Our future is coming, good or bad it is almost here

 

"Will the future be exciting? Probably, yes. Will we have newer and better products available? Should have. Will we have some people that will be "left in the ditch" as the some of the newer technologies replaces them? That will be our challenge. How to make these new technologies a plus up and not a negative."

Many think that Elon Musk is the only "kingmaker" we have for the direction of our future tech in this country. He is not, but he is certainly the person who seems to be in the lead of a great many things. As far as innovators are concerned, this country seems to be doing quite well right now. Palmer Lucky (co-founder of Anduril Industries) has caught the eye of many people. His vision of an autonomous defense shield for America is awesome and smart. And Palmer is really still a kid - kind of like Elon Musk was just a few short years ago.

The thing which fascinates so many about Elon Musk, is his ability to turn his dreams into reality. He is a shining example of an innovator who constantly searches to the "better mousetrap". For example, one of his dreams is to have factories making products using better cost-effective methods and near perfect automation. His "Guinea Pig" (so to speak) to develop this dream? Using his own factories. And most of his new automation will be a combination of his AI and humanoid robots (Optimus, Gen III).

Besides the way his Optimus humanoid robots will turn factory life around, Elon also wants them affordable enough so that people, should they want one in the house, can make life simpler. How so? Many of the routine and mundane jobs can be done by Optimus instead of us. But there is a cost to us with having a machine which can do many of the things we can do. It will be nice at home to have a machine ready to weed the garden or do the dishes. But it will not be as nice when that machine can do everything we can do at our job. Since humans are a big part of the cost of goods sold, having something cheaper, more dependable, and using near perfect precision will be tough for us to compete with.

As we sit at the midpoint of 2026, many futurists are saying that 2027 is the year we will really start seeing this change to more workplace and domestic automation. But are we ready for it? By the end of this decade (only 4 1/2 years to go), some are saying that much of our world will look and act nothing like we have seen before. In fact, some of the changes will be so fast and so stark, they will be dizzying to many. The allure of these shiny new pennies (as to speak) might be replaced with a new type of depression. Like - what is my worth now, and how to I fit into this brave new world?

Will the future be exciting? Probably, yes. Will we have newer and better products available? Should have. Will we have some people that will be "left in the ditch" as the some of the newer technologies replaces them? That will be our challenge. How to make these new technologies a plus up and not a negative.

How will be know how to do that? We will need to know soon enough, as the future is coming faster than most can imagine. As fast as the speed of change.  

  

No peace - ever - in the caldron of Iran

"Just like with the scorpion, war and death are in the nature of people like the IRGC, Hezbollah, Hamas, and the Houthis. Remember - they still refer to us as the Great Satan and Israel as the Little Satan. Enough said. Finish the job, Mr. President."

How is the cease fire going? Better question is how long did it last? Maybe not even a day. As much as Donald Trump would love to see peace in that very troubled area of the world, the lure of peace might live in the land of "never happen". And anybody who thinks that Iran is innocent with the crapola that Hezbollah is doing to Israel right now, needs to be drug tested. No - Iran continues to be the puppet master, and Iran's proxies continue to do their Iran's bidding.

Another thing which is driving me crazy about this "deal" is the amnesia that the Iranian negotiators seem to have about the constructs of the agreement. Might I just say this is a harbinger of things to come? Already we are hearing overtures that after the sixty days of negotiations, Iran wants to charge a toll for going through the Strait. Along with Oman. And where in the world did that come? We would never agree to that! Never!

When my dad was still alive, he would often tell me that trying to find peace in the Middle East was a fool's errand. They have been fighting for centuries and will continue to do so for centuries yet to come. What then, is the solution? Victory. Total and absolute victory. Finish the job Mr. President. You are dealing with a den of vipers right now. Let Israel finish off Hezbollah. They need to, as Hezbollah will NEVER stop attacking Israel. Then we need to finish off the IRGC. Finish them in the same manner we finished off the Nazis in WWII. 

Any while the United States and Israel are finishing the unfinished business, we need our partners to keep the Strait open. There are many countries who rely on an open Strait more than we do, so get in the game. We have everything in place right now to finish this job. Maybe even send in the Marines to take Kharg Island. I think even the strictest skeptic can now see that Iran is just toying with us. Stalling for time.

I am reminded of that fable about the turtle and the scorpion. One day there was a violent rainstorm and the rainwater soon turned into floodwater. The turtle saw the scorpion, who was about to drown, and offered the scorpion a ride to safety by climbing on his back. The turtle told the scorpion, "I know we are not friends, and you could kill me, but working together we can both get to safety". About halfway across the swollen floodwater, the scorpion stung the turtle. As the turtle started to die, he asked the scorpion why he did that. Now they both were going to die. The scorpion responded, "I can't help it. It is in my nature to do so."

Just like with the scorpion, war and death are in the nature of people like the IRGC, Hezbollah, Hamas, and the Houthis. Remember - they still refer to us as the Great Satan and Israel as the Little Satan. Enough said. Finish the job, Mr. President.      

Hey time! Please slow down a bit!

 

"What is the lesson I try to remember every summer? Live each day, every day, like it is special. Don't waste one minute of any summer day. Sounds good, but it never happens. Why? Life takes over. The highways and byways of life always seem to trump our plans and speed up our days."

Yesterday was June 1st. Or was it Memorial Day weekend? Seems that way, does it not? Now here we are, getting ready for Summer Solstice on June 21st. And then what? In the words of an old talk radio show - summer is over. Why? The days start to get shorter. The days start to get shorter and begin their march to December 21st - Winter Solstice. You know - cold, snow, ice and ick.

What is my point? Time. As the old joke goes, time is like a roll of toilet paper. The closer you get to the end, the faster it goes. Today, my wife and I have a meeting to go to. And then to the grocery store for some provisions. Wait - we were just at the grocery store - I remember it like it was yesterday. But it was not yesterday - it was a week ago. What happened during this past week? I don't remember, as now it seems like it was a blur. 

I am reminded of that old saying - what is the shortest distance between two points - a Minnesota summer. Boy, it that is not the truth! And don't look now, but in a couple of weeks it will be our big 250th national birthday party. That will be fun, and up at the RV part will be a favorite for the kiddos - the golf cart parade. We get to deck out our trusty old golf cart in all kinds of patriotic stuff. Weather permitting, that should be a good day.

