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.

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.

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 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.

To be continued.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
10/14/26

Full disclosure: I am not Catholic. But Pope Leo XIV is the most worldly, outspoken, and widely relatable Pope of my lifetime . . . a man whom I have come to admire greatly for his grace, humility, and generosity of spirit. So it was with great distress that I learned that his surgery today had disclosed the presence of a malignant growth in one of his lungs.

Bad things should not happen to good people. But they do. And the good news today is that his prognosis is excellent due to early detection and treatment, and his general good health.

One of the things I find most endearing about Pope Leo is his sense of humor, which doesn’t seem to fail him in even the most trying of times. He has been quoted as having prayed, during a time in 1985 when he was suffering from typhoid fever and hooked up to an IV in a hospital in Peru:

“If this is your sense of humor, Lord, I think you could do a little better.”

– Elise Ann Allen, “Pope Leo XIV: The Biography” (2025)

Now, along with much of the world, I wish him a speedy and complete recovery, and urge him not to undertake too much too soon. The world needs his wisdom and guidance for many more years to come.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
10/13/26

He wins again.

Donald Trump has outdone himself once more in the “most quotable quote” category, this time while speaking to — and glaring at — reporters on the White House lawn yesterday.

Despite the lack of confirmation by either Volodymyr Zelensky or Vladimir Putin, and the continuation of energy strikes on Ukraine by Russia on Monday, Trump insisted that a temporary energy cease-fire is in place between Kyiv and Moscow. When asked by a reporter whether the two sides had indeed agreed to the cease-fire, he responded:

“They agreed. You know why? Because I said, ‘You agree’ — that’s why. They agreed because I said they agreed, and that thing has to get settled.”

[Alex Raufoglu,, RFE/RL, October 13, 2026 CET]

The arrogance — or is it a complete detachment from reality? — is simply mind-boggling. And the anger, frustration, and hatred on that face are terrifying. That he hasn’t yet literally exploded defies belief.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
10/13/26

While most of the world’s focus has been on Russia/Ukraine and Israel/Gaza lately, China’s President Xi Jinping has been almost preternaturally quiet. And when one of the world’s most autocratic leaders fades into the background, even for a short time, I get nervous . . . like when there is no sound coming from your children’s room while they’re entertaining friends. You just know they’re up to something.

The one bit of news out of China in the last couple of days has to do with live-fire drills being held this week in five maritime areas, making Taiwan understandably nervous. These include the Bohai Sea from Monday to Friday, the northern Yellow Sea on Monday, the South China Sea from Monday to Friday, the southern Yellow Sea from Friday to Saturday, and the East China Sea from Tuesday to Thursday. [Taiwan News, October 12, 2026.]

Taiwanese Defense Minister Wellington Koo stated his opposition to the drills, condemning what he referred to as the “repeated exercises and military activities” across the Indo-Pacific area and saying they create insecurity in the region. He added that Taiwan’s military would be closely monitoring the situation . . . hardly surprising in light of China’s stated intention of taking possession of the island nation.

Interestingly, next Monday, October 19th, marks the beginning of ten days of scheduled joint drills, held biennially, between Japan’s Self-Defense Forces and the U.S. military, during which the U.S. plans to deploy anti-ship missiles to Japan’s Yonaguni Island, near Taiwan. [Id.]

Beijing only gave notice of this week’s drills five days in advance, on October 8th. Are they indeed routine exercises? Or are they intended to send a message in advance of the Japan-U.S. events? In either case — even in the absence of any specific threat being made — their proximity to Taiwan is understandably concerning.

And clearly, America’s deployment of missiles to Yonaguni Island is likewise not without significance.

The last thing the world needs right now — or ever — is another area of, shall we say, instability. Let’s hope the next two weeks remain peaceful . . . off the China coast at least. We’ll be watching.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
10/13/26

Truth, unlike beauty, is not in the eye of the beholder; it is real, tangible, verifiable, and absolute.

But how does one determine what is true when there are multiple versions of a story? Case in point: Yesterday’s news about an “energy ceasefire” between Russia and Ukraine as allegedly agreed to by Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump.

Here are the three versions:

Donald Trump: “Effective immediately, there is an ENERGY CEASEFIRE in the War between Russia and Ukraine. Both parties have agreed. Do not break it!” [Freddie Clayton, NBC News, October 11, 2026.]

(Note that he offered no proof or details.)

Volodymyr Zelensky: “[This] was news to me.” [Id.]

(He later said that if Putin agreed to it, he was ready to do the same)

Vladimir Putin: “ . . . ”

(As of October 11th, there was no comment from the Kremlin.)

