“Real friends do not get offended when you insult them.  They smile and call you something even more offensive.”

–The Tao Of Frank.

We who live in the Commonwealth are facing a bleak future. The Democrats in Northern Virginia and Richmond are imposing a radical Left-wing agenda on our population, relying on Democrat lies and mainstream media complicity to impose Abigail Spanberger on us. The Observations’ use of the phrase “California East” is not hyperbole. It is a frightening reality. Below is a column by David Catron which summarizes what Virginia faces in the next 4 years.

Below Mr. Catron’s column is an analysis of the situation in Canada, and how it compares to that in Venezuela. Will Barclay suggests that Canada under its recent leadership is a threat to the national security interests of the United States. Enjoy.

The Abigail Spanberger Bait-and-Switch

Virginia voted for a ‘moderate’ — and got a sanctuary state, tax-and-spend ideologue.

BY:          David Catron, The American Spectator (February 1, 2026).

During the 2025 gubernatorial election the voters of Virginia believed they were choosing between pragmatic Democrat Rep. Abigail Spanberger and lackluster Republican Lieutenant Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears. The former was well funded and portrayed favorably by the corporate “news” media as a centrist, while the latter struggled to raise money and was labeled an extremist because of her strong support of gun rights. In the end, Spanberger won by double digits, and most Virginians thought they were getting a slightly more liberal governor than her predecessor, Glenn Youngkin. Yet the moment she took office, it became obvious that Gov. Spanberger was no moderate.

This is something to remember as the 2026 midterms approach. Every Democrat who utters the word “affordability” must be regarded as a con artist.

Immediately upon assuming office, she signed an executive order that reversed her predecessor’s policy whereby state and local law enforcement were required to cooperate with federal immigration authorities to detain illegal aliens convicted of criminal offences. This order sent a clear message that Spanberger viewed immigration through the ideological lens of far-left Democrats like Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz rather than the moderate perspective she espoused during the election. She didn’t deign to tell Virginia’s voters how limiting cooperation with DHS would protect them and their families from criminals who are in the country illegally. Instead, she recited the tired shibboleths echoed in every sanctuary state:

Ultimately, I am looking to every step forward that we can take as a commonwealth to ensure that our communities are safe and protected … Frankly, the fear and concern that we’ve seen in other places where people without any sort of designation — unannounced, wearing masks — are taking people off the streets, the level of fear that that’s created and the level of distrust and confusion is certainly not contributing to any strengthening of our communities, let alone keeping our communities safer.

Spanberger further revealed her far-left ideological governing philosophy when she moved to bring Virginia back into the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI). As the American Energy Alliance explains, “RGGI is a regional cap-and-trade program in the Northeast that requires power plants to buy “allowances” to emit carbon dioxide. These allowance costs are naturally passed on to the consumer, inevitably raising electricity prices.” Former Gov. Glenn Youngkin had pulled the Old Dominion out of RGGI. According to Youngkin, from the time the state originally joined RGGI until the time it finally pulled out in 2024, the Commonwealth’s residents paid $828 million in a regressive interstate tax imposed via their electricity bills.

Why would Spanberger, who yammered endlessly about “affordability,” rejoin RGGI knowing full well that it will increase the cost of living for everyone in Virginia? The obvious answer is that her desire to bring down the cost of living is far outweighed by her allegiance to the leftist ideology that is rapidly infiltrating the Democratic Party. Nowhere is this more obvious than the avalanche of new taxes under which the Old Dominion’s hapless residents will soon be smothered. As abc7 reports, “Virginia

Democrats have introduced more than fifty new tax proposals this legislative session.” Surely this is an exaggeration? Nope. The following is a partial list of new taxes Gov. Spanberger and her legislative accomplices are seriously considering:

• Additional local sales tax in all Virginia counties and cities
• New personal property tax on electric leaf blowers and electric landscaping equipment
• Large employer tax
• Gun and ammunition tax
• Delivery tax on Amazon, Uber Eats, FedEx, and UPS orders in Northern Virginia
• Investment income tax
• Event tax
• Storage facility tax
• Gym membership tax
• Dog walking tax
• Dog grooming tax
• Counseling tax
• Digital personal property tax
• New car taxes and highway use fees
• Increase in the hotel tax in Arlington
• Vehicle repair tax
• Home repair tax
• Dry cleaning tax

But wait, there’s more: “Virginia Democrats are also looking at proposing a 4.3% tax on rideshare trips and an additional 1.9% tax on top of that for trips in Northern Virginia.” One would expect that a governor who ran on “affordability” would veto almost all of this proposed theft — and that’s what it is — but Spanberger will sign any tax bill that her Democrat-dominated legislature slaps on her desk.

Why? She believes this money can be more efficiently spent by the state than by the people who earned it. Yet there is no small amount of poetic justice in all of this nonsense. Spanberger and her co-conspirators in the General Assembly were elected by the bureaucrats who colonized Northern Virginia. Now they pay — albeit with your tax money.

This is something to remember as the 2026 midterms approach. Every Democrat who utters the word “affordability” must be regarded as a con artist. Any Democrat described by the corporate media as a moderate will pick your pocket without hesitation. There is no such thing as a moderate Democrat.

Abigail Spanberger is not an outlier. She is all too typical of the party to which she belongs. They are all left-wing extremists and determined to “fundamentally transform” the U.S. into a dystopian hellhole if they are returned to power.

___________________________________________________________________

Canada Looks an Awful Lot Like Venezuela. And Trump Has Noticed.

Canada’s liberal experiment has put it on the wrong side of Trump’s democratic revival.

BY:          Will Barclay, The American Spectator (February 1, 2026).

Recently, the United States of America (USA) successfully completed Operation: Absolute Resolve and, thereby, liberated the Venezuelan people from Nicolás Maduro’s brutal socialist regime.

More importantly, it is readily apparent that Carney and other corrupt politicians do not have the luxury of delay, nor the time to bluff and posture.

More importantly, Maduro’s rapid dispatch and America’s open pursuit of democracy’s resurgence have now forced a bevy of corrupt leaders and nations to scurry out and confront their sins in the light of the new American epoch.

Unfortunately, it is clear that even the U.S’s historic ally, Canada, has been badly disfigured by its past decade of Liberal government and transformed into a fortress of hyper left-wing politics that now echoes many aspects of Maduro’s Venezuela.

And therefore, Canada’s Prime Minister, Mark Carney, must now begin to abandon the Liberal government’s own corrupt, neo-socialist, politics, if Canada is to escape the ire of Trump’s America and survive the U.S.’s modern renaissance as democracy’s champion.

Firstly, throughout the modern era, Canada’s Liberal government has lapsed into fascism and forcibly imposed its own hyper left-wing ideology upon all of Canadian society.

For example, for over a decade, the Liberal government has consistently oppressed fundamental human rights, such as free speech and religious freedom. In fact, the Liberal government has transformed the CBC, as well as the RCMP, into enthusiastic orifices of left-wing propaganda. In 2022, the Liberal government openly violated the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms itself, in a vulgar effort to oppress every ideology outside its own left-wing dogma during the COVID-19 pandemic.

In addition, Canadian citizens have routinely been prevented from espousing right-wing political values at public forums,: “Nearly half of all Canadian university students are actively concealing their real opinions for fear of sanction or mistreatment,” due to the open climate of ideological oppression that his been cultivated within Canadian academia. Worse still, the Liberal government now seeks the power to punish any Canadian with a lifetime of imprisonment for a slew of vaguely defined hate-crimes that amount almost entirely to right-wing “wrongthink” and any values or ideology that are not utterly left-wing.

Moreover, the Liberal government’s neo-socialist politics and hyper left-wing ideology have collapsed the Canadian economy and severely eroded quality of life.

For instance, due to the fact that Canada has vainly sought to “[rely] on immigration to drive economic growth and plug labor gaps,” Canada’s GDP per capita has crumbled, and a slew of respected economic indicators have all concluded that the Canadian state is currently mired in “the longest decline in individual living standards of the last 40 years.” Even the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) itself has confirmed that Canada will actually boast “the single worst performing economy of all 38 OECD members” until 2060.

Sadly, Canada’s unemployment rate has now also “jump[ed] to  a nine-year high, outside the pandemic” and youth unemployment has hit levels typically “seen during a recession,” as a result of Liberal initiatives such as the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFW). In fact, since 2019, food bank usage in Canada has increased by nearly 100 percent and over 25 percent of all Canadians currently suffer from food insecurity with “one third of food bank clients [now being] children.”

Furthermore, the past decade of Liberal government has transformed Canada into an urgent national security threat to the United States of America.

For example, the Rule of Law is collapsing in countless major cities across Canada and the Canadian state has started to become openly unsecure and unsafe. Astonishingly, Canada now displays the quintessential hallmarks of any failing or failed state, and the Liberal government’s shameful inability to secure Canada’s borders has permitted the violent insecurity that now menaces the Canadian people to bleed over into America and openly threaten the security of the America.

In addition, the Canadian state has become an outpost of Chinese influence in North America and utterly beholden to the national interests of the People’s Republic of China (PRC). In fact, the Liberal Party itself has long been corrupted by the PRC’s influence and rendered unto the Chinese state. Even Prime Minister Carney himself recently lauded the “new strategic partnership” between the PRC and Canada, and openly declared that “the progress [Canada and the PRC] have made in the partnership sets us up well for the New World Order.”

