[This is what happens when I make a concerted effort not to write for a whole day — my mind goes walkabout.]
Would I pay a fortune for a guitar?
Possibly not, since I don’t know how to play it. Though if it had belonged to someone like, say, Andres Segovia — arguably the world’s greatest classical guitarist — or the late, great jazz guitarist Charlie Byrd . . . then, as a collector’s item, I might consider it.
Andres Segovia
But would I shell out $10K for this next one?
Not in this lifetime (or any other).
But then, some guy with more money than brains (or taste) just paid over $6 million for this piece of “art” . . . which he says he’s going to eat.
“Comedian,” by Maurizio Cattelan
He’d better hurry, because it looks like it’s beginning to rot.
There’s no accounting for taste, of course — in art, or in bananas. Personally, I prefer mine with just a tinge of green. Bananas, that is. And I like my art on canvas, or carved from a beautiful hunk of stone. But, again, to each his own.
I think I’ll go now, and hang a bunch of grapes on a coat rack. There must be somebody on eBay with a few thousand extra Dollars, Euros, Yen . . . anything but Rubles . . . who likes grapes and doesn’t have a coat closet.
Not for you, good reader . . . for myself. To see how far I get into this day without writing anything for my blog.
I’ve been sitting here, staring at a blank screen, hands poised motionless over the keyboard, on and off for the past couple of hours. And I’ve got nothing.
Oh, there’s plenty of news in the media. As usual, it’s all bad, and it’s mostly about Russia. It’s beginning to feel like the Cold War ‘80s again, with all the sh*t happening over there. And it’s not that I’ve become tired of writing about it; but I’m pretty sure that by now you’re sick to death of reading about them: Putin, Peskov, Medvedev, Lavrov, and the rest. Of course, there’s also the Middle East, China, North Korea . . . and it’s all gloom and doom.
But you see what’s happening, don’t you? With Putin making nuclear threats; Netanyahu being chased by the International Criminal Court; the first Trump cabinet nominee already dropping out; and some crazy woman trying to take over Romania . . . well, it’s just downright depressing, demoralizing, and decidedly disturbing.
So, unless something big splashes onto the headlines in the next hours, I’m taking one of my short breaks. Maybe I’ll think of something amusing to talk to you about . . . something not news-related . . . something other than the price of eggs or the latest celebrity to be accused of, well, whatever.
Or maybe I’ll just start my Christmas shopping.
Or this:
Yeah . . . I like that one. Anyone care to join me?
I’ve often wondered how frequent flyers keep track of where they are when they wake up in the morning in yet another Marriott hotel that looks just like every other Marriott hotel in the world. But hopefully, although it may take a moment to remember where they are, they at least know who they are, and what country issued their passport.
Vasyl Verameychyk, on the other hand, might have a more serious problem: that of figuring out where he belongs, and whether his passport will be considered valid on any given day.
Vasyl Verameychyk
A very brief report in yesterday’s news opened with this sentence:
“Vietnam has extradited a Belarusian national who fought as a volunteer in Ukraine on Kyiv’s side to Minsk, Belarusian media reported on November 20.” [RFE/RL, November 20, 2024.]
Wait . . . what?!! How did Vietnam get into the picture?
The report went on to indicate that Vasyl is a Belarusian national who had served in the Belarusian Army for seven years, but joined in the anti-government protests of 2020. Under threat of arrest for his oppositionist activities, he fled to Ukraine, where he then fought as a volunteer against the Russian invasion of 2022 until he was wounded in April of that same year.
He next was denied permission to settle in Lithuania due to his former Belarusian Army service — the Lithuanian government being understandably wary of anyone from a Russian puppet state. So he moved to Vietnam.
Why Vietnam? Good question. The article doesn’t provide that information, and I’m having a really difficult time trying to imagine the mental leap that carried Vasyl from the Baltics to a Southeast Asian country that has drawn ever closer to Russia in recent years, and since 2022 — at the Kremlin’s request — has deported several Russian citizens living in Vietnam because they criticized the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Vietnamese President Vo Van Thuong with Vladimir Putin
But there he was, when Aleksandr Lukashenko — self-proclaimed president of Belarus — apparently had no trouble convincing the Vietnamese authorities to extradite Vasyl back to Minsk last month to face as-yet-unspecified charges, despite international appeals having been lodged in his behalf.
