For some unknown reason, this was my Friday:

It began around 4:30 a.m., when I suddenly awoke from an odd dream and realized I felt like crap, physically and otherwise. And it didn’t go away, even after hanging out in my p.j.s all day, treating myself to a total day off. Just hunkered down: no writing, no reading, no communicating with the human race. Turned the TV on . . . and my mind off.

So, no blog post for today; maybe tomorrow. Wish me luck.

TTFN,
Brendochka
3/30/24

March 29, 2024, obviously. And since the day’s news offerings are pretty much a grim repeat or continuation of yesterday’s, I thought I’d give myself (and you) another break and have a little fun with history trivia. Are you with me? Let’s start with . . .

Holidays: Did you know that, in addition to being Good Friday, today is also “National Hot Cross Bun Day” and “National Lemon Chiffon Cake Day”? (Yes, please — I’ll have one of each.) And there is something called “National Mom and Pop Business Owners Day” (that’s just lovely); “Smoke and Mirrors Day” (for all you spies out there); “Texas Loves the Children Day” (glad to hear it, but didn’t know it was an issue); “World Marbles Day” (perhaps for those who have lost theirs?); and “Niagara Falls Runs Dry Day” (hopefully not a prediction, or did it happen and the world slept through it?). Also, March 24-30 has been designated “National Cleaning Week.” (Glad that one’s almost over. In fact, to be completely honest, I’ve pretty much ignored it all week anyway.)

Births and Deaths: There were a few, but it doesn’t seem to be a popular date for either. March 29th did see the births of one U.S. President — John Tyler (in 1790), and one American First Lady — Lou Hoover, wife of President Herbert Hoover (1874). We lost America’s first multi-millionaire — John Jacob Astor — on this date in 1848. And sadly, actress Patty Duke passed away at the tender age of 69 years in 2016.

Divorce: This would not normally be considered good news, but in one instance, it was widely celebrated by the wife’s friends, family and fans everywhere . . . because on this date in 1978, the talented Tina Turner was finally officially divorced from her abusive husband Ike after sixteen years of misery. And a lot of women took note, and began to take control of their own lives.

Word of the Day: From Wiktionary, of course. And at least today it’s a fairly useful noun: otorhinolaryngology. Now, I have always heard my ear, nose and throat doctor called an otolaryngologist, without the “rhino” part. But I rather like the longer form; think of how impressed your friends will be when you casually mention that you’ve made an appointment with your otorhinolaryngologist. You’d better just hope they don’t ask you to spell it.

History: There were a good many historic events on this date that didn’t involve giving birth or planning a funeral . . . some good, some not so good, and some dependent on your point of view. But let’s touch on just a few:

– 1848: Niagara Falls stopped flowing for 30 hours due to an ice jam. (Aha! That might explain the whole “Niagara Falls Runs Dry Day” thing.)

– 1852: It became illegal in Ohio for children under 18 and women to work more than ten hours a day. (That’s mighty big of them. And did that include the hours those women put in at home after work, cooking and cleaning and doing laundry?)

– 1867: Congress approved the Lincoln Memorial. (Possibly the only thing the two Houses of Congress ever agreed on without months of arguing and name-calling.)

– 1886: The first batch of Coca-Cola was brewed in a backyard in Atlanta, Georgia, by Dr. John Pemberton. (And in case you didn’t know, the original recipe included the fluid extract of coca leaves. That’s cocaine, folks. Way to go, Dr. Pemberton.)

– 1961 – Nelson Mandela was finally acquitted on treason charges following a 4-1/2-year trial. (Amen.)

– 1973: The last U.S. combat troops left South Vietnam. (Not one of our finer moments.)

– 2017: The United Kingdom invoked Article 50, beginning the formal process of Brexit. (And they’re still debating whether it should have happened.)

– 1986: Yes, I know it’s out of chronological order, but it’s my favorite, and I like to keep the best for last (which is why dessert comes at the end of the meal). On this date in that year, Beatles recordings officially went on sale in Russia.

Do you think it’s coincidence that just five years later, the Soviet Union collapsed?

