Our life on the end of the branch...

"The extraordinary things that Donald Trump did in his four years, I have addressed many times before. People who were not blinded by red hot hatred for Trump, could see it also. Those however, who could not let their reason triumph over their hatred, ended up on the end of the branch with saw in hand."

"It is like cutting off your nose to spite your face". Remember that expression? Now think of the fix we are in right now. Many people in 2020, voted for Joe Biden for only one reason. They could not stand those mean tweets, sent by Donald Trump. Never mind the fact our economy was booming, and we were (for the first time in forever) energy independent. So many independents and RINOs, cut off their collective noses, in spite of their collective faces. Or as the graphic shows, they were at the edge of the branch, cutting it off - from the wrong side. And once the branch was cut, we ended up with Slo Joe Biden. 

Here is my biggest concern about 2024. And please - no hate mail. I am just being honest. First, let me set the table, as I have many times before. At the start of the campaign in 2016, I was not a Trump guy. I was a Cruz guy. However, once Trump won the endorsement, I was all on board with Donald Trump beating Hillary.

Now that Donald Trump's four years are over, I think history will judge him very well. In particular, Operation Warp Speed, and the Abraham Accords. Those were beyond historic. They were game changers. Because of those two huge accomplishments, as well as others, the "pluses" on Trump's report card are big pluses. But Trump's inability to play well with others, as well as those "mean tweets", were enough to move many swing voters over to the dark side. And on that dark side of course, lives Slo Joe Biden.

Now is where I might get the hate mail. I know, I know. The election in 2020 stunk to high heaven. However to date, nothing has been proved which could change the outcome. Would I be surprised if something unnatural did pop up which would change the outcome? Not a bit. Do I think if Donald Trump ran again and won, he would once again be a game changing President? Absolutely. That being said, I don't think he should run. I think he should be a cheerleader, and a mentor, for a newer, younger version of himself. Only one who knows how to play with others a bit better than Donald Trump did.

Donald Trump did so many things which we can be thankful for. Some extraordinary, and others revealing. The most revealing thing Donald Trump did, at the cost of his re-election, was exposing how deep the Deep State really is. How many branches of government have been infected. Like the DOJ, FBI and the intelligence services. 

The extraordinary things that Donald Trump did in his four years, have addressed many times before. People who are not blinded by a red hot hatred for Donald Trump, can see it also. Those however, who could not let their reason triumph over their hatred, ended up on the end of the branch, with saw in hand.

My biggest fear if Donald Trump ran again, those same people would be on that same branch - sawing. And we could end up with Harris or Buttigieg as President. Either one could or would be a disaster. A disaster which could make this cold war much, much hotter.

     

Midnight long before midnight...

"Hang in there folks. Brighter days are coming to great us. The good news? This time of year, we don't live in Barrow, Alaska. That is all."

Barrow, Alaska. Latitude 71 degrees and some change. In the summertime, a great place to live. Solid daylight from sometime in May to sometime in August. This time of year? Depends if you like any daylight at all. When the sun sets sometime in mid November, it is gone until mid January. Total darkness. For sixty-five days. Is that bad for you? Maybe, maybe not - that is, if you have a King's ransom in Vitamin D. 

We live on the 45th parallel. Almost dead center. That is halfway between the North Pole and the Equator. Our travels have taken us down to the 5th parallel, and up to the 65th. Mine, due to business, have taken me over the Equator. Then you start going on another latitude range. In any event, one the things we learned when we were down by the 5th, was this - the days and nights stay pretty even, all year long. 

When I was stationed up in northern Maine, it got dark early in the winter time. You would get off work, go back to the barracks, change out of your uniform, and then - not much. You could go to the club and drink, if you had a TV, sit in your barracks room and watch one of two channels coming out of Bangor, or read. I chose to just read. Lots and lots of reading. The kind of reading I should have done while in college before going in the Navy.

When the sun finally started to appear in longer periods up in Maine, it was like in Minnesota. People looked better, they acted friendlier, hope was once again in the air. Spring is a time of renewal and refreshment. Some places, the further north you do, spring can become very short. Further south, spring can become a much longer season. But the daylight - oh, do I miss the daylight! The cold, the snow, I don't like - but I can endure. But the darkness - that is a different story, all-together.

I know, I know. Our planet got its tilt, from "something", millions of years ago. That 23 degree tilt gives us our seasons, as well as for some, our very LONG seasons. But it is what is is. Last night when we left for our church small group meeting at 6:15pm, it was like leaving at midnight. Left at dark, came home at dark. When I got up today to make coffee, it was still dark. Why bring this up? We are less than a month from Winter Solstice. That means, this time next month, the days will start getting longer. Maybe by only minutes a day, but longer. 

Hang in there folks. Brighter days are coming to great us. The good news? This time of year, we don't live in Barrow, Alaska. Sunrise would be a long way off. That is all, and that is enought.

 

Ceding Territory

"There are many, many more issues that are resting in the Republican camp right now. The Democrat machine has self destructed, with little or no help from the Republicans. The red team just stood out of the way, and watched the blue team implode." 

For many a year in the past, education has been a pet rock, owned by the Democrats. They really owned it. They still own the teacher's union - although, the stock in that ownership has plummeted as of late. Why bring this up? Looking out over the landscape, the issues which really matter to the American people, have become firmly stocked in the Republican's bunker. Education is only one of them. Maybe a brief glimpse should be in order right now:

Education - It is a mess in our country right now, and the Republicans know it. However, the scales really started to tip when CRT became a topic in many school districts. Once parents found out how toxic that subject is, many parents flooded to school board meeting to protest. What was the response by our Democrat President? He unleashed the FBI on those parents, treating them like "domestic terrorists". All of a sudden, education became a huge Republican issue to run on. Remember Virginia?

Covid - Slo Joe ran on Covid. Said (unlike Trump), he would be the "Covid President". Really? What has Slo Joe done? I mean Donald Trump was the champion of Project Warp Speed, which has saved hundreds of thousands of lives. Under Biden's leadership, more people have died under his watch, than under Trump's watch. Huh? Yes, check out the southern border. Letting all kinds of illegals in the country, from all over the place. Untested, and infected. Every variant known to man has come over the southern border. And now Omicron might be coming. Well played Slo Joe. Covid once again, this will be a giant Republican issue.

Law and Order - Never been a Democrat stronghold. Now it is even more of a Republican issue. Why? Seen the smash and grabs as of late? The crime stats in most cities? Carjackings in Minneapolis? Solid red - almost a dayglow red issue in 2022.

Immigration - You are kidding, right? Seen the southern border? Listened to the bald headed Cuban who runs DHS? We are been invaded right now. Over 2 million new illegals under Biden. This is ALL on Biden. Again - another dayglow red issue for 2022. 

Energy - We have gone from energy independent, to on our knees, begging OPEC for more oil. Why? Biden's love for the Squad. Every voter who goes to the pump knows only one thing - Biden, YOU DID THIS! Huge issue for Republicans in 2022.

