Book Review: Man's Hope, Andre' Malraux, a novel of the Spanish Civil War

      In 1937, the French government sent Andre' Malraux to Republican Spain to assist the elected government with aviation assets that were sent from the neutral French government.  He was not a pilot nor an aeronautical engineer; he was an agent acting as an adviser on use and disposition of said assets.  The Spanish Civil War lasted about 3 years; the effects are still felt throughout Spain.  World War II followed almost immediately, and that history shoved the Civil War into history's closet.  The country was run by the victor(s): Gen. Franco who ruled as the dictator for the next 34 years until 1974 when he died. His groomed successor immediately moved to a democratic government and shoved Franco's legacy into the garbage dump.

       Historians have struggled with this topic: who won?; who lost?  who were the participants?  Answers are difficult to parse, and the subject matter was not made into a "hot topic".  While WW II did not officially affect neutrality of Spain, it was a pass through for more than a few Allied pilots who were shot down over European fields and assisted by Spanish civilians on their trip back to England.  A notable participant as a soldier was George Orwell, and he is the one writer most folks read to understand all the factions involved, including those future belligerents: Germany, Italy, and Russya(Stalin & Co.).

         To read Malraux is to involve oneself in details relevant to understanding much of the politics that eventually led to war.  Franco was abroad, in north Africa with his army.  He could not be effective at all unless he was on the mainland.  He had a logistics problem: no means of transport for his army and its needed munitions, rations, and heavy arms.  Then, here comes help in the form of troop carriers that could crossover the Strait of Gibralter to deposit a trained legion of well led soldiers.  The rest is history.

San Francisco Gets Roughed Up, Again.

        So, a court decision is rendered that has upset some Woke folks here and there.  This is the impetus for some woke folks to hit the streets, ala Portland.  Hey, let's go to Union Square, stage a demonstration.  Meet at Post and Powell, park in front of Louis Vuitton.  Make some noise.  Hmmmm.  Maybe, just maybe, the City's response may have been different than those responses of the past.  This time: the local police were waiting for the culprits/gangsters/mobsters/punks/thieves/crooks/thugs/ ghetto snipes, social media-theft ravers.  As they smashed the windows of the store, others shoved their way past them, and after clubbing a few employees, started loading up on posh merchandise(Christmas is coming).  Bags, wallets, purses, hats etc. were flying off the shelves.  Vehicles parked curbside were filling up fast.  And then, the men in blue arrived: guns drawn, game over.  The tourists(ha) dropped their guns, and put their hands together to get cuffed.  8 were taken away immediately as shoppers applauded the fast work.  The SF Chief of Police explained to the media that plans had been made to confront a mob if it appeared after the verdict in a trial somewhere back East.  The trial ended, which for some is the green light to begin their own brand of shopping.  Enjoy your holidays in the county jail.   Maybe you'll figure it out while "cooling off".  At taxpayer expense, of course.  Chesa Boudin.  Are you writing up the release orders?  Are you working on a press release?  Are you campaigning against your own recall?  Good luck.

     THE D.A., Boudin, the Left -of-Left attorney whose claim to fame is being the offspring of not one, but two radical left bombers/murderers.  Yes, San Francisco has turned into a liberal sinkhole, with even the rats leaving the ship for greener pastures(New York?).

Ukraine: Again

     Mad Vlad and company are on the march again, vic. eastern Ukraine, aka: The Donbass.  Oh, did you forget the term of the industrial region /coal producing, pipeline crossing area?  Well, it's been reported widely that little green men are massing near the old border(now slightly obscured by earlier arriving Little Green Men), along with some heavy weapons(tanks, rockets, condoms).  Mad Vlad, in the largest country in the world, is continuing to display his megalomania for all to see.  Scranton Joe sent a message:"We're watching you, Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin".   This while he's pushing his two favorite policy projects through the Congress.  Just this past week, the second bill, "The Social Safety Net" bill was passed by Nancy (Don't Call Me Grandma") Pelosi.  Now the Senate will take it up.