What else is happening this weekend? Father's Day for one thing. The day we honor or dads, alive or gone. And for the first time in a long time, Father's Day lands on our anniversary. A real two-for day. Speaking of time flying by, I remember our wedding day quite clearly. A mega-storm had torn up the town on the 20th of June 1974. Power out all over the place. But the show must go on. We got married the next day, on June 21st, 52 years ago. Where has the time gone? Two kids, then two grandies, and our two careers done. All in a blur of time going by. 

What is the lesson I try to remember every summer? Live each day, every day, like it is special. Don't waste one minute of any summer day. Sounds good, but it never happens. Why? Life takes over. The highways and byways of life always seem to trump our plans and speed up the days. Next thing we know, it is the state fair, followed by schools starting. And then summer is basically over. The RV Park starts to shut down, and the first hint of fall is in the air. 

Jim Croce sang a song many years ago called Time in a bottle. I would love to have some of this June weather trapped in a bottle so I could open it in December or January. But we can't. We just need to live every day for what it is. And most every day has some kind of blessing in it, no matter what the weather is.

 

If it is so bad, why did he sign?

"Now for the last question. What about the final agreement which will take all of sixty days to complete? We have seen the way Iran negotiates. We have seen the way Iran lies. We have seen the way Iran cheats. Is it possible to still catch lightening in a bottle during these final negotiations? Maybe - or are we seeing another North Korea all over again."    

The MOU. The Memorandum of Understanding between Iran and the United States. It has been a while since such an important document had been under such scrutiny. Everybody seems to have some kind of "take" or opinion on this document and what it stands for. Not surprising I guess, I also have an opinion. And my opinion goes back some years.

Here is the question - did Donald Trump, Mr. "Art of the Deal", catch lightening in a bottle, or did he "TACO" out? I have an opinion it might not be either of those two. Why? I can see similarities between how he handled the North Korean issue with Kim Jong Um during his first term, and he is now dealing with Iran. Part of being a "man of peace" is having a better vision for the future - be it with North Korea or Iran. 

With North Korea, a country who has hated us for decades, Trump tried to show Kim that his "Hermit Kingdom" did not need to be so. They have everything they needed to be a vibrant country just like South Korea. The nukes that Kim had would do him no good - only possibly lead to the destruction of his country. As much as Trump tried to turn this ship around, show Kim a better tomorrow, the "Hermit Kingdom" wanted none of that, and thus remains as it has been since the 1950's.

With Iran, as much as Trump wanted regime change, it was not in the cards. However, for Israel it was. The IRGC is like a cancer, has been since the 1970's. It is similar to what the Nazis were to Germany. Whereas the allies went into Europe to capture or kill any Nazi they could find (to ensure with the exception of Operation Paperclip, the Nazi cancer was eliminated), Trump has made the decision to let the IRGC remain in power. Why? Getting rid of them, like we did with the Nazis during World War II, would cost way too much of our blood and treasure. However, if we had been able to rid Iran of the IRGC, and have normal Iranians govern their country, Iran might have changed. Peace might have really and truly come back to the shire.

But here is the rub in my book. So long as we are dealing with the IRGC, we are dealing with snakes. Remember? To them, we are nothing than the "Great Satan". And our friend and ally Israel? In the eyes of the IRGC, Israel has no right to exist. None. And by the way - where is the agreement between Israel and Iran? Isreal continues to live at ground zero, well within missile range Iran, Hezbollah in Lebanon, and the Houthis.

Why did the man who always looks for the best deal, sign a document which (on the surface), appears to be lacking? (My opinion) - It is because of us and the rest of the civilized world. We did not understand what a choke hold it would be should the Strait of Hormuz be shut down. Gasoline, fertilizer for the farmers, and products which take oil to manufacture - all more expensive. Iran put their boot on the Strait, and we cried uncle. Having expensive gasoline in the summertime was a "first world problem" which we (and Europe) could stand no longer.

Now for the last question. What about the final agreement which will take all of sixty days to complete? We have seen the way Iran negotiates. We have seen the way Iran lies. We have seen the way Iran cheats. Is it possible to still catch lightening in a bottle during these final negotiations? Maybe - or are we seeing another North Korea all over again. I guess we will know in about sixty days.    

 

Minnesota blues

"As a lifelong Minnesotan, I have seen the good, the bad and the ugly. When this state was good, it was really good. When it was bad (like during the Floyd incident), it was REALLY bad. And now that it is ugly, it is unbearable. The state I once loved, I can barely stand anymore." 

The hyper red meat conservative rag, WCCO (that was a joke), did a deep dive on how our beloved state of Minnesota is doing. Coming from WCCO anything, one would expect every metric would have come up covered with wine and roses. But no - it was a rare moment of truth. WCCO laid bare just how crappy this state has been doing since 2020. I got a copy of this from a friend, so of course I had to copy and paste to my FB account.

Oh, but the story gets worse. Taxing Timmy (now known also as "Tampon Timmy") just found out his approval rating in MN is in the toilet. For the first time in his long (overstayed) visit to the governor's house, his approval is under 40%. In a state loaded with Democrats! In fact, WCCO blamed the failure of MN not only on the Commies which were elected in 2023, but also Walz, who was part of the doomsday "trifecta". 

Then to make matters worse, the Somali fraud flag which the DFL has been parading around, is as popular as a root canal with many Minnesotans. And that number includes some Democrats. Wait what? The trifecta was unpopular, Walz is unpopular, and now that wonderful, beautiful fraud flag is also unpopular? Oh, what a world!

BTW - one of the metrics that WCCO talked about was the drop in our population of 48,000 folks since 2020. Could that possibly be a harbinger of the crappy tax situation, and the dangerous place the TC have turned out to be? Why else would be have a drop that big from "the best place in the world to live". Maybe it is not the best place. Maybe it is not even average anymore.

As a lifelong Minnesotan, I have seen the good, the bad and the ugly. When this state was good, it was really good. When it was bad (like during the Floyd incident), it was REALLY bad. And now that it is ugly, it is unbearable. The state I once loved, I can barely stand anymore. This state, which at one time, was loaded with my kind of folks, is now that way no longer. How bad is it now? I feel like a stranger in a strange land - a very strange land.

  

 

Is the G7 still of any value to anybody?

