The mystery and majesty of Minnesota's Duluth Complex

 

"The Duluth Complex is one of the largest minerals finds on Planet Earth. It is worth billions - maybe more. But - not much has been done, as digging in much of the Complex has been tied up in the court system." 

On our latest trip through the hinterland of Minnesota, we had the opportunity to travel into Range Country. That be the Iron Range. Specifically, the Mesabi Range. When I was young, my dad would always drag the family up to "Da Range". Why? My dad worked for a rock crushing company in St. Paul and had connections with the some of the companies who bought these rock crushers. Some of them ended up on Minnesota's Iron Range.

Seeing some of these open pit taconite digs is way beyond impressive. In the middle of Minnesota's northern woods, all of a sudden you have rocky and reddish-brown soil replacing the trees. Vast and deep digs are still going on, as there is still ore to mine. And here is the best part - the Mesabi Range is only part of this gargantuan geographic area called the Duluth Complex. 

The Duluth Complex is one of the largest minerals finds on Planet Earth. It is worth billions - maybe more. But - not much has been done, as digging in much of the Complex has been tied up in the court system. And here is the irony - our current government wants us to become the leader in EVs. (Remember? The cars that nobody want?). Many of the minerals which go into the manufacturing of the EV batteries are located deep underground in the Duluth Complex. So, we are buying those minerals from countries like China.

Minnesota is a leader in turkey production, hog production, corn production, and so forth. We live in a land which has an embarrassment of riches. But one of the biggest riches of all, is the one we are barely allowed to touch - the Duluth Complex. Hundreds of good paying and (ready for this Joe?) union jobs could be created. The "greenies" are saying the drilling companies could ruin this pristine area forever. The drilling companies responded by saying maybe that was true 100 years ago, but today, the drilling methods have changed to embrace protection of the environment first. Many safeguards are in place to protect the people and the environment.

Will the good people in Minnesota ever be allowed to take advantage of the treasures contained in the Duluth Complex? I hope so. Mostly for the sake of our kids and grandkids. Until then, enjoy the Mesabi Range. Much of Minnesota's history resides there.      

Our lord of war?

"Americans - it does not matter if you are red or blue. This next election is not only for all the marbles, but also for the world as we know it. Donald Trump is right. Joe Biden is dragging us into World War III. When the nukes start popping, and the lights go out, nothing will work." 

One of the pundits who follows and studies this stuff was on the news yesterday made a very good point. Ever since our retreat from Afghanistan, the fragile peace we had in our world went up like a refer in Seattle. The SHTF is about to go full nuclear in many places in the world. Our open borders are producing more murders and mayhem. Gas is still high, food is still high, buying a house is still very hard, crime is still king. With all of that, guess who is now ahead by 2 points in the polls. Our lord of war himself. Joe "where am I?" Biden.

I told my wife, if Biden ekes out a victory this time and we have four more years of this crap, I might want out. Out where? Beam me up Scotty! I remember taking a Bible class a few years ago, and the question came up - "Why is not the United States mentioned in the final battle?" Great question. The instructor did not have a good answer for it. Maybe Joe will. Maybe Joe will take the US of A right out of the game. Gone. The greatest country ever - gone. Remember those immortal words - "It is a republic, if you can keep it." Under Joe's leadership, we will lose it. Forever.

Ladies and gentlemen - it pains me to say this to you. If some of your friends and neighbors pull the level in the voting booth for Joe Biden, and he wins in 2024 - it is over. I am not kidding on this one. Anyone who saw the look on the Italian Prime Minister's face when she pulled him back from la-la land, saw that look of disgust. And the look on the Pope's face when he got head butted? It was a Kodac moment.

Peace brings strength. Peace through strength. Weakness brings defeat. Are willing to let someone from NATO or maybe Japan be the next leader of the free world? Because this guy, still thinks he is dealing with Corn Pop and the back of the gym. And so long as Joe Biden feels that way, we are in trouble.

