What ever happened to "One Minnesota"?

"One Minnesota? We are anything but. The annexation of greater Minnesota by South Dakota, cannot come soon enough."  

Mark your calendars. Today, the most egregious abortion rights law in the nation will be signed into law in Minnesota. Signed into law? By whom? By Mr. "One Minnesota". The man who promised the minions that if we re-elected him, he would be the Governor of all the people of Minnesota. Why? Because we are better when we are "one".

But wait - can we please square that circle? How can Walz govern as "One Minnesota", when half the state looks at this abortion law as tantamount to infanticide? Seems to me, when Walz signs this pile of goo, his new name should be "Half Minnesota" instead of "One Minnesota".

In the past week or so, Walz has received dozens of emails or letters, asking him, no, begging him, to veto this bill which passed the House and Senate. He is being asked to send it back, to have some of the curbs and speed bumps proposed by Republicans included. To make this bill just a bit more acceptable to more Minnesotans, rather than just the DFL special interests. But Walz won't. He has no interest in being the "One Minnesota" guy that campaigned as. No, Taxing Timmy wants to continue to be the one man wrecking ball he is so good at.

Besides abortion, Walz will also put a shive in the back of seniors, by not exempting ALL seniors from Social Security tax. With the state surplus being just south of $20B, Walz said the state "can't afford" to eliminate this tax for all seniors. Besides - it would not be "fair". Huh? What does that mean, Timmy? 

Before it is all said and done, Tim Walz will turn Minnesota into a sanctuary state. We will be the abortion capital of the nation, with illegals voting in all our state elections. We will be one of the first states to suffer brown outs and black outs due to the fairytale climate change legislation he will sign into law. Minnesota will go from the "Minnesota Miracle" that Wendel Anderson made famous, to the "Minnesota Mess" that Tim Walz created.

The sad part is, many of the blue pill folks in Minnesota think everything is going on just fine right now. That is, for those who have no backbone, nor a moral compass. As one of my friends on the left has told me, "I love paying high taxes, so we can live in a high quality state." Well here is your "high quality" state. We are nothing but a cold Omaha, with penchant for high taxes, and ice cold hearts for the unborn. 

"One Minnesota"? We are anything but. The annexation of greater Minnesota by South Dakota, cannot come soon enough.  

People of faith - where are thou?

"Dietrich Bonhoeffer said that 'Silence in the face of evil is itself evil: God will not hold us guiltless. Not to speak is to speak. Not to act is to act.'"

Somebody penned a very simple post on social media yesterday. It said, "If your church did not address the 'Born Alive' bill in Minnesota, then you should find another church." Spot on. As the age old question needs to be asked again, "when is the church going to become the church once again?"

One of our former pastors has said that church was never meant to be a spectator sport. It is a full throated participation sport. It is good against evil. The Principalities of Darkness against the Righteousness of God Almighty. If your church did not speak out against the killing of the unborn, it is indeed time to find a church which proclaims the truth. 

Everyone of those smiling Democrat faces who voted for this heinous act, I have one simple thought. I would love to chat with his or her pastor, priest or rabbi, and ask only two questions - "Is this legislation in line with your theology? Is it pleasing to God?" My guess, my hope, is the vast majority would say no to both. Then how in the world can we square this circle? How is it okay to go to church, mass or temple on the weekend, and then the next week vote for something so totally evil and un-Godly?

But the bigger question I have is even more troubling. Where is the outcry from the people of faith? The Christ followers? Dietrich Bonhoeffer said that "Silence in the face of evil is itself evil: God will not hold us guiltless. Not to speak is to speak. Not to act is to act."

So what did Bonhoeffer know of evil? He saw plenty in his day. He saw the Nazis and what they did to their fellow man. In the face of evil, he spoke out against it - over and over and over again. Finally, the evil caught up with Bonhoeffer, and the Nazis hung him. But he was not afraid to call evil out. He called it by name.

I have talked to my pastor about abortion. He has addressed from the pulpit. He has called it out by name. Called it for what it is. If this offends - not sorry. For Minnesota to have the most aggressive form of abortion in the country, is a stain on our character. A stain on our collective souls. 

It is time to pray for our country. To pray for our government. To pray for discernment. To pray for forgiveness. For those who voted against this bill, and offered dozens of amendments to weaken it, even if by an inch - blessing on you. You tried, and you cried, when you failed and it passed.

For those who supported this bill, who voted for it, I have nothing more to add. What is done is done - until it will be undone. 

  

Coming up - War with China?

"One final thought. If Taiwan decides to fight to the finish like Ukraine is doing, there will not be much left of Taiwan once it is over. The world semi-conductor business will be in a tailspin. And with that industry, goes the world economy."

I have been reading many articles on Taiwan as of late, mostly from different sources. They all say about the same thing. War with China is not only probable, but maybe even inevitable. Are we ready for it? Absolutely not! Is China ready for it? This is what they have been training for. While our attention has been focused on the proxy war in Ukraine, China is all in for taking Taiwan back - by force.

On this news this morning, was a Taiwan expert I have not heard before. He had an interesting take on Taiwan, which was not much different than the analysis I have seen from other sources. "This will be a war like no other", he started out by saying. "It is not one we cannot "sleepwalk" into, and expect to do well. Even if we are fully prepared, and trained for this war, the cost to our nation will still be very high. Recent war gaming suggests even if we manage to win, we could easily lose two carriers. That would be a very steep cost."

Then he said something which really made a whole lot of sense. "Picture if you would, the United States invading Cuba, and China had pledged to come to Cuba's defense if we did so. Cuba is right next door to us, and a half a globe away from China. The same can be said for Taiwan. Easy for China to get to, hard for us to defend."

There were many other good points which he brought up, that I will not go into. But to sum it up, he said something very sobering. "If we want a snowball's chance on being successful, we need to have 100% of our focus on China and Taiwan right now. Not Ukraine. Not the Middle East. Not Europe. Somebody else can mind the store on those regions. Our focus needs to be totally on China and Taiwan."

Slo Joe has warned Xi many times about leaving Taiwan alone. "Or what", Xi might have been thinking. As Biden himself has said recently, "There is no there, there." In other words, in the mind of Xi, we are only a paper tiger right now. Not the feared US military from years ago. Now we have a force who attends diversity classes, hunts down "white supremacists", and needs to learn new pronouns. We can't make our recruiting goals, and a large portion of our forces are not battle ready. 