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
3/29/24

I’m in one of those moods today. You know, when it all becomes too much to deal with: wars; acts of terrorism; bridges collapsing; natural disasters; Netanyahu being out of his freakin’ mind; and Putin, Xi, Trump, Musk, and Bobby Kennedy, Jr., all being . . . well . . . all just being themselves.

So I went on a search, and I found a wonderful website that reveals everything that this day, and every other day of the year, is known for. And since it gave me a bit of joy on a gray and rainy afternoon, I absolutely had to share it with you. And awa-a-a-ay we go . . .

Holidays: Unfortunately, not the kind you get to take off from work, but still fun to take note of. There’s “Barnum & Bailey Day” (when life presumably is a circus); “Eat an Eskimo Pie Day” (that should be every day); “National Hot Tub Day” (which I understand is every day in California); and “Piano Day” (the 88th day of the year — which, if your name is Schroeder and you also celebrate Beethoven’s birthday on December 16th while playing a toy piano, makes a weird sort of sense).

There is also, oddly, “National Triglycerides Day” — a day in celebration of unhealthy body fat. Only in America.

And probably the most superfluous holiday of all: “Respect Your Cat Day.” I mean, isn’t that a requisite daily thing for all cat families? We love our dogs, but we must respect our cats, for failing to do so would result in untold horrors. You cat people know what I mean.

Finally, I see that there is something called “Something on a Stick Day” (I assume the Eskimo Pie would fill the bill here); and “Weed Appreciation Day” (for all of you too-lazy-to-clear-out-the-garden folks, or perhaps a few old hippies who still prefer to smoke theirs).

Then there are the week-long holidays, some of which are legitimate, like Holy Week and (this year) part of Ramadan. But you might also want to indulge in my favorite, “Make Mine Chocolate Week” (hurry up — it ends on March 31st this year); “National Second-Hand Shopping Week” (to ease the guilt of all you shopaholics); and, somewhat portentously, “Tsunami Awareness Week” (but only in Alaska and California).

*. *. *

Famous Anniversaries: A few famous people celebrate their birthdays today, so let’s send good wishes to the multi-talented Reba McEntire, gymnast Bart Conner, actors Vince Vaughn and Julia Stiles, novelist Jayne Ann Krentz, and the amazing Lady Gaga. Out of respect, I have omitted their ages. You’re welcome, birthday guys and gals.

Today is also the anniversary of some famous people’s departures: the writer Virginia Woolf, in 1882 (of whom Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor presumably lived in fear, at least in the movie); President Dwight D. Eisenhower (1969); and Maria von Trapp (♬ “The hills are alive with the sound of music” ♬ ) (1987). And let us not forget — though we’d probably like to — the notorious Tsar Ivan IV of Russia, better known as Ivan the Terrible, who kicked the bucket on this date in 1530. Would it be rude to say “good riddance”?

This Day In History: How many of us are aware that on March 28th, 1854, France and Britain declared war on Russia, in what became known as the Crimean War? Imagine . . . someone actually invaded Russia before Russia had a chance to do it to them. Makes a nice change, especially for the people of 21st-Century Crimea.

Also on this date, the U.S. Salvation Army was officially organized (1895); a 9.2 earthquake hit Alaska (1964); and some changes occurred in Turkey (both in 1930), when the capital city of Angora was renamed Ankara, and Constantinople became Istanbul (as memorialized by songwriters Jimmy Kennedy and Nat Simon in 1953). (♬ “Why they changed it, I can’t say; people just liked it better that way. ♬)

And Finally: There is a Word of the Day, from . . . who would have guessed . . . Wiktionary. It seems there’s a Wiki for everything. And today’s word — actually a compound word — is a Latin plural noun: lacrimae rerum. I hate to go out on such a sad note, but it means tears of things. I have no idea why it was chosen as the word of the day, or specifically of this day in this year, but I wasn’t consulted. I don’t even know how you would use it in a sentence . . . or why. Do things cry? Ask the folks at Wiktionary, if you can find out who they are.

