Friday Nuttiness

"For those who still enjoy the mayhem of Black Friday, please continue. Myself, I think this whole Black Friday thing is about ready to be eclipsed by Cyber Monday. And that day, I can fit into very easily."

As I sit in the comfort of my own home this morning, I would like to cast aspersions on all those "other" folks who are out Christmas shopping on Black Friday. But that would be very hypocritical of me. Why? Not too long ago, I was one of the "other" folks. Yes, I took part in this annual nuttiness, and did some very nutty things on Black Friday. It was after all, as much of Thanksgiving weekend as turkey and football was.

One year in particular, we talked our oldest daughter and her husband (before grandies), to come over for Thanksgiving dinner, hang out, take a long nap, and then leave at 11 pm to get up to Albertville by midnight. Why Albertville? A HUGE "everything was on sale, sale" at the outlet mall. So we did it. Finished a late turkey day dinner, took a nap, got up, and headed north to Albertville. 

When we got about five miles away from the outlet mall, traffic on I-94 came to almost a dead stop. I thought, "Oh no! A serious accident on Thanksgiving night!" Well, there was no accident. It was just a zillion or so folks with the same nutty idea we had. When we finally got up there, it was SRO with almost no parking spots. We ended up buying nothing, coming home empty handed, and almost asleep at the wheel.

There were many a time however, when the kids were young, and I would get up at the butt crack of dawn, head to WalMart, Target, Menards, or where ever to get in line to buy stuff that nobody needed. But the price on that stuff that nobody needed was the drug which got me there. I would fill up my cart, get in a long line with crabby people, pay my bill, and head out to my truck. About 8 in the morning, I would be done, broke, tired and icky. 

I did take one more run for the roses a couple years ago. Mills Fleet Farm had a ridiculously low price on bulk ammo with rebate. So low, I got into my truck in the middle of the night, bad cataracts and all, and drove 20 miles to the store. Once I got there, the line was stretched all the way to the end of the building. I almost turned around and came home. But - I still had just enough nuttiness left in me to put up with the mayhem and get my ammo. When I got home, my wife was up and making breakfast. I looked at here and said, "This time I mean it - NEVER AGAIN!"

Today, my shopping is done, thanks to Amazon Prime. It has made a lazy and sane person out of me. For those who still enjoy the mayhem of Black Friday, please continue. Myself, I think this whole Black Friday thing is about ready to be eclipsed by Cyber Monday. And that day, I can fit into very easily.

  

"All money belongs to all"

"The 'all money belongs to all' is soon replaced with 'no money belongs to all.' Instead of common wealth, we will have common poverty."

The holiday season is almost upon us, and I just checked our finances. A bit short this year. I have a list a mile long of things I need to order from Amazon, but this year, the numbers just don't add up. Then it dawned on me. I need to take to heart what people like Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren and the Squad have been preaching. It does not matter if I don't have enough money to do what I want to do. I will just use someone else's money. Like Tom Steyer's or Mike Bloomberg's. They are both billionaires, so shaving off a hundred thousand or so would mean nothing to them.

I think I am finally starting to catch on. In this wonderful land called the United States, we are all shareholders. All money belongs to all. I get it now, socialists. It took me a while. If I need some money to fill in the cracks, I will just take it. Heck - we don't even need taxation to do so. I will just go up to someone with deep pockets and demand that person give me "x" number of dollars. After all, President Obama told the rich over and over again - "You did not earn that. The country earned it for you."

For years, I have allowed the IRS to fleece me by robbing from me and giving to someone else. All without my permission. Before I became aware of how the game was played, it would infuriate me. I thought, "I earned it, it should be mine." Foolish troll I was back then. All money belongs to all. All money belongs to all. All money belongs to all. If you keep saying it long enough, it will start to make sense. 

Years ago, a relative of my wife (an early socialist), would tell me it was his right to sit by a pond, write poetry, and get paid for it. Not as a vocation, but an avocation. I thought he was an idiot back then. But he might have been on to something. If all money belongs to all, that made perfect sense to me. If I were still working, I might just try that!

In any event, my money problems are over. But, if we want to be honest, the money problems for the country would just be starting. As capitalism was developed by "building a better mousetrap", socialism was built on burning down the system, and dividing up the spoils. As in Venezuela, the good times rolled for a very short time, and then the misery index went off the charts. The "all money belongs to all" will soon be replaced with "no money belongs to all." Instead of common wealth, we will have common poverty.

This is why the Democrats following the Clown Car are starting to wet themselves. The serve to the left, has now gone so far left, there might be no coming back. The smart Democrats (be they few), know that this cock-eyed thinking will pave the way to a landslide re-election for Donald J. Trump. And that - is what many of us clear thinking people on the right are counting on.

The most wonderful time of the year!

"But until January 2nd comes, we will party, we will revel, we will celebrate. Why? That is what we do. That is part of the human experience." 

If I were abducted by aliens, I was asked to describe the most wonderful part of the human existence, I would be hard pressed not to mention this time of year. Years ago, Andy Williams had a hit song (which most of us still like to listen to in November and December) called "It's the most wonderful time of the year". Even though the song is about Christmas, the most wonderful time of the year (in my humble opinion), goes from the day before Thanksgiving until the New Year.

Even if I have had a bad year, or a blah year, there is something about this time of year which seems to sooth most wounds. In the words of Andy's song, 

There'll be much mistletoeing,

And hearts will be glowing,

When loved ones are near...

If your family is large or small, travel near or travel far, close or not so close, there is something special about kicking off this most wonderful time of the year with turkey, fires in the hearth, maybe some football, and good family cheer. Thanksgiving is not only the time for giving thanks, but it is also the day which "sets the table" for the rest of the holiday season.

