The big dud...

"My guess for tonight? Harris will try and cement herself as one of the two front runners. The other one? Pocahontas. If one of these two women became our next President, many will be hoping for an extinction level asteroid to hit the Earth. And soon."

What a long night last night. And to think I get to go through it again tonight. First off, watching anything, including weather reports on CNN - constitutes cruel and unusual punishment. And to have Amy's face on the TV for part of it (albeit a very small piece), did not help the pain. But it is over, and I am wondering if anyone learned anything new.

One pundit this morning said this was the swan song for many. However the two most "dead men (or women) walking" are Beto, and Amy. The pundit said if they are not packing their bags right now, they should be. Speaking of Amy - my favorite line of hers last night was when she said, "I have never lost an election in Minnesota". That is true. However, it is also true you could dress up a turnip, run that turnip as a Democrat, and it would win in Minnesota. Why? Ilhan Omar. Proof, we have some of the DUMBEST voters in the known universe.

My second favorite was when Mayor Pete decided it was time to quote scripture. Huh? Will wonders never cease? Or when Bernie was told to stop shouting. I wanted to explain to the candidate who said that, Bernie is 100 years old. Old people shout a lot, because they lose hearing. Besides all of which, Bernie, as a commie agitator, always shouts. Bernie will be the next to leave after Amy and Beto. Why? No game. His time was 2016 (if any). Now he is just another "also ran" socialist.

My favorite of the night (if I can use the term "favorite") was Pocahontas. Last night she decided to show America she could act angry for three hours with no break. And the free give away items - they were coming fast and furious. So much so, the "moderates" took turns trying to school the socialists on economics. The "moderates" were trying very hard to be the adults in the room. The problem? Even the "adults" had no game. In fact, other than calling Trump a racist and a xenophobe, there were no take away items what so ever.

The rumor is still floating around that this behemoth pile of misfits (better known as the Clown Car), is getting ready to die under its own weight. Then, out of nowhere, will come the savior to the cause. "Michelle my Bell" Obama. Some Democrats think this would be the panacea. We do not. Donald Trump would hang the Obama years around her neck like a bow tie. No, not even Michelle could help at this stage of the game.

I am already shaking with excitement about tonight. "Sleepy Joe" said he will not be as "nice" as he was in the last debate. My question for Joe is this - can you stay awake for the entire three hours? We have already seen another guy your age get all mumbled and fumbled during the Mueller hearings (that be Mueller himself).

My guess for tonight? Harris will try and cement herself as one of the two front runners. The other one? Pocahontas. If one of these two women became our next President, many will be hoping for an extinction level asteroid to hit the Earth. And soon.

The "Un-Racist"

"Calling Donald Trump a racist is a fool's errand. I love it when the socialists call him that name, as it only diminishes them. History will prove him correct on so many things. Is he a racist? No, he is the 'un-racist'."  

Today, one of the cable channels had a black commentator on to discuss some issues germane to tonight's debate. The first topic was Donald Trump. Like, how big of a racist is he? The black commentator looked right into the TV camera and said, "Donald Trump has done more for the black community than Obama, Bush (43), Clinton, and Bush (41) combined. Judicial reform, historic unemployment, and so forth." Tonight however, you will hear none of that. Only what a horrible racist Donald Trump is.

Wait a minute! What about Baltimore? All those awful things the President said about that fine city. First off, Baltimore is no longer a fine city. Has not been for decades. Next, Donald Trump thinks the people who are suffering the worse in Baltimore, are the people of color. Believe it or else, he cares about all people. Especially the ones who have been suffering the longest. He wants Baltimore fixed. He also wants to know (or he wants Cummings to find out), what the Sam Hill happened to all the money sent into Baltimore to improve things. Seems it took a left turn someplace.

Okay, okay! Maybe he is not that bad with black people in America. But brown people who want to immigrate, he is horrible! He puts kids in cages! First, let's clear the air. The only thing the Trump administration has done, has been to enforce immigration laws which were promulgated under the Clinton administration. And the cages? Give me a break. Those "cages" were constructed under Obama.

Donald Trump feels the same about immigration that most of us do. That is, except for the America haters. Rule one: Come here legally, not illegally. Rule two: If you come here, be it under a work visa, immigration, or amnesty - you must contribute. No freeloading. Rule three: To be a part of the American fabric, you MUST assimilate. No we are not going to tort our Constitution to be partial to Sharia Law. If that is what you must have, go live someplace else.

Calling Donald Trump a racist is a fool's errand. I love it when the socialists call him that name, as it only diminishes them. History will prove him correct on so many things. Is he a racist? No, he is the "un-racist".  

The next two nights - Climate Justice!

"And one more thing. Stop running down America. That it is unfair to poor people. The poorest of the poor are still very well off compared to many people in the world. That is not opinion - fact. 'Climate Justice'? Phooey!"  

The next chapter in Pander Fest will take place over the next two evenings. These next two nights are going to be whoppers. For some in the Clown Car, this is it. If they can not distinguish themselves as NOT being pack runners, they will be out. So each and every one has gone into their goodie closet, and pulled out the stops. They will propose all kinds on neat things. "Free everything", was so yesterday - this week everything will not only free, but some people will get compensated. What? Why? This phenom called "Climate Justice". 

Some might be wondering what "Climate Justice" is. I am not the guy to ask. What I think it is, might be this. If for some reason, you have been harmed by the changing climate, and are poor, you might be eligible for compensation from the government. If there is a carbon tax imposed, only the rich should pay it. The poor folk will be subsidized to help pay for heating, gasoline and so forth. The poor will get government subsidized solar panels as well as other renewable energy products. The rich will pay the full share.

When Barack Obama first floated the idea of a "carbon tax", many conservatives could see through this canard. It was nothing more than more income redistribution. And "Climate Justice" will be the same thing. More income redistribution. But income redistribution has a nasty ring to it. "Climate Justice" sounds much more noble. The socialists think this will be easier to sell.

