Help Me Be The Media!

Here is your chance to support an important cause and have FUN doing it!

February 7th to 12th is the BE THE MEDIA West Coast tour! David Mathison will be speaking at a number of important events in the Los Angeles, California area on the topics most important to us.

Due to student loan payments I do not have the funds to make this trip. But with your help I can join him in spreading the message of sustainable, INDEPENDENT media!

Please DONATE below, and you get:

$10- Personalized writing, drawing, or letter with my sexy signature.

$25- I promote and praise you on my Twitter, Facebook, and Blog.

$75- We meet for beer/drinks in the city, my treat!

$125- PRIVATE massage from Andrzej!!

$200- Personal HEAVY METAL party for you at Planet X Studios!!!

Your donation will go towards a round-trip ticket to California, that can be had for as little as $200.

YOU CAN MAKE THIS POSSIBLE WITH ONLY ONE DONATION!



Kind regards,

Andrzej Sienko




*If I do not reach my goal for the February tour, the funds will be used for the March Be The Media tour. Extra funds will either be returned, or used for another important cause.
**I reserve the right to deny and return a donation for any reason or no reason at all, at any time.
***Outside of the general outline, the content of each Gift is entirely up to me (obviously I will do my best to make you happy). It is up to you to arrange a time for me to give you the Gift depending entirely on my schedule. I will try to arrange the Gift as soon as reasonable possible, excluding extenuating circumstances such as medical, legal, financial, or other emergencies.
****While my main objective is to help with the Be The Media tour, this is in not officially endorsed by Be The Media and not an official Be The Media promotion.

Update: Due to feedback, I've updated my prices for drinks in the city to $75 and massage for $125. Inflation!

Photo Tour of Krakow: Part 2

Krakow has centuries of history behind it, and describing every piece of that history that now remains would be nearly an impossible task. Still, I would like to describe a few other interesting locations in Krakow.

Road in Krakow.

Wow, it can't be... more medieval stuff!

One interesting landmark is the Kosciuszko Mound, or "Kopiec." It was built in the years of 1820-1823. Building this huge earthen mound must have been a difficult task to say the least. The local population had to carry the earth up a daunting hill using wheel-barrows, as there were no trucks or trains at the time.

The Kopiec.

Entrance to the mound.



The mound is a monument to Polish national hero Tadeusz Kosciuszko, who is also an American hero. He was a general who helped the United States during the Revolutionary War, before returning to Poland to fight for freedom in his homeland. On July 18th, 2007, then Senator Obama said Kosciuszko helped "win our country's independence."

Description of Kosciuszko's role in the American Revolutionary War.

Top of the mound.

The mound stood until 1998 when flooding caused it to collapse. The floods of 1997-1998 were the worst in Poland for over a century. The mound was rebuilt with modern aquaduct systems in 2002.

History of the mound.

View of Krakow from the top. A somewhat cloudy day!

Seems like a small city when walking through it, but from this view you can see Krakow stretches far in every direction. No wonder my feet hurt!

Before World War I Poland had been occupied by foreign powers for over 120 years. After a long struggle for independence it looked like the Poles would have a sovereign nation again. The Austrians, after their defeat on the Western Front, had promised to depart from Polish lands. However they took everything they could before leaving, including food, materials, and equipment. This caused a period of great poverty and famine, especially in the Krakow area.

Underground Polish resistance forces eventually organized, and walked up to the Austrian Military Barracks in Krakow (in the Podgorze area). They ordered the Austrian troops to disarm and leave, and then stopped all trains carrying stolen Polish goods. This was the first time foreign troops were peacefully disarmed in Poland, marking the beginning of Polish independence. The square below is the former site of the barracks, and there is a monument today to this historical feat.



Krakow had a large Jewish population before World War II. Poland overall had a diverse number of peoples of different faiths because it was one of the most religiously tolerant countries in all of Europe (and perhaps the world). Under the Polish constitution (the first constitution in Europe) there was a right to religious freedom. Today many synagogues still stand in Krakow's Jewish district. However this population is long gone because of the tragedies of World War II. Jewish residents were rounded up into the Krakow ghetto by German forces, and eventually sent to Auschwitz and other concentration camps. Below is pictured a monument in the place where the ghetto stood.

