Our DOD - how much is enough?

"'Prepare for war, but search for peace.' We can do it. We have now for quite a while. But it can be expensive. How expensive? Not as expensive as fighting a war and losing. Just a reminder on what losing looks like. Just look at Ukraine. Or Gaza. That is what losing looks like."  

The good news for all to know - we spend a lot of money every year on defense. Why? We have six services to maintain and grow. The Army, the Navy, the Air Force, the Marines, and our new Space Force. Wait - that is only five. We also have the Coast Guard, but that is not part of the DOD. Of these, the Navy took a hit during the Biden years. Now we are way behind the Chinese Navy. To get back up to parity, we need to go gangbusters in our shipbuilding for the next four years. Or eight years. But do we really need all these ships? All these super subs? Not unless we get involved in a shooting war with China or Russia. Then we will need every single one of them - and then some.

The Air Force is awash in high tech planes right now. Many in the 5th generation phase. Soon we will be addressing the new 6th generation fighters and bombers. Terms like Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) will become common. The robotic "Loyal wingman" planes which will fly alongside the manned NGAD planes will be common. The B-21 Raider bomber which will even make our current B-2 bomber look like yesterday's technology. Plus, we have the F-35 and F-22, which we seem to still be improving. And they are "butt-kickers"! Looking at the Air Force with clarity, I would say we have an embarrassment of riches in that service. 

The Marines are good. They don't need much, they don't use much, but they do quite a bit with what they do have. Even when the recruiting numbers were down in the other services, the Marine numbers were good. Pound for pound, the Marines are still the premier fighting force for our nation. When you want the job done quickly and completely, you call on the Leathernecks.

The Army is good. The numbers are coming up in recruitment and retention. We have built lots of armor for the Army to use. They are well positioned all over the globe and have trained well with our allies. My suggestion? Keep on keeping on. "This we will defend" is their motto, and they wear it well.

Not much to say about the Space Force, as what they do is not advertised. Their mission is evolving, and to be guardians of our space-based satellites is now more important and ever. I am glad we don't know too much about this young service as yet. That tells me they are doing some good stuff.

Bottom line? Our current DOD budget is about $850B/year. I can see that growing to $1T/year by the time Trump's term is up. Is that too much? Not if we want to fill the holes we have in the Navy. We do after all, need to defend not only our country, but also Canada. And Greenland. And parts of the EU. And the PI. And Australia. And South Korea. And so forth... 

"Prepare for war, but search for peace." We can do it. We have now for quite a while. But it can be expensive. How expensive? Not as expensive as fighting a war and losing. Just a reminder on what losing looks like. Just look at Ukraine. Or Gaza. That is what losing looks like.  

 

Time to take care of all family business...

 

"What is Trump doing right now? Taking care of all family business. Once and for all, finish the job(s). Will things get bumpy for a while? Count on it. But each of these are big items which must come to a conclusion. Why? Promises made are promises kept." 

Oh my! Our present-day Godfather (President Trump) has issued some warnings and some final warnings. If you are a member of Hamas, and are still holding innocent people as hostages, good luck making it to summer. Or maybe even spring. Trump's final warning has gone out. "Shalom Hamas - which means either hello or good-bye. You choose". Trump wants all hostages out, or as Trump put it - "I have given Isreal everything they need to finish the job". Plus, I might add, we recently positioned some B-52 assets in the area.

We have also told Iran, who is a whisker away from making at least one nuclear bomb, that we will not tolerate it. In other words, if Iran does not stand down immediately, we (and probably Israel), will stand them down. How far away is that? Probably this summer. Israel has laid Iran bare in the last series of attacks it performed on them. With the air defenses all but gone, Iran's nukes are sitting ducks for us. 

Trump has also warned friend and foe alike, that April 2nd will be "reciprocal tariff day". In other words, if any country has a tariff on us, we will return the favor. If any country wants to manufacture in the USA, there will be no tariffs. Sounds fair, even though countries like Canada and Mexico are already squealing like stuck pigs. And soon the EU will join them. Trump is waiting to hear some logic on why reciprocal is not fair. So far - only crickets.

