We all know the things that start to wear out as we get older — you don’t need me to list them for you. The physical stuff is bad enough; but to me, even worse is when you’re standing there talking to someone and, mid-sentence, you can’t remember a specific word. Not something abstruse, like “esoteric,” for example. But . . . oh, say . . . “refrigerator.” Or “dog.”

And God forbid, someone should ask you the name of your favorite actor, or your best friend. Or your sister.

But it never ceases to amaze me when I recall, in the most excruciating detail, a complete picture of a party I went to, a show I saw, or a meeting I attended 40 years ago . . . including what I — and everyone else — wore, where we sat, what we ate, and who said what to whom.

And those thoughts inevitably lead me to marvel at the things I was able to do back then, 40 or 50 or . . . well, never mind how many years ago. Let’s just say, even if I wanted to, there’s no way in hell I could ever:

. . . repeatedly climb five flights of stairs to my office in that little old building in Prague every time the power went out during that summer of 1991.

. . . or, for that matter, walk those hilly, cobblestone streets of Prague, for miles and miles and miles.

. . . go straight from the office to the gym and work out on those . . . oh, what’s that word? . . . well, those machines for a couple of hours, and leave there feeling refreshed.

. . . dance for hours in four-inch heels, and still be able to walk the next day.

. . . eat an entire baked stuffed lobster, plus the dozen large scallops in the stuffing, and part of a baked potato . . . and still think about dessert. All without throwing up. (At Mattakeese Wharf in Barnstable, Cape Cod, Massachusetts, if you’re interested.)

. . . or run for a bus.

. . . or schlep luggage through an airport.

. . . or get up at 6:00 a.m., work all day, meet friends after work and party until 2:00 a.m., then do it all over again the next day.

. . . or just get up at 6:00 a.m., for any reason.

*. *. *

And those are just the fun things. The next stop on my train of thought is usually somewhere in the midst of all those things I’ve done throughout my life that I might not have done if I’d been smarter, or more cautious. You really want to know? Okay, then . . . there was:

. . . the time, on one of those after-work get-togethers, I consumed close to half of a fifth of vodka, then drove someone else home because he was too drunk to drive. It was his car, by the way, which I kept in order to get myself home; he had to take a taxi to pick it up the next day. And incidentally, please don’t mention this one to my kids; I don’t do that anymore.

. . . or the time I let myself be talked into eating escargot (snails, in case you didn’t know — and don’t you wish you still didn’t!). Even the excess of garlic and butter didn’t make them less disgusting.

. . . or go out with that guy I dated, just once, as a favor to . . . well, no. Never mind that one.

. . . or meeting that old acquaintance in Moscow and agreeing to help his friend find a publisher in the U.S. for his tell-all book.

No, actually, I think I would do that one again . . . but a bit differently, knowing what I know today. Because without that whole experience, I’d have very little to talk about in my old age, and this blog wouldn’t exist.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
10/8/24

The day is nearly over in Moscow, but it’s not too late to send a birthday wish to Vladimir Vladimirovich:

С днем рождения!

Now that I’ve said “Happy birthday,” it seems pretty lame compared to the effusive greetings he received on the dot of midnight from two of his nearest and dearest comrades . . . er, colleagues: Aleksandr Dugin and Ramzan Kadyrov. Allow me to elaborate.

You may remember Dugin from some of my earlier descriptions: the far, far, far, far right uber-nationalist whack-job who is trying to help Putin rebuild the Soviet . . . oops! the Russian Empire. Well, he outdid himself with today’s birthday greeting, sent just minutes after the stroke of midnight via posting on his Telegram messaging channel:

“God save the Tsar! Putin rules the country confidently and unhurriedly. And it shall always be so. Well, almost.” [Guy Faulconbridge, Reuters, October 7, 2024.]

Not sure what he meant by “almost.” Perhaps it’s the fact that, at 72, Putin has already outlived his life expectancy (in Russia) by three years. That’s seriously creepy, Dugin.

