we graduated. No federal help needed there!

Well get ready folks. With $1.5T (and growing) in student loans, more and more of the socialists running for President, as well as the clown car in the House, thing we should own up to this debt, and bail out these little darlings. It is after all, not fair that they should be strapped with all this debt! 

But when you peel back the onion, you find some interesting facts. Many with the highest debt, did NOTHING to try and get their education cheaper. Part of this entitlement generation. Quick story - my oldest daughter went after every scholarship and grant she could. Even though her grads were not nearly as good in high school as they were in college, she was involved in a great many activities in high school. Bottom line - she scored two or three grants and/or scholarships. Between that and working part time, she was in good shape for her first year at St.Cloud. 

There are dozens of things a kid can do now to cut the cost of their education. Including (GASP!), working part time. But most just want to go to a nice school, often times private instead of public, and soak in the college life. It is all good until graduation, and the sticker shock hits. Some who have gone to private schools have student debts north of $100K. That is a value proposition?

Remember this folks - the only solution I have heard from anyone in Congress is for you and I to pick up this gigantic tab. Not fix education, both at the K-12 level and above. No sir. Just keep funding this broken system.

There is an old saying - when you find yourself in the ditch, the worst thing you can do is keep driving in the same direction. That is what we are doing right now - driving in the same direction. And that direction is taking us to $2T in student debt. 

Please - listen to what they say

"The other guys in the clown car, are promising not only two chickens in every pot, and also two unicorns in every yard. And for free! Whether you love him or hate him, here is the simple truth. Donald Trump is the only adult in the room. Period. End of story."

Back on the campaign trail, when I was on Jeff Johnson's team, we had plenty of opportunity to listen to Tim Walz run off at the mouth about turning this state into a mid-country California. Most of us believed it was just a page out of the DFL playbook. Campaign to the Left, get elected and then govern from the center Left. Boy, was I wrong. This guy has proved to be more of a socialist than Dayton was! And that is hard!

My lesson learned was when a statist or socialist promises something on the campaign trail, batten down the hatches if that person gets elected. Like whom? Even our "center-ist" Senator from Minnesota came out with a strong promise yesterday. As President, she will not wait for Congress. She will undo everything that President Trump has done. All the good things to make us stronger, more secure, more economically strong - Amy will reverse. She will put us back in Obama Land -or worse.

Last night, I watched the President as he was throwing red meat to the crowd. EVERYTHING he said last night, I agree with. A true American would also. A Trotskyism devotee - maybe not. Everything he promised he did, even though the millstone of RINO Republicans and Socialist Democrats around his neck slowed him down.

By the way, has anyone heard anything from any socialist candidate which makes any sense? It is like reading a Harry Potter book, where you are the only muggle. The candidates are promising a bunch of hocus pocus, where everyone gets everything for doing nothing. Donald Trump on the other hand, is promising a barrier free road for people who want to live the American Dream. 

Listen carefully folks. Donald Trump kept as many of his promises as he could keep while trying to drain and endless swamp. The other guys in the clown car, are promising not only two chickens in every pot, and also two unicorns in every yard. And for free! Whether you love him or hate him, here is the simple truth. Donald Trump is the only adult in the room. Period. End of story.

Reparations?

"What I will offer to someone who is like a Alex Haley, who was a descendant of Kunta Kinte is simply this - I am sorry this happened to your family. I really am."

Today the socialists in the House start hearings on reparations. And why not? It is "Juneteenth". It is a day that symbolizes the freedom of slaves in America. I wonder if this is what is taught in school these days instead of the Emancipation Proclamation, which was signed by President Lincoln on January 1, 1863. That was after all, a Presidential order which freed all slaves then and for evermore in this country. But who cares about the facts. 

So if reparations becomes law, whereas descendants of slaves may get restitution from descendants of slave owners, how is that going to work? Don't come after me - my great grandparents came from Norway and Germany. And because I am mostly Norwegian, I have my own problems. What if the Brits decide to come after the descendants of Vikings for restitution for all the plundering which happened in England from 793 to 1066. Now that - could cost me a pretty penny. 

Okay - facts are stubborn things. For reparations, first go after the slave traders. Who where they? England and Portugal. To go into Africa and get the people to be enslaved, they also needed help from the war lords in Africa to gather the slaves. Many hands in this stew already. But what about us? Didn't we receive and mistreat the most slaves? No. Most of the slaves when to Brazil. Funny, we don't hear spit about that one. The United States on the other hand, is estimated to have received only 10% of the slave trade.

