There are any number of possible answers to that question, of course. And I’m guessing that one of them might be:

When the leaders of the world’s two greatest nuclear powers play a game of political chicken, and they’re both too pigheaded to swerve.

Which, according to recent comments from each of them, could happen at any moment.

Earlier in the week, Donald Trump had said that before agreeing to provide Ukraine with long-range Tomahawk missiles, he would want to know how they planned to use them, because he did not want to escalate the war between Russia and Ukraine. He added, however, that he had already “sort of made a decision.” [Guy Faulconbridge, Reuters, October 12, 2025.]

The Kremlin’s response came yesterday from spokesman Dmitry Peskov, who said on Russian state television:

“The topic of Tomahawks is of extreme concern. Now is really a very dramatic moment in terms of the fact that tensions are escalating from all sides.” [Id.]

Peskov added that if Tomahawks were launched at Russia, Moscow would have to consider the fact that some versions of the missile are capable of carrying nuclear warheads:

“Just imagine: a long-range missile is launched and is flying and we know that it could be nuclear. What should the Russian Federation think? Just how should Russia react? Military experts overseas should understand this.” [Id.]

Putin — who either believes he is still living in the days of the Soviet Union, or simply wishes he were — continues to blame the West for what he calls the humiliation of Russia after the 1991 breakup of the USSR, and for allegedly encroaching on Moscow’s claimed sphere of influence by accepting a number of the former Soviet republics and Eastern Bloc satellite countries into NATO membership.

He warned on Sunday that delivery of Tomahawks to Ukraine would represent a “completely new stage of escalation,” but claimed they would not pose a major threat to his country:

“Can Tomahawks harm us? They can. But we will shoot them down and improve our air defense system.” [RFE/RL, October 13, 2025.]

(My thought: Wouldn’t shooting them down have the same disastrous consequences as allowing them to detonate on their own? But never mind . . . )

Taking into account the time difference between Moscow and Washington, it is likely that Trump had heard Peskov’s and Putin’s comments before boarding Air Force One for his flight to the Gaza peace conference on Sunday. Yet, when asked about the possibility of providing Tomahawks to Ukraine, he replied to reporters:

“[Ukraine] would like to have Tomahawks. That’s a step up. Yeah, I might tell him [Putin] if the war is not settled, we may very well do it. We may not, but we may do it…. Do they want to have Tomahawks going in their direction? I don’t think so.” [Id.]

This could, of course, be nothing more than a testosterone-fueled display of machismo consistent with the usual behavior of a pair of vicious, autocratic narcissists. Or not.

The point is, they’re not just duking it out on the playground. And all we can do is go to sleep each night hoping that neither of them has a death wish.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
10/13/25

It’s tiny; it’s one of the poorest countries in Europe; and I’d be willing to bet that most people outside of Europe have no idea of its exact location or the name of its capital (Chisinau).

But the small nation of Moldova — formerly the Soviet republic of Moldavia — is of strategic importance to Russia because of its situation between southwestern Ukraine and Romania, making it the perfect buffer zone, and stepping stone, between east and west should Vladimir Putin succeed in his quest to take possession of Ukraine.

It should therefore not be at all surprising to learn that Russia has been teaching Moldovan citizens to foment unrest in advance of their recent parliamentary elections in order to swing the votes in favor of Russia-friendly candidates. What is surprising is that they used a holiday resort in Serbia as a training camp.

Serbia, while retaining its traditional close ties to Moscow, has also been trying to build economic relations with the West. This revelation has thus proven inconvenient — even embarrassing — to Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, who has said the information about the training camp was received, not from Serbia’s own security services, but from private sources — indicating a likely cover-up. In an interview on October 5th, Vucic said:

“If there’s one thing we do well, it’s processing of foreign citizens. It was impossible for us not to notice. We did not notice because someone wanted us not to notice.” [Iva Martinovic, et al., RFE/RL, October 12, 2025.]

Gee . . . you think?

Serbian authorities have since made two arrests, unofficially identified by local media as Serbian citizens Lazar Popovic and Savo Stevanovic. Both men were formerly advisers to Nenad Popovic, a minister without portfolio who has been sanctioned by the U.S. for his ties to Russia. [Id.]

