I use Kyiv later in the book, after independence, but Kiev during Soviet period

Great! Thanks for shopping. I hope you enjoy it

My neighborhood coffee shop found a brilliant use for all of our floppies

Head of Russia’s Antidoping Agency Was Involved in 2014 Doping Scheme, Whistle-Blower Claims

No surprise here. Info about Veronika Loginova's background had been sparse on RUSADA webpage & Russian sports sites. But she did say last year that she was doing such a good job leading the anti-doping fight in Russia she deserved to be WADA president

It's a special treat to appear on a podcast that you're a fan of. Thanks to Ian for the interview.

IOC bans Ukrainian skeleton pilot Vladyslav Heraskevych over 'helmet of remembrance' Ukrainian skeleton racer Vladyslav Heraskevych is banned from competing at the Winter Olympics for continuing to wear a helmet which features images of athletes killed during Russia's invasion of his ...

In digging through decades of records in the IOC archives, I learned two things: 1) the IOC always bent over backwards to keep Russian athletes in the Games when they broke rules, and 2) while the IOC claims to represent the highest virtues of humanity, there is one they have always lacked: empathy.

Winter Olympics 2026: Ukrainian athlete disqualified from skeleton over helmet tribute – live * Medal table | Live scores and schedule | Results | Briefing * Follow us over on Bluesky | And get in touch: mail Tanya Per the Associated Press: International Olympic Committee President Kirsty Coventry was waiting for Heraskevych at the top of the track when he arrived at around 8.15am Thursday, or roughly 75 minutes before the start of the men’s skeleton race. Continue reading...

Winter Olympics 2026: Ukrainian athlete disqualified from skeleton over helmet tribute – live

Russia plays prideful, but there’s no doubt the Olympics ban is hurting | Bruce Berglund Some Russians have dismissed the Games over the continued exclusion of their athletes. But the truth is international sport is still important to Moscow

Moscow is eager to get its athletes back in the Games.

The answer is: They're working on it, but for a possible quicker fix they said to email marketing at triumphbooks dot com

Let me check with the publisher

And...

Find out why the rivalry is heated. Released today from @triumphbooks.bsky.social. share.google/gv6KcnFDqsyh...

The holidays are even more festive when you get to unpack your new book.

Just yesterday. In Prague. Sat back down with a gulp of shame while the octogenarian leaned on his cane for another 3 stops.

Last look through the proofs

Afternoon drive, Duluth to Minneapolis

Re: English words & phrases that young Czechs sprinkle into conversation. Two women next to me on the tram are talking about their "situationships"

Happy 175th birthday to Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk, 1st president of Czechoslovakia. I attempted a portrait of him in my second book. What stood out was how much he respected his wife, and how he would come home from work as a professor and parliament member to lie down on the floor & play with his kids

Since the 1950s, Summer Language Workshops at Indiana University have provided training in Russian, East European, and Central Asian languages. Generations have come to Bloomington to study Romanian, Polish, Kazakh, etc.

Rubio just cancelled all of them
languageworkshop.indiana.edu/summer-langu...

A beautiful morning

The highlight of today's language lesson was me explaining to my tutor how American health insurance works. Explaining the concept of an $8000 deductible in Czech was a bit of a workout.

My family's second year of the Icelandic book flood 🎄📚🇮🇸

Glanced out my kitchen window on a cloudy morning and gasped.

European friends are always astonished when I tell them how my US insurance company refused to pay for tests during my late wife's treatment. From tonight's conversation: "So do Americans just want sick people to die?"

The best is when you have to mark the spot of the foul with your flag, maybe 10 yards away or more. My reffing career is decades in the past, but I still feel warm satisfaction from precise throws of the penalty flag.

Perfect night for a stroll and the first mulled wine of the season

A salute to my father on his 80th birthday. I became a teacher because he was a great teacher. I became a father because he is a great father. Thanks, Dad!

From guns to health care, GOP positions have long been harmful to their own supporters.

1) History of Russian sport & politics, from Stalin to Putin
2) Referees at the ancient Olympics & gladiator matches are the key to understanding classical Greece & Rome

Autumn morning views from my kitchen window