       And Russya will brace for a typically cold Siberian winter.  Scenes from the border between Poland and Belarus demonstrated how cold affects those embraced by the drop in temperatures:  stalled migrants from Syria, etc., started numerous warming fires among their positions as they waited in vain for the governments on both sides to decide their fate.  Apparently, Belarus leader, Lukashenko, blinked, and withdrew his puppets to another position away from the Polish border so as to prevent the water cannons from showering the migrants with ice cold water.  Isn't he something?  This perverted block head, Kremlin lacky, has no heart and no brain.  A classic example of what happens when a puppet is placed on top of population that is helpless and hapless in the clutches of neighboring Russya and Mad Vlad.  Oh, well.  In a few more years,  Russya as we know it, will be gone, broken up and absorbed by their southern neighbor China.  

Wokeness: Let's Bring the Ghetto to the Front Page

        Maybe some of us remember Barack Obama, as president, using the term /word "woke" in a speech.  I recall the speech easily as the word rolled from his lips.  I thought: "Oh, no, he's reaching for connectivity; he's reaching for the "Party"; he's lowering himself into the pits of party politics when he should be an advocate of a presidency that stays above the fray.  But, no, he couldn't resist the urge to speak the word that has now become the tip of the republican spear that is being brandished in front of the electorate here, there, and everywhere across America.  Must the Dems remind us of 'their' higher goals, their higher efforts, their higher standing among voters?  

        The Dems seem to think this is the road to the hearts and minds.  But, if you lose control of the word, it becomes useful to the opposition.  Woke.  Woke.  Woke.  Who is and who isn't.  It's become the new parlor game(who has parlors anymore?).  Wokeness.  Pokeness.  It's hard to believe that this single word would upend a party, but it has.  The Dem strategists are scurrying for their holes, beleaguered by the liberal press which has turned against woke.  Now what?  Revitalize 'woke' for next November?  I don't think that's plan.  Completely abandon woke?   Hmmmmmmm.  We'll know soon enough as the country eases into winter, waiting for another surge among the un-vaccinated.  Are un-vaccinated folks woke?  Time will tell, but already new cases of covid are surging upward in states that earlier were trending downward.

       Tahoma looks forward to ski season, although now it appears this season's start will be postponed due to :"No Snow".

Be safe; change your tires, lay up more wood.

Covid Infection Status: El Dorado County v. Placer County

       El Dorado county has a long reach: east -to-west, stretching from the shores of Lake Tahoe to the edges of the Sacramento River.  Its near neighbor to the north is Placer County, which nudges up against El Do right down the middle of Tahoma.  (who drew that boundary and why?)  Most of the population of El Dorado county lives down the hill, past the county seat in Placerville down Highway 50.  When a traveler encounters the suburbs of Sacramento along highway 50, he is looking at the home of many residents who work around the state capitol.  They are not about to move east, up the hill, where it snows, a lot.  Whoa the poor Tahoma resident who must head to Placerville after December 1st!

      So, how do these two counties compare, currently, with the effects of Covid infections?  Let's look at the numbers:

Population:

El Dorado- 192,843; area: 1,786 mi./sq

Placer      - 380,077; area: 1,502 mi./sq

Cases

El Dorado - total 17,915   , last two weeks: 454.  deaths -159

Placer       - total 41,271     , last two weeks: 1,195.  deaths 445

Vaccinations

El Dorado   -63.36% 1 dose; 57.56% fully vaccinated

Placer         -68.18% 1 dose; 62.79 fully vaccinated

      So, Placer has about twice the population of El Do.  El Do county has about half as many infections, total.  Ok. seems to be somewhat equal on these parameters.  But, the two counties diverge on the rate of vaccinations:  El Do only has 63.36% with 1 dose, and Placer has 68.18% with 1 dose, or about a 5% difference.  Fully vaccinated: El Do has about 57.56% as opposed to Placer with 62.79% .  This is significant, especially taking into account the population differential between them.  Several factors could be in play:  the locations of towns; the medical facilities available, access highways/roads; and the administration of their respective public health departments.  These are not all the factors, but join others in marking the differences.  More investigation will be required.

     The mayor is on it and will report the information as it becomes available.  Get vaccinated; protect our townspeople and our many guests.  Winter is around the corner with all it means to Tahoma.