Putin and Lukashenko: Two of a Kind
Today, a statement was issued from the office of Belarusian opposition leader Svyatlana Tsikhanouskaya, condemning the extradition and placing the blame squarely where it belongs — on Lukashenko’s relentless targeting of his opponents, whether inside or outside of Belarus. [RFE/RL, November 21, 2024.] Clearly, he takes his cues from his Russian patron.
The statement also advises Belarusians living abroad to “remain vigilant against potential actions by Lukashenka’s [sic] security services.” [Id.]
Poor Vasyl; the warning comes too late for him. He did nothing more than express his opposition to an illegal, immoral war. And for that, he found himself stateless: wanted by Belarus, unwanted by Lithuania, and hunted down in Vietnam.
There really is no way to run far enough, or anywhere safe enough to hide in this world.
You may have noticed two posts today, identical but for the titles and the first pictures. The reason is that Facebook — on which I share my blog posts — removed the first one, claiming it didn’t meet their criteria. It was titled “I Have An Incredible New Job,” and featured side-by-side photos of Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy. I guess someone at FB found that offensive. I consider it censorship — and I find that offensive!
I have been watching with unbridled envy as one unqualified person after another . . . after another . . . after another . . . wins a coveted spot on the incoming Trump administration’s Cabinet — subject, of course, to Congressional approval, which shouldn’t be much of a problem considering the makeup of the incoming Congress.
And the one appointment that strikes me as the most original is not actually a Cabinet position, but the new DOGE — Department of Government Efficiency — which, because of its unique status as “non-governmental,” apparently will avoid having to undergo the usual vetting process. This, of course, is most fortunate for Elon Musk, who now doesn’t have to worry about all those pesky conflict of interest issues.
(Incidentally, does it strike anyone else as a little too coincidental that the definition of “doge” includes “president,” “chief of state,” “commander in chief,” “grand vizier,” and “person in charge”?)
Ta-Da!
Anyway, I’ve decided that, being at least as qualified (though clearly not as wealthy) as any of the appointees named thus far, I deserve a seat at the table as well. I’m a native-born American citizen, well over 21 years of age, reasonably intelligent; I have excellent spelling and grammatical skills, most of my marbles, and — unlike any of the others — I still possess a scruple or two.
Therefore, I have accepted the position — which I magnanimously offered myself just a few hours ago — of Chairman of the Committee to Rewrite the English-language Dictionary . . . also known, in typical Washington acronym fashion, as CRED.
And in case you’re wondering about my “creds” for the position as Chairman of CRED . . . well, not to worry. I’ve already vetted myself, and I can assure you that I’ve never had an affair with or been hit on by Donald Trump, Elon Musk, or Sean “Diddy” Combs; never been represented in a legal matter by Rudy Giuliani; and never met with Vladimir Putin or any member of his inner circle, especially not Dmitry Peskov.
In other words, I’m dull as dishwater.
Well, whatever . . .
But I do have a great many ideas for the re-write of the English-language dictionary, which — as I am sure you will agree — is essential to the new administration’s goal of tearing down every facet of the structure that has made America the model of freedom and democracy it has been for the past 248 years, and the capitalist economy on which most of the world’s economies rely.
So without further ado, I give you just a small sampling of what we have to look forward to (not in alphabetical or any other specific order).
*. *. *
Truth. Previous definitions included such outmoded ideas as “accuracy,” “fact,” “veracity,” and “principle.” The new definition shall be: “Whatever any current member of the Trump administration declares it to be.”
Honor, Honesty. Throughout the centuries, words have passed in and out of use. The time has come for all forms of these two to go, and they shall henceforth be stricken from the new dictionary.
Altruism. Formerly defined as “selflessness,” “benevolence,” “magnanimity,” “public spirit,” and “social conscience,” the revised definition shall be: “Whatever any current member of the Trump administration decides is best for the Trump administration.”
Fiscal Responsibility. Forget any ridiculous prior concept of this term. It is now: “Whatever is required to make the rich richer, and the rest of us irrelevant.”
Patriotism. Another one of those words whose usefulness has failed to evolve over time, and is now obsolete. Out it goes.
As I said, this is just an inkling of what you have to look forward to from my Committee (whose subordinate members have yet to be chosen, but will undoubtedly include a spelling champion such as Dan Quayle, and hopefully a grammarian on the order of Arnold Schwarzenegger).