Americans - it does not matter if you are red or blue. This next election is not only for all the marbles, but also for the world as we know it. Donald Trump is right. Joe Biden is dragging us into World War III. When the nukes start popping, and the light go out, nothing will work. And then if we are close enough to a major target, we will be turned into dust. Will we hit the bad guys back? Maybe - but who cares at that point. We will have crossed the Rubicon. 

 

Old man, take a look at yourself...

"It is title of leader of the free world gone forever? Never again to be held by an American? Not hardly. Trump will get the title back, just by being Trump." 

There is an old joke for old guys. It goes, "Growing old is the ability to shake hands with someone new, and then forgetting his name by time you are done shaking hands." It is a joke, but with Joe Biden, it is not that funny. 

Okay - I paraphrased the title of this post a bit. Sorry, Neil Young. What we are seeing now, live and in color, is something nobody has seen before. It is the unraveling of a president. Bit by bit, piece by piece, he is falling apart. In other words, he is losing it. Even the densest of us, the most unaware, know this much - Joe Biden has dementia. He has not only "lost his fast ball", but Joe also has no pitch left at all. None. But wait - are we not talking about the leader of the free world? I guess, but maybe not.

Well, if not Biden, who is the leader of the free world right now? That is a great question. Is it one of Biden's unseen handlers? That is the best guess. Some might also say Macron of France. He seems to be the ballsy type of guy who could fill the shoes. Maybe Olaf Scholz of Germany. Okay, he might be a socialist, but he is popular with the home folk. Regardless of if he is a capitalist or socialist, can he stand up to Putin? Most say yes.

Me? I like Duda of Poland. He is tough and he is experienced. Most importantly, he hates the Russian menace. He has an awesome military and is not afraid to use it. Poland and Russia are kind of like the Sharks and the Jets from West Side Story. One says to the other, "I hate you!", and the other responds - "I hate you right back". No equivocating or cowering by Duda. He fears Putin not.

Here are the facts as I see them. Our turn to be the leader of the free world is now over. Biden showed that in spades during the last G7 meeting. Heck, Biden even got bested by the Italian Prime Minister. Is title of leader of the free world gone forever? Never again to be held by an American? Not hardly. Trump will get the title back, just by being Trump. 

But what about Biden's Veep? Harris? Would she not become the DeFacto leader of the free world should Biden get the Article 25 ouster? Please - don't make me laugh. As Donald Trump recently said, "They have put her in charge of AI, but she does not know what AI means." 

Old man, take a look at yourself...What does Joe see when he does look at himself? Does he know he is a mere train wreck of what he once was? What about Jill? How can she allow this to happen? Yesterday, Biden could not even remember who his DHS Secretary was. It is time to pull the plug on this guy and take him to Cozy Acres. Why Cozy Acres? So, he won't wonder off like he did in Europe. 

The real insurrection - revisited

"My guess is nobody will work downtown, until we fix our cop situation. Bring back 'broken window' policing. Bring back 'stop and frisk'. Until we get tough on crime, and let cops be cops, get used to more hollowing out of major metropolitan areas."

Most normal people know what happened to change the crime profile in many of our larger cities. It was the real insurrection of 2020. It started after George Floyd's Death and continues on into today. Just think about that - from May 26, 2020, to present day, life in our larger blue cities has not been the same. Then throw in a bunch of Soros money to run socialist nitwits as District Attorneys, and you have the perfect recipe for hollowing out our cities. And the collateral damage continues.

The city of Seattle has just sent out the most alarming statistic. Right now, their police forces are at the lowest level in 30 years. During the past five years, about 700 cops have left. That is a huge hole to put in a large city which has a growing crime problem. With the number of wussy DAs we have in our cities, even if a cop catches a bad guy, the chances of that person being charged are slim to none. Just let them go. Then the question begs to be asked - why be a cop?

And the Floyd riots in Minneapolis. How many were arrested? How much damage was done? Over 700 buildings were damaged or destroyed. Over 1,500 businesses were affected. The 3rd Precinct has still not been rebuilt. Nationwide, 18 people died during that insurrection, and $2B of damage was done. Of the thousands retained or arrested, most charges were dropped. Why? These rioters needed to let off some steam. Compare this with the faux insurrection from Jan 6, 2021. Garland has gone after everyone related to that day, just like Nazi hunting during the Nuremberg Trials.