If I were asked to come up with a cogent argument to defend the practice of slavery, I could not. It was and is reprehensible - in this country, or any other. If I were asked to come up with a cogent argument to defend the practice of racism, I could not. It was and it reprehensible - in this country, or any other.

On the other hand, if I were asked to come up with a FAIR method of reparations, I could not. It is not possible. The only way to do reparations in this day of age, is reward some people who were not descendants of slaves, by taking money from other people, most of whom were not descendants of slave owners.

What I will offer to someone who is like a Alex Haley, who was a descendant of a slave named Kunta Kinte, is simply this - I am sorry this happened to your family. I really am. Of course, if Kunta Kinte had stayed in Africa, Alex Haley might never have been born. And without Alex Haley, we would have not had that great book and TV mini series called Roots. 

There you have it. My take on reparations. Another day in Congress wasted, as this will go nowhere. Who is responsible today is not knowable; who can be made to pay is not doable. It is as simple as that.

Worse than crack...

"Heads up Iran. You might have just kicked sand in the face of the wrong person."

Two of the baddest actors on the world stage today are North Korea and Iran. Hands down true. They are both brutal regimes, and the folks running those regimes will have a whole lot of explaining to do when they get to the Pearly Gates. Now to really stir the pot, both of these brutal regimes are trying to develop a nuke as well as a reliable delivery system. One already has one, and the other might be very close.

Today however, it is all eyes towards the Middle East. The pot has been stirred again by Iran, and this time the "Dogs of War" might even be let out for a while. They (Iran) are going to make good on their promise of returning to the enrichment of uranium. Or did they ever stop? Do you ever wonder why Donald Trump put a knife in the heart of the Iran deal? Was it just because Iran continued to fund proxies, including Hamas, who keep lobbing missiles into Israel? The reason for leaving the agreement, might go much deeper.

The AMAD Project. This is a nuclear project started by Iran in the late 1980's and continued until 2003. That is, is stopped according to the very semi-unreliable IAEA. According to Israeli intelligence, The AMAD Project did not really stop in 2003. It did not really stop in 2015, when the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) was agreed to between Iran and a host of other countries. 

This JCPOA came under Donald Trump's radar right after it was agreed to by the Obama Administration. He correctly called it "the worst agreement ever made". We got suckered, big time. This agreement never had to go through Congress for ratification (which is good for John Kerry). We gave Iran $150B right after it was signed. That money was supposed to help Iran with infrastructure and domestic projects. Instead, it went to fund the proxies. Much to Hamas. And oh yes - the AMAD Project. Our intelligence agencies agreed with Israeli intelligence agencies. The cheaters in Tehran continued on their cheating ways. They never stopped.

Lindsey Graham was quoted the other day, saying what should be done to teach these guys a lesson. Like Ronald Reagan did in the 1980's, we should sink part of their navy. What they are doing in the Gulf of Hormuz right now should have been the straw which broke the camel's back (so to speak). Teach Iran a painful lesson, and then North Korea will also understand we don't go easy on cheaters. Or promise breakers. Not with this President. 

By the way, if push comes to shove with Iran, Israel is itching to join that fight. Bebe has been warning the world for years now, this cauldron is about to explode. Israel knows if Iran is left to its own devices, they will have a deliverable bomb in short order. Then, Iran could easily do what it has threatened to do. Wipe Israel off the face of the map. 

More troops are headed to the Middle East as I pen this. I would not be surprised to see another carrier task force become re-positioned closed to Iran. Or maybe another bomber wing re-positioned. 

Heads up Iran. You might have just kicked sand in the face of the wrong person. This is not Barack Obama. This is not John Kerry. This is a man who has had to back down many cheaters while in the business world. He will not be fooled. He will not be cowed. You have been warned.  

Looking for the Puppet Master(s)

"Any good news about he border today? Some. Tom Homan might be the new 'Border Czar', reporting directly to the President. I like this guy. Tough as bolts and smart of border issues.Should be an interesting summer, to say the least."

Paging! Paging! The man or men or woman or women who are behind the curtain! Please reveal yourself! It has been long suspected that our crisis on the southern border has some nefarious hands behind it. Maybe a few hands - or, maybe quite a few. In other words, we are looking to identify the puppet master(s). We want to know the who and the why. Now that we are getting scads of Africans also showing up at the border, this crisis has reached a new and maybe dangerous plateau. 