Other than climate change, the Clown Car has no game. They can bitch and moan all night about how "racist" our President is for calling out Cummings. About how crappy Baltimore has become. Guess what? Many media sources and politicians (mostly Democrats) have also called out how crappy Baltimore is. Fact.

It would almost be fun to have a drinking game tonight. Have a shot of Jack every time the term "racist" is mentioned. Especially with regards to our President. The problem is, I don't want to pass out before 7:30.

Or, they can bitch about ObamaCare. Remember that program? The program NOT ONE REPUBLICAN voted for? Now, for some reason, ObamaCare is all Trump's fault. In fact, everything is Trump's fault (except the roaring economy), which is only the "after effects" of the Obama's "stellar" economy.

Here is a news flash for the Clown Car. If they really want to cast their climate change venom in the right direction, aim it at China and India. The United States is improving on carbon emissions every year. China and India are not. 

And one more thing. Stop running down America. That it is unfair to poor people. The poorest of the poor are still very well off compared to many people in the world. That is not opinion - fact. "Climate Justice"? Phooey!  

Oh, Baltimore, what happened to you?

"Baltimore stinks to high heaven. There is no amount of lipstick you can put on that pig. Cummings has devolved from a civil rights icon into a Democrat tool."

Years ago, while working at United Defense, I became very close friends with the Director of Contracts at Lockheed Martin. In fact, he, I, and our Procurement Contracting Officer were such good friends, some referred to us as the "The Three Amegos".

Lockheed and United Defense were teammates in making the Navy's Vertical Launching System. It was all good. In any event, at one time, my friend from Lockheed Martin asked me if I would like to change teams, and move out to Baltimore to work for him.

I had been out to Baltimore many times, and knew the lay of the land. I was not a fan. Baltimore was an old, run down (in many areas), Blue city. He wanted me to be his Contract Manager for all Lockheed's international business. It would have been a great job, and I could do it. I had some international business experience at my current company. But to move to Baltimore, I would need my wife to buy in to it.

So my friend from Lockheed invited my wife, my youngest daughter, and myself out to Baltimore to get a feel for the city. We stayed in his house. He took us to different areas of the city. After that trip, my wife told me there was no way in this planet she would move to Baltimore. I did not blame her. It was a dump. Even the "better" places my friend showed us.

This morning on Fox an Friends, Dan Bongino was asked about this latest "dust up", between Elijah Cummings and the President. What Bongino thought about the President being called a racist. His reply was epic. "This is nothing but a big pile of steaming dog do-do on your porch", Bongino said. "Every time a Democrat starts to lose an argument, they revert to using that word. There is nothing racist about what has happened to Baltimore. The Democrats have ruined it. In the 1930's, Baltimore was one of the richest cities in the nation. Today, it is a dump. Why? 70 years of absolute Democrat control. They have not seen a Republican elected for anything since the 1940's."

Today, the President is right. The crime rate in Baltimore is shooting up (no pun intended), the poverty levels are increasing, and the city is totally hollowed out. Like Detroit, it is a very dangerous city to be out in after dark. But to listen to Elijah Cummings, you would think that Baltimore is home to the holy grail. Nirvana. It is not. It is a crime infested, rat infested, mess. And the Democrats made it that way.

We can argue about this until the cows come home, but here are the facts. Every city in this country which has been Blue for decades, is now a candidate for demolition. The poor people who live in those cities, who have been cowed into voting for these clowns year after year, are the real victims. The ones who could afford to leave, have left. What remains is a hollowed out poverty trap.

This may sound incredibly naive, and I have said this before. This great country will not be totally healed until one can walk down any street, in any city, at any time of day or night, and be totally safe. Right now, we are about as far from that as day is from night. It should not be that way. In every city, we should respect each other as fellow citizens, allowing everyone safe passage. Instead, we are looking at each other like predator and prey.

The President is right. Dan Bongino is right. My wife was right. Baltimore stinks to high heaven. There is no amount of lipstick you can put on that pig. Cummings has devolved from a civil rights icon, into a Democrat tool. Sad. Sad to see Cummings go this way, sad to see Baltimore go this way. But that is what the color Blue does to you.

The coming shortage of everyone

"It is time for those who represent us in Congress to address some real problems instead of grandstanding. The red flags are out there for many upcoming issues. Your representatives will be home now for six weeks. Time to bend an ear or two."  

As we approach this next decade, stories abound about how technology will be doing more and more things for us. That is a good thing. Not just because many of us are techno geeks, it is also because there is becoming less and less of us to do certain jobs. This is one of those stories that you sometimes need to read between the lines on. Whereas continents such as Africa are having a population explosion, this country is not. And it is showing up in many professions.

For starters, Minneapolis has a cop shortage right now. Just recently, the police chief stated that his force needed to add 400 more beat cops by 2025 just to keep up. Keep up with what? Crime. Although not Chicago, Minneapolis is getting more sketchy in certain neighborhoods. More crime including murders. Sometimes, right downtown by the theater district. Today in the paper, there was a story about all the 911 calls in Minneapolis which go unheeded. Why? Not enough bodies. This is going to get worse before it gets better.

Agriculture. Fewer and fewer people are deciding to be farmers. Even though technology is becoming more helpful in agriculture, without the skills and experience of good farmers, we are headed for a farming crisis. And if we have a farming crisis, the world will suffer. Some of the unskilled shortages can be covered by bringing in more immigrants under work visas. But if we keep losing young people to non-farming jobs, soon this will be a big problem for us.

The Army. Even though the other armed forces made their recruiting goals, the Army fell thousand short of their recruiting goals in 2018. Why? The economy for starters. In a poor economy, the Army was always a safe haven for getting three hots and a cot. In this red hot Trump economy, the competition for young people with even minor skills, is extreme. Plus (and this is a big one) - fitness. The new fitness requirements for the Army are leaving many of the wide bodies left out.

