If you've been with me for a while, you may recall my "Survival Saturday" posts. It was a pretty popular weekly post with my thoughts about current events, politics, and how it all affects us, along with some personal notes.
I thought I would revive it but for subscribers only. I really want you all to know how much I appreciate you and hope you enjoy some exclusive content.
One thing I'm not going to write about is the impeachment hearings. The whole thing is a circus, a distraction, and I don't care which side of it you're on. This is the type of thing that, when it takes over the news, should cause you to look
closely at what is going on that they want to distract us from. Political theater is always a sign that something important is happening but "Hey, look over here instead!"
Things with China have gone from bad to worse.
Many of us strongly support the students in Hong Kong who are rebelling against totalitarianism. There was a sobering video posted on the New York Times of these kids writing what might be their final letters to family members as they awaited the last siege. It will rip your
heart out.
American support of these young rebels has not gone over well with the Chinese government. Michael Snyder wrote two very thorough articles about the degrading situation.
This is proof positive these scientists don't watch the same movies or read the same books as I do. Otherwise they'd know that this will somehow backfire spectacularly.
Tyler Durden of ZH writes:
Tisherman told New Scientist that he replaced a human's blood with ice-cold saline solution. He called the whole ordeal "a little surreal". The patient was then
removed from the cooling system and taken to an operating theater for a two hour surgical procedure before having their blood restored and their body warmed back up to its normal temperature.
Good gravy.
Looking for Some Post-Apocalyptic Fiction? If you're like me, you're always looking for a good read. I have a great author for you to check out if you haven't discovered him yet. And the best news of all? He’s very prolific so if you enjoy the first book, there’s lots more to read. Go here to read about this author and the book I recommend you start with. What I'm Up to Now If you're following my trip through Europe, here's the latest update. Last week I traveled from Athens, Greece to Thessaloniki, Greece. The weather has been
craptastic, with chilly rain all week, but that hasn't stopped me from exploring. (I actually wrote an article earlier this week about how I get my bearings in a new city. You may want to check it out for some tips on urban navigation.)
I noticed in a hurry that Thessaloniki has not recovered from the economic crisis as much as Athens. (And to be truthful, Athens is still really hurting.) The poverty is extremely noticeable here. I saw people digging through the trash to find things they could re-sell. There were people who can't afford to set up in the market selling produce from the backs of their trucks. I saw a fellow wearing two different shoes and the rest of his clothing was pretty ragged, so I'm certain it was not a fashion choice. Despite the struggles, people here are warm and generous. I have felt very welcome here and there's so much beauty.
Thessaloniki has a fascinating history. For example, I had no idea that it was controlled by Turkey until 1912, when it was reunited with Greece. There are churches here more than 1000 years old that were turned into mosques until the reunification, when they were reconsecrated. If you'd like to see my photos, you can go to Instagram. I tried to give some historic information in the captions. (You don't need an account to see the photographs. You only need an account if you want to comment on them.)
That's it for this week! Thank you so much for being a subscriber. Your support means everything to me.
This is the Church of Panagia Chalkeon. According to an inscription it was built in 1028. It says:
This once profane place is dedicated as an eminent church to the Mother of God by Christopher, the most illustrious royal protospatharios and governor of Lagouvardia, and his wife Maria, and their children, Nicephorus, Anna, and Catacale, in the month of September, indiction XII, in the year 6537. Christopher was using the Byzantine calendar - this is why the year is different than our calendar.
This church too was turned into a mosque and so it remained until the Ottoman
occupation of Thessaloniki ended in 1912.
