Matthew Turner Update

close up of course yard connection made by Mayor of Tahoma

bow shot with course  and lower topsail yards in place February,2018

       The yards are being placed as we speak, with foremast getting all the effort at this time.  The two largest yards are in place as seen in the above photo.  The galvanized connector(s) are fitted andin place.  This is the key to the function of the course yard which will hold the bulk of the 7000 sq. ft. of canvas.  At 54' in length and weighing over 1000 lbs., the built up glue laminate Douglas fir yard will do the heavy work when the ship is under way on the open sea.  Last minute changes in the design placed sheaves internally at the yard arms to give the yard less bulk and less weight above the deck.  While taking more work, it was a design change that deviated from the original plans that had more closely followed the original drawing of 1897-8.
      The shroud lines can be see attached to the lower foremast at the platform and to the rails at the deck.  Next up will be the upper topsail yard and the top gallant yard.  This week, the main sail will be hoisted up and fitted to ascertain proper spacing for the remaining yards.
Stay tuned.  More to come as work continues below decks, especially in the engine space.

Steve Bannon in France

      Well, well, well.  Like a bad penny, Steve Bannon, former White House staffer/advisor to his client, President Trump,   he has turned up again.  This time in the European theater known as France.   he was there to give a talk(s) on his "populist" theme that appears to be sagging wherever and whenever he talks about it.  Photos of Mr. Bannon and former presidential hopeful, Marine La Pen, were splashed across international media as she sought to inject some air in the deflated message of her party, the National Front.  Like any defeated group, the National Front will float a name change in hopes of improving its image.  Good luck with that change.
      On the heels of La Pen's defeat, her 28 year old niece, Marachel, resigned from her seat in government.  Obviously, she, too, was stung by the lack of support among voters in France.  Mr. Macron is obviously delighted in the turn of events snce he assumed high office.  Mr. Bannon, meanwhile, is struggling to carry his message abroad.  Given his repugnant reputation at home, the old scoundrel with more money than brains, is traipsing about in search of anyone who will listen to his drivel.   Maybe he will he has a few more miles on his neocon legs, but it is doubtful he will enlist anymore supporters in the EU, let alone North and South America.
     he'll be home soon, scratching his head, asking himself,"What's a matter with these folks?  Aren't they paying attention?".   Sad, but certainly, the signs of dementia are everywhere. 

Italian Elections:2018

     The promised elections announced in the wake of Matteo Renzi's resignation last year have finally come to pass.  The March 4th election concluded a tumultuous campaign punctuated by a few incidents of violence as right-wing groups confronted left-winged groups in some urban settings, indicating growing unease among voters.  the elections came and went with outcomes close to those predicted by pollsters in the media.   No single party claimed a majority, leading to further uncertainty among the population.
     To examine the results, one must first look at the parties involved : all 9 parties for the camera dei deputati, and 7 for Del Senato Della Reppubblica.
For the Senate:
1. Movimento 5 Stelle(5 Star)
2. MAIE-con MERLO
Italiani All'Estero) Italians living abroad
3. Liberi e Uguali
4. PD-Partito Democratico
5. Europa
6. Civica Popolare
7. Lega; Forza Italia; Fratelli d'Italia
     (The League, Force Italy, Brothers of Italy
For the Chamber:
    all the above plus:
  1. Partito Repubblicano Italiano-ALA
  2. Free Flights to Italy

Stalin Biographer Rips Putin

      Political historian, Stephen Kotkin, reveals some ugly truths about the current situation with Mr. Vladimir V. Putin's government in Russya.  Mr. Kotkin has been studying Russyan politics and Stalin in particular for almost 35 years.  He knows his subject matter well.  He is currently a faculty member at Princeton where he has taught diplomatic and political history for 3 decades.  His interview in the Wall St. Journal is very illuminating.WSJ.  see page A11.

Boris Johnson and Russya

     So, the Foreign Secretary of the UK comes out threatening sanctions against the Red Menace of the East.  Well, well.  Has anybody told him how many Russyans live and hide in the UK?  Apparently, he has overlooked this minor inconvenience.  As PM Theresa May tries to engineer a BREXIT from the EU, this situation does not help as it exposes the vulnerability of an isolated Great Britain.
      The long arm of the Kremlin and its minions knows no boundaries today.  Be it agents on the move or hackers on the net, Russyans are continuing their role as the international pariah that has been its character for 100 years and more.  It seems to even the most casual observers that Russya cannot, will not, does not function in the modern world in any acceptable manner or fashion.   The root of this problem is deep and strong, owing to a self perception that has caused the Russyan government grief since the time of czars.
      When a country sends agents abroad to assassinate former citizens, it crosses all conventional methods of dealing with dissenters and former citizens.  Great Britain, like its cousins in North America, has provided refuge for Russyan citizens for decades, offering protections not found in other places(distance help).   It is a given that the Kremlin resents the Queen for providing this safe haven, but no doubt this legal position is not recognized by the Kremlin and its occupants.
     The world cannot accept such behavior, and will not.  Sanctions are already in place for other offenses(Crimea, UKRAINE, Olympics).  I suspect that the World Cup and F.I.F.A. will pull out before the tournament begins.  Then what, Mr. Putin?  Tears?

Russya: At It Again in the UK

      A man and his daughter were found dead in Salisbury, England yesterday.  People die all the time.  But here we have two Russyans, a father and daughter.  Seen minutes before at a shopping mall nearby, they were found unconscious on a park bench in their death throes.  Hmmmmmm.
      British security police are investigating the suspicious circumstances.  Mr. Sergei Skripal and his daughter have lived locally for several years.  He is the former K.G.B. agent convicted of spying ten years ago by a Moscow court and then exchanged for another Russyan wanted by the Kremlin.  This activity is becoming an international problem.  Russyans abroad are often the targets of reprisals from the Kremlin and its occupants.  Most recently, the head of the Kremlin is everybody's fave, V.V. Putin, or Vova to his cronies.   My, my.  Are we surprised?  Is anybody surprised?  Foreign Secretary of the UK, Boris Johnson, said that this activity, if found to be state -sponsored by the Kremlin, will be met with harsh sanctions.  Perhaps oligarchs will have to give up their homes in Kensington.
    We'll see.

Winter: Price of Propane

      Maybe you haven't noticed; maybe you have noticed the recent price of a gallon of propane.  This fuel is most common inside the  Tahoe Basin for heating, cooking, and general use.  It's still winter, for about 3 more weeks.  Normally, prices stay the same until well into springtime.  However, turmoil within the energy sector of the economy has disrupted the norm.  Oil prices have been moving wildly, rising and falling as market prices react to various inputs.  The US has now become a net oil exporter for the first time in decades.   Shale oil production has been the driver in the US turnaround.  But propane is a different product, and often responds more closely with the weather.  And weather looks to be the current market force of cause.
    The US west has had a mild winter; so, too, Lake Tahoe and Northern California.  Most folks prepare for winter here by ordering fill ups before the white stuff falls.  Where has the snow been?  Not here; gone, until last week.  With a significant amount falling locally, it appears that we will approach average for the season.   We shall see.  But at $0.76/per gallon @ retail, that should prove enticing for those who have seen their on site tanks depleted.  Fill up now; no point in waiting any longer.
That's right, $0.76/gal.  Of course, suppliers add on a little profit-$2.00/a gal.  Hmmmm.  Isn't that interesting.