Paradise Lost

 

If we only learned one thing from the Maui, North Carolina, and Los Angeles disasters it is this - expect the unexpected. Plan for a worst-case scenario. Why? Because they can and maybe will - happen."  

Confessions from my youth. In 1960, my family vacationed in the southwest and California. I fell in love with both Colorado and California. My Aunt lived in Glenwood, CA, so we stayed with her. I could not understand why anyone would live anywhere else but the Golden State or Colorado. To my young brain, both states were like a paradise back then. I could not wait to grow up so I could move to one of them. 

So, I did grow up. And traveled for a job. Most of my travels were to Washington DC, but a couple dozen trips were to the West Coast. The California I remembered as a youth, the paradise I wanted to live in - changed. California was expensive, it was smoggy, there was lots of crime, fires and earthquakes. It was far from paradise - it was paradise lost. 

My opinion only on this matter. The folks who decided to live on this very expensive land between the San Gabriel Mountains and the Pacific Ocean were trying to make a silk purse out of a sow's ear. There is no way I would have traded my life in this cold northland to live in Los Angeles. Most folks knew it was only a matter of time before there would be a catastrophic earthquake which would change everything for everyone. The "mega fire" like they are having right now was not on anyone's "bingo card".

Where does that leave this once thought of paradise when the fire is finally out? Maybe no place. Many houses are destroyed, schools are gone, stores have vanished, and Los Angeles now looks more like Hiroshima after the bomb had hit. The ground may not be radioactive like it was in Hiroshima, but it is poisoned from all the toxic items which burned and the fire retardant which was dropped from the tankers. 

Here is where the hard part comes in. The City of Angels, the city where many Angelenos grew up in, where their parents live or lived, will never be the same again. At best, people who lost everything will have the insurance coverage to make them financially whole again. But the fear is those people will be in the minority. Even for those who are fortunate enough to become financially whole, will probably never be able to build on the site they once had. Why? It will take years - decades to rezone the land for affordable and safe building. That is the reality. Regardless of what the governor or mayor is telling folks, the LA from yesterday will no longer be rebuild the same way. Yes, paradise is lost.

It is hard to believe we have had three major disasters in the past couple of years. First the fire on Maui, then the floods from Hurricane Helene in the mountains of western North Carolina. Now this mega fire in LA. What will the damages be for all three disasters? Over $100B for sure. Here is the irony however - the fire in Maui was something NOBODY saw coming. Having hurricane damage in the mountains of North Carolina, was something NOBODY saw coming. This mega-fire in LA was something SOME should have seen coming. Maybe some did, but they just ignored it. 

Even Superstorm Sandy caught many off guard. No matter where you live, having an "E Plan" for your family, and "Bug Out Kits" is smart planning. Planning for what? The unexpected. If we learned nothing but this from the Maui, North Carolina, Los Angeles disasters - expect the unexpected. Plan for a worst-case scenario. Why? Because they can and maybe will - happen.  

 

  

You can never go home again...

"Tonight, those winds are supposed to start to pick up again. Maybe this fight is far from over. Then once the final sparks are extinguished, the fight over rebuilding will start. Money and location. It will be a mess. And to clean up all the toxins in the ground due to the fire, will take many, many months." 

There is an old adage which I heard quite a bit as a lad. Whenever I would get nostalgic about the good old days, especially in the town I grew up in, I often heard, "you can never go home again". Why not? Why can't I go home again? Because things change. The home you once loved, you might not love anymore. In fact, you might hate it. But there is a point to this rambling.

The good people of Los Angeles might not know this now, as they are still going through the shock and awe of this mega-fire, but the City of Angels might never look the same again. Houses that were built and grandfathered in to be right up to the water - gone. Houses on the hillsides - maybe never again. Out of control dry vegetation in every nook and cranny? No more. 

This fire was something which should have been expected at some time. Why? Fire season happens every year. In the past, LA has been very lucky as most fires have been rural. Some structures burned, but nothing like this year. All it was going to take was a perfect storm of government mismanagement, lack of rainfall, and Santa Ana winds on steroids. Then it happened. The fire that even at this writing, is eating up more acreage and structures in LA. 