Finally, Canada is itself a vital geo-strategic asset and home to vast reserves of oil, as well as countless other valuable resources.

For instance, the Canadian nation is a major global energy supplier, and Canada actually possesses “the world’s fourth-largest proven oil reserves,” ranking only behind Saudi Arabia, Iran, and Venezuela, whose oil is already, effectively, America’s property. In fact, oil, natural gas, and other refined products “are a critical component of Canada’s exports, making up about 20 percent of Canada’s balance of trade,” and Canada is currently one of the largest producers of crude oil on the world stage.

Canada is also an immense source of fresh water, as well as various Rare-Earth Elements (REE) and Critical Minerals, such as aluminum, that are all absolutely crucial to the American economy and industrial complex. In addition, any annexation of Canada and its northern territories will inevitably afford America with an immediate, invaluable, foothold in its current crusade to defend the international progress of Democracy and The West against the constant onslaught of communism and dictators, such as Putin and Xi.

In fact, President Trump himself has already articulated his own intent to annex Canada and transform the nation into America’s 51st state. The Liberal government in Canada has now openly antagonized President Trump for over a decade. Even Prime Minister Carney has glibly pilfered and mis-purposed the phrase “elbows up” in a bizarre effort to highlight his own attempts to undermine Canada’s historic relationship with the U.S. and leverage its collapse towards his own personal gain and profit.

In fact, Canada has been badly disfigured by its past decade of Liberal government and transformed into a grotesque fortress of hyper left-wing politics that now echoes many aspects of Maduro’s Venezuela.

And therefore, Canada’s Prime Minister, Mark Carney, must now begin to abandon the Liberal government’s own corrupt, neo-socialist politics if Canada is to escape the ire of Trump’s America and survive the U.S.’s modern renaissance as democracy’s champion.

More importantly, it is readily apparent that Carney and other corrupt politicians do not have the luxury of delay, nor the time to bluff and posture.

Maduro’s rapid dispatch has confirmed that President Trump is utterly committed to re-establishing democracy worldwide and that the Trump Administration will immediately endeavor to eliminate any threat to America’s own national interests.

Even Canada.

GFK

“The hardness of the butter is directly proportional to the softness of the bread.”

–The Tao Of Frank.

The Trump/Kennedy Center has no “Black History Month” events scheduled. And?

After July 4, the Trump/Kennedy Center will close for 2 years. The Center will undergo extensive capital renovations. Democrats are unhappy. They prefer the Center remain a dilapidated dump, than let President Trump renovate it.

Representative Pramila Jayapal (D. Wa.) suggested that Democrats would abolish ICE as soon as they reclaim Congressional majorities. Vote accordingly.

Congressional Republicans want to attach legislation to the proposed short term funding for the federal government that would mandate citizenship verification for, and voter ID by, voters. Senator Charles Schumer (D. N.Y.) is apoplectic, insisting that such legislation is dead on arrival in the Senate. Now why would that be? Why don’t Democrats want to ensure voters are U.S. citizens? Why don’t Democrats want voters to prove their identities with a photo ID? Hmmmm.

New York City Comrade Mayor Mamdani named Stanley Richards Commissioner of the city’s Department of Corrections. Mr. Richards is a felon who served prison time for violent robberies.

New York State Court Judge Sheridan Jack-Browne (D.) allowed a wanted illegal alien with a history of violent sexual crimes to escape ICE agents.  The judge possessed a valid federal arrest warrant for the illegal alien, but allowed him to exit the courtroom via a back door.  Sigh.

Wasn’t a Wisconsin State Court judge recently convicted of a felony for similar behavior?  Why yes, yes she was!

“Toothless virtue signaling rhetoric like this has already cost two people their lives.  The concept of pitting two armed law enforcement agencies against each other is ludicrous, and will not happen.  I will not allow SPOG members to be used as political pawns.”

–Seattle Police Officers Guild President Mike Solan, reacting to Seattle’s Socialist Mayor Katie Wilson’s (D.) directive that the police department track ICE agents operating in Seattle.

Mayor Wilson wants Seattle’s policemen to not only track ICE agents’ daily moves, but prepare detailed reports, and share those reports with anti-ICE organizations, in order to allow those organizations’ members to follow ICE agents, and disrupt their operations. This is pure insanity.

Chicago, Illinois Mayor Brandon Johnson (D.) signed an executive order, directing the Chicago police to investigate and document every ICE agent interaction with illegal aliens. He urged police to refer ICE agents to the State’s Attorney for prosecution of State crimes.

Mr. Liam Conejo Ramos is the illegal alien who abandoned his 5 year old son in Minneapolis, Minnesota, while attempting to evade arrest by ICE. Readers will recall that the child’s mother refused to assume custody of her son, so ICE reunited the boy with his father in detention. Mr. Ramos is subject to a final deportation order. But federal district judge Fred Biery ordered the release of Mr. Ramos and his son, back into the United States. Judge Biery–a Bill Clinton appointee–chastised ICE agents, the Department of Justice, and the Department of Homeland Security, everyone but the illegal alien who abandoned his son. Judge Biery cited the Declaration of Independence, news reports, The Bible, everything but U.S. federal law. Indeed, Judge Biery had to ignore U.S. law to reach his decision.

Judge Biery is a disgrace to the judiciary. The Department of Justice is appealing his order.

“I have met so many Hindus, Buddhists, Sikh Jews, Muslims, atheists, agnostics who are more Christ-like than some of the Christians I serve with in the Texas legislature.  It is about how you treat other people.”

–Texas State Representative James Talarico (D.).

Mr. Talarico is a pastor who wants to be a United States Senator.  He has a habit of making outrageously stupid comments, such as his claim that God is “non-binary”.  And now he wants Texans to believe that atheists, among others, are more Christian than Christians.   

“. . . it took Abigail Spanberger, the new Governor, about 15 minutes to return Virginia to la-la land. She had campaigned on “affordability” but rejoined the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, a climate-change scam that will raise everyone’s utility bills.  She introduced a 3.8 percent “net investment tax” on individuals, trusts and estates.  She stopped cooperating with ICE in deporting illegal aliens.  She said abortion was A-OK, right up to the moment of birth (why stop there?).  She reinstituted DEI programs throughout the government and the state’s educational system.  She undid reforms to the state’s voting system, making it easier for Democrats to “massage” the vote tally.  And that’s just the tip of the proverbial deep-state iceberg.”

–Roger Kimball, “The Deep State Vampire”, published in The American Spectator (February 2, 2026).

The American Taliban is back again.  Virginia State Senator Adam Ebbin (D. Alexandria) is sponsoring a bill to remove 3 statues — one of Confederate General Stonewall Jackson, one of Gov. William “Extra Billy” Smith, a former Confederate general, and another of Confederate Dr. Hunter Holmes McGuire — from Capitol Square.  He said it was embarrassing to have his constituents walk by these statues when they visited Richmond.

Virginia’s history, including its forebears, is not embarrassing.  What’s embarrassing is this carpetbagger poofter from New York is trashing our history.  Today’s Democrats will leave behind only destruction.  There will be no statues erected to commemorate Mr. Ebbin, Coonman, Jay Jones, Abigail Spanberger, et al.

More than 154 Episcopal bishops signed a letter calling on the Trump Administration to retreat from enforcing U.S. immigration law. Uh, no. Indeed, HELL NO!

It would be nice if these 154 Episcopal bishops spent more effort preparing for The Lenten Season, than practicing Democrat Pary politics. Really nice.

Ireland is a historically Catholic country, where infant baptism is the normal practice. So why would former Irish President Mary McAleese come out and condemn infant baptism, a tenet of the Catholic faith? Mrs. McAleese was baptized as an infant, and she claims that the practice of infant baptism imposes heavy burdens upon children, restricts their choices, and is done without consent. Mrs. McAleese wants baptism to occur only with the consent of the child. Which, obviously, would eliminate the Catholic Church’s direction on infant baptism.

The United Nations is facing imminent financial collapse and will run out of money by July if countries did not pay their annual dues that amount to billions of dollars.  Senior U.N. officials say that if the cash runs out, the agency would be forced to shut down its landmark headquarters in New York by August. The U.N. Security Council, a 15-member body responsible for maintaining international peace and stability, convenes its meetings at U.N. headquarters.  It would also have to cancel the annual General Assembly gathering of world leaders held in September and shut the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, which responds to global emergencies like conflicts and natural disasters.

We can only hope. Please, please let the United Nations go broke.

Great Britain’s Labour Party is exploring imposing “15 minute city limits”. What that means is that the government determines that you can access whatever you need within a 15 minute walking perimeter (need, not want) of your home, and therefore would restrict you from driving within that perimeter. And of course, if you violate that restriction, fines, imprisonment, and automobile confiscations will follow.

WARNING TO AMERICANS! Do not think that government planners in this country do not, or would not, implement a similar scheme. I have sat in on meetings where our “betters” in Washington, D.C. have discussed such plans. Tyranny.

The United States and India reached an agreement where both countries would lower tariffs and trade barriers. WOO HOO! WINNING!

Former Dallas Cowboys running back Scott Laidlaw has died at age 72. R. I. P.

GFK

“This is one time where television really fails to capture the true excitement of a large squirrel predicting the weather.”

–Television weatherman Phil Connors (played by actor Bill Murray) in the movie Groundhog Day.

