Goodbye Moskva, Hello Buenos Aries

        My, my. Winter travelers in motion: some going to Ukraine to fight for Mama Russya; some going elsewhere, any where but west of the Urals Mountains, the border of European Russya(using the term loosely). 10s of thousands of young Russyans have had it with the Punk in the Kremlin and his insane geopolitical ambitions. The nerve of the twerp! Now he's sending in more troops-cannon fodder- to test themselves against-you guessed it: Ukrainian heavy machine guns. Sounds like the Eastern front in WW II, or the Ypres battles of The Great War. Now the little Ivans will perish in the black soil of Ukraine because of_____________. You fill in the blank.

      Many of these Russyan travelers are families seeking a place of refuge. Yes, Russyan refugees. Economically able to leave, they choose to do so.  Let's try there; then let's go here; then maybe Brazil, or Mexico. And finally: Argentina! To give birth to a new Argentine citizen: a fine blue-eyed boy/girl w/ birth certificate, now a citizen of this large Latin American REFUGE Center. Most of these families are pregnant with babies, looking to establish a new life away from the madness in the Kremlin. How sad; but not unusual thes days as dictators and autocrats press their will upon the helpless/powerless populations of countries all over the globe. Pick one.

      If i was a Russyan, I'd have left the Steppes at least 3 years ago. Some are a little slow on the giddyup. But eventually, it becomes real; it becomes a necessity; it becomes time to hit the road.

     Argentina thanks Putin for pushing these beautiful people into the welcoming arms of Argentines. We are here to help says the government.

Snow, More Snow

    Get ready Tahoma: more snow is on the way(here already?) A large system is bearing down on NorCAl bringing loads of moisture to deposit on the Sierra and most of the state. It looks like total amounts could exceed 2' of powder. Good news for all resorts around the lake. Those with the highest runs will get the most benefit. Palisades, Alpine, NorthStar, and Heavenly will probably shut down for a bit giving note to avalanche control efforts and grooming needs for the public that will descend on to the slopes as soon as possible. Ski patrols will be working hard to ensure safe conditions everywhere.

     Get ready: winter continues, finally. A winter we've all been waiting for, unless, of course, you prefer summer😇💖☺

Roald Dahl: They Are Coming For Him

         British author Roald Dahl wrote books for children very successfully during his lifetime. He died in 1990. His most famous title: "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" is his most read and recognized title. It has been the basis for 2 films that endeared the story to millions of fans world wide. A third film production will come out this year, 2023. Recently, a publisher/printer of Dahl's works announced that new editions would have text altered/changed to reflect modernist sensibilities, thereby correcting Dahl's uninformed writings. This has come about through the efforts of two censorial minds that label themselves 'Inclusive Minds'. How appropriate!

       These two thoughtful persons have committed their efforts to control the thinking of writers wherever they can uncover literary and cultural sins found in the printed word. Inclusive Minds has "ambassadors" of thought who have been specifically trained to provide assistance to editors and writers when creating written works of art so these writers and editors will not make "mistakes" when publishing various works. They insist strongly that they do not edit anything. They insist that they only advise. The ambassadors do the same: advise only. 

       If you've read any of Roald Dahl's books, and the Mayor has read many, one immediately recognizes the irreverence, the youthful characters that express child-like sentiments known to most children under age 12. Dahl was gifted and talented with an ability developed during his career to connect with young minds; to connect the dots of humor, youth, and the surrounding imaginative world of those children. Parents, too, could understand the thinking: they were children once also.

      Now the partners at Inclusive Minds have targeted Dahl: his words hurt children. Yes, he used words that came from his era, his literary climate, his cultural milieu, his genre of story, and his own personal beliefs. As we know, any artist reflects all these factors when he produces work. A publisher of Dahl's works announced changes in the text of his stories, but doesn't call it censorship. Not censorship? Excuse me; what is it? More Wokeness. Yes, that is the accepted term these days for censorship. We must be WOKE, or we are primitives.

