Italy: Is a Government in Crisis if Today's Action is a Repeat?

So, here we go again. The Italian Parliament decides to split off a minority party coalition. This coalition lwead by former PM, Matteo Renzi, the Pseudo Democrat(actually Communist Sympathizers). The former Mayor of Firenze in the Province of Tuscany, resigned as Premier a couple of years ago. The Premier for the last 17 months, Signor Conte, resigned yesterday when Renzi's group abandoned its support for an already weak government coalition. The issue: how would the goverb=nment best spend a flood of Euros being sent to the Southern Med countries to pump up an economy under severe stress caused by the Corona virus(Covid-19). The GDP of Italy is projected to retreat by 5+% this year. This estimate could be low. Other European countries are also suffering the effects of the pandemic. Couple these with the UK's Brexit move, and we have a Euro Zone under stress. President of Italy, Mr. Matarella, might have to call for new elections next month unless he can induce Parliament to form another coalition government that can survive in this economic downfall. Italy has endured a stagnant economyfor decades and thebgovernment has yet not been able to promote growth that is sustainable. Additionally, the problem of migrants landing on Italy'ssouthern shores has not inspired confidence among international investors. Centers of tourism such as Rome, Venice, Milan, Florence, and Naples have had tp adjust to a new "normal" as international travelers have canceled planned excursions to the historic sights. Locals, despite poor economic outlooks, have enjoyed small crowds, lower prices, and few tourists in the grat museums. Vaccinations have yet to be come commonplace. Long lines and spotty availability plague those wishing to get protection from the deadly virus. The W.H.O. has touted safety measures that can help, but the vaccine holds out the best hope for a turn around worldwide. Meanwhile, the E.U. shakes its collective head as Italy endures another political-incident? disturbance? weakness? You can call it anything. No doube, new elections soon. Don't forget to vote, and plaease, don't tell Putin and the FSB.

Ready, Set, SNOW

Well, here it comes: a 7'-10' foot dumping of powder. Wax your boards, skis, toboggans, discs, and whatever else one uses to go down the slopes. This could be the event of Winter 2021/2020. Don't miss out. Be ready. Have a ticket reservation; do what you have to do. This includes putting gas in the old jalopy; having your cables on; your backup generatot filled with gas and connected to your panel. And, not the least have a plan for the anticipated outages. Yes, there will be outages. Also, this week, more information on Meeks Bay Plan. seems like they have 4 options for locals to consider. Go to TRPA web site for info.

Russya Arrests Its Own

Protests in the largest country in the world, Russya, have resulted in mass arrests of Russyan citizens. During this pandemic, being confined is hazardous to one's health. This has been recognized around the world. Russya is obviously out of this WORLD. The protesters were activated by the Russyan police arrests of Alexsei Navalny upon his return from hospital in Berlin where he recovered from his poisoning by agents of the FSB who trailed him to Siberia in the frozens wastes of the east near Novosibirsk. Mr. Putin, former friend of POTUS, doesn't like opposition, especially opposition that doesn't cease and desist. Maybe Mr. Navalny will stop; maybe he will persist. Maybe the economic climate is becoming a burden to the average Russyan in the streets of the largest country in the world. Maybe the sanctions imposed by the "WEST" is having a deleterious effect on the Ruble, its value having declined over the past year. Maybe the poor Russyan is thinking that their country needs to engae the West and less engagement withe Dragon to the south. Hmmmmmm. Maybe the Chinese will save the Russyan economy and buy a 100 year lease of the eastern quarter of Russya so the Chinese will have the ability to grow more food for the population expansion that is occurring at this moment and shows no signs of slowing. What are the internationalists thinking? Nobody wants to think of what the new POTUS will do vis-a-vis China and Russya. But most people agree, things will not get better anytime soon, even if the new Secretary of State of the USA is a competent diplomat with excellent experience around the world. With new leadership in the USA, and the removal of the IDIOT-in-Chief will afford some relief to the world. Perhaps the pandemic will slowly disappear, and maybe not. Have a nice Monday.

