On October 13th, I commented briefly on the story of 27-year-old Ukrainian journalist Viktoriia Roshchyna, who would have been added to our list of Putin’s hostages were it not for the fact that she had just been reported, without further detail, to have died in a Russian prison.

Viktoriia is said by her former colleagues to have had “great courage,” and to have been “desperate” to go to Russian-occupied areas of Ukraine to report on the true conditions there. The media outlets for which she freelanced would not send her because of the extreme danger involved, so she went on her own, despite warnings from friends and co-workers. Her stories “were snapshots of life that Ukrainians were not getting from anywhere else.” [Sarah Rainsford, BBC, October 12, 2024.]

She set out for occupied Ukraine last July via Poland and Russia, and was detained at the border and interrogated for several days. After that, all her father knows is that by May she was in Detention Centre No. 2 in Taganrog, in southern Russia — “a facility so notorious for the brutal treatment of many Ukrainians that some dub it the ‘Russian Guantanamo.’” [Id.]

In September, her family was told by another Ukrainian citizen who had just been released from Taganrog that she had seen Viktoriia around September 8th or 9th.

A colleague, Sevgil Musaieva, editor-in-chief at Ukrayinska Pravda, was advised that Viktoriia would be included in a prisoner-of-war swap, and would be back by September 13th. But she wasn’t.

And last week, her father received a terse letter from the Russian Ministry of Defense, advising him of his daughter’s death on September 19th. No details — no cause of death, no reason for the delay — were given. [Id.]

There was information indicating that she had been moved, along with another Ukrainian woman; but neither was included in the prisoner exchange. So where had she been taken? One possibility was to Lefortovo Prison in Moscow, according to Tetyana Katrychenko, director of Media Initiative, though that is not normal practice before a prisoner swap. The fact is, no one knows for sure. [Id.]

Ukrainian MP Yaroslav Yurchyshyn told the BBC in Kyiv:

“A civilian journalist . . . captured by Russia. Then Russia sends a letter that she died? It’s killing. Just the killing of hostages. I don’t know other [sic] word.” [Id.]

What we do know is that another life has been tragically cut short by Putin’s regime because a civilian was doing her job and reporting the uncomfortable truth. Ukraine’s intelligence service has confirmed Viktoriia’s death, and the Ukrainian General Prosecutor’s office is investigating the case as a murder.

BBC has received no comment from Russian authorities. But that’s not surprising either . . . recalling the similarly mysterious death of dissident Alexei Navalny in yet another Russian house of horrors just a few months ago.

I suppose they’ll try to write this one off to “natural causes” as well.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
10/18/24

Thinking I had stumbled onto some really good news out of Russia when I read the headline: Russia releases man whose daughter’s drawing opposed Ukraine fighting — I said a silent “Hallelujah!” and read on.

I should have known better.

Instead of celebrating a bit of happy news, I had to wonder why this was news at all. Because this man, Alexei Moskalyov, who had been sentenced to one year and ten months in prison, had just been released after serving twenty-two months.

For anyone who may have slept through first-grade arithmetic, or who simply hates math, let me save you the trouble: that’s one year and ten months. Moskalyov had served his full term.

So why on earth did his release make the news? Because the OVD-Info group, which monitors political detentions in Russia, reported a detail of his release that otherwise might have gone unnoticed.

But let’s begin at the beginning. Moskalyov’s conviction in March of 2023 was based on posts that he had made on a social media site. (The nature of the posts was not specified in the source article). These came to the attention of authorities after his daughter, then age 13, made a drawing in school that was in opposition to the war in Ukraine. [Associated Press, October 15, 2024.]

Under current Russian law, bad-mouthing the military, the war, or the government in general is a big no-no, at any age. I can only assume that someone — a teacher or fellow student, perhaps — reported the daughter, which led to an investigation of the father as well. Josef Stalin would have been so proud!

In any event, Moskalyov was tried, convicted and sentenced, but managed to flee . . . to Belarus. Big mistake! It may have been the easiest border for him to reach; but he really should have chosen an adjoining country that isn’t one of Putin’s puppet states.

So, one day later in Belarus, he was arrested and extradited to Russia, where he served his full term. Upon his release, he spoke with the people at OVD-Info.

