Is warfare about to become a real life video game?

 

"Many of the soothsayers in the AI business have been telling us for years now, that when AI makes the big leap into AGI, just about everything is going to change. And it will. Including the way we fight wars. We are fortunate to have forward thinkers like Elon Musk and Palmer Lucky on our team. Why? They can see the future, and how to mold products into this giant change ethos which is headed this way."

As we speed towards 2030, much is going to change. From the most minute to the largest things, change is coming. Many good things are coming to bolster peace, tranquility and health. But there is also a dark side. Our new advances in AI, robotics and new materials, is leading us into a new type of warfare. Will we still need boots on the ground as well as pilots and sailors? Absolutely. But the introduction of the new technologies will make some of our warfare look more like a real-life video game.

If you are not yet familiar with a young man named Palmer Lucky (yes, that is his real name), you will be hearing more and more about him in the next few years. He has started a new company called Anduril, and it is making quite a splash in our defense industry. He is on quite the quest right now - making America safer by building better and smarter autonomous fighting machines. Like what?

Smallish ships at sea, which even though unmanned, can deal quite a punch to the enemy. Submarines, also unmanned and smaller than our manned submarines, which can turn the tide of a sea battle. And just recently, Anduril was selected to be one of the contractors to build a multi-missioned unmanned aircraft called the Fury. All of this technology, coming from a young guy walking around in shorts and flip-flops.

The battlefield is also going to change. Look for countries, who have the technology to do it, to make mechanical soldiers. More and more autonomous tanks and supply vehicles. Robot dogs, to go into dangerous situations. Is this pie in the sky science fiction? I am afraid not. Some is already developed and starting to enter real life testing. Wait - what? You mean like the Droid Wars from Star Wars? Maybe - but that will be an event happening in the 2030's - not now.

Many of the soothsayers in the AI business have been telling us for years now, that when AI makes the big leap into AGI, just about everything is going to change. And it will. Including the way we fight wars. We are fortunate to have forward thinkers like Elon Musk and Palmer Lucky on our team. Why? They can see the future, and how to mold products into this giant change ethos which is headed this way.

   

Why Ukraine is not as interested in peace with Russia

 

"This war has been vexing for Trump ever since he started his second term. Helping to end this war could be another one of his signature achievements. Zelenskyy needs to get on board with what the bigger picture is here. As does Putin. Otherwise, the killing will continue."  

In the early days of the Ukraine war, it is no secret that this was a David vs Goliath type event. It was just a matter of days before the vastly superior Russian Army arrived in Kyiv and demanded they surrender. Remember - the Russian tag line was that Ukraine was full of neo-Nazis, or something like that. In reality, all Russia wanted was the access to more warm water seaports, and the bountiful natural resources and grain which Ukraine has. Anyhow, that was the plan. Make this a quick in, install a new government, and then back to Russia. What could possibly go wrong? 

What went wrong was Russia came face to face with the eye of the tiger. The good people in Ukraine, although outnumbered and outgunned, had no desire to be conquered. None. The Ukrainians fought hard and they fought smart. The Russians fought dirty. Lots and lots of civilians were targeted and killed. The Russians could reach into Ukraine and kill at will, whereas the Ukrainians could not do the same to Russia. For a while, it looked like Russia was going to grind Ukraine into dust.

But in the last year or two, Ukraine was getting the means on how to reach into Russia, just like Russia has been reaching into Ukraine. Paybacks. Revenge. To see the Russian people suffer just a fraction as much as the Ukraine people have suffered, was a real satisfier. Is the killing continuing in Ukraine? Unfortunately, yes. But now with every punch, there is a counter punch. And now that the UK has been resupplying Ukraine with more of the dreaded Storm Shadow land attack missiles, the war on Russia will continue.

Does this mean that Ukraine is no longer interested in peace? Sure, they are - but peace with their terms. Meaning what? Meaning ALL land which Russia has illegally taken since 2014 needs to be returned. ALL Russian troops out of Ukraine. Until those are agreed to and implemented, the beat will go on. Ukraine is trying not to kill Russian civilian but delights in any damage or casualties they can inflict on military bases deep inside of Russia.

Short of Russia using a tactical nuke in Ukraine, this war of attrition will go on for a while. Maybe a long while. Meanwhile in Russia, the war's toll is becoming Putin's toll. In other words, it may be just a matter of time before Putin leaves Russia, one way or the other. Why? After WWII, the Russian people have no desire to be targets anymore. It seems this promise of a quick and clean war in Ukraine was nothing more than a lie and a boomerang. For that reason alone, many Russians want Putin gone. 

Trump wants to meet with Putin when he goes to China to visit Xi. Trump feels that now is the time to get concessions out of Putin so the war can end. That is why he temporarily stopped the sanctions bill. Trump's love for Russia is only the desire for two countries to end the killing. That is it. This war has been vexing for Trump ever since he started his second term. Helping to end this war could be another one of his signature achievements. Zelenskyy needs to get on board with what the bigger picture is here. As does Putin. Otherwise, the killing will continue.  

Is France the new canary in the coal mine?

 

"Remember what Ben Franklin warned us about our form of government - "It is a Republic, if you can keep it." Same goes for Europe, and their form of government. The other side is playing for keeps."

Don't look now, but Paris is burning. Not only burning, but wild mobs control the streets and are starting to not only loot stores, but also private homes. Wait - what? Is there not supposed to be a NFL football game in Paris this next weekend? Yes - and the NFL should cancel it. Why? Not safe - not even close to being safe. This riot which started about better wages for teachers, has morphed into a grab bag of miscellaneous causes - including the "Free Palestine" cause. But when you have open borders and let in legions of Muslims from North Africa, this is the result.

Many now are saying that France is the canary in the coal mine. The social unrest could spread to many other countries in Europe. Heck, it could even spread over here. To this crazed mob, nothing is sacred. Everything is fair game. Churches, government buildings, stores, homes, cars - the list goes on and on. But to what end? Is it that this crazed mob has taken some lessons from Abby Hoffman's book, Revolution for the hell of it? Or is it just that France has started producing a bunch of iconoclasts?