Today is Groundhog Day.  Notwithstanding PETA’s objections, Punxsutawney Phil made an appearance.  The obnoxious little rat DID see his shadow, so we get 6 more weeks of Winter!  Spring is delayed.  Thanks a lot Phil!  I hate that rotund rodent!

My good friend Mary Hazen always promises me that Spring is coming.  OF COURSE, she never promises WHEN Spring will come.

President Trump announced he would nominate former Federal Reserve Bank Governor, and Wall Street investor Kevin Warsh as the next Federal Reserve Bank Chairman. If confirmed by the Senate, Mr. Warsh would succeed Jerome Powell.

Senator Thom Tillis (R. N.C.) immediately rushed to the microphones to announce he was unmovably opposed to Mr. Warsh’s nomination. Not due to any lack of qualifications or disqualifying behavior on Mr. Warsh’s part. No. Senator Tillis is upset that the Department of Justice is investigating current Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell. Senator Tillis is an a$$. His retirement cannot come too soon.

The United States Department of Justice released 3 million pages of Epstein documents. Yawn!

The main takeaway from the latest release is that Microsoft founder Bill Gates contracted a sexually transmitted disease from one of Jeffrey Epstein’s girls. Now why in the world does anyone need to know that? Why?

House Democrats remain unsatisfied. Now they want to view the unredacted versions of the files, so that they may double check to see if the Department of Justice is doing its job correctly. Sigh. Have at it.

“The United States and China have a lot in common and the two economies are highly complementary.  There are great potential for the two countries to cooperate.  I will work actively to promote bilateral economic and trade cooperation, and I’m looking forward to visiting China in the near future.”

–Representative Eric Swalwell (D. Ca.).  The Tao according to Fang Fang’s boyfriend.

Senator Dianne Feinstein (D. Ca.), Representative Eric Swalwell (D. Ca.), Representative Nancy Pelosi (D. Ca.), Governor Tampon Tim (D. Mn.), and China Joe (D. De.). And do not forget the former First Son of Cocaine, Hunter Biden (D.). Wow. There sure are a lot of Democrats who love the Red Chinese commies.

“It actually goes back 250 years in Boston when the Minutemen and the Minutewomen rose up in order to stand against King George and his arbitrary imposition of laws illegally upon American citizens. And this latter-day generation of patriots, they’re rising up in Minneapolis, they’re rising up across the country, and the Department of Homeland Security bill is the vehicle we need to use to have that debate.”

–Senator Ed Markey (D. Ma.) comparing the far-Left mob attacking law enforcement officers in Minneapolis to the Minutemen of the Revolutionary War.

Senator Markey is just plain stupid.  The Leftist agitators are not remotely comparable to the colonists who revolted against Parliament.  Moreover, the laws imposed in 1776 by the Crown, and the immigration laws passed by the U.S. Congress were not “illegally imposed”.  Finally, Senator Markey, you woke bozo, there were no “Minutewomen”.  Not one. 

Disgraced former CNN host Don Lemon was arrested and criminally charged over his role in the desecration and disruption of church services in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Mr. Lemon claims that his activities are protected under the Constitution’s First Amendment. Mr. Lemon will be disappointed to learn that “journalists” are not shielded from the consequences of criminal activities.

“Gavin Newsom had to go to Davos to see all the CEOs he chased out of California.”

–U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent.

California Assembly Democrats passed a mileage tax, that will require California drivers to put devices on their automobiles in order to track their mileage. This is on top of the nation’s highest gasoline tax. Democrats insist that once the mileage tax provides a proven source of revenue, they will abolish the gasoline tax. Do you believe them?

On last Friday, in Los Angeles, California, a mob of radical Leftists rioted outside the Federal Building, angry at ICE enforcement in the State. Hmmm. How strange. Here in Virginia, people tend to go out for drinks and dinner with their friends on Fridays. Maybe that will change after Governor Spanberger (D. Va.) completes the Californication of the Commonwealth.

Last year, Governor Gavin Newsom (D. Ca.) signed into law a prohibition on federal ICE agents wearing face masks, hiding their identities. This year, Governor Newsom directed all California local law enforcement agencies to strictly enforce this law. Los Angeles Police Chief James McDonnell declined, informing the Governor that his officers would not obey the directive and enforce the law. Good call.

“I think we need a strong border.   But the other thing that really bothers me is that some of the people that are here that have been great citizens—family, history, businesses—we can’t just throw those people over.  The people that are doing well, we need to make sure that we have a pathway for them.  I’m not saying a freebie, put some fines on there, but have something in place for them.”

–Texas State Representative John Lujan (R.), expressing his support for amnesty for illegal aliens.

Uh, no. Deport them. Deport them all.

Federal judge Katherine Mendez–a China Joe appointee–rejected Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison’s (D.) request to shut down ICE’s operations, and order them to leave Minnesota. The judge lectured the federal government attorneys, criticized ICE, accusing the federal actors of being racists, bigots, civil rights violators, pretty much everything short of being a Nazi. BUT, she declined to grant Minnesota any relief.

When a Democrat appointed federal judge declines a Democrat request for relief, you know that your case is ridiculous. The Observations predicted this result, but still is pleasantly surprised.

Nevada federal judge Richard F. Boulware II—an Obama appointee—ordered the release of El Salvador national Harvey Laureano-Rosales, a 54-year-old who illegally entered the U.S. in 1987.  Mr. Laureano-Rosales is a convicted murderer and MS-13 gang member.  He is also subject to a final order for deportation.  But Judge Boulware thinks he poses no danger to the community while he challenges his deportation.  Uh, huh.  Now that ruling is more like a Democrat appointed judge.

Last week, the FBI raided the Fulton County, Georgia elections bureau, and seized all the records relating to the 2020 presidential election. Democrats immediately panicked. Why? Because the records reveal that many voters are registered to vote with addresses at UPS stores, post offices, abandoned buildings, and highway overpasses, all contrary to Georgia law. Additionally, thousands of voters were born either in 1800 or 1900. The 2020 presidential elections were stolen.

Unhinged Philadelphia, Pennsylvania District Attorney Larry Krasner (D.) is coordinating with Democrat prosecutors in other States to file State criminal charges against ICE agents, “so that President Trump cannot pardon them”. Sigh. Who thinks like this? This is a terrible plan, that is destined to fail. But it will cause disruptions. And that is the whole point of this phase of the Democrats’ “insurrection”.

Democrats are wringing their hands and wailing over the deaths of Renee Good and Alex Pretti, whose violent actions led to their demise. Government cruelty and overreach! Tyranny! Hmmm. Well, in New York City, 34 people have died in the last couple of weeks, because Comrade Mayor Mamdani (D.) directed the police to not clean up homeless camps, and to not force the homeless into shelters during oppressively cold weather. According to Comrade Mayor, these people–most of all of whom are mentally ill or drug addled, or both–have a “right” to be on the street. So the police did as they were instructed, and 34 people are now dead, because of government inaction. And not 1 Democrat has uttered a word of protest or complaint, in the face of government cruelty.

Virginia Delegate Dan Helmer (D.) introduced a bill (HB 359) that is a direct assault on private education in Virginia.  This bill would effectively eliminate meaningful private schooling by forcing any private school that enrolls even one student receiving tuition assistance, whether through a federal scholarship tax credit program, a state tuition assistance program, or any other public subsidy, to comply with the same mandates imposed on public schools.  This bill strikes at the very heart of what makes private schools private.  It would erode curriculum freedom, faculty standards, admissions policies, religious and classical identity, and covenantal educational models.  In other words, it forces these private and religious schools to indoctrinate students with the same DEI, transgenderism, drag, and other LGBTQ initiatives that will be mandated for Virginia’s public school system. And parents will have no say.

Good-bye to any school choice in the Commonwealth. And who will this hurt? The very students who would most benefit from school choice. It will punish the poor and working-class parents who want better for their children. But if this bill becomes law, what private school will accept them? None. And the Democrats do not care. They care only about power, and preventing more folks from escaping the Leftist plantation. Sigh. Elections have consequences.

“Virginia honors our highly skilled law enforcement agencies that protect our communities and uphold the Constitution.  We are deeply concerned about the tactics and strategies employed by the federal government in other states that have cost lives and put others at risk in the name of immigration enforcement.”

–Virginia Attorney General Jay Jones (D.), commenting on the federal government’s efforts to reach an agreement with Minnesota on immigration enforcement.

Of course Jay Jones is taking the side of the criminal illegal aliens. Birds of a feather . . . .

Mexican President Claudia Scheinbaum recently met with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubion. Shortly thereafter, Mexico ceased all oil shipments to Cuba. Hmmm. Interesting.

In Melbourne, Australia, the police are conducting a manhunt for a 50+ year old jogger, who called a duo of homosexual men he passed, “poofters”. Oh, dear! A 3rd man, allegedly heterosexual, reported the jogger to the police, and filed a criminal complaint.

The Observations does not condone gratuitously insulting others. But seriously; it is a criminal offense to call someone a “poofter”? And to conduct a “manhunt”? That is just insane.

Congratulations to Justin Rose on winning the Andy Williams San Diego Open. Justin Rose ran away from the field, leading wire to wire, winning handily.

Actor Grady Demond Wilson, who played the character Lamont Sanford in the television series, Sanford and Son, has died at age 79. R. I. P.

Actress Catherine O’Hara has died age 71. R. I. P.

