Because today — November 4th — is, for some reason I couldn’t imagine, officially designated:

“National Chicken Lady Day.”

I was unable to figure out whether this was meant to be a day dedicated to lady chickens — better known as hens — or to cowardly female humans. But thanks to the wonders of Google — which, by the way, I hope nobody messes with because I couldn’t live without it — I was able to learn that National Chicken Lady Day is neither of those things.

It is, in fact, dedicated to a lovely lady named Dr. Marthenia “Tina” Dupree, who, based on her biography, has done much to earn the honor of having a day named for her . . . and making the rest of us feel like underachievers.

I just think they might have picked a better name. But she doesn’t seem to mind.

The name was inspired by her twelve years of work as Director of Community Relations and Training for the second-largest chicken restaurant in the world, during which time she became known for her work with the community and the many people she helped. [National Day Calendar, November 4, 2024.]

After resigning from that position, she went on to bigger and better things, starting her own Motivational Training Center LLC, receiving more than 500 plaques and awards for community service, authoring four books, and much more. She now has an internet radio program on blog talk radio, and is an adjunct professor at Florida Memorial University. And still more. [Heidi Richards, BLOG, December 14, 2015.]

So you see, you can’t judge a holiday by its nickname.

*. *. *

Now, I know I’ll never have a day named after me. But if one of my goofy friends ever decides to give it a try — you know, just for fun — I’d like to share the honor with my sister, because I already have the name picked out. She and I always had each other’s backs, and had a favorite saying to warn off anyone who tried to mess with one of us. Therefore, I would ask that September 18th — her birthday — be forever designated as:

“Don’t F*ck With the Lipsons” Day.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
11/4/24

There is a town in the United States called Harpers Ferry, West Virginia, near a spot where the states of Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia meet. It offers, in addition to magnificent scenic views of the three states, carefully-preserved reminders of the history of America’s Civil War. An easy drive from the Washington, D.C. area, it’s the perfect place for a day’s outing.

*. *. *

And there is a similar spot — not in or anywhere near the United States — that brings together three countries whose mutual interests cry out for the perfect meeting place:

The nearest village is called Fangchuan, which, while located in China, is sandwiched between Russia and North Korea, and has become quite the local tourist attraction for its views of all three countries. [Laura Bicker, BBC News, November 2, 2024.]

Now, it’s well known that Russia and China are currently best buddies, in the political scheme of things. And North Korea has been cozying up to Russia by shipping an estimated 10,000 of its hapless military troops to Russia, apparently to be sent into the meat grinder that is now Ukraine to fight alongside Russia’s own. And there have been well-documented meetings between two of these countries’ leaders at a time. But when — and where — would political protocol be best served to arrange a meeting among all three: Vladimir Putin, Xi Jinping, and Kim Jong Un?

But all three together?

And the solution? Why, at the confluence of the three countries, of course . . . especially now, since Putin can’t travel to more than a handful of countries without risking arrest under the terms of the International Criminal Court’s warrant against him for war crimes committed in Ukraine.

Awkward.

So, in order to advance Putin’s and Xi’s ambitions toward creation of a “new world order” — in which I’m quite sure Kim would be more than happy to play a major role — here’s what I recommend:

Construct a secure building at Fangchuan in which they can hold their witches’ (or warlocks’) covens; lock them safely inside; toss the key into the nearby Tumen River; and walk away. Nature will take care of the rest.

Half of the world’s political problems would thereby be solved, and we could get to work on selecting a similar spot in the Middle East to deal with the other half. That should be simple enough . . . so many of those countries are crammed right against each other’s borders.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
11/4/24

No sooner had I posted an update on the Feenstras’ life in Russia, including the news that dad Arend was scheduled for gall bladder surgery (presumably) on Monday, than I received an online heads-up of his post-surgery broadcast . . . on Sunday. Never having heard of a pre-scheduled, non-emergency operation being done on a Sunday — not here in the U.S., at least — it was sufficiently surprising to send me running to look at my calendar.

Yup — it’s Sunday, all right.

