In the Mayor's Kitchen

     Well, the Mayor has to eat sometime.  The Deputy is out at a meeting: what to eat?    Hmmmm.  What's in the fridge?  Nothing.  What's in the garden? Basilico.  OK, Pesto for pasta.  Get the mortar/pestal, oil, garlic, parmesan.  Get to work.  Put a pot of water on the burner.  Slice some rosemarino bread.  Now we're cooking.

basilico in the mortar

add oil and garlic, stir until creamy

Double vision
    So, after the water boiled and the ravioli were just al dente, we poured the pesto sauce over the pasta and enjoyed a typical Italian meal.  Ahhhhh, perfection.

UEFA: Italy bests Spain; England Sent Home by a Smaller Island

     In a much anticipated meeting between two European power players, the Azzurri of the "Boot", played with inspiration, grace, and determination to overcome an aggressive, fast-moving band of Spanish brothers who had their eyes on a chance to compete in the final match of UEFA 2016.
     No, didn't happen as the Spaniards hoped.  The Italian side dominated play and put two shots into the back of the net, clinching another game in the semi-finals next week.
      The Italians looked good from the onset, driving the ball forward with speed and grace, seeking the goal mouth as if driven by a higher power.  They needed a win; they wanted a win; and they closed out the match as winners.  They move on.   Well done.
     England V. Iceland
     The upset of the day occurred somewhere else.  In the contest between two islands, the little upstart put the hurt on the big guy.  David v. Goliath.  Child v. Adult.  Veteran v. Novice.  Skilled v. Pretender.  In the end, England was sent home by Iceland.   So now, with Brexit, the English have been humbled, again.  The coach resigned, terribly embarrassed.  Mr. Rooney, shaking his head, walked off the pitch trying to figure out what happened.   No doubt the recent vote to 'exit' the EU thought it carried on to football-why play like a member of the EU if we are no longer members.  Hmmmmm.   Next time.

Chile Repeats as COPA Champion

      Well, the game had its moments, but a victory eluded both Chile and Argentina during regulation and extended time.  It came down to PK's, a very sad way to end a tournament/game.   When Lionel Messi misses in this portion of play, the outcome can't be good.   His attempt sailed over the crossbar into the stands a first for the international super star who plays for Barcelona of Spain.  Too bad.  It would have been his first championship while playing for his native national team.  While he has had great success in Europe, he hasn't found any in the Americas.  The game was played on neutral territory, in New Jersey, of all places.
     Better luck next time, Lionel.

Notebook: Robert Shrimsley-Financial Times

Mr. Robert Shrimsley, FT

    Mr. Shrimsley calls this column part of a series of alternative news reports.  Yes, alternative and quite amusing.  His Notebook of last week focused on Russyan fans and their behavior in France during the UEFA Cup play.  Seems the Slavic guests were less than decorous, confronting more than a few fans from the UK and France.
     The leader of the Russyan fan group has been deported -twice!   definitely a slow learner.   Maybe he'll end up in the Gulag.  It's more likely, he'll end up with a corner office in the Kremlin, with a nice view of the Square.
     His piece on the situation is definitely worth a read.

UEFA and Its Fans

       So, soccer football has its European championship tournament, conducted in various venues in France.  Lille, Bordeaux, Paris, and Aix in Provence.  Local fans join visitors from the countries of sides on the pitch.   Wherever they come from, they arrive with high hopes, lots of enthusiasm, lots of pride, and not a little alcohol.  The results include joy and disappointment, and, sadly, a smattering of arrests, injuries, and ruined holidays.
       Security has been a concern long before the first kickoff occurred.  Recent tragedies only underscored the problems faced by local police and military forces.    While security forces were prepared, more than a few were faced with an unusual amount of fans engaging each other in or near the various venues.  And who was leading the charge?  Russyans, our friends from the Steppes, east of the Priepet Marshes, the lands of the Ural Mountain foothills.  Russya is not the only country with unruly fans, nor the only one that exports these thugs on a regular basis.  England, for one, has had to withhold passports from certain fans.  The Russya fan base is more organized, with its own leadership and its own support from quasi- government sources.   On two occasions within the last 2 weeks, the leader of the Russyan fan club has been deported by French authorities.  The French security apparatus appears to have a leak in its border controls.  They still are not sure how this individual was able to return so quickly to the scene of the contests.
       Mr. Putin has given the fan group indirect support by remaining silent on the activities visible on any media outlet that displayed the confrontations between Russyan fans and local police forces.   Hmmm.  Is this another Russyan export disguised as fan support?  Or is this another sad day for the Russyan people, trapped by cultural aberrations and historic paranoia?   Time will tell.