Anyhow, today most cities are way down on the number of cops needed to bring back public safety. Walking down the street in most of our big blue cities after dark is a fool's errand. Nobody wants to work downtown, live downtown, or eat downtown. Without cops, there is scant law and order. And without law and order, there is only chaos and mayhem.

Minneapolis just lost a good officer to being assassinated by a Somali immigrant. Why was this young and very good cop shot? No reason. And that is part of the point. Why should someone want to become a cop, make only a modest income, get NO BACKING from the socialists who run our cities, and then also have a target on his or her backs. No thanks. 

Every week my wife and I drive by one of our large commuter parking ramps. Most are either totally empty or only have a few cars parker in them. Why? Nobody is working downtown. My guess is nobody will work downtown, until we fix our cop situation. Bring back "broken window" policing. Bring back "stop and frisk". Until we get tough on crime, and let cops be cops, get used to more hollowing out of major metropolitan areas.

   

Second verse, same as the first

"Welcome to Biden's America. Even though the mayhem in Chicago predates Biden, it sure as heck does not predate the Democrat machine which runs the windy city. We really need to take America back. That includes Chicago. People deserve better."

Good Monday morning. What is special about this Monday? Not much, except it is a repeat of many other Mondays as of late. As the song goes, second verse, same as the first. Can we start by looking at Chicago? As we know from listening to or watching the news, Chicago is nothing more than a shooting gallery every single weekend. Even though gun ownership is next to illegal, thugs are able to get guns - easily. This past weekend (Father's Day) - 46 shot and 7 killed. 

According to Hey Jackass, a website which tracks the violence in Chicago, here we are coming up to the halfway point in this calendar year, and already 1,238 people in Chicago have been shot with 212 of those victims dying. Second verse, same as the first. Chicago can change their mayor, their police chief, their everything, yet the beat goes on. Living in Chicago is almost as dangerous as living in Ukraine.

What else is typical for a Monday morning? Another victim of crime living in the upper east coast. An innocent victim of a crime committed by a criminal illegal alien. An alien who snuck into our country, over the southern border in Texas. What can we do to stop it? Not much. Second verse, same as the first. When the very smug looking Mayorkas is questioned about illegal aliens by Congress, his answer is always the same. "The southern border is under control." Liar, liar, pants on fire. Now with over 10 million illegal aliens among us, every state is a border state.

And I would be remiss if I did not have tales of Joe Biden. Just back from his dismal trip to the G7, Joe jetted out to California to be with the rich and famous (and very old) West Coast elite. He even had his friend Barry Obama there to help him. But during the festivities, Joe had a "Juneteenth" moment. He froze again. However, it is Barry to the rescue. Second verse, same as the first. Obama put his hand on Joe's back and guided him off the stage. 

Here is the big question which remains for second verse, same as the first. Are the sheeple in this country so dumb, so naive, that they will elect this empty suit once again? Four more years of morass and stagflation? Four more years of being dragged closer and closer to WW III? Four more years of watching dementia ravage this 81-year-old man, for all too see? Is that going to be our second verse?

Welcome to Biden's America. Even though the mayhem in Chicago predates Biden, it sure as heck does not predate the Democrat machine which runs the windy city. We really need to take America back. That includes Chicago. People deserve better. They deserve to live better. Americas deserve to live safer. Is this mess now called America fixable? We will find out in November. American patriots and citizens deserve a new verse, different from the first. 

 

We the people, have had it!

"Congratulations Europe. You have taken the first step in getting your freedom back. We are right behind you."

Did you hear about the tidal change in Europe? Seems the left has over played their hands in the Euro Zone. Kind of like the left has been doing in this country. And what have we learned about the recent Euro elections? Be it here or across the Atlantic, freedom loving people are rejecting tyranny. With a singular voice, the call for freedom is going up. It is so loud; we can hear it over here. 