Finally, Trump is ready to put the pedal to the metal on the Ukraine War. He wants the mineral deal signed with Zelenskyy ASAP. He is really peeved Russia, with peace maybe on the horizon, continues to blow Ukraine to bits. Not cool - not cool at all. So, Trump is going to lay some heavy sanctions on Russia until they stop the war and participate in a cease fire. Some think this is the most dangerous phase of the war. It could go either way. Slide us into WW III or finally have some deserved peace in the region. But Trump still wants to be a peacemaker, while Putin wants to maintain being the god of war.

What is Trump doing right now? Taking care of all family business. Once and for all, finish the job(s). Will things get bumpy for a while? Count on it. But each of these are big items which must come to a conclusion. Why? Promises made are promises kept. 

The Daylight Savings Solution

Does anybody really know what time it is?

Does anybody really care? 

From a song by Chicago

For a change, President Trump is flummoxed on what to do on this very pressing issue. Daylight savings. Most people in this country hate the "spring ahead, fall behind" nonsense we have to do twice a year. Each year, the clamoring masses have demanded that we (the USA) fix our timekeeping methods. In other words, many want DST to be scrapped, and roughly the same amount of people wants DST to be in effect all year round. Thus, it has become a 50-50 issue. Half want DST all the time; and the other half wants the government to scrap it all together. What do both sides agree on? Changing clocks twice a year is a pain in the butt.

By the way, it is not only the fact that most states still have to change their clocks twice a year, when taking a road trip, some (few) states have voted to stay on DST all year long. So, knowing what time it is in each state you travel through, can be a mystery. I am reminded by that song from Chicago, does anybody really know what time it is? Especially the first two verses:

Does anybody really know what time it is?

Does anybody really care? 

My response to that song, is we have to care. Otherwise, we could be an hour early or an hour late. And that my friends, is the rub.

Thinking deep thoughts about this vexing problem yesterday and knowing the President would also like to do something about this issue, I came upon a solution. It would involve a very easy Executive Order. Effective with this time change on Sunday, the United States would recognize DST year-round until 2027. In 2027, the EO could either be extended, or ended, depending on how people liked it. If it was ended, then for the next two years, there would be no state which recognized DST. At the end of those two years, the people could choose - DST or no DST. Whatever the solution, we would be DONE with changing our clocks twice a year. BRILLIANT!

Not that I would want any credit or anything, but a nice name for this EO would be the Very Angry Bird Act of 2025. Just saying...

Are we on the cusp of magic?

 

"President Trump wants the United States to be the leader in AI. Why? Because AI will change just about everything. From the very large to the very small. When I say very small, I am talking about things like protein sequencing. Why is that important? For a starter, many diseases could be cured if we understood the correct proteins to use to combat them."

Every now and again, I have trouble falling asleep. One of my natural cures for those times, is finding something on YouTube which might be so boring to me, I will only hear the "white noise" and ignore the content. Quite often that does the trick. Recently, I found one on YouTube which could be a doozy. It was about how AI could help in protein sequencing. Wow! I should doze off in about five minutes with that one. Was I ever wrong! This was one of the most fascinating things I have seen on that channel in a long time! It was about true science moving so fast right now, it is almost like magic.

President Trump wants the United States to be the leader in AI. Why? Because AI will change just about everything. From the very large to the very small. When I say very small, I am talking about things like protein sequencing. Why is that important? For a starter, many diseases could be cured if we understood the correct proteins to use to combat them. But here is where the tricky part comes. The permutations of proteins are almost endless. Without AI, it could take the average computing many lifetimes to get this right.

Using AI and quantum computing, it is possible to have the right proteins identified to cure autoimmune diseases by the end of Trump's term. Maybe even cancer. Maybe AIDS. Maybe many diseases we have made progress on but still have not discovered the magic bullet which will cure them. What does this mean? AI has put us on the cusp of medical magic.

Besides medical solutions, protein sequencing could also help in fixing different types of pollution, agriculture, energy, and so forth. With the possible combination of different proteins being almost endless, as the saying goes, "we don't know what we don't know". Translation: we might discover many things which we had not expected to find. 

