Light the torches, grab the pitchforks!

"I have told my kids as well as others their age, they need to pay attention to this one. To be involved. This is going to affect them (and our grand kids) much, much more than it will affect people my age."

How is your drive as of late? More and more people who have been driving on our highways and byways are starting to smell a rat. Including the old Bird here. What? Is this a conspiracy theory? Might be. In fact, the Center for the American Experiment just published an article throwing a bit of gas on this fire. Where the state government (in conjunction with the evil Met Council) are scheduling repairs to really gum up the traffic.

What if this is true? The breadcrumbs seem to lead back to the Met Council (again). This bunch of un-elected, un-repentant, super bureaucrats seem to delight in making everyone's life miserable through social engineering. One just needs to look at the witch's brew called Thrive 2040 - the Met Council "cook book". In that document, most transportation funding (83%) will go towards light rail and buses, which are estimated to carry only 6% of commuters. 

The majority of commuters, the 90% who prefer to drive their cars to work, would only get the crumbs remaining from the transportation dollars. About the same amount of crumbs allocated to bikes, peds and safety. 

So what is the problem? Many in the the uninformed masses (that be us), either hate trains or commute from suburb to suburb. Regardless of the reason, the Met Council believes (in my humble opinion), that we need to undergo some sort of behavior modification. Just like in the show House of Cards, where Democrat President Underwood said, "The American people are like children. They often times don't know what is best for them. But I do." 

Here is the sweet irony of what this unexpected traffic mess is doing. The Met Council perceives themselves to be very "green". And yet when tens of thousands of cars are just sitting stationary on our freeways, idling - they are adding tons of pollution to the air we breathe. It also wastes precious fuel. Plus, it has been medically proven, more time sitting in traffic is bad for a person's health.

Let's peek in the future just for a moment. If it is true that the average motorist is stuck in traffic 47 hours a year compared to 12 hours a year in 1982, what is it going to be like in 25 years? I use 25 years as state demographers are estimating the metro population could add 750,000 more people during that time period. What? Do you mean 3/4 of a million people added onto a road system which is already inadequate? How does that work? You do the math on that one - the Met Council sure can't.

I have told my kids as well as others their age, they need to pay attention to this one. To be involved. This is going to affect them (and our grand kids) much, much more than it will affect people my age. Is there any hope? YES! Other than grabbing the pitchforks and torches, we can elect a Governor who will eliminate the Met Council and restore sanity to our state's transportation system.

Any ideas who that Governor could be? I do. He and I have talked at length about his plan and vision to fix this mess - the mess which does not have to happen. That person is Jeff Johnson, who is running for Governor in 2018. For the sake of Minnesota, and all who live here, we need Jeff now more than ever.

Aging

"We may not be able to escape aging, but we sure can embrace it. Our kids, our grand kids learn from us. Just like we did from those who past before us."

Ick. I hate this post, but I need to do it. It has to do with aging. And the entity which stands right behind aging - the grim reaper. Today, I thought a lot about aging. How this "teenager", who is still trapped living in this old man's body, will be able to cope with it.

Why do I say this? In the veggie garden today, I had memories of helping my grandfather, my father, and my father-in-law as they aged. There were certain things they could no longer do. But I could. And I was happy to do it, and helped them as they aged.

Today as my son-in-law and I were planting peppers, I was in another garden doing the same. I had to get down on the ground to finish planting a pepper. Then I remembered those old commercials where an elderly woman would fall and yell, "Help I can't get up!"

With my neuropathy, I can't get up unless I have some kind of assistance (usually, I use the wheelbarrow or a shelf if I am inside). But the my wheelbarrow was not close. I had to ask my son-in-law for help. It was then I learned I had become my grand father, my father, and my father-in-law - I needed help.

Before I take you down to this pity party street, let me first explain something. We live in a very small neighborhood. Maybe a dozen or so houses. In the 34 years we have lived here, one of our best friends and neighbors died of cancer in her early 50's. Her death still haunts me - we were very close. Another neighbor dropped dead suddenly in her 50's. Another one just passed in her 60's due to cancer. My neighbor next door came within inches of death from stage 4 lung cancer. And he is only three years older than I am.

Why am I saying all of this? Our pastor told us many times, "if your feet hit the floor in the morning, it is a good day. You are alive." But being "alive" does not last forever. There is an Omega to the Alpha. And at my age, that Omega seems to get closer every day.

