Well, I was all geared up for Eric Deters’ release of his mysterious 16-minute tape — you know, the one that was going to take down the Trump administration. I waited for it all day yesterday, scanning the incoming news reports every 15 minutes, ready for a little excitement on an otherwise boring day, and then . . .
Nothing.
My first thought is that someone got to him, either to warn him off or to buy his silence. My second thought . . . no, I don’t really have a second thought. What I believe — and it is just a guess — is that the whole thing was a scheme in search of a big payday, and he has already received his answer.
Of course, if I’m right, we’ll probably never know the whole story. But I have other things to worry about besides Eric Deters’ wellbeing, like what to scratch off of my grocery list this week to keep it within budget . . . or whether I can squeeze in another hour of sleep before starting on those weekend chores.
I’m sure there will be something more interesting in the news a little later. Unfortunately.
We thought he had hit bottom when he berated Volodymyr Zelensky in the Oval Office.
We were disappointed when nothing came of the summit in Alaska, or all of those trips by Witkoff and Kushner to the Kremlin.
We were stymied when he paused the sanctions against Russia that he had signed just weeks earlier.
We were appalled when he agreed to purchase diesel fuel from Putin, adding billions of dollars to Russia’s war chest to be used against Ukraine.
We were horrified when he told Zelensky the whole thing was his fault and that he should resign.
We were disgusted yesterday when he tried to con the EU into turning over to the United States some of the frozen Russian assets safely held in European hands. (Wisely, they have refused.)
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz: “Those are assets that are frozen in Europe and they should remain frozen in Europe.”
But, just as we thought there couldn’t possibly be more, late last evening (Friday) — just two days before the deadline for the implementation of the sanctions — Donald Trump signed an executive order putting the sanctions package on hold, citing as the reason “the national interest.” [Will Weissert and Meg Kinnard, Associated Press, October 16, 2026.]
There has not yet been an explanation as to how this move could possibly be in the national interest . . . or, for that matter, in whose national interest it was directed. Because each and every one of the above actions can benefit one party, and one party only: Vladimir Putin.
And the one overriding question — the one that everyone asks but no one seems able to answer — is:
“Why?”
What is the hold that Putin has over him? It can’t simply be hero worship . . . can it? Or an ego so frail that Putin is able to sweet-talk him into anything? Many have suggested that Putin has incriminating information that could destroy Trump, and is holding him — and thus our whole country, Ukraine, and the rest of the world — hostage.
Considering the level of corruption we are seeing lately, anything is possible. And the prospect is terrifying.
Sorry, Mooch . . . your record has been topped. You are no longer the shortest-serving White House Press Secretary on record.
Yes, it’s true: Anthony Scaramucci, who served for about ten days during the first Trump administration, has been bested by MAGA-girl Katie Zacharia. She lasted for five days and one really disastrous press briefing.
Scaramucci was ousted for speaking what he considered to be the truth, which just happened to differ from Donald Trump’s version of the truth; whereas Zacharia blew it when 1) she proved to the world that she was colossally unqualified for . . . well . . . pretty much any job, and 2) she couldn’t even tell the truth about her own educational and professional background.
Personally, I’d rather have Scaramucci back. But he’s done quite well outside of government, and is probably too smart to walk back through that revolving door even if he were invited.
Anthony Scaramucci: “Oops!”
So, a not-so-fond farewell to K-K-K-Katie. Can’t wait to see who’s next.
“We have lost an ally in America. They have chosen their side. Not ours, not even the middle. Putin’s side. They have chosen the wrong side of history.”
His name seems to have come out of nowhere, and with quite a splash. To begin with, he is the man who just unleashed the scandal surrounding Kimberly Guilfoyle — Donald Trump, Jr.’s ex-fiancee — and deprived her of her cushy job as Ambassador to Greece and what was left of her reputation. When she accused him of lying, he immediately filed suit against her and her attorneys for defamation.
Eric Deters, getting the thumbs-up from DJT
But he wasn’t finished.
Yesterday (it is just after midnight on Friday as I post this) he said he would release a secret 16-minute recording today that, in his words, “might just bring down the entire Trump administration, an administration which I have supported from Day 1, whose policies I still support. It also may end the JD Vance / Marco Rubio ticket after you hear the phone call that I’m going to play tomorrow. It’s pretty freakin’ amazing.” [Caroline Wilburn, via Associated Press, October 15, 2026.]