America - sit up and take notice. Especially with our midterm elections less than three weeks away. Remember - if you pull the lever for a Democrat, you might be getting a wolf in sheep's clothing. There are no more Democrats as you remember. What you would be getting now is this thing called a DSA - Democrat Socialist of America. And this is NOT a harmless bunch of kids trying to make a funsie statement - this is a bunch of committed socialists and communists who want to change our country into something vile. How so? Just let your gaze wander across the pond over to France right now. Is this what you want our America to look like? IT CAN HAPPEN HERE ALSO.

Macron has had it with what is going on. He publicly said he will track down the perps and put them in jail. Well, Mr. Macron, here is some advice for you. If you really mean it sir, activate every cop you have in France. Call up the military. Allow lethal force if necessary. Too harsh? Has to be. If this forest fire is left unchecked, it will burn the entire forest down, leaving only ashes in its wake. Take this serious, act quickly, and act harshly. Failure to do so could leave you on the outside looking into your own country. Yes Mr. Macron, this is that serious.

If you have plans to visit France in the near future, I would put them off for a while. Maybe even giving all of Europe a wide berth. These are not happy times on the other side of the pond. Not even the UK, which I loved to visit, is the same. Remember what Ben Franklin warned us about our form of government - "It is a Republic, if you can keep it." Same goes for Europe, and their form of government. The other side is playing for keeps.    

Our coming war in space

"Do we have a coming war in space? Maybe - if we do have that in our future, either near or far, we need to be prepared. Who knows? Maybe being a Guardian in the Space Force will be the place to be. Time will tell."

Whomever thought that we could never weaponize space so that warfare in low Earth orbit would not be possible, better wake up and smell the coffee. As soon as we announced to the world that we have weapons in outer space, ready to use (if necessary), the floodgates might have opened up. In reality however, it was only a matter of time before one of the major countries on Planet Earth weaponized space. How so? The technology is now there, and the will to use space as a battleground has been there even longer.

Did Trump anticipate this when he established the Space Force during his first term? Or is the SDI from the Reagan era still being considered. I know the Golden Dome (if it ever gets finished), will be space based. And then what? Russian killer satellites trying to destroy our safety net? Will we then need killer satellites to kill their killer satellites? Or will we have troops deployed in spaceships, kind of like the old space shuttle?

In any event, as much as the peaceniks wanted to have a peaceful and tranquil low Earth orbit, that probably will not happen. Anything, to get the upper hand on our enemies (and vice versa). Plus (and dare I say this) - let us not forget about who is or are flying those strange things in the sky which we cannot yet (or will not) identify. Yes, space aliens, who might mean us harm. If the Dark Forest trick does not work and we get outed, we will for sure need some kind of protection. If an alien force has evil intentions towards us, a simple "welcome to Earth" probably will not do.

I have a sneaking feeling that we have not shown our true hand when it comes to space. I, along with many others, think we have developed the Black Manta (or the TR3-B). It has been seen hundreds, maybe thousands of times all over the world. And this spacecraft, if real, is built for outer space - not for normal Air Force usage. If Trump does nothing else before he is done, I hope be disclosed the existence of the TR3-B. It is time.

 

 

Do we have a coming war in space? Maybe - if we do have that in our future, either near or far, we need to be prepared. Who knows? Maybe being a Guardian in the Space Force will be the place to be. Time will tell.

Is Elon Musk the new P.T. Barnum?

 

"By 2030 (about three years away), look for flying Tesla cars, Space X rockets on the Moon and maybe Mars, millions of Optimus robots in many industries as well as homes, and so forth. All brought to us live and in color, by our greatest living showman and innovator - Elon Musk. Are we blessed to have Elon living in our country, doing the great things he does? Yes, yes and yes again."    

Well, he did it again. Just like when a few years ago, Elon sent a Tesla up into space on a SpaceX rocket, this year he introduced us to the fact that the Jetsons were not that far off by having a flying car. And what was the result of this well publicized stunt that Musk did down in Texas? Just that - publicity for one of this pet rocks - the Tesla car. Does this mean that Elon will be making Teslas that can fly? Maybe - but the point is, all eyes were in Texas - and his Tesla the other day. Mission accomplished.

What is one of the things that Musk does the best? I know, I know - there are so many things that Elon Musk does well it is hard to come up with just one. But - in my opinion, one of the things he does the finest is making innovation (as well as inventing new things) - fun. He really is the modern-day P.T. Barnum, even though history has glossed over Barnum with some hyperbole mixed in with the facts. With Elon Musk however, WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get). Like I said - Elon makes inventions and innovation look fun - especially the young folks.

The flying Tesla, however, was a jaw dropper. No special effects, no trick photography, just a flying Tesla. But the thing that is the coolest about Elon (at least in my book), is not only WYSIWYG with him, but there are also many things going on behind the curtain. And soon, we will witness his greatest achievement out of many great achievements. How Elon, almost on his own with very little help from NASA, will conquer space. Don't think so? Look at the gargantuan piece of property Musk has bought in southern Louisiana for future SpaceX manufacturing and launches. His vision is building hundreds, maybe thousands of Starships to explore our Solar System with.

Meanwhile, while all eyes are on Tesla and SpaceX (which BTW, Musk might be merging those two giant companies into one), Musk is also making great headway with his Boring Company (lots of upside to that downside type of business), and his Terra Fab building, which will be one of the largest AI chips manufacturers in the world. Throw in his ownership of Neuralink, and one might wonder if Musk even has the time to take bathroom breaks during the day.

By 2030 (about three years away), look for flying Tesla cars, Space X rockets on the Moon and maybe Mars, millions of Optimus robots in many industries as well as homes, and so forth. All brought to us live and in color, by our greatest living showman and innovator - Elon Musk. Are we blessed to have Elon living in our country, doing the great things he does? Yes, yes and yes again.    

