While that crowd in the White House continues to disgrace themselves — and all the rest of us Americans — by alienating every friend we’ve ever had, I’d like to go out on a limb and say a huge “thank you” to some of those very same friends for doing your best to stick by us. There are too many to name here: all of the NATO and EU countries, of course, plus so many others on every continent throughout the world . . . including the penguins in Antarctica.

For today, though, I’d like to concentrate on our British friends, to whom we owe so much: granting our independence after that little skirmish about 250 years ago; sending us Harry and Meghan, fish-and-chips, the Beatles; and something called Spotted Dick, which we can buy in a can (or “tin,” to you) over here but I’ve never been able to bring myself to try, for reasons better left unsaid.

*. *. *

On a more serious note, I remember as clearly as though it was yesterday, when our country had just been devastated by the 9-11 attacks on New York, Washington and Pennsylvania. My cousin had driven from her home in Rhode Island to D.C. to meet up with her daughter, who was flying back after having spent a student summer in Spain. She had managed to get onto one of the few flights coming into Dulles International Airport, arriving in the evening; and the entire Washington metropolitan area being on high alert, I told my cousin I wouldn’t let her go to the airport alone . . . as though I was going to be great protection for anyone. Still, I knew my way around the region, and she didn’t.

So off we went, and found ourselves in an eerily empty arrivals terminal . . . one that was normally crowded with people from all over the globe. We had arrived early, and were wandering aimlessly through the building when we spotted a group of about a dozen young men in military uniforms that were clearly not American.

Never having been known as the shy type, I approached them and asked where they were from. One young man said they had just arrived from England as part of a larger support group, to help their American friends in our time of need.

I wanted to cry. They were so earnest, so eager to be of help . . . something we Americans really aren’t used to; we’re normally the ones out there offering aid to others because we’ve been so damned lucky for so long.

All I could do was shake the young man’s hand, and — not knowing what else to say — I recall blurting out, “Thank you, and welcome back to the Colonies.”

So again . . . thanks for that, Great Britain.

*. *. *

But what brought on this uncharacteristic gush of sentimentality was actually the first really great belly laugh I’ve enjoyed in a long time — in fact, several of them.

I had started off yesterday afternoon, as I usually do, reading the news and thinking about subjects for my daily blog offerings. And what I saw were stories about Hungary inviting Benjamin Netanyahu to visit despite the ICC warrant against him; Bosnian leader Milorad Dodik defying a similar ICC warrant to visit Vladimir Putin in Moscow; apparent conflicts of interest involving, not only Elon Musk, but also national security advisor Mike Waltz and his wife; continued devastating attacks by Russia on Ukraine; the White House trying to sweep the “SignalGate” fuck-up under the carpet; China launching its biggest military “drills” ever around Taiwan as a warning; Germany warning Russia about this, Trump warning Putin about that, Putin warning everyone about everything . . .

Well, you get the picture. By the time I’d gone through all of that, I was thoroughly depressed. Worse, I didn’t know which story to attack first. And then I realized I didn’t want to write about any of them. It was too debilitating.

I needed cheering up. And since there was no one else at home at the time, I had to do it myself. So here’s where you British came into the picture.

Because a dear friend had given me the best Christmas gift ever in December: a year’s subscription to BritBox TV.

I have long been a fan of British mysteries and the subtle (and sometimes not so subtle) nuances of British humor. Need I even mention Downton Abbey, Midsomer Murders, or anything by Agatha Christie? And for the past three months, I’ve been hooked on such delights as Lewis, Shetland, and the newer Ludwig.

But yesterday I went searching for something really light, and I landed on a multi-season comedy show called Would I Lie to You? . . . featuring, among others, my newly-discovered favorite actor/comedian from Ludwig, David Mitchell. So I decided to watch an episode, and by the time the day was over, I had intermittently (pausing for a meal and a couple of calls of nature) gone through an entire season and started on a second one . . . by which time, my stomach hurt so badly from laughing, I had to stop.

The three regulars, and their four weekly guests, are among the cleverest, wittiest, quickest-thinking people I’ve ever come across. And I can’t get enough of them.

So for this, too, I thank you, Great Britain. Your programming may not literally have saved my life . . . but you absolutely did pull me out of my funk.