*. *. *

And then there was the quick turn-around by Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov, who had spent the previous week ripping into Putin’s handling (or mishandling) of the war in Ukraine. Seeking to cover his rather substantial yagoditsy (literally, buttocks), he praised the birthday boy for his support of Chechnya “in the most difficult times,” as follows:

“Russian President Vladimir Putin played a key role in the fate of the Chechen people,” adding that Putin had “saved the republic [and] raised [it] from ruins. Today, neither the collective West, nor Europe, nor even Ukraine can dispute this obvious and indisputable fact. And it will always be so! Putin has changed the world position of Russia and forced us to reckon with the position of our great state!” [Isabel van Brugen, Newsweek, October 7, 2024.]

Wow! That’s just beautiful.

*. *. *

But wait — there’s one more. I should have known Aleksandr Lukashenko, Belarus’ presumptive president, wouldn’t forget his BFF’s big day.

His birthday message read: “Your deep understanding of Russia’s historic mission, personal responsibility for the fate of the people and the Fatherland have become a reliable guarantee of strengthening its statehood and sovereignty.” [Elena Giordano, Politico, October 7, 2024.]

When he’s no longer leading the people of Belarus to disaster, Lukashenko clearly has a future with Hallmark . . . don’t you agree?

*. *. *

And there was a tightrope-walking message from Armenia’s Prime Minister, Nikol Pashinyan, who has lately been sucking up . . . sorry, fostering closer ties to the EU:

“Dear Vladimir Vladimirovich, please accept my sincere congratulations and best wishes on your birthday. We believe that at this stage, the need for consistent activities aimed at strengthening the mutually beneficial cooperation between the Republic of Armenia and the Russian Federation in all areas of mutual interest is of particular importance . . . I wish you, dear Vladimir Vladimirovich, health, success and all the best.” [Id.]

*. *. *

And that seems to be it. Nothing — at least not publicly — from dear friends Kim Jong Un, Xi Jinping, or the Ayatollah Ali Khamanei. [Id.]

It must have been a very quiet party. I do hope that someone in the Kremlin — perhaps Medvedev, Lavrov, or good old dependable Peskov — at least remembered to buy you a necktie.

I would add a lengthy, extravagant message of my own, Vladimir Vladimirovich, but it would hardly be appropriate. First of all, you don’t know me, so it would be meaningless. And secondly, I don’t like you. I mean . . . I really don’t like you.

But, happy birthday, anyway.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
10/7/24

His name was Ildar Dadin. In 2014, he was a well-known Russian opposition activist, staging peaceful protests against the increasing political repression in his country. And he was the first person prosecuted under the newly enacted Article 212.1 — later dubbed “Dadin’s Law” — that rendered his repeated protests criminal offenses. [Sarah Rainsford, BBC, October 6, 2024.]

He was, of course, convicted and sentenced to two and a half years in prison. Placed in a punishment cell, he staged a hunger strike, and was tortured by his prison guards to force him to stop . . . including being hung by his wrists handcuffed to a wall, and being threatened with rape. But he survived, and was released in 2017.

He always felt that he and his fellow protesters were not doing enough to stop Vladimir Putin’s increasingly totalitarian rule. A lifelong pacifist, he nonetheless felt he had to do something more, and in 2023 he joined a battalion of Russian volunteers fighting for Ukraine.

“I can’t sit by and do nothing and so become an accomplice to Russian evil, to its crimes,” he explained. “The aggression, the mass killing, the torture, rape and looting. The main thing now is to act according to my conscience.” [Id.]

And now, the Ukrainian group that had recruited him has told the BBC that he has been killed in action, and that “he was, and he remains a hero.” [Id.]

There are few details available at this time, other than the fact that his battalion, the Freedom of Russia Legion, came under Russian artillery fire in the Kharkiv region of northeastern Ukraine. Sarah Rainsford, the BBC reporter who earlier interviewed him, has been told that his death was “confirmed by those who were with him in battle.” [Id.]

Ildar Dadin was in most ways an ordinary man, but a man who listened to his conscience, who loved his country and was willing to fight against the evil regime that was — and is — destroying his people. He did his part in the only way he knew how, fully aware of the dangers, but always feeling he should have been able to do more. And he died a hero.

