Two Parisiennes in Tahoma

       Well, it's summer and Tahoma is a visitor's paradise: sun, water, mountains, not too crowded, pleasant nights.   So, as Tahomans, we expect to meet visitors from all over the world who have read about our magnificent alpine setting and all its amenities.
       While in the office(IFO, actually), I met two lovely visitors who were stopping for an espresso at our local coffee port: Where We Met.  Rafaelle and Oriane are on a cross country driving tour of the entire USA!  What ambition!  What luxury!  How European!   They have started their odyssey on the East Coast and have been crisscrossing the  continent, checking out this great continent east -to-west.
     They are heading south today to San Francisco, the City they have only read and heard about.  The Mayor was able to give them lots of tips on their impending visit.  They were looking for an economical hotel/motel/hostel, but agreed that prices were high.  I suggested they stay on the fringe, perhaps in Marin county where they could find a decent motel near the Golden Gate ferry and use the boat to go to and from the city.  They are driving a Subaru so can get around easier than those w/o a car.
        I offered to give them some Sonoma county Pinot that I had bottled 2 years ago, and they came to the house to meet the deputy Mayor and enjoy a little Lake Tahoe hospitality.   They marveled at the lake Sotto Mare ristorante where fresh fish is the favorite choice.  They in turn, suggested I try "La Pharmacie" when I next visit Paris.   I certainly will.

Eagle Falls at Emerald Bay

view from the deck and were most appreciative of the wine.  I also suggested they forego Napa Valley for the Russian River area: less crowded, better wine, better prices.   I also suggested they visit North Beach in the City, perhaps also to enjoy a meal at Rich Azzolino's
      They departed the neighborhood with wine in their bag, south bound to the City by the Bay, smiling as they expressed the thought that Americans continue to impress them wherever they stop to visit.
     Viva La France.
 

Giants Continue Their Slide

     Well, it's been confirmed: the SF Giants are holding on to the worst record of the franchise since coming west in 1957.  They are now 30 games out of first and there are 60 games to go.   It's all about pitching or the lack of it.
     Last night, pitcher matt Cain gave up a couple of runs early which set his mood.  Then, after an error at 3rd base, 4 unearned runs for Pittsburgh crossed the plate and their fate was sealed.
     Bruce Bochy was ejected after protesting a variety of umpire calls.  It was definitely a move of frustration on his part and the umpire.
     Next year.

Poland Dodges EU Trouble

       The Polish President, Mr. Duda, vetoed the bill of parliament to dissolve the Supreme Court to allow new appointments.  The country has been in uproar since the proposed change in judicial independence was put forth by the president's party.   Whether this is a permanent position or a temporary setback remains to be seen.
       The people do not want to regress to conditions when the Soviet Union was their neighbor with all its issues.  Perhaps the current Russyan administration is working behind the scenes to influence eastern European governments to interrupt the movement to increase the power of Germany, etc. in the Balkans.
       With Turkey beginning to look like a Russyan satellite, Poland does not want to become a client state of Mr. Putin or Mr. Erdogan of Turkey.   Who would want that?  Why, nobody with a brain.

Cascade Falls-July 25th, 2017

Emerald Bay

        The Mayor got an early start to beat the crowds.  Parking at the Bayview Trail head gets tight during summer months as visitors descend on this particular site, given its notoriety and proximity to South Lake Tahoe city.   We were able to park wherever we wanted at 8am.
       We packed some water and off we went.  We knew it was a short hike, but rocky and uphill most of the way to the falls.   In about 45 minutes we could hear the water as it moved down the cliffs of Desolation Wilderness into Cascade Lake on its way to Lake Tahoe.   The sun was up and quite warm without a breeze.    We were alone on the much traveled  path as we traversed the granite faced walls on the uphill side of the path.   Cascade Lake was on our left.
      We approached the falls with trepidation, but, there wasn't much to avoid as most of the snow melt was in the old channel carved by years of runoff from up above. 

Cascade Falls w/ Lake  in background

       We circled around until we found a good spot for some photos(see above).  This was a great day to start with a hike to a new spot.   Quite a bit of snow remains up above so the falls will be running for a few more weeks. 
      On the way back to Tahoma we stopped at the Taylor Creek Visitor Center.  A summer trail crew was hard at work clearing brush next to the paths.   Several groups of students were in the Stream profile, one of the few in the entire area, or maybe the only one.   Not a lot of fish in evidence, but a few mature trout enjoying the rest stop.
      Get there early.