The only problem is whether I can now drag myself away from the telly long enough to do anything else. If you don’t hear from me for a while, I’ll be curled up with a pint of Haagen-Dazs and my BritBox.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
4/2/25

No, not to Canada . . . just back to the farm in Nizhny Novgorod. Sorry if I got anyone’s hopes up.

After viewing Arend and eldest daughters Cora and Ariana roaming around Tbilisi, Georgia, for five days — plus a couple of very long travel days from their farm in Nizhny Novgorod and back — I’m still puzzled as to the reason for the whole trip. Other than a hint at the beginning that they were going to visit some friends and do some farm-related things, there was no explanation as to why they would take the time away from their farm for what turned out to be essentially a fruitless shoe-shopping excursion and, finally, a tour of a dairy farm with its own cheese-making facility.

(They did visit friends, but said they didn’t film that visit because the friends are conservative Mennonites and did not want to be photographed.)

The dairy farm tour was an adventure in itself. Once they left the city and headed into the countryside with their rented car and driver, the roads became impassable and they had to be rescued by someone with a four-wheel-drive vehicle. (I assume, from the depth of the snow as contrasted to the mild weather in Tbilisi, that they were somewhere in the Caucasus Mountains, or at least the foothills.)

They finally did make it, though, and we were treated to a walk-through of three large barns with more cows than I had ever seen, and poop drains that lacked automated cleaning systems and had to be shoveled out by hand several times daily. Fortunately, the hosts didn’t offer a demonstration.

The cheese factory, on the other hand, was modern and impressive, and the product looked delicious, though much of the work is still done by hand. Maybe that’s why it is so good; there are still some things that are better for having been created by humans, and not machines — things like food.

I was, however, left wondering whether there might not be dairy farms closer to Nizhny Novgorod that would have served as well for Arend’s fact-finding tour, and could have included more of the family members. But I have long since given up trying to figure out why the Feenstras do many of the things they do . . . and just chalk it up to their obligations to the government in return for being allowed to “live long and prosper” in Russia. As for understanding the Russian government’s reason for doing anything . . . well, good luck with that!

Still, I have to ask again: Why Georgia? What purpose did that whole trip serve? I’m stumped.

*. *. *

Upon landing in Moscow on the way home, Cora spoke to the camera for a moment, recalling their first arrival a little over a year ago, when everything had felt so strange . . . and comparing it to the present time, when she feels so much at home in Russia.

And again I wonder: whom are they trying to convince — their audience, or themselves?

*. *. *

At any rate, they traveled from Moscow to Nizhny Novgorod by train, returning home safely just in time to welcome a camera crew from Spaz-TV. No explanation was given; it just seemed to be a normal part of life on the farm in Russia: TV cameras, interviews, free trips, and all the materials and supplies a family of ten could possibly hope for.

They also had a visit from a new friend: an English-speaking gentleman whose identity was intentionally not revealed, but who is said to be in the process of establishing a farm similar to that of the Feenstras. He had somehow ended up with one too many egg incubators; and — having seen the Feenstras’ videos — decided to present them with the surplus one for their expanding chicken business.

While that may seem strange to some, considering that the two families had never met before, it really isn’t. When you’re an expatriate — particularly in a country so different from your own — you naturally gravitate toward people with whom you have a common bond. No matter how fiercely you embrace your new life, you never completely forget your roots.

Or was the timing all too perfect to be coincidental? Could it also have been a staged event?

I fear my innate cynicism is getting the better of me.

*. *. *

Their return home also coincided with Ariana’s 13th birthday, so there was a family party for her, complete with a cake and candles, gifts, and singing.

And then it was time to sign off, with a final message from Arend thanking the unnamed stranger once more for the incubator, and saying how glad he was to be back with his family, and to “get home to Russian soil.”

Be it ever so humble . . .

*. *. *

A final thought. It is strange — in a most disturbing way — for me to witness my country, the United States, suddenly developing rampant xenophobia when it has always been known as the land of opportunity for those seeking a better life and an escape from tyranny . . . while Russia, so long a closed society, welcomes with open arms families who wish to settle there and contribute to the economy and to society.

