Already saddened by the major news items of the day — the loss of 67 people in a horrific plane crash over the Potomac River outside of Washington, the continuing wars in Ukraine and Gaza, and a sinkhole in Japan that has swallowed a 74-year-old man and his three-ton truck, to name just a few — I managed to continue reading, and found myself here:

Because I had come to the realization, after reading on, that I can no longer adhere to my own self-imposed restriction against commenting on a subject I have always considered too divisive to touch: U.S. politics.

Full disclosure: I am neither Democrat nor Republican. I have always voted for the candidate I think best qualified for the job, be it president, senator, congressperson, dogcatcher, or water commissioner. And I am deathly afraid of extremism in any direction.

I also abhor conflict. Don’t get me wrong — a good, solid, intellectual give-and-take is challenging and stimulating, as long as it’s based on fact rather than bias, and as long as all the participants respect one another’s rights to their opinions. But when anger and undisguised hatred rear their ugly heads, I’m gone.

And unfortunately, any discussion of American politics these days seems to devolve into just that: anger and hatred. It brings out the worst in people. So, to avoid the inevitable snarky (and worse) comments, I have thus far tended to steer clear of the subject in this blog.

But, to quote an unidentified — but clearly wiser — individual from the dim, distant past:

“All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.”

I believe that. So I have taken the requisite deep breath, given the matter careful consideration, and decided to take the plunge. Because — while my voice may not reach very far — I can no longer remain completely silent.

Not while my country is being destroyed from the inside.

*. *. *

And what was it that pushed me over the edge today? Actually, it was a series of articles, all concerning edicts — excuse me, executive orders — emanating from the White House Oval Office.

The first was so ludicrous as to defy belief: “Employees at multiple federal agencies were ordered to remove pronouns from their email signatures by Friday afternoon, according to internal memos obtained by ABC News that cited two executive orders signed by President Donald Trump on his first day in office seeking to curb diversity and equity programs in the federal government.” [Selia Wang, Dr. Mark Abdelmalek, Anne Flaherty and Will Steakin, ABC News, January 31, 2025.]

Clearly, the leader of the free world has nothing more pressing to occupy his time than worrying about parts of speech and email signatures. And, equally clearly, he doesn’t comprehend that the intent of DEI is not to hire under-qualified people because of their race, religion or gender identity; but rather to hire the most qualified people in spite of those attributes.

*. *. *

Next came the press conference held by brand-new, ultra-right-wing, five-years-out-of-St. Anselm College, and new mom, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, whose job it is to say whatever her boss tells her to say . . . and who seems more than happy with her post as “Head Trumpeter.”

Questioned extensively about Trump’s response to yesterday’s plane crash over the Potomac, she dutifully parroted everything he has already had to say on the subject, and then some. While acknowledging that the investigation is still underway, she completely agreed with his conclusions that the helicopter was flying too high (unproven), that it was the fault of the air traffic controllers who must surely have belonged to some minority group (also unproven), or that extraterrestrials had zapped the plane with their Venusian gamma rays. (All right . . . I made up that last one; but it’s no less plausible than any other unproven, as-yet-uninvestigated theory.)

And finally, when asked about Trump’s use of expletives in laying blame on Barack Obama, Joe Biden and Pete Buttigieg for issues at the Federal Aviation Administration, she had this to say:

“I think one of the things that the American people love most about this President is that he often says what they lack the courage to say themselves. I think yesterday at this podium you heard President Trump express great frustration, perhaps even anger, with the previous administration’s policies, many of which have led to the crises that our country is currently facing.” [Bernd Debusmann Jr., BBC News, January 31, 2025.]

Okay . . . I can buy the “frustration” and “anger” parts of that assessment. Because that is how he always reacts when things don’t go his way: he lashes out, and blames someone he doesn’t like.

*. *. *

And speaking of striking out in anger, let’s talk about purges.

Not satisfied with having fired dozens of government employees in multiple departments for doing the jobs that were assigned to them; stripping several former officials, living under death threats for having done their jobs in the previous administration, of their Secret Service protection; dishonoring and removing the security detail from a four-star Army General who has served his country in ways that are completely unknown to Donald Trump, but who had the temerity to speak the truth; and having alienated several of America’s staunchest allies with his characterisstic threats and bullying tactics . . . he next turned his attention to the agency that, while not always perfect, has performed tirelessly since 1908 to keep this country as safe as possible from both external and internal enemies: the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Was this because of some breach of security within the FBI? No. A scandal at the highest (or any) level? Nope. Money missing from the budget? Again, no.