Venezuela: From Bad to Worse

      We know what bad looks like: see Iraq and Afghanistan.  We know what trouble looks like: see Egypt, Turkey, Lebanon, Israel.  And we know what pain looks like: see Libya, Sudan, South Sudan, and Mexico.   This is not a complete list: many other names could be added in each category.  When we move our gaze to Latin America, one nation stands alone among the rest: Venezuela.
      Chaos reigns supreme in the post-Chavez era dominated by his hand-picked successor, Nicolas Maduro.  The problems encountered there by the population are legion and the effects leave a grim landscape of government soldiers opposed by anxious, hungry citizens demanding change in the form of a new government.  Maduro and his henchmen have turned to force and violence to intimidate the opposition and to suppress all dissent.   He is following the program fostered by his Communist supporters: the Cubans of Raul Castro's regime who are on the ground in Venezuela leading the government's position of continued dictatorial control.
      The oil rich nation has descended into a state of violence: crime is rampant; citizens are sslowly starving as food becomes more scare everyday.  Citizens that can are fleeing to neighboring Colombia to find refuge and food, not to mention safety and security.  How long can this continue?  Without leadership, without a plan for resolution, without external support of the people, the current situation will descend into uncontrolled violence and misery.   International organizations such as the UN and the O.A.S. have stood on the sidelines for too long.  The other Latin American countries are struggling to cope as best they can without stepping into the maelstrom.   They face the prospect of being directly affected by the spillover of Maduro's repression against his people.  The USA is obviously concerned, but with the current administration in political difficulty and the Secretary of State being scrutinized for his business with Russya before his appointment, it seems the giant of the North will not be stepping into the Venezuelan problem anytime soon.
     The world watches and waits.

Eagle Falls: July 2017

       Drove by Emerald Bay yesterday and could not help notice the water cascading down the face of Eagle Falls.   Normally, at this time of year-mid-summer, the falls are a mere trickle,at best.  But after this past winter, the falls are flush, putting on an impressive display of white water and spray as this link between Eagle Lake and Emerald Bay continues to delight visitors to the popular overlook.
     This section of Highway 89 was closed to through traffic for much of last winter: danger of avalanche and falling rocks was too extreme and Cal Trans elected to avoid the added hazard of keeping the road open with plowing and sanding the surface.
      Parking is always an issue at this time of summer and visitors are advised to be patient and go early for best viewing.

Burning Man 2017

Have tickets?

Tahoe Cedars: Gone But not Forgotten

      Long time Tahoma landmark, the cozy Tahoe Cedars resort has been demolished by developers.  The cluster of building on the lake side of Highway 89 were constructed of local stone in a style reminiscent of frontier cabins from the 18th and 19th centuries.   The long time owners retired over 10 years ago and sold to a willing buyer.  That buyer sat on the property and resold the resort to another party for about 4x what he paid the retiring couple.   The property then sat untouched for almost 6 years.  Now, action.
      The ultimate result is not readily available, but think $$$$$$$ expensive.  One more reason to believe that Lake Tahoe will soon be home to 1%-ers.  The lavishly over paid technocrats who dominate California's business landscape and the Democrats in Sacramento seem more than willing to support no matter what.
     As citizens have found out in Seattle, Washington, that policy of appeasement is not always in the best interest of locals.
      based on information received from our reliable source in Tahoma, 6 homes will be built on the site.   Three will be lake fronts, and three more near Highway 89.   $6 million is a figure thrown around for each house on the shore; less for those uphill.  Hmmmmm.  Who will be buyers?

Bears on MOve

     Rangers at Sugar Pine State campground report an increase in bear sightings in the camp.  In the last week, there were 32 incidents, most dealing with the bruins walking through the camp sites.  Two incidents involved food foraging among campers' stash of edibles.
    Be careful: they are animals and they live here.

Smoke in the Basin

   If it's summer, there will be smoke.   So, from Monday until yesterday, heavy smoke over the lake reduced visibility to about a mile.   The source was probably the Butte Fire down the hill in the northern Sacramento Valley.   The Mariposa Fire, near Yosemite, could also be a factor given its size and location.   That fire has spread over 75000 acres.
      Today, the weather is perfect: clear and warm, no smoke.   The Mayor just returned from Truckee after dropping off the Minister of Aviation who is travelling to Oshkosh, WI to attend the annual aviation convention that draws a half million pilots, engineers, and historians who hope to stay up with the latest innovations in aircraft, technology, and discuss all the latest problems in the business.  Hopefully, some of the airlines will be present to listen to their clients who are generally disgucted with everything to do with commercial aviation which has turned against all passengers in the name of profits over comfort and ease of travel.  He'll be piloting his own plane, stopping enroute to refuel and rest.  His two companions, also pilots, will enjoy a nice trip.