It’s a world turned upside-down.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
4/1/25

As if we, as a nation, weren’t already mortified enough . . . this is what the Oval Office of the White House looks like now.

And what was that about Ukrainian President Zelensky “disrespecting” the office by showing up in his official military garb, rather than a civilian coat and tie?

Are you telling me that this . . . this . . . this horror show is respectful? Just because it’s red, white and blue?

Now, I don’t know anything about this “Kid Rock” — he may be a perfectly nice guy. But what the hell is he doing hanging around the Oval Office as though he belongs there . . . and looking like an escapee from a Barnum and Bailey circus?

This appears to have taken place during normal working hours . . . not at an evening social gathering. Isn’t he distracting Trump from doing his job as Destroyer-in-Chief of the United States? Or has he been appointed to head some new, made-up government agency?

In the name of all that’s holy . . . what have we been reduced to??!!!

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
4/1/25

Maybe the world will wake up today and find that it’s all been one colossal, hideous April Fool’s joke.

But I wouldn’t bet on it.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
4/1/25

Nope . . . This has nothing to do with Christopher Columbus packing his bags and leaving for America. It does, however, have everything to do with Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand. You’ll most likely remember them as the Spanish royal duo who provided the financing for Columbus’ westward excursion, because that’s what you were taught in your earliest history classes.

But did you know that there were other famous — or, rather, infamous — acts attributable to them? For example, on this date — March 31st — in that same year of 1492, Ferdy and Izzy issued an edict known as the Alhambra Decree, which ordered the expulsion of all practicing Jews from the Crowns of Castile (Isabella’s domain) and Aragon (Ferdinand’s) within four months.

What had the poor Jewish people done this time? Actually nothing, as usual, beyond existing. In this instance, the royals were afraid that the practicing Jews — those remaining despite the Spanish Inquisition (more about that below) — would influence former Jews who had already converted to Catholicism (thanks to the aforesaid Inquisition) to re-convert to Judaism. So of course, they had to go . . . right?

Of course, right. But no big deal . . . the Jews had had a lot of practice packing up and schlepping around the world since biblical times. What’s one more diaspora?

*. *. *

Now, about that infamous Inquisition. I know you’ve heard about it. It had been established some 14 years earlier, in 1478, by the selfsame Ferdinand and Isabella. It was a religious “court” created to combat whatever they deemed to be heresy, specifically targeting Jews, Muslims and Protestants — basically, all non-Catholics. And it lasted for more than three centuries, finally ending in 1834 . . . by which time some 150,000 had been prosecuted, of whom between 3,000 and 5,000 were executed by the most unimaginably grisly means.

*. *. *

Those clearly were not Spain’s finest years. But there are a few lessons to be learned from their experience . . . aside from the all-important one concerning religious tolerance:

First, that a little digging can turn up fascinating details that completely change our perception of history as we have always believed we knew it;

Second, that today’s actions can have far-reaching consequences . . . as, for example, the fact that Jews, even today, represent less than one percent of the population of Spain; and

Third, that all dark times — no matter how terrible — eventually come to an end.

Just, hopefully, in less than 300 years.

Or, as my beloved Bubbe would have said: From my mouth to God’s ears.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
3/31/25

Monarchies have kings and queens who enjoy the ultimate job security: they rule for life, or until they decide to abdicate, perhaps for reasons of ill health, or in order to run off with an American divorcee, like this guy . . .

But I digress.

The few monarchies left in the world seem to revere their royal families and the traditions that go along with them, and it’s all very lovely to watch on TV. But for the most part these days — unlike in the times of Henry VIII and Ivan the Terrible — the royals’ jobs are mostly ceremonial, with the day-to-day grind of running the country allocated to a ruling body, such as a parliament.

There are still those individuals, however, who — not having been born to royalty — covet the title, the fawning courtiers, the pomp and circumstance . . . and no doubt the crown jewels . . . that such a position would carry with it. Not to mention that job security perk. And a few have figured out how to achieve their goal . . . most often by nefarious means.

Take Vladimir Putin, as a prime example.

Already second in command when Boris Yeltsin suddenly resigned (not to run off with an American divorcee) in December of 1999, Putin stepped up to complete Yeltsin’s term. He was then elected in March of 2000 to his first four-year term, followed by a second in 2004.