*. *. *

Well, this was fun. Certainly more so than yesterday’s headlines, which included an announcement of the passing of Joe Lieberman, and the finding of the bodies of two of the victims of that bridge collapse in Baltimore, Maryland. See what I mean? Some days, you just don’t want to deal with it.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
3/28/24

Tomorrow marks the unhappy one-year anniversary of the detention of American journalist Evan Gershkovich in Russia on the bogus charge of espionage. On March 28, 2023, he was arrested while on a reporting trip for The Wall Street Journal in the city of Yekaterinburg; he has been held in Moscow, without trial, ever since.

He is one of Vladimir Putin’s hostages . . . an innocent man, being held as a commodity to be traded at some unknown future time in exchange for an unspecified Russian convicted criminal in the United States or one of its allied countries.

And on Tuesday, just two days before this anniversary, a Moscow court ordered an extension until at least June 30th of his detention, again without trial. U.S. Ambassador to Russia Lynne Tracy attended the hearing, and offered the following statement to reporters outside of the courthouse:

“The accusations against Evan are categorically untrue. They are not a different interpretation of circumstances. They are fiction. No justification for Evan’s continued detention, and no explanation as to why Evan doing his job as a journalist constituted a crime. Evan’s case is not about evidence, due process or rule of law. It is about using American citizens as pawns to achieve political ends.” [AP World News, March 26, 2024.]

And there it is: life in Russia today, where no one is safe from the diabolical whims of Vladimir Putin. Evan Gershkovich continues to occupy his rightful place on my list of HOSTAGES who must be brought home. We know that official negotiations have been underway for some time; let us continue to hope and pray for their success . . . sooner, rather than later.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
3/27/24

Amidst all the noise, the accusations, and the threats in the wake of Friday’s horrific terror attack in Moscow, there is one topic on which the usually verbose Kremlin spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, remains mum. When asked by a journalist about the “visible signs of violence” on the suspected perpetrators when they appeared in court on Sunday, his response was simply: “I am leaving this question without an answer.”

I have no comment on his no-comment. His eight-word non-response, and the pictures of the suspects, speak for themselves.

But there has been no dearth of verbal exchanges among the involved, and the uninvolved, parties on every other aspect of this disastrous event. It took Vladimir Putin a full day to address the subject at all. And when he did, it was to take advantage of the opportunity to point the finger of blame — where else? — at Ukraine. More than 135 Russian citizens slaughtered; another 100 or so in hospitals, severely wounded; and his first thought is how to pin it on the country he has already subjected to all-out war for the past two years.

How many synonyms are there for “scum of the earth”? When it comes to describing Vladimir Putin . . . not nearly enough.

And when he finally acknowledged that the terrorists — whom he now had in custody — were indeed radical Islamist members of ISIS-K, he did not ease up on his accusations against Ukraine. Instead, he tried to convince the world — without a shred of evidence — that that country had been complicit in the horrific crime by providing an opening at their border for the terrorists to take shelter. Yeah . . . right. Are we even talking about the same border? You know, the one that, because of the ongoing war with Russia, is probably the most heavily fortified in all of Europe?

But wait . . . there’s more. It seems there’s always more.

In a meeting on Monday with government officials, Putin said that the attack had been carried out by extremists “whose ideology the Islamic world has been fighting for centuries.” Without specifically referring to ISIS-K, he continued:

“We know that the crime was committed by radical Islamists. . . . But we also see that the United States is trying to convince its satellites and other countries of the world that there is supposedly no trace of Kyiv in the Moscow terrorist attack.” [RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty, March 25, 2024.]

Needless to say, both Kyiv and Washington have treated Putin’s assertions like the bullshit propaganda they are. Ukraine’s President Zelensky, in vehemently denying his country’s involvement, said:

“Again, he accuses Ukraine. A sick and cynical creature. Everyone is a terrorist to him except for himself although he has been fueled by terror for two decades already.” [Id.]

Not surprisingly, Kremlin-friendly Russian journalists have jumped happily into the fray, echoing Putin’s assertions as though they were holy writ. And, once again, the Russian people are left to pick through the verbal rubbish in search of an inkling of the truth.

*. *. *

But if there is any humor to be found in any of this, it comes from a most unlikely source: Aleksandr Lukashenko, self-declared President of Belarus and willing toady of Vladimir Putin. While Putin and his mouthpiece Peskov continued to accuse Ukraine of keeping a door open for the terrorists, Lukashenko stated on Tuesday that the attackers had actually tried to flee to his country, but were unable to do so because of the additional security measures at his borders.