Locals in the nearby village have said they noticed Russian-speaking customers in the area. And RFE/RL has discovered a fitness app registered to one Sergei Andreenkov that shows him taking his regular morning run along a route that began within the resort complex. Andreenkov is an activist for Putin’s United Russia party, and has received a Russian Defense Ministry award for “strengthening the defense of the Russian Federation.” [Id.]

And Moldovan police have released a video of a suspect who has admitted traveling to Serbia, and who said:

“They taught us to use walkie-talkies, showed us recordings of some Russian rallies, and told us what we should and should not do.” [Id.]

*. *. *

The Kremlin, of course, has denied any involvement in the alleged training camp. But then, Moscow always denies everything.

The question is — not whether anyone believes them any longer — but how long before we stop thinking it can’t happen here . . . and realize that it already has.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
10/13/25

While Poland, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Finland, and other EU nations bordering or close to Russian or Belarusian territory have been ramping up their defenses in the wake of Russian drone and aircraft incursions into EU airspace, Denmark has not been idle.

The Danish government has just announced an additional $4.2 billion of defense spending to increase security in the Arctic and North Atlantic regions — including its autonomous territories of Greenland and the Faroe Islands. It will also be spending $4.5 billion on the purchase of 16 more F-35 fighter jets from the United States. According to Denmark’s Defense Minister, Troels Lund Poulsen:

“With this … agreement we significantly strengthen the capabilities of the Danish Armed Forces in the region.” [Stuart Lau and Danny Aeberhard, BBC, October 10, 2025.]

And Danish Chief of Defense Michael Hyldgaard issued a statement, saying, without naming a specific adversary:

“The task of the Armed Forces is to ensure security throughout the Kingdom — and, if necessary, to defend Greenland, the Faroe Islands and Denmark within the framework of Nato [sic] in all domains.” [Id.]

Both Greenland and the Faroe Islands are autonomous territories of the Kingdom of Denmark, and as such were included in Denmark’s negotiations for the new defense package. In addition to the purchase of new Arctic ships, maritime patrol planes, drones and early warning radar, a new Arctic command headquarters will be set up in Nuuk, the capital of Greenland, along with a new military unit under Joint Arctic Command. There will also be funding for an undersea cable connecting Greenland and Denmark. [Id.]

But the government and the people of Denmark and Greenland are currently faced with another critical issue besides the obvious concerns about a possible Russian incursion. Because of its strategic position between the North American continent and Europe (including Russia’s Arctic regions), Donald Trump has made no secret of the fact that he wants to take possession of Greenland as a territory of the United States . . . despite the Greenlanders’ having made it quite clear that they want no part of a change of allegiance.

Trump has said the island is crucial to U.S. efforts to track Chinese and Russian ships, which he describes as being “all over the place.” He pleads that Greenland is “critical” for America’s national and economic security. [Id.]

And no doubt it has not escaped Trump’s notice that the large island (836,330 square miles) is rich in natural resources, including rare earth minerals, uranium and iron.

Not surprisingly, Greenland’s prime minister has said that the territory is not for sale, and that “Greenland belongs to the people of Greenland.” [Id.]

But Donald Trump never gives up when he wants something badly enough, because he honestly believes that no one has the right to say “no” to him . . . about anything. And he never signs off on a deal that isn’t in some way beneficial to him.

I wonder whether any of his sycophantic advisors has had the cojones to ask him what he would say if, for example, Vladimir Putin were suddenly to propose taking back Alaska because of its strategic position abutting Russia’s east coast . . . not to mention its oil, minerals, timber, wildlife . . .

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
10/12/25

As another bitter winter approaches, and while the attacks on Ukraine’s critical infrastructure continue and more people die or are wounded and displaced, the political prisoners being held hostage by Vladimir Putin’s forces in Russia and elsewhere sit and wait for hopeful news.

But not to be overlooked this week are the thousands of prisoners on both sides of another conflict — the Israel-Gaza war — who are about to be returned home on Monday, if all goes according to plan. And that will indeed be cause for celebration. Regardless of nationality, no prisoner of war or political hostage must be left behind or forgotten.

While we rejoice for those survivors and their families, though, let us not forget the victims of Putin’s and his allies’ continuing campaign of terror against those who dare to speak out against their totalitarian regimes, who remain in prisons and penal colonies in Russia, Belarus, Azerbaijan, Ukraine, Central Asia, and China.