Doctors. This one is a real head turner. According to the Association of American Medical Colleges, the United States could face a shortage of doctors by 2030 which is a real show stopper. Like 100,000 short. By the way - that is only ten years away. Plus - we have a shortage right now. More and more clinics are using Nurse Practitioners and Physician Assistant to fill the void. But - with more and more of our population needing elder care, this is a need which should be addressed now. 

I really should bring this up before I close, although it makes some uncomfortable. This shortage of everyone is a self inflicted wound. Our birthrate continues to fall. Right now, it is the lowest it has been in 32 years. However, the next reason really hurts. We abort over a half a million babies every year. Think of what percentage of those unborn could have been in law enforcement, farmers, armed services or doctors. 

It is time for those who represent us in Congress to address some real problems instead of the usual grandstanding. The red flags are out there for many upcoming issues. Your representatives will be home now for six weeks. Time to bend an ear or two.  

Fitness done wrong

"Most of us eat the wrong things, and way too much of it. Period. Not all of us, but a great many of us."

I have been both itching to, and dreading penning this one for quite a while. But it does have some thoughts which I have become more and more convinced are right. This is about fitness. And how our country is doing it, for the most part, wrong. How do I know? Full disclosure - I let myself go. Not only am I not fit anymore, I am way overweight for what I want to be. There. I said it. Now, lets go.

When I was at the doctor to get my annual physical last week, I looked around a very crowded waiting room. Besides myself, about 1/3 to 1/2 of the adults waiting were overweight. Some by a little, some by a whole lot. How did we get to this place? Where so many of us are no longer fit? I dare say it is only a small minority of us who this would not bother giving it a thought. The rest of use would love to get back into some kind of shape. But - we as a society, are doing fitness all wrong.

First off, diet. Most of us eat the wrong things, and way too much of it. Period. Not all of us, but a great many of us. When I got my blood tests back from my annual physical, things looked good except for my triglycerides. My doc told me I should get those down. It was my body telling me I was taking in more calories than I was burning off. Reversing that, will also back down those triglycerides. Ignoring them when they go higher, could be fatal. 

Pre-diabetes. I can't tell you how many people I know who are getting up in years, and have let themselves become unfit, have developed this issue. What is the best way to reverse it? Walking between 5,000 and 10,000 steps a day and watching your diet. To ignore it, could take the "pre" out of the disease, and then you will be on more meds - maybe for the rest of your life.

Many of the seniors I know are involved in a program called Silver Sneakers through their insurance. If they go to an authorized fitness center and use it a designated times per month - their membership in that club is paid for by the insurance company (our insurance does not cover that). My feeling is if we made this benefit available to EVERYONE, regardless of age, there might be enough of an incentive for the general population to improve their fitness.

Enough for now. I have more thoughts, but that is for another day. Is good fitness possible at our age? I have a very good friend (Steve) who is just about at fit as he was in high school. He never let his fitness go. Is he a spring chicken? Not quite - he is almost my age. But Steve is an inspiration to me. Why? It is possible to get some of my fitness back.

Weight watchers has a motto which says, "You don't have to say no to anything, but you can't say yes to everything." My thought in going to the fitness center is simply this - I may not be doing the optimal exercise - but doing something is better than doing nothing (like I have in the past). That is it for now. Back to my glass of carrot juice - JK! 

Nadler and his TDS

"You all are not getting spit done. The border is still a mess, your beloved ObamaCare is on life support, and what ever happened to fixing infrastructure?" 

I don't know who boosts Donald Trump's approval ratings more - "The Squad", Adam Schiff, or Jerry Nadler. After yesterday, I would have to throw my vote over to Nadler. The TDS (Trump Derangement Syndrome) that both Nadler and Schiff have right now is off the charts. Yesterday, Nadler held a presser in which he pretty much said, he did not give a wit on how bad and embarrassing the Mueller testimony was. It was full speed ahead to get the goods on Donald Trump. In fact, he was going to give up getting a nice tan on his plenitudinous body on Long Island during break. He and his team were going to work on pre-impeachment stuff during the ultra long Congressional vacation.

Never mind most of the country has said "enough is enough! Back to work on real stuff!" Nope. Another Democrat talking point - "We can walk and chew gum at the same time." Uh - not really Mr. Nadler. You all are not getting spit done. The border is still a mess, your beloved ObamaCare is on life support, and what ever happened to fixing infrastructure? No Mr. Nadler - your congressional plate is about as full as your plate at the buffet bar every lunchtime. 

I believe President Trump has mixed feelings about this entire issue. On one hand, the Dems keep digging their hole deeper - every time they pursue this witch hunt. Bad for them, good for the President. On the other hand, Donald Trump is a doer. He likes to get things done (the right way). He would much rather work with Congress, than doing the old Obama two step - "I have a pen and a phone".

So here we are. The people's work once again takes a back seat to the witch hunt. With the President's re-election looking more and more like a certainty, there are two questions which remain: 1) Will this witch hunt continue on during his second term, and 2) What will happen when we get a Democrat President with a Republican Congress? Will it be pay back time? Does a bear go poo-poo in the woods? The Democrats have changed the political landscape for years, maybe decades, maybe generations to come. Politics in Washington has now devolved into a full contact sport.

There it is. The Bird's take on what happened yesterday. SSDD (same stuff, different day). Time to start looking forward to the State Fair, and forgetting the Clown Car. 

  

The long goodbye....

"...those four mutton heads that make up 'The Squad', are about as far from a doctor or lawyer than you could imagine. $200,000 for a part time job is a pretty good gig. No wonder nobody who serves wants term limits."

No this is not about Alzheimer's, although that is a very serious disease (and the topic for another day). This is about the other "long good-bye". That would be our lawmakers in Washington, who are going on their annual six week vacation. Wait a minute Bird! That is a typo! Nobody on this planet gets a six week vacation! Unfortunately, they do. And it has nothing to do with being all caught up with their work. On the contrary - they have not done spit this session. 

Okay - just to me fair, they did pass a budget busting two year funding bill. It is not law as yet, as the Senate still needs to approve it, and then the President needs to sign it. What if the Senate comes up with a different version? Conference committee. By the way - if that happens, the committee will have to wait until vacation is over. 

