February 25, 2014

Ukraine and the Olympics. This past Thursday, one alpine skier withdrew from competition to protest what she and her father/coach saw as unnecessary violence in Kiev, the nation's capital. Two summers ago my wife and I took a very enjoyable cruise through Ukraine. On our first day, it was made very clear that we were in “Ukraine,” not “the Ukraine,” the latter harkened the “bad old days” of domination by the now non-existent USSR.

     Kiev, while an historic and picturesque city, had obviously been hit hard by the recent world-wide economic recession. Clearly, planned expansion had suddenly and dramatically ceased. Along the city's major thoroughfares more than a few buildings drew a second look: generally four floors of fully occupied offices and stores, but with eerie open steel skeletons above.

    News coverage of the recent violence has given most Americans are a quick education about the pivotal position of a country few even know exists. No doubt Ukraine's geographic location – just west of Russia – plus the Olympic games magnified news coverage. 

Ukraine and separatism. Washington Post columnist Richard Cohen writes, “[Ukraine] is, in fact, just another place on the globe where nationalism joins separatism to create instability. In September, Scotland will vote on secession from the United Kingdom, and while an independent Scotland is a threat to no one but the Scots ...it is part of a trend.”

As noted previously, Ukraine is a country divided physically east and west by the Dnieper river, which has also provided psychological and ideological divides between Europe to the west and Russia to the east. Turmoil there is likely to continue, with powder-keg potential between Russia and Europe/NATO/US.

Climate change. President Obama recently made a trip to CA and, as could have been predicted, blamed climate change for the state's drought problems. But, as columnist Charles Krauthammer pointed out, there is no “settled science” regarding climate change. Yes, he notes, carbon emissions are increasing and that is not good, but to what effect? That remains an open question.

A moose in passing. Several of these largest denizens of the deer family have migrated into the Breckenridge area and are frequently sighted by skiers riding one of the area ski lifts. Last Wednesday, my wife was driving home and was within 400 yards of our condo near the base of Peak 8, when a lone moose loomed around a blind corner from behind an eight foot-high snow bank. A woman walking along the road beat a hasty retreat into a driveway and waited as the moose continued on its way. Be forewarned: it is not without reason that one CO high school has as its mascot “The Mean Moose.” These ungainly-looking beasts are often bad tempered, not to be trifled with, and have amazing speed, even in knee-deep snow.

Infrastructure spending. To follow up on a recent blog item about downed power lines. A commentary in Roll Call (February 21^st) notes that when a business experiences a problem with its essential equipment, it either fixes or replaces the problem; it does not respond by cutting its maintenance budget. Yet federal spending on the nation's infrastructure has been cut 14% this year. http://www.rollcall.com/news/close_corporate_tax_loopholes_to_fix_holes_in_our_infrastructure_commentary-230974-1.html?ET=rollcall:e17210:154326a:&st=email&pos=eam

Pete Seger (sadly recently deceased) wrote the lyrics for the beloved song, “Where have all the flowers gone.” A recent article in the Nation magazine might well have used these words to open its story on the apparent decline in the business of lobbying in Washington. However, K Street's influence is not lessening, rather its simply relocating, becoming less visible. Sadly, Lincoln's words ring ever more hollow: “government of the people, by the people, for the people.” http://www.thenation.com/article/178460/shadow-lobbying-complex

News, yes, but from where and how? Now the US Justice Department will have to decide on whether or not to approve the planned buy out/merger of Comcast and Times Warner. The question, then: who will deliver your cable programming (news included) and internet access (hopefully broadband)? Even though many have forsaken “normal” TV programming for net-streaming, for now normal programming remains a viable business and internet access is now part of the way of life in most households. A quick “over the shoulder” look among those using free access points (e.g. the local library) reveals how much we depend on the internet.

As for our news, though, an article from Politico (February 24^th) belies the idea that “live video” might save the news business. The article begins,

Last July, The Washington Post launched a live video channel that its president proclaimed would be “the ESPN of politics.”

Instead, PostTV turned out to be more like a public access show. Within five months, the live content had vanished and the “channel” became little more than a clearinghouse for pre-taped video packages and recycled press briefing footage, along with the occasional original report. [The Post learned, as had others before that] creating quality live television is expensive... and much harder than it looks. The end result didn’t interest readers — or advertisers.


Read more: http://www.politico.com/story/2014/02/live-video-wont-save-news-business-103819.html#ixzz2uGAr3tRw

“They're back” – the “do nothing” 113^th Congress, that is. As seen so many times in those damnable TV ads, “But, wait.........” So, is there now hope? Really?

     Senator Harry Reid (D, NV) is said to be angling for a new found measure of bipartisanship. It is a fair bet, though, that he will not get much traction from this latest pre-election maneuvering ploy. Tough hope springs eternal, the waiting is not unlike trying to predict the next San Andreas-fault earthquake.