One of my very good social media friends had posted something about all the pesticide and insecticide which is sprayed on our fruits and vegetables. It was a scary article for sure. It is poison. A long time buddy responded with a simple sentence - "Seems like nobody is getting out of here alive." Bingo! Forget taxes - the only certainly we have when we are born is we will all face the Omega - that would be death. Nobody is getting our of here alive.

My grandparents did not live much past the age I am now. I know my tomorrows are far less numerous than my yesterdays - and getting more so all the time. So each day, every day, I look for renewed purpose. Like, helping this great country stay great. Or, helping the hungry, the homeless, and the hurting. That is what Jesus told us to do.

Yes, I may have become my grandfather. And truthfully, if it is true, that is a good thing. My grand father was a saint. Pure and simple, a saint. If I could be 1/10 of the man my grand father was to me, that would truly be a blessing to my grand kids. Yes, he was truly that good.

We may not be able to escape aging, but we can embrace it. Our kids, our grand kids, learn from us every day. Just like we learned from those who past before us. Let us pray that our aging be instructive and graceful. It is after all, part of our path.

The cost of educating (or not)

"However, learning and education seem to be operating in difference spheres these days. There are many creative ways to learn which are free or dirt cheap. We don't need a cottage industry called 'higher ed'."

One of my favorite stories I like to tell was when I first started at the University of Minnesota (Twin Cities) in 1973. Fresh back from four years in the Navy, I was anxious to get caught up. Anxious to learn. One of the classes I signed up for was Macro Economics 101, taught by the great Walter Heller. I knew from my history that Dr. Heller was JFK's econ guy in the White House. This would be like meeting a bit of that history.

How up front and personal did I get with Dr. Heller? Nada. The course was taught in the West Bank auditorium (huge) and it featured Dr. Heller on film. Never saw him in person. The book we had (written by Dr. Heller) was basically recited in the films we saw. Oh, there were plenty of stories about how Dr. Heller reigned in this young president he worked for. Somehow I learned in this environment, and squeaked an "A" out of the class.

Flash forward to today. A state university or college, which at one time was a bargain, has now found the path to being prohibitively expensive. Rather than having a bargain basement class like I took from Dr. Heller, the cost of educating has gone right through the roof. The University of Minnesota is (again) going to raise tuition way higher than the cost of living. Why? Colleges and universities, who preach critical thinking, thinking outside the box, and blah, blah, blah - are caught in an old school paradigm of education bloat.

But this problem is not just in the colleges. In the paper this morning, there was a chart which showed how the massive budget in Minnesota was divided up. As with every year, the bulk of it (over $18B) went to Pre K thru 12. And every year, people like myself ask the same question - are we getting the best "bang for the buck" with those dollars. In other words, are kids really learning? 

I will say this about education in Minnesota, all the way from Pre K to graduate courses. Okay - forget Minnesota. Pick just about any state. The way we educate kids these days is for the most part, a classic fail. The entire system needs a reclama. Education Minnesota needs to be de-certified as collective bargaining unit. They are a huge part of the problem. The number of majors offered at colleges and universities should be cut in half (and we all know which half should get the ax). We have way too many kids graduating with a worthless major (or two) and a zillion dollars in debt to obtain it.

One more time, as I have said this numerous times in the past - I am very PRO LEARNING. However, learning and education seem to be operating in difference spheres these days. There are many creative ways to learn which are free or dirt cheap. We don't need a cottage industry called "higher ed". We are all smarter than to be using the failed system we are stuck with.

The enemy inside the gate (again)

"The people who were hurt or maybe killed this afternoon, what were they guilty of? The same thing the 2,000 Americans who died on 9/11 were guilty of - not a damn thing."

Welcome back to the rodeo. Where? Europe, of course. You know, the enlightened crowd who have the "COEXIST" bumper stickers on the back of their Range Rovers. It has happened again. It seems like a ping pong contest as to which country it will happen in next - the UK or France. This time is was London. Last time it was Manchester. Where will it be the next time?

One of the problems with Europe is that they always seem to refuse to recognize the enemy. When the enemy is at the gate as in World War II, or when the enemy is inside the tent like today. 