Reading an article in Smart Asset, I find the salary of most Congressmen and women is a hair under $200,000/year. The article said even though some might think this high, it is on par with other similar professions, like doctors and lawyers. Excuse me - those four mutton heads that make up "The Squad", are about as far from a doctor or lawyer than you could imagine. $200,000 for a part time job is a pretty good gig. No wonder nobody who serves wants term limits.

Here is my analogy about leaving town without having the southern border issue fixed. If I were still working, and had a huge negotiation coming up, there is no way on the green Earth I could have taken a vacation before it was done. If I had, that vacation would have been permanent. How in the world, could the ancient Speaker, allow the House to recess without having at least the immigration mess cleaned up first? I will tell you it is to blame. Us. We allow this. Year after year, we allow this.

As far as I am concerned, right now Congress is nothing more than a waste of money, and a waste of space. The only thing Congress is good at lately, is trying to tie up the administration in so many knots, nothing can get done. I know how the President feels about Congress, and I am starting to think most of the country agrees with him. 

Don't get me wrong. Not everyone who serves in Congress is useless. In Minnesota we have three in Congress which are good, three which are marginal at best, one who is mostly half asleep, and one who should not even be in this country. I would just like to keep the three who get stuff done, and deep six the others.

Remember folks, Congress works for us, not the other way around. We can fix this, if we have the will do so. And that fix starts in November of 2020. Get rid of these pretenders, and let's get the adults back in charge.

The Russians are coming! (and so are others!)

"It is time to put this Chicken Little thing to bed and get with the program. Besides hardening our electric grid, we need to harden our information highway. To ignore both of those would be a fools errand."

Headline in the worthless paper this morning: "Mueller warns that the Russians will be back in 2020". That is, back to fiddling around with our elections. In other news, water is wet and the sky is blue. It never ceases to amaze me how naive some folks are in this country. Hello? Are you aware of how technology has changed? In 2020, it will not only be the Russians trying to play games in our elections, it might will also be the Chinese, maybe the Norks, the Iranians, bad guys, hackers, and the list goes on and on.

One more time, then I will not address this again. Russia did mess around with our 2016 election. Yes, they wanted Trump to win. Not because they loved Trump and thought they could use him - Putin HATED Hillary for what she tried to do to him when she was Obama's SOS. That is it. Plain and simple. So much for the "collusion" theory we have spend millions of dollars and months of time on.

I get a kick out of the Democrats - I really do. Here they are, wetting their collective undies about foreign influence in our elections, yet consider the following:

• Voter ID - Constantly being challenged by the Democrats in court. Why, when we need photo ID for so many things these days? Voter suppression. Oh, BS! Put a sock in that one! If we truly want valid voting these days, it comes from playing who is who. Getting rid of as much voter fraud as possible. That is what Voter ID does. 
• Illegal Immigrants - This one could make me laugh if it were not so sad. Many of our Blue cities have told Illegals they can vote in the next election. What the what? Are they flipping crazy? How is that different than foreign interference? Simple answer - it is not. 

Do you think it is possible that we also, meddle in other countries elections? Hello? Russia? Israel? Maybe more. We are not Mr. Clean on this issue either, so it is time to stop playing the role of victim. Putin himself has said the next world war will be fought with ones and zeros instead of bombs and bayonets. We live in a digital world where more and more things become possible through the wonders of technology. And guess what? It is not going to get better with time. The 2024 election will be worse.

One of the things Donald Trump has been considering is adding a Digital Force as well as a Space Force to our Armed Forces. I think both of these make sense, as some other countries have already done so. Face facts - everything digital will be open to attack. Unless we learn how to harden and counteract, we will be low fruit on the trees for anyone nefarious. And that includes our elections.

It is time to put this Chicken Little thing to bed and get with the program. Besides hardening our electric grid, we need to harden our information highway. To ignore both of those would be a fools errand. But is seems doing fool's errands is right in the middle of the Democrat wheelhouse.

 

The coming true disclosure

"The blame game will now continue. The division in this country will still be there. And most importantly - Donald Trump will remain our President, and probably be re-elected in 2020."   

I have missed some of the Mueller hearings, as I had a doctor's visit this morning. But I saw enough. It is interesting, and almost amusing at the same time. The Democrats were very busy trying to squeeze blood out of a turnip. Trying to find something new. Get some new revelation from Mueller. All to no avail.

The Republicans on the other hand, had Mueller nailed. He operated outside what the SC charter was, outside what the presumption of innocence is, and he did not answer ANY questions about the Steele dossier - although germane to this issue. Mueller himself, talked and acted like he just wandered away from a memory unit at a care center.

The Democrats did have their talking points down pat. "Nobody, not even the President is above the law." Other than that, they had no game. The Republicans said more than once, that if Mueller is not going to answer questions about the genesis of this "charade", they implore AG Barr to get the other side of this story going. That would be to investigate all the crapola which went on in the waning days of the Obama Administration. That will be a treasure trove of good stuff to get into.

The thing which went though my mind is simply this. After this special council mess, we might be done with a future special council operating unchecked. It is unfair - worse than sitting in front of a grand jury. This was a huge waste of money and time. To be fair, the Ken Starr's investigation took mucho time and money also. The Democrats bitched about Starr, and the Republicans bitched about Mueller. Neither resulted in anything. 

Much to do about nothing. I am glad I had a doctor's appointment so I did not have to suffer through the entire show. The blame game will now continue. The division in this country will still be there. And most importantly - Donald Trump will remain our President, and probably be re-elected in 2020.   

Smudging our thin blue line...

"Who is to blame for the assault on some NYPD officers yesterday who were only trying to do their jobs? Try on Mayor Bill de Blasio for starters."

Some say it started with Obama. Others say earlier, in our liberal court system. Whenever it started, today we are now reaping the fruits of disrespect towards police officers in many of our bluest cities. And what happened yesterday in New York City, defies description. It defies logic. It certainly defied good citizenship. Who is to blame for the assault on some NYPD officers yesterday who were only trying to do their jobs? Try on Mayor Bill de Blasio for starters.

