Italian Election this Weekend

      Italian voters will go to the polls this Sunday, March 4th.  This is the promised election to replace the Premier, Matteo Renzi, who resigned last year after his plebiscite was rejected by the voters.  His bet that Italians wanted change was miscalculated.  They want changes, but not as much as he promised.  As an example of changes he wanted, he planned to reduce the size of Parliament which is composed of almost 900 elected officials in the Senate and Chamber of Deputies.  The costs of this huge body of lawmakers is extraordinary.   In addition to a salary of E250,000/ann, each  member enjoys a staff for the office and many other expensive benefits.  No wonder its so difficult to make changes.
    In the past week, violence has broken out in some cities as opponents on the right and left have faced off in demonstrations and counter demonstrations as the voting date approaches.  No candidate is expected to win a significant victory and as a result, another coalition government will be formed.
This does not bode well for the EU.  Italy has seen weak economic growth over the last 2-3 years.  While other member states have seen growth in the 2.5-3.5% range, Italy has only managed a 1.5% rate.  Unemployment is barely under 10%.  This is not good.  Not good for the Euro either as Brussels is dealing with the exit of Great Britain from the union.
      Italy needs change but lacks the leader to accomplish necessary steps.  Silvio Berlesconi has come back as the face of the Liga Nord or Northern League which is a populist party that supports restrictions on immigration which has overwhelmed provinces in the South of Italy, and has even extended to many in the North.
     Results could predict what will happen in other countries that have faced immigration issues related to refugees from the Syrian war and political upheaval in sub-Saharan Africa.

President Xi of China Likes His Job

      Well, no surprise here.  As his second term comes to an end, the President of China has engineered a sweeping change.  This change involves a rewriting of the constitution.  Instead of term limits, no term limit.  He could be president for life.  Hmmmm.  Who does this sound like?  Sounds like  ----yes, Mao.
      Does China welcome another supreme leader?  Like it or not, Mr. Xi has been astute in consolidating his power(s), and sidelining obstructionists to his plans.  The country has made extraordinary economic progress in the last 20 years, lifting  hundreds of millions of citizens up from extreme poverty to more comfortable living conditions, including health and education improvements for all.  The business climate has improved, but international trade is the one area where trading partners are most concerned.  Chinese state-owned companies have expanded overseas, investing in Africa and South Asia.  The country has also expanded into the Pacific Ocean western basin or the South China Sea.  This move has caused great concern among many countries on the rim.
     So, another Communist takeover.  This time, a takeover within a Communist country.  We'll see how this all plays out.  The short history of Communist countries does not speak well for an autocrat/dictator ruling over 1 billion citizens.
   The whole world is watching, Mr. Xi.

Winter: Finally

      Have you seen the weather forecast?  Snow is on the calendar=for days, or four days, if you will.
The jet stream, our old friend, has decided to drop in on us and deliver some much needed precipitation.  This will swell the hearts of those officials responsible for water resources and its allocation.  A fair amount of moisture will fall across the north state, and maybe some farther south.  How timely:  get ready for spring skiing-fresh powder, few tourists and visitors-no lift lines at all.  Wheeeeeeee.
      So, get the wax, get your boards and slats and hit it.  It won't last long, probably over before Easter Sunday, just a few weeks off.
Update on expected snowfall
     NOAA weather is predicting 3 successive systems will roll over the Sierra ridges over the next week.   Accumulation above 7000' could reach 48".  Certain areas could see quite a bit more.  This great news for the whole state of California.   This could relieve any seasonal shortages that were predicted, despite a low amount to date in the north state.

Ester Ledecka: New Olympic Heroine

      Well, you must admit:  she was genuinely surprised last week when she won the gold medal in women's downhill.  She came from behind to beat the listed favorites, shocking even herself(she wore no makeup at all!).   Standing beyond the finish line, she appeared calm and cool, even as spectators screamed over her victory.  When it dawned on her, she still couldn't believe her success.  A gold medal on two skis, not her strong suit at all.  Her real talent is in snowboarding, a completely different animal, so to speak.
     So when the snowboarding competition began, her status rose to the stuff of legends.  If she could pull off a win here, she would be the first woman in Olympic history to win gold in two different sports.  She did win that medal, defeating 4 other competitors in convincing manner on her way to history as another first.
Brava, Signorina Ledecka.

Russya: The Largest Country in the World:Land of Hackers and Cheaters

      Just when you thought it was over, it wasn't.   Doping scandals are here again.  Who's involved?  Swedes?  No.   Brits?  NO.   Chinese?  No.  Guess who.

Venezuela: Old Maduro Will Try Anything

      Have you heard of BitCoins?  Have you invested in BitCoins?  Are you nuts?  Are you a gambler?  Do you have money to throw down the toilet?  Apparently, some folks in Venezuela think the Bitcoin business will save the country from complete collapse and the following chaos.  Mr. Maduro, the certified nut case running things in Venezuela, thinks a local Bitcoin program will save his economy.   How sad.  The Nut -in-Chief probably read in the toilet somewhere that this is the path to riches and success.   Like all his other "programs" to return prosperity to this oil rich nation, this ploy will only add to the disaster that has accompanied everything this idiot has touched since he took over from the  previous nut case, Hugo the Fool.
       As his rule hastens to justify foreign intervention by the other sad cases in Latin America, the Organization of American States sits on its hands, using it position to do nothing but observe the situation from afar.  As desperate Venezuelans flee the country for Colombia and its shelters for food and medicine, the elected rulers (ha,ha,ha,) continue on the road to ruin.
     Thank you to Socialismo and its acolytes.  Welcome to the Western Hemisphere.

Vladimir: Say It Isn't So

       Just as the Olympics are ending, news came out that an athlete from Russya is being investigated for drug violations(blood doping, etc).  The individual probably assumed he was safe because the drug in question is not new, and has been around for many years.  Maria Sharapova is possibly the most notorious user of the drug which was developed by the then USSR in Latvia in 1970.  How sad, tripped up by using a domestic staple.
      Perhaps the Olympic Athletes From Russya(OAR in official parlance) think that they can do things like the Kremlin does: take over a country(Ukraine), take over a peninsula(Crimea), invade a country(Syria) and not face any consequences.  Not happening.
    What sport are we talking about?  Curling?  NO, come on?  Curling, with broom pushers sweating profusely as they dance down the line?   Ridiculous, if true.   But the investigation continues.
Say it isn't so, VoVa.