In today’s upside-down, looking-glass world, I’ve decided it’s best to believe no one, and to wait and see what shakes out. At least then I’m not disappointed.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
10/12/26

On Saturday afternoon I went to my friendly neighborhood pharmacist for my annual flu and COVID vaccinations. Contrary to what Bobby Kennedy Jr. would have you believe, I survived. Two little pinpricks, one drop of blood on the Bandaid, and the only reaction I had was what I have every year — about 24 hours of feeling really, really tired and sluggish.

That’s it. No pain, no aches, no nausea, no headache. And — while I hope I’m not jinxing myself by saying this — I’ve gotten my flu shots every year for about 50 years, and I haven’t had the flu since somewhere in the early 1970s. That was the year I was so sick I was afraid I might not die.

Luckily, my bathroom at that time had the sink situated directly next to the toilet, so I was able to . . . well, never mind. But when I finally headed back to bed after one late-night session, I got three steps from the bathroom before I passed out cold. I woke to my son, then about 6 or 7 years old, kneeling beside me on the floor, trying to revive me and crying, “Mommy, Mommy, please get up!”

That was the year I got smart, admitted I wasn’t superhuman, and began getting annual flu shots.

When COVID came along, and a vaccine was created, I signed right up for those too. Gratefully, they’ve worked as well.

So what I have to say to RFK Jr. is this:

“I have lived with this body for a long, long time. No one knows it better than I do. And no one else has the right to tell me what to do with it.

When I was a little girl, I suffered through mumps, chicken pox, whooping cough, and German measles, because there were no vaccines yet. It was through sheer luck — and my mother’s keeping my sister and me away from crowds all summer — that we escaped the polio epidemics. And when the vaccine for that was developed, again I was first in line.

So when it was my turn to be the mom with two children to protect, I made sure they got the full range of vaccines. And they grew up healthy, without all the childhood miseries I had lived through.

All the diseases that have been virtually wiped out since I was a child — smallpox, diphtheria, whooping cough, measles, mumps, polio, etc. — were conquered until you came along and decided the vaccines, and not the diseases, were inherently dangerous. And that would be okay if you were only talking to yourself, and if you weren’t in charge of the health of every single person in this country.

In short, I think you, sir, are an idiot. An ignorant, incompetent, worm-brained dummkopf whom your own family has openly disavowed . . . and they are one close-knit clan, so it must take a lot for them to turn their backs on one of their own. But you could redeem yourself, at least to some extent, by resigning before you’re fired or impeached, and let our country return to the days when we were able to obtain — and afford — good health care.

And in the meantime, don’t tell me what I may or may not do to myself. I haven’t gotten this far by being stupid.”

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
10/12/26

Donald Trump may not be worthy of a Nobel Peace Prize; but he is the hands-down winner of my first-ever “Most Quotable Livig Person” award.

In all honesty, my standards are very low. I wasn’t looking for inspiration, or words of wisdom. Humor would have been good, but not necessary. I just focused on those comments that make you sit up and say . . .

And who does that better, or more often, than the old Trumpster? So here it is — the first winning quote, fresh from yesterday’s news, in which the big man gives us his views on Ukraine and its courageous President, Volodymyr Zelensky:

“I suggest they [Ukraine] get a new leader who can make a deal because he could have made many deals and for some reason he [Zelensky] never does. He wants to make problems for the world. He wants to make problems for our farmers, our ranchers, with diesel fuel.”

– Source: Mathew Daly, Susie Blann and Elise Morton, AP, October 10, 2026.

*. *. *

i’m not sure whether this happened before or after his phone call with Vladimir Putin in which Putin — the guy who invaded Ukraine four and a half years ago and has been decimating it ever since — received a gift from Trump worth billions of dollars in oil exports.

But the precise timeline doesn’t matter. It’s the effect that counts.

As long as they’re happy.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
10/11/26

If your intentions are nefarious, and you don’t have a legitimate excuse for whatever it is you’re planning to do, just invent one. And if you can deflect the guilt onto the very person or country you are targeting . . . well, so much the better.

Case in point: Vladimir Putin’s political hostages.

Yes, the same ones I write about every Sunday, including today. There are hundreds, possibly even thousands, of them scattered throughout Russia and its allied countries (such as Belarus). But the ones that make the headlines — the Evan Gershkoviches, Paul Whelans, Brittney Griners, Vladimir Kara-Murzas — are of the greatest value to Putin.

They are exchangeable.

As an example, Brittney Griner — a well-known American basketball star — was swapped for Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout. And Gershkovich, Whelan and Kara-Murza were among the 16 hostages exchanged for eight Russians being held in various countries in 2024, including convicted professional assassin Vadim Krasikov.

