Political Day

The People’s Sick Day FAQ

What is “TPSD”?
TPSD stands for The People’s Sick Day and we are a national movement created to impact the U.S. economy and demand real change for the American workforce.
 

What are we asking?
We’re asking Americans to use their paid time off to call out sick from work for three days. During those three days, we’re also asking folks to participate in a total economic blackout – that means no shopping, no streaming, no spending. This is a national act of collective resistance. By hitting pause on our labor and our dollars, we’re showing just how powerful we are when we move together.
 

What if I can’t take off 3 days from work? Can I s till participate?
Yes! Can’t do 3 days? Do the last two. Can’t do 2 days? Do the last one. Can’ t take off from work at all? Leave early. Do a half day. Slack off. Do the bare minimum. Don’t spend any money. Don’t shop, don’t eat out, don’t order online. Keep your dollars in your pocket. Wear black to work in solidarity. Change your profile picture and make your solidarity visible. Do what you can to make the strike as impactful as possible. And spread the word! We have official flyers you can share in our Discord server.
 

When is “The People’s Sick Day happening?
We’ll announce the exact dates 48 hours in advance. Why the short notice? Because this is about power. Announcing too early gives corporations and businesses time to prepare, cover shifts, or pressure workers – diluting the impact of our collective action. By holding the line until 48 hours out, we protect the strength and surprise of the strike. This is strategy, not secrecy.
 

Do I have to register or sign a strike card? 
No! We are not asking anyone to share any personal information to join. You can join our Discord anonymously or follow us on our socials to stay informed of when the 3 day strike will happen. We will never ask you to share any personally identifying information.
 

Are you taking any donations?
No! We are not asking anyone to contribute monetarily to this movement. We will never ask you to donate or give money.
 

Are you partnered with any other resistance groups like 50501 or General Strike US?
While we are not currently partnered with any other groups we are open to collaboration! However, we will not work with or be associated with anyone who collects donations or personal information from participants. In addition, any potential collaborators must be respectful of our plan of action for The People’s Sick Day movement. We are not open to releasing dates in advance of the 48 hours prior to the strike.
 

I want to be more involved. What can I do?
Join our Discord server! We have opportunities to participate in daily activities and hold open chats for you to talk with the organizers twice a day. Facebook more your speed? Join our Facebook group! We also hold TikTok Lives where you can come chat with us! We are average every day people, just like you!

What a day!

What is that sound? Lying in bed this morning, it sounded like a little waterfall. I thought maybe the toilet was leaking water into it and checked. That wasn't the problem.

I walked into the kitchen area, and the sound got a little louder. It was coming from the refrigerator. I opened the upper door, and it wasn't cold. I noticed a little water on the floor, got the mop, and dried it out.

Opening the lower freezer door, the frost inside was melting, not a good sign. I don't know why it was or what happened during the night for it to change. I knew something was wrong and called Renata, our landlady.

I told her the problem, and she immediately said she would buy a new one. That seemed a little rash to me. I thought maybe the seal on the door was just not working, and it might be better to call a repairman to check it out. She said it might cost almost as much as a new unit, with no guarantees how long the new seal would work.

She said she was in Warsaw now, but she would call her daughter to come and take a look at it. 

Her daughter called me and she would come at 12:00. I asked her if she could come at 1:00 because Radek was coming this morning for our Spanish lesson time at 12. She said O.K.

Readek came at 11:00, we had ciasto and coffee while Joan, Radek, and I spoke in English

Just as we were about to start our Spanish, Andrea knocked on the door to my surprise. For the next hour, it was all about what to do with the refrigerator. In the end, she called her mother and told her to buy a new one. Renata did, online, and it was to be delivered today, later.

By 7:30 PM, it was still not here. At 8:15 PM, I got a call that the delivery would be in 15 minutes. I waited patiently, but half an hour passed and still no delivery. I was a little anxious because the meat and other perishables were not being kept cold.

I checked my phone. There were two calls at 8:30 and 8:31, but my phone did not ring. I tried calling the repairman, but it went to email.

I called Renata back, told her what wasn't happening, and she called him, again, directly to email. She sent him an SMS. He said he was here, came inside the building, called me twice, but there was no answer, and he left.

The problem was that he was on the ground floor, and the phone connection didn't work. He didn't know that. The driver is from Ukraine.

Renata sent him another sms, and he replied that he was 20 kilometers north of Poznan, and he would deliver it, first thing tomorrow.