And OVD-Info reports that Moskalyov told them that agents of the Federal Security Service (FSB, successor to the KGB) had questioned other inmates in his unit prior to his release, suggesting they were looking for cause to file new charges against him. [Id.]

And that, sadly, is neither surprising nor unusual. It has become quite common practice in the Russian judicial system to add further charges and additional years in prison to someone already incarcerated. Once on the authorities’ radar, you are fair game.

And those Russian authorities are well known for their long memories and short tempers.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
10/18/24

No, they’re not being stalked — not by me, at any rate. (What surveillance they’re subject to in Russia is a whole other question.) But I’ve been following, from time to time, Arend Feenstra’s YouTube channel, both out of concern for the welfare of those eight children, and because it’s fascinating to be able to observe life on the farm in Nizhny Novgorod for a bunch of non-Russian-speaking emigres from Canada.

From all outward appearances, they’re doing as well as — actually, better than — I had expected after a very rocky start some nine months ago. Arend says they “bought” this land, on which they’ve been building a large house to accommodate their large family (though he never mentions where they’ve been living in the meantime). In the most recent episode, the electrical team was on the property, installing power lines and poles that didn’t even exist there before now. In Russia, when they say “rural,” they mean “Rural” — with a capital “R.” How he managed to get the local officials moving so quickly remains a mystery.

As usual, he went into a great deal of detail about the various stages of construction, which I’m sure some people found interesting but I could have done without. What did interest me were the nuances of some of the things he said . . . and the things he didn’t say. For example:

There was a bit of the requisite praise for the family’s new Russian home: the beautiful scenery (which actually appeared quite flat and barren); the abundance of churches “everywhere you look,” whereas churches in Canada and the U.S. are being turned into houses and restaurants because no one is going to church; the advantages of raising children on a farm; the family values in Russia (in accordance with Putin’s current “Year of the Family”); the wonderful people of Nizhny Novgorod who have made their settling-in so much easier than other immigrants he has spoken to, etc.

At least he didn’t actually mention “our wonderful President Vladimir Putin” this time.

But it’s difficult to expunge a lifetime of history from one’s mind and soul. In comparing how certain phases of construction are done in Russia vs. Canada, he repeatedly referred to Canada as “we” and Russia as “they.”

And, rather oddly, at one point when talking about his family’s progress and their future plans, he said, “Of course, we don’t tell you everything.” Then he quickly tried to recover with a stumbling, “We’d have to be here 24 hours a day,” or words to that effect. A Freudian slip? Or am I just reading too much into it?

As to those future plans, he talked about adding a barn and a workshop to the property within the next year or so. And he’s even thinking of starting a construction business once his own building phase is completed, since he already has a good bit of equipment. But he pointed out that, with winter coming on and the days getting shorter, the work will probably go a bit more slowly for a while.

The rest of the family was absent from this episode, except for a few shots of some of the older children planting a line of trees. Everyone digs in (literally) on the farm.

And as the sun sets — earlier and earlier — on idyllic Countryside Acres in historic Nizhny Novgorod, Russia, we bid farewell for now to the hard-working, forward-looking, close-knit, and always optimistic Feenstra family. Keep up the good work.

Do svidaniye, tovarishchi.

*. *. *

And then I found, also on YouTube but on the Real Reporter channel, an interview with Arend Feenstra and the family, which delved more deeply into their reasons for choosing Russia, the economic planning that went into their decision, and more. And I have to say, I was taken aback by a good bit of what I heard . . . but that’s not to say I agreed with all of it. I will watch it again, and you’ll probably be subjected later to my comments. For now, I’ve saved the video under “Propaganda.”

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
10/17/24

In 1974, a man identified as Martin Manfred Naumann — then an East German Stasi (secret police) officer in Communist East Berlin — shot Czeslaw Kukuczka in the back as he attempted to flee to freedom in the West from Berlin’s Friedrichstrasse train station.

Kukucka, a 38-year-old father of three, had entered the Polish Embassy on East Berlin’s Unter den Linden Boulevard, carrying a briefcase that he said contained a bomb. He was lying about the bomb, but Stasi officers there had no way of knowing that, and so they gave him an exit visa and some West German money, and escorted him to the station.

The desperate man had made it past several border checks in the station; but before he could reach the western area, he was shot in the back by a man who witnesses said approached him from the rear.

