No, that is not a double negative.

Well, yes . . . I suppose it is, really. But it’s intentional, and it means that I am constitutionally (not Constitutionally) unable to sit around doing nothing for very long.

But that’s what I’ve been doing this week in an attempt to wean myself away from my obsessive immersion in the daily news. And the problem is that it has given me too much time to think about myself.

I’ve never been particularly introspective, and I really don’t see any point in changing at this late stage of my life. I’ve always just accepted myself for who I am — a reasonably intelligent, mostly decent, honest, empathetic individual, grateful that I was born in one of the world’s most desirable locations.

And I’ve had a lot of good times along the way: family times, wonderful friendships, great jobs, travel, and a little intrigue to spice things up. But tempus fugit, and change is inevitable. I am blessed to have remained more-or-less compos mentis (though with a really annoying affinity for tossing around Latin and other foreign-language phrases and quotations, as you may have noticed). However, the flesh hasn’t kept pace with the spirit, and I now find myself with a lot of great memories, and plenty of hours in the present day to occupy with less strenuous pursuits.

Which is how I fell into the routine of writing my daily blog . . . not just to fill the quiet hours, but also as a means of communication with the “outside world.” And I really love doing it. But now and then, when it once again dawns on me that that outside world is nothing but a pile of:

. . . I tell myself it’s time to withdraw for a while, give the world one of these:

. . . and wait for the moment to pass.

And eventually I realize, yet again, that all of that poop can’t be ignored, or it will simply pile up and bury us all . . . which is precisely what the producers of the poop — the politicians, the oligarchs, and the run-of-the-mill nut jobs — want us to do.

Besides which, it seems that I actually thrive when I’m mired in the bullshit; fighting against it gives me a sense of purpose that I just don’t get from watching TV or rearranging my underwear drawer.

So I’m back at my iPad, with thanks for your patience, and apologies if I had anyone worried for my sanity. Next time it happens — and it probably will — just ignore it, and give me a couple of days to recoup. I’ll be fine.

Still just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
2/26/26

Well, I made it through Monday and Tuesday without obsessing about the news — surprisingly, with a little help from Donald Trump, of all people — because, while the media were focused heavily on his abysmal State of the Union marathon, I was able to ignore it for the worthless piece of made-up, babbling, self-aggrandizing bullshit it was, and instead used the time to get a few heretofore-neglected chores done around the house.

But Wednesday presented a new, though not unexpected, difficulty: boredom. I finished reading one novel and wasn’t quite ready to start the next. Clearing the junk mail from my inbox took about five minutes; a couple of crossword puzzles occupied another hour; and the laundry, once I put the clothes into the machine and turned it on, washed itself.

Being largely housebound clearly has its limitations in the excitement department. Even a stroll around the neighborhood only offers a view of the same houses, the same cracks in the sidewalks, and an occasional friendly wave at a passing driver. There isn’t even a neighborhood store within walking distance. Boring, boring, boring.

And while I thought about cleaning out a closet and filling another bag for Goodwill, there was still one important element missing: mental stimulation. So I confess . . . I took a peek at the headlines, and my eyes landed first on this one:

“Four shot dead on US-registered speedboat by border guards, Cuba says.” [Bernd Debusmann, Jr. and Max Matza, BBC, February 25, 2026.]

It was breaking news, so the article was short on details other than the following:

According to the Cuban government, a US-registered speedboat entered Cuban waters with ten people aboard. When a Cuban boat carrying five members of the Interior Ministry approached the vehicle in order to identify the passengers, “the crew of the violating speedboat opened fire,” allegedly wounding the Cuban commander. “As a consequence of the confrontation, as of the time of this report, four aggressors on the foreign vessel were killed and six injured.” [Id.]

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who (coincidentally?) was on the island of Saint Kitts and Nevis to meet with Caribbean leaders concerning Cuba and other regional issues, said initially that the nationalities of the boat’s passengers had not been determined, and that:

“It is highly unusual to see shootouts on the open sea like that. It’s not something that happens everyday.* We’re going to find out exactly what happened, who was involved, and we’ll make a determination on the basis of what we find out.” [Id.]

* Ed.Note: Unlike the U.S. attacks on all of those suspected Venezuelan drug-runners’ boats. But I digress.

Stating that the U.S. Coast Guard had already traveled to the vicinity of the attack, Rubio added:

“I don’t know who has possession of the vessel. This is the first thing we want to have. We obviously want to have access to these people, if they are American citizens or US residents.” [Id.]

He also said that, rather than rely on information provided by the Cuban government, Washington would independently verify the facts of the case . . . certainly a proper procedure under the circumstances. But there will likely be two very different sides to the story as it unfolds, depending largely on the identities of the speedboat’s passengers.

Any attempt at analysis would be purely speculative at this point. But the fact that it occurred on the heels of Donald Trump’s threats against the island nation, and within the time frame of Rubio’s discussions in the region, is enough to raise serious concerns.

