Robert Frost said it; we’ve all thought it at one time or another; and there is no way I can improve on it:
“If we couldn’t laugh we would all go insane.”
Just sayin’ . . .
Brendochka
5/7/26
In all fairness, Melania Trump does not claim to be a stand-up comedian. In fact, everything about her demeanor screams exactly the opposite — a serious, straight-faced, often angry-looking woman, who is in a position in which she is occasionally required to speak in public.
And on those occasions, as she struggles to enunciate the words written for her by the White House speech writers, she tries . . . she really tries . . . to smile from time to time, and to appear, if not genuinely warm, at least relatable.
But, although she may once have been a pretty good fashion model, she is no orator. Her command of the English language, even after 30 years in the United States, is not the best; and that makes her attempts at humor fall flat. Except when she’s not trying. Then she can be — albeit unintentionally — downright hilarious.
Case in point: Yesterday’s address to military mothers at the White House in advance of Mother’s Day. After a few introductions, she began by saying:
“I often think about the brave people who make the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom.“ [Whitehouse.gov, May 6, 2026.]
So far, so good.
Then she went on to talk about the grief of those who have lost family members in service to their country, which was appropriate. And she tossed in some words about the unique bond between a mother and her children. But maybe she should have stopped there, instead of adding:
“This is a time of military conflict for America. And whereby [sic] we honor our selfless and valiant Service members regularly, today is the day we hold their mothers in the highest regard . . . praying for a safe return so their family can become whole once again.” [Id.]
Did she (and her speech writers) think that her audience are unaware of the fact that their sons, husbands and brothers are in harm’s way because of her husband’s illegal and unnecessary war?
The whole speech was a bit schmaltzy, but it was intended to be; that is what passes for sincerity in this administration. But finally she came to the end, which is where it all went terribly wrong:
“I pray you find enduring strength as your loved one serves in defense of our freedom. Most know my husband as the strong Commander in Chief, but his empathy transcends the role and shapes a caring leader who constantly remembers each and every American soldier is someone’s child. Distinguished guests, please join me with a warm welcome for our President, Donald J. Trump.” [Id.]
According to those who were there — and you can see it on the videos — when she uttered the word “empathy,” the laughter from the crowd was audible. Trump himself grinned and shrugged in what looked like an attempt at modesty, and Melania herself broke into a genuine smile as she turned to look at him.
In what must have been an agonizingly long afternoon for the women being honored, that moment of comic relief must have made it all seem worthwhile. I know I would have enjoyed it. In fact, I had a whale of a good time just watching it on YouTube.
Just sayin’ . . .
Brendochka
5/7/26
Act One: Vladimir Putin demands a two-day ceasefire for May 8-9 in order to be able to throw his annual Victory Day Parade on the 9th without having to worry about possible drone strikes from Ukraine. His Defense Ministry even warns of “a massive retaliatory strike . . . on the center of Kyiv” in the event of an attack on the parade. [RFE/RL, May 4, 2026.]
Act Two: Volodymyr Zelensky counters with a proposal for a ceasefire beginning even earlier — midnight on May 6th. Putin does not respond.
Act Three: On May 6th, Vladimir Putin’s military launches scores of drone and missile strikes across Ukraine, including a drone hit on a kindergarten in Sumy. More than 20 deaths are reported across the country as a result of the strikes. [RFE/RL, May 6, 2026.]
Act Four: Ukraine responds with a strike on a Russian weapons factory that manufactures navigational systems for missiles, resulting in a report of two deaths.
Act Five: ???
*. *. *
Once again, Putin has ignored, and violated, the offer of a ceasefire from Zelensky — despite having been the first to propose it. Does he still expect his original demand to be honored?
Ukraine’s counter-offensive actions on Russian territory have been focused on military and strategic targets, such as oil refineries and weapons factories; they have been careful to avoid, to the extent possible, civilian areas and infrastructure. It is not likely that they would take aim at a patriotic celebration that annually draws thousands of civilian spectators.
So why was Putin determined to prevent an event that had not actually been threatened? Is it simply his ingrained paranoia? Was he assuming that Zelensky could be capable of the sort of thing he himself has been known to do in the past?
Or might he be thinking of using the opportunity to create an incident — even a minor one — that could then be blamed on Ukraine as an excuse to “retaliate” and accelerate the ongoing war?
Hopefully not. But all we can do now is hope for the best.
Just sayin’ . . .