Aside from the obvious question — why would he want to bring down an administration he allegedly supports? — I wanted to know more about him. And what I found was . . . well, not much, really. And what there was, wasn’t all that good.
In light of his statements that he had paid Guilfoyle some $300,000 in the past for speaking appearances at his conservative “Freedom Fest” events; that she had recently requested another $100,000 to pay off her personal American Express bill; and that he had been a Trump donor for some time, I wondered whether he might be one of Trump’s lesser-known billionaire friends. But that does not appear to be the case.
The Former Ambassador and the Angry President
On the contrary, Deters, 63, describes himself as a “retired” attorney (in fact, he was permanently barred from practicing law in Kentucky in 2014), one-time unsuccessful congressional candidate, “businessman,” and conservative radio host. And he has somehow managed to work his way into Trump’s circle of hangers-on.
So what could he know, and what incriminating evidence could he have, that would be capable of toppling an entire administration? And why, as an avowed MAGA loyalist, is he bringing this out now? Are we in for another blockbuster revelation? Or is it all much ado about nothing? The possibilities are endless, so trying to speculate would be useless . . . but I can hardly wait to find out.
I’m heading to bed shortly. But I’m sure I’ll be awake early, checking the news bulletins. There’s nothing like a juicy Washington scandal to get the blood flowing in the morning.
Donald Trump’s betrayal of America’s allies — Canada, Europe, and now Ukraine — has obviously been weighing heavily on my mind. I find it impossible to understand how it could have happened, and difficult to find the words to express how I feel about it.
As so often happens, I found those words in the writings of my old friend, the Bard of Avon. He wrote that, at Julius Caesar’s funeral, Mark Antony expressed his anger at his friend’s slaying, his dismay at the betrayal by Caesar’s supposed allies, and apparently at the state of the world in general:
“O judgment! thou art fled to brutish beasts, And men have lost their reason.”
– William Shakespeare, Julius Caesar, Act III, Scene 2
Then he made a deal with the devil — in the guise of Vladimir Putin — to buy diesel fuel from Russia, thereby siphoning billions of dollars into Russia’s treasury to help finance the war against Ukraine.
Next he told Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky that he should stop targeting Russia’s oil refineries and web service providers . . . and, by the way, he should also schedule new presidential elections, contrary to the provisions of Ukraine’s constitution. (But then, when did a constitution ever mean anything to Donald Trump?)
And now Elon Musk’s SpaceX has severely restricted Ukraine’s use of its Starlink internet service in defending against Russian missile and drone attacks. When questioned, Musk placed the responsibility squarely on Donald Trump’s shoulders, saying that the military version of Starlink, known as Starshield, is owned and controlled by the U.S. government.
According to Musk, “Any limits on speed or usage are decided by the US military and ultimately POTUS.” [Abigail Williams, et al., NBC News, October 14, 2026.]
Way to pass the buck, Elon.
“It’s not personal . . . it’s business.”
Zelensky has complained that they have not been receiving the usual advance warnings from Washington that had been allowing them to repel many of Russia’s attacks. Trump, of course, denies this, saying:
“We are helping them and we are sharing intel. We want the war to end.” [Alex Raufoglu, RFE/RL, October 14, 2026.]
Of course he wants it to end. But in whose favor?
Meanwhile, on October 13th, Russian forces launched 39 ballistic missiles at Kyiv and Kharkiv, targeting, among other things, a thermal power plant and a high-rise apartment building in which at least three people were killed. [Id.]
“Once again, no advance warning from our partners,” was Zelensky’s comment on social media. [Id.]
Taken together, these actions add up to more than the betrayal of an ally; they point directly to overt support for the enemy. And if that isn’t treason . . .
The word is out, as it is every October, of next year’s so-called cost-of-living increase in Social Security payments. (Note that I don’t call them “benefits,” because they’re not . . . it’s our money, paid in over a lifetime, invested by the government for its own profit, with not a cent in interest paid to us.)
Anyway, this year’s increase is to be 3.6% of our current amount. But the Medicare premiums will also increase, by $6.60 per month . . . which doesn’t sound like a lot, unless you’re already in one of the lower brackets due to having earned less over your working lifetime.
But you’re probably thinking: “Hey, an increase is an increase. Not everyone gets a guaranteed annual raise.” Right?
Well, yes . . . and no. Because a second news item today reported that the rate of inflation increased last month to 3.7%. And there is no sign of its decreasing in the foreseeable future. [AP News Alerts, October 14, 2026.]
