That’s not the sort of thing I would want to hear as I was being prepped for surgery to replace a portion of bone flap that had been removed — supposedly temporarily — during an earlier procedure. For me, having already undergone surgery to repair an intracerebral hemorrhage — more commonly known as a brain bleed — would have been quite enough trauma, thank you.

But this is precisely what happened to Fernando Cluster beginning in September of 2022, when he was admitted to Emory University Hospital Midtown in Atlanta, Georgia. To relieve the pressure on Mr. Cluster’s brain, the surgeon removed a portion of his skull — measuring around 4.7 inches by 5.9 inches — and had it set aside for replacement once the patient had healed.

Apparently the surgery and Mr. Cluster’s recovery went well, because in November of that year, he was scheduled for the cranioplasty (fancy name for reimplantation of the bone flap). But when the hospital personnel went to retrieve the piece of skull from wherever it is they store such things, they found that “there were several bone flaps with incomplete or missing patient identification,” and that therefore, they “could not be certain which if any of these belonged to Mr. Cluster.” [Ashley R. Williams, CNN, August 17, 2024.]

And therein lies the basis of what I can only assume is a whopping big lawsuit. Mr. Cluster and his wife Melinda have now sued the hospital and unnamed staff members for negligence, claiming “extensive damages, including ongoing physical and emotional pain and suffering, and unnecessary medical bills.” [Id.]

Needless to say, the surgery had to be postponed while arrangements were made to have a synthetic implant flap created. This was inserted in late November . . . and Mr. Cluster was billed for the cost of the synthetic flap and for the extra time he had to stay in the hospital.

Holy crap! They actually billed him for it . . . ??!!!

But wait . . . there’s more. Mr. Cluster subsequently suffered an infection in the synthetic flap, necessitating yet another surgical procedure. According to an article in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Mr. Cluster’s medical expenses totaled more than $146,800, of which more than $19,000 was attributable to the synthetic flap implant. [Id.]

The complaint further states that Mr. Cluster has been unable to work as a result of having “suffered permanent injuries.” All I can say is that I’d never make it onto that jury, because my mind is already made up.

And one other thing I’m sure Emory Hospital — and their attorneys — have already had to deal with: those “several [other] bone flaps with incomplete or missing patient identification.” I wonder what happened to the owners of “dem bones.” *

[* From the spiritual song by James Weldon Johnson and J. Rosamond Johnson, 1928.]

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
8/19/24

I love this site. It’s from The History Channel, and it’s called — oddly enough — “This Day In History.” It’s full of fascinating historical tidbits, and I thought it might be fun to share some with those of you who don’t subscribe to the site. So off we go into August 18th . . .

1227: Genghis Khan dies. Yes, The History Channel sometimes does go back 800 years (or more). The Great Khan, as he was sometimes called, was a Mongol leader who inherited his title when his father died. By his teens, he had “grown into a feared warrior and charismatic figure who began gathering followers and forging alliances with other Mongol leaders . . . Using an extensive network of spies and scouts, Khan detected a weakness in his enemies’ defenses and then attacked the point . . .” [The History Channel, “This Day In History, August 18, 2024.]

So, he was a latter-day Alexander the Great, and an early version of The Terminator, The Creature From the Black Lagoon, and Yevgeny Prigozhin, all rolled into one. Awesome!

*. *. *

1590: Roanoke Colony found deserted. Imagine leaving home for three years, then coming back and finding everyone — every last person — gone. Without a trace. That’s what happened to Governor John White of Roanoke Island (in present-day North Carolina), the first English settlement in the New World. Despite various theories, no clue was ever found as to where they had gone, other than the word “Croatoan” inscribed on a wall; and no remains were ever found. Personally, I’m thinking E.T. may have come to visit and taken them home with him. But I can’t prove that, either.

*. *. *

1920: 19th Amendment ratified thanks to one vote. And about time! This was the amendment that gave women the right to vote — and even then it passed the House of Representatives by the skin of its teeth. Had I lived in those times, I know I would have been out there, marching with those suffragettes. Let the men stay home with the kids for a few hours, and see how they like it!

*. *. *

1988: A Seattle judge involved in a sex scandal dies by suicide. Ironically referred to as “The Honorable Gary M. Little” (the proper title for a judge), this guy was anything but honorable. Evidence pointed to his having sexually exploited juvenile defendants who appeared before him, and — in his earlier life as a teacher — some of his teenage students as well. Who needs details? Not I. Suffice it to say, he did himself in on August 18th, the night before the Seattle Post-Intelligencer was to release a revelatory article detailing his alleged crimes.