There are many, many more issues that are resting in the Republican camp right now. The Democrat machine has self destructed, with little or no help from the Republicans. The red team just stood out of the way, and watched the blue team implode. That being said, in 2022 Republicans need to do two things - 1) Put up excellent candidates and 2) run each race like they are 10 points behind, instead of being 40 points ahead. If we do that, we should be able to paint the town (and the country), red. 

 

Et tu Mu? And now Omicron too?

"Hang on tight folks. We are (once again), in uncharted waters. Will this be the long feared Captain Tripps variant? Another Delta variant? The Grinch who will steal yet another Christmas from us? Or just a nothing burger? Stay tuned. We are all learning together."

Maybe this Covid - 19 really is the doomsday virus after all. Why do I say that? It has a growing number of variants, and also "mutations". It seems like every time a new version of this thing comes along, the docs say it is more transmittable, and more deadly. It just seems like yesterday, the Mu variant was going to be the next big killer. It was going to eclipse the Delta variant, which as we all know by now, has turned 2021 deadlier than 2020 (for Covid -19).

This new kid on the block, this Omicron variant, really has the medical people scrambling right now. Starting out in South Africa, if not contained early, this could spread like wildfire - worldwide. So far, little is known about this strain. We do know it spreads fast, and hits young people hard. Other than that, it is a huge unknown. The fear that some in the medical community have, is this might be the virus known as Captain Tripps, from the Steven King  novel, The Stand.

There is a couple bits on irony in this new variant. The first, is the name - Omicron. Two Greek letters were skipped over. Nu, because the namers did not want Nu to be confused with "new" - as every variant is new. The other Greek letter skipped was Xi. I think most of us can figure that one out. 

The other bit of irony was when Covid first erupted on the scene. Then President Donald Trump wanted to protect our population from an outbreak of Covid happening in Africa. So he banned flights coming in from Africa. Then candidate Biden, excoriated Trump. Called him a racist, for banning brown and black people from coming here. Flash forward to today. Now President Biden has just done the same thing. Flights from eight countries from southern Africa, will be banned from coming here, starting on Monday. 

One more minor tidbit. During a Presidential debate in 2020, Joe Biden called out the number of deaths from Covid. Said they were all Trump's fault. That someone with that big of a death count (on his watch), did not deserve to be President. Flash forward to today. The death count in 2021 is higher than in 2020. Joe Biden is President. Does that mean Biden does not deserve to be President (using Biden's own words)? Just asking a friend...

Hang on tight folks. We are (once again), in uncharted waters. Will this be the long feared Captain Tripps variant? Another Delta variant? The Grinch who will steal yet another Christmas from us? Or just a nothing burger? Stay tuned. We are all learning together.

   

More selective outrage from the top dog...

"Here is the bottom line Joe. Every American's life should matter to you. Born or unborn. White or non-white."

The verdict is in from the Arbery trial. I watched part of it on TV. First off, the three guys who murdered this young man, were morons. Period. And cold blooded killers. Watching them testify, especially the son, was very telling. This "citizen's arrest", for something this young man may or may not have done, went very, very wrong. It became a hunt. When the jury came back with their verdict, it really should have surprised no one. It did not surprise me.

Our accidental President, vacationing at his billionaire buddies house for Thanksgiving, managed to swallow his lobster bisque long enough to weigh in. His words, something like, "Good, but we have more work to do". What exactly does that mean Slo Joe? Most of us were outraged that a young man was killed. More work on what? When young black men are killed by other young black men? How about when some white folk are killed by black folk? Nary a peep from Uncle Joe on that one.

I have never seen anyone in Washington, who has more selective outrage than this guy. As the saying goes, he is a piece of work. Plus he is a hypocrite and a phony. But that is for another day. I have already addressed how "Six pack Joe" is staying in a billionaire's mansion this weekend. 

Joe's selective outrage is on display, live and in color, every time there is black on black carnage in Chicago. All of a sudden - the cat has Joe's tongue. In Joe's twisted mind, America is a highly racist state, and it is only white people of privilege, white supremacists, who go around killing innocent black folk. Really? In which world, Joe? What about when innocent white cops are ambushed by some people of color? Or not of color? Where is your outrage Joe? Not happening. 

Here is the bottom line Joe. Every American's life should matter to you. Born or unborn. White or non-white. MLK Joey - remember his words? As President, you should at least try to be a bit color blind. But you are not. Everything you see is in a prism of race. As for you selective outrage - just keep it to your self. It is not helpful. It only divides us further. Or - maybe that is your plan. It sure was with your former boss, BHO. He was a master it. 

Thank you Joe! (not)

"Anyhow, enjoy your drive to grandma's house tomorrow for Thanksgiving. Bring extra money in case you need to fill your tank. One of the things I will be thankful for this year, is November of 2022 just over 11 months away."

Did you hear the good news yesterday? At long last, a glimmer of hope. Just in time for Thanksgiving! What? What? What is it? Our President, who really has his finger on the pulse of our energy woes, has authorized the release of 50 million barrels of oil from our Strategic Petroleum Reserve. But what is the Strategic Petroleum Reserve anyhow? For that information, we need to get into our way back machine, and travel into the past. 

Our Strategic Petroleum Reserve was established in the early 1970's, after the OPEC oil embargo. It is located in Louisiana and Texas, and contained about 600 million barrels of oil. It was to be used only in times of emergency. Hint: This is not an emergency. That is, unless you consider Biden's slumping poll numbers to be an emergency. Even though some dribs and drabs have been tapped from this reserve in the past, this 50 million barrels is the largest since we established the reserve. 

Two things. First, 50 million barrels is a mere "drop in the bucket". It might have made a few cents difference for a few days. Or not. Second, as soon as we announced the release, OPEC raised the price of their oil. Sneaky like buggers, aren't they? But here we are again, just like in the days of Jimmy Carter. We have gone from being the masters of our own destiny, to on our knees, begging OPEC. Well played Joe Biden! And you had the gall to stand up in front of the press corps and LIE again. Telling us it is NOT your clean energy crapola which is causing our gas prices to surge. Do you really think we are that stoopid? 

The frosting on the cake, was when our Energy Secretary, Jennifer Granholm, was asked how many barrels of oil we use a day. No clue. Nada. It was like asking a chef how much flour is used in a recipe, and then the chef asking you what flour is. I mean, come on man! I mean Jennifer! We don't expect you to know everything about energy in this country, but that question was about as basic as it gets.

Here is the irony. Even though most, if not all of us know this, I am going to repeat it again anyhow. Under Donald Trump, we were energy independent. We had so much energy, we became a net exporter of energy. Then for reasons known to only a few, Joe Biden gets into office and kills our Golden Goose. Why? Is it because he is an idiot? Or is he a Manchurian Candidate? Or what is he? A normal President would have NEVER done this to us. NEVER!!!