His family was never officially notified of what had happened to him, but some weeks later, his wife received his ashes. The Stasi shredded their files on the case before the reunification of Germany in 1990. And there the story seems to end. [Ido Vock, BBC News, October 14, 2024.]

But it doesn’t really end there, because some very persistent historians, together with Polish authorities, wouldn’t let it die with Mr. Kukucka. Some of those historians tracked down related files in the old Stasi archives, and even used modern technology to reconstitute shredded documents linking Naumann to the killing.

On the basis of those findings, Berlin prosecutors filed charges against Naumann in 2023. And now he has been sentenced to ten years in prison for a cold-blooded murder he committed fifty years ago.

Ten years may not seem long enough; but Naumann is now 80 years old. He may as well have received a life sentence.

It may have taken half a century, but justice has at last been served. I hope Mr. Kukucka’s children — and perhaps grandchildren — are able to celebrate the victory.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
10/17/24

Well, of course! What is wrong with me? I should have seen it sooner — the reason Vladimir Putin has busted his ass, paving the way for the Feenstra family from Canada to emigrate to Russia.

I overlooked the fact that 2024 is Russia’s Year Of the Family. You remember . . . the year when working women have been encouraged — no, urged — to use their lunch breaks to breed. Yes, I said “breed,” i.e., to copulate with their male partners in order to procreate. And the more babies you can crank out, the bigger shall be your reward from Uncle Vladimir.

Now look at the Feenstras again: Mama, Papa, and eight ready-made, brand-new, starry-eyed, young Russian citizens. What happened to all that red tape they encountered on arrival in Russia? Suddenly gone. The language requirement in order to obtain temporary residency status? Stricken from the books. That cramped little apartment? Now there’s a working farm, with a big house being built on it. And all that nasty paper work? Done.

Because Russia needs families like theirs: big, conservative, gullible families who will say and do all the right things at all the right times in order to be able to live their lives free of the stresses of that evil liberalism back in Canada. The poster children for Putin’s Pet Propagation Project.

But that’s just one family. What about all those young Russian couples making like rabbits in their workplaces? How are they taking this new edict from the Kremlin? Apart from the big after-lunch smiles and the clearer skin, what do they think about Putin’s rationalization for this Soviet-style ten-year plan?

And for that matter, exactly what was his explanation?

Well, for that we have to go back to January of this year, and the launch of the nationwide fertility program transparently disguised as “The Year of the Family.” At the opening of the exposition — the complete program of which defies description — Vladimir Putin held his captive audience . . . well . . . captive with a painfully long welcoming speech.

Here are just a few of the highlights:

“The main purpose of the family is about having children, about procreation, and thus, the perpetuation of our people and our centuries-old history. Our culture, identity, national character are rooted in the family.” [President of Russia News, January 23, 2024.]

“I have just met with the winners of the Family of the Year contest and participants in the This Runs in Our Family contest, which is a fairly recent event, but has become widely popular. Most of the families that attended the meeting were large families. They are now here, behind me, on this stage, as I said before. Let’s welcome them.” [Id.]

“It is important for us to have more large families . . .” [Id.]

“As you may be aware, the Executive Order of state support for large families was signed yesterday and released today. It defines the status of a large family as a family with three or more children, established indefinitely. The social support is provided to each of the children under 18, or under 23 if they are full-time students at a university or college.” [Id.]

“The decision to make the status of large families uniform nationwide is primarily important to ensure that such families have access to social support measures in every region in Russia, so that they can travel or move from region to region and be sure that they are entitled to the same measures of state support everywhere.” [Id.]

And so on, for another dozen or so schmaltz-filled paragraphs.

*. *. *

So . . . this gigantic love-in is not merely taking place in the offices and shops of Moscow and St. Petersburg. All over Russia — from the far-flung farmlands, through the tundra and the taiga, to the docks of Vladivostok — there’s a whole lotta lovin’ goin’ on. And it’s all in the name of Mother Russia.

Speaking of which, let us not overlook the opportunity for a bit of old-fashioned, Soviet-style patriotism as Putin approached the conclusion of his monologue:

“Family values are fostered from childhood and not forgotten the minute we leave the parental home — they are embodied in our devotion to our country, in the courage of soldiers and officers — today’s fighters in the special military operation — in each person’s work for the common good. This includes the selfless effort of volunteers, and the people’s heartfelt support for our heroes, our fighters on the frontlines.”

