On June 10, 2025, I reported on the mysterious case of Joseph Tater, an American citizen who had been arrested in Moscow for “petty hooliganism,” or what appeared to have been disorderly conduct, in August of 2024.

In April of 2025, when he was scheduled to stand trial, he was instead apparently moved to a psychiatric facility, and was said to be on a list of Americans whose release the U.S. government was attempting to negotiate. But on June 6, 2025, the Russian news agency TASS announced that Tater had been discharged because “the clinic had no reason to keep [him] and released him for outpatient treatment.” [RFE/RL, June 6, 2025.]

The article then added, confusingly, that “Tater was no longer in Russia but that his current whereabouts were unclear.” [Id.]

And that is where the trail goes dark. No further word was received from Russian sources as to Tater’s destination when — or if — he left Russia. Similarly, there has been no comment from U.S. sources.

So where is Joseph Tater? The early reports of his detention indicated that he was, at best, suffering from confusion and disorientation. He had apparently committed some relatively minor infractions of the law. So why was he suddenly, and without explanation, released — seemingly on his own recognizance?

Russia does not allow foreigners — particularly those who have run afoul of the law or who may be suffering from some mental disorder — to roam randomly around the country, seeking “outpatient treatment.” The most likely scenario would have been his transfer into the custody of U.S. officials. But why has there been no further word from him or from the U.S. government? And if he did indeed leave Russia, why won’t anyone say how he exited the country, or where he was headed? Is he even alive? Did he not have a friend or relative somewhere who would be looking for him?

Until these questions are answered, Joseph Tater — in my mind, at least — appears to have been disappeared by a person or persons unknown, which qualifies him for an unenviable spot on my hostage list.

*. *. *

And for those known hostages remaining in limbo, here they are again, with no reported changes since last week:

Victims of Greed:

The President, First Lady, and citizens of Venezuela

Europeans Under Threat:

The people of NATO and EU member states

Prisoners of War:

The 19,500 Kidnapped Ukrainian Children
The People of Ukraine

Immigrant Detainees in Russia:

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

Endangered Exiles:

Mikita Losik
Yulia Navalnaya
Countless Journalists and Other Dissidents

Political Prisoners:

In Azerbaijan:

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

In Belarus:

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

In Georgia:

Mzia Amaglobeli

In China:

Chenyue Mao (American)

In Russia:

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

James Scott Rhys Anderson (British)
David Barnes (American)
Gordon Black (American)
Hayden Davies (British)
Antonina Favorskaya
Konstantin Gabov
Robert Gilman (American)
Stephen James Hubbard (American)
Sergey Karelin
Timur Kishukov
Vadim Kobzev
Darya Kozyreva
Artyom Kriger
Michael Travis Leake (American)
Aleksei Liptser
Grigory Melkonyants
Nika Novak
Leonid Pshenychnov (in Russian-occupied Crimea)
Nadezhda Rossinskaya (a.k.a. Nadin Geisler)
Sofiane Sehili (French)
Igor Sergunin
Dmitry Shatresov
Robert Shonov
Grigory Skvortsov
Eugene Spector (American)
Joseph Tater (American, disappeared)
Laurent Vinatier
Robert Romanov Woodland (American)

You are not forgotten.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
1/11/26

Those who take their religious beliefs seriously will tell you that killing another human being, other than in self-defense, is a sin. And even those who do not adhere to a particular religion are more likely than not to accept the premise that the survival of civilization depends upon a code of ethics designed for the overall benefit of mankind: a sense of morality, if you will . . . of simply treating one another as we would wish to be treated.

As a result, in virtually every nation, there are laws aimed at the protection of the innocent and the deterrence and punishment of those who would do harm to others — murder being considered one of the most heinous of crimes. And those laws allegedly apply to all persons equally.

But, human nature being what it is (i.e., imperfect), it always turns out that some are more equal than others. And those at the pinnacle of command will inevitably find a way to justify their illegal and immoral actions.

War, it seems, is always a good excuse for a little homicide.

And the 18th-century philosopher known as Voltaire understood this, and summed up the phenomenon with this ironic comment:

“It is forbidden to kill; therefore all murderers are punished unless they kill in large numbers and to the sound of trumpets.”

– Voltaire

Thus are the trumpets sounding today in such far-reaching lands as Ukraine, Gaza, Iran, and Venezuela; on the waters of the Caribbean, the eastern Pacific, and the Atlantic; and — to a lesser degree though for an equally nefarious reason — on the streets of Portland, Los Angeles, and Minneapolis.