Anyhow, enjoy your drive to grandma's house tomorrow for Thanksgiving. Bring extra money in case you need to fill your tank. One of the things I will be thankful for this year, is November of 2022 just over 11 months away. We just need to hang on for dear life until election day cometh.     

Wither law and order?

"The vast majority of people in this country, find our current lawlessness environment abhorrent. To defend the crooks and demean our cops - is a loser for sure." 

I know it might sound a bit trite to castigate the blue donkey party, as being the party of lawlessness. So I won't. I believe that deep down, they don't see themselves as being the party of lawlessness. All I would ask of them, is to stop acting like it. When you look out on the horizon and see the "smash and grab" mob robberies, the car jackings by young thugs, the skyrocketing rates of murder, rapes and assaults, one might wonder what the what is going on with our country.

One of the Squad members, Rashida Taleb (D-MI) was being interviewed on a cable station yesterday. The day after the rampage in her neighboring state of Wisconsin. The day after a man with a 50 page rap sheet, who should have been in jail for life, killed five innocents and hurt scores other - just because. Anyhow, Taleb's timing was perfect. She is advocating to have all federal prisoners freed from jail. Huh? Why? 

"Get rid of the cops! Defund the police! Replace the police with social workers and violence de-escalators! Empty out the jails!" Up from the madding crowd, those shrill chants come. Meanwhile, all hell is braking loose in many of our large blue cities. Do you want something? Just take it. Don't like someone? Just beat the crap out of that person. Want someone's car? It's yours. Enjoy the ride. Welcome to the world of equity instead of equality. The world of lawlessness, instead of lawfulness. Also known as Joe Biden's America.

What happened in Wisconsin is a perfect example of the dark heart. This man, for reasons known only to him, decided to knowingly mow down some innocent people with a car. No Beto, this was not a gun crime. This type of crime, is an increasing way to cause mass casualties, mayhem, and chaos. Death by car. Not gun - by car. If hate and killing is in your heart, there are almost an infinite amount of ways to hurt or kill someone. This 38 year old thug, who should have been in prison, decided to use a car to carry out his dastardly task. It could have been a gun, a knife, a bomb, a hammer, whatever. This guy decided to use a car. 

If the Democrats were smart (I know, I know - I said "if"), they would hop on the law and order bandwagon before the 2022 elections. The vast majority of people in this country, find our current lawlessness environment abhorrent. To defend the crooks and demean our cops - is a loser for sure. 

We need to edify and support our law enforcement. "Broken window" policing needs to be the law of the land. If we want our law and order to be dictated by roving war lords, we are close to that now. We are on the edge of dystopia, maybe just a nudge away from a total free for all form of mayhem. Is this the world any sane person wants to live in? I sure don't.

  

  

Fed up with the Fed?

"Even though most agree that both parties have been guilty of blowing up the deficit and debt, this current administration is the one who is really taking us for a ride. We have given so much to so many, it is almost impossible to get people to come back to work."

Big news! (Not really). Slo Joe wants Jerome Powell for another four years as Fed Chair. I would not take that job for a million bucks right now. Why not? It is the devil and the deep blue sea thing. Keep the rates low, and lose any chance to curb inflation. With more money chasing fewer goods, all the Fed can do is watch the printing presses go wild. Monetize, monetize, monetize. Biden's approval ratings continue to go south, as the minions need to may more and more every month - for less and less.

Or - Powell can start to raise interest rates. I mean, heck - they have been close to zero for just about forever. When that happens, we can kiss our 3% mortgages goodbye. We will however, start to see a few dollars of interest in our savings accounts - instead of just pennies. But as many of us know, who have taken a lick of business back in our school days, there is another much darker side to interest rates going up. Financing our debt. 

Back in the day when our debt was very manageable, a few ticks up in the interest rate didn't bother many folks. It was just noise. Today however, with our national debt approaching $30 trillion (yes, it is that high), the interest to service our debt is expected to eclipse $1 trillion/year by 2030. However, if we pass Build, Back Bankrupt, and/or if the Fed raises interest rates even a smidge, the cost to service our debt will be out of sight - not out of mind.

Even though most agree that both parties have been guilty of blowing up the deficit and debt, this current administration is the one who is really taking us for a ride. We have given so much to so many, it is almost impossible to get people to come back to work. But who cares? I don't mind waiting 15 minutes in line for a $12 Big Mac. 

We need an adult in charge right now who will remind us of the facts (economically) of life. This charade has got to end. It is killing our country. Hint: Our almost dementia ridden octogenarian is not the one to do it. 

Hang on folks. The ride going forward might be a bit rough. 

Sullying Space

"Guess what? You can't just call a hazmat crew, to come and clean this mess up. There is no space 'vacuum cleaner' to use. No 'clean up on aisle four'. Through their reckless abandon and foolishness, the Russians have created a real mess in outer space."

As most of us know by now, the Chinese are doing an excellent job in adding carbon to our atmosphere. Why? Reality. They are power poor in some parts of that giant country. To prevent anymore brownouts and blackouts, the ruling elite of China have decided to deep-six the cleanup agreements they made during the Paris Accord as well as COP 26. 

Like, now the Chinese may not be "carbon neutral" until 2060 - instead of 2050. They are also planning to build another 43 new coal fired power plants and 18 new coal powered blast furnaces. And their coal burning technology is nowhere near as "clean" as ours is. But who cares? It is China, and they are calling the shots. Meanwhile, Slo Joe is making this country more energy poor by the day. Making coal a four letter invective.

But enough about Mother Earth. We can all agree that China is putting "the turd in the punch bowl" down here? How about outer space? Can we at least find peace and cleanliness if we all lived on a space station, and escape this carbon hotspot? Nope. Not even close. Seems the Russians are up to their pesky tricks (again). By the way - what is it about these Commies? Can't they ever behave? If not the Chinese making out air dirty, it is the Russians now making outer space dirty.

Wait - how? Russia wanted to show off its new satellite killing technology. Like big deal - we have that also. But the Russians (as usual), threw caution to the wind and launched a "live round" into space. It hunted down a dummy satellite, and then blew it up. Success! Right? Not really. The satellite which was blown up, went from one piece, to a zillion. All floating around in space, ready to puncture holes in other satellites or even the ISS. How dumb was that? Very, very dumb.

Guess what? You can't just call a hazmat crew, to come and clean this mess up. There is no space "vacuum cleaner" to use. No "clean up on aisle four". Through their reckless abandon and foolishness, the Russians have created a real mess in outer space. What has our President said about this? Not much. Why not? Beats me.

This is our landscape, going into 2022. As we get poorer, the Commies do better. Instead of America first, like under Donald Trump, it is America chumps under Biden. The leadership vacuum created by our last election, has turned into a real windfall for Russia and China. Why? As the saying goes, "sand fills an open hole quickly". And with Biden, we have a huge open hole.