Chairs stand here to symbolize the people lost in the Krakow ghetto.

A very old synagogue.

Finally, in the interest of journalism, I demonstrate an important Polish cultural practice. Or "How to Drink Polish Beer 101"

Photo Tour of Krakow

Krakow is a medieval city in Poland, the ancient seat of kings and the first Polish capital. It has a vast and diverse history spanning centuries. Today it is a very active university city. It has the character of a small college town, with thousands of students walking its busy streets. However it also has all the luxuries of a major metropolitan center, without ever making you feel overwhelmed.

News post in Krakow.

Outdoor market; a common sight in Polish cities.

One of the main streets.

Below is a picture of the now demolished Wawel Chocolate Factory. They used to have a lot of Christmas chocolate left over after the holidays, and would sell it at a discounted price of one Polish dollar (or zloty). This made it popular with the local students.

Demolished chocolate factory. How sad!

"Slak", or "Trail" street.

One of the busiest streets in Krakow is "Duga" or "Long" street. The medieval sidewalks here are packed with students and city residents. Interestingly, every time I passed a certain Alcohol store on this street, there was always a man falling out of it. The first day a man came out with his pants falling down, claiming "Well, I just don't have a belt!" Not sure if this is an everyday occurrence, but my cousin convinced me it was.

"Long" street... could have been a bit wider!

A Hostel, or cheap living quarters. A common sight in Krakow and other European tourist destinations.

Many buildings have ornate sculptures or other designs built on top of them to draw attention. They are also commonly used as landmarks. One such place is the "Bookstore under the Globe." Famous poets and authors come here frequently to give lectures and host discussions.

A trolley! So cool. And fun to ride.

The monument below features king Jagaila of Poland and his royal entourage. This is in memory of his victory at the Battle of Grunwald in 1410. This was the largest battle of knights in medieval Europe, when the Polish-Lithuanian commonwealth defeated the mighty (and feared) Teutonic Order. The Teutonic Knights were the most powerful organization in Northern Europe, and their defeat in this battle changed the course of history. Something you won't read about in most Western history books.

The "Old Town" of Krakow used to be surrounded by walls. Today only the main gate remains standing. In front of the gate is the fortress of Barbakan, a sort of "customs entrance" that everyone entering the city had to go through. It was in a very strategic location because attackers could not attack the main gate without having archers shoot upon them from Barbakan.

Barbakan.

Barbakan and the main gate. This photo shows how anyone attacking the main gate was in Barbakan's field of fire.

Barbakan.

The main gate.

The last remaining portion of the original wall.

A shot of the gate from the other side.

After going through the gate, you enter Florianska Street. This is a historical street that's centuries old. In the early 20th century it was a popular spot for students and artists, where they would drink cognac and wine. Today it has been heavily commercialized because many people and tourists walk past here to get into the center of the Old Town. It is the most expensive street in all of Poland to rent on.

Giant walking beer. Only in Poland!

Florianska leads to the main market square. This is the largest medieval market square in all of Europe. This was the playground of kings and royalty of centuries past. Most of the apartment blocks in these photographs are several hundred years old. One legend regarding the square is that a "Hejnal" or "Performer" sang here when the Tartars of Mongolia descended on Krakow. He sang so that everyone would gather in the square and defend the city. It was said that he was shot through the throat by an arrow in mid-song. Today performances in the square end abruptly as an homage to this legend.

Central marketplace building.

The shopping mall of its day!

Statue of Adam Miskiewic, famous Polish writer who wrote the national epic "Pan Taduesz." Students frequently meet here. Students also come here after their High School Prom and jump around the statue on one leg in order to get better grades on their finals.

This is the first church in Krakow and one of the first churches in all of Poland. It was built in the 10th century, the same century that Christianity came to Poland. It was rebuilt in the 17th century.

This tower used to be part of the original Town Hall that was demolished in the 19th century.

St. Mary's Basilica, located in the central square, is one of Poland's most historically and culturally signifcant churches. It was built in the 12th century in the Gothic style. Its size was immense, especially to an everyday peasant from that time. It was basically the skyscraper of its day. There is a legend surrounding the construction of the two towers of the church, with two brothers competing to build the taller tower. When one succeeded, the other killed him out of jealousy.

Massive.

