We haven't seen this type of forecast in quite awhile: snow, snow, and more snow. Despite somewhat warm temps 32-34 degrees F, some should stick. The danger is the warmer temps. Some melting could occur during the day if the temps get higher than freezing with some melt and ice formation at night as temps drop. The usual scenario. So, make sure you put on your snow tires/studded, etc. and slow down.
Don't try to make up time driving; that's a recipe for a sideways spin into the lake. Or worse: oncoming traffic.
Be Safe, Be careful. Plan your trips; stock up, and wax your skis, boards, sleds, dishes, Etc. Have enough propane? Rock salt? Batteries? Winter is here.
Sunday, November 30, 2014
Saturday, November 29, 2014
Drought Over?
Back to back storms are slamming into California's coast, dumping copious amounts of much needed rainfall. Farmers are to be seen standing in the rain with mouths agape, swallowing as much as they can, quenching their thirst. This on top of substantial amounts of roast turkey from Thursday.
Forecasters predict 3"-5" of rainfall by next Wednesday. This amount will flow directly into the state's reservoirs, raising levels from near zero.
Farmers and ranchers are adapting planting schedules for next spring. Consumers across the state can only hope the winter continues to return to normal levels of rain and snowfall.
Ski resorts may not get all they want this week, but it does extend the storm door opening well into December, a critical month for storage of snowpack.
Forecasters predict 3"-5" of rainfall by next Wednesday. This amount will flow directly into the state's reservoirs, raising levels from near zero.
Farmers and ranchers are adapting planting schedules for next spring. Consumers across the state can only hope the winter continues to return to normal levels of rain and snowfall.
Ski resorts may not get all they want this week, but it does extend the storm door opening well into December, a critical month for storage of snowpack.
Russiya Puts Out More Propaganda
Households across the USA were treated to a Russiyan gift this morning: a large dose of propaganda from the Kremlin's office of Official Lies and Falsehoods. These lies came in the form of a 4 page supplement found in the folds of today's Wall Street Journal, delivered to the doorstep of 2+ million American households. What a great way to gain some much needed revenue for the USA's top print media publication. Obviously, the owners of the WSJ care about their bottom line, and this injection of cash(roubles converted to dollars) helps out quite a bit.
Now adding a supplement to a daily paper requires all that you can assume: journalists' costs, editorial content, layout and publication, and the money fronted to the WSJ.
A quick read of the content leaves a reader wondering: what are they smoking in the Kremlin? Within its pages, Russiyans profess to disapprove of relaxing of marijuana control laws, but clearly, in the Kremlin, they are smoking bales of the weed. How else does one publish such items as: the Russyian economy is sinking because of US sanctions? Hmmmm. Maybe Mad Vlad is combining his weed with vodka. Every high school teenager knows this combo produces all kinds of fantasies of the mind.
Well, today's supplement underscores the Russyian comedic mind set: nothing can be too amusing to send to American households from Mad Vlad's dacha in Moscova.
Way to go Vlad. Loved the foto with Chinese Pres. Xi, Pres. Obama, Pres. Putin, and the Sultan of Brunei Hassanal Bolkiah, all dressed in deep purple silk Mao jackets in Beijing. This amiable gathering predates the OPEC meeting of Thursday and Friday's 10% drop in oil prices. Pres. Obama was heard chuckling to himself this morning on Pennsylvania Avenue. The US taxpayer just received a 10% tax cut! "I'm the greatest", he said to self. Wonder if he took a selfie to share the moment on Twitter?
Now adding a supplement to a daily paper requires all that you can assume: journalists' costs, editorial content, layout and publication, and the money fronted to the WSJ.
A quick read of the content leaves a reader wondering: what are they smoking in the Kremlin? Within its pages, Russiyans profess to disapprove of relaxing of marijuana control laws, but clearly, in the Kremlin, they are smoking bales of the weed. How else does one publish such items as: the Russyian economy is sinking because of US sanctions? Hmmmm. Maybe Mad Vlad is combining his weed with vodka. Every high school teenager knows this combo produces all kinds of fantasies of the mind.
Well, today's supplement underscores the Russyian comedic mind set: nothing can be too amusing to send to American households from Mad Vlad's dacha in Moscova.
Way to go Vlad. Loved the foto with Chinese Pres. Xi, Pres. Obama, Pres. Putin, and the Sultan of Brunei Hassanal Bolkiah, all dressed in deep purple silk Mao jackets in Beijing. This amiable gathering predates the OPEC meeting of Thursday and Friday's 10% drop in oil prices. Pres. Obama was heard chuckling to himself this morning on Pennsylvania Avenue. The US taxpayer just received a 10% tax cut! "I'm the greatest", he said to self. Wonder if he took a selfie to share the moment on Twitter?
