2026

 We wish you all a healthy and better New Year!

Szopka Chapel & Ukraine.

Paige arrived today at 11:00, and I had already made up my mind to go back to Saint Francis Church with my camera and take better pictures of this Chopper. I thought there would be fewer people today because it's a workday, and then I remembered that many people took Monday and Tuesday off to give themselves a 7-day weekend due to New Year's Eve and New Year's Day.
 

When I got to the church and went inside, there were not that many people there. It was a good opportunity to take the pictures without the interruptions of people watching in front of the camera. 0

Fortunately, I took my tripod with me and my long lens. I ended up taking 78 pictures. I posted them all on my blog today so you can see how beautiful this szopka is. It's really very creative, and one of the best in Greater Poland.
 

I spent about an hour and a half there taking the pictures, and when I was done, I had time to stop at Cafe Lokum and have a cinnamon muffin with a coffee latte. While I was there, I checked my phone and read the latest message from President Zelinsky about the situation of obtaining peace. I doubt the Russians, I mean Putin, will accept it because I believe he wants to continue the war.
 

When I returned home, I downloaded all the pictures to a pen drive and showed them to Joan and Paige. We have seen this szopka before, but Paige had never even heard about it. So, I wanted to introduce her to it.
 

I saw a video of where we used to live in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, and yesterday they received 30 inches of snow in a blizzard. That is a lot of snow, but not unusual for the U.P..
 

Meanwhile, in Ukraine:
 

With only scattered troops left inside the city and supply lines broken, Ukrainian officials say Moscow is quietly conceding what it long denied: Kupyansk is not under Russian control.
 

The commander of a Russian unit fighting together with Ukrainians in the hope of overthrowing the Putin regime was killed in combat in the south of Ukraine.
 

Ukraine said Thursday it used British-supplied Storm Shadow cruise missiles to strike a major oil refinery inside Russia, marking another long-range blow to Moscow’s energy infrastructure.
 

Ukrainian UAVs struck the headquarters of Russia’s 14th GRU Brigade near Mariupol. The night strike killed 51 Russian troops and wounded 76 more, says Madyar, commander of Ukraine’s Unmanned Systems Forces (USF).
 

The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine said its air force hit the Novoshakhtinsk oil products plant in Russia’s Rostov region, reporting “numerous explosions” at the site. Source-Kyiv Post

Another visitor.

Our dear friend, Zbyszek, who died a few years ago, left behind a son, daughter, and three grandchildren. His daughter, Malgorzata, majored in the Bulgarian language and culture. 15 or so years ago, she moved there permanently. We have known here since before she moved. The last time we saw each other was at her father's funeral.

She came today to visit us because she was in Poland to spend Christmas with her brother and his family.

She arrived with ciasto and a Christmas plant for our house. We talked about how the year has been for each of us, what travels we have made this year, a little about the unrest in Bulgaria and the U.S. with each government, and future plans. It was a nice visit. 

My sister.

I have a sister, Tami, that for reasons which were beyond my control, I did not see her from the time she was 11 years old until she was married and had three adult children. A very long time. When I did finally find her again it was one of my happiest days. Now, because of where I live, I have not seen her for 12 years. She is not a fan of electronics and uses no social media platforms to communicate. I call her on her birthday every year. It is easy to remember. My son, Eric, was born on the same day, 10 years later.

I called at 12:00 AM,  1:00 AM, and 2:30 AM before she finally answered. She was in Philadelphia visiting her youngest son and his family.They had been out to a Christmas event, and she didn't have her phone with her. I told her it was no matter, at least now we were speaking. We talked for 1/2 hour and I would have liked longer but I needed to go to bed.  Of course, I wished her a happy birthday at the beginning, we talked a little about my son and I asked how everyone in her family was doing. Her son and daughter-in-law have a seven year old daughter who speaks two languages, English and Welch, and now is learning French. That is pretty impressive. 

 

Christmas Day 2025, Day 2 & 3 Kings.

Yesterday, we had pierogi, cabbage with lentils, and vegetable salad for dinner. For dessert, we had gingerbread cake. All was provided by our friend and landlady, Renata.

During the day, we mainly watched different Christmas movies and a good old movie, "The Bishop's Wife."

We had to pause it at 8 PM because we had a scheduled Zoom meeting with Joan's kids and grandkids. I was happy about that because it had been a long time between meetings, maybe two months. With Joan's failing memory, she needs to stay visually connected to her family. She has not been happy with this two-month disconnect. 

We talked for an hour with Joan's children, Karen and Joey, our grandchildren, Nicole and Joe, and Joey's partner, Mary. We were surprised that Nicole has been to Hawaii. We didn't know about that.

After our conversation was over, we finished watching The Bishop's Wife, and Joan went to bed at 11 PM. I finished my night listening to Christmas music and writing this blog.

I have a calendar on which I write anything scheduled for a particular day. The problem is, I don't always check the calendar, and it sometimes creates a problem. That's what happened today, although it didn't turn out to be a big problem.

Paige was scheduled to come today, at 11:00 a.m., and sit with Joan for 3 hours. So, this morning, at 11:30, my phone rang and woke me up. It was Paige apologizing for oversleeping and not being on time. I told her it wasn't a problem because, actually, she just woke me up. We rescheduled our meeting for 1:30, and she arrived on time.

Now today, in Poland, is the second day of Christmas. The majority of every kind of business is also closed today. So, I had 3 hours, and didn't really know what to do with it. It was 2:00 p.m., so I decided to go to the church on Koscielna Street. When I arrived there, a Mass had just begun, so I stayed until it was over.

From there, I decided to go to the Saint Francis church and look at the szopka. The most famous attraction in Poznań is the huge, moving Christmas nativity scene in the Church of St. Francis Seraphic on Bernardyński Square, considered one of the largest in Europe, with life-size figures and many moving elements. This nativity scene, built since the 1950s, delights visitors every year with its monumental scenery and is one of the main Christmas attractions in Greater Poland. 

Being a no-work day in Poland, the church was packed full of people coming to see this szopka. I took several pictures of it with my phone, but I don't think they really do it justice. I will go back on Tuesday with my camera and long lens so I can get better pictures of it. I do want to show them to you because it is such a beautiful sight.

Gaspar, Melchior, and Balthasar: 

Who were the three wise kings? 

The actual existence of the three wise men of the East could never be proven. The three men came from what is now called the Middle East. Their costume, described as Oriental, suggests they came from Persia. According to legend, the Magi were buried in a common tomb, which is said to have been found by St. Helena in 326. In July 1164, the bones arrived in the Cathedral of Cologne, where they rest and are venerated as relics in the sanctuary of the Magi.

Merry Christmas.

Merry Christmas to all of my readers! 

Thank you!

NEWS!

The only important news.............................JESUS AS BORN TONIGHT. Millennials before any of us.

Surprised!

Three friends came to visit us and brought food and desserts.

Kuba was first. Years ago, I helped him, his brother, Max, and his sister, Andrea, improve their speaking in English. That seems like a lifetime ago. His mom, Renata, is the owner of the flat we live in now. She sent Kuba with food and desserts for our Christmas. It was great to see him again. He has become a fine adult.