Note how the left tower has shorter but more numerous sections, while the right has taller sections.

Epicly massive.

There is a local joke here that on every street in Krakow there is a church. I must disagree, because on many streets there are two or even three churches. One explanation for this is that King Kazimierz the Big frequently cheated on his wife, and was ordered by a bishop to build a church every time he did so. Considering he also built an apartment block in the main square for one of his lovers, we can see why there are so many churches and cathedrals here today!

The oldest Baroque style cathedral in Poland.

The oldest Roman style church in Poland.

Cathedral in the Podgorze area.

Many of these cathedrals were on the same street or within a minute's walking distance. But there is more to Krakow than these architectural monuments!

Medieval city without a carraige ride? No way.

Church, but in the distance!

12th century Church of All Saints used to stand here until 1835. Now Square of All Saints.

Current town hall.

Small Square.

Nunnery at the Small Square.

Skarga, priest who incited a patriotic ferver in Poles right before they lost their independence.

Wawel (Vavel) Castle is one of the largest medieval castles in Europe. The hill upon which it was built was populated for centuries, possibly into the BC era. It was built as the official headquarters of the Polish kings. It was rebuilt through the centuries, and you can see these vast shifts in architectural design in many of its buildings. In one word: EPIC.

Guard tower.

Entrance to the castle.

The immense, nearly insurmountable defensive walls of the castle. The Wisla (Vistula) River is in the distance.

A look into the inner castle, where kings lived.

The royal chambers.

Some medieval ruins. Not sure what was the story here, but my theory is that hobbits lived here.

Wawel Cathedral, where kings attended mass.

Another shot of Wawel Cathedral. Kings and Polish national heroes are buried here.

Note the various patterns of architecture. The cathedral was built upon many times over the centuries.

Wawel Cathedral.

Wawel Cathedral contains a massive seven ton bell, only rung when a truly monumental event happens (such as the death of Pope John Paul II).

Standing at the gates.

Interesting design in this clock.

Hanging with my cousin and his girlfriend in the castle.;

Statue of Pope John Paul II, admired by many Poles.

This was originally part of the inner-wall, but was rebuilt into housing.

Cathedral from another angle.

There is an outside world.

I hope you have enjoyed this photo tour of Krakow, Poland! It's really an amazing place. Check back to see one more blog entry where I talk about a few other important places and events in this city.

Wisla again, an important river that runs through most of Poland.

Heavy Metal Trends Shift to Eastern Europe

Band Profile: In a House of Brick

***Another article from two years ago, but it still applies as these guys are going strong and doing their thing!***


Photo by In a House of Brick

The city of Rzeszow, Poland is not know for noise or intimidation. Traffic is closed on most of its cobble-stone streets, and crowds can only be found in open-air markets staffed by local villagers. A music festival this summer promoted the usual acts: polka bands, rock groups, and a singer or two. But this relative civility was quickly interrupted by booming amplifiers and screams from one of the stages. In a House of Brick had started playing.

Fans call them “Iahob,” and the band represents an emerging scene inspired by musical trendsetters in the United States. Hardcore, a punishing combination of metal and punk, had blown up in the US, mostly among young urbanites. Yet its inspirations are clearly heard in this eastern enclave, far from its tumultuous birthplace on the East Coast. On a dusty field in Rzeszow Poles are throwing their fists in a circle pit, running to the rhythm of frantic drum beats and guitar breakdowns.

But to call them copycats would be a disservice. After the show band front-man, called “Kwieca” by fans, discussed Iahob over a few beers, as per Polish tradition. “We don’t like to categorize ourselves, be like someone else,” Kwieca said, “of course there are inspirations. But this movement is our own.” Kwieca performs bass and vocals in the band. His screams stem straight from the traditional hardcore vein, greatly confusing random bystanders. The song structures, riffs, and percussion paint a much more diversified picture, with everything from rock to reggae being touched on.

Iahob would not stand a chance under Poland’s rigid communist system, but since the fall of the Iron Curtain a burgeoning metal scene had emerged. Death metal was Poland’s first major export, with heavy bands like Vader and Decapitated touring Europe and the US. But until very recently, hardcore had been missing.

