The party crasher!

"Sound cruel? Sorry. I will try better next year. Or not. It is time to put an end to this mayhem on our southern border."

Here it is, New Year's Eve, and I am reminded of parties gone by. One party in particular, I really wanted to go to. It was going to be the bomb. The only problem is, I was not invited. Now I could have gone, by doing the hard work of getting to know people, becoming friends with the hosts, so that maybe I could have received an invite. But that was way, way too much work and fuss. I decided just to crash the party instead.

Once I got in the party, it did not take long for me to be "outed". They first asked me to leave. I refused. I told them I had a right to be there. They explained the people who were there, had done the hard work of being friends for years, and they deserved their invites. I did not care. Then they told me they would call the police and have me thrown out. I told them to go ahead. I would get a lawyer. After all, I deserved to be at that party.

Get the picture? Of course that did not happen, but that is what is happening right now with our immigration policies. I understand the conditions in many of the countries in Central America suck. But is that our problem? We already take in more LEGAL immigrants than most countries. In fact, I just read an article the other day about Japan. They don't want ANY immigrants - legal or otherwise. 

Many of the "party crashers" ( that be illegal immigrants) feel entitled to be here. Based on what, I might ask? Based on the fact their country sucks, and they want a better economic advantage? That is not the way it works. It is up to this country, to ascertain the types of skill levels it needs, and then issue work visas. Or, if someone wants to do the hard work of legal immigration, do it that way. And then learn to speak and write the language! But party crashing does not work in real life, and it sure does not work in immigration.

Sound cruel? Sorry. I will try better next year. Or not. It is time to put an end to this mayhem on our southern border. For once and for all. If everyone who wanted to live here, came here as a party crasher, our country would no longer be a country. Fact. We need our laws. Our immigration laws. To think otherwise is just not to think. 

Why does evil stalk the land?

"For when evil comes calling on a soft target, like a church or a school, only a good person with a gun can cancel out a bad person with a gun. That is a cold, hard fact." 

For those in the faith, the answer to "why evil" is as clear as a bell. It is the other side of the coin from good. It is the principalities of darkness. The vile works of the king of the air. Satan. Evil and hate go together like salt and pepper. They are almost twins. What causes someone to perpetrate to evil on another? Evil which is sometime fatal? I dare say, most don't know the answer - and that is a good thing. I do know this, however. The closer we stay to the Lord and His Word, that is the best defense we have against evil. It will not protect us from evil, but give us tools on how to fight it.

It has been a banner month for evil doers. The carnage in Africa continues. The extermination of Christians by Muslims. Just this Christmas, some Christians were captured  by Muslim terrorists and beheaded. Why? Evil. Pure evil. The Muslims in Africa don't care if it is man, woman, child, or infant. All Christians are fair game for extermination.

In this country, it has been a tough month for Jewish people, especially in New York. What have the Jews done to deserve this brutality? The vandalism? The intimidation? They have done nothing - except being Jewish. Recently somebody came over to a Jewish part of New York from Harlem, with the intent of doing great bodily harm. He brought with him a machete. He entered a Rabbi's home, next to a synagogue and started attacking innocent people, with the intent to kill. Many were badly wounded, but thank God, nobody was killed. All of this during this Jewish holy time of Hanukkah.

Yesterday, in a Christian church in Texas, a man entered wearing a trench coat. During the service, he got up, and pulled out a shotgun. He immediately started to fire. Two worshipers were killed. Fortunately, the church had a security detail, who were armed and trained. Before the shooter could kill any more, he was taken down with one shot to the head by an armed parishioner. 

The Holy Bible has warned us against the power of evil many times. However, the warning in Ephesians 6: 11-13, I think is the most clear:

Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore, put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.

Folks - evil must be called out by name. It must be confronted. It must be defeated. Evil stalks our land. Evil stalks our world. We must be spiritually prepared. We must be physically and mentally prepared. Yes, many of us must also be armed. For when evil comes calling on a soft target, like a church or a school, only a good person with a gun can cancel out a bad person with a gun. That is a cold, hard fact. 

      

Time to face facts folks...

"Time to face facts folks. If you are not already there, time to get with the program. Help, stop hurting this President. Help us make 2020 the greatest year ever. The country does not want socialism right now - it wants prosperity. And this President shows he can, and will deliver. MAGA!" 

We are hours away from starting a new decade. We are days away from having the most worthless, dysfunctional, do-nothing, Congress come back to "work" in Washington. I have penned a lot of articles in the past year or so, about the excitement which awaits us in the next year, as well as the next decade. However - we do have an anchor around our feet - Congress. Our Congress and their unbridled hatred for this, our 45th President.

What I am going to do right now, for the good of our great Republic, is call upon the socialists, the progressives, the anarchists, the RINOs, and the "Never Trumpers" (that is you Tom H.), to stop with the hate. You are hurting our country, and putting a dent in a recovery which should be even stronger. Listen to Michael Moore - not a friend of conservatives. He said the re-election of Donald Trump is all but a done deal. So please, come back from the cliff, and be real Americans again.

Steve Moore (trust me - no relation to Michael Moore), was on the news this past week. He said the economy is so hot right now, it is historical in many measures and metrics. For example, 7.1 million jobs are empty, begging to be filled. The problem? We have so many people working, we have run out of people. And please - don't tell me to let in more illiterate, non-English speaking farm workers from Central America. We need people who can fill those jobs - NOW.

By the way, I am going to throw a carrot out to the Left. Many have said this recovery belongs to Obama also. Okay, I will grant some of it might have been. Even though he put a zillion job killing regulations on the business and banking industry, I will grant Obama some credit. Now will you Trump haters do the same for our 45th President? All I ever hear from the other side, is the jobs created are "garbage jobs" and folks still have to work two jobs to make ends meet. Bull crap!

