Book Review: "The Pine Barrens", James McPhee, 1967

        As a young journalist, Professor McPhee sought topics for his writing close to home.  The Professor grew up in Princeton, New Jersey, which is located a  bit north of the center of the state.   The journalist's art form-the essay, the column, the in-depth article, seeks to reveal to readers little known facts often overlooked.  The Pine Barrens offered just such a topic:  a place, nearby, that most locals knew a little about, but few knew well.  Mr. McPhee turned his sights on to the Pine Barrens.

     At one time, the area included about 1600 sq. miles of the landscape, but by the 1960's, it was reduced to about 1000 sq. miles, more or less.  This is not inconsiderable in a relatively small state as New Jersey. The Barrens occupy the southeast corner of the state, not including the Atlantic coast.  It's topography is characterized by low undulations without significant high points.   This speaks to the geology of the area formed by glaciation and the retreat of those glaciers over time.  Throughout the area, one can find the reason for the name-Pine Barrens.   The forested landscape is covered with trees: pines, firs, and cedars.  In some parts, the trees are so thick as to limit intrusion by anybody.

      McPhee, a New Jersey native, was raised on the northern edge of the Barrens, at Princeton, a place that would become his touchstone for life(he still resides there and works at the University).  In his early 30's, McPhee felt it was time to explore the region on his doorstep and give it and its inhabitants some scrutiny, and off he went(down the road a piece.)

    On one of his first forays into the Pines, McPhee met two men who would mentor him for years on all topics "Barrens":  Mr. Fred Brown, 79, and Mr. Bill Wasovwich, 26 years old.  They are neighbors, living in a place/town of Hog Wallow with about 23 other residents.  Fred is a widower, father of 7 children, all moved away years ago.  Bill was left behind when his parents decided to leave, one after the other when he was about 15 years old.  He was left to fend for himself; which he has done.   Fred provides advice and guidance based on his vast experience as a father.

        As per McPhee's diligence and skills as a writer/journalist,  he develops background, providing not just history, but depth and substance through connected dots that illuminate local character.  Fascinated by geology, McPhee includes the story of how iron rich minerals were leached from the earth by glaciation and found their way to the streams and bogs of the Barrens.  During the Revolutionary War(1776+++), these iron finds were sourced as material for cannon and shot used by Gen. George Washington, among others.  Smelters were scattered across the low hills and wood-fired kilns consolidated the metal into shot.

      Concurrently, agriculture was found to be wanting due to poor soil conditions: too sandy and lacking nutrients of any sort.  Looking at what grew there, locals fixed on blueberries and cranberries which thrived on cold, clean water that settled in bogs/swamps across the landscape.   Over time, locals figured out what works, and a thriving business of berry farming became the mainstay of the Barrens(today, we know this in the brand:Ocean Spray).

      Modernization of surroundings did occur: highways(two) passed through the area, east and west; and north and south.  Atlantic City was the resort town on the coast cited as the new Las Vegas.  Despite the efforts of former President Donald Trump,  it failed in that regard.   A supersonic jet port made it to the drawing boards complete with housing, adjacent businesses, and recreation facilities.  It went nowhere.  The New Jersey legislature continues to thwart all efforts to change anything, ever.

      With little remarkable features to draw visitors, the area at best, is a draw for deer hunters who visit annually to stock their freezers with venison for the winter.  Bill and Fred often provide guide services in the area around Hog Wallow.  Professor McPhee has done well to shed some light on the area.  Despite its location to the power centers of commerce and government, the Barrens remain foreign to most Americans, and most New Jersey folk as well.

5 stars- It's a good quick, read, in the McPhee genre of journalism.

 

Truckee Airport Closed by Record Snow Fall

      Well, it had to happen:  lots of snow, limited resources, no access roads available, and power outages.  The combination of events caused a closure that lasted days.   With only a small crew to clean both hangar access and runway clearance, the director of operations was forced to announce a suspension of operations.  Citing FAA rules, Tahoe/Truckee Airport suspended ops last Monday.  Many pilots whose planes were on the ground, some covered, some not, had to make other plans to travel.  Those who had to go went to Reno International Airport.   Operations in Reno continued throughout the snowstorm which had little effect on the ground there.

      At an elevation of about 5900', Tahoe Truckee is susceptible to all weather that sweeps the Sierra from west to east.  Given its vulnerable geographic location, a wide open bluff top, surrounded by 30' tall pine trees, it's not surprising that closures regularly occur, especially during winter snowstorms.