Now, all of the perishables are in a box on the balcony.  Hopefully, that will save them because of the lower temperature.

What a day!!

New cafe & Ukraine

Today, with only one thing I had to do while Paige was with Joan, I went to Auchan to buy sesame seeds and dried cranberries. Those are two ingredients I usually put into smoothies.

They didn't have the seeds but they had the cranberries, 1 kg=33 PLN. As I was passing by the dried dates I saw that the price had dropped from 11 PLN per kilogram to 7 PLN. I already have a 1 bag backup, but I don't pass up a sale, so I bought one bag.

From there I went back to the cafe Nowe Lokum, this time with my camera. Since I had a smoothie only 1 hour earlier, I only ordered a cafe latte.

Instead of sitting out in the courtyard, I decided to sit indoors. They have the usual tables and chairs, but they also had two more comfortable seats in the back of the area. There was no one else sitting and I chose the more comfortable chair with a footrest.

I sat for and hour drinking the coffee and listening to my last Spanish lesson recorded on my cell phone. When I was done, I took pictures of the cafe for my blog,

Meanwhile: Ukraine.

Ukraine and Hungary traded sharp words Monday after Budapest accused President Volodymyr Zelensky of threatening its energy security by linking attacks on the Druzhba oil pipeline to Hungary’s refusal to support Kyiv’s bid to join the European Union.

At a press conference in Kyiv on Aug. 24, Zelensky hinted,  with a touch of irony, that recent strikes on the pipeline may have been tied to Hungary’s stance on Ukraine’s EU accession.

“We have always maintained friendship. Now the existence of the Druzhba pipeline depends on Hungary.”

"An illegitimate explanation for the violation of our sovereignty is a war we have nothing to do with,” Hungary;s Foreign Minister Peter Szijjártó wrote, calling on Zelensky to “stop threatening Hungary” and “stop risking” the country’s energy security.”

Ukraine’s foreign minister, Andriy Sybiha, fired back on social media, insisting that Budapest has no right to dictate Kyiv’s actions.

“You don’t need to tell the Ukrainian President what to do or say, and when,” Sybiha posted on X. “He is the President of Ukraine, not Hungary. Hungary’s energy security is in your own hands. Diversify and become independent from Russia, like the rest of Europe.” Source-Kyiv Post

Happy.

 Happy to say my legs are better today, and it is easier to walk.

Because of the chilly temperature today, 67 F, we didn't go anywhere. It was just a day at home doing my normal "chores" while Joan sat in front of the tele. 

A fall & Ukraine

Yesterday was not a good day.

I fell asleep in the recliner and woke up when Joan needed me. I got up, slightly dazed, took a step to turn and fell over. My right knee hit the floor first and my body followed. When I stood up, my knee hurt and my left foot as well. As the day wore on, my left foot became increasingly more painful. By 5 PM, it was difficult to even walk. I had to hold on to Joan's wheelchair just to push myself the few steps into the kitchen to prepare dinner.

I applied some BenGay to more foot, elevated it and spent the rest of the evening in the recliner.

I'm happy to say, this morning the left foot is better, but the right knee still hurts.

Meanwhile>Ukraine

Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) pilots and ground crews on Thursday, Aug. 21, launched a new round of nighttime drone strikes against Kremlin assets hundreds of kilometers behind the fighting front, in one attack scoring multiple hits on a base belonging to Russia’s army intelligence agency – the GRU.

The air raid, by a reported 10-15 unmanned aircraft, per local news reports, attacked a GRU compound adjacent to a military airport in the port city of Sevastopol, in the Russian-occupied Crimea region.

 Russia’s mainland region Rostov, a Black Sea shore territory, was the target of a second Ukrainian drone swarm on Thursday, with both official and social media sources reporting aircraft targeting a major oil refinery near the town of Novoshakhtinsk.

Some Ukrainian milbloggers claimed rare jet-propelled drones had made the attack, hitting some 170-180 kilometers (106-111 miles) east of the fighting front, but there was no local confirmation. Ukraine’s General Staff, in a Thursday statement, credited the elite 14th Unmanned Aircraft Regiment for flying the Thursday strike.

 A third covey of Ukrainian long-range drones hit and damaged railroad power transmission infrastructure in Russia’s western Voronezh region. The overnight strikes hitting in and around a transformer station near the village of Zhuravka. The facility’s main function is delivering electricity to the regional rail network. Local news platforms reported damage to a transformer station and delays to 19 trains transiting the Voronezh region rail network.