And never having seen the inside of a Russian hospital — I didn’t allow myself to get sick or injured while there — I was particularly curious to get a look at what I had missed. I don’t know where this hospital was, but I’m guessing Nizhny Novgorod. In any event, he said it was an old building, but the inside appeared to be spotlessly clean and bright. He had a private room with its own bathroom — and he even seemed surprised at that, saying he wasn’t sure whether he’d asked for it or paid extra for it. The bathroom looked quite nice; but there was a really uncomfortable-looking, non-adjustable bed; no visible monitors or other basic equipment; and no TV. But it was clean. I could almost smell the disinfectant.

Arend appeared in the video wearing his own clothes, up and about, saying he expected to be taken into surgery in a half hour to an hour. He said he had already had his chest shaved, yet he wasn’t in a hospital gown. He mentioned that all pre-op tests had been completed in advance (x-rays, blood work, some sort of scan); but his current vitals were not being monitored.

Then he was out of surgery, with wife Anneesa by his bedside. He was sitting up, only slightly groggy, and feeling just a little sore but otherwise fine. And next he was out of bed, walking around and talking about his experience.

First, of course, came the praise — for the doctors, the nurses, the whole Russian medical system . . . everything but the food. (More about that later.) Earlier, en route to the hospital, he had been concerned about possible language difficulties, but there was no further mention of that.

There was a bit more Canada-bashing with regard to the medical care. He talked again about the long delays in getting to see a specialist in Canada (which, in all fairness, I have heard from other Canadian folks as well — apparently the downside to free medical care, upholding the truth of the old adage that you get what you pay for); whereas, he said, everything in Russia was very quick and efficient. And he couldn’t say enough about how “nice” everyone was.

He treated his viewers to some photos of his food . . . well, “treated” probably isn’t the right descriptor. I know Russian food; I grew up with it in my grandparents’ homes, and I’ve eaten a lot of it in Russia. And I love it (except for the beets). But none of this was recognizable. Of course, it’s hospital food, which tends to be pretty ghastly in any country. He did say that it tasted better than it looked, and pointed out some oatmeal and what he described as apple cake; but he also said he was really hungry as he hadn’t eaten for some 20 hours, so almost anything would have tasted good at that point. At dinner, the chicken soup was definitely familiar.

And then he got around to the operating room experience. And I must say that, for a seriously conservative Christian (he brought his bible to the hospital for reading material), he took it all much better than I would have expected.

To begin with, there was never a hospital gown. Not anywhere. He was told to undress — completely — in the operating room and get onto the operating table. He confessed to being someone who prefers to be covered, not standing naked in front of the whole world; in other words, he was mortified. But he followed instructions. Now, knowing how cold those tables usually are, I can only imagine . . .

Anyway, it seems he was not the only patient in that operating theater; there was another operation being performed on the other side of the room, which hardly seems . . . to say the least . . . sanitary. (I presume that individual was also naked, but Arend discreetly didn’t comment on that, and I’m guessing they were not introduced.)

And then it was over. He mentioned his nakedness once more, saying they could at least have thrown a blanket over him on the way back to his room. And he didn’t say anything about a recovery room — whether there was one or not. So, all very quick and . . . again . . . efficient. He was somewhat nonplussed regarding the lack of concerns about modesty, or privacy — or warmth, for that matter. But efficient as hell.

At the end of the video, Arend Feenstra was doing fine, and had managed to get into a tee shirt and shorts. He said he had some pain in his back and abdominal area, which is to be expected, but that it wasn’t unbearable; he made no mention of pain medication. Mainly he was unhappy about not being able to work for a while. He did lift his shirt to display the region of his incisions — which were apparently small, as they were covered with four or five little square patches on his abdomen — and said that he understood the stitches were dissolvable and would not have to be removed.

There had to have been an interpreter there, along with his ubiquitous cameraman. Or maybe they were one and the same.

