Memorial Day Weekend: Summer Begins

        So, here we are: the end of May, the beginning of June. Long weekend; hit the road. Lake Tahoe, of course. Got an Air B&B. Good start. Boat? Beach gear? Cooler? Tent? Bear whistle? It seems like we all need some time off. California has an election coming up in just a week- primaries, party particulars. And don't forget to read the ballot, at least once. And mail the darn thing in time, please. Local measures need to be read also. Seems that's where the money goes.

Now Open for Espresso and Gelato

Warriors Deal Dallas A Final Loss

        Well, Luka, what can you say? You were outplayed. Jason Kidd: what do you say? You were out coached. Golden State played their best series of the year, and probably their best in a few years. The magic brought to the game by Klay, Steph, and Draymond continues to please the fans. None of the games were easy wins. Both teams played their best to gain a victory. The Dubbs prevailed; overcame slow starts; overcame questionable refereeing; and over came local fans when playing away games. It's never easy in the NBA. Some players make it look easy, but no, it's not. 

Congratulations to Steve Kerr and his players. 4-0 against a good Dallas team.

Cost of Medical Care: One Example

        So, we live in modern America; we live within a broad cultural landscape; and we live in a capitalist economy. Obama Care, as it is called, provided health care to about half of Americans who were uninsured or under-insured. However, it's not perfect, as we know. Recently, I had an opportunity to engage the health care system as it is today. A family member got a case of the flu with its various symptoms and signs. When I met up with the family man, he expressed deep concern for his condition. Shortly after, about 45 minutes, he asked for a ride to a nearby Emergency room for treatment. 5 minutes later, he walked through the front door of the hospital's main entrance. After many tests that included 2 units of Ringers, he felt better and was pronounced fit to walk a few blocks home. He fully recovered within 48 hours. It was more or less a typical bout of influenza.

          About 10 days later, he received his copy of the bill for services rendered. Recall, he walked into the ER-no ambulance services coming or going. He did not have co-morbidities, does not have same. No follow up appointments necessary. He's a Medicare patient. The amount billed by the hospital:

$16, 445.00, his share:$75.00.

        Until this country reins in the delivery of medical treatment by corporations and insurance companies, the citizens of this country will live as second class citizens. Case closed. How do they sleep at night, these doctors and medical professionals? Nobody knows, and fewer care. 

Defensible Space Vic. Tahoma

winter scene-the West Shore 2018

        I've been talking(no surprise) with neighbors about defensible space: it's a hot topic(sorry). After the Caldor Fire last year which threatened the entire basin, responsible agencies charged with control measures have installed some new task forces to provide not just safety measures, but control and prevention methods. Since we live in a national forest area, we receive the benefit of federal dollars, federal workers(firefighters in manned stations @ Meeks Bay and other sites), and their rolling stock fully equipped.  There are some drawbacks, too. Moving the ship of state(forest service) requires lots of input and budget dollars. Nothing gets done quickly. The results: all our needs and desires in Tahoma and the West Shore take time to implement.

         Confidently, we must take upon ourselves to do what we can to reduce risks within our power: creating space around our homes and businesses as best we can within our means. The takeaway: some can, some can't; some will; some won't. There it is.

Russyan Diplomat Resigns From Post: He's Ashamed of Russya

Our Man Boris B. -Hero

       A crack in the facade. A change of heart. A reckoning of sorts. Reality sets in. A crony speaks. Hmmmmmm. Seems like a Putin appointee has some regrets when he acknowledges what's going on in Ukraine carried out by the Russyan army.  My, my. Is he the only one? No, of course not. There are more than a few who disagree with the Kremlin's assault on an independent sovereign nation. Thousands have fled the Federation. Thousands more want to leave, but can't afford the fares. Besides, the methods of leaving are no longer so expansive. Want to fly somewhere, anywhere? Forget it. Aeroflot, the state airline has been restricted to flights to Belarus, Georgia, Chechnya, and Kazakstan. No more flights, excepting to Beijing and what Russ wants to go and share Dim Sum with Xi JP? Nobody!!!!!

        Poor Boris Bondarev, the Kremlin's agent for the U.N. He is listed as a counselor to the Russyan Mission at the United Nations in NYC. Nice place to hang out, eh Boris? Better than Moskva, eh? He stated in his 20 years of duty for his country, he's never been so ashamed. He said, " the aggressive war carried out by Putin's army is not only a crime against Ukraine and its people, but also the most serious crime against the Russyan people."  Strong words. Watch your back, Boris. Don't drink tea at the airport; don't walk alone-anywhere, ever again. The FSS, or FSB, or KGB(pick 1) knows where you live. I would suggest walking into the nearby US consulate in NYC and politely ask for asylum. In fact, we in Tahoma will offer you a place to live and cover your needs while waiting for asylum to be given. No problem, Boris. You are the MAN.

