Mea culpa! It’s all this Yankee woman’s fault. I should never have said I missed seeing snow.
And now, here it is — not in Maine, or Minnesota, or even in Northern Virginia. This is Southeastern Georgia, just a couple of hours’ drive from the Florida state line. And it’s been snowing like crazy for a few hours now, with a possible six inches predicted.
Tropical plants aren’t supposed to be covered in cold, white stuff falling from the sky. But this one in our front yard is.
Actual Photo of Front Yard
And it was still early when we grabbed this shot of one of the cars. Looking forward to seeing it a little later.
Actual Photo of Driveway
While I’ve been thinking about how beautiful it is, it also occurs to me that no one here is equipped to deal with it. Seriously — the counties and cities have no plows or salt trucks; people don’t own snow shovels because no one sells them; I honestly doubt whether they’ve even heard of snow tires; and I’d be willing to bet not one person in 100 owns a pair of snow boots, unless they’re skiers who regularly head north to the mountains in winter. Life has come to a complete stop.
They told me, before I moved down here, that this wouldn’t happen. So I gave away all my heavy coats, gloves, boots, and scarves. This is the South . . . why would I need those things?
Not An Actual Photo of Me
I took their word for it; I hadn’t counted on Mother Nature and her diabolical sense of humor. But I did say I wished it would happen, just once. And now it has. And I’m enjoying it, because it reminds me of years past — shoveling, digging out the car, building snowmen, having snowball fights, and just going for long walks in the clean, fresh air.
So go ahead and blame me, if it will make you feel better. I can take it.
#1: More than 1,000 violent criminals are being released to commit further atrocities against our citizenry and our Constitution.
The “Proud Boys” at the U.S. Capitol – January 6, 2021
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#2: Law-abiding people who had been promised a better life in the U.S. have had the rug pulled out from under their feet.
Afghani Refugees
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#3: Our industries have been given the go-ahead to choke us to death with uncontrolled pollution, while climate control becomes a non-issue.
Adieu to the Paris Accord
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#4: And none of it matters, because those of us who aren’t wiped out by pollution or violent weather events are all going to die from what have been preventable diseases, which will once more become rampant due to lack of vaccines. (Which reminds me: January 26th is World Leprosy Day. We should celebrate it while we can.)
Who Needs the WHO (World Health Organization)?
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The first two will see immediate consequences. Numbers 3 and 4 won’t happen overnight; it will be a slow, torturous demise over the next four years.
I’m so glad I lived this long; I would hate to have missed all the fun. Thank Heaven we still have TikTok to keep us distracted!
Darth Vader is alive and well, and reportedly living underwater off the coast of Vietnam, where he was recently discovered by alert (and amazed) scientists. And here he is:
Whether this creepy critter actually uttered the immortal words from the film series* is unknown but unlikely He has been named Darth Vader because of the obvious familial resemblance.
The “Real” Darth Vader
* Star Wars, Episode IV, “A New Hope”
In fact, he is a species of giant sea bug, which is all I really need to know about him as long as he stays underwater and far away from me.
But seeing him, and his uncanny resemblance to one of George Lucas’ brilliant flights of imagination, I’m reminded — possibly for the millionth time — of the wisdom of the Bard, who famously penned these words some 400 years earlier:
“There are more things in Heaven and Earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy.” — William Shakespeare, Hamlet, Act I, Scene 5.
The newly-discovered “Darth Vader” looks more like a nightmare than a dream to me; but Shakespeare’s point is well taken.
The ancient Chinese military general, strategist, philosopher, and author of The Art of War, Sun Tzu, famously said:
“Keep your friends close; keep your enemies closer.”
Sun Tzu
Good advice, unquestionably. But first, shouldn’t one be able to identify those enemies?
In his inaugural address to the nation yesterday, Donald Trump made a number of gaffes, which I won’t detail here. But one in particular bothered me, for two reasons: first, because it showed his lack of knowledge concerning a very worrisome foreign alliance; and second, because he verbally made an adversary of Spain — in reality, a staunch ally of the United States, and a member of both NATO and the EU.
The alliance is called BRICS. It was the brainchild of Vladimir Putin, and originally was named BRIC in 2009 for its four founding member nations: Brazil, Russia, India and China. The name was changed to BRICS in 2010, when a fifth member joined: South Africa.
Trump said it was Spain.
No! No! Not Spain! South Africa!
10th Summit Meeting of BRICS
BRICS has since expanded to include Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and Saudi Arabia. And its undisguised purpose is to displace the Western alliances as the sole dominant political and economic world power. Nothing less.