We have a business man with zero political experience as President right now, because that is exactly what this country needed. A rough around the edges guy, who only sleeps four hours a night, because he loves to work. He loves to work, and he loves to win. And he loves this country. He knows about the swamp, the Deep State, how the Chinese have been eating our lunch, how most of our trade deals have been losers, and how a weak military hurts us abroad. He knows what is broken and needs to be fixed. He has worked miracles to date, considering the Democrats, the media and the "Never Trumpers" (that is you Tom H.) hanging on to his feet to impede any progress.

Time to face facts folks. If you are not already there, time to get with the program. Help, stop hurting this President. Help us make 2020 the greatest year ever. The country does not want socialism right now - it wants prosperity. And this President shows he can, and will deliver. MAGA! 

2000. Nuclear and other energy sources

"The bottom line is this. Yes, we will continue to use fossil fuels going into the next decade. If we did not, we would have nationwide brown outs and black outs. But - the march for different and better energy sources will continue."

Relax "greenies". Fossil fuels will still be around in the next decade. All that carbon stuff, including coal. And our President is going to war with one of the "darlings" of the new green energies. Why? It is a waste of money. What is? Wind. If you can read up on wind with an open mind, you will find out this has been a folly. A very expensive folly. But, but, but - what about all this climate change due to our prolonged dependence on fossil fuels? Hang on, as if you are a "greenie", you might not like this answer.

We need nuclear, and lots of it. It is true, the first nuke plants built were not that swift. Expensive, problematic, and lots of spent fuel rods to deal with. But that was yesterday. Even an ardent environmentalist like Bill Gates, is investing in a new type of nuclear reactor. One which is smaller, cheaper, cleaner, and has many less moving parts (like pumps which can fail). Plus, there are some scientists who believe we can use lasers to cut way down on the half life of depleted uranium. In other words, many of the ghosts which haunt nuclear power today, might be about ready to vanish. And that is good for all of mankind.

How about solar? Attention investors: This one might make you a bunch of money. Solar, for a renewable, is the real deal. The cost of using solar keeps coming down, while the efficiency keeps going up. Fact: Every day, enough sunlight hits the Earth to power all human needs for two hours. The name of the game then, is getting enough of that sunlight captured onto something which can turn some of it into electricity. Right now, we are using cheap and abundant silicon, which can convert over 30% of the sunlight into electricity. Futurists believe that so many improvements will be made in the solar industry by 2050, we will be getting 700% more electricity from solar than we are today.

Ready for the wild side? When I was stationed up in Maine in the early 1970's, I listened to a fuzzy headed professor from the University in Bangor talk about using the Bay of Fundy (which is right up the the coast from Maine in Nova Scotia), for tidal energy. He said (which is true), the Bay of Fundy has the highest tides in the world. If we could channel some of that raw (and free) energy, it could supply electricity to a portion of the east coast of Canada and the United States. Well guess what? Tidal energy is again being discussed today. Unlike the wind which may or may not blow, the tides are a given. Each day, every day, tides are a given.

The bottom line is this. Yes, we will continue to use fossil fuels going into the next decade. If we did not, we would have nationwide brown outs and black outs. But - the march for different and better energy sources will continue. Why? As the former prospectors would say a hundred years ago, "There is gold in them thar hills!"

My personal feeling is we will have more than one major breakthrough during these next ten years. And it will all be good. But the one I think will have the most impact in the 2020's will be the new nuclear. Keep an eye on this one.

   

2020. The new lasers

"If you are an investor, I could think of worse things to invest in. The world of lasers in 2030, will look NOTHING like the world of lasers starting in less than a week."

New lasers? What in the world am I talking about now? Lasers exist today. They have for many years. Yes they have - and are now used for a multitude of important things. But futurists and cutting edge scientists, believe we have only scratched the surface on what lasers can do. In fact, the applications and the new types of lasers which are being developed right now, is happening so fast, it is hard to keep up with.

I have peripheral neuropathy. The treatment right now, is I go in once a month to have a class 4 laser applied to my lower back, and then to my feet. The laser, although harmless, "excites" the nerves which have been damaged by the neuropathy. Although not a cure, it has stopped the neuropathy from any getting worse. Peripheral neuropathy left untreated, will not kill you, but will disable you. 

How about laser eye surgery? Most of us have uncounted friends or relatives who have had this type of surgery. Guess what? As much of a miracle this surgery is, it is only the beginning. Before the decade of the 2020's is over, eye surgery using lasers might involve reshaping the entire eyeball. That would mean the eyeglass and contact lens industry might become all but obsolete. 

All kinds of medical surgery procedures will be using lasers more and more. Some delicate surgeries, once considered too risky to perform, will become commonplace due to laser technology. Cancer surgery has the most promise. And besides being used for all kinds of medical applications, what will happen in manufacturing will be eye popping. Not just the kind of laser cutting procedures we see today, but the growing field of nanotechnology will really benefit. That field will be using lasers to perform manufacturing procedures which would be hard to see with a microscope. Lasers are literally going to turn manufacturing on it's head during the next ten to twenty years. (Attention graduates - something to consider)

Transferring energy is another application which has great promise. Satellites in space, gathering energy from the sun, and then transferring it, via lasers, to stations down on Earth. Sound like science fiction? It won't be. Sound like a game changer? It could be.

But there is a also a dark side. The military application of the same. Lasers will soon be a part of the battlefield. Like real, real soon. They will be on ships, on planes, on land vehicles, and in fixed locations. But where the real fear comes from, is if some rogue country gets this technology and puts a satellite in orbit with deadly intent. Hello Space Force - this job might be for you. 