The perpetrators of these atrocities would have us believe that they are being committed in self-defense, or defense of country. But in not one single recent instance has this been proven to be true. In reality, it is the work of those who consider themselves “first among equals” staking their claims to the position of leader, much as a lion fights to become “king” of his pride.

But aren’t we humans supposed to be above that?

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
1/10/26

The irony, the hypocrisy, and the level of sheer chutzpah are indescribable.

In an interview with the New York Times, Donald Trump has said that the only constraint to his authority as President of the United States is:

“. . . my own morality, my own mind. It’s the only thing that can stop me . . . I don’t need international law.” [Maya Yang, The Guardian, January 8, 2026.]

(Had I been the interviewer, I’m not sure I would have been able to keep a straight face at this point. But that’s probably why I don’t work for the Times, or any other respectable publication.)

On the subject of whether he believes his administration is subject to international law, Trump said “I do” . . . and then qualified it with:

“It depends on what your definition of international law is.” [Id.]

(I didn’t realize that definition was in question, but again, what do I know?)

And on the importance of the U.S. taking control of Greenland:

“Ownership is very important. Because that’s what I feel is psychologically needed for success. I think that ownership gives you a thing that you can’t do with, you’re talking about a lease or a treaty. Ownership gives you things and elements that you can’t get from just signing a document.” [Id.]

(Not very articulate, as usual, but spoken like a true real estate salesman. It’s not about national security; it’s all about his personal success. And being able to do things like tear down the East Wing of the White House.)

Then there was his justification of the attacks on Venezuela, in which he reiterated that Maduro had allegedly been sending hordes of gang members to the United States:

“This was a real threat . . . You didn’t have people pouring into China. You didn’t have drugs pouring into China. You didn’t have all of the bad things that we’ve had. You didn’t have the jails of Taiwan opened up and the people pouring into China.” And he added that no criminals were “pouring into Russia.” [Id.]

(Well, that should dispel any doubts we may have had about his admiration of the world’s most evil authoritarian strongmen, and his obsession with becoming one of them.)

*. *. *

I find it difficult to express the level of my appreciation at having been privy to this lecture on morality from the world’s leading expert on moral turpitude. My day is now complete.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
1/10/26

When we ask ourselves what has happened to the United States, how the Republican party allowed itself to be hijacked by a right-wing malignant narcissist and his fanatic, lunatic-fringe followers, and how we the people failed to see it coming, we need only look to the late George Orwell for a complete understanding of all of it.

As long ago as 1949, Orwell’s preeminent, dystopian novel “1984” foretold of a country called Oceania, ruled by a single Party whose omnipotent leader was known as Big Brother. And in one long paragraph from that book, everything we are witnessing and experiencing today becomes blindingly clear:

“Now I will tell you the answer to my question. It is this. The Party seeks power entirely for its own sake. We are not interested in the good of others; we are interested solely in power, pure power. What pure power means you will understand presently. We are different from the oligarchies of the past in that we know what we are doing. All the others, even those who resembled ourselves, were cowards and hypocrites. The German Nazis and the Russian Communists came very close to us in their methods, but they never had the courage to recognize their own motives. They pretended, perhaps they even believed, that they had seized power unwillingly and for a limited time, and that just around the corner there lay a paradise where human beings would be free and equal. We are not like that. We know that no one ever seizes power with the intention of relinquishing it. Power is not a means; it is an end. One does not establish a dictatorship in order to safeguard a revolution; one makes the revolution in order to establish the dictatorship. The object of persecution is persecution. The object of torture is torture. The object of power is power. Now you begin to understand me.”

– George Orwell, “1984”

*. *. *

“Clear now?”

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
1/9/26

Washington’s worst-kept secret these days — and for some time now — has been the accelerating physical and cognitive decline of Donald Trump. He fights it; he denies it; but it is on full display daily as he struggles to find the words he needs, or even to stay on script. He has been seen dozing off in meetings, and wandering off as though he’s not sure where he is or what he’s supposed to be doing.

That sort of degeneration, not uncommon in an aging population, is sad when it happens to anyone. When it involves the President of the United States, it is more than sad; it is downright dangerous.

But he isn’t always asleep at the switch; he does have his lucid moments. And one of those moments seems to have occurred during a gathering of Congressional Republicans in Washington on January 6th, as they were discussing the upcoming midterm elections.