Friday, November 28, 2014
Charles Schwab Gets It!
The founder and chairman of the company that bears his name, Charles Schwab, wrote an opinion column 9 days ago that still resonates: he gets it. The it being the cost of the ongoing bailout of Wall Street by Mr. and Mrs. American Middle Class. With interest rates at historic lows and banks and investment companies paying near zero on deposit savings account, certain Americans are paying a high price for the government's position on the rescue of Wall St. banks and investment companies.
Since 2008, seniors 65-74 years old, have lost $1,900/year in income over 6 years according to the McKinsey Global Institute report. For seniors 75 years or older, they have lost $7,500 annually since 2008. In total, seniors have lost $58 billions annually since 2008. WE are talking of families and households that are retired, living on accumulated savings, social security, and maybe a pension of some kind. This group makes up about 13.3% of the population in the country. In other words, we have 13.3% of the population losing billions in annual income while at the same time dealing with a professed government policy of maintaining an annual inflation rate of 2%. So they get stabbed twice by Fed Policy and Government fiscal policy of "controlled " inflation.
Mr. Schwab's article heralded the FED's professed intent to raise interest rates soon, and return monetary policy to the former normal when a 1 year annual CD paid 6.5% interest. Remember those days? The good, old days?
Hmmmmm? Seems like forever ago. Mr. Schwab also noted that investors often look at current returns available and move funds into higher risk instruments, e.g. stocks and equity instruments. Is that a place for a retiree's money that will be safe? Hardly, despite record setting territory of late.
It's about time somebody put the real numbers in front of everybody to shine some more light on those sad souls who have funded the "REAL" bailout: the bailout of the big banks and their shareholders. Shame on the FED and all its members.
Since 2008, seniors 65-74 years old, have lost $1,900/year in income over 6 years according to the McKinsey Global Institute report. For seniors 75 years or older, they have lost $7,500 annually since 2008. In total, seniors have lost $58 billions annually since 2008. WE are talking of families and households that are retired, living on accumulated savings, social security, and maybe a pension of some kind. This group makes up about 13.3% of the population in the country. In other words, we have 13.3% of the population losing billions in annual income while at the same time dealing with a professed government policy of maintaining an annual inflation rate of 2%. So they get stabbed twice by Fed Policy and Government fiscal policy of "controlled " inflation.
Mr. Schwab's article heralded the FED's professed intent to raise interest rates soon, and return monetary policy to the former normal when a 1 year annual CD paid 6.5% interest. Remember those days? The good, old days?
Hmmmmm? Seems like forever ago. Mr. Schwab also noted that investors often look at current returns available and move funds into higher risk instruments, e.g. stocks and equity instruments. Is that a place for a retiree's money that will be safe? Hardly, despite record setting territory of late.
It's about time somebody put the real numbers in front of everybody to shine some more light on those sad souls who have funded the "REAL" bailout: the bailout of the big banks and their shareholders. Shame on the FED and all its members.
Travel Warning: Mexico
We don't often post travel advisories on this site; but in this instance, it is warranted. Our own Deputy Minister of Aviation has just returned from an extensive trip(flying by private aircraft) to Mexico. He had been invited by a local organization to lecture on trends in Health Issues for pilots in upper age cohorts. During his travels, he was advised not to land or fly close to Durango State. We could add Lower Baja State, Sinaloa, of course, and Michoacan.
Recent murders have placed Mexico on our watch list for travelers. Find another place to spend your time and dollars. Too risky, despite the lack of official announcements from our State Department. That wouldn't sit well with businesses dependent on cross border traffic, legal cross border traffic, that is.
On top of it all, Pres. Obama's recent Executive Order altering immigration rules and policies will certainly affect the economy here and there.
So, be aware of the situation in our next door neighbor to the south, across the Rio Grande. Don't rely on opinions of travel agents for information about safety. Do your own research from several available sites.
Recent murders have placed Mexico on our watch list for travelers. Find another place to spend your time and dollars. Too risky, despite the lack of official announcements from our State Department. That wouldn't sit well with businesses dependent on cross border traffic, legal cross border traffic, that is.
On top of it all, Pres. Obama's recent Executive Order altering immigration rules and policies will certainly affect the economy here and there.
So, be aware of the situation in our next door neighbor to the south, across the Rio Grande. Don't rely on opinions of travel agents for information about safety. Do your own research from several available sites.