Marcin, and his son, Maciej, visited about an hour later with wine, jelly and cookies that, Dorota, his wife had made. Maciej was also an old student of mine.

I have many cousins in Poznan, but only friends are the ones who visit. Strange. 

Everything is closed for the next three days for the holidays. I thought, since Paige was coming at 11:00 to sit with Joan, I would wait until then to do my weekly food shopping. BIG mistake! 

The supermarket was packed with people and the lines to checkout were very long. Evenat the electronic checkout. What usually takes me 45 minutes to do, ended up taking 2 hours. i won't make that mistake next year. I will never do that again!

Why God? Why?

One more day and it's the birth of Jesus. I would like to say I have the "Christmas spirit" but I don't really. Having two aunts who were Catholic nuns, grandparents and mother who were devout Catholics, I should be too. .Being raised Catholic, with the church right next to the house of my grandparents, I should be sure of what religion I belong in.

My mother made sure my brother and I were in church every Sunday, confessions were often enough, and nuns or priests were in the house frequently for dinner in my very early youth.

By age 14 or 15, I stopped going to church. Living in a white "ghetto" at that time, the church was now about a 10 block walk and my mother didn't attend very often. 

I joined the Navy at age 17, and can remember only once going to a psuedo-church below the deck of an aircraft carrier for Christmas. Even then, it was more that I wanted to see that part of the ship than for religious reasons. 

After 4 years in the Navy, I took advantage of the military benefits and attended the school of Music at DePaul University in Chicago. 

One of the elective classes I chose was Eastern Religion. We studied Buddhism, Zoroastrianism, Taoism, Confusionism, and Hinduism. Buddhism was the one that fascinated me the most. I learned about Zen Buddhism when I read, On The Road, by Jack Kerouac.

Now, at my age, I still have many questions about organized religions. No answers. 

IF there is a God, why does he allow evil in this world he created? Why are children abused, beaten killed, neglected, or die at birth? Why are some humans allowed to be priests or nuns who abuse children?

When I look at this picture above, can anyone say "Merry Christmas" to this poor Ukrainian child? 

I lost my..................

Cell phone. I don't know how, but it was driving me crazy. I know I had it on Thursday because I went to the rynek and took the pictures of the decorations there. After that, I came back home, loaded the pictures from my camera or telephone into my computer, and set the pictures up for my blog. In the evening, I had the phone with me when I went to bed and when I woke up Friday morning.

Friday morning, as I was changing Joan, the alarm went off, I took the phone, put it on the windowsill, and turned off the alarm. That was the last time I remember doing anything with the phone. The only place we went during the day was to Sowa's, and then we returned home.

On Saturday in the afternoon, we went to Cafe Lokum for coffee, and I thought it was without my phone.

That evening, I had to verify a new password by receiving an SMS on my telephone. When I looked for my telephone, I couldn't find it anywhere. I must have searched the house three times, and my car twice. I used Joan's telephone to call my telephone, and I heard it ringing in her telephone, but there was no sound coming from mine. That worried me a lot.

This morning, I woke up early and went to Sowa's as soon as they were open, 9:00. I asked him if they had a phone in their lost and found box, but they searched, and there was nothing there. My last hope was Cafe Lokum, and if I didn't find it, I was going to buy another phone.

Cafe Lokum doesn't open until noon, so I waited until 1:00, and took John with me when I left. I was about 70% sure they would not have my phone. I walked into the cafe up to the service counter, and started to tell the man there that I was here yesterday, but before I could finish my sentence, he said he knew I was there for my phone. He turned around, and next to the cash register, my phone was waiting. I can't express how relieved I was to have my phone back.

For me, the only real importance of having it is to stay connected with the caregiver when I am not at home for 3 hours. If something should go wrong, and she needed me, my phone would be the lifeline between us. Of course, the secondary reason is, if I have some problem with John at home and needed to call an ambulance, I would need a phone to do that.

So that's how my last 2 days have been. Stressful most of the time, but in the end, very jubilant.

Ukraine

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday, Dec. 17, claimed that Russian forces have seized the strategic initiative along the entire front line in Ukraine, while pledging to expand Moscow’s so-called security buffer zone and continue developing new weapons systems.

Speaking at a meeting of Russia’s Defense Ministry board, Putin said 2025 marked a “significant milestone” in the broader military campaign.

According to him, Russian troops have occupied more than 300 settlements this year and are capable of accelerating offensive operations in “strategically important areas” of the front.

At the same time, Putin dismissed warnings of a potential Russian attack on Europe as “lies and nonsense,” accusing European politicians of fueling hysteria and “driving fears into people’s heads” about an inevitable confrontation with Russia.

Briefing allies at Tuesday’s 33rd Ukraine Defense Contact Group (Ramstein) meeting, Ukraine’s top military commander Oleksandr Syrsky, described the situation as “difficult” but said Russia has failed to achieve major operational gains. 

He claimed Ukrainian counterattacks had pushed Russian forces back in Kupyansk, with Ukrainian troops regaining control of nearly 90% of the city. Source-Kyiv Post

Rynek Christmas

I'm dreaming of a white Christmas, just like the ones I used to know. Unfortunately, living in Poland, I can't remember the last time we had one. Oh, well.

Gabriela came today for Joan and during our conversation, she told us she is leaving for Christmas with her family and won't be back until January 7th. That's OK, Paige will fill-in for her while she is gone.

Then she said she would be leaving for Lisbon, Portugal for four months as a participant in the Erasmus program. After that, she is moving to Warsaw, permanently, to take advantage of the job market for pharmacists. It's good for her, but Joan is going to miss her. They get along very well together. We’ve been fortunate to have her and I hope we keep in touch.

While I was out today, I stopped to take pictures of how the Rynek is decorated for Christmas. I would take Joan there, but it's too cold now for her to be outside for a long time. The best thing I could do was take pictures and show them to her at home. It was a spur of the moment idea. I didn't have my camera, so I had to make do with the cell phone pictures. They are not bad, but I still prefer a camera. On the large screen TV as a monitor, I'm sure she will like them. Maybe Saturday, I will bundle her up and take her in the early evening for a quick trip there when the lights are more dominant.

I miss having that Christmas feeling, family, wigilia, midnight mass, and snow. It must be my age now.

Shopping Day,

The young woman above is Diana Savita Wagner.  

Wagner's bravery and selflessness have been widely recognized, with many praising her dedication to helping others. She was buried in Kyiv with military honors.

Paige was coming today to sit with Joan, so I thought I would do the food shopping at 11:30 while she was here.

I have been getting up at 06:30 for the past few years to do it, and today I thought I would change. Unfortunately, I woke up at 6:45, couldn't get back to sleep, and decided to go. The cost for this week was $57.

During my 3-hour break, I stopped at Cafe Lokum and talked with Ken about his recent marriage in Las Vegas. He said all went well except the photographer charged him more for the pictures taken then they agreed upon.

Zbyszek's daughter confirmed she will come and visit with us after Christmas. She lives in Bulgaria, but is coming back to Poland to spend time with her brother and his family.

I'm still waiting for our friend, Trent, to confirm when he will visit us. 