What to do when history is against you

"Regardless of how history grades both Trump terms, I will grade him for how he does should he lose one or both houses next month. Will be devolve into a do-nothing President like Biden became? Or will he go out swinging - figuring out how to get stuff done without a friendly Congress. Stay tuned folks - the future is almost here."  

It might be time to face facts. History could be a valid teacher going forward. The midterms. The vast majority of past administrations have lost seats in the House and Senate in these off-year elections. This year, that will be devastating to going forward. Why? Slim majorities in both the House and Senate means both chambers could flip in November. Is it possible this will not happen? Everything is possible - but this is not probable. Thus, the smart folks in the administration should be figuring out right now, what they can and cannot do for the next two years.

I dare say that Trump is so reviled by the loony left, that even if we had zero percent inflation, they would still be out to change both chambers in the midterms. How will things work if only the WH has a Republican in charge? First off, here is what will not work. Getting any of his bills through Congress. That will be a dead letter. However, so long as Trump is in office, his EO documents should still be valid. But if we lose the WH in 2028, those EO documents will be deader than doornails.

In the old days, when there was split governance, things were difficult. Today, with the socialists clawing at the door, things will be beyond messy. Things will look ugly in Congress. So ugly, it will be wonder if anything, no matter how minor, gets done. Oh yes - don't forget about the 105 impeachment trials for Trump and some of his cabinet appointments. We will not quite be at civil war, but it will be safe to say that all the joy will have been drained out of serving in Washington. In other words, stand by for very rough seas.

Back to what I said earlier. Is it possible (although not probable), for the cambers not to switch leadership? Where the Republicans could even pick up votes? Sure. But it would mean that every registered Republican would need to get out and vote. Or every Christian get out to vote. In absence of that, we will lose the chambers. Period. Full stop. I believe that deep down, Trump knows that. So does his team. So does MAGA.

Regardless of how history grades both Trump terms, I will grade him for how he does should he lose one or both houses next month. Will be devolve into a do-nothing President like Biden became? Or will he go out swinging - figuring out how to get stuff done without a friendly Congress. Stay tuned folks - the future is almost here.  

 

 

Will November 3rd bring a canned hush over the land?

"Voting red will bring peace to our shire. A canned hush. But voting in a bunch of Tim Walz clones (or clowns) - will not. Will Republicans screw this place up more than Democrats have? We don't know, because we have not had Republican rule since about the Civil War." 

Ever stop to wonder why we have elections? For a starter, if we did not, and just had the same old, same old every year, we would not have much of a government. Nor a country. But we do have elections. Every other year. And the purpose of elections is do one of two things - bring about change when change is needed or continue stability when everything is stable. It really is that simple.

This year, Donald Trump is not on the ballet. His time as POTUS will close out in two years. Then we will have new candidates to ponder. That being said, most of what I hear from those TDS folks on the left when ANY candidate on the right is discussed, is how much they are joined at the hip with Donald Trump. Here is a news flash - most, if not all, of the MNGOP folks who are running, have their eyes on the future. The future being beyond the next two years. As much as many of us who love Donald Trump and cherish the job he has done as POTUS, he (like Ronald Reagan), is about to fade into history. 

Let's for a minute talk about the needed change in Minnesota. If any state is ripe for a cleaning, a strong disinfection, it is Minnesota. We have knee deep graft and corruption. We have one party rule which is at the core of our problem. I know, I know - the Democrats would love to blame the Republicans for the gunk in the gears in our home state. Sorry - the Republicans don't today, nor have they for many years, held any power in Minnesota. This is all on you Democrats. You can carp and caterwaul about Donald Trump as much as you want, but it is Walz and company who run this state. End of story.

The red team has some real change agents running for office this time around. We have a woman who is the former Speaker of the House, who knows her way around the capital and more importantly - knows where the bodies are buried - running for governor. Or - we can elect the old and tired do-nothing Hotdish Amy. But Amy said she knows how to fix the graft in Minnesota. Really? Where have you been Amy? You have not done spit except cozy up to the Somali caucus. You have not done anything, nor will you. Why? You are spineless and nothing more than a Washington politician. Lisa Demuth would be a change agent who could fix things. But for reasons which could even stump Yoda, Klobuchar is leading in the polls. SMH.

How about for the open senate seat? Do we really want to put Peggy Flanigan in that seat? A woman who knows how to do NOTHING except pander? How about some change, Minnesota? How about an outsider who has name recognition and good ideas? How about Michele Tafoya? Heck, she is even pro-choice, which should mollify many on the left. Peggy Flanigan is nothing more than a goofball. Michele Tafoya is a serious candidate. 

Voting red will bring peace to our shire. A canned hush. But voting in a bunch of Tim Walz clones (or clowns) - will not. Will Republicans screw this place up more than Democrats have? We don't know, because we have not had Republican rule since about the Civil War. 

    

Maybe we need another 40 days in the wilderness....

"Remember who and what you are voting for in November. Pulling the blue level will not be progressive - it will be regressive. It will not be back to the future - instead it will be visiting the ugly past. But hey - we get the government we deserve. Me? I want to get off this train right now - before it reverses back to entropy."   

Here is a news flash - the American voter(s) have short memories. Very short. And how short you might ask? As a nation, we have forgotten about all the crapola that Joe Biden visited upon us. The economy which was going nowhere. Our military was filled with (to quote Pete), beard-o(s) and weird-o(s). Our southern border was no longer a border. Basically - the Democrats made our country into a mess. And now a short two years later, the country is ready to go back to that dysfunctional mayhem.

Let us not forget about Minnesota. The Democrats in 2023, during the trifecta, visited every piece of evil legislation upon the citizens of Minnesota that could be imagined. We are still burning from the blisters of the infanticide type abortion the Democrats imposed upon us. And what else did they leave us? Along with some bad apples from the Somali community, the Democrats allowed world class graft in our sacred tax dollars. We have a CD5 Congresswoman who is being investigated under the RICO Act. We have a next up elected position to the governor, who might be our next senator, who is a few fries short of a Happy Meal. And our AG? Please - don't get me started on him!