It was because agents did the job they were assigned: to investigate the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021 — an insurrection that, if not ordered, was at least enabled and even publicly encouraged by this man himself — and to arrest any and all violent perpetrators.

And because he personally has continued for four years to praise those violators of the law and the U.S. Constitution . . . and saw it as his first duty upon taking office on January 20th to pardon the very same criminals who have been duly tried and convicted in U.S. courts of law . . . he now feels it necessary to finish it off by destroying the lives of the people who, in protecting our Senators and Members of Congress from harm and possible death, did their jobs that day.

If that isn’t a Stalin-esque purge, then I don’t know what is. And we don’t do that in America.

Or we didn’t, before January 20th.

*. *. *

Now, do you still want to know why I’m in a very dark place today?

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
1/31/25

If you are a regular reader of this blog, then you know that I am a huge fan of historical trivia. I subscribe to — and periodically comment on — a column produced by the History Channel, called “This Day In History,” which provides me with a wealth of facts, both meaningful and silly, to add to my collection.

Yesterday, as I was looking through the day’s current news headlines, I found myself wondering what they would look like to people reading “This Day In History” 50 or 100 years from now. And I ended up with a very satisfying case of the giggles.

Because, aside from the usual range of bad news to worse news to unbearable news, there were a few items that didn’t really qualify as legitimate news, but that someone obviously considered interesting enough to print.

Allow me, please, to share with you a couple of tidbits from CNN’s “5 Things PM” column of January 30, 2025:

“As artificial intelligence has made fake photos and videos much easier to produce, a growing number of American teenagers say they are being misled by AI-generated content on the internet.”

Boy, you sure can’t fool those teenagers! I wonder how long it took them to figure out that not everything on the internet can be taken as gospel. I envision someone, say 50 years down the road, reacting to that item: “Well, duh!”

*. *. *

And . . .

“Those commercials during NFL games can be tempting, but you should be aware that the foods they’re advertising contain a sizable chunk of your daily recommended sodium intake, a new study found.”

Okay, so it’s not just the teenagers who have been asleep at the switch. It seems the older generations have also failed to notice that those nachos and chili dogs are . . . well . . . a little bit salty. I wonder whether the next couple of generations will still not give a damn.

*. *. *

And one more . . .

“Netflix is planning a reboot of ‘Little House on the Prairie,’ which was based on the books by Laura Ingalls Wilder.”

So, what are they saying . . . that today’s tech-savvy, TikTok-crazy, Dungeons-and-Dragons-obsessed kids are going to be excited about a show that was already mawkishly sentimental and unrealistic 50 years ago? Of course, by 2075, they’ll be making fun of TikTok, D&D, and what passes for AI today, and calling us dinosaurs. So it’s all relative, I guess.

I don’t know about you, but I actually enjoyed that little tiptoe through the trivia — it was a welcome change from the daily diet of dismal drama. In fact, I think the world could use a lot more silliness.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
1/31/25

Whether it’s a provision in a commercial contract, a labor dispute, a divorce settlement, or a question of whether the batter sliding into first base was safe or out . . . it’s usually wise to bring in a skilled mediator (or umpire) to bring clarity out of chaos.

Or, on an international scale, to prevent World War III.

But the mediator’s job is to listen to both sides, to consider the legal issues, and to offer a reasonable, mutually beneficial solution . . . and, first and foremost, to be completely disinterested and objective.

The war between Russia and Ukraine is just that: it is between Russia (the invader) and Ukraine (the defender). Between Putin and Zelensky. Not Donald Trump and Xi Jinping, or Recep Tayyip Erdogan, or any other president or prime minister with a vested interest in the outcome. And every last one of them has such a vested interest, and an agenda of their own.

Putin and Zelensky must find their own solution.

So what happens when one of the parties, while claiming to desire a settlement, continues to refuse to meet with the other party on the basis of one lousy excuse or another? In this case, it isn’t just the fact that we have two very strong-willed individuals, each determined to protect his country’s interests.