“There are magazines here now, shows, new venues, everything is possible. We’ve even been on tour, in Poland, something unimaginable before,” said Kwiecia. The band hopes to make it big and land a record deal. They have almost the same resources as western bands: good gear, recordings, t-shirts, and even a Myspace page. Songs are in English, though the average listener might not notice.

“Who knows, maybe one day you guys will be listening to us over there,” smiled Kwiecia.

http://www.myspace.com/iahob

Antidepressants- Friend or Foe?

Features & Analysis: Antidepressants- Friend or Foe?
Andrzej Sienko, April 2008

***This is the first in a serious of articles that I wrote during my studies at Hofstra University that have either never been published or only saw limited distribution. Some may require additional updates, but I have tried to select only the most timely pieces. Here is a short feature I wrote about antidepressants that I think is both informative and even-handed. Looking forward to hearing what you think about this issue!***



Almost a decade ago a high school senior in Colorado applied for the Marine Corps, but was rejected. The reason: recruiters learned he was taking the powerful antidepressant Luvox. Five days later Eric Harris opened fire on fellow students in Columbine High School, killing 13. Today the controversy continues over whether antidepressants are safe.

A 2005 study by the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention said antidepressants are the most commonly prescribed drugs in the United States. Recently traces of antidepressants have even been found in the drinking water of major cities. Prescription medication to treat depression has been around since the 1950’s, but use in antidepressants surged in the 1990’s after SSRI’s, or selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, became available. SSRI’s like Luvox, Paxil, and Zoloft increase levels of the neurotransmitter serotonin, which influences mood, and is thought to alleviate depression. The concern comes from the side effects, which include suicidal thoughts and mania.

The effectiveness of antidepressants is still in dispute, with many contradictory studies. A 2002 study in the psychology journal Prevention and Treatment said that antidepressants are 30% more effective than a placebo at improving mood. However a 2006 analysis by the Food and Drug Administration found that antidepressants double the risk of suicidal behavior for patients 18 to 25 years old. The FDA put a “black box” warning label on antidepressants in 2004 because of these concerns.

“They are effective,” said Charles Levinthal, chair of the Hofstra University psychology department and author of Drugs, Behavior, and Modern Society, “whenever you have studies that compare pharmaceutical therapy and talk therapy, the best treatment is a combination.” Levinthal said in his book that suicidal thoughts only increase in 3% of patients on SSRI’s compared to a placebo, and thoughts do not necessarily mean actions. “That concern should not be the main reason of withholding medication from a patient, absolutely not,” said Levinthal.

In fact the black box label may have increased the youth suicide rate after a sharp decline in antidepressant use in 2004. The suicide rate for ages 14 to 19 increased 11% that year, leading some to reexamine the warning. Levinthal said the label is appropriate: “the medical professional should know the full story. It may not scare off people necessarily.”

If the relationship between antidepressants and suicide is complex, what part they play in violent acts is even less clear, and much more controversial. Many of the perpetrators of recent school shootings, including Columbine and Virginia Tech, had been on antidepressants. However many had not taken their medication at the time.

There was no trace of the Prozac prescribed to Virginia Tech’s Seung-Hui Cho, who ignored a court order to continue treatment. Three weeks before Steven Kazmierczak killed five students in a shooting at Northern Illinois University he had abruptly quit taking Prozac and began behaving erratically. Groups like the International Coalition for Drug Awareness said the case highlights the dangers of antidepressants. Many psychiatric professionals argue that the drugs played little role in the shootings. “Those incidents are more about when a person doesn’t take their medication than does,” said Levinthal.

The debate over antidepressants is likely to continue, especially because of the difficulty in relating so many different variables. One factor is genetics: everyone reacts to the medication differently. There is risk involved, but many psychiatric professionals agree that proper treatment is always better than none when it comes to depression.

A Child's Story: World War II

I would like to share with you a story that made me appreciate the lifestyle that we are privileged to live today. It may not resonate for many of you. After all, “The War” occurred many decades ago in a far away land. Yet in spite of the fact that I was raised in the urban jungle of Brooklyn myself, I always had a great interest in World War II. If you look at the humanity (or lack thereof) of the conflict, as well as the sociological implications, it hits very close to home. Who is to say such a thing is not possible on our own shores? The demonization of the NAZI movement has made the resultant horrors seem distant, almost alien. But are we to believe that those Germans were somehow innately evil? I think it is more likely that this destructive potential is hidden deep within the human psyche, waiting to be unlocked by the right set of psychological and societal circumstances. Not that I am a pessimist; I think a vast potential for good is also present within people. And that is exactly why I’m writing down these historical accounts right now, because during these most trying of times the innate good within people is often revealed. I’m hoping they will give you a deeper appreciation of what we now have, and an even greater motivation towards keeping it intact.

