Amidst all of the hullabaloo surrounding Donald Trump’s haste to pardon between 1,000 and 1,500 criminals who had been convicted of various crimes, ranging from trespass to treason, in connection with the storming of the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021, one such individual — Pamela Hemphill of Boise, Idaho — stands out as a shining example of honesty and decency that should make the others cringe in shame.

Not that they will. You need a conscience for that.

But how, you may ask, can I possibly suggest that someone who once wrote on Face book, “It’s a war!” . . . and posted a video of herself on her YouTube channel saying, “Let’s go to the Capitol” . . . and was later seen in the Capitol rotunda telling fellow rioters to “come on in, come on, have fun … this is your house!” [en.m.wikipedia.org] . . . how could I possibly hold her up as a role model for decent, law-abiding citizens?

Because now — having pled guilty to one count of demonstrating, picketing or parading in a Capitol building, and having served her sentence of 60 days in prison plus 36 months of probation and $500 restitution — she has refused to accept Trump’s unconditional pardon, saying “We were wrong that day.” [Robert Plummer, BBC News, January 22, 2025.]

In fact, back in June of 2023, when Trump wrote on Truth Social that Hemphill would be spending more time in jail than Hunter Biden, and added the comment, “Horrible,” Ms. Hemphill responded on Twitter:

“. . . please . . . don’t be using me for anything, I’m not a victim of Jan6, I pleaded guilty because I was guilty! #StopTheSpin.” [Wikipedia, op.cit.]

In September of that year, she also published an open letter to Congress, stating in part:

“I am not a victim of the government, the Justice Department was not weaponized against me, I was a participant who broke the law.” [Id.]

And now she has told the BBC that “We were wrong that day. Accepting a pardon would only insult the Capitol police officers, rule of law and, of course, our nation. I pleaded guilty because I was guilty, and accepting a pardon also would serve to contribute to their gaslighting and false narrative.” [BBC, op.cit.]

Yes, Pamela Hemphill broke the law four years ago. But she did not participate in any violent acts against others; she was convicted of a misdemeanor, and she has paid the penalty. But more importantly, she is truly repentant, and honest enough to admit her mistakes — not only to herself, but to the world.

And that takes courage, and honor. For that, Ms. Hemphill has my respect and admiration. We all make them, you know.

Mistakes, that is.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
1/23/25

I have been asked, more than once, why I write this blog . . . why I first decided to give it a try, and why I have continued it for the past two years even though it hasn’t reached anywhere near the viral stage. In fact, if “viral” is the benchmark, then my blog hasn’t even developed a case of the sniffles.

I do have a handful of loyal readers from various parts of the world, though; and I appreciate them more than they can know. I write for them, of course; and on those rare days when I’ve thought about quitting, I keep going because I don’t want them to think I’ve died.

But I also do it for myself.

I started it because I was bored. And I chose writing because it’s an outlet . . . for my thoughts, my observations, my opinions, and yes, even my feelings. I don’t expect masses of people to be swayed, influenced, or greatly moved by my words. If it happens that someone is, now and then, that’s a bonus. But mostly, I keep writing because it feels good: I enjoy it, and it’s cathartic.

And if I add some lovely background music, a cup of chamomile tea, or occasionally a glass of wine, I have the makings of a perfect evening on my own — just me and my iPad. And some Haagen-Dazs, because you can never have too much Haagen-Dazs.

*. *. *

So, how do I choose my subjects? For the most part, I don’t; they choose me. I’m a news junky, and by the time I’ve waded through several daily online news sources, I have the makings of a slew of commentaries. Sometimes it’s difficult to narrow them down to just a couple each day, though I do have my favorite topics — world politics being at the top of the list. But my interest might be piqued by a story about a surfboard-stealing sea otter named Laverna living off the coast of California, a volcanic eruption in Iceland, or an archaeological dig in Türkiye.

Sometimes I simply reminisce, and harangue my readers with tales of my youth, or the years of my travels. Most of my friends and relatives near my age are gone now, and it feels as though I’m talking to them when I write about years past. As long as I don’t start getting answers from them, I figure I’m still running on a full tank.

Well . . . almost, anyway.

But enough about me. There was plenty in this morning’s headlines to keep me busy for several hours, and I’m anxious to get to it. In fact, with the start of the new, potentially controversial four-year presidential term here in the U.S., I foresee a limitless source of inspiration . . . for me, and for the late-night TV hosts.

(Did I say “potentially” controversial? Ha! Silly me!)

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
1/23/25

While Vlad, Xi and Don — the 21st Century’s Tinker-to-Evers-to-Chance triple threat — are warming up in the dugout, that superstar pinch-hitter, Volodymyr Zelensky, has come forward to try to save his team from the agony of defeat.

