A glimpse into our national mirror...

 

"I am sorry our national discourse has devolved into what many of us saw last night. As far as who won, many think it was a tie for last. However, I think it goes without saying, Chris Wallace was the real clunker." 

Last night, my wife and I watched the first Presidential debate of 2020. I have never seen anything like it before. To say it was painful at times, might just be an understatement. We had three guys, all in their 70's constantly trying to talk over each other. Three grandpas, who should have known better. In the old days, it was a courtesy to stand back and listen while another made his or her point. Most of us learned that in Debate 101. No longer.

A little before nine, my wife abruptly got up and said, "I have had enough. I can't take anymore." With that, she went to bed, leaving me to watch the remaining debate mayhem all by myself.

After it was over, and I was watching pundits try and patch together a coherent summery of the cage match we just witnessed, I had a thought. Once in a while, after a particularly bad night, you look at yourself in the mirror the next morning. What you see, you might not like. Sometimes you think, "What the hell just happened to me? I look terrible!" As painful as last night's debate was to watch, I think there was an upside for all of us. We just had a very painful look into our national mirror.

Did it shock me to hear the disrespect the former Vice President showed our current President? Nope - I see stuff like that all the time on social media. Was it out of bounds the former Vice President called the current President a "clown" more that once, and also told him to "shut up man"? I think it was out of bounds. But - people in this country no longer have any respect for the office of the President. Did it bother me the President interrupted the former Vice President with abandon? Not really, but it should have. Talking over each other, and at each other, has replaced talking to each other. Again - one talks, the other listens. Communication 101.

I am sorry our national discourse has devolved into what many of us saw last night. As far as who won, many think it was a tie for last. However, I think it goes without saying, Chris Wallace was the real clunker. To say he was terrible would have been an understatement. To say he appeared to side with Joe Biden much more than the President, rang true with many whose comments I read of social media last night. If Wallace never moderates another debate, it will be just fine with me.

It has been said that we are on the verge of losing our national cohesiveness and becoming "tribal". I say we have rounded that bend a long time ago. Like during the Obama Administration. We have become the the Sharks and the Jets, the Crips and the Bloods, the Reds and the Blues, the Makers and the Takers. The Lawless and the Lawful. The Godly and the Godless. We have become sliced and diced into a hodge podge of tribes, sub-tribes and mini tribes. In other words, we are a mess.

Last night we had a chance to take a good look at ourselves. Don't blame the guys on the stage for the spectacle we saw. Blame the mirror. For what we saw last night - was ourselves. And many of us probably said, "What the hell just happened to us? We look terrible!"

The sad saga of "Angry Joe"

What you did in setting up Hunter was criminal. When you and Obama had the FBI spy on the Trump campaign, that was also criminal. You are dirty sir, an angry, dirty, confused old man. 

"I'm a fighter from Scranton, Pennsylvania"! Or, "I would like to take Donald Trump out behind the gym and beat the hell out of him"! Or, "If you vote for Trump, you ain't black"! I have grown tired of listening to this guy since he was in the House of Representatives. Then when he became a Senator, I really got tired of his schtick. Biden thinks because he is Irish, he is tough. Almost every other word which comes out of that big yap of his is "fight". He will fight for this, he will fight for that. He will promise this, he will promise that. But at the end of the day, he has never done a damn thing except suck off the taxpayer, and use his government positions to enrich his family.

Tonight is the first debate. It will be interesting to see if "Angry Joe" can stay up until 10:30, since he likes to "put a lid on it" by 10 in the morning. For those who do not understand Biden speak, "putting a lid on it" means he is done for the day. Nappy nap time. Anyhow, it is thought that Donald Trump, who excelled in debates back during the 2016 campaign, will try and pull "Angry Joe's" trigger. Get him rattled. Piss him off. Get him off script. If Trump can do that, the gaff machine in Biden's head might start working overtime.

Speaking of gaffs, did you hear about the interview Jake Tapper had with Jill Biden? If was classic - even for CNN. Jake asked the former Second Lady about her husband's gaffs. She reacted like Tapper had just tasered her. "That word, that subject is off the table". So Tapper pushed her one for time on that issue. Jill responded, "I said, that word, that subject is off the table." Tapper, fearing Jill might walk off the set, dropped it. It reminded me of that classic line from the Wizard of Oz - "Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain!"

Tonight on the same stage, will be two men, from totally different backgrounds. Two men, with totally different world views. One is an iconoclast, and the other is a government tool. One is a builder, and the other is a taker. One has allowed America to become great again by removing government shackles, and the other on wants to put those shackles back on. One is rough and abrupt, but keeps his promises, and gets stuff done. The other is folksy, never keeps his promises, and in almost 50 years of sucking off the government teat, has done nothing.

The thing which saddens me about our country right now, is so many people cannot see through this paper thin veneer of "Angry" Joe Biden. They will vote for a guy who will not only erase all the progress we have made under Donald Trump, but who is a globalist who will once again make us a lap dog of the UN. A guy who will put thousands and thousands of miles on Air Force One, traveling all over the world, apologizing for America. On what a bad country we are. He will once again gut our military, and neuter our police forces. And just like when Obama was President, Israel will lose its best friend.

Sorry "Angry Joe". You are a joke. What you did in setting up Hunter was criminal. When you and Obama had the FBI spy on the Trump campaign, that was also criminal. You are dirty sir, an angry, dirty, confused old man. And to think you might be our Commander in Chief, sends a chill up my spine. I hope tonight, Donald Trump can expose you for what you really are, and not what you pretend to be.    

Is South Dakota right? Is Florida right?

"All eyes will be on Florida to see if this grand experiment works. For their sake, I hope it does."

Florida, the home to just over 20 million people, has been through the wringer with this virus thing. They have shut things down (for a while), closed the beaches (for a while), and generally inconvenienced the population, and scared away many tourists. Even with all of that, Florida has still had 700,000 cases of COVID - 19 and 14,000 deaths. In short, Florida tried to do everything right, and still got hammered. So the Governor of Florida had an idea. Since COVID is the world we live in now, and most infectious disease experts have told us it is here to stay, screw it - open the state up. Be like South Dakota. No mask mandate anywhere in Florida, and all bars and restaurants open to full capacity.

Governor DeSantis, have you taken leave of your senses? Our Governor, "No Balz Walz", would never in a million years do something like that! But wait just a minute. One of the world's most knowledgeable infectious disease experts (Dr. Mike Osterholm) lives here in Minnesota. He has said that this virus will keep spreading until 60% of us are infected. Some will get it and not know it, some will become slightly sick, some will get real sick, and some will die. After 60% of the population gets infected, a "herd immunity" will take over. 

Let's play this out just for a minute. South Dakota, with a fraction of the population that Florida has, never had a mask mandate. Many to most of the restaurants have remained open. Some South Dakota people have gotten sick, and yes, some have died from COVID - 19. But life has gone on. Business has continued. Schools have continued. And in South Dakota, as in most states, hospital ICUs have NOT been maxed out. AND - the entire purpose of most state shut downs, was to keep a surge in illness from maxing out the hospitals.