Farmers Market at Commons Beach

      On Thursdays, from 8am-1pm, Commons Beach will be hosting the summer Farmers market.  A great success since it began, farmers from down the hill arrive early and offer fine produce from our bountiful Sacramento Valley.  Take advantage; get healthy, organic foods for your family.  Enjoy the event.
    Thursdays for the rest of summer.

Lake Tahoe Rec Center Closed

     Our local recreation center, the venerable Rideout Center is now closed.  The school district in Tahoe City has leased the building for 2 years during the construction of the new school.  Programs run there will resume in 2 years.
Other news
     Concerts at Commons continue every Sunday @4pm-free.

     MOvies at Commons every Wednesday at dusk.

     Summer Camps at Skylandia, Swim Team, Swim Lessons, and the Sailing Program all have opening for local youths.
     Check them out.

Info provided by Tahoe City Utility Dist.www.tcpud.org

Fanny Bridge Update
    Work has begun on the new bridge and round about near the old bridge. Check this site for updates.www.FannyBridge.org

Tahoe City Golf course celebrates 100 years of Golf this summer.  Check it outwww.golftahoecity.com

TCPUD announced that the director, Cindy Gustafson is retiring after 26 years.  Good luck, Cindy.

Our Lake-July With Snow on Peaks

Turkey Spends Dollars For More Propaganda

       The Turkish Government has been boosting the economy in the USA with more direct investments, especially in the print media.  In the WSJ, the country has taken out full page ads, enticing investors with glowing descriptions of the country.  The ads praise the business environment and its potential.
       In the NY Times, the country added a supplement to the weekend edition that had pages dedicated to various topics covering a broad overview of Turkey and its people.  The key word sprinkled throughout the ads was: democracy.  Ha ha ha-democracy, that old Greek concept.   Who needs it now: not us.   Oh, wait, we are a democracy.  Or maybe we were a democracy.  What is a democracy?  What are we-a dictatorship?  A constitutional theocracy?  An oligarchy?  What's a Kurd?   None of the ads mentioned the Kurds.  Do they even exist in Turkey?  What about the refugees from Syria?  Syria.  What's a Syria?
      Recep Erdogan, the president, or chief executive, is struggling in his role as head Turk.   Last year an attempted coup upset his apple cart of government.  Since then, things have changed in the country that is a member of NATO.   It wants to join the EU, but the EU has been a bit difficult of late.  Something about human rights in the Turk country.   Since the coup failed, the government has been on a tear to root out plotters, a great game.
     Now the entire population waits for the midnight knock on the door.  "Who is It?"  "Goldilocks?"  "MIckey MOuse?"   "Barbarella?"   Tens of thousands of citizens have lost their jobs.   Thousands more have been arrested and held w/o charges.   Hmmm.  Where have we heard of this before?  Up the street in our fave country run by Mad Vlad?   Or across the Himalayas where Xi rules?  Or down the street where Bashar al Assad gasses his own people?
      Maybe the C.I.A. is really running Turkey.   Does Erdogan know?   What about his arch enemy:
Fatullah Gulen, the resident of Pennsylvania that Erdogan accuses of just about everything that's wrong with Turkey.   Paranoia runs deep in Istanbul.
    Don't answer the door, ever.

Chinese Nobel Laureate Dies

       A pro- Democracy advocate died Wednesday after his release from prison.  He had liver cancer and was refused medical treatments that may have helped his condition.  Such is the life and death of a protester in China.  China is not a place that allows individuals or groups for that matter to speak out against the state.  In other words the Chinese are hard core Communists.  Or Commies as we like to say in the States.   Many other countries around the world know this; it is not a secret.  The modern history of the country, its people, and its politics are well known.  Most recently,  Mr. Xi, the current leader, has been running about the globe promoting China as the place/country of the future.  The conditions in China have improved, if you will, (if not incarcerated)for the general population.  Apple has improved its business by selling iphones there by the millions.  But, human rights remain a serious problem.   Mr. Liu, the Nobel prize winner, had been arrested and put in prison for his political position.  His wife has also been in prison.   It's not a pretty picture.  Mr. Liu was 61 years old.   At the time of the Tiananmen Square protests in 1989, he was only 30, but not afraid of the all powerful state of the Communist government.
      Needless to say, the press coverage is not favorable to Mr. Xi and company.