         Inclusive Minds is running a business that sells wokeness to those publishers who want their efforts to be accepted by socially conscious buyers; socially aware readers who do not want to read anything offensive in the least. In other words, Inclusive Minds want to control your thinking about-EVERYTHING!.

       Salman Rushdie, noted author, has criticized the effort to censor Roald Dahl. He would know: he's been harassed and assaulted by censors from various places. PM Sunak has also criticized the censoring of works written years ago. The age old question comes up: Where does it stop?

      We'll see.

United Airlines :The Not so Friendly Airline and a Coverup

         Have you been flying lately? Say, in the last few years? During and after the Pandemic? Shortly after the beginning of March 2020(a LONG time ago), airlines suffered a dearth of passenger traffic as restrictions and closures of countries kept travelers home around the world. Crews were furloughed, mechanics were laid off, admin staff retired or went into another line of work. CEO's went to Washington, asking for: you guessed it: Corporate Welfare, again. In what has become a nasty economic reality, when these public companies( stockholders w/ promises/shares) have financial setbacks, their first and final move is to run to Congress and plead for bailouts funds or- no more company, no more industry, ie. disaster for America. Now, one would then expect these same airlines, after receiving funds would be humble, and respect the taxpayers who provided said funds.

        No, that doesn't happen. The airlines immediately forget this bailout episode and go back to business-AS USUAL. Meaning: the seat-fillers will pay and play by OUR rules, not theirs, not Congress', only ours.     My points here were triggered by the late report from United Airlines concerning an in-air incident in Hawaii on December 18, 2022 when a United flight after take off in Maui attained an altitude of 2200' and then went into a steep dive toward the Pacific Ocean. It miraculously avoided disaster by pulling up at 800'. That's correct: 800' feet. Not quite 3 football fields. Not very far above the waves; not very far from impact; not very far from the headlines; not very far from Federal Aviation Authority investigation. 

        Cover up? Not exactly, but try to find out the details. How did this event happen? What did the pilots do wrong or not do at all? Try to find information, any information. Impossible. United Airlines wants everybody to forget, and passengers and future passengers to forget most of all. It all points to the monopolistic business of the airlines today, especially in the USA. Passengers are insulted every time they choose to buy a ticket. It's a gamble: how much does one Finally pay? Guess. What fees will one be charged for: aisle seat, suitcase(s), extra leg room, business class, first class, cabin class, refundable ticket, return flight, and how many stops enroute. Oh, and timing of connections, always challenging. Flying through Newark, NJ? Ha, get ready for a nightmare. Then, the new modern era insult: the unannounced cancellation of your flight. Lovely.

      The airlines face no penalty for cancelling your paid-for flight. They want only FULL flights, which equals a 100% profit above the breakeven point of filled seats. Lovely. Now one has to rearrange everything. This happens more and more in America. Not in Europe: they have Real rules that keep airlines from running roughshod over the recognized rights of passengers agreed to by the commercial carriers. Not so, in the US. Hmmmmm. Can new Cabinet Secretary Pete Buttegieg do anything? Doubt it; but lets give the kid a chance, say another month?

      Good luck, Pete. Look out for wayward lobbyists dancing around 14th St, NW.

Have a nice flight. 

Presidents Day Weekend

      It's a holiday weekend. Who-Hooo!  The flatlanders have been waiting for this one: lots of snow on the ground; good weather in the forecast, and money in the pocket as spending continues to increase. Warning: if you don't have reservations-forget it. Everything is booked already. You needed to do this 6 months ago as people forgot about Covid and traveling restrictions(none).

        For those with reservations: Leave earlier than usual-there will be traffic all over Highways 80 & 50. Not going to Tahoe, traffic will be on most of the Sierra access routes. Yosemite? Forget it. Dodge Ridge? Maybe a day trip. So, be prepared for lines; be prepared for waiting for a meal out(cook in!).

      Enjoy the last big weekend at mid-winter.

