There is panic down here in the southeastern corner of the State of Georgia, where we are experiencing a cold snap — a predicted low of 20 degrees (F) tonight — and the possibility of as much as an inch of snow on Sunday. Now, I know that to our friends in Greenland, Canada and Finland, that’s a mild winter day; and I was born and raised in New England, where I walked to school between snow banks that were taller than I was. But we’re talking about the South here. If that snow materializes, there will be trouble.

As far as I know, there is no country in the world in which it is illegal to complain about the weather, which is fortunate because we all do it. And natural disasters, of course — droughts, floods, volcanic eruptions, tornadoes, earthquakes, pandemics — are, by definition, disastrous. But they’re also fairly common, and we humans have learned to deal with them.

But on this date 107 years ago — January 15, 1919 — something unforeseen happened in Boston, Massachusetts, that, to my mind, redefines the concept of horrible ways to die.

It was an unseasonably warm winter day in Boston, where workers at the United States Industrial Alcohol building near Boston’s North End Park were loading product onto freight-train cars inside the building. It was close to lunchtime when a 58-foot-high tank filled with 2.5 million gallons of crude molasses exploded, the bolts holding the bottom of the tank shooting out like bullets, and the hot molasses spewing forth in an eight-foot-high wave that swept away the freight cars and caved in the building’s doors and windows. The few workers in the cellar of the building were trapped and killed. [“This Day in History,” History.com, January 15, 2026.]

The torrent of molasses then flowed into the street, knocking over the local firehouse and pushing over the support beams for the elevated train line. Five workers at the nearby Public Works Department were drowned and burned. In all, 21 people and dozens of horses were killed by the flood.

It took weeks to clean the molasses from the streets, and even longer to repair the damage. More than 100 lawsuits were filed against the United States Industrial Alcohol Company, resulting in a six-year-long investigation involving 3,000 witnesses and 45,000 pages of testimony. The company was finally held liable, and nearly $1,000,000 — the equivalent of about $19,000,000 today — was paid to settle the claims.

And now I have yet another nightmare scenario to invade my sleep. I think I prefer the old dreams in which I’m being pursued by killers who keep finding my hiding places, or . . . well, never mind. Suffice it to say, almost anything is preferable to being buried in burning hot molasses.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
1/15/26

Only this time it wasn’t Ukraine that left empty-handed. Yesterday, Denmark’s and Greenland’s foreign ministers were the unlucky duo who flew across the Atlantic to run into a wall of intransigence that would put Vladimir Putin’s stubbornness to shame.

Though Donald Trump did not attend the meeting — because, after all, the visitors were foreign ministers, not heads of state — JD Vance and Marco Rubio were the dummies through whom the puppet-master in the Oval Office was speaking.

But the challengers of the day — Denmark’s Lars Lokke Rasmussen and Greenland’s Vivian Motzfeldt — were not here as supplicants. They were in Washington to defend Greenland, an autonomous territory of Denmark, against Trump’s threats of acquisition of a land and a people that do not want to be acquired.

Following the meeting, Rasmussen said it had been “frank but constructive,” adding that Trump was continuing to insist on “conquering” Greenland, which is “totally unacceptable.” He also said:

“We made it very, very clear that this is not in the interest of [Denmark].” [Daniel Bush, BBC, January 14, 2026.]

While agreeing with Trump’s view that security should be intensified to counter any possible threats from Russia and China in the Arctic region, he said that Trump’s allegations of a heavy presence of Russian and Chinese warships around Greenland were “not true.” [Id.]

Neither Vance nor Rubio commented immediately after the meeting. But Trump reiterated to reporters in the Oval Office:

“We need Greenland for national security. The problem is there’s not a thing that Denmark can do about it if Russia or China wants to occupy Greenland, but there’s everything we can do.” [Id.]

. . . which is absolutely untrue, since Denmark, as a member of NATO, has the full military backing of the alliance under Article 5 of the NATO Treaty, which — for now, at least — includes the United States. In fact, several of those European countries have already begun taking steps to increase their defensive positions on Greenland, protecting the island nation — not against Russia or China as the imminent threat — but against the aggression of the United States.

Furthermore, the U.S. already has, by agreement with Denmark, the right and the ability to station as many military troops and facilities on Greenland as it feels necessary. But that is never enough for Trump, to whom outright possession is the measure of his power — whether it’s ownership of real estate, currency, gold-plated trinkets, fake peace prize medals . . . or entire countries.

Because it’s all about him. And he doesn’t care how many people he has to destroy to get what he wants.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
1/15/26

In the wake of the killing in Minneapolis, I have chosen this quotation from George Orwell; and if it doesn’t set off alarm bells in your mind and your soul, then I fear you are already lost:

“The Party told you to reject the evidence of your eyes and ears. It was their final, most essential command.”

– George Orwell, “1984”

Just sayin’ . . ..