The day after Thanksgiving has always been the "green light" day for many. Christmas songs fill the air, Christmas decorations start to magically appear, the the mayhem of shopping is in full swing. Plus- holiday baking starts in earnest. Families like ours, are also blessed with a bevy of birthdays sprinkled between Thanksgiving and Christmas, so it seems that the party never stops.

There is a dark side to this time of the year however. It ends. Come January 2nd, the party stops. Decorations start coming down, presents are put away, and the cuisine starts to go back to normal. Places of employment go from office parties to focusing on the new year's objectives. No more holiday music. No more bright and joyous Christmas lights. Just the endless darkness, and brutal cold of January. 

But until January 2nd comes, we will party, we will revel, we will celebrate. Why? That is what we do. That is part of the human experience. This time of year is endearing to people of faith as it celebrates the birth of our Savior. People not in the faith, still love this time of year. Why? It is the magic of Christmas. In any event, from the Bird's nest to all whomever might read this - have a wonderful holiday season. It really is, the most wonderful time of the year. 

Office of the rich in the land of the brave

"I am glad Bloomberg is in the race. This is going to be fun. Trying to watch him tiptoe around the mine field of money. Trying to act like a "man of the people", when he is just dripping with cash. Or (and I love this one), how he will handle the "wealth tax"."

Hear the news? Mike "I want your guns" Bloomberg has jumped into this mess called the Clown Car. And he has some bragging rights. Besides being the biggest gun grabber in the crowd, he has more money than everyone else (in the race) combined. I remember when Donald Trump threw his hat in the ring for the 2016 race. The Democrats were caterwauling about how Trump was going to "buy" the White House. News flash - Donald Trump is a pauper compared to Bloomberg.

How much so? For the first time in forever, we have three billionaires in the race. They are (with 2019 net worth included:

• Tom Steyer                                           $1.62B
• Donald J. Trump                                   $3.13B
• Mike Bloomberg                                   $54.07B

Guess what? We got us some millionaires also. They are:

• John Delaney                                       $200.0M
• Mike Bennet                                         $15.0M
• Elizabeth Warren                                 $12.0M
• Joe Biden                                             $9.0M
• Kamala Harris                                      $6.0M
• Deval Patrick                                        $4.0M
• Bernie Sanders                                    $2.0M
• Amy Klobuchar                                    $2.0M
• Andrew Yang                                       $1.0M

There actually are some running who are not in the billionaire or millionaire club. Not many however. Some who have dropped out are worth a million plus. Now, I do not begrudge anyone from making a buck in this country. It is after all, what makes America, America. However, when these fat cats, who have all kinds of tax dodges, constantly chide me on not "paying my fair share", it gets to be a bit much.

By the way, some know this, some know it but refuse to acknowledge it. Being President has cost Donald J. Trump a lot of money. He knew that going into this. But he is a patriot. And he felt this was his calling at this point in his life. To save the ship of state. The right the wrongs. To make America great again.

I am glad Bloomberg is in the race. This is going to be fun. Trying to watch him tiptoe around the mine field of money. Trying to act like a "man of the people", when he is just dripping with cash. Or (and I love this one), how he will handle the "wealth tax". Like I say, this could be fun.

I wonder if this is it, or if there will be anymore late comers. Hillary? Are you out there? That would make the Clown Car much more "clowny". Meanwhile, time to grab some more popcorn, as the fun is just starting. 

The tale of a proud and decorated SEAL

"The Navy wants to take the Chief's Trident away before he retires. All the Chief wants to do is retire on November 30, 2019 with the honors he has earned . That is it."

By now, most of us are familiar with the story of USN Chief Eddie Gallagher. He is one of our nation's war fighters. Any special operator, from any service, are the best of the best. Just to make it to the bottom rung of being a special operator is a journey few can complete. And once you make it to that bottom rung, the training is far from over. Chief Gallagher not only made it to that bottom rung, he made it all the way up to E-7. Not an easy task.

I have supported President Trump's incursion into the military judicial process to intercede for Chief Gallagher. For that support, I have been taken out to the woodshed by some of my social media friends. First, let me give some background on why I feel the way I do.

I was a cryptologist with a high level clearance in the Navy for 21 years. The number of rules we had to live by, were huge and non-ending. To break any of those rules was unforgivable. In other words, to stay working as a cryptologist with a high level clearance, one must follow the rules. Period. So, I do understand the rule issue.

That being said, there is an ocean of difference between what a cryptologist did in the Navy, and what a special operator did. These men were trained to go into harm's way, and take out the worst of the worst bad guys. For the most part, our war fighters are able to walk that fine line between getting the job done, and abiding by the rules war fighters must follow. Almost 100% of the citizens in this country will never know the hell these fine operators  face numerous times a year. To me, they are heroes, all of them.

Did Chief Gallagher pose with the corpse of a bad guy? I guess he did, as there is photographic evidence. Did it break a war fighter rule? Probably. Is it worth letting that one minor indiscretion eclipse all the good Chief Gallagher has done in his career? This is where the great divide is. My vote is no. The President's vote is no. The Navy wants to take the Chief's Trident away before he retires in a week. All the Chief wants to do is retire on November 30, 2019 with the honors he has earned . That is it.

I know I am going to get blow back for penning this article. I am ready for it. This morning on Fox, Pete Hegseth was interviewing Chief Gallagher. The Chief had a friend with him, a retired Army Captain who was also an operator. The Captain brought up a very good point. For a young person, who is on the fence about joining the service and trying to make it to operator, is seeing how the Navy is trying to screw over this decorated Chief during his last week before retirement. That sends a very bad message.

