It’s Raining Walz

The Governor’s “State of the State” was last night. And Berg’s 24th Law was in full effect:

Progressive politicians can, and routinely do, say anything they want, regardless of honesty or even factuality, confident that their audience, while theoretically “educated”, has no capacity for critical thought”.

The gaslighting was, as with all things Walz, pretty ovewhelming:

Better schools.

Safer streets.

Governor Klink says this with a straight face, counting on “his” voters being too gullible and uncritical to know he’s whizzing on their legs and calling it “rain”.

Saint Louis Park Schools Seeks Word Salad Chef

Saint Louis Park Public Schools is looking for a new Assistant Superintendent.

But not just any Assistant Super. Nosirreebob.

This one is going to have some extra special administrator-fu (emphasis added):

The first sentence of the position’s summary says, “the Assistant Superintendent proactively supports the Superintendent to create and communicate anti-racist structures and systems, works to interrupt systems of oppression, and serves as a role model for culturally relevant pedagogy.”

The school district continues its summary of the position by saying the assistant superintendent must be “unwaveringly committed to anti-racist actions and use data to adapt and sustain their efforts towards racial equity to plan, direct, and coordinate action to achieve the mission and strategic objectives.”

The job description continues by saying the school district is seeking an assistant superintendent who can “examine the presence and role of ‘Whiteness’ in systems and structures,” and is “open to feedback regarding their own racial blind spots.”

The job will pay between $130-200K.

I think we finally found out what “fully funding education” means.

Journalisming, 2024

“A Bar Of Their Own” has apparently had a good first month, according to this cheerleading press release.

Since its inception, enthusiasm has only grown for the tavern with the radical concept of playing only women’s sports on its multiple TVs. The idea was overwhelmingly embraced, from a successful crowdfunding campaign to an opening day met with cheers and a line of fans stretched around the block.

We spoke with owner Jillian Hiscock, who said the lines have calmed a bit since the March 1 opening, but haven’t dissipated. She shared a few of the stats from the history-making bar’s first 14 days.

The bar’s PR person is doing bang-up work, leading the cheering for their client, and…

…uh…

…hang on just a dog-gone minute. It’s not a PR flak’s press release. It’s a “news” story from the Star Tribune. Y’know – journalists who tell you the who, what, when, where, why and how of a story, remaining detached from…

…(sknzxxx)…

…detached and objective and…

…oh, I can’t keep a straight face.

  • “The mega-hit sports bar opened with a big splash,”
  • “the absolute dominator of a Minneapolis sports bar that highlights women’s sports”
  • “Since its inception, enthusiasm has only grown”
  • “radical concept of playing only women’s sports”
  • “The idea was overwhelmingly embraced”,
  • “from a successful crowdfunding campaign to an opening day met with cheers and a line of fans stretched around the block”

The “journalist”, Joy Summers, is credited as “a St. Paul-based food reporter who has been covering Twin Cities restaurants since 2010”.

To be fair, Esme Murphy is still more embarassingly effusive talking about Amy Klobuchar than this.

Seriously, though – new businesses are good. More power to A Bar Of Their Own.

But they’ve had effusive – let’s say “fawning”, even “embarassingly brown-nosing” – media coverage ever since the idea first went public.

That’s gotta be worth a lot of free advertising.

Which is what an awful lot of Twin Cities “journalism” is, these days.

She Must Be A Riot At Parties

Lieutenant Governor Flanagan has a unique (?) approach to sports gambling:

I might just have to take enough interest in college hoops to keep track of how her bracket does.

You Heard It On The NARN First…

When I saw Angie Craig jamming Mary Moriarty into the wood chipper last week…

…. I figured there was a reason.

And MPR apparently thinks so as well:

Most congressional districts in the nation and in Minnesota are considered either firmly Republican or Democratic. That’s not the case in the 2nd District, which comprises much of the south metro area, but also stretches deep into rural south-central Minnesota. 

The combination of near-urban, suburban and rural voters makes the district viable ground for both parties.

The district’s Republican Party Chair, Joseph Ditto, said 2024 is his party’s best opportunity in years to defeat Craig, who won the prior three elections by close margins. 