Celtics Tie Series

        The Miami Heat rolled to a 2-1 series record against the Celtics. This was a shock to all fans, pundits, hangars' -on, and a few street people. Now what? Well, in last night's game is any indication, the Boston Garden can anticipate another Celtics victory on the road to the Finals against the Golden State Warriors. The Celtics took an early lead 16-0. Anr then proceeded to humiliate their rivals from way down the coast. Miami could not find the basket. Again and again, the ball failed to drop. Rebounds went to Boston; anxiety set in; players from Florida could not beleive what was happening to them. They lost their mojo completely. By the end of the game, the Celtics were back. Series tied 2-2. Be there for games 5 and 6.

Warriors Win Game No.3

        Golden State Warriors win on the road against the Dallas Mavericks, 109-100. Steph Curry scored 31, Draymond Green had 10. Warriors led most of the game, maintaining about a 10 point margin. The difference: Golden State controlled the boards, out rebounding the Mavericks by a wide margin, and scoring points on those rebounds.

Golden State now leads the series 3-0. No team has ever lost a series after winning the first 3.

Doctor Taylor Swift

      If you had a ticket to graduation last week, you got a very special opportunity to hear from a special guest speaker: Taylor SWIFT, the music world's queen of pop, and the most prodigious song writer of the modern era. New York University conferred upon her an honorary Doctor of Letters degree. The affable young woman has captured the entertainment world with her talent as a singer/songwriter, performer, and all around good person. Despite the effects on concerts for the last two years, she has maintained her position as leader in pop music.

Congratulations, Taylor. A well deserved honor.

May 27: A Day of Reckoning for Holders of Russyan Debt

        The clock is ticking as Russyan bond debt payments come due in about 8 days.  Russyan central bank wants to pay with Kremlin toilet paper, aka the ruble. This pathetic currency has few buyers and holders of Kremlin debt don't want this crap to foul up their banks. So, Treasury Secretary, Janet Yellen, says that the policy is in motion that will cause Russya to default on its debt for the first time since 1918. That was after the Bolshevik disturbance in Moskva when Commies took over from the royals. This will pose long term problems for the Kremlin, and those, too, who succeed 5'4" Napolean-wannabe. Now he doesn't care one bit. It's all about the'now', the future be damned. Again, it appears the dictator doesn't listen to any of his advisors(sound like somebody we know: the Orange -haired baboon?).

      Putin thinks because he has the EU under his energy thumb, he can dictate all policy and all outcomes to that policy. He, like most dictators have to be taught a lesson. Professor Tim Snyder, the history guru at Yale, says that fascists never learn. They try and try and try some more, but in the end, fail miserably. They win, initially, by heaping violence on those called"fascists" by a government. But really, all they do is create an enemy with this descriptive to motivate the captive audience in their country so they accept the violence against the "fascists". Hence, Mad Vlad calls the Ukrainians Nazis or fascists. But Mr. Putin is the "FASCIST"!

      Are you a holder of Kremlin paper debt? Get ready to go to court, as did those paper holders of yore who owned Argentinian debt 21 years ago.  Long time in court, but eventually, Argentina paid. Who wants to wait 15-20 years for Russya to pay its debts? Nobody.

Have a nice day.

Golden State Warriors Triumph Over Dallas Mavericks

      What happened to Luka? That is the question on the lips of Texans across the landscape. Locals thought, erroneously, that no team could stop the young reigning MVP. He was stopped. Cold. With only 20 total points. Hmmmmm.  Who predicted an easy win over the Warriors?  Now Steve Kerr is back from his Covid isolation, and his team has been re-energized. The Warriors for their part, came out firing on all cylinders. Baskets rained down like a storm as defense aided efforts by forcing turnovers that they converted to points on the board. Game 1 is always important to the Warriors: historically, they have won most series in playoffs when they win the first contest(19-1).

      Game 2 could be a key indicator. Don't miss this great matchup.