 

If Mark Carney were smart (and that is questionable), he would do a Mea culpa to Donald Trump and get the Canada/USA relationship back on track. Right now, Canada is an orphan. And a lonely one at that. Carney needs to start running Canada the way Alberta is being run. That would fix things in a hurry. 

Today starts the three days of talks with the G7 crowd. Any why? It depends on who you ask. Some wanted Zelenskyy there so the four-year-old Ukrainian war could be discussed. Like maybe peace talks with Russia? Sorry - Putin is not a peacenik. Even though he has been getting his butt handed to him in the eastern part of Ukraine, he still wants war. And because he cannot beat the Ukrainian Army, he is unleashing his wrath on civilians. And the liberals in this country think that Bebe Netanyahu is the international criminal. Putin is a thousand times worse, and the left never mentions his name.

Most of the G7 members are also members of NATO. Even the host country (France). Trump has already made his feeling known about the non-support he recently received from this Euro band of reloaders. What did they do to help vanquish this international criminal (Iran)? Zip. Nada. In fact, Starmer would not even allow us to use Diego Garca for our bombers. But they so want to keep supplying Ukraine with weapons to prolong that war. Trump got a peace deal with Iran. How about a peace deal in Ukraine, European leaders? The carnage in that war has been appalling. 

When I look at who is at this summit, here are my favorites - Sanae Takaichi of Japan, and Giorgia Meloni of Italy. Starmer of the UK, Carney of Canada, Marcron of France, and Merz of Germany are only so-so (or worse). The odd thing is that most of the attendees want to get a better understanding of the peace deal with Iran. Why? They showed little to no interest or support when the fighting was tough. All they could do is bitch and moan. We took Iran out as a favor to EVERYBODY - not just us and Israel.

In any event, most of Europe still has a huge refugee and illegal immigration problem they are trying to work through. We have addressed ours, and it is currently being remedied by our Homeland Security folks.

And by the way, now that the world has seen what a monster that Putin is, let's get those Greenland talks going again. That would be a good topic of discussion. Why? Having our Golden Dome of protection in Greenland, would help Europe as much as us. The Euro portion of the G7 as well as NATO, need to wake up and smell the coffee. This is still and dangerous world with dangerous men trying to spread death and destruction. Japan is doing their part (times 10), and we need Europe to come out of their slumber and get ready. Really ready. Our ask for Greenland is small potatoes in the scheme of things. 

If Mark Carney were smart (and that is questionable), he would do a Mea culpa to Donald Trump and get the Canada/USA relationship back on track. Right now, Canada is an orphan. And a lonely one at that. Carney needs to start running Canada the way Alberta is being run. That would fix things in a hurry. 

    

Sometimes, we are SOOO stoopid!

"If you have friends or relatives who live in Las Vegas, Pheonix or Tucson, don't be afraid to ask them some tough questions. Why? If they don't see the brick wall ahead when they are driving 100mph, maybe you should tell them. Tell them not to believe all the BS about data centers, tell them to learn the facts."

Much has been said and printed as of late about the unprecedented proliferation of data centers. All to stay ahead of the Chinese in the race for AI supremacy. The good news is these data centers are going up fast, and with little scrutiny. The bad news is many are going up where there is a dearth of power and/or water. Rather than approach this problem with eyes wide open, we have decided to race forward with eyes wide shut. And the most egregious example of this lack of planning, has been to make Pheonix, AZ the next super hub for water thirsty and energy hungry data centers.

Wait - since we are in a foot race against China, they must have the save issues. And they do. But rather than tripping along the path to major problems, they have come up with a clever idea. They want to submerge data centers off their coast. Why? Unlimited water for cooling. Energy to run the data centers would still be an issue, but at least they could cross water for cooling off the problem list.

In fact, it is not just Pheonix which has a water problem. The entire desert southwest has a huge problem which is not getting any better. What are we doing about that severe shortage of water for this growing area of the country? Not much, not much at all. What should we have done years ago? Desalination plants for a starter. With the Colorado River going dry, and the aquafers also running out of water, there really is no plan "B" right now. If Lake Meade recedes to a level called "dead pool", property values in many of the larger cities in the desert southwest will be worth pennies on the dollar. And the hundreds of billions of dollars to build all those data centers there? Gone with the wind.

Here is the bottom line - data centers are not new. We have been building them and using them for years. But now with the advent of AI, and the application of AI chips to just about everything, everywhere - we can't build data centers big enough nor fast enough. But without proper planning on how to inject a huge data center into a community without causing brown outs, black outs, or sky-high energy costs, data center(s) will become very unpopular very quickly.

If you have friends or relatives who live in Las Vegas, Pheonix or Tucson, don't be afraid to ask them some tough questions. Why? If they don't see the brick wall ahead when they are driving 100mph, maybe you should tell them. Tell them not to believe all the BS about data centers, tell them to learn the facts. And the first fact to learn, is sustainability. Why? Without sustainability, we have nothing. And as the old west settlers learned over 100 years ago, water is life. Without water, there is no life.

 

His signature achievement(s)

"I know that Donald Trump wanted this agreement signed on his birthday today. It would be a great present for a great president. But knowing Iran, just to stick it to him, they will drag their feet into later on in the week. But once the MOU is signed, we can bring our boys and girls home, out of harm's way in the Persian Gulf. And that - will be present to all of us."  

Don't look now, but our birthday boy president (Happy 80th birthday, Mr. President!) is on the cusp of cementing his second term signature achievement. Okay, okay - I know. He has done quite a bit, so why is this Iran agreement a signature achievement? Because of the magnitude of the agreement, it is my opinion that this accomplishment will stand head and shoulders above all the rest. 

I have said this since Donald Trump's first term. When he was POTUS 45, I though the most impactful thing he did was the Abraham Accord. That along with moving our Israeli embassy to Jerusalem and recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of Israel - was huge. But the Abraham Accord was the first brick in the foundation that the rest of a new Middle East peace agreement could be built on.

Part of the overall agreement in the Iran deal is to further solidify friendly Arab nations into the Abraham Accord. I believe this was the plan all along, but once Iran started to lob missiles at neighboring nations for no reason what-so-ever, the path to more signatures on the Abraham Agreement got quite a bit smoother. The world should probably thank the IRGC of Iran for showing what kind of backstabbing cowards they really are. Not the kind of folks who should ever get their hands on a nuclear bomb.

