USS Theodore Roosevelt: On Station

     Well, Iran, now what?  Like negotiating  from a position of strength?  How about looking down the muzzle of the USS Theodore Roosevelt?  New sheriff in town, with a guided missile cruiser as backup, and 15 destroyers as escort screen.  Hmmm.  Maybe the ayatollahs will reconsider if they think their navy might end up on the bottom of the Gulf of Aden.  The Yemenite rebels might just run out of gas soon and the Saudis' assistance might show some results.  The aircraft carrier is a large factor, but not as large as it seems.  Recall how many aircraft carriers cruised off the coast of SE Asia in the 60's and 70's.   Who won that one?
    One carrier, a few dozen planes = a few pin pricks.  Not much else.  Obama doesn't know what the Navy can or can't do; he lacks sound judgment, not having any experience whatsoever being on the ground under aerial bombardment.  Yes, it's scary, but so is the noise from a 4th of July fireworks display.
      The carrier needs lots of room for maneuver and defensive ops, and no commander likes to work in tight spaces-too big a target.

Homewood Sewer Upgrade

    West Shore residents will have a new sewer treatment plant soon.  Tahoe City PUD announced they will transform the small existing facility to a larger, more efficient treatment facility.  This will conform to and exceed water quality needs now and in the future.  This presupposes that the new Homewood Village construction will take place as approved.   This may or may not happen.   Just look at the snow levels for the last 4 years: abysmal or worse.
     But, the lake is our local treasure and must be kept pristine.   Perhaps water quality will improve if pets within the basin are more tightly controlled or completely banned.  Consider the effects of 10000 mutts pooping all over the lakeshore: disgusting.  It's time environmentalists confront the pet maniacs on their own terms-aggressive, take-no-prisoners-in-your-face confrontation.  Not pretty.
    Let's celebrate the new plant in Homewood.

GASPROM:=gas bomb

So, Russya sells lots of gas to Western Europe.  Lots of gas, in addition to the gas expelled from the Kremlin by its inhabitants, orally.  Well, the EU announced that an investigation has begun into the pricing of Russya's gas.  This comes on the heels of an announcement that the EU is also investigating Google and its control over internet searches.  Big targets, easy to hit.  But can it stick?
     The EU is getting its act together; no more intimidation by foreign monopolies of any stripe.  Mad Vlad will be back at the drawing board, thinking up some dastardly response.  Maybe he'll bring out the leopard again; maybe wrestle a Siberian bear; or maybe ride a musk ox around MOscova in the snow.  That will scare lots of folks in Mali, Eritrea, and Somalia.  He'll no doubt parade about to make some type of irrational statement to provoke a response.  Perhaps he'll call on the Castro Brothers to raise a few Federation flags?   Then again, maybe he'll invite Nicolas' Maduro of Venezuela to stop by the Kremlin for a little tete e' tete,  Certainly he w;on't parade those poor Chechens he's holding as suspects in the murder of Mr. Nemtsov.  Who?
     The EU has a new sheriff and SHE is getting aggressive.  This will cost the slowing economy of Russya even more foreign exchange.  Oh, well.  It's only ruobles.  Who really cares about the rouble, anyway?  The Ayatollah?  Mr. Morsi?  A Houthi in San'A?
     By the way, have you noticed the armada of ships off the coast of Yemen?  It's enough to make an old Blue Water sailor cry.  Aircraft carriers, destroyers, missile boats, supply vessels.  Probably a few subs lurking about below the surface.   Maybe Iran will get the message, finally.

Minister from Tahoma Has New Assignment

     While in Washington, DC., the Mayor had many obligations and more than a few social encounters.  The highlights were many, all enjoyable.  To start with, by some amazing chance, we arrived into the city at the height of the springtime display of cherry blossoms that arrive briefly in early April or late March.  The Washington Monument was encircled by the blooming trees that attracted throngs of tourists to their locations.  Easter crowds were large, and they were thrilled with the visual feast and the balmy weather.  The official Cherry Blossom festival kicked off on Saturday, April 11.  Hundreds of thousands of visitors flocked to Constitution Avenue where vendors and artists had established their tents and kiosks.   Kimonos were in evidence wherever one looked.  The colors were beautiful.  Japanese girls were decked out in Tokyo-style hip outfits-almost Hello,Kitty colors complete with dyed hair of every shade; a sight to behold.
     Friday found us at a gathering in Foggy Bottom to witness the assignments handed out to new diplomats.  Our own Minister of Latin American Affairs was rewarded with a plum assignment to Sao Paolo, Brazil! Of all places.  His cadre of representatives from the OAS were there to celebrate his success.   He will be required to study Portuguese language for 6 months before departure.  Piece of cake!
      On Saturday, we joined a group for a private tour at the American Holocaust Museum near the Capitol Mall.  More on that experience in a separate entry.
    Sunday, the 12th, continued with bright sunshine and crowds of families taking in all the available venues.   The Smithsonian, high on everyone's list, had lines out the door.
By Monday, we were ready for a break, and decided to fly up to Boston and check on the Boston Red Sox, 2015.