Rest in peace, Ildar . . . you did your very best. And it was more than enough.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
10/7/24

It began on October 6, 1973, and continued to the 25th of the month. It was most commonly called the Yom Kippur War, but also was referred to as the Ramadan War, the October War, the 1973 Arab-Israeli War, or the Fourth Arab-Israeli War.

Whatever you choose to call it, it starteed with an attack by Egyptian and Syrian forces on Israel. Israel ultimately prevailed, but not before Russia became involved on the side of Egypt and Syria, forcing the United States to step up in defense of its ally, Israel.

Thanks largely to the “shuttle diplomacy” of then U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, a peace settlement was agreed upon. Israeli troops withdrew from occupied parts of the Sinai and Syrian territory; Egypt, on its part, pledged to eschew the use of force in all dealings with Israel.

Peace returned to the region . . . though, as always in that part of the world, it was an uneasy peace at best. And severe damage had been done to U.S.-Soviet relations in the taking of sides.

Some things never seem to change. Because exactly 50 years later, it happened again.

*. *. *

Today, October 7, 2024, marks the one-year anniversary of the unwarranted, criminal, indescribably barbaric attack on Israel by Hamas’ terrorist forces from bordering Gaza . . . the rape and slaughter of women and children, burning of families alive in their homes, killing of over 1,200 innocent civilians and taking of 251 hostages that shocked the world with the intensity of its hatred and animalistic brutality.

When Israel retaliated, the world cheered. The ferocity of its counter-attack was expected and justified.

But it didn’t stop. Both sides, for the entirety of the year since the initial horrifying slaughter by Hamas, have continued to rain destruction upon one another with a savagery and an exhibition of pure hatred seldom (but not seldom enough) seen in the modern civilized world.

As we approach the holiest of the Jewish high holidays this Friday — Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement — the Middle East once again stands on the brink of all-out war, with yet another terrorist organization, Hezbollah, and its host country Lebanon joining in the fray . . . backed by Iran, whose growing friendship with Russia adds still another level of major concern.

Sadly, despite a year of efforts to reach a settlement, there is no Henry Kissinger to call upon.

The times are dark indeed.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
10/7/24

Last week, we added 72-year-old Stephen James Hubbard to our hostage list as he stood trial on charges of having served as a mercenary fighter for Ukraine. A guilty verdict could bring a prison sentence of seven to fifteen years.

Hubbard’s trial, which began on September 27th, was scheduled to continue on Thursday, October 3rd. As of yesterday, October 5th, word from the closed-door session was that Hubbard had admitted guilt, and the prosecutors had asked for a sentence of seven years to be served in a maximum-security penal colony. The minimum sentence request was allegedly in deference to Hubbard’s advanced age.

Well, isn’t that special!

With a guilty plea having been entered — under who-knows-what circumstances — all that remains now is the sentencing by the court. At age 72, in the conditions known to exist in Russia’s maximum-security prisons, the length of the sentence hardly matters.

*. *. *

And, as always, we pay homage to those others who have already been convicted and imprisoned on spurious political grounds. In no particular order, they are:

U.S. Army Staff Sergeant Gordon Black, who was stationed in South Korea when he fell into a classic Russian “honey trap.” He was on his way back to his home in Texas, on two weeks’ leave, when he was lured to Vladivostok by the Russian girlfriend he had met in Korea. He was arrested in May of 2024 on charges of alleged larceny and murder threat, and sentenced the following month to a prison term of three years and nine months.

*. *. *

Marc Fogel, a schoolteacher from Pennsylvania, was arrested in August of 2021 for possession of 0.6 ounce of legally-prescribed (in the U.S.) medical marijuana. In June of 2022 he was sentenced to 14 years in prison.

*. *. *

Ksenia Karelina, dual U.S.-Russian citizen, recently convicted of espionage and sentenced to 12 years in prison for contributing $51.80 to an American charity providing aid to Ukraine.

*. *. *

Robert Romanov Woodland, a dual US-Russian citizen, was teaching English in Russia when he was arrested in January of 2024 for allegedly attempting to sell drugs. In July, he was sentenced to 12-1/2 years in a maximum security prison.