Unfortunately for him and his supporters, however, that particular flash of insight was not a cheery one. What he said was:

“You gotta win the midterms ‘cause, if we don’t win the midterms, it’s just gonna be — I mean, they’ll find a reason to impeach me. I’ll get impeached.” [Steve Holland, et al., Reuters, January 6, 2026.]

Confusingly, he went on to predict an epic Republican win, but then made reference to the history of sitting presidents doing poorly in midterms:

“They say that when you win the presidency, you lose the midterm. I wish you could explain to me what the hell’s going on with the mind of the public.” [Id.]

Ironically, that is precisely what the public is wondering about him. But one thing is clear from his first comment: he is, at some level, aware of the fact that he has committed impeachable offenses, and that the return of a Democratic majority to Congress would very likely place the balance of his presidential term in serious jeopardy.

Now, if you or I were in that position, we would tend to consider (1) resigning, or (2) cleaning up our act in an attempt to salvage what was left of our career and reputation. But Trump’s mind does not work like most people’s. When cornered, he reacts like a wild beast: defenses on full alert, claws out, salivating for the kill. And that is when he goes off in search of a diversion: a perceived enemy to prosecute, another country to invade, or an ally to alienate.

And we are left wondering: Who will be next?

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
1/9/26

Several journalists and podcasters have mentioned it this week, so I know I’m not the only one who’s noticed. But what’s going on with the Epstein files?

They were all anyone was talking about . . . the new documents, the redacted documents, the missing documents, the Department of Justice dragging its feet, Pam Bondi lying her ass off. Until, suddenly and inexplicably, Donald Trump went and invaded Venezuela, creating the ultimate red herring.

And now it’s all about the kidnapping, the drugs, the oil, the drugs again, and Cuba, Colombia, Mexico, Greenland, Iran . . . the United States of Trump.

Suddenly that little matter of pedophilia and perjury got pushed onto the back burner, and the angry man in the Oval Office caught a break. Now he was able to direct his fury at the looming midterm elections, throwing things and threatening to fire his entire staff of toadies and sycophants if they didn’t find a way to fix the results.

He seems to believe that if he creates enough mayhem, then the one thing of which he is most terrified — the truth about what is in those files — will finally be revealed.

Whatever that truth is — and I don’t pretend to have the slightest inkling — it must be so shocking, and so potentially damaging, that it has to be buried at all costs.

But we cannot allow that to happen.

It’s not a question of prurient curiosity, or a desire to “get the goods” on anyone . . . although there are plenty of people for whom those are the driving factors. No . . . it’s a question of truth, justice, and — dare I say it? — the American way.

We can’t drop the ball on this, when we’re so close to learning the truth.

Thank you for your attention to this matter.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
1/8/26

I have been following, with great wonder and admiration, the Buddhist Monks engaged in a “Walk for Peace” across America as they spread their messages of love, compassion and unity. Together with their intrepid dog Aloka, they have captured the minds and spirit of people around the world in these times of political turmoil and humanitarian failure.

And so today I have chosen the words of the Buddha himself, which seem to me the best possible advice for all of us as we struggle to make sense of the daily barrage of information, misinformation and disinformation being hurled at us from all sides:

“Do not believe in anything simply because you have heard it. Do not believe in anything simply because it is spoken and rumored by many. Do not believe in anything simply because it is found written in your religious books. Do not believe in anything merely on the authority of your teachers and elders. Do not believe in traditions because they have been handed down for many generations. But after observation and analysis, when you find that anything agrees with reason and is conducive to the good and benefit of one and all, then accept it and live up to it.”

– Siddhartha Gautama, more famously known as Buddha

And for those authoritarians spreading the lies and half-truths, Buddha had this additional word of caution:

“Three things cannot hide for long: the Moon, the Sun and the Truth.”

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
1/8/26

That is, unless it’s museum quality like this one, listed on eBay for $49,995:

But for garden-variety souvenirs like these:

As cute as they are, they’re worthless except perhaps as sentimental memorabilia to the person who bought them or received them as a gift some 30 or more years ago.

And yes . . . that person would be me. I actually have several sets, my two favorites being these political gems:

Like most people, I have a lot of other treasured items as well, collected over a lifetime of travel, gift-receiving, and impulse buying. For me, each piece has a memory attached, and so I continue to make room for them, dusting and rearranging them as my mood dictates.

