More things the US MSM isn't talking about

While Americans are contemplating how ridiculous Rod Blagojevich is, and the Steelers are so close to the Super Bowl we (of Steelers Nation) can taste it, I anticipate that we're about to freeze our asses off here in Europe. Like worse than that time when my dad and I were near Paestum, near the epicenter of real bufala mozzarella, and the hoteliers accused me of causing their crap heater to not work.

Some flava from the English-language press:

• Gas Crisis in Europe Continues (NYTimes)
• Energy crisis looms as all gas imports cease (Slovak Spectator)
• and my favorite, Gas Dispute Runs Deeper Than Pipes, Experts Say (NYTimes)

Much of the Balkans have it much worse, because they have already been totally without heat for days. But Russia's arrogance by using real people as pawns in this case tends to annoy me. It also tends to annoy me that Russia set up Ukraine to steal gas on Tuesday and that Ukraine did exactly that, which did not solve the problem at all. Alas, we shall curl up under perinas and wait, while also potentially experiencing an electric blackout here in Slovakia as well. But as with so many things in the universe, there is a Rusyn connection to all of this: Subcarpathia does not profit from the gas pipelines that run through the region and are slowly destroying nature there, and proceeds from these very pipelines supplying Slovakia would certainly help an autonomous Rusyn situation.

But here's something happy featuring young Rusyns in Slovakia: The magic of Ruthenian Christmas.