Nuclear war is a topic few care to think about. We sometimes call it unthinkable. But we need to think carefully, and to talk—particularly with high-ranking foreign officials whose motives we may have reason to distrust, just as they distrust ours—about how we can collectively avoid launching a weapon that would end our civilization.

Pulitzer Prize finalist Annie Jacobsen’s timely new book, Nuclear War: A Scenario, is a lightning-fast read intended to put the nuclear threat squarely back on everyone’s radar. Her narrative thread, as the title suggests, is a fact-based (though thankfully fictional) scenario that shows how a nuclear launch can escalate into World War III at dizzying speed.

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A journalist known for protesting the invasion of Ukraine during an evening broadcast on Russian state-owned television was sentenced to over 8 years in prison for her activism efforts, a Moscow court announced Wednesday.

Marina Ovsyannikova made headlines last year when she walked onto the set of Russia’s Channel One with a sign that said “No war” and “They are lying to you here.” She was sentenced in absentia on Wednesday to 8 years and 6 months in a Russian penal colony, a statement released by the Moscow prosecutor’s office said.

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Back in my engineering days as a building system designer and VP/partner. A friend who owned a mechanical equipment supply company sent an associate to manage a project in Moscow. He had a girl friend whom he latter married had a farm outside of Moscow and he saw the banner in the outhouse and brought it back to Canada and gave it to me knowing my interest in geopolitics.

More interesting, while they were about to sign off on a famous bar restaurant a major player in the HVAC industry and my friend approached the owner to finalize the walk through which states that everything is a go! And now its time to be paid. By this time they knew they needed a body guard like everyone else but the owner had three so called body guards, we call them thugs. As the storey goes they sent there body guard in to ask if all was ok and that payment is to be made on that day. Their bodyguard came back saying ‘you will not be paid, and if you leave now, they won’t kill you’ they left alive. On another occasion my friend was at a bar in Moscow and woke up at the bottom of a concert stairwell. Yeah, kleptocracy ruled the day

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Dear Ukraine The Latest Team,

Note: This email was originally intended to go to Dave Knowles 

Greetings, I am writing to introduce a significant project that I believe aligns with the values and interests of ‘Ukraine: The Latest’—a daily Telegraph production that I never miss.

Over the past two and a half years, since the onset of the invasion of Ukraine, I have been meticulously working on a painting that captures the unfolding events and the indomitable spirit of the Ukrainian people. This artwork is not just a visual piece; it is an interactive collage with QR codes woven throughout, linking to a dedicated website that hosts articles and personal narratives, making the painting an ongoing document of the war’s realities.

My intention is to auction this painting, with all proceeds going directly to aid those affected by the disastrous conflict. The unique nature of the piece, I believe, will draw significant attention and, hopefully, substantial funds for the cause.

Given your expertise and influence in media, I am seeking your advice on how best to publicize this auction. Could you recommend the most effective channels or strategies to ensure the auction’s success and, consequently, maximize the support for Ukraine?

I am looking forward to your valuable insights and am hopeful for the opportunity to discuss this further with you.

Below is a link to a website that supports or acts as an adjunct to the aforementioned painting…

This QR code takes you to the site as does this link

https://rjcstudio.ca/ukraine/articles/

This link evokes a video whereby, I explain the painting’s back-story and demonstrates how the painting looks with the QR codes and how the articles displays on the associated website.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G5XtvE_92KU

As a note, Like any other website the buyer of the painting will be able to update the site possibly to become a journal and if desired we can provide ‘shared access’ whereby the owner can choose one or more contributors. Moreover, we can utilize social media extensions such as RSS feeds, Youtube , Instagram, etc. 

Another possibility is to register the painting as a NFT whereby, if the painting is sold by the original purchaser, some of the proceeds will go into a Ukrainian charity.

These are just ideas to highlight the potential. 

 

 

 

 

Following are the current QR codes woven into the painting.

 

WEBSITE ARTICLEs:

 

ANNIE JACOBSEN; NUCLEAR WAR, A SCENARIO

 

RUSSIAN JOURNALIST

 

RUSSIAN ARTIST

 

20 DAYS IN MARIUPOL

 

 

SOVIET BANNER:

 

A Brush with Kleptocracy in Post-Soviet Russia

 

Back in my engineering days as a VP/Partner at a mechanical engineering firm, an HVAC supply company we had a relationship with saw an opportunity in the newly opened Russian market. They sent an associate to manage a project in Moscow, where he met a girlfriend with a farm outside the city. One day, he discovered a Soviet-era banner in the outhouse and brought it back to Canada, knowing my interest in geopolitics.

 

Meanwhile, a major international HVAC supplier was finalizing a project with a famous bar/restaurant franchisee in Moscow. During the walk-through, the franchise owner’s thuggish bodyguards warned, “You will not be paid, and if you leave now, they won’t kill you.” The team left, grateful to be alive.

 

On another occasion, my friend was at a bar in Moscow and later found himself at the bottom of a concrete stairwell, left for dead. He came back to Canada after that. Indeed, kleptocracy ruled(s) the day. Also see Articles website which put this context.