     Are you flying in and out of Tahoe/Truckee airport?  Keep up to the minute on conditions.

Snowfall: New Record Amount

      So, you think there's a lot of snow out there?  You are correct.   The monthly record for December has been shattered, not broken, but beat up badly.    How many 'feet' then and now?  Let's check:

Old record:

         179.0"

New record:

          193.7"

24 hour total:

 38.9"

     Bottom line lots of snow!  But I-80 is closed, so no skiers can arrive to enjoy the feast of powder.  Oh, well.

James Webb: Immortalized by a Telescope

 Well, folks, the deep space searching telescope is on its way.  Where is it going?  Nowhere place.   Unspecified except for some esoteric coordinates only astronomers can appreciate.   It will be out there a long ways, putting it simply.  The telescope, in development for decades, will advance knowledge of our "universe", and expand our understanding of the space/time conundrum.   The James Webb telescope has a very large mirror, the main source of information gathered by the instrument.  It will "see" things, objects or events, in the distant pass that only now are reaching us with help from the scope.

        This instrument will replace the Hubble telescope, the workhorse of the last 30 years or so, that took photos of formerly unseen events that occurred in outer space.  What's the difference between the two?  First, and foremost, the Hubble collected only visible light, that is, objects we could see.   The Webb scope will take images of space across a different light spectrum: ultra violet light.  This capability will enhance its light-gathering ability and allow us "to see" much more into deep space.  Astronomers fully expect to see back in time to the origins of the universe, out galaxy included.   Scientists also hope to gather data that will shed 'light' on our own universe: the Milky Way.  We will perhaps be able to discern with some accuracy, the  end of our existence-the death of our "star" that will mark the end of earth and its inhabitants(us).  

      Our investigative tool is not all about black holes, outer limits, red dwarfs, and such, but actually a chronicle of our own technological advances, from optics to computers.  Who could have envisioned the iphone 20 years ago or, more importantly, its impact on our lives?  Who could foresee the demise of the lowly telephone, a symbol of pedestrian communication for generations?   Disruptive forces have become commonplace, and little is known about the long term effects.

      For the next month, the James Webb Scope will be adjusted and placed in its "home".   Its sunshield will be unfolded(made by Northrup Grumman in Redondo Beach,CA).  This is the key to its longevity.  Without a sunshield, the scope would burn up.   The orientation of the scope will also be tested and directed according to plan.   In a month or so, new information will be transmitted back to earth: a revolution is upon us.  Get ready.

Traveling This Week?

      So, Joe Biden addressed the nation yesterday and listed steps to be taken to right away.  These steps are government actions that will deal with the variant of Covid-19 called Omicron that has emerged in the last 3 weeks, and has proven to be exceptionally contagious.  This variant now accounts for 75% of new cases in the US.   More work is being done in labs around the country to identify the variant's characteristics and how it affects the infections that result.  Of course, this new variant comes while the world is coping with the Delta variant that emerged mid year, 2021, and is still around causing more infections than the original Covid.

        Beijing is starting to get a little anxious with the Winter Olympic Games only 6 weeks away,  Should the Communists cancel the Games?  Why of course, if they are concerned about the health of the athletes, the officials, the locals.  But will they have the spine to postpone?  Hardly, they are Commies, they do what's good for the Party first, and foremost.  Xi JP, president, wants the Games to go on; he wants the publicity; he needs the publicity to further his hold on the Party.

We'll see.  Where is Ms. Peng?  The world waits.

Russyan Hacker Extradited to US

      So, the US wins one, finally, against another Russyan criminal.  This time the perp will answer for his alleged crimes to a court in the US, a long way from Babushka Land and its FSB, or Putin's Junk Yard Dogs.   This particular perp is a 41 year old professional hacker, having been implicated in many nefarious plots to cause cybersecurity problems for governments and corporations around the world.  He's now have to: 1) get some lawyers, 2) go to lockdown, 3) change his life style,4) forget about his girlfriend, 5)forget about his future, 6) forget about a normal life, 7) forget about new friends, 8) forget about family, 8) remember his former life, 9) remember what "normal" was like before this unfortunate turn of events, 10) remember the winters in Moskova, 11) remember to curse the man who gave him a laptop computer, 12) and finally, to curse the name Putin for his imprimator on his actions.  Oh, well, as I've said before, Russyans are not ready for prime time engagement with the real world.  They want Czarist Russya to return, so dissenters can be exiled to Siberia and the whole population can live in fear on a daily basis.