Chinese Tech Companies Bef NYSE to Reconsider Delisting

Well, here they come: hats in hands, a group of Chinese tech company officials have requested the NYSE reconsider their delisting at the end of the month. Realizing the economic impact of the move on thie company's valuation, they beg to be allowed to sell their crap to gullible American investors. Now these are the same running dogs whp professed that they have every right to make accounting rules that diverge from GAAP, or generally accepted accounting rules subject to outside scrutiny by impartial auditors. Now we know what they really want: an excuse to keep their businesses safe from outside investigation that may expose: 1) partnership with the Communist Party, 2) control from Beijing,3) names of owners/principals, 4) conduct that rings of monopoly, 5) apparent theft of trade secrets and proprietary informatiom, 6) relationships with other state actors that quash competition w/i a given tech sector. We'll see what the Biden Administration decides to do, if anything, given its strong stance against Chinese geopolitical moves over the last 4 years andthe pivot of the prior administration to counter various Chinese efforts to move on to the international stage by buying and or leasing port facilities around the world, and creating airbase islands in the South China Sea. Keep focused on these dealings with Chinese Tech companies.

Navalny Supporters Detained by FSB

Two of Alexsei Navalny's supporters were detained this week by FSB police in Russya. Yes, Mr. Putin is keeping pressure up on all dissendent voices in the largest country in the world. The country that stretches from the Baltic Sea(Kalininburg) to the Pacific Ocean(Vladivostok/Amur River/ Bering Strait) has numerous problems, all of which have been magnified by the presence of the 21st century dictator: Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin- a self proclaimed leader who wants to lead the country forward to conform to his own vision of a country that is led by a modern Czar. How sad.

Weather Foerecast: Snow Snow Snow

Well, don't look now, but-winter will arrive tonight. Yes, that run of continuous snow days will finally give the basin some long awaited white stuff that will actually accumulate. * days of snow are forecast. Now how much is another story, but we'll take what we can. So, have your cables ready; get your head around difficult driving conditions; and be careful, especially when driving during a snow flurry. Don't become a casualty while driving to get a vaccination: one could negate the benefit of the other!

Grifter Administration Leaves DC

Finally, after 4 years of eager anticipation, the day of a transfer of power from Team Grifter to Team Honest and Competent. It is a lot easier to breathe today, everywhere in America: north, south, east and west. Even Alaskans and Hawaiians, and some Guamanians, Puerto Ricans, and Samoans. And , yes, some carolinians(N + S). The Orange Haired Grifter-in-Chief ordered special protection at taxpayer expense for most of his immediate family and other key supporters in his inner circle of toadies and boot lickers(Rudy, Jared, Ivanka, Miller, etc.). Never been done before. Hmmm. Some people never change. It was a nice day in the capitol city: good weather, small crowd, joyful and happy. About time.

Lady Gaga in DC

The Queen of Pop-Lady Gaga sings today at the ceremony in DC. And Jennifer Lopez!

Hail to the Thief

The band played music for Trump as he exited the scene. Hail to the Chief, a traditional tune, and the small band of followers smiled as the departing Chief leaves DC. No loss, Trash.

Goodbye, Donald, Hello, Joe

He's gone, thankfully. And soon to be remembered as the Worst President in American history. It will take years to uncover the damage he did and to fix it. Joe has his work cut out for him. And Congress will be busy: they have work to do. And Sen. Mitch McConnell will have to decide: shall we impeach the bum a 2nd time, or bury the insect with history of 4 rotten years, capped by a pandemic aggravted by an incompetent boob whose brain has yet to be discovered. Where will Trump live? Nobody knows, and only a few idiots care to know. Better yet, where will Melania live? Probably nowhere close to the Boob. Have you seen the list of pardons and commutations? A few surprises, but not really. He capped his dishonest presidency with a sop to some of his old supporters and fund raisers who were convicted or almost convicted of various plots and schemes before and during the last 4 years. Historians will have lots of research to accomplish over the next 50-100 years to understand how such a worthless turd could rise to the top elected official position in the West. The Goat says he will be back in some "form": perhaps a worm, a bat, a bacteria?