At that time, the Russian Constitution allowed just two consecutive terms — but it did not prohibit future additional terms after a one-term hiatus (or longer). So in 2008, Putin cleverly pulled the old switcheroo and traded places with his loyal Prime Minister, Dmitry Medvedev . . . while still, of course, remaining in control behind the scenes . . . until he was able to run again in 2012.

And here’s the good part. During that four-year period, Medvedev — at Putin’s behest, of course — rammed through the Parliament a constitutional amendment increasing the presidential term from four years to six. I think you can guess the next part. That’s right . . . in 2012 and 2018, Putin was again elected (to no one’s surprise), giving him twelve more years and taking him right up to 2024.

But then what? Forced retirement? Hell, no . . . not for old Vlad. Because in the meantime, yet another constitutional amendment had been quietly slipped through, removing the two-consecutive-terms limitation. As a result — as the world knows all too well — he is presently serving his fifth term in office, with yet another run for office possible in 2030, taking him to 2036 . . . that is, if he hasn’t run off with an American divorcee.

*. *. *

So what is the importance of this little tutorial in Russian history and political subterfuge? Well, it’s this guy:

Mouthing off as usual — this time in a phone interview with Kristen Welker of NBC News, he did not dismiss the idea of seeking a third term . . . again skirting the existence of the U.S. Constitution, in which the 22nd Amendment clearly states:

“No person shall be elected to the office of the President more than twice.”

It doesn’t say consecutively . . . just twice. Period.

But Trump said “there are methods” to achieve this, and emphasized that he was “not joking.” He added: “There are methods which [sic] you could do it.” [Alejandra Jaramillo, CNN, March 30, 2025.]

When Ms. Welker asked if he might consider having JD Vance run in 2028 and then “pass the baton” back to Trump, he replied:

“Well, that’s one. But there are others too.” [Id.]

Well, thanks for putting that thought into his head, Ms. Welker . . . in case he hadn’t already gotten the idea directly from his idol Putin.

Steve Bannon — who we all know lives in the same parallel universe as Trump — has suggested that Trump would indeed be eligible, since the 22nd Amendment doesn’t specify “consecutive” terms.

(Note to Bannon: No, it certainly doesn’t, dipshit. It says “twice” . . . period. He doesn’t get a third chance.)

Of course, there’s always the possibility of a constitutional amendment . . . and, in fact (and rather frighteningly), Tennessee Republican Representative Andy Ogles has already introduced legislation to that effect — with a specific provision that would exclude any former two-term presidents, such as Barack Obama, from coming out of retirement. [Id.]

But such an amendment would require two-thirds votes in both the House and the Senate, and ratification by three-fourths of the states. As Michael Waldman, President and CEO of the Brennan Center for Justice at New York University’s law school, said:

“It’s illegal. He has no chance. That’s all there is to say.” [Id.]

I would love to be able to take comfort from that. But considering the unconstitutional acts we’ve seen from this administration in just the past two months, I’m not sure I can.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
3/31/25

It was more than that nagging feeling of unease and depression — otherwise known as gloom and doom — that lately is renewed on a daily basis by the present state of the world. This morning, for some reason, I awoke feeling angry.

I mean really, really, “If-I-don’t-smash-someone’s-face-in-I’ll-explode” furious. It must have been something from my last dream of the night, though thankfully, I don’t remember what that was.

But I’m not the violent type; I don’t hit people, kick pigeons, or put my fist through walls. Even intentionally smashing a piece of china, while tempting, would only mean having to sweep it up. So instead, I deleted all of my research notes from the past 15 months, because they all related to the very subjects that are the cause of my anger.

It’s okay — it wasn’t a mistake. I’ve already gotten what I needed from them, and I can always re-Google them if necessary.

But I felt cleansed, as though I had washed away more than a year of information overkill. I know it doesn’t mean the horror of the past 15 months never happened; you can’t really erase history . . . nor should we. But at least it’s no longer staring me in the face every minute of the day.

You see, I realized this morning that I’ve reached the point in this life where the thought of eternal sleep no longer feels so frightening, but sometimes — after a day of digesting yet another 24-hour news cycle — actually seems like the best of a bunch of really bad options. And that made me furious.