Some are asking now what the cause of the fire was. Was it some homeless person, trying to heat up some food? Was it malicious arson? Some are thinking it was the wrath of God to punish the Hollywood elite for mockery during the Golden Globes the night before the fire started. Maybe we will never know. But we do know one thing. As capable and intelligent as mankind has become, we are no match for nature. Seeing those 80 to 100mph winds whip those flames into a frenzied inferno, is something I will never forget.  

Tonight, those winds are supposed to start to pick up again. Maybe this fight is far from over. Then once the final sparks are extinguished, the fight over rebuilding will start. Money and location. It will be a mess. And to clean up all the toxins in the ground due to the fire, will take many, many months - maybe years. 

Can the Angelenos ever go home again? Where then, will they go? Many states will welcome them as new residents. There are, however, some states that will have one caveat. Leave your politics in the smoldering ruins of your former city. Why? California politics are as toxic as the soil in LA is right now. Sorry, but that is my opinion.  

As the worm turns...

Thank you, President Trump! You took the slings and arrows for all of us. You are the one who continues to lead the charge. Our job is simply to support you while you work for us. Working for us to make America strong again. Healthy again. Great again. Our time is coming. Nine days and counting.   

I am going to try and present this the right way. Seeing this change, this "sea change" if you may, in our country right now, is beyond refreshing. It is a moment I feared would never come again. Seeing this country reject DEI, trans-whatever, climate hoaxes, gaslighting and out and out sophism - warms the cockles of my heart. Seeing people happy again, hopeful again, smile again - is a pure delight!

Ladies and gentlemen, the worm is starting to turn! People who have been hoodwinked by the left are starting to see the light! JFK type of Democrats, who have been transitioned into anarchists and socialists - are seeing the light. Who do we have to thank for this newfound treasure? This good fortune? Donald Trump? Yes, for the most part. But we also have the big blue cities who under faux leadership, are imploding. Yes, some (like LA), are even burning. 

Last night my bride and I went to an annual event which is hosted by our friend and congressman. Every year it is nice. It is fun. But this year - it was way different. It was like the lights were brighter, the music sweeter, the conversations more jocular and lighthearted. It was like a huge weight was getting ready to be lifted off of all of us. Dare I say happy days are here again? Or happier days will be here a week from Monday.

To those former Democrats who have joined us all of late (including Tulsi, RFK Jr., and maybe even Fetterman) - welcome aboard. It is a new year with a new purpose. Yes, we all will make America Great Again! This is a team sport, and welcome to our team. Welcome to America's team. 

Will there still be some Democrats turned socialists who will fight us every inch of the way forward? Unfortunately, yes. But our numbers are growing and theirs are shrinking. The only thing which can slow us down, or even derail us, is us. We need to stick together like glue. Fight for the common goal. What is that common goal? A strong or stronger America. One where a rising tide lifts ALL boats. A place for equality for all, and equity is put back in its box. 

Thank you, President Trump! You took the slings and arrows for all of us. You are the one who continues to lead the charge. Our job is simply to support you while you work for us. Working for us to make America strong again. Healthy again. Great again. Our time is coming. Nine days and counting.   

 

Did disclosure already happen in 1952?

"Will 2025 be the year we find out what the heck these UAPs are? Does our government know? Does Donald Trump know? Or have many known since the early 1950's. What is in the skies over the New York and New Jersey area these past couple months have given us more questions than answers. Is the truth out there? Can we handle the truth? Stay tuned. 2025 could be a very interesting year."

Just about everyone these days is aware of the "drones" and other things being recently seen in the skies over New Jersey and beyond. What are they? Some think we are on the cusp of the long awaited "disclosure". "Disclosure" the coming clean by the government or the "visitors" that we are not alone in the universe. Most have various feelings about knowing if we are alone or not alone. Some feel excited, some feel anxious, others feel fear and dread. But - what if disclosure has already happened?

This is going to be a bit of a rabbit hole I am going down. In July of 1952, the control tower at Washington National Airport spotted some unexplained lights close to the airport. It was reported to a nearby Air Force Base, who sent up some jets to investigate. The jets saw the lights, chased the lights, and they disappeared. As soon as the jets landed, the lights came back. It was as if they were intercepting the radio traffic of the jets to their base tower. 

The following weekend, the lights reappeared. Same type of thing - spotted, reported, and then chased by our jets. Our pilots complained about this as these lights had some kind of amazing speed. There was no way our jets could have kept up with them. This was reported and recorded in Project Blue Book. But then it stopped. The lights quit buzzing our capital.