So what is new? First off, vaccines. China is ready to produce a billion doses of theirs. We are on the cusp of having three different vaccines, thanks to Project Warp Speed. Other countries are also proceeding with vaccines. Our medical professionals are learning how to treat this virus better. More people are recovering, and faster. Remdesivir and Hydroxychloroquine are just two of the more promising drugs being used. Does this mean we are getting to the end of this tunnel? Maybe or maybe not - but at least there is now some hope.

All eyes will be on Florida to see if this grand experiment works. For their sake, I hope it does. Because we are all adults, and if all restaurants were re-opened to full capacity each one of us could ascertain the risk factor of eating there. With all the bad things which have happened in 2020, maybe we are due for some good news. Come on Florida! We are pulling for you! 

 

"And may the odds, ever be in your favour..."

"Let's sum this up. Why the left already hates this woman. She is smart, she is pretty, she is accomplished, she live deep in her faith ('dogma', right DiFi?), she is a wife and mother, and she knows the law."

Who could ever forget that famous line which was mentioned numerous times in the Hunger Games trilogy. Well, we are not playing a version of Hunger Games in our country right now (albeit, we are close). But with the impending hearings and then confirmation vote for Amy Coney Barrett, other games are about to begin. Only these games are not going to be fun. Not a bit. But these games will be for all the marbles. 

Right off the bat, the loons on the left cannot stand this nominee. Why? She stands for everything they do not. They really don't like her Catholic faith. And why is that? Instead of being a fallen Catholic like the left's Presidential nominee, as well as the Speaker of the House, Judge Barrett lives her faith. Even though she has pledged numerous times she can separate her faith from her rulings, that is not good enough for loons like Chuckie Schumer. 

And this family thing. Where in the world does she get off, having five bio kids and two adopted kids from Haiti? And one of the adopted kids has special needs. Some knucklehead has already come out as called her a "colonialist" for adopting two kids from Haiti. Like, should these kids not be adopted by families from Haiti instead? Hello? Has this guy seen Haiti as of late? Judge Barrett, to give these kids a fighting chance, adopted them and then brought them to the states. If that is a "wrong" thing to do, give us some more of that kind of "wrong". 

Let's sum this up. Why the left already hates this woman. She is smart, she is pretty, she is accomplished, she live deep in her faith ("dogma", right DiFi?), she is a wife and mother, and she knows the law. But there is one more thing which is the clinker. After spoiling all their political capital in the hatchet job they did on Brett Kavanaugh, the left knows THEY CAN'T STOP THIS NOMINATION! However, Republicans who stray off the reservation, could.

Do I feel sorry for the Marxists? Not one bit. They have controlled the courts for so long, they think it is a right of passage for them to keep doing so. But - almost four years ago, there was a new sheriff in town. One who pledged he would change the Supreme Court from an instrument of the left, to a Constitutional law interpreting organization. And this will be the third jurist that Donald Trump has gotten on the bench. During his next term, there could easily be two more. No problem - Donald Trump still has plenty of qualified names on his list of candidates.

On Monday, the games begin. We can once again watch and see the Marxists on the other side act like jackasses. If the Republicans stick together, this is a done deal. But it will still be a rough couple weeks for Judge Barrett. To her, I say this - be strong, "and may the odds, ever be in your favor"... 

 

To the Party of Marx - thank you!

"Yes, the Democrats have sold their collective souls to Karl Marx. They have tossed out God, our Constitution, our way of life, and replaced them with the double headed monster of Karl Marx and BIG GOVERNMENT."

There is no doubt that Donald Trump is one of the most effective and electrifying campaigners - EVER! There is simply no doubt about it. That being said, President Trump comes in a distant second, compared to what the Party of Marx does to themselves. Each day, every day, there is a display of some type of Anti-American, Anti-God, anti-family behavior put on by the party which at one time were called Democrats. 

Yes, the Democrats have sold their collective souls to Karl Marx. They have tossed out God, our Constitution, our way of life, and replaced them with the double headed monster of Karl Marx and BIG GOVERNMENT. To that double headed monster, they pay homage. They worship. They adore.

When RBG was lying in state in the Supreme Court building, the President and First Lady came to pay their respects. Since Ginsburg's passing, the President has said nothing but good things about her. But the Party of Marx did not show our President the same courtesy. They booed him and the First Lady when they arrived at the Supreme Court building. That boorish behavior is just typical of this group of misfits. 

Last night, there were more riots in different cities across the nation. Part of the riots were due to the Breanna Taylor incident, but most were due to a blatant disregard for the rights of other citizens. Shut down freeways. Do damage. Create havoc. In short, revolution for the hell of it. 

Earlier in the week, part of someone's house and garage were burned down in a suburb of the Twin Cities. "BLM" and "Biden 2020" were spray painted on the house. What was the crime this person committed? He had a Trump flag on his house. For that, the mutts in BLM and Antifa, torched his house. Instead of arson, this crime could have also been murder. It could have killed the family.

In another city, someone was caught torching a church. You know - that House of God thing. And since the Party of Marx has eschewed God, having churches around is a no-no. Due to things like this, the former Democrat Party is almost making too easy for a master of debate like Donald Trump. Their hatred of the God, guns and the unborn, is on display almost every day. At one time, they would try and conceal it - no longer. They are proud of what they stand for. And poor old (and very confused) Joe Biden. He is being used by these human secularists, and he doesn't even realize it. If Biden gets elected, it will really be George Soros who will be calling the shots. The biggest America hater in the world.

This afternoon, the official announcement will be made for the nomination of the next SCOTUS jurist. Just like with Kavanaugh, that should bring out the worst of the worst with the Marxists. Stand by for a lesson in HATE 101, once again.

Tuesday, will be the first debate. Trump has been trying to tamp down expectations. Biden's folks will have him pumped up with something stronger than coffee, so he can be somewhat coherent for at least part of the debate. But in the end, Donald Trump should make mincemeat out of Biden.

And the Party of Marx? They will continue to act like mutts. By doing so, they will cause more and more undecided voters to come over to Team Trump. For that, those on my side of the street say, THANK YOU!!!       

A foretaste of what is to come...

"As a people, we no longer know how to agreeably disagree anymore. We have gone from a war of words to a war using fire and clubs. If we can't stop these riots, and return to reason, soon, the war will be with bullets and dead bodies."

The riots have come again. No big surprise. They were planned in advance, just waiting for the spark. In the Breanna Taylor case, word had slipped out the grand jury was going to have a tough time coming up with serious charges which could stick against the cops. Why? It was a raid gone wrong, yet still within the confines of the law.

First off, the raid needed to be in the middle of the night, so if arrests were to be made, there would not be a huge kerfuffle in the street. It was decided the warrant would be served at 3am. Even though the cops had a "no knock" warrant, they still knocked. However, after knocking with no answer, the cops came in the apartment. Breanna Taylor's current boyfriend thought it was her ex-boyfriend, there to do them harm. So the current boyfriend shot at the police, hitting one of them. The cops returned fire, and Breanna Taylor was accidently shot and killed.