Once again, as a retired Navy officer, my vote is to let this decorated operator retire with his rank and with his SEAL designation. If they want to put a letter in his file that posing with the corpse of a dead bad guy is a no-no, I am fine with that. But that should be it. This nation owes all our brave operators a debt of gratitude. It is as simple as that.  

"That is not who we are!"

"In any event, it is the weekend, and most of the finger waggers have gone home for Thanksgiving recess. No shaming for a week now. I suppose I will have to add that on to what I am thankful for this year." 

Anybody else ever get tired of being chided? Mostly by hearing this tired old phrase over, and over, and over again? "That is not who we are!" Like, when we catch illegals sneaking across the border. Here is the truth. Who we really are, is a fair people. A nation of immigrants. A nation of laws and rules. A nation where if you want to join "our club", there is a proper way of doing it. For the socialists however, "how we are" is doing whatever. Want to cut in line? Forget a few steps? Cheat? Go ahead.

Nobody on Planet Earth scolds, chides, shames, or wags the finger better than the Democrats. Every time the Republicans fall back on the rule of law, or our Constitution, the Democrats go straight for the heart. "Don't you care these poor people are being detained on our southern border? Not treated like guests? That is not who we are!" Sure I care they are being detained. It costs the taxpayer money. My preference is they did not come here illegally in the first place. But if I said that, people like Joe Biden would be all up in my face, wagging that skinny index finger at me.

Someone asked a long time ago, what one of the differences between a progressive and a conservative was. I simply said, "Conservatives educate, and progressives shame." I feel the same way today. When you do not have the facts nor the truth on your side, go for the heart by shaming. Just like earlier in the week, when Omar said everyone in this country deserved to have a house. And that would cost the taxpayer over $1T. I was waiting for someone to challenge her on where the money would come from. She of course, would say this country could afford it. And supplying a house to everyone, "is who we are".

The progressives and socialists have worked overtime to make people think that when they wag their finger at one of us, it is because they care and we do not. Here is the bottom line. People on the right care just as much (probably more so) than people on the left. But people on the right, just care about DOING IT RIGHT - not just throwing money down a rat hole. Why? Because that is who WE are.

Get ready folks. 2020 will be open season on people who have any money at all. What the socialists cannot steal from you in taxes, they will finish the job with a wealth tax. Why? Because the money you have, you really did not earn. The country earned it for you. All of us. So it needs to be redistributed and divided up. Why? "THAT IS WHO WE ARE". Or, so they say.

One of the things I always marvel at, is when tax returns are made public, and we can see the charitable giving by the finger waggers. I remember one year, when ALGORE was the VP, he only gave $500 to charity. WTH? Mr. "That is not who we are", tuned out to be Mr. Cheapskate. Or as they said in the old country, "What good for thee is not for me".

In any event, it is the weekend, and most of the finger waggers have gone home for Thanksgiving recess. No shaming for a week now. I suppose I will have to add that on to what I am thankful for this year. 

Impeachment - our new normal?

"It is up to you Madam Speaker. You can gavel this thing down. Or, you can let those two nut balls (Schiff and Nadler) take this to the next level. Should you do that, history will judge you harshly, as it should." 

The Democrats may not know it as yet, but they are dangerously close to crossing the Rubicon. It all depends on the brain trust of Pelosi, Schiff and Nadler. I know, I know - "brain trust" is a bit of a stretch. But if they decide to take this impeachment thing to the next level(s), culminating in a impeachment vote in the House right before Christmas, things in Washington will never be the same again. 

The Democrats have already ruined it for the next Democrat President. If a new Democrat President so much as wakes up with a zit under his eye, he (or she) will be investigated. In fact, every facet of the the Democrat President's life will be under the microscope. No secrets. Every infraction, including jaywalking, will be known and investigated. Then, when the Republicans find something juicy enough - they will start impeachment hearings. Yes, impeachment will become as normal and commonplace as the annual State of the Union.

What else have the Democrats changed during these past three years? Oh yes - how to hate. Hate with a visceral passion. Hate with no forgiveness, hate offering no quarter. As fractured as this country was in 2016, the Democrats have taken those fissures, and made them so big, one could drive a truck through them. If only we could go back to those eight years of Barrack Obama. We let SO MUCH stuff slide under his watch. Well, those days are over. We would have impeached him just on Benghazi alone.

With all the damage which has been done under the Democrats, there is still time to prevent the ultimate kill shot. Stop the impeachment process. Any person with a high school education (who learned civics) knows that this was never the intent for the impeachment clause. Never. In fact, what is happening now was a fear of the Founders. Misuse and abuse of impeachment. If the Democrats proceed with impeachment, the Rubicon will have been crossed and the Founder's biggest fear on impeachment realized. All because of s**t heads like Pelosi, Schiff, and Nadler. All three are true enemies of the state.

One final thing, and I have mentioned this before. Democrats - be careful what you wish for. Should this thing make it over to the Senate for trial, many bad things (for the Democrats) will be revealed. The Bidens will be toast - forever. Obama will have his legacy severely smudged. And Hillary might end up living out the chant, "Lock her up!". It will be brutal, it will be ugly, it will be a street fight. 

It is up to you Madam Speaker. You can gavel this thing down. Or, you can let those two nut balls (Schiff and Nadler) take this to the next level. Should you do that, history will judge you harshly, as it should. 