No, no, no! I’m not going to . . .

Well, after all, if I can’t even smash a teacup . . .

But seriously, I’m just having one of those days when I can’t face any more news stories, opinions or analyses about wars, earthquakes, starving people in Sudan, political hostages in Russia, or the inmates running the cuckoo’s nest known as Washington. And I have simply transitioned from depression to anger.

Maybe that’s a good thing. Depression is debilitating, whereas anger can sometimes be directed toward something useful. Think of all those angry stand-up comics . . .

So I think I’ll stop writing for today, and do something therapeutic. I can no longer go jogging or work out at the gym; but I do have a couple of closets that could stand cleaning out.

Right after I grab some Haagen-Dazs from the freezer.

I’ll be fine.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
3/30/25

For those of you who weren’t paying attention back in high school Civics class — which would seem to include the entire current administration, half of the U.S. Congress (both houses), and a few members of the Supreme Court — this is the Constitution of the United States of America:

Note that it begins, “We the People . . .”

I know you’ve heard of it, because We the People keep bringing it up in our news articles, social media posts, and YouTube broadcasts. But have any of you actually read it?

Since 1789, it has been the supreme law — and the guiding principle — of this great country. It provides that the government’s power derives from We the People, and specifies limits to that power. It divides the government into three separate branches — Executive, Legislative and Judicial. And it calls for a system of checks and balances to prevent any of those branches from abusing its authority.

And as the country grew, a total of 27 amendments were added as required to keep current with the changing times. The first 10 of those amendments — adopted in 1791, just two years after the original document — are known as the Bill of Rights. Those are the rights of We the People — not you, the officials elected by We the People.

Have you forgotten that We the People elected you to protect those precious rights of ours? To protect this country from its enemies . . . not to cater to them, emulate them, or join with them? To serve us . . . not to subject us to your most maniacal whims?

You must have. Because over the past couple of months, it has become obvious that the very existence of that precious document has been — not merely overlooked — but intentionally, repeatedly contravened. And that is simply unacceptable.

So I am bringing it back into the daylight, sticking it under your noses, and demanding that you acknowledge it . . . read it . . . and obey it.

Because We the People will not settle for less.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
3/30/25

In the early months of Russia’s war against Ukraine, the city of Mariupol, located in the eastern Ukraine region of Donetsk, was defended in part by the Azov regiment. When the city fell to the brutal onslaught of the Russian forces, prisoners of war were taken, including members of the Azov regiment.

Twelve of those soldiers have just been convicted of terrorist activities and sentenced by a Russian military court to prison terms ranging from 13 to 23 years.

They were not tried as ordinary prisoners of war. Rather, their entire regiment has been declared by Russia to be a terrorist organization, thus depriving its members of their rightful protections under the Geneva Conventions of 1949 — to which both Russia and Ukraine are parties.

Russia’s rationale is that the group — known as the Azov Battalion — was founded by a hardline nationalist, Andriy Biletskiy, to fight the Russian forces that had invaded Ukraine’s Donbas region. However, in 2014, it was blended into the Ukrainian National Guard and disassociated from Biletskiy’s radical form of nationalism. It has remained apolitical since that time. In 2022, its members were ordinary soldiers, fighting for their country against an invading enemy.

When the nearly 2,500 fighters in Mariupol eventually surrendered to Russian forces in May of 2022, Vladimir Putin guaranteed that they would be treated according to international standards. But thus far, some 145 have been convicted as terrorists.

Ukraine’s human rights ombudsman, Dmytro Lubinets, has accused Russia of violating international humanitarian law, and called the verdicts “illegal”:

“Ukrainian prisoners of war are combatants, not criminals! They were fulfilling their duty to the state, protecting its territorial integrity and sovereignty.” [Yulia Dysa, Mark Trevelyan and Andrew Osborn, Reuters, March 26, 2025.]

Once again, Putin circumvents international law by ignoring the truth, twisting the facts, and accusing his victims of being the aggressors. And in so doing in this instance, he has created a new category of political prisoners: not civilian dissidents, but military combatants who had the courage to defend their country against his unprovoked invasion.

I do not have the names of these most recent hostages, but they deserve to be added to our list of those wrongfully imprisoned. I will, for now, simply call them “The Azov 12.”