No, that wasn’t difficult enough. Now we have to add another wrinkle: Putin’s claim that Volodymyr Zelensky is “illegitimate.”

That is indeed what he has said . . . only he’s not casting aspersions on Zelensky’s mother. He claims that the President of Ukraine is not the legitimate president in accordance with Ukraine’s constitution, because (in Putin’s view), had the country not been under martial law, there would have been an election on March 31, 2024, and Zelensky might not have won, thereby ending his presidency on May 20th of last year.

Well, that proves it: Putin flunked Logic.101.

Think about it: He invades Ukraine (on February 24, 2022) — a country that is of no conceivable threat to him; he bombs the living daylights out of them for three years, eventually occupying some 20% of their sovereign territory; he forces them to live under martial law, thus necessitating postponement of their regular presidential election; and then he declares their duly-elected President . . .

Illegitimate!

Maybe he didn’t flunk Logic.101 after all; maybe he simply rewrote it.

But, as the silly saying goes, it is what it is. So what has happened? It has become everyone else’s problem, and what we have is a cacophony of voices in many languages, each proclaiming that they have the best solution to a problem that was never theirs in the first place.

Yes, it is uquestionable that the outcome of this war will affect the entire world; in fact, it already has. Kyiv is not Las Vegas; what happens in Ukraine does not stay in Ukraine. And so, in that sense, it is indeed the world’s problem. But is it not, first and foremost, a problem that needs to be solved to the satisfaction of the two principal parties?

I don’t know how it will be possible to force the protagonists of this drama to talk to each other, mano-a-mano. But until they do, it appears that all of the well-intentioned advocacy from others will continue to be of little or no effect.

And one of two things will happen: either the war will drag on, or Zelensky will be forced to cede territory that rightfully belongs to his people. Either way, Ukraine will be royally . . .

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
1/31/25

Once more borrowing the words of the immortal William Shakespeare, I can only say:

“It is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.”
(Macbeth, Act V, Scene 5)

I’ve been quoting old Will quite a lot lately; his words of 16th-17th Century wisdom are so often relevant to our 21st Century world. In this particular instance, I will give you the tale, and you will — I am absolutely certain — immediately recognize the idiot.

According to the unnamed moron, yesterday’s horrific collision between an American Airlines passenger plane and a U.S. Army Blackhawk helicopter over the Potomac River just outside of Washington, D.C., was the fault of . . . are you ready? . . .

The Democrats!

I scarcely know where to begin.

First, we have an unspeakable tragedy resulting in the probable loss of some 67 people.

Second, this just happened last night. The search-and-rescue effort hasn’t even become a recovery effort yet, so there cannot be an official count of the casualties.

Third, the investigation as to the cause of the accident is just beginning: whether there were mechanical difficulties on one of the aircraft, or pilot error, or a tragic mistake on the part of air traffic control, or wind shear, or . . . well, it could be anything at this point.

But — without a shred of evidence, or even a strong indication as to what might have caused the devastating incident — this individual has decided, and publicly declared, that it was the fault of the opposition party for not maintaining “the highest standards for those who work in our aviation system.” [CNN Breaking News, January 30, 2025.]

And then, in classic “It’s all about me” mode, he takes credit for having “changed the Obama standards from very mediocre at best to extraordinary.” [Id.]

Specifically, he blamed diversity standards established by his Democrat predecessors, alleging that people hired for air traffic control jobs were not always well qualified [BBC News, January 30, 2025] — thus placing the fault for yesterday’s tragedy on air traffic control when the flight data recorders (“black boxes”) haven’t even been recovered.

But if those standards have been so poor, how is it that there hasn’t been a crash involving a U.S. commercial aircraft since 2009 (in New York, due to pilot error), or any crash resulting in a fatality since 2013 (three people killed in the runway crash of an Asiana Airlines plane in San Francisco, also due to pilot error)?

*. *. *

At this point, one has to ask: How did this hybrid of the heartless Tin Man, the brainless Scarecrow, the cowardly Lion, and the duplicitous Wizard ever find his way from the Land of Oz to the pinnacle of power . . . not once, but twice?