Of course, the DFL money and media machines will be working overtime to put lipstick on the metaphorical progressive pig that Craig is once she goes to DC:

Craig has a massive fund-raising advantage. Craig has raked in more than $3 million for this race so far. That’s more than five times as much as her Republican challengers raised combined.

Craig had more than $2 million in the bank to start the year.

Outside groups have also indicated plans to play heavily in the district, one of relatively few targeted races in the country.

In a district where independent voters will prove pivotal, Craig is promoting efforts to reach agreement with Republicans on issues ranging from combatting fentanyl smuggling to stopping congressional pay raises. Five press releases in March alone use “bipartisan” in the headline.

We’ve been used to Craig rolling out TV ads driving offroad in a Jeep, to try to burnish her “not like those DFLers” cred.

I fully expect to see a new one with her at the range with matching AK47s in each hand.

Open Letter To The Mall Of America

To: The Mall Of America
From: Mitch Berg, Guy Who’s Never So Much As Stolen a Candy Bar, Ever
Re: Adios

Dear Mall of America,

There’ve been muggings in your parking ramps.

I had a friend get her catalytic converter stolen in your ramp.

And of course, crime has become endemic all around the Mall, starting when the Blue Line started almost 20 years ago, and growing ever since.

And of course, there’ve been shootings (and, let’s be honest, worse).

So, this is your response?:

After several high-profile shootings in the past two years, the mall has added its first gun-sniffing dog. For about 20 years, MOA has used K9s to sniff out explosives, but now they’re training all eight of their dogs to detect firearms, a fairly new concept in the canine world. 

Kenny McDonough, the mall’s Canine Lt., says the dogs undergo an extensive eight-week training in-house. They learn to smell every component of a firearm to detect who may have a gun on them. 

Of course, I could have told you the result:

Mall officials say most of their finds have been conceal and carry people who weren’t aware that the mall is private property and doesn’t allow firearms. 

Which, of course, violates state law – but as the late great Joel Rosenberg taught us, “test cases are for other people”.

The only shame is that, like so many other products, services and companies that people who care about freedom are boycotting, I haven’t patronized the MOA for a couple of years now. It’s just not fun anymore.

But you’re making it clear that people like me – people who care about protecting the lives of the innocent – are your real enemies.

So thanks for the memories, MOA. I’m done with you.

That is all.

Controlled Demolition

Given the way the MSM obsesses over the “happiness” of countries like Finland and Denmark, I have to confess I’m a little surprised that the US was in the Top 20 for happiness in the first place. Serves me right for believing any MSM narrative, really.

My bad. I’m working on it.

But this is the news today:

So after teaching an entire generation that:

  • If they are not oppressed, they are oppressors
  • Everything they do is destroying the planet
  • That “success” is itself a form of oppression
  • The “American Dream” is not only dead, but a form of oppression
  • The future is “owning nothing, and liking it” while eating an insect-based diet

I’m even more amazed.

And remembering the effect Jimmy Carter’s “Malaise” speech had on me, I have to think that either:

  • there’s a huge opportunity waiting out there for a Reagan-like figure to unleash an untapped store of hope, or
  • Big Left learned from its mistakes in the ’70s, and has trained all hope out of the Millennial and Z generations.

Not sure which is true – maybe both?

But that question is the basis of a project I’ve been mulling for a bit.

Polling Results Are In

And apparently “railroading cops into kangaroo court for politicized prosecution to earn favor for a “woke” prosecutor”…

…isn’t polling well in CD2.

An Analogy, If I May

“Jacobin” is an overtly socialist media site – moreso than NPR’s “On The Media”, even.

And just as the Democrat Socialists of America have been creeping into dominance in blue-city Democrat politics, their sphere of influence appears to be swelling as the media’s fortunes wane and “Journalists” leftist ideological motivation waxes.

And here they say, to paraphrase what the kids say these days, “the not quiet-at-all part out even louder:

Not sure it has a chance of happening in the wild – but if there’s anything that’ll make normies hate the media even more than we already do, “making it an organ of the state it’s supposed to check and balance” would certainly do it.