Turkey Day cometh!

"Thanksgiving is one my favorite times of the year. The house develops an aroma of many different delicious things, all cooking or baking at once. A roaring fire is going in the hearth, and football is on the TV from late morning until late at night."

The great Thanksgiving turkey scare is about over! Not enough turkeys will be available, especially in the 10-12 pound range. What did we find out? It was all rubbish. Especially in these parts. Minnesota is one of the largest turkey producers in the country. Maybe the world. My wife and I had no problem finding a right sized turkey this year - and at last year's prices. In fact, two of the stores we visited had turkeys, many different weights, for less than a buck a pound. One store gave out a free 10 pounder, if you also bought an expensive ham. 

Unlike last year, when my wife and I did not have a kitchen, AND we had the Covid scare, we should be able to have a normal Thanksgiving this year. We have invited both daughters, and my wife's sister and hubby. Not a super huge gathering, but compared to last Thanksgiving, when it was just my wife and myself, eating a crock pot turkey breast in our makeshift temporary kitchen, it will be grand!

What do we have to be thankful for this year? If I were to list all of the items, this article would be much, much too long. Even with a cloudy political climate, and a stubborn pandemic which has overstayed its welcome, our blessings are bountiful. This is the one time of year, that many of us really focus in on our blessings. It is something I should do more frequently, but I am guilty of not doing it often enough.

Thanksgiving is one my favorite times of the year. The house develops an aroma of many different delicious things, all cooking or baking at once. A roaring fire is going in the hearth, and football is on the TV from late morning until late at night. Libation, laughter, chit chat, and fun are always on the docket.

Thanksgiving is the start of most people's Yuletide season. It is the last day before Black Friday starts by hitting the "go" button. It is when "shop till you drop" starts in earnest. Yes, the most wonderful time of the year, will start with a bang.

Right now, our turkey is in the fridge, starting the slow process of thawing. On Wednesday, we will cook the turkey, and then de-bone it. On Thursday, it will be ready for its final warm-up, as the hard part of prepping the bird will be behind us. The only bad part of cooking the bird on Wednesday, is the aroma. It is a tease for the senses, as on Wednesday, we only get the smell, with none of the taste!

Here is hoping that everyone has a normal and fun Thanksgiving this year. We deserve it after the year most of us have put in. Not to mention once again, we did not have much of a Thanksgiving last year. So this year - lets make the most of it. Family, friends, food and fun. It does not get any better than that!

  

Problem Solvers?

"Who are the real Problem Solvers? The voters. We need to rid our land of these thieves. Vote them out of office, never to return." 

Heard about the Problem Solvers Caucus? Our own Dean Phillips, one of the pretenders in today's Congress, is a member of that caucus. It is made up of 58 Congressional members, equally divided between Republican and Democrat. They have been around since January 2017, and their motto is, "Break the Gridlock." How is that working out? How did that work on the "all-nighter" to get the Build, Back Better pile of goo through the House? Let's check the numbers, shall we?

Of the 29 Democrats in the bi-partisan Problem Solvers, every one of them voted for this budget buster. Even Dean Phillips, who as an heir to cheap vodka, should know SOMETHING about business and numbers. But no - Dean and the rest of the Democrat Problem Solvers are just doing this as a charade. To see how many Republicans they can get to woo, and develop round heels, to fold on bloated legislation. 

Of the 29 Republicans in the bi-partisan Problem Solvers, every one of them voted NO. Good for them! In fact, every Republican in the House voted NO! Every Democrat, except one from Maine, voted YES. Why is this vote so telling? The CBO had just come out with findings which said "budget gimmicks were used by the authors of the bill, to make it look 'paid for'". It is not. It will explode the debt. Knowing that, the sheeple in the Democrat House, still voted for it. Including all the "Problem Solvers".

Here is the bottom line. There are no Democrats who want to be Problem Solvers. That train has left the station over a decade ago. Plus - that is not in their DNA. Today, we have AOC, Bernie, and the rest of the commies, who want to take our nation down the rathole of socialism. 

Now that this multi-trillion dollar pile of socialism has passed the House, it is up to only a couple of Democrats, who have not yet been brainwashed, to save the day. If they fold and vote for this thing, we are cooked. We will be like Humpty Dumpty after his great fall. Nobody could put him back together again. 

Who are the real Problem Solvers? The voters. We need to rid our land of these thieves. Vote them out of office, never to return. For Minnesota, Dean Phillips is one who really needs to go. Dean can go back to being a vodka tester for the company he has interest in. For the rest of us, we need Congressmen and women (and Senators), who know how to balance a budget. 

Justice? Or injustice?

"Only in Washington, ruled by the Deep State, could someone like Chansley be overcharged, and have that overcharge result in a conviction."

I bet you thought I was going to address the Kyle Rittenhouse trial. But I am not. In that case, the jury has spoken. Agree or disagree with the outcome, the jury has spoken. I am sad that some people had to die, but the jury reached the right conclusion. Would I have brought a loaded AR-15 into that tinderbox that night? Absolutely not. For reasons that I might have had a similar outcome. My folks always told me when I was growing up, "trouble is always there if you go looking for it." In the case of Kenosha, WI last summer - there was plenty of trouble to go around.

No, the injustice I want to address this morning is that of Jacob Chansley, also known as the "QAnon Shaman". He has been treated worse than John Dillinger for what happened on January 6th. And what did happen on January 6th? The temple the Democrats worship in, was violated. Only most Americans don't see the Capitol Building as a worship center. We see it as the People's House. Where a bunch of lifer statists, think they rule this nation like Oligarchs.

Now I am not going to condone what happened on January 6th. I will agree, the patriots who came to Washington for that event had the right to be heard. They had the right to gather outside the Capitol Building. They even had the right to enter the Capitol building, only not by force. In any event, many who were arrested have not been treated very well (according to leaked reports). Kept in a cell 23 out of 24 hours a day. Like they were hardened thugs, instead of patriots, who did something unwise and foolish.

Nobody got shot (except one of the patriots), nobody got murdered (except the patriot who was shot by Capitol Police), nobody got robbed (except a missing laptop or two), and nothing got torched inside the building. But - according to the statist Democrats who worship in this shrine, January 6th was the worse thing our country has been through since World War II. Or was it, the Civil War? Or was it when the British burned down the Capitol during the War of 1812? Or was it worse than when the asteroid wiped out the Dinos? In any event, according to Pelosi and Biden, this was BAD!

Jacob Chansley was finally sentenced this past week. 3 1/2 years, with time served. This Navy Vet, who was honorably discharged, who does have some mental health issues, had the book thrown at him. Not a tongue lashing. Not only probation. Some real hard time, usually reserved for hard core felons. 

The Democrat's shrine has been restored to what it was. More socialist legislation continues to ooze out of the House chambers (hello, Build, Back Better). And useless idiots like Adam Schiff, continue to to after former President Trump and his associates. Again, no harm to foul by Jacob Chansley. Only in Washington, ruled by the Deep State, could someone like Chansley be overcharged, and have that overcharge result in a conviction.