For the 92nd straight week, then, they are (among thousands of others):

Immigrant Detainees in Russia:

Migrants from the Central Asian nations of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan,
Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan

Prisoners of War:

The 19,500 Kidnapped Ukrainian Children
The People of Ukraine

Endangered Exiles:

Mikita Losik
Yulia Navalnaya
Countless Journalists and Other Dissidents

Political Prisoners:

In Azerbaijan:

The “Azerbaijan 7”:
— Farid Mehralizada
— Ulvi Hasanli
— Sevinj Abbasova (Vagifqiai)
— Mahammad Kekalov
— Hafiz Babali
— Nargiz Absalamova
— Elnara Gasimova

In Belarus:

Ales Bialiatski
Andrei Chapiuk
Marya Kalesnikava
Uladzimir Labkovich
Marfa Rabkova
Valiantsin Stafanovic
Yuras Zyankovich

In China:

Chenyue Mao (American)

In Russia:

David Barnes (American)
Gordon Black (American)
Antonina Favorskaya
Konstantin Gabov
Robert Gilman (American)
Stephen James Hubbard (American)
Sergey Karelin
Timur Kishukov
Vadim Kobzev
Darya Kozyreva
Artyom Kriger
Michael Travis Leake (American)
Aleksei Liptser
Grigory Melkonyants
Nika Novak
Nadezhda Rossinskaya (a.k.a. Nadin Geisler)
Sofiane Sehili (French)
Igor Sergunin
Dmitry Shatresov
Robert Shonov
Grigory Skvortsov
Eugene Spector (American)
Laurent Vinatier
Robert Romanov Woodland (American)

The fight continues on their behalf — hopefully without letup — until they are all safely home.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
10/12/25

It occurs to me that some of my regular readers may be wondering why I’ve never chosen to comment on the horrific Israel-Gaza situation, or on Donald Trump’s claimed success in negotiating a first-step, partial ceasefire and prisoner exchange. In fact, the answer is simple:

Like Vladimir and Estragon — Samuel Beckett’s protagonists in his immortal play, “Waiting for Godot: A tragicomedy in two acts” — I am waiting for a final result that may, or may not, ever occur.

While inexplicably anticipating the arrival of a mysterious person named Godot, the two obviously homeless men, with nothing better to do, engage in an endless stream of musings and dialogues that lead the reader — willingly or not — to contemplate the ultimate truth: the meaning of life itself.

In the context of our modern world, what I am waiting for — and can only hope to live long enough to learn — is the truth behind Donald Trump’s own “tragicomedy in two acts.”

In his second stab at running the country and the world, he now claims to have set the entire Middle East on the path to a lasting peace — an area of the world that has seen nothing but conflict since the times of the ancient Babylonian, Persian, Greek and Roman Empires. But, without an iota of knowledge of the complex history of the region, he believes he has magically been able to convince the current political and religious leaders of the various countries to set aside centuries of deep-seated animus . . . just because he says they should.

But how can we know what promises he has made in order to gain their agreement to his “deals”?

While I — and most of the world — would love nothing better than to see that dream become a reality, I am a realist. And looking at Trump’s recent record of other claimed successes, I cannot bring myself to celebrate this one based only on a tenuous agreement to a temporary solution.

Think about it. How many times has Trump claimed that he has succeeded in convincing Vladimir Putin to sit down with Volodymyr Zelensky in order to bring an end to Russia’s war against Ukraine? But has it happened yet?

And those seven other “wars” he claims to have ended . . . How many of them were actual wars? And how many of his alleged solutions have lasted?

While he promises to be solving all of the world’s problems, what about the conflicts he has been creating between the United States and its traditional allies, or the ones he has exacerbated with China, North Korea, and now even Venezuela?

How can we put our faith in the word of one who has set his own country on a course of self-destruction, single-handedly annihilating 250 years of democratic rule and economic success by dismantling the essential agencies of the government itself, and instituting martial law in cities that needed no “help” from his storm troopers?