Tahoma Will Receive Its Share of Stimulus Funds

As the largest community on the West Shore, the Mayor expects a tidal wave of government checks to begin arriving in town soon. Tahoma Market will see an upsurge in buiness as locals deposit their checks and then hit the bricks to begin spending, spending, and more spending. Perhaps a few will go skiing; perhaps some will drive to see Grandma in Reno, or CArson City. Whatever they decide, the dollars will make a difference. maybe some of it will go the the CAlifornia lottery as it nears a billion dollars. Hmmm. Wouldn't that be nice? Can you imagine the dreamers sitting around speculating on how they would live and spend with the billion dollar lottery jackpot? Even a few conservatives who never buy lottery tickets(they don't join Super Bowl pools either) will spend a buck just to be in the "game". The Mayor never buys a lottery ticker: he pays enough income tax as it is, and, truth be told, the lottery is an income tax disguised as a game-Georg Orwell was right.

Stimulus CHecks:SOON?

Pres. Joe Biden has earmarked billions to flood the country next week. $600 dollar checks were too little; another $1400 will stimulate the economy. Yes, saysNobel winning economist PAul Krugman. And then, start fixing everything else.

Gov. Newsom-Nuisance- Has Flubbed the VAccination Roll Out

True to form, Gov. Gavin Newsom has given the state pathetic response to the pandemic. CAlifornia has become ground zero in new cases and deaths for America. In Southern CAlifornia where most citizens reside, 1 in 20 people have become infected. His response: vaccinate more prisoners and enlarge the eligible cohort to include all those over age 65. Are you nuts? Counties are already struggling with the situation and now you throw this bomb into the laps of these health professionals. Who advises this buffoon? More buffoons. The state health director is probably pulling his hair out. We know that the vaccine(s) have only been distributed in limited amounts. We also know that the Trump adminitration lies about everything, even the vaccine(s). So, really, nobody knows how much is available or how much has been given out to the states. Gavin Newsom is still thinking that his early moves in MArch will play the same in JAnuary,2021. Wrong. People are tired of the mishmash of plans and the constant changes, the lack of progress to control the spread, the school closures that we know are the results of tradeoffs with the powerful teachers union, and the influence of the Democratic Party. Now, we must accept the scenario of incarcerated, convicted murderers are higher on the vaccination ladder than the taxpayers in the community waiting for their turn. In San Quentin, most of the prisoners have been infected and survived. Much of the staff has also been infected and survived. So, they are effectively safe. But, the Stae (Gov, Newsom) has decided they, the prisoners are a top priority. Who thinks like this? Democrats , of course. Maybe by the end of the year, some of the taxpayers will be vaccinated.

Tahoe Weather: Different

So, forecasters have decided to anticipate some snow. Really? Well, maybe. Late this week several small systems are due to tickle the Sierra and give us a little hope that winter is still here. Anyone flying east and west can see that there's very little snow on the ground anywhere. Sad, really. Is it just part of the cycle? Or something greater? Looking into the future is always a dubious business, especially weatherwise. Unusual weather has been with us for the past few weeks, culminating ina week of high temperatures and strong , dry winds. Winters have come late before; if we are lucky, winter 2021 will arrive a little late.