Meanwhile: Ukraine

Five Russian oil refineries set ablaze, four airfield strikes, a Lukoil offshore rig ablaze in the Caspian Sea – all in one night – noisily contradicted Trump’s claim that “Ukraine has no cards.”

On Dec. 11, 2025, the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) launched its largest-scale, widest-reaching and most ambitious combined kamikaze drone operation against its giant northern neighbor, Russia, of the entire Russo-Ukrainian War.

Overnight, nearly 300 drones of various types, along with cruise missiles, struck targets across western and central Russia – a stretch of some 2,000 km (1,243 miles) including Moscow, according to Russian and Ukrainian sources reviewed by Kyiv Post. Consistent with Ukraine’s increasingly effective bombardment campaign of Russia’s fossil fuel industry that Kyiv kicked off in July, the Ukrainian main effort for the night appeared focused primarily on five Russian energy production facilities, igniting fires at all of them. Secondary attacks hit four military airfields. Source-Kyiv Post

 

Monday Night.

 It's Monday night, and this is usually the night I have to prepare the menu for next week's food shopping and make out the shopping list. I try to get it done early, but usually, I don't get it done until 10:30 or 11:00 at night. I've got a whole stack of recipes that I go through, and pick six menus for the week. Now and winter, it's a little quicker because I pick out at least one soup that will last for 2 days. We don't need it day after day; instead, I alternate the second helping for a second or third day of the menu. I don't like eating the same thing two nights in a row, nor does John.

Our Christmas tree is already decorated, has been for the last week. It's the same tree we've been using for several years because it's a plastic tree. I gave up buying a real tree because it makes more sense to use the plastic one and save the life of at least one tree.

They added a new person to my conversation list, the brother of my friend me how. He would like some help with his English, and so we will talk on Mondays and Wednesdays at 11:00 for 1 hour each time. Today was our first meeting.

In the afternoon, John and I watched NFL football highlights, and then, because she hasn't been outside of the house for 3 days, we went to Kandulskis for Costco and coffee. It's the same place that Zbyszek introduced us to many years ago. For several years, we used to meet there at 3:00 in the afternoon and have some conversation for about an hour or two. Unfortunately, he died 3 years ago this past November, and so we no longer meet.

Christmas is only nine days away, but I have no presents to buy, so it's not a problem of rushing around trying to find presents. Joan and I stopped buying presents for each other several years ago. It was sad to read the news that Rob Reiner and his wife were killed yesterday. Of course, I didn't know either of them personally, but we've enjoyed his talents in movies and the old TV series where he was called Meathead.

Ukraine News

 

THE CZECH REPUBLIC SUPPLIED UKRAINE WITH 1.8 MILLION PIECES OF LARGE-CALIBER AMMUNITION: The Czech Republic has achieved its goal of transferring Ukraine 1.8 million rounds of high-caliber ammunition, former PM Petr Fiala posted on X. The Czech Republic, along with the US and the UK, has become one of the leading suppliers of ammunition to Ukraine.

RUSSIA DEPLOYES ORESHNIK COMPLEXES IN BELARUS, TARGETING EU: The construction of military facilities in Belarus for launching an Orshenik missile is underway, Oleg Ivashchenko, head of Ukraine’s Foreign Intelligence Service, said. The Oreshnik missile is a Russian medium-range ballistic missile that is difficult to intercept, equipped with six warheads, and capable of speeds exceeding 12,300 km/h.

RUSSIAN OIL EXPORTS DECLINE: Although Russia continues to increase its crude oil shipments, sanctions and market restrictions are contributing to a downward trend in its maritime exports, according to the Foreign Intelligence Service of Ukraine. This comes as prices for Russian oil are falling, which reduces their overall profitability. A large amount of Russia’s cargo goes unloaded, and the US sanctions against Rosneft and Lukoil have caused the demand from the Global South to decrease. This all comes as inspections at Chinese and Russian refineries are increasing.

Haircuts & Ukraine

Yesterday was haircut day for both of us. We have been going to the same stylist for four or five years now. The best haircut I can remember was in Spain, 5 years ago. Thanks to my friend, Radek, who told me about Markus at LeGrand Salon in Poznan. After the first haircut, we have continued using him. He also did an excellent cut of Joan's hair, so that solidified him as our stylist in Poznan. 

The weather has been more like early Spring instead of Winter. 55-60 F is way too warm for the middle of December. More than likely, it will be another Christmas without snow. I suppose it's my age that makes me want snow.

Meanwhile, Ukraine.

Ukraine's domestically produced cruise missiles could help deal a devastating blow to Russia's air defense production, enabling increasingly effective long-range drone strikes against other targets inside Russia, a new report published on Dec. 12 says.

The report from the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) and titled "Disrupting Russian Air Defence Production: Reclaiming the Sky," identifies "significant vulnerabilities" in the production process of several of Moscow's most important air defense systems.

Alongside stricter export controls on critical Western machinery and sanctions on raw materials used in radar production, the report calls for prioritizing strikes on "critical nodes within air defence production that are vulnerable to deliberate attack."

It highlights the concentration of facilities used to manufacture and assemble the Pantsir air defense system in Tula, Russia, just 350 kilometers from the Ukrainian border. Source-Kyiv Independent

A leading German research center and think tank, the Kiel Institute is closely affiliated with Kiel University but is organizationally independent. Analysts in and outside Ukraine generally consider The Institute’s meticulously-researched Ukraine Support Tracker be the gold standard information platform recording foreign assistance promised and delivered to Ukraine since Jan. 2022.

According to the Kiel Institute’s most recent findings compiling data through end of Oct. 2025, since the US ended military and financial support to Ukraine in Feb. 2025, Europe has allocated only about €4.2 billion ($4.92 billion) in new Ukraine assistance – a cash flow not nearly compensating for the support yanked away by the Americans.

Probably even grimmer for Ukraine’s future, non-US assistance to Ukraine following a White House policy shift towards supporting the Kremlin against Europe appears to be plummeting, having fallen from a wartime three-month peak €20 billion ($23.44) from April through June 2025 to €11.5 billion ($13.48 billion) for July through September 2025, new Kiel Institute data showiv Posted. Source-Ky

Can you handle the truth?

Like it or not, this is what we are facing. It is NOT Donnie Trump. Read it all!

 

Stop Waiting for Trump to Die

US Fascism doesn't end with him.

Christopher Armitage

Dec 09, 2025

 

Bottom Line Up Front for the Hardcore Activists (BLUF-HA): The GOP has spent 50 years building a machine to end democracy, funded by oligarchs who will outlive any single president. They want us to believe this ends with one man. It doesn’t. We don’t need false comfort right now; we need real clarity. That means acknowledging that as long as the seditious and openly criminal Republican Party exists, we are fighting the same machine that built him, protected him, and will replace him the moment he’s gone.

 

We have spent ten years personalizing a systemic crisis around a single figure. That personalization is itself a form of control. It lets us imagine that removing him solves the problem. It lets us fantasize about accountability and a soft landing. It lets us wait for rescue instead of doing the work.

Robert Reich recently argued that Trump’s end is imminent. The MAGA base is falling apart, he wrote. Congressional Republicans are finding their backbones. The ground is finally shifting.