When is the timeline for invasion? Some think this year. Another prediction was for 2025. In any event, it will be sometime early to mid decade. 

One final thought. If Taiwan decides to fight to the finish like Ukraine is doing, there will not be much left of Taiwan once it is over. The world semi-conductor business will be in a tailspin. And with that industry, goes the world economy. But China won't care. Teaching this misbehaving child a lesson is all that matters to them. Even if the beating required will take the child's life. But - that is the way things go in the land of the Dragon.   

Russia's other land bridge

"I am sorry Putin, you cannot have Alaska back. Plus, if you want us to quit meddling in your war, try a withdrawal from Ukraine. We would be more than happy to focus our material support towards Taiwan, rather than Ukraine."

Because of our proxy entrance into this Ukrainian War, Russia is madder than hornets at us right now. I mean, it is one thing for Russia to fight against a much smaller country who has very little in their armory. It is quite another when Russia has to go up against some of the best armament in the world. The thing about sending M1 Abrams tanks to accompany the Leopard II tanks was about the last straw. Or was it? The ink was barely drying on the deal, when Zelenskyy asked about throwing a few F-16s in with the deal.

This has come out of Moscow more than once this past year. The Russians are thinking about taking back some of the territory, we "screwed" them out of. Alaska. Russia's other land bridge. "Seward's Folly" for us when we paid the Russians $7M back for Alaska back in 1867. That is about 2 cents an acre. Why would Russia give up territory so close, they could almost see Alaska from their east coast? Alaska is so close to Russia, and so far away from the United States.

Flash forward to today. Alaska is a real prize. Rich in resources, rich in natural beauty, and a mecca for folks in the lower states to come visit. We have been there. It is everything it was cracked up to me, and more so. 

But now Russia wants it back. To punish us, and to set history straight. When the Governor of Alaska was asked if he was worried about Russia's threat to take Alaska back, his words were short and to the point - "Come and get it". 

I am sorry Putin, you cannot have Alaska back. Plus, if you want us to quit meddling in your war, try a withdrawal from Ukraine. We would be more than happy to focus our material support towards Taiwan, rather than Ukraine.

One more thing should Russia ever get serious about messing with Alaska. Elmendorf AFB in Anchorage, is bristling with F-22 Raptors. Not the fight Russia would want to pick. Just saying... 

 

Lights out, Minnesota!

"So, instead of legislators, we get morons. Not little morons, giant morons. And Walz is the leader of the pack."   

 

In the blizzard of new spending and socialist nonsense which is happening right now in St. Paul, have you heard about the Carbon Free 2040 bill? It is the bill, that in seventeen short years, will mandate that Minnesota be 100% carbon free. How is that going to work? It won't. But who cares about the facts? Who cares about the science? Rather than elect an "extreme" guy like Scott Jensen, we instead elect knuckleheads, who don't know a dit from a DUH. But I digress. In just a few short years, as we are sitting around stoned out of our heads by the "new" Mary Jane law, and killing our youngins due to the infanticide bill, we can also be freezing to death at the same time.

Did you know the language in this 2040 bill is so cocked up, that the state of North Dakota has threatened to sue if the language is not changed? Why? Because of our grid. We get our electricity from all over, including North Dakota. And much of that energy from outstate will NOT be carbon free by 2040. So North Dakota wants the language to say that only the energy which is produced in Minnesota will be carbon free. Guess what? That is not enough energy to do the trick. By 2040, we will have brown outs, black outs, and worse.

But who cares? Not Taxing Timmy. He will be retired and living back in Nebraska, where they will NOT have such a dumb ass law. Meanwhile, the morons who voted for Walz and the socialists, will reap what they have sown. So will their kids. And their grandkids.

Do I think our state will eventually be carbon free? Nope. Not unless you ban campfires and cook outs. But (and here is the thing the socialists never tell you), every year we get cleaner. Even the dreaded gas stoves are cleaner. And the coal burning power plants are cleaner, due to much improved scrubbers. Internal combustion cars are getting cleaner. And guess what? Electricity, and lots of it, will be needed to power all these batteries and capacitors. There is NO CHANCE, that 100% of that electricity will be carbon free.

We really wanted to send legislators to St. Paul to craft common sense laws. Laws which will fit (what does Walz say?), one Minnesota. Instead we get some ditzo from Coon Rapids trying to get a bill signed which will turn our kids into potheads. We get an infanticide bill, to kill more of our babies. And now we will also get a "lights out" bill. So, instead of legislators, we get morons. Not little morons, giant morons. And Walz is the leader of the pack.   

 

Cryptomnesia, Amnesia, Senility, or just Stupid-o?

"So the beat will go on. Biden's cognitive demise will continue, and more and more, he will become only a mannequin. And this will work for the socialists, that is, unless Biden goes "off script" again. Then it is Katy bar the door."

The good news? We are over half way done with the Biden debacle. The bad news? We have almost two years to go. The latest marker which some are giving Slo Joe credit for, is the "Doomsday Clock" getting down to 90 seconds to midnight. An all time record! And what happens if the clock hits 12? BOOM!!! Armageddon. End of the world. 

How can Joe be blamed for this? I mean, is this not mostly Putin's invasion of Ukraine? Yes it is. But many retired military flag officers are blaming the weakness we showed during our retreat from Afghanistan. That a strong American President with a strong military might have been a deterrent to Putin's invasion.

But what did Putin see when he looked at America? A weak, and dementia laden President, with a SecDef who was trying to teach his troops new pronouns and the evils of white supremists. Whereas Biden looks at Republicans (especially MAGA ones) as the enemy, Putin looks at ALL American as his enemy.

Listening to Biden talk to just about anybody these days, does not engender thoughts about him being a cogent thinker. Does he lie? Constantly. Are his thoughts these days due to cryptomnesia, amnesia, senility or other? Who knows. But -one of the people "behind the curtain", pulling Biden's strings has been Ron Klaine. Now he will be gone, and replaced by another globalist. Will that change Biden's gibberish? Probably not.

So the beat will go on. Biden's cognitive demise will continue, and more and more, he will become only a mannequin. And this will work for the socialists, that is, unless Biden goes "off script" again. Then it is Katy bar the door.

Will Putin nuke NATO? Will Putin nuke the United States? Can anyone in our country right now back Putin down? Or, are we on the road to perdition? Stay tuned. Oh - one more thing. Now more than ever - bunker up. You might need it before the year is over.