When the cops were acquitted, the mob, being stoked up and funded by Soros money, was outraged. By definition, the cops followed the law. The death of Breanna Taylor was an unfortunate accident. Period. But that does not matter. All which is needed today, is a spark. Any spark. But the spark which lit Louisville on fire this past week, might just be a foretaste of what is to come. That would be the granddaddy of all the trials involving cops and the death of a black person. The George Floyd trial in Minnesota.

The four cops in the upcoming Floyd trial have been lawyered up with some of the finest defense lawyers in the upper Midwest. Word has been leaking out, the charges against these cops might be way too stout. Plus, there is the autopsy report to complicate things. Except for Derrick Chauvin (the cop who had his knee on Floyd's neck), the charges against the other three cops are flimsy at best. Many think the other three will not only be acquitted, but also reinstated as cops. Chauvin however, might be a different story. He might get some kind of conviction. Then the big question needs to be asked - will that be enough to placate the mob? Or will the mob still want to "burn it all down"? Or is this already cast in concrete, just waiting for the "spark" to lit the fire once again?

However, there is actually one spark bigger than the Floyd trial. That would be November 3rd. What will happen if President Trump is re-elected? Much has changed during this past four years. In 2016, once it was determined that Donald Trump had won the election, there was screaming at the Moon (by the loony left), and the gnashing of teeth. But no riots. If Trump wins again in 2020, the Rubicon might be crossed. Soros fueled riots could break out nationwide. It could be uglier than ugly. 

As a people, we no longer know how to agreeably disagree anymore. We have gone from a war of words, to a war using fire and clubs. If we can't stop these riots, and return to reason,  the war will be with bullets and dead bodies. We have lost touch with reality. We have lost touch with sanity. 

Sunday at 9am, there is an event in Washington DC called "The Return". No stars, no music, no program. It will just be a time for Godly people to come together and pray. Ask God for forgiveness. Many in our nation have been turning their face from God. Rejecting His favor. Many have been worshipping the creation, instead of the Creator. 

Bottom line? Until we turn back to God, this mayhem and carnage will continue. Can this get even worse? Yes, it can. What we have seen to date might just be a foretaste of what is to come. The choice is ours to make. God or no God. And we better make that choice sooner rather than later. 

  

How to make a ghost town

"I don't know what is killing the Twin Cities faster. Is it the haunting plague of COVID? Is it the aftereffect of the George Floyd incident? Is it the culmination of years, no decades, of teaching crap in city schools instead of true facts?"

A ghost town? "Come on man!" (thanks Joe, for that one). I mean, these days you don't need to take a guided tour out west to find an old deserted mining town. Nope. They are here - close by. They are New York, Seattle, and yes, even our own Minneapolis. Any why are they so deserted these days? Why do they look like modern day ghost towns? It is a lethal combination of COVID, BLM and Antifa. For good measure, mix in a few Marxist air heads, who are in city and/or state government.

How bad is it these days? Seattle, who has one of the most liberal mayors in the nation, looks almost right wing compared to her city council. Seattle, one of the major ports in the country, home of some gargantuan corporations, and a beautiful city to boot - is going to de-fund their police forces. The wacko city council voted to do just that. The mayor, told the counsel that she was up for major reform of the police, but not de-funding. So she vetoed the de-funding bill. No big deal - the counsel just did an override on that veto. Soon, when you visit Seattle and get held up, you will call a social worker instead of a cop. Beam me up Scottie... 

Back when I worked at IBM, I had a client in the outskirts of Detroit. Once in a while I would take a wrong turn, and end up in an unpleasant part of town. Detroit, once one of the best cities in the nation to live and work in, is now a hell hole. The population is a fraction of what it was in the 1960's. When I would leave and return to Minneapolis, I was relieved. At least my town of Minneapolis did not look like Detroit. Well, that was then, and this is now.

I don't know what is killing the Twin Cities faster. Is it the haunting plague of COVID? Is it the aftereffect of the George Floyd incident? Is it the culmination of years, no decades, of teaching crap in city schools instead of true facts? Is it the morphing of city and state government from purple to blue to progressive to socialist to full out commie? Is it having city churches teach an orthodoxly of social justice instead of repentance, redemption and salvation? Or is it a combination of all of them?

A recent article told just how bad it is in Minneapolis right now. Building occupancy is at 12.2%. Hotel occupancy is at 18.1%. Compared to 2018, pedestrian traffic on the Nicollet Mall (the showcase of town), is about one fourth of what it was. Light rail ridership (like, who wants to get mugged or beat up?) is only 25% of what it was last year. Finally, less than half of the restaurants which were open last year, are still operating. Oh - one more thing. The crime stats are through the roof bad. Add all of those up, and you have a ghost town in the making. 

Meanwhile, all the Marxist leaders of big blue cities can do is blame the Orange Man. Nobody wants to look in the mirror. Most folks who do not live in Minneapolis, hate going in there these days. It is all down side. The city that most folks my age loved to visit in our youths, is now a Detroit in the making. It is sad. This was all so preventable. COVID alone, could have been managed. But when you add in everything else, you have a witch's brew of dystopian entropy. In other words, you have a ghost town.  

 

The COVID Paradox

"Too bad the WHO is in bed with the CCP. It would be nice to have them verify or refute what the Chinese have told us about their cases and deaths. Maybe we will never know."

As much as Schumer, Pelosi, Biden and others, would like to blame President Trump for the 200,000 COVID - 19 deaths this nation has suffered, there is a much bigger picture to look at. And this picture has been bothering me for quite a while now. As we all know, this horrible disease originated in China. Period. It originated in Wuhan, China. One would think that with the population centers of China being as densely packed as they are, and with the disease starting there last year, China's stats would be "through the roof" bad. But they are not. In fact (if you can believe a word they say), their stats are really quite good.

China's population is slightly over one billion people higher than ours. About four times as many people than we have. That being said, let's look at the COVID stats:

China: Cases - 90,000        Deaths - 5,000

USA:  Cases - 6,900,000    Deaths - 200,000

The first case in China was November of last year. The first case in the United States was late January of this year. Putting this together, two countries, one with four times as many people as the other, earlier start to having infections from COVID, and 1/40th of the deaths. Does that make any sense? Like I said, if you can believe a word the Chinese say. However - this is what I would like the Democrats to focus on, rather than trying to blame our President. Good flipping grief!

Too bad the WHO is in bed with the CCP. It would be nice to have them verify or refute what the Chinese have told us about their cases and deaths. Maybe we will never know. Some wonder how and why we lead the world in cases and deaths. I am one of those people. I mean, even with ObamaCare, we still have the world's best health care. Bar none. There should be no reason, none, that our stats are worse than India. But they are, albeit not by much. And Brazil? We have worse stats than Brazil also. 