Side note:

 NBA ALL -Star Game tomorrow.

Vuhledar: Russyan Army Graveyard

       Well, now. Gen. Gerasimov, leader of Russyan Army troops in Ukraine, overall commander of all invading forces of Putin's Special Operation, now must survey the disaster in the city of Vuhledar, in Ukraine's south east territory, near the Donbass.

       It's winter in Ukraine, and winter in Russya, the cross border state. It's cold. Snow covers frozen ground. And snow covers the dead bodies of hundreds of young men, many sent to Ukraine without adequate training, a Russyan/Wagner Group specialty. Ol' Yevgeny Prighozin is probably cooking up a meal for his Kremlin sponsor while explaining that casualties are to be expected on the road to victory. Ha.

       Russyans could care less about victory. They care less about the Moskva idiots. They want an end to this one year-old debacle. Can't the West negotiate a cease fire? Hmmmm. No, there won't be a cease fire until Russya leaves Ukraine and writes off the Special Operation as misguided geopolitics. Can Vova(putin) decide this move anytime soon? Don't bet on it. He's nuts.

      So, the Russyan army massed infantry to attack Vuhledar. They announced the attack ahead of the beginning, to scare the opposition. They were scared, but well prepared for the coming onslaught.  My, my. The Russyan armored vehicles met deadly fire from antitank weaponry. Brave Ukrainian soldiers decimated the units while they scrambled for cover(there isn't any-see pics). Land mines played an important role: the ground around the city was seeded before the attack with many, many mines, large enough to cripple any tank, and large enough to destroy many. So, welcome to winter in Ukraine, Gen. Gerasimov. Are you planning a nice retirement? I hope so, it's coming, sooner than you think. Oh, and about those war crime trials? You'll be called, not as a witness, mind you, but as a commanding perp responsible for many of those documented crimes by your ex-prisoners serving in Bucha, etc.

Have a nice day.

Balloons Over Groceries

      The Mayor went grocery shopping the other day. While pushing the cart around the aisles, he noticed a tethered bouquet of fancy mylar coated helium-filled brightly colored balloons. The Mayor immediately called the F.B.I. to inform them that the Chinese have now sent spies to American grocery stores and an investigation is warranted.

Super Bowl 57: It's Over

      The Kansas City Chiefs prevailed over the Philadelphia Eagles in the 57th Super Bowl: 38-35. They won it on a field goal with 8 seconds left in the contest. The Chiefs had to overcome a 10 point halftime deficit when the Eagles led 24-14. The Kansas City team was led by the able Mr. Mahomes who had limped off the file at the half, and returned to score 24 points in the 2nd half to Philly's 11. 

Earthquake in Turkey

       Geologists around the world know a lot about Turkey and its location on the tectonic plates of the earth. They move. Turkey is located on the seam of two plates. They move: suddenly, and for those living on the plate(s) at the seam, bad things happen.

      The same earthquake affected neighboring Syria in the midst of its civil war. The poor citizens of both are suffering mightily and there's little to be done. Casualties have soared past 20,000 deaths, and it will be a long time before a total is reached.

Update

     Casualties now are more 30,000 dead as a result of the 7.8 earthquake that struck on Monday, February 6th. Rescuers have all but abandoned efforts to find survivors as the days get longer for those still trapped under tons of concrete rubble. The Turkish government has arrested various builders and inspectors who approved many of the building that  collapsed due to poor construction. Many lacked required steel reinforcement required in the region.  President Reycap Erdogan has been sharply criticized for the poor response to aid those most affected by the vast devastation across Turkey, especially in the southwest area.

LeBron James: New Scoring Leader in NBA

       Kareem Abdul Jabar held the scoring record for almost 40 years. It did not seem possible for it to be broken. Longevity is not a trait of professional athletes. Their bodies suffer injuries, wear and tear, and their mental health seems to have limited resilience. As LeBron James' career unfolded, despite team hopping at an amazing pace, the super star began to take on what appeared to be a quest, that wasn't a quest, but an effort to maintain a high standard of performance.