*. *. *

So there you have it. As for this testimonial regarding the Russian medical system, my inner skeptic has questions. First, does everyone get the swift and efficient service he did? Can any ordinary Russian citizen order up a private room, and if so, can they afford it? Can everyone make a YouTube video of their hospital experience? And even in Arend Feenstra’s case, was he restricted to photographing only certain specified areas of the hospital?

I’m relieved and delighted that he’s doing well after his surgery. You know, I’m really beginning to like this guy. He’s gutsy, he’s competent, and he manages to look at the bright side of life. He calls it faith, and I’m sure that’s part of it; but I’m afraid it’s also in large part naiveté.

And I still wonder whether he’s fully aware that, in leaving Canada for Russia, he and his family have merely traded what he considers to be the evils of liberalism for what most of us know to be the evils of totalitarianism.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
11/3/24

It started with a look at the progress of construction of the Feenstras’ new house and outbuildings. Arend is basically a one-man contracting team, with some of the children — mostly the boys — as trainee subcontractors learning on the job from Dad.

Acquiring materials, power tools, electrical service, etc., seems to have been simple enough; and luckily, Arend knows what he’s doing, as he mentioned that they have built other homes in Canada. So in addition to the house (which is acquiring a front deck at the moment), there will be a workshop, a combination schoolhouse/guest house, and goodness knows what else before the farm is finished. It does take time, though, and there have been delays; for example, the siding that was supposed to have arrived this week . . . didn’t.

All in all, though, it seems that if anyone can survive in difficult circumstances, the Feenstra family can. They are true pioneers.

And speaking of surviving, about halfway through the broadcast Arend mentioned that he will be going in tomorrow (whichever day that is, presumably Monday) for gall bladder surgery. And my reaction was:

Because over the years, I have heard horror stories about medical care — and especially hospital care — in Russia. Unless, of course, you happen to be a member of Putin’s inner circle.

But then we viewers were treated by Arend to a litany of the problems of medical care back in Canada: hours of waiting in emergency rooms, being sent home too soon after surgery, the entire medical system caring more about the money than the patient, etc. And then he told us how impressed he’s been with his care in Russia: the thoroughness of the pre-op testing, the personal concern of the doctors, the two-to-three-day stay in the hospital following surgery, etc.

By the end of the broadcast, he almost had me thinking I should head over there to have my back problems taken care of. But don’t worry — I came to my senses before doing anything rash, like checking to see whether Medicare would cover my plane fare.

So now we look forward to following the saga of Arend Feenstra’s recovery from gall bladder surgery, and his return to the construction phase of their settlement on the farm in Russia.

Which is precisely what my grandparents risked everything to escape from, all those years ago . . . for which I still thank them, each and every day.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
11/3/24

At 2:00 a.m. today (or before going to sleep last night for the early birds), everyone in the United States — except in Arizona and Hawaii, where the people obviously enjoy a much higher level of intelligence — had to turn their “un-smart” clocks and watches back one hour. The so-called “smart” devices did the honors themselves.

And so we all got to reclaim that hour of sleep we lost in March when we went through the reverse procedure.

Now, if by some miracle we, the people of the United States, were able to convince Congress to do away with this idiotic thing known as Daylight Saving Time, and do our bodies the favor of not having to go through this weird adjustment twice a year . . . would that mean that we would actually get to live one hour longer?

I don’t know whether that’s a valid hypothesis, but somehow it feels right. And at the very least, we wouldn’t have to give back that hour of shuteye next March.

So, all of you sleep-deprived folks out there: Who’s with me on this? The daylight hours get longer in the summertime anyway — why does it have to stay light until 9:00 p.m. or later? It’s hard to put young children to bed when it’s still bright and sunny outside. And it’s disorienting for our four-legged friends, you know. Just think of what it does to a dairy farmer’s milking schedule!

And by the way, does anyone know how Daylight Saving (not Savings) Time got started in the first place? I do . . . but I’m not telling. You can Google it, like I did.

So anyway, turn back your watches and “dumb” clocks, and within the next four months let’s see if we can get that crowd on Capitol Hill to do something useful for a change . . . or for no change (of time, that is).