Enough mixed metaphors, analogies and allegories for you? Right . . . me too.

What President Zelensky actually did yesterday was step up to the dais at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, and tell it like it is:

“All European countries must be willing to spend as much on security as is truly needed, not just as much as they’ve gotten used to during years of neglect. If it takes 5% of GDP to cover defense, then so be it, 5% it is.” [Stephen Collinson, Caitlin Hu and Shelby Rose, CNN’s Meanwhile in America, January 22, 2025.]

His first order of business is, of course, to save his country and end Russia’s war of attrition — now going into its fourth year — while there is still something left to save. But that isn’t his only concern. He was also emphasizing the urgency of the need for all of Europe — in this time of threat from Russia, and uncertainty from the United States’ new administration — to remain united and committed to its own defense:

“Most of the world’s now thinking — so, what’s going [to] happen to their relationship with America? What will happen to alliances? To support? To trade? How does President Trump plan to end wars?” [Id.]

And he went on:

“Will President Trump even notice Europe? Does he see NATO as necessary? And will he respect EU institutions? Will President Trump listen to Europe, or will he negotiate with Russia and China without Europe? … Europe needs to learn how to fully take care of itself, so that the world can’t afford to ignore it.

“Right now, it’s not clear whether Europe will even have a seat at the table when the war against our country ends.” [Id.]

*. *. *

As we in America begin another year worrying about the skyrocketing cost of everything from eggs to education, what Taylor Swift will be wearing to her boyfriend’s next game, and whether TikTok will be blocked again, Europe is engaged in a battle for its literal survival.

That sort of puts things into perspective, doesn’t it?

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
1/22/25

Mea culpa! It’s all this Yankee woman’s fault. I should never have said I missed seeing snow.

And now, here it is — not in Maine, or Minnesota, or even in Northern Virginia. This is Southeastern Georgia, just a couple of hours’ drive from the Florida state line. And it’s been snowing like crazy for a few hours now, with a possible six inches predicted.

Tropical plants aren’t supposed to be covered in cold, white stuff falling from the sky. But this one in our front yard is.

And it was still early when we grabbed this shot of one of the cars. Looking forward to seeing it a little later.

While I’ve been thinking about how beautiful it is, it also occurs to me that no one here is equipped to deal with it. Seriously — the counties and cities have no plows or salt trucks; people don’t own snow shovels because no one sells them; I honestly doubt whether they’ve even heard of snow tires; and I’d be willing to bet not one person in 100 owns a pair of snow boots, unless they’re skiers who regularly head north to the mountains in winter. Life has come to a complete stop.

They told me, before I moved down here, that this wouldn’t happen. So I gave away all my heavy coats, gloves, boots, and scarves. This is the South . . . why would I need those things?

I took their word for it; I hadn’t counted on Mother Nature and her diabolical sense of humor. But I did say I wished it would happen, just once. And now it has. And I’m enjoying it, because it reminds me of years past — shoveling, digging out the car, building snowmen, having snowball fights, and just going for long walks in the clean, fresh air.

So go ahead and blame me, if it will make you feel better. I can take it.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
1/22/25

#1: More than 1,000 violent criminals are being released to commit further atrocities against our citizenry and our Constitution.

*. *. *

#2: Law-abiding people who had been promised a better life in the U.S. have had the rug pulled out from under their feet.

*. *. *

#3: Our industries have been given the go-ahead to choke us to death with uncontrolled pollution, while climate control becomes a non-issue.

*. *. *

#4: And none of it matters, because those of us who aren’t wiped out by pollution or violent weather events are all going to die from what have been preventable diseases, which will once more become rampant due to lack of vaccines. (Which reminds me: January 26th is World Leprosy Day. We should celebrate it while we can.)

*. *. *

The first two will see immediate consequences. Numbers 3 and 4 won’t happen overnight; it will be a slow, torturous demise over the next four years.

I’m so glad I lived this long; I would hate to have missed all the fun. Thank Heaven we still have TikTok to keep us distracted!

I can hardly wait for Day Two.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
1/21/25

Darth Vader is alive and well, and reportedly living underwater off the coast of Vietnam, where he was recently discovered by alert (and amazed) scientists. And here he is:

Whether this creepy critter actually uttered the immortal words from the film series* is unknown but unlikely He has been named Darth Vader because of the obvious familial resemblance.

* Star Wars, Episode IV, “A New Hope”

In fact, he is a species of giant sea bug, which is all I really need to know about him as long as he stays underwater and far away from me.