*. *. *

Robert Gilman, already in jail in Russia serving a 4-1/2-year sentence (later reduced to 3-1/2 years on appeal) for kicking a police officer in 2022, found himself facing added charges in 2023 of punching prison staff in the head, and later also attacking a criminal investigator and another prison guard.

*. *. *

David Barnes, an American citizen and resident of Texas, was arrested in January of 2022 while visiting his children, who had been taken to Russia from Texas by his Russian wife. He was charged and sentenced in the fall of that year to 21 years in prison for child abuse (allegedly occurring while in Texas), on his wife’s accusation. I really wish I knew more of this story!

*. *. *

Eugene Spector, a dual US-Russian citizen already serving a four-year sentence handed down in June of 2021 on a bribery conviction, received additional charges of suspicion of espionage in August of 2023. No other details have been found, as the evidence is labelled “classified.”

*. *. *

Michael Travis Leake, a rock musician and former paratrooper, was sentenced in July of this year to 13 years in prison on drug charges — specifically, suspicion of selling mephedrone, and organizing a drug trafficking business “involving young people.”

*. *. *

And again I ask: Are any of these prisoners actually guilty of the charges leveled against them? I don’t know. But I do know that the recent timing of a number of the arrests, and the speed with which they were brought to trial, is a clear indication of Russia’s intentional roundup of American citizens to be used as (what I call) Putin’s Pawns.

What they are, quite simply, are HOSTAGES. And they will not — MUST not — be forgotten. Let’s shorten this list to zero.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
10/6/24

How many people out there think you know what a frappe is? (You New Englanders, please lower your hands; you already do know.)

First of all, it’s not pronounced “frapp-ay,” which the French folks might think as they placed an accent aigu above the letter “e.” It’s just plain “frap.” And in most parts of New England, it’s what people in a lot of other places call a milk shake — milk, syrup and ice cream, all whipped together. Except in Rhode Island, where it’s known as a cabinet. No one knows why.

And if you’re wondering what a New England milk shake is, it’s a frappe without ice cream — just milk and whatever flavor syrup you desire, whipped to a froth. Add ice cream, and you then have a frappe — or a cabinet. Or just plop the ice cream into the milk shake without whipping it in, and you have a float. But that’s a whole other thing.

What made me think of this was a visit to the list of celebrations for tomorrow, which, among other things, includes National Frappe Day. I’m not sure anyone knows the reason for that, either. But it certainly did whet my appetite for one.

Then, of course, my mind wandered off into the Land of Oddly-Named Foods, and particularly those with different names in different parts of the United States. You expect different countries to have their own names for the same dish — such as the incredible stuffed cabbages of Russia, Ukraine and Poland — because of the language variations. Yet within one country — the U.S. — there are numerous regional differences . . . possibly as a result of past migrations from all over the world, or simply some local person’s vivid imagination.

But take the peculiarly American creation known as the submarine sandwich, or sub. Or hoagie (Pennsylvania). Or hero (New York). Or po’boy (Louisiana). Or, inexplicably, the grinder (New England).

I call it a heart attack on a plate, but that’s just me.

*. *. *

Now, what could be more American — other than apple pie — than the good old hamburger? And other than adding cheese to create a cheeseburger, or bacon and cheese to make a bacon-cheeseburger, what else would you call it?

Well, I’ve been informed that it’s just a “burger.” It can’t be a “hamburger” unless you put ham on it. I suppose that makes sense; in fact, I don’t know where the name “hamburger” came from in the first place. You could call it a beef patty; or simply a meat patty (which would make me wonder what happened to the neighbor’s horse); or add other ingredients such as bread crumbs, an egg, and seasonings, and call it Salisbury Steak. Come to think of it, that’s how my mother always made her burgers, and she never knew it was Salisbury Steak. Nor did I, until now.

*. *. *

How do you like your ice cream — with or without sprinkles? If you said “with,” then be sure they’re just little round candy bits (also, by the way, known as nonpareils). But if they’re cylindrical — and especially if they’re chocolate — they’re jimmies. Got it?

*. *. *

I grew up hearing the end piece of the loaf of bread called the heel. I’ve also heard it referred to as the end, the butt, or just the crust. What I didn’t know — probably because I didn’t pay enough attention to my grandparents — was that the Yiddish word for it is shpitzel.