48 More Hours of Trump Scum

Amidst rising concern in the Washington, D.C. area, security forces have taken over the nation's capitol. 20,000 + National Guard troops have descended on the City and placed most of the Federal ground under restriction and closed most areas to the public. WHy? Well, the supporters of the departing megalomaniac Trump have made their positions clear: he's our man, no matter he's a L O S E R. The end of 4 years of international disgust is finally here. The supremely incompetent scumbag will depart on Thursday. To where-nobody's talking. Maybe Sen. Josh Hawley, the evangelical nut case will join up with Trumpy in Florida; or maybe Hawley will induce Trump to join his followers inMissouri, site of many a Trumpster. The national nightmare will end. President elect Joe Biden will be inaugarated, and maybe the country can start the healing process. It shouldn't take too long: think about waking up in the morning after a nightmare: one shakes off the grim details, thinks briefly about the particulars, and then a new day. Americans are resilient and will demonstrate such characteristics as 2021 moves ahead. Perhaps the vaccination plan will move more quickly as a new plan, as opposed to "no plan", takes effect. Wouldn't that be nice? The departing idiot will go down as the worst chief executive to have ever served in the White House, a well deserved reputation. An absolute disgraceful period in American history. The underlying causes of his rise to power will remain, but at least these causes can be dealt with by knowledgeable leaders who know something, unlike the scum appointed by Trump. It has been a sad period of inward thinking, and perhaps now that it's over, the country will start a period of thoughtful renewal.

FSB Arrests Russyan Opposition Leader

Alexsei Navalny, the leader of the opposition inside Russya, was arrested at an airport near Moscova when he arrived by plane from Berlin. His group advised his followers when and where he would arrive. He knew that Mr. Putin, dictator for life of the largest country on the planet, would take certain steps to send a message. The first move was a last minute change in the flight plan; instead of landing atthe main international airport, Navalny's plane was redirected to an obscure airport outside the city. Second, when Mr. Navalny stepped onto the tarmac, he was promptly taken into custody by security police and held in a state jail. Third, he was charged with a violation of parole conditions because he hadn't reported in as required since he left Russya last August. Don't you just love those dictators Russyan. They go out of their way to tell the world what it's like to be Russyan: "we want everybody the world over to think we are worthless turds who cannot live without antagonizing everybody else on the planet". My ,my: who writes the script? I'd like to meet him. So, Mr. Navalny will spend his first month in jail while his lawyers go through the phony legal system until the Kremlin decides when to spring himm, again. A fine, modern, Russyan game. Never mind that Mr. Navalny beat the murder attempt only because the pilot of the plane on which he took deathly ill decided to divert and land at the closest airport to seek medical help which saved his life. Where's the pilot? He deserves a medal. Of course, he's probably lost in Siberia, wondering what just happened.

NYSE Delists 3 More Chinese Companies

In a reversal of decisions, the New York Stock Exchange announced it would delist 3 Chinese Tech companies from the major stock market in the US. American investors will no longer be allowed to trade in shares of the 3 companies, all involved in the technology field. They join several others who have been targeted by the Trump Administration. This serves to address ongoing trade disputes with the Chinese government.

Huawei Executive Living the Life in British Columbia

Meng Zhengua, the CFO of Huawei, and daughter of the founder, has been under arrest in Vancouver for over 2 years, waiting on extradition demands from the US Dept. of Justice. She's lives in a luxurious mansion and is allowed to go shopping and to eat out at expensive restaurants. Her husband and 2 children have been allowed to visit until February, 2021. We know the wheels of justice move slowly, but this stretches the credibility of any system. Where is the justice? When will justice be served? The world waits, and waits, and waits. On the flip side of the coin, the 2 Canadian citizens arrested China in retaliation for the arrest of Ms. Meng are not allowed shopping, family visitations, or any comforts at all. They are living a hell that is the situation of all Chinese prisons. As noted by our Minister of Asian Affairs who visited many prisons, life for the guilty "criminal" is not pretty by any measure. One does not want to violate any law in China. Hence the wariness of all its citizens: always looking over their respective shoulders.

