Perspective

Frozen Boats: Europe Buckles Under Deep Freeze

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Thank goodness the Sailing Arabia Tour is SOUTH of the record-breaking cold snap that continues to stop northern Europe in its tracks.

To view more of Charles Michel’s extraordinary photos of the ice storm damage in Lake Geneva, visit Show | YACHT.DE.

While the photos are spectacularly dramatic the problem is very real and severe across northern Europe:

Across the Atlantic, much of Europe is suffering through a winter of historic — and deadly — proportions. Over 600 people have died from the intense cold that has gripped the continent over the past few weeks, with the most severe toll recorded in Eastern Europe. Over 5,000 Russians have suffered from hypothermia or frostbite while the country has seen 20 days of unusually cold weather when temperatures fell 13°F to 25°F below normal and Moscow on Feb. 13 endured temperatures of -4°F. (It could be worse though — temperatures in the northern Russian city of Toko fell to -63°F.) In Central Europe, the commercially vital Danube River froze for hundreds of miles, from Austria to its mouth in the Black Sea, forcing officials to take chain saws to the ice. Things are so bad in Hungary that the central bank has been compressing billions of old notes into briquettes that can be burned for heat. If the climate’s still warming — and it is — word didn’t get to Europe… continue reading on Time.com

Gabrielle Giffords: A symbol of courage, resiliency and the possibility of the human spirit

Gabrielle Giffords
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Former U.S. Rep. Gabrielle
Former U.S. Rep. Gabrielle “Gabby” Giffords waves to a crowd in front of the littoral combat ship, USS Gabrielle Giffords (LCS 10), named for her on June 13, 2015. Giffords was on the stage as Dr. Jill Biden christened the ship at Austal USA in Mobile, Ala. The 419-foot ship was built at the Austal shipyard and is the Navy’s 10th littoral combat ship designed to operate in shallow waters near the coast. It is 16th U.S. naval ship to be named for a woman and only the 13th since 1850 to be named for a living person. (Photo courtesy Austal USA/Released) Austal USA / June 13, 2015

I have watched Gabrielle Gifford’s journey since the horrific announcement of the shooting.  Her battle to not only survive but thrive has inspired millions -and I am one of them.

Perseverance and resiliency are things we are short on in our ‘instant gratification’ society. Gabrielle’s day by day struggle falls under the category of ‘never give up.’

Many people have done great things – and we have erected a lot of buildings and statues to commemorate their great achievements.  But this honor – being bestowed on Gabrielle – maybe the most awe inspiring I have seen.

To have a Naval warship carrying your name – a great symbol of our country’s strength, fighting power, peace keeping capability and global mobility – You deserve it Gabrielle!

 Naval warship to be named for Gabrielle Giffords

Only three combat vessels in US history have ever been named for women, but Gabrielle Gifford’s, the former Arizona Congresswoman who survived what is assumed to have been an assassination attempt that claimed the lives of six other people, will soon join those hallowed ranks.

“During a Pentagon presentation, Mabus said he chose the vessel’s name as a tribute to the valor exemplified by Giffords and her astronaut husband, retired Navy Capt. Mark Kelly. The Navy also cited her commitment to military and veterans affairs and border security,” according to TC. “Mabus described Giffords as a woman who ‘has become synonymous for courage, who has inspired the nation with remarkable resiliency and showed the possibilities of the human spirit.’”

The ship’s sponsor will be Roxana Green, mother of nine-year-old Christina-Taylor Green whose life was lost the day of the shooting.

What’s wrong with this picture?

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Crystal clear skies, sun, 15 knots of wind and sheet black ice.  It doesn’t get much better than this in the world of ice boating.  There is only one thing wrong here.   This picture was taken in front of our house in Michigan and I am typing this from Seoul Korea.