In any event, during the 2020's, lasers will be something to keep an eye on. If you are an investor, I could think of worse things to invest in. The world of lasers in 2030, will look NOTHING like the world of lasers starting in less than a week. Is that all which is changing this next decade? Not hardly. Stay tuned. 

2020. Six days and counting...

"There is much more I will be addressing during this next week. Am I excited? Absolutely. We are approaching the long forecasted decade of change -  Renascence change. It is up to us to handle this change the right way."

A week from today, we will be in the decade of the 2020's. Big whoop, right? Well, it might be. In fact, it is time this old planet had another Renascence. A Renascence? Really Bird? Now you are stretching. No, I am not. I want the decade of the 2020's to be a decade where not only the United States does better, but the whole world does better also. In other words, it might be time for the entire world so smell the roses. And many roses there should be.

I just heard on the news this morning about more killings of innocent Christians (by Muslims) in Africa on Christmas day. Can we please knock that s**t off? Like now? This is NOT how humans treat humans. To really have a Renascence in the next decade, we need to get back to the practice of laissez faire in how we treat each other. Plus, nationalism in how we treat the countries we live in. Yes, nationalism. Globalism has been an abysmal failure. President Trump said we should each treat our own country like it is exceptional. We have, for years (excluding the Obama years). And if your country is not exceptional - make it so. That is how we all get collectively better.

Do you know many futurists believe during this next decade, cancer, Alzheimer's, and a host of other dreaded diseases might be meeting their match? Like going from treating, to curing? The Israeli's right now are doing some amazing things. Much had not been published, due to all this impeachment BS which has been filling up our screens every night. What does Israel want to do with these huge milestones in treatment and potential cures of some of the deadly diseases they are coming up with? Share them with the world. We can  have nationalism, and still be global citizens at the same time. 

I have addressed this issue many times before. Space. Oh, what a decade space is going to have! Don't get distracted by our newly formed Space Force. It will be there to help protect our space assets, but the real action will be in private or private/government partnerships in exploring the unexplored. It truly is exciting to think about how much we (collectively) will learn during this decade. By the time 2030 rolls around, we will have explored (and started to mine) the Moon, Mars, and the Asteroid Belt. Everyone is going to want a bite of this apple. There are empty books just waiting to be filled with all we will learn about space this decade.

I also believe that this will be the decade we explore much of what is unexplored right here on Earth. Mostly, I am talking about our oceans. To date, it is estimated we have only explored 5% of all the oceans on Earth. There are discoveries on the ocean floor, just waiting to be uncovered. There are species of fish which are unknown to us. I think we will have many explorers in the mold of Jacque Cousteau, who will make fascinating ocean discoveries during the 2020's.

There is much more I will be addressing during this next week. Am I excited? Absolutely. We are approaching the long forecasted decade of change -  Renascence change. It is up to us to handle this change the right way. Why? There is a dark side also to all this change. To handle it the wrong way would be very bad for all of us. Maybe, lights out bad. 

  

Festivus ? For the rest of us?

"Well, whatever. Happy Festivus Twin Cities. Many of the rest of us will celebrate the Birth of Christ this Wednesday, or for our Jewish brothers and sisters, the Festival of Lights which just started."

Happy Festivus! That is, for the rest of us. Rest of us? You know, those who eschew Christmas, both from a sacred, as well as secular (Santa Clause) perspective. Also, those who are either not Jewish, or secular Jews who don't celebrate Hanukkah. Also for those who are not Druids, who do not celebrate something pagan, such as winter solstice. For all those who fit into the above categories, there is Festivus. It is a time to celebrate - basically nothing.

Want to see where in Minnesota the festival of Festivus is the strongest? Hop on to either I - 35, or I - 94, and drive until those two great interstates meet. You will be in the middle of the Twin Cities. It is a part of the state where the practice of Biblical Christianity is becoming as scarce as the Dodo Bird. People of the Jewish faith are doing a bit better than the Christians in the Twin Cities. What few Christians are left downtown, are finding out their faith is being morphed into something social rather than Biblical.

But, back to Festivus. Maybe we can sneak in Gaia, or Mother Earth. It is much better for the Festivus followers to believe in creation rather than the Creator. But here is the blunt truth. If Jesus had not been born, this time of year would be nothing but a cold, bleak landscape. No hope, no joy, no nothing. But He was born. And it is for that reason, He is the reason. The reason for the season.

Some believe that science is the new religion. With science, there is no need for a Creator. There is only one problem. When many of the toughest issues get down to the smallest particles, the world's smartest scientists come up empty. For example, scientists today understand DNA, but not why DNA. Like why and how did DNA start? How did the universe start? Big bang? Where did all this matter come from which exists now in the universe? Parallel universes? String theory? Okay, I will bite. Then where did all these parallel or multiverse come from? Sooner or later you have to circle back to say there had to be a Creator. 

Well, whatever. Happy Festivus Twin Cities. Many of the rest of us will celebrate the Birth of Christ this Wednesday, or for our Jewish brothers and sisters, the Festival of Lights which just started. Without the miracle of Christmas, the world would look as bleak as January in Minnesota. And that is a fact.

Three things of great importance

"Putting this all together, what I would tell the girls is only one sentence. 'Your friends will come and go, you family should always love you, BUT - it is God who will NEVER desert you.'"

I was reminded the other day of three things I would tell my girls when they were growing up. I felt them to be of great importance. Why? Because we are all of us, relational beings. We strive for relationships. Not any relationships - relationships which count. Relationships which have value to them. So today, as we approach Christmas, I thought I might expound on those three things.