 

Creating outlaws

"I am tired of gun grabbers. Their vapid and insipid arguments have grown old and stale. Legal guns are here to stay. And that - is my closing argument."  

I have mentioned this before. I had a very high level clearance while in the Navy. As such, every five years, I needed an update. With the update, the "checkers" came around, to see if you have been a good boy or girl during that five year period. One year, shortly after my update was complete, I ran into one of the "checkers" who was working on a different sailor's update. The "checker" recognized my name on my uniform. "Hey Lieutenant - I just finished your update." I froze for a minute, waiting for the other shoe to drop. "No offense sir, but you lead a very boring life. There was nothing to investigate which was the least bit interesting." 

Before you give a collective "so what?", let me continue. Not only was my service record spotless, but so is my criminal record. And (almost) my driving record. One cheap ticket (which was debatable) from 40 years ago. That's it. I am not lily white, but my record is. So what in the world would it take to turn me into a criminal? Hint: The same thing it would take to turn hundreds of thousands legal gun owners in Minnesota, into outlaws.

Here is a fact of life for the gun grabbers at the Star Tribune as well as the Commies in our state legislature. Obedience to more stringent gun laws are going to be a "no go". Absolute non-compliance. Plus, most sheriffs are Constitutional sheriffs. They will not enforce any un-Constitutional laws. 

Legal gun owners, for the most part, fully and completely understand our Second Amendment rights. We understand the history of it. We understand the significance of it. We understand the sentence "shall not be infringed." And we also understand legally owning a gun has NOTHING to do with hunting or target shooting. It has everything to do with freedom. The preservation of freedom. That is why the Founders put it in the Bill of Rights.

I would guess if the number was not 100% of the gun owners, it would be very close to it. Legal gun owners would much prefer to be Constitutional AND legal. But if Commies in St. Paul, tork and tweet with our natural right to gun ownership, then we will fall back on our Constitutional right, and not our legal right. Yes, we will then become outlaws. Not in the eyes of our Founders, but only in the eyes of the Commies and socialists who are now in power.

One more thing. If a legal gun owner, misuses his guns where he harms someone or puts other innocent people in danger, then by all means, take his or her guns away, and put that person on trial. However - if a legal gun owner operates within the law, and obeys all safety protocols, leave that person and his or her guns alone.

Over 300,000 people in Minnesota have gun permits. Many of those people own more than one gun. How big is a group of 300,000 armed civilians? Bigger than many armies in this world. And that is only in Minnesota. Think of how many people in this country are legal gun owners. Think of an army of almost 80 million armed citizens. If nothing else, it would give an invading army pause. An army that big, would give even the Russians or the Chinese pause. 

I am tired of gun grabbers. Their vapid and insipid arguments have grown old and stale. Legal guns are here to stay. And that - is my closing argument.  

Can we just agree this is a problem on both sides?

 

"We have had our mulligan(s), now we need to learn, and get better. No, no better - perfect. From this day forward, no more forgiveness. No more turning a blind eye. Rules will be rules, and will be enforced to the fullest extent of the law. Period."  

One of the big news stories this morning, were more classified documents. More documents were found at Slo Joe's house. It was a big story, but miniature compared to more documents being found at Mar-a-lago. But I digress. The fact that docs were found at both Vice President Biden's house, and President Trump's house is a problem. Vice President Biden? Yes - the docs were put there when Biden was Vice President. By whose authority were they put there? Biden? He had no authority as Veep to put them there. Obama? He was on watch at that time. Let's ask him.

To fix this issue, the first thing we need to agree on is this - classified document handling is a problems on both sides of the political aisle. And these are only the ones we know of. Plus - let's not forget about Hillary and her sins. Truthfully - what Hillary did was heads and tails above the misdeeds of Biden and Trump. What were the consequences for Hillary? Nada. Zip. And why is that? You tell me.

Here is the long and the short of it. These things do not happen in a vacuum. Both President Trump and Vice President Biden had help in taking and storing these documents. I find it hard to believe, that nary a soul on either Trump's or Biden's staff knew the rules. That is problem number one. Problem number two, is even though these two men were at the highest level of government, they should have been "read in" to what the rules are. In my 21 years in the Navy, I not only heard these rules hundreds of times, I also "read new people in" on what those rules were. Ignorance of those rules, was never an issue. 

Someone on the radio or TV asked a great question. If you took a library book, and did not return it, you were notified. Why can't our classified documents be just as secure? This caviler attitude which has permeated the government has got to stop. In the picture above, Vice President Biden is holding codeword material out in the open. This is a supreme no-no in the world of no-no. If it is wrong, why did he do it? Because he could. And everyone was lax.

Going forward, let's all agree we need a "do better". No more two sets of rules, depending on where you are in the pecking order. One set of rules for everyone. Same rules, same consequences for breaking those rules. Let's find all the wayward docs, get them into proper storage, and move on. If there were compromises with those docs, that is a separate matter. Then people would need to do the perp walk, with no forgiveness offered.

We have had our mulligan(s), now we need to learn, and get better. No, no better - perfect. From this day forward, no more forgiveness. No more turning a blind eye. Rules will be rules, and will be enforced to the fullest extent of the law. Period.  

The war in which nobody is winning

"Europe is like kindling right now, and Putin is the match. It will not take much to have this regional war become non-regional. And then, it will be Katie bar the door."     

Welcome to the war of attrition. A war in which billions of dollars of equipment and property is destroyed. A war in which over 100,000 Russians and probably just as many Ukrainians have died. As for what? A Russian land bridge? The start of remaking a new Soviet Union? Or just pride. In any event, this slugfest in Ukraine seems to be far from over. And what is up ahead? More of the same.

One cynic who wrote a column recently said Ukraine is nothing more than a proving ground for new weapons. Who is guilty of it? Everyone, direct participants or proxies. But hold on. Germany is starting to see some futility in sending more of its national treasure into the fray. Like their Leopard II tanks. Seems the Germans are somewhat reluctant to send one of the finest tanks made into this endless war. And even though the US has done most of the heavy lifting with weapons, Germany wants the US to send some M1 Abrams tanks to Ukraine.

Why all of a sudden, is Ukraine so interested in world class tanks? I mean, the Brits are sending them some of their Challenger II tanks. Not enough. The scope of the spring invasion by the Russians is projected by some to be massive. A three ponged attack. Maybe even trying to overtake Kiev. 