Chinese Professor Arrested at M.I.T.-Connected to Beijing

The long tentacles have reached across America from Beijing-again. This time to the academic halls of the most prestigious university in the USA: Massachusetts Institute of Technology. In particular, a professor of nanotechnology, a 56 year old naturalized American citizen. Hmmmm. And how and why did this individual attain such lofty heights in such a short time. The M.I.T. board has some explaining to do. The F.B.I. made a few comments, essentially to underscore the continuing efforts by China to steal our technology to assist Beijing in overtaking America as the leader in the world of high technology. A spokesman for the F.B.I. said that of 5000 cases being worked on rtoday, 2500 of them are from China. Hmmm. Mr. Biden: you have your work cut out for you. Good luck, and don't forget where the virus came from: Wuhan, Hubei Province, in a wet market.

Italy Arrests 325 : Most Number of Mafia Defendents in over 35 Years

In the southern region of Calabria, a southwest coast province, police opened a trial against 325 alleged local Mafia members with charges of murder, extortion, bribery and other crimes against the state. Included were local politicians, bureaucrats, and businessmen of various types. Arrests were made in many locations, including foreign countries that were part of the drug trafficking network operated by members of the Mancuso crime family, thwe richest, most dangerous organization in all of Europe. In addition to drug trafficking, the crime family had vast real estate holdings developed by forcing the sale of desired properties among owners across the coountry, especially in Calabria. The crime family, known as the "Ndragheta, has replaced what was once the exclusive territory if the Sicilain mafia mob, largely broken up in the '80's. The Calabrian branch of the mob eventually took over as the head of the vast crime syndicate. Authorities say theat most of the illegal drugs flooding through Europe come through Calabrian ports. Using immigrants, low level soldiers(members), they were able to create integrated networks of distribution linked with other organizations in the EU. The Chief Federal prosecuter, Nicola Gratteri, has been an opponent of the "Ndrangheta for years. Arrests were made in Bulgaria, Germany, Switzerland, and Italy. The organization was headquartered in the city of Vito Viterbia on the west coast of Calabria, not too far from the airport of Lemezia terme, built about 25 years ago and serves European travelers who find the unspoiled beaches of the south coast very attractive compared to those in Spain, France, and Italy's east coast(vic.Rimini), often jam packed in August. Mr. Gratteri, under police protection for decades, says that the trial could last years. Unfortunately, many of the accused will be set free during the trial period according to Italian law which allows quite a bit of latitude when it comes to pre-trial detention. On the other hand, an accused can be held for years before a court hearing that justifies the charges. The Italian courts operate differently than American courts, as was noted in the case of Amanda Knox, accused and acquitted of murder charges after spending over 4 years in pretrial incarceration. All of this legal work gets put on future calenders, which generally change, according to the whims of prosecuters, defense lawyers, witnesses, and other parties involved. It remains the anchor that stalls progress across Italy.

Alexsei Navalny Announces His Return to Moskova

Opposition leader, Alexsei Navalny, announced that he will return to Russya as soon as possible from Berlin, where he has been recovering from a poisoning by agents of the FSB who followed him to Siberia last summer and gave him Novichuk, a deadly nerve agent manufactured by Russyan state military labs. He messaged his supporters asking them to meet his party at the airport when he arrives. The Kremlin announced that police units might arrest him upon his arrival for violating his parole from past infractions of the "law", what ever that is in Russya(basically, whatever Putin says it is). So, we'll have a little mashup among our Russyan friends, former friends of the Trumpster. The Trumster is on his way out the door, which effectively, puts an end to the Bromance between Trump and Putin, an obscene sendup from various media outlets that like to trumpet the various statements made by the two buffoons. Russya will now have to deal with Joe Biden: not the same animal as the one he is replacing. Thankfully, we won't have to deal with the absurdities of Republican diplomatic efforts(aka Pompeo Plan). The new Secretary of State may actually know something of diplomacy. We'll see, won't we?