The wealth tax, and how it ruins

"Somebody said it again yesterday on one of the news shows. Even thought this may sound trite or overused, the election in 2020 will be the most important in decades. Maybe ever." 

   

Last night during the Clown Car Debate, the wealth tax was discussed. Mostly by Pocahontas. She was taken out to the woodshed by some of the more "moderate" candidates. But no worries - she stayed strong on what she was advocating. In her academia demented mind, she could not understand for the life of her, why the rest of us rubes cannot get the drift. After all, most folks are not worth $50B. And for those who are, only two cents for every dollar of wealth over $50B would be required. Chump change for sure.

Before I get into the absurdity of what she was trying to sell, I need to say this first. When we hear the term "wealth tax" we all need to run for shelter. It is an economy wrecker. And no, it will not be only 2 cents on every dollar over $50B. When Pocahontas explained what this new wealth tax would pay for, it was everything (including) the kitchen sink. Clear thinking citizens would know right off the bat that this was nothing more than snake oil. Once a wealth tax is incorporated, that $50B soon becomes $50,000 or less. 

Besides the wealth tax, one of the clowns also wanted to tax capital gains as ordinary income. Smart move. That will dry up investments faster than the California drought has dried up the Hollywood hills. But who cares? None of these clowns have a shred of business acumen, and that includes Yang and Steyer. Even those two guys, who have gotten rich in the system, are two fries short of a happy meal.

The reason our economy came to a crawl under Obama, is he did not know spit about economics. Well, other than a textbook he might have read somewhere. He put tons of business killing regulations on banking and business to keep those wild capitalists under control. It worked. We got used to a 1% GDP. This current crop will make Obama look like a Wall Street genius. They will initiate policies which will take us back to the dark ages of investing. And anyone who has worked hard for their money, well, you did not earn that wealth. The country did, and the overlords want it, so they can spread around. Sound like socialism? Bingo!

The one person who could, and did, turn this country around is Donald J. Trump. And the socialists hate him for it. They are trying every trick in the book right now, to get rid of him. But I will say this to the socialists. Beware. If we lose President Trump to a confiscatory President and Congress in 2020, half the country will refuse to play. Think about that. People with money will pick up and leave. In addition, no foreign investors will want anything to do with the US of A anymore. All of a sudden, the United States will go from a very rich country, to something that looks like Los Angles. Or Venezuela.

Somebody said it again yesterday on one of the news shows. Even thought this may sound trite or overused, the election in 2020 will be the most important in decades. Maybe ever. It will be for all the marbles. We stay a healthy republic with a strong capitalist economy, or we slide into despair. And that slide will happen quickly.    

The winter of our discontent?

"Am I entering the winter of my discontent? Maybe. I hope not. I do know this however. I am glad there are so many good re-runs on TV these days. Watching any more of the Clown Car or the Schiff Show will put me in a funk until spring. Or - I can escape to Florida!"

I really don't know which I am more sick of. Having another debate among the clowns on the Clown Car, or watching another day of the Schiff Show. Both make me want to puke. Plus - dare I say this? Both are a huge waste of time. The Democrats have disrobed to show us their stuff on these impeachment hearings - and there ain't much there. Just like the clowns during the debates are trying to convince us the economy is in terrible shape, and if they could just tax everyone at 110%, they can fix it.

But here is the bottom line. They might as well stop these impeachment hearings now. Why? There is no "there, there". In fact, the only suspense will be to see if Eric "Farticus" Swalwell cuts loose with another gas attack again on live TV. Even if the House does take this to the next step(s) and votes to impeach, it goes nowhere. Everybody knows that - even the few honest Democrats who remain.

Also, the Clown Car has nothing to offer. Nothing. Bloomberg has been about as welcomed in the Clown Car as a case of shingles. Why? They don't trust a zillionaire who spent much of his life in the GOP. He is old, rich and white. In today's unhinged Democrat Party, that is a toxic combination. What about Barrack's buddy, Deval? Deval has his own issues with hedge funds in his past. The socialists will chew this soft spoken "woke" guy up, and spit him out. No, right now Mayor Pete is the guy to beat. But that can all change next week.

It is never wise to wish time away (especially at my age!). But it would be nice to flash forward to November of 2020, the day after the election. No more Clown Car, no more impeachment hearings, just the landslide of the Donald J. Trump re-election.

I can't close this out without saying a word about our own hot dish queen. Amy is going absolutely nowhere. Still. Nowhere. Then why is she sticking around? Playing for the second fiddle spot. I can see it now - Buttigieg/Klobuchar in 2020! Two of the toughest names to pronounce, or remember in Democrat history. Besides all of which, neither are ready for prime time. No vision. No plan. No nothing.

Am I entering the winter of my discontent? Maybe. I hope not. I do know this however. I am glad there are so many good re-runs on TV these days. Watching any more of the Clown Car or the Schiff Show will put me in a funk until spring. Or - I can escape to Florida!

  

Full frontal assault

"Yesterday, one of the shows had a Constitutional scholar on who said the Framers wrestled with having impeachment in the Constitution at all. For reasons just like we are seeing now. Where it would be misused and abused."

Well this is it. The main battleground for the Schiff Show. The Never Trumpers will be out in full force this week, trying against all odds, to bring down our President. The "witnesses" have all been coached by Shifty and this crew. They even know how to emote. Meanwhile, the government is starting to run on fumes, as the CR the President reluctantly signed a short time ago, is about to expire. But who cares?

In any event, the parade of robots who are set to testify are all going to say just about the same thing. "That phone call the President made to the new President of the Ukraine, was the worst thing in the world. I was shocked and appalled! It made me ashamed to be an American!" Okay - maybe a wee bit of exaggeration. You get my drift. This phone call is nothing more than a tempest in a teapot. Period. It is a nothing burger. 

