Its Cherry blossom time in DC - colour everywhere. Osprey are nesting on a rail bridge clsoe to the Capitol - a rare bird requiring 24 hour protection when in nests in Scotland. Here nature is so close to the city.
Still less than a 100 days gone and the impacts of Obama continue at a pace. Last week during the G20 meeting the biggest discussion point here was about GM. Obama fired the CEO and laid down conditions for the bail out that required more time for GM to prepare its package of changes to become more competive. The strange thing is that this is getting so much criticism in the media from the point of view of too much Government control - let the markets decide is the call from many. However its clear that they have not looked at the UK car business where the market decided that the UK would no longer build cars. If GM were to be bought up by the Chinese the repercussions could see the end of Obama. So the Governemnt continues to support a lame duck and continues to draw critcism about intervension. The very function of Gorvenmant is being debated..
That issue has suddenly been overtaken by the words of Obama about Americans sometimes being too arrogant and not appreciating the role of Europe. Those that control the media here are spending much air time criticising Obamas position of doing down the American people. It is clear that those who have access to the media are not the majority that voted for Obama.
Another challenge to Obamas cultural revoloution is the request by Notre Dame University for him to make a speech in the way that all previous Presidents have done. Due to his pro-abortion stance and his support for stem cell research the catholic community is up in arms. I am not sure if the American people really comprehend what Obama stands for - a return to fundamental and honest principles. The next few months will be very challenging.


On another note I visited San Diego - there is a headland where the Portuguese explorer Cabrillo (Cabrilho) landed in 1542. A beautiful location - but what is striking is that the property on the headland is extremely expensive. $3million gets a three bed house made of wood in a small garden. Yet a large part of the headland is set out to military graves. It seems that the only way to get a spot on this beautiful coast is to be very rich or die in the military.


In a park in San Diago is a fantastic statue of a sailor and a girl kissing taken from a photo by Alfred Eisenstaedt. Its a striking photo and a striking statue. I checked up - Doisneau's photo was in 1944 - Eisenstaedts 1945 - plagiarism is the sincerest form of flattery. The US and France have a love hate relationship that manifests itself in so many small ways.