2 days missed.

The last two days have been more difficult taking care of Joan, so no posts. I'm trying to keep it daily, but sometimes caring for her, I just run out of energy and have to sleep. 

Today was another nice day, so we went to the park again and just watched people and the greenery surrounding us.

Radek came, and we had a conversation about the Polish government, and then did our Spanish lesson. Now I'm learning the difference in how to talk about the near past and the longer ago past. They have two completely different sets of words. It's not difficult to learn, it just takes time.

I also did the food shopping for this week. Cost 205 PLN($56).

2 Dictators

August Summer has arrived, 95 F and sunny. That was two days ago. Now. it's 75 F, sunny, and a beautiful blue sky.

I had a lot going on at home with Joan the last two days, so I missed posting. Her cognitive skills have diminished again, thanks to dementia. It's hard dealing with this.

However, today is beautiful and we will meet with Garrett at 2 PM, and I talk with our friend, Carmelo, at 5 PM, so it's something to look forward to.

I'm totally disgusted with the Trump-Putin Alaska meeting. He has a fantasy if he thinks Zelenskyy will agree with the terms that those two dictators discussed off-camera. 

The reaction in Ukraine.2 Dictatorshttps://www.kyivpost.com/post/58339

 

Goodbye to a friend.

Our last meeting with our friend, Garrett, is set for Sunday. On the 24th, he will be moving to Gdansk for a change of scenery. He was Joan's caresitter for about 5 months, and we also became friends. We will be sad to see him go.

At the end of next March, Ryanair is opening a new route to Tirana, Albania.  The new route will operate twice a week – on Mondays and Thursdays. The inaugural flight is scheduled for March 30, and tickets are already available in Ryanair's booking system. I never considered Albania in our travels. But we still have the Baltic and Scandinavian countries, as well as Romania and Bulgaria, to visit.

Of course, if Trump destroys the Social Security system we paid into all of our lives, that is going to change a lot for us, especially with Joan's health condition.

This morning started with the biggest party in Poznań this summer. The world's biggest stars will be performing on three stages at the Citadela Park.

Post Malone will be there, performing exclusively at the Citadel.

Pop fans will be able to hear Nelly Furtado, who returned to Poznań after a 17-year hiatus, and Taco Hemingway, who will perform his only concert in 2025.

The lineup for this stage also includes Rag'n'Bone Man, Empire of the Sun, Hurts, Loreen, Bedoesa 2115, Ella Eyre, Natasha Bedingfield, and Julia Wieniawa.

Huge crowds are already visible heading towards the Citadel.

Shopping & Ukraine

Today had to be shopping day because yesterday, when my alarm went off at 6:30 AM, I thought I would just close my eyes for five minutes. Three hours later, I woke up, and because Paige wasn't coming until today, I couldn't shop and leave Joan alone at home.

So, today I went and spent 251 PLN($69). It was a lot, but I had to buy dish soap and laundry detergent, and that was 30PLN, so the food cost was 221 PLN. 

It was a hot day, 87°F, and even though Joan wanted to go out, I persuaded her to stay home where it was cooler. With the drapes closed on the south-facing windows and the north-facing windows open, it is always better inside.

Tonight, I'm listening to the great Argentine singer, Mercedes Sosa. I can understand some of what she sings in Argentine Spanish.

Meanwhile, Ukraine.

US Vice President JD Vance in an interview with Fox News on Sunday, argued Europe needs “to step up” because Americans are “tired” of paying for arms and support to Ukraine.

In fact, Vance was complaining about something that isn’t happening. The US vice president misled viewers with a false narrative that Europe hasn’t taken on the burden of supporting Ukraine.

In reality, that’s exactly what happened – about six months ago.

50+

Fifty years, three months, and twelve days ago, I met the most intelligent, beautiful, and sexy woman of my life. We lived together for 13 years before we decided to get the piece of paper that officially made us married. It changed nothing. 

 

Now, beginning our 80s, nothing significant has changed our love for each other. We complete each other.

 

Today, we celebrate the official date of our marriage, but for us we have been married since April 30, 1975. All you need is love.

Radek's Mongolia

Our friend, Radek, came back from Mongolia with many stories to tell. We spent the first hour listening to the tales and looking at pictures. It sounds like it was an incredible adventure riding yaks, horses camels, sleeping in yurts.