Brendochka
1/15/26

Sometimes it seems as though the mainstream and independent media are getting their analyses of the news from me.

No . . . I’m kidding, of course. But when my thoughts on a particular subject coincide with those of the experts, I do at least feel validated.

Early yesterday morning — in fact, just after midnight — I posted my comments on “The Ominous Silence From the Kremlin,” expressing concern about the lack of response from Moscow to recent world events. I worried about what might be quietly taking place behind those high Kremlin walls, without speculating about the possibilities because most of them were frankly too terrifying to contemplate . . . and because I felt — and hoped — I might be exaggerating the implications of the silence. What I said was:

“No, the silence is emanating — if silence can actually emanate — from the Kremlin. Why are we not hearing the customary daily rhetoric from Vladimir Putin, Sergey Lavrov, or Dmitry Peskov? While they’re inexplicably not bombarding the world with verbal threats of impending Armageddon, what the hell are they doing?”

But last evening, my concerns were vindicated by an article from RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty on that very subject, following the first publicly-shared, work-related meeting of 2026 for Vladimir Putin, which took place on January 12th . . . not with his foreign minister, defense minister, or top security advisers, but with a deputy prime minister on the mundane subjects of Russian manufacturing and the space program.

The article read, in part:

“No, the US raid on Venezuela — a close ally of Moscow — and the seizure of its president the previous week was not on the agenda, at least not publicly. Nor were the snowballing public protests roiling Iran — another vital ally for Moscow. Not even Cuba, whose government is under stress due to the Venezuela turmoil, was discussed.” [Mike Eckel, RFE/RL, January 14, 2026.]

Mr. Eckel then quoted Hanna Notte, director of the Eurasia Nonproliferation Program at the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies:

“The Russians must say something on these issues, and so the [Foreign Ministry] will come with expected language and expected criticism, but overall the Russian system does not want to criticize the United States too brazenly, so that’s why you have total silence from the Kremlin and the [sic] Putin. . . . I think Russia cannot really do anything to change the US course of action, or to sort of restrain it. And so in that kind of situation: what is Vladimir Putin going to say? And so he says nothing that [sic].” [Id.]

And that was followed by a statement from Nicole Grajewski, a Middle East expert and assistant professor at Sciences Po University in Paris:

“I wouldn’t say that they’re being silent. I would say that maybe we just aren’t seeing what they’re doing behind the scenes, especially in Iran.” [Id.] [Bold emphasis is mine.]

Which brings us right back to my worst nightmare.

But at least it’s not all in my imagination.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
1/15/26

His name is Dmitry Anatolyevich Medvedev, and he takes himself very seriously . . . which is what makes him so freakin’ funny.

Medvedev, you may recall, was the titular president of Russia for four years from 2008 to 2012, keeping the seat warm while Vladimir Putin sat out the then constitutionally requisite one term before being able to run again. He then served eight years as Prime Minister before moving into his current seat as Deputy Chairman of the Russian Security Council — a very powerful position, considering that the Chairman is none other than Putin himself.

Medvedev, who presented himself in the early part of this century as a reformer, has turned out to be one of Moscow’s most virulent hawks. And he loves nothing better than to hear the sound of his own voice threatening the West with imminent doom.

He also occasionally comes up with comments that send me into spasms of uncontrollable laughter — like this one, reported by Interfax on Monday, January 12th, with regard to Greenland:

“Trump needs to hurry. According to unverified information, in a few days there could be a sudden referendum, at which the entire 55,000-strong Greenland could vote to join Russia.” [Lidia Kelly, Reuters, January 12, 2026.]

Based solely on that one remark, I’m betting he hasn’t seen any of these recent news reports from those 55,000 Greenlanders:

Get some rest, Dmitry. You have clearly lost the plot.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
1/14/26

Having newly discovered the satirical works of the late Ambrose Bierce, I find myself struggling to choose just one from a multitude of brilliant comments.

But since the upcoming midterm elections are such a hot topic of conversation these days, I’ve decided on this one for today’s quote. It is a definition from Bierce’s Devil’s Dictionary that is so on point, it needs no explanation:

“VOTE, n. The instrument and symbol of a freeman’s power to make a fool of himself and a wreck of his country.”

Thank you, Mr. Bierce, for pointing out what it has taken us far too long to figure out for ourselves.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
1/14/26

It’s almost as though someone in the Kremlin is listening in on my thoughts . . . or perhaps I’m anticipating theirs. Either way, it’s a somewhat spooky coincidence in timing.

Just an hour ago, I posted a piece that I had actually composed yesterday concerning the recent silence from the usual talking heads at the Kremlin. And then I read about this statement, issued on Monday, January 12th, by Russia’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Vasily Nebenzya:

“Until the leader in Kyiv comes to his senses and agrees to realistic negotiating terms, we will continue to resolve the issue militarily . . . with every day he wastes, the negotiating conditions will only worsen.” [Julia Struck, Kyiv Post, January 13, 2026.]