*. *. *

So you see, I am simply unable to shout “Hoorah!” as yet. Any exchange of prisoners and hostages is, of course, an event to celebrate; and for that success, honor is certainly due. But beyond that, I must join Vladimir and Estragon by their tree, and await the arrival of my own elusive Godot.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
10/11/25

As planned, I did get my annual flu and COVID shots yesterday — one in each arm — which means I have two slightly sore arms, but nothing I can’t live with for a day or two. And now, some ten hours after the fact, I’m beginning to feel my usual effects from the COVID vaccine: I’m groggy, and have the approximate tensile strength of this guy:

But I had still hoped to be able to post a commentary on one of the day’s more interesting world events, so I pulled up the late headlines, and immediately realized I was just not up to it. There was simply too much angst to deal with.

Seriously, have you ever been so tired you can’t even work up the energy to be outraged? Well, that’s me at this moment.

Therefore, instead of my usual, brilliantly insightful analysis of the world’s madness, I shall resort to the “picture-is-worth-1,000-words” school of journalism, with the following pictorial commentaries:

Hegseth announces Qatar will build air force facility at U.S. base in Idaho. [CBS News]

*. *. *

White House slams Nobel Committee for not awarding Peace Prize to Trump. [BBC]

*. *. *

In ‘Dangerous’ Escalation, Pakistani Drone Strikes Kill Two Senior Taliban Members in Kabul. [RFE/RL]

*. *. *

Nineteen missing after explosion at Tennessee munitions factory. [BBC]

*. *. *

Trump administration starts laying off thousands of workers. [BBC]

*. *. *

Trump says he’ll impose new 100% tariff on China ‘over and above’ current rates, massively escalating trade war. [CNN]

*. *. *

But on a lighter note . . . or it would be funny, if it weren’t so terrifyingly ignorant . . . there’s this:

Health Secretary Kennedy, Trump linked circumcision to autism through Tylenol. [USA Today]

To quote the immortal Forrest Gump: “Stupid is as stupid does.”

*. *. *

And so I leave you for now to contemplate, without further input from me, whether you even want to bother getting out of bed today.

As you can see, I’ve already made my decision.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
10/11/25

Well, color me gobsmacked!

I just read that Melania Trump has pulled off the diplomatic coup of the year. And she hasn’t once suggested that she should be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.

But what has she done — she, who normally keeps such a low profile and never becomes involved in politics? Well, it seems that, just before her husband (you know who I mean) left for his meeting in Alaska with Vladimir Putin in August, she slipped him a letter addressed to Putin, to be hand-delivered.

But this was not some back-room hanky-panky. This was an impassioned plea, through an “open channel of communication,” for the release of Ukrainian children being held in Russian territory. She cleverly suggested to Putin that doing so “will do more than serve Russia alone … [it] will serve humanity itself.” [Brandon Drenon, CNN, October 10, 2025.]

She also appealed to his paternal instincts by reminding him that:

“Every child shares the same quiet dreams in their heart…. They dream of love, possibility, and safety from danger.” [Id.]

Atta girl! Strike directly at Putin’s well-known, ingrained humanitarian instincts. Maybe she should also have dangled next year’s Nobel Prize under his nose while she was at it.

But somehow, it worked. And today Melania herself took the podium in the White House to announce (no doubt modestly) the success of her mission:

“Eight children have been rejoined with their families during the past 24 hours. Each child has lived in turmoil because of the war in Ukraine.” [Id.]

That is truly phenomenal news for those children and their families — the sort of news we need to hear now and then in order to restore our faith in humanity. Whether Melania Trump undertook this effort on her own, or was nudged into it, is immaterial; the fact is, she did it. For that, she deserves kudos.

That said, however, let’s not forget that Russia has been charged with holding — they call it “rescuing” — some 19,500 Ukrainian children, or possibly more, since the start of their “special military operation” on February 24, 2022. The first eight to be reunited with their loved ones represent a definite step in the right direction.

But the road ahead is a long and bumpy one. And my hope — indeed, my plea to Melania Trump and to all who have worked with her on this vital issue — is that they keep going, and never let up until every last Ukrainian child is back where they belong: at home, in the sovereign nation of Ukraine.

Thanks for getting the ball rolling. Now let’s see how far it goes.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
10/10/25

I have a confession to make: I am a pro-vaxxer. And I can’t tell you how good it feels to get that off my conscience.