Meanwhile in Poland:

Poland is planning to buy 26 trains capable of traveling at over 300 km/h for its new high-speed rail network, Deputy Infrastructure Minister Piotr Malepszak has said.

The high-speed “Y” rail network, designed for speeds of up to 350 km/h, will link Warsaw with the western cities of Wrocław and Poznań through the city of Sieradz. The 480-kilometer route will travel via the as yet unbuilt Central Transportation Hub, a multi-billion plan to create an integrated plane, train and road network.  

Poland currently has no trains running above 200 km/h, a mark that is often considered as a “high-speed” threshold. 

Tarnowo

 We went back to the Apteka to pick up the medicine they didn't have yesterday.

We drove around the new area where there were once beautiful purple fields of something. Now, there are only dozens of apartment buildings,and 3 major food chain stores, Lidl, Aldi, and Biedronka. After living there for 14 years, it's easy to see the difference.

I thought to take Joan to a new town for coffee and chose Tarnowo Podgorne. It's a town west of us about 20 km. We have never been there so I wanted to have a coffee there. However, surprise! They have no rynek.

I turned my sights back to Poznan and we went to Stary Browar's Sowa where we sat outside by the fountain and had coffee. 

Doctor visit. & Ukraine.

We arrived on time, 10:45, and went right into the doctor's office. I told her I needed a referral for Joan for control of her triglycerides and two medicines.   She wrote them, and we went to the Apteka to fill the prescriptions. They didn't have the complete amount, so I have to go back tomorrow. 

When I looked at the referral, it had an address in Krakow. I wasn't about to drive for 5 hours just to have a blood test taken.

I called back the clinic, told them the problem, but the lady only spoke Polish and used many words I didn't know. So, I called my friend, Michal, and explained the problem, and he called her.

His return call to me informed me that there is a new diagnostic clinic only 3 blocks from the Apteka, and that is where I needed to go. On Monday, we will go there because they are closed on the weekend.

On the way home, we stopped at Solacki Park and spent an hour just sitting on a bench and enjoying the great weather, 78 F.

Meanwhile: Ukraine

>>A Patriot air defense system critically needed to protect Ukrainian cities from Russian ballistic missile strikes is back in action thanks to an elite team of German technicians fixing war damage the American manufacturer said was impossible to repair, the major German newspaper Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (FAZ) reported on Thursday.

Keller told FAZ civilian and military technical staff from the German Luftwaffe overhauled the US-made radar unit, working sixteen hours a day from Monday to Saturday. The radar was transported back to Ukraine in July and by early August had been used in a successful intercept of a Russian strike, he said.

>>The Netherlands will buy 500 million euros ($577 million) of US weapons for Ukraine, becoming the first NATO member to fund a full package under a new scheme to speed deliveries from American stockpiles, the defense ministry said.

The Dutch package includes US Patriot missile parts and other systems tailored to Ukraine’s front-line requirements, according to the defense ministry.

>>Ukrainian drones from the Security Service’s (SBU) elite CSO “A” unit struck Russia’s Saky airfield in occupied Crimea overnight, reportedly destroying a combat aircraft and causing millions in damage.

As a result of the Ukrainian strike, a Su-30SM fighter jet was completely destroyed, while another was severely damaged, according to the SBU’s press service on Monday, Aug. 4.

Additionally, three Su-24 bombers were hit. The strike also targeted an ammunition depot located on the base. Source-Kyiv Post

My day

 A second day of a 3-hour break. My thought was to sit in the outdoor cafe in front of Empik and listen again to my Spanish lesson from Tuesday.

Parked underground and was a little surprised to see the price for an hour had risen from 7 to 8 PLN($1.90-2.18). It's not a really big deal, just capitalism at its finest.

I ordered a café latte, 15 PLN ($4), sat down at the front of the café facing Plac Wolności, opened my cell phone, and started listening. A short time after, my latte was delivered to me.

One hour later, the lesson was over, and I headed home.

I stopped at the local gas station to check the air pressure in my tires. added some air to all of them and then vacuumed the car.

When I arrived home, Joan and Paige were halfway through the movie, "Somewhere in Time, one of Joan's favorites.

Paige left about 2:30, and I prepared dinner, Crock Pot Chicken & Potatoes with a salad.