Fortunately, there haven’t been any such high-profile cases of late (that I know of). But, if Russian Security Council Deputy Chairman Dmitry Medvedev is to be believed, we may be seeing a resurgence in the near future. In fact, the groundwork is already being laid in Moscow.

On Friday, well-known pro-Kremlin military blogger Mikhail Zvinchuk, his wife, and three others were arrested in Montenegro on suspicion of spreading Russian influence in order to destabilize the government as part of Putin’s ongoing hybrid war in Europe.

In response, Medvedev has urged Russians to avoid traveling to Europe, warning them that they would be vulnerable to arrest as a result of what he called the growing anti-Russian sentiment.

Of course, he neglected to mention the reason for any such wave of anti-Russian feeling — the war against Ukraine — but said that Europe had declared “open season” on Russians.

Writing on Telegram, as well as Russia’s new MAX social media platform, he said:

“In effect, a hunt has been declared on all (I emphasize, all) Russians”; and added that it would be “foolish for our people to go traipsing around European countries, even with good intentions and important objectives. Any Russian could potentially become a target. Neither visas, nor invitations, nor any other guarantees offer protection. Anyone can be arrested, especially if they speak the truth about Western countries, the EU, and the Bandera-style neo-Nazi regime. They welcome onlyy ‘relocating scum’ [Russians who have moved abroad] — and even that is only temporary.” [Kyiv Post, October 9, 2026.]

Obviously, what Medvedev broadcast to his people is a perfect description of a scenario that plays out in Russia with alarming frequency; he simply switched roles. But there is method in his madness, because he went on to state that Russia should:

“ . . . expand its pool of detainees available for exchange. It is now quite likely that we will need to replenish the exchange pool with European and American morons to get our own people out. There is no other way: when living with wolves, one must howl like a wolf.” [Id.]

A “pool of detainees available for exchange” — that is what all of the American and other prisoners currently rotting in the Russian penal system are to Putin. Currency. Collateral. Personal property with barter potential. And Medvedev just admitted that that is the sole reason for their incarceration in the first place!

The U.S. State Department currently has a Level 4, “Do Not Travel” advisory in place for Russia. But there are those, such as diplomats, journalists, and others with legitimate reasons to be there. And they are in serious jeopardy.

Medvedev’s presentation may lack a certain je ne sais quoi — calling people “scum,” “morons,” and “a pool of detainees” is not exactly the height of diplomacy — but his warning should be taken seriously. We are on the verge of a second Cold War . . . if it hasn’t already begun.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
10/11/26

Dmitry Morozov is a young Russian activist from the west-central city of Izhevsk, the capital of the Udmurt Republic. Following the recent parliamentary elections, he requested official permission to organize a peaceful protest against what he and others considered irregularities in the election process. When the petition was refused by the mayor’s office, Morozov, together with other local activists, filed a lawsuit with the court, which responded by ordering the city administration to review the request again.

But on the evening of October 2nd, while on his way to a local shop, he was arrested and detained by the FSB (Federal Security Service). The following morning, FSB officers took him back to his home, conducted a search, and confiscated his computer. According to his father, there were scratches on Morozov’s face and his hands were swollen.

Following the search, he was returned to detention, where he was kept for more than 24 hours before finally being permitted to see an attorney on October 4th. On October 5th, his parents were brought to the police station for questioning, and were subsequently released. [Source: OVD.info.]

Morozov has now been charged with possession of a “large quantity of drugs” and ordered held in pretrial detention for two months. The prosecutor also said that “there is information about Dmitry Morozov’s involvement in a Ukrainian armed group.” [Meduza, October 5, 2026.]

This is the typical progression of cases in which political activists have been initially detained for some minor violation, and later charged with more serious crimes carrying lengthy prison sentences. Trials can be delayed for many months, are nearly always held behind closed doors, and are virtually guaranteed to result in a guilty verdict.

Other activists have protested Morozov’s arrest and are advocating for his release. But I wouldn’t be at all surprised if some of them ended up sharing Dmitry Morozov’s fate.

While we await further word of the outcome of his case, he has, of course, been added to our list of Putin’s political hostages.

*. *. *

And, this being Sunday, here again is the list of those hostages known to me. Sadly, it hasn’t gotten any shorter since last week.