Prisoners of War: Ukrainian Soldiers Taken Away

        The holdout military men and women in Mariupol surrendered to the Russyans who have bombarded them without mercy for months. They were seen to be transported on buses to an unknown location into Russyan(Fascist) territory in Ukraine. Rusyan media reported that certain members captured could be deemed terrorists. This designation seems a further provocation against the government in Kyiv which has been steadfastly resisting the invaders who have not made any progress in their war against a sovereign nation on the border. Designated as terrorists carries new burdens for these troops. As such, they will not be accorded treatments reserved for captured combatants and will be subject to a different body of "laws". Of course, the Kremlin will do whatever it can to sow fear and anxiety among the population of Ukraine. The world watches as Russya continues to defy all reason in its current role as invader.

Bear Market: Bare the Truth

         So, financial markets are wheeling; evaluations are plunging, especially in the oft touted tech sector. Big names like Amazon are being hammered. Elon is pissing on Twitter about Tesla's removal from a favored index. Hmmmmm. Sounds bitchey and juvenile. Call a spade a spade. Broad losses are pushing the market into bear territory(a 20% drop from recent high water marks). Only yesterday, media reported that Warren Buffett was buying stocks; some would say he's following his usual pattern: when people are rushing for the exits, it's time to buy. Well, we'll soon see if this proves to be the case. All this following the slaughter in cryptocurrencies with dips below 80% from earlier price points. This is no doubt a factor, and coupled with inflation, reason to be concerned.

        The rush to gold has not been involved. Investors know that government bills and bonds are a better alternative after years of ultra low interest rates offering <1% to depositors. Now, folks can get a decent return on their money with minimal risk. After decades of poor return on paper, investors now see a return to a normal market with interest rates approaching rates not seen in 30+ years. hang on to your seats, these coming weeks could have investors in for a bumpy ride.

An Attempted River Crossing in Ukraine= Russyan Army Disaster

    So, you want to cross a river. A tactical maneuver. Even U.S. Grant did this in the Civil War. His engineers were smart, hands-on types. In Ukraine, the Russyan army is as inept as the least knowledgeable soldier in the world. Ukraines were waiting for this "attempt". the Results: a Russayn army battalion wiped off the T.O.(table of organization). Oh, well, they weren't really Russyans anyway; just a bunch of undesireables from Siberia; who cares?  Lesson No. 22: better have your shit together before trying this out at home or away.

1 million Covid Victims in USA

 One million Dead! 1,000,000, dead.

CryptCurrency: Trouble In River City

     Well, Sports fans, how's you crypto investment?  Lose a little this week? have you contemplated selling your "coins"? Some have; rather a lot of nervous investors have decided to sell. It happens, but this time, it's different. Blood Bath, Bunky. You were wiped out? Too bad for you; you shouldhave bought the brooklyn Bridge, better return.

There Is a Black Hole Out There

    Out where, you say? Why the center of out galaxy, that's where, and we have pictures. Oh, not like an iphone picture. This image is made with radio waves or some electronic collection method.  But it is OUR Black Hole. THe Black Hole does not let light escape.  Hmmm. Interesting. I'll have to review the reports splashed over the 'net to see(?) how this happened.

Warriors Moving On

       Game 6: Warriors 110, Memphis 96. So, after being humiliated by the Grizzlies just a few nights ago, the Golden Staters returned home to play another contest against a very good team. The team's coach, Steve Kerr, is still home with the Covid virus infection. His assistant his handling the team. They played with renewed vigor, but were beset by clear lapses during the contest. They started with a convincing first quarter attack, scoring handily while still turning over the ball several times. The Grizz stayed with them and then caught up with equalizers.  Steph Curry got 2 early foul calls and had to slow his aggressive defense. Klay Thompson started to hit 3-pointers early to announce his intentions to go big tonight. As play developed, it appeared that the Dubs would have their collective hands full. In the 2nd quarter, the home team started to turn the ball over, and over, and over again. They were playing hard but careless passing took away any scoring momentum. At the half, it was close within a point.

        In the second half, the teams were seesawing back and forth as the lead changed repeatedly. Memphis was determined to take the series to a Game 7.  They played minus their young ace, Marant, out injured. His speed and agility were missed. By the 4th quarter, it was anybody's game up to the last 6 minutes when Golden State started another scoring run that was to last until the end. Curry popped a few 3's, as did Thompson. With a 13 point lead and less than 2 minutes of time left, it was over for the Grizz. Great game, great series. But the winner, GS, had 17 turnovers that Memphis used to score 18 points. Not enviable. But the Dubs out rebounded the Grizz 70 to 44! That made a big difference, if not the deciding difference. Passing was not impressive for the Warriors as many went awry, leaving the team without a score. 

      The next game will be with the winner of the Suns v. Dallas. Who do you want to tangle with in the West Final?  Hmmmmmm. Food for thought. 