Oops! Doesn’t he know it’s not nice to contradict the boss?

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
3/27/24

Even when your name is Vladimir Putin, you’ve just begun your fifth term as President of the Russian Federation, and you consider yourself invincible. Because somewhere — several somewheres, actually — along the way, you f**ked up. Big time.

Things were actually rolling along fairly smoothly for Vlad — or at least everything was pretty much under control — until a little over two years ago, when he decided to order a “special military operation” along the Russia-Ukraine border. When the world — and not least of all Ukraine — became understandably concerned, he swore that he had no designs on Ukraine . . . no intention whatsoever of violating that country’s borders.

February 24, 2022: Surprise! He lied. As Ukraine and the rest of the free world had suspected and feared all along, Putin’s routine military exercise . . . or “special military operation” . . . was a red herring. A cover. A 21st-Century Potёmkin Village hiding the truth behind the facade.

But Vlad had badly miscalculated. He truly seemed to believe that because there were some break-away regions in Eastern Ukraine that were sympathetic to Russia, the whole of the country would follow suit and welcome him as their new leader, swallowing whole his bullshit propaganda that the Ukrainian government was a fascist regime led by a closet Nazi. (That would be Volodymyr Zelensky . . . in reality, a non-closeted Jewish man who was and is President of a nation that had been brutalized by the real Nazis.)

Anyway, we all know what has transpired in the past two years: how Putin’s quick invasion has dragged on . . . and on . . . and on, costing his own country dearly in terms of lives lost, economic sanctions, military mismanagement, and personal loss of credibility. So . . . HUGE MISTAKE.

*. *. *

Then it turned out that old Vlad is not the judge of character he believed himself to be. Aside from the incompetence of so many of his military officers, he has managed to keep most of his closest people in line — whether through blackmail, threats, or having them pushed out of windows. But he seriously misjudged his old friend Yevgeny Prigozhin. Remember him? He was the founder and head of the Wagner Group of mercenaries who could always be counted on to do Putin’s dirty work anywhere in the world. But one day Prigozhin realized how incompetent the Russian military leaders of the Ukraine war actually were, and his complaints to Putin were ignored. So he got some of his merry men together and staged a revolt: a march on the Kremlin, beginning all the way down south in Rostov. Well, that failed, Prigozhin’s fate was up in the air for some time, and he finally came crashing down — literally — in an exploding airplane, along with six of his colleagues and three crew members. Putin thought it was another problem solved, but the world knew it was no accident, and he was, once again, labeled a murderer. BIG MISTAKE.

*. *. *

Next, our Vlad tackled the most outspoken dissidents, along with a number of foreigners for good measure, and simply locked them up on a variety of specious charges. But one of those dissidents was the beloved Alexei Navalny. And that problem just wouldn’t go away. Navalny continued to rally his followers from his Siberian prison cell, as did his team living in exile in various parts of Europe. And when Putin couldn’t shut them down, he did what he always does: saw to it that Alexei Navalny never reached his 48th birthday. GIGANTIC MISTAKE!

*. *. *

And so we come to Vladimir Putin’s most recent headache: an actual terrorist attack on Moscow itself, in which more than 135 people were brutally slain, more than 100 others seriously injured, and a popular shopping and entertainment venue all but demolished. “Credit” for this monstrous act has been claimed by a radical Islamic group known as ISIS-K, allegedly in retaliation for Moscow’s friendly relations with countries in opposition to ISIS-K’s interests, or something of the sort. In other words, to twist a well-known axiom: The friend of my enemy is my enemy.

But Putin’s problem goes beyond the mere horror of the attack. To begin with, he was warned . . . and ignored the warning. The U.S. had received credible intelligence indicating an imminent attack on Moscow by Islamic radicals. And the American intelligence community takes very seriously its ethical duty to warn — not just its own citizens or those from friendly nations, but adversaries as well — of any such apparent dangers. And so it did in this case. But Putin chose to believe that the warning was “provocative,” and resembled “outright blackmail and an intention to intimidate and destabilize our society.”