But - if the Democrats really wanted to be helpful (for a change), have them investigate why Japan, with population of a third of what our population is, has had only a handful of deaths. How much less? 1,500 deaths compared to our 200,000. That is less than one percent of ours. Plus - Tokyo is one of the most densely populated cities in the world. One would think that COVID would have torn through Tokyo like a wildfire. But it did not. Nothing like what happened to NYC.

As we head into October, there are still many more questions than answers. Soon we will have at least one vaccine - maybe more. But that will not help the 200,000 plus who will not be here to take the vaccine. I sure hope we do a lessons learned from COVID - 19, so when the next virus comes here from China, we end up with stats that look more like China's and a lot less like ours [from this pandemic]. 

Tales from La-La Land

"It is an odds on favorite, that by this time next week, we will have Amy Comey Barrett as the next SCOTUS nominee. The blue clad minions on the other side of logic, already is following the Evil Queen's dictates."

"We have more arrows in our quiver!" shouted the Evil Queen from the burned out land, once known as the Golden State. "Don't you dare, even TRY to nominate someone to fill this SCOTUS vacancy!" Wow, I was thinking - is she all alone in this torted thinking? I mean, the Constitution that the Evil Queen took an oath to support and follow, specifically states the President has the legal and moral right to fill that open vacancy. No, the Evil Queen is not all alone in this depraved thinking. The Evil Queen's hatred of the Orange Man is palpable. Plus - the Evil Queen has the support of millions of her blue clad minions, who also hate the Orange Man with a passion.

Yesterday on social media, there was a short video of one of the Evil Queen's blue clad minions being triggered. Triggered? How? Seems she drove by a pro life sign, and seeing that sign, on top of RBG dying, was too much. Way, way too much. She devolved into screaming, crying, and gnashing of the teeth. 

How could that young lady have been triggered by a pro life sign? The Evil Queen and her court of twisted jesters, have convinced the gullible, that life is bad, and death is good for the unborn. Instead of celebrating the birth of children as most civilized countries do, the blue clad minions now look upon unborn babies as tumors to be extracted. Only in La-La Land, where the Evil Queen has any standing, can this upside down thinking prevail.

It is an odds on favorite, that by this time next week, we will have Amy Comey Barrett as the next SCOTUS nominee. The blue clad minions who live on the other side of logic, already are following the Evil Queen's dictates. They are already shouting in unison, "No way, no how - are we going to allow this woman, this baby lover, on our court." Even if they try, the Evil Queen told her minions, WE WILL PACK THE COURTS! And, the Evil Queen continued, I have Tweedle Dee (or is it Tweedle Dum?) as head of my Judiciary Committee, to make this happen!

How can the Orange Man prevail? Can he be successful fighting off all these blue clad morons? I mean, why does he care so much about life? Here is the secret that the Evil Queen and her followers have never understood. Those of us who are the red clad warriors, citizens, and patriots, who support the Orange Man, care deeply about woman's rights. The myth that that we are all sexists and misogynists is just that - a myth. But we also care about the sanctity of life. That each baby is a gift from God - made in His own image. 

The next forty some days are going to be rough and bumpy. They will not be for the faint of heart of weak of spirit. And then after the election, the time leading up to inauguration day, might be equally as chaotic. But we cannot let the Evil Queen and Sloppy Joe take control and lead this land. The stakes in November could not be higher. Tyranny or liberty. God given rights, or government rationed rights. Life for the unborn, or more death. It really does come down to that. 

 

Senators with weak knees and round heels...

"Yes, it is those establishment Republicans again. The 'good old boys and girls' club. Already three of the Republicans have threatened to vote 'no' on filling this vacancy before the election."

Well, this is the week. As Europe prepares for the dreaded "second wave" of the virus, this nation is preparing for the coming tsunami. The tsunami in filling the SCOTUS vacancy. I believe the President will be true to his word, and he will nominate a very qualified candidate. I also believe the Senate Leader (McConnell) will be true to his word, and will start the Senate vetting process as soon as he gets the name from the White House. Hey - we got the Senate, as well as the White House - what could possibly go wrong? 

I have said this many times. I am not a Republican. I am a conservative. A constitutionalist. I vote with the Republicans, as they most always come closest with how I feel politically. That being said, here is what drives me the craziest about the Party of Lincoln. Constant purity tests. And when someone does not agree with a nuance, or just does not like that person, he or she will either sit on their hands during a crucial vote, or even worse - vote with the other side. Something we seldom see on the other side. It is one bunch, all bunch - no matter what.

So here we are, on the cusp of one of the most important judicial events - maybe ever. The President has the opportunity to fill a very liberal seat with a true Constitutional scholar. A person who will interpret the law, and not try to make the law. To get this done in a very short time period, we need all hands on deck. All hands on deck? That will be hard to do with a mutiny brewing. Yes, it is those establishment Republicans again. The "good old boys and girls" club. Already three of the Republicans have threatened to vote "no" on filling this vacancy before the election.

When I was a negotiator, we had an expression when things started going your way during a critical negotiation. When the other negotiator knew you had him or her on a critical point, that person would often get "weak knees and round heels". Soon it would be "game over", and the negotiation would conclude with a nice deal. 

Well, that is exactly what Mitt Romney, Susan Collins, and Lisa Murkowski seem to have right now. Weak knees and round heals. They are ready to either cave in, or vote with the other side. With a razor thin majority in the Senate, it would not take too many traitors to kill the deal. Mitch has warned all of his troops - don't do something which you will always regret. Seems like that warning might fall on deaf ears.

What is worse case scenario? Trump loses to Biden, the Senate flips, and President Biden picks a RBG clone. Our gun ownership, the lives of the unborn, free market health insurance - will all be in jeopardy. Democrats will vote to have WDC and Puerto Rico become states, and with the addition of four more Democrat Senators, Republicans will forever be the minority party. Democrats will pack the courts with socialists, and our natural, God given rights will start flying out the window. All because three (or possibly more), Republican Senators got their undies in a bundle.

This week will reveal quite a bit about a great many people. It is reveal quite a bit on what kind of a nation we are right now. We don't need the next election to reveal the truth about us. We will get a sneak peek of it this week. Stay strong folks. This flight might start getting very turbulent, very fast.    

A time and a place...

"Get ready folks, and buckle up. The ride ahead of us will be hard and bumpy. This fight will not only be for all the marbles, but maybe even life and death (of the unborn)."

One of my wiser social media friends had an excellent point yesterday. If RBG had retired between 2009 and 2010, she would have walked out of SCOTUS as a hero. All people would have talked about is her trailblazing path to become a woman's rights advocate and justice. But why then, and not now? Anyone with any awareness, knows we are on the cusp of the Mother of all Battles. As such, any accomplishments that RBG might have had, are going to be muted by the noise of upcoming election and battle for power.

Maybe a trip down memory lane would be in order. In 2008, there was a blue wave which hit the country. After eight years of G.W. Bush, and with the Republicans putting up a tepid nominee to run to be the next President, the table was set for the Democrats. Enter Barack Hussein Obama. A historical moment - we could be getting our first mixed race President.