So Let’s Talk

To: Governor Walz
From: Mitch Berg, middle aged obstreporous Caucasian
Re: Conversation

Governor Klink Walz,

Last week, you said that “old white men need to learn how to talk about abortion“.

“I think old white men need to learn how to talk about this a little more,” Walz told CNN’s Kaitlan Collins. “And I think the big thing is: Listen to women. Listen to what they’re saying. We’ve seen that when we listen to them, they’re speaking loudly and they’re speaking at the ballot box.”

OK – one life-hardened caucasoid to another, let’s do.

So let’s establish this: human rights don’t interfere with other rights. If something interferes with a human right, it’s not a right. An infringement, an entitlement, even a moral duty? Perhaps. But rights don’t interfere with rights.

So here’s the question: at exactly what age did your, little Timmy Walz’s, right to live supersede Darlene Walz’s “right to choose”? And why then?

At birth? You were no different at 40 weeks than you were at 36. So you weren’t a human at 36 weeks – unless you got delivered by caesarean, in which case you were? Babies delivered at 36, even 30, weeks survive routinely and without much drama to become fairly normal children.

Doesn’t seem logical.

You were no different at either of those points than you were at 26 weeks, really – and today that 26, even 24, week old baby has really good chances of surviving.

All of the options above have scientific and logical issues.

So – when did you become human?

Not some abstract “clump of cells” in some generic “woman”. Tim and Darlene Walz.

When?

I’ll save a seat for you on my show Saturday.

“Hey, Republicans – that’s just a great line to take in an election year”.

Coulda said the same thing about Slavery in the 1860 election, couldn’t we?

If There Were Ever A Time For “Truth In Advertising” Laws With Teeth

The Strib is engaging an ad agency to explore a new name:

The media organization has been known as the Star Tribune since 1987,  five years after the Minneapolis Tribune and the Minneapolis Daily Star merged to create the Star and Tribune.

The rebrand is being overseen by former Google executive Grove, who was appointed CEO and publisher of the Star Tribune a year ago having spent more than three years as Minnesota’s Department of Employment and Economic Development commissioner under Gov. Tim Walz.

So in the spirit of community, let’s give them a hand.

Suggestions in the comments.

Politicians Field Guide: The Moderate In The Race

Elon Musk illustrated the truth for many in America’s political “middle”:

I’m not in “the middle”, by any means. I used to call myself “center right”, but these days I am proud to call myself a Paleocon, from the “let’s get back to the Sharon Statement” school of paleoconning.

Trump from 2016 to 2020 governed largely, but far from consitently, as a conservative; he secured the border, exerted productive pressure to support US interests overseas, and cut a crap-load of regulations. He also blew up the deficit – just as Dubya and Lightworker before him, and not nearly as badly as Joe “Obama 2.0” Biden have. Never mind his Democrat origin story – I have one too – but he’s a populist standup comic, not an activist. He can, and is, publicly on any side of any issue that suits him. No different than his opposition.

But as the Biden campaign settles in to try to battle back from polls that, at the moment, seem a little encouraging to Trump, it’s worth asking – what is “the center” in America today? Or, more accurately, where are the American people as a mean, and who is closer to it?