“Undoubtedly, family values consolidate society. I will say more: Russia itself is indeed a huge family, a family of families. That is how different ethnic groups have lived here together in peace and perfect harmony for centuries, and the diversity of their cultures, languages, and customs never divided them, no — on the contrary, it keeps Russia together. Because we share the values of a large, close-knit family — they make us stronger, more confident, and united.” [Id.] [Bold emphasis is mine.]

I don’t know what parallel universe Vladimir Putin has been living in; or whether his speech writers have simply been taking advanced courses in fiction writing; or whether that last paragraph was copied from an old, archived speech of Nikita Khrushchev’s. But the only thing missing is the background string music, or perhaps a rousing chorus of the Internationale.

*. *. *

But what if you’re a 20-something or 30-something, 21st-Century professional who doesn’t want to bring three or more children into this scary world? What do you do?

I’ll tell you what you don’t do: you don’t talk about it. Not to anyone, because sadly, these are again times when it’s nearly impossible to know whom to trust. And there is now a law being pushed through the Russian Parliament banning a “child-free ideology,” and stating that “promoting life without children is a hostile ideology that threatens the country’s traditional values.” The penalty for violating that law could be as high as $4,300 for an individual or $50,000 for a company or organization. [Ajila Obradovic, RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty, October 13, 2024.]

That’s right: it’s about to become law. So if your neighbor or your best friend asks you how many children you’re planning on having, just tell her “six,” and change the subject.

Because the times, they are a-changing . . . and, in Russia, not for the better.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
10/17/24

Here we go again.

My first thought — upon reading that French researcher Laurent Vinatier had been found guilty of failure to register as a “foreign agent” in Russia and sentenced to three years in prison — was that he might have been taken as bait for a possible swap with French authorities for Telegram messaging service’s billionaire CEO, Russian-born Pavel Durov. But Vinatier was first detained in June of this year, while Durov wasn’t arrested in France until August. So I was mistaken . . . but it was a plausible scenario. And who knows what the future might bring?

In the meantime, Laurent Vinatier stands convicted of “collecting military information of value to foreign intelligence services.” [Reuters, October 14, 2024.] And he admitted to having researched military-related information . . . but not for the purpose of intelligence-gathering. However, under Russian law, people are required to register as foreign agents if they are involved in political activity or collection of military information while receiving financial or other help from abroad. [Id.]

Vinatier is an employee of the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue (HD), a Swiss-based conflict mediation organization, and is said by fellow academics to be a respected scholar involved in legitimate research. In a statement following Vinatier’s arrest, HD said that its staff work globally and “routinely meet with a wide range of officials, experts and other parties with the aim of advancing efforts to prevent, mitigate and resolve armed conflict.” [Id.]

The French Foreign Ministry has said that Vinatier is being arbitrarily detained, and has called for his immediate release:

“The legislation on ‘foreign agents’ contributes to a systematic violation of fundamental freedoms in Russia, such as freedom of association, freedom of opinion and freedom of expression. French authorities remain fully mobilized to provide assistance [to Vinatier].” [Id.]

Speaking in his own defense, Vinatier asked for a “fair and lenient” decision, saying that he has children and elderly parents dependent on him. He added:

“I am not afraid to say that I fell in love with Russia. This is confirmed by my personal life — my wife is Russian, my friends are Russian. I lived a Russian life and still, even the last four months [while in detention], I have been living in a Russian atmosphere.” [Id.]

The “fair and lenient” decision of the Russian court was a three-year prison sentence.

And so M. Vinatier joins our list of Putin’s hostages, being held in Russian prisons on fabricated charges for purely political reasons . . . yet another example of Russian justice.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
10/16/24

Since the media were given a sneak peek at Bob Woodward’s newest book, War, there has been a frenzy of contemplation concerning the allegation that Donald Trump, since leaving the White House nearly four years ago, has had “multiple” — perhaps as many as seven — conversations with Vladimir Putin: a charge that Trump has flatly denied. Sort of.