But the Left continues to play up their favorite professional Never Trumper, Lt. Col. Vindman. He is a hero. He has a Purple Heart. As a fellow vet, I respect that part of him. But he hates the President. As such, his memory of the phone call is definitely slanted towards the Left. That is as nice as I can put it. Plus, he is publicly speaking out against his Commander in Chief. That is a no-no. So, this week, we will have to put up listening to Vindman and all the others. Once all these public hearings are over - then what?

Once the Schiff Show is over, then is the House going to vote on impeachment? This one part of the Constitution which is suppose to be used as a last resort, is being bandied about by Schiff like it is commonplace. Yesterday, one of the shows had a Constitutional scholar as a guest who said the Framers wrestled with having impeachment in the Constitution at all. For reasons just like we are seeing now. Where it would be misused and abused.

In any event, if the House does vote to impeach, the Republicans in the Senate are "locked and loaded". If the Democrats really want to open up Pandora's Box, they might not like what is going to come out at them. But - you can't cure stupid. So Ms. Nancy, Shifty Schiff and the rest of the clowns are headed into a box canyon. Hope it was worth it folks. Now our side will say, "See ya - wouldn't want to be ya..."   

The race to Cydonia

"As a kid who grew up reading Tom Swift, Elon Musk is my adult version of him. He is redefining what the words "bold" and "vision" mean."

Elon Musk sat in his office strumming his fingers. "Why does time go so slowly, when you need it to pass quickly?" Then he thought about Einstein, who thought time and space were intertwined, and could be a variable rather than a constant. In any event, his mind was deep in his upcoming launch of his first manned rocket to Mars. As exciting as this was, it was only the precursor to the main event. 

This was going to be his first launch from Goaltender, Musk's brand new launch facility on the Moon. It had finished completion at the end of 2024, with everyone going at a breakneck speed to make that date happen. But breakneck was the only speed Musk knew how to operate at.

This launch was not the first he sent to Mars. Two others had been launched from an Earth facility and were still in transit. Neither were manned, both had supplies aboard. This rocket on the other hand, had twelve hand picked, well trained astronauts aboard. Their job was to "set the table" for Striker One, when it launches in late 2025 or early 2026. By setting the table, that means finding buried or frozen water, finding the right chemicals to make fuel, and getting the first rudiments of a base put together. Tall orders with not much time to make them happen.

The destination that Musk and his team had settled upon was Cydonia. Why? Human interest, as well as the fact it is one of the most studied places (via telescope) from Earth. It was felt that would be a good place for Musk's first Mars base. First? Oh yes - that mind of Elon Musk was constantly looking over the horizon. Cydonia Base would be his first, and he sure did not want to screw it up with this launch.   

There were many reasons Musk wanted to get to Mars in a huge hurry. One which he shared with the media over and over again, was his fear of not having a "Plan B" for mankind, should something bad happen to our planet. The other ones, he was more more taciturn about.

Since Musk was a young man, he thought Mars held secrets that nobody knew as yet. He wanted to be the first to find out about those secrets. What kind of secrets? For starters, what really happened to Mars. How it went from an Earth like planet to what it is today. No theories, he wanted facts. Also, was there ANY kind of life on Mars before things went bad? Intelligent or otherwise? Finally, and this one he is really holding close - what is the origin of the pyramid structure, and "face", we have been seeing in Cydonia for decades? 

There is also one more reason Musk wanted to get Mars colonized. And this is his business mind working. Mining. There could be copper on Mars, and lots of it. Besides copper, there could be the same minerals there are on Earth. How much? Who knows?

When Striker One launches, it will have one hundred "guests" on board, not counting the crew. Every "guest" will have something important to do. Some will be geologists, some astronomers, some chemists, some physicians, and some ancient historians. Enough diversity of talent to carve out a small city. 

On or before the launch date for Striker One from Goaltender, unmanned rockets carrying additional supplies would continue to be launched from Earth sites, headed for Cydonia Base. And in a year or two once Striker One lands, and after things are settled, Striker Two, with another hundred of so "guests", should be ready to launch.

Of course this story is fiction. However, I have been studying up on Mr. Musk and his plans for Mars. The story I weaved here is not the truth, but I dare say it could be close. He is planning to send 100 people to Mars in a mega-spaceship. That is fact. The testing for that launch is ongoing today. As a kid who grew up reading Tom Swift, Elon Musk is my adult version of him. He is redefining what the words "bold" and "vision" mean.

Stay tuned for more stories about settling Mars. Today, these stories are fiction. In a few short years, they might just be history.   

Forty murders and over 1,500 rape kits

"My advice? Let Rondo and his police force be cops. Do whatever it takes to get this city back, and safe again. What we are doing now is not working! Duh! Until that happens, don't look for many visitors from Greater Minnesota. We don't need that crap."  

I have met Chief Medaria Arradondo (Rondo). In fact, he has hugged me - twice. But that is a whole other story. In any event, I like him. He is a good man. That being said, Rondo has a big, big problem. In fact, I am going out on a limb and say Rondo has the same problem that most other police chiefs in large blue cities have. Limited or no support from the Mayor or city leaders.

This weekend, the City of Lakes marked it's 40th homicide. Not in some slum, but right by the Arch Bridge, by some fancy yuppie type apartments or condos. In know - 40 is chump change compared to Chicago. Heck, they just went over 418 shot and killed this year. But this is not Chicago. This is the formerly sleepy Obama of the North, known as Minneapolis. Home of Mary Tyler Moore and Lou Grant. 