How much do the Russians want to end this war with a victory? After losing as many as 100k to 120K of its Army and thousands of armored vehicles, they are all in. Go for broke. Some think the missiles they have moved to the border of Belarus might be used for "dirty bombs". More importantly, the Wagner Group of mercenaries as well as the country of Belarus might become full blown participants in this war. Tip the scales so to speak. 

Here is the long and short of it. If 2023 turns out to be as bloody in Ukraine as predicted, by the dawn of 2024, there will not be much left of Ukraine. It will be nothing but a burned out battleground. To the winner will go the spoils - literally. Putin seems to think that if he cannot have Ukraine, nobody can have it. Even if it glows from the aftermath of dirty or clean nuclear bombs.

The up side? Not much, except this. If NATO can hold together, Russia will have created something it was trying to eliminate - an enemy of its border. Even though we are having a minor dust up with Germany over the tank issue, and Finland and Turkey are still ironing out some differences, NATO is stronger than ever.

What Putin has feared and tried to stop, he has only made stronger. But even with a stronger NATO, the world is still in danger. Why? Europe is like kindling right now, and Putin is the match. It will not take much to have this regional war become non-regional. And then, it will be Katie bar the door.     

 

When evil visits the homeland

"Well, done blue team, well done. If you think you have done this state proud, you have not. When that bill is signed into law, it will be day of profound sadness. It will be a day of prayer by those who did not support this bill. Prayers for what? Forgiveness."   

** WARNING**       Please pass this post by if you are pro-abortion       ** WARNING**

INYMI - one of the most onerous abortion bills in the nation, passed the Minnesota House yesterday. Every DFL member voted for it (of course), and every Republican member voted against it. Once again, a vote such as this, left many scratching their collective heads.

What is it about Democrats and abortion? It has almost become the holy grail for them. To the left, the killing of our unborn is to be celebrated, not scorned. For a large portion of the Republican Party, abortion after a certain point in a pregnancy is abhorrent. For some on the right, abortion at any time in a pregnancy, is even more abhorrent. 

First off, abortion should never be a legal matter. Not a government matter. It is a moral matter. It is a horrific procedure which is practiced in many countries worldwide. How horrific? In the movie Unplanned (a true story), an actual abortion was filmed. It showed a fetus fighting for its life, until it was killed. It was so graphic, the Motion Picture Association gave it an "R" rating. For a Christian film.

These stats are well known by the pro-life people. Since Roe v. Wade, over 63,000,000 innocent Americans have been killed in their mother's womb. That is more people than live in any state in our union. And worldwide, the number is even more staggering. The WHO estimates worldwide, there are 40 to 50 million abortions every year. 

Some of my friends on the left accuse me of focusing too much on the unborn, and not enough on those who are born, and then need financial help. Even though it is a shallow argument, I will bite. Many on the right DO care about the wellbeing of all Americans. No matter the color, race or creed, we want Americans to first be born, and then once born, have the freedom to become whatever he or she wants to be. If it means giving a hand up, so be it. If it means giving a hand out from cradle to grave, not so much. As Ronald Reagan said, "A rising tide lifts all boats".

My wish, no my prayer, is for every legislator in St. Paul who supports this bill, to first talk to his or her pastor, priest, or rabbi. Ask if abortion is moral. If it is sinful. If in the eyes of God, it is good, or it is evil. I know I have talked to the pastors at my last two churches about abortion. Their view was crystal clear. Absolute evil. 

The bill will now go to the Minnesota Senate, where the voting will probably be the same. Every Democrat, "Aye", every Republican, "Nay". Then on to Taxing Timmy, for his rubber stamp signature. And then it will be done. We will have abortion rights on the books, which are similar to North Korea or China.

Well, done blue team, well done. If you think you have done this state proud, you have not. When that bill is signed into law, it will be day of profound sadness for many. It will be a day of prayer by those who did not support this bill. Prayers for what? Forgiveness.   

 

Transparent? Translucent? Or Opaque?

"Question - if we can't get answers out of the Press Secretary, where do we go? Talk to Biden? Might need to wake him up. How about Harris? Any chance with her? Nope - she will only cackle."

This is more unusual than pigs flying. Or snowing in Minnesota in July. But it is happening, really and truly happening. It seems Karine Jean-Pierre, the very odd press secretary to Biden, is losing her luster. She came in strong at the start of her tenure. She was loved by the left. Why? Unique. A lesbian woman of color. Ain't seen that before as a Press Secretary! But it seems Ms. Jean-Pierre also had another trait. Dumb as a rock. But who cares? She fit right into Biden's inner circle of misfits.

So what happened that is so unusual with her? The MSM has had it with her. It is no longer Fox against the world - it is most of the media against the stonewalling. But - wait. Joe Biden promised the most transparent administration in history. Transparent, right? No? Than maybe translucent? What? No? You mean it is opaque? Yep. 100%.

It took awhile, but the shtick which is the Bidens, is wearing off. All the BS in the world cannot cover up anymore, the absolute dysfunctional mayhem called the Biden Administration. Of all times to have a competent Press Secretary, this would be one of them. But this gal, all she can do is play the same record in response to the same questions. "When did the President first find out about the classified documents on his residence?" Her response - "You need to check with the DOJ". But when the DOJ is questioned, they refer the press corps back to the White House. So, questions continue to be asked, answers are never given, and the loose fabric which is holding together this administration - is coming unraveled.

Question - if we can't get answers out of the Press Secretary, where do we go? Talk to Biden? Might need to wake him up. How about Harris? Any chance with her? Nope - she will only cackle. Mayorkas? Blinken? Austin? Granholm? Buttigieg? ANYONE??? Sorry - you do not have the need to know. You are only a subject, no longer a citizen.

With Russia threatening to nuke us (again), Taiwan getting ready to erupt, our economy sinking in the west, the next two years could be a bumpy ride for Slo Joe. And where do we go from here? Heaven only knows...

 

 

Life - so they say...

"That was his legacy for me. He was my guidepost on how I wanted to be when I became a grandpa. Be the same kind of example for my grandson, that my grandpa was for me."

Life. The journey we are all on. Every now and again, whether it be in a time of light musing, or a time of deep thinking, the age old question seems to pop up. What is the purpose of life? What is my purpose? How do I fit in? Why am I here? If you have never had those questions, maybe it is time. In fact, a man I recently met, told myself and others that as he has aged, he is more and more concerned about his legacy. How will he be remembered once he is gone.