One scientist said we are now falling down the rabbit hole of discovery at an increasing fast pace. Knowledge builds on knowledge, and the speed of discovery seems to increase every day. Is it good that Trump wants us to be the biggest and brightest in AI? For sure it is. But it is also good for mankind that other countries are also doing research on this. Finding cures for diseases which have plagued mankind for generations, is a good thing, and should be shared. 

Are we on the cusp of magic? Might be. But we are definitely on the verge of a Golden Age of America. The America we see out the window right now, will look and act much differently in 2030. And again in 2035. And 2040. 

Change is not only coming, but it is here. The new "roaring twenties" are really about ready to live up to their nickname. This is a great time to be alive.   

Why is hate so harmful?

 

"President Trump knew what he was getting into when he ran for president again. Does he like the country being so divided? Not a bit - but this is the current landscape in America. He knows the hatred in the Democrats - he feels it each and every day. But his love for country is stronger than the hatred he feels directed at him, his family and his voters."

I love this country. Always have, always will. But I am ashamed of part of this country. The part which divides us. And that is hatred. The hatred that one party has for the current president and those who voted for him, belies the very foundation of our melting pot - E pluribus unum. Our new motto could be I hate Trump and MAGA. Hate them so much, it affects everything they say and do. Hate them so much, it made them look small and foolish at Trump's speech on Tuesday night.

If Democrats had more of a faith-based foundation, they would realize how toxic hate is. It has been called the battery acid on our souls. Hate is destructive because it never hurts the person or people who are hated - it only hurts the hater. If more of them went to church, they would learn that. Hatred left unchecked; can actually cause medical issues within the hater. It can destroy a person from the inside out.

Tuesday night was a night for America - not for Donald Trump. President Trump just happened to be the person behind most of the wonderful things which have happened to and for our country during the past six weeks. A kid with cancer, a kid going to West Point, Gold Star families, heroes, and on and on. These were American stories.

The kid with cancer who wants to be a cop is from Houston. So is Al Green. The kid acted like a hero and was recognized for it. Al Green acted like a hateful, spoiled child and was tossed out of the room. Instead of being there to help honor this wonderful kid from his district, Al was in the other room, wearing a dunce hat. 

Maybe many of the Democrats missed that lesson growing up. "Be the better person". Or the lesson we learn from going to church - "Forgive 70 times 7". Or can't they just act like adults instead of contrarians? If I say black, they say white. If I say no, they say yes. Not some of the time - all of the time. 

The other day, a commonsense bill was but forward on the Senate floor regarding woman's sports. It was a simple bill - nothing complicated. All it said was biological woman should compete in woman's sports and biological men should compete in men's sports. Easy peasy. Well, not that easy for some. 100% of the Republicans voted for this "duh!" bill, and 100% of the Democrats voted against it. It this same bill had been proposed by either side twenty years ago, it would have passed 100-0. Not today - the hatred in the Democrat Party has spoiled even a biological bill like this one. Men are men, and woman are women. Period.

President Trump knew what he was getting into when he ran for president again. Does he like the country being so divided? Not a bit - but this is the current landscape in America. He knows the hatred in the Democrats - he feels it each and every day. But his love for country is stronger than the hatred he feels directed at him, his family and his voters.

Most importantly, Donald Trump feels God spared his life to fix what has been the unfixable. To make America great again. Stronger again. Healthier again. That is his purpose, that is his quest. Hatred belongs to the Democrats - not to Trump.  

  

The pink ladies, all tied up in knots (again)

 

"But be that as it may, the Trump Train is headed full speed, on down the tracks. The Democrats? They are still on the side of the road, hitchhiking."   

He did it again! They did it again! Anybody who saw Trumps (unofficial) "state of the union" speech to Congress saw it happen again. Trump, with the help of the Democrats, made the Democrats look small. Not only small but confused. How so? Many came to the event dressed in pink. Why? To show solidarity to women's issues. 