GFK

“I stand for straight Americanism unconditioned and unqualified, and I stand against every form of hyphenated Americanism. I do not speak of the hyphen when it is employed as a mere convenience, although personally, I like to avoid its use even in such manner. I speak and condemn its use whenever it represents an effort to form political parties along racial lines or to bring pressure to bear on parties and politicians, not for American purposes, but in the interest of some group of voters of a certain national origin, or of the country from which they or their fathers came.

Americanism is not a matter of creed, birthplace or national descent, but of the soul and of the spirit. If the American has the right stuff in him, I care not a snap of my fingers whether he is Jew or Gentile, Catholic or Protestant. I care not a snap of my fingers whether his ancestors came over in the Mayflower, or whether he was born, or his parents were born, in Germany, Ireland, France, England, Scandinavia, Russia or Italy or any other country. All I ask of the immigrant is that he shall be physically and intellectually fit, of sound character, and eager in good faith to become an American citizen. If the immigrant is of the right kind I am for him, and if the native American* is of the wrong kind I am against him . . .

Now for our own citizens. We represent many different race strains. Our ancestors came from many different Old World nationalities. It will spell ruin to this nation if these nationalities remain separated from one another instead of being assimilated to the new and larger American life.

The children and our children’s children of all of us have to live here in this land together. Our children’s children will intermarry, one another, your children’s children, friends, and mine. Even if they wished, they could not remain citizens of foreign countries . . . The effort to keep our citizenship divided against itself by the use of the hyphen and along the lines of national origin is certain to breed a spirit of bitterness and prejudice and dislike between great bodies of our citizens.”

–Former President Theodore Roosevelt, speaking to a gathering of The Knights of Columbus (May 31, 1916)

The Observations does not believe that the United States is a “systemically racist” society.  The Observations opposes hyphenated Americanism.  The Observations opposes the very concept of dual citizenship.  We believe in a single loyalty, to the nation in which one resides, and is a citizen.  The Observations opposes identity politics.  The Observations opposes Critical Race Theory, as it is a Marxist tool that substitutes race for class.  The Observations opposes anti-racism because it is, by definition, racist.  The Observations opposes The 1619 Project because it is a pack of lies, that distorts history in order to characterize America as a nation founded on race.  The Observations opposes legislative caucuses based upon race, sex, or nationality.  The Observations opposes any concept of “reparations.  The Observations opposes the politics of perpetual grievances. 

The Observations believes in America, and Americans.  Americans are not defined by nationality or race, as observed by former President Theodore Roosevelt.  But in recent times, most particularly in the last 14 years (though it began before), our country has become more divided along racial, sexual, and national identities.  These divisions threaten our very existence.  These divisions are anti-American, anti-freedom, and anti-liberty.  These divisions are anti-Christian.

THEREFORE, no matter what the calendar reads, or the media tells you, this is NOT “Black History Month”.  It is February.  And in 4 months it will NOT be “Pride Month”.  It will be June.  There is NO “National Hispanic Heritage Month”.  There is September and October.  Next month will NOT be “Women’s History Month”.  It will be March.  And undoubtedly, colder than I prefer.

We need to move beyond the culture of grievance.  We need to celebrate what makes this country great, and it is not the false “diversity” of immutable characteristics.  America is great because America is good.  But when America ceases to be good, it will also cease to be great.  Sadly, it is hard to argue with a straight face that today, America is good.  And therefore, today, America is not great.  But nothing in life is permanent.  If we want—TRULY WANT—America to be great again, we have to be good again.  This is more than achievable if we are willing to commit to it.  Let it begin today, with each of us, and our neighbors.

GFK

“The difference between stupidity and genius is that genius has its limits.”

–The Tao Of Frank.

If one listens to Democrats–the mainstream media and elected officials–the U.S. economy is in a freefall, worse than China Joe’s, perhaps worse than in the history of the country. Of course, all of this FAKE NEWS!

It is unimaginable that Americans could be buying into the Democrats’ complaints about “affordability”, inflation, and prices. Especially since the Democrats caused all the economic problems in the first instance. President Trump’s administration is doing an admirable job of digging us out of China Joe’s hole.

Below is an article from Andrew Wolff which cuts through some of the B.S. that permeates the news. I urge you to read it. And to be patient. And optimistic. Things are good, and getting better.

The Data Is In — and the Narrative Is Wrong

Consumer confidence, demographics, and falling inflation gird the Trump economy.

BY:          F. Andrew Wolff, The American Spectator (January 27, 2026).

It would appear that most mainstream economists and legacy journalists either don’t believe the “numbers” or don’t like what they reveal about the Trump economy.

Of course, there are analysts who do not do their work through the lens of politics.

The combination of solid wage growth, low inflation, a confident consumer … suggests the economic expansion should continue at a healthy pace in 2026.

The U.S. economy, says Goldman Sachs Research, is poised for stronger performance this year than many economists are projecting.

On a full-year basis, the economy is forecast to grow 2.8 percent. The probability of a recession in the next 12 months has fallen from 30 percent to 20 percent.

While most economists estimate that the economy will grow only 2.0 percent in the coming year, this forecast increasingly appears counterintuitive to solid economics. 

Americans continued to spend in November — a reflection of rising incomes, mild inflation, and employment that remains steady. Moreover — and this is both important and often misunderstood — they drew down savings, further indicating confidence in maintaining robust consumption.

The US Consumer

Consumer spending, adjusted for inflation, rose 0.3 percent for the second month, the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) said last Thursday. (The agency released both October and November figures after a lengthy delay caused by the federal government shutdown.)

The report indicates Americans are spending with confidence despite some complaints of elevated prices — wage growth and payroll expansion continue to outpace what’s needed to maintain labor market stability. Real consumption growth of 0.3 percent in both months represents genuine increases in the volume of goods and services purchased, generating economic expansion in Q4.

Personal spending was supported by the strongest advance in outlays for goods since July, including motor vehicles, gasoline/energy goods, and apparel. Services expenditures remained robust, led by health care and financial services. Particularly significant — discretionary spending in sectors like recreation services, recreational goods, and dining advanced robustly, reinforcing an important message — consumers feel secure enough to spend on leisure.

In addition, the BEA revised its Q3 GDP figure upwards from 4.3 to 4.4 percent — the most in two years.

With personal consumption growing at the fastest pace of the year, the Atlanta Fed’s “GDPNow” (which estimates what current data implies for economic growth) has Q4 growth at 5.4 percent.

Confident Consumers Reduce Savings Rate

Personal saving contributions fell to 3.5 percent in November from 3.7 percent, the lowest since October 2022, as Americans chose to maintain consumption rather than fund precautionary savings.

While some analysts see this as a sign of financial distress, this drawdown in savings is a classic indicator of consumer confidence. When Americans feel secure about their employment prospects and incomes, they are comfortable spending rather than hoarding cash. This suggests

Americans expect the economic expansion to continue.

A point of reference is that wages and salaries rose a solid 0.4 percent in November, continuing to support household purchasing power. While mainstream analysts have expressed caution about labor market weakness, the underlying fundamentals tell a different story.

A combination of strong real spending growth and declining savings rates indicates consumers feel confident about their financial situation. When Americans become apprehensive about job security or the economy, they typically cut spending and build savings as a buffer. The current encouraging data reflect the converse.

Labor Market — Stronger Than Expected

Major financial institutions, including the Dallas Federal Reserve and RBC Economics, dramatically adjusted downward estimates of “break-even employment” — the monthly job creation needed to maintain stable unemployment.

Due to demographic variables from Baby Boomer retirements to reduced immigration numbers, break-even employment is now significantly less — down from previous estimates of 100,000-plus jobs per month to just 30,000-40,000 per month.

Job creation averaged roughly 49,000 per month last year. While some have viewed this number as weak compared to the torrid rates of 2022-2023, it more accurately represents a healthy labor market given the new demographic realities. Initial jobless claims remain at historically low levels around 200,000, and the unemployment rate of 4.4 percent is well below post-war averages ranging from 4 percent to 10 percent.

Dallas Federal Reserve data released in October noted that modest payroll gains, which might have seemed concerning in 2023, are now indicative of a stable and balanced market given the dramatically lower break-even rate driven by altered demographics.

This helps explain current consumer attitudes and behavior. Rather than spending despite a “reported” weak labor market, the Dallas Fed writes, “This recalibration suggests that today’s more modest payroll gains don’t signal weakness but are consistent with a balanced labor market.”

Consumers are spending confidently because the labor market remains fundamentally sound, recalibrated for the new demographic realities.

Inflation Approaching the 2.0 Percent Fed Target

The personal consumption expenditure price index (PCE) — the Fed’s benchmark for inflation — increased 0.2 percent in both October and November. Excluding food and energy, the core PCE price index also increased only 0.2 percent in both months.

On a three-month annualized basis, total PCE inflation dropped from 2.8 percent in September to 2.5 percent in November. Three-month annualized core inflation fell from 2.7 percent in September to 2.3 percent in November.

(Note of caution: The recent government shutdown precluded the Bureau of Labor Statistics from collecting October 2025 consumer price index data. The October price indices were derived from the geometric mean of September and November CPIs, which may affect data comparability.)

Price pressures have come down considerably — approaching the Fed’s target. The Dallas Fed’s measure of underlying inflation rose at a one-month annualized pace of 1.5 percent in October and November, the lowest since 2020. The six-month annualized figure was 2.3 percent in both October and November.