If someone asks me about the injustice which happened last week, I will immediately respond with the injustice of Jacob Chansley. That is the only injustice I saw last week. How about you? 

 

Yet another bad week....

"Today, Biden goes in for his annual physical. Love to be a fly on the wall for that one. Especially during the cognitive test. How is he going to pass it? The docs at Walter Reed will lie for him, just like before."

Poor old Slo Joe. He can't seem to catch a break. I am trying to feel for this guy, but it is hard. Why? Most everything bad which have happened to him, have been due to self inflicted wounds. Due to his dark heart of hatred. Hatred for Donald Trump.

Biden had the chance to be just a "do nothing" President, and allow the Trump successes to continue. Inflation would have been better, the southern border would have been better, Afghanistan would have been better, this approval rating would have been better - just to name a few.

What about this past week? How has that gone? Let's take a peek, shall we?

• Approval Poll - How is Joe doing as of late? Last week, his approval number was 38%. That is beyond terrible. But this week, it lost another digit. It is now 37%. And his Veep? Lower than low. Lower than Joe. They are about the same as OBL on his best day. 
• Build, Back Better - How do you say "DOA" in Washington speak? Ms. Nance will have the vote on this budget buster sometime today. It will probably pass the House, although is should not. It will then go to the Senate and die. Why? The CBO has released their findings. As most with a brain have suspected, this thing DOES NOT pay for itself. It will add trillions to out debt. But who cares, right? Yellen will just monetize more of our debt (again). 
• Inflation - Highest rate in 31 years. And before everything is said and done, it could go even higher. What have the nitwits who work in Biden's cabinet said about this major problem? Just ignore it - it will go away. It is only transitory. The problem is people like Steve Ratner, one of Obama's financial best gurus, have come out and tagged Biden with the loss. Not only is inflation Biden's fault, but it is also NOT transitory. To quote the Clinton team - "It's the economy stupid!"
• Covid Vaccinations - Biden's vaccine mandate seems to hit a wall this past week. Not only have the courts put a stay on it, but also OSHA has come out and said it is not kosher. With 1/3 of the country deciding not to be vaccinated, that is how that number will probably stay. As it should be. My body, my choice - right? Been hearing that for decades from the abortion loving left. In addition, our medical community are starting to rethink how "bulletproof" this vaccine really makes you. The number of "breakthrough" cases have been jaw dropping. And the boosters? Are we in for twice a year shots, which may or may not help? Right now, we have more questions than answers.
• Southern Border - A caravan of 10,000 is on the way, and expected to arrive in the near future. Border states have activated everyone possible to help stem this tide. Our crazy Cuban who is running (ruining) DHS was hauled in front of Congress again to lie, lie, and lie again. The fact we have a couple million more illegals running around this country this year, is 100% on Biden (and Mayorkas).

Today, Biden goes in for his annual physical. Love to be a fly on the wall for that one. Especially during the cognitive test. How is he going to pass it? The docs at Walter Reed will lie for him, just like before. For if they told the truth about Biden, Article 25 of the Constitution would come to life, and fast. Then we would have the Veep, with approval numbers in the 20's to contend with. Oh, joy. 

How is that BBS coming?

"Two things most Americans detest, are debt and inflation. With Biden, we got plenty of both. How bad? Real bad. There is no betting person in Washington, who thinks the BBS deal has a prayer in getting through the Senate."

BBS? What the what? One of the Republican Congressmen from Florida has renamed Biden's Build, Back Better  program to be "Build, Back Stupid" - or just plain BBS. I like it! This is the week that Ms. Nancy might have a vote on this pile of goo in the House. Who would vote for this thing, without having the CBO scorecard done yet? Easy question. In Minnesota, pawns like Omar, McCollum, Dean Phillips, and Angi Craig will vote for it. Does not matter this bill is nonsense and dangerous. So much for the Problem Solvers Caucus, right Dean? They will vote for it because they are tools of the Democrat Party. Not problem solvers, tools. They are just bodies, with very little intellect, always pulling the level called "blue".

Steve Ratner, another one of Obama's financial wizards, had weighed in on this BBS deal. He wrote an op/ed in the NYT, where he excoriated the Democrats. Said they were responsible for the current wave of inflation. AND - if this BBS plan is passed, it will only make inflation worse. Larry Sommers, another Obama financial guy from the past, thinks Biden's American Rescue Plan was even more inflationary than the BBS plan will be. In other words, the American Rescue Plan is responsible for much of today's inflation. And that inflation is NOT transitory.

As Biden always says, "Here is the deal folks". Only this time, the "deal" is a bad deal indeed. How bad are things right now in the Democrat Party? 15 Congressmen and women have decided not to seek re-election. Why not? They can see the bloodbath coming. Biden has taken his party down a dark road into a box canyon. With Biden's approval rating in the 30's and Harris' approval rating in the 20's, there are no coattails for 2022. Only anchors and anvils.

Two things most Americans detest, are debt and inflation. With Biden, we got plenty of both. How bad? Real bad. There is no betting person in Washington, who thinks the BBS deal has a prayer in getting through the Senate. Unlike the House, there actually are one or two Democrat Senators who can think for themselves. Who are not just tools, like their Democrat counterparts in the House are. 

How is the BBS coming? Not well, if you are counting ways it can be signed into law. If you are counting on it passing the House, very well, thank you. But under Ms. Nancy, pink unicorns as our national symbol could pass the mind numbed robots in the House. Once we boot Ms. Nancy in 2022, the House can go back to governing like Article 1 in our Constitution mandates. November of 2022 cannot come soon enough. 

Liar, liar, pants on fire!

"And here is the obscene part of this tort of law. If one of us ordinary folks perjured ourselves on a federal witness stand, or lied to the FBI, Garland's Justice Department would go after us hammer and tong. Welcome to Biden's America. May we all be able to survive the next three plus years."  

As of late, lying has become an art form. Not just little lies, big lies, told under oath. I guess that is called perjury, and has some serious legal consequences attached to it. I have thought this for some time now. Perpetual liars, such as our current President, have lied so much in their careers, that lying has become almost a norm. In other words, they can't separate truth from non-truth. It becomes "okay" to lie. 

It is one thing to lie to the American public about 1) saying you are a moderate and a uniter, and then once elected, being just the opposite, 2) telling people a gargantuan bill which contains one of the biggest tax increases in history, will not raise their taxes (and will), or 3) telling the American people everyone got out of Afghanistan during the retreat, when that was not true - and on the other hand, to lie under oath. This lying under oath thing, is particularly troublesome.