IssuePollingBidenTrump
The BorderTrump +21Mayorkas: “The Administration bears no responsibility for the problems”. Illegal immigration is destroying the country. Build the wall.
AbortionTrump +5. 16 week ban has 48% approval. Biden supports taxpayer-funded abortion until and after birth and repealing the Hyde Amendment. Trump opposed a federal ban and the six-week ban, and is casually pushing the 16 week ban.
National SecurityTrump +6Do we even need to go into it? “Make America strong again”. “Today, [the world] laughs at America”
CrimeTrump +13Crime is a result of “systemic racism”. “We should execute…” fentanyl smugglers.
InflationTrump +18“Inflation is transitory, so let’s spend our way out of it” Time to reel in the spending – but don’t touch
Jobs and the economyTrump +5. Also – in 10/14, interventionism was nine points behind “government does too much”Tripling down on “Bidenomics” – spending our way to Pointing out, correctly, that Bidenomics is strangling the American dream.
Climate Pew, 10/23: 30+ support phasing out fossil fuels Administration is committed to “net zero by 2050”“Drill, baby, drill!”
Israel vs. Hamas82% of Americans support Israel. 62% say any ceasefire must be contingent on release of the hostages. February 2024: “The hostages should be released, but…” Administration is actively undercutting the Israeli war cabinet supported by 80% of Israelis. Trump advocates revoking student visas for antsemitic students.
Ukraine54% of Americans support maintaining / increasing aid to UkraineBiden has no clear realistic end goal in sight. July 2023: “We’ll stay as long as it takes”, whatever that means. Trump supports increasing aid with the goal of bringing Putin to an “off ramp”, a negotiated settlement. February 2024: “Trump is the only president who hasn’t given Putin what he wants”.
NATO53% of Americans support NATOBIden has pushed NATO in no direction in particular. Trump pushes for NATO members to pay fair share, thus strengthening the alliance.
EducationBiden +2 (43-41) – hardly a mandate.Biden backs CRT, racial division. Promises cutting federal funding to school systems teaching CRT.

Say what you will about the value of moderation; I’m here to pull the conversation to the right however I can.

But if the center decides the election, then Trump might just have a shot.

Make This Make Sense

This is your brain on crack:

This is the DFL’s brain on DFL ideology:

You have no agency re your behavior until you’re in your thirties, but you can choose to have yourself neutered when you’re 8.

I suspect there’ll be a bill in the next session, if the DFL maintains the majority, banning logic of every kind.

The Bravest Man

Joe Doakes, late of Como Park, emails:

I guess a guy got arrested for interrupting the State of the Union address. A parent, protesting the shameful way his son’s life was wasted in the retreat from Afghanistan. I know soldiers are brave, cops and firefighters, too. But I’ve only ever witnessed one act of raw bravery in real life.

30 years ago, I moved my family to outstate Minnesota to start a career as a lawyer. I was in my office one morning when the receptionist said, “There’s someone to see you.” It was a kid from my son’s hockey team, call him John, wearing a three-piece suit with a necktie in his hand. “Today is team pictures and we’re supposed to dress up. Can you help me with this?” he asked, holding out his necktie.

It was a small town. I knew about John’s family situation. Father drank away the family business and left. Mother worked double shifts waitressing. John had nobody to show him how to tie a necktie. Where do you go to learn that? Who wears neckties anymore? Lawyers. And he knew one, me, from hockey. So, John cut class to walk uptown to the law firm carrying his necktie to ask for help so he’d look nice for the team photo.

Can you imagine the guts that took?

Of course I helped him. And then drove him back so he’d be on time. The team photo came out great. Can’t see much of John’s suit – tall kid in the back – but the knot of his necktie is as perfect as the look of pride on his face.

Bravest man I ever met was a 17-year-old kid.

Words like “bravery” and “courage” have been devalued as badly as “fascism”, lately.

But I think the kid’d get my vote.

The New Vile Vulgar Aristocrats

One of the few saving graces to Minnesota’s legislature – even when it’s not dominated by the DFL – is that it is part-time. It meets for a couple of months a year, and then the members go back about their business.

Which, for most DFLers, means back to job somewhere in the non-profit-industrial complex.

But that’s just not good enough:

Currently, the Constitution of the State of Minnesota says the Minnesota Legislature cannot meet for more than 120 “legislative days” per biennium. Additionally, the legislature is required to adjourn in May every year. As such, the Minnesota House and Senate do not typically meet from June through December. However, occasional, short-term “special sessions” can be called by the governor for certain situations when the legislature is not in regular session.

Therefore, the Minnesota Legislature is typically referred to as a “part-time” or “citizen” legislature. The vast majority of state legislatures in the Union do not operate on a full-time basis. Only a few states, such as California, New York, Pennsylvania, and Michigan, run full-time legislatures.