Book Review: Hue 1968, Mark Bowden, Author

     49 years after the fact, a compelling story is told in a book by an experienced journalist and prolific writer.  The book was 5 years in the making as the author conducted intensive interviews of many of the surviving participants from both sides of the conflict.  Both sides included heavily armed, well-trained infantrymen: the North Vietnamese Army on the invaders side, and the ARVN soldiers and American Marines on the other.  The dates included January 31, 1968 to February 25, 1968.  The battle was fought house-to-house in the large built-up city that housed 140,000 civilians.  
     Other books have been written about this urban battle.  Eric Hammell, a noteworthy historian, wrote his book about 30 years ago, almost before the smoke dissipated.   The late writer, Keith William Nolan, wrote several histories concerning Vietnam battles, including Hue City.  None pursued the topic like Mark Bowden.  Mr. Bowden had the benefit of time; time to absorb the conflict and its ultimate ending, with Communist forces taking over the entire country, unifying the two halves under one flag; one Communist flag.
      Initially, the Marine commander(s) and the MACV commander, Gen. William Westmoreland, did not have enough information to respond adequately to what turned out to be the longest siege of a city during the entire war.   The battle was the most important of all the battles during the Tet Offensive of 1968.  Carefully planned and meticulously carried out, the fighting in Hue began with clandestine infiltration of the city by soldiers disguised as civilians.  As locals prepared for the holiday period, many ARVN military members went home to be with their family.   A truce was declared that would make the prepositioning of attackers even easier.  On January 31st, the NVA made their intentions known by bombarding key facilities in the city and sending troops to those locations to set up control points and make an impression on the local civilian population.   Part of the Communist strategy included an uprising of local support for the northern attacking groups.
      Word of the attack was slow to reach the Marine at his headquarters in Phu Bai, a few miles south of the city.   The first response was a single rifle company: A Co., 1st Batt/ 1st Marine Regt.  They barely reached the southern outskirts when they were hit with concentrated fire and mortar barrages, accepting many casualties in the first minutes.
      Soon, it was a battle royal as the ARVN commander's HQ became surrounded and under intense pressure.
       By the time the city was again under control of the South Vietnamese army and the US Marines,
thousands of civilians had been killed, many singled out because of their local roles and because they worked for the Marines or the government in Saigon(Ho Chi Mihn City).
      The political impact of the battle reached across the Pacific all the way to the White House, where Lyndon B. Johnson wrestled with the rising tide of home front dissent against the war, and his own inner conflict as he searched in vain for a solution.   He decided a few weeks after the battle to withdraw his name from the ballot for the upcoming presidential election in November.
      The NVA withdrew temporarily to their Laotian rest areas, and regrouped before launching their Spring Offensive in late April.
      Mr. Bowden deserves great credit for incorporating the stories of many citizens of Hue who survived to tell their story and to the military leaders of the NVA who survived to tell their stories.  He weaves these personal accounts together to give the reader the most complete picture of the conflict to date.  Despite the 50 year gap, the stories are told with fresh insight gleaned from documents, books, and memoirs unknown just a few years ago.

5 Stars-*****: worth the time and the money.

Google Dealt a Financial Setback in EU

      After years of investigations, innumerable discussions and meetings among principals on both sides, the EU finance directorate issued a decision against the American company Alphabet, parent of Google, the internet search giant that has billions of users worldwide.   A fine of $2.6 billion seems like a lot of money to most wage earners, and even a few politicians.  But for Google, it might just represent another cost of doing business abroad.
      Who can pay such a fine?  Who decided on the final amount?   Where does the money go after it is paid- to the EU itself for dividing up as it sees fit?  Or to be distributed among the injured parties whose businesses were damaged by Google's practices?  These questions will be answered.  In the meantime, the lawyers will have great fun scrambling to make this EU decision more palatable either by elimination or significant reduction.
     The EU is not about making a difficult environment for business, but it is about leveling the playing field for all.  In America, it seems, the anti-trust movement has been slowed to a crawl as financial giants reign over the nation and its economy.  After the 2008 financial crisis, the enactment of the Dodd-Frank law(s), and the rebound of the economy,  Congress has been slow to contain any industrial consolidations that might appear to be monopolies.
      The November election of 2016 has diverted attention from recent trends in the nation's finances.  Congress has committed to changing many of former President Obama's policies, namely, the Affordable Healthcare Act(ObamaCare).   That task has stalled as Republican members of the Senate evaluate their positions and gauge success in midterm elections next year.   While at recess right now,  the Senate will get back to work next week, facing a bruising battle among fence sitters and opponents of the weak plan to replace ObamaCare.  
    Good luck, Mitch McConnell.
      Will Google end up paying?  Good question, as yet unanswered.   Nobody likes to throw money away, especially to a government body not your own.  Will the EU's position wake up resentments among US corporations?  Yes, and no.   Many American businesses would agree that Google is too powerful and has not been dealt with appropriately by regulators.   Time will tell if this current action by the EU is just the beginning or a one off.