Brendochka
5/6/26
All of the old mystery writers — Agatha Christie, Arthur Conan Doyle, Rex Stout, J.B. Fletcher (okay, she herself was fictitious, but you had to love her) — had a way of ensuring that, despite a good bit of mayhem along the way, the good guys always triumphed in the end.
They all seemed to adhere to the belief — perhaps too optimistically — that “what goes around comes around,” “you reap what you sow,” and the ever-popular “karma is a bitch.” Perhaps it was best summed up in the words of the venerable Sherlock Holmes:
“Violence does, in truth recoil upon the violent, and the schemer falls into the pit which he digs for another.”
– Arthur Conan Doyle, “The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (Sherlock Holmes, #3)”
If only real life were as simple and as fair as that. But these days, I’m afraid there wouldn’t be a pit deep enough for all of the schemers.
Just sayin’ . . .
Brendochka
5/6/26
May 9th is celebrated in Russia as Victory Day — the anniversary of the defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II. And each year, an enormous parade is held in Moscow in which the latest and greatest examples of Russian military might are hauled out and paraded through Red Square.
But this year, Vladimir Putin — who is rumored to be spending a great deal of time hiding out in bunkers in various undisclosed locations — is facing a dual dilemma: the physical danger of Ukraine’s increasing drone attacks, some of which have targeted the Moscow area; and the growing unpopularity among his own people of his war against Ukraine, causing unrest and concerns that a popular uprising may be in the offing.
An imminent coup or revolution may or may not be a reality; but there is no doubt that the drone attacks are very real. In fact, one struck a high-rise apartment building just six kilometers (about four miles) from the Kremlin on May 4th. No one was killed or seriously injured; but this was much too close for comfort.
Putin had already made the decision to cut back on the size of this year’s military display. He also announced a two-day cease-fire with Ukraine to allow the May 9th parade to proceed in safety. That announcement — which, in an unusual circumstance, was issued by the Ministry of Defense — also carried with it a threat that a “massive retaliatory strike . . . [would be made] on the center of Kyiv” if the Red Square events were targeted. [RFE/RL, May 4, 2026.]
In response, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced his own ceasefire to begin earlier, at midnight on May 5th. He also took the opportunity to poke fun at Putin by posting on Telegram:
“It is time for Russian leaders to take real steps to end their war; since the Russian Defense Ministry believes that it can’t hold a parade in Moscow without Ukraine’s consent.” [Id.]
Meanwhile, Russia — not wasting any of the hours before Ukraine’s declared May 5th ceasefire — struck numerous regions including Kramatorsk, Zaporizhzhia and Chernihiv on May 4th, killing at least 26 and injuring more than 80 others in drone and missile attacks. [Al Jazeera and Reuters, May 5, 2026.]
It is clear that, for Vladimir Putin, a “ceasefire” is merely a ploy to be utilized for his convenience, but to be ignored when it is requested for purposes of peace negotiations.
But that’s nothing we didn’t already know.
Hopefully — for the sake of the civilians who will be in attendance at the Red Square festivities — Ukraine’s and Russia’s leaders will do the honorable thing, and both sides will be able to enjoy a breather from the endless hostilities.
As to any long-term peace talks, they seem to have taken a back seat to Donald Trump’s Middle East fiasco . . . which has proven to be a total disaster on so many levels.
Just sayin’ . . .
Brendochka
5/6/26
We were told that Donald Trump’s rationale for invading Iran was . . . well, a number of things, actually, depending on the day of the week and his mindset of the moment. But along with his imaginary need to destroy the nuclear capabilities he said he had already demolished months earlier, he claimed that he wanted to free the Iranian people from their autocratic, theocratic, tyrannical regime. So he had the long-time ruler, the Ayatollah Khamenei, killed, along with other leading members of the government. He also said that U.S. forces had totally wiped out Iran’s military — land, sea and air forces — so that they would never again be a threat to anyone.
But it didn’t exactly work out that way.
Almost immediately following the death of the Ayatollah, his son — even more rabidly tyrannical than his father — was installed as successor to the throne. The regime is intact, and it is angry. According to one citizen, who chose to remain anonymous for fear of retribution:
“Changed? It’s fallen into the hands of the Revolutionary Guards. The country is a mess. . . . So many of their people are still standing. What I had imagined did not come true. Everything got worse. And we are left with the Islamic Republic. I am gutted that they won this war.” [Fergal Keane, BBC, May 3, 2026.]
Iran’s military, while no doubt severely damaged, is not — as Trump would have us believe — wiped out. They continue to attack U.S. forces and facilities near the Strait of Hormuz and in neighboring countries.