Even though this massive deal with Iran is now inches away from a signature, Iran still is playing with us. Until the deal is signed, the Strait remains (technically) closed. Once the MOU is signed, then the sixty-day clock starts. That is when all the fine points of getting the uranium out of Iran is memorialized. Once that happens, we life many of the economy chocking sanctions we have had on Iran. But what if Iran cheats as they always have done before? Then as Wyatt Earp once said, "I am coming back, and bringing hell with me". 

I know that Donald Trump wanted this agreement signed on his birthday today. It would be a great present for a great president. But knowing Iran, just to stick it to him, they will drag their feet into later on in the week. But once the MOU is signed, we can bring our boys and girls home, out of harm's way in the Persian Gulf. And that - will be present to all of us.  

 

Hating on billionaires? What about our first trillionaire?

If you are a billionaire hater, you might need to sharpen up your game. Why? Now that we have the world's first trillionaire, the next one might be right around the corner. But rather than hate Musk, let us try to learn from him. Like I said, Elon did not get to be this wealthy by accident. So, keep your hate in your pocket, and try to go out and learn something new by watching Elon Musk operate. 

As predicted, SpaceX, the little company started in a garage in El Segundo, CA - went public this week. Or a lot of people of ordinary means, became rich. And the head guy at SpaceX, who was already rich, became the world's first trillionaire. Oh boy - are the haters ever going to start hating on this one! Why? It is unfair that so many became wealthy just because the most reliable space company in the world finally went public. So please - cry me a river some other time.  

Some (like Liz Warren) are about coming unglued that Elon has tasted success yet again. So why him? Why is it always him that may fail a few times but always learns from his failures and comes back swinging. I read up on his businesses quite often. I am amazed and stunned on how many things Elon is into, and how many are taking the "road less traveled" to being successful. Then it dawned on me. Elon may be bit odd, but he can smell a deal a mile away. And once he gains control of a company, he usually guides it on a path that only Elon can see. Then through vision casting, the company adopts Elon's vision. Next thing you know, Elon (in that industry), is at the top of his game.

Did Elon get rich by having it handed to him? Not a bit. He got rich by his unique thinking, hard work, and learning from his failures. Why do people like Liz Warren hate Elon for this skill? You tell me. As far as I am concerned, Elon Musk is a national treasure. Coming from South Africa, Elon could have gone anyplace - but he chose America. And I am so very grateful that he did.

Many analysts thing that Elon's biggest gold mine is in Grok - his AI tool. Meanwhile, while few were looking, Elon has set up quite the data farm for making AI chips. And these chips will have a common purpose just by being a common design. They will be going in EVERYTHING that Elon makes. Cars, robots, spaceships - everything. But that is just the way Elon thinks. KISS (keep it simple, silly) and make stuff that works. Make stuff the country needs and wants.

If you are a billionaire hater, you might need to sharpen up your game. Why? Now that we have the world's first trillionaire, the next one might be right around the corner. But rather than hate Musk, let us try to learn from him. Like I said, Elon did not get to be this wealthy by accident. So, keep your hate in your pocket, and try to go out and learn something new by watching Elon Musk operate. 

A sign of our times...

"How valuable is freedom? People who have had to live without it can answer that question. It is worth living for, and as we remember every Memorial Day weekend, sometimes worth dying for. Happy birthday America - we love you more and more every year." 

In less than a month, we will have hit our milestone. Our national birthday. 250 years young. Now I am feeling old. Shortly after my wife and I were married, we went up to a friend's cabin with others, to celebrate our nation's 200th birthday. Since we were young and foolish, somebody had the bright idea that between all of us, we needed to drink 200 beers on that weekend. We played cards, did other games, talked and shot off fireworks. We had beer for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Did we make it? Nope - but had fun trying to.

This year, fifty years after that 200th anniversary beer bust, my family will celebrate a different way. We will gather up at our RV (in the park where it is located), and have a fun, yet much more sober yet not more of a somber time. There will be grilling, golf cart rides, mini golf to be played, and maybe even some pool time. But at the bottom of all that fun comes once immutable fact - why we can do all of that. Why is that? Because we live in the freest, most liberty loving nation on Earth. And on the 4th of July next month, we will enjoy that fact which defines being an American - freedom.

250 years old. That is a quarter of a millennium. In other words, a long time. But compared to other great countries from the past, as well as some which exist today, 250 years is nothing. We are still young. Still trying to understand the how and why of this freedom thing. And in our journey to understanding, we have picked up some nicks and cuts along the way. Yes, we still have bumps and bruises from doing the wrong thing when we should have been doing the right thing. And hopefully, we learned a thing or two along that path.

But one thing we learned from the four years between POTUS 45 and POTUS 47. We learned a lesson when the doors to our nation were left wide open. We did not have millions trying to leave because living here was untenable. On the contrary, we had people from all over the world trying to get into our country. Why? For many, it was the sweet smell of freedom. For that, many risked life and limb to get here. For many who did get here, they found out the hard way that cutting line did not work. We have legal process in how to get to America. In fact, legal immigration is how many of our great grandparents got here in the first place.

I wonder what our Framers would think, if they could see us now. Big and brash and covered with the vivid colors of red, white and blue. Most of us are proud to be Americans. It is an honor and a privilege to be living in this great land. Wearing the uniform of this great country was even more of an honor. It is an honor I will never forget.

The great celebration is coming and coming soon. Years in the planning, it is really going to be something. What is the sign of our times? What it has been since 1776. Freedom. Pure and simple freedom. How valuable is freedom? People who have had to live without freedom can answer that question. But we do know this much. It is worth living for, and as we remember on every Memorial Day weekend, sometimes worth dying for.

Happy birthday America - we love you more and more every year. 

 

A good man; a fine man - but is he electable?

 

Coming up in the primary, MNGOP will have a black man with zero government experience (yet great military and business experience), going up against a black woman with very good government experience (Speaker of the House in MN), and a white guy who through his business (My Pillow) has a ton of name recognition. That is it. Unless somebody drops out, the stage is set.

I pen this article this morning will malice towards none - it is just my observation from my perch at 30,000 feet. Kendall Qualls is the endorsed candidate of MNGOP to run for governor. If he makes it past the primary (and there are some seeds of doubt which have been sown about that outcome), Mr. Qualls will meet Hot Dish Amy in the general election. And based on recent history, the chances of ANYBODY winning a state office in this twisted state - is nebulous at best. 