Now is where the rabbit hole gets murky. A couple of years later in 1954, President Eisenhower was vacationing in Palm Springs, when he suddenly disappeared to go someplace. The rumors had it that President Eisenhower went to Edwards Air Force Base to meet with some aliens. This might have been our first taste of disclosure. Or - it could have been the cover story. President Eisenhower needed to get some dental work as he chipped a tooth on a chicken wing.

Some think the 1952 Washington DC sightings and the 1954 Edwards Air Force Base meeting are related. Others think it is some kind of fairy tale. But right now, today, our government has conceded that "something" is in our skies which they cannot explain. And, if you lived in Pheonix in March of 1997, and were one of the thousands who saw the "Pheonix Lights", you would agree what is in our skies is far from ordinary. 

Will 2025 be the year we find out what the heck these UAPs are? Does our government know? Does Donald Trump know? Or have many known since the early 1950's. What is in the skies over the New York and New Jersey area these past couple months have given us more questions than answers. Is the truth out there? Can we handle the truth? Stay tuned. 2025 could be a very interesting year.

Legacy building?

 

"One thing that many who run for public office don't realize is simply this. The higher up the office, the more every single move, every word spoken, will be scrutinized. Is that fair? Maybe not, but it is reality. Bad decisions, like Benghazi, Abby Gate, and the LA fires will not only be remembered via legacy, but they will also be memorialized in history books. Like forever." 

These are the times which try men's (or women's) souls. Our second largest city is on fire, over 10,000 structures burned, at least ten dead, and many unanswered questions need to be addressed. Politically, this was a fatal wound to both Gavin Newsom and Karen Bass. They could live like angles for the rest of their terms, but their legacy will be this fire. Why? Unprepared. Hapless and hopeless. Who were the victims? The good people who voted these idealogues into office. Sad. 

Many folks as they age become more and more concerned with their legacy. Most, if not all, want a legacy which reflects well on them. Leaving our heirs something to remember us by, be it tangible or intangible. However, there is also a dark side to legacy. If you have done foolish or evil things, that also can become part of your legacy. 

Yesterday was Jimmy Carter's funeral. Skipping over his four years as president, he had a wonderful legacy. A true servant leader. A man of God. His good works and unselfish lifestyle were inspirational to many. His time as president was inspirational to only a few. I will leave it there.

What will Joe Biden's legacy be? What Biden would like his legacy to be and what it will be remembered by honest historians are not even close to being the same. A hateful man, who has antipathy for honest working Americans, is beyond contemptuous. His hatred for Donald Trump is palpable - so much so, when Biden refers to Trump he actually hisses. The only honest thing that Biden keeps mentioning is the "black hole in his chest". A common trait for those who have hatred and lies crowding out the goodness of a loving and forgiving heart.

One thing that many who run for public office don't realize is simply this. The higher up the office, the more every single move, every word spoken, will be scrutinized. Is that fair? Maybe not, but it is reality. Bad decisions, like Benghazi, Abby Gate, and the LA fires will not only be remembered via legacy, but they will also be memorialized in history books. Like forever. 

Before my girls started to date, where they could actually get serious about some young man, I had very simple advice. Make sure the ones they marry have a good heart. Why? A good heart is more important that a sharp mind or lots of money in the bank.

I have known many folks of good fortune in my lifetime who had a very small heart. Sometimes you get lucky and find someone with a loving heart as well as smarts and money. But the heart thing is number one. That is where good legacies are built. All the other stuff - is just stuff. 

  

Make Cuba a deal they can't refuse...

"Back to Cuba. Even Obama wanted to have much better relations with Cuba. For many reasons. It would keep the Russians, Chinese and Iranians at bay. Trade would be wonderful, as Cubans have much agribusiness to trade with us. And, as I have told my congressman back in the day, I would love to smoke a LEGAL Cuban cigar in my back yard." 

Cuba, it is time to come home. Enough of this living in the wilderness. No more living in poverty. Cuba? What are you talking about, Bird? Cuba is not even on the menu right now! No, but maybe it should be. From where it is positioned in geography, it is almost a border state. I think if the people of Cuba were given a choice, they would choose us over a dictator by a country mile. But first things first. Let's talk about Trump's unique and very effective negotiation style. 