Actually, shpitzel sounds to me like a word for something entirely different . . . something anatomical . . . but let’s not go there.

And speaking of bread, that wonderful side dish we all crave at Thanksgiving and Christmas is what I know as stuffing. It is, after all, best when it’s been stuffed into the bird’s . . . uh . . . cavity and roasted to absorb all that delicious poultry flavor. “Dressing” is a southern name for stuffing, and is frequently baked separately in a casserole dish.

Sorry, but dressing is a liquid or creamy concoction that goes on a salad.

***

And we could argue all day about soda vs. pop, and frosting vs. icing. But all this talk of food has, predictably, made me hungry. Time to raid the refrigerator.

Or is it an ice box? That would depend on how old you are.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
10/6/24

No, not a hunky movie idol from the ‘80s. I’m talking about the country in the Sahel region of Africa. That Chad.

It seems that, after decades of a friendly alliance with France and the West in general, Chad is working on strengthening relations with Moscow. And the governments in Paris and Washington are less than pleased.

Chad’s President, Mahamat Deby, visited Vladimir Putin in the Kremlin in January, and that meeting was followed by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov’s trip to Chad’s capital, N’Djamena, in June. Thus far, the focus is said to be on cultural and media relations, including the opening in September of a Russian cultural center in N’Djamena. But some Chadian officials have also suggested the possibility of a military partnership. [Paul Melly, BBC, October 4, 2024.]

Russia has already established itself in at least three other Sahel countries — Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso — as well as a number of additional nations throughout Africa . . . many with the help of troops from the former Wagner Group of mercenaries, now known as the Africa Corps. Though interestingly, three self-described “sociologists” linked to Wagner, along with a Belarusian colleague, were detained in N’Djamena in September without explanation. [Id.]

The three Russians were identified as Maxim Shugaley, Samer Sueifan, and E. Tsaryov, and the Belarusian as A. Denisevich.

Shugaley heads a Moscow-based NGO known as the Foundation for the Defense of National Values, believed by the U.S. to be part of a media group linked to Wagner’s late founder, Yevgeny Prigozhin. Shugaley is also under EU sanctions, said to have been working directly under Prigozhin’s supervision as the “public relations arm of the Wagner Group . . . [and spreading] propaganda and disinformation.” [Id.]

Both Shugaley and Sueifan were arrested in Libya in May 2019 on charges of election interference on Russia’s behalf. They were freed some 18 months later, but only after payment of $500,000 by one of Prigozhin’s companies.

So these are the sorts of “sociologists” employed by Russia to cement “cultural and media ties” with African nations.

Nice.

*. *. *

During Soviet times, Moscow’s Patrice Lumumba University was said to house a training school for revolutionaries and terrorists, including many from various friendly African nations. According to a former acquaintance of mine who once studied in the university’s law school, Vladimir Putin was a student there, as was the infamous “Carlos the Jackal.”

Reinvented as the Peoples’ Friendship University following the breakup of the USSR, it struggles to recruit even legitimate students, and accepts applicants from virtually anywhere in the world. It would not surprise me if it were to reinvent itself once more in the future.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
10/6/24

On October 2nd, the Japanese National Astronomical Observatory’s Subaru-Asahi Star Camera, located on the summit of Mount Maunakea in Hawaii, was the first to capture footage of a rare comet — the Tsuchinshan-ATLAS Comet — as it passed near Earth. [BBC, October 3, 2024.]

The article stated that the comet had been discovered in January 2023 after the Tsuchinshan Observatory in China initially spotted it, and it was later independently detected by NASA’s Asteroid-Terrestrial-Impact Last Alert System (ATLAS). Thus, obviously, was its name chosen.

It is fascinating to contemplate any new discovery in space — black hole activity; a second, tiny “moon” orbiting Earth; or a water source on Mars. But this closing tidbit about Tsuchinshan-ATLAS particularly captured my attention:

“Scientists estimate the last time Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS visited our solar system was 80,000 years ago.”

And I want to know how they know that!