What makes this particularly disturbing, is last week it was revealed Minneapolis has over 1,500 untested rape kits. It makes it very difficult to solve a rape without the evidence contained in a rape kit. So what gives? Not enough cops? Nope. Some of the clowns on the city council think we have too many cops. We need more social programs instead. Really? So we can develop more packs of roving black kids, just waiting to rob and beat the hell out of some innocent citizens? 

Mayor Frey and Rondo have a huge problem right now. People living outside Minneapolis, as well as some living inside Minneapolis, no longer feel safe. Let that sink in for a minute. All those tax dollars, sunk into a city to make it look attractive and alluring, and residents are scared to take the LRT at night. Why? They will be stalked by predators. If this continues, the city's nightlife will dry up, people (who can) will move out, and the city will become "hollowed out".

If Minneapolis had a real Mayor instead of a kid from the east coast, this problem would be addressed and fixed. This rape kit issue is more than the canary in the coal mine. That alarm should have been sounded a long time ago. We have taken women, who have been violently abused by rape, and then victimized them again by not doing anything with the rape kits. This is bad, real bad.

There is no other way to put lipstick on this pig. Minneapolis has PC'd itself into allowing fatherless children to become pack killers. Gangs all over the place. Drugs galore. The city is a mess. "Broken window" policing has been replaced with hug therapy, and "listening sessions". Meanwhile, innocent citizens continue to take it in the shorts.

My advice? Let Rondo and his police force be cops. Do whatever it takes to get this city back, and safe again. What we are doing now is not working! Duh! Until that happens, don't look for many visitors from Greater Minnesota. We don't need that crap.  

The Technological Singularity of 2025

"For those who love change, these will be wonderful days. For those who either hate change or fear it, the next five years are going to be very tough."

Some of my more conservative friends are worried. Why? That many people who have only been paying half attention (or no attention at all), are going to be in for a shell shock when the IG Report comes out. That, plus the criminal investigation that AG Barr is doing on the run up to the 2016 election, could put some citizens in a catatonic state. I share some of that concern, but not much. My major concern is how we will handle the year 2025. Very few people have a clue in what is coming at us in five short years.

Just because it is such weird science to me, I have been watching more YouTube videos, and reading more articles on quantum computing, and how it will interact with AI. How weird is quantum computing? And important part this science is called quantum entanglement (don't ask me to explain what that is!). When Albert Einstein was asked about the theory of quantum entanglement years ago, he called it "spooky action at a distance". Guess what? It is, and now it is for real. The Chinese have already experimented with it. In fact, the Chinese want to be world leaders in both quantum computing, as well as Machine Learning AI.

The Technological Singularity will happen if all this good stuff, all of a sudden becomes not so good stuff, and then gets away from us. It will quickly take us from science to science fiction. But here is the irony. Some of our Captains of Industry have warned us about AI, but - they are part of the crowd which is going pell-mell to developing it. 

Lockheed Martin is already using a rudimentary form of quantum computing to test the weapon systems on the F-35 fighter. Many households already have a rudimentary form of AI in them. Hello, Siri, Alexa and Cortana. But those devices are nothing. From January of 2020 until December 2025, so many things will change, particularly in AI, it could make you dizzy.

The battlefield will change. Laser weapons will no longer be rare nor experimental. They will be on ships, on mobile trucks, and on planes. The next generation fighters will be going through testing. They will be hypersonic and many will not require a pilot. Rail guns will be on the battlefield. They will have the ability to fire a projectile 100 miles, at mach 7 or greater. Drones will be so small, they will be able to hunt and kill the enemy without them even knowing they are being hunted.

By 2025, our Moon will be like Grand Central Station. Mars will be the next big thing, and many countries will have already send unmanned rovers to the Red Planet. The asteroids will be looked upon as a mining opportunity for rare earths. More and more start ups will join the fray - many of them trying to capture the same lightening in the bottle that Musk and Bezos did.

Our workplace will look nothing like today. It is estimated that 4,000,000 additional robots will be doing warehouse duty by 2025. Many jobs that will exist in 2025 do not exist today. AI, IT, Internet of Things integration, plus all types of engineering, will still be the hot tickets. Unskilled labor will be nothing more than road kill on the road to progress. 

If you get a chance, go on some of these futurist sites to see what the common thinking is for the next five years. It is all very similar. For those who love change, these will be wonderful days. For those who either hate change or fear it, the next five years are going to be very tough.

Job for life...

"Meanwhile, the people of this country are not being served - at all. If I have to see "pop-eyed" Schiff one more time on TV, I am going to lose my lunch. Enough already! BTW - on another note - did you see the Dow topped 28,000? That is the real story for this week. Not Schiff and his eyeballs."    

Back in my early working days, I spend quite a bit of time working in Washington, with GS types at the commands of NAVSEA, NAVAIR, and SPAWAR. In addition, many times I would do my two weeks active duty training at my command, Navy Security Group. I worked with a few government types who were very good. For the most part however, many who I worked with were driftwood. Worthless. But - you could not touch them with a ten foot pole. Firing a government worker was next to impossible. Worst case - they just got transferred.

Why bring this up? It seems for those working in the State Department, they also feel that sense of perpetual employment. That it is an entitlement. Once in, in for life. Hint = that is why so many government employees vote Blue. Hint # 2 = that is why northern Virginia is now mostly Blue, and ergo, so is the state.