      LeBron started out at a very young age, barely old enough to vote(18). His play was magnificent and a cause for wonder. He was a 'different' type of player: he was a little bit of everything desired in a top level player: aggressive, determined, unflappable, consistent, and remarkably healthy throughout the years. He had a winners' heart: he wanted victory and played hard to achieve those goals for himself and the team he played with, wherever that was at the time.

     Now he plays for the LA Lakers, the same team that Jabar played with when he set the scoring record all those many years ago. During the record beating game Tuesday night at home, the Lakers were up against the Oklahoma Thunder, a worthy opponent. LeBron needed 38 points to set the new record. He started fast, then slowed. As the second half began, James played his game: rebounding, moving up and down the court with aggressive steps and keen awareness for the ball. Late in the 3rd quarter, it now became almost a given: the record would be broken in minutes. Before the quarter ended, LeBron did break the old record and become the highest scoring player in league history. Time was stopped so LeBron, the Lakers, and all the Laker fans present could enjoy the historic moment. 38, 388 points. Not too B A D.

LeBron James: Scoring Leader

 

Dear Momma: I'm In Ukraine Donbass

        So, Moms across the Steppe are receiving letters from their conscript sons, now serving in either the Russyan Army of conscripts or with Yevgeny Preghozin's Wagner Group Mercenary Militia. Many have been released from various Gulag prisons, those medieval institutions that harken back to the days of the Czars and other royals. The young men(and not so young men) see this alternative as an improvement in their otherwise dreary lives. The situation offers a breath of "freedom" that they can't breathe inside the gulag walls/fences/cells.

       Vova in the Kremlin is a couple of weeks away from the first anniversary of his sad invasion of an adjacent sovereign country. This foolish ego-boosting act allowed the West to heap piles of disgust on him and all his Russyan followers(and detractors). Things have not gone well down South. His latest efforts include stepping up the aggressive moves by the army units in the field. How? By attacking Ukrainian army positions REGARDLESS OF THE COSTS IN LIVES! Madness reigns supreme in the Kremlin, as it does in most Russyan circles. Most Russyans have a low regard for human life. Look at their history: go back as far as you like. The information is all the same: humans are regarded more as animals and less like superior beings with an intellect and the ability to reason. This affords most Russyan "leaders" with a rationale to inflict pain, suffering, and death on their countrymen and women.

      The Czars used this rationale to populate the tundra of Siberia with "surplus" humans, those needed to work the mines and forests as far east as the Pacific Coast above(north of) the Arctic Circle, aka The Circle of Doom. Families, men, women, and children were sent east to an almost guaranteed early death. All that mattered was that they arrived at their destinations, and the sad, vodka drinkers already there would take care of the rest: the food, the shelter, and the work load, all calculated to send resources extracted locally to the royals in St. Petersburg and Moskva. And today, it is the same, excepting the location of the "gulag" prison. Now it is in the Donbass of eastern Ukraine.

      It won't be long before fighter/bombers will appear in the air over Russyan territory as the Fighting Ukrainians give back to Moskva a taste of their own medicine. Military targets will be given cursory looks, but the message will be delivered to the population: this is War, and Mad Vlad started it but can't finish it.

     The West will send tanks, planes, and more messages: Vova, You will not win this war: not now, not ever.

Bahkmut, Ukraine

      Russyan army units(mostly militiamen and former prison inmates) are closing in on the city in eastern Ukraine. The city has been reduced to mostly rubble after almost a year of fighting. Local civilians have fled for their lives. Casualties among fighting forces continue to rise as winter restricts movements between opponents. It seems like Mad Vlad in Moskva wants something to happen, something that will make him smile, the Smile of the Steppes. The Little Murderer has had difficulty with his message to the people of the Steppe, not being able to announce a victory or even progress. This among sanctions that continue to pressure the nation's fragile economy. Yes, he can still sell his lackies the black gold pumped from the earth, but he's spending the funds faster than he can pump oil. Now, there's a big earthquake in Turkey, so Idiot Erdagon has other problems to deal with and can't focus on irritating N.A.T.O. and other allies.