All this being said, maybe we need to get Biblical with our voters. Since they have short term memory issues, maybe they do need another 40 days in the wilderness. Since they have made Trump out to be something worse than a serial killer, let them see how they like the economy when things start sliding back to Biden-omics. I know I will hate it - but the mind-numbed robots who live in the Metro Area might need some EST to really get the message. In short, should the Democrats rule the day after the mid-terms, life in this country is going to suck all over again.

I know that Trump is not a perfect man, but he was the perfect man to pull this country out of the nosedive that Biden put us into. We once again got the chance to know what a man is and what a woman is. It gave us a chance to have a few extra bucks in our pockets. But the Democrats have a Halloween type surprise for the voters this year. Not only will they bring back Joe Biden type policies, but they will also give us (drum roll, please) - socialism. And not hidden socialism - socialism which is loud and proud. Right out in the open. My feeling about that October surprise? Beam me up, Scotty!

Remember who and what you are voting for in November. Pulling the blue level will not be anything progressive - it will be regressive. It will not be back to the future - instead it will be visiting the ugly past. But hey - we get the government we deserve. Me? I want to get off this train right now - before it reverses back to entropy.   

   

The Houthis have got to go!

"But we can do our part. We can take the lead with the Saudis and turn Yemen into a sheet of glass. All Yemen is to Saudi Arabia is a pain in the rear. One for chance to play nice - if they screw this up - stand by for pain and suffering. I know we get tired of being the world's policemen, but somebody has got to do it. I guess it will keep being us." 

Here is a tip for the war criminal hunter, Mamdani of NYC - since you are on the hunt for more war criminals here are some you have not yet mentioned. Putin of Russia, for attacking civilians in Ukraine. The Muslims in Nigeria for the genocide against Christians. Hamas for the genocide against Israel three years ago. And now the Muslim Houthis for what they are doing to innocents in Saudi Arabia. But I guess in the eyes of the Muslim Mamdani, heinous crimes committed by other Muslims don't count.

Here is my take - the Houthis need to go. We need a coalition of the willing to go in the bomb the life out of these thugs. Not only are they going after innocents who are engaged in civilian shipping, but they are also bombing just about every airport in Saudi Arabia. Why are they doing that? Who knows. But here is my point - after the chaos that Iran has unleashed on the Strait of Hormuz, we don't need another bunch of mutts raising havoc in the Red Sea. 

My Dad told me after the first Gulf War started (Desert Storm), the Middle East has always had a war culture and always will. I think he was right. It is like playing Whack 'Em Mole - as soon as one area settles down, another one pops up. I really thought that the Houthis could read the room better. Hello? Peace might be at hand shortly with Iran. Time to lay down your arms boys, and act civilized. Otherwise, we have a whole bunch of Navy jets just sitting on carriers off your coast who could deliver you the same message in much stronger terms.

Here is what I hope the world has learned from this last fiasco in the Strait as well as the Red Sea. Be smarter next time. Get your needed supplies from sources which cannot be held hostage. Right now, diesel fuel and fertilizer are the two things which are the longer poles in the tent. It is not just the US which is suffering under higher prices - it is most civilized countries in the world. The same groups which are suffering under artificially high prices, must be the ones which will plan better for the future. Otherwise, the entire mess can happen all over again. 

But we can do our part. We can take the lead with the Saudis and turn Yemen into a sheet of glass. All Yemen is to Saudi Arabia is a pain in the rear. One for chance to play nice - if they screw this up - stand by for pain and suffering. I know we get tired of being the world's policemen, but somebody has got to do it. I guess it will keep being us. 

  

Is it impossible for normals to get elected to state offices in Minnesota?

 

Who knows? Maybe Minnesota will shock the nation this year. And maybe, just maybe - Minnesota Morons can vote like Minnesota Mastros for a change. Just once. Just maybe.  

Just days away from the midterms, early voting has started, and some of the latest polling is out. According to this polling (if you can believe it), the arsonists who start the fires are on the verge of being re-elected either to the same office, or another state office. Does that make sense to anybody who draws breath? In sports, when a team flops, a new coach is picked. Why? According to the ownership, "it is time to go in a new direction." Not in Minnesota with the Minnesota Morons voting. We always vote for the same people who started the fire. Never a new direction. Never.

I have been involved with Minnesota politics when we had a simply excellent slate of candidates. All qualified and normal. But the Minnesota Morons did not want qualified and normal. They wanted the same old bunch of nincompoops who can barely even finding their way to the bathroom in the morning. This year however, it is ever worse. We had jailers who were asleep at the wheel, who allowed fraudsters to steal us blind. Their punishment by the Minnesota Morons? Vote them back into office.

And every year, we hear the same canard coming out of the DFL Pravda machine. "All the red team wants is tax breaks for the rich." Really? I am not rich, and I could use a tax break. In fact, the Big Beautiful Bill really helped this family. It helped a lot of families who are not rich. But who cares about the facts. Just keep that tired old lie replaying every other year. Plus - as a bonus, the DFL Pravda machine can use the Donald Trump Boogie Man thing one more time. Saying all the MNGOP candidates are tied to Trump's hip is laughable when in reality, Trump does not know who most of these people are.

For governor this year, we have the first African American woman running. Not just a token - she is highly accomplished and experienced. One would think in this state, where color means so much, she would be a shoe-in. Nope. The pale and stale Hotdish Amy is leading her. Why? Ask a Minnesota Moron. And for the open senate seat, we have a true outsider. Somebody with name recognition. Running against one of the jailers who allowed the fraudsters to run wild. How is she doing? Running behind. Just to keep Minnesota broken and the laughingstock of the nation, we will re-elect a slate of born losers. Again. And again.

Who knows? Maybe Minnesota will shock the nation this year. And maybe, just maybe - Minnesota Morons can vote like Minnesota Mastros for a change. Just once. Just maybe.  