When the election came, Obama won a decisive victory, and his coattails were very long. The House became even "bluer" keeping Ms. Nancy as Speaker, and the Senate became solidly Democrat. In fact, the Democrats in the Senate almost a "super majority".

In 2009, the long contested Minnesota Senate vote was over. Al Franken was declared the winner. Also, Arlen Specter switched parties and became a Democrat. And just like that, the Democrats had the White House, the House, and a "super majority" in the Senate. The Republicans became just white noise, as the Democrats were calling every shot. Yes, then came the infamous "ObamaCare", and the Republicans had zero chance of stopping it.

This would have also been the PERFECT time for RBG to retire. The Democrats would have had the party of parties for her. Washington was bright blue, and glowing. RBG could have then lived out the rest of her days, just being RBG, and maybe writing books and articles. 

But that was then, and this is now. For reasons which escape most of us, RBG, with cancer and all, thought she might live forever. Instead she died during the term of Donald J. Trump - a President she had little time for. Now to appears that RBG will be replaced by ACB (Amy Coney Barrett). As ugly as the upcoming fight will be, this might be the time and the place for ACB. It will be hard for the Democrats to give her the same shellacking that Brett Kavanaugh took - but they will still try.

When RBG was confirmed under the Clinton Administration, it was almost unanimous. She was treated very fairly by the Senate (both by Democrats and Republicans), and I don't think there were any questions brought up about her Jewish faith.

However, when ACB was being vetted to be a judge on the Seventh Circuit, Senator Diane Feinstein (who is Jewish), was very uneasy and critical about ACB's Catholic faith. Made quite a big deal out of it. Why? As we all know, Catholics who are strong in their faith, are pro-life. What if (gasp!) we allowed someone in the judiciary (or SCOTUS), who could threaten Roe v Wade? Allow innocent babies to live? And that - is what this upcoming war will really be about.

Get ready folks, and buckle up. The ride ahead of us will be hard and bumpy. This fight will not only be for all the marbles, but maybe even life and death (of the unborn). If you are praying types, pray for the safety of whomever Donald Trump picks to succeed RBG. And pray for this great nation. We are on the edge of the cliff right now, and it will not take much to push us over.

    

 

Full court press

"In any event, the timing of RBG's demise could not have been worse for the country. We have been on the razor's edge of national chaos ever since Floyd died on Memorial Day. From there, things have just gotten worse."

Just when you think that this year of 2020 could not get stranger, that our politics could not get more caustic, and that our people could not get more divided, Ruth Bader Ginsburg dies. I know that some loved her on the bench, and others did not. That is not the purpose of this article. Historians way, way brighter than I, will argue her merits or lack their of, for her time on the bench in SCOTUS. I want to discuss how her untimely death will muck up an already mucked up year.

When I look to the west, I can see smoke on the horizon coming out of the numerous fires in California, Oregon and Washington. When I look to the east, I can smoke on the horizon coming out of Chuckie Schumer's ears. Yes, Schumer is going to be that hot. Why? Mitch has already made it known that he will endeavor to fill this very recent vacancy before the election. "But, but, but - Merrick Garland!" Chucky will sputter and scream. "Not confirming him under Obama, and then filling one under the last year of Trump's term is not fair!"  And Mitch will look back at him and say, "Ya - so? Sucks not being in power, Chuckie."

How back can it get? The philosophical and political leaning of the SCOTUS is almost on the same par as who sits in the White House. Losing Justice Ginsburg (RBG) was a punch to the solar plexus for the Democrats. She was a stalwart. A reliable "no" vote on many issues which the conservatives held dear. What their hope is now, to draw to an inside flush. First, get Sleepy Joe elected. Then, have the Republicans lose control of the Senate. When that happens, the new Senate Leader (Schumer) would help the new President (Biden) get a RBG "clone" confirmed, and into this now vacant SCOTUS chair. 

McConnell on the other hand, sees the world differently. Don't gamble on the election. Do it now. Trump is in the White House, and the Republicans have the Senate. Candidates have already been vetted (Ted Cruz being one of them). Pick one, and start the Senate confirmation. "Git er done" before November 3rd.

A couple of problems however. If Mitch thinks Schumer and the Democrats will just roll over and let this happen, then Mitch has had too much of that Kentucky bourbon. Schumer will try ever Senate trick in the book (and some which have not yet been invented) to obstruct or slow this process. The House, the Senate, will both come to a screeching halt until both sides are happy. And that ain't gonna happen, so hello, gridlock. Plus - if you think you have seen mayhem in the streets so far this year, that might have just been the warm up as to what will happen now. "Annie get your gun", might go from an old slogan or saying, to a creedo or battle cry.

In any event, the timing of RBG's demise could not have been worse for the country. We have been on the razor's edge of national chaos ever since Floyd died on Memorial Day. From there, things have just gotten worse. The election for the ages, the one coming up in November, has been heralded (by some) as the most critical ever. Losing RBG now has made this election (now thought by all), to be one for all the marbles. Losing, might be losing power for generations. So, how bad does each side want all those marbles? I shudder to think. And I shudder to think how far the Democrats will go to get those marbles.   

 

For some, the new, good life

"I have read articles about the number of folks who could leave the metro area, did leave. Found a nice spot on a lake somewhere north. In fact, so many have gone after the good life, all of a sudden lake shore property became scarce and expensive."

Most of the large cities have been hit with a double whammy this year. First the pandemic, which sent many employees home. Some to work from home, and others to look for another job. Then came the social unrest. Some employers could no longer afford to be robbed and/or vandalized numerous times. All of a sudden, some cities started to look very empty. For sale signs were popping up everywhere. Many thought if they no longer had to work at an employer's facility in a crime ridden city, it was time to check out.

The folks who really had it "made in the shade", were the ones who had jobs which were totally remote. In other words, they would work from anywhere, so long as they had an internet connection worth a darn. The only fly in the ointment, was if they could sell their house or condo in the city. If they could, there was a huge amount of "outstate" property they could buy. Property they could live in, work in, and play in. Now this - was the good life! 

A brief moment of disclosure. I have worked remotely when I was employed at IBM. Compared to having an office at a company I would go to every day, just being with me, myself and I most days took some getting used to. But the amount of extra time it afforded me was huge. The amount of time it would take every day, to get up, get dressed, get in the car, drive to work, park, and then get set up in my office - was a big time waster. Same on the back side, when the work day was over. After putting in eight or so hours a the office, and then fighting rush hour - I was beat when I got home. With remote working - not so much.

I have read articles about the number of folks who could leave the metro area, did leave. Found a nice spot on a lake somewhere north. In fact, so many have gone after the good life, all of a sudden lake shore property became scarce and expensive. Some got up at the butt crack of dawn, powered up the laptop, and had a good four hours in by 10. They would take an extended lunch hour, get in the boat, and wet a line or two. Early afternoon, it was back to work in the great room of the cabin. At supper time, the laptop was powered down, the grill was lit, and the remote worker was ready for a nice "up north" evening. Like I say - the good life.