     Reid, whom I refer to as “The Putz,” has to be one of the most lackluster, mumbling, Caspar Milquetoast power-players on the American political stage. He is, of course, the perfect bookend for Senator Mitch McConnell (KY), his Republican counterpart. Their continuance in office stands as mute testimony to how little some voters are willing to accept in a candidate in exchange for mere seniority. Kentuckians have a chance to send McConnell packing this coming November, leaving Harry on his own. http://www.politico.com/story/2014/02/harry-reid-bipartisanship-103823.html

Thank you for reading.  Feel free to post a comment or send a note to davidvito@comcast.net

February 18, 2014

BookBub, etc. In my net-wanderings, I ran across www.bookbub.com which advertises itself as a place to “Get great deals on best selling ebooks....” Of course, they want you to use their website for your ebook purchases and so they send you a daily (easily deleted) email featuring the “purchase(s) of the day.” If you do not have an ebook reader, as is the case with several of my friends, the daily list is still a good way to just look at titles you might want to add to your local library list. I also peruse the weekly Christian Science Monitor's book review and forward it to several friends.

Neighborhood clean up. There is probably no urban city that does not have at least one rundown area in need of improvement. A PBS news segment (Tuesday, February 11th) highlighted the problem facing San Francisco as it struggles deciding how to improve “the Tenderloin,” the city's only remaining urban, working class area. An earlier experience did not go well: a largely African American neighborhood was “improved,” i.e. the area was simply razed and the poor displaced. As a result, the city passed a series of zoning ordinances and development regulations which now make it very difficult, some would say impossible, to improve conditions in the Tenderloin.

Monkey Wrench Gang. Another PBS news segment on that same evening investigated what appears to have been a home-grown terrorist attack on a San Francisco area electrical sub-station. (Thankfully to little effect.) In 1975, Edward Abbey wrote his most famous book, The Monkey Wrench Gang, about a small disgruntled group who set out to sabotage what they see as environmentally damaging projects. (a good read) There appear to be parallels.

More winter weather in the South. Once again, the unusually low-dip in the jet stream ushered in another bitter dose of rain, sleet, and snow throughout much of the deep south and up the eastern seaboard. The freezing rain/sleet will no doubt coat power lines and trees, very probably resulting in another round of electrical power outages.

     Amazingly, there has been no mention of the obvious solution for “downed” power lines: bury them. In our neighborhood in southeast Denver, power is usually interrupted only when a negligent contractor digs up/cuts a line, not when we have sleet/ice accumulations on the trees. Just another example of America's woefully outdated, improvident infrastructure. “Pay me now” (increased property taxes) or “pay me later” (your plumber's bill). The tax increase might actually be less than repeated plumber's visit!

The Tea Party. Former US Senator James DeMint (R, SC), now head of the conservative Heritage Foundation, said on last Sunday's “Face the Nation” program that there is no real Tea Party. Rather, it is just Americans all over the country who favor limited government, with due attention paid to controlling the nation's debt and spending. Taken at face value those three items are probably on the minds of many Americans, left- or right-leaning. Of course, what matters most can be found in answering the old saw, “Whose ox is being gored?” Assuredly, money can be saved by cutting program X, but at what cost and, more importantly, with what unintended consequences? For example, cuts to food stamps contained in the recently passed farm bill.

Spending and employment. The numbers are out and, once again, the economy is sluggish. The obvious is not stressed enough in the popular press: the unemployed are severely limited in what they can spend. (Hopefully, food for the family tops the list, ahead of cigarettes, alcohol, drugs.) Job creation is the key to the nation's long term economic recovery, not long-term spending programs, no matter how well intended.

Olympic coverage. It is had to keep track of the events and results, what with the many time zones between Sochi and Denver and the hodgepodge of stations covering the games, all of whom want to subject you to as many commercials as possible. Unsurprisingly, there was this one absolute statement by a top Russian official: If the Russian men's hockey team wins the gold medal, the games will have been a success; less than gold and they are a “bust.” Meanwhile, the American women's hockey team plays for the gold, with the Russian women out of medal contention. A victory for Title 9?

Thank you for reading, cheer the athletic endeavors of all the Sochi participants, and please feel free to leave a comment here or with my email, davidvito41@gmail.com

February 11, 2014

America's forgotten nuclear tale. Following up on last week's blog entry about the fast fading story of Japan's Fukushima disaster comes this week's story America's forgotten nuclear problems at the Hanford nuclear complex in Washington state. Hanford and Oak Ridge (TN) were America's first two facilities to produce fissionable material. The long term cleanup at Hanford has been dogged throughout with problems, largely unreported to the public.

     The linked story also compliments the ongoing controversy about Edward Snowden. As the story from High Country News notes,

[...the story of whistleblowers has] been true throughout our nation's history – from the Revolutionary War sailors who, in 1777, told Congress that the Navy's top commander was torturing British prisoners, and then were arrested for complaining, up to today's National Security Agency whistleblower, Edward Snowden, who is hiding out in Russia to avoid charges of treason, even as The New York Times praises him for doing "a great service" to this country.

http://www.hcn.org/issues/46.2/the-hanford-whistleblowers

     The story notes, “A funny thing about whistleblowers: They are seldom the naturally rebellious types you might imagine. Rather, they tend to be conservative people dedicated to proper procedures, even if that sometimes lands them in absurd Alice in Wonderland situations and destroys their careers.” So, like the many on-site pollutants, the story of the continually botched clean up efforts continues to slowly leak out.

