not worried now. it is moving about 25 feet per hour. so it has slowed significantly. but it will eventually, if it continues at all, it will go this direction. and this is the direction that is most concerning. you have a side street here and then a little farther out, i ll just pass this side street. you will see what is considered to be a major thorough fare. this is saddle road. it crosses from one end of the island to the other. it is a major transportation route. if the lava continues, that would be a logistical nightmare. but we re not there yet. they re using the side street here to park along safely. it is now turned into a one-way street and officials did that intentionally. they want people to take this in. to see it from a safe distance. for them, a couple miles, that s safe for now. for those who are locals, it is about a spiritual aspect, too. there is a cultural significance. they re coming and bringing offeringings and they re doing
government this week? i ll explain. first, here s my take. if you are trying to understand the recent protests against the putin regime in russia, one of the best guides is an outspoken columnist that s been writing essays in the nation s leading newspapers over the past month. political competition is the heart beat of democracy. this author writes noting the absence of such competition in contemporary russia. he describes the frustrations of the russian middle class, demanding political rights. today the quality of our state does not match civil society s readiness to participate in it. on corruption, perhaps the issue that most riles the public, the problem is scathing. it s from the lack of transparency and accountability of government, he says. now, what makes this all deeply strange is that the author of these essays is vladimir putin, the architect, builder, and chief enforcer of the system that he is critiquing. putin seems to understand russia s problems better tha