So let’s get the membership straight, shall we? Because it’s hard to imagine Spain being part of that, or any, anti-Western confederacy.
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As an aside, I note that Sun Tzu also said: “The supreme art of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting.”
Smart man. It’s too bad that he lived in the wrong millennium.
I’m fond of the old saying that “less is more.” It usually refers to matters of taste: too much bling, too many Christmas decorations, too much salt added to an already perfect dish. But it can apply to other areas of choice as well.
Such as goals and ambitions.
Back. in the early 1990s, when I was in Moscow seeking out a Russian partner for an educational program, I met with a number of people recommended by the Russian Embassy in Washington: people newly acquainting themselves with the burgeoning market economy, who had no idea of where to start.
These were not the people who ultimately became the oligarchs of today: those well-connected, unconcerned with legalities, and often ruthless people who were able to buy up the old Soviet assets and turn them into multi-billion-dollar fortunes. The people I met with were smart, educated, decent men and women who had suddenly found themselves in the strange and daunting position of having to create something out of nothing.
They had no private funding and no government backing. What they did have was a jumbled mass of ideas — way too many. And they wanted to implement them all at once.
I assumed they had been advised of the purpose of my trip: to establish a business school for those Russians who would be working for the new private enterprises. But what I was hearing back, without exception, were suggestions for manufacturing, marketing and agricultural undertakings that were all over the map . . . even one for coal mining, another for clothes designing, and a third from a folk dance troupe hoping for a U.S. tour!
I came away from those meetings discouraged, but chalked it up to the inexperience and naïveté of people new to a free market economy. And indeed, they did learn over time.
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But it would be difficult to attribute the new U.S. administration’s stated — or over-stated — ambitions to inexperience or naïveté. Maybe it’s the “gold-plated toilet” syndrome: wanting everything, and wanting it now. But forget about Donald Trump the billionaire show-off. Where is Donald Trump the businessman, who should know that lasting success is the result of quality, not quantity?
Prioritize. Decide what’s most urgent, and get it done . . . and done right.
Yes, there is a lot that needs doing, and it must be overwhelming to be the one to sort it all out. But trying to run in 100 different directions at once leads only to chaos, and ultimately to very little — if anything — being done properly.
For example: Do we really need immediate raids on immigrants who have been here for years? Or should we first focus on fixing the disaster in Ukraine? Can our young people survive a little longer without TikTok? Or should we first work to bring down food prices so all of our people can afford to eat? Must we focus on grabbing Canada as a 51st state and Greenland as a territory? Or should we be keeping a closer eye on the imminent dangers presented by the alliance known as BRICS?
Prioritize.
And for the sake of all that is holy, try to do it without antagonizing all of our allies. Today’s world is too small a place for isolationism.
Since today’s news is mostly about an event in Washington I would prefer to ignore — in fact, I’d prefer that it weren’t happening at all, but that’s out of my control — I went looking for things to occupy my mind, and wandered into the “Word of the Day” column.
And today’s word is about as useful to most people — other than the odd ichthyologist — as an extra toe. But here it is anyway:
“Anadromous”
“Huh?”
Well, it refers to fish . . . and specifically those, like salmon, that swim upstream to spawn, living parts of the year in both fresh and salt water. (The “ichthyologist” reference probably gave it away.)
“Why does it have to be uphill all the way?”
Now, if you’re still wondering how to pronounce it — just on the off-chance you might be able to work it into a conversation about, say, the effect of the war in Ukraine on the supply of anadromous fish in the northwestern United States — the accent is on the second syllable:
A – na’ – dro – mous.
Other than that, it’s probably one of those words you can safely file away and forget. Personally, I prefer more mellifluous words, like “euphonious,” “serendipity,” “pulchritudinous,” or . . . well . . . “mellifluous.” And a long-time favorite: “onomatopoeia.”
Of course, there’s always “supercalifragilisticexpialidocious,” which isn’t a real word, but it’s fun to say. And it supposedly makes you sound precocious.
Then, of course, there are words from other languages. Compiling a list of those could take days, so I’ll just throw in one favorite word from the only other language (besides English) that I actually speak at all, which is Russian. (It’s a genetic thing.)
And the winner is (hopefully transliterated with some measure of accuracy):
Человеконенавистничество. (In the English alphabet, that would be: Chelovekonenavistnichestvo).
That’s ten syllables meaning — if anyone really cares — “misanthropy.” Another cool English word, by the way . . . though describing a decidedly uncool attitude.