***The following story is very graphic, with descriptions of war atrocities. For those who may be affected by this, take caution.***

Reenactment of German mobile infantry from World War II. Creative Commons photo by lyle58 (flickr).

The German invasion of September, 1939, went by almost unremarkably. My grandmother’s father had been drafted into the army, but by the time he had been equipped and sent to the front, most of the major fighting had been over. As the Germans approached his position he went to see the commanding officer, who was nowhere to be found. Returning to his barracks he said “The Battalion leader is gone. Tell no one I said this, but it looks like you are all on your own as far as getting home.” Everyone understood what he meant by this- the war, for them, was over. They dressed in civilian clothes and started back home on foot, a distance of several hundred kilometers for some. They were joined by thousands of civilians fleeing the war in the west, a panic made worst by rumors that the Germans were using chemical weapons and poison gas. Many of these families lost all of their properties and belongings, and were unable to return home because all the empty buildings were occupied by German personnel.

Meanwhile in the small village of Lubli things continued as usual, my grandmother’s brothers working in the fields. Suddenly they saw two Polish tanks drive by, followed by several infantrymen on foot. A moment later German planes flew overhead, ignoring the retreating Poles. Soon after that several men rode in on white horses. Her brothers asked themselves “why are those soldiers dressed in white?” They were the first Germans they ever saw, a scouting force sent ahead of an armored spearhead. The Germans wore distinctive grey-white uniforms, compared to the green uniforms of the Polish army. They were followed by tanks and mobile infantry loaded in trucks, a highly mechanized force compared to the earthbound Polish infantry. For these simple villagers this was truly a sight to behold, since many of them had only seen a car once or twice in their lives, and none had ever seen planes or tanks.

At this point the Germans left the population mostly to their own devices. They did require that every homestead hand over foodstuffs to passing German supply columns. This included wheat, hey, and almost everything produced by the poor farmers. Everyone was poverty stricken, overworked, and starving for most of the war. If you refused to give enough of your foodstuffs to the Germans, they would just come to your house and take whatever they wanted. My grandmother was only nine when the war started, and had just finished second grade. She actually wanted to go to school, unlike many kids today, but the schoolhouse was used as a barracks for German troops. So her formal education ended before the third grade.

As the war progressed, so did the level of terror. The inhabitants of Jewish settlements were rounded up, loaded onto trucks, and taken into the woods to be shot. Many pits were dug for this purpose, and thousands died in this manner. Even if you were not shot, you were sure to be buried alive under a ton of dirt and bodies.

No one was truly spared from this terror. One day two German soldiers made their way to a local Polish wedding. They were drunk, and it was said a few rude comments were exchanged with some young ladies at the wedding. When some drunken farmboys stepped in, this turned into a brawl, and the soldiers were killed. When they did not return to their barracks, their fellow infantrymen knew something was up. They rounded up everyone at the wedding, including the bride and groom, put them on trucks and took them to the forest.

It just happened that my grandmother was walking through the forest with her brother as they returned from work. At the sight of the Germans they climbed high onto a tall tree, and waited in silence. In this area the Germans had already dug ditches for exactly this sort of situation. My grandmother, a little girl, watched in horror as the soldiers shot everyone who had been at the wedding. She watched as the bodies fell into the pits, many still moving. She watched as they covered the pits in dirt and drove off.

The children were so frightened that they refused to get down, even as hours passed since the soldiers left. They slept in the tree the entire night, even though they could easily fall and die from that height. It was something she would never forget.

As the war progressed the German methods of terror became more systematic. As part of the “final solution,” Jews were no longer shot but instead sent to concentration camps. Those who could fled into the countryside, where their fate was uncertain and the path dangerous.