But there is one more word that I must include here, because it is, as we all know, of supreme importance to Donald Trump himself. And that word is:
Loyalty. The definition itself will not change; it will still mean “allegiance,” “devotion,” “fealty,” “obedience,” etc. However, it will now be strictly a one-way concept, i.e., loyalty to Donald Trump.
I have been watching with unbridled envy as one unqualified person after another . . . after another . . . after another . . . wins a coveted spot on the incoming Trump administration’s Cabinet — subject, of course, to Congressional approval, which shouldn’t be much of a problem considering the makeup of the incoming Congress.
And the one appointment that strikes me as the most original is not actually a Cabinet position, but the new DOGE — Department of Government Efficiency — which, because of its unique status as “non-governmental,” apparently will avoid having to undergo the usual vetting process. This, of course, is most fortunate for Elon Musk, who now doesn’t have to worry about all those pesky conflict of interest issues.
(Incidentally, does it strike anyone else as a little too coincidental that the definition of “doge” includes “president,” “chief of state,” “commander in chief,” “grand vizier,” and “person in charge”?)
The Dogs of DOGE
Anyway, I’ve decided that, being at least as qualified (though clearly not as wealthy) as any of the appointees named thus far, I deserve a seat at the table as well. I’m a native-born American citizen, well over 21 years of age, reasonably intelligent; I have excellent spelling and grammatical skills, most of my marbles, and — unlike any of the others — I still possess a scruple or two.
Therefore, I have accepted the position — which I magnanimously offered myself just a few hours ago — of Chairman of the Committee to Rewrite the English-language Dictionary . . . also known, in typical Washington acronym fashion, as CRED.
And in case you’re wondering about my “creds” for the position as Chairman of CRED . . . well, not to worry. I’ve already vetted myself, and I can assure you that I’ve never had an affair with or been hit on by Donald Trump, Elon Musk, or Sean “Diddy” Combs; never been represented in a legal matter by Rudy Giuliani; and never met with Vladimir Putin or any member of his inner circle, especially not Dmitry Peskov.
In other words, I’m dull as dishwater.
Well, whatever . . .
But I do have a great many ideas for the re-write of the English-language dictionary, which — as I am sure you will agree — is essential to the new administration’s goal of tearing down every facet of the structure that has made America the model of freedom and democracy it has been for the past 248 years, and the capitalist economy on which most of the world’s economies rely.
So without further ado, I give you just a small sampling of what we have to look forward to (not in alphabetical or any other specific order).
*. *. *
Truth. Previous definitions included such outmoded ideas as “accuracy,” “fact,” “veracity,” and “principle.” The new definition shall be: “Whatever any current member of the Trump administration declares it to be.”
Honor, Honesty. Throughout the centuries, words have passed in and out of use. The time has come for all forms of these two to go, and they shall henceforth be stricken from the new dictionary.
Altruism. Formerly defined as “selflessness,” “benevolence,” “magnanimity,” “public spirit,” and “social conscience,” the revised definition shall be: “Whatever any current member of the Trump administration decides is best for the Trump administration.”
Fiscal Responsibility. Forget any ridiculous prior concept of this term. It is now: “Whatever is required to make the rich richer, and the rest of us irrelevant.”
Patriotism. Another one of those words whose usefulness has failed to evolve over time, and is now obsolete. Out it goes.
As I said, this is just an inkling of what you have to look forward to from my Committee (whose subordinate members have yet to be chosen, but will undoubtedly include a spelling champion such as Dan Quayle, and hopefully a grammarian on the order of Arnold Schwarzenegger).
But there is one more word that I must include here, because it is, as we all know, of supreme importance to Donald Trump himself. And that word is:
Loyalty. The definition itself will not change; it will still mean “allegiance,” “devotion,” “fealty,” “obedience,” etc. However, it will now be strictly a one-way concept, i.e., loyalty to Donald Trump.
Today is the 1001st day of the war in Ukraine — the war that Russia said was never going to happen, even as it mobilized its forces on the border near the Donetsk and Luhansk regions of Ukraine in February of 2022. Until, on February 24th, it did happen . . . Vladimir Putin labeling it a “special military operation” to support breakaway elements falsely claiming persecution by alleged neo-Nazi Ukrainian leaders — a leadership in actuality headed by a mild-mannered Jewish president, Volodymyr Zelensky.
Volodymyr Zelensky – Before the War
I would say that you can’t make this stuff up . . . only Putin did just that. The entire war — all 1,000 days of it — has been based on a fiction designed to camouflage . . . though not at all convincingly . . . his mad empirical ambition to “reclaim” sovereign territory and reunite the former Soviet republics.