Book Review: OUTLOOK, by Christopher Hill

     Have you ever wondered how the US diplomats get anything done during discussions with representatives of foreign governments?  How can they achieve satisfactory results with dictators, prime ministers, presidents, or kings and queens?  Chris Hill, a retired foreign service officer has written an excellent memoir of his 30+ year career that included ambassadorships, special envoys slots, embassy official, consular officer, and area specialist.   He advised numerous US presidents, Secretarys of State including Warren Christopher, Colin Powell, Condelezza Rice, and Hillary Clinton.   He was a critical component of the peace agreement ending the Bosnia War during the Clinton administration.
      The strength of his memoir lies in the telling of the many details of the operations of statecraft in the modern era.  At a time of instant communication, information gathering has taken on new meaning.  Unfortunately, so much information is available that sorting and analyzing has become the newest problem.  Ambassador Hill writes with the authority of someone who lived through trying times, dealt with war and crises that required the highest performance by experienced diplomats.  Mr. Hill retired in 2009.
     He describes his early international experience as a Peace Corps worker in Cameroon as an inexperienced representative of a development organization.   He was thrust into a situation that required sound judgment and even handed treatment of illiterate farmers who wanted their own credit union.  At 24 years of age, he stepped up and did a fine job establishing an institution that performed as designed for the benefit of the many.
     Despite training and oversight, many situations are not covered by the "book" or by senior staff.  Subordinate officers have to use good judgment and get the job done, always keeping in mind that they represent the people of the United States.
    Today, as Secretary of State John Kerry attempts to reach a deal with Iran on its nuclear development program, the public has been able to get a glimpse of how difficult it can be to reach any accord with a recalcitrant, reckless, dishonest, brain-addled government leader and his diplomats.
Christopher gives his insights and specifics of details that resulted in the Akron Accords that ended the Bosnia War.  It's a good read and a great story/memoir.
4* read.  Available in hardcover

USS CALIFORNIA-SSN 781

The USS California is one of many naval vessels that have carried the name of the Golden State.  As depicted on the ship's coin, 7 of her predecessors were so named.  Most living with a memory of the battleship with the name California, recall her number: BB 44, a design from the mid-20th century which featured long barreled 16" rifles set in stacked turrets fore and aft.  The ship was designed for shore bombardments and also to withstand aerial bomb attacks(considerable antiaircraft guns were added to the later Iowa-class battleships in the late '30's and early 40's.
    The current vessel to wear the name is a nuclear powered attack submarine, numbered 781.  She is the 1st of the 8 Virginia-class submarines outfitted with the electromagnetic signature reduction system.
     She was built by Northrup Grumman at their Newport News shipyard, commissioned in 2011.  She was recently in the naval yard at Portsmouth, New Hampshire, where she was replenished and crew changes were made as per routine schedules.   Her 7 sister ships continue to patrol, keeping the US Navy at a high level of readiness around the world.
       The motto of the ship is: Silentium Est Aureum- Silence is Golden.  The ship's coin features 7 design replicas of other California ships on the reverse, and a
stylized grizzly bear embracing a red,white and blue triangle
a gold sash with the state's name over a white plate with the ship's
number.  It is one of the more attractive ship's coins available in the fleet
and competes with various aircraft carriers for high honors.
     Subs like these are seldom seen: they disappear rather quickly once they leave the dock. 
Keep up the good work.

Let's call In to Mr. Putin

      State controlled media hosted a unique event for Pres. Putin last Friday.  His Excellency, Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin sat down to take questions for not 1 hour, not 2 hours, but 8 grueling hours of questions from curious hand-picked, screened, courageous callers.  His responses seemed to satisfy everybody, even Vladimir himself.  How quaint, a sitting president, hosting a call-in show on national TV.   Maybe he wore a sweater like Mr. Rodgers did in the USA.   He didn't wear face paint, but he obviously had a face makeover at the makeup counter before the cameras zoomed in on that "face".
     No doubt he wanted to dispel critics of his handling of the slowing Russyan economy.  He proclaimed that the bottom had been reached, the economy was headed back up and GDP was going to improve.  Soon after, his economics minister stated that the economy would continue to slow and retreat further over the next 2 years.  Oh, well, we know that bureaucrats often fail to communicate.
    Vlad also announced that he would be selling air defense systems to Iran; those same systems that he refused to sell them in 2012.  Things have changed in the Middle East; plus, The Old Bear needs some foreign exchange to bolster its reserve funds; ergo, sell weapons to highest bidder.
     Maybe this is no more than his aggressive stance of thumbing his nose at the West-those capitalist running dogs who have placed financial restrictions on Mad Vlad's friends(oligarchs FOV(friends of Vlad)).   The largest country on the planet continues to seek more land.  Hmmm.  Feeling a little squeezed Vlad?   Siberia not so productive?   Maybe it's time to give Sakhalin back to Japan.   Maybe it's time to sell Kamchatka to China.   Maybe it's time to give Crimea back to Ukraine.   Maybe it's time to get real, Vlad.