The bottom line: we’re approaching the Fed’s 2.0 percent target.

The combination of solid wage growth, low inflation, a confident consumer, and a labor market that remains fundamentally healthy — despite requiring fewer monthly job additions due to demographic shifts — suggests the economic expansion should continue at a healthy pace in 2026. And this is without factoring in the stimulus coming in the first half of 2026 from the Trump tax cuts, continued tariff revenue, and two likely additional interest rate cuts from the Fed this year.

This assessment suggests that the consensus economic growth estimate of 2.1 percent for 2026 could be — as has been the case in the past — somewhat politically driven. Forecasts of growth projections closer to 3.0 percent are more likely to reflect economic reality.

GFK

“No matter how big a hammer you use, you cannot pound common sense into stupid people.”

–The Tao Of Frank.

This Sunday marks the beginning of the Pre-Lenten season. The three Sundays before Ash Wednesday are named by their relation to Easter Day. Thus Septuagesima falls approximately seventy days before Easter, Sexagesima sixty days, and Quinquagesima approximately forty days before Easter.

The wisdom in numbering the Sundays before Easter was to shift our focus from the manifestation of Christ to the world towards the reason for the Incarnation. Three Sundays were set aside before Ash Wednesday to allow the faithful to shift their focus meaningfully towards Lent and establishing their Lenten rule.

The Epistle for this Sunday alerts us to the Lenten task ahead: Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain. Taking Lent seriously means treating it as an athletic competition, striving to win the prize. The ultimate prize is our salvation, which we are work out “with fear and trembling.” Lent assists us in this task as we examine more closely our lives and attempt to root out those things that ought not to be there.

Over the next several weeks, as we prepare for Lent, think about how we might dedicate ourselves to more prayer, fasting and almsgiving. Think about how we might draw more closely to God this Lent. May we fashion a Lenten Rule this year that will allow God’s grace to truly transform us. Then may we appreciate with greater depth the meaning of the Resurrection of Our Blessed Lord.

Virginia General Assembly Democrats are not taking it well that a Tazewell Circuit Court Judge is preventing them from amassing even more political power. The Democrats are asking the Virginia Court of Appeals to strike down the judge’s ruling, claiming it was interfering with their illegal and unconstitutional actions.

Virginia General Assembly Democrats are also emulating their counterparts in Minnesota and California, pushing legislation that would ban ICE agents from wearing masks, and prohibiting ICE agents from making arrests in and around courthouses. None of this legislation–if it became law–could be enforced, because it is unconstitutional. The States do not get to dictate to federal law enforcement how it operates.

“. . . That it’s clear . . . it”s clear that the far-right in this country, that they have not accepted the results of the Civil War, and that they have longed for a rematch . . . to have a republic that subjugates and subjects individuals to a permanent lower class.”

–Chicago, Illinois Mayor Brandon Johnson (D.).

What is he talking about? The man is a dolt.  He is historically illiterate.  It was the Democrats—not the Republicans—who protected the institution of slavery, who instituted Jim Crow, segregation, affirmative action and DEI, and who created the Ku Klux Klan.

Minnesota has agreed [FINALLY!] to honor ICE detainers, and to release illegal aliens from prisons and jails directly to ICE agents. This policy, as is practiced in most States, allows a safe transfer of criminals to federal authorities, without releasing the criminals back into society. Indeed, if Minnesota had been doing this all along, 2 Minneapolis residents would not have died.

Episcopal Presiding Bishop Sean Rowe is asking the faithful to financially support illegal aliens in the United States. Uh, no.

Sarah Mullally was confirmed as the 106th Archbishop of Canterbury, the 1st woman to hold that position in the Church of England’s 1,400 year history. More evidence of Great Britain’s decline and destruction.

“Do not compare ICE or Border Patrol agents to the Nazis. That’s an unfair comparison. The Nazis were willing to show their faces.”

–Stephen Colbert, on one of his last television appearances as host of CBS’s The Late Show.

Stephen Colbert is a disgusting, despicable excuse for a human being.

The Family Drive-In Theatre in Stephens City, Virginia has been given a reprieve. The longstanding business was originally slated to be closed, but a new owner has swept in, purchased the property, and intends to keep the business operating. WOO HOO!

In a taste test of commercial mayonnaises, Southern Living magazine deemed Duke’s Mayonnaise the best. No surprise there. But in a surprise decision, Blue Plate finished behind Kraft. The judges deemed Blue Plate to be too “fluffy” and “sweet”. Oh, my! Russell is not going to be happy about this development.

Mattel’s Ken doll, Barbie’s longtime boyfriend, has a full name. It is Kenneth Sean Carson. Who knew?

“No one is going to pay a $15,000.00 premium for a car that competes with a Corolla.”

— Johan de Nysschen, then President of Audi America, commenting on the debut of the all electric Chevy Volt.

Just two years ago, Mary Barra, chief executive of General Motors, declared: “We believe in an all-electric future.” She went on to claim that the challenges her company was facing in the EV market were merely temporary bumps on the road to net zero.

On January 8, 2026 GM announced it would take a $7.1 billion hit in charges against its earnings, of which $6 billion is due to Barra’s failed EV strategy. In a filing with the SEC, the company also warned that it would take more write-downs this year as part of a “strategic realignment of EV capacity.” In other words, GM is drowning in debt due to Mary Barra’s really, awful, bad bet.

Southern doughnut brand Krispy Kreme is kicking off all things chocolate with their beloved Chocomania Collection, back by popular demand.  From January 27 through February 1, the North Carolina-based brand is partnering with chocolate pioneer Hershey’s for four new delectable doughnuts.  Each begins with a perfectly pillowy Krispy Kreme Original Glazed doughnut coated with Hershey’s chocolate.  Yum!

Spain’s Socialist government is granting amnesty to more than 500,000 illegal aliens. Do not think that if returned to power, U.S. Democrats would not do the same thing. They would.

During recent Olympic trials in Lake Placid, New York, Team Canada manipulated the competition so as to make it mathematically impossible for American Katie Uhlaender to earn enough points to qualify for the games in Milan, Italy.

GFK

“Not all chemicals are bad.  Without chemicals like hydrogen and oxygen, there would be no water, a vital ingredient for beer.”

–The Tao Of Frank.

GOOD MORNING Mary Hazen! Do not let Winter keep you down! Remember; you are always telling me that Spring is coming!

Monday was National Peanut Brittle Day. Sigh. And we missed it!

Yesterday I left the house in Northern Virginia for the 1st time since the snowstorm. I should have stayed home.

I took the farm truck into town. AFTER I managed to get it out of, and down, the driveway. The gravel lane to the main road was slick, but not as slick as the “plowed” main roads. My drive and parking lot at the office had been plowed, but the entrances were not shoveled. The ice and snow were firm, and only occasionally did I actually break the surface. The streets of Berryville have not been suitably plowed, so parking at the bank and the Post Office was difficult, if not impossible. I underestimated how cold it was, and so did not wear gloves. Big mistake. I was very happy to return home. Today I may not leave. I may not leave until May.

The federal government is going to partially shut down at midnight on Friday. Because Democrats are demanding it.

The Democrats are demanding the elimination of ICE funding. That is not going to happen. ICE operations are fully funded through 2029. What Democrats are demanding is not achievable. And it is dangerous. They want to stop all deportations of criminal illegal aliens–also known as the Democrat voter base.

“If I were President Trump, I would almost think about, OK, if the mayor and the governor are going to put our ICE officials in harm’s way and there’s a chance of losing more, you know, innocent lives or whatever, then maybe go to another city and let the people of Minneapolis decide, ‘Do we want to continue to have all of these illegals? Are we going to allow our governor, attorney general and mayor to get away with this?’”

–Representative James Comer (R. Ky.), going weak in the knees over FAKE NEWS and Democrat whining.  SURRENDER MONKEY!

The Stupid Party Lives!  This is not a question for the folks in Minnesota to decide.  This is a question for the President of the United States.

Good news for normal Virginians, bad news for Virginia Democrats. A Tazewell County, Virginia circuit court judge ruled that the Democrat effort to bypass the Constitution of Virginia’s non-partisan redistricting commission was unconstitutional. Take that, socialist tyrants!

Virginia General Assembly Democrats are barreling forward to make law abiding gun owners criminals. Legislation expected to pass and be signed into law would outlaw all semi-automatic guns as “assault weapons”. Also banned would be magazines that hold 10 or more rounds of ammunition. There are no grandfather clauses, and the possession of these banned instruments carry a penalty of 12 months in jail, and/or a $2,500.00 fine, upon conviction.

Never mind that the proposed Virginia gun legislation is clearly unconstitutional. Democrats do not care.

The bill’s author is Virginia State Senator Saddam Azlan Salim (D.), who was born in Bangladesh.  Great.  A foreigner is pushing legislation to negate a basic right held by this country’s inhabitants since 1607.

“Even if there is an investigation that ultimately proves that at the time of the shooting it was legally justified, I don’t even think that matters at this point because people are angry at ICE.”

–Minneapolis, Minnesota Police Chief Brian O’Hara.

It does not matter whether the shootings by ICE agents in Minneapolis are justified. Police Chief O’Hara admits this.  No one in Minneapolis cares.  All they care about is getting ICE out of their city, obstructing and defeating its enforcement of federal immigration law, and protecting criminal aliens.  THAT is what everything is all about.