And when the warning turned out to be real, and Putin found himself faced with the horrific results of his own stupidity, he did what he does best: blamed it on someone else . . . in this case, Ukraine.

Wait . . . WHAT?? WHO? Ukraine?!! Seriously?!!

No, no, no! Don’t laugh. He’s serious . . . or at least he managed to say it with a straight face. You see, according to Putin’s side of the story, the small group of terrorists somehow managed, first of all, to carry off this well-planned attack in full view of Moscow’s CCTV cameras; evaded the immediate emergency response teams; got out of Moscow; and made it across Russia to Bryansk, en route to the closest border with a non-NATO, non-Russia-friendly country, which happened to be Ukraine . . . where they also had managed to inveigle some misguided, friendly souls on the other side of the border to clear the way for them. A drive of about seven hours (to Bryansk) under ideal conditions, during which they were never apprehended . . . until — wonder of wonders! — they were on an obvious path to Putin’s favorite scapegoat: Ukraine.

And now we are supposed to believe that Ukraine is in league with reputedly the fourth most dangerous terrorist group in the world: ISIS-K. And of course, the United States — in fact, all of the “collective West” — is in cahoots with them.

You just can’t make this stuff up — at least, I can’t. But if your name is Vladimir Putin . . .

*. *. *

Now, there are those who consider it possible that the Kremlin itself is behind the whole thing: that they sacrificed a couple of hundred of their own people; hired a handful of lunatics as scapegoats to do the dirty work, perhaps expecting them to die in the explosion and fire; and when they didn’t, “captured” them and roughed them up to make it all look as realistic as possible. That’s a pretty extreme conspiracy theory, and I don’t know . . . But here are some pictures (compliments of CNN News, March 24, 2024) of the alleged perpetrators after being taken into custody by Russian authorities:

*. *. *

I have no words. None. For one of the few times in my life, I am officially speechless . . . without comment or conclusion . . . totally gobsmacked. And so I leave you for today, on your own, to draw whatever inferences you like. We shall all see what tomorrow brings . . . including, I hope, a rational thought or two of my own.

Until then, I am, as always,

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
3/26/24

Is it when one country invades another country? When the invaded country fights back? Or when Vladimir Putin says so?

Apparently, it’s that last one.

From the time Russia’s forces — which had been mobilized at the Ukrainian border for months — finally launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine’s territory on February 24, 2022, Vladimir Putin has staunchly refused to refer to the invasion — and the ensuing two years (and counting) of all-out slaughter and destruction — as anything more than a “special military operation” (or “SVO,” to use the Russian initials). In fact, he rammed through a new censorship law making it a crime, punishable by up to 15 years of imprisonment, to so much as utter the word “war” in connection with Ukraine, or to “discredit” the military, or promote “fake” information . . . leaving the definition of those terms open to interpretation by the courts. His courts.

And for two years, he has been having countless people — journalists, political dissidents, disillusioned military personnel, and ordinary citizens — arrested, locked up, exiled, or eliminated for uttering the “wrong” words in the “wrong” context, or simply the “wrong” tone of voice.

But last week, suddenly and unexpectedly, something changed. On Friday, March 22nd, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov offered this statement to the Russian media outlet Argumenty i Fakty:

“We are at war. Indeed, it started as a special military operation but as soon as a clique was formed and the collective West joined in on Ukraine’s side, it turned into war for us. I am convinced of that. Everyone should understand this to summon up inner strength.” [RFE/RL, March 22, 2024.]

“Oh . . . sorry. You were serious???”

Well, of course he was serious. Dmitry Peskov is never, ever not serious. After all, he works for Vladimir Putin. One slip, and . . .

And just to make sure we understood, Peskov added comments to the effect that Russia must fully “liberate” its “new regions” — four regions in Ukraine it illegally annexed during the war — “to protect the people in these regions and liberate the territory of these regions.” [RFE/RL, March 22, 2024.]

Well, they’ve talked about “liberating” what they claim as “their territories” from the beginning. But what is new is the claim that their SVO turned into a full-fledged war when the “collective West” formed some sort of coalition — or “clique,” to use Peskov’s terminology — and dared to step in to assist Ukraine in its alleged assault on Russia.