What happened in NYC is endemic of what is happening all over the country. Most always, in large Blue cities. Cities run by idiots. Even here, in the fair city of Minneapolis, we had conflicting stories in the paper this morning. One article, talked about the escalation of shootings in Minneapolis. That most of the victims are of color, so the shootings don't get a lot of press. Many in the community are outraged. But the other article talked about how we need to muzzle the police officers more. To prevent any more shootings of people of color by cops - regardless of circumstances. And who wants to be a cop in a city like Minneapolis these days?

Chicago is probably the worst example of a city run amok. The current Mayor is even more loony tunes than the last one - and that is saying a lot. People are being slaughtered like cattle in some sections of Chicago (over 1,200 shot this year, with over 250 of them dying), and the city keeps the cops from doing proper policing. What does it mean to do proper policing? Having the numbers necessary, with the authority, to take back the streets for the citizens.

I can't tell you the number of people I have talked to who either hate going downtown Minneapolis at night, or are scared to do so. Many that do go, are armed. Why? It feels unsafe. Even the Minneapolis police chief understands that. He wants an additional 400 patrol officers by 2025 to keep up with the growing crime wave in the city. His current force of 600 patrol officers is stretched too thin. 

I have a lot of respect for law enforcement. It is a very tough job. It is a risky job. It is a job where when you leave in the morning, there is no guarantee you will come home that night. Yet Mayors like Bill de Blasio, tells his bi-racial son he should fear cops. Mayor de Blasio has been overtly critical of cops his entire political life. He ordered his cops to stop the very successful "stop and frisk", as he thought it was racial profiling. Net result - no respect for police, as we saw yesterday in the Bronx and in Harlem.

Blue Mayors, who live in the land of lolly pops and unicorns, continue to smudge our thin blue line which protects us all. Without that thin blue line, our country is the wild, wild west all over again. We might as well all strap on six shooters.

The best way to deal with those large, Blue cities which have escalating crime, and who have neutered their police departments? Stay away. A long, long ways away. For if you do enter, you enter at your own risk.

Ready for hypersonic? Really ready?

"In any event, hypersonic is coming, and coming fast (no pun intended). Are we ready for it?"

In the midst of everything else going on, our old friend "supersonic" is slowly being replaced with a new term - hypersonic. What is the big whoop about that? First off, it will change the face of war. Putin has already been bragging he now has missiles which are "unstoppable". Why unstoppable? If a missile is able to go supersonic, it only need break the sound barrier. However to be hypersonic, it must be able to travel Mach 5 or better - five times the speed of sound. Putin is right. Missiles that fast would be very hard to stop.

So far, four countries are interested in hypersonic weapons - Russia, China, India and of course, US. Actually, the United States has been tinkering with hypersonic weapons since the 1990's. Electric/chemical propulsion on sabot artillery rounds for one. And of course, the rail gun, which could also fire sabots at lightening fast speed. Where are these weapons right now? Still being developed. The capacitors to hold these massive charges required to use these weapons were way too big for the battlefield. But they are getting close.

But the electric/chemical and rail guns were testing "dumb" rounds. Effective, but "dumb". With the advancements in scramjet technology, we will soon have missiles which will be hypersonic. And not "dumb". In fact, very smart. 

Then we will have hypersonic planes. But to fly planes this fast, thinner air is required. So they will fly way higher than planes fly today. It is rumored that Lockheed is under contract to build the replacement for the SR-71 spy plane. This new plane will be called the SR-72, and be able to fly at Mach 6 +, at an altitude of 80,000 + feet. It may or may not have pilots. Higher, faster, and stealthier than the SR-71 - that will be the order of the day. 

So hypersonic will change the face of war - anything else? Oh, yes. The airliners are waiting with bated breath for a hypersonic airliner. One which could make it from LA to Tokyo in two hours, instead of 10 to 12. Any disadvantages of hypersonic travel? Cost. It is estimated to be very expensive, at least at the beginning (remember the Concord?). And of course, a return to the sonic booms. As a lad, I remember them well. They didn't bother me - I thought they were kind of neat.

Aviation experts think we are thirty years away from having hypersonic be more common, than uncommon. Lots of little details yet to work out to make sure this a safe and viable form or transportation. But it is coming. And will be here for military and reconnaissance purposes first. 

This is just one part of the brave new world which will be starting in 2020. The SR-72 is projected to have its first test flight in 2023, and be operational by 2030. The cameras on this plane will also be revolutionary, but that is a topic for another day. In any event, hypersonic is coming, and coming fast (no pun intended). Are we ready for it?

Too big - way, way too big

"IT SEEMS WE DO NOT HAVE THE MONEY TO GIVE OUR HARD WORKING SENIORS TAX FREE SOCIAL SECURITY, BUT WE DO HAVE THE MONEY TO FUND THE FRAUD AND GRAFT AT DHS!!!"

Attention world! This is Moneyapolis calling! We don't care if you are from Chicago, Detroit, Mogadishu, or where ever - have we got a deal for you! Don't like where you are living? No sweat. Just leave, and come here. So long as you vote Blue, we will get you on the dole, pronto visto! We have welfare benefits unmatched in the galaxy - maybe the known universe. And the best part (buckle up for this one) - our welfare department (DHS) is so big, so un-managed, so unhinged, welfare cheating is a piece of cake. And many of the citizens of this state (mostly in the urban metro area), don't even care!

Yesterday on the Sue Jeffers Show, Representative Jeremy Munson gave a statistic which was an absolute show stopper. The overall topic was the mess at our DHS. But the part which was being discussed early in the show was MA - Medical Assistance, or Medicaid. Minnesota's Medicaid is out of control. It was gone up almost 25% in the past five years. Representative Munson said our Medicaid spending (combination of state and federal dollars), is over $10B annually. Yes, that is "B" as in billion. 