Yes, I know . . . I know our esteemed Secretary of Health and Human Services — that renowned font of all medical wisdom, promoter of “toughing it out,” and black sheep of the otherwise reasonably sane Kennedy family — has told us that Tylenol causes autism, and vaccines will turn us all into zombies or mutants or an army of terrifying clones.

But I’m a rebel. I was raised to believe in my own intelligence, and in my ability to make rational decisions based on empirical evidence. Not voodoo “science.” And not the word of some strung-out, addle-brained . . . well, you know who I mean.

So, based on my own decades-long history of not having had a serious case of the flu since the first flu shots became available; having survived five years of being surrounded by the coronavirus without contracting it; and never having had polio thanks to Dr. Jonas Salk . . . I have made an independent decision.

Today, I am going to have my annual flu and COVID shots. My local pharmacy has the vaccines, I’m over 65, and I don’t give a rat’s ass what some pea-brained psycho who looks like he died three years ago tells me.

*. *. *

The reason I am sharing this with you is that I did have one mild reaction to my past COVID shots: total exhaustion for a day or two. I wasn’t ill; I didn’t have a fever; I just felt as limp as a Raggedy Ann doll. (Remember her?)

So I’m anticipating that I may be too tired to think for the next 24-48 hours, in which case you will most likely be able to find me in my PJs, hunkered down in my easy chair, staring mindlessly at reruns of the entire 25 seasons of Midsomer Murders, and occasionally taking nourishment in the form of . . . what else? . . . a couple of pints of Haagen-Dazs.

And perhaps a Tylenol or two.

I’ll keep you posted.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
10/10/25

If you asked me to name the happiest summer of my life — other than the two years in which my son and daughter were born, both in July, two years apart — it would be the summer of 1991, when I lived and worked in Prague.

I’ve written about it before, in great detail. It was the summer that the last of the occupying Russian troops left the country after the fall of the Soviet Union, and Prague was in full celebration mode. Being there to share the joy, the sensation of freedom, and the unbridled optimism for an unlimited future was one of the greatest experiences of my life.

Our U.S. law firm was there to advise and assist the new government as it formulated a democratic legal framework under its new liberal president, Vaclav Havel. With the help of our young Czech staff, we worked hard; but evenings and weekends were for fun — and that was when our local friends became our instructors. Because those kids knew how to get the most out of every moment of life.

And that sense of joy and mischief has apparently not subsided over the years, judging from reports of the most recent demonstrations of snarky payback aimed at their former occupiers. Since the invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Russia’s embassy in Prague has been trolled by the locals with not-so-subtle reminders of Vladimir Putin’s crimes against Ukraine and against his own Russian dissidents.

The embassy is located in a lovely area well outside the bustle of Prague’s historic Old Town. And Czech authorities began — even before Putin’s war made Russia an international pariah — renaming some of the surrounding streets and landmarks in honor of some of Putin’s most prominent victims.

As you approach the Embassy, you are likely to find yourself walking down Ukrainian Heroes Street, which needs no explanation.

Turn the corner, and you will be across from the entrance to the embassy, on Boris Nemtsov Square — named for one of Putin’s most prominent opponents who was shot and killed while walking home from dinner near Moscow’s Red Square one evening in 2015.

On the far opposite side of the compound is a forest path popular with joggers and dog walkers, now named Anna Politkovskaya Promenade in remembrance of the Russian journalist noted for her outspoken coverage of political events — most notably the wars in Chechnya —and assassinated in 2006 in the elevator of her Moscow apartment building.

And nearby is a lookout over Prague’s Stromovka Park, now named Aleksei Navalny Lookout for the beloved Russian anti-corruption activist who survived a nearly-successful poisoning attempt, only to die under suspicious circumstances in a Siberian penal colony in February 2024.

Then there is this sculpture by Jan Slovencik, installed directly outside the Russian embassy fence on Ukrainian Independence Day on August 24, 2022, depicting a “V” for “Victory” — with the Ukrainian national colors of blue and yellow adorning the fingernails:

Clearly, the people of the Czech Republic — a member of both NATO and the EU — are proudly and openly anti-Putin.

How, then, has it come to pass that Andrej Babis, the billionaire leader of the populist ANO Party, has just been edged into position to be elected Czech Prime Minister in a stunning political comeback? (He previously served in that office from 2017-2021.) His party won the largest number of seats in last week’s election, though not with an outright majority.