Belarus: Russyan Problem

        Belarus seems like its lost control of its border with Poland.  Oh, wait.  No-they control the border.  They brought migrants to the border with Poland to aggravate the situation, knowing that lots of publicity would fall on the EU.  Hmmmm.  Crazies here, too?

AstroWorld Concert Claims one more

       Another death brought the death toll to 9 among the victims of the concert in Houston.  The many lawsuits that will follow have begun in earnest against the organizers, the star, and the city.  Media outlets talked with security consultants who offered a multitude of excuses for the crowd's behavior.  Very sad that many of the victims were children or very young adults.  Remember: it's all about the benjamins/$$$.

What rational thinking person would enter such a venue?  Security?  Please.  What one sees at these concerts are rent-a-cops with little or no training.  What could be expected of any individual at such an event?  Nothing, really.  Live Nation must be held responsible for what happened.   Who thinks this is a good idea: to have thousands thrown together into a mob scene, smashed together, no exit, no chance.  The local police also have some responsibilty, and all the pols who signed of on this miserable excuse of a local "attraction.  Good for Houston?  Good for Texas?  Hmmmmmm.  Well, it is fitting that it is Texas, a state filled with crazies.

MATTHEW TURNER Underway in Golden Gate Channel

    Matthew Turner underway

        Caught this image yesterday at Lands End in SF, looking north to Marin Headlands.  And lo, and behold- the MS Matthew Turner glides into view at Mile Rock light.  Under way probably using motors with about half her canvas, the ship was taking a distinguished passenger/guest for a magnificent cruise.  Famed oceanographer Dr. Sylvia Earle was on board for a memorable trip aboard San Francisco's own Tall Ship.   Destination was the ships channel used by commercial vessels upon entering the Bay.

      The ship reversed course an hour later and returned to the dock at the Army Corps pier in Sausalito.  It was a great day for November, with temperatures hovering about 65 degrees.

Marines Celebrate 246 Years of Service to the Country

       

  flyer 10/11/68

November 10th, a date that rides a shoulder of the Veterans Day holiday, tomorrow, the 11th.  But today, Marines around the world, wherever they are serving, celebrate, some lavishly, more simply, depending on local circumstances.  It's a tradition, whether in peacetime or war, Marines take note of their traditions and their founding in 1775.

      We've taken our collective lumps over the centuries, in many locations, big and small.  We have guarded installations, ships, embassies, consulates, air bases, fire bases, lookout posts, and more.  All with a sense of purpose and mission.  Trained to be aggressive and unforgiving when in the field, the reputation of the individuals remains intact.

Semper Fidelis.

NGO's Flee China

       Hmmmm.  Why are NGOs leaving China?  Bad weather?  No.  Bad food?  No.  Lack of good sushi? No.  Poor wine selection?  Maybe.  But chances are it's the political climate emanating from Beijing or Peking if you prefer.  I always liked Peking; it made me think of ducks, or something like a duck.  But we have here a situation without any remedy acceptable to these organizations that have been on the ground all over Asia for decades.  Their goals vary, but they attempt to observe the situation vis-a-vis the people and the government.  In the case of China, it's a Communist government or a centralized administration that controls from the center where power is concentrated in a few individuals(despite a collective of bureaucrats who depend on their positions on fealty to the master dictator Xi Jing Ping or Xi JP.

       With Beijing placing acute restrictions on the activities of all foreign entities, it was only a matter of time before Beijing would come down heavily on these institutions.  Over a few years, the intense scrutiny, the changing laws, the increased threats became too much.  Even Amnesty International has thrown in the proverbial towel.  How can they operate in this climate that requires a constant fear of another law that restricts their movement, their reportage of events, and their oversight of programs designed to help minorities and the poor.   These NGOs will have to repurpose their goals and try new approaches to the mission of supporting human rights, ethnic minorities under threats of violence and even genocide.  See Uyghur issue.