 

I respect Robert. He’s been a consistent voice on the proper side of this fight for decades. So let’s take his argument seriously. Let’s look at the evidence he’s citing and ask what it actually tells us.

The polling decline is real. Trump’s approval has hit 36% in Gallup tracking, his second-term low.¹ A CNN poll found 61% of Americans say his policies have worsened economic conditions.²

 

These numbers are bad.

 

But context matters. Trump’s all-time low was 34%, right after January 6. His first-term average was 41%. He never once reached 50% approval in his entire first presidency.³ The mid-30s is not a collapse. It is his floor, and the floor is holding.

 

But context matters. The Republican Party’s project is not to be popular or win elections. It is to make elections unnecessary for holding power. Gerrymandered maps, voter suppression, a captured judiciary, and the procedural stranglehold of the Senate filibuster all serve the same function: insulating Republican rule from democratic accountability. Trump’s approval among the broader public matters only if that public can translate disapproval into political consequences. The party has spent decades building the infrastructure of preventing democratic functioning.

 

The November 2025 elections were a Democratic sweep. Spanberger won Virginia’s governorship by 15 points.⁴ Sherrill carried New Jersey by 13.⁵ Mamdani became New York City’s first Muslim mayor.⁶ Exit polls showed 55-69% disapproval of Trump across every major race.⁷ These results are significant.

But this is swing voters responding to chaos. This is the suburbs recoiling. This is not the MAGA base defecting. The coalition that carried Trump to victory in 2024 has not abandoned him. Voters at the margins have. That matters electorally. It does not mean the movement is collapsing.

Reich points to Republican fractures. Some are grumbling about the budget. Some reject the tariff dividend proposal. Some want to extend ACA subsidies. Hawks dislike the Putin courtship.

 

But grumbling is not governing. When it came time to vote on the Big Beautiful Bill, two Republicans out of 273 voted no. That is a 1% defection rate. The tariff dividend was never even brought to a vote. 

The ACA subsidy debate remains unresolved because leadership won’t allow a floor vote. The fractures are nonexistent in practice. The grumbling itself is the performance, a way to maintain the fiction that Republicans aren’t voting in lockstep while they vote in lockstep.

 

And then there is Marjorie Taylor Greene. After Romney. After Cheney. After Kinzinger. After the party systematically destroyed every Republican who broke ranks. After years of enforcing total loyalty, his most devoted defender finally walked away. One more name on a short list that keeps getting shorter as the party purges dissent.

 

She was his most loyal defender. She voted with him 98% of the time.⁹ She spent millions on his campaigns. She flew from her father’s brain surgery to vote against his second impeachment.¹⁰ And when she broke with him over the Epstein files, he called her a traitor within days. She also announced her resignation, timed to within a few days of her congressional pension beginning.¹¹

This is not a crack in the foundation. This is the foundation demonstrating how solid it is. The apparatus that destroyed Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger, and Mitt Romney’s political future did exactly what it was designed to do: enforce total loyalty and obliterate dissent.

 

So let’s say Reich is right about all of it. Let’s say the polling collapse accelerates. Let’s say 

 

Republicans lose the House in 2026.

 

Let’s say Trump’s health fails, his mind deteriorates further, or he simply dies. He is 79 years old. It could happen tomorrow.

 

Here is what does not change:

 

The 43 Republican senators who acquitted him after he incited an insurrection remain in office or have been replaced by others who would have done the same. The Supreme Court that ruled him above the law serves for life. The federal judiciary, packed with Federalist Society judges, will shape American law for decades. The 47% of Project 2025 already implemented does not reverse itself.¹² The 200,000 federal workers fired or forced out do not return to their jobs.¹³ The gutted agencies do not rebuild overnight. The dismantled regulations do not reassemble themselves.

 

The Varieties of Democracy Institute, the world’s leading authority on measuring democratic health, identified the United States as undergoing the fastest episode of autocratization in modern American history.¹⁴ Director Staffan Lindberg stated in March that if the current trajectory continues, the United States will no longer qualify as a democracy when they assess 2025.¹⁵ That trajectory is not about one man. That trajectory is about captured institutions and a party apparatus committed to single-party rule.

 

We tried the institutional remedies. We impeached him twice. The Senate acquitted him twice. A jury convicted him of 34 felonies. No judge sentenced him. The Supreme Court granted him immunity.

 

We voted him out in 2020. He came back and won by a wider margin.

Four years of Biden have changed nothing structurally. The courts remained captured. The gerrymandered maps remained intact. He was able to make marginal progress that was obstructed at every turn, overturned by SCOTUS, or immediately undone by Trump. The filibuster remained in place, allowing Republicans to block voting rights legislation with unified opposition. We followed the rules. They ran out the clock. And at the end of it, we got a second Trump term that has done more damage in ten months than his entire first four years.

 

Trump did not build this. The Heritage Foundation wrote Project 2025. The Federalist Society built the judicial pipeline. The Republican National Committee enforces party discipline. The conservative media ecosystem manufactures consent. State legislatures draw maps that let them choose their voters. 

 

Dark money networks fund the whole operation.

 

Trump is their most effective instrument. He normalized what was previously unthinkable. He proved what was possible. He moved the ball further down the field than anyone before him. But he is still an instrument. When he is gone, everything he proved remains proven. Every precedent he set remains set. 

Every norm he shattered remains shattered.

 

The Republican Party has been building toward this for 50 years. The Powell Memo.¹⁶ The Heritage Foundation. The Federalist Society. Gingrich is burning down congressional norms. The Southern Strategy. Gerrymandering. Voter suppression. McConnell is holding a Supreme Court seat hostage for a 

year.¹⁷

 

Trump did not break the system. He is the product of a party that spent half a century crafting the tools to end American democracy.

 

As long as the Republican Party exists, our democracy remains under threat. That was true before Trump and will remain true after him. The party must be dismantled. Not defeated in one election. Not moderated. Dismantled and its leaders incarcerated for sedition and corruption.

So when the headlines tell you the ground is shifting, maybe something is happening. When pundits tell you the MAGA base is cracking, maybe the margins are eroding. When Trump eventually leaves the stage, it will feel like relief. We will want to exhale. We will want to believe the worst is over.

 

Do not exhale.

 

The day after Trump is gone, we have the exact same work to do. The same captured courts. The same gerrymandered maps. The same consolidated media. The same oligarch class. The same party apparatus that protected him through everything will find another vehicle for their project before his body is cold.

 

And the next vehicle will be less repugnant. Someone who passes the same fascist laws and strips away the same freedoms but with less spectacle, someone who makes it all look more professional, and then people stop paying attention. Trump’s repulsiveness keeps people in the streets. But the Republicans are the ones passing the policies anyway. They’re the ones telling him what to support. A polished version pushing the exact same agenda without the daily outrages will be far more dangerous. The next one gets a grace period while the world celebrates, and the fascism continues while everyone exhales.

He covered a lot of ground for them. That doesn’t all reverse with him gone. The project does not end with him, and if we act as if it does, we hand Republicans a free pass for everything they built while we were staring at one man.