I remember seeing a movie about Pearl Harbor years ago. In one scene, an American pilot volunteered to fly with the RAF to protect England. Since American had not entered the war, the British commander asked the young pilot, "Why are you Americans in such a hurry to die." The pilots response was simply this, "I am not afraid to die sir, I only want to matter." BINGO! Is that not what we all want? Really? To matter? To do the right thing?

Things that matter. Legacy. Life itself. Many of us in the faith, believe what matters is spreading the Good News. Not just my opinion - that comes straight out of God's Word (Matthew 28). As important as it is to be an ambassador for Christ to the world, the first place one should leave his or her mark is - on family. Kids. Grandkids. Nieces. Nephews. Teaching by example - grace, forgiveness, embracing good, eschewing evil.

One of my grandfathers was a great influence to me. Not that my parents were not - they were also very good. But the faith walk my grandfather was on was straight, narrow and strong. He was never "preachy", but the way he lived, the way he loved, had a tremendous impact on me. That was his legacy for me. He was my guidepost on how I wanted to be when I became a grandpa. Be the same kind of example for my grandson, that my grandpa was for me.

Life - so they say. Words from a song from yesteryear. Everyday when my feet hit the floor, I think about doing the right thing. The things I did yesterday which fell short, I try to learn from, and then move on for a better day. To make better choices. Do better things. Live fuller. Love deeper. I think, no I understand, that is what this is all about...

 

    

New additions for a new Congress

"How do I feel about having a retired Master Chief like Tony Gonzales serving in Congress? I will sleep better at night. Why? Tony has the watch, and he knows how to do it the right way."  

The other day, I had the chance to hear one of our new Congressmen interviewed on the news. Tony Gonzales from Texas 23rd district, is someone who really caught my attention. Why? He is somewhat like me. Well, sort of. He is a retired cryptologist from the United States Navy. In twenty years, he made it all the way to Master Chief. Not an easy task! He had the same kind of clearance I had, and did similar things I did while serving. Before you say "so what", here is why I bring this up.

On the news program, he was asked about the classified documents which were found at Slo Joe's "think tank" as well as his private residence. I was curious to hear what he said, since I have not been in "the game" since 1992, and Congressman Gonzales recently retired. He was asked what the rules were in handling classified documents. His answer was pleasing to the ears.

I guess not much has changed since I retired. Congressman Gonzales talked about the "rules of the SCIF". Like, nothing leaves, unless it is properly couriered, and then taken to another secure facility  (like another SCIF). Seems with Hillary, Trump and Biden, those rules became something less than guidelines. I have said this before - all it would have taken, is for me to accidently or on purpose to take ONE classified document home, and my goose would have been cooked. Like Congressman Gonzales, I knew the rules and followed them. To a "T".

I really have grown tired of hearing about the rich and powerful playing by different rules than the rest of us. I would love to see Biden's clearance yanked for what he did, but that would not work. Having a President with no security clearance would be a fool's errand. So what do we do with Clinton, Trump and Biden (and possibly others)? Make this a teaching moment so it NEVER happens again. But before we do that, we need to ensure that the classified documents in Biden's "think tank" and private residence were not compromised. If they were, that is a whole different issue.

I have confidence that in the two years this Congress will be in existence, many unknowns will become known. That is a good thing. It is one thing for an Administration to proclaim they are "the most transparent" in history, it is quite another for proper Congressional oversight to agree with them.

How do I feel about having a retired Master Chief like Tony Gonzales serving in Congress? I will sleep better at night. Why? Tony has the watch, and he knows how to do it the right way.  

Sweet Dreams

"Dreams. They have puzzled mankind for generations, and will probably continue to so for generations yet to come. If you have happy and sweet dreams every night, you are blessed for sure. If you have abnormal, weird or frightening dreams, join the crowd."

One of our neighbors is a member of the Red Lake tribe. He is 100% Native American. A talented man, and a great guy. A few years ago, he decided to do a side gig by making dream catchers. They were high quality work.

For those who have never had a dream catcher, the story goes to hang one in the room where you sleep. Any bad dreams are caught in the dream catcher, so they would not visit you at night. Only the good dreams are allowed through. Do they work? Not for me, but the jury is still out. 

My wife and I also send some funding to a Native American school in South Dakota. They are located on a reservation, and always in need of funding. In return, some of the students send us letters and dream catchers, which they make at the school. We have collected so many over the years, our grandies each have one, and we give the rest away.

Why bring this up? Dreams. One of the most perplexing things that mankind has pondered over the years. Our brains never stop working. They are on 24 X 7 X 365. The autonomic part which keeps us alive, to our subconscious which seems to come out at night or in daydreams, and our consciousness. It really is quite an organ. 

For years, our brains have been compared to computers. Like, which is better - our brain or a computer? As much as an answer would be helpful, it is like comparing apples to oranges. Why? Our brains are very complex, and can learn. Right now, we are trying to teach our computers how to learn through AI, but are still a ways away. But our brains have fascinated doctors and scientists so much over the years, some have dedicated careers to the study of the brain. Some have focused only on dreams. 

Aldous Huxley was very interested in our brains, particularly the subconscious. He wrote a book called Doors of Perception about his experimentation with drugs, in particular mescaline. I read that book many years ago, and found it to be interesting, only much too much focus on drugs. His observations on the subconscious were (as I remember), very interesting. He never did figure out the how and why to our subconscious. Why at night, it can knit together all kinds of dreams which can go from the confusing, to the frightening. Most of the time we awake from one of those weird or frightening dreams, wondering "where in the heck did that come from?"

Dreams. They have puzzled mankind for generations, and will probably continue to so for generations yet to come. If you have happy and sweet dreams every night, you are blessed for sure. If you have abnormal, weird or frightening dreams, join the crowd. And why do we have dreams like that? I don't know the answer to that one, but let me sleep on it.  

War is coming

"My fear is that in 2023, something is going to happen. Will it be the start to a major, widespread war? Maybe. Or it might just be an event, which will put us on the precipice of a broader war. Don't think so? Then maybe someone can show me where the olive branches and doves are. I sure can't see them." 

This past week, while watching the world news, it hit me like a brick. War is coming. Some might say that war is already here. Seen Ukraine lately? No, I am talking about a much broader war. Maybe a world war. Maybe a world war fought without nukes. Or, maybe a world war with nukes. But when you look at how everyone is arming to the teeth right now, and there is no backing down anywhere, war might be the only viable conclusion.

