Well, I was wrong. But so were the experts this time.

Most people anticipated that Donald Trump would follow up on yesterday’s White House meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky by calling Russian President Vladimir Putin immediately afterward. We did not imagine his talking to Putin first, ahead of the meeting.

In fact, however, that is what transpired. Trump wrote on Truth Social on October 16th that the phone conversation had already taken place — at Putin’s instigation — and said:

“We agreed that there will be a meeting of our High Level Advisors, next week . . . President Putin and I will then meet in an agreed upon location, Budapest, Hungary. . . . to see if we can bring this ‘inglorious’ War, between Russia and Ukraine, to an end.” [RFE/RL, October 16, 2025.]

Was I surprised at this? Actually, no . . . not surprised. I was flabbergasted!

We may never know precisely what was discussed between Trump and Putin, since neither of their versions is likely to be complete or reliable. But we do know, after the fact, that Trump is no longer hedging as to whether the U.S. will be supplying Ukraine with long-range Tomahawk missiles. The answer is a flat-out nyet — at least for now.

But the possibility has been left open for the future, likely as a cudgel to be held over Putin’s head pending the proposed bilateral summit in Budapest. According to Ilan Berman, Senior Vice President of the American Foreign Policy Council, leaving the issue open-ended is significant:

“The question now is whether it’s possible for the White House to put together a package of sticks that Russia will really respond to in a way that it hasn’t before. And I think that’s where the Tomahawks come in. My sense is that’s sort of what is animating the thinking. But I think both the president and his advisers are far less optimistic about Vladimir Putin being a constructive actor than they were six months ago.” [Ray Furlong, RFE/RL, October 18, 2025 CET.]

We are talking about the same Vladimir Putin, aren’t we?

Because it’s going to take some mighty big sticks to convince this Putin to give up any of his demands.

And there is this post from Trump on social media following his talk with Putin, in which — for perhaps the hundredth time — he said he believes “great progress was made with today’s telephone conversation,” and added:

“President Putin congratulated me and the United States on the Great Accomplishment of Peace in the Middle East, something that, he said, has been dreamed of for centuries. I actually believe that the Success in the Middle East will help in our negotiation in attaining an end to the War with Russia/Ukraine.” [Samantha Waldenberg, CNN, October 16, 2025.]

And when he had stopped patting himself on the back, he went on:

“We also spent a great deal of time talking about Trade between Russia and the United States when the War with Ukraine is over.” [Id.] [Bold emphasis is mine.]

And there it is — one big, fat, bright orange carrot on a stick for Vlad: Money.

In addition, Putin has — by means of a single phone call — once again bought himself a bit of time. We now await word as to the final arrangements for a bilateral meeting in Budapest . . . or anywhere. Even Trump indicated some uncertainty as to whether Putin was simply delaying again, though he didn’t say how long he will wait this time before once more losing patience.

And in the meantime, Ukraine prepares for another long, cold, desperate winter.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
10/18/25

John Bolton, former national security adviser during Donald Trump’s first administration, has been criminally indicted on federal charges of allegedly mishandling classified information. The charges include eight counts of transmission of national defense information (NDI) and ten counts of unlawful retention of NDI.

Bolton is accused of illegally transmitting top secret U.S. defense information via his personal email and other messaging apps — charges that Bolton vehemently denies, and which eerily echo Trump’s past accusations against Hillary Clinton — that could result in a sentence of decades in prison if he were to be convicted on all charges. At his age, that would be tantamount to a life sentence.

Specifically, the indictment states:

“These documents revealed intelligence about future attacks, foreign adversaries, and foreign-policy relations.” [Ana Faguy and Aoife Walsh, BBC, October 16, 2025.]

U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi — Trump’s willing enforcer of his relentless attacks on his critics and perceived enemies — said in a statement that “No one is above the law.” [Id.]

What I find most difficult to comprehend is how the Trump team can possibly fail to see the irony — indeed, the completely transparent hypocrisy — in their every move and every word.

Do they really think we have forgotten the 40 counts of the indictment against Trump after he left office in January of 2021 with boxes of classified government documents that were later found at his Florida residence? He was charged separately under the Espionage Act for each of 32 documents; eight additional charges included making false statements and engaging in a conspiracy to obstruct justice.

Despite special counsel Jack Smith’s prosecution of the case, it was dismissed in 2024 by Judge Aileen Cannon — a Trump appointee — who ruled that Smith’s appointment had been unconstitutional.

Trump — the original Mr. Teflon — walked. But “no one is above the law.”

He and his minions also conveniently ignore the events of this past March, when The Atlantic’s editor-in-chief, Jeffrey Goldberg, was mistakenly included in a classified Signal group chat regarding detailed preparations for military operations against Houthi forces in Yemen. The call included, among other top members of the administration, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and National Security Advisor Michael Waltz — Waltz being the person named as the coordinator of the call.