 

We have spent ten years personalizing a systemic crisis around a single figure. That personalization is itself a form of control. It lets us imagine that removing him solves something. It lets us fantasize about accountability that will never come through the institutions they have captured. It lets us wait for rescue instead of doing the work.

 

Stop waiting for Trump to die. The fight is the same either way.

 

So what actually works? Three things. First, states must investigate, prosecute, and criminally indict corrupt politicians at every level and refuse to hand those cases up to federal jurisdiction. If we don’t hold these people accountable ourselves, no one will. This should be done through an interstate anti-corruption compact where states work together to rid our federal government of criminal actors. Second, states must build social safety nets at the state and multi-state levels that actually improve residents’ lives, because the federal government has been captured and isn’t coming to the rescue. Third, multi-state non-compliance with bullshit SCOTUS and federal decisions. That’s it. That’s what needs to happen. It takes political will, and it takes us demanding it from every state official we can reach.

Heroine.

·Friends, this is the Heroine. Real Ukrainian Heroine.

Friends, this is Natalia.

She is a mother of four!! ️children and she absolutely voluntarily went to the Front.

Natalia comes from lysičanskaya. When the full-scale invasion began, she realized that her place was where the country was protected.

Thanks to her determination, the woman managed to get into the combat unit.

After learning about her medical education, the command offered Natalia to become a combat medic.

She has saved hundreds of lives in that position!! ️of our Warriors.

She had to drag the fighters 12 kilometers!! ️ to save their Life.

Just an incredible Woman.

Absolutely unbreakable, strong and Brave.

Our Ukrainian girl. Our Guardian Angel.

Honor and respect to Mrs. Natalia.

Honor and respect to the incredible Ukrainian heroine

Gabriela=Paige

Gabriella couldn't come today because she had a class, so I called her alternative caregiver, Paige, and she arrived at 10:30. It has been about a month and a half since we last saw her because she was on vacation in the United States visiting her family. John likes both of them, so it wasn't a problem.

Gabriella called later in the afternoon, and said that she was ill and didn't think it was a good idea for her to come on Wednesday. I called Paige, and she said she would be here.

After she arrived, I took my phone, my Spanish book, and my glasses, and I drove to Radek's house for our time together. We usually alternate meetings, so this week it was time for me to go to his house for the meeting. I spent the usual first hour speaking in Spanish English, and then the second hour was only Spanish. It helps a lot that I recorded the lesson, because sometimes I get a little foggy, and it's good for me to be able to listen to the lesson again. It's also good to have the lessons recorded because there are times when he's gone for a week or two, and we have no lesson. I usually that I usually spend that time re-listening to the old lessons. We are almost done with the first Spanish book, and probably, we will go in start it all over again just to keep refreshed on things that have been forgotten.

Earlier this morning, I woke up at 6:30, and made the usual trip to Carrefour to do the weekly food shopping. The cost this week was 220 PLN. ($61).

In the evening, we watched highlights of several of the NFL football games that were played yesterday, and unfortunately, are Chicago Bears team lost. However, later I read that there were several calls by the referees that were incorrect, and it was so severe that when complaints were made to the commissioner, all seven of the referees were suspended. Now, there is to be an investigation into the complaints. It will be interesting to see if anything happens because of it.

Meanwhile: Ukraine

During a state visit to India on Friday, Putin declared that Russia would seize Donbas and other land “by force” if Ukraine refused to withdraw.

But the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) has projected that, at the current pace of operations, it would take several more years for Russia to fully occupy the entire region and Moscow’s victory is still far from guaranteed. 

In remarks published Monday, Zelensky told Bloomberg News that negotiations over the US-led peace proposal remain blocked on “sensitive issues,” especially security arrangements and control of the Donbas.

He added that the negotiators still lack a common stance on Donetsk and Luhansk.

“There are visions of the US, Russia, and Ukraine – and we don’t have a unified view on Donbas,” Zelensky said.

“There is one question I – and all Ukrainians – want to get an answer to: If Russia again starts the war, what will our partners do?” he added, arguing that Kyiv needs strong assurances of security. Source-Kyiv Post

Join or Die.

 

My friends, read closely, because this moment demands our full attention.

There’s an old drawing from 1754, a simple cartoon by Benjamin Franklin. You’ve probably seen it before: a snake cut into pieces, each part representing a colony, with the words “Join, or Die.”

That warning echoed across the colonies then, and it echoes across our country now.

Franklin drew it to remind people that division is deadly. That, when our future is on the line, unity isn’t optional; it’s everything. And today, as resistance movements rise across the United States, I can’t stop thinking about that image.

Because let’s be honest: we have so many groups, so many movements, so many organizations fighting for justice, for rights, for truth, and yet, we’re fractured. We’re passionate, but we’re scattered.

If Franklin’s cartoon were redrawn today to represent the modern Resistance, that snake would have dozens of parts. Maybe hundreds. And the threat we face wouldn’t be a faraway king. It would be right here at home, embodied in the rise of Donald Trump and the powerful influence of the Heritage Foundation.

The message is the same now as it was then:
Join together, or watch democracy die.

And make no mistake, our democracy is already in serious danger.

But let me be clear: I’m NOT asking you to leave your group, your cause, or your community. Your group is part of who you are. Your work matters deeply.

What I am asking, what I am urging, is that we recognize a simple truth:
When we stand together, we are powerful. When we act as one, we are unstoppable.

A general strike, a coordinated effort across groups and causes, becomes world-changing when enough people take part. Research shows that when about 3.5% of a population participates in sustained nonviolent action, a society can shift. Governments can change. Futures can be rewritten. And we have seen it happen in country after country.

But we cannot reach that level alone. Divided, we are weakened. Divided, we lose ground. And we’ve already witnessed the damage: to Medicaid… to scientific research… to foreign aid… to immigrant families… to climate protections… to our alliances… to the integrity of our judicial system. The list is long, and it keeps growing.

So I am asking, no, I am calling on you:

If you are an administrator, ask your members to join a general strike coalition like GeneralStrikeUS.
If you are a member, urge your admins to join, or step forward and join yourself.

This coalition already has more than 402,000 people. That’s powerful. But it’s not enough. We need more voices, more courage, more unity. We need you.

Furthermore, we are not one single organization, but rather a network of groups committed to a General Strike once we reach 11 million Americans committed. Our goal is to unite the movements for racial, economic, and climate justice under a shared, collective action so that we may revolutionize this country. We believe that if working people went on strike together, we could achieve all our demands for a just economy, a truly democratic political system, and a safe planet for all.

If you are an organization or influencer fighting for change, follow these instructions to add a Strike Card to your website and track incoming data in real time. Folks who sign up via your website will be visible to you. If we work together, we’ll get to 11M strikers in no time. Email info@generalstrikeus.com for more info on how to join this coalition.

The message from 1754 still speaks the truth today:

Join, or die.
Not as a threat, but as a warning. A reminder. A call to action.

Our democracy is worth fighting for.
Our future is worth uniting for.
And together, we can rise to this moment.

Thank you.

Boots & Revolution

 Because I'm always thinking of Joan, I thought I'd take her to buy a pair of boots today. It wasn't because she needed them to walk in the snow; it was more about her feet staying warm when she was outside. You know she doesn't do much walking anymore because most of her life is either in the recliner or in the wheelchair. But, nevertheless, I'm always concerned about her warmth when we are outside. So, I took her to the little shopping mall called Pestka, and there we went in to try on different kinds of boots.