Nobel Prize in Economics To Erdogan?

        I thought a little black humor would be entertaining this first day of winter, 2021.  Yes, yesterday was the winter solstice in the northern hemisphere, or the top half of Mother Earth, or the half that counts, or the half that teeters because it is weighed down by too many humans.  So, Turkey, presided over the delusional President Erdogan, has recovered some of the value of its currency, the Turkish Lira.  The local Lira has been under some recent pressure-we call it in the West inflation.  It occurs when prices for goods increase rapidly, causing anxiety among the population.

       Mr. Erdogan has been a politician for many years, banking on the nation's acceptance of a secular government following in the footsteps of its predecessor government.  However, Mr. Erdogan has fallen under the influence of conservatives, often commenting on his own muslim faith, and his adherence to its precepts.  One of which prevents faithful muslims from charging interest on borrowed funds.  It's not a huge step from that position to the current government position of Turkey to lower interest rates, despite the obvious conflict with accepted economic theory which holds that government central banks should raise interest rates to curb inflation.  No, says Mr. E.  : lower them to boost the creation of jobs and the production of more goods and services.  Poor Ratrap Erdogan.  Perhaps he's smoking hashish, or drinking too much coffee, or staying up watching Late Night, or maybe too much soaking in the hot tub.  Whatever he's doing, his thinking is warped and it has hastened the country's sharp decline, and has permanently damaged his reputation and his ability to govern his country.  Now perhaps he has an unknown strategy that will reveal itself soon.  Perhaps he's thinking long term: look at the just announced plan for the citizens:

      One can deposit funds in any bank, choosing a term for locking in a guaranteed rate of interest: 3 mos., 6 mos., nine, or 12 months with a rate set by the central bank.  At the end of the term, if the Lira value falls, the government would make up the difference by depositing the amount in the account holders name. The government has not indicated where the funds would come from that would be paid out.   Ha ha, ha, ha: aren't governments and politicians wonderful?  They can say anything they want and have no accountability, unless booted out of office after the fact.

      Old Ratrap Erdogan fits right in with the rest of the world's liars and producers of lies and instability.  He fits right in with the Orange Baboon recently ejected from the White House.  Old Ratrap won't be around much longer as the citizens can only take so much B.S. from a sitting president.   Look at Chile: the people just elected a 35 year old former protester as president.  We love to see these upstarts have a chance to derail a government. Keep watching Turkey and Chile.  (No, it's not a recipe for Thanksgiving).

 

 

London Breed, Mayor of San Francisco, Declares State of Emergency in Tenderloin

 NO, she hasn't made steak off limits.  She's declaring the City's sorriest neighborhood a "state of emergency".  In other words, the Tenderloin will now get some policing, despite the Old Commie Chesa Boudin, the City's District Attorney .   Chesa is facing a recall in June '22.  After declaring that misdemeanors will not bring an arrest(<$950).   SEveral gangs of urban terrorists descended on several locations around Union Square and created havoc, sending a message to America that San Francisco is akin to the 3rd World: lawless, and lacking in the ability to police itself.  Not pretty, is it Mayor Breed.

     "Hello, is that you Willie Brown?  This is Mayor Breed.  Can you offer a little advice to me about my problems.  You've dealt with a few during your years in public service.   What can I do?

      Mayor Breed: start by supporting the police.

Where is Jimmie Lai?

     Why Jimmie is in China, of course.   Poor Jimmy: a man his age 66 should be enjoying retirement, spending time with family and friends.   Most folks that age are practicing some form of leisure activity.  But not poor Jimmy.  Poor Jimmy, founder of the APPLE DAILY in Hong Kong, made a decision a few years ago to support the Hong Kong democracy movement by supporting those locals who gathered to protest against Beijing dictates.  Alas, despite his money(billions), his numerous supporters and friends,  the Communist government felt he needed some direct action to squelch him and his followers.  So, the Commies arrest Poor Jimmy.   They lock him up, somewhere, nobody knows where and Beijing isn't talking.  Then, it is announced that his actions violated many laws.  He will be tried in court for his "crimes".  Hmmmmmm.  Sounds like a warm up to a Commie "Show Trial"- those circus-like events stage by Communist governments for the entertainment of the outside world and for the edification of the locals who might think twice about protestingn anything anywhere, anytime.