But I worry about what will happen to my collection when I’m gone: the metal statuette of the Fiddler on the Roof; the totem pole and Inukshuk from Alaska; the Russian “Babushka” and “Dedushka” figurines from the Hillwood Museum in Washington; the photographs I took in London, and Budapest, and Prague, and Moscow, that I had framed and still proudly display on my walls.

I know what my children will do with the more expensive items — the china, crystal, and the few pieces of jewelry and antiques that I’ve bequeathed to them in my Will. They may keep one or two items out of sentiment; but most will not suit their more contemporary tastes, and will be sold.

And that’s okay, because those are not the things that mean the most to me. It’s the little things — like the small drawing of a church, bought in 1988 from the artist in the ancient capital of Mtskheta, Georgia; the blue-and-white Lomonosov porcelain egg from a monastery in St. Petersburg (when it was still Leningrad); or the malachite and ivory sailboat that was a gift from the son of the Zairian Ambassador to the U.S. back in the early ‘80s. Their monetary value is negligible; but they mean the world to me.

And now, as I sit here writing about them, I know that I can’t just leave their fate in someone else’s hands. And I can’t have them buried with me, because I have chosen to be cremated. But I can provide for them in a codicil to my Will, instructing that they be donated to the Salvation Army, where hopefully each will find a new home with someone who falls in love with them just because they’re beautiful.

Perhaps the saddest part of growing old is knowing that every trace of the person you have been will soon disappear, and eventually be forgotten by all but a few descendants. I can’t prevent the inevitable; but I can try to keep my little treasures from being tossed onto a trash heap.

A lifetime of memories deserves better than that.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
1/8/26

Has anyone actually not seen the 1985 classic Back to the Future?

Who could forget that mad genius, professor/inventor Doc Brown, whizzing back through time in his De Lorean automobile with his young friend, Marty McFly, changing history to prevent a personal tragedy?

I didn’t think of it in time for Christmas, but my birthday is coming up again in a couple of months, and I’d like to place my order now. Unfortunately, it doesn’t actually exist yet — not even Amazon has been able to source it — so I’m in search of a brilliant inventor to transport me back to a time before . . . well . . . this:

Ideally, I’d like to go back to around 1960, when I was young, single, and enjoying life to the fullest. But this isn’t about me; so I’ll settle for, say, the 1980s — a time before the angry man began thinking about entering politics; when our country, while not perfect, was the cradle of democracy, when we and our allies were truly friends, and we treated even our enemies with the respect mandated by international law and treaties.

And if I were able to change just one thing on that trip to the past, it would be to transport the angry man to Greenland, where he would be sentenced to spend the rest of his life in a remote fishing village, working for average wages in a fish processing plant, living among honest, strong, hard-working people who wouldn’t tolerate any of his crap.

That is, of course, if Greenland would have him.

*. *. *

Now, I don’t know whether time travel will ever be possible. And, considering the similarity between the logo on the warning sign that came with Doc Brown’s futuristic invention and another, all too real, signage, it might not be the best idea I’ve ever had.

But a girl can dream, can’t she?

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
1/7/26

When we read an obituary of someone we once knew, or a famous (or infamous) person who may in some way have been important to us, it’s natural to think about that person’s life, and how they are likely to be remembered.

I believe it’s safe to say that most of us would like to think we’ll be missed, and recalled with fondness for the good we have done in our lives rather than the mistakes we’ve made. But sadly, there are a great many — and let’s not mince words here — truly rotten people in this world, who have, for a wide variety of reasons, knowingly caused nothing but harm and misery to others.

The notice of the death in prison of CIA turncoat Aldrich Ames, 84, on Monday of this week brought to mind one man’s vision of the fate awaiting such people:

“The wretch, concentred all in self,
Living, shall forfeit fair renown,
And, doubly dying, shall go down
To the vile dust, from whence he sprung,
Unwept, unhonored, and unsung.”

– Sir Walter Scott, The Lay of the Last Minstrel

For those “wretches” of whom Scott wrote, there could be no worse fate than to depart this world “unwept, unhonored, and unsung.”

And for those of us who have fallen victim to their iniquity during their lifetimes, there can be no greater satisfaction.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
1/7/26

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
1/7/26

NOTE: In case anyone thinks I missed the grammatical error in Sir Walter Scott’s quote — “from whence” — I didn’t. I tried very hard to ignore it, but in the end, I kept hearing my long-ago English teachers saying “Really? From whence?”

Habits of a lifetime . . .