Yesterday, I did drop in from time to time to watch the soap opera called impeachment hearings.  I heard that big brute of a President, wanted to replace this very nice ambassador to the Ukraine. So Shifty had the former ambassador as his prize witness. It seems Ms. Yovanovitch lost her "job for life" as ambassador, due to Donald Trump. Much of the time was letting Ms. Yovanovitch express her "feelings". Here is the news flash, which of course did not come up yesterday. She served at the pleasure of the President. Period. End of story. Next topic.

Meanwhile - dare I bring this up again? The House, the holders of the funds for this great country, has not yet completed the funding bills for GFY 20. Remember that date? October 1, 2019? When all this was supposed to have been done, agreed to, and signed into law? In addition, the House has not yet taken up the new trade agreement with Mexico and Canada. And here is the real kicker. There are only 15 session days left in 2019. Of those fifteen days, five of those will be tied up next week with more kabuki theater.

In the eyes of the progressives and socialists, the State Department is the Executive Branch. As Yoda would say, "The evil runs deep in that area." The State Department is now, and has been for years, fertile ground for Deep State corruption. Donald Trump said he would drain the swamp. Well, guess what Ms. Yovanovitch - you are the swamp (or at least, part of it). Guess who else is a part of it? Hunter and his daddy. Big time.

Meanwhile, the people of this country are not being served - at all. If I have to see "pop-eyed" Schiff one more time on TV, I am going to lose my lunch. Enough already! BTW - on another note - did you see the Dow topped 28,000? That is the real story for this week. Not Schiff and his eyeballs.    

The cauldron boils...

"So grab on to something solid, and get ready. When the cauldron boils over, all the covers will be blown off, exposing the guilty. There will be no more hiding. The upcoming cleansing and purging will be ugly, but necessary. Bring on the Senate trial. We are more than ready."   

What a week! If you think this week was bad, just wait. They are going to get a whole lot more turbulent. By the way, if you want a primer for what awaits the country in the near future, watch Glenn Beck's "The Democrat's Hydra" on Blaze TV. He is offering it free to everyone. It is really an eye opener. Disturbing, but important for every red blooded American to watch. 

The Democrats don't know it as yet, but they are walking into a box canyon. They may think they are the "cock of the walk" in the House, but that is not the case in the Senate. And since they insisted on playing this charade out, the impeachment hearings could result in an impeachment vote in the House. And that is when things will really get interesting.

One of the "witnesses" on Wednesday, kind of went off script. Seems he was bothered by some perceived influence peddling done by Joe Biden in the Ukraine. What? Wait! These hearing are suppose to be about getting the President! True - in the distorted minds of the progressives and socialists. But the real bad stuff which was done over in the Ukraine (as well as other locations), was not done by Donald Trump. Nope. Happened before his watch. And soon in the Senate, all that dirty laundry is going to be exposed.

Here comes the real bad part of the story. It is something we are all going to have to be ready for. When the truth comes out, the real truth, the unvarnished truth, some Americans will not be able to handle it. Why? The corruption in our government, particularly the State Department, is so wide, so deep, it will make us look like a banana republic. The Deep State is like a large and toxic organ, which has permeated many parts of our government. The LAST thing the Deep State wanted, was someone like Donald Trump coming in and turning over the tables in the temple. Hillary would not have done that. 

Well Donald Trump had done his job. As the Democrats in the House continue to throw meaningless jabs at the President during the hearings, the Republicans in the Senate have rediscovered their testosterone, and are waiting in the weeds. They are going after the entire evil gang - Clapper, Brennan, Pelosi, Kerry, Biden, Clinton(s), Comey, and the holy one - BHO. 

America, the time for sleeping is over. As the socialists say - "time to be woke" - only the Dems won't like this type of "woke". This is history, big time history. Donald Trump said he was going to take on the swamp, and very few (if any) knew the swamp was this big or this treacherous.

So grab on to something solid, and get ready. When the cauldron boils over, all the covers will be blown off, exposing the guilty. There will be no more hiding. The upcoming cleansing and purging will be ugly, but necessary. Bring on the Senate trial. We are more than ready.   

A common denominator?

"As painful as these school shootings are, they are far from over. Why? We refuse to address the real issue. Too worried about PC. So our kids will continue to die for no reason."

Another school shooting today. It seems these days, one could almost set their calendar by school shootings. Like, there had not been one for awhile, so having one today seemed to be right on schedule. I was going to say it reminded me of the days in the 60's, when I was in school. Shootings, duck and cover drills, shelter in place procedures. No - wait! We did not have that in the 60's. In fact, I did some research to see how many school shootings there were from 1965 - 1967 (my high school years). Zero. Nada. No place in the country.

We can rule guns out. They have been available forever. If some kid wanted to, that kid could have gone down in the basement, got one of his dad's hunting rifles, gone to a school, and caused mayhem. But that never happened. Not once in the 65 - 67 time period.

If not guns, what? What has changed? What can cause a kid to flip out, get a gun, go into a school, and start shooting? Some possible candidates:

• Movies - Hello? Seen some of the Hollywood garbage of late? "Dog Day Afternoon" has replaced "Sound of Music" as the norm. Why are Hollywood's numbers tanking? Look in the mirror Harvey Weinstein.
• Video Games - We have come a long way baby since "Pong" or "Asteroids". Today's "kill 'em all, and let God sort them out" video games are taking a huge toll on our young people. Of all the things we should regulate today, this should be one of them.
• Schools - Today's schools are a mess. Back in my day, the standards and code of conduct were clearly spelled out. To cross the line meant (at the least), a paddle from the vice principal or detention. From the worst - kicked out of school. Today - the teachers are trained to turn the other cheek. In other words, spare the rod and spoil the child.
• Parents - This one could sting, or leave a mark. Many of the recent school shooters have come from dysfunctional or broken homes. This is a fact. When fathers take a pass in raising the children they helped produce, some bad things can happen. Being a good father means training, teaching and patterning. When a father is absent, so are those three traits.
• God - Ready to really flip out? Take God with all His teachings out of the equation, and see what happens. Evil fills that void quickly. To see some of the recent school shootings (especially like Sandy Hook), one could really see Satan at work.

