Phantasmagoria

The Yaroslav Hunka case Yaroslav Hunka united with his mother after 43 years, Ukraine 1989. Not love for Germans, but hatred of Soviets..... My enemy's enemy is my friend.... In 2023 the Ukrainian people fought in a war against Russian occupation and invasion. During 1939-45 the Ukrainian people fought in a war against Russian occupation and invasion. In both instances it was a fight for freedom and independence. Many Ukrainian soldiers died, alongside innocent civilians, both Ukrainian (of all races) and eefugees, through accident or intent. The latter non-combatants were the tragic, yet ubiquitous and increasingly common, collateral damage of modern warfare, with, for example, the Jewish people specifically targeted by the Nazis, though other races and groups within the Ukraine and beyond suffered due to personal, political and societal discrimination, both in WWII and more recently. Just prior to WWII, in fact, some 5 million Ukrainians had died as a result of star...

Back in 1976,  as a pimply 19 year old from    Illawarra's northern suburbs, I attended one of my most memorable concerts ever - rock band Chariot at Wollongong Town Hall. I was amazed by the lead guitarist Dennis Wilson and especially the band's epic song More which, unfortunately, never made it into or out of a recording studio, or live release. I thereafter saw Wilson as nothing less than Australia's version of Eric Clapton, such was his talent, technique and sound, especially when expressed through his famous 1960 Gibson Les Paul Black Beauty guitar hooked into a wah pedal and a Marshall stack. Chariot led me to Wilson's previous band, and their one and only LP Wide Open from 1971, which I was fortunate enough to score a copy of shortly thereafter. The prior band was Kahvas Jute , a Sydney-based progressive rock group which performed in Australia and the UK between 1970-73. Upon disbanding it re-emerged as Chariot from 1974-77. There were subsequently two Kah...