“This is a small bunch of wannabe Nazis.  That’s what they are.  In a country of 350 million, we outnumber them.  If we have to hunt you down the way they hunted down Nazis for decades, we will find your identities.  We will find you.  We will achieve justice.”

–Philadelphia, Pennsylvania District Attorney Larry Krasner, threatening to retaliate against federal agents for enforcing federal law.

Larry Krasner is just bent out of shape because the idiots in Minnesota are getting all the attention. He wants everyone to realize that he is incompetent too!

U.S. Senator and hipster doofus Jon Ossof (D. Ga.):         Will one, even ONE, Republican U.S. Senate candidate in Georgia join other GOP leaders who are calling for a full, transparent, independent investigation into Alex Pretti’s killing in Minnesota?

Representative and U.S. Senate candidate Mike Collins (R. Ga.): Here’s my statement, Jon: we need to fully fund DHS so ICE can continue deporting violent criminal illegal immigrants from our streets. I stand with President Trump and law enforcement. 

When will you say one, even ONE, word about the illegal aliens arrested just this month for raping, kidnapping, and molesting your constituents?

Librarian Morgan L. Morrow of Ripley, West Virginia solicited hitmen snipers to “take out” President Trump. That was not smart. Miss Morrow is now staying at the Jackson County Jail, courtesy of the State of West Virginia.

“Hi.  This is Elliot Forhan, candidate for Ohio Attorney General.  I want to tell you what I mean when I say that I am going to kill Donald Trump.  I mean, I’m going to obtain a conviction rendered by a jury of his peers at a standard of proof beyond a reasonable doubt, based on evidence presented at a trial conducted in accordance with the requirements of due process, resulting in a sentence, duly executed, of capital punishment.  That is what I mean when I say that I am going to kill Donald Trump.”

This is a transcript from a real political advertisement, currently airing in Ohio. No kidding.

Blue Bell Ice Creams is introducing a line of ice cream for those who wish to put more protein in their diet. Blue Bell PRO pints will be available in five delicious flavors: Vanilla, Chocolate, Strawberry, Coffee, and Salted Caramel.

Jaguar is still reeling from its failed androgynous ad campaign, and its efforts to build an all-electric fleet of vehicles. Long known for placing powerful engines in its automobiles, Jaguar’s consumers were, and are, wholly uninterested in electric vehicles. The company is delving back into the gasoline powered market, but with a twist; the new vehicles will be hybrids, not pure gasoline powered automobiles. Sigh. Jaguar is assuring customers that the new hybrids will be quite powerful. But nothing says V-12 less, than a hybrid automobile. Another epic fail.

FAT Brands, which owns popular fast food chains such as FAT Burger, Johnny Rocket’s, and Twin Peaks, has filed for bankruptcy protection. The company is dealing with $1.3 billion in debt.

“ . . . it is important to remember where this will lead.  Neocons will use this story to push the president to start a regime change war, spreading the fiction Iran is somehow a threat to the United States.  It is not.  Yes, they scream “Death to America,” but they do so in response to our behavior in their region, not out of inherent hatred. America had no Islamist terrorism problem before 1948.  That is no coincidence.”

–Tucker Carlson, insisting that Iran is no threat, and besides, it is all Israel’s fault.

When Tucker Carlson arrived in Washington, D.C., he was a promising young writer, who had problems with alcohol. The quote above suggests that his problem drinking has returned.

Former New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick, who won a total of 8 Super Bowls, 6 with New England, will not be a 1st ballot Hall of Famer. Huh.

Professional golfer Patrick Reed is leaving the LIV tour, and returning to The PGA Tour. That’s a shame. Cheater.

GFK

“The 2 most common elements in the Universe are hydrogen and stupidity.”

–The Tao Of Frank.

I am sick and tired of writing about Minnesota. It is such an awful State, next to Canada, colder than imaginable in Winter, and hot and overrun with mosquitos in the Summer.

In 1970, actress Mary Tyler Moore starred in a sitcom–The Mary Tyler Moore Show–set in Minneapolis, Minnesota. She played Mary Richards, a news director for a local television station.

Now I really enjoyed Mary Tyler Moore when she played Laura Petrie in The Dick Van Dyke Show, which was set in New York. But from the very beginning I hated The Mary Tyler Moore Show, largely because it was set in Minneapolis. At the young age of 10, I knew–KNEW–that Minnesota was a miserable place. And this is before the Democrats obtained total control over the State government, and made it into a less attractive version of Canada.

Many, many years later, I was faced with attending court in Minneapolis on behalf of a large client of my firm. I put it off as long as possible, and successfully resolved the matter without having to actually appear in Minnesota. I was so happy to have dodged that bullet.

So–at least for now–I am done with writing about the goings on in Minnesota. The Democrat controlled government is in full blown insurrection against the federal government. It is easily the greatest rebellion since the Nullification Crisis in 1832, leaving aside The Late Unpleasantness, which was not a “rebellion”, but a secession. The Democrats are willing to let their own citizens die, if they can do it in service of a criminal alien class. It makes no sense. But I am now bored with the whole “resistance” movement up North. Blah, blah, blah.

So, today we are Minnesota free. Below are 2 articles. The 1st article addresses the lunacy of what the Left calls the exercise of their First Amendment rights. The 2nd article debunks the Leftist claptrap about the United States being an authoritarian State, and President Trump being a dictator. Please enjoy this respite from our neighbors up North.

Sorry, AOC — Protest Culture Is Un-American

BY:          David Harsanyi, The New York Post (January 25, 2026).

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez likes to argue that the “whole point” of protesting is to make people “uncomfortable.”

In this as in so much else, the Democratic darling is incorrect.

Debate, dissent, running highly misleading political ads on TV: These are all part of our great tradition of political discourse.

Taking to the streets to disrupt the lives of average citizens is a leftist ideal, not an American one.

It’s antithetical to the highest virtue of republicanism, namely minding your own business.

But decades ago American leftists began conflating “activism” with patriotism, and millions of young people were convinced that protesting is an expression of good citizenry.

These days, caring is often given more reverence than wisdom, knowledge or achievement, let alone patriotic activities like working, getting married and raising kids.

An equally intolerable and parallel notion has also sprung up: It says the rest of us have a patriotic duty to admire anyone who’s “making a difference” or engaged in “participatory democracy,” no matter how insufferable or wrong they are.

And protesters are almost always insufferable and wrong.

Every loudmouth ignoramus with an opinion has a First Amendment right. You’re not special.

Yet modern left-wing protesters believe their passion and anger imbue them with moral license to demand things and speak over their fellow citizens.

Just watch the video of those self-righteous “activists” disrupting church services in St. Paul the other day, or global-warming cultists shutting down traffic in major cities, or college students using their heckler’s veto to disrupt speeches and debates.

As we’ve seen with two recent shootings in Minneapolis, protest culture can have deadly consequences.

Then again, most of these efforts aren’t organic or spontaneous expressions of political anger anymore.

They are well-funded and well-managed by organizations that see political benefit in creating chaos and turning our country into a revolutionary battleground.

From Lenin to Alinsky, forced confrontation has been a tactic of Marxist activism.

Every bully, of course, sees themselves as the embodiment of MLK Jr., though most of them lack dignity and a worthy cause.

It’s amusing hearing these self-aggrandizing activists treat protests as great acts of bravery.

But wake up: You’re not actually living in a fascist state.

Those marching against the clerics in Iran risk their lives.

Bottom of Form

As did those who marched in Tiananmen Square in 1989, who rose up against the Communists during the Prague Spring of 1968, or who engaged in civil disobedience against the Stamp Act in 1765.

You can be as passionate as you like here in these United States, but our laws governing the border and immigration, and ICE itself, were all democratically instituted.

You’re free to vote in the next election.

Failing to get your preferred legislation passed isn’t repression, and you’re not Gandhi.

Though it’s heartening for the rest of us to know that most protests are merely performative acts with little political consequence.

Demonstrations are rarely a barometer of public sentiment.

In the left’s hagiographic rendering of the 1960s, peace-loving demonstrators took to the streets and ended the Vietnam War.

In the real world Richard Nixon, who won a historic landslide victory in 1972 against peacenik George McGovern, ended the conflict.

Anti-war protesters couldn’t stop the Iraq War, either. Or any American war, for that matter.

Tea Partiers couldn’t stop Obamacare.

“Occupy Wall Street” was unable to overturn the laws governing basic economics.

Pussyhat marchers embarrassed themselves, but they didn’t stop Donald Trump from occupying the White House — any more than Jan. 6 marchers and rioters did Joe Biden.

And the anti-ICE nuts disrupting church services who accuse parishioners of being “white supremacists” will likely have similar luck.

That’s good news.

The “right of the people to peaceably assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances” is our inheritance.

It guarantees anyone can march without worrying about punishment or reprisals from the state.

Though it shouldn’t escape our attention that many of the same progressives who treat public demonstration as the purest form of “democracy” advocate for censoring views they find dangerous — and regularly conflate speech with “violence.”

Democratic socialists nearly always shed the adjective as soon as they gain power.

Let’s face it, though, most unhinged activists you see ranting and raving act like children.

And children have trouble comprehending the distinction between things you can do and things you should do.

You can cosplay as Islamic revolutionaries on campus.

What you should do is read some books about the Middle East.