But seeing him, and his uncanny resemblance to one of George Lucas’ brilliant flights of imagination, I’m reminded — possibly for the millionth time — of the wisdom of the Bard, who famously penned these words some 400 years earlier:

“There are more things in Heaven and Earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy.” — William Shakespeare, Hamlet, Act I, Scene 5.

The newly-discovered “Darth Vader” looks more like a nightmare than a dream to me; but Shakespeare’s point is well taken.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
1/21/25

The ancient Chinese military general, strategist, philosopher, and author of The Art of War, Sun Tzu, famously said:

“Keep your friends close; keep your enemies closer.”

Good advice, unquestionably. But first, shouldn’t one be able to identify those enemies?

In his inaugural address to the nation yesterday, Donald Trump made a number of gaffes, which I won’t detail here. But one in particular bothered me, for two reasons: first, because it showed his lack of knowledge concerning a very worrisome foreign alliance; and second, because he verbally made an adversary of Spain — in reality, a staunch ally of the United States, and a member of both NATO and the EU.

The alliance is called BRICS. It was the brainchild of Vladimir Putin, and originally was named BRIC in 2009 for its four founding member nations: Brazil, Russia, India and China. The name was changed to BRICS in 2010, when a fifth member joined: South Africa.

Trump said it was Spain.

No! No! Not Spain! South Africa!

BRICS has since expanded to include Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and Saudi Arabia. And its undisguised purpose is to displace the Western alliances as the sole dominant political and economic world power. Nothing less.

So let’s get the membership straight, shall we? Because it’s hard to imagine Spain being part of that, or any, anti-Western confederacy.

*. *. *

As an aside, I note that Sun Tzu also said: “The supreme art of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting.”

Smart man. It’s too bad that he lived in the wrong millennium.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
1/21/25

I’m fond of the old saying that “less is more.” It usually refers to matters of taste: too much bling, too many Christmas decorations, too much salt added to an already perfect dish. But it can apply to other areas of choice as well.

Such as goals and ambitions.

Back. in the early 1990s, when I was in Moscow seeking out a Russian partner for an educational program, I met with a number of people recommended by the Russian Embassy in Washington: people newly acquainting themselves with the burgeoning market economy, who had no idea of where to start.

These were not the people who ultimately became the oligarchs of today: those well-connected, unconcerned with legalities, and often ruthless people who were able to buy up the old Soviet assets and turn them into multi-billion-dollar fortunes. The people I met with were smart, educated, decent men and women who had suddenly found themselves in the strange and daunting position of having to create something out of nothing.

They had no private funding and no government backing. What they did have was a jumbled mass of ideas — way too many. And they wanted to implement them all at once.

I assumed they had been advised of the purpose of my trip: to establish a business school for those Russians who would be working for the new private enterprises. But what I was hearing back, without exception, were suggestions for manufacturing, marketing and agricultural undertakings that were all over the map . . . even one for coal mining, another for clothes designing, and a third from a folk dance troupe hoping for a U.S. tour!

I came away from those meetings discouraged, but chalked it up to the inexperience and naïveté of people new to a free market economy. And indeed, they did learn over time.

*. *. *

But it would be difficult to attribute the new U.S. administration’s stated — or over-stated — ambitions to inexperience or naïveté. Maybe it’s the “gold-plated toilet” syndrome: wanting everything, and wanting it now. But forget about Donald Trump the billionaire show-off. Where is Donald Trump the businessman, who should know that lasting success is the result of quality, not quantity?

Prioritize. Decide what’s most urgent, and get it done . . . and done right.

Yes, there is a lot that needs doing, and it must be overwhelming to be the one to sort it all out. But trying to run in 100 different directions at once leads only to chaos, and ultimately to very little — if anything — being done properly.

For example: Do we really need immediate raids on immigrants who have been here for years? Or should we first focus on fixing the disaster in Ukraine? Can our young people survive a little longer without TikTok? Or should we first work to bring down food prices so all of our people can afford to eat? Must we focus on grabbing Canada as a 51st state and Greenland as a territory? Or should we be keeping a closer eye on the imminent dangers presented by the alliance known as BRICS?

Prioritize.

And for the sake of all that is holy, try to do it without antagonizing all of our allies. Today’s world is too small a place for isolationism.

We don’t need a “Gulf of America.”

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
1/21/25

Since today’s news is mostly about an event in Washington I would prefer to ignore — in fact, I’d prefer that it weren’t happening at all, but that’s out of my control — I went looking for things to occupy my mind, and wandered into the “Word of the Day” column.

And today’s word is about as useful to most people — other than the odd ichthyologist — as an extra toe. But here it is anyway:

“Anadromous”

Well, it refers to fish . . . and specifically those, like salmon, that swim upstream to spawn, living parts of the year in both fresh and salt water. (The “ichthyologist” reference probably gave it away.)