Some articles I have read have predicted that remote working will be more common than uncommon. Sure, some companies will want their employees back at the company. Others however, will not. I will say this however - the one drawback of working remotely as a steady diet, is not partaking in the synergy with fellow co-workers. What suited me best was a hybrid of remote and on-site working. 

Many experts don't think we will get back to any kind of "normal" until reliable vaccines are available. Then it will be interesting to see how many workers remain remote. Of course, we still might have the job killing social unrest in our large cities. If that persists, the cabin up north will look very good, more many different reasons.

The "Present"

"For the Democrats, there is no repairing this damage. Too late. Damage control would be futile."

I am sure many have noticed this by now. Our Congressman sure has. He is involved, and running ads to support it. For any Republican, running for any office, this was an unanticipated gift from the other side. It is a prize for sure. What is it? Social unrest. Anti-cop mania. Lawlessness. And throughout weeks and weeks of this, the Democrats have said nary a word. Na-da. And the Republicans have now taken this issue, and ran with it.

The goof-ball Democrat Senator from Hawaii (Mazie Hirono) has said more than once, the biggest problem Democrats have is communicating with the common folk. Why? Because Democrats are so much smarter than the rest of us. Really? I think the fact most (if not all) Democrats remained silent, while American cities burned, belies that "smartness" issue. In fact, I think most "professional" Democrats are dumber than dog poop. They handed this law and order issue to the Republicans, on a silver platter, all wrapped up like a wonderful present.

With less than 50 days left until the election, the Democrat strategy is starting to fall apart. Biden comes across dazed and confused. Every week, he mutters another "Bidenism", which somehow never makes the corporate media. But they sure make the internet media. Meanwhile, the nitwit Democrat Mayors as well as the Governors of blue states, continue to blame Donald Trump for the over ONE BILLION DOLLARS worth of damage the mutts have caused. But who cares about the facts? The narrative is much more interesting. The only problem is the public is not buying what the Democrats are selling. They KNOW who is lighting the matches, which are burning thing down. And it is not Donald Trump.

For the Democrats, there is no repairing this damage. Too late. Damage control would be futile. If the Republicans were smart, they would take what they have already done in promoting themselves as the law and order party, and then take it up 10 notches. Why?

HERE ARE THE FACTS:

1) The American people don't want their cities looking like third world hellholes. Period.

2) The American people are for the most part, law abiding. They want lawmakers punished - NOW.

3) The billion dollars worth of damage caused by the mutts might be covered by insurance and taxes, but in the end, we all have to pay for it. Many Americans know that.

4) American people like their police forces. They don't want them defunded or eliminated. Period.

There it is folks. The present from the dark side. And we did not even have to ask for it. I have said this many time, but I need to say it again. There is nothing so vile, so bad, we can do to the other side, that they can't do to themselves. Sometimes, it is good just to sit back and watch them self destruct. Or - sometimes it is even better to throw an anchor to a drowning opponent.   

 

"A big effing deal!"

"As much as the left tries to paint this President to be an out of control war monger, he is anything but. He is a peacenik, but only if peace can be obtained the right way." 

Back in the bad old days, when Slo Joe was part of the Obama Administration, he uttered one of his more memorable quotes. It was just after the ill fated ObamaCare got passed into law (thanks to our own Crazy Al Franken). He turned to someone (on a hot mike) and said "This is a big effing deal". He was half right. However, Biden only had one word wrong. Instead of saying "deal", he should have said "mess", or "debacle". If Slo Joe wanted to really see a "big effing deal", he need look no further than the ceremony at the White House yesterday. When the very lightly reported Abraham Accord was signed.

This truly was huge. President Trump and Jarred Kushner have been working on this accord for a long time. As much as the left tries to paint this President to be an "out of control war monger", he is anything but. He is a peacenik, but only if peace can be obtained the right way. It is not an easy task to get the Israelis and ANY Arab country to the peace table. But the thinking was (by the Administration), if they can get enough Arab countries to sign peace accords with Israel, soon the Palestinians would follow. Even if that never comes to fruition, ANY peace accord, is a good peace in the Middle East.

This historic move was widely praised by the Democrats. Okay - that was a joke. How was it received? Slo Joe ignored it, and said in a campaign speech that if he were President instead of Trump, we would not have as many fires or hurricanes. Huh? Is Slo Joe divine? Ms. Nancy called the ceremony a "distraction", so we would not focus on the President's "mishandling" of the virus. And Chuckie Schumer said, "I will have to read it first", before making any comment. What is the real truth? They were all smoking mad this historic event could not have happened with Obama, or the next socialist (Democrat) President.

Going beyond the predictable responses by Democrat leaders, what I found the most bemusing was the handling of this historic event by the media. Even the lap dog media could have given this a shout out. Nope. To them, what happened at the White House yesterday was a "nothing burger". Once again, this President whom they love to hate, got one over on them. In fact, President Trump's list of accomplishments during his first term, has been nothing less than astonishing. Once, when President Trump was asked why he tweets so much, his response was, "I need to do the media's job for them. They won't tell you the truth about what I do, so I will tell you what I do."

All right Democrats, listen up. Here is today's lesson for you. What Donald Trump has been doing these past four years, is build a legacy. Yes, legacy. Doing good stuff for the country and the American people. We have never had a President like him before, and likely will never have another one again - even close to Donald Trump.

Trump handles the Democrats (and their loyal media) with the same respect they offer him. Even though every sinister force in America has tried to stop or slow this President down, he still gets stuff done. And that is one of the big reasons why Trump's base loves him so deeply. Always have, always will. MAGA!

 

Portland's punishment?

"What they have done to that town is beyond reprehensible. The flag burning has morphed into Holy Bible burning in the middle of streets. God is not only forgotten and neglected - he is ridiculed and besmirched."

I have only one thing to say about the west coast right now. WHAT A MESS! This has been a fire season to top them all. And what is causing them? Man-made climate change? Lousy foresting practices? Arson by Antifa (stay tuned to Glenn Beck on this one)? Or is it something more? A little wake-up call from the Almighty to remember who the Creator is, and as well as who is the creation. You mean God's punishment? Maybe.

Portland Oregon has been ground zero for just about everything evil for the past 100 days or so. There have been sins of omission and sins of commission. Antifa and BLM, have carried out the sins of commission. What they have done to that town is beyond reprehensible. The flag burning has morphed into Holy Bible burning in the middle of streets. God is not only forgotten and neglected - he is ridiculed and besmirched.

What about the sins of omission? That would be the left leaning Mayor of Portland and the Governor of Oregon. These two are a pair to draw to. Total 100% idiots. While Portland burns under the torches of Antifa and BLM, city and state government defends the perps as being "peaceful demonstrators". They both blame the President. Heck, even Slo Joe is blaming President Trump. He calls the President a "environmental arsonist". Typical for Biden.