And organized pro-government displays are ubiquitous, while opposition rallies are banned and severely punished. BBC sources in Iran say there is fear that when the war is over, internal repression will once again escalate. A lawyer who works with detainees says:
“Before the war, harsh treatment was reserved for those who were leading the protests, who had Molotov cocktails, or who were armed. But during the war, that harshness has intensified significantly.” [Id.]
*. *. *
It’s as though the regime is sending Donald Trump a message: “Don’t tell us how to run our country!”
But Trump, as usual, has gone deaf, dumb and blind.
Just sayin’ . . .
Brendochka
5/5/26
No, there hasn’t been a catastrophe in Rome. And certainly the Vatican, under the guidance of Pope Leo XIV, has been a model of peace and diplomacy. But U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is heading for Rome this week, officially to “advance bilateral relations” with both the Italian government and the Holy See, which in Washington-speak roughly translates to “cleaning up another one of Donald Trump’s messes.”
According to State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott, “Meetings with Italian counterparts will focus on shared security interests and strategic alignment.” [Alex Raufoglu, RFE/RL, May 4, 2026.]
And an anonymous former senior State Department official diplomatically said that:
“Secretary Rubio’s trip is an important step in diplomacy,” and that the trip is an indication of how much the Trump administration “values the relationship with Italy and the Holy See.” [Id.]
But here’s the thing: Would this trip be necessary if Trump hadn’t excoriated both Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and the Pope — not to mention other European leaders — for having had the courage of their convictions with regard to his invasion of Iran?
About the Pope’s anti-war stance, Trump wrote this demented screed on his Truth Social platform:
“Pope Leo is WEAK on Crime, and terrible for Foreign Policy. . . . I like his brother Louis much better than I like him, because Louis is all MAGA. He gets it, and Leo doesn’t! I don’t want a Pope who thinks it’s OK for Iran to have a Nuclear Weapon. I don’t want a Pope who thinks it’s terrible that America attacked Venezuela, a Country that was sending massive amounts of Drugs into the United States and, even worse, emptying their prisons, including murderers, drug dealers, and killers, into our Country. And I don’t want a Pope who criticizes the President of the United States because I’m doing exactly what I was elected, IN A LANDSLIDE, to do . . . Leo should be thankful because, as everyone knows, he was a shocking surprise. He wasn’t on any list to be Pope, and was only put there by the Church because he was an American, and they thought that would be the best way to deal with President Donald J. Trump. If I wasn’t in the White House, Leo wouldn’t be in the Vatican. . . . Leo should get his act together as Pope, use Common Sense, stop catering to the Radical Left, and focus on being a Great Pope, not a Politician. It’s hurting him very badly and, more importantly, it’s hurting the Catholic Church! President DONALD J. TRUMP”
Not only did Trump apparently forget how much he “valued those relationships”; he also seemed to overlook the fact that the Pope does not work for “President DONALD J. TRUMP,” but answers to a much higher Power.
Then, when Prime Minister Meloni had the audacity to voice her objection to Trump’s comments about the Pope, calling them “unacceptable” and refusing to back the U.S.-Israel war on Iran, he had this to say about her:
“I thought she had courage. I was wrong,” later adding that their bond had frayed because “She’s been negative. Anybody that turned us down to helping [sic] with this Iran situation, we do not have the same relationship.” [Colleen Barry, Associated Press, April 15, 2026.”
And in connection with his proposed withdrawal of troops from Germany and other European countries, when asked if he would consider pulling troops out of Italy and Spain — two countries also critical of the Iran war — he said:
“Probably . . . Look, why shouldn’t I? Italy has not been of any help to us and Spain has been horrible, absolutely horrible.” [Al Jazeera, May 1, 2026.]
So now he is sending Marco Rubio overseas once again to do the dirty work of cleaning up the mess he made because he is incapable of thinking before he speaks, and because whatever thoughts he does have — on any subject — revolve solely around himself, and not around the job he is supposed to be doing as the titular leader of the free world.
Just sayin’ . . .
Brendochka
5/5/26
Maybe it’s an omen: so many good things happening on this date in years past:
Those were all such different times. But wouldn’t it be nice if we could only . . . well, you know.
Just sayin’ . . .
Brendochka
5/4/26
It’s not clear from Saturday’s video exactly when they arrived, but the Feenstras of Ontario have made the trip eastward across the Atlantic once again, and returned safely to their farm in Nizhny Novgorod, Russia.