Russyan Track and Field team Banned From RIO

        How sad!  The IAAF passed a ban against Russya's track and field athletes participating in the Summer Olympics in Rio di Janiero.  Sebastian Coe, the IAAF president, said:" Russyan athletes could not credibly return to international competition without undermining the confidence of their competitors."  In other words, everybody in sports knows that Russyans do dope.
      Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin warned against politicizing the decision(s).   Hmmmmm.  Where will he send his disguised thugs this time?  Lille?   Bordeaux?  Ulan Bator?  All of this comes on the heels of disclosures that WADA, the drug use watchdog arm of international competition, has fallen down on the job.  When tasked with investigations, it clearly failed.  The leader of the organization claimed that his group is not authorized to investigate claims made by others or to sanction participants.  What?  Are you kidding me?   Is this man smoking crack?   Hopefully, WADA will send this clown to the ash heap, pronto.  What an embarrassment to all athletes and coaches.  Some Russyan athletes may be able to slide in under the wire if they have resided outside of Russya and can prove they are clean of banned performance -enhancing drugs.
And then we have the problem of Russyan football fans running amok in France.  Next post. Please. 

Would You Buy a Russyan Oil Company?

      That is an interesting question these days.  It seems that the economy in Russya, the largest country in the world, is continuing its slide into depression.  The country is going through its foreign reserves faster than water through a sieve.   Despite a recent improvement in the price of oil, the market for a barrel of oil is still far below $100/barrel of a year ago.  So Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin needs to inject some cash into the Kremlin's coffers.   What to do?  SELL ASSETS, of course.
     Let's see:  Sell Kamchatka, no, no buyers.  Sell Baltic Russya?  No, too many Russyans there.  Sell Lake Baikal?  NO, too polluted.   Sell the Ural Mountains?  No, worthless unless you already live there.  Sell Vladivostok?  Now, that's possible, but only is the Japanese get involved.  Or Donald Trump Resorts.  That could generate some real $$$$$$.  Hmmmmm.  MIght not go down well with Premier Xi.
      Maybe Shell Oil would like to buy Bashneft, formerly owned by Vladimir P. Yevtushenkov, who was prosecuted and put under house arrest.   Then, Shell Oil has already learned its lessons from past Russyan activities in the "business", having had their holding nationalized by the government almost 100 years ago( a pattern here?).    In 1918, (remember 1918?), Shell was only partially compensated by the Bolsheviks for its oil assets.   Another issue is the depleted value of oil giant Gazprom.  In 2008, its value was $367 billions.  On Tuesday, only $ 52 billions.  Good thing I don't own of that paper.
      In addition to Bashneft, other assets on the block include Sovcomflot, a shipping company; Alrosa, a diamond mining company; VTB, a state bank; and Rosneft.
      I'd like to buy the Crimea, weather is better there than most Russyan locales.

BREXIT: Si ! o No?

     The polls in the UK have closed.  The decision now will go to the counters to tabulate results.  Recent polls of today indicate that the remain position will prevail, despite the bias of the print media organs that have published misinformation that has obviously had an impact on opinions of voters.
     While the vote is not binding, Parliament would still have to bring it to a vote.   If the remain position prevails, then David Cameron will no likely finish his term.
      It is sad that the print media has abandoned its role as a provider of unbiased fact(s).   Niell Farage, leader of the exit position, as already conceded that the vote will go the way of of the stay in vote.   The British pound has rallied to $1.50 per Lb sterling, the highest of the year.   Bankers and EU members are sure to sleep better tonight if the remain position goes on to win.
more later.