Nebenzya also said that discussions about deploying peacekeepers as part of post-war security guarantees would not be helpful to Ukraine, as — in Russia’s view — the advance of NATO forces toward Ukraine’s borders was unacceptable.

He further continued to advance the Kremlin’s absurd allegations that Russia had not caused Ukrainian civilian casualties — claims that have been debunked by irrefutable, multi-source, visual evidence.

The emergency UN session was convened after Russian forces struck Ukraine’s Lviv region with a multiple-warhead Oreshnik ballistic missile.

So there you have it: SSDD (Same Shit, Different Day). But at least we know they’re not asleep at the switch in the Kremlin . . . because those words would not have been spoken by Vasily Nebenzya without the instruction, or at least the authorization, of Vladimir Putin.

I’m afraid the Great Russian Bear is very much alive and awake after all.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
1/14/26

Has anyone noticed the silence? Not in Ukraine, of course, where the Russian missiles and drones continue to arrive by the dozens (or more) on a daily basis, damaging or destroying essential infrastructure, maiming and killing civilians, and leaving the survivors without heat, electricity, water, or proper shelter.

No, the silence is emanating — if silence can actually emanate — from the Kremlin. Why are we not hearing the customary daily rhetoric from Vladimir Putin, Sergey Lavrov, or Dmitry Peskov? While they’re inexplicably not bombarding the world with verbal threats of impending Armageddon, what the hell are they doing?

It is, of course, impossible to know what goes on behind the Kremlin gates. But beyond Russia’s borders — throughout Europe — Putin’s hybrid war has been continuing, bit by bit, incident by incident, in ways that provide Moscow with at least a semblance of deniability. Consider:

Drones over Europe. They’re not attacking; they’re simply showing up, violating NATO airspace, surveilling, and making Poland, Germany, Finland, Lithuania, and the rest of Europe . . . well, more than a little edgy.

Baltic undersea cables being cut. Accidental? Once, maybe. But multiple incidents in the Baltic? Hardly.

Railway explosion. Poland has charged three people for the November explosion on a key railway route used to transport aid to Ukraine.

Explosive device in Lithuania. One of the three people charged in Poland has also been found guilty of detonating a device at an Ikea store in Lithuania in November.

Arson. A shopping center was set afire in Warsaw, Poland, in 2024.

Communications and transportation. The jamming of GPS systems used by airports in the Baltic region has been attributed to Moscow.

Graffiti and cyber propaganda. Anti-Ukraine sentiment is being stirred up in numerous countries.

Election interference. An old story, continuing unabated.

*. *. *

Several days ago, Germany’s capital city of Berlin suffered a five-day blackout when arsonists attacked a gas-fired power plant. An estimated 100,000 people were left without electricity and heat in the frigid winter weather; some schools were closed; and hospitals were forced to rely on emergency generators.

A radical far-left group — Vulkangruppe — has claimed responsibility. But were they indeed acting independently? Or might they be part of Russia’s newest assemblage of mercenaries, sometimes referred to as Russia’s “disposable” saboteurs?

In much the same way as they recruit young men to serve in the military by offering financial incentives, the Russian authorities are now using online messaging apps and cryptocurrency payments to recruit “disposable” agents for sabotage operations throughout Europe . . . including financially-needy Ukrainian refugees who may not be aware of who is paying them. [Marc Bennetts, Thetimes.com, January 14, 2026.]

A report by the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI), a London-based think tank, said:

“The methods used to recruit and task saboteurs have shifted from Cold War-era reliance on trained intelligence operatives to a model characterised by remote, freelance and highly deniable assignments: the ‘gig-economy era’ of Russian sabotage.

“Low-level operatives are commonly recruited via encrypted messaging apps, such as Telegram, and paid small sums, often in cryptocurrency.” While most recruits are paid a few dollars for simple acts of vandalism such as graffiti, while others receive up to $10,000 for more serious crimes, the report stated that: “In several cases, saboteurs were not paid at all, underscoring their disposability.” [Id.]

One of the authors of the report — Kinga Redlowska, an expert on illicit finance and security — said that eroding support and creating fear and tension “is part of the logic of low-level [Russian] sabotage, even when the physical damage itself is limited. Europe has been relatively slow to recognise these incidents as part of a co-ordinated sabotage campaign. Money moves quickly, especially via crypto and informal cash services, while legal and cross-border co-operation processes move slowly. Even failed or low-impact attacks still achieve Russian objectives by creating fear, draining security resources and testing response thresholds.” [Id.]

*. *. *

Whatever else they may be up to inside those massive red brick walls, one thing is for certain: the Kremlin’s insidious work continues, albeit more quietly than usual. And that quiet is itself cause for concern.