Looking at it from an objective viewpoint (what a radical idea!), you might wonder what anyone — in this case, Putin, Peskov & Company — would have to have been smoking in order to view this two-year massacre as an assault by Ukraine on Russia. I’m thinking . . .

Yup, that’s clearly it: their own little Wonderland blend.

But why now? Well, from a public relations standpoint, things have not been going so well for Mr. Putin recently. Barely a week into his fifth term as President, he is faced with growing demonstrations of opposition to his SVO, to his onerous new laws, and to his rule in general. The economy, while seeming to be thriving, is actually only doing so on a war-time footing, and would likely collapse under the weight of international sanctions if the Ukrainian adventure were to end, and end badly for him. He needed a way to blame the West for all of it, and turning an SVO into a war seemed the right vehicle.

And that’s not all. Talk about the perfect storm! Earlier in March, Putin had received a warning from the United States about credible intelligence indicating a strong possibility of an imminent terror attack by radical Islamic forces on Moscow itself. The threat was fairly specific: probably within 48 hours, and located at a crowded venue, possibly a concert.

But Putin chose to view that from his upside-down, through-the-looking-glass perspective . . . and ignored it. And when it didn’t happen within 48 hours, he was able to say “I told you so.”

Well, of course it didn’t happen within 48 hours. When word of the U.S. warning was made public, the terrorists — being certifiably insane, but not stupid — withdrew under threat of increased security measures. And they regrouped. But Putin misread the delay as a withdrawal, or proof that no such threat ever existed . . . and he relaxed. For once, his raging paranoia failed him, and he allowed his distrust of the United States to outweigh his normally cautious nature. Life went on as usual, some 6,500 people bought tickets to a rock concert, and . . .

On the very evening of the day that Dmitry Peskov was shooting off his big mouth, all hell broke loose at the Crocus City Music Hall on the outskirts of Moscow. An estimated 135-150 people were killed, another 100-plus seriously injured, and Putin’s alleged 87% popularity took a major hit. Today, Moscow mourns . . . and its people want to know why.

*. *. *

More about Putin’s actions, or inactions, in the wake of that horrific disaster in tomorrow’s post. For now, it’s enough just to know we finally got him to say “war.” It’s even more satisfying than “uncle.”

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
3/25/24

When I began this crusade to free Vladimir Putin’s political HOSTAGES, I promised to continue publishing my reminders weekly until the HOSTAGES were once more at home with their loved ones. Not that I believe my words alone are having any effect on anyone in the Kremlin; but the more voices, the better.

So I once more urge you not to forget or forsake those men and women being held HOSTAGE by the Russian government, who have done no more than speak out against the dictatorial, fascist regime of Vladimir Putin. While they have been forced into silence, we have not.

We must continue to use our voices for them. Please just click to share this message on any and every social media platform of your choice. It’s so easy to create that multitude of voices.

Please . . . bring them home!

Brendochka
3/24/24

You just never know what’s going to pop up in your email inbox . . . and Wednesday brought something interesting to mine. It was from Bill, a longtime friend who had come across an article on the Quora website that he knew would be of interest to me, and he wasted no time in sending it on. I’d like to share the backstory with you.

If you’ve followed my blog or my Facebook posts at all, you know that I write a lot about Russia, and that I spent a good bit of time there on business in the early ‘90s. I even lived in Moscow for several months in 1993, though my permanent residence was always in the Washington, D.C. area.

In 1990 or ‘91, I was thrilled to be invited to a small luncheon — about a dozen people — with Anatoly Sobchak, who had already made a name for himself in Russia as a reformer. He had been serving at the time as Chairman of the City Council in Leningrad, and had just become its first democratically-elected Mayor. He was in Washington seeking strategic “partners” (i.e., money) for some of his proposed development projects at home.

What I had no way of knowing at the time — and what has since been made public — was that Sobchak had an aide who had been a student of his at Leningrad State University, and whom he was now mentoring. This fellow was a total unknown, and apparently tended to fade into the background, as shown in this first picture. But Sobchak evidently saw something promising in him.