Prisoners of War:

The 20,000+ Kidnapped Ukrainian Children
The People of Ukraine
The 6,000 Starving Citizens of Oleshky

Immigrant Detainees in Russia:

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

Endangered Exiles:

Pavel “Pasha” Talankin
Mikita Losik
Yulia Navalnaya
Oleg Orlov
Countless Journalists and Other Dissidents

Political Prisoners:

In Afghanistan:

Mahmoud Habibi (Afghan-American)
Paul Overby (American, missing since 2018)

In Azerbaijan:

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

In Belarus:

Andrei Chapiuk
Uladzimir Labkovich
Andrzej Poczobut
Marfa Rabkova
Valiantsin Stafanovic
Yuras Zyankovich

In Georgia:

Mzia Amaglobeli

In Russia:

The “Crimea 8”:
– Oleg Antipov
– Artyom Azatyan
– Georgy Azatyan
– Aleksandr Bylin
– Roman Solomko
– Artur Terchanyan
– Dmitry Tyazhelykh
– Vladimir Zloba

James Scott Rhys Anderson (British)
Aleksandr Andreyev
David Barnes (American)
Yevgenia Berkovich
Gordon Black (American)
Hayden Davies (British)
Yury Dmitriyev
Anastasia Dyudyaeva
Antonina Favorskaya
Konstantin Gabov
Robert Gilman (American)
Stephen James Hubbard (American)
Sergey Karelin
Timur Kishukov
Vadim Kobzev
Darya Kozyreva
Artyom Kriger
Aleksandr Kynev
Michael Travis Leake (American)
Aleksei Liptser
Svitlana Loi (in Ukraine)
Mikhail Loshchinin
“Madame Z” (in Ukraine)
Grigory Melkonyants
Dmitry Morozov
Boris Nadezhdin
Nika Novak
Svetlana Petriichuk
Leonid Pshenychnov (in Russian-occupied Crimea)
Ilya Remeslo
Nadezhda Rossinskaya (a.k.a. Nadin Geisler)
Lev Schlossberg
Sofiane Sehili (French)
Igor Sergunin
Dmitry Shatresov
Robert Shonov
Grigory Skvortsov
Eugene Spector (American)
Joseph Tater (American, disappeared)
Karina Tsurkan
Arseniy Turbinin (age 18)
Laurent Vinatier
Robert Romanov Woodland (American)

You have not been, and will not be, forgotten. Stay strong.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
10/11/26

It must require an exceptionally twisted, narcissistic mind — or perhaps a form of dementia — to be able to look into a mirror and see yourself this way:

But this is what I imagine as Vladimir Putin’s perception of himself: not (I hope) as a beautiful maiden, but as a virtuous victim of persecution and aggression, rather than the tyrannical, murderous warmonger he truly is.

Once again today, he has attempted to turn reality on its head by presenting Russia as the victim of Ukrainian aggression, sweeping aside the small matter of the war of attrition that he launched nearly five years ago and continues to escalate despite the efforts of others to negotiate a peaceful settlement.

He has somehow managed to convince his one-man fan club, Donald Trump, to suspend sanctions on the export of Russian fuel, thus allowing the Russian treasury to recoup billions of dollars that will flow directly into his war chest.

And what has he offered in exchange? A ceasefire? Assurances that he will end his targeted attacks on civilians? A promise to finally schedule a long-sought trilateral meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Donald Trump?

The answer: None of the above.

Instead, he tried to convince the world — despite all evidence to the contrary — that he had been ready to resume negotiations with Kyiv following Russia’s parliamentary elections in September, but that Ukraine had jeopardized the peace process by attacking Moscow and — allegedly — striking polling places.

Further, his foreign policy aide, former Ambassador to the U.S. Yuri Ushakov, commented on the phone call between Putin and Trump:

“By launching a massive drone attack on Moscow, other cities and polling stations, as well as on specific individuals involved in organising [sic] the election, on the main voting day, the Kyiv regime effectively disrupted the possibility of an immediate resumption of the negotiation process. And now, as the president said, we will consider when those negotiations can be resumed.” [Dmitry Antonov and Vladimir Soldatkin, Reuters, October 9, 2026.]

The question is whether Putin is delusional enough to believe his own convoluted version of the facts, or is simply offering tried-and-true Soviet-style propaganda as justification for his actions. In either case, he is dragging Donald Trump along with him, as evidenced by these comments from Trump to the press at the White House today, just a day after his phone conversation with Putin:

“I suggest they [Ukraine] get a new leader who can make a deal . . . for some reason [Zelenskyy] never does.” [Susie Blann and Elise Morton, AP, October 10, 2026.]

Turning the subject to himself as usual, he added that, if he had been president of the U.S. in 2022:

“ . . . that war would have never started. There was no reason that that war with Ukraine and Russia started. It started due to incompetence. [Zelensky has] lost 30% of your country and you’ve had over a million people go between the two of them, over 2 million people killed. That’s a war that should have never started. And I think it’s time for Ukraine to get a new president.” [Id.]

After digesting today’s news, I’m left wondering whether there’s a rubber room somewhere that would accommodate the two of them, and how quickly we can arrange transportation.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
10/10/26