Should HF 4598 be passed into law, voters would be asked if the Minnesota Constitution should be amended to remove the requirements that the Minnesota Legislature only meet for 120 legislative days and adjourn in May. Specifically, the proposed law would put a constitutional amendment on the ballot proposing this change. The registered voters of Minnesota would decide whether to keep the legislature as it is, or change it.

Currently, the legislature meets for 120 days out of every biennium, barring special sessions.

Assuming they’ll take plenty of time off, assume they’ll triple their “work” year, and at least triple their salary.

And, sooner than later, their taxation and spending.

A One Question Quiz

What does one call a musician, actor or performer whose oeuvre is satirizing, mocking or aping a culture one is not part of?

Say, in this case, the lyrics to creepy gay transvestite Dylan Mulvaney’s, uh, “song” Days of Girlhood?:

Monday, can’t get out of bed

Tuesday morning, pick up meds

Wednesday, retail therapy

“Cash or credit?” I say, “Yes”

Thursday, had a walk of shame

Didn’t even know his namе

Weekends are for kissing friends

Friday night, I’ll overspend

Saturday, we flirt for drinks

Playin’ wingman to our twinks

Sunday, the Twilight soundtrack

Cues my breakdown in the bath

If you guessed “Minstrel Show”, you’re thinking what I’m thinking.

Where’s The Money?

The Minneapolis City Council’s vote on minimum wages for independent contractor drivers has driven Lyft out of Minneapolis, and Uber out of both cities.

A friend of the blog emails with an initial reaction very close to my own:

The Minneapolis City Council doesn’t actually understand a lot. They want affordable options, but they want people to be paid high wages. It doesn’t always work that way.http://apnews.com/article/minneapolis-uber-lyft-ridehailing-minimum-wage-d60db6a2e2580dc1d93c438a8cffa5ee

That being said, Uber and Lyft were never affordable here in the Twin Cities like they are elsewhere. That is likely because the market here doesn’t support it like it might in cities with higher density populations. 

This article mentions that “Seattle and New York City have passed similar policies in recent years that increase wages for ride-hailing drivers, and Uber and Lyft still operate in those cities.”

Yes, well, the cost to use those services was lower to start with because they actually could make money there. So, they are likely still making money even if passengers are paying more to ride. I would bet those services were barely making it here as it was. It’s not hard to drive most places, it’s not even particularly expensive. The downtowns of MSP are mostly dead anyway, so who is using Lyft and Uber at this stage anymore? As far as I can tell, the council’s stupid ordinance just gave them the excuse to pull out. 

That was pretty much what I thought; it was yet another case of a prog city council demanding the world violate the laws of economics to give them what they want.

But wait. There’s more.

It’s the current DFL – so one must always check to see if there’s an ulterior motive involving transferring wealth from taxpayers to the DFL’s non-profit/government complex.

And of course there is:

There you go – Soviet-style ride sharing.

Because the DSA needs to make sure they get a cut of all that ride-share money.

Further Evidence…

…that the DFL knows its voter base believes its own press and has no critical thinking ability whatsoever:

So – we’ve got a straw buyer problem, but DFL county attorneys would pursue charges “because the penalties aren’t high enough”, so the DFL demands more penalties to the camera, but then leads his entire ghouish, creepy, Orwellian caucus in voting against a bill that’d do just that.

We’ll need a whole lot of Minnesotans who are tired of being treated like gullible children to turn out this November.

Ever Wonder What A Sled Dog Feels Like?

If you’re a working or middle-class taxpayer in Minnesota, the DFL wants to show you:

They took $17 billion dollars extra from you, and gave you $260 back, maybe. But they want to give illegals a Universal Basic Income.

This is a complete inversion of anything plausibly close to “Justice”.

EdMinn’s Curious Self-Indictment

Wait – didn’t the DFL in the Legislature spend most of April and May of last year doing the endzone happy dance celebrating having “fully funded” education?

I do believe they did.

So – what is up with this?

Now, when you asked a DFL legislator or an EdMN partisan what “Full Funding” meant, the “answers” should have come with a side of blue cheese for all the word salad. It was gibberish. And that was just the ones that didn’t ignore the question entirely.

As we see now, pretty much intentionally so.