Today, it was reported on the news that Portland is the most air polluted city - in the world. Let that sink in for just a minute. We are not a third world country - we are first world. And yet, the fires are so numerous in Oregon, and so close to Portland, the air is almost un-breathable. And there is a fine layer of ash on top of just about everything. Plus - to make matters worse - about 10% of the state's population is on a mandatory evacuation.

To date, this fire season in Oregon is the worst on record. It is only the middle of September, and fire season goes until November. The "greenies" can blame the President, they can blame Trump supporters, they can blame us walking away from the Paris Climate Accord all they want to. But here are the facts. Until the libs in the western states get back to proper foresting management, these annual fires will be more normal than abnormal. AND - it would be a very good idea to invite God back into the equation. Just saying - burning the Word of God in the middle of the streets of Portland is not a smart play.  

Young Twerking

"If you wonder why so many of our young kids are screwed up today, it is for reasons like this. We are sexualizing our youth. Why? No clue - but I do know it is wrong." 

Hey Netflix! What's up? Have you lost your marbles? You seem to have gone from a nice, mostly family friendly venue, to something which is becoming political and salacious. It seems your new offering, the wrongly produced "Cuties", is going over like a "fart in church" with many of your customers. I mean, if soft core kiddie porn is what someone wants to view, I am sure there are places on the dark web in which to endeavor.

This is hard for me, because what I am writing about this morning, is anecdotal. To do honest reporting, I should have watched it first. But I could not. As the father of two girls and one granddaughter, watching trash like "Cuties" would have just been sick and wrong for me to do. Besides all of which, I did not want to give Netflix the idea that one more person turned on to watch this garbage.

Netflix started coming under the microscope last year when they signed up both of the Obama's to write some original material for them. Some folks I know, threw in the towel when that happened, and canceled. I mean, after eight years, most conservatives and patriots had about enough of these two phonies. In any event, that was strike one.

But strike two happened when Netflix decided to go kiddie porn. I have tried to figure this one out. What in the world was going on in their thinking process? The rumor floating around the CEO of Netflix (Reed Hastings) was arrested on child porn charges - is false. I checked that out to the best of my ability, and could not find any credible sources on it. Then the question becomes, "why"? Whose bright idea was it to produce, and offer a show with young girls twerking. And from what I have heard, very sexy twerking at that.

If you wonder why so many of our young kids are screwed up today, it is for reasons like this. We are sexualizing our youth. Why? No clue - but I do know it is wrong. Organizations like NAMBLA (National Association of Man and Boy Love Association) are trying to get some forms of pedophilia legalized. Talk to some former Boy Scouts who were molested by an adult scout master, and see how that has worked out for them.

Netflix - pull the plug on "Cuties" before enough customers pull their plug to bankrupt you. Fess up, this was a bad, bad idea. And stick to reruns of shows gone by. That is what made you famous. That is your bread and butter. Certainly not kiddie porn. 

American and Un-American

"Many patriotic Americans are scratching their heads right now. How in the world did we get here?" 

Not too long ago, when the news would show some third world country in the Middle East,  terrorists who lived there shouting, "Death to America" - my blood would boil. But that was NOTHING compared to how totally pissed off, and irate I get when I hear some brainwashed mutts, who are protesting in OUR streets, yelling and chanting the same. "Death to America"? This is your country, you idiots! The only thing America has done wrong (in my opinion), is allow our public schools to product morons like you.

The worthless Washington Post recently penned an article stating that if Joe Biden does not win in a landslide, civil war will break out. Absolutely, positively, one of the most irresponsible things ever to appear in ANY newspaper. This only pours gas on the fire igniting the "Death to America" crowd. Jeff Bezos should be ashamed of himself.

Someone posting on social media yesterday had an interesting point. As horrible as 9/11 was, that person really missed 9/12. Why? That is when this country really came together. Albeit for a short time, we focused on what united us, and ignored what divided us. We were all Americans, through and through. One country, indivisible. Like I said, that lasted for only a short period of time. Shame. Those were good days. Painful from the attack, but rich in unity during the days following.

For the miscreants who are burning, looting and rioting in our city streets, that have a fantasy about staging a new civil war or revolution, I might suggest they watch the movie Gettysburg. As they would see from this Civil War battle, there was nothing glorious or noble about Gettysburg. It was Americans killing Americans. Over and over and over again. Bodies stacked up like cord-wood. It was terrible - a blight on our nation's history. And these mutts want to live that again? That kind of violence? News flash kiddos- it hurts like hell to get shot, and death is final.

Many patriotic Americans are scratching their heads right now. How in the world did we get here? How is it, that our big city streets have become magnets for trouble and violence, and little else? How in this country, rich and blessed, kids of privilege are in the streets yelling, "Death to America"? How? Why? As the song goes, "the answer my friend, is blowing in the wind". 

We, as a country, have allowed this wound to fester. Rather than treating the wound, which first appeared in the 1960's, we instead ignored it. The wound grew deeper, and more infected. Soon the wound allowed tribalism to develop in this great nation. E pluribus unum, instead became "one divided into many". Socialism and communism were taught in high schools and colleges as a viable alternatives to our current system of capitalism. Soon our system of laissez faire became perceived as unfairness. The new entitlement culture was evolving. All things which were once held sacred and sacrosanct (like the Holy Bible and Constitution), were now either ignored or rejected. 

Once we realized that many of our children, our seed corn, had become "bad seeds" instead of future citizens, the die was cast. Many have been poisoned beyond help or redemption. They are content in being un-American. They pride themselves in being enemies of the state, as they no longer recognize what our country was founded upon. Antifa has sprung up in many city streets, and started looking and acting like a domestic branch of ISIS.

Are we headed for dark days? Maybe. Will American blood be spilled the day after the election? I really hope not. Our country has always stood as a beacon of freedom and hope. We have allowed power to shift every two to four years - peacefully. Always. If that changes in 2020, I doubt we will get the genie back into the bottle. If blood is spilled on November 4th, this country will enter a very dark period, for a long, long time to come.   

 

 

The great gun grab of 2020

"That is it for now folks. If you are a new gun owner, please be responsible with it. Take some gun training. Learn how to property store your weapon(s). Go to the range and become skilled." 

Good morning folks. Bit R. Clinger here. The Bird asked me to sub for him today, as he has some family duties. Besides all of which, this article is about firearms, a subject I am well versed on.

Many have already heard this fact. Gun sales in 2020 are through the roof. Like breaking records with abandon. How so? The FBI reported that in June alone, 3.9 million background checks were performed. That is the most since the FBI started keeping records on background checks 22 years ago. In fact, three months in 2020 have seen over 3 million background checks. Gun sales are so brisk, some areas of the country are reporting shortages of firearms as well as ammo. Who do we have to thank for this? Many are saying Biden, Beto, Harris and Sanders.

But there is an odd twist on this story. This week in the Epoch Times, it was reported that in the past three months, one out of nine Democrats have bought a firearm. No - wait. Democrats? They hate guns! They hate the Second Amendment! Well - maybe not all of them. With at least over 10% of the base now owning firearms, and enjoying their Second Amendment rights, this "pet rock" issue of Beto's might be going bye-bye. And if the Democrats keep pushing for gun control, I see a whole new wave of "walk away" Democrats coming our way.