I mean, seriously. It’s not a tree; they can’t measure the rings. They can’t carbon-date it. They can’t check its birth certificate. There’s no DNA.

So what did they do . . . ask the little extraterrestrial riding on the comet’s tail? Stop it at the border to check its ID? Call its mother?

Or did some mad scientist simply come up with an indecipherable, unprovable mathematical equation?

I really do want to know how they know!

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
10/5/24

Well, I’m here after all. Had to bail out on the concert in the park today — logistical problems — but managed to trade off for tickets to a later performance of the same Savannah Philharmonic . . . indoors, in the historic Lucas Theatre. Today is disappointing, but there’s something else to look forward to. C’est la vie.

So, let’s see what’s going on in the world that I might otherwise have missed out on.

Oh, here’s a good one: Vladimir Putin has decided that the Taliban is not a terrorist organization. All right, then!

In fact, Putin’s special representative on Afghanistan, Zamir Kabulov, has announced that a decision to remove the Taliban from Russia’s list of terrorist organizations has been “taken at the highest level,” and will be codified with the appropriate legal procedures. [Mark Trevelyan, Anastasia Teterevleva and Charlotte Greenfield, Reuters, October 4, 2024.]

I’m not sure how the women of Afghanistan would feel about that, but apparently that’s irrelevant since their voices aren’t allowed to be heard in public in any event . . .

Anyway, this is just one more step in Russia’s increasingly normalized relations with Afghanistan’s current rulers, whom Putin considers an ally in the fight against terrorism.

What??!!! Those poor Afghani women aren’t terrorized? Really?!! “Terrorism” isn’t limited to blowing up buildings in other countries, you know.

While no country in the world has formally recognized the Taliban as the country’s legitimate leadership, Russia has been increasing its ties with them since they seized power in Afghanistan in 2021, when U.S. forces withdrew. Acting Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi recently said in a speech in Moscow that they welcome recent decisions by Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan removing the Taliban from their lists of banned groups, adding:

“We also appreciate the positive remarks by the high-ranking officials of the Russian Federation in this regard and hope to see more effective steps soon.” [Id.]

At the meeting in Moscow with Muttaqi and representatives of neighboring countries yesterday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that it was important to maintain “pragmatic dialogue” with the current Afghan government, i.e., the Taliban:

“It is obvious that it is impossible to solve problems or even discuss an Afghan settlement without Kabul.

”Moscow will continue its course on developing political, trade and economic ties with Kabul.” [Id.]

Lavrov further offered his unsolicited opinion that the United States should return “confiscated assets” to Afghanistan, and that the West should accept responsibility for “post-conflict reconstruction” of the country. [Id.] He didn’t specify which “conflict” he meant: Russia’s invasion in 1979 and its subsequent ten-year, unsuccessful battle against the Mujahideen; or the American ousting of the Taliban and the peace-keeping presence that followed.

And despite that ten-year Russian incursion, and the recent attacks on Russian soil by Islamist militants groups associated with Afghanistan, Lavrov praised the current Afghan leadership — without specifically naming the Taliban — for its efforts in fighting the Islamic State. [Id.]

I do wish they’d get their stories straight.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
10/5/24

Just stopping by to tell you that I won’t be here today. I’m taking Saturday off to head into Savannah for — anybody care to guess? — okay, it’s an outdoor concert in beautiful Forsyth Park, featuring the Savannah Philharmonic, a Japanese-American violinist, an American soprano, the 3rd Infantry Division Army Band, a female rapper, a bluegrass band, and some additional talent identified only as “More.” Talk about variety!

Based on what you know about me, that’s probably the last place you would have expected to find me. But I do love all sorts of music, and it’s going to be great fun. They’re expecting around 25,000 people — yes, I said 25,000, with three 000s — so we’re heading out early to find parking and hopefully good seating. I didn’t know there were that many people in all of Savannah!

I’ll be back to you on Sunday with a full report, and hopefully a few good pictures. In the meantime, my news-making Russian and other “friends” will just have to carry on without me around to report on their shenanigans. This being the weekend, I’m sure they’ll manage.

Have a great Saturday, everyone!

Brendochka
10/5/24