• Friends  - "Your friends will come and go". Or, as one of my friends has put it, "People come into your life, people go out of your life." True words. Once in a while, some of the people who come into your life become your friend(s). And my wife and I believe those meetings are not accidental. People are put in our lives, at a certain time, for a certain reason. And what reason is that? Usually unknown. But definitely known to God. Some friends will shine brightly in your life for a while, and then disappear due to time, distance, or just change. Others might stay in your life for expended periods of time, and become your "Besties". Or in my case, some of my friends are re-connections from times long ago. Those are very special to me, as special as the new friends I have made. In any event, in my 70 years, I have many friends come and go. But the ones I have now, are more valuable to me than gold.

• Family - This one might hurt a bit for some. "Your family should always love you". One of our former pastors (believe this or not) had a brother who is also a pastor. Their relationship over the years, has been hurtful and regretful. Two pastors! But our former pastor has said more than once, "there is no hurt like family hurt." Amen to that pastor! In some cases, I have seen more damage done to an individual by family members, including their closest family members (parents). The people we love the most, who we are the closest to since birth, can inflict the most damage on us. Now, fortunately, this is NOT the norm. The norm is that your family will always love you. This is where you can receive the greatest nurturing. But when that love, that nurturing turns sour, or worse yet, turns love turns to antipathy or apathy, that is where real damage can occur. That is why I say "your family SHOULD love you" - they really should. For a multitude of reasons.

• God - Now I come to the real hope of this article. "It is God, who will never desert you". Some people who are the most lost, have said something similar about their current state. "I have done things. Bad things. Things so bad, God could never forgive me." Here is where the golden ray of sunshine comes in. It is hard to understand for us humans, as we think like humans. We think conditionally. But God does not. There is NOTHING so good we can do in our lives, that will cause God to love us more. And - there is NOTHING so bad we have done, which will cause God to love us less. Yes, even at our worse, our most "rotten", God still loves us with a fierce love which is hard for us to comprehend. It is unconditional love - Agape Love. A love which we can only accept and not try to understand. For when we stray, it is us who wanders from God - never God who wanders from us. And His love remains steadfast. Amen to that!

Putting this all together, what I would tell the girls is only one sentence. "Your friends will come and go, you family should always love you, BUT - it is God who will NEVER desert you." When things are the darkest in your life, when it looks like there is nowhere to go but down, remember that it is God who will NEVER desert you. When you feel unloved, that is when you should know you are loved with the fiercest love ever. The love of God Almighty.   

Onward Christian Soldiers

"If you are attending a Christian Church who believes it is only a home for the holy rather than a hospital for the broken, leave. In other words, when the church stops being the church, is when we start losing the day."

Most of us remember that favorite hymn from Sunday School, "Onward Christian Soldiers". Many times, singing that as a boy, I thought it had to do with physical warfare - kind of like Richard the Lionhearted from the Crusades. But it was not. It had to deal with warfare, but not physical. It had to do with spiritual warfare back then. And it still does today. 

If you go back and read the lyrics, they have a no nonsense message. Then think about what is happening today in our world. If you don't think that Christianity is under attack, you might want to look around again. In fact, in some areas of the world, Christians are being exterminated. No, that is not an exaggeration. That is fact. Wiped out. Executed. Liquidated.

Fox News has a special they will be broadcasting this week. "Battle for Bethlehem". It addresses how Bethlehem, a holy site in the Christian faith, is all but devoid of Christians right now. A city, once teaming with Christians, and now is all but empty of Christians. Why? Palestinians. Muslim Palestinians. By the way, Muslims play for keeps. While we put bumper stickers on our cars which say "Coexist", as well as other PC and "woke" slogans, Muslims in many parts of the world believe that coexisting only means extermination. 

So what does it mean to be a Christian today and more importantly, being a Christian soldier? To start with, it means putting on the Armor of God, as defined in Ephesians, 6: 10-18. It means getting your spiritual life in order. It means understanding that the battle will continue to go on until either we return to Christ, or He returns to us. We CANNOT stand by silently, while the family of Christ is being whittled away by the Army of Darkness. We cannot.

If you are attending a Christian Church which is only trying to be "trendy" and not focus on the Word, leave. If you are attending a Christian Church which is focusing only on social justice and ignoring the barbarism of abortion, leave. If you are attending a Christian Church who believes it is only a home for the holy rather than a hospital for the broken, leave. In other words, when the church stops being the church, that is when we start losing the day.

"Onward Christian Soldiers, marching as to war - with the Cross of Jesus, Going on before." It is time folks. While we cower, the Muslims are very forward in revealing what their playbook is. And their playbook does not include us. Think about it. Rejoin the fight. This is a fight which will be necessary and worth it. If it is important to God, it better be important to us.    

The cat fight last night...

"I think we should lock Warren and Pete in a room and let this cat fight play itself out. No scratching, no screaming, no pulling of hair. Everything else is fair game." 

Don't ask me why. Maybe I am just a gluten for punishment. But last night, I watched the Democrat debate on PBS. For a change, the stage did not look like Grand Central Station, as only seven of the current hoard either qualified, or decided to participate. For some reason which escapes me, our own hot dish queen was one who decided to participate.

Now that we are getting closer to November 2020, the gloves are starting to come off a bit. In fact, the big argument last night, was money. Not who had the most - who had the least. Needless to say, this was an uncomfortable part of the debate for Tom Steyer, who bought his way onto the debate state. Since he is worth over a billion dollars (don't ask me how), he was like a church mouse during most of that discussion.

But Mayor Pete was front and center of it. He and this fundraiser at some kind of wine cave. The fundraiser was for the fat cats - the big cigars with deep, deep pockets. This is an annual discomfort for the Democrats. Big money is supposed to belong only to those Republicans - not the Democrats - the party of the little people. 