A little Jewish girl stopped at my grandmother’s house one night, and stayed there for about two days. She carried gold coins with her to pay anyone who would shelter her. But the situation grew dangerous, as there were daily German patrols. Anyone who was found harboring Jews would be shot on the spot, and their entire family executed as well. So the little girl moved on to another house at the outskirts of the village. She was never heard from again, which led the neighbors to believe that she had been murdered for her gold. After the war the people living in that house suddenly disappeared without any explanation. It was widely assumed that some sort of Polish resistance or underground Jewish organization had taken them as revenge for the little girl.

After the war many people disappeared in this manner, meaning those who had been known to have harmed or turned-in the fleeing Jews. There was never any explanation, and no one ever saw what happened to them. Yet for all these tragic tales, there were many of heroism and triumph. Thousands survived the war hidden in attics, basements, and farmhouses. After the war these grateful Jewish families would return and often repay the Poles who helped them with large gifts of cash, land, or even documents to move abroad.

Replica of Katyusha rocket battery. Creative Commons photo by W.Grabar (flickr).

In 1944 the front had reached the village of Lubli. This was a tragic time when many families were displaced and lost loved ones. The village was literally split in two, with the advancing Soviets occupying one side and the Germans occupying the other. In order to escape the fighting, my grandmother’s parents told her and her siblings to take their two cows and move west. Unfortunately the fighting moved so quickly that their parents were trapped on the Soviet side. My grandmother was only fourteen at the time, and her siblings were all between the ages of ten and sixteen at most.

Both the Germans and Soviets evacuated all civilians to eight kilometers behind the front lines. They did this because the civilians would impede military activity and cause traffic on the roads. So these kids had to walk into the unknown, pulling two cows along with them. They rested for two days in one family’s house, but were soon ordered to evacuate once more. Desperate, and afraid to go on without their parents, they decided to head back east and try to get back to their home across the front lines.

At this point a thick fog rolled over the entire area, so no German patrols saw them and, luckily, no one shot at them. Eventually they reached an area right before the village, with barbed wire and trenches running for kilometers. Before they could make it home a German soldier suddenly jumped out from a heavily-camouflaged bunker. “Halt!” he yelled, and explained that to go on would mean certain death. The entire area had been planted with land mines to stop the Soviet offensive, and it was likely that Soviet machine-gunners would shoot anyone appearing before them in the fog. After a few minutes of discussion he finally convinced the children to head back west.

They stayed where they could, and ate whatever they could find. Fighting continued on the front throughout this time. One day they were in for a surprise: their mother rejoined them. She had walked across the lines and somehow had found them. Unfortunately this was more of a problem than a blessing. She was severely ill at this point, and could do little to help them. Instead her children had to take care of her and share their meager resources with her.

My grandmother was sent to work at a German kitchen. She harvested and prepared food for several senior German officers. While she recounted tales of German atrocities with a heavy heart, she still reminisced about the Germans in a sympathetic manner. She said that if a German soldier saw someone trying to go into your house when you were not there, they would yell “Halt!” and stop them from stealing anything. She said the officers were kind to her and the other girls working in the kitchen. They were also provided with food, which was nothing less than an absolute indulgence after the poverty they had lived with for the last few years. They ate everything the officers’ ate, and she would bring food home to feed the other children and her mother.

In spite of this, the danger continued. The front lines drew ever closer. The Russians would bombard the German front lines for several days every week. They would fire artillery barrages for several hours in the early morning. This often included the infamous “Katyusha” rocket launchers, which disintegrated in the air. Anything that was hit by a fragment of the Katyusha would instantly explode in flames. These bombardments were especially nerve-wracking for my grandmother because every house was built from wood, and the roof was often made out of straw.

She would go out every morning with an old German soldier to pick potatoes. They rode into the fields on a horse-and-buggy. The fighting came so close that one day they were shot at with several machine gun rounds. When the girls returned to the kitchen, they refused to go back out in fear of their lives. The German officers gave them a choice: continue working tomorrow in the fields, or be sent to a labor camp in Germany. After talking it over with her family, my grandmother decided to stay in spite of the danger. After all, the front would reach Germany eventually anyway! The next day the old German soldier took a more cautious route, driving the buggy in between the hills and valleys of the area instead of harvesting from the higher fields. They were not shot at again.

World War II reenactment of German soldiers. Creative Commons photo by ymir_pl (flickr).