A “Special Military Operation” Begins
And in that 1,000-day span, he has caused the deaths and maiming of no fewer than half a million people — civilian as well as military, on both sides of the conflict — and laid waste to vast regions of a peaceful nation. He has torn families apart, forced millions to flee their lifelong homes, ripped children from the arms of their parents.
He is a murderer, a war criminal, an evil excuse for a human being. He is the 21st Century’s Joseph Stalin, Adolf Hitler and Osama bin Laden combined. And still he sits in the Kremlin, imprisoning his own people under onerous new laws . . . and threatening Ukraine and its allies with the “nuclear option.”
And the world holds its collective breath and wonders . . .
This is not about a Kingston Trio folk song from the 1960s, though I admit that the melody is now stuck in my head. I’ll be humming it for the next couple of days, unless someone plays “All I Want For Christmas Is You” again.
But this is about real soldiers — missing ones.
Mobilized Russian Soldier Undergoing Training – Moscow Region – December 2022
The independent news source Novaya Gazeta Europe reports that 1,010 soldiers — 858 professionals, 150 draftees from the 2022 mobilization, and two conscripts — have deserted from a single division, based in the Volgograd region, that has been deployed in Ukraine since the start of the war nearly three years ago. [Novaya Gazeta Europe, November 19, 2024.]
The original source of the information is IStories, another independent news outlet, which in turn cited a document sent to Russian regional authorities in the spring of this year by the command of the 20th Guards Motor Rifle Division of the Russian Ground Forces. IStories wrote:
“Over 1,000 men have abandoned just one division, while there are at least two dozen divisions involved in the war of Ukraine.” [Id.]
This, IStories says, could indicate a huge number of missing troops.
Yes . . . seriously!
One soldier was quoted as saying that many of the men had gone AWOL early in the war, when they realized it was going to last “longer than two weeks,” as they said they had been promised by their commanding officers. [Id.]
Naturally, no official figures concerning deserters — in fact, no negative data concerning anything — are disclosed by the Russian authorities. During the first six months following the February 24, 2022, invasion, professional soldiers were able to terminate their contracts with the Russian Ministry of Defense — though many were coerced or threatened into staying. Since September 2022, however, all such contracts have been open-ended.
*. *. *
Aside from the question of why this is happening — why the Russian troops are deserting in such unusually large numbers — there is another question that is driving me crazy:
Where the hell are they??!!!
Seriously, where and how do 1,000 or more Russian soldiers hide in Ukraine? Have they been taken prisoner? And if so, why haven’t the Ukrainian authorities publicized it? Did they manage to sneak into other countries bordering Ukraine? And, being Russian — being the enemy — wouldn’t that also have been reported? Have they formed a commune in the Carpathian Mountains? Joined Donald Trump’s transition team? Or Elon Musk’s SpaceX program?
Surely they wouldn’t have returned to Russia to face arrest.
It’s a mystery, for certain. And if anyone has the answer, I’d really like to know where all those soldiers have gone.
I’m writing this on November 19th — the date in 1863 when President Abraham Lincoln stood on a battlefield in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, and spoke the words that would not only inspire a nation at war with itself, but would echo through the years to inspire future generations of Americans, both at war and in times of peace.
President Abraham Lincoln
Now, 161 years later, our country is facing increasing external threats from foreign enemies, as well as internal changes that threaten our very ability to protect ourselves from those enemies. The world of 2024 is vastly different from Lincoln’s: our enemies are closer, in terms of travel time; and our weaponry is no longer limited to the musket and the cannon.
What our country needs, now more than ever before, is unity. What we have instead, and are facing to an even greater extent in the immediate future, is divisiveness of a magnitude not seen since Lincoln’s time. And we need a government that will stop fomenting anger and hatred, and instead concentrate on standing up to external foes . . . rather than pandering to them for personal advantage.
So, on this anniversary — and just a week after our Veterans Day remembrance — I thought it would be appropriate to repeat a portion of Lincoln’s address to the troops at Gettysburg . . . lest we forget:
“The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here, have, thus far, so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us — that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion — that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain — that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom — and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.”
Delivering his address at Gettysburg
“. . . of the people, by the people, for the people . . .”
As my grandmother used to say (and as I have quoted many times in the past): From his mouth to God’s ears.
The Blog About Everything … and Sometimes Nothing 