But Liz Warren got wind of this wine cave event, and confronted the boy mayor. Then the cat fight was game on. Barbs and accusations were flying every which way. Big money, bad - small donations, good. Billionaires, Millionaires, bad - paupers, good. Besides for that, not much of interest was discussed. In fact, I dozed off once or twice. What was discussed on plans to fix healthcare? Nothing, except the unworkable Medicare for All plan. Plus, most want to legalize all our illegal aliens. Same stuff, different debate. Yawn...

I think we should lock Warren and Pete in a room, and let this cat fight play itself out. No scratching, no screaming, no pulling of hair. Everything else is fair game. I mean, if Pete wants to go to a wine cave and sip wine, let him. Most guys prefer going to a man cave for a brew, but that is a discussion for another day.

Tonight, there are no new shows on. No impeachment drama. No Democrat debates on. I might have to continue to catch up on old Star Wars movies so I can be up to speed when I see the new one next week. Now that is a plan, I like even more than visiting a wine cave.   

Now for the next act....

"Our President has taken 1,000 undeserved lashes for the American people. All this man has ever wanted to do, is contribute to the greatness of this country." 

Okay - it is over. The Democrats, although warned many times, went ahead with it. Now they have made their bed, and will have to lie in it. But they are not done as yet. Even though many are now politically "dead", some still want to stab the corpses of fellow Democrats. How so? Some have said even after the impeachment, they want to keep investigating our President. Huh? Oh, it gets better. At least one Democrat so far has said (if he is lucky enough to make it through the next election), he wants to impeach Donald Trump all over again during his second term.

Some might wonder what in the world is wrong with these people. Are they really that nuts? That anti-American? That secular? Yes to all three. These people, at one time, were referred to as the "loyal opposition". Now they are the enemy - pure and simple. They are evil people. America haters. Secular humanists, with no heart, and no sense of history. They have devolved into being nothing more than a cancer which is eating away at the cornerstones and underpinnings of our great Republic.

Donald Trump on the other hand, knows he was and is innocent. His base knows he was and is innocent. All he has done in the past three years has changed the momentum of this country. From malaise to majesty, in three short years. And the best is yet to come. America has been made great again - and under the leadership of Donald J.Trump, in the next five years, American will be made even greater.

Yes, President Trump will rise like a Phoenix after the charade which happened yesterday. He will dust it off, and keep moving forward. Our new United States Space Force is now a reality, the China stand-off is starting to move in our favor, the USMCA is going to be ratified, and our military has never been stronger. The market is 10,000 point higher than when Trump took the office, and un-employment has never been lower (for all sectors). America has gone from the "lead from behind" semi-super power it was under Obama, to a supreme super power, who is once again, the city on the hill for all to see. Yes, the secular Democrats tried to thrust a spear into the ribs of our President, but the spear only bent and fell to the ground.

Onward and upward folks. We will ignore the Democrats going forward, as they have shown that is all they are worthy of. In November, we will vote out as many as possible. We will retain the Senate (and the White House of course), and hopefully take back the House. I think the odds of taking back the House went up quite a bit after yesterday. The American people want our country run by adults, not secular socialists.

Our President has taken 1,000 undeserved lashes for the American people. All this man has ever wanted to do, is contribute to the greatness of this country. To that, I say God bless America! He is the right man, at the right time, in the right country, to do the right thing. We are blessed to live here. Now let's go do the next act... 

Taxing our way to extreme greatness!

"If this state does become totally Blue in 2020, the only road which will need fixing, will be I-35 going from Minnesota down to Texas. All those moving vans can be hard on even the best built roads."

Like the title? It was a bit (okay, a lot) of tongue in cheek. It is however, how our Governor feels about taxes. When is enough, enough? Never. No matter how unlivable our state becomes from a taxing perspective, no matter how unfair it is that only a certain number of people pull the wagon, Taxing Tim wants more. Now, if this state is not unlivable enough for seniors, the taxer from Nebraska wants to tax the cabin owners some more - l lot more. Why? He thinks he can squeeze a bit more money out of that turnip.

Why in the world, when we are getting our socks taxed off, would Taxing Timmy want some more? He kind of let the cat out of the bag the other day. "Our inn is not nearly full..." Timmy said with pride in his voice. What inn? What is he talking about? Somalis. He wants to bring in a butt load more Democrat voters - I mean Somali refugees. But that is so cool. We get to build some more mosques and establish more Somali villages. More crime, more graft. But all this costs money. Good thing we have the cabin owners to help pay for this.

This guys is off his rocker. I will never forget when he was asked on a Twin Cities TV show what he thought about getting rid of the unfair taxation of Social Security on seniors. He said in his usual lying voice, "We can look into that". I turned to my wife and said, "In Walz language, that means 'hell no'". So not only is he continuing to tax our seniors Social Security income, he will now tax the crap out of their summer cabins.

This s**t for brains Governor also still wants to have a huge gas tax. Not bad for a guy who wants more public transit, and our cars off the road. Also, any new cars sold in the near future he wants to be electric. How does that work with a gas tax? Just wondering.

And lets not forget education. Especially in the metro area. This area, which is the biggest money pit in the state, has Taxing Timmy wanting to pour more of YOUR money into it. And the nation's worse achievement gap which is located there? It will stay the same, no matter how much of your money Walz steals.

Folks, we better get the Minnesota House back in 2020, as well as keeping the Senate. Left to only Walz running the show, with a friendly House and Senate, Walz will really take this state over the cliff. If this state does become totally Blue in 2020, the only road which will need fixing, is I-35 going from Minnesota down to Texas. All those moving vans can be hard on even the best built roads.       

Are there mysteries in our Space Command?