Judging from their last previous report, and the apparently still-cold weather visible in this one, they’ve likely been back for a couple of weeks now. And what an adventure it has been!
Before leaving Ontario, Arend cleaned and closed up the motor home to be left behind with family in Canada . . .
. . . they packed a mountain of clothes and other possessions into enough luggage for a regiment . . .
. . . Cora said one more farewell to her friends . . .
. . . and since Ariana and little Maddie had both had birthdays in Florida, they got to celebrate again with Grandma and Grandpa.
Then — saying that they were sorry to leave but excited to return to their new life in Russia — they said their tearful goodbyes once again to Anneesa’s parents, and they were off to the airport in Detroit.
They had a long and arduous trek ahead of them, and it wasn’t made easier by the fact that several of the kids and Anneesa were somewhat sick — coughing and feeling tired and weak. I had concerns as to whether they would even be allowed to board their flights, but there seems to have been no problem. I can only imagine how their fellow passengers must have felt about all of the coughing, though.
At the Canada – U.S. border, Arend said they were given extra attention by the border guards, including a smell test by some government employees of the canine variety, most likely because of the volume of their luggage. And as a bonus, there was a film crew there from National Geographic who interviewed them and said they would appear in a future issue. True celebrities, those Feenstras, wherever they go.
Then it was farewell to Ben at the Detroit airport, and onto the six- or seven-hour flight to Istanbul, during which they presumably got some sleep. And after a long layover in Türkiye, they were finally off to Moscow, where their tenant, Justin Pulley, was preparing to meet them with their van.
As if Mother Nature personally came to welcome them back, they returned home at exactly the same time as a last blast from that good old Russian winter, which had decided it needed one last hurrah before finally giving way to spring. In fact, though the highways between Moscow and Nizhny Novgorod were fine, the roads closer to home were so slushy and muddy that the van got stuck, and Justin had to get hold of a tractor to haul them out and tow them the rest of the way home.
But they finally made it to the farm, where Justin and Anita welcomed them back with some homemade lasagna and other goodies, then left them to fall into bed for a long winter’s nap.
*. *. *
But it seems as though the Feenstras always have something new and interesting up their sleeves. Because at some point during the long trip home, Arend — when commenting on how glad he would be to get home and not have to do any more traveling for a while — suddenly remembered: “[except] going to Crimea in May, but that’s still in Russia.”
CRIMEA??!!! Did he say “CRIMEA”??!!!
What on earth . . . ?? Why Crimea? For what purpose? And how many of the family will be going?
That is just insane. First of all, it’s a war zone. And secondly, whether or not it is “in Russia” is debatable.
Plus, did I mention it’s a freakin’ war zone?
Since his invasion of 2014, Vladimir Putin has claimed hegemony over the Crimean Peninsula, despite its being geographically and (since 1954) legally part of Ukraine. Prior to 1954, it was part of the Russian Soviet Socialist Republic — but it has never belonged to the Russian Federation. But don’t try to tell that to Putin.
And now, with Russian forces occupying the Peninsula, it is a frequent target of drone and missile attacks by Ukraine’s military: not a place I would choose for a family vacation, or even a business trip. So why — under these circumstances, and on the heels of an exhausting four-month absence, not to mention coming at the very start of the planting season — would they be looking at a trip . . . well, anywhere, really . . . but least of all to a war zone? (Did I remember to mention that?)
We may possibly be told by Arend, as the time approaches, that it will be for some agricultural purpose. But that still defies logic. In fact, the only answer that really makes any sense is that they are, for some reason we may never know, being required to go.
Anyway, welcome home to your Russian paradise, Feenstra family. I’m glad you made it safely back, and I will continue to follow you for as long as you are allowed to keep broadcasting . . . just to be sure you’re all okay.
Just sayin’ . . .
Brendochka
5/4/26
Of all of the people I would love to have met in this world, but never will because they have passed away, Russian patriot Alexei Navalny is right near the top of the list. He was killed for opposing the Putin regime, and for becoming popular enough and strong enough to represent a threat to that regime.
In times of trouble in any part of the world, Navalny’s words remain an inspiration to us all. For example:
“We must do what they fear — tell the truth, spread the truth. This is the most powerful weapon against this regime of liars, thieves, ad hypocrites. Everyone has this weapon. So make use of it.”
– Alexei Navalny, “Patriot: A Memoir”
Just sayin’ . . .
Brendochka
5/3/26
The Blog About Everything … and Sometimes Nothing 