Interesting footnote: Judge Little was found lying in a pool of blood outside his chambers, just three floors below the jail cell where his father, Sterling Little, had hanged himself in August of 1947 after being arrested in connection with a burglary investigation. Clearly, a family that never understood that actions have consequences.

*. *. *

1991. Soviet hard-liners launch coup against Gorbachev. This was a man who literally changed the face of history, as well as the map of his own country. He brought his nation — then the Soviet Union — from the horrors of Communism to the hope of Democracy; but he didn’t quite get the details right. Some of his own people (Boris Yeltsin first among them) felt he wasn’t moving quickly enough; others (hard-liners led by Gennady Yanayev) were determined to maintain the status quo. On this date in 1991, Yanayev’s people staged a coup, placing Gorbachev under house arrest at his summer home in Crimea, and attempting to take over the “White House” — the seat of the Russian Parliament in Moscow. But Yeltsin stepped in — or, more accurately, stepped up onto a tank — and saved the day. The coup ended after three days, and some of its instigators were arrested; others committed suicide.

But Gorbachev’s reign had been weakened, and he resigned on Christmas day, handing the reins of office to reformer Boris Yeltsin, who carried on (largely in a rather jolly drunken stupor) for the remainder of the 20th Century, when he was succeeded by . . .

Heaven help us . . . it’s Vladimir Putin!

Proving once more that not all stories have happy endings.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
8/18/24

* Note: “Belarus” — formerly Belorussia — translates to “White Russia” in English.

On Friday, August 16th, it was reported that Belarusian Defense Minister Viktor Khrenin had said there was “a high probability of an armed provocation from neighboring Ukraine and that the situation at their shared border ‘remains tense,’ [according to] the state-run Belta news agency . . .” [Lucy Papachristou, Reuters, August 16, 2024.]

He further stated, “. . . given the presence of Ukrainian armed formations in the border areas, there is a high probability of preparing and carrying out armed provocations on our territory, as well as high-profile actions, including with the involvement of Belarusian nationalist formations.” [Reuters, id.]

Belarusian President Lukashenko had said on the previous day that Ukraine could attack Belarus and widen the war. This comment came a little more than a week after Ukraine’s surprise counterattack across Russia’s border into the Kursk region.

Do they really have evidence that Ukraine might be planning to spread its troops that thin? Is Lukashenko — one of Vladimir Putin’s most ardent henchmen — simply looking for an excuse to jump with both feet into his idol’s war? Or is it just another propaganda ploy engineered by Putin himself for some as-yet-unknown reason?

For Lukashenko, any of these theories would be within the realm of possibility. I know nothing about Defense Minister Khrenin, but I presume he just follows orders like a good little sycophant.

In any event, thus far Ukraine doesn’t seem to have given any indication of an intention to go anywhere near Belarus’ territory. So perhaps Lukashenko and Khrenin should stop looking for a fight like bullies on a playground, and try to de-escalate, for once.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
8/18/24

But there are still eight Americans — and hundreds of Russian dissidents — who remain locked up in Russia. So we continue to remember them each week, and will do so until each and every one has been returned home.

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.

*. *. *

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.

*. *. *

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.

*. *. *

U.S. Army Staff Sergeant Gordon Black was stationed in South Korea when he fell into a 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.

*. *. *

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.”

*. *. *

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
8/18/24

No, not the U.S.-Mexico border. And not the Israel-Gaza border. Not even the DMZ between North and South Korea.

This is the Kursk region, where western Russia meets eastern Ukraine.

And for the last 2-1/2 years, Russia has been using it — and similar areas along the Russia-Ukraine border — as launching pads for its massive attack on Ukraine’s military, infrastructure, and civilian population. You know, the “special military operation” that was supposed to be a simple “march-in-and-take-over” campaign, meant to last no more than a few days, or a couple of weeks at most.

Well, that didn’t happen, because the Ukrainian people refused to give away their country, their children, or themselves to Vladimir Putin’s maniacal plan to take over the world, one country at a time. And because the West came together and defended Ukraine in an unprecedented show of support for a country that isn’t yet a member of NATO.

We all know what a battering Ukraine has been taking ever since, despite their heroic defense and the continuing support of the West. And earlier this month, the decision was made to take Russia’s war onto its own territory, to finally let them know that paybacks can, indeed, be hell.

But Vladimir Putin was not prepared for that — nor, obviously, were his people. Because they had no idea what was really happening across the border; they knew only what Putin allowed them to hear. And it was mostly lies.

