End of Month Update - Feb 2022

It's that time again! Let me start with the highlights, then I'll give you some more details below.

• Progress this month has been slower than I would have liked due to a prolonged illness but I am working on renders for the next update
• Billing for March will be paused

I was really hoping to have an update for you out by the end of this month, but that's not going to happen. For the last three weeks, I've been battling a very persistent head cold. Fortunately it's not covid and it's not so severe it's had me stuck in bed the whole time, but it triggers prolonged spasms of severe coughing that leave me utterly exhausted. 

As a lot of you know, I'm developing BBN solo but I also have a full-time job that requires a lot of attention plus a family with a young child (yup, I'm a dad). I generally work on BBN when I have downtime, but this month a lot of my downtime has been spent literally trying to catch my breath or recover my strength. That's made concentrating on renders very difficult. And because it's a virus there really aren't any medications that can help, though I did just get a prescription for some steroids so we'll see if that's the boost I need to finally beat this.

Accordingly, to try to make this up to you, I'll be pausing billing for March. That means monthly patrons who are active as of February 28 will not be billed on March 1. If you're an annual subscriber, that means you'll receive an additional month at the tail end of your subscription.

Best,

BBN

P.S., As a last note, I feel compelled to take a moment to observe what is happening right now in Ukraine. I'm not going to get into a discussion about politics, but I will say my heart is breaking for the men, women and children who are sheltering right now from bombs and rockets, and those who have died or will die in the coming days, weeks and months. If you're looking to help, here are some charities I've found that are trying to help the civilians caught in the middle of this.

• Voices of Children (link) - Ukraine-based aid organization that provides psychological support to children who have witnessed war. It uses art therapy and storytelling to support children’s wellbeing, and provides financial support to families who have suffered as a result of war. (Note:  Website seems to be struggling at the moment.)
• Vostok SOS (link) - Also based in Ukraine, partners with German-Swiss NGO Liberico to provide immediate evacuation support to Ukrainians attempting to flee their homes.
• Nova Ukraine (link)  - An American nonprofit, works closely with Ukraine-based organizations and is currently assembling supply packages that include diapers for children and adults, baby food, hospital supplies, and dry foods for a children’s orphanage in Donetsk.
• UNICEF (link)
• International Committee of the Red Cross (link)
• Doctors Without Borders (link)