I give up.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
1/30/25

Today is the penultimate day of only the first month of the year, and 2025 is already promising to be a total shitstorm: wars still raging in Ukraine and Gaza; wildfires still raging in California; antisemitism rearing its ugly head in Australia, of all the unexpected places; total chaos in America’s White House (not at all unexpected, really); and last evening, to cap it all off, a horrendous crash between an American Airlines passenger plane and a U.S. Army Blackhawk helicopter over Washington’s icy Potomac River.

With all of that, it’s no surprise that — already being in a thoroughly gloomy state of mind — I was drawn to a news item yesterday commemorating the 180th anniversary of the publication of arguably the preeminent work of that master of doom and gloom, Edgar Allan Poe.

I refer, of course, to none other than The Raven.

And it occurs to me that . . . while ordinarily I might have turned to Shakespeare to sum up the year thus:

“It is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.”
(Macbeth, Act V, Scene 5) . . .

. . . Mr. Poe better expresses in a single word my view of the world’s loss of innocence, joy and honor, and the chances of their returning during my lifetime:

“NEVERMORE”

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
1/30/25

The last time I looked in on the Feenstras in Nizhny Novgorod, they were hard at work, both inside and outside their sprawling farmhouse. Today, however, I found them en route to Moscow for “a few days.”

Bright and early on a cold Monday morning, they all piled into the family van and headed out on the 365-mile trek to the capital, primarily to attend an agricultural exposition, but also to take a break from the farming and construction work and just “be tourists for a while.”

As they drove . . . and drove . . . and drove . . . Arend explained that they had “rented a little house” in Moscow, and would be there from that day (Monday) until Friday. There was no mention of how they had managed to make all the arrangements, or how a family of ten — still without a source of income and living on their savings from Canada for the past year — were able to afford five days in expensive Moscow.

I marvel at their ability to navigate through life in a strange country, with an unfamiliar language, and strict — often ambiguous and contradictory — laws on every imaginable subject. It is obvious that they have all the assistance they need, as well as that ever-present photographer, who most likely also acts as interpreter and guide.

But navigate they did, finally arriving at their rented house, in a gated residential community on the outskirts of Moscow.

After a night’s sleep in what they described as a terribly overheated house (actually a common thing in Russia), they headed out the next morning for the agricultural expo, which was the main purpose of the trip to the city. They had a long walk from their neighborhood to the nearest train station, but managed to find it, figure out the ticket machine, and board the train to their destination . . .

The Crocus City Hall??!!!

Wait just a minute, please. That was where the horrendous terror attack that killed 145 people took place on March 22, 2024. “How is this possible?” — I wondered. It is still closed, and a decision as to when — or even if — it will reopen has yet to be announced.

Well, a little research into the multi-purpose location shows that it is only the music venue that was affected and is still closed. The expo center is very much in operation, and was the site of the huge agricultural display that was right up the Feenstras’ alley.

This was something they obviously found very interesting. I, being a city girl, did not, so I skipped right over most of it.

*. *. *

The second video of their excursion takes us on a strictly-for-fun sightseeing tour of the Red Square/Kremlin area.

Though they did not make any reference to the Kremlin itself, they did wander at length through adjoining Red Square, taking in the architecture of St. Basil’s Cathedral, for whose creation the architect is said — according to legend — to have been ordered blinded by Tsar Ivan IV (Ivan the Terrible), so that he could never recreate it or anything equal to it in beauty.

Along one long side of Red Square (which is actually a very long rectangle) is GUM shopping mall. Arend kept commenting on the beautiful architecture and interesting “monuments” and “memorials,” though apparently without knowing what they were (for example, the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier outside the Kremlin wall); and he referred to the famous GUM as “some sort of indoor market.”

“Some sort of market,” indeed! In the days of my travels to Moscow (late 1980s to mid-‘90s), it was a musty old indoor mall, still lined with Soviet-era shops but beginning to upgrade to serve the new generation of Russian “biznessmen” and their arm-candy wives and girlfriends. Today, it is totally revamped and lined with high-end Western and Russian retailers, affordable only to the elite . . . though most of the Western shops have probably fled the country since the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Next was a stroll down a long street lined with more upscale shops — probably Tverskaya Street (if memory serves correctly), followed by a leisurely lunch somewhere along the way.

Throughout the tour, I kept thinking that it was a shame they hadn’t been able to brush up a bit more on Moscow history before the visit, as they would have gotten so much more from the trip. But perhaps it all came about on short notice.