She picked up one pair that seemed would look good on her, but when she tried them on it was too difficult to get them on. So we went back to the shoe racks, and she looked at another pair. The first pair were kind of short boots, but the second pair were higher up her leg. The last time I bought her any shoes, she wore what's called a size 39. However, when I tried either pair in size 39, neither one of them would fit. I went back to the racks, picked out a pair of size 42, and took them back for her to try on. They both fit much more easily, and since she didn't really need them to walk on, she decided they were a good fit. And she decided that a taller pair of boots would be better, which I was happy about. Originally, they were 179 PLN, but when I took them up to the cashier, the price was 125 PLN. So I was happy about that. Now she has new boots.

Back at home, we started a new documentary series developed by the documentarian, Ken Burns. It is called the American Revolution, and it has 12 parts. Each part is 1 hour long, so we decided to watch one party today. After watching the first part tonight, I think it is something all Americans should watch. I think it would be especially good for anyone who voted for Trump to see how the country began, the struggles they had, the difficult times ahead, and the problems they had to solve to form a democracy. You can find it on the YouTube channel. All 12 parts are available.

The Tree.

 Maybe it's too early to put up your Christmas tree, but ours is now up. I escaped having to decorate the tree by asking Gabriella to put up the lights and ornaments. She did a pretty good job, except she didn't put all of the lights on that we have. So later in the evening, I brought out the other lights and added them to the tree. I guess we're ready for Christmas.

Earlier, before Gabriella came, I did a little vacuuming and put up the ornaments, well, not really ornaments, more like decorations around the house. It does make it look a little more festive now.

During my 3-hour break, I went to Auchan to check if they had dates for sale. The last time I was there, on Tuesday. They had dates, but the price for 1 kg was 27 PLN. Normally, I can buy them for 10 PLN You can buy them for 10 PLN, but you have to go on Thursday or Friday before they are sold out. This time I bought 2 kg. When I told Gabriella I could buy one kilogram of dates for 10, she didn't think it was possible. So, when I returned home, I showed the packet to her. It's a little strange because the same company that sells them for 10 PLN, also has a 1 kg pack next to it for 27 PLN. I don't see what the difference is in the dates. They both look the same to me.

After I was done, I went to Cafe Locum, and had a coffee latte while I read the latest garbage news about the United States. I'm trying to pull back a little from my involvement because I don't know if it makes a difference.

John's been going to bed early. Tonight, she said she was ready for bed at 7:30. I told her that was a little early and because of it she would probably wake up too early, so, she stayed up for another hour and a half and went to bed at 9:00. She's losing more of her sense of logic in conversations and her short-term memory is really getting bad. I noticed this week, even her long-term memory is starting to disappear. 

Sleepy & Ukraine

Another sleep in day, this time until noon. I don't know if it is because I am so tired, or whether it is my life doesn't change much day to day.

The sun was shining today and a little warmer, so I took Joan out for a little while to break the monotony of sitting at home every day. 

We visited Kandulski and had what has become our usual pastry there. It's called Migladowa. The components sliced pecans on top of a creamy substance sitting on top of a layer of Carmel. Below low that is a bed of cake mix. The coffee is better than at Sowas, so that's also a plus.

The snow is gone now, and one can only hope it will return for Christmas. 

Concerning Ukraine:

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte insisted on Wednesday that the alliance has no reason to contemplate a “Plan B” in the event that talks collapse and Washington halts weapons deliveries to Ukraine.

“I don’t think we have to think about that,” he replied when pressed by a reporter during a Brussels news conference following a gathering of NATO foreign ministers convened after pivotal US-Russia discussions.

Rutte underscored that the US remains “very consistent” in backing Kyiv, while stressing: “We expect Europeans and Canadians to step up when it comes to paying for it.”

He also voiced confidence that Ukraine’s partners will have amassed $5 billion in commitments by the year’s end for the purchase of US-manufactured arms – funding intended to keep matériel flowing to Kyiv despite Washington’s freeze on direct military aid. Source-Kyiv Post

Future Ukrainians.

This project began with the messages you sent to me in April of 2025. Back then, it was your commitment that gave this work its shape. People from different countries, different ages, different lives, all choosing to stop for a moment and write something for children you will never meet. The care you placed into your words gave this project a soul. Every message is an act of courage and a way of saying that the world still has people who stand with Ukraine, even from far away.

 

This book is dedicated to everyone who lives far from Ukraine yet carries our pain as if it were their own.

 

To those who cry with us, hope with us, and stand with us, even from distant places. Your hearts have never been far from

this land.

 

Viktor Krachuk

 

To the Ukrainians of the Future

 

We are speaking to someone who will be holding this book in the year 2045. Someone who was not alive when these words were written. Someone living in a Ukraine that exists because people fought for it twenty years before you took your first breath. Not only the people here on this land, but people from all over the world who chose to stand with your country.

 

The world you know was not guaranteed. The peace you live in was not automatic. Many of us did not know what the years ahead would bring. We did not know what your life would look like, or what kind of country you would inherit.

 

We only knew that one day a young Ukrainian would open this book and find us here. So this work is dedicated to you.

 

To the child who grew up in a nation rebuilt by the courage of your parents and grandparents. To the one who needs to understand that your country survived because Ukrainians refused to lose themselves.

 

And also because people far from here refused to look away. They pressed their governments. They marched in the streets. Not only that, but they placed Ukrainian flags in their windows. They supported Ukrainian writers and artists. They gave to Ukrainian causes they barely knew the names of, but were critical of so many times. Furthermore, they did all this because they felt that your country deserved to live.________ _______________________________________________________________________ I was happy to see my letter included. If you want a copy of the book, go to this URL

https://buymeacoffee.com/vikvkravchuk/e/484087

 

David Piekarczyk

Late sleep & Ukraine

I was up until 3 AM last night and didn't wake up until noon today. I tried going to bed before midnight, but a few things popped up, and I had to answer. It's just in my nature to procrastinate and put things off until tomorrow.

I gave Joan three choices for breakfast, and she chose a smoothie. I thought it was a little cold for now, but I complied with a banana/strawberry smoothie. 

In the afternoon I took her to see the Christmas fair in Plac Wolnosci. The Ferris wheel is working, and I thought it would be a good idea for me to go on it one sunny day this week, if there is one, and take pictures as it revolves. I would have to do it without Joan while Gabriela is sitting with her. It would just make it easier.

Meanwhile, the WAR.

 In an ambitious, complex strike operation simultaneously hammering targets hundreds of kilometers apart, dozens of Ukrainian drones and missiles overnight Monday-Tuesday hit and damaged a Russian military airfield, a bomber repair plant, a kamikaze drone factory, a high-tech air defense unit and a pair of oil refineries.

The long-range air raids carried out by Bars jet-propelled drones, Neptune cruise missiles and unnamed propeller-driven drones struck facilities in the Russian Azov Sea port city Taganrog, the Black Sea port city Novorossiysk, and the Black Sea port city Tuapse, a Ukrainian General Staff Tuesday morning statement said.