In Ukraine, NATO has become much more embolden on the types of arms supplied to Ukraine. The United States is actively training Ukrainian soldiers on our Patriot system. That will be a game changer with some of the treacherous aerial bombing that Russia has been doing to Ukraine. We are also going to be supplying Bradley fighting vehicles. And Poland will be supplying Ukraine with Leopard II tanks. And the British are going to be supplying Challenger II tanks. All of these NATO additions have further infuriated the Russians. Does this sound like a war which is winding down?

In the western Pacific, things don't look any more tranquil. China is getting much more aggressive in its war gaming close to Taiwan. The PM of Japan was just in Washington for defense talks. Guess what? Japan is also arming itself to the teeth. Japan needs our help. They need more of our stuff. Japan, like other allies in the region, can hear the beating of the war drums coming from China. 

Our own war gaming has shown that should China invade Taiwan, and we come to Taiwan's aid, we could lose two aircraft carriers in the first couple weeks of war. That is an unacceptable loss. But facts are what the facts are. While we have been screwing around with making our military PC, and looking for white supremists within the ranks, as well as teaching better pronouns, the Chinese have been going to town. China's focus is war, ours is woke.

My fear is that in 2023, something is going to happen. Will it be the start to a major, widespread war? Maybe. Or it might just be an event, which will put us on the precipice of a broader war. Don't think so? Then maybe someone can show me where the olive branches and doves are. I sure can't see them. 

Pusher in Chief

"Historians will look back on these years in amazement and disgust. The United States of America, usually the beacon and example of everything good, is suffering a rot in its government."

Last year in 2022, we had an invading army come up through the southern border and go on a rampage. They killed over 100,000 of our citizens, mostly young adults. What did our government do? Our President? Nada. Nothing. Funerals were happening in every state across the union, and nary a tear was shed by our President. Why not? These were just causalities of war. The Administration's war against Republicans. Huh? Please explain.

Only an idiot cannot see what is happening on our southern border, and why it is happening. First, you need to ignore all the gaslighting which is coming from Biden and his henchman, Mayorkas. It is all BS. They have intentionally opened up the borders, so as many future Democrat voters as possible can be let in. Get them in, and then bargain for amnesty. But - minor problem here. Besides the millions of illegals (including "get-aways") coming over the southern border, also comes deadly drugs, like fentanyl. Gangs. Human trafficking. Maybe even terrorists.

Did you know that twice in the past month, cops have come across fentanyl while doing drug busts? Some were poisoned, and had to be given life saving Narcan. And these were not border states. Some on the left are saying, "This has nothing to do with the southern border being open. Most are coming through at our point of entry locations." Okay. I will bite. Lets say that is true. Then, just like in 9/11 when 3,000 of our citizens were killed by terrorists, we shut down the border. Nothing in, unless searched with a fine tooth comb. We owe that to the families of the 100,000 young people who have died from overdoses this past year. Shut it down!

I will say it, and I am sorry as it will not sound kind. Joe Biden may be a bumbling old fool, but he knows exactly what he and Mayorkas are doing on the border. They both took oaths to protect and defend the citizens of the United States. And in reality, all they have done is endangered all of us. Both should be tried for treason or sedition. But they won't be. Why not? The Swamp will protect them. 

Politicians who have just won the majority in the House, who are never at a loss for words, get tongue tied and verbally locked up when trying to explain the "what and why" on our southern border. It is so bizarre, so "other worldly", that common sense cannot explain this Administrations behavior. Of all the anti-American things this Administration has done, turning a blind eye to the fentanyl pouring over the border has been the most inexplicable.

Historians will look back on these years in amazement and disgust. The United States of America, usually the beacon and example of everything good, is suffering a rot in its government. The Deep State, the Swamp, are real. Donald Trump was right. They are real and they are very dangerous to our Republic. And - Joe Biden is Exhibit "A", to how malevolent they can be.    

 

Another strange idea

"My advise to any over reaching government which might try to limit our choices on stoves - don't do it. Why not? That will really piss off Mama Bear. And trust me - no government wants that battle." 

I have a confession to make. I, along with most (if not all) my age, grew up in a home with a gas stove. And somehow, I survived. Most importantly, the climate survived. It was fine, as this country had almost an endless supply of natural gas. We still do (despite of Slo Joe). But all of a sudden, that trusty gas stove has become a villain. A pariah.

The government might be backing off of this very stupid idea. I mean, this was as dumb idea for so many reasons. So, what is the buzz? Why are gas stoves such a burr under Slo Joe's saddle? Give up? It is the "greenies" which are pulling Biden's strings. It is only a gesture. And by the way, any thinking person knows we do not have the energy in this country to power electric cars, electric stoves, and electric houses. A normal President with normal cognitive abilities would also know that.  

With ALL the crapola going on right now, with the economy, the open borders, the incoming drug issue, the war - why pick another battle? With a gas stove? I mean, I could make a straw man argument that it is the effluent coming out of gas stoves which are causing the latest "atmospheric rivers", soaking California right now. That might be ending this historic drought. That would make as much sense as gas stoves melting the polar ice caps. 

But now, all of a sudden, something has happened which might derail all these other goofy things that Biden is for. Something which slipped past the gaze and grasp of Ron Kaine as well as Biden's other handlers. "Document-gate". For the Republicans, who have been under a steady barrage of critics after the Mar A Largo document find, this is sweet music to their ears. Besides putting Biden's AG in a pickle, it once again proves that "pay backs are a (fill in the blank). 

We don't have a gas stove. We did, for years. Our oldest daughter still uses one, and loves it. On stoves, I am very pro choice. Use whatever you want to. My advise to any over reaching government which might try to limit our choices on stoves - don't do it. Why not? That will really piss off Mama Bear. And trust me - no government wants that battle. 

For Pete's sake, Slo Joe! What the heck?

"Maybe in 2024, no matter who becomes the next president, more care will be taken in choosing our President's Cabinet. As a matter of fact, maybe more care will be taken in choosing the President. Elections matter, and so do qualifications."      

The ink is not even drying over the Speaker's door, and holy smokes! Is the ship ever starting to hit the sand! I mean, it is almost like this was scripted. The laundry list was already overflowing for some really good oversight hearings. And now we will add Biden "document-gate", and Mayor Pete's "airplane-gate". Or should I just say "transportation-gate". How do we explain this mess? I will give it a try.

First a bit of history. Most days while I served, I worked in a SCIF. That was my norm. If for some reason, I took one (not more than one - but only one) classified document from the SCIF, either with intent or by accident, I would have lost my clearance, and probably been kicked out of the Navy. Those were the rules, and I believed them to be sacrosanct.