Trump’s high praise of Putin — one might say, his infatuation with the Russian strongman — has been well documented over the years. And Putin, ever the canny former KGB spy, has been quick to take advantage of Trump’s naïveté . . . innocence . . . trusting nature . . . nah, make that stupidity.

But Trump is no longer President of the United States, and hasn’t been since January 20, 2021. So why would he be talking to the leader of the country once again considered the “main enemy” of the United States and its allies . . . the man under sanctions by the U.S. and numerous other countries . . . the man wanted throughout the world under warrant issued by the International Criminal Court?

Well, last week Trump said he had not spoken to Putin. In an interview with ABC News’ Jonathan Karl, Karl asked: “So you haven’t spoken to him since you left the White House?” And Trump unequivocally replied: “No, I have not. That’s false.” [Soo Rin Kim, Lalee Ibssa, Kelsey Walsh and Selina Wang, ABC News, October 15, 2024.]

But only yesterday, in an interview in Chicago with Bloomberg’s John Micklethwait, Trump had this to say when asked about post-presidency communications with Putin:

“Well, I don’t comment on that, but I will tell you that if I did, it’s a smart thing. If I’m friendly with people, if I have a relationship with people, that’s a good thing, not a bad thing.” [Id.]

So a relationship with Beelzebub would be a good thing . . . right? Holy crap!

And that last reply was not an outright denial. So the question remains: Did he or didn’t he?

There’s an easy way to solve the riddle. Why not ask the other half of that bromance-made-in-hell: Vladimir Putin? Or, better yet, the man whose mouth moves when Putin speaks — the man of my dreams (I didn’t say they were good dreams) — Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov.

Because we know we always get straightforward answers from him.

So let’s hear it, Dima: Did they or did they not have a few chats in the past four years? We don’t care whether they discussed the weather, or golf, or the women in their lives. Just a simple “yes” or “no” will do. (Dates and times would be nice, though.)

Because this old man who would be President of the United States again is a notorious fake, a liar, a gasball of unbelievable dimensions. And the world needs to know.

(You would also have my personal appreciation, which I’m sure would mean a lot.)

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
10/16/24

On November 18-19, the G-20 nations will hold their annual summit, this year in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, to be attended by the leaders of 19 sovereign nations, plus the European Union and the African Union. (I know, that’s 21 . . . but it is what it is.)

One of those 19 sovereign nations is Russia, and normally Vladimir Putin would be in attendance. But in March of 2023, the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued a warrant for Putin’s arrest based on accusations of the war crime of forcefully deporting children from Ukraine.

This year’s G-20 host country, Brazil, is a state party to the Rome Statute, which ratified the establishment of the ICC in 2002, and as such would be obliged to arrest Vladimir Putin if he were to set foot on Brazilian territory.

But . . .

Brazil is also one of the founding members — along with Russia, India, China, and South Africa — of BRICS, an organization masterminded by Putin with the ultimate goal of creating a new world order to undermine the political and economic dominance of the Western-oriented NATO and EU.

And Brazil has established a . . . shall we say . . . comfortable and beneficial relationship with Russia.

So you can see the problem: Brazil has a choice between arresting the president of its BRICS partner and economic benefactor, or violating its obligations under the ICC’s Rome Statute.

There is, of course, a way out of the dilemma, but the decision is not Brazil’s to make: it’s Putin’s choice. He could simply stay home and attend online, as he did for a meeting of BRICS in South Africa last year. Asked whether a decision had been made in this regard, our old buddy, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, had a very succinct answer:

“No. When a decision is made, we will let you know.” [Anthony Deutsch, Reuters, October 14, 2024.]

Hey, Dima . . . you’re sounding a little testy there. Stress getting you down, sweetie?

*. *. *

Now enter Ukraine, which unfortunately is not yet a member of anything, though it’s working on membership in NATO, the EU, and the ICC. But it obviously has a vested interest in making life as difficult as possible for Vladimir Putin . . . which is only fair, considering what he’s done to them. So Ukraine’s top prosecutor has called on authorities in Brazil to carry out the ICC’s warrant if Putin does make an appearance there next month.

And so — typically where Russia is concerned — we wait. Will we hear further from Dmitry Peskov? From Putin himself? Or will they simply choose to surprise us in November?