 

Live broadcast of a military execution

 

"All I know is this - for killing 13 innocents, he does not deserve to see the light of day again. Be it because he is dead, or because he is locked up for life, either one is fine with me. I just don't ever want to hear about this guy ever again."

Sometime in December, unless the courts stop it, the first firing squad execution by the military since WWII will take place. With some, having the Fort Hood killer meet his fate is just fine with them. With others, killing somebody by firing squad (even though this is a bad, bad man), is not okay. But the President and the Secretary of War are okay with this punishment and have cleared the road (so to speak) for this execution to happen.

The crimes in which he is accused (and found guilty of) are heinous. He (I won't use his name) brought a loaded gun into Fort Hood, and in a cold and ruthless way, gunned down and killed 13 innocent people. Why did not any of these soldiers fire back? Because even though it is a military base, the rules were no loaded guns could be brought on base. Thus, for this Muslim murderer, it was like target practice. Not only were 13 killed, but scores were injured. To add insult to injury, he yelled "Allah Akbar" as he was pulling the trigger. 

In many countries, a crime like this would have been met with some kind of capital punishment. It would have been swift and over. This crime, however, took place in 2009. That is over 15 years waiting for some kind of punishment. But back to the livestreaming of the execution. The question I ask is "why"? Watching some bullets tear through his chest and then see him slumped over would not satisfy any supposed blood lust in me. Nor would it be many others whom I know. Don't get me wrong - for what he did, deserves the ultimate punishment. But maybe just do it privately.

If this happens in December, I am hoping that by January it will all be forgotten. A bad man doing bad things got his deserved punishment. Period. End of story. If the courts commute his sentence to life with no parole, I am okay with that also - if he has to spend every day in a Super Max. All I know is this - for killing 13 innocents, he does not deserve to see the light of day again. Be it because he is dead, or because he is locked up for life, either one is fine with me. I just don't ever want to hear about this guy ever again.

Usually always, a slow-motion disaster

 

"This Hurricane Isaias which is now on land and churning towards the East Coast, is a perfect example of how much in advance these monster storms warn us. In other words, they 'telegraph their punches' a long time before they hit shore."

I have told this story before. As a young lad, fresh into the Navy, I was in my first hurricane - and it was a doozy. Hurricane Camille in 1969 hit the Gulf Coast, and I had just arrived in Pensacola for "A" School. As a veteran of many Minnesota thunderstorms and a couple of tornados, the Cat 5 monster storm gave me the "pucker factor". But I will say this - it took days for this storm, churning and turning in the Gulf, to decide which patch of land it was going to make landfall on. Unlike Minnesota thunderstorms which could pop up out of nowhere, Camille took just about forever to make landfall.

Years ago, I heard a national weather guy refer to hurricanes and typhoons as "slow motion disasters". After my experience with Camille, I could not agree more. Many other natural disasters give you very little warning. Earthquakes, flash floods, volcanos, tornados, and forest fires can come on very quickly. At least with a hurricane (even like with Hurricane Isaias) there was quite a bit of prep time. Or - evacuation time. 

This Hurricane Isaias which is now on land and churning towards the East Coast, is a perfect example of how much in advance these monster storms warn us. In other words, they "telegraph their punches" a long time before they hit shore. I was in a couple of minor typhoons while serving in the Western Pacific and it was the same. Although I will say this - after going through Camille, those puny typhoons were almost laughable. No worse than Minnesota thunderstorms in my opinion.

Today the storm has left the Gulf Coast and has turned into a real rain maker further inland. The task of clean-up is now in order. Compared to some recent storms which have visited Florida recently, this one was weaker, and not as serious. Most houses came through just fine, as the building codes in Florida have changed over the years to build more robust and durable homes. That makes perfectly good sense to me. 

But now in the northland, we are closing in on the halfway point in October, and the thoughts of snow, ice and cold are starting to flood our thoughts of the upcoming winter. Our winter storms are really a pain, but are nothing compared to other natural disasters. Winter in Minnesota is just long, gray, and cold. I have tried many times to come up with a positive attitude about spending six months in a freezer but keep coming up short. Where would I rather be in the winter? Florida. Storms and all, I would take Florida any day of the week, and twice on Sunday.

  

Buying a home? Maybe hopeless, helpless, and homeless

"I don't know what the solution is. I really don't. Maybe tiny homes? If somebody would like to live in one. Or maybe generational homes. I ran that one by our oldest daughter and the silence was deafening. Until we figure out a solution to this most vexing problem, buying a house for many is like taking a train to nowhere." 

Ever wonder why home ownership for many these days is now like being stuck in the mud? Is it the rising interest rates or is it something else? When we built this house almost 42 years ago, we were stuck with a sky-high ARM rate, just to get in the game. All I wanted every time I made a payment, was for the interest rates to go down far enough so I could refinance and get a fixed 8% rate. And they did, and we got our 8% rate.

But today, the interest rates are less than 8%. Here is my theory - and I am sticking with it. We had just finished a kitchen remodel when Covid was in full stride. Yes, we did get caught up in the supply chain issues. In fact, we still don't have our front entry way closet doors done. But not only were things scarcer, but the new costs on these items were much, much higher. I did not give it much thought back then - I just wanted our job finished up.

Then I got our new annual bill for homeowners' insurance. I was a heck of a lot higher than the previous year. When I called our insurance company to get it straightened out, they informed me it was not in error. That the cost to replace our house went up quite a bit. Here is the rub. It is not the interest rates, although lower rates could help home buyers. It is the enormous cost to build a house. The past year, we have had three houses sell in our neighborhood. Each sold for over $500,000. And we live in a modest neighborhood. No McMansions here!

We have millions of people nationwide who would like to get into a house - any house - and can't. They are stuck. The old Oren Thompson starter homes are just not being built anymore. Plus, with the new standards and rules for construction, all those costs are sunk right into the finished product. We have homes sitting waiting for a buyer to qualify, and the people trying to sell them are not going anyplace. Everybody is stuck.