      At this time, the Chinese economy is slowing; real estate has been the big issue: too many units; too few buyers; too much credit; too much over building.  Couple this with a world economy that is recovering from an ongoing pandemic and one has a glimpse of the future of China: difficult times ahead. Joining the NGOs are some big tech companies, most recently, Yahoo has decided to pull out of China.  Too many restrictions; too many trade offs; too much Chinese military pressure.  The PLA appears to have strong influence over the Beijing government.  Very little escapes the grasp of the PLA in every area of the economy.  NGOs have been a special target for years.  And now, enough is enough. Bye, bye Beijing.

Aaron Rodgers: Positively Infected

        Too much money; too much publicity; too much football.  It's all too much for Mr. Rodgers, the NFL's current Most Valuable Player.  He tested positive for the pandemic virus, and now must sit, isolated, for 10 days.  Hmmmmmm.  And then the interview.

       Aaron has been with the Green Bay Packers for more than a few seasons, demonstrating significant skills in all categories associated with his position at quarterback, a.k.a. the most important position on every professional football team in America.  He can throw; he can run; he can find the weakness in any defensive formation.  He's a leader who inspires his teammates, and gives them the self confidence necessary to achieve victory, even when the odds favor the opposing squad.  He plays with an apparent focus: he's able to shut out distraction from the crowded venues; he can concentrate on the game plan and the oft-rehearsed plays that will carry his offense forward to the goal line.   That's everything a team needs and wants in their QB.

        And then:  the COVID virus arrives.  Rules follow; games cancelled.  Teammates become infected.  The Players Union agrees to certain rules of behavior to preserve the season's schedule(preserve the NFL owners' income stream).   Scientists denounce Mr. Rodgers for  multiple sins, to include outright lying to his teammates, team officials, media, and many more fans who have followed this impressive athlete during his career.  But now: it's different.  Will he enter the world of Colin Kaepernick- the former quarterback who took a knee during a game during the playing of the national anthem?  What became of Colin?  He became a poster boy for BLM movement.  Ha she played football any more?  No.  Too bad for him; but he lives with the results of his politics.  

       Aaron,too, will live with his decision-lying, cheating, gaming the system for his own benefit, with disregard for teammates, coaches, fans, etc.  Enjoy the moment, Aaron. It won't last long, but it will last longer than you know.

Houston Concert Debacle Leaves 8 Dead

       Live Nation strikes again, this time in Houston, Texas, home to many of our southern cousins, and home to a bizarre political environment.  Live Nation produced a concert at an open air venue that could accommodate 50,000 fans of a popular "rapper".  Folks buy tickets, folks arrive and take up positions to listen  to their chosen idol.  Sounds benign, sounds almost routine.  Happens all the time.  But, older, more worldly individuals know from experience and living right, that crowd control is elusive.  Things happen and the crowd becomes its own unit, under its own control.

      And so, we have tragic results: 8 concert goers died in the venue, many more injured.   Live Nation will have to pay, and the rapper will have his reputation stained forever.  Many videos will be watched; many viewers will learn a few things about crowds and how they react to emotional groups surrounded by those enthralled by the entire experience.  Should children be banned?  Seems as though this must be considered in light of the age of some victims.

     Who is carrying the insurance?  Will the city of Houston be held responsible given its permitting authority?  Of course, deep pockets there attract lawyers by the dozens.  How long before we have to wait for the next concert disaster? 

Alec Baldwin: Loser and Symbolic Figure

       The media has removed Alec Baldwin from the front pages/lead-in story as the mercurial infotainment industry gravitates to the next tragedy and its participants.  Mr. Baldwin is a producer on a film in production in the New Mexico desert called "RUST".  It is a western/horse opera/ cowboy story.  In a nutshell, during the filming, Mr. Baldwin was handed a prop gun to begin a scene.  He aimed at the camera, fired and hit two staff members- a cinematographer and a director, killing the woman behind the camera and wounding the director.   How does this happen in "modern times", with all  checks and balances available?

        The post mortem investigations began shortly after the two victims were taken to hospital.  Mr. Baldwin appeared stunned, or was he on drugs, or is he just as stupid as all the rest of the crew?  The truth of the matter may be an elusive goal.  Local police authorities responded, saying a "full" investigation is underway and that speculation on events by media outlets will not aid in these efforts.  Poor Mr. Baldwin, he broke the rules of rational thinking and thought contrition was a way out/way forward.  He should be held criminally responsible for his actions.   An Army Pfc. knows that if somebody hands you a weapon, be it a rifle, a pistol, or a machinegun, you become the responsible individual in control of the piece, and therefore, assume all responsibility for any untoward result of its firing.  Case closed.  Hollywood types don't know much about weaponry excepting what they witness on "the set".  In other words-NOTHING!