But here comes the real show stopper. Munson said it is estimated that 10% of the people who receive Medicaid in Minnesota are not eligible to receive it. And 10% of $10B is one billion dollars a year - wasted! We have a Governor who thinks we need a bigger bucket for all the new taxes he wants to collect. And yet, the bucket we have right now has gaping holes in the bottom of it. IT SEEMS WE DO NOT HAVE THE MONEY TO GIVE OUR HARD WORKING SENIORS TAX FREE SOCIAL SECURITY, BUT WE DO HAVE THE MONEY TO FUND THE FRAUD AND GRAFT AT DHS!!!

What is happening in this state right now is nothing short of outrageous! We had an "auditor" in DHS who was supposed to keep her eye on the books. She did not - maybe she was too busy doing her nails or checking social media. Meanwhile - we were being robbed blind by many. The system was abused. The tax payers, taken advantage of. 

Even the local paper blasted the DHS this morning. Too big. Needs major overhaul. Duh! I say shut it down for a few months to fix it. Find some REAL leadership to manage the place once we have it up and running again. No more cronyism. No more statists. We need real professionals who have (get ready), integrity. AND WE NEED TO STOP BEING SO DAD BLAMED EASY! WE NEED TO BE FAIR WITH OUR WELFARE, NOT PATSIES!

Most of us with our eyes wide open, know there is a reason we have over one hundred thousand East African refugees living in Minnesota - and it ain't the weather. The reputation of this state at one time was regional for how easy we were - now it is global. The tax payers of this state are tired of taking it in the shorts. Corrupt DHS, failed government school systems, and this list goes on and on.

This story has legs folks. Right now we have the right bloodhounds on the trail of this deceit and fraud. Maybe they can do something, but they will be swimming upstream. Oh - the good news? Ms. Ham, who was asleep at the switch when all this was happening, is still getting paid by you. Could you ever imagine that happening in the real world? NEVER!!!!!

Moneyapolis. Great place to live. Unless of course, you are a tax payer. 

Ending Regimes

"The once feared United States is all wrapped up in partisan bickering, so much so, we can't even protect our borders. We are a mess right now, and the Iranians know it."

There comes a time in every country, where it is necessary to have a change in power. A different government. In our country, it is called elections. Although not perfect, we are trying to keep our elections as fair and honest as possible. In other countries however, where the people have ceded all their power to their government, once in a while that government goes rogue. We have seen this happen with evil regimes in countries such as North Korea, Cuba, Venezuela, Iraq, Libya, and of course Iran. There are many others past and present, for sure.

In the past couple of decades, the United States has helped initiate regime change in Iraq and Libya. We are currently trying to help make it happen in Venezuela. We are trying to "behavior modify" the North Korean regime. Cuba? Maybe in the future, I'm afraid. But Iran, that is a whole new ballgame. For the first time since we invaded Iraq, we might have to use our big stick against the Iranian regime. And that could (and maybe should) happen quickly.

Actually, I am amazed that it has taken this long. A new "coalition of the willing" could be established instantly. The US, Canada, the UK, Germany, France, Saudi Arabia, and of course - Israel. The major players of course would be the US and Israel, with the Saudi's offering logistic support. Seizing oil tankers in the Straights of Hormuz is an international "no-no". Against international law. One might ask that tired old question, "Where is the UN in all of this?" Asleep and disinterested. 

The UK has every legal right to declare war on Iran after seizing and holding their oil tanker. But they won't. Why not? Winston Churchill and Lady Thatcher are no longer with us. Now the UK is stuck with a slew of Neville Chamberlains instead. So once again, the US has to be the world's cop. That is, if the Democrats in Washington have the stomach for it. Right now, they will go to any Obama appointed judge to keep the President from righting this wrong. 

And this is the center of the circle. The bulls eye. Why are the Iranians so emboldened right now? For the reasons I just mentioned. The once feared United States is all wrapped up in partisan bickering - so much so, we can't even protect our borders. We are a mess right now, and the Iranians know it. Heck, if Trump authorized one missile to be fired at an attacking Iranian fast boat, Al Green would once again start an impeachment motion on the President. Because of the America haters in Congress, the United States is a paper tiger right now, and the Iranians know it.

Once again, you have a country of people (in Iran), who are bring governed by a rogue, theocratic regime. Many of the Iranians would be thrilled to have a new government. But once you cede your power to a government, you have lost the day. The only hope for the freedom loving people in Iran is for some force outside of Iran, help them by ending the current regime. 

How is this going to end? Good question. I do know this however - if seizing oil tankers becomes a habit in Hormuz, the world's oil futures are going to go crazy. It could bring on a world wide recession. Do the Democrats in Washington care about that? Not a bit - they feel that ending the oil trade would help fix "man-made climate change."

Scottie! Where are you? Please beam me up! I can't take it any more!

"Send her back!"...Send who back?

"Nice job Star Tribune. Nice job New York Times. Nice job Washington Post. Nice job CNN. Do you understand now why so many today are distrustful of the media? The once proud 'Fourth Estate', is now nothing more than Democrat boot lickers."

In our little sleepy state of Minnesota, we have a real "who done it" on our hands. Like who killed who? No - not that dramatic. But it this situation is full of intrigue, never the less. Ilhan Omar, it seems, might not be who she professes to be. This woman, whose face we see on the news most every night, might have been born with a different name. How do I know this for a fact? I don't. It is alleged. But people who have been snooping around in her past have come up with more questions than answers.

Our fawning press in this state, would rather commit seppuku than take a chance on exposing this woman. Why? It is not who she is - it is what she represents. In the eyes of the lapdog Star Tribune, this woman represents the "New American". Came here from a broken country, got educated, became a working class hero in CD 5, and then on to the State House, and then Congress. The local paper worships her so much, they have her portrait hanging in their building.

In the absence of a fair press, we need to rely on independent investigators, and a loyal patriot in the Minnesota House named Steve Drazkowski. They have come across some items in her past which might not only be rotten in Denmark, but also in St. Paul and Washington DC. Like what her real name is. Seems it might not be Omar at all. That could be the name she assumed (from a family she was with) when coming over here with a wave of refuges. Am I sure of this? No, but that is what is alleged. So let's find out. 