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
11/3/24

This past week saw another Russian political travesty in the news: 62-year-old Robert Shonov, a Russian citizen who had worked for the U.S. Consulate in Vladivostok and for a private contractor that provided services to the U.S. Embassy in Moscow, convicted on charges of “confidential collaboration with a foreign state.”

And — rather oddly — there is the case of one Daniel Martindale — or someone who purports to be Daniel Martindale — an American who has allegedly been fighting with the Russian military in Ukraine for the past two years, and has just been “removed” from the battleground and brought to Moscow, where he claims he wishes to become a Russian citizen.

And each day it becomes more painfully clear that world opinion, and world condemnation, mean nothing to Vladimir Putin.

*. *. *

As for the hostages remaining in Putin’s prisons, we continue to remember them and to fight for their return. They are:

David Barnes
Staff Sergeant Gordon Black
Marc Fogel
Robert Gilman
Stephen James Hubbard
Ksenia Karelina
Michael Travis Leake
Eugene Spector
Laurent Vinatier
Robert Romanov Woodland

And all of the others whose identities are not known to me. They are not merely prisoners; they are HOSTAGES, who must be brought home as quickly as possible.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
11/3/24

Two more days. Just 48 hours of campaign emails and texts cluttering up our phones and laptops and tablets. Then no more messages about voting (I already have, thank you). No more snarky comments about opponents; no more AI-created half-truths and fantasies and outright lies.

No more freakin’ election.

Then we just have to live with the results.

And in a couple of years — assuming we survive that long — it will all start again. After this last campaign, I’m all for setting a limit — one year at the most — on campaign length.

Anyone care to join me in campaigning for that?

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
11/3/24

Either way, Daniel Martindale’s life will never be the same from this day forward.

It’s a developing story, but here is what little is known so far.

As reported this morning by RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty, Russian media is claiming, without substantiation, that the government has “removed” a U.S. citizen — one Daniel Martindale — “from territory controlled by the Ukrainian armed forces.” He allegedly has been aiding Russian forces in Ukraine by “transmitting coordinates of Ukrainian military” for the past two years. [RFE/RL, November 2, 2024.]

According to RIA Novosti, a man identifying himself as Martindale appeared at a press conference and said he was in Moscow voluntarily and wished to obtain Russian citizenship. Displaying a well-worn U.S. passport and a birth certificate, and speaking in English, he was quoted as saying:

“My name is Daniel Martindale. Here is my passport. It went through the war with me, you can see in what condition it is.“ [Guy Faulconbridge, Reuters, November 2, 2024.]

He further stated that he was under no duress, and predicted that Russia would win the war in Ukraine. He allegedly had worked as a missionary, and entered Ukraine from Poland in early 2022 — just days before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine — adding that:

“I’ve wanted to go to Russia for a long time, I realized that this is the moment I’ve been waiting for.” [Id.]

No further information is available at this time, and no comment has been forthcoming from the U.S. Embassy in Moscow.

*. *. *

RFE/RL has found a page on VKontakte (VK) (the Russian equivalent of Facebook) purportedly belonging to a Daniel Martindale, last updated in February 2022, and listing his residence as Poland. But it is not yet clear that this is the same individual now claiming to be a Russian recruit . . . although the references to Poland and the February 2022 date do match his current claims.

So what is the truth? Is this man an American who has gone over to the other side? Or is he a captive of the Russian forces — a propaganda tool being forced to “reveal” his activities of the past two years to the world? Is he even Daniel Martindale? If his story is indeed real, what is his background? And why was he extracted from Ukraine and paraded in front of the world at this particular time?

I suppose we shall now have to await word from the Kremlin, though that is likely to produce nothing more than confirmation of what has already been offered by its official news source.

Most disturbingly, if this Daniel Martindale is a genuine American-turned-traitor, one has to wonder how many more “Daniel Martindales” are out there.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
11/2/24

And another nail in the coffin of U.S.-Russian relations.