Babis is known for his strong Euroskeptic rhetoric and his suggestions that he would end support for Ukraine. He has also indicated that, in an effort to form a coalition majority in Parliament, he would hold talks with the extremist, pro-Russian SPD Party and another smaller party. He has also expressed support for Hungary’s right-wing, Putin-friendly Prime Minister, Viktor Orban.

In a nation very much committed to Western-style democracy and support for Ukraine in the battle against Russian aggression, how is it possible that Babis’ party was able to win enough votes to potentially allow him to regain office? Assuming that the election was indeed a fair and honest one, it would seem that there is a sizable movement back toward the political right. And if that is the case, then who is driving it?

While not in and of itself a disaster, ANO’s victory is disturbing. Looking at Hungary, Slovakia and Serbia, it is easy to see an increased leaning toward the repressive political right, as NATO and the EU struggle to maintain Europe’s resistance to Putin’s blatant expansionist designs. They cannot spare a single ally.

And from a personal point of view, it would break my heart to see my beautiful, joyous Prague go down that rabbit hole.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
10/9/25

When I was about eight years old, my older sister Merna was in junior high school (or what is now called middle school). She had always loved the idea of being a teacher, and had taught me to read and do simple arithmetic when I was just three years old. All the adults thought I was a genius, but of course I wasn’t. Merna was the only one who seemed to understand that little kids’ minds are like sponges and are capable of learning much more, at a much earlier age, than the grown-ups realized at the time, and I was her captive pupil.

Anyway, while in junior high, Merna had been chosen to play the role of Marc Antony in the school’s performance of Shakespeare’s “Julius Caesar.” And for those of you who didn’t manage to stay awake during English class, Marc Antony’s soliloquy at Caesar’s funeral is a long and complicated one.

So guess who was tagged to be her rehearsal coach. Our mother or father? Oh, no . . . not in those days. Our parents were not our buddies or study mates; they were our bosses, our wardens, our disciplinarians. They made us do our own homework, invent our own games, eat whatever was prepared for us, and make our own beds. Those were harsh times. (But look at how well we turned out!)

The point of this whole story — almost a soliloquy in itself — is that, during the weeks of coaching Merna for her big debut, I managed to memorize the entire long eulogy along with her. In fact, if I hadn’t been so small, I probably could have been her understudy for the play itself.

And to this day, I still remember about half of it. It’s the one that begins “Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears. I come to bury Caesar, not to praise him . . .” And so forth.

“Well, so what?” . . . I hear you ask.

All right — if you insist . . .

What I’d like to know is this: If I can remember something like that — something I learned as if by osmosis, and quite by accident, three-quarters of a century ago — why in hell don’t I know where I left my reading glasses? I had them just a minute ago!

And if I can still recite Lady Macbeth’s mad scene from my own high school days, why am I not sure — five minutes after walking out of the bathroom — whether I actually brushed my teeth?

The key to my file cabinet? I know I put it in a safe place, somewhere I’d be sure to remember.

But ask me what I wore on New Year’s Eve of 1961, and I’ll describe it down to the color of the lipstick in my little beaded evening bag.

I can name every one of the 50 U.S. states in alphabetical order; but I have to triple-check whether I entered the time of my next doctor’s appointment on my calendar.

And — which should come as no surprise to anyone who knows me — I’ll rattle off the names of the 15 former Soviet Republics and their capital cities . . . but not the names of the people I met at our neighborhood book club the other day.

I also know almost every punch line of the entire “Golden Girls” TV series. So why can’t I remember what I ate for dinner last night?

I’m not going senile. I have no problem keeping track of the important things — like actually making that doctor’s appointment, refilling my few prescriptions and taking them on time every day, and all of the birthdays of my remaining friends and relatives (and even the dead ones). But the perfect adjective to describe what I’m trying to convey as I write my blog posts . . . that’s a whole different ball game.

It’s not dementia (thankfully). It’s apparently — according to what my contemporaries and my doctor tell me — a natural byproduct of living longer than I ever expected to. As we age, we tend to lose things. I suppose if we live long enough, we’ll leave this world as we entered it: wrinkled, bald, toothless, and without a rational thought in our heads.

But first, some of us will be elected president.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
10/9/25