I loved this. I watched it twice, and I will watch it again soon. It is not easy to cover all the facets of this war in 45 minutes so I thought what was shared in this special program was just excellent, and soulful. Humanity, society, humour, unity, love, the city of Kyiv, culture, language … it was highly insightful. I know we will be back soon in magical Kyiv. By the spring.

https://www.kyivpost.com/post/5711

Imagine you are told there is a man in your road going around from house to house with a gun. You have even met some of the victims and you have heard horrible stories of this beast. But no one stops this evil. And every other week a siren goes off warning the people in the neighbourhood that this bad man is on the prowl again that day. You hide, hoping that this evil doesn’t find you.

When missiles and bombs first fell on Ukraine at the start of this nightmare war you could say that a lot of people did not believe it was happening. I was one of them. I will never forget that early winter morning, being woken up with a shaking building and the sounds of bomb blasts and air raid sirens. And 9 months on, missiles are still being fired into Ukraine and now there are apps and social media saying things like “The missiles are expected to hit Kyiv in 30 minutes.” Just think about how insane this is. Everyone, and I mean everyone, knows it is happening. Everyone is seeing this evil unfold, and yet, it just doesn’t stop. Week after week. What kind of a world are we living in.

As my friend Craig said the other day, “They just give you enough weapons to stop the guy from doing too much damage but not stopping the guy.” America and the UK gave Ukraine assurances a long time ago (yesterday it marked 28 years). Give Ukraine the weapons they need to win this war soon. If Ukraine was kitted out to the max they would finish this war and would be doing the world a big service.

I will never understand war. It just makes no sense. To me that is. But terrorism is a whole other evil that is just beyond comprehension. What is going on in Ukraine is sickening, and the world just watches. That is my perspective. Very nice world we live in.

I know this will end at some point and Ukraine will rebuild. Yes, Ukraine is winning this war on the battlefield but Ukrainian citizens are paying an unfathomable price and it does not feel fair. There is light on the horizon and it will shine bright. The winter months are going to be the ultimate test. Ukrainians are strong – they will get through this.

I got a surprise package today. A pair of new Nike sneakers. But these are not any sneakers. These are custom designed bird shoes. Yeah, Nike sneakers ala Thinkst Canary. And the Bunster took an instant liking to them too and decided to give them a test walk. The Thinksters made my day with this awesome gift. Wow, these are beyond cool – I dig these new Canary sneakers.

I feel the need for speed. Is it a bird, is it a plane … It’s a Bunster man.

We recently went to Suiderkruis Beach which appears when you enter the Mossel Bay area on route from George. It was so peaceful with the endless sand and the sound of the waves breaking. The Bunster had his bike with him and was having fun. The Garden Route sure is filled with beauty.

We are anticipating being back in Kyiv by the end of the winter in Europe. Until then we will try and explore much of this stunning part of South Africa.

The last few weeks have seen a new kind of evil: automated killer drones. Russia could still potentially cripple Ukraine – if they destroy the electricity and heating infrastructure, then how can Ukraine function?! The Ukrainians are knocking down over 80% of these killer drones, but from what I understand it is using up their precious defense capacity. Ukraine needs more and more help from the West. If Ukraine falls, which I just don’t believe will happen, then the world will fall – that is what I believe. I love the Ukrainian sense of humour. I read this online, “If Russians leave us with no electricity in nine months there will be more Ukrainians.” Yes, there are many painful challenges ahead, but Ukraine will survive and prosper. Russia, on the other hand, is doomed.

Ukraine is living through 911 everyday. This is terrorism, and the world is watching online like it is a horror movie. They are determined, but very stressed. I chat with friends regularly in Kyiv. Yes, people are worried, but they carry on.

Here is a question: if South Africa bombed Zimbabwe, then there would be a global outcry. But if SA destroyed Zimbabwe’s electricity infrastructure then would anyone do or say anything? Do we need to see dead bodies for there to be an outcry? It does seem less hectic but wait till people are freezing. I don’t believe this will happen in Ukraine, but the fact that Russia is trying to make this a reality is reason enough for some sort of response. Or a least, a bigger, more impactful response.

Yesterday morning kamikaze drones were attacking Kyiv. Sounds like the Terminator for real. Robotic death machines swarming into a city. I am sure there was a Black Mirror episode like this. But this is not a TV show. This is Kyiv and what Russia is doing, with Iran’s help, is pure evil. How many of these death drones are there? I assume they can just keep on making them. It is all insane. I understand that the Ukrainian military shot down about 80% of these flying nightmares.

“It’s 2022 and a member of the UN Security Council is launching waves of kamikaze drones at civilians in a European capital city.”

This modern story of good VS evil is playing out right in front of the eyes of the world. When will the pain be enough for the West to step up in the biggest possible way they can and help Ukraine put an end to the devil. How many people need to die before this happens? If Ukraine falls, which I do not believe will happen, then what kind of a world are we living in. A different world than we all knew. If Russia gets away with this nightmare then the world as we know it has become rotten to the point where nowhere will be cosy anymore. The stakes could not be higher. Ukraine is fighting for the world. Sadly, I don’t think most actually get this.

This clip below is from 2019. Leaving the Trump shit aside, America’s relationship with Ukraine is paramount.

“We could benefit from the experience of Ukrainians, not the other way round.”

“A free and prosperous Ukraine is important to the security of the Ukrainian people, the United States of America, and the rest of the world.”

Duke Nukem was a famous video game from way back then. It is no longer. I was never a gamer so my knowledge of gaming, and also, my grasp of Russia, are minimal. I don’t really care to know Russia. I was there 20 years ago once and visited its two main cities. It was a different time and Russia was a mystery to most. And now, they are a terrorist organization. I do know a fair amount about Ukraine though. It is a very different country to Russia despite the ignorance in the world about these two nations.

Putin will arrive at the the same place as this old game. He will be cancelled at some point. And the sooner the better.