Regardless of what I just put down, the gun grabbers will be all about taking the guns away from the law abiding citizens once again. Why? It is easy. And they are an easy target. Keep in mind, guns are the only thing in common from the sixties to today. In other words, they are NOT the common denominator.

As painful as these school shootings are, they are far from over. Why? We refuse to address the real issue. Too worried about PC. So our kids will continue to die for no reason. What would I do if I were king of the world? Address my five issues, starting with # 5 first. Getting back to normal (life in the 60's) will be hard slog. But doing nothing will make it even a tougher one.   

Is Amazon killing retail?

"Someone asked me a while ago if I thought this Amazon phenom can be stopped. If something bigger and better can come along and knock it off its perch. Nope. Amazon is here to stay."

I don't think that years ago, when Jeff Bezos was setting up an online book selling site, he pictured himself as being either a "Captain of Industry" or a world beater. But he has ended up being both. To say that today, Amazon is redefining our retail industry, would be an understatement. His formula for easy peasy online shopping was been just what the doctor ordered. Or should I say, just what the shopper ordered.

Before I go any further - a point of truth. Both my wife and I are hopelessly addicted Amazon shoppers. I would say that over 80% of our purchases are on Amazon and we are Prime members. This Christmas coming, most of the presents we buy will be on Amazon. Meanwhile, stores like WalMart are trying the best they know how - to innovate. Free pickup, let us shop for you, things like that. Some folks like that, some are "meh". But Amazon, the land of almost unlimited selection, mostly rock bottom prices, one or two day shipping (free, if you are Prime) - have most of us remain firmly hooked on Amazon's line.

We have a giant Sear's store in the neighboring city. Been empty for years. Been for lease for years. No bites. Who would want it? The big box stores are going the way of the Dodo Birds and the dinosaurs. Those that remain offer almost non-stop sales - anything, to keep this shrinking number of customers coming in their doors. But alas and alack. It is just a matter of time before they too, fall victim to the easy peasy shopping model Bezos thought of so many years ago.

Some who have not yet fallen under the Amazon spell, might be worried about returns. What if I buy the wrong thing? Does not fit? A gift the person does not want? Recently, Amazon took that easy button for returns, and made it even bigger. Return? Any reason? No big thing. Go on your account and tell Amazon you are returning it. They give you a bar code, and then you take the item (un-boxed) and the bar code to any Kohl's store. They will take it, wrap it for you, and send it back to Amazon, free of charge to you. If that is not easy or risk free, I don't know what is!

Someone asked me a while ago if I thought this Amazon phenom can be stopped. If something bigger and better can come along and knock it off its perch. Nope. Amazon is here to stay. Bezos hates sitting still, so Amazon will continue to innovate. Get better. Bet faster. Get cheaper (where it can). Meanwhile, Kohl's, Target, WalMart, JC Penny's - watch out. Your days might be numbered.   

Walking and chewing gum...

"Am I going to watch the charade today? Nope. Got work to do. I was going to watch my grass grow, but it seems to be snowing. I guess I will have to clean out my sock drawer (again). ANYTHING I come up with today, will be more useful than watching these useless idiots pontificate."   

When the our very old, and infirmed Speaker of the House, took the gavel in January of 2019, she assured the American public that she and her fellow Democrats can "walk and chew gum at the same time". In other words, they can investigate the heck out of this President, maybe even impeach him, and still get the "people's work" done. To that I respectfully say - BULL CRAP!

Here is the deal Ms. Nancy. If you want to see what "walking and chewing gum at the same" time looks like, look no further than President Trump. Even though he has been like a moose in northern Minnesota with ticks all over his back (that be the Democrats) for the past three years, President Trump has been able to do as much as he could with a friendly Senate and a toxic House. Looking at the state of our economy and record low unemployment, I can only wonder how thinks would have looked today if he had a friendly Senate AND a friendly House. 

The sad part is, no matter how inept this Congress will be until the election, many of the robotic minions living in big blue cites will keep voting for them. Why? Mostly, generational ignorance. Failure of the schools to teach math, true history or civics. People in Detroit for example, have seen their city go from world class, to a s**thole in a matter of 60 years. Yet, people in this deep blue city, will keep voting for the same Democrats who broke their city. Why? You tell me.

Even though Donald Trump has brought the unemployment rates for black and brown people down to historic lows, he will get ZERO credit for it. The revisionists will convince the minions that this improvement was all the result of Barack Obama. And they will believe it. The numbers are what they are under Donald Trump, just by happenstance.

But, none of that matters right now, as the public impeachment hearings have started. A few will call them "historic" - the vast majority of us will call them a historic waste of time and money. But be that as it may - it is what it is. The Democrats will be on full display, live and in color. Trade deals, border security, immigration reform, healthcare fixes - all that be damned. Impeaching the one who beat Queen Hillary is worth having your wants and needs go on the back burner.

Am I going to watch the charade today? Nope. Got work to do. I was going to watch my grass grow, but it seems to be snowing. I guess I will have to clean out my sock drawer (again). ANYTHING I come up with today, will be more useful than watching these useless idiots pontificate.