        So, the trial was held; we're waiting on a copy of the proceedings.  And, shockingly, Poor Jimmy was found guilty of his crimes.  And Poor Jimmy has been sentenced to 13 months in prison.  Oh, well.  Poor Jimmy may finally learn his lesson(s).   We'll see in 13 months.

     Happy Holidays Hong Kongers.  And that includes you,  Carrie Lam, the sitting Mayor of the place.  Oh, by the way, after yesterday's elections, the voter turnout was only 23%.  Lowest in 25 years.  I guess the hand-picked candidates, vetted by Beijing committee lacked appeal to the population.

Poor Jimmy.

CTS

 

Going to the Sun: Walking on the Sun

         Hmmmm.  So, let's go exploring.  Where to?  Always a little dicey.  Pick a point, discuss, then decide: why?  What will it cost?  Who will pay?  In days gone by, royals paid for the trip(see Spain, Portugal, France, England, Belgium, Germany, and others).   Today, there a few players, but the usual suspects: USA, China, Russya, and???   It costs quite a bit to launch some gravity -defying vehicle that must sustain itself during a long, cold voyage to the unexplored.

        So, in 1958, scientists decided that we humans needed more knowledge of our "Star", aka the sun.  As soon as technology arrives with the means, we'll go.   The time is nigh; the launch is in one week, from the French space port pad.  A multi-country vehicle will be put into orbit to look at the sun:  the James Webb telescope, designed to replace the Hubble scope, its predecessor.  The JW telescope will allow us to see things never seen, or even thought about.   This anticipated mission will supplement the Parker Solar satellite, now visiting our sun.

        N.A.S.A. launched the Parker probe recently.  Its mission: to touch the sun!  1,000,000 degrees F!  How is this done?  Very carefully.  After more than 10 years of planning, our scientists-astrophysicists, rocket engineers, etc., designed and built a probe that could "touch" the sun.  In some ways, it is designed to put its"toe in the water".  It will approach the sun's corona, gather information, then retreat to an external location beyond the heat that could destroy the vehicle.  Heat shields are necessary, and even the heat shields have limits.   But it has proven worthy to the task, and data is beaming back to earth.  Data?  What data?

         How does the sun work?   How is it similar to other "stars"?  What fuels this object?  And what are the characteristics of this particular object we are so dependent on for our lives?  All good questions.  Get ready for answers.

      Have a nice day.

Masks Required: Gov. Gruesom Issues Statewide Order

        Hello out there, citizens of the realm.  Masks must be worn in All Public Settings, beginning Dec, 15th(Wednesday this week).  The new order will last until January 15, 2022.   The CDPH issued guidelines and can be found on the department's web site.  Certain individuals are exempt, including children under 2 years of age.  The list also includes many other individuals who qualify for the mask exemption.

        The new Omicron variant, combined with the Delta variant has given pause to any return to normal conditions.  Remember normal?  Back in January 2020, things were normal.  That's a long time ago.  We are in a different universe these days, and this will continue.  Years from now, people, especially the young will reflect on the situation, with varying degrees of recollection and various memories of the experience.  Like those who lived through the San Francisco earthquake and fire of 1906.  And those who lived through the Spanish Flu epidemic of 1918.  And those who lived through the 1989 Loma Prieta Quake(the World Series quake).   Many of life's milestones can be identified by an event: World War I, World War II, etc, etc.  These were game changers, as they say.  Life became a before-and-after period.  Life was different before, and would never return to that time again.  We changed. period.  By the experience.  Today, tornadoes tore through Arkansas, Kentucky, and Illinois, leaving behind death and destruction.  It will mark those with a before-and-after period.

      So, Gov. Newsom will evaluate the situation in 30 days, and make another decision to continue theuse of masks or not.  Time and Covid will tell.

Stay tuned.

Snow in the Forecast

     Well, folks, winter has arrived.  Finally.  Hear that noise?  That's your neighbor's snow blower, doing the driveway so he can get to work; and his partner will also have to navigate Highway 89 to get to Tahoe City and beyond.  And for you sad sacks who have to go South- you're screwed.  You'll have to take the L-O-N-G W-A-Y around.  The El Dorado County way around.  This ridiculous situation persists because of various reasons, primarily, property taxes.  Yes; this little slice of ElDo county produces a bounty for the county(and state) because of:location-location-location, the mantra of all real estate denizens.

