Water

I went to Chesapeake Beach, a little town in Maryland, today, to get out. They have a park that only local residents can go to. I saw more “private property” signs today than I’ve seen in at least a decade. 

Canada is going to try to develop a consular case for each missing Ukrainian child. They are going to work with countries that maintain relationships with Russia to try to get them returned.   

The Russian women’s movement to get husbands, brothers, and fathers returned from the war is growing. Yesterday "Way Home" laid flowers at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and had other activities in Moscow. 27 people, mostly journalists, were taken into custody. When I read stories about women in Russia protesting I keep thinking that it is argued that mothers got the Soviet Union out of Afghanistan. The KGB tried to contain them but it was “awkward.” Many more Russians have died in Ukraine than died in Afghanistan, but it is harder to organize in Russia today than it was then. 

In 1990 I flew Aeroflot, which was nicknamed Aero-flop. The safety speech was a stewardess opening the curtain, glaring at us, and jerking the curtain shut. Someone told me about flying Aeroflot with goats in the main cabin. The airline industry in the Soviet Union had a lousy reputation. In the early 2000s, after the end of the Cold War, Russia began trying to turn its reputation around and spent billions on new, Western airplanes. This has left them even more vulnerable to sanctions. They don’t have parts, They are delaying maintenance. They don’t have parts for simulators so it is harder to train new pilots. 

A Russian language rock band has been in Thailand. They’re critical of the war. Bi-2 Members didn’t have the right visas. Thailand detained them and threatened them with deportation and everyone has been afraid they would be sent to Russia and in serious danger. The band leader also had an Israeli passport. They’ve all been sent to Israel.