Eventually it was time to move again. In an unprecedented order, the Germans evacuated over 25 villages. Thousands of people flooded into the drastically decreasing German occupied zone. All the healthy young men and young couples were segregated from the population, loaded onto trains, and sent to labor camps in Germany (where there was a shortage of labor due to the war). Everyone else was moved to the area known as Biecz.

There was a prisoner-of-war camp nearby for Russian prisoners. This was more of a concentration camp than anything else, since the prisoners were not fed and were forced to do harsh labor all day. Every day a horse-and-buggy would leave the camp carrying the bodies of prisoners who had starved to death. Seven Russian prisoners helped with this process, and were guarded by two German soldiers. One day the prisoners made a break for it, since the guards could only kill a few of them before they escaped. Three prisoners made it into the forest nearby, a dense forest were they easily hid from the Germans. The only problem was that there was no food there whatsoever. They knocked on the doors of local Poles, but were often turned away because helping these prisoners meant immediate execution. Still, a few brave Poles fed the escaped prisoners, who looked more like starved skeletons than human beings. Eventually the three prisoners were able to get across the front lines and rejoin their Soviet comrades. Except, according to Soviet military and political doctrine, surrender was treason. A “true soldier” had to fight to the death against the Fascist invader. The three prisoners were shot on the spot.

This helps explain the brutality that my grandmother would witness in the coming days. On the Eastern Front there was no surrender, no retreat. To be captured by either side meant certain death. This is why the Eastern Front was considered a “total war,” a bitter fight to the death.

The bombardment continued daily now. The Germans would evacuate their front line positions after the intense fire, but the Soviets would not advance. After a day or two the Germans would return, and the entire process was repeated. This bizarre strategy was for two reasons. One was that the Soviet forces were exhausted after four years of heavy fighting, and had to regain their strength with fresh reinforcements and armament. The second, and perhaps more important reason is that the Germans were being encircled and driven into an ever smaller pocket. While the Soviets forces on the east did not advance forward, other forces were slowly cutting the Germans off from the north and south.

When the trap was sprung, the brutality of total war was made fully evident to my grandmother. Soviet planes, the legendary Il-2 Sturmvokic “flying tank,” flew overhead almost every hour. They strafed and bombed the German positions nonstop. My grandmother and her family would wait and listen to see which direction the planes were coming from. Once she saw them, they would walk to the other side of her house in order to avoid being seen or shot at. When the planes passed, and another squadron came from a different direction, she would move again to the other side of the house.

Because surrender was not an option, the Germans in the pocket chose to stand and fight, knowingly accepting certain death. My grandmother describes this as one of the most horrific scenes she had ever witnessed. Once the Soviets advanced, there was little left to oppose them. My grandmother was able to move freely and see the carnage for herself. Hundreds of bodies littered the roads and fields. Trucks and tanks stood disintegrated, burning. Flies covered the bodies of rotting horses laying by wagons blown into a pulp. She saw the bodies of the officers she had met and fed for those few weeks, and knew they had died with an absolute certainty of their fate. It was nothing less than a slaughter.

She described the Soviet forces, the Russian solders, as a very ragtag bunch. They were mostly farmboys from the poorest regions of Russia and the Soviet Republics. Many didn’t have proper shoes or any personal belongings. These starved soldiers fell upon the bodies of the fallen Germans, taking everything they could. Especially valuable were the high-quality German leather boots, and the Russians knew that every German soldier carried a pocket watch (due to the precise nature of German warfare). Perhaps because of this scene she describes the Soviet forces with more distaste than the Germans she had worked with, who she said had seemed classy and cultured. Yet in the furnace of war, there was nothing but bloodshed and horror.

When she finally returned home, all the windows in their house were blown out by a grenade. They swept, put things back together, and life went on.

For more information, I recommend simply looking up World War II online or checking the wiki article for this conflict. There are thousands of good books on this subject, check them out.

The Real Deal Polish

This June I had the opportunity to visit my family in South-Eastern Poland, in the area known as Rzeszow. Basically my entire family is here, as my parents had met and married in the United States. At the time Poland was under communist rule, but many freedoms were relaxed as the Solidarity movement gained prominence in 1980. My father left Poland in December, 1981, the very last day before martial law was declared and travel outside of the country was completely restricted. So by a difference of one day my fate was sealed: I was born in the United States.