Dr. Fauci. "America's doctor." The Marcus Welby of 2020 and 2021. The man, who under oath, has been questioned by Congress, about his NIH organization helping to fund "gain of function" research with the Wuhan Lab in China. Senator Paul has known Fauci has been lying about this most important subject. In fact, Rand Paul has reminded Fauci he is under oath, and to tell the truth. No biggie - Fauci just continued to lie. Now we have the evidence to know the NIH helped fund the Wuhan Lab. Why is this important? The "gain of function" research which Fauci's organization help finance, could very well be responsible for this horrible virus which has killed more than 700,000 Americans. 

Then we have our Attorney General. What a piece of work this guy is. Under oath, he has been questioned by both the House and Senate about unleashing the FBI on parents who have been vocal with school board officials during school board meetings. Merrick Garland, under oath, denied that accusation - several times. Then, just recently, a "whistleblower" came forward with emails which show Garland not only knew about this, but also directed using the Patriot Act to go after Moms and Dads with kids in school. The Patriot Act! To be used for terrorists only. Now used on concerned citizens with kids in school! SMH.

As kids, when someone was caught lying, we would chant, "Liar, liar, pants on fire!" As adults, when someone lies under oath, the handcuffs should come out, and charges should be pressed. We really need to have some of these violators of the public trust, to do the perp walk.

To think, this person, the head of our law and order system, was even considered to be a Supreme Court Justice - send chills up and down my spine. Garland should be immediately fired and then charged. But who will do that? Biden? He is just as bad. Liars don't recognize other liars as being liars.

As youngsters, many of our parents had to remind us to set a good example for those younger than us. Those who might look up to us as an example. When our nation's leaders are constantly at variance with the truth, sometimes under oath, what kind of a signal does that send to us? That lying is okay? Not really. It never should be. 

And here is the obscene part of this tort of law. If one of us ordinary folks perjured ourselves on a federal witness stand, or lied to the FBI, Garland's Justice Department would go after us hammer and tong. Welcome to Biden's America. May we all be able to survive the next three plus years.  

H2O, and other heady stuff

"H2O and other heady stuff. That is what we need to teach our youngins. They have hungry minds and want to learn. Time to teach them. No more failure factories. Time to hop on the 'new roads' of global opportunity. And maybe it starts with just learning about water."    

H2O. Water. Aqua. Since we had the grandies for a Covid quarantine week, I decided that First Grade was high time for the boy to stretch and grow. Since he is now into youth hocky and skates on frozen water, this was a good time to discuss just what water is. And where is a better place to start, than what it is made of. 

Sitting at the kitchen table, I asked him if he had ever heard the term H2O used for water. He had not. He had however, heard of water referred to as aqua. Some Spanish lingo taught in his charter school. But not H2O. So it was up to the old grandpa to explain that to him. But - I needed a "hook" to get him interested.

"Did you know that H2O means each bit of water (too young to explain what a molecule is), contains two parts of Hydrogen and one part of Water? With that I received a blank stare. Then came the "hook". "Guess what else has a lot of Hydrogen in it? The sun. In fact, most of the sun in made up of Hydrogen." Now he was interested. "Don't you find it interesting that both the sun and water are made up of the same stuff?" Now his wheels were starting to turn.

What is my point in all of this jibber jab? Education. How to educate young kids. A young man who recently spoke at our church is a missionary to Bosnia. He told us something interesting in a small group. The education system in Bosnia is much more taxing than ours is. More demanding. Deeper. Much more demanding that our antiquated system. Reminded me of a cruise we took to the Caribbean, when we talked to some local folks from a small island nation. They start their kids in school when they are 2 years old. This little, tiny island country. Another small island country start their kids when they are 3. By 16, the kids are done with high school, and ready for college.

Our education system is like driving an old car on new roads. An old car with bald tires and burning oil. The new roads are the global opportunities which are available to all. Education Minnesota has held our education system hostage for way too long. They are keeping too many kids off the "new roads" of opportunity. We have too many failure factories in the inner cities. Our kids can learn more, and learn more quicker. Home schooled kids do very well, thank you. As do private schooled kids. Or even Catholic schooled kids. Some government schooled kids do okay, buy many do not.

H2O and other heady stuff. That is what we need to teach our youngins. They have hungry minds and want to learn. Time to teach them. No more failure factories. Time to hop on the "new roads" of global opportunity. And maybe that journey starts with just learning about water at an early age.    

The truth about the Narrow Gates...

"Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate, and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it."

Matthew 7:13

Last night in our small group discussion, we talked about how to spread the Good News of Jesus in a "third place". Quite simply, a "third place" is not with your Christian brothers and sisters. That is your first place. It is not in your school or work place. That is your second place. Your "third place" is somewhere else. It can be of your own choosing. 

As the discussion deepened, we also touched on why it is so important to spread the Good News. For starters, it is was was commanded of us in Matthew 28: 16-20, also known as the Great Commission. It is where Jesus before he ascended into Heaven, gave us the authority to be His hands and feet. To spread the Good News. Spread it where? Everywhere. 

Why is this so important? Back to our discussion last night. Just as Matthew 7: 13 talks about the narrow gate and the wide gate, many folks today are on the path of the wide gate. This is not good - not good at all. Our job as followers of Christ, is to spread the Word to as many people as possible, as soon as possible.

There will be a day in each of our futures, where we shall come face to face with the Risen Jesus. That is true whether you believe it or not. Philippians 2: 10-11 tells us that "Every knee shall bow, and every tongue confess, that Jesus is Lord". Accepting Jesus as Lord, and confessing our sins while we are still here on Earth, is a must to get through the narrow gates. And the Lord does not want just us to go through those narrow gates - He wants us to spread the Good News so as many as possible will join us.

Being in a small group with Christian brothers (or sisters) helps me. It sharpens me. Discussions like we had last night are vital to our mission. To our growth. To grow the Kingdom. To the Glory of God Almighty.     

Build, Back Bankrupt - coming soon!

"This is it folks. The hill worth dying on. If this bill passes (please Joe Manchin, stay strong!) - we are finished as a Constitutional Republic. We are finished as country. Biden will have succeeded in his prime directive - our collective ruin."  

"This will solve all our problems. It will cure inflation. It will fix unemployment. It will be totally paid for. It will only raise taxes on the very rich and corporations. It will not add one penny to the debt. Blah, blah, blah." So sayeth the wizards of smart who work for the Biden Administration. This big pile of horse manure, might be voted on this week. Is the Administration correct?

Joe Concha, a contributor on Fox News, summed it up the best - "Nobody with an education over the 6th grade, believes any of the stuff the Administration is peddling." Or as John Barrasso coined this monster program - "Build, Back Bankrupt". Why? Because that is exactly what it will do.

Here is what this monster pile of goo will do to or for America. It will change the relationship we have with our government - forever. How so? Every day will be Dependence Day. Forget Independence Day - that is so yesterday. This will hook up the IV, going directly from Washington to each of our arms. Cradle to grave dependency. The Great Reset. Nobody will own anything, and everybody will own everything. Forget socialism - this will put us directly into a Communist utopia - sans the utopia.