I don't know what the solution is. I really don't. Maybe tiny homes? If somebody would like to live in one. Or maybe generational homes. I ran that one by our oldest daughter and the silence was deafening. Until we figure out a solution to this most vexing problem, buying a house for many is like taking a train to nowhere. 

Is the Mall of America a soft target for the bad guys?

"Be it a Somali or somebody else, the MOA remains a huge soft target in Minnesota. Every time my daughter wants to take our grandies to the MOA, I always give her a warning. Not safe. Keep your head on a swivel. These are dangerous times. We are not as immune to the world's wars coming to our shores as we once were."  

It is now, or at least has been in the past, the largest shopping mall in America. It has been the location of feral youth incidents many times. Why? It is like a magnet for trouble. And because of its size, providing protection against people who would do it harm is a concern. Truthfully, I have worried about this for years. It is way, way too tempting for bad actors who would like to make some kind of a statement.

Yesterday, it was reported that some young Somali, who had been radicalized and wanted to join ISIS, was going to do great harm to our MOA. A Somali? Just like the group behind most of the fraud in Minnesota, and the group behind this new rash of gang violence in the southern burbs, now is behind of one of the most serious terror threats in our recent history.

The news has reported it this way. For two years now, the FBI has had eyes on this young man. Since he was 16. He wanted to make a statement which would be a national splash. Like buying an AR-15 with ammo, going to the MOA when there was a huge Hmong event, and then killing between 30 to 60 innocent people. Plus (this is antidotal as I heard it on another source), he thought the MOA was owned by Jewish folks, so that made it all the better.

This is not going over well with the social media posts I have seen today and yesterday. Seems the folks on the left have lost their voice over this one. And the folks on the right? They are in an uproar. Is it possible that this group is just not fitting in well here? They don't like our laws (Sharia would be better, thank you), they don't like our religion, and they don't want to fit in with the rest of us. Plus, our climate is NOTHING like where they are from. Then why stay here?

Be it a Somali or somebody else, the MOA remains a huge soft target in Minnesota. Every time my daughter wants to take our grandies to the MOA, I always give her a warning. Not safe. Keep your head on a swivel. These are dangerous times. We are not as immune to the world's wars coming to our shores as we once were.  

  

Will AI become a fixture in Hollywood?

"I guess a few years ago the SAG folks knew more about what was coming than the rest of us did. I have recently read that AI will put almost 50% of the current types of jobs out of business. Little did I think that actors might be one of those jobs. But hey - with or without real actors, the show must go on. And it will." 

I remember when the last strike was held by the SAG (Screen Actors Guild). One of the big sticking points (which I don't think ever got resolved) was how to keep AI out of their business. I found it somewhat laughable, as what type of future shock were they talking about? I could not imagine what a film, be it long or short, could look anywhere near real just using bits and bytes from some computer. I was wrong.

AI is not yet in Hollywood, but it sure is being tampered with by AI pros outside the movie industry. On YouTube recently, there is a plethora of different AI "shorts", some just okay, and others are jaw dropping good. So good, you need to pinch yourself to believe it is only AI, and not a real movie. But why go there? Don't we have enough entertainment coming out of Hollywood these days? Why add in some artificial stuff?

Recently I read about a movie which will soon be released on Netflix. It is called Catacombs, and up until recently, it was deemed to be "unmakeable". There the script sat, gathering dust. Then an AI developer came along and offered to take a stab at it. Using 3,300 AI generations and about 250 hours of labor, this one person made Catacombs into a movie. No actors. No sets to build. No special effects. Just a movie, with a plot, and fake actors that when they died, their AI avatars really died. 

Watching some of the short offerings on YouTube, I am amazed and fascinated by the amount of finite detail that AI will put into scenes. That is part of the reason that everything looks and acts so real. Even the movements of people, their facial movements, leave nothing to chance. Everything looks dead on real. Then I had this thought - if this is how AI looks in 2026, how will it look in 2030? Will this signal unemployment for thousands of actors? No more expensive screen sets? No more special effects? No more stunt doubles? 

I guess a few years ago the SAG folks knew more about what was coming than the rest of us did. I have recently read that AI will put almost 50% of the current types of jobs out of business. Little did I think that actors might be one of those jobs. But hey - with or without real actors, the show must go on. And it will. 

Speed of light, baby!

"Someday, maybe someday, we will find out to use worm holes, portals, or warp drive. Until that time comes however, even the thought of traveling even 10% of the speed of light, remains just that - a thought. Maybe the Fermi Paradox is more than just a fancy term - maybe it is true." 

When I worked at IBM, we had an inside joke about any system that we were working on that was slow. At least one person would say with a wink and a nod, "That is what I like about working at IBM - everything should operate at the speed of light!" That is a true statement. By definition, the speed of a circuit should be as fast as the speed of light - that is, by definition. In reality, it never happens. That being said, NASA is still occupied with the idea of space travel that is at least a fraction of the speed of light. 

NASA would love, love, love to have some kind of propulsion that would obtain 10% of the speed of light. Even 5% would be grand. But 10%? Ready for this one? That would be 67 million miles per hour! Considering our fastest rocket in our inventory can obtain a speed of 430,000 mph, that is like standing still compared to a rocket which can travel at 67 million mph!

If we only had rocket travel that was 10% of the speed of light, we could make it to Mars in a jiffy, and getting to the Moon would be a blip. And then we could get outside our Solar System and visit our closest star - the Alpha Centauri system. Really? Could we? The Alpha Centauri system is about four light years away. Just a walk in the park compared to most distances in the universe. But hold on - even if we could travel at 10% of the speed of light, traveling four light years would take us forty years just to get to Alpha Centauri. Forty years there, forty years back. Now we are almost talking about using a generational ship to get there.