In the evening, we continued on with our series, "Ozark"

Joan went to bed at 9:30, and now here I am writing this blog.

Gas & Ukraine

On my 3 hour break today, I bought gasoline, 157 PLN for 12 liters.,that is 3 1/4 gallons for $43.

When that was done, I made a little trip around the center of town. taking pictures of different locations.  

I spent the last hour sitting in a park listening to the audio version of 'Big Sur" by Jack Kerouac. I read it years ago, but it was nice hearing it read to me. It helps me escape reality for an hour.

Meanwhile in Ukraine:

Thanks to well-organized and sustained funding for decentralized production on a large scale, Ukrainian combat units are constantly receiving new drones of various types, which have become key to Ukraine’s success and a true nightmare for Russian invaders.

Colonel Markus Reisner, head of the Officer Training Institute at the Theresian Military Academy, said this in a comment to Ukrinform’s correspondent, discussing Ukraine’s increased defense spending, including on drone production.

“The key to Ukraine’s success is its ‘drone army.’ Russian invaders are not facing tens of thousands of soldiers but hundreds of thousands of drones operated by military personnel from a safe distance. FPV drones are used at the tactical level, medium-range drones at the operational level, and long-range strike drones at the strategic level. Thanks to consistent funding and decentralized production, Ukrainian forces are continuously supplied with new drones,” Reisner noted.

Return of Radek

Finally, Radek returned from his trek to Mongolia and Riga. The area of Mongolia is 5 times bigger than Poland. 

He arrived today, and we spent the first hour listening to his stories of the visit. I never thought about going to Mongolia, but after listening to him, it sounds very interesting. They traveled 3,200 kilometers around the country. They, Radek and Alina, were with a party of 10 people, and they traveled in 2 Hyundai passenger vans. The capital city was not very interesting, but he was surprised at the marketplaces where you could buy all types of fruit, vegetables, and meat.

The more interesting part of the trip was when they left the capital and started going to small towns and villages. I think he would like to go there again.

The second hour he was here, we returned to our study of Spanish. I've missed the weekly sessions with him.

Again, it was unlike a day in August here, 19 C, gray with light rain most of the day. 

I did the early morning shopping for the week and spent 170 PLN($46).

Garrett & Ukraine

Yesterday, we met with our friend, Garrett. He had good news about his situation in Poland. His permit to live in Poland was to expire in December. However, he has been working at home for an international company for the last 6 months, and doing so well, they gave him a promotion to a full-time employee. Along with that, they said they would help him get a permanent residency card. To accomplish that, they asked him to come to their main office in Warsaw.

Last Monday, he did that, and now his application has been filed.

He made a decision that it would be a good time to move to Gdañsk. h will be moving there at the end of this month. He friends there and wanted to be closer to the Baltic Sea. Actually, his new flat will be in one of the three cities that make up Tri-Miasto, Gydnia. His flat has a partial view of the Sea so it is close to it. 

We are happy for him and will make a trip next month to visit his new location.

Meanwhile in Ukraine,

WASHINGTON DC – Retired Gen. David Petraeus, who commanded US and coalition forces in Iraq and Afghanistan, said Monday that a ceasefire in Ukraine is unlikely until Western aid allows Kyiv to dramatically shift the battlefield dynamic.

His comments came as President Donald Trump announced a drastically shortened deadline for Russia to agree to a truce. Speaking at a Hudson Institute event in Washington DC, Petraeus, also a former CIA director, emphasized that Ukraine needs substantial assistance to make Russian President Vladimir Putin realize he cannot achieve further gains at an acceptable cost.

“I don’t foresee a ceasefire deal between Russia and Ukraine until the US, European and other Western countries provide so much assistance to Ukraine that they can change the dynamic on the battlefield,” said Petraeus, now a chairman of the KKR Global Institute.

August 1?

August 1st, and it's 19 C outside. Supposedly, the hottest month of the year, and it's 19, cloudy most of the day with intermittent rain/ Holy Cow!

I started slowly converting my saved blogs since 2006 into a more readable format. At the current rate, it will take approximately 4 months. It will all be in the English language. In the end, I hope to have a printable copy.

Tonight, a group I am a member of, The People's Sick Day, will be interviewed, live, on the Joy Reid show on YouTube at 7PM(EST). For me, that's 1 AM, so I will be staying up late to see it. I believe it will be recorded and made available on YouTube later. The group has a completely different approach stopping the current administration. I'm doing what I can to help it succeed.