"In any event, I think there is more to come on this issue. If in fact we have done more with our space programs than we have let on to, that should become known in the decade of the 2020's. In any event, space is what to keep an eye on. Exciting things will be happening, no matter what."

As we draw ever more near to the establishment of our 6th Armed Forces service (The United States Space Command), there are some interesting things to consider. Not to sound like a conspiracy nut, but there are some indications that our newly hatched Space Command might be trying to play "catch up" with what is really up there. 

The Skunk Works at Lockheed, is a place where many wonderful things have happened. SR-71, stealth fighters and so forth. At least - that is what we know about. Ben Rich, who was the former head of the Skunk Works, had some interesting things to say once he was retired. Some say these were the babbling of an old man. Others say it was not being able to keep one's mouth shut. What kind of things was it alleged that he said? 

• "The Air Force has given us a contract to take E.T. back home."
• "We also know how to travel to the stars."
• "Anything you can imagine, we already know how to do."
• "If you have seen it in Star Wars or Star Trek, we have already done it and been there."
• "We have things in the Nevada desert that are alien to your way of thinking, and far beyond anything you have seen on Star Trek.

How are those for head scratches. Keep in mind, Ben Rich is no shrinking violet. He was extremely accomplished, and many refer to him as the father of stealth technology. In other words, he was no nut case. But it seems he might have some company. Like recently retired Lt.Gen. Steve Kwast. He seems to have a case of "loose lips" also.

Kwast was recently quoted as saying China already has ships ready to go into space which will look like battleships and mother ships. He said we need to catch up and fast. Then he dropped the mic with a following statement. "We have the technology on the boards right now which will allow us to go from the surface of the Earth to just about anywhere in an hour".

In any event, it does give one pause to think. We know for a fact that our "black" budget is huge and a mystery to most. Where does that money go? And for what? In 2011, Donald Rumsfeld said the Pentagon cannot account for what happened to $2.1 trillion dollars. Like it went in, and then was spend on "something". A few years later, some financial experts said the amount of missing money over the years in the Federal government might be closer to $21 trillion dollars. These facts, if true, are mind blowing. 

In any event, I think there is more to come on this issue. If in fact we have done more with our space programs than we have let on to, that should become known in the decade of the 2020's. In any event, space is what to keep an eye on. Exciting things will be happening, no matter what.

Are the Dems going to martyr our President?

"This week will bring the total House vote on impeachment. It will also mark the end of Democrat control of the House. Ms. Nancy may or may not have known this, but she is taking her minions right off the cliff. But who cares? With hatred this strong, nothing else matters." 

Those who are not blinded by hatred, can see what this President has done, and is doing for this country. I have said many times since he has been elected - Donald Trump is far from a perfect man, but he is a good man indeed. He is an innocent man, who is being dragged into an unfair impeachment. He hates this - but he will go through with it for the good of the country. Besides all of which, since most of the country knows this impeachment is nothing more than a witch hunt and show trial, it will only help his re-election landslide. That being said, he still hates it.

He has also issued a warning. To weaponize the impeachment process, was never the intent of the Founders. Now that the Democrats insist on impeaching an innocent President, the door will be flung wide open. Donald Trump knows this will be very bad for this country. As much as he hates that this happening to himself, he hates it a hundred times more for what it will do to the country. It is funny - most seem to see this. Unless of course, they are Democrats, so blinded with hate, they will sacrifice the country just to get at Donald Trump.

I am reminded of that old saying, "If you want to kill the king, make sure you don't just wound him. It will only make him stronger." The same could be said for Donald Trump. This impeachment charade will not remove him from office - it will only make him stronger. Within Donald Trump's base right now, he is rock solid. His supporters can see this impeachment crap for what it is. What they can see more clearly however, is the metrics in the economy since he has taken office. They are off the charts good. Do the Democrats see this also? They don't care. The hatred is way too strong to see anything but blood on the throne.

True historians will judge Donald Trump fairly. They will tell the real story of his Presidency. Revisionist historians however, will not. They will distort the facts to make our 45th President into the bad guy. What I want historians to remember about Donald Trump, is he was the first of many Presidents to wade into this pool of slime to drain the swamp. To fix the corruption. Rather than buying into it, like so many Presidents have done before him, Donald Trump wanted to fix it. And for that, the swamp, the Deep State, want him finished.

This week will bring the total House vote on impeachment. It will also mark the end of Democrat control of the House. Ms. Nancy may or may not have known this, but she is taking her minions right off the cliff. But who cares? With hatred this strong, nothing else matters. 

A danger much worst than climate change

"I find it very interesting that not one of the Presidential candidates, on either side of the aisle, mentions our EMP vulnerability. The myth of climate change? Constantly."

First off, let me clear the air on one thing. I have little or no time for this kid which knows nothing about anything. Yes, I am talking about Greta. I know, I know - HOW DARE I say anything bad about this new darling of the Wacky Left. But I did, I am now done talking about her. Besides, this article is NOT about this kid from Europe - it is about the ticking time bomb this nation STILL has within it.

If I sound frustrated when I write this, it is because I am. Back in the 1980's, when I was still serving in the Navy, I learned the Soviets had an EMP bomb to take out our electric grid. Oh, that is bad, I would think. The projections were that up to 90% of our population would die a slow death should this happen. Thirst, hunger, exposure, disease. What did the United States do to prevent this from happening? How did they fix our vulnerable electric grid? They did nothing in the 1980's. Nothing in the 1990's. Nothing in the 2000's. Nothing in the 2010's. If an EMP event happened today, natural or man made, it is still estimated that we would lose 90% of our population. 