Yup — that’s the attitude, all right.
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Well, I’ve managed to kill a couple of hours, and now it’s time to start thinking about tonight’s dinner. For some reason, I seem to have a taste for something anadromous, like salmon. . . . which is what started this whole silly journey in the first place.
It’s bitter cold in Washington, D.C. today — about 20 degrees below normal. As of this writing, the plan is for Donald Trump to fake . . . er, take . . . the oath of office as President of the United States indoors, in the rotunda of the U.S. Capitol.
Compare: January 20, 1961. It had snowed . . . and snowed . . . and snowed the day before. One of the worst blizzards in D.C. memory. Cars were buried; the plows couldn’t keep up with the deluge; Pennsylvania Avenue from the White House to the Capitol had to be scraped to the pavement for the inaugural parade; the city was teeming with the political and social elite from out of town who had been invited to attend the festivities; and it took me until 10:00 p.m. to get home from work — a distance of less than five miles.
January 19, 1961 – Clearing the Streets
But did Jack Kennedy move his inaugural ceremony indoors? Hell, no, he didn’t. A native Bostonian, he braved the elements and took his oath outdoors, in front of God and country, with wife Jackie by his side in a beautiful wool — not fur — coat and signature pillbox hat. They were a hardy young couple who were about to set a new standard for the country.
And their like has not been seen since.
Leaving the White House for the Capitol
But enough reminiscing; those days are gone, and no amount of wishing is going to bring them back. So, while I studiously avoid watching today’s events, I’ve thought of a few things I can do to pass the time on this national holiday.
Right! You almost forgot, didn’t you? It’s also Martin Luther King Day, so a lot of people are enjoying a long weekend. Well, here’s my plan for the extra day of leisure:
Do My Taxes: Both of my 1099 forms arrived in Saturday’s mail, so I can now sit down, tap the numbers into my computer, and let H&R Block do the rest. I know the IRS won’t start accepting returns for another week, but I figure if I get mine into the system early, perhaps I’ll be near the head of the line to get my refund early as well.
The Dreaded 1040 Form
Have a Mani-Pedi: No, not a visit to a salon; I do my own. But the toenails definitely are due for a clipping, and while it’s not an exciting or glamorous way to pay homage to MLK Jr., it is at least productive.
Attack Those Closets: I have two that desperately need cleaning out: clothes I haven’t worn in a couple of years that could go to some people who have lost everything to fire, flood, or whatever; and stuff on the top shelves that I can’t even identify any longer. (Anyone need a bunch of yarn that never got made into a sweater?)
Clear Out the Refrigerator: I have no idea what leaked into the vegetable drawer, but it definitely needs to be scrubbed. Yuck!
Scrub the Bathroom: No, forget it. Enough cleaning for one day. It is supposed to be a holiday, after all. Maybe tomorrow.
Take the Cookie Cure: Bake, inhale the fragrance, then chow down. Preferably chocolate chip, followed by a tall glass of ice-cold milk. If that doesn’t make me happy, nothing will.
Work On To-Do List: Not just for today or this week, but a sort of bucket list for the next four years . . . to keep busy while trying not to focus on what’s happening in the world around us. Hallucinogens might be helpful here.
Take A Nice Long Nap: On the assumption that none of the above will actually get done — remember the “road to hell” and “good intentions” syndrome? — there’s always the option to block the whole day out of your mind, grab a fuzzy blanket, settle into a favorite chair or sofa, and snooze the hours away.
We do, after all, have a lot to block out these days.
Checking in with our favorite Canadian/Russian farm family this week, I found Arend, a couple of the boys, and some non-family members out in the cold and snow, working on the framework for what will be a large barn for the cattle, dairy cows and chickens they plan to add to the farm, both as food for their own table and for sale as part of their farming business.
There has been a change — a delightful one, really — to their YouTube program introduction, featuring all of the members of the family, from Dad Arend and Mom Anneesa right down to the adorable toddler, Maddie.
The day started with Anneesa in the kitchen, where I assume she must spend most of her time producing meals for her large crew. Various children were already busy — one studying, another sewing a new skirt from the fabric of an old dress, and a third helping a younger child with a project or game.
After breakfast, Arend headed outdoors for some construction work, and an explanation of the family’s future expansion plans . . . which, to my complete surprise, now included some cabins for paying guests.
That’s right — we’re talking about a possible Feenstra Gostinitsa.