But nothing in a free country compels the rest of us to celebrate spoiled adults making a spectacle of themselves — or to treat them as anything but nuisances.  

___________________________________________________________________

What Would Life Really Look Like Under a Totalitarian Regime?

BY:          Ward Clark (January 26, 2026).

The Left just loves to claim that President Trump is some sort of dictator. They love to claim he sits at the head of a totalitarian government. That’s poppycock, of course. The notion is easily dispelled by pointing out that, were President Trump a totalitarian dictator, one wouldn’t be allowed to call him a totalitarian dictator. 

Dictatorships, from Rome to the present day, are notoriously short on respect for free speech.

Let’s be real about this: If any totalitarian system does come to power here in this nation, it won’t be coming from the Republican Party. It’s the Left – always the Left – that does these things. It’s the Left that is always calling for more government control. It’s always the Left that wants to throttle dissent by calling it “hate speech.” It’s always the Left that wants to disarm us, to intimidate us, to control us, and to sweep us aside if we oppose them. They can’t; in the United States, it’s just not that easy. 

Let’s do a thought exercise. What might an actual totalitarian regime look like if one came to power here? As I see it, and as shown by examples from history, there would be three broad phases.

First: The takeover. However, a totalitarian government comes to power, whether it be by vote, by coup, or some other means. What happens when they assume control? The likely move would be to take control of all of the federal government. Congress is dissolved, and all but a few confirmed fellow-traveler members of Congress are arrested. The Supreme Court is disbanded, and again, the members are arrested. Opposing state governors are arrested – if the takeover comes from the left, that means that the new regime will try to arrest the governors and key officials of states like Texas, Wyoming, Florida, and Alaska. The new regime can’t give in, or the whole thing comes apart. Civil war ensues.  

Assuming the new regime wins the likely conflict, what next?

Second: The crackdown. The media, legacy, alternative, and otherwise, is shut down. That especially means alternative media sites like, well, this one. Only state-approved information is disseminated. The internet is heavily filtered, ostensibly to keep out “disinformation” and “hate speech.” We already see this in communist countries today: North Korea, China, and Cuba. Major media figures are arrested. A new system of “news” arises: State-sponsored, state-controlled. 

To deal with the old red state, blue state dichotomy, the new regime erases former state lines and redraws the country into districts, or soviets, if you like. These would be drawn to minimize the ability of the more independent-minded among the population to form any kind of effective opposition.

The military is “reformed” and put under the control of hand-selected, regime-friendly generals. The rank and file attend forced “re-education” sessions; anyone who resists is imprisoned. Re-education and labor camps are built all across the country, from Boston to San Diego, from San Antonio to Fargo, and they fill up rapidly.

Third and finally: The purge. Anyone suspected of being a troublemaker is . . . dealt with. This is where the great irony of this sort of thing comes in; all the street-level leftist shouters who, before the takeover, served as useful idiots, working coordinated riots, throwing rocks at cops, and just generally making trouble, are no longer an asset to the regime. They are, instead, known troublemakers. Now they are rounded up. The new regime already has the names of these troublemakers, their locations, and all of their social media traffic. That’s more than enough for show trials, perhaps done by military tribunal, perhaps by set-up show courts. In either case, the known troublemakers, the ones who thought they would be running things in the new regime, are now sent to one of the new camps. That is, if they are lucky. The real high-profile ones, the ones that showed any ability to lead others, are far more likely to end up looking at rifles from the wrong side.

But it won’t be just the useful idiots who are purged. If you regularly read alternative, conservative media, which you’re doing right now, you’re suspect. If you ever voted for a Republican, at any level of government, you’re suspect. If you own guns – and believe me, the new regime will know – those guns will be confiscated, and a few high-profile people will “resist” and be shot down, and the shootings publicized by state media, pour encourager les autres.

The First and Second Amendments are gone. No free speech, ever again. No freedom of conscience. No right to bear arms. All of the Bill of Rights is gone. The Constitution is suspended. Elections are either cancelled or are one-party, one-choice sham elections. 

That’s what a dictatorial regime looks like. We have seen this happen, time and again, in Lenin and Stalin’s Soviet Union, in Mao’s China, in Pol Pot’s Cambodia, in Castro’s Cuba, and in the hereditary dictatorship of the Kims in North Korea. Will it happen here? I don’t think so. The United States would be a tough nut to crack, and if nothing else, any such totalitarian regime would likely never be able to gain control of our rank-and-file military and would lose the civil war mentioned above, probably catastrophically.

This is, however, what it would look like if the United States were taken over by an actual totalitarian regime. This is why it’s so hard to take the Left seriously at times. President Trump, agree with him or not on any given issue, was elected by the constitutional process and is carrying out enforcing laws that were legally enacted by our elected representatives. That’s all. He’s not a dictator. His administration is not a totalitarian regime. And it’s the Left, not the Right, that would be at the source of any attempt to bring about a dictatorship.

GFK

HAPPY BIRTHDAY KAY BAYS! May today be even more special than all your other special days. I miss you!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JASON! Can Samuel shovel my driveway?

“How do you know a man is thinking of his future?  He buys 2 cases of beer instead of 1.”

–The Tao Of Frank.

A long-time dear reader and golfing companion wrote to express his puzzlement at my non-mention of the recent Unpleasantness of s***. He is right to be puzzled, as I am prone to complain about the lightest dusting of the white stuff.

The truth is that the media focused so much attention on this recent Unpleasantness, that I was tired of the subject. There is nothing I can do about it, except prepare and tolerate it.

The s*** and sleet arrived, and blanketed the area. Horses and cows could be seen from our home’s windows braving the weather, the horses with their blankets, and the cows . . . well the cows were just plain grumpy. Dudley was none too happy, as he hates s*** as much as I do; perhaps more, as he is consigned to his bathroom duties in the outdoors.

But English and I hunkered down. We read. We watched old movies. English prepared wonderful cocktails and delicious meals. It was a little break, of sorts.

We are still awaiting our s*** removal guy to clear the driveway. And even after leaving our property, we have to navigate the gravel lane and icy, narrow country roads that lead to town. I may not leave the house until April.

But this particular event has focused me on 2 things. One, I need to put in a natural gas powered generator in our house in Chatmoss. Second, we need yet another house, no further North than South Carolina, and possibly, maybe, in Southern California. English opposes the latter, but after this recent Unpleasantness, she may relent. Carlsbad is nice, as is Laguna Niguel. Because, dear readers, rest assured, I still detest s***!

President Trump ran on a platform calling for the restoration of law and order. Instead of apologizing for the police, and excusing and coddling criminals, law enforcement would be allowed to do its job. And now we know the results. According to the Council on Criminal Justice, crime rates have plummeted–not slowed, plateaued, or dropped, but plummeted–in 2025, compared to 2024. Good job, Mr. President!

The Energy Department cancelled $30 billion in “green energy” loans, previously approved by the China Joe Administration. Good. “Green energy” is a scam.

Fifty-seven (57) House Republicans joined all Democrats to defeat a measure that would have repealed a China Joe mandate that all newly manufactured automobiles have a “kill switch”, which would allow a vehicle to automatically shut down if it–the vehicle–determines that the driver is driving erratically or dangerously. The Stupid Party Lives!

Last week, the mainstream media and Democrat politicians reported and cried that ICE agents in Minneapolis, Minnesota had “kidnapped” a 5 year old boy, and used him to lure his illegal alien father into being arrested. Moreover, ICE was preparing to deport the 5 year old boy, along with his father. FAKE NEWS!

What actually happened is that the father–an illegal alien–was walking his son home from school, and when he spotted ICE agents, he ran away, abandoning his son on the sidewalk in freezing temperatures. ICE agents took the little boy into custody–what were they supposed to do, leave him alone on the sidewalk?–and fed him McDonald’s and entertained him while other ICE agents searched for a relative. ICE located the mother, who refused to accept her son! ICE then asked the father, who had been apprehended earlier, if he wished to keep his son with him in detention, and take him with him upon deportation. The father indicated that he did, and so ICE reunited father and son.

The media, Governor Jazz Hands (D. Mn.), Mayor Frey (D.), and Senator Amy Klobuchar (D. Mn.) all lied about this incident, repeatedly, even after the lie had been debunked. No matter. Because . . . Orange Man Bad.

An anti-ICE agitator bit the finger off an ICE agent in Minneapolis. Was this part of a “mostly peaceful” protest?

Austin, Texas’s City Council declared January “Muslim Heritage Month”. The resolution was championed by the Council On American Islamic Relations. CAIR is a terrorist organization. Good job, Texas Lefties! Surrender to the enemy.

“It’s just reprehensible that they would even go down this road.  But, it seems to be what’s happening in Richmond.”

–Representative Robert Wittman (R. Va.), addressing the Virginia General Assembly Democrats’ all-out offensive against The Virginia Military Institute.

VMI was founded in 1839, and is the nation’s oldest military school. It’s alumni include Generals George Marshall and George Patton, United Nations Ambassador Michael Walz, and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, James Caine. Thomas J. “Stonewall” Jackson taught at VMI. And in 1864, the Keydets marched North from Lexington, many barefoot, all under supplied, and decisively defeated the professionally trained and supplied Union Army at New Market, Virginia. VMI counts among its graduates titans of industry, doctors, lawyers, and active duty career military men. But no matter. The Democrats in Richmond are determined to destroy this unique, historical, storied, and successful educational institution. Shame on them!