Stay tuned for the next installment of “Life With Vlad.” It’s the soap opera that keeps going, and going, and going . . .

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
10/16/24

Don’t be so blase. It may not sound like anything special, unless it’s your birthday or anniversary. But there’s really a good bit to celebrate today, if you open yourself up to the possibilities. For example, today is:

National Mushroom Day.

After the recent rains associated with Hurricane Helene, our yard blossomed with what looked like hundreds (actually, more like dozens) of big, white, probably toxic toadstools. But I really don’t think that’s what the creator of this “holiday” had in mind. And I will leave the mushroom-picking to the experts, while I just enjoy eating them. Sauteed, with onions. Yum.

International Day of Rural Women.

I think this includes me. Although I am, by nature and by history, a city girl, I have now lived out in the country with family for the past four years. (We’re actually in a lovely neighborhood, but surrounded by nothing but country.) It’s beautiful, it’s peaceful . . . and it’s boring. At least, it is to me, because I am not an outdoor enthusiast, which is a gross understatement. Did I mention, I’m a city girl? So I’ll leave this day to the women who really do love rural living. More power to them.

National Grouch Day.

Definitely my day. Enough said.

White Cane Safety Day.

For all of the maladies that have come along with the years, I am blessed to have retained my eyesight. Which means I can watch out for those who don’t, and avoid bumping into them . . . which I assume is the purpose of this day. Or maybe it’s intended to teach newly unsighted people how to use their canes without tripping on them. Either way, I wish them the best. And again, I count my blessings.

Global Handwashing Day.

I thought this was kind of standard procedure for everyone with access to water. Didn’t your mother teach you to wash your hands after . . . well, after everything? “You’ve been playing outside; wash your hands.” “You touched the dog; wash your hands.” “You went to the bathroom; really scrub those hands — twice.” “You read a book; wash your hands.” “You breathed; wash your hands.”

Or maybe you didn’t have a Jewish mother.

*. *. *

Well, that’s a wrap for today. Off to visit a new friend in the neighborhood now. International Day of Rural Women is looking up.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
10/15/24

They’re on their way, in all their wonderful, playful, adorable cuddliness, aboard the Panda Express. And they’ll soon be settled in their new home for the next ten years, at the National Zoo in Washington, D.C.

They are Bao Li and Qing Bao, both age three, arriving from their native habitat in the mountains of southwest China, in a heartwarming demonstration of what can be accomplished when two people — or two countries — put aside their differences long enough to think of something other than whatever it is they’ve been fighting about.

Last November, in a visit to San Francisco, Chinese President Xi Jinping said that China would be sending a new pair of pandas to the U.S., as “envoys of friendship between the Chinese and American peoples.” [Nectar Gan, CNN, October 14, 2024.] And he has kept his word.

So what if it’s just good public relations for the Chinese government? It makes a lot of people happy . . . and that’s important in times of stress, and wars, and other disasters.

*. *. *

The first pair of Chinese pandas to be sent to live in the United States — also at the National Zoo — arrived in 1972. Then President Nixon and his wife, Pat, were on a diplomatic mission to China, and were seated at dinner with Premier Zhou Enlai when Mrs. Nixon noticed a box of cigarettes on the table with a panda decoration on the cover. She commented on how cute the bears were, and how she loved them, to which Premier Zhou is said to have replied, “I’ll give you some.” And some weeks later, Washington had a new attraction: Ling Ling and Hsing Hsing arrived to a crowd of 20,000 visitors . . . and that was just on the first day. [Id.]

I waited a few days before braving the crowds, and stood in line for well over an hour. But it was worth the wait; they were just about the most adorable critters I have ever set eyes on.

Since then, there have been a number of other panda couples sent to various zoos in the U.S. and elsewhere. But since the last pair in the nation’s capital — Mei Xiang and Tiantian, together with their youngest cub, Xiao Qi — ended their stay here and returned home to China, the panda house has remained sadly empty.

But — now newly renovated — it will soon be a happy place again. The young couple will, of course, receive the royal treatment throughout their stay here, and hopefully will produce at least one heir, and perhaps even a spare, during that time. And the people of Washington will have something to smile about for the next decade.

So, for this lovely gesture — and setting aside all differences and animosity for just a little while — thank you, China. We love your pandas.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
10/15/24