Yes, but I bet they all stood and clapped when Laken Riley's mom and sister were honored. That is a woman's issue. Nope - they say on their hands. How about when Angel Mom Alexis Nungaray was honored because her daughter Jocelyn was killed by two Venezuelan illegals. That for sure is a woman's issue. Nope - they again sat on their hands. I guess maybe the only woman's issue they care about are women who are still hung like men. 

But wait - what about the young boy with brain cancer who wants to go into law enforcement? That young man could melt any cold heart. Or the young man who just got an appointment to West Point? Nope - Democrats sat on their hands. 

By far and away, the best spectacle of how unhinged the Democrats are these days came from the always greasy Al Green. Against House order, good old Al got up and started yelling at the president. What did he say? Nobody could understand him (as usual). But nevertheless, the Speaker had to have him ejected. Was it a big splash like Al wanted? Nope - hardly a ripple. Again, the Democrats showed their hand, and as Trump would say - "you have no cards".

What about the president? How did he do? On the downside, it was a bit long. On the plus side, it was awesome! All bases were touched, all current subjects addressed. The entire time he was speaking, I kept thinking - nobody does this better. Comparing Trump to just about any other president is not a fair comparison. But coming in right after Biden, makes Trump look almost superhuman.

What is going on in America these days? Just about everything. To fix every moving part in this country which needs fixing, takes a CEO of vision and multitasking. Even though Trump and his team seem to be going pell-mell and crazy, trust me, they are not. While the Democrats continue to obstruct and resist, the Republicans are making America great and greater again.

I wonder what Trump thought of last night. Part of me thinks that Trump delighted in the Democrats looking like stooges. For Trump, making Democrats look weak and foolish is like shooting fish in a barrel. Hardly any sport in it for Trump.

But be that as it may, the Trump Train is headed full speed, on down the tracks. The Democrats? They are still on the side of the road, hitchhiking.   

 

The best deal in town...

 

"This is the best deal in town. Trump knows it, and the smart folks in our country know it. As I have said, time is not anyone's friend right now. Well, except the Grim Reaper. He is having a heyday right now in Ukraine. He has been for three years now. Let's put an end to it."  

I really don't understand why Zelenskyy does not understand. Rather than being coddled and supplied with numerous weapons of war which will continue to kill Russian soldiers and allow Russian soldiers to continue to kill Ukrainian soldiers and civilians, Donald Trump had a better idea. And it was nothing less than brilliant. For some reason however, the simplicity of this very strategic move towards peace, escaped the Ukranian logic.

Ukraine has said for a long time now that they are loaded with rare-earth minerals. Like maybe $15T of them. That may or may not be accurate. Some are spread all over non-occupied Ukraine, and some are within the Donbas area of occupied Ukraine. Because of their locations in non-occupied Ukraine, should Zelenskyy had signed the agreement in the Oval Office, as soon as Putin agreed to a cease fire, American technologists and miners would have been crawling all over Ukraine. Trump would have warned Putin that Ukraine is now off-limits for any more fighting. Not one bullet should be fired in Ukraine now that Americans are living and working there.

How do you get American boots on the ground security without putting boots on the ground? By having a joint mining agreement such as the US presented to Ukraine. It was also step one. Trump could not approach Putin until this agreement was in place. But hold on - it is not just the Ukrainians who did not understand the pure logic in signing this agreement - it was also the loony left who live in this country. And the loons who live in the EU.

Because over 1,000 soldiers are being killed every week, time is not Trump's friend. Trump needed to step up the pressure a bit. Yesterday, he put a halt to anymore weapon deliveries to Ukraine until this matter is settled. That will put pressure on Ukraine as well as the EU. Why the EU? They can't fill the void of not having the US on board. If Zelenskyy was smart (and I am really starting to wonder about that one), he would be on a jet headed to Washington on Wednesday to apologize to the American people and then sign the agreement. But he would let Trump know today, so Trump would announce it in front of Congress tonight.

This is the best deal in town. Trump knows it, and the smart folks in our country know it. As I have said, time is not anyone's friend right now. Well, except the Grim Reaper. He is having a heyday right now in Ukraine. He has been for three years now. Let's put an end to it.