*. *. *

The oddest part of the story — and the one I find totally puzzling — was when the parents, Arend and Anneesa, went out that evening, sans children, for a “date night”: a musical performance of a Russian fairy tale. That entailed the long Metro/train/walk back to the house after sightseeing, getting the kids settled for the evening, and the parents then making the entire round trip over again — uncharacteristically leaving the children alone, in a strange and dangerous city, with . . . whom?

At any rate, they (Arend and Anneesa) did return to the city center and were able to find their way to the theater, where the sign read «Poslednyaya skazka» — “The Last Fairy Tale.” They filmed the outside and inside of the theater but not the performance (probably not permitted), and then . . .

End of story. Exiting the theater after the performance, Arend mentioned that it was about 9:00 or 9:30 p.m., and they were going to get something to eat before finding their way back to their family, because he was “starving.”

And that was it; tour over.

*. *. *

Some personal observations:

Central Moscow looks nothing like it did when I was last there (in 1994) — it’s all bright and shiny, clean and polished, and very expensive-looking. At least, the parts of it the Feenstras saw. It could be any European city: tall, modern, steel-and-glass buildings mixed in with the beautiful old architecture; flashy cars; expensive shops and gourmet restaurants; well-dressed people.

There was nothing shown of the lesser neighborhoods, the old Soviet-era apartment buildings, sad little shops, muddy sidewalks from the winter melt. But there wouldn’t be any purpose in showing those, would there?

As a matter of fact, other than the agricultural expo, there seemed to be no purpose in any of it. They’d been to Moscow before. They hate city life. The drive was long and tiring, and they lost five full days of work on their house and farm buildings, which are still works in progress.

As a piece of propaganda to attract more prospective emigre families, however, these videos could be useful. Is that what they are? Just another bit of the price Arend, Anneesa, and the eight little Feenstras are paying for being allowed to live and build their farm in the workers’ paradise?

I’m sorry to say, that’s what it seemed to be. I hope I’m wrong.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
1/30/25

P.S. As I was finishing this piece, I took another look at the day’s news and saw that several regions in Russia — including Nizhny Novgorod — had been struck yesterday by Ukrainian drones. In Nizhny, a drone apparently fell onto a fuel and energy complex in an industrial area, but no injuries or major damage were reported.

Luckily for the Feenstras, they live in the countryside, away from any likely targets. But Putin’s war against Ukraine is drawing return fire, and getting too close for comfort.

I wish the family well.

I’d undoubtedly declare bankruptcy . . . but only because suicide, to me, is not really an attractive option.

But to have had sufficient income to actually owe that much in taxes, besides being a mind-blowing prospect, would certainly make all the difference in my reaction. I might not want to part with that much money; but at least I could afford to do it without going broke.

And that seems to be the situation in which Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich finds himself. In what is obviously an extremely complex series of commercial transactions and financial maneuverings, leaked documents show that Abramovich’s companies have been involved in investments valued at some $6 billion that were routed through the British Virgin Islands, but were managed from the UK. And Britain is now saying its government is owed VAT (value-added tax) at the standard rate of 20 percent. [James Oliver, Harriet Agerholm and Will Dahlgreen, BBC News, January 29, 2025.]

I foresee a long, convoluted legal battle between the UK government and Mr. Abramovich’s legal team, as he continues to hop-scotch on his merry way from one of his residences — in Russia, Türkiye and Israel — to another, enjoying life as only a multi-billionaire can do. It will be interesting to see how it all plays out.

And as I watch the game from the bleachers, I will be giving thanks that I will never in my life have to deal with that kind of problem. There are, after all, advantages to being ordinary.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
1/29/25

Earlier today, I wrote that the portrait of General Mark Milley, former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, had been summarily removed from its place of honor in the Pentagon — an obvious, snarky action ordered by the new occupant of the White House in retribution for past disagreements between the two.

But that was just a hint of worse to come. Today, Trump’s new Defense Secretary, the totally unqualified Pete Hegseth, removed General Milley’s security detail and revoked his security clearance in a blatant strike against an individual who had the courage to speak out in defense of the truth.

In addition, Hegseth has directed the Defense Department’s Inspector General to launch an investigation into General Milley’s alleged “conduct” with a view toward determining whether his rank (four-star general) should be reviewed — all without specifying what “conduct” he was referring to. [Oren Liebermann, CNN, January 29, 2025.]