Presidential Elections. The title of the editorial in the February 20^th issue of   the Nation magazine reads, “Why now is the time to reform how we elect the President” and the first sentences state what for me are unarguable truths:

American presidential election campaigns are absurd. Absurdly expensive. Absurdly long. Absurdly structured. And absurdly narrow in the range of ideas and options offered to a nation with an absurdly low level of voter participation.

     Technology and the Supreme Court's 2010 decision, Citizens United, have fundamentally changed the entire presidential election process and rendered the procedures of the past suspect. We are far, far from the now seemingly benign process Theodore White described in his landmark book, The Making of the President, 1960. The article continues, again with more than a few grains of truth, “Why worry about 2016 now, when there are so many other pressing issues? Because the power brokers who profit from our system’s many imperfections are busy locking down the next election.”

Sochi Olympics. The costs.  There have ben the usual stories about the opening foibles associated with the first days in Sochi and its now too warm temperatures. However, these opening sentences from a New York Times story fairly explain the longer term problems associated with Sochi and any future Olympics. “[The costs at Sochi].... are estimated to be the most expensive yet. While host cities hope the games will bring in a profit, they have more often than not created long-term economic burdens.” One must wonder why any city would want to take on the long term debt associated with planning, building, and hosting either the summer or winter games. Unless, of course, the “powers that be” in a city/country are only interested in the short-term financial gains to be made while the games are being held, not caring that the host city is left in the lurch.

     The events.  Take your pick of events on the extreme end.......and on the other end has to be curling, beloved in Canada, that more leisurely paced country to our north. The match I happened across featured the US and Norway. The Norwegians were sporting very spiffy short sleeved T-shirts and brightly colored plaid pants (ca. 1970), what we in Denver and Breckenridge would call their Daylight Doughnut pants!

     Accompanied by much commentary about how exciting and improved curling has become. More athletic, more muscular. Really??? Anyway, if the extremes get to be too, you can kick back and watch those dashing, daring broomers take to the sheet, sliding and steering those polished rocks (huge pucks with handles) toward the house.

CO snowfall. My wife's cousin and her family have arrived from Sweden for a ski vacation. The two young daughters faithfully performed their Swedish “snow dance,” very successfully we might add! Awesome skiing powder, yes, but just as importantly, the snowpack in our river basins is much improved, with four now over 100%. March, historically our snowiest winter month, is yet to come. We wish the Californians well with more "pineapple express" winds to bring them much needed rain, winds then strong enough to bleed over the Sierras to the Rockies.

Stay warm and do not become too frightened by the Olympic extremes. Thank you for reading.

February 4, 2014

That last cruise. Here is a quote for life: “Old and young, we are all on our last cruise.” Robert Louis Stevenson

Recent cruise news, though, leads one to believe that more than a few modern-day travelers now rue having set sail only to become sickened with a bug which turned a longed-for vacation into what many must be calling the “trip to hell and back.” Undoubtedly, many are thinking, better to trust the kitchen at home.

Fukushima, the forgotten horror story. Check the linked story for reasons to be concerned about a story that has largely disappeared from the news. http://ecowatch.com/2014/02/02/50-reasons-fear-fukushima/

The big letdown. Alas, despite all the local, cowtown hype and hopes, the Broncos did not bring home the Super Bowl trophy. On Monday morning, Mourning Black seemed to be the preferred color. Or, was Shakespeare right, that it was all just Much Ado About Nothing. Was the republic, the universe adversely affected? One hopes not.

The “student-athlete” Athletes from Northwestern University – not your typical “jock school” – have petitioned the NCAA to form a union. Even though the powers that be have now been put on notice, it will likely be a long time before sense and order are brought to the college athletic scene.

The CA drought, the midwest, CO snowfall, and Sochi. In CA, the rainfall and mountain snow pack are sorely lacking, with little prospect for relief. In addressing the problem and calling for voluntary conservation, “second time around” Governor Jerry Brown might well have harkened back to the last drought when the saying was, “If it's yellow, let it mellow......” Of course, he did not use those exact words, far too politically incorrect.

     The midwest and east coast are hunkering down for yet another blast from the Arctic Vortex. Here in CO, most mountain areas got a bountiful dump during the last week in January, with more expected this first week of February.

    The Winter Olympics – Vladimir's Games – are set to begin October 6h and one can only hope for the best. The weather people classify Sochi as “sub-tropical” and to date the nearby mountain venues have not been unduly blessed with the white stuff. But hope springs eternal.

The Farm Bill. Here in CO, a steadily dwindling number small farmers as well as huge agribusinesses watch the progress of this bill, passed once every five years. The bill, which got its start during the Dust Bowl years, was meant as temporary emergency assistance for beleaguered family farms. But since then, it has become a permanent fixture of the agricultural landscape, with three-quarters of its subsidy assistance going to giant agribusiness corporations. It has also become a major source of nutrition assistance for the poor and children – 80 percent of the bill’s funding goes to food programs. This year's proposed cuts for food programs have become 2014's first political football.

Stay warm. Thanks for reading.