      So, Highway 89 is closed now around Emerald Bay as it always is during and following a heavy snowfall.  Safety, for those idiots who don't care about the folks who rescue idiots for a living(CHP, Sheriffs, and fire/rescue types).   The amount of snow, of course, varies, but the results are the same: no through traffic until CalTrans reopens the highway.  Have some business in Placerville, the county seat?  Good luck.

     But, the current storm(s) will guarantee a season for resorts and all the dependent businesses that grab on to the tail of all recreational skiers on holiday.   It gives locals hope, however emphemeral.  How many feet of snow will fall? The locals play this game, endlessly.  Depends: where do you live and at what elevation.   Lake level: one figure; above 7000', another; above 7500', add some more.  Above 8000', go home.

Wax the boards, dry out the boots,  put a battery in your avalanche signal alert sending unit, feed the dog.

Russya May Be Isolated

    Pres. Biden will not draw a red line in the sand.  That's soooooooooo yesterday.  He will simply express the hope that he doesn't have to invoke new financial burdens on the Rus peoples.  Maybe shutting down access to the shopping malls of London will stir some interest.   Maybe if flights to Paris/Amsterdam, Rome, Madrid, Lisbon, Zurich, Glasgow, Dublin, New York City are ended  will be sufficient to alter Putin's plunge into madness.  But his record after 25 years of leading the largest country in the world deeper into the rabbit hole does not offer hope.  His actions continue to validate the charge(s) that the Rus are unfit to enter the modern world.  They are stuck. Stuck in the politics of the Czars; the politics of oppression, the trap of dictatorship; the trap of the ruthless leader.   No benevolence here.  It's just more oppression against a people wanting to be free and accepted around the world.

     Not going to happen under the Little Ex-KGB colonel/deputy Mayor of Ft. Petersburg.

Ms. Peng: Where Are You? Please respond asap.

      Biden has told China that the USA will not send political representatives to the Winter Olympic games in February 2022 in that country.  Athletes will participate on their own.   This will decrease China's prestige in holding these games.  Xi JP will not hold his glistening head so high-he's been rebuked by the West.

       Poor Xi JP.  He has locked in his position for life this year; his status has been elevated by acclaim to that of Mao Zedong.   His every wish is a command to his followers at every level of government.  But now: economic problems.  Real estate bubble(s).  Evergrande, the Real Estate giant is on the financial rocks.  Debt payments will be missed this month, and the future of payments looks bleak.  Beijing will have to step in(already has) to see if the company can be salvaged.  Sister real estate companies are also tottering on the brink of collapse.  Should these companies be taken over by Beijing, the ripple effect will then open a flood of takeovers, signifying a turn to recession.

        Welcome to high finance.   Who will bail out Beijing?   India?  Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha.  President Modi would rather slip bamboo slivers under Xi's finger nails.   Russya?  Ha, ha, ha.  Putin would rather give Xi a dose of the clap than bail any Chinese companies out.  Belarus?   Ha,ha, ha.  Lukashenko would rather send 10,000 Syria refugees to Beijing before he sends a Euro or two.   Hmmmmmm.  Maybe one of his friends from Africa?  No, they have Omicron problems.  So, China will have to deal with the mess they created in their own house.  Not pretty.

     Sure, we know: when Beijing sneezes, the world gets a cold.  Read what happens when all those shipping containers return to Shanghai empty.   One Way trade never works long term.  China is beginning to feel the pinch as fewer buyers are to be found among former customers for the cheap shit they make in the sweat shops in Hong Kong, etc.etc.

       Telling is the announcement that China wanted to build a seaport harbor on Africa's west coast: that coast that faces the western hemisphere.  Diplomats from the USA have arrived in Africa to dissuade countries from accepting any deals with the Chinese military.  The same issues have been ongoing on China's east coast as Beijing tries to commandeer the South China Sea as its own.   Building military air facilities on tidal exposed rocks is a fantasy game created in the hallways of the PLA.

      No doubt, the PLA will hack into today's zoom call between Putin and Biden.  They'll then parse the discussed topics and any decisions made for the benefit of Xi.

Where is Peng?  Please let her go. 

Biden/Putin Zoom Today

        So, here we have two world leaders meeting via video conferencing technology.  Will it work?  Will it satisfy necessary parameters(can they understand each other);  will they be in their bath robes?  So much preparation.  But, in light of the situation, this is a good thing: talking, explaining.