When I was a young negotiator just learning the business, people much wiser and more experienced than me gave me this bit of advice - a zero-sum negotiation, where one side leaves the table feeling "skinned", is a bad deal for all. Why? You will never get a fair deal from that person again. Ever. What does that have to do with Cuba and Donald Trump?

Some people think Trump is a bully at the table. He is not. He does, however, know how to "prime the pump". We can see that with Canada. Greenland. Panama. And hopefully before it is all said and done - Cuba. For example, Trump just sent Don Jr. over to Greenland. Why? To play nice. To tell the people that if they became part of us, we would treat them very well. In the back of Trump's mind is a strategy on how to sweeten the pot for all countries he is interested in. Just like Don Corleone, Donald Trump is always thinking of a deal they can't refuse. Only in Trump's case, it is always sugar and very little stick.

Some might think that Donald Trump is only trying to build a menagerie of nations to have as a collection. Far from it. Trump is going after each country with a purpose. How that country could help America from a security standpoint, trade, and otherwise. Trump will point out how each country becoming a part of US would be symbiotic. In other words, good for everyone. 

Back to Cuba. Even Obama wanted to have much better relations with Cuba. For many reasons. It would keep the Russians, Chinese and Iranians at bay. Trade would be wonderful, as Cubans have much agribusiness to trade with us. And, as I have told my congressman back in the day, I would love to smoke a LEGAL Cuban cigar in my back yard. 

Donald Trump's style is just the opposite of the Obama/Biden/Kerry/Blinken "lead from behind" style. That has gotten us nowhere but backwards. Trump has the chutzpah to lay it all out there. The liberals think Trump is filter-less. I think he is a visionary. Maybe this is why Trump and Musk get along so well together. It is that "birds of a feather" thing, and we are blessed to have both of them.   

Out of control and on fire

"Can we make it until January 20th before the wheels really fall off? I sure hope so. I am now counting down the hours. Until Trump's hand is on the Bible, I might need to go hide out in Greenland, finding a nice ice cave to dwell in. Why Greenland? It will soon be part of US."  

What else can happen this brand-new year? We have had drones, plasmoids, UAPs, unexplained lights, mysterious fog, the death of a former president, a terror attack in New Orleans, our current senile president going crazy writing all kinds of executive orders, our incoming president acting like the real president, and now our second largest city burning out of control. All that and it is only January 8th. Harbingers of the end times? Maybe.

This LA fire is the biggest city fire since Walz and Frey let part of Minneapolis burn down. To refresh memories, the Democrat Mayor of Minneapolis (Frey) and the Democrat Governor of Minnesota (Walz), did NOTHING for days while the city of Minneapolis burned. On the other hand, the Democrat Mayor of Los Angeles (Karen Bass) decided this would be a great time for a vacation. She flew to Africa to see some president of some country get sworn in. Huh?

As of this writing the three fires burning in LA are 0% contained. Why? It is a "perfect storm" as they say. Low humidity, lots of fuel, super high Santa Anna winds, and limited water to fight a fire this large. In fact, overnight the winds were blowing so hard (in some areas, up to 100mph), all aircraft needed to fight these fires were grounded. The firefighters also ran out of water in some areas. Bottom line? Most of these brave firefighters were relegated to helping residents flee, as their houses burned.

When it is all said and done, much of Los Angles will not look the same for many, many years. The fire "scars" will be deep and wide. Even worse than the fire "scars" which were left in the City of Minneapolis. The difference is this however - those "scars" in Minneapolis did not have to happen. There were no high winds, and we had plenty of water. But we also had Frey and Walz. Much of the blame for the Minneapolis fire rests on their shoulders. End of story.

I bet Newsome is all over this LA fire issue. Not really. He is too busy trying to hassle Space X and Elon Musk about having too many launches out of Vandenburg AFB.  Too much pollution. Won't the Air Force step in and intercede? Slap this pesky little Newsome down? Not in this DEI environment. We probably need to wait until we have a new Secretary of Defense. 

Can we make it until January 20th before the wheels really fall off? I sure hope so. I am now counting down the hours. Until Trump's hand is on the Bible, I might need to go hide out in Greenland, finding a nice ice cave to dwell in. Why Greenland? It will soon be part of US.