So now the people of Kursk are experiencing — on a much, much smaller scale — the horrors of war with which the people of Ukraine have been living for some 30 months. And, as always, it is the innocent civilians who suffer the most. The children who can’t understand what has happened to their homes; the old folks who can barely move, and who don’t want to leave their lifelong homes; and the women left to take care of the others because their husbands, fathers, sons and brothers are fighting to defend them and their homes against . . . what?

Most of them don’t even know, really, what the fight is about; and if they did, they wouldn’t want any part of it. Many of them have Ukrainian relatives and friends; they are ethnically one and the same people. Why are they killing each other, destroying one another’s homes and lives?

Because Putin wants Ukraine, and he doesn’t care how many lives have to be destroyed in the process.

And we may sit at home, smugly cheering Ukraine’s counteroffensive and the damage being done to Putin. From a tactical point of view, that’s great. But the ones who started the whole thing and are keeping it going are far from the front, plotting the number of additional recruits they will need to replace the thousands who have died, and are continuing to die.

And the innocent — the good, generous, loving, everyday Russian people — are suffering alongside their Ukrainian counterparts.

For war does not respect borders.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
8/18/24

On Friday, August 16th, it was reported that Belarusian Defense Minister Viktor Khrenin had said there was “a high probability of an armed provocation from neighboring Ukraine and that the situation at their shared border ‘remains tense,’ [according to] the state-run Belta news agency . . .” [Lucy Papachristou, Reuters, August 16, 2024.]

He further stated, “. . . given the presence of Ukrainian armed formations in the border areas, there is a high probability of preparing and carrying out armed provocations on our territory, as well as high-profile actions, including with the involvement of Belarusian nationalist formations.” [Reuters, id.]

Belarusian President Lukashenko had said on the previous day that Ukraine could attack Belarus and widen the war. This comment came a little more than a week after Ukraine’s surprise counterattack across Russia’s border into the Kursk region.

Do they really have evidence that Ukraine might be planning to spread its troops that thin? Is Lukashenko — one of Vladimir Putin’s most ardent henchmen — simply looking for an excuse to jump with both feet into his idol’s war? Or is it just another propaganda ploy engineered by Putin himself for some as-yet-unknown reason?

For Lukashenko, any of these theories would be within the realm of possibility. I know nothing about Defense Minister Khrenin, but I presume he just follows orders like a good little sycophant.

In any event, thus far Ukraine doesn’t seem to have given any indication of an intention to go anywhere near Belarus’ territory. So perhaps Lukashenko and Khrenin should stop looking for a fight like bullies on a playground, and try to de-escalate, for once.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
8/18/24

For the third time, they have removed a post of mine — most of which are based strictly on news items of the day — on the grounds that they believe I have “tried to get likes, follows, shares, or video views in a misleading way.”

The first two times, I requested a review, but never heard back.

With all of the crap that appears on FB every day (amongst all of the legitimate, interesting posts), I am frustrated beyond belief at these arbitrary decisions, and my inability to do anything about them. What can possibly be “misleading” about a commentary on the news?

Therefore, I should appreciate the person or persons at Facebook reading my posts and making these judgments contacting me with a logical explanation. Otherwise, I quit.

I will continue to write my blog, even though most of my readership has been following me through FB. You will still be able to find me here, at http://www.brendochka.com.

Now I’m going to post this on Facebook and wait for a response.

Thanks for reading,

Brendochka
8/18/24

On Friday, August 16th, it was reported that Belarusian Defense Minister Viktor Khrenin had said there was “a high probability of an armed provocation from neighboring Ukraine and that the situation at their shared border ‘remains tense,’ [according to] the state-run Belta news agency . . .” [Lucy Papachristou, Reuters, August 16, 2024.]

He further stated, “. . . given the presence of Ukrainian armed formations in the border areas, there is a high probability of preparing and carrying out armed provocations on our territory, as well as high-profile actions, including with the involvement of Belarusian nationalist formations.” [Reuters, id.]

Belarusian President Lukashenko had said on the previous day that Ukraine could attack Belarus and widen the war. This comment came a little more than a week after Ukraine’s surprise counterattack across Russia’s border into the Kursk region.

Do they really have evidence that Ukraine might be planning to spread its troops that thin? Is Lukashenko — one of Vladimir Putin’s most ardent henchmen — simply looking for an excuse to jump with both feet into his idol’s war? Or is it just another propaganda ploy engineered by Putin himself for some as-yet-unknown reason?

For Lukashenko, any of these theories would be within the realm of possibility. I know nothing about Defense Minister Khrenin, but I presume he just follows orders like a good little sycophant.