Because the Great Russian Bear never sleeps.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
1/14/26

I suppose it’s still used from time to time, but it was more prevalent during the years of the Cold War: training attractive young Russian women to seduce foreigners whose jobs gave them access to strategically vital information. Euphemistically known as a “honey trap,” it was all part of the ongoing spy wars, and it netted a fair amount of otherwise unobtainable intelligence.

It also destroyed a great many lives . . . and ended more than a few.

That same methodology is being used by the Russian government today to recruit foreigners to fill the ranks of the military fighting in Ukraine. Instead of sex, however, the lure is money; and the targets are naive, desperately poor young men from Middle Eastern countries — mainly Syria, Egypt and Yemen.

In one specific case, Omar (not his real name) — a young, unemployed Syrian man — was approached by a Russian recruiter in Syria who was supposedly offering civilian work guarding oil facilities in Russia. Omar and a few other men jumped at the opportunity, but upon arriving in Moscow in March of 2024, they found that they had been scammed and were stranded at the airport with little money. One of their group searched online for help, and found a site offering work.

The site belonged to a woman named Polina Aleksandrovna Azarnykh. Within hours of being contacted, she met the men at the airport and took them by train to a recruitment center in Bryansk, some 250 miles southwest of Moscow, where they were given one-year contracts — written in Russian, which they did not understand — providing for a sign-up payment equivalent to $5,000 and a monthly salary of around $2,500. [Nawal Al-Maghafi and Sheida Kiran, BBC, January 12, 2025.]

Thinking they had hit the jackpot, they signed the contracts and handed their passports over to Azarnykh, who promised to arrange Russian citizenship for them. She also said that they could avoid being sent into combat if they paid her $3,000 apiece from their sign-up bonuses.

Instead, Omar was given ten days of military training and sent into battle. When he refused to pay the $3,000 to Azarnykh, she burned his passport. When he complained to his commanders, they threatened to imprison or kill him. [Id.]

Omar later discovered another fact that Azarnykh had failed to mention: that a 2022 Russian decree allows the military to extend soldiers’ contracts automatically until the end of the war in Ukraine. His contract has since been renewed.

A BBC investigation of Azarnykh determined that she had previously run a Facebook group helping Arab students come to Moscow to study. In 2024, she started a Telegram channel through which she operated her recruitment activities, and is said by one source to have become “one of the most important recruiters” for the Russian army, allegedly receiving the equivalent of $300 from the army for each person she recruited. [Id.]

In mid-2024, her posts began referring to the fact that recruits would be “participating in hostilities.” In one video, posted in October 2024, she says:

“You all understood well that you were going to war. You thought that you could get a Russian passport, do nothing and live in a five-star hotel? . . . Nothing happens for free.” [Id.]

And in a voice message sent to the mother of a soldier, she accused the woman of “publish[ing] something horrible about the Russian army” and threatened the soldier’s life, further warning the woman, “I’ll find you and all your children.” [Id.]

The BBC World Service has identified nearly 500 cases in which Azarnykh has “invited” young men to come to Russia to join the military in (allegedly) non-combatant positions, obtained their passport details from them, and failed to mention that they would not be allowed to leave in a year. Twelve families have told of young men recruited by her who are now dead or missing.

While it is unknown how many foreigners have joined Russia’s war against Ukraine since it was launched nearly four years ago, studies suggest the number may be as high as 20,000 or more, including from countries like Cuba, North Korea and Nepal. [Id.] Basically, they are nothing more than cannon fodder, sent into combat with just a few days of training, in a language they can’t understand, to replace the hundreds of thousands of Russian casualties.

And “entrepreneurs” like Polina Azarnykh are earning a living by leading the lambs to their slaughter.

I have to wonder whether the governments of these targeted countries are taking steps to warn their young men of the truth behind these recruitments, and if not . . . why not?

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
1/13/26

Ambrose Bierce was an American journalist and author of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, famed for both the volume and the wide variety of his literary output: he wrote realism, horror, poetry, fables, and satire.

He had fought in numerous battles of the Civil War (Union side), and in 1913, at the age of 71, he decided to depart Washington, D.C., on a tour of his old Civil War battlefields. He was last known to have passed through Texas and crossed into Mexico, which was then in the midst of revolution, but soon thereafter fell off the grid. He was last heard from around Christmas of 1913; the mystery of his disappearance has never been solved.

But he left behind a legacy of literature spread across several genres, of which my personal favorite is his gift for satire. And here is just one small sample, in which he artfully sums up the problem with politics as it existed then . . . and continues to plague us even now, more than 100 years later:

“In our civilization, and under our republican form of government, intelligence is so highly honored that it is rewarded by exemption from the cares of office.”

– Ambrose Bierce

Indeed so, Mr. Bierce . . . indeed so.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
1/13/26