This latest terror attack is so recent, I could not even get a current image for this article. I had to use one from the terror attack last March. Yes, that was so yesterday. And yet the attacks just keep on coming. Ever wonder why? Why they don't stop? There really is a simple answer. They hate us. They hate Europeans, they hate Israelis, and they REALLY hate Americans. So when are these attacks going to stop? Hold on for this one, as it is tough to say - when either they are all dead, or we are all dead. The terrorists are that committed.

Sound harsh? Not in the realm of the Caliphate. Followers of the cross (in the eyes of the Islamic Terrorists) are the real enemy. The reasons for this get real deep philosophically, and it goes back to ancient times. Can there ever be peace between us? Can this terror ever stop? It pains me to say this, but no. We can put all the equal bumper stickers on our cars, the Coexist bumper stickers, the peace sign bumper stickers - and it won't mean a wit to the terrorists.

The people who were hurt or maybe killed this afternoon, what were they guilty of? The same thing the 2,000 Americans who died on 9/11 were guilty of - not a damn thing. Hello Europe? Hello NATO? Hello Christians? It is time to wake up. This is a problem which will not go away, and it is just a matter of time before it is on our shores also. 

The other side of Paris

"Forget the melting icecaps, we are on a collision course with a true energy emergency. Save your money folks - you will need it in 2040 - just to keep your lights on."  

Get ready folks. It is coming. Part of it is already here. What does this have to do with Paris? Not much.What does this have to do with Obama's War on Coal? Quite a bit actually. What am I talking about? Your electric bill. And now that we are sliding into summer with 80's and 90's in the forecast, better dust off that trusty and dusty air conditioner. 

This past year, I was floored with how much we are paying for electricity each month. Some months, it was a budget breaker - especially for retired folks on fixed income. But guess what? It is going to get a whole lot worse. And before we start to boil the tar and get the feathers ready for Donald Trump, remember one very important fact - pulling out of the Paris Accord was a huge "nothing burger". It takes four years to completely divorce ourselves from the Paris mess. And in those four years, our electric rates are projected to be 5 to 10 percent higher than today. And by 2040 (that be less than 25 years from now), they could be 150% higher than today.

Hundreds of coal fired power plants have already been shuttered. Many more are on the road to that same fate. In addition, individual states (about half the states, including Minnesota) have mandated that a certain percentage of the power they consume will come from renewable sources, no matter how expensive or impractical they are. Are you getting the picture? Pulling out of the Paris Accord was moot with a capital "M".

Here is the bottom line. Getting rid of coal was getting rid of our cheapest source of electricity. That is a cold, hard fact. To convert our coal burners into natural gas burners cost a boatload of money. And that transition money will be passed on to the consumers.

Can nuclear save us? We finally got our first new nuke online after waiting 20 years since the last one. We would need a lot more, and fast. But it takes just about forever to jump through all the legal and environment hoops to get a new one online. However, with coal going off the grid, we will need something to take up the slack. If not, brown outs and maybe some black outs can be in our future.

What is the whole point of this article? The people who the Democrats profess to help the most, will be hurt the most by our country becoming "greener". That would be the poor, lower middle class, and retirees. The upcoming electric bills are going to be back breakers. All the experts agree on that point. And there is no escaping it, unless someone unexpectedly discovers the golden goose of free energy. That is possible by 2040, but also very unlikely unless we really step up our R+D.

The upcoming electric bills will set off moaning and groaning throughout the land similar to what we heard when the ObamaCare insurance rates hit last year. Only with the electric rates, the poor will be on their own - no ObamaCare type subsidies. 

This is the other side of Paris. This is reality. We can castigate Donald Trump all we want, but with or without Paris, everything was set in motion. Forget the melting icecaps, we are on a collision course with a true energy emergency. Save your money folks - you will need it in 2040 - just to keep your lights on.  

The politics of energy

"Even the Chinese right now are racing to develop a new source of energy. Why? They are suffocating under the constant veil of polluted smog in their larger cities. They know the current course is not sustainable, as have we."

Our new President caused quite a flap yesterday, did he not? Was it a huge surprise? Not really. He told us he would do it when he was candidate Trump. Is it going to cause the Earth to heat up in July? Nope - it takes four years to completely withdraw from the agreement. Will our carbon emissions continue to fall in those four years? They should - they have been coming down the past few years. In fact, in 2015, we led the civilized world in the percentage of carbon emissions reduced. How about after four years? With us out of the Paris Climate Accord, will our carbon emission continue to drop then? My guess is yes.

