Just Me Talking...

I thought today we'd just look at a few items from some of the happenings around the world and let Gary get his 2 cents worth in. Ready: Good, let's go....

USS Enterprise

Due to rising tensions with Iran over its nuclear program, the U.S. Navy says it has deployed a second aircraft carrier to the Persian Gulf. The deployment of the nuclear-powered USS Enterprise along with the Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group is the fourth time in the past decade that the Navy has had two aircraft carriers operating at the same time in the region. The Iranians, of course, don't like having the U.S. 5th Fleet with two carrier strike groups at their disposal -kinda throws a damper on their 'gulf closing' ideas...

Speaking of the Navy, have you seen what the new modern Navy is beginning to look like? Here is a picture of one of our new fighting class ships, the littoral combat ship USS Independence (LCS 2). Kinda looks like something out of a sci-fi movie, doesn't it?  Take a look:

USS Independence

Here is something I found interesting. As you probably know, a new European Union law that charges airlines for carbon emissions. From Jan. 1, all airlines using EU airports have come under the European Union Emissions Trading Scheme (scheme, good name for it), which has stirred up strong opposition in the United States, China and India. In fact, India said it is "unacceptable" and would be a "deal breaker" for global climate change negotiations. India has already joined China in asking its airlines to boycott the European Union's carbon scheme. Any airline that does not comply faces fines of 100 euros ($128) for each ton of carbon dioxide emitted for which they have not 'surrendered allowances' (their words, not mine). In the case of persistent offenders, the EU has the right to ban airlines from its airports.

This has not gone over big here in the US either. It will likely make airline tickets to Europe prohibitively expensive for many tourists and business travelers (who will start using video conferencing instead of face to face meetings). That, in turn, is going to hit the Europeans in the pocket book very hard -a case of cutting off one's nose to spite his face, so to speak. But, hell, the environmentalists over there are just trying to save the planet, right? I doubt if those guys are going to be happy until we, humans, pick up and move to a Mars Colony and leave the poor earth alone...

Russian President Putin gave a long (1 1/2 hour) speech talking about how, now that the elections are behind them, they should also put their differences behind them and unite to make Russia and better place. To show his sincerity, police guarding the Duma detained leftist opposition leader Sergei Udaltsov, one of the leaders of the protests that began after a parliamentary election in December, as he tried to join some 30 anti-Putin demonstrators before the address. About five other demonstrators were also 'detained'. Yeah, Putin has changed his ways since his old KGB days... sure...

OK, enough for today... Ya'll come back now, hear?

Live Long and Prosper....