I was going to write an article about some of the improvements which have been made to harden our electric grid against such an event. But there were none. Do we know how to do it? Sure do. Can we do it? Sure can. Then why don't we? Is an EMP event not a clear and present danger to our country? Sure is. We can replace our current grid with a smart and hardened grid which will fix this issue forever. But it will cost $6T and take about ten years to do so. 

Wow! $6T is a lot of money! You bet. However, if we suffer an EMP event, climate change, our national debt, exploring space, finding a cure for cancer, ANYTHING - will become irrelevant. It will be survival, day by day, for the majority of us. All because we chose for decades to do NOTHING about this problem. And how bad is this problem? Even the most prepared of the preppers, will not be prepared enough. Plus, if you think our government will save you - just remember Katrina.

What keeps me up at night? That is, besides my growing list of aches and pains. An EMP event. To me, it is right up there with getting hit by an asteroid. The difference is, with an asteroid, there is very little we can do about it. With an EMP event, we could have taken this threat right off the table if we wanted too. But we lacked the national will to do so. Now Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos think we need to find a new home among the stars, just in case of an EMP, asteroid strike, or some other horrible thing.

On final thing. I find it very interesting that not one of the Presidential candidates, on either side of the aisle, mentions our EMP vulnerability. The myth of climate change? Constantly. Meanwhile, all we can hope for, is the spit and bubble gum we are using to hold together our grid, can withstand constant cyber attacks, as well as an EMP event, no matter the size. 

If you are worried about this, you should be. If you are not, you should start. Talk to your Congressman man or woman. I will, next month. Yes, but $6T? That is a lot of cheddar. Not to Elizabeth Warren. That is chump change compared to what she wants to spend. And not one penny of that money is for our grid.  

The gun, it it does not smoke...

"Welcome to the world of Democrat control. Had enough as yet? I sure have. This was a strong reminder that these people cannot govern. The adults need to be in charge to do so. Remember that in November. Not one Democrat in 2020 - not even for dog catcher." 

Ah, the smoking gun. We had one during the Nixon impeachment. We sure had one (hello, blue dress!) during the Clinton impeachment. But during this witch hunt? Where is it? We have a gun for sure, but there is no smoke coming out of it. Thus, this is why we will have a lightening quick trial in the Senate. It would be like if I was dragged out of my house, moved down to the courthouse to stand trial for murder. Only there was no body. No motive. And no weapon. I dare say, even with a law school dropout defending me, I would be acquitted in about a New York minute.

The Democrats do believe they have a smoking gun. The problem is, they can't articulate what the crime is. I love the one which states, "Obstruction of Congress". Oh, to have a time machine. When Obama was President and we had a Republican Congress, we could have impeached him a dozen or so times on that one. In fact, most Presidents give the upturned nose to Congress many times in their Administration. Why? Co-equal branch of government. Both the Congress and the Executive Branch tell each other to "pound sand" many times during the term of the Administration. Big deal.

The other one about the quid pro quo with the President of the Ukraine is really a nothing burger. Both our President as well as the Ukrainian President have sworn that never happened. HOWEVER - the Biden thing is NOT a nothing burger. The gun smokes red hot on that issue. But we can't touch that one. Why? Biden is part of the chosen few. Protected by the media and the Deep State. Go figure.

My suggestion to the President is simple. Once this charade is over, one way to make sure it does not happen again is to have the DNC reimburse the taxpayers for all the millions of dollars wasted by Pelosi, Schiff, and Nadler. Why should we have to pay for this BS parade which has gone on for months, maybe years? Make those Blue bastards pay!

Next week, our ancient Speaker is going to embarrass the country by bringing this POS show trial to a vote in the House. Enough lemmings will vote "aye", to send this over to Uncle Mitch. From there it goes nowhere. Then we are done with this. Sort of. One of the brighter minds on the Democrat side of the House has already said if Trump "beats this one" and gets re-elected, they might impeach him all over again during his second term. No - I am not making this up. 

Welcome to the world of Democrat control. Had enough as yet? I sure have. This was a strong reminder that these people cannot govern. The adults need to be in charge to do so. Remember that in November. Not one Democrat in 2020 - not even for dog catcher. 

Impotent business at the "U"

"The Regents once again are conducting impotent business. The problem is, we need the Regents to conduct IMPORTANT business for the taxpayers of Minnesota as well as the students who attend the 'U'." 

Sorry - that is not a typo in the title. Some think it should say "important", but that would be a lie if I used that word. Impotent is a much better word. Why Bird, would you rain on the parade of your Alma Mater when for first time in forever, they have a meaningful bowl game coming up? This has nothing to do with the bowl game. And yes, I am thrilled they are going to be in the Outback Bowl. This has more to do with the chronic lack of good business sense exhibited there.

Yesterday, the Regents approved the hiring of a new Provost up at the Duluth Campus. She is so very important, that a salary of a half a million a year has been authorized. No problem. We can pay for that by raising the tuition some more. After all, the kids don't seem to mind. They just put it on their student debt tab. Or, if they don't want to pay for this new Provost, the University can come begging once again to the legislature. Let the taxpayers pay for this way, way overpaid teacher.

But forget that travesty of salary for just a second. The Regents had much more impotent things to do (hint: not a typo) yesterday. We have some buildings on the main campus who were named after famous people who (gasp!) might have had some racial or slave related things in their past. So, just like with Lake Calhoun being renamed to something 99% of the people cannot pronounce, we need to rename these buildings. Never mind, some of them have their names chiseled in stone over the front entrance - damit, we have to right this wrong! Who will pay for this? Increase in student tuition, or soak the taxpayers (again).

Once we rename all the buildings on the main campus to "Smith Hall" or "Jones Hall", we are going to fix the textbooks which teach about the Roman Empire. Do you know the kind of human rights abuses that went on back then? We are not going to teach that anymore. In fact, it will be assumed that Rome never existed. Plus - those dang Vikings. Marauders! Killers! We are also going to quit teaching about Norway before World War I. And that is just a start! We are going to purge history of all that is evil. History must be PC or "Woke". That is what good Regents do!