I have address this issue before. I believe we are on the precipice of a new energy breakthrough. Abundant, clean and cheap. Fossil fuels have done a wonderful job getting us to where we are today. But their time is just about up. Already we are seeing that natural gas is competing with coal for cost. Plus (no offense coal), natural gas is whole lot cleaner.

Nicolas Tesla was convinced that we could create energy out of the air. That energy is all around us. We just need to figure out how to harness it. Many scientists also believe that dark matter also contains dark energy. If Tesla was correct, as well as the scientists who believe in dark energy, the answer to our energy problems could be as close as the end of our noses.

Here is the bottom line. We don't need the United Nations, nor a bunch of Europeans dictating how we should use our energy. We really don't. There is the golden goose out there, just waiting to be found. Or maybe golden geese, as there may be more than one new discovery. And the person, the country, which comes up with the new fuel source, will control the wealth of the world. That is where the politics come in.

If you want to walk on the wild side for a minute, Dr. Steve Greer of The Disclosure Project has discussed energy in great detail. Why? He, along with others believe we have already found the golden goose. In fact, we have known about it since the Roswell incident. Greer believes we have taken technology from a crashed disc, re-engineered it, and now understand it. But the world's economy is built on fossil fuels. So the new energy source remains under wraps. Again, that is where the politics come in.

Even China, the world's biggest polluter, is racing to develop a new source of energy. Why? They are suffocating under a constant blanket of polluted smog in their larger cities. They know their current course is not sustainable, as have we.

My guess is by 2025 the first of many new golden geese will have been discovered. By 2050, we will continue to use fossil fuel - but mostly just for manufacturing. For our energy needs, the golden geese will have taken over. Cheap (maybe even free), abundant and clean. And climate change? That will only found in the history books.

  

Minnesota Traffic (again)

"It was bad when I was working, but this is insane. Our motto to St. Paul needs to continue with ever louder voices, 'Lanes, not trains!'" 

Today we took our grandson to Como Park. We are in the middle of a short work week, so we thought this might be a good adventure for the boy. We took him last year, but for a two year old, a year ago is half his life. Time for a renewal with the Como Park experience! 

We took a different route over, as we wanted to avoid some traffic (not that at 10 in the morning we expected that much). I was floored with the stop and go traffic we found ourselves in. Plus, there was also a butt load of road construction - all over the place.

Once we got to Como Park, we found a place to park in the overflow. Why the overflow? We forget this is the last day of school. For many districts, last day field trips are common. There must have been a hundred buses and eight zillion kids at the park. Ahhh!

When we left in early afternoon, I told my wife I had it with traffic. We were going to take different way home - the way I would use when I worked in Bloomington. Much to my surprise and disappointment, the traffic going home (I-94 through the tunnel) was worse mid-day than it was during rush hour in the 1980's! And (to put salt on the wound), on the way to getting on I-94, we had to wait at an intersection for a LRT to pass. I watched the LRT cars as it went by. They were way less than half full. Meanwhile, traffic on the roads was going nowhere fast.

I need someone a whole lot smarter than I to explain something to me. I think we are rapidly becoming another Chicago or Atlanta with our traffic issues. Rush hour is no longer an event - it is a continuum. And please - don't tell me traffic would be better if more folks rode the choo-choo train.

How do I know? I was observing many of the vehicles on the road today. Many, many common carrier trucks. Plus, there were buses, pick-up trucks, vans, motor homes, and on and on and on. There is a whole lot of traffic out there which is not suitable for trains. Sorry - that is just the way it is.

Here is the bottom line. The average Joe and Josephine don't want nor care about Southwest Light Rail (or any other rail centered boondoggle). Not a bit. What we do care about is more lanes - lots and lots of additional lanes. And where it makes sense, additional and new highways and bi-ways. That is what America wants. That is what Minnesotans want. We are not Europe, damn it! And we don't care to be!. 

When we finally drove into our driveway after a very long and tiring (due to traffic) ride home, I told my wife a simple fact. If I was still working, I could not handle driving in this crap every day. It was bad when I was working, but this is insane.

Our motto to St. Paul needs to continue with ever louder voices, "Lanes, not trains!" Yes, it really is as simple as that.