In fact, it happened twice. Was anyone charged, fired, or even reprimanded? No, they were not . . . because they were Trump’s people. But again, “no one is above the law.”

In fact, Hegseth’s comments to the press included this:

“Nobody was texting war plans, and that’s all I have to say about that.” He called Jeffrey Goldberg “a deceitful and highly discredited, so-called journalist who’s made a profession of peddling hoaxes time and time again. . . . This is the guy that pedals [sic] in garbage. This is what he does.” [Megan Forrester, ABC News, April 22, 2025.]

That, of course, would be in contrast to Hegseth’s own illustrious career at Fox News.

*. *. *

“No one is above the law.” At least, that’s how it’s supposed to be, and how it always has been in this country . . . until recently. But it seems that now “the law” is whatever the guy at the top of the ladder says it is. And “no one” means anyone but him and his chosen few.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
10/17/25

I had a routine doctor’s appointment in town today, and while I waited for my ride to arrive to take me home, I sat outside to enjoy the sunny, low-humidity fall day.

Normally, I might have pulled out my phone to check my emails or scan through Facebook. But today my eye was drawn to some nearby bushes that still had late flowers — small purple things, rather nondescript, with spiky leaves. I had no idea what they were; but a swarm of small yellow butterflies obviously did.

My ride was running late; but I was so enthralled by the simple sight of the dozens of yellow-winged creatures flitting from flower to flower, barely alighting on one before moving on to the next, that I lost track of time and forgot to be impatient. I watched their pollination ritual, as I came to think of it; gazed up at the blue, nearly cloudless sky; listened to the sounds of nearby traffic; and smiled in greeting at the people entering and leaving the medical building.

And — miracle of miracles — for a half hour I forgot about the world’s problems: the wars, the political infighting, and the natural disasters about which I normally spend far too much time thinking and writing. I was so lost in the moment, and so relaxed, that I was actually rather disappointed when my ride finally did arrive.

Later in the day, I looked for some information on my little butterfly friends, and found that they are indeed among the most common species native to this area. Symbolically, they represent joy, hope, good luck, and new life. And who doesn’t need more of that?

I have a feeling my dreams will be a little sweeter tonight.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
10/16/25

The ink on the Israel-Gaza ceasefire treaty was barely dry when Donald Trump told the Israeli Knesset that he was ready to re-focus his attention on Russia and Ukraine.

With Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky scheduled to visit the Washington White House on Friday, Trump has once more expressed his disillusionment with his supposed good friend Vladimir Putin, telling reporters at the White House on Tuesday:

“I’m very disappointed, because Vladimir and I had a very good relationship. Probably still do. I don’t know why he continues with this war…. He could end it. He could end it quickly.” [RFE/RL, October 15, 2025.]

He doesn’t know why?!! Seriously??!!! Because if that’s true, then what the hell is he doing occupying the Oval Office?

But setting aside the absurdity of that remark, Washington and Moscow are now dealing with the issue of whether the U.S. will supply long-range, nuclear-capable Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine as requested by Zelensky. Trump has hinted that he might . . . or might not . . . accede to that request. And the Kremlin quickly responded with comments by spokesman Dmitry Peskov, who asked “What should the Russian Federation think? Just how should Russia react?” if a Tomahawk were detected coming their way.

Then — never one to miss an opportunity to exacerbate an already dangerous situation — Kremlin hawk extraordinaire Dmitry Medvedev added this on social media:

“How should Russia respond? Exactly! The delivery of these missiles could end badly for everyone. And first of all — for Trump himself.” [Harry Sekulich and Laura Gozzi, BBC, October 13, 2025.]

It’s difficult to assess how much of Medvedev’s rhetoric is Kremlin-approved, and how much is pure bluster. But as long-time Putin sidekick — he served as titular president for four years while Putin waited to be eligible to run again — and current Deputy Chairman of the Russian Security Council (Putin himself is Chairman), it seems unlikely that he would risk going against Putin’s wishes.

So, as we slide inexorably toward the end of another week, we’ll see what Trump comes up with after his meeting with Zelensky. Presumably there will be a follow-up call with Putin; and knowing Trump’s propensity for being influenced by the last person he spoke with, it will be interesting to see how often and how quickly he shifts gears this time.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
10/16/25

Years ago, my sister and I laughingly made what we called a “Ribbit Pact,” inspired by two little throw pillows we had with drawings of frogs saying, “Together ‘til we croak.” (Unfortunately, she wasn’t able to wait for me; but if all goes well, I’ll have an opportunity one day to let her know how much I have missed her.)