But for some reason, the rich and powerful don't need to comply with our intelligence rules. Sandy Berger, stuffing classified docs in his undies and socks, Hillary Clinton, having thousands of classified emails on a personal server, Donald Trump, having many classified documents in Mar A Largo, and now Slo Joe having at least two, stashes of classified docs from when he was the Veep. The punishment for these folks? Nothing so far.

Meanwhile, after having most of our entire port system fall apart during the pandemic, our Secretary of Transportation was AWOL while this was happening. Where was he? Mayor Pete - where are you? Breastfeeding his adopted baby. And now that junior is on solid foods, Mayor Pete (who when Mayor, was known as "Pothole Pete"), sat back as watched in wonder as our entire FAA system crashed. We had to order a complete shut down for the first time since 9/11. How could this happen? What happened? Pete does not know. Why not? He was a social justice hire. No qualifications, whatsoever. 

Biden, Buttigieg, Harris, Granholm, Mayorkas, et all - are all boobs. Unqualified to hold the jobs they hold. Then why were they hired? They all "checked a box" of some kind. But are they qualified? No, but who cares? We have a diverse Presidential Cabinet. Take a bow Joe - mission accomplished.

Buckle up folks. The investigations are about to start. How is it going to go? It will be interesting. Possibly brutal.

Maybe in 2024, no matter who becomes the next president, more care will be taken in choosing our President's Cabinet. As a matter of fact, maybe more care will be taken in choosing the President. Elections matter, and so do qualifications.      

A new kind of zircon

"Russia is losing and will lose. The only fear we have right now, is Russia will do something very stupid, which will take the world down with them."      

A Cubic Zirconia, better known as the mineral which gives us the Zircon. Some call it a "poor man's diamond". At first glance, it does looks a bit like a diamond. But it is way different. And so is the the price. But who cares about jewelry? I want to discuss a new kind of Zircon. The kind which can kill without notice. And this Zircon, is the name of a hypersonic missile which is now carried by some Russian Navy ships. And one is headed for the UK. To do what? Unknown.

The Russians are very proud of their Zircon missile. It is "unstoppable" (their words). How so? Once launched, this missile can achieve speeds up to 7,000mph. Some, including Putin, have made some not so veiled threats about using this missile on a NATO country - or us. One of Putin's henchmen, said the Russians might parks one of their Zircon equipped ships right off the coast of Washington, DC. Is that like holding a gun to our heads? Are we supposed to duck and cover or cower?

Here is the problem with hypersonic missiles like the Zircon. It travels so fast at low altitudes, that it forms a plasma cloud in front of the missile. This plasma cloud can absorb incoming radar waves, which would make this missile all but invisible to our radar. Or, even if our Aegis ships could detect an incoming hypersonic missile, it is doubtful our Standard Missiles could catch up with one of them. 

Hypersonic missiles are definitely a game changer. But guess what? We may have been late to the party in developing our own hypersonic, but we do have them. China has them, Russia has them, and we have them. So what does this mean? It means warfare continues to change. Will we be able to come up with counter measures for the hypersonics? Maybe. But we still have our triad nuclear threat which is one heck of a deterrent.

This morning, the news was a new threat for a NATO ally. France. Once of Putin's henchmen said maybe Russia could obliterate France. Destroy them. Why? France continues to support Ukraine, which really gets under Russia's skin. Well, boo hoo.

Russia can show off its Satan II missile or it's new hypersonics. That will not change the outrageous war crimes it has committed in Ukraine. Russia is now a rogue nation, run by outlaws. Russian people are suffering from this war, just like Ukrainian people are suffering. 

Russia is losing and will lose. The only fear we have right now, is Russia will do something very stupid, which will take the world down with them.      

Unwinding the knot

"There is an old saying in government. 'What has been done, can be undone.' We saw that in spades when Biden took over. Everything Trump was overturned or changed. How did that work out? I think we all know the answer to that one."  

Ready, set, here we go! That is what is on the minds of many of us right now. At long last, we have our speed bump back. We have a very slim majority in the House, and - we have the Speaker. Now - down to business. And what is that business?

Oh my, the list is long, and growing. Just when you think the list is long enough to last a lifetime, along comes a new issue. Like the Vice President Biden's illegal storage of classified information. After what happened to former President Trump, this is YUGE! Add that on to the list.

Here is the issue, however. The knot. Unwinding and undoing the knot. What is the knot? All the crapola which was put into place prior to having our new "speed bump". Examples? To start with, we need to first plug up the southern border, and then find the 5 million or so illegals which came into this country during the past two years. And yes Gary, this is a number which I have heard from the CBP.

But with all the things which need to be unwound, I don't know if we can do as much as we want to. We really need the White House back to kick these fixes into high gear. All we can do right now is stop legislation, and defund as much as we can. Plus - we have some big Waterloo items coming up. Like? The debt ceiling. Government shut down. Defense spending. Entitlement spending, including Social Security and Medicare. And - the national debt. What to do with a national debt which is now north of $30T, and expected to reach $40T by 2030.

Here are the issues as I see them. First off, living large. Starting during the pandemic, we threw common sense out of the window. Spent money like drunken sailors. Now that the pandemic is over, the spending party continues. The last tranche was the $1.7T omnibus bill in December. What was in that bill? Everything but the kitchen sink. More earmarks than there are stars in the universe. Is it paid for? Hell, no. Just put it on the tab, please!

Now the House needs to follow the directions listed in Article One of the Constitution. It will be the first time in years if they do. Seems the Freedom Caucus had some hard and fast negotiations with the Speaker elect concerning how to follow the rules, rather than follow tradition. How is that going to work? We will see.

There is an old saying in government. "What has been done, can be undone." We saw that in spades when Biden took over. Everything Trump was overturned or changed. How did that work out? I think we all know the answer to that one. The beat goes on...  

That wonderful tilt

"I know Elon Musk is high on homesteading Mars. Good on him. I also am high on exploring Mars with manned missions. But living there? With no tilt? No thanks."

23.5 degrees. That is our Earth's tilt. For those who are stuck in Minnesota, Wisconsin or the Dakotas this winter, and hate the snow and cold - blame that tilt. For those who love spring, fall and summer, embrace the tilt. As most of us learned back in grade school, it is Earth's tilt which gives us our seasons. And - it is Earth's tilt which is partially responsible to not have our home planet look like Venus - unlivable.