*. *. *

And we continue to remember all of those on our list of unjustly held hostages in Vladimir Putin’s GULAG of penal colonies:

The Azov 12
David Barnes
Ales Bialiatski (in Belarus)
Gordon Black
Andrei Chapiuk (in Belarus)
Robert Gilman
Stephen James Hubbard
Ksenia Karelina
Ihar Karney (in Belarus)
Vadim Kobzev
Uladzimir Labkovich (in Belarus)
Michael Travis Leake
Aleksei Liptser
Ihar Losik (in Belarus)
Daniel Martindale
Farid Mehralizada (in Azerbaijan)
Nika Novak
Marfa Rabkova (in Belarus)
Igor Sergunin
Dmitry Shatresov
Robert Shonov
Eugene Spector
Valiantsin Stafanovic (in Belarus)
Siarhei Tsikhanouski (in Belarus)
Laurent Vinatier
Robert Romanov Woodland
Vladislav Yesypenko (in Crimea)
Yuras Zyankovich (in Belarus)

*. *. *

And — like a broken record — I again offer this plea to Donald Trump in the White House . . . though I assume it will likely continue to fall on deaf ears, as it has thus far:

“Amidst all of the hubbub of your new administration, it is imperative that these innocent men and women not be forgotten. Negotiations for their safe release have been underway for some time. President Joe Biden succeeded in bringing home 16 innocent people on August 1st of last year, and you have added two others to that list. But you should be trying to do even more. Whatever else you do, this should be high on your list of priorities. The people you promised to represent are counting on you.

“Perhaps this would be an appropriate time to remind you also of the oath you swore on January 20th:

“‘I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.’

“I’m sure there’s a copy of that Constitution lying around the White House. If not, you can Google it. This is what it looks like, in case you’ve forgotten.”

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
3/30/25

Have you ever wondered why honey doesn’t spoil?

I never had, until — in a recent moment of intense boredom — I took the time to read an article explaining the science behind it. I’ll try to give you an abridged version, because I think it may be the answer to extending human life indefinitely . . . as though anyone really wants to do that in these turbulent times. But anyway . . .

The key to honey’s secret is its unique chemical makeup consisting of low moisture (around 17%) and high sugar content. “At 17%, its water content is much lower than that of bacteria or fungi. Honey also has a low water activity; this is a measure of the amount of water in a substance that is available to support microbial growth.” [Stacey Leasca, Food & Wine, March 9, 2025, citing Andy Brunning of Compound Interest, August 14, 2014.]

Okay. But how, you may ask, does the honey bees’ nectar — which is about 70% moisture — transform into the drier, viscous substance we know as honey? Well, that’s where the fun begins: it’s all thanks to those busy little buzzers:

“The bees achieve this by fanning the honeycomb with their wings in order to encourage rapid evaporation of water from the nectar mixture.” [Id.]

Apparently, the continuous flapping of their teeny-tiny wings reduces the water content to the required 17 percent, which is not easy and can take up to three days to accomplish.

Well, bless their little bee hearts!

But of course, the next logical question is how these fascinating facts can help you to live longer. Certainly not by eating gallons of honey; that will just make you fat.

Consider this: Each tablespoon of honey has approximately 64 calories. Thus: 1 gallon = 256 tbsp. x 64 cal. per tbsp. = 16,384 calories.

Not to mention that, probably somewhere around the 20th tablespoon, you’re going to start to gag from all that delicious sweetness. So, no . . . eating the honey is not the answer.

Now, the human body consists, on average, of around 60% water. But what if we were able to increase our sugar intake, decrease all that water and the other liquids that are supposed to be so good for us, and flap our arms continually for three days at a time, until we are dehydrated to the same 17% level as honey? Would we then also be resistant to bacteria, fungi, and the other microbial growths that make us sick? Is it just possible that — as with the preservation of fruits, vegetables and meats by dehydration — we could live for hundreds of years in a parched state?

But, more importantly, would we want to . . . if we looked like this?

All right . . . so this wasn’t one of my brightest ideas. But it was an interesting little lesson in both entomology and nutrition. And didn’t it take your mind off of all the other world news for just a little while?

You’re welcome, and happy weekend.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
3/29/25