I have never met Kendall Qualls. Never talked to him on the phone. So, most of what I am posting this morning is either anecdotal or my observations from afar. One of the wraps I have heard from some about Kendall is his toughness. Is he tough enough to enter this arena. We know he is physically tough as he served as a Field Artillery Officer (holding a TS clearance) for some years in the United States Army. We know he is intellectually tough enough, as in business he worked in the healthcare industry and rose through the ranks to become a global vice president of a business unit. But the question remains - is he tough enough to survive the rigors and slings of a primary (with fellow Republicans no less), and then on to the real arena, a cage match with Amy Klobuchar in the general election.

Then comes the real bug-a-boo. I have addressed this before. Amy has been around for just short of forever. Her dad was around even longer. Klobuchar is a well-known (maybe not respected but well known) name. And because of that, not only the legions of Yellow Dog Democrats will come out to vote, as well as scores of uninformed and underinformed voters that turn out to vote every other year, and you have a tough hill for Kendall Qualls to climb. That is why some in the primary are leaning towards a vote for Lisa Demuth, endorsed or not.

If I were on Kendall's campaign team (I was on Jeff Johnson's team twice), I would advise him to go on a blizzard of radio and TV appearances. BE SPECIFIC on how or what he will do to make things better in this state. Amy has already been out there not only promising two chickens in every pot, but also to build 100,000 new houses in Minnesota. Where is the money coming from to do that? Maybe some claw back money from Somalia.

Coming up in the primary, MNGOP will have a black man with zero government experience (yet great military and business experience), going up against a black woman with very good government experience (Speaker of the House in MN), and a white guy who through his business (My Pillow) has a ton of name recognition. That is it. Unless somebody drops out, the stage is set.

If I were a betting man, I would say if the primary were held tomorrow, Lisa might have the edge. Why? It is about time we had a woman (and a strong one at that) run for governor on the red side. And many of the 2A folks love her for standing strong against the gun grabbers during the last session. As far as Kendall is concerned, he needs to get known and show some true grit before August. And as most of us Minnesotans know, time goes fast, as summer does fly by. 

     

Graham Platner - the "me too" iconoclast

"But wait - didn't you hear Platner say he did not know it was a Nazi tattoo because he got it one night when he was drunk? Yes, I did. And I also believe that pigs fly."

Well, he did it. Graham Platner won the Maine primary by a sizable margin. Now for a moment of truthful disclosure. I lived up in northern Maine in 1971-1972. Why? I was stationed up there, at an outpost station called Winter Harbor. I lived off base in a very rural town called Steuben. Since I was living in the community, I got to know many of the "Mainers" (please don't call them "Maniacs" - they hate that nickname).

Living in the community in my off hours, I got to know the locals quite well. Socialized with them, played cards with them, shot guns with them. Good folks. Many were in the timber trade, lobstermen, blood worm diggers and so forth. Not a well to do area of Maine, but the folks were rock solid. Why bring this up? I NEVER met ANYBODY even one percent similar to Graham Platner. If anything, they were the polar opposite of Platner.

How in the world, in this day in age, did a guy with a very checkered past, carry the entire state of Maine for the Democrats? And here is the strangest part. The way he treats (or treated) women. Wait - what? Where is the Democrat "me too" movement? Remember Brett Kavanaugh? Hello? "Always believe the woman" has morphed into NEVER believe the woman - that is, with Maine Democrats. 

I loved watching certain feminist Democrats being questioned about why (or how) they could support a guy like Platner. Oh - did I mention his Nazi tattoo? I guess that kills all the jargon the left uses against the MAGA crowd. Can't call them Nazis of Gestapo anymore since their senate candidate has a now concealed Nazi tattoo on his chest. But wait - didn't you hear Platner say he did not know it was a Nazi tattoo because he got it one night when he was drunk? Yes, I did. And I also believe that pigs fly.

Many thought Susan Collins was a "dead senator walking" coming into this election. Even though she is a very unreliable vote for many Republican bills, she is at least kind of red. In any event, now that Platner is running against her, and even though the Democrats love his chances of beating her, the odds are that Collins will stomp on him in the general. Why? Not all "Mainers" are crazy. Only the ones who vote blue. 

Living on the edge of tomorrow...

"Is tomorrow going to be better? Or are we going to stumble into 2027 in worse shape than ever? Oh yes - 2027 is the year many Pentagon planners think that China is going to invade Taiwan. That will be thing one for the day AFTER tomorrow's musings."

"When tomorrow comes, things will look better." Will they? Really? How many times have we heard that old saying when we were growing up? Especially when we are having a bad day. "When tomorrow comes" - really? Here we are, living on the edge of tomorrow. I mean, we can see part of tomorrow already. We have messed up today, so maybe we should look to see how the table is set for tomorrow:

Disclosure Day - The long-awaited film by the semi-retired Steven Spielberg. Spielberg thinks that when his truth is told in this story, it will shake the foundations of many of the world's religions - even Christianity. However, those deep in the Christian faith know that this film might be part of the "great deception". In other words - beware. In any event, the film breaks to the public this week, so buckle up and hold on tight.

Iran - "Another two weeks, another two weeks, another two weeks - the deal is almost done!" More and more people think that Iran is playing us like a fiddle. Even General Jack Keane thinks we should unleash our dogs of war on them again. Finish the job. Meanwhile, the Strait remains closed, and now the Houthis have announced they will start to control entry and exit to the Red Sea. Israel keeps getting hit by Hezbollah with rockets out of Lebanon, and when Israel hits Lebanon back, the US and Israel bicker about it. Where are we? Nowhere.

Fraud - On my - where to start on this one. The DOJ has announced that they are going after Walz and Ellison for failure to act on the well-known fraud which has been plaguing MN for at least six years. But it is not just Minnesota - the fraud bug is all over the country. In California, their elections are highly suspect of voter fraud. Just look at the recent vote count in LA - more votes than people. In fact, many states are seeing symptoms of voter fraud. Whereas the Save America Act would help fix this issue, the Senate can't seem to get this commonsense act over the finish line. Bottom line? This Fraud-O-Rama will continue into the midterms as well as many of the federal and state programs. Maybe we do need the aliens to land and help us fix this. We sure can't.