Also, did she marry her brother to get here? Is that legal? She dismisses her marriages as "traditional" or "community". Huh? Oh, we westerners would not understand. And how about taxes then? Did she file correctly, or is there some tax fraud? Student loans? Were they fraudulent? Questions, questions, questions. But the Star Tribune will not touch any of these. There are too wrapped up in TDS (Trump Derangement Syndrome).

Only in the heart of the Twin Cities, can you find so many who can and will be cowed by people like Ilhan Omar (or whatever her name is). She has the lingo down pat. If you question her, she jumps on you for "Hateful speech against a woman of color who was a refugee." As Steve Drazkowski has said, she calls detractors "racists" so often, that term is almost "reflexive" for her to use. Meanwhile, the good people of CD 5, just might have elected a first class fraud to represent them in Washington. Or not. We just don't know.

Nice job Star Tribune. Nice job New York Times. Nice job Washington Post. Nice job CNN. Do you understand now why so many today are distrustful of the media? The once proud "Fourth Estate", is now nothing more than Democrat boot lickers. Meanwhile, the "mystery woman" continues to represent the lemmings in CD 5. Good flipping grief...  

So long, to low Earth orbit...

"Well, I am excited. This is a great way to celebrate the 50 year anniversary of the Eagle landing on the Moon. Exciting days might be ahead. That is, if we can keep from killing each other first." 

Well - not exactly. We can't quite say good-bye as yet to low Earth orbit. We will still be filling up the low Earth orbit area with more and more satellites. Like lots more 5g satellites which will be used for more "Netflix" like streaming. By the way - none of the early space voyagers have been good stewards of their environment. The "space junk" in Earth orbit will be something which will vex space travelers for many years to come.

But enough about low Earth orbit. That is so yesterday. Right now, all eyes are on the Moon and beyond. Plus - for a change, NASA is really using their collective heads. How so? The first step in getting back to the Moon will be to have a bit of home much closer. We can't move the Earth, so we will put a space station around the Moon. It will be called Gateway.

Gateway is going to be huge in getting all of us off our collective butts. My vote has always been for a Moon base. That still might come. But having a Moon orbiting space station, will be a huge plus up. And - maybe that will be the first step in getting us a Moon base. Some might ask why a Moon base is so important? Many reasons. The most important (in my opinion) will be low gravity launches to get further out into space. Like Mars, the asteroid belt, or maybe even into interstellar space.

But as Dr. Kaku always points out, "We have a cop on the block to watch our speed limit. And that cop is the speed of light." Even though currently we are only able to travel at a fraction of the speed of light, should be ever approach that magical speed, that will be it. That is, unless we unlock what Einstein was talking about with the space/time fabric. In any event, all that is generations away. I am thrilled that we have made the commitment to at least get a space station up by the Moon.

The other night I was listening to an astronomer on YouTube. He said during the next decade (right around the corner), the traffic on and around the Moon will be intense. Lots and lots of new ventures in the offing. Is there the possibility of conflicts? Always, no matter what treaties would say. Mars might have the same issue in thirty years or so. It might be time for mankind to grow up and learn to play together better. We are after all, the same species (regardless of what the Democrats say).

Well, I am excited. This is a great way to celebrate the 50 year anniversary of the Eagle landing on the Moon. Exciting days might be ahead. That is, if we can keep from killing each other first. 

The "Little Dutch Boy" of Washington...

"I know it is not Thanksgiving as yet, but we should all be VERY thankful that we have President Trump. How would things look right now without President Trump? Not even George Orwell could paint a picture that dire."

Today is the day, Apollo 11 lifted off on it's famous trip to the Moon. JFK, who started the wheels in motion, was long gone - felled by assassin(s) bullets. Many, including myself, think when JFK died, so died the "normal" Democrat Party. In any event, Richard Nixon was now President, and history was made when "the Eagle landed". History was also made a few short years later, when Nixon resigned before the Watergate scandal had him thrown out of office.

Now flash forward fifty years from the Apollo 11 landing. Has the country progressed, or regressed? We fought the Viet Nam War (lost), the War on Drugs (losing), the War on Poverty (got our butt's kicked), and the War on Terror (still continuing). We have not been back to the Moon, and our country is now just about as divided as it was going into the Civil War. What in the world has happened to us?

Liberalism. Socialism. Progressiveness, Anarchy, Atheism, and so forth. The Left side of the country has tilted to far to the Left, parts of our country are not even recognizable. Many of our once fine cities are now hollowed out drug infested poverty traps. Tent cities are popping up everywhere, and the homeless are legally allowed to defecate and urinate on the street.

We have become Sodom and Gomorrah, and then some. Democrats have turned into bomb throwers, and many of the Republicans have devolved into only silent witnesses to the carnage. With the dikes surrounding our Republic starting to weaken, ready to give way to this liberal toxic goo, is there anyone who can save us?

Yes - thank God! Not since the days of Ronald Reagan (who often times also had to stand alone), did we elect such a staunch defender of the American Dream. Donald J. Trump is like the Little Dutch Boy of Washington. How so? With the socialists, the media, and often times the RINOs stacked against him, President Trump is keeping his "fingers in the dikes" so our Republic can survive. President Trump has eschewed any PC BS to call people out. People who hate this country are being named and shamed. People who are loyal and love this country are being edified. That is what leaders do.

Yesterday there was total chaos in the House. All because President Trump called out four Freshman in Congress who have been vile towards our country and Israel. He was right to do so. Even though the President did not mention race when he did it, the ancient Speaker of the House we have right now, referred to the President's "racist tweets". That was not only inaccurate, that was a huge "no-no" under House rules. In any event, it was a good reminder how ungovernable our country would be now, if Hillary had won the election.