The Republicans in the State House (the only ones who seem to care about your money), tried to stop this half million dollar give away. But alas and alack, they don't run the joint - the free spending Democrats do. They justified it by saying, "it is the prevailing wage for that position". To that I say BS, with a stronger message to follow. What a bunch of sheep!

So that is it folks. The Regents once again are conducting impotent business. The problem is, we need the Regents to conduct IMPORTANT business for the taxpayers of Minnesota as well as the students who attend the "U". Right now, the "U" is wondering in the wilderness. We can't have that. Too many important things to do. We need new Regents. We need a change in leadership in St. Paul. Case closed.  

A "quickie"? Or not...

"A 'quickie', or not? That is the question going forth about impeachment and Senate trial. The answer? It does not matter. Donald Trump is holding four aces no matter which way the House and Senate go. And if Trump is holding four aces, so is the country."    

Now that it has become just about a fait accompli, our socialist House will impeach our President right before Christmas. It is possible they might come to their senses prior to Christmas, and vote for a minor punishment like having the President censured instead. But blind hatred is a hard thing to corral. And the hatred is so vile against this President, the socialists will go ahead with impeachment, no matter how much of a suicide play this might be. This might be a good time to remind the Democrats about hate. It is a reverse emotion. It hurts the hater much more than the hated. But they will soon find that out.

Leader McConnell is already setting the Senate table. Once the impeachment vote is taken, and President Trump is formally impeached, the first thing the Senate will take up after Christmas break is the Senate trial. Here is where the powers that be have a parting of the ways. 

The President, as well as other swamp drainers in the Senate, would like this to me a Perry Mason type of trial. Witness after witness, all testifying under oath what the Sam Hill happened around the time (election) of 2016. This trial could result in a gold mine of  exposed corruption. Especially getting the father-son team of the Bidens to testify (under oath) in front of the Senate. Same with Hillary Clinton, Schiff, McCabe, Comey and so forth. Maybe even the puppet master himself - Barack Obama. I don't think there is a thing in the world Donald Trump wants more than to expose this mother lode of toxic, deep state crapola which has been going on for decades.

McConnell on the other hand, sees this Senate trial as unnecessary, and something to be dispensed with ASAP. In and out - done and done. No witnesses, very little fanfare, just take the vote and acquit. Then back to the people's business, and not the socialist's circus show.
My feeling? In the Senate, Mitch is king. He will win this one. By February 1st, there will be nothing left of this impeachment fiasco, but an unpleasant after taste.

Then what? Then the "drama" of seeing who in the Clown Car can rise above the rest to catch lightening in a bottle. Who is going to be the savior of this train wreck once known as the Democrat Party. Whoever it is, will become the Fritz Mondale of 2020. The election of 2020 will be the biggest "non-contest" we will have seen in many a year. 

Meanwhile, the economy is so hot right now, even a guy like Jim Cramer of CNBC business news, recently said this is the best the economy has been in our lifetime. Think about that - Cramer is no Republican patsy. He is a straight shooter. Now with the USMCA being agreed to with the Congress, it will be Katie bar the door. Our red hot economy might even get hotter. 

A "quickie", or not? That is the question going forth about the impeachment and Senate trial. The answer? It does not matter. Donald Trump is holding four aces no matter which way the House and Senate go. And if Trump is holding four aces, so is the country.    

Defenseless Defenders

"We need to change this and change it fast. No more defenseless defenders. Our service people are trained to take care of themselves. Time we let them."

It happened at Ft. Hood, and now it has happened at NAS Pensacola. Armed Muslims, who were on the base, who should not have had weapons, got some. Then they killed some of our heroes. Unarmed (by base policy) defenders of freedom. Defenders who were made defenseless by stupid policies laid down by clueless superiors. Am I angry about this? Oh, yes I am. I have been angry since Ft. Hood, and now am really pissed the Muslims have attacked my favorite Naval base.

Of the three sailors who were gunned down in Pensacola, I am only going to focus on one for this article. Joshua Kaleb Watson had just finished his training at the Naval Academy, and was now in Pensacola for flight training. When the gunman started shooting, Ensign Watson took numerous rounds to his body. When the first responders came in, although gravely wounded, Ensign Watson was able to give specifics about the gunman to authorities. 

But here is the real kicker. Ensign Watson may look like a mild mannered nice guy from his picture, but on the gun range, he was a dead shot. In fact, he was captain of the Navy Rifle Team at the Academy. If he had been allowed to carry on base, this story might have had an entirely different ending. But he was not. So instead of being able to defend himself and others, Ensign Watson became nothing more than a target.

Here is the irony which I think needs to change, and change quickly. Everyone who serves is in the ARMED SERVICES. Did you get that word, ARMED? Everyone has had some kind of firearm training. Some a little, some a lot. Being a member of the Armed Services, while we are still involved in the War on Terror, is justification for all members to carry while on a military base. That makes as much sense as allowing all peace officers to carry while in a police station. Having our nation's heroes be relegated to only being targets in the event a bad guy gets a gun on base, is stupid and wrong. 

If we don't change this policy, it will happen again. How do I know? Word gets out. The Islamists know our bases have become soft targets. The chance to get on base and take out American service men and women is way too tempting. However, if our bases were hardened by letting more service people carry, bad guys would think twice about visiting harm on our bases. 

When I see our Congressman next month, I am going to mention this to him. I know he will be receptive. We need to change this and change it fast. No more defenseless defenders. Our service people are trained to take care of themselves. Time we let them.