Oil Prices Plummet: Arabs Refuse to Stop Pumping
Mad Vlad of Kremlin fame must be wondering "What does a man have to do to get respect?". His rouble has crashed to new lows against the infernal dollar, and his oligarchs are crying out for relief. Meanwhile, down in Ukraine, the prime minister as been reaffirmed in his position after a parliamentary vote this week. His job secure, he can now deal with the countries sick economy. The IMF may have to revise its estimates of how much money will be needed to shore up the country's economy.
As long as the Russian Bear sits on its doorstep and continues to threaten a complete takeover, the country will remain unstable and a source of emigrants seeking refugee status in the west. As the price of oil continues going south, the outlook for Russia remains bleak. With 50% of her economy dependent on the sale of oil and natural gas, the slide in GDP will continue and western sanctions will forestall most if not all foreign investments.
This week, in France, prime minister Francois Hollande confirmed his country will not deliver the Mistral amphibious assault ship built for Russia and sold for $1.5 billions. Despite Russian sailors in France getting familiar with the operations of the ship, they will have to leave and go on a vacation, maybe to Crimea's beaches. Oh, too cold right now for holiday traffic.
Mad Vlad was in Vladivostok on the Russian east coast, talking to locals about What? Maybe he heard Scottish-like rumblings of independence, maybe not. But Vladivostok is a long, long, long way from Moscova, but close to Seoul, Beijing, Tokyo, and Pyongyang.
I expect Mad Vlad to visit Iran this week or next, to put another thumb in the eye of the West after the West's announcement that nuclear disarmament talks were extended past Monday's deadline for 7 more months. Good luck dealing with religious crazies under any circumstances, Vlad included.
As long as the Russian Bear sits on its doorstep and continues to threaten a complete takeover, the country will remain unstable and a source of emigrants seeking refugee status in the west. As the price of oil continues going south, the outlook for Russia remains bleak. With 50% of her economy dependent on the sale of oil and natural gas, the slide in GDP will continue and western sanctions will forestall most if not all foreign investments.
This week, in France, prime minister Francois Hollande confirmed his country will not deliver the Mistral amphibious assault ship built for Russia and sold for $1.5 billions. Despite Russian sailors in France getting familiar with the operations of the ship, they will have to leave and go on a vacation, maybe to Crimea's beaches. Oh, too cold right now for holiday traffic.
Mad Vlad was in Vladivostok on the Russian east coast, talking to locals about What? Maybe he heard Scottish-like rumblings of independence, maybe not. But Vladivostok is a long, long, long way from Moscova, but close to Seoul, Beijing, Tokyo, and Pyongyang.
I expect Mad Vlad to visit Iran this week or next, to put another thumb in the eye of the West after the West's announcement that nuclear disarmament talks were extended past Monday's deadline for 7 more months. Good luck dealing with religious crazies under any circumstances, Vlad included.
New Owners at Westside Pizza
The anticipated sale of our local pizza place has been accomplished. Joaquin completed the sale to a new partnership as of last month. This could mean some changes are on the way. Maybe the new owners will tackle the problems with their pizza dough issue. Comments on Yelp continue to mention the pizza dough as unpalatable. This is not a new problem and it won't go away. Maybe property owner Mr. Mariani will offer some sage advice; he knows good pizza when he tastes it. He's Italian.
The "New Ownership" sign offers the idea of changes and IMPROVEMENT. Could it be true or just a come on? Time will tell, and hopefully, changes will be good and accepted by the local customer base in Tahoma.
If the Norfolk Inn Hotel's new restaurant gets rolling soon, maybe Tahoma will become a mecca(sorry for using that generic term, if a little politically incorrect) for West Shore foodies. Tom Keller's iconic restaurant in St. Helena, The French Laundry, is closing soon for a remodel addition. Those customers need a place to go-Tahoma's opportunity!
Good luck to the new owners of West Side Pizza.
The "New Ownership" sign offers the idea of changes and IMPROVEMENT. Could it be true or just a come on? Time will tell, and hopefully, changes will be good and accepted by the local customer base in Tahoma.
If the Norfolk Inn Hotel's new restaurant gets rolling soon, maybe Tahoma will become a mecca(sorry for using that generic term, if a little politically incorrect) for West Shore foodies. Tom Keller's iconic restaurant in St. Helena, The French Laundry, is closing soon for a remodel addition. Those customers need a place to go-Tahoma's opportunity!
Good luck to the new owners of West Side Pizza.
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