France, Paris, and the Garbage Strike

    Can you smell Paris yet?  After floods caused a total disruption of the City of Paris, labor strife has added to the mix.   Union members of the refuse collectors' union, went on strike early this week in protest to changes in terms of their contract.  Not all districts were affected, only those with union contracts working with the parisian government.  Half the districts have private collection and those were not affected.
     As summer approaches and tourist season gets into overdrive, a lengthy strike could cripple an already shaky economic outlook.
     Let's hope that cooler heads prevail, and talks will reach a settlement soon.  After all, who wants to smell Paris before you see it?

Warriors: 1 Win from Championship

       The Warriors came out firing Friday night and rocked the Cavs and LaBron James.  Taking charge early, it was not the same team that suffered a humbling loss the game before by 30 points.  With Klay Thompson and Steph Curry leading the way, the Warriors added defense to their game and the Cavs could not overcome the Golden State club.
     The Warriors set a record for 3-point baskets, hitting 17 for 51 points of their total.  It is extremely hard for an opponent to rebound psychologically to this torrent of scoring as basket after basket hammers away at your efforts that come up short. 
     Monday night's game will be at Oracle Arena in Oakland where the Warriors are extremely hard to beat.  The Cavs will be trying every trick they know.   Warrior Draymond Green was suspended for 1 game for the fracas with Labron James at the end of regulation on Friday night.  He had been accumulating fouls and warnings and this contact brought on the suspension.  A key player in the warrior game plan, his absence will be felt across the lineup.  Coach Steve Kerr will do some pregame planning to account for this come Monday night.
Go Warriors.

Sergei Magnitsky back in News

    A docudrama is set to be shown at the Newseum in Washington, D.C.  The film has been created by a known documentarian.  The film has drawn protests and threats of lawsuits against various venues.  Hmmm.  What's going on here?  Will mr. Putin's name be attached somewhere to the controversy?  Apparently so.   Mr. Bill Browder, a former investor in things Russyan, is at the heart of the controversy as his name and reputation are both discredited in the film.   Mr. Magnitsky's widow is also involved as the crux of the film is a disagreement over the death of her husband while in Russyan FSB custody.   There's also the issue of the U.S.'s Magnitsky Act which imposed sanctions on Russyan businesses and certain Russyan individuals.
     Reminds me of certain facts explained the the book, "The Disciples", which chronicled post WW II activities in Berlin where Russyan troops began spying on their own allies before the ink was dry on Germany's surrender.

Mr. Putin: Meet Harry S. Truman

      Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin has probably never heard of the Man From Missouri.  But, maybe he has.  If he hasn't been aware before, he's aware now.  The U.S. Navy's aircraft carrier, the USS Harry S. Truman, has steamed through the Suez Canal and is setting up for operations in the eastern Mediterranean Sea.  Her complement of 75 fighter/bombers will conduct missions in support of rebel forces that oppose the al Assad regime in Syria, that regime that somehow Mr. Putin seems is worth preserving.  It can't be that it is because the Russyan Navy needs a refueling stop in the Levant because the Russyans could refuel in.....(pick a country-Turkey, Greece(needs $$$$), Egypt(needs money), Albania(needs money).
    There's also Libya, Tunisia, Morocco, Algeria, and Malta.  The beaches of Malta are nice.  There's also Cyprus and Crete.  And Sicily, too.  The Italian business climate is such that anything asked for will be provided.
     The Harry S. Truman and her crew of 5,000 sailors and pilots will certainly enjoy their visit to Homer's wine-dark sea.  And it's visit will supply the Russyan naval squadron an oppotunity to see a "real' Naval task force in action, just don't get too close, Vladimir.

Obama Greets Bernie Sanders at White House

      It had to happen:  Pres. Obama invites Sen.  Sanders to a private meeting at the White House.  This comes on the heels of Sen. Clinton's primary victories in 5 of Tuesday's elections.  The President evidently told Bernie that: 1) you ran a great campaign, 2) you forced the DNP to rethink their positions on about everything, 3) you singlehandedly rallied the under 30 voters to get out and vote, 4) you proved that a 74 year old politician can be vigorous and hardy on the campaign trail, giving hope to millions of seniors who want to enter politics.
     After the meeting, President Obama announce that he will hit the campaign trail with and on behalf of Hillary Clinton.  This will mark the first time in 100 years that a sitting president actively campaigned alongside a candidate in support.  It is a strategic move that will enhance the presumed Democratic party candidate, and send a message to Mr. Trump and his Republicans that it will be an uphill climb to win the White House come November.
     Now we get the spectacle of the selection of a running mate.  Who would attach themselves to Mr. Trump?  Chris Christie comes to mind, but he's already been tapped to be the transition team leader.  Maybe Mr. Trump's new friend, John McCain?  NO, not really.  Maybe he can shake an old governor out of a minor state somewhere.  Maybe Bobby Jindal.  Maybe Jeb Bush. Jeb who?  