Now, if you’re still wondering how to pronounce it — just on the off-chance you might be able to work it into a conversation about, say, the effect of the war in Ukraine on the supply of anadromous fish in the northwestern United States — the accent is on the second syllable:

A – na’ – dro – mous.

Other than that, it’s probably one of those words you can safely file away and forget. Personally, I prefer more mellifluous words, like “euphonious,” “serendipity,” “pulchritudinous,” or . . . well . . . “mellifluous.” And a long-time favorite: “onomatopoeia.”

Of course, there’s always “supercalifragilisticexpialidocious,” which isn’t a real word, but it’s fun to say. And it supposedly makes you sound precocious.

Then, of course, there are words from other languages. Compiling a list of those could take days, so I’ll just throw in one favorite word from the only other language (besides English) that I actually speak at all, which is Russian. (It’s a genetic thing.)

And the winner is (hopefully transliterated with some measure of accuracy):

Человеконенавистничество. (In the English alphabet, that would be: Chelovekonenavistnichestvo).

That’s ten syllables meaning — if anyone really cares — “misanthropy.” Another cool English word, by the way . . . though describing a decidedly uncool attitude.

Yup — that’s the attitude, all right.

*. *. *

Well, I’ve managed to kill a couple of hours, and now it’s time to start thinking about tonight’s dinner. For some reason, I seem to have a taste for something anadromous, like salmon. . . . which is what started this whole silly journey in the first place.

I never will understand the workings of my mind.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
1/20/25

It’s bitter cold in Washington, D.C. today — about 20 degrees below normal. As of this writing, the plan is for Donald Trump to fake . . . er, take . . . the oath of office as President of the United States indoors, in the rotunda of the U.S. Capitol.

Compare: January 20, 1961. It had snowed . . . and snowed . . . and snowed the day before. One of the worst blizzards in D.C. memory. Cars were buried; the plows couldn’t keep up with the deluge; Pennsylvania Avenue from the White House to the Capitol had to be scraped to the pavement for the inaugural parade; the city was teeming with the political and social elite from out of town who had been invited to attend the festivities; and it took me until 10:00 p.m. to get home from work — a distance of less than five miles.

But did Jack Kennedy move his inaugural ceremony indoors? Hell, no, he didn’t. A native Bostonian, he braved the elements and took his oath outdoors, in front of God and country, with wife Jackie by his side in a beautiful wool — not fur — coat and signature pillbox hat. They were a hardy young couple who were about to set a new standard for the country.

And their like has not been seen since.

But enough reminiscing; those days are gone, and no amount of wishing is going to bring them back. So, while I studiously avoid watching today’s events, I’ve thought of a few things I can do to pass the time on this national holiday.

Right! You almost forgot, didn’t you? It’s also Martin Luther King Day, so a lot of people are enjoying a long weekend. Well, here’s my plan for the extra day of leisure:

Do My Taxes: Both of my 1099 forms arrived in Saturday’s mail, so I can now sit down, tap the numbers into my computer, and let H&R Block do the rest. I know the IRS won’t start accepting returns for another week, but I figure if I get mine into the system early, perhaps I’ll be near the head of the line to get my refund early as well.

Have a Mani-Pedi: No, not a visit to a salon; I do my own. But the toenails definitely are due for a clipping, and while it’s not an exciting or glamorous way to pay homage to MLK Jr., it is at least productive.

Attack Those Closets: I have two that desperately need cleaning out: clothes I haven’t worn in a couple of years that could go to some people who have lost everything to fire, flood, or whatever; and stuff on the top shelves that I can’t even identify any longer. (Anyone need a bunch of yarn that never got made into a sweater?)

Clear Out the Refrigerator: I have no idea what leaked into the vegetable drawer, but it definitely needs to be scrubbed. Yuck!

Scrub the Bathroom: No, forget it. Enough cleaning for one day. It is supposed to be a holiday, after all. Maybe tomorrow.

Take the Cookie Cure: Bake, inhale the fragrance, then chow down. Preferably chocolate chip, followed by a tall glass of ice-cold milk. If that doesn’t make me happy, nothing will.

Work On To-Do List: Not just for today or this week, but a sort of bucket list for the next four years . . . to keep busy while trying not to focus on what’s happening in the world around us. Hallucinogens might be helpful here.

Take A Nice Long Nap: On the assumption that none of the above will actually get done — remember the “road to hell” and “good intentions” syndrome? — there’s always the option to block the whole day out of your mind, grab a fuzzy blanket, settle into a favorite chair or sofa, and snooze the hours away.

We do, after all, have a lot to block out these days.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
1/20/25