        Did he check the piece before firing?  Did he know how to unload the weapon he was handed?  Or even load it?  What does a live bullet look like?  Will he claim ignorance, the fallback position of so many actors/entertainers/clowns/magicians?  Will he be humbled by the experience?  Will he retire?  Will he grieve with the family of the victim?   Hmmmmmmm.  Lots of questions need to be answered.  The local sheriff has his work cutout for his office.   Pity all the bystanders who will add this tragedy to their resumes.

New Headache for Beijing

       Yango.  Sounds innocent.  Doesn't really offer a threatening picture to anyone.  But wait.  Something is wrong.  This is a real estate monster in China.  It is having problems.  China is having a real estate credit problem.  Some large firms aren't able to pay their bond obligations.  They lack liquidity($$$$).  Hmmm.  Sound familiar?  Let's see:  does Evergrande come to mind of late.  Or was your attention diverted by numerous flyovers in Taiwan by Chinese military aircraft?   The Chinese economy is under stress.  Beijing is trying to spin their way out of this.

     Add to this mess the new uptick in COVID-19 cases and the resulting lock downs. My, my.  How will dictator for Life Xi JP spin this problem?  He'll hold a meeting.  Put out some press releases.  Make a few arrests.   Incarcerate some more Uighurs.  Build some high speed rail lines.  Send some vaccines to Africa.  Proclaim a Belt and Road program in the Arctic.  Make an offer to Putin to buy Vladivostok and the Amur River basin.  Offer to buy Vladivostok and build a new gigantic container facility China needs to increase shipping of containers to the Western hemi.

    I think it's time for Beijing to rethink real estate.  Build less, build better, build back---or something like that.  Will Jack Ma be on board?  HOw about Jimmie Lai?  Will he be on board?  Or the unfortunate movie queen who was disappeared for a year for speaking out?   Hmmmm. So Communist, so Chinese.

Where's Jimmy Lai?

    Hmmmm.  Has anybody seen or heard from Jimmy Lai, the Hong Kong media tycoon and supporter of democracy?   He was arrested last year; he's the founder and owner of  The Apple Daily, a media outlet critical of Beijing & Co.(Xi & Co.)  He was being held somewhere undisclosed to the public or the world.  This is normal. (see Jack Ma).  The economy in China is slowing dramatically.  The real estate bubble is bursting with overbuilt structures nobody can afford or doesn't want.  As in all bubbles, nobody wants to be the last buyer in the queue.  So Beijing & Co. must divert attention from this debacle caused by government support of favored banks and builders.   The Mayor observed countless 40-story apartment buildings scattered around every large city visited in 2019, whether in north, the east or the west-same story: too many projects going up.  The formula: build it and they will come.  We talked with a family that had purchased a high-rise condominium in one building.  It came without doors, windows, fixtures, or any other basic requirements for occupancy.  It took them 5 long years of saving, purchasing necessities, and finally occupying the condo.  Doesn't seem like the road to success for the average family.

       But I digress.  Where's Jimmy Lai?  Keep looking.

Russya Implicated in Ukraine Conflict

      What?  Russya implicated in eastern Ukraine?  Hard to believe.  No, not really.  The Kremlin has been implicated since the beginning in 2014 when "little green men" showed up on the border of the Donbass region of Ukraine.  It's hard to hide from satellite info gathering anywhere on the globe.  So, the "little green men crossed the border to support "Russyan " friendly separatists in the region known for its industrial capacity and large deposits of coal .  The conflict has been ongoing since.  Despite evidence of Kremlin involvement, Vlad and Co. denied any responsibility, claiming it was a home-grown rebellion against Kyiv and its government.