The latest victim of the Kremlin’s psychotic roundup of dissidents and enemies — real or imagined — is not an American or other foreigner to be held as collateral for a future swap, but a Russian citizen. Robert Shonov, 62, worked for 25 years at the U.S. Consulate in Vladivostok, until being forced to leave in 2021 due to new Russian restrictions on local staff working for foreign missions. He then found a job with a company that provided services as a private contractor to the U.S. Embassy in Moscow — entirely within the parameters of Russian law.

And today — after already spending about a year and a half in “detention” since his arrest in 2023 — he stands convicted of “confidential collaboration with a foreign state,” and sentenced to four years and ten months in prison, plus a fine of one million rubles ($10,280). He will then spend another year and four months on parole restrictions following completion of the nearly five-year sentence. [RFE/RL, November 1, 2024.]

He is accused of collecting information on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the associated mobilization efforts, and of analyzing their potential impact on public protest activities leading up to the 2024 U.S. presidential election, for the benefit of the United States government. [Id.]

Because of the nature of the charges — despite the fact that Shonov is not a U.S. citizen — the case has created a further exacerbation of the ever-worsening relations between the United States and Russia.

The U.S. State Department has, of course, condemned the arrest, characterizing the charges as baseless, saying that Shonov’s “only role at that time of his arrest was to compile media summaries of press items from publicly available Russian media sources.” [U.S. Department of State Press Statement, May 16, 2023.]

In addition, in connection with the same case, Moscow expelled two U.S. Embassy diplomats — First Secretary Jeffrey Sillin and Second Secretary David Bernstein — in September 2023, accusing them of acting as liaisons for Shonov.

*. *. *

It’s all just becoming SSDD: Same Sh*t, Different Day — disturbingly reminiscent of the years between the end of World War II and the 1991 breakup of the Soviet Union.

Accusations of spying, insults, threats, expulsion of diplomats, prisoner exchanges . . . I wonder how long it will be before someone — Russia or the U.S. — finally acknowledges that we are engaged in Cold War, Part Two.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
11/2/24

“When other friendships have been forgot,
Ours will still be hot.”
(Lyrics from “Friendship,” by Cole Porter)

At a meeting yesterday in Moscow, North Korea’s Foreign Minister, Choe Son Hui, told her Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov, that her country will back Russia until victory is achieved over Ukraine:

“Our traditional, historically friendly relations, which have travelled the tested path of history, today . . . are rising to a new level of relations of invincible military comradeship.” [Dmitry Antonov, Reuters, November 1, 2024.]

She tactfully remembered to add a few words of praise for both her president, Kim Jong Un, and for Lavrov’s boss, Vladimir Putin, saying that, under Putin’s “wise leadership,” the Russian army and people would “achieve a great victory in their sacred struggle to protect the sovereign rights and security interests of their state. And we also assure that until the day of victory we will firmly stand alongside our Russian comrades.” [Id.]

Excuse me, Madame Foreign Minister — the 1950s are calling, and they want their rhetoric back.

Lavrov also spoke of the “very close ties” between the two countries’ military forces, which he said would enable them to solve important security tasks together. But neither mentioned the 10,000 North Korean troops who have been sent to Russia, or the statements of the U.S., NATO, South Korea and Ukraine on that subject . . .

. . . about which the ever-present, always delightful Kremlin spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, had separately tossed in his two rubles’ worth on Friday, stating simply that he had “nothing to add to what has already been said.” Not helpful, Dima.

Foreign Minister Lavrov did state, however:

“We are deeply grateful to our Korean friends for their principled position regarding the events that have now unfolded in Ukraine as a result of the West’s course of advancing NATO to the east and encouraging an openly racist regime to exterminate everything Russian.

”Very close contacts have been established between the military of the two countries and along the security services line — this also allows us to solve practically significant and important tasks for the security of our and your citizens.” [Id.]

(So now the North Koreans are “principled” and the Ukrainians are “racist.” Everybody got that?)

And Foreign Minister Choe added that North Korea and Russia must continue to deepen their ties in accordance with a treaty signed by Presidents Putin and Kim in June — a treaty that includes a mutual defense provision.

Is it any wonder that I can’t sleep at night?

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
11/2/24