Trump on the Way O-U-T

It can't happen soon enough. The clock is ticking on the tenure of the most bizarre president in American history. This pathetic excuse somehow survived for 4 years in a role he prepared for by hosting a game show on TV. The results speak for themselves: his White House stay was nothing more than an extension of his role on the game show. History will mark his tenure as an aberration or worse: a presidency marked by not one but two impeachment trials. We'll all find out in the next day or so whether he will be tried a 2nd time. Hopefully, this will happen, no matter that Joe Biden will be inaugurated on the 20th of January, a week from now. The DC riot inspired by the Clown has sent a chill across the nation. The question remains: Who are these people? Has anybody taken a poll? What group of analysts is working on the definition of the crowd members? Hmmm. Time will tell, especially after all those arrested stand trial and are punished for crimes committed on Federral property. They won't like the results.

Hong KOng Police Arrest American Lawyer

Chinese police arrested an elderly American lawyer in Hong Kong yesterday. The 70+ year old individual, a long time resident of the former British colony was arrested, then taken to his law offices where his records were searched and confiscated before he was taken to an undisclosed location for incarceration. The man, John Clancey, was apprehended under the vague national Security LAw imposed on Hong Kong last year by Beijing Communists. He has been active in the pro-democracy groups that have become a thorn in the side of Beijing politicians. He worked for a firm founded by Albert Ho, a vetran pro-democracy leader in Hong Kong. His arrest came as part of a larger sweep of pro-democracy advocates across the city. Many of those arrested were involved in putting forward pro-democracy candidates for upcoming elections in the former colony. Mr. Clancey was the treasurer of a group Power for Democracy. He is also the chairman of the Asian Human Rights Commission and an executive committee member of the Human Rights Lawyers Concern Group. While practicing law in HK, Mr. Clancey specialized in medical malpractice and personal injury suits. He was admitted to the solitors ranks in HK in 1997. The American Embassy in Beijing has not commented on his situation at this time. Ahhh, China.

Steph Curry Sets Personal Record

The Golden State Warriors are back in action. Now we have a reason to turn on the screen. The Warriors were playing the Portland TrailBlazers. Hmmm. It would prove interesting; playing in a venue w/o fans-that's a little different. Cameramen were not scanning fans for the "cute" fan op. On the court, Steve Kerr's team was making a go of working with a new, young(19) rookie who could be a future star if he lives up to potential and is given ample time to develop an NBA-level skill set. Last evening, the rookie had an opportunity to observe up close the skill set of a veteran star who is the face of the Warriors: Steph Curry put on a clinic for the youngster. Mr. Curry demonstrated from the beginning that there's more to the game than putting the ball through the hoop. One might say Mr. Curry demonstrated how to move: ball and man, in a confined space, utilizing all physical attributes of one's own and, here's the rub: those of his teammates. Over the last several seasons, it has become clear that Coach Kerr has welded this team together as one unit. They play in an orchestrated fashion that frustrates defensive efforts by opponents and creates the space for the Warriors to cash in the talent currently on the court during a contest. Mr. Curry exemplifies the coach's vision of a team effort. Last night, January 3, 2021, the Warriors were determined to perform at a high level. Clay Thompson is out for the season with a torn Achilles tendon. He did not even make the opener. Draymond Greene, the defensive expert, and player assist guru, was back on the court after sitting out earlier games. It soon became evident that Curry was going to make a big difference that night. By the end of the 1st quarter, he had accummulated 21 points. This gave notice that he was "hot" and it could be a special night for the lad. Coach Kerr knows about resting his stars, and sat Curry down several minutes during the half, playing less than 18 mins. The Warriors had taken an early lead, and Curry began a formidable run. His prior best score was 54 points. By the 4th qtr start, it appeared he would surpass even that lofty number. With more than a minute to go, he had reached 62 points, a personal best. He sat down with a big smile on that baby face. All his points came during his 36 minutes of court time. His teammates gave him accolades more than deserving his achievement. Interesting, his points from the foul line were also a personal record: 19 points from the free throw line. His 3-pointers were beautiful to watch as they came from every angle. He also took opportunities down the lane as he drove to the basket with grace and determination, despite Portland's defensive effort. It was a terrific game to watch, and will be long remembered by all.