New NATO Members: New Heartburn for Little P

       Well, all the aggression down south has some Scandinavian folk doing some soul searching. Hmmmm. If the invasion of Ukraine by an unprovoked invader, perhaps our neutrality isn't really worth much at all. Maybe it would behoove us to seek some like-minded allies, such as those in the N.A.T.O. group of countries. And so, we have two countries requesting admission into this very old group of governments who are bound together to defend all members if attacked by a hostile invader(read Russya). This Cold War product has existed for many decades, and has never had to stand up to a foreign invasion as defined by the charter of the organization.

        The Kremlin mentioned that such moves will require a response from the largest country in the world. Hmmmm. Does that mean the Kremlin will cease operations in Ukraine and transfer all those troops to Scandinavia to teach the Finns and the Swedes a lesson? Naaaaaahhhh.  5'4" wouldn't do that; he's not that stupid, or is he? Membership could be completed within a few weeks or a month. Then Sweden and Finland can breathe easier at night. And the U.S. will send them some F-35's, pronto.

Ukraine Descends into Quagmire for Russya

        Well, 5'4" of Madness gave his Victory speech yesterday. It was received with mild approval by the invitation-only crowd of thoughtless robot-like cronies who no doubt were ordered to show up or lose their Kremlin bennies and get a dose of Novichuk. As the Mayor mentioned, the "parade" of symbols that passed in review was less a demonstration than an indication that all is not well down south. Hmmmmmm. Little Man has not experienced this much of a setback on his path to restore the current Federation to a semblance of the old Soviet-style, Commie Wonderland. Ok, Chechnya is a small place. Georgia is another small place. Ukraine: not so small.  Lots of trained fighters there. And, also, Ukraine leadership seems to be solid, courageous, and well supported by the populace.

       Oh, it's not going well? We know why says 5'4'': the West, the Ovest, those people whose names I won't mention, like the dude in prison whose name I won't mention(A. Navalny for the record). So they sunk a ship, but only 1. What's a ship, really, on balance: a floating home for a few young guys who cry themselves to sleep every night because they miss their Mommas. We have more, you better believe it. Those evil doers in the West better watch out; I'm starting to get angry. I might have to call in the Mongols; remember them? They helped in our hour of need against the Nazi invaders in the Great Patriotic War. Yes, they are still available and better equipped than those pretenders in Ukraine. Now about the talk of war crimes: how can there be war crimes if there's no war?, I ask you. My friends, the West is trying to confuse the fence sitters by asserting that there are crimes like murder, rape, pillaging going on in Ukraine. These are lies, lies, lies. Trust me as you have these past 22 1/2 years, and hopefully, another 22 years( I want to see my twins grow up, like any father).  Our special military action is succeeding beyond our dreams. Soon the special military action will conclude with complete success and the southern terrain will again join our shield of protection against the West and its liberal progressive Sodom and Gomorrah.

    Have a nice day.

Victory Day Celebrated in Europe and That Other Country

       Newly elected President Macron of France attended a victory celebration to commemorate the defeat of the Nazis in 1945. He reminded the country that the effort has meaning to this day and will never be forgotten. While in Moskva, the 5'4" dictator helped celebrate the same victory, Russyan-style: meaning troops were on parade, a few tanks rolled by followed by some mechanized launchers of a sort. That celebration comes as Vlad tells more lies about Ukraine than the media can count. Maybe we will celebrate again soon. Maybe not.

      Down south, near Sochi(in Ukraine), President Zelensky vowed to continue the fight against the invaders until they , too, can celebrate another victory over invaders(aka Russyans). The Ukrainian citizens vowed to continue the fight against their former masters from the north, around the Steppes. As the war rages on, so the locals continue to fight with the aid of the West. This is somewhat reminiscent of the WW II fight when Uncle Joe(Stalin) refused to believe that Adolf HItler would turn against him. And when Hitler did, Stalin begged Roosevelt for help. Never mind that Stalin was a stone cold supporter of the very same Nazis, but now it was his home town that was threatened. "Help", he cried out to Washington. And the response was "yes, we will help". So, the convoys braved the U-boats of the Nazis in the North Atlantic as they crawled past Greenland, Iceland, and Norway to arrive in the port of Murmansk to deliver the goods. That was a long time ago, but relevant, surely. How soon they forget.