To top the day off, some grease ball in Congress filed articles of impeachment yesterday. Of course, he has been wanting to do that since November of 2016, long before Trump was sworn in. Articles of impeachment for what? After the Mueller anal probe, we all learned there is nothing to impeach. But no matter. The America haters need to get rid of the Little Dutch Boy of Washington. Once he is gone, evil, entropy, and chaos will stalk the land. The one hope we have today, for the preservation of the American Experiment - will be gone.

I know it is not Thanksgiving as yet, but we should all be VERY thankful that we have President Trump. How would things look right now without President Trump? Not even George Orwell could paint a picture that dire. If we don't get more leaders like Donald Trump to rise up, we are truly living on borrowed time.   

 

America - Love it or leave it!

"In any event, that is my take on this latest Trump dust up. Much to do about nothing. Nothing to see here. Let's get back to fixing the problems which beret our society. Like border security."   

Okay. Call me a redneck. I don't care. I am in lock step with the President when he tells people if they are not happy here, they can leave. We are a free country. If you want to keep your citizenship, and live overseas, go for it. If you want to renounce your citizenship and live elsewhere, you are free to to that also. Me? I am staying right here. Why? I LOVE THIS COUNTRY. It does not need to be "fixed". Maybe tweaked from time to time, but not fixed. And I am one of the growing cadre of folks who are SICK AND TIRED of Democrats always running our country down. If you don't like it here - "don't let the door hit you, where nature has split you."

One of my shipmates when I was stationed on Okinawa once told me, "Man, you are about as American as apple pie." He did not mean that in a nice way. He was from a strong Democrat family in New Jersey, and he was already getting caught up in the 1968 rebellion attitude. He thought I was naive for believing in this country. Burn it down, and then start over again, he would often tell me. I on the other hand, never thought that way. The civil disobedience which was taking place stateside, was heart breaking for me. In my world view, everyone who was blessed enough to live in the United States should be dancing down the streets, each and every day.

President Trump is not Barack Obama. Obama never gave many of us the impression he truly loved this country. He was resentful. Apologetic. Ashamed. Donald Trump and Ronald Reagan on the other hand, were not, are not, and never will be. Both of these great Presidents, were and are, cheerleaders for this country. Braggadocios? Maybe - but as Yogi Berra would say, "It ain't bragging if it is true."

Leave it to the MSM to twist Donald Trump's words into something they were not. He did not tell those four malcontents to go back where they came from. He told them to go back to the countries they had roots in, help fix those countries, and then come back here and show us how they did it. Why did he say that? He, like many, many of us, have grown sick to death of these neophytes running down our country. Especially, when the country that Omar came from is such a mess. Nobody in this country should be happier than her (and her ilk) to be here.

I am not an "Archie Bunker", nor a 1970 version of "Joe". Neither is Donald Trump. We are patriots who love this country with every beat of our heart. Do we hate people of color? Nope? Gay people? Nope. People from other countries? Nope. Anarchists, socialists, and Democrats? Not hate, but sick to death of some of them. Would I like to see the anarchists, socialists and Democrats leave? The ones would would destroy this great country? Absolutely. 

In any event, that is my take on this latest Trump dust up. Much to do about nothing. Nothing to see here. Let's get back to fixing the problems which beret our society. Like border security.   

The real mess at DHS

"What would I do if I were Governor? Shut down DHS until it was fixed and accountable. But but - what would the people do who love our welfare? The magnet which attracted them here would reverse polarity. They would go elsewhere for better benefits."

Sometimes a picture is worth a thousand words. It has been thought for many years now, that the overt cronyism the DFL constantly practices when filling sweetheart positions (in an administration), was going to catch up with them one day. Well ladies and gentlemen, that one day has arrived. The Department of Human Services, the Minnesota "teat" for a myriad of welfare programs, has become so big, so unwieldy, it has spun out of control. And who is now watching the 1/3 of our $50B state budget which goes into DHS? Where welfare fraud is rampant, and the money is free flowing? Good question.

Shortly after Taxing Timmy Walz cowed the minions in Minnesota by electing him instead of an excellent manager and leader like Jeff Johnson, Timmy began to smell the rot inside of Dayton's former DHS department. It was loaded with cronyism and statists, most of who had no clue on how to be stewards of taxpayer money. But who cares?

So Timmy asked a true friend to run this department. It involved a real gamble. It meant asking Senator Lourey to give up his very safe Senate seat in the north country. It was a good gamble - fat chance the GOP could pick that seat in a special election - but they did.  

But Timmy thought it was worth the risk, and worth the cost. Turns out - it wasn't. The fraud continued, and the money was flowing our of DHS like the money given to the Iranians on the tarmac. What was the problem? Carolyn Ham for starters. She was so bad at keeping her eye on the till, she was kind of fired, yet put on "administrative leave" until all this could be ferreted out. But up until VERY RECENTLY (like, maybe yesterday), the vetting of her misdeeds had not yet started. But who cares? She is getting paid by the taxpayers for sitting at home and doing JACK!

Here is what the Bird has found out today. Some, anecdotal, some factual, some supposition. The hundreds of DFL'ers who love to play Santa Clause at election time, have a hard time keeping their promises. Why? Oh, there is plenty of money from the overtaxed taxpayers. But there is no qualified gatekeepers to watch the till. Just stooges, picked up via never ending DFL cronyism. "Minnesota Nice" has evolved into "Minnesota Easy", and everyone from Detroit to Mogadishu knows it. 

What would I do if I were Governor? Shut down DHS until it was fixed and accountable. But but - what would the people do who love our welfare? The magnet which attracted them here would reverse polarity. They would go elsewhere for better benefits. Just like when Ronald Reagan was Governor of California. He wanted the best welfare in the nation, FOR THOSE WHO NEEDED IT. For those who did not, he threw them off the system. Time for our welfare cheaters to have their day.

No Tim - I will cut you a bit of slack since you picked up the mess Dayton left you. But putting Lourey in charge was not a wise move. Why? Hire from the outside, not a cronyism plant. The good people of MN deserve much better. I hope you learned your lesson.