Here are the topics for this week's blog: Chinese sea power; the Swedes; doomsday clock; yet another nor'easter.

Chinese sea power. This article from Foreign Policy discusses China's interest in dominating their portion of the Pacific and raises the point that the US Navy may be vastly overextended. The administration's "pivot" to Asia may be less easily accomplished than at first thought.

Ski Country USA and other adventures. This past Friday my wife's relatives arrived from Sweden to spend time skiing and exploring. All the Delanders had looked over metro Denver via the internet and upon arriving announced that on Saturday morning there was a public tour of the Bronco's stadium. A great tour and everyone was delighted to see and hear so much about the stadium and, indeed, the history of sports in Denver. The young daughters had also explored the local shopping opportunities and planned efficient shopping routes for Saturday afternoon. Even dad had checked the website for his favorite Denver stop -- Mike's Camera.
     The young girls have amazing memories of what they bought, where, and when. Sanna, the eldest, had lost her most-prized -- and commented upon -- pair of sunglasses while sailing on the North Sea. Not to worry, shopping success was achieved with a quick visit to the local Dollar Store: now she will once again be subjected to the friendly ribbing of her fellow sailors whenever the sun is shining on the water.

The doomsday clock. This curious feature was created at the dawn of the atomic age. It has been maintained since by a group of Nobel laureates. The group recently advanced the clock to 11:57 p.m.. This was in response to world-wide problems such as climate change and global warming. The update also involved concern over a possible new Cold War occasioned by the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine. Today, the potential conflict is more complicated than merely wondering if Putin will "blink first," as Khrushchev did in 1962. Now the entire, very disparate, NATO organization is involved. Many Americans do not realize that today NATO is involved, an organization that includes most of the European nations that formerly were the western buffer for the no-defunct USSR. This is an especially sensitive issue for the so-called Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania which directly border western Russia.

Eastern snow. Friends in Boston and other points east, report they are barely staying ahead of the recent storms. In many areas there is now the worry about the collapse of ordinary, non-flat roofs. A succession of "nor'easter" storms  have made this the snowiest February in many areas along the east coast. CO skiers would gladly take their excess, but alas.........

Thank you for reading. I hope your first days in February are as delightful as ours here in CO.

Here are the topics for this week's blog: early spring skiing; the Snow Moon; saving for college.

Spring in late January. Enough winter storm fronts have blown through Colorado's central mountains so that the snow on the slopes is holding out well. Uncharacteristically, temperatures in late January were relatively warm. At this point, Colorado's overall snow accumulation is less than normal and, therefore, it is time to begin worrying about the spring run-off and this coming summer's reservoir levels. Everyone looks forward to a snowy February and March!

The Snow Moon. February's full moon rose, bright and huge as I drove back to Denver from Breckenridge. There is something magical about that bright sphere suspended above the mountain ridges.

College-savings, 529's. The following quote from Roll Call (February 3rd) gives ample evidence of the pandering yet to come: President Barack Obama's swift killing of a proposal to effectively eliminate the college savings accounts known as 529s is instructive about this year's legislative dynamic because it connects two emerging story lines: The efforts by both parties to be perceived as doing the most for the middle class and the drive toward the biggest overhaul of the tax code in a generation.
     Though statistics tell us that the majority of the dollars saved in 529 college investment plans are being set aside by households with incomes of $100K+, many would not consider this to be above middle class. A nonsensical statement by the 2012 vice-presidential candidate, Rep. Ryan (R, VA) said that those in the upper-income brackets were "doing well" and practicing "trickle-down" economics. Yeah, sure! That's a really big help for those in the middle and lower-middle class.
     Do not forget to buy that lottery ticket!

Thank you for reading and I hope February treats you well.