Category Archives: Russia

Film review: “Donbass”

Posted on 2019-12-04 by

Truth is the first victim of war, one could sum up the film Donbass, which confused me more than it educated me. But it did so in a memorable, partly unsettling, partly amusing, way. In 13 episodes, Sergei Loznitsa portrays … Continue reading →

Posted in Films, Military, Russia, Ukraine | Tagged , | 1 Comment

Our Prisoner of War

Posted on 2019-11-29 by

Recently, I stayed with my father in Bavaria, where life is informal and one can put the feet on the table and smoke inside the house. We were both preoccupied with reading, my father with the newspaper and me with … Continue reading →

Posted in Germany, History, Military, Russia, Travel, World War II | Tagged , , , , | 5 Comments

“60 Degrees North” by Malachy Tallack

Posted on 2018-01-14 by

Good idea, good writing, but somehow lost me halfway on its way around the globe. Not that any particular idea is needed to set out and explore the world, but, as far as ideas go, circumventing the planet following the … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Norway, Russia, Travel, USA | Tagged , , , , , | 3 Comments

Random Thoughts (15)

Posted on 2017-07-27 by

If you are ever going to attend France’s National Day parade on 14 July, watch out for the pioneers of the Foreign Legion.  More Orwellian news out of Russia. Romania: “Look, USA, that’s how you do an impeachment. Quick and … Continue reading →

Posted in Afghanistan, Books, France, James Bond, Military, Politics, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Technology, Travel, UK, US election 2016, USA | Tagged , , | 21 Comments

Random Thoughts (9)

Posted on 2017-03-26 by

In Bolivia, I spoke with a lawyer about feminicidios, the killing of women by their partners, which carries a higher sentence than a “regular” homicide. Out of curiosity, I looked up the figure for Germany – and was shocked: 331 … Continue reading →

Posted in Bolivia, Economics, Germany, Health, History, Human Rights, Immigration Law, Law, Mexico, Military, Music, Poland, Politics, Romania, Russia, Statistics, Travel, Ukraine, US election 2016, USA, World War II | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

You can’t say you haven’t been warned.

Posted on 2017-03-13 by

Russia put up this poster for the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi. Everybody should have listened to that warning.

Posted in Politics, Russia, Sports, US election 2016 | Tagged , | 2 Comments

Better than a Spy Novel: the Trump-Kremlin Files

Posted on 2017-01-10 by

I was sitting in the park outside of the courthouse in Puno today, reading Nuestro hombre en La Habana and, fittingly, smoking a habano, when a gentleman in a suit – but without a hat – walked up to me and … Continue reading →

Posted in Elections, Politics, Russia, US election 2016, USA | Tagged , , | 7 Comments