It is bad enough we passed the Infrastructure Bill, which had many dollars included which had nothing to do with building anything. I could have written the bill for them. It would have been 10 pages or less, contained 100% building and upgrading projects, and cost a whole lot less money.

If you believe any of these snake oil salesmen, from Ron Klain, to Biden's inner circle, to the tools he has in his cabinet, we need to talk. Trying to sell us this needless budget buster, is like trying to sell ice to Eskimos. Biden, nor any of this people, are truth tellers. Not one of them. We don't want it, and we sure don't need it. But this is for all the marbles with the socialists who now occupy the levers of power in Washington. If this bill goes down, so does the dreams (or nightmares) of the Great Reset. 

Look at Biden's poll numbers right now. Look at Harris' poll numbers right now. The majority of Americans do not want this Build Back Bankrupt bill. The majority of Americans do not want Biden to be our President. The vast majority do not want Harris to be our anything.

This is it folks. The hill worth dying on. If this bill passes (please Joe Manchin, stay strong!) - we are finished as a Constitutional Republic. We are finished as country. Biden will have succeeded in his prime directive - our collective ruin.  

  

Covid Quarantine

"But I always remember one very important fact. And I hope many others do also. Where it came from. Who is responsible. Of that, I will never forget. China. The Communist Party of China. They did this to us. They did this to the world." 

Last week was a big week for Covid quarantine. It was all over the press. Aaron Rogers, and many of the Vikings were touched by the bug. All of sudden, the question, which should be very personal, was asked by the most shrill voices - "Have the people who have been infected been vaccinated?" Turns out, some have. But the ones who have not (like Rogers) for personal reasons, became pariahs to the left, and heroes to many in the anti-vax crowd.

We had our own experience with quarantine last week, as the school our grandies go to was shut down due to quarantine. To help out our kids, we had the grandies for a few days. I had a chance to see this "zoom learning" for the youngins. Like how much they are able to learn from looking at a screen on a PC or tablet. How much they can socialize with their peers from a distance. All I could think of were these poor kids who had to "distance learning" all schoolyear long last year. Ouch!

Here is what perplexes me - and somewhat angers me. At the beginning of the pandemic, many of the wizards of smart told us once we got to 60% vaccinated, herd immunity would set in. We were basically done with this thing. Oh, it would still be around, but due to our herd immunity, it would be tamed.

In Minnesota right now, we have over 61% fully vaccinated - a bigger number who are partially vaccinated. We also have a number of unvaccinated folks who either have natural immunity or have had Covid, and now have the antibodies. Some experts are saying between those three things (vaccinations, had Covid, or natural immunity), we as a state, are now over 80% (with immunity). So what gives?

By the way, Rogers who was not vaccinated and tested positive for Covid - is suited up to play today. The stands will be full, people sitting close to each other cheering, coughing, and spilling beer on each other. The way going to a ball game should be. Harrison Smith from the Vikings is not good to go today. I sure hope he is back next week. 

This disease has cost this country trillions of dollars. It has sicked millions, and killed in the hundreds of thousands. It has taken our normal way of life, and tossed it out the window. But I always remember one very important fact. And I hope many others do also. Where it came from. Who is responsible. Of that, I will never forget. China. The Communist Party of China. They did this to us. They did this to the world. 

 

The "New" White Supremist - Huh?

"As a footnote, Kyle Rittenhouse's mother was on the news. I have never seen a woman, a mother, look so sad and scared. However, there was also a tinge of anger in her also. Anger towards the man in the high castle who called her son a White Supremist." 

Leave it to Slo Joe. If he is not throwing gas on a fire, he is coming up with something stoopid. But this time he really stepped in it. And it could land him in lawsuit land. He referred to Kyle Rittenhouse as a "White Supremist". For those who missed the memo, "White Supremist" is the new buzz word. It has just about replaced racist, as the most used and abused word in our lexicon. But never mind. If the Commander-in-Chief calls you a "White Supremist", it must be true. Even if it is not.

Wait - what did Kyle do? Did he grab a gun and mow down a bunch of black folks? Nope. Not even close. He went into Wisconsin with the sole intent of backing up the cops. Not to loot, burn, and shoot innocent people. Just to help the cops maintain the peace.

He did end up killing two young men in self defense. WHITE MEN, Brandon! And the two who were killed were no choirboys. Not saying they deserved to die, but there is a lot more to this story than the mainstream media is portraying.

Is Kyle Rittenhouse a stone cold killer? Not hardly. Does he regret killing those two men? I am sure he wishes it never happened. But the circumstances dictated what happened that night. Like I said, the two were killed were no choirboys. They could have also prevented this tragedy. 

Who did I see on the stand? A scared kid. A regretful kid. A kid who knew his life was in danger, and needed to do something. Why was he crying? Besides being scared, he knew he had taken human life. That is something very, very few people are okay with. But he did end the life of two people, and that is what this trial is all about. It is NOT about being a "White Supremist"! If you can't say something positive or constructive Brandon, just sit down and shut up!

If I were Kyle's father, I would have counseled him not to go into Wisconsin with any kind of weapon. Even if his intentions were to have the "sixes" of the cops in the riot zone, it was not a good idea. I could convict him of having poor judgement. As for murder of these two young men he shot, it will be interesting to see how the jury reacts. The prosecution just about threw this entire trial into a mistrial, and the judge blistered the prosecution more than once. No matter how it turns out, some folks are not going to be happy.

As a footnote, Kyle Rittenhouse's mother was on the news. I have never seen a woman, a mother, look so sad and scared. However, there was also a tinge of anger in her also. Anger towards the man in the High Castle who called her son a "White Supremist". Shame on you Joe Biden. I know it is hard for you to show shame, but you should. You owe this family an apology and so much more.

  

And now a turkey shortage? What next?

"Going into 2022, we as a nation need to face our new reality. Globalization is not what as good as we were told and sold. In fact, it is fraught with risks. Donald Trump had it right. Make more stuff here. We have more energy than any other country, we raise more food, and we manufacture good stuff." 

My wife and I hit the lotto recently. Hearing reports of a looming turkey shortage, and if you can find it a turkey, it might cost a mint, we went into hyper speed in our search. Then we hit pay dirt. Seeing some turkeys at our local grocery store all costing close to $2/pound, we heard through the grapevine that WalMart had name brand turkeys for less than a buck a pound. We found a 16 pounder (perfect size for our clan) at our local WalMart, bought it, and stuck it in the freezer. A close call for a major holiday gathering.

Between the pandemic, supply chain issues, and federal governmental self inflicted wounds, we have gone from a land o' plenty, to a land of "maybe's". Maybe I can get this, maybe I need to substitute that, maybe the price has doubled since last year, maybe we can't afford to drive over 100 miles to find things. 