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has folded like a cheap suit. The Lefty Labourite wanted to return the Chagos Islands, which hosts a U.S./U.K. air and naval base which commands the Indian Ocean, to Mauritus. China Joe supported the give-back, but President Trump opposes it. So vociferous was President Trump’s opposition, that Mr. Starmer relented. For now, the world is a tad safer. Thank you, President Trump.

What would likely have occurred if President Trump had not successfully faced off against Keir Starmer? The Red Chinese would be occupying that air and naval base, and in command of the Indian Ocean.

Sade’s Cocktails, a dive bar that has operated in Carmel By The Sea, California for 100 years, closes later this week, for good. Very sad.

The Daily Telegraph, a British cesspool of fake news, is claiming that William Shakespeare was actually a black woman. Uh, huh. The Bard was a pasty white guy from Warwickshire, who lived in Stratford-upon-Avon. Sigh. What a bunch of chuckleheads must work at this newspaper!

Eileen Gu is a world champion skier. She used to compete for the United States in the Olympics, but in 2022, she competed for Red China instead. Which she is still doing. So why did the City of San Francisco, California make her the Grand Marshal of its Lunar New Year Parade? Miss Gu deserves no honors in this country. She is a commie, more committed to an adversary of the United States, than the country of her birth. Let her go to China, and live, if that is what she prefers. She may have been born an American, but she is not an American. Traitor.

Los Angeles Dodgers teammates Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Shohei Ohtani will play for Team Japan in the upcoming World Baseball Classic.  A regrettable decision, given their status came through playing baseball in the United States.  But, unlike Eileen Gu, these guys were actually born in Japan.

“I hope President Trump sends in the National Guard.  We need curfews.  We need real consequences for attacking law enforcement.  These men and women should be able to do their jobs and go home to their families safely.  We’re deporting their voters.  That’s part of what’s happening, and it’s blowing up their whole plan.”

–Former University of Minnesota star football player, and Minnesota Vikings captain, Jack Brewer, commenting on the chaos in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

GFK

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO HOLLAND KOONTZ! What a long, strange trip it has been!

Our little girl turns 21 today. Where has all the time gone?

She is down in Dallas this morning. I do not think that she has actually spent her birthday at home in 8 years. She went off to boarding school [St. Timothy’s School] at age 13, and then to college [Southern Methodist]. All this time, she has acquitted herself well, and managed to face trials and tribulations, accomplishments, victories, and celebrations, with an aplomb and grace that I am certain I did not possess at her age. She must have learned it from her Mother.

Holland is an adult today, and she should be very proud of herself. English and I are.

When did we begin naming snowstorms? And why? What’s next, naming April showers? Sigh. We are a little fragile and obsessed.

It is official; the United States is out of the United Nations World Health Organization! Woo hoo! Now let us get out of the United Nations altogether.

Trump Administration immigration advisor Tom Homan fired a warning shot at Governor Abigail Spanberger (D. Va.). She can try and make Virginia into a “sanctuary jurisdiction”, but ICE is not going away. If you want the Commonwealth to resemble Minneapolis, go ahead. Make Tom Homan’s day.

“I just spoke with the White House after another horrific shooting by federal agents this morning.  Minnesota has had it.  This is sickening.  The President must end this operation.  Pull the thousands of violent, untrained officers out of Minnesota.  Now.”

–Governor Tampon Tim (D. Mn.).

A U.S. Border Patrol agent shot and killed a demonstrator in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The man was waving a handgun, and had 2 extra magazines on his person. The agents ordered the man to put down the gun, and he refused. His death is tragic, but predictable. Because the man was endangering others. The shooting was entirely justified, based on the known facts.

And the shooting is due, in part, to the refusal of Minnesota officials–Governor Jazz Hands, Mayor Frey (D.), the police chief, and others–who have encouraged the demonstrators, and refused to cooperate with federal law officers in the enforcement of federal law.

What the Democrats of South Carolina did back then is essentially what the Democrats of Minneapolis are doing today, fomenting a 21st century nullification crisis by making it nearly impossible to enforce federal immigration law in the territory under their jurisdiction. Trump, who has ordered 1,500 active-duty troops stationed in Alaska to prepare for a possible deployment to Minnesota, is well within his rights (and within historical precedent) to respond in the same vein as [President] Jackson did to what amounts to a nullification crisis.

Indeed, the whole point of so-called sanctuary laws is to make it difficult or impossible to enforce federal immigration laws — to nullify them. Sanctuary policies like the ones operative in Minneapolis (and many other Democrat-controlled cities) prohibit state and local law enforcement from working with federal immigration authorities.

The lawless encouragement by Democrat leaders reflects a blatant disregard for managing our borders, for removing criminal illegal aliens from the street, and for protecting ICE and our citizens from the agitators’ hysterical behavior.

Adopting the position of sanctuary cities is an abuse of the federalist system; our federal sovereignty and national security are at stake. The federal government must be allowed to implement immigration law, and take actions against any state to stop this abhorrent, illegal, and unconstitutional mayhem.

Maybe it’s time for State leaders to be charged with obstruction of justice, or worse.

Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes (D.) suggested that illegal aliens would be justified in firing upon ICE agents under Arizona’s “stand your ground law”. Are you kidding me? The Arizona Attorney General is instigating illegal aliens to shoot federal law enforcement agents! This is outrageous!

Illegal aliens have no right to “stand [their] ground”; they are not supposed to be on this “ground”. And why do illegal aliens have guns? And why would you encourage anyone to open fire on federal law enforcement? Are you trying to get people killed?

Actually, yes. The Democrats do want people to be killed. That is, if it serves them politically.

“Mahmoud Khalil is a New Yorker.  He should remain in New York City.  I see this attack on him as part of a larger attack on the freedom of speech that is especially pronounced when it comes to the use of that speech to stand up for policy to human rights.”

–Comrade Mayor Zohran Mamdani, expressing his outrage at the U.S.’s deportation of pro-Hamas agitator Mahmoud Khalil.

No.  He is not a “New Yorker”.  He is Syrian.  He is being deported to Algeria.  Because his visa was revoked.  Good-bye! 

Virginia General Assembly Democrats are pushing legislation to prohibit ICE from enforcing federal law within 40 feet of election polling places. Now why would Democrats want to protect polling places from ICE enforcement? Hmmm.

Even if the bill passes, it is unenforceable, and unconstitutional. It’s called the federal “Supremacy Clause”.

Virginia General Assembly Democrats are pushing to eliminate mandatory minimum sentences for the commission and conviction of violent crimes such as rape and murder. Their constituents are demanding it.

“It’s really mind-boggling, Mr. Speaker, that we continue to say 2020 as if the new normal of 2026 is not bonkers compared to where we thought our country would be and that some of us refuse to let others take us so far back that some of us would still be in chains.  And with that, Mr. Speaker, I exuberantly, exuberantly support House Bill 1384 and the appropriation that comes with it in order to offset the cost to our localities.”

–Virginia General Assembly Delegate Marcia Price (D. Newport News), explaining that if Virginia Democrats do not amend the Constitution to permit partisan gerrymandering, then Republicans will reinstitute slavery.

What is “mind-boggling” is that Democrats say such stupid claptrap. And it is not just the feckless woman from Hampton Roads. Representative James Clyburn (D. S.C.) said virtually the same thing on the news the other day. And what is more “mind-boggling” is that mainstream media does not push back, report, comment, or call out such stupid comments. Because . . . Orange Man Bad.

Virginia’s criminal Attorney General, Jay Jones, is seeking to withdraw from the settlement reached with the federal government over the Commonwealth’s granting illegal aliens in-State tuition assistance. Of course he is. Defying the law is a Jay Jones hallmark.

Episcopal Bishop Mariann Budde of the D.C. Diocese traveled to Minneapolis, Minnesota, demanding that ICE quit “occupying” the city and State. Hmmm. ICE is enforcing the laws of this country. I am pretty sure that Scripture calls on man to abide by the laws of the governing authorities.

Meanwhile, at the very same time Bishop Budde was protesting the removal of illegal aliens in Minneapolis, there was another protest about a mile away from the Washington Cathedral, in Washington, D.C. Those protestors were there to march for life, and to peacefully call for the sanctity of life, the importance of families, and an end to abortion, which is the murder of an unborn child. Too bad Bishop Budde could not have been there, standing up for Biblical principles. She was too busy supporting criminals, more than 1,000 miles away from her flock. Innocent children will just have to wait.

McDonald’s restaurants are introducing 4 new menu items:

Hot Honey Sausage Egg Biscuit;

Hot Honey McCrispy Sandwich;

Bacon Hot Honey McCrispy Sandwich;  and,

Hot Honey Snack Wrap.

Patrons are also able to order Hot Honey Sauce dip with any menu item.

The Super Bowl is set, featuring the New England Patriots against the Seattle Seahawks. Let the battle begin.

The Super Bowl halftime show, produced by Jay Z, and highlighting Bad Bunny, will showcase LGBTQ++ themes, including drag queens, and “trans”. Disgusting. I will not watch it.

Legendary San Francisco 49ers quarterback John Brodie has died at age 90. R. I. P.

Former Philadelphia Eagles defensive lineman, Kevin Johnson, has died at age 55. Sadly, the former NFL player was homeless, and was stabbed by person(s) unknown in Los Angeles, California. His body was found on the street. R. I. P.

GFK