Local Smatterings

A few things that have been in the news around here lately ...

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You've seen some of my photos (from 2005) as representative of the mini-ice age we've had hereabouts and I've provided links to some of the more sensational photos that others have taken.  The local Geneva Tribune announced a small photo contest and received more than 800 photo entries.  The five winning photos, as selected by a three-panelist jury, can be seen here.

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We're all happy because the cold weather seems to be on its way elsewhere.  Temperatures are hovering closely around 0 degrees Celsius (32 F) and, thankfully, the bise has also moved on.  We had a few lazy snowflakes yesterday, but nothing seems to have remained on the ground, at least not here on the plain next to Lake Geneva.  While more snow is forecast for later today, it really seems as if the worst of the cold spell is over.  I hope that is correct.  We've generally been very lucky because the local infrastructure is so good, but in places much further east, such as Romania, it has really been a life-and-death situation.  For too many vulnerable ones who were already living very precarious existences, it meant death.

Geneva's #OWS group, known locally as le mouvement des Indignés, originally set up their protest site in October 2011 at the Parc des Bastions but, following a death at the site in late January, moved the protest indoors until more moderate weather is here to stay.   The deceased person, who was also a drug addict, was apparently not part of the protest movement but was simply found on the ground outside the tents and, as can be seen from the photo accompanying the story at the link above, it looked pretty darn cold there.  The protesters have compromised with local authorities to relocate their tents elsewhere.

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Last weekend, the greatly anticipated Davis Cup match was held in Fribourg between the USA and Switzerland, with the Swiss team featuring the unquestionably great Roger Federer as well as local Vaud favorite Stanislas Wawrinka.  Although the Swiss team was favored, to the great embarrassment of the players involved, it fell to the US dismally at 5-0.  Wawrinka played a gutsy five-setter against Mardy Fish, that Fish ultimately won.  Federer, to the great dismay and surprise of the Swiss, had a grim - for him - defeat at the hands of a brilliant John Isner, who played the match of his life.  The Olympic Gold duo of Roger and Stan was also soundly defeated by Mike Bryan (sans usual partner, brother Bob) and Fish in their doubles match.  After that, because the meeting had already been won by the US 3-0, both Roger and Stan let their teammates finish out the Sunday matches, which ended, to no one's surprise, in a US sweep.  The US Team and their supporters were all naturally delighted; the Swiss Team and their supporters, not so much.  Congratulations to US Team Captain, Jim Courier, who is also a nice guy!


I'm usually a Federer fan, but am very happy to have seen my fellow countrymen do so well.  Both Fish and Isner seem to be genuinely nice guys who will continue to inspire lot of young US tennis players.  I'm hoping that the Bryan brothers will prove an inspiration to my own fantasy brother doubles team of grandsons Princes Tyger and Lightning.  Just imagining that possibility brings on a chuckle ....

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That's the recap for today.