From personal experience, I can tell you that my grocery budget buys a little bit less each month . . . not to mention the skyrocketing cost of bulk purchases of essentials like toilet paper and laundry detergent, which simply get flushed down the drain . . . literally. And did I mention the inevitable rent increase, which in my case happens to fall in the middle of the year — just as I’ve gotten used to having those few extra dollars each month.
Throughout the decades of my working life, my increases in income kept up with inflation, and I was able to live within my means — not wealthy, for sure, but comfortable and happy. Families were able to plan ahead, buy houses, raise children, pay for college, take vacations, and maybe save a little for their old age. And many did it on a single salary.
Today, we’re lucky if those kids we put through college are able to earn enough to support themselves, much less look after us when our retirement savings run out. But as long as the oligarchs are raking in their billions, we’re supposed to believe the country is in good shape.
Harry Truman was probably the least likely person to think of becoming President of the United States. But when Franklin Roosevelt died in office in 1945, Truman, then Vice President, inherited the job.
And in 1948, when he ran for reelection against Thomas E. Dewey, the odds-makers were so sure he would lose, the Chicago Daily Tribune predicted his defeat in advance:
Surprise!
But Truman proved the “experts” wrong many times over. He had a quiet courage and a moral compass that enabled him to carry the country through the post-war period and the early years of the Cold War.
Perhaps his most frequently quoted comment was one that he had made into a sign that sat on his desk in the Oval Office: “The buck stops here.” But he also had words that resonate today, perhaps even more strongly than they did 80 years ago:
“America was not built on fear. America was built on courage, on imagination and an unbeatable determination to do the job at hand.”
We could use another quiet, determined man like Harry Truman today. Unfortunately, those who may be out there haven’t been running for office in recent years.
Perhaps I’m wrong; but it seems beyond coincidental that, just as Russia is feeling the effects of Vladimir Putin’s endless war against Ukraine, and Putin himself is losing credibility and support from his own people, the Feenstra family should release a video of how wonderful life is on the farm in Nizhny Novgorod, and how grateful they are for the bounty they have received in the time they have been there.
Arriving in Nizhny Novgorod – 2024
The timing is particularly strange, in view of recent events on the farm: Arend Feenstra’s admitted concerns about the possibility of being drafted into the military; questions about the family’s progression toward permanent residency and ultimate citizenship; and their tenants, the Pulley family, being refused residency and having to return to their native Australia.
The video, posted yesterday on YouTube, was not narrated by Arend Feenstra as usual, but (I believe) by eldest daughter Cora. It was unclear who produced the video, but it seemed to be professionally filmed and scripted, and appeared to have been visually AI-enhhanced.
It was a composite of shots from earlier videos of the family’s journey, beginning with their arrival in Russia (though omitting the bureaucratic problems they initially encountered), through the construction of their home and other buildings on the acreage they were able to acquire, up to the present time . . . although some of the views were not familiar to me and may not have been included in the earlier postings. Or I might just have missed them.
A Bare Field
Building a Home
A Place for the Harvest
Beginning the Second Project
There is no question that the Feenstras have created their own miracle in two and a half years, starting with a bare piece of land and turning it into a working farm. Cora speaks of the vision they had when they arrived — of creating, not just a home, but a working farm and a business that would sustain their family in the future.
She speaks of the long hours, the tremendous expenses, and the occasional difficulties they had to work through. And she repeatedly mentions their vision, and how “a dream really can become a reality if you’re willing to work for it.”
In conclusion, she says that, looking back at what they’ve accomplished, “We really couldn’t be more proud.”
And so they should be.
But it’s the timing of this release that seems odd. It could be that, with no interesting news to report at the moment, this was their way of keeping in contact with their viewers. Or, in light of the current political uncertainties, it might be their way of currying favor with the government.
Finally — and I fear this may be the most likely scenario — it could just be more Russian propaganda, produced on orders from Moscow.
It would be unrealistic to think that the upheaval caused by Putin’s war wouldn’t have had an effect on Russia’s emigre families along with the native population. And who better to help spread the fantasy that all is well than Russia’s favorite internet stars?
The First Crops
The First Livestock
The Dream Realized: A Working Farmstead
Milking the Cows
*. *. *
The world is going through very difficult times right now, and one could reasonably argue that the Feenstras’ problems — which, after all, are the result of their own choice of Russia as their new home — are not nearly as dire as, say, the war victims of Ukraine and Gaza. But I have chosen to follow their story because of its uniqueness, because of the political implications, and because it is a cautionary tale for others who might be considering a similar move.