I guess that leaves the idea of visiting the Andromeda Galaxy out of the question. Why? As close as it is to us, it is still over 2,000,000 light years away. Even if we were able to travel at the speed of light, getting to Andromeda would be a non-starter. What does that really mean? Right now, with a top speed of a rocket being 430,000, getting to Mars will take months. Getting to our Moon will take a day. Anything else outside our Solar System, is out of the question. If we really want to see what traveling to the stars is like, turn on an episode of Star Trek.

Someday, maybe someday, we will find out to use worm holes, portals, or warp drive. Until that time comes however, even the thought of traveling even 10% of the speed of light, remains just that - a thought. Maybe the Fermi Paradox is more than just a fancy term - maybe it is true. Maybe the UFOs people have been seeing are more interdimensional than interstellar. Maybe - but if interdimensional travel is real, that would be the subject of another article. Until then, I am good with just being in our neighborhood.   

What is Tundra Merlin?

 

"For those who have visited Alaska know this much - it is beautiful country, but also rugged and unforgiving. To be stationed in the Northern Command takes a special kind of ruggedness. But be it land, sea or air, guarding our arctic frontier is very, very important. With some of the melting of the arctic ice cap, more northern sea lanes are open to bad actors like Russia and China. We need to make sure we have them in check."

It may look like Canada and the US are having a spat right now, but that disturbance in the force is mainly in trade issues. As far as the common defense of North America is concerned, the Canadian Forces and US forces are still locked together tighter than a drum. How so? There is a training exercise, which goes beyond training and has become a standard defense program called Tundra Merlin. An odd name for not so odd of a reality. This is our northern command, holding up an Aegis type of shield, against all enemies foreign and domestic who try to exploit our arctic door to the northland.

How serious is this threat? As serious as serious gets. One of the main reasons why Donald Trump was trying to tie up the addition of Greenland into our Arctic shield. With the help of Canada, we want the Arctic doormat, from Alaska, through the northern part of Canada, and then over to Greenland, secure. How important is it? Of the utmost importance. And now that the agreement is signed with Greenland, our common security is even more secure.

What really is this Tundra Merlin? It is an exercise which never stops. It is the Canadian and US forces "watchmen' being vigilant 24 X 7 x 365. And our Northern Command has said more than once that we stand ready to "flex" our commitment to that region depending on the nature of the threat. What does that mean? Not only can our forces stand guard in the Indo-Pacific, support our military action in Iran, battle the cartels in Mexico, and back up NATO in Europe - we can also guard our joint arctic region with Canada. And if we need to flex more troops to support Tundra Merlin - we can do it quickly.

For those who have visited Alaska know this much - it is beautiful country, but also rugged and unforgiving. To be stationed in the Northern Command takes a special kind of ruggedness. But be it land, sea or air, guarding our arctic frontier is very, very important. With some of the melting of the arctic ice cap, more northern sea lanes are open to bad actors like Russia and China. We need to make sure we have them in check.

I suspect as time goes on, there will be more and more information shared about what is going on in our new and expanding arctic frontier. But knowing that Canadian Forces, along with US Force are protecting us up there, none of us need to sleep with one eye open. And once our Golden Dome is finished, we will be even safer.  

 

Is October going to be a new adventure, or just another surprise?

"Trump can finish the job if he can maintain the House and Senate. Or, if we lose the House and Senate, NOTHING will get done. It will be just like having two more years of Joe Biden. But to the Minnesota Morons, that is just fine, thank you."    

Here we are in November - headed straight into the midterms next month. Recently, I have seen more people post on social media the raw unvarnished truth about next month's midterms. There is not some black and heinous cloud hanging over our heads, which spells out gloom and doom for the next two years. Not a bit. But could it happen? Sure could. But we are in control of our future. Not the clown car of wanna be legislatures that the Democrats are offering up this year. And not karma. And not history. It is us. If Republicans and Christians vote in the numbers they should be voting, it will be a landslide win for the red team. If, however, the bedwetters and the pouters have their way this time around, we will lose and probably lose big. 

What Donald Trump has done the first two years of his second term has been nothing less than amazing. I could take up the rest of this post by listing just some of the things which he has done, but those in the know already are aware of them, and those who despise Trump don't even give him credit for breathing air.

Minnesota should not be a jump ball for whom will govern next year. After the world record fraud by the Somali community, the blind eye and deaf ear by the Democrats who should have been fighting such fraud, and the growing lawlessness in the Cedar Riverside part of the metro, ANY Republican running for anything should be a shoe in. But then we need to address the cancer in this town every election year. The Minnesota Morons - aka the Minnesota voters. Every two years, they insist on voting for the arsonists who set the fires. I look at the Democrat slate of candidates and all I can say is the old Reagan phrase - "There they go again".

The old saying goes that people get the government they deserve. Do we really deserve the government that gave us the trifecta in 2023? The infanticide type of abortion laws? Pissing away a HUGE surplus on NOTHING? The Minnesota Morons got what they deserved, but the normal people did not. And what do the normal people want this time around? To clean house. Get rid of the fraudsters and their apologists. Minnesota is not only a mess right now, but also a laughingstock to the rest of the country. We could fix this - all we need do is vote.

Trump can finish the job if he can maintain the House and Senate. Or, if we lose the House and Senate, NOTHING will get done. It will be just like having two more years of Joe Biden. But to the Minnesota Morons, that is just fine, thank you.    

   

Probation, denaturalization, and deportation

"If you are not mad about last night's disaster in Eden Prairie, you should be. It can happen again, at any one of our schools. Gun play at a high school is never okay. Regardless of where in the metro, it is. Time to take this problem head on and to fix what is broken. Where is a good place to start? Get the Democrats out of state offices. We can do that by voting red this November."    

This thought came to me like a bolt of lightning after I read about ANOTHER Somali related crime in this failed state called Minnesota. Thanks to Joe Biden, Tim Walz, and a whole bunch of blood sucking NGOs, this state now has a huge problem with immigrants who act more like invaders than guests. That is when this thought came to mind. Any immigrant, regardless of where they come from, should come here on probation. In other words, you come, you don't leach off welfare, don't do any crimes, and don't besmirch this country. If you can do all of that - you can stay. If you can't - "don't let the door hit, where nature has split you."