He is, of course, the shy-looking little fellow on the left. And no, you are not seeing things; his name was, and still is, Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin. He had not accompanied Sobchak on the trip to the U.S., so there was no mention made of him; there was no need, and no one would have known who he was in any event. But Bill, on seeing the photo this week and having a vague recollection of my having met Sobchak way back when, wondered whether I might also have met Putin at any time.

I am happy to say, I had not . . . not then, not since. Not ever.

*. *. *

The second (undated) picture, also included in the article, shows the late President and Mrs. Gorbachev on a visit to what by then had been renamed St. Petersburg. It is not clear why Mayor Sobchak did not accompany them to dinner himself, or why he chose instead to assign a nonentity like Vladimir Putin to do the honors; but that is indeed what happened. And it is clear from Raisa Gorbacheva’s memoirs that she was less than impressed: “Sobchak assigned us a nondescript little man . . .”

*. *. *

Also in 1990, John Guare wrote the screenplay for a movie titled Six Degrees of Separation, the main premise of which was that every person in the world is connected to every other person in the world by no more than six “degrees of separation.” Try it; I’ve found it to be true . . . you know someone who knows someone who knows someone, etc.

And in the case of Vladimir Putin, because of my having been introduced to, and broken bread with, Anatoly Sobchak more than thirty years ago, who in turn was well acquainted with Putin . . . well, that’s just one degree of separation, isn’t it?

Oh, good grief! That is way too close for comfort. Not only because of what he has become, but for what he was even at that time. According to the Quora article:

“At the time, Putin was the link from the organized criminal groups to the city administration, managed by ex-communist bosses, who grabbed the positions of power in the new Russia. Later, when Putin became the head of the FSB [successor to the KGB], most criminal bosses linked to Putin in [the] early 1990s died under mysterious circumstances. Putin has always been meticulous about liquidating witnesses. . . .

“When Putin came to power in 2000, he started with seizing control over media and killing political opponents, journalists and undesirable witnesses (even his former boss Anatoly Sobchak died under mysterious circumstances, likely poisoned). No surprise that Gorbachev criticized the administration of Vladimir Putin. He knew what Putin was — a mafia thug.”

*. *. *

But in mitigation, I am happy to report that, according to Mr. Guare’s theory, I am also closely (just one degree) connected to some very distinguished individuals: the Gorbachevs themselves, for example, as well as the elegant widow of the last Shah of Iran, and the adorable Dr. Ruth. So it’s not all bad.

But a word of caution: If you do decide to play the degrees-of-separation game, be prepared for some surprises. You won’t believe how many people — some good ones and some really, really bad ones — you’ve barely escaped knowing.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
3/24/24

As you may have noticed, I write these posts during the evening to be published shortly after midnight (Eastern time) of the following day. So today’s blog is really based on yesterday’s events. And yesterday was a horrible news day.

First, allow me to offer my best wishes to Princess Catherine (also known to most of the world as Kate Middleton) for a speedy recovery. Her strength and courage are an inspiration to all, and she is further blessed to have the love and support of her beautiful family to help her through this difficult time. All good wishes from “the other side of the pond.”

*. *. *

That said, I also offer my condolences to the families of those who did not survive Friday’s horrific terror attack in Moscow, and my best wishes to those who were injured, some of whom may be fighting for their lives. The good people of Russia are not our enemies. They are no different from people anywhere else in the world, wanting only to live their lives, to be able to work and care for their families in peace, and to enjoy some of the pleasures of life from time to time.

Regardless of the actions of governments and the difficulties they create among themselves and for the people they purport to represent, the average citizen of every country is no less worthy of respect, concern, and understanding than you or I. And so my good wishes do go out to the people of Moscow today. I lived through 9-11 in Washington, and I do not wish that on anyone.

As for the political ramifications of Friday’s attack, I will (somewhat uncharacteristically, I admit) withhold any comment for the time being, at least until there is more reliable, confirmable information available. For now, there are too many questions . . . Who was actually responsible? Why did they do it? Will the Kremlin choose to retaliate, and if so, by what means? What about the earlier warning from Washington? And so on.

So good night (or good day) for now, wherever you are. Let us all hope for a better tomorrow.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
3/23/24