It has become obvious over the past year that the Feenstras are very competent, very hard-working, and very determined. Arend, in addition to being a successful farmer, also has a talent for construction work. But are they now to become innkeepers as well? As though they don’t have enough to do . . .
But as he continued talking about the joys of farming and country life, and being able to spend his days with his family rather than at some unfulfilling job in the city, it all began to make sense. Because he said that he would like to be able to rent the cabins to people coming to Russia to see what life is like there, the opportunities that exist for them to live the good life, and perhaps to consider emigrating as he and his family did.
Not only is all of this in line with Putin’s ”family values” drive; it also supports the Feenstras’ obvious agenda of proselytizing on behalf of the government’s program to increase the country’s population, which has been in decline for a number of years.
Following in the footsteps of Mother Russia, Aleksandr Lukashenko (Belarusian: Alyaksandr Lukashenka) — presumptive president of Belarus — has been waging war on journalists, accusing them of “extremism.” And he seems to be particularly fixated on journalists from RadioFreeEurope/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL).
Aleksandr Lukashenko
He has gone so far as to air a series on the state’s TV station ONT . . . ironically titled Svaboda Slova (“Freedom of Speech”), but in fact, a blatant burlesque of bullshit propaganda about RFE/RL journalists accused by his regime of trying to “set Belarus on fire.” [RFE/RL, January 17, 2025.]
Hostages Andrey Kuznechyk and Ihar Losik have previously had the “honor” of joining our list of political prisoners being held in Russian, Belarusian, Crimean and Azerbaijani prisons.
The 20-minute presentation on January 16th — No. 3 in the series — featured former RFE/RL Belarusian Service journalist Ihar Karney, who has been detained since 2023 and was finally tried in March of 2024, when he was sentenced to a prison term of three years on that very charge. [Id.]
Ihar Karney: Hostage (RFE/RL File Photo)
Karney appeared in the video “thin, stooping, and obviously exhausted, being led to an interview in handcuffs, which were taken off as he was pressed against a wall. He was filmed in the courtyard of a KGB detention facility wearing a black prison jacket and knitted cap, his breath visible in the freezing air.” [Id.]
It is not known what, if anything, Karney said during the filming, as RFE/RL’s policy precludes quoting of statements made by imprisoned people under duress. And there is no question — none whatsoever — that Ihar Karney has been subjected to severe mistreatment during his incarceration.
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No sooner had I finished reading about episode No. 3 of Lukashenko’s horror series than along came No. 4: Yuras Zyankovich, a dual U.S.-Belarusian citizen and lawyer, currently serving a sentence of eleven years in a maximum-security penal colony. [RFE/RL, January 17, 2025.]
Zyankovich’s presentation was staged differently from the others. He was shown dressed in a suit and pressed shirt, seated in a comfortable room with coffee on a table and traffic moving outside a nearby window.
Yuras Zyankovich: Hostage (RFE/RL File Photo)
His legal status was not explained. But he was introduced as an “American lawyer, political scientist, and expert,” in an interview conducted by notorious propagandist Andrey Alyaksandrau (a.k.a. Kozel) — well-known for accompanying security forces during arrests of political dissidents. [Id.]
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This parade of prisoners comes to us with the compliments of Belarusian dictator Lukashenko on the eve of the presidential election scheduled for January 26th. His legitimacy as “president” is not universally recognized due to the, shall we say, irregularities in the last previous election; and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has said that the upcoming election also cannot be considered free or fair because of the “repressive environment” in Belarus . . . a true masterpiece of understatement. [Id.]
Even Vladimir Putin — the poster child for oppressive, tyrannical, totalitarian rule — hasn’t stooped to parading his prisoners in front of the camera to demonstrate his authority and strike fear into the hearts of others who may consider speaking out against him. It takes a lot to outdo Putin’s vicious nature; but Lukashenko has done it.
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And with that, we once again pay our weekly tribute to the hostages living in unimaginable horror, praying for release. With our two new additions, they are:
David Barnes Gordon Black Marc Fogle Robert Gilman Stephen James Hubbard Ksenia Karelina Ihar Karney (in Belarus) Vadim Kobzev Andrey Kuznechyk (in Belarus) Michael Travis Leake Aleksei Liptser Ihar Losik (in Belarus) Daniel Martindale Farid Mehralizada (in Azerbaijan) Igor Sergunin Robert Shonov Eugene Spector Laurent Vinatier Robert Romanov Woodland Vladislav Yesypenko (in Crimea) Yuras Zyankovich (in Belarus)
We must not forget them — not until the last one is returned safely home.
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