But it turns out that — according to the Old Testament — God was way ahead of us with a Ribbit Pact of His own. In Exodus 8:2-4 (English Standard Version), it is written:

Then the LORD said to Moses, “Go in to Pharaoh and say to him, ‘Thus says the LORD, “Let my people go, that they may serve me. But if you refuse to let them go, behold, I will plague all your country with frogs. The Nile shall swarm with frogs that shall come up into your house and into your bedroom and on your bed and into the houses of your servants and your people, and into your ovens and your kneading bowls. The frogs shall come up on you and on your people and on all your servants.”’”

*. *. *

Whether you are a believer in the Old Testament, the New Testament, the Quran, the Tripitaka, or no testament at all, you have to wonder whether some of the good folks of Portland, Oregon, were referencing Moses’ instructions when they adopted the big green frog as the symbol of their ICE resistance movement. Or perhaps they were just having fun, as Portlanders are reputed to do . . . a lot.

Whatever the case, it appears that there may be a 21st-century Moses, alive and well and living in Portland. I just hope, for his sake, he’s not an immigrant.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
10/16/25

I’m not talking about the ones in the windshields of airplanes carrying U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth . . . although those are certainly concerning enough.

In this case, the cracks already have begun to show in Donald Trump’s purportedly rock-solid peace treaty between Israel and Gaza, which he (perhaps prematurely) has predicted will bring a new “golden age” to the long-embattled Middle East.

Speaking before Israel’s Knesset (Parliament) on Monday, he stated clearly that, having supposedly solved one problem, his next priority is the more elusive one of Russia’s war against Ukraine.

But is it safe yet to turn his attention away from the Israel-Gaza conflict, leaving it to others to conclude the many remaining issues? Has he failed to notice the internal fighting already erupting in Gaza between armed clans and Hamas security forces, in which 27 people were killed on Sunday alone?

He clearly is aware of Hamas’ delay in returning the bodies of the remaining deceased Israeli hostages, which they say is due to the difficulty in retrieving them without special equipment . . . and of the fact that, of the four bodies initially returned, one has been confirmed as not being a known Israeli hostage.

Israel has now charged Hamas with violating the peace agreement, and stated that it will “not compromise” on the issue of hostage returns, saying that “the mission is not complete.” [Ben Hatton and Sean Seddon, BBC, October 15, 2025.]

And Trump himself has responded to the delay by saying that he will consider approving Israel’s resumption of military action in Gaza if Hamas refuses to uphold its end of the deal, telling CNN that Israeli forces could return to Gaza “as soon as I say the word. I had to hold them [the Netanyahu administration and IDF] back. I had it out with Bibi [Netanyahu].” [ BBC, October 15, 2025.]

Trump added: “What’s going on with Hamas — that’ll be straightened out quickly.” [Id.]

Right. The way he “straightened out” the Russia-Ukraine war within 24 hours of his inauguration.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
10/15/25

In 1966, Alan Arkin, Carl Reiner and Theodore Bikel starred in one of the best (in my opinion) comedy films ever made: “The Russians Are Coming, the Russians Are Coming.”

In it, a Soviet submarine runs aground and is stuck on a sandbar off the coast of a New England island. The commander (Bikel) orders his second-in-command (Arkin) to get the sub moving again without creating an international incident, and Arkin decides to take a few of his men ashore to seek help — disguised as Americans in clothes they “borrow” from a local shop. None of them speaks more than a few words of English, and the result, as you can imagine, is nothing short of hilarious . . . in good, clean, 1960s, poking-fun-at-the-Cold-War style.

Fast-forward 59 years. In a classic case of real life imitating art, a diesel-powered submarine — the Novorossiysk from Russia’s Black Sea Fleet — surfaced off the coast of France last week. It had been shadowed for three days, from October 7-9, by a UK warship and helicopter as it was passing through the Strait of Gibraltar and the English Channel, where it was required by regulations to surface. It was on its return voyage from deployment in the Mediterranean, where it had reportedly experienced a fuel leak, raising concerns of a possible underwater explosion.

After passing through the Channel, the vessel was escorted by the Dutch Navy. On October 11th, Dutch authorities reported the Novorossiysk as being under tow in the North Sea due to a malfunction — in response to which the Black Sea Fleet’s press service issued this typically Russian denial:

“Information disseminated by a number of media outlets about an alleged malfunction and, as a result, the emergency surfacing of the diesel-electric submarine Novorossiysk off the coast of France does not correspond to reality. In accordance with international navigation regulations, submarines are to navigate the English Channel only while on the surface.” [Chris Graham, BBC, October 13, 2025.]

But NATO chief Mark Rutte saw the comic value in Moscow’s insistence on denying reality — a habit that hasn’t changed over the last six decades — when he described the “broken” vessel as “limping home,” while referencing another submarine-based work of fiction:

“What a change from the 1984 Tom Clancy novel The Hunt for Red October. Today, it seems more like the hunt for the nearest mechanic.” [Id.]

Good one, Mr. Rutte.