HMC

One of the great pleasures Joan and I had while I lived in the U.P was to be invited to the Huron Mountain Club near the small town of Big Bay.

When I bought my first property of 27 acres on county Road #510, I was invited to a potluck dinner to meet the other 14 adults who lived within 15 miles of me. Mike Davis, and his partner, Mary O'Donnell were two of those people. Over a little time, we became friends.

Mike worked at the HMC, worked with a crew of carpenters who did renovations to members cabins.

Those cabins were not like a vision you have now in your mind. The members of the club had an abundance of money and the "cabins" were very large, more like a house with several rooms.

Some time later, Mike became the leader of the crew because he was a master carpenter.

As an employee, he was allowed to bring visitors into the club to explore and enjoy it. That is how we, Joan and I were able to get into that exclusive, extensive acreage

Huron Mountain is a private club on a contiguous tract of woodland located within the Huron Mountains region of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, 30 miles northwest of the city of Marquette.  The Club lands include unpaved roads to access a network of interior lakes and streams as well as trails to other points of interest. The Club provides its members and its employees the opportunity for various forms of healthful recreation including hiking, fishing and hunting..

The Huron Mountain Club (HMC), over time, it evolved to encompass a vast estate with significant old-growth forest, inland lakes, and a focus on conservation and research, attracting notable members like Henry Ford, John M. Longyear and General George Marshall among it's members, and even President Harry Truman visited the club. 

 

 Situated in Marquette County, near the shore of Lake Superior, on a large tract of private land encompassing approximately 26,000 acres, including significant old-growth forests and 13 inland lakes.

 

HMC provides its member and employees the opportunity for various forms of healthful recreation. 

 

The HMC continues to be a significant, though secretive, enclave on Lake Superior, with members owning private cabins on the property and the club maintaining facilities like a clubhouse, general store, and firehouse 

An American?

The last day of July and it's 78 F outside. Don't tell me there is no climate change. "Normally", we would have it between 85-95 degrees here, but we have had only 4 days above 90 F. That's fine with me. If We live in a large house with 4 or 5 bedrooms, I would have invited our friends from Spain to spend the hot summer with us.

We went to Castorama(like Home Depot) today because I needed to buy silver polish. I bought it the 2 years ago and needed to replace the empty bottle. It wasn't for real silverware, just the ones we normally use that were getting a little dark in color.

I asked a few workers there where I could find it and all said they didn't have it. I knew they were misinformed and kept looking. Finally, I found and bought a bottle of it. Cost 45 PLN( $12)

If you're an American reading this, and not happy with the current situation with the government, I suggest you watch this Friday night, 7 PM(EST) .  https://youtube.com/@thejoyreidshow?si=Zaa2IyLSWlvYVHar

Ostrorog Street.

When we first lived here, there was a small street we really enjoyed walking down. It was actually a street off a main street. Most of the houses were old, and so the bushes had grown so much that you almost couldn't see them. The main street was Ostroroga, and the little street, Zakret.  

The historic Ostroróg was designed by the city architect Władysław Czarnecki in the late 1920s. He designed the area in the form of a wedge between Grochowska and Marcelinska streets.

There is one part of the area that has a block apartment complex named for Jan Ortrorog.

Jan Ostroróg (born 1565, died in June 1622 in the Komarno estate ) – voivode of Poznań in the years 1610–1621, castellan of Poznań in the years 1600–1609, cup-bearer of the Crown in 1588, cup-bearer of the Crown in 1580, marshal of the Main Crown Tribunal in 1600 ^[ 1 ] , starost of Malbork, Garwolin , Koło ^[ 2 ] , Polish writer- memoirist, naturalist. Source-Wikipedia.

I walked up and down several streets, taking pictures that are on my. When I returned home, I showed Joan the pictures of the houses.

Just another.

Just another day on the park.I had a nice conversation with Carmelo. My Spanish is getting better. Wish I could say the same about Polish.

Renata & Ukraine.

It was a warm day today. 

Renata stopped by for a visit, and after she left, I took Joan to the park. We sat there for about an hour and then returned home.

Dinner tonight is Mediterranean Potato Soup, but it will be served cold. It's time for cold soups. Fortunately, I have recipes for 5 different kinds.

I was supposed to talk with Carmelo, but he sent me a message that they are going north tomorrow to visit Christine's parents.

Meanwhile, Ukraine.