Church near the Rzeszow city center.

Rzeszow is a rapidly growing region with a diverse set of industries and areas. It is a relatively small region, both economically and in terms of population, but European Union funds have drastically changed the local landscape. In fact, Poland and Bulgaria are the only EU countries whose economies grew in spite of the financial crisis. The main city of Rzeszow is prized by foreigners, especially those from Western Europe. Its central streets, especially May the 3rd Street, are paved with cobblestones and closed to traffic. This, as well as its aesthetically pleasing buildings, make it a very enjoyable place to visit, meet with friends, or shop in.

I will have more pictures for you of some of these areas in a future post. For now, I'd like to look at some of the notable monuments in the area.

This is a major monument right near the city center. It stands in front of several major intersections that must be passed in order to drive around Rzeszow, so the city residents know it well. This is a communist-era monument to the liberation of Rzeszow from the Germans during World War II. Notice the stark "brutalist" architecture that is reminiscent of other such monuments placed all throughout Poland and other Eastern European countries involved in the conflict. The defeat of the German army by Soviet forces on the Eastern Front was used for many years as a propoganda tool to justify communist occupation of Poland after the war. For this reason, and the concrete construction of the monument, many residents now view the monument as more humorous than inspirational.

Closeup of the monument. Note that both Polish and Soviet soldiers are depicted.

Now juxtapose this to another, more recent World War II monument built across the street from the one I just described. This monument celebrates General Władysław Sikorsky. This Polish general worked with the Polish government-in-exile in London. He died in 1943 in a plane crash that is now widely believed to have been an assassination. The Western government-in-exile was seen as a force of opposition to communist rule after the war, especially after it called for an investigation into the Katyn massacre of Polish officers by Soviet authorities.

This new monument reflects the changing political climate in Poland after the collapse of communism. For many years communist authorities suppressed the discussion of Soviet atrocities or the questioning of its authority. Instead it emphasized the cooperation of Polish and Soviet forces in the liberation of Poland from NAZI control.

Closeup of General Sikorsky.

Nearby fountain.

While Rzeszow is the "primary" city in the area, it supports hundreds of other small towns and villages across the area (and vice-versa). My mother's side of the family lives in nearby Budziwoj. This village is a caricature of the traditional Polish agricultural community. There are vast fields, and everyone has chickens (if not a cow or two).

View from my window. So peaceful!

Countryside in Budziwoj.

Yet even this idealic area is slowly transforming. It is nearly impossible to make a good living on agriculture, especially after Poland joined the European Union. The problem was that the EU uses subsidised agriculture, and there were as many farmers in Poland as all of the original states of the EU (ie Western Europe). So things like milk quotas were established to control the food market. Most households now have at least one person working "in the city" (Rzeszow) and use agriculture for additional income or simply to grow their own food. Most of the younger generation is going into higher education. This new generation is unlikely to keep any livestock or harvest produce in the traditional manner. Adding a boom in construction, Budziwoj may be a suburb within a decade or two.

My cousin and uncle cutting some grass for the cows.

Fear me, mortals!

I also have a field. It's the best field ever. Check out the corresponding videos for more info, and a historical overview of the area.

Ok, so it's not live... I got a little carried away.

First person view of a tractor ride!

Tree marking the start of my awesome field.

If you go far enough through the fields of Budziwoj, you will reach Boguchlala (or "Praise God"). This is a more of a suburb, somewhat similar to something you'd see in the United States. For pics of this, you will have to come back for another post!

Bridge through the fields of Budziwoj and Boguchlala.

Looks safe, don't it? Glad I know how to swim!

Small river running in between the two towns.

View of Boguchlala's church from the fields.

My grandmother's backyard garden in Boguchlala. Seriously!

A Siberian cat. Not domestic to Poland, my family just has one because it's so cute and fluffy!

Check back for more epic Polish updates. Coming up next time:

-How to make pierogies.
-Epic story of my grandmother's childhood during World War II.
-Rzeszow, Krakow, and possibly Wroclaw.
-Interview with my Aunt, a distinguished professor and published expert on Polish economic affairs and the European Union.
-Polish beer!