I graduated from Robbinsdale High School over 50 years ago. Homecoming was always a big deal. Lots of fun. I am sure it is the same for kids today. Especially at a high-quality school like Eden Prairie. But because some of the recent immigrants forgot they are guests here and should act like it, shots were fired, people were wounded, and the homecoming game - cancelled. I am sure there are students and parents alike today in Eden Prairie who are spitting tacks angry. What can be done? Let's ask our Secretary of State Rubio to see what he has to say about this.

Marco Rubio, himself a Cuban immigrant (legal), has just two words. Denaturalize and deport. It really is as simple as that. Get rid of those who don't conform, don't fit, don't assimilate, don't follow our laws. We can't let these recent immigrants make our country into a third world crap hole. We just can't. That is where I get back to this probation thing. One strike and you are out of here. The perps from last night should be on a plane today. Going back to where they came from.

I know this sounds harsh, but after the mega graft this state has suffered, the disruptions at the State Fair, disruptions at the Mall of America, and now our state high school football games - enough is enough! We need to have Tom Homan and the ICE team back in town here, gathering up the troublemakers and getting them to the airport on a non-stop flight home. 

If you are not mad about last night's disaster in Eden Prairie, you should be. It can happen again, at any one of our schools. Gun play at a high school is never okay. Regardless of where in the metro, it is. Time to take this problem head on and to fix what is broken. Where is a good place to start? Get the Democrats out of state offices. We can do that by voting red this November.    

Is there only one way out for Putin?

 

"What Putin does not understand is this - there are NATO countries who are also itching for a fight. Lots of bruises and bad blood left over from the Cold War. While Putin may give a jab to a country like Estonia, Poland might respond with a haymaker. And it that happens, it will be Katie bar the door."

This war with Ukraine is going from bad to very bad for Russia. Fortunately for Putin, the grim news from the battleground is softened quite a bit by Pravda. If the average Russian knew the full story on how Russia has mismanaged this war, and the terrible cost it has brought to the Russian people - the torches and pitch folks would be seen all over Mother Russia.

What does the future hold for Putin? The Ukrainians have become very motivated and smart. As Russia continues to attack civilian targets in Ukraine (hint: war crime), Ukraine continues to show off its drone acumen by attacking utility and military targets deep into Russia. What is the forecast for the next six months or so? More of the same. And that - is not to Putin's liking.

And now Putin needs to show his people, as well as the world, that Russia is not done yet. He knows this war in Ukraine is far from over, and the meatgrinder which chews up his troops is still going full speed. And the more he thinks about it, the angrier he gets. NATO. If only NATO had not supplied Ukraine with money and weapons, this war might be over now. If Putin's wrath has been stymied in Ukraine, maybe his wrath is misdirected. Maybe his wrath (and his hybrid war) is better suited for NATO. They are after all, an easy target.

More and more military experts are thinking that this toying around with a hybrid war on NATO is only Putin sharpening his pencil. That in weeks, or months, or maybe even a year, Russia will attack a NATO country. He will test the resolve of this alliance. Will Article 5 hold, or can Putin start picking off some weaker NATO countries - like the Balkans. And then, with some NATO scalps under his belt, Russia will again be looked at as a strong bear, to be feared and respected.

What Putin does not understand is this - there are NATO countries who are also itching for a fight. Lots of bruises and bad blood left over from the Cold War. While Putin may give a jab to a country like Estonia, Poland might respond with a haymaker. And it that happens, it will be Katie bar the door. Europe will once again be knee deep in war and the misery it brings. And here is where the real danger comes. If Putin feels he is losing, and if Russia starts losing to NATO, it might be time to let his nuclear genie out of the lamp. What will we have then? Maybe Armageddon. 

Another deadly Jihad plot foiled - again...

"And then to think, this nut ball who is the Mayor of New York City, wanting Netahyahu arrested for 'war crimes' - where was his outrage yesterday? Come to think of it, where is his outrage for a real war criminal like Putin? Nil heard. Radio silence. Hint to Mr. Mandami - Israel in not the enemy. They are the victims." 

I will say this much for Muslim Jihadists - they never give up. Anything to cause pain, suffering and death on their Satan's (their words) - Israel and the United States. Yesterday, just for kicks and giggles, some Jihadist who was allowed to fly a commercial airliner (don't ask me why), decided to stab the other pilot in the neck, and then take the plane down into a nosedive with 150 passengers and 24 crewmembers (most of them Israelis) on board.

The investigation on this near crime is still young. Not too much is known for certainty as of yet. There is, however, the stench of Iran's fingers being involved in it. That we will see. But here is what we do know - even without knowing it, we let our guard down. We allowed Israelis to be passengers on a plane flown by a Muslim. Has not history taught us enough? Many radicalized Muslims are still bloodthirsty, even after the horrible attack on 9/11. Anything to kill infidels (Jews and Americans).

Sometimes I wonder - is it even possible for the people living in the Middle East to feel secure? To go about their normal daily activities without worrying about being shot or blown up? Why does the culture of death always seem to trump the idea of living together with respect and peace? And just when Israelis start to think it is safe to fly an airliner other than El Al, this flight from Dubai happened. If not for a measure of luck and a ton of bravery, we could be talking about this massacre for months to come.

And then to think, this nut ball who is the Mayor of New York City, wanting Netahyahu arrested for "war crimes" - where was his outrage yesterday? Come to think of it, where is his outrage for a real war criminal like Putin? Nil heard. Radio silence. Hint to Mr. Mandami - Israel in not the enemy. They are the victims. But to those who have been poisoned by the anti-Semites, that viewpoint is hard to come by. Repeat a lie long enough and often enough (so said Joseph Goebbles), it starts to look like truth. But it is still a lie.

Thanks to luck, bravery and the Grace of God, we escaped a very bad thing yesterday. Lessons learned? I sure hope so. But then again, this may be a harbinger of the End Times...