The President of Azerbaijan stated that Ukraine "should not accept the occupation of its territories." 

Aliyev said this at the Shusha Media Forum, responding to a question from Ukrainian journalist Gordon."Never agree to occupation, that is the main advice. That is what we did," Aliyev noted, adding that this aligns with the expectations of the Ukrainian people.

"All our arguments about international law, about the UN Security Council adopting four resolutions demanding the withdrawal of Armenian forces, all of this was smashed against the wall of arrogant moralizing, to accept the realities. And then we decided that we would create new realities, and you would accept them. And so it happened," said Aliyev, comparing Russia's seizure of Ukrainian territory with Armenia's control over Karabakh.

New application.

 At least I woke up on time today to get Joan ready for Paige.

I spent most of my three-hour break at Pawel's flat while he transferred the application he wrote for me. It will save me a lot of time. 

When I write this blog, it is the first thing you read because the blog is written in a non-categorical form. So, at the end of any month, the first blog of the month is at the bottom. His application moves it to the top, and it continues to be categorized accordingly. I wanted it that way because I will create a book of all the 6,500+ blogs since I started writing 19 years ago. It is a blog project I hope I am able to complete. I will have to read everyone and check spelling and grammar. I think I will read it out loud to Joan to remind her of all we have done.

Meanwhile: Ukraine

WASHINGTON, DC – The Trump administration has reportedly allocated its first security assistance for fiscal year 2025 to Ukraine, committing $9 million from the Security Assistance Initiative (USAI) to BAE Systems for the refurbishment of Bradley fighting vehicles.

This marks the initial new military aid commitment to Kyiv since President Donald Trump began his second term, hinting at an evolving strategy for US support.

The $9 million allocation comes as $300 million in USAI funds remain available from the current fiscal year through a continuing resolution. [Note: The US government’s current budgetary year, FY2025, began Oct. 1, 2024 and will end Sept. 30, 2025. – Ed.] Congressional discussions are underway to potentially include an additional $400 million to $500 million for USAI in the fiscal year 2026 base budget, suggesting a possible sustained, albeit reconfigured, US commitment.

Elevators.

Last Saturday, I wanted to take Joan out but there was a problem, the elevator didn't work. I went to security to tell them but they already knew. They said they would have it fixed. 2 hours later, still not fixed.

In the morning, I checked and still not fixed. I called Renata and she said it was Sunday and don't count on it being fixed. Monday morning I called Renata again to tell her and let her know Joan had a doctor appointment at 3 PM. She called the owner of the building, told her my problem. The owner said she would call the elevator company, have them take the part they needed from another building, and fix ours.

In the meantime, I called the clinic and rescheduled it for Tuesday. 

Hot Sunday

It was a hot day today, 91 F. Joan hasn't been out for a few days so I wanted to take her outside.

However, our elevator was not working and it is not possible for her to walk down 64 stairs and then back up again when we would return home. So, obviously we did not go out. She was disappointed.

With the drapes drawn on the sunny side of our flat, and the windows opened on the north side, it was comfortable enough at 78 degrees.

 

Don't just say NO. Do Something!

 A National Day of protest against a tyrannical government and a man who would be King.There are NO KINGS in American and We, the People, will NEVER accept a dictator. Donald MUST go.

Fort Colomb.

On my 3 hour break yesterday, I decided to visit one of the forts that are part of Poznan/s history. I've passed by it before but never explored the area. now it is mainly a park with the remaining parts of the fort turned into a pub.

Bastion(Fort) Colomb-is a facility of the Poznań Fortress, built around 1854. Located in the so-called left-bank ring of the city.

It is one of 18 forts of what is called a Stronghold-Poznań, constructed in the years 1876-1880, and later modernized between 1887 and 1888. Initially, it was simply referred to as Fort VII, but in 1902 this 14-hectare fortification was named Fort Colomb. Until 1918 it served an important function in Prussian plans regarding the defense of both the city and the eastern border of the 2nd Reich. In the period between the World Wars, it was used as a warehouse.

Bastion was blown up by sappers in 1903 and demolished. In the following areas were built: Collegium Novum UAM, the main building of the University of Economics, the building of the Railway Directorate, and the Chamber of Crafts, and green areas were created.