National Discourse - Our motto, which many of us grew up with, was "I am my brother's keeper." That has been replaced with STFU or worse. For reasons which escape me, we (collectively) have so much pent-up anger, we can't even celebrate a sports victory without acting like hooligans. And where does this anger really manifest itself? Politics. The art of getting along has been supplanted by the ugliest of all language and behavior. Whereas hate was once considered toxic and rare, it is now part of our culture, and our language towards others is filled with vile slurs and invectives. 

Is tomorrow going to be better? Or are we going to stumble into 2027 in worse shape than ever? Oh yes - 2027 is the year many Pentagon planners think that China is going to invade Taiwan. That will be thing one for the day AFTER tomorrow's musings. Until then, may we all do better and be better. Why? We are better than how we are now. Trust me, we are.   

 

"Cutting off his nose to spite his face..."

"Can we ever be friends with Canada and the UK again? In their minds, as soon as we are done with Trump, and have somebody like Biden in charge again. In our minds, as soon as the UK is done with Starmer and they have somebody like Lady Thatcher again. Or with Canada, with Carney is gone and Canada has somebody like Brian Mulroney again." 

Recognize these two guys? They are the head of two countries which at one time, were out closest allies. In fact, our history is loaded with good things to say about the UK and Canada. That is, once we got the War of 1812 behind us. No, for the most part, the UK and Canada have been good friends, good allies, and good trading partners. That is - until both of those countries started tilting left, and the United States hired a businessman to be our POTUS, who could see through their *bleep*.

Both the UK and Canada are in a world of hurt right now, and don't even realize it. Trump has tried to reason with them, tease them, and even threaten them. But they are right and we are wrong. After seeing how much they helped us in the Iran War (they did not do buttkiss), that was about the last straw. Now don't get me wrong - most people in this country (included myself) love Canada and the UK. It is the leadership which has gone astray. Really, really astray.

Trump is still so miffed that Starmer would not allow our bombers to use Diego Garcia during the war, Trump is looking at buying all of the Chagos Islands, including Diego Garcia. Why? Trump sees the strategic value in having a base in that part of the Indian Ocean which he could use whenever we needed to. If that means buying the entire island chain - so, be it. It is like why we want to buy Greenland. Strategic vision. Europe does not understand that. They did at one time - but no more.

Can we ever be friends with Canada and the UK again? In their minds, as soon as we are done with Trump, and have somebody like Biden in charge again. In our minds, as soon as the UK is done with Starmer and they have somebody like Lady Thatcher again. Or with Canada, with Carney is gone and Canada has somebody like Brian Mulroney again. 

Until then, I guess we will need to play nice with these two bed wetter types. If the UK and Canada can hold on, better days might be in the offing. Or not. As for us, it is MAGA all the way. Our stock market is proof that MAGA is not a better way, it is the best way.    

The high price of open borders

My biggest fear is that after Trump, we will elect another clone of Obama or Biden. Then all the idiocy that we practiced during the Obama and Biden years will return. Up is down, right is left, and evil is good. Here we will go again. That is my fear, and I pray it will never happen again.

To the people who hate ICE today, but did not hate ICE during our yesteryears, hear this out. ICE is the same organization with the same charter it always was. They are now and have been enforcing the same laws that Congress has had on the books. Then why in the world is ICE villainized today by the secular humanists who protest just about everything? Why? Because, for four long years, our borders were wide open. With millions pouring in, unvetted and unchecked, ICE now has to clean up that mess. And often times, it is not pretty.

But now, thanks in a large part to fraud (and our growing awareness of it), we are finding out that open borders may have only been the tip of the iceberg. Meaning what? There seems to be a cottage industry in both China and India of making fraudulent credentials for people who wanted to get a work visa to come to the states. And it has worked very well. In fact, many of the females who received fraudulent documents came here just to have a baby. Why? Our birthright citizenship. Result? An instant citizen who should have never been born here in the first place. 

The more I hear about the way our borders and visa system were twisted, the more I realize just how important our Border Control and ICE agencies are, and how much we need them. The money we spend while going after people who snuck into this country as well as rooting out the fraud which let illegals come here under false documents, is staggering. All that money, which could have been spent on bettering life for our citizens, is used instead for remedy purposes. We need to remedy the malice and misuse which was visited upon our country by not only the fraudsters, but also by Biden, Mayorkas, and Garland.

I don't know how much we pay ICE officers, but it is not nearly enough. All they are doing is enforcing the laws on the books which Congress (made up of many Democrats) - passed. They are part of the cadre of federal LEOs in our country. But the way = the way they are treated by the mutts in many of the big, blue city is less than awful. Result? Because of our toxic media, we villainize the federal LEOs and lionize the anarchists. Like it was foretold, in the final days good will look evil and evil will look good.

My biggest fear is that after Trump, we will elect another clone of Obama or Biden. Then all the idiocy that we practiced during the Obama and Biden years will return. Up is down, right is left, and evil is good. Here we will go again. That is my fear, and I pray it will never happen again. 

  

Time for another holiday - a gas tax holiday

"High prices or not, summer is summer and time is a wasting. If you close your eyes just for a second, it seems like another month in the summer has slipped by. What am I going to do about it? In about two hours or so, we will head north to our camper. Why? Time is flying by. Time to enjoy what little summer we have in this state."

Had to fill up my truck the other day. Went to the cheapest gas station in the area. And even with that, my durable old Chevy truck took almost $100 to fill it up. I know, I know - it is nobody's fault but the Iranians for giving the Strait of Hormuz a stopper. Meanwhile, gas in the states averages about $4/gal, and in Europe it is much worse. Short of turning Iran into a sheet of glass, is there not anything that we can do to lower our gas prices this summer? 

Actually, there is. Donald Trump first floated this idea. How about a tax holiday from paying the federally mandated 18.4 cents per gallon on gasoline? I know - a drop in the bucket, but it would help. But - Trump would need the help of Congress on this one, and since the TDS and vile hatred is so strong in Washington, that would never happen. How do I know? Just look at the Save America Act, which is a 90-10 piece of legislation. Should have been a slam dunk in the Senate. But it failed. Something that 90% of Americans would favor -- failed due to four RINOs and every single Democrat. Thus, a tax holiday would stand the same chance as a snowball in you know where.