Turning on the news these days, has been a barrage of bad news. It has caused many of us to be very strategic in our thinking and our buying habits. Some things however, are outside of our control. If you put 100 miles on your car every week, just to go to work and back, that cost is much higher than last year. And next year, it is forecasted to be even higher. If we have a cold winter this year, the cost to heat your home is going to be a whopper this year. And if Biden shuts down Line 5 in MI, it will be even higher next winter.

Currently, we are plagued with twin supply headaches - out of stock and if in stock, prices being out of this world - high. I have told my wife since the pandemic started, and we could not find many of the items we needed, our new shopping motto needed to be this: "Buy what you can, when you can, if you can, and how you can." If this new world of supply shortages and higher prices is indeed going to be our new norm, we all need to be smarter than we were last year. Instead of being spontaneous, we need to be strategic. We need to be planners. Not just in some things - in most things.

I have heard some families have given up on having a turkey this Thanksgiving. To much uncertainty. But then what do you have? A large roast? Seen the price of beef lately? Pork roast could be okay, as the price increase in pork has not been as high as beef (at least in these parts). Up until this year, buying a turkey at any time was always the best deal. It could stretch into a big meal with lots of leftovers. But that was then, and this is now. 

In any event, Veteran's Day is now over (and it was wonderful). Next on the radar is Thanksgiving. And then Christmas shopping, although we have already been warned that many popular gifts for kids might be in short supply. 

Going into 2022, we as a nation need to face our new reality. Globalization is not what as good as we were told and sold. In fact, it is fraught with risks. Donald Trump had it right. Make more stuff here. We have more energy than any other country, we raise more food, and we manufacture good stuff. We should be okay, but now we are not. 

We don't need to have half our stuff made in China. Or sitting on dozens of container ships, waiting in a liquid parking lot outside of Long Beach or LA. We as a country, need to be smarter. And quickly.

 

Biden's mayhem from moderate Manchin

"In any event, Joe Manchin remains the burr in the saddle for Joe Biden. Good. As much of a pain Manchin is for Biden, is as much of a hero Manchin is to the normals who live here. Many of us, actually most of us, want this freak show in Washington to be over with."

Go Joe go! Not you Brandon. Just sit down and take a nap. It is hard to believe, the Union might actually be saved by - a Democrat. It has always been a mystery, when West Virginia - a big coal and gas state - could support a nut ball like Biden. Well, they really didn't. Donald Trump smoked Biden in the 2020 elections. Even with all the goofiness in the election machines, and phantom counting, Trump won the state. In fact, Trump still beat Biden by 2 to 1. Took every county. So what gives, with West Virginia having a Democrat Senator? 

Joe Manchin might just be the proverbial "turd in the punchbowl" for Biden's Build. Back Better pile of goo. A buzz kill for the socialists and progressives. Or, in the eyes of the normal citizens of this great country - an adult in a room full of children. What could Manchin possibly do to harm this deal of Biden's? Delay it. Punt. Put it off until next year, when more facts are known. For normal people, that makes a whole lot of sense. For the snake oil salesmen in the Democrat apparatchik, this is bad - read bad. 

What is known about the sausage factory in Washington is this - the light of truth, shined on transparent governance, is a good thing indeed. It is what we did not have with ObamaCare, the American Rescue Plan, the Obama Stimulus Program, and the Biden Infrastructure Bill. With these gargantuan bills, passed in the middle of the night, the devil is in the details. And many times, quite a few of those details remain unnoticed until the bills were signed into law.

I have said this before. Should Joe Manchin ever decide to "flip the switch" and become a Republican, I am sure it would be fine with the good people of West Virginia. I know some of my friends think if Manchin became a Republican, he would be moderate to RINO-ish. Maybe, maybe not. I would take that chance. All I know is this - the Senate would flip back to Republican control, and Mitch could blunt many of the things that Ms. Nancy wants to send over from the House. 

In any event, Joe Manchin remains the burr in the saddle for Joe Biden. Good. As much of a pain Manchin is for Biden, is as much of a hero Manchin is to the normals who live here. Many of us, actually most of us, want this freak show in Washington to be over with. Get the adults back in charge. Move this country forward, rather than backwards. 

Good old Joe. One is really a good old Joe, and the other is not so much. Manchin right now, has the power to remove this Sword of Damocles from hanging over our necks. The sword that Biden and his handlers put there. Go Joe go! We are pulling for you to do the right thing.   

The dilemma of rent control

"Anyone who things rent control is an easy issue to solve, is not thinking clearly. It truly is a vexing problem. What is the solution? Beats me. Smarter folks than I will have to figure this one out. As for both the renters and many of the landlords in the Twin Cities - I feel for them." 

I really feel for some of the folks who are renting in either of the Twin Cities. Mostly Minneapolis, as I am more familiar, as I have a loved one who rents there. Plus, the number of people who rent in Minneapolis is very high - over half of the residents rent. In addition, the average price of a one bedroom apartment in Minneapolis this year is very high -  $1,444. That is, if you can find a rental in Minneapolis. In addition, it price of a rental depends what area of Minneapolis you are renting in. Some areas have luxury rentals and are very expensive. Some areas have average rentals. And some areas are are way below average. 

How about the landlords? Are they guilty of squeezing folks of limited income, to get every cent they can for rent? Are there huge corporations, who are buying up rental properties to own and operate, with no regard for the people who rent them? Or are they simply people who buy rental properties, to use as extra income.

If rent control is enforced, some good things, and some bad things, could happen. It would be good (at least for a while) for renters who are living on the edge of not making it, month after month. It would be bad for the landlords who have growing expenses (especially this year), and not being able to pass those on to their renters. It would be real bad for the renters, should the landlord realize the rental property was no longer viable to use for income, and the landlord just lets it go. Then the renter would have to try and find another rental property in the shrinking, and very expensive, rental market in Minneapolis.

Other large cities have tried rent control with mixed success. Some have had problems with the lower end rentals, where people of limited means rent. Some buildings have deteriorated to such an extent, the city shuts them down. Other buildings are sadly in need of repair, but are still operating as a rental. In the high end rentals, where people of more wealth rent, it is not as large of a problem. In some areas, no problem at all. 

St. Paul recently voted on rent control. It passed. The rents are limited to increase a maximum of 3% a year. Sounds good, unless the costs to maintain the rentals go up 8% a year. Developers who are planning new rental units have contacted the city of St. Paul and told them they are putting new rental projects "on hold". On hold? Why? Rent control will make them a bad investment. In a city where rental units are already scarce, losing future rental units is a huge loss. So much so, Mayor Carter is already rethinking the boundaries of the newly passed rent control. 

Anyone who things rent control is an easy issue to solve, is not thinking clearly. It truly is a vexing problem. What is the solution? Beats me. Smarter folks than I will have to figure this one out. As for both the renters and many of the landlords in the Twin Cities - I feel for them. Both are stuck between the "devil and the deep blue sea". Not a good place to be indeed,