     Good Morning, Vova.

Chinese Balloons

   Are you kidding me? No, we're not kidding. Another random PR stunt by the Commies in Beijing. They want to divert attention from the Hong Kong suppression operation underway there. The government is rounding up more dissidents who may have protested the takeover 2 years ago. Now these aren't your student street protesters, they are from across the spectrum of residents of Hong Kong: academics, politicians, labor leaders, journalists, editors, and business leaders. This is the from the typical Communist takeover 'Playbook'. Rule No. 1, identify leaders in various fields; Rule No.2, locate them and their families, Rule No. 3, arrest all of them; Rule No. 4, eliminate them in the most expedient manner, methods not a factor.

        So, the poor Hong Kongers who stuck around, hoping. Now they know how misguided their hopes. It's over. Nothing will change much, excepting Xi JP's replacement in a few years will carry on with the Communist Governments complete takeover of China.

Golden State Warriors:Update

    Steph Curry out for 3 weeks: knee.

Grammy Awards-2023

      Beyonce'. Really. Sorry. Next.

Covid in El Dorado County

       Locals on the West Shore of Lake Tahoe aren't inclined to mention the Covid pandemic much these days. After all,  there's new snow on the slopes and tracks to be made on the early morning ski runs. The last 2 days saw several inches of new powder all around the area with excellent conditions during the day. So, who among us is not going skiing? Who wants to talk about masking, coughing spells, vaccinations, or sore throats? Not I, says the Mayor of Tahoma.

       Think about it: we're here in California while New Englanders are turning up the thermostats and making hot toddies to ward off record cold weather. Unconfirmed reports state that conditions on Mount Washington, New Hampshire, reflect the situation: 100+ mph winds with a wind chill of minus 50 degrees, or 80 degrees below freezing. I'll take California, thank you very much.

       I'm sure that many "snowbirds" have departed the region for warmer climes. I wonder what the hotel occupancy rate is in Fort Lauderdale, Tampa, and Pensacola, Florida. Could be higher in Phoenix, Tucson, Sedona, and Flagstaff, Arizona. Texas, not so much as the state grapples with power outages, disturbing politics, and general malaise after the Cowboys were eliminated from the playoffs. Some snowbirds are probably in Cancun, Cabo San Lucas, and Mazatlan, Mexico, as long as you don't mind supporting a failed state.

      So, despite higher interest rates, the US seems to be the best place to hang out this winter which we are about half way through to date.

Delusion Defined=George Santos, Representative of Republican Party

        Rep. George Santos of New York City, is certainly "truth" challenged. On Tuesday, his campaign treasurer, Nancy Marks, resigned as his campaign treasurer. Accoeding to Ms. Marks, she submitted the resignation at the request of the Fed. Election Commission. OnMonday of this week, Mr. George Santos, Republican representative of New York City, filed with the same commission the name of his 'new' campaign treasurer, Thomas Datwyler. However, a lawyer representing Mr. Datwyler filed papers with the F.E. C. that his client has not agreed to accept this position. Hmmmmm. How does this happen? Look at Mr. Santos' record: lies, lies, and more lies to cover the lies.

      The man has severe mental health issues and yet, he's supported by GOP leadership. To wit, Speaker Kevin McCarthy, himself a delusional creep from the central Valley of California, the Left Coast of some renown. Certainly, Mr. McCarthy knows what is going on. But, his power play(s) display extraordinary incompetence in his role as Speaker, This House of Cards will come crashing down soon. We may have to wait until the 2024 elections, but nonetheless, the House Leadership will continue to disgrace itself as time goes on and the Orange-Haired Baboon embarks on his futile campaign to regain respect, somewhere.