In any event, thus far Ukraine doesn’t seem to have given any indication of an intention to go anywhere near Belarus’ territory. So perhaps Lukashenko and Khrenin should stop looking for a fight like bullies on a playground, and try to de-escalate, for once.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
8/18/24

Looking back at August 17th in earlier years, I’m beginning to think it might be a good day to stay indoors, and preferably under the covers . . . or in the safe room, if you’re lucky enough to have one. Because there seems to have been a good bit of death and destruction on this date in the past. Such as . . .

1841: President Tyler is burned in effigy outside the White House. No, no, no, people! Don’t get any bright ideas from this. Put aside your political views and your anger, because today — in 2024 — that would be illegal in so many ways! Go to your local gym and take it out on the punching bag instead — it’s so much healthier, safer, and not likely to get you thrown into the slammer.

1862: U.S.-Dakota War begins in Minnesota. After six weeks, the starved and frustrated Dakota tribe was defeated by the U.S. military. (“He who has the most guns . . .”) The warriors were tried, some in proceedings that only lasted minutes, and were the victims of the largest mass execution ever in the United States. Not one of our nation’s finest moments.

1877: Billy the Kid kills his first man. In a classic case of an out-of-control teenager, Billy got an early start on his road to notoriety by dispatching an Arizona blacksmith — the first of an estimated 21 men to meet a similar fate at the hands of this angry young man. His parents really should have locked up their firearms.

1957: Foul balls batter unlucky Philadelphia Phillies fan. You should have stayed home, Alice! On this date in 1957, Alice Roth accompanied her husband — Philadelphia Bulletin sports editor Earl Roth — to a Phillies game, as she often did. They were seated in the press box behind the third-base dugout, along with their grandsons, when future Hall of Famer Richie Ashburn hit a foul ball that took aim directly at Alice’s nose. She was receiving emergency treatment for her broken proboscis when Ashburn again came up to bat, hit yet another foul, and this time got poor Alice in the leg . . . which also broke. Either he was one powerful hitter, or she had the most brittle bones ever.

Alice was taken to the hospital, and apparently recuperated nicely. Ashburn of course apologized, they later became friends, and Alice continued attending games thereafter. I suppose she simply learned to duck.

1962: East Germans kill man trying to cross Berlin Wall. Ah, the good old days of the Cold War. Peter Fechter was just 18 years old when he and another young man made their attempt at scaling the wall from East to West Berlin. The other man made it, but Peter was shot by an East German guard and left to bleed to death. The Wall stayed in place until November 9, 1989.

1987: Rudolf Hess, Hitler’s last living henchman, dies. One of Hitler’s top henchmen during World War II, he was sentenced at Nuremberg to life in prison. On this date in 1987, at the age of 93, he was found strangled to death by an electrical cord. His death was ruled a suicide, though some suspected foul play. Either way, 93 years were more than enough for this Nazi.

And finally:

1998: President Clinton testifies before grand jury. Ah, yes . . . the Lewinsky affair. Not to mention the allegations of illegal real estate deals, suspected “cronyism,” perjury, obstruction of justice . . . Nasty stuff. But Clinton survived the impeachment proceeding, completed his term of office, and is still married to Hillary, who later served as the U.S. Secretary of State. Their estimated net worth today is around $120 million, so whatever they may or may not have done during their White House years, they haven’t suffered financially.

America: truly the land of opportunity.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
8/17/24

You mean you haven’t been following what’s been going on in Ukraine for the past 2-1/2 years?

Oh, that’s right — you rely on Russian news, from state-controlled Russian media. So you may not have heard about all of this:

Or the thousands upon thousands of these . . .

. . . left behind by your Russian troops in places like Kharkiv, and Bucha, and Mariupol, and Bakhmut, and Avdiivka, and so many more.

*. *. *

And now you’re wondering why this is happening to you:

And I’m sorry — truly sorry — if these pictures offend you. And I am so very sorry that the good Russian people are miserable and frightened because of the fact that the people of Ukraine are now — after 2-1/2 years of indescribable suffering — bringing your government’s war back onto your territory, where it started.

It is not fair for innocent civilians — women, children, grandparents — of any country to have to pay the price for the horrors inflicted by their leaders.

But the Russian people need to know the truth. This is all the result of Moscow’s “special military operation,” begun on February 24, 2022, because of Vladimir Putin’s insane compulsion to become “Tsar of all the Russias” . . . to take back lands that no longer belong to Russia, and some that never did . . .

. . . and ultimately, to rule the world.

You need to know.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
8/17/24