Okay, okay. How about in Minnesota? Surely, we could do a tax holiday here. We are after all, paying a sky-high rate of 31.8 cents a gallon. Whoops - I misspoke. The Democrats raised our gas tax to an even higher rate of 32.6 cents a gallon. Between federal and state, people in Minnesota are paying over 50 cents a gallon in tax! Ouch!

Would Taxing Timmy ever consider giving his residence a break on their gas tax? When pigs fly is my answer. All he cares about is fixing up George Floyd square and getting ICE out of Minnesota. Other than that, with his terminal TDS, he cares not about the pain and suffering his political party has hoisted upon Minnesota's citizens (subjects). Meanwhile, trips up north to the cabin or camping have gotten to be very expensive - very expensive indeed.

High prices or not, summer is summer and time is a wasting. If you close your eyes just for a second, it seems like another month in the summer has slipped by. What am I going to do about it? In about two hours or so, head north to our camper. Why? Time is flying by. Time to enjoy what little summer we have in this state.

President Kamala Harris (oh no!)

"The good news is that we do not live in that universe. In our universe, Donald Trump saved us from economic slavery that Biden left us with. The bad news is if the multiverse is real, President Harris could exist in at least one of those universes. If that is true, I can hear that kackle and a giggle from here..."     

There are some scientists who believe in the multiverse theory. That would be instead of a single universe, we would be living in a realm of countless universes. And as the theory progresses, each universe would look similar to the others, except different things would have different outcomes. For example, the 2024 election would have had President Kamala Harris in at least one of those universes. And this morning, we will explore what that universe might look like.

What would that world look like? First off, the southern border would still be wide open. Illegals, drugs, gangs, terrorists, you name it - would continue to come pouring in. All unfettered, unchecked. DHS Mayorkas was kept on for the administration following President Biden. Why? In the eyes of the Democrats, Mayorkas was doing a fantastic job.

Gas would be over $5/gal nationwide - in California, closer to $10/gal. President Harris has continued on with many of the Biden energy policies. Shuttering coal mines and abrogating drilling leases for starters. Natural gas has become all but illegal in most states, and the electric grid is strapped from running on mostly renewables. Brownouts and blackouts are as common as afternoon thunderstorms. The mandate for everybody to drive an EV has stuck and charging stations are few and far between. The United States, while sitting on a caldera of oil, is headed back to the 1800s with Obama/Biden/Harris energy policies.

More and more police departments are being defunded. Another hangover from Biden. Police nationwide are being replaced with Anger Management Specialists and Violence Disrupters. In most cities crime is so rampant that normal citizens refuse to go out at night. Some fear even the daytime. Money to fund the FBI and ATF has been redirected to fund more agents for the IRS. Why? With the mandatory minimum tax now being 40%, tax cheating is endemic. The IRS (if they catch and convict you) will have you put away for 20 years for even the smallest of errors or omissions on your tax forms.

Finally, President Harris, (who gets along famously with the socialists in Canada and Europe), has suspended the requirement that NATO self-fund their militaries. We will take care of it. In fact, all tariffs on all goods we ship to them are now suspended. We will continue to pay Euro tariffs, but they will not pay any to us. President Harris has a motto - "Uncle Sugar, first, last and always!" She is so popular in Europe, there are statues of her in just about every country. And her former motto of "lead from behind" has been replaced with "MASLA - Make America Stay Last Always". 

The good news is that we do not live in that universe. In our universe, Donald Trump saved us from the economic slavery that Biden left us with. The bad news is if the multiverse is real, President Harris could exist in at least one of those universes. If that is true, I can hear that kackle and a giggle from here...     

Our sequence of events - sadly...

"With three carriers, dozens of support ships, and our Air Force in the area, we should be able to finish this job long before the 4th of July. We should have free transit through the Strait by the middle of June. But to make all of this happen, we really do need to unleash our dogs of war. No halfway measures. We need to go all out."

I think many of us have figured it out so far. The sequence of events which have led us to this temporary spike in prices (especially with gasoline). Ready? Here it goes: Hezbollah, who hates Israel, continues to lob missiles at them from Lebanon. Israel, who has no time for any more of this crap, retaliates with air strikes. Iran, who is the father of the proxy Hezbollah, accuses the US and Israel of breaking the peace, and stalls the talks for a lasting peace. Then nothing happens, and the Strait of Hormuz stays closed. With the Strait closed, inflation ticks up and gasoline prices stay high.

Meanwhile, our feckless Democrats have passed a war powers resolution (with the help of a handful of RINOs). What does that mean? Time is up, for the president. If this bill became law, we would have to pull our forces out of the area. Of course, in order for this bill to become law, President Trump would need to sign it. That will happen on the 12th of Never. Thus, the beat goes on. The sequence of events leading up to higher gas prices stays intact.

Where does all this leave us? Kind of in a box canyon. To leave Iran before the job is done would be a fool's errand. If we left, Iran would work like crazy to get back what was lost in the bombing. They would be more committed than ever to build a nuclear bomb(s). And then, all that time, treasure and blood spilt during this war would be for naught. 

If I were in charge of this mess, what would I do? I would first put Iran on notice that we are not playing this game anymore. They have 72 hours to agree to our terms. If no agreement is reached, I would unleash Israel on Lebanon to root out Hezbollah, and I would instruct our forces to "finish the job". If it is war Iran wants, we will give it to them as well as Hezbollah. If it is peace they want, they have 72 hours to agree to our terms. And - this is the important part - the 72 hours is cast in concrete. They will be no more extensions.

With three carriers, dozens of support ships, and our Air Force in the area, we should be able to finish this job long before the 4th of July. We should have free transit through the Strait by the middle of June. But to make all of this happen, we really do need to unleash our dogs of war. No halfway measures. We need to go all out. Same way with Israel. Finish off Hezbollah. Finish off Hamas. Finish off the Houthis. And we will finish off the IRGC. 

We are tired of this stork dance Mr. President. The "perfect deal" you have been waiting for with Iran might be a bridge too far. These guys are snakes, sir. You gave them every chance in the world. Now it is our turn. Finish the job. 

 

How about - unimpeachable elections?

"Will the minions be satisfied if Lisa prevails in the primary? I believe not! The Kendall Qualls followers will think he got robbed. What about the Adam Schwarze crowd? If Michele Trafoya comes out on top? Same thing. The seeds are now sown for much discord in MNGOP. Discord? When is the last time there was discord in MNGOP? Try, yesterday..."   