It occurs to me that if governments would only loosen up a bit and learn to laugh at their own fallibility when little things occasionally — and inevitably — do go wrong, perhaps they wouldn’t become the brunt of jokes later.

But then, we would have missed out on a couple of very good movies.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
10/15/25

Aboard Air Force One yesterday, reporters asked Trump whether he thought his role in negotiating the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Gaza would be his ticket to heaven. Flushed from his great success, he was in a jovial mood and had this to say:

“I don’t think there’s anything gonna get me in heaven. Okay? I think I’m not maybe heaven bound. I may be in heaven right now as we fly in Air Force One. I’m not sure if I’m going to be able to make heaven.” [CNN, October 13, 2025.]

Grammatical ineptness aside, I couldn’t agree with him more — and those are words I never expected to hear myself utter. But I have to give credit where it’s due.

The man just gave me the best laugh I’ve had in a long, long while.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
10/14/25

Have you ever wondered how the current U.S. administration has managed to amass in one place so many inherently cruel, vindictive, unfeeling individuals willing to destroy the lives of hundreds of thousands of people they’ve never met and who have done nothing to deserve their brutal treatment?

I’m talking about people like J.D. Vance, Pete Hegseth, Stephen Miller, Russell Vought, Pam Bondi, Kristi Noem and their multitude of compatriots who, without a second thought, round up people in the most brutal manner, tear them away from their families, herd them into hellhole prisons, and deport them . . .

who pepper spray, physically attack, handcuff and arrest peaceful demonstrators . . .

who destroy the careers of those who may have insulted them recently or a decade ago . . .

who deprive children and the elderly of medical care, food, and decent housing by making those basic necessities of life unavailable or unaffordable . . .

and who put people out of work just because they can.

Where did all of these apostles of Dracula suddenly spring from? Were they born that way, or are they the recent, mind-altered creations of some real-life monster?

Perhaps another such madman as this:

I’ve been giving this a good deal of thought lately. And yesterday I read an article posted by a blog buddy of mine concerning his country’s misguided attempts at understanding and “treating” autism. In it, he mentions studies done in the 1960s on the efficacy of using Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) — or so-called conversion therapy — in attempting to suppress autistic traits, rather than offering support to the individuals who live with autism and are uniquely qualified to understand and describe their experiences.

ABA — which has also been used to attempt to “convert” LGBTQ people in the hopes that they will become “normal” — can include brutal treatments, including electroshock therapy, and has frequently caused substantial additional harm to its victims.

But it also has had adverse effects on the “therapists” who perform the “treatments”; and questions have arisen as to whether those individuals themselves even recognize the harm that is being done to them. For example, my friend writes:

“In the 1960s, Stanley Milgram conducted an experiment in which ordinary people were instructed to administer electric shocks to a stranger. The shocks were fake, the screams acted — but the participants didn’t know that. Many showed distress. Some hesitated. But 65% delivered the maximum voltage when prompted by an authority figure in a lab coat.

“A decade later, Philip Zimbardo’s Stanford Prison Experiment revealed how quickly role and power can distort empathy. Volunteers assigned as ‘guards’ began to humiliate and abuse ‘prisoners’ within days. The experiment was halted early — not because the guards recognised the harm, but because the researchers did.

“These studies are unsettling not because they reveal monsters, but because they reveal us. The capacity to harm is not confined to the cruel. It lives in the compliant, the well-intentioned, the professionally trained. It thrives in systems that reward obedience and punish dissent.

“In places like Lake Alice, obedience became a shield. Staff followed orders. Protocols were upheld. Children were silenced. The harm was not hidden — it was routinised.”

*. *. *

We know about the horrors discovered in Hitler’s concentration camps after they were liberated by the Allies. And we know of the more recent stories told by political prisoners who have survived Vladimir Putin’s penal colonies. The officers, doctors, technicians — and even fellow inmates — who carry out such atrocities will tell you that they are merely “following orders.”

But how do they live with themselves? Could there be so many without consciences, or an iota of empathy?

Those are extreme cases, of course. But applying the same principles of “routinizing” or “normalizing” aberrant (and abhorrent) behavior, could the same not also be said for some of today’s top U.S. officials as they slash and burn their way through America’s democratic principles, doing irreparable harm to millions of innocent people?

And if so, who do you suppose is masterminding and controlling their conversion therapy?

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
10/14/25

It’s an indescribable joy to be able to share in good news . . . especially when it involves the release of prisoners being unjustly held as hostages to a political cause not of their making.

And today, of course, we celebrate the return of the 20 surviving Israelis taken hostage two years ago in the raid by Hamas forces on Israel, and of the nearly 2,000 Palestinians held prisoner in retribution since that day.

Without belaboring the political issues, I would simply like to offer my congratulations to all of the returnees and their families, and my hopes for even greater progress toward a lasting peace in the region.

Welcome home, one and all.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
10/13/25