Here is the very interesting part. It seems these impoverished Africans, who are escaping countries with broken governments, as well as war lords, are somehow getting to to our southern border flush with cash. After getting across the Atlantic Ocean, landing in Central America, and traveling then all the way through Mexico, they hit our border looking like they just hit the lotto instead. As reported in the media this morning - they are flush with rolls of hundred dollar bills.

(Head scratching motion) - Hey! I have lived here all my life! I don't have rolls of hundred dollar bills! What up with that? And if they flew, how did they clear customs? And language? How did that work? Seems that this southern border has become the new gathering place for the world, 

I know this is a minor issue, but is it a concern that many of these Africans come out of a Ebola hot zone? I mean we already have disease de jour showing up at the border. Why not throw in a super deadly disease like Ebola also. By the way, there is a 21 day incubation period to see if someone is infected with Ebola. How is that working out? Or is it? 

So who is funding this ever expanding caravan? ISIS? Al Qaeda? Iran? Russia? China? Or the DNC? Plus - this border surge has Alinsky written all over it. Remember? Overwhelm and then collapse the system? All the ingredients are there, so who is the chef? Or should I say, the puppet master(s)?

Any good news about he border today? Some. Tom Homan might be the new "Border Czar", reporting directly to the President. I like this guy. Tough as bolts and smart of border issues.Should be an interesting summer, to say the least. 

The real face of war

"I will say this to Code Pink, WAMM, or any other peaceniks who constantly protest this country anytime there is a conflict which we were justified to enter - shut up! Until you also protest the killing of the world's babies, I don't want to hear a peep out of you."

War is a terrible thing. Soldiers die. Some are badly wounded. Civilians die. Some are badly wounded. Countries are destroyed. Some never recover. Even though we have tried to make war as sanitary and surgical as possible, there is still collateral damage. And the bottom line of war is still to do two things - kill people and break things. 

The human toll of war is nothing less than staggering. Here are some numbers of recent wars:

Conflict                                                                          Killed Worldwide

World War I                                                                   37,000,000

World War II                                                                  85,000,000

Korean War                                                                     5,000,000

Viet Nam War                                                                  2,000,000

Gulf Wars                                                                             22,000

Afghanistan War                                                                   31,000

TOTAL                                                                          129,053,000


Wow! Almost 130M humans killed by other humans just because of war! That is a big chunk of the world's population, just wasted due to man's inability to peacefully resolve conflicts. 

Now, let's also throw in all the people who die due to violence from guns worldwide. That is a huge number. Approximately 250,000 in 2016. Just for the sake of math, let's also assume that number has been the same for each year over the past 100 years. All of a sudden, that number becomes 22,500,000. Almost as many who died in World War I.

Why bring this up? What is the point of being reminded of all this carnage? Because one war is still waging. This war makes the other wars look like Sunday School picnics. I am talking about the war on the unborn. Even though I have addressed this issue before, this time I will use worldwide numbers instead of only domestic ones. Are you ready? Get buckled up for this one.

According to the US Abortion Clock.org, since 1980, over 1,500,000,000 innocent lives have been snuffed out. Aborted and gone, forever. That is over 20% of the world's population. That is worse than the most virulent pandemic in world history. And here is the saddest part. This is not history. It continues right now. As I am penning this article. 

I am not pro-war. In fact, I think the killing of any human by another human is obscene. In particular, I am highly offended by the killing of babies, born or unborn. I will say this to Code Pink, WAMM, or any other peaceniks who constantly protest this country anytime there is a conflict which we were justified to enter - shut up! Until you also protest the killing of the world's babies, I don't want to hear a peep out of you.

And one more thing. This is for the BLM crowd. Since all black lives matter, the 20,000,000 innocent black babies which have been aborted in this country since 1973, should matter also. 

Abortion is not the only face of war, but it is part of it. If you are not too squeamish, try watching the movie Unplanned. Especially, when they show a real abortion. Gruesome? Absolutely. It earned the move an "R" rating, just for that scene alone.

Want to stop war? Then let's start by stopping the killing at home. First and foremost, the killing of innocent unborn babies. Then the war zones some of our larger cities have turned into. How to do it? Step one, is a step most of us know. Return to God. Become a Godly nation once again. The rest will then fall into place.