The remains of the building are a three-storey block of armaments located in the Marcinskiego Park. After drying down the lower part of the blockhouse, it was made available as a pub. The lowest floor is currently functioning as a reservoir for groundwater that formerly flooded the building. The work was also preserved quite well, transformed by the construction of air-raid shelters during World War II and cut by the streets.

Good news for Ukraine.

I'm always so concerned that Joan gets her medicine each that I overlooked one of mine was empty. I just sent an email to the doctor tonight and usually the code for a prescription is sent to me in the morning. 

In Poland, a doctor writes a prescription into the national health care system in the computer and a 4 digit code is assigned to it. Then, you take that code to the Apteka(pharmacy) and they look into the system to see what the medicine is. It usually works very smoothly and saves a visit to the doctor.

Meanwhile, Ukraine Support.

WASHINGTON, July 14 (Reuters) - President Donald Trump on Monday announced a toughened stance against Russia for its war in Ukraine, promising a fresh wave of missiles and other weaponry for Ukraine and giving Moscow 50 days to reach a ceasefire or face sanctions.

“I don't want to say he's an assassin, but he's a tough guy," Trump said, noting that several of his predecessors had also become disillusioned with Putin.

 

The decision by Trump to send arms to Ukraine represented a turning point for the Republican president, who has spent the early months of his term trying to coax Putin into a ceasefire agreement, only to be turned down every time.

 

In the Oval Office at an announcement with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, Trump told reporters he had become deeply frustrated with Russian President Vladimir Putin. He said Putin is pleasant to speak with on the phone but then turns around and unleashes withering bombing raids on Ukraine.

 

Under the deal, Trump said the U.S. will supply weapons that will be paid for by NATO countries. Rutte said massive numbers of weapons would be sent, including missiles, as part of a first wave of equipment.

 

Trump said the "top of the line" equipment, including Patriot missile systems and batteries, would be arriving very soon.

 

Rutte said Germany, Finland, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, the Netherlands and Canada all want to be a part of rearming Ukraine.

"They all want to be part of this. And this is only the first wave. There will be more. So what we will do is work through the NATO systems to make sure that we know what Ukrainians need to make packages," he said.

Cat Cafe, Garrett & Opera Fountain.

We had a meeting today with our friend, Garrett at the CatCafe. I like this place because they have comfortable couches and armchairs to sit in, a room for children, and it is quiet enough to have a conversation.

Garret arrived at the same time we did and helped me get Joan down the 5 steps into the cafe. I ordered two coffees and two pieces of blueberry cheesecake. I turned to go in the area where the armchairs were and got a surprise.. Not a good one.

Evidently, management had decided to make some changes. There were no couches, no armchairs, and no room for children.

The area that used to have an open entrance has now been enclosed by a partial wall with a movable glass door.

Inside, there are tables with padded chairs. The children's room has been converted into a room for employees, and two cats were roaming around. The children now sit with their parents, and the room is not as quiet as it used to be. 

We sat at the first table and talked with Garrett for about two hours, and decided to meet again in two weeks, but this time at the cafe, uPrzyjaciol.

After we departed from Garrett, I thought it would be nice to take advantage of the good weather, so we went to the Opera House and sat.

We usually sit on the west side of the fountain because there are six beautiful old trees we admire and like to look at.

No climate change? & Ukraine update.

The middle of July and the high today was 17 C(63 F). That's incredible! However, if the weather forecast is correct, tomorrow it will be 25 C (77 F) and the next day 30 C (86 F). That is more summer-like. 

So, tomorrow it will be the perfect weather for us and that's a good thing. We have a meeting with Garrett at the Cat Cafe at 2 PM. We haven't seen him in two months and have a lot to talk about. He was one of Joan's sitters and she likes him. Me too.

I finally found an organization that is calling for a strike in America. It is being planned but the date won't be released until 48 hours beforehand. 

Meanwhile: Ukraine Support.

WASHINGTON, July 11 (Reuters) - The Senate Armed Services Committee has approved $500 million in security assistance for Ukraine as part of its draft language for its Fiscal Year 2026 National Defense Authorization Act, which also restricts A-10 aircraft retirements.

The bill also prohibits a controversial request made in President Donald Trump's June budget request to retire the Air Force A-10 fleet. The draft requires that the inventory of the A-10 cannot drop below 103 aircraft in FY26, ensuring the continued operation of these close air support planes.

The draft of the bill will make its way through the legislative process in the coming months. The lower House of Representatives kept Ukraine support at $300 million in its version. Source-Reuters.