      The situation:  Rasputin's bastard child, Vladimir, is playing a chess game with the West over Ukraine.  The pathetic little ex-KGB drone has decided stirring the pot with aggressive moves on the Ukraine eastern border will catch the eye of Europe/American leaders.  Given that the little punk annexed Crimea and eastern Ukraine(Donbass) in 2014, it is likely he could make entry across the border with the troops he is currently amassing there.  Now Russya has an interesting hand to play.  His pipeline to Western Europe is going to be finished soon.  This will ease the area's energy needs.  This in turn, will help the economy in Russya.   Putin knows that the existing Western sanctions have hurt the economy significantly.  Trade with the West and China has been in the doldrums for several years, and COVID has not helped.   China, the dragon on Russya's southern perimeter, has an economy that has slowed down over the last two years, and is now on the brink of recession due to a bloated real estate market and massive debt that developers can not pay.   Look for news on the subject in the next weeks.

        Pres. Joe Biden put out the message to Mad Vlad that the situation could trigger a closure to the international settlements organization, the backbone of international finance.  Were this to happen, Russya would be cut off from Western financial markets and be considered an outlaw nation.  Putin knows that this would upend his country and even his oligarch lackys would scream and cry and threaten ad Vlad with a walkout.   

      So, this zoom call will have potential: it could mark an example of Pres. Biden's turn away from his domestic budget problem to the international  scene where he has had little impact during his first yeat in office.

Stay tuned.

No White Christmas in Tahoma

     Sadly, locals have begun to accept the weather forecast for December 2021: snow is unlikely to arrive anytime soon.  No White Christmas this year.  Resort operators are trying to make snow, but the public mind knows that unless a big storm arrives, skiing is really out of the question.

      Climate change?  Some would say so.  Others say its to big a subject to pinpoint a single cause.  While we humble residents look for the usual snow on the ground, we often overlook the fact that "average" does not mean customary and usual amounts of snow.  Year-over-year amounts vary considerably.  Pundits like to measure with "average" so as to compare with existing amounts.  This creates expectations that are rarely met.  Hence, gloom and doom.  Jobless workers careen around the shoreline, searching for employment opportunities that will tide them over.  It becomes a game of:"how much pain can you accept".

         We have experienced drought before; but now it seems that more often than not, we won't get what we need(average) very much.  

      So, buck up; have a backup plan; stay healthy; get vaccinated.  Go online and do a job search.  Get ready to move.

Hello Omicron: Welcome to San Francisco

    Well, it wasn't exactly a ticker tape parade party, but rge new Covis virus variant showed up in the USA with the first case identified in : San Francisco!  This is the city that welcomes every scum bag in the country.  The new Dept. of Homelessness will soon be the largest in City history.  Bigger than any other department(and there are lots of big one already.

       The head of the Health department announced the findings of the laboratory that took the sample from the infected patient a gentleman who arrived home in San Francisco on Nov. 22 from South Africa, the source of the new variant.  He had been fully vaccinated but did not have a booster shot.  His symptoms are mild and he has self quarantined.  Contact information has been done, and preliminary search results indicated he had not infected many if at all.

     Pres. Joe Biden announced flight restrictions on 6 African nations following the announcement from the Netherlands that a plane filled with passengers from South Africa carried at least 13 infected w/ the new variant and exposed over 300 others onboard.

       Dr. Anthony Fauci of the U.S. announced the information to the public and strongly advised all citizens to get vaccinated asap.  Those who are not vaccinated are at extremely high risk of infection.  It appears that the vaccination rate among adults has slowed dramatically, causing much concern among the medical community who must work with unvaccinated individuals who refuse to follow public health guidelines.

       Europe is already in the midst of another surge of infections, with those unvaccinated getting hit the hardest.  Reluctance among those in the former East Germany is the result of a lack of trust with government owing to the years under Communist rule during the Cold War.   Eastern European nations exhibit the same problems.

      International travel will again become perilous, especially among migrants seeking economic improvements in their lives.  Smugglers continue to offer avenues to Europe's prosperous landscape which many of those from Africa and the Middle East see as their salvation from years  of civil wars and murderous dictators in places like Syria, Iraq, Iran, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Sudan South Sudan, Burkina Faso, Chad, Libya, Mali, to name a few.

      So, San Francisco will have this new problem to face along with all the others.  Many states and countries would be delighted to have half of SF"s social problems, given that the City counts about 9,000 homeless street people.  Despite the hundreds of millions spent on the issue, it just keeps getting bigger.  And why hasn't the Federal Government taken responsibility for this ongoing problem?  Freedom of movement-such an old concept.  It no longer serves the nation.  Time for internal passports(see China and Russya).