Don't look now, but the DOJ is still finding suspicious stuff from the 2020 election. Not that it matters, but it might have. But what is the point? The point is simply this. We need election integrity from our general elections all the way down to our endorsement process. Why? Once the people lose faith and confidence that ALL of our elections are unimpeachable, our system of governance will be questioned. And once that happens, the wheels might start to fall off our ship of state.

Somebody the other day brought up a very valid point. With the amount of fraud which has been found in Minnesota to date (and this state is simply oozing with fraud), what makes you think there was no fraud (also) in our voting system? Like illegals voting. Like dead people voting (a fav among Dems). Voting in more than one state. Voting more than once. Voting with fake credentials. The list goes on and on and on.

Do I blame Lisa Demuth for going to the primary? Not the way the clicker voting turned out. Wait a second Bird! Are you alleging fraud or cheating in the MNGOP convention? Nope - but the seeds of doubt were sown. Michele Trafoya is a different story. I think this was her plan all along. But back to Lisa. If we had an unimpeachable vote and voting process, I really do think that Lisa would have abided by the endorsement process. That is only my view from this perch, and I may be 100% wrong.

During the 2020 general elections, there was so much wrong, or appeared to be wrong, it shook the belief system of many a voter. How in the world could Joe Biden, who ran a nothing burger campaign, have amassed such a large number of votes? Now, I am not going to go back and relitigate that election - it would serve no purpose. But I will say this - it stunk. Anybody who said there were no oddities was either lying or very insular.

Will the minions be satisfied if Lisa prevails in the primary? I believe not! The Kendall Qualls followers will think he got robbed. What about the Adam Schwarze crowd? If Michele Trafoya comes out on top? Same thing. The seeds are now sown for much discord in MNGOP. Discord? When is the last time there was discord in MNGOP? Try, yesterday...   

 

Was this the death of our endorsement process in MN?

"At one time, when the endorsing conventions were over, it was time to rally around the flag. At one time. But those days might be over. Now the time to rally around the flag might be after the primary is over. After the primary, over is finally over. That is, unless a vanquished foe decides to run as an independent in the general election. And the beat goes on..."      

I am a veteran of Minnesota politics. I was state delegate three years in a row. I was tightly involved both times Jeff Johnson ran for governor. I voted as a delegate - way more than once. I was a fan, a devotee of the endorsement process. I considered it to be an honor to represent my BPOU in the voting process. But those days are over for me. I decided to step aside to let some of the younger folks also taste this honor. I am still interested, and as many know, I do my part now via the Very Angry Bird Blog.

I penned a few days ago that both the DFL and MNGOP conventions left much to be desired. In fact, the MNGOP was so screwed up using the "clickers" for voting, this convention might have been the last for endorsing candidates. As much as I fought the idea of going directly to a primary a few years back, if might now be time to modify my thinking. Why? Possible shenanigans during the "clicker" voting. Please note I used the word "possible". But also, the word "trust" went out the window long before Kandall Qualls got the nod after dark on Saturday night. 

Some are saying that Qualls will have a tough time beating Amy for one reason only. Name recognition. Other are saying the same thing about Schwarze having problems beating either Flanigan or Craig. Name recognition. Truthfully - I am in the same camp. I think both Qualls and Schwarze are qualified and quality men. But who are they? That is the question many voters will ask. And truthfully, there are many voters out there who not political geeks in either political party. They are just ordinary, underinformed voters who vote for a name they recognize.

Where does that leave us this year? We are headed for a wide-open primary. Many think the only Republican who has a snowball's chance at the open senate seat is Michele Trafoya. I know, I know. Michele flunks many of the MNGOP "purity tests". But that will be a "so what" if Michele can steal that seat away from the Democrats. Is it possible that Adam could win that seat? Sure - anything is possible. But maybe not probable.

At one time, when the endorsing conventions were over, it was time to rally around the flag. At one time. But those days might be over. Now the time to rally around the flag might be after the primary is over. After the primary, over is finally over. That is, unless a vanquished foe decides to run as an independent in the general election. And the beat goes on...      

Pausing for peace; stalling for war

"The IRGC is slippery - they have been for many decades. Bottom line? Getting them to comply with promises or agreements might turn into a shell game of sorts."

Those who have ever negotiated for a living or taken a negotiation class, have heard this infamous axiom -the most, and some of the very important movements come right at the very end of a negotiation. I will confess when I first heard that, I thought it was some kind of lore or fiction. That is, I thought that until it happened to me - more than once. Now, it does not happen every time, but in my case, it seemed to happen when it really counted.

I am not only frustrated by the negotiations with Iran, I am also (in a weird kind of way), fascinated by the process. I know what Trump and team are trying to do. Wait until the right deal is scribed on paper and then try and implement it. I also (don't know but believe I know) what the Iran team is doing. It is something they have done before many times and are very good at it. Stall. Stall. And stall again. While they are stalling, work their shadow fleet, reconstitute their drones and missiles, and prepare to act like this war never happened.

The doubter in me thinks that this entire negotiation stage production might just be a "stork dance". Meaning what? Lots of sound and fury, signifying nothing. Even if an agreement is signed, and the Strait is opened up to normal traffic, how long will this fragile peace last? Will the peace also involve Lebanon, or will that dust up be the trip wire which ends the master agreement? There are so many things which could go wrong with an agreement which is signed by the snakes from Iran, that I would be amazed if it lasted a year. Maybe even a month.

What is the good part about this "pause" in the action? We are watching Iran like a hawk right now. It has slowed down or stopped any work to procure and/or enrich uranium. But Iran is a big country with lots of hiding places. Most of which we know about, but maybe not all of them. I hate the idea of having boots on the ground, but I also need to face some hard facts. Even though our intel is very good, having eyes and ears on the ground is even better. The IRGC is slippery - they have been for many decades. Bottom line? Getting them to comply with promises or agreements might turn into a shell game of sorts.

Meanwhile, not to bitch about first world problems, I filled up my truck this weekend. Almost $100. Because of the ill will in negotiations that the Iranians are showing, this might be the case for the rest of the summer. I have said this in a recent post - finish the job Mr. President. The IRGC only understands force, and lying has become an art form to them. They are playing us sir. Sorry to say, but I believe it to be true.