Actually, because of the Earth's wobble, our tilt can be as high as 24 point something, or as little as 22 point something. What does that mean? Not much, actually. Plus, as most of us know from watching the news or listening to the NASA channel on TV, our new telescopes are continuously finding new planets outside our Solar System. Some have water (maybe), some have an atmosphere of some kind, and some are in a "Goldilocks" zone. But guess what? None so far, have the "tilt" which would give them seasons. Or make them livable.

Can life evolve on one of the planets which we have discovered? Maybe. But that life will probably look a whole lot different than the life we are used to. Plus, it is not just the "tilt" which makes Earth such a wonderful home for us. It is also our magnetic core which circulates at just the right speed, to protect us from too much solar radiation. It is a combination of many other things, to boot. Kind of like someone planned it that way. Earth was made just for us.

Why do I bring all of this up? Winter. The time of year, when many of us (myself included), like to crab and complain about the weather. But a good hard winter is good for nature. It kills off many destructive beetles which harm our trees. It gives us good moisture, which slowly melts into the ground, as winter wanes. The snow cover insulates young plants, so they may once again come to life in the spring. Plus - we need to remember that our winter is summer in the southern hemisphere. I have been to Australia in December. It is like being in Minnesota in July.  

I know Elon Musk is high on homesteading Mars. Good on him. I also am high on exploring Mars with manned missions. But living there? With no tilt? No thanks. Maybe at one time Mars would have been livable (sort of), but now? No way. I will stick with Earth, thank you. And forgive me please, every time I crab about the endless winters in Minnesota. 

The good, the bad, and the very ugly

"The Democrats? They don't have this problem. They are not bifurcated in principal. There are no purists. Heck, most of them don't even know we live in a Republic and not a Democracy."

I will admit it. I got sucked into the drama last night. Never did I think it would keep me up so late. Never have I been so ashamed of how our "sausage factory" works. Decorum? Dignity? Na - those went out the window early in the process. Some say this was helpful, to show how the "process" really works. Others say it is indicative of a broken system. Where one of the easiest things in the world (electing a new Speaker), became as difficult as solving a Rubik's Cube - blindfolded. But when it was all said and done, and all the dust had settled, we had Speaker McCarthy.

The coronation of McCarthy, looked more like a food fight at times. At the end, I thought it might even turn into a brawl. Why? Everyone in the chamber was a "wannabe", as nobody was sworn in as yet. Families were flown out to get a photo op when mom or dad were sworn in. Instead, the families saw mom or dad being sworn at. Nerves were on edge, tempers were short. Heck, at the end, the Republicans even got dressed down by the heir to the world's crappiest booze - our own Dean Phillips, himself.

The dreams that many of us have had, of a tidal wave colored crimson red, followed up by a smooth transition of power by kicking Ms. Nancy out of the Speaker's chair - have dimmed. Our tidal wave, turned into a mere trickle, and to get the job, Kevin McCarthy had agree to tone down much of the power the Speaker's position has had. In fact, with a narrow majority and a weakened Speaker, simple governance might be a problem. Why? As much as we all bellyache about year ending Omnibus type bills, that recipe might be firmly baked into the mix. And when the next one comes rolling down the hill in December of 2023, Katy bar the door.

There are purist involved, who want the House to operate as prescribed in Article One of the Constitution? Are there are also pragmatists (who are now part of the swamp), who have surrendered to the chaos? The madness? The non-stop and feckless spending?

How about the Democrats? They don't have this problem. They are not bifurcated in principal. There are no purists. Heck, most of them don't even know we live in a Republic and not a Democracy. Most of the Democrats have long ago "deep sixed" any semblance of fiscal sanity. Their fiscal hawks have gone the way of the Dodo Bird. Bottom line? No food fights within this crew.

Now that the Congressional "wannabes" are being sworn in to their elected positions, let the show begin. The first order of business (as promised), was to prepare legislation on getting rid of the large tranche of new IRS agents. A bill will be prepared, and (hopefully) passed through the House using this razor thin majority. But here is the rub. It will die in the Senate. Even if by a miracle, Manchin and Sinema agree to it, Slo Joe will veto it. Sometimes a great notion, to quote Ken Kesey. 

How are we doing on this 7th day of January? Are we in order or disorder? Are we e pluribus unum, or are we in the wild, wild west, living tribally? Time will tell. But I will say this much. Two years ago yesterday, a handful of conservatives lost self control, and ended up sullying our entire brand. Yesterday, we might have sullied our brand once again. I sure hope not. 

  

Our Gaslighter in Chief

"How do we explain behavior like this to our youngins? That gaslighting (or just plain lying), is acceptable?" 

An old expression - "How can you tell when a politician is speaking?" Answer - When his (or her) lips are moving. Yesterday, I accidentally listened to just a bit of our Gaslighter in Chief, talk about his upcoming trip to the border. According to our current POTUS, everything on the border is sunshine and rainbows. The border is secure, and "President Harris" is doing a wonderful job in her "root cause analysis" in fixing any problems. After five minutes, I was ready for someone to gag me with a spoon.

How do we explain behavior like this to our youngins? That gaslighting (or just plain lying), is acceptable? I have covered lying in a recent post, so I won't do into it again. I will say this however - a lesson I tried to teach both of my girls when they were growing up was a simple axiom. When all else fails, tell the truth. Truth tellers are always appreciated and respected. Liars? Not so much.

Back to the Biden presser from yesterday. Our President of all the people, red or blue, could not resist taking a shot or two at Republicans. Seems any problems down at the border are their fault. They have not authorized enough funding to process these wavers for illegals. We need more immigration judges and so forth. Wait - what? The Republicans are not yet in charge of Congress. For the past two years, it has been Ms. Nancy and team who have held the cords of power in the House. How in the world could that be the Republicans fault? 

Plus (and I hate to bring up details), the last pile of goo called the $1.7T Omnibus bill, had only "pocket change" allocated to the southern border. Republicans had NOTHING to do with putting that bill together. Plus, only a handful of Republicans voted for it. So again, Mr. Gaslighter, what are you really trying to say? Remember, when you point a finger at someone, the other fingers in your hand are pointing back at you.

Today will be another day of "drama" on the Hill as Kevin McCarthy tries to get the votes needed to become Speaker. Will he get them? Maybe. Or maybe not. We might end up with a completely different Speaker.

Or, we can just sit back, and let the "sausage factory" continue this laborious process. At the end of the day, sometimes all we have - is the end of the day.