But, wait! What if the Democrats start shooting at us? The citizens and patriots? Hopefully that will never happen. In fact, we don't even want to venture down that road. If they did however, we also have Second Amendment rights. What we really want however, is having gun owning Democrats realize they are in the wrong party. They should be in the party of freedom. The party of liberty. The party of opportunity. The party of natural, God given rights. In other words - the party of us.

Gun grabbers are all over the place. They are in local, state and federal government. Left unchecked, they WILL take our guns. It is up to us to have massive numbers of firearm owners who are willing to take a stand for the Second Amendment. It still is "We the people" in this country, not "us in government". 

That is it for now folks. If you are a new gun owner, please be responsible. Take some gun training. Learn how to property store your weapon(s). Go to the range and become skilled. Most of all, enjoy the freedom of owning a firearm. In this country, we can own firearms legally.

The best bumper sticker I have seen this month states "The Second Amendment - the first homeland security". Can I get an amen to that? Bit R. Clinger here, over and out, for now. 

  

9/11 Responders: From Heroes to Goats

"What your brothers and sisters did on 9/11 will never be forgotten by us. Not now, not ever. We will never forget."  

Today is Patriot's Day. No Obama - it is not "A Day of Service", that you tried to rename this day to. It is a day for many of us, the raw emotion of that day 19 years ago, is revisited. We remember who did this to us, and why. Even though the PC crowd would love us just to sing kumbaya, put "COEXIST" bumper stickers on our cars, and be one big happy family - many of us still look at Muslims with a jaundiced eye. Will it always be that way? Maybe.

Of all the sadness on that tragic day, the part which really sticks in my gut were the loss of the first responders. Young men and women, who ran to the danger, instead of away from it. Heroes all, who knew that long and smoky trip up the stairs of the twin towers might be their last trip. And for many it was.

I remember hearing that when first tower fell, and took so many responders with it, the shear weight of the tower pulverized many who were still in there. Sometimes a piece of someone was found, on which a DNA sample could be run. Other times, people just became part of the dust which covered Manhattan for such a long period of time. No - these responders were a special breed of heroes.

Today, a scant 19 years later, much has changed. A new tower has been built, on the same spot the twin towers once stood. The Pentagon has been repaired, and anyone who flies commercial, knows about the enhanced screening we must now all endure. But the biggest change is the most unsettling. Clueless Mayors like Bill de Blasio, is waging a war on his own cops. Making them out to be flawed people in blue - far from the heroes they really are. He has defunded them - consequently, many have taken early retirement or just quit. The once fine NYPD, are now spit upon, yelled at, and even shot at by protesters. 

It is not just New York. These men and women of blue, the bravest of the brave, are being treated worse than second class citizens. Not by all of us - no way! Once you get outside the cities, cops are treated the same way they always have been. They protect and serve us, and we appreciate that. True citizens and patriots, have their cop's backs. If our cops get in a jam and need help, it is us who will protect them. No, the relationship with law enforcement out here in the hinterland, is for the most part, excellent.

But in the bowels of the cities, the big blue cities, run by socialists Mayors, in states headed up by socialist Governors, they cannot get rid of their cops fast enough. In the la-la land also known as the Twin Cities, many in the local government want to replace cops with social workers. Why? Because these cities are now run by idiots. Net result? Big city cops all over the country - are leaving. Cops ranging all the way from beat cops to the Chief. Meanwhile, crime in most big blue cities is off the charts. One travels into a big city now at their own peril.

For those in law enforcement who might read this post, thank you. That does not just come from me, it comes from most of us. We are sorry some of the mutts in the big cities treat you as poorly as they do. They are the minority, we are the majority. What your brothers and sisters did on 9/11 will never be forgotten by us. Not now, not ever. We will never forget.  

Shrinking Minneapolis

"This summer, as the city has been looted and burned, people who could, left. For sale signs were everywhere in Minneapolis. Companies were considering their options on relocation." 

The year - 1950. Minneapolis is a boom town. Not quite the size of her bigger siblings out east, but hey - a bit over 500,000 was nothing to sneeze at! Skyscrapers, streetcars, beautiful houses on avenues like Park, Portland and Chicago - plus jobs galore. The University of Minnesota was an incubator to produce well paying jobs in the region. Out at Metropolitan Stadium, one could watch the Minneapolis Millers (with Willie Mays for a while), play other small town teams. The Minneapolis Lakers played basketball downtown. Plus the team even had a scrawny, yet feisty kid on it name Bud Grant. Like was good in the Mill City. It was a great place to live and raise a family.

In the 1960's, the city was so safe, I would often ride the bus downtown either by myself or with buddies. I would visit my mother at the Dayton's building, where she worked part time. Dayton's Donaldson's, Penny's - all must do stops when I was downtown. Once in a while, my mother would even take me out to lunch in Dayton's Sky Room. 

In the mid-1990's, the gleam of Minneapolis had lost some of its luster. The population had shrunk to about 370,000. The good life had been calling from the burbs. Better schools, less crime, and bigger yards and houses. PLUS - many corporations were still located in Minneapolis - just a hop, skip and short drive away from the homes in suburbia. The people in the metro area could have their cake and eat it too. Live in the burbs like Ozzie and Harriet, and then go to work in Minneapolis during the day. Living the dream!

Flash forward to today. 2020, which is 70 years from 1950, the Mill Cities heyday. The city is a mess. True, the population is higher (425,000) than it was in the 1990's, but still almost 20% less than it was in 1950. Crime, deteriorating schools, sky high taxes, socialism, social unrest, homelessness, panhandling, hollowed out neighborhoods - you get the picture. Many large corporations are now living in the burbs, along with the people who work at them. The good life, which the Mayor and City Council were try trying to sell, evaporated on Memorial Day, when George Floyd died. Now Minneapolis has gone tribal. 

This summer, as the city has been looted and burned, people who could leave - did. For sale signs were everywhere in Minneapolis. Companies were considering their options on relocation. Between the pandemic and the social unrest, traveling into Minneapolis was like going into Beirut or Mogadishu. Those of us who grew up either in Minneapolis or close to it, could not believe the change. It is like the entire city was being swallowed up in a sink hole of PC goo. 

Is there a future for Minneapolis? Not much, I'm afraid. The tribalism has developed deep roots and the politics are dark blue and deeply monolithic. The Minneapolis Police Department is being defunded, and if the City Council has their way, cops will all be replaced by social workers. The Cedar Riverside area of town looks otherworldly. The 1,500 businesses which were burned out, are still down and out. You can get mugged and suffer a beat down, at any time of day, in just about any part of the city. Many who have loved this city for decades, are now mourning.

Enough about Minneapolis. St. Paul is close behind. What purpose do these two cities serve right now? Screwing up our elections. If not for the Twin Cities, this state would be bright red every year. Maybe if we can get the population of Minneapolis back to what it was in 1950...