      A new analysis by an EU-funded organization clearly shows that the arms used in the conflict originated in-----R U S S Y A.  To no one's surprise.  Hence, sanctions against Russya continue to paralyze the largest country in the world.  What baffles many observers across the European landscape is the fact that many countries are onboard with the Nordstream II gas pipeline construction project that will pump gas from Russya to Germany and other locations in the West.   Hmmmmm. Seems incongruous to quite a few politicians.   Germany wants to reduce dependency on nuclear power(done).  The alternatives at this moment are not many.  Solar?  Fine during the day when fair weather warms the country.  At night?  Not so much.

       The new report looked at weapons captured, left behind, or in current use by a few participants.  They examined sources of manufacturing, dates of manufacturing, and requisite needs of certain arms carried by the "little Green Men".  The results of this effort unmasks the lies put out by Mr. Peskov, the liar-in-chief for Mad Vlad, who claims no involvement by Moscova at all.  It's all so tiresome: a shell game of sorts we've had to live with for at least 100 years after the Bolsheviks took control of the Steppes people.  Now they have other problems, too.  Such as a COVID death rate that has hamstrung the workers across the largest country in the world.  Told to stay home until Sunday, workers are stewing about the situation, looking to the Kremlin for answers which do not seem to be forthcoming.  Only more blather, more lies, more Vlad the Dictator.  Oh, well.  It's Russya.  I think it's time to cut off their access to international finance.  Now.  Joe, are you up to it?

Atlanta Braves: World Champions

      A shutout victory over the Houston Astros clinched the World Series for Atlanta.  This is the Braves 1st title in 25 years.  Their last championship was in 1996, one of the longest droughts in professional sports.  Sometimes, it just happens.   Those of us who enjoys the years when the Braves had a pitching staff 2nd to none.   Tom Glavine, John Smoltz,  and Greg Maddox mesmerized hitters for years.  That rotation gave hitters and their coaches headaches, heartaches, and stomach aches.  Not only that, they came at you year after year in an unrelenting parade of fast balls, curve balls, change ups, and sliders.

        So, it came as no surprise that it was this year's pitching was responsible for the win in Game 6. Max Fried supplied the arm that baffled the Astros for the first 6 innings.  Then a collection of mid relievers did the necessary job of closing down the 'Stros for 3 more innings.  The victory was sweet as the braves performed in front of a hometown Houston crowd who hoped for a Game 7.  It was not to be for the team from texas and the coach, Dusty Baker, one of the senior coaches in the game.  Of course, the opposing coach for the Braves, Brian Snitker, age 66(Oct. 17, 1955).  Or 6 years younger than Dusty Baker!  And we thought Casey Stengel was old.  Casey Stengel took the helm of the Mets at age 74.  "Can't anybody play baseball around here?"

World Serious: Game 6 Tonight

      Dusty:  Can he do it?  Of course.  Anybody whose been attached to the game of baseball for almost 70 years has lots of internal fortitude to rely on.  He definitely can stomach the ebb and flow of the G A M E.

He'll take his Houston Astros to the stadium this afternoon to play the Atlanta Braves, who lead the series 3 games to 2,  to win or go home.  He has the talent, home field advantage, and experience.  It will be fun to watch as tso master strategists face off on another American Classic.

Watch it.

Workers to Putin: Why Can't I work? I'm Russyan

       Hi, world.  I'm a post-Soviet system laborer.  I work somewhere in the largest country in the world that you foreigners call Russya and we locals call Mad Vlad's Playpen.  Mad Vlad, our less than bright dictator/oligarch/Napolean-like former FSB-KGB colonel/deputy mayor of St. Petersburg, has listened to his science advisors who told the king that there are no more hospital beds, people are dying like flies, and the Chinese have their own space station.  

     So we have to stay home from work, drink our state-made vodka quota(all citizens must drink it to be Russyan), watch state-controlled TV news, and hope the Russyan Orthodox Church will not be put on the current list of subversive organizations and be banned.   Hmmmmmmmmmmmm.  Is this the way we want to live?  Maybe I should get a job in Belarus.  Maybe Bulgaria.  Maybe Romania. Maybe Syria.  Maybe Egypt.   ANYWHERE is better.

God help me.  God help us.  The Steppes.  The Don River.  The Chinese.  HELP.

Can he help?