In Taganrog, according to sources reviewed by Kyiv Post, drones and possibly missiles struck and damaged the Beriev TANTK aircraft plant, a repair facility for long-range Tu-95MS (NATO: “Bear”) bombers and Beriev A-50 AEW&C (airborne early warning and command) surveillance planes. The independent Russian news agency Astra reported explosions and large-scale fires on those facilities’ premises.

Ain't no sunshine!

A little more snow last night, but today it is almost gone.

Karolina came at 12:00 to shower Joan and take care of her hygiene while I went out to take care of some things.

Later I made spaghetti with mozzarella meatballs, and a salad for dinner. It was good. Joan liked it. 

I passed by Plac Wolnisci and saw that the Christmas market is already set up There is a collection of kiosks set up where you can but various handmade Christmas presents, wines, different foods, and some Christmas clothing. Of course, there are a few kiosks where everything was made in China. If it isn't made in Poland, it shouldn't be included.

I just wanted to scream today. I felt like beating my head against a wall or jumping off the balcony. Being a 24/7 caregiver just gets harder and harder. Of course, I would never do those things. I promised years ago to always take care of Joan and I will. I just need a break. 

Mass Blackout.

Well, today starts the mass blackout experiment. It's going to last for one week, in which time it hopes to have some effect on the US economy. I have my doubts it will because there are not many or not enough people who are going to participate. I know it would take millions of people to make a real dent in the US economy. However, I still hope it is successful.

I received some sad news last night that an old friend of ours in the United States is not doing well, and his future does not look too bright. So, Joan and I have known him for over 40 years, although we haven't seen him in probably 35 years. His brother emailed me last night and told me the sad news. I waited until this morning, when Joan was awake, had breakfast, and was dressed, before I told her.

Yesterday we had a little snowfall, not a lot, probably not even 2 in. It did cover the ground and lasted until this morning. The world seems more peaceful when it snows. Unfortunately, that's not the case.

There was a report in the Financial Times that Ukraine has agreed to cap its military at 800,000 men. Originally, Russia wanted it to be 600,000. However, when the war started, Ukraine's Army was 900,000. So, the 800,000, even though it's 100,000 less, it would not be as bad as 600,000. So there is still no deal, there's no peace plan signed, and Trump is still demanding to have it done by Thursday, two days from now. Maybe it'll be the turkey that Trump has to eat if it doesn't get done by then.

Sunday

 It's supposed to be a day of rest. However, when you're a caregiver 24/7, even a day of rest isn't really a day of rest. There are always so many things you have to do during the day, including preparing your loved one for the day by getting them dressed, cleaned up, out of bed, and put in her recliner, where she stays most of the day. The only actual time off from caring for her for me is those two days when Gabriella comes to sit with her while I go out into the world and attend to things that need attention. And it may sound like a complaint, but it's not really a complaint because I have loved this woman for so many years, and it's unthinkable that I would not continue to care for her and love her just because she is ill.

Around 4:30 this afternoon, our friend, Marcin, came over and brought us two jars of honey, one is a spring honey, and the other is made from Linseed. I believe. It's a welcome addition to my pantry because I do use honey in our smoothies, and I try to use it as a substitute for sugar when I bake something.

He stayed for about half an hour and left just in time for me to talk to my friend in Spain, Carmelo.

Conversations with Carmelo are getting easier; some of the Spanish I retained from studies comes out a little more often now, almost spontaneously. I have to admit I haven't been spending enough time on my Spanish learning because I get so involved with this group I'm in to try to curtail the damage done by Donnie, also known by some as the president of the United States. Although I would hardly call him a president. 

Since I've been using this voice-to-conversation program on my computer, it's been much easier to write my blog and to carry out correspondence in emails. It doesn't put in punctuation, so I have to make sure that I look at what is written and put in the necessary punctuation. Nevertheless, it does make writing on this laptop much easier.

Our Loss.

 At 81, I'm old enough to remember the only great president in my lifetime. That President was named John Fitzgerald Kennedy. He was the president who gave hope to the country, prosperity to the country, and a good outlook for the future. I remember this day especially, because it was on this day that he was assassinated. Of course, no one can tell you who did it, the reasons for doing it, or the culprits brought to Justice. The Warren Report, many years ago, gave its opinion, which I do not believe. In my humble opinion, I believe it was a conspiracy involving the US government and other characters or figures.

Nevertheless, on this day, I find it strange that no one remembers the date of his assassination, so I thought I would put his picture up just to remind those of you who are old enough to remember him. Especially, in the times we live now, when what we have in the United States is called a President, but he is far from being a president. The poor man is only a wannabe dictator. Whether he becomes one or not, it's up to We the People.

Today I'm just grateful that I have known what a president could be.

Putin & Trump vs. Ukraine

 Honorable Senator Durbin,

I am writing to you today with a profound sense of urgency and alarm regarding the reported draft agreement, the so-called "28-Point Plan", that is being negotiated through private channels between U.S. and Russian envoys without the participation or consent of the sovereign government of Ukraine.

If the details of this leaked plan are accurate, this is not a path to peace; it is a thinly veiled blueprint for surrender and an egregious act of geopolitical betrayal. I urge you, in the strongest possible terms, to use every tool at your disposal to vehemently oppose this plan and prevent it from gaining any traction within the U.S. government or becoming official policy.

The reported demands of this draft are staggering and completely unacceptable:

Territorial Surrender: Forcing Ukraine to cede control over the eastern Donbas region is a clear violation of international law and rewards Russia’s aggression. It is an amputation of a sovereign state's territory.

Military Disarmament: The demand to halve Ukraine’s Armed Forces and severely restrict its key weapons systems is a catastrophic security risk. It would deliberately gut the military that has successfully prevented a complete Russian takeover, leaving the nation permanently vulnerable to future, inevitable Russian attacks.

Internal Subversion: Mandating the official status of the Moscow-aligned Orthodox Church and Russian as a state language embeds Moscow's influence directly into Ukraine's most sensitive cultural and institutional structures. These are not peace terms; they are demands for political and cultural subordination.

Cutting Off Lifelines: A sharp reduction in U.S. military aid, coupled with a weakened Ukrainian military, is the definition of setting a former ally up for failure and future conquest.

Senator, this plan, negotiated in backrooms and absent of Ukrainian representation, does not serve U.S. interests in global stability or the rule of law. It sacrifices a brave, democratic ally and sends a chilling message to every nation that relies on American commitment: that their sovereignty is merely a bargaining chip to be traded away for political expediency.

To coerce President Zelensky into accepting terms that amputate his country, disarm its defense, and embed the aggressor's influence is morally indefensible. We must not allow Ukraine to be treated as a hostage whose life is negotiated by its captor and a third party.

I implore you, as a principled leader in the Senate, to:

 Publicly denounce this 28-Point Plan and the use of private, unauthorized back-channels to conduct   foreign policy.

 Actively investigate the source and motivation behind these negotiations, and ensure all U.S.               diplomacy is conducted transparently and directly with Kyiv.

Mobilize Senate opposition to any proposal that would coerce Ukraine into territorial concession, military disarmament, or political submission to the Kremlin.