25th Annual Bike Ride Around the Lake

     Thousands of amateur cyclists turned out for the classic Tour Around the Lake Ride this past Sunday.  Starting at stateline at South Shore, cyclists began the 72 mile loop at 7am.  Road closure at various places on State Highway 89 gave the athletes an extra margin of safety.
      In groups of 10 or more, clusters of colorfully costumed riders pursued the goal of completeing what some call the most beautiful ride in the world.  With slight variation, the elevation of the race stays at about 6200' +, or just about at the shoreline(slightly lower after the drought).
      Many participants took a leisurely approach to the trip, stopping at many water stations, or, as at Tahoma, stopping at our own PDQ for some snacks/water/Gatoraid.
      The age of riders covered all demographics: seniors, middle agers, college students, but no children for obvious reasons.
      The weather was perfect-not too cold, not too hot.   No accidents were reported, traffic moved almost without hindrance.
     A great springtime ride in the Sierra.

Golden State Warriors Ask: LeBron Who?

       Game 2 of the NBA finals, held in Oakland's Oracle Arena put the Cleveland Cavaliers in their place- that is, 2nd place.   Taking command early, all the Cavs could do was watch as the incredible Warrior offense took charge.
      The high motion, deliberate attack left the Cavs struggling to catch up as the lead was steadily increased to over 30 points at times.  Despite the best efforts of LeBron James, the anchor of the team, the Cavs couldn't catch the Golden State team.  Led by Draymond Green, the bench players of the Warriors put the end to any Cleveland hope of turning the game around.  MVP Steph Curry was often taken out which seemed to shatter the Cavs game plan as they didn't know who to watch and the defense obviously failed miserably as new faces took over for Thompson and Co.
     Now the teams return to Cleveland for games #3 and #4, hoping against hope they can rebound.  Now the Warriors' comeback victory over the Thunder takes on new meaning.  Was that, in fact, the NBA "true" final?   We'll wait until the finals are over, but it seems so.
Game 3 -June 8th Results Send Shockwaves
     Warriors get wake up call.  On a night that seemed it would never end, the Golden State Warriors were handed a thrashing by LeBron James and the Cleveland Cabaliers in front of a hometown crowd that whooped and hollered their approval.  The score was 120-90, and it wasn't that close.  LeBron and Kyrie were pumping in the goals from everywhere and thw Warrior defense seemed powerless to stop any of them.   Klay Thompson and Steph Curry coud not bring the Golden State team back from the hole they dug in the 1st quarter.  The tone was set early and never changed.  Maybe things will be different Friday night; but a Cavs team with new confidence will be tough to beat at home.  This will make the FINALS fun to watch.

Brown For Hillary Billary

         California's 3 term Democratic governor, Jerry Brown, came out yesterday is support of presumed party candidate Hillary Clinton.  He called for democrats to lock in their support for mrs. Clinton and for supporters of Bernie Sanders to come into the fold.   The last big primary contest in California is 1 week away, June 7th.
      At the same time, Mr. Brown took aim at presumed Republican Party candidate, Darn Old Trump, calling his statements ridiculous on their face.  He mentioned statements Trump has made regarding sending back 11 million illegal immigrants; the dismantling of the Affordable Care Act; and building a border wall along the Mexican border.
      Sen. Barbara Boxer also came out against Trump in support of Mrs. Clinton.  She called Mr. Trump a disaster for the country.
     Meanwhile, on the Trump front, billionaire Sheldon Addison made statements to the effect that he will form a super PAC that will support Mr. Trump in the general election in November.  In an apparent show of support for the controversial Trump, Mr. Adelson's support indicates a change in sympathy among Republican donors.
      Things will get interesting between now and November.  Stay tuned.