Golden State Up 3-1 Against Memphis Grizzlies

       Warriors coach Steve Kerr had to watch this game on his TV at home. He was diagnosed positive with Covid-19 virus the day before tonight's contest. His assistant took over. No problem. The Warriors were cold tonight. They shot an abysmal 10% for their shots from beyond the arc: not a winning performance usually. But the Memphis team didn't shoot much better either. At times, it appeared neither team wanted to score at all. Defense was the name of this game from the beginning as both squads wanted the ball badly enough to make that extra defensive play anywhere on the floor.

       So, Golden State was behind most of the game. It wasn't until late in the 4th quarter that the Dubs edged into the lead and were just able to keep it even as memphis realized that a loss will condemn them to a 3 v.1 record and little chance of winning  3 in a row to move on the the Western Conference finals. The home town crowd exalted in the victory, especially singling out Draymond Green for his defensive effort with seconds remaining as he blocked a desperation shot from the Grizzly team. Steph Curry scored 18 points in the 4th quarter to rally the troops. San Francisco fans were filled with joy at the buzzer despite a last second 3-pointer by Memphis: not enough.

Mirror,Mirror on the Wall.....

       Who's the fairest of them all? That's the question Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin put to the large mirror in the Kremlin outside his office door, placed there so Vlad could ensure that his tie is straight and his hair is combed and in its proper place on the pate. The answer from the god in the mirror: "Why Alina, the mother of your children." Whereupon the 5'4" dictator went into a foot-stomping rage, pulled out his Samsung phone, pulled up his personal revenge app, and made a few taps. Within seconds, as Vlad fled the scene, a roar was heard that became louder and louder until a crash was heard followed by another as the mirror on the wall shattered and collapsed to the floor. "Take that, you miserable mirror liar", was heard off in a distant Kremlin corridor. 

       And so, the war in Ukraine continues. The EU is about ready to ban Russyan oil and gas from the continent. Replacement supplies will be difficult to ramp up, and many countries that are dependent on Federation  O & G will pass on new, more expensive products prices will experience some short term pain at the pump. The steel plant in Mariupol has finally been evacuated with those Ukrainians cowering in its bowel for weeks have been released to an unknown fate.

Kremlin Spokesman Lights Fire-Again

        The Old Face of the Kremlin lit up the internet yesterday with a few well chosen words and statements. This pathetic puppet has enjoyed more than the minimum 15 minutes of fame alloted to most individuals. He must have some inside information on Mad Vlad or he must own lots of Rosneft stock or he's a con man of titanic proportions or the Russyans think so. Well, what was it the jowled face said?

       The essence of his statement is: Hitler was part jewish. He didn't stop there either. President Zelensky is jewish and responsible for the war there. And jews bring antisemitism on themselves. So, here we have a representative spokesman from the largest country in the world with the largest stockpile of nuclear weapons and most recently saying that "any country who thwarts Russya's efforts could inflict disater on themselves from Russya's arsenal. Hmmmmmm. Is this "blackmail"? Nuclear "blackmail? Sure is. So the old bespectacled scumbag continues his role as the sewer pipe that carries effluent from the bowels of the Kremlin to the world.

       For 75 years or more, the world has lived with the threat of nuclear war. Those "boomers" who grew up with the daily threat from the U.S.S.R. knew early on that instant death was a fact of life. When the old Soviet Union imploded in 1989, a collective sigh of relief was heard from around the world: Peace in our time!. The giant is dead. Long live peace. Then we had a comfortable period while the Chief Reptilian Dictator was slithering about St. Petersburg amassing support while old Yeltsin drank himself to death. And here we are with Lavrov or Lapdog as we call him in Tahoma.

Sergey Lavrov: Listen My Children

May Day: International Worker Day

       So, Day of the Worker. Let's praise the worker- all of them. They do what has to be done to survive, wherever. The N.B.A. has workers, too. They throw the round ball about a bit. And get a salary: megabucks. We are in awe of their talent; and we are willing to pay to watch them. We watched the Golden State Warriors take on the Memphis Grizzlies today. Great game, especially if you are a Warriors' fan.

      The Dubs started out slowly; down a dozen in the 1st quarter. Not a great start for Game 1 of playoffs Part II. Fouls were called, and defense specialist for Golden State, Draymond Greene was ejected from the court. This loss would affect the team for the remainder of the contest. But, the Warriors have a great team; a resilient team with phenomenal veterans-Clay Thompson, Steph Curry for starters. With Jordan Poole there to help, they are tough. They can play. They did, right until the last 4 seconds.

      Clay T. missed two free throws with 8 seconds left. SF ahead by 1 point. Memphis gets the ball with enough time to get off a good shot. It misses. Game 1 over. GSW 1- Grizzlies 0.