The future of Ukraine’s freedom and the credibility of U.S. global leadership are at stake. Please do everything in your power to stop this plan.

Thank you for your immediate attention to this critical matter.

Respectfully,

David Piekarczyk

Shopping.

Yesterday was shopping day. I spent  160 PLN($44) for the week of food.

Today was a free day. That means nobody was coming for Joan. Gabriela will come tomorrow and Karolina on Friday.

For the last few months, I have been staying up until 2 or 2:30 in the morning. Mainly because of my work with resistance groups in the U.S. I know, it'seems a little crazy that I am involved in that, living where we live now. However, we do have adult children and grandkids there and are concerned for their welfare.

Poland is now following the U.S. in TV commercials. Already there are Christmas ads on TV and the  stores are filled with Christmas items for sale. 

You may be wondering why I am always adding news about the war in Ukraine to my blog. It is because there is so little of it now in the daily news outlets. EVERY day it's the same old shit, Trump, Trump, Trump. I am so tired of it.

Monster of War.

A Russian ballistic missile attack killed 17-year-old Ukrainian kickboxing champion Karina Bakhur. She lived in a town of Berestyn, Kharkiv region, which came under heavy shelling last night. Karina was at home and reportedly running toward the basement when the blast hit. She died in the hospital from her wounds.

 

Karina was both World and European medalist in kickboxing, Master of Sports of Ukraine and current champion of Ukraine in both Cossack duel and kickboxing. A life of talent, discipline, and dreams ended by a Russian missile.

Interesting?

An interesting story. When I was in third grade in a one-room schoolhouse of grades 1-6, every row was a higher grade. There was one teacher for all. Where we lived was so small it wasn't named a village, town, or city. It was Clark Station near Gary, Indiana, even though there was no bus or train service. 

One day, 3 men and a nurse came in and said they were going to tattoo our blood types on our bodies. They had what looked like a drill with a box full of different blood type medal markers. A desk was set up in the entrance way where the "nurse" sat. One man was in our room calling out a row number. 

The children would line up in front of the nurse, she would prick the index finger, determine the blood type, we would be separated by type, and each row would be added. When all was done, another man fixed a marker on the "drill" and drilled it into our side. I don't remember if it hurt or not. Just remember being scared. 

My mother was told it was the government's idea to protect the children in case of an atomic bomb attack. It was in the early 50s. 

So, since third grade, I knew my blood type, B+. The mark only faded away after 50+ years. The strange thing for me was that no other school had done it.

Yesterday, a reader sent me this:

https://www.amusingplanet.com/2020/04/operation-tat-type-why-some-american.html

Operation Tat-Type: Why Some American Kids Got Tattooed With Blood-Type

If you're curious.

Friday-Saturday

Yesterday, I had a little break time while Karolina was here, so I went to Solacki Park, and I sat down to listen to my book, Big Sir, written by Jack Kerouac. I've been reading and listening to Jack Kerouac since I was 16. My brother Walter, or Wally as we called him, turned me on to Jack many, many years ago. I still find comfort in the words that he wrote. Of course, the first book I read by him was On the Road, probably his most famous book. His style was so unusual back in the 1950s, and I think that's what brought him a lot of interest.

After I was done in the park, I went to the Apteka, because it was time to buy another vitamin for Joan.

Back at home, Karolina was just finishing up giving Joanh a shower, and when she was done, we talked for about 20 minutes.

Last night. I stayed up until about 2:00 in the morning answering emails and doing some postings to various resistance groups I belong to. Today I didn't wake up until 11:00. That's 9 hours, a lot of time for me to sleep.

In the afternoon, John and I listened to various classical guitar players on YouTube.

When it was time to make dinner, I chose the easy way out and defrosted some frozen chili I still had left over.

Ukraine.

Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) forces overnight Sunday to Monday launched amphibious and airborne kamikaze drone strikes against targets in southwest Russia, with the main effort concentrating on a Black Sea oil tanker loading terminal critical to the Kremlin for export.

Sea-launched robot boats hit the Russian port city of Tuapse, one of Russia’s two main terminals for oil export via the Black Sea. Initial reports of an attack in progress reached local news platforms shortly after 1 AM on Monday. Video uploaded from viewpoints inside the city documented two explosions in the central port area, and fires.

With a capacity to trans-ship around 17 million metric tons of oil products/year, Tuapse is Russia’s second-biggest oil products export transshipment facility on the Black Sea.

Ukrainian robot boats had previously attacked Tuapse on Sept. 24 and overnight on Nov. 1-2. The latter raid damaged two tankers, halted fuel exports and refinery operations for days, caused an oil spill and forced tankers to abandon the port.

[UPDATED: Nov. 11, 12:37 pm , Kyiv time. Updated with reports from the General Staff of Ukraine and the Forces of Unmanned Systems confirming their involvement in the attack.]

A series of explosions rocked the Russian cities of Saratov and Engels early on Tuesday, Nov. 11, with social media reporting a fire at the Saratov oil refinery.

According to Russian Telegram channels, air defenses were on high alert in both cities amid the threat of drone attacks. Local residents reported hearing between five and seven loud explosions after 1 AM.

Independence?

The annual march organized in Warsaw by nationalist groups to celebrate Polish Independence Day passed peacefully through the city.

Among the participants, whose number is estimated at around 150,000, was recently elected right-wing President Karol Nawrocki, whose conservative predecessor, Andrzej Duda, had avoided attending the event.

However, members of Poland’s more liberal government stayed away from the march. Prime Minister Donald Tusk, attending a separate Independence Day celebration in his hometown of Gdańsk, declared that “no one has a monopoly on patriotism” and called “diversity a source of our strength”.

Joan and I stayed at home and celebrated the day by eating four of the famous Rogala pastries.

It seemed odd that Poland is celebrating its independence while in the United States there is a struggle to keep its independence from becoming a dictatorship, and Ukraine is fighting a war to save its country.

NOV. 25 to DEC. 2.

What exactly am I supposed to stop doing? 

 

During the Mass Blackout (Nov. 25–Dec. 2), we’re asking participants to:

– Stop working (see below)

– Stop spending at corporations

– Cancel streaming/digital subscriptions

– Avoid travel, restaurants, and normal consumer behavior

– Stay off ad-driven platforms unless organizing

If you must spend, use cash at small local businesses. Small Business Saturday is exempted.

 

What if I can’t take off work?

Not everyone can. You can still:

– Cancel subscriptions

– Halt spending

– Log off entertainment platforms

– Share the campaign

– Donate to Feeding America to support those walking out

Choose the form of resistance that’s possible for you — and do it proudly.

 

Should I support small businesses during the blackout?

Yes. This action exempts small businesses. If you need to spend, use cash at locally owned or worker-led shops. Avoid corporate chains and mega-platforms.

 

Does this mean I shouldn’t use social media?

Use social media intentionally. Don’t scroll for entertainment — organize, agitate, spread the message. Use hashtags. Share visuals. Mobilize your people.

 

How can I help spread the word?

– Use campaign hashtags:

#MBO #MB #BlockParty #MassBlackout #BlackoutForDemocracy

– Send this campaign to 5 people

– Organize your network — online or off