Another of Donald Trump’s victims — a man who has spent a lifetime serving his country with honor — punished for daring to have an opinion. How long are we going to remain silent in the face of this intolerable, Putin-esque behavior?

I weep for my country.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
1/29/25

It’s as old as history itself. We know what Cain did to Abel. What Henry VIII did to a great many people, including a couple of wives. What Lenin did to Nicholas II and his entire family. What Stalin did to his generals. What Hitler did to six million Jews and a great many other perceived “undesirables.”

And in today’s world, we know what Vladimir Putin has done and is doing to those who have dared to oppose him: Boris Nemtsov, Aleksandr Litvinenko, Anna Politkovskaya, Boris Berezovsky, Aleksei Navalny, Yevgeny Prigozhin, and countless others — dead, or locked away in Siberian penal colonies.

We see Putin’s protege, Aleksandr Lukashenko, following suit by eliminating his detractors in his own manner. When asked whether the past weekend’s presidential election in Belarus had been free and fair,

“ . . . Lukashenko has explained that his political opponents had ‘chosen’ prison or exile.” [Reuters (citing The Guardian), January 27, 2025.]

Right . . . the ten political prisoners in Belarus about whom I have written recently — and who knows how many others — no doubt have always dreamt of being locked up and tortured for voicing their opinions.

We’ve seen it, heard about it, reacted to it with expressions of horror and disbelief. But those things happened — and keep happening — in other countries . . . far-away places, ruled by dictators. We Americans have always believed it couldn’t happen here.

But it can . . . and it has.

No, not to the same degree, certainly. People are not being assassinated, or hidden away in an Arctic archipelago of penal colonies. But they are being targeted, simply because they have in some way displeased the person currently in authority.

Consider, for example:

— Losing your job because you did your job: It has happened to more than a dozen Justice Department officials who participated in the criminal investigation of then private citizen Donald Trump.

— Losing your Secret Service protection, despite ongoing threats resulting from having done your job: It has happened to former White House national security adviser John Bolton, and to former chief medical adviser to President Biden, Dr. Anthony Fauci.

— Losing your security clearance — and thus potentially your source of income — for having said the “wrong” thing about the Hunter Biden investigation: It has happened to dozens of former national security officials.

— Having your picture removed from the wall of honor — in effect, your history erased — where you honorably did your job: It has happened to former U.S. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Mark Milley.

— Being threatened with prosecution for having won the 2020 election: It is happening to President Joe Biden.

— Being threatened with 50% tariffs, and ultimately forced into capitulation, because you initially refused to go along with some mad deportation scheme: It has happened to the President and the entire population of the South American nation of Colombia.

— And who knows what punishment awaits the person who dares to be wealthier, more successful, more charismatic, and much much smarter than the guy in charge, and doesn’t give a crap what anyone thinks of him? It could even happen to someone like Elon Musk.

All of that was in just one week . . . and does not include the actions being taken against entire categories of people — government agencies, recipients of government funding, ethnic groups, immigrants — simply because they do not comport with a single individual’s preferences.

If it all sounds too familiar, that is because it is history repeating itself. It is the echo of rumblings once heard in pre-Revolutionary Russia, and in 1930s Germany.

And don’t kid yourself into thinking that we’re so very different . . . because we’re not. It CAN happen here.

But only if we let it.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
1/29/25

Forget, for the moment, the pandemonium being unleashed by the new occupants of the White House.

Every now and then — a little too often, lately — I decide I can’t take much more of the news emanating from there and from the rest of the world, and I need a bit of happy to get me through the day.

And what could be happier than a couple of playful animals . . . in this case, the pair of Chinese giant pandas at the National Zoo in Washington, D.C. They have just been introduced to the public after becoming acclimated to their new surroundings, and Panda-mania has once again descended upon our nation’s capital.

So, without further ado, here are the true toasts of the town: Bao Li and Qing Bao.

Please don’t ask me who’s who, because I have no idea. But it only matters to them, really . . . and to the lucky staff members at the zoo who have the great pleasure of caring for them.

I just thought their pictures might make a few people smile today — it certainly worked for me.

They are far more fun to watch than that pair on Pennsylvania Avenue.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
1/28/25