Hats off to the farmers in Europe, as they were the ones whose protests were the most vociferous. There is something about the visuals as well as the rich aroma of a manure spreader spraying effluent all over the government buildings in town. What is that saying? WE THE PEOPLE, HAVE HAD IT! In other words, the people, the citizens of many different countries, are not children. They know how to live. They know what is best for them and their families. And farmers? They know how to grow their own crops, thank you. They don't need the bootheel of government (who know nothing of farming) on their necks.

To our brothers and sisters in Europe, we can only say thank you! You are setting the tone. You may be a bit ahead of us, but we are firmly behind you. We are about to oust the mother of all tyrants (Joe Biden) and replace him with the father of MAGA (Donald J. Trump). We are going to turn the clocks back four years, and once again live in the land of prosperity and opportunity. Gone will be the days of green bs, DEI, equity, lawfare, lawless crime in the cities, open borders, energy confusion, mandated appliances and car choices and so forth. You see, Americans, just like the Europeans, don't like being treated like children. We like being treated like citizens. 

When freedom is in the air, it is tantalizing. It is invigorating. It is motivating. The skies are blue, and the birds are singing. On the other hand, when tyranny rules the land, all landscapes become gray-scapes. Hope is replaced by hopelessness. Joy is replaced by despair. What do most people realize when living outside of freedom? This is not how life is meant to be lived. 

How valuable is freedom for the people in this country over the years? We have sent money as well as our national treasure of young people, to fight for freedom in other lands. Some were wounded, some never came home - just so others could have the freedoms we have. Yes, freedom is that important to us.

Congratulations Europe. You have taken the first step in getting your freedom back. We are right behind you. What happens when thugs use extreme force to rob you of your freedoms? Just look at Ukraine. We should never let something like this happen again. Ever. It all starts and ends with that simple phrase - We the people.

Since it is Sunday, can I get an AMEN on that?

 

The happy (or hapless) wanderer

"The question many are asking right now, is can Joe make it to the first debate in two weeks. That is a good question. Will he wander off? Will he talk to dead people? Will he shake hands with imaginary friends? Will he drool? This could be a defining moment in Biden/Harris 2024. Or the last moment."

Well, it is finally over. Grandpa is home after a "memorable" time in Italy with the G7 meeting. I would have loved to have someone in the Italian press ask the Prime Minister of Italy, Giorgia Meloni, how the meeting went. And it would have been great if she had told the unvarnished truth. Her response would have been something like, "I did not know that being an adult daycare provider was part of my job description." Was it really that bad taking care of old Joe? Yes. And that was before Joe "head butted" the Pope.

Was I embarrassed to see our president on the world stage, acting like he was on a day trip from Happy Acres Care Center? No - I am way beyond embarrassment. I have disowned him. Truthfully, I have disowned his wife more so than Joe. Why? She knows that Joe has lost it. What little he had when he was sworn in, is now gone. Our enemies look at him and laugh. Our NATO allies look at him with great trepidation. Joe Biden is technically the leader of the free world. Let that sink in and marinate for a while. As Donald Trump recently said, "Joe Biden is dragging us into World War III."

Then we have Joe, the fallen Catholic, meeting the Pope. This was after Joe had wandered off during an air show event. To show the Pope the proper respect, Joe decided to "head butt" the Holy Father. The look on the Pope's face was really a "Kodak moment". It was like the Pope was thinking simply this - in all his years of being alive, nobody has ever "head butted" him before. And why did Joe do it? Because Joe did not like the Catholic church's position on abortion? Or was it that it seemed to be the right thing to do at the moment. Strange things happen when you lose your "filter".

The question many are asking right now, is can Joe make it to the first debate in two weeks. That is a good question. Will he wander off? Will he talk to dead people? Will he shake hands with imaginary friends? Will he drool? This could be a defining moment in Biden/Harris 2024. Or the last moment.

One more thing that Biden did to Prime Minister Meloni. When greeting her, Biden gave one of his faux salutes. She looked at him like, "what was that?" No - she did not salute back She knew better.

In any event, Joe needed to skip the last event on the schedule and fly back home. Why? A fundraiser with his papier mâché fan base known as the Hollywood elite. Why? Joe was just showing his priorities.