And certainly enough to have aroused me from my recent lethargy for the moment.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
2/26/26

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
2/25/26

I’m happy to report that I made it through Monday and most of Tuesday without obsessing about the news. And then, just as I was beginning to feel proud of myself, a reminder popped up on my phone that — OH, CRAP! — the State of the Union message was about to be delivered.

Well, that in itself was not a problem, because I had no intention of watching it in any event. But just knowing that the news would be inundated with follow-up analyses was enough to send me into a serious episode of delirium tremens, complete with a primal scream and a roomful of pink elephants.

It is now just after midnight, and I’ve calmed down. I assume the speech is over, and I have thus far avoided the TV and online news reports. But the very thought of what’s waiting for me out there, and how I will react when eventually I do read some of it, almost has me wishing I were Catholic so I could run out to the nearest church in search of a priest who would hear my confession.

But I’m not Catholic . . . and rabbis don’t do the confession thing (though most of them are very good listeners because, well . . . you know . . . the Jewish mothers and wives).

So instead, I went in search of a little comic relief therapy, and came up with this:

*. *. *

I was hoping to find some humor in there somewhere, but the only thing that came to mind was:

“CAN’T YOU SEE IT? THEY’RE INTERCHANGEABLE!”

And that was decidedly not funny.

Still, it’s early days in my search for inner peace. Maybe I’ll do better tomorrow.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
2/25/26

If this doesn’t do it for you, nothing will.

Now, tell me that didn’t make you go “Awwwww!!”

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
2/24/26

Four years ago today, Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine — a “special military operation” that was supposed to have been wrapped up in a matter of days or weeks.

But today, after four long years of bloodshed and sacrifice, Ukraine is still standing, and still fighting for its sovereignty.

Glory to Ukraine. The free world stands with you.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
2/24/26

Didn’t expect to hear from me today, did you?

Well, all I can say is, it’s a damned good thing I never succumbed to the temptations of recreational drugs, cigarettes, or excessive amounts of alcohol. But I have a new-found respect for those who did, and who then successfully went through the hell of recovery to come out clean on the other end; because I have discovered that I do, after all, have an addictive side: I’m hooked on writing.

On Monday, my first day of attempting to break from my obsession with the daily news, I found that — while I was still sorely tempted to rant on a number of subjects — I was able to restrain myself. As it turns out, it’s more the act of writing that I miss. And I’ve been thinking that perhaps, in seeking relief from all of the angst, I mistakenly also tried to break from the one thing that actually does bring me joy: communication.

No, I am not going back on my word; I do need this break from the daily ration of anger, frustration, and hatred swirling around out there in cyberspace. But perhaps “lukewarm turkey” is more my style than flat-out cold turkey: disengaging from the negative, while still keeping company with my keyboard . . . and my blog buddies.

I am not, after all, a hermit. And anyway, where is it written that a spiritual journey has to be taken alone?

So, full disclosure: I haven’t shut down the news alerts on my phone; I still need to know what’s happening in the world I inhabit. But when I received one yesterday morning, I found myself being able to laugh at the absurdity of something that would normally have pissed me off and sent me running for my iPad. That reaction struck me as progress . . . but what good was it if I couldn’t share it with my friends? So here it is:

It was the report of a Fox News interview given by real estate guru and White House special envoy Steve Witkoff, in turn relating what Donald Trump had said to him about Iran’s failure thus far to surrender to Trump’s threats of invasion:

“I don’t want to use the word ‘frustrated,’ because he understands he has plenty of alternatives, but he’s curious as to why they haven’t . . . I don’t want to use the word ‘capitulated,’ but why they haven’t capitulated.

“Why, under this pressure, with the amount of sea power and naval power over there, why haven’t they come to us and said, ‘We profess we don’t want a weapon, so here’s what we’re prepared to do’? And yet it’s sort of hard to get them to that place.” [RFE/RL, February 23, 2026.]

*. *. *

Now, normally the newshound in me would have been spewing epithets all over the place, raging at the thought of this idiot being in charge of our negotiations with Russia, Iran, and the whole freakin’ Middle East.

But the fact is — when you eliminate the prospect of World War III erupting momentarily — you have to admit that those two, Trump and Witkoff, are the Laurel and Hardy of modern-day vaudeville.

And I’m feeling much better already.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
2/24/26

A little over three years ago, I printed out the final pages of a non-fiction book I had been trying to write for 25 years or more, and had finally found the time and the courage to tackle once I was retired.

But the manuscript lay gathering dust, for reasons I won’t go into here.

I found, though, that I missed the writing; so I started this blog — a sort of autobiographical serial at first, then branching out into commentaries on international affairs, and even a few attempts at humor. As the daily news grew more and more imperative, so did my urge to comment on it. I wasn’t writing for profit, and I never expected my little blog — even though I posted it on Facebook — to go viral . . .

. . . which it didn’t, and that was fine. My viewership grew a bit, and I enjoyed knowing that someone out there was aware of my existence, and found relevance in what I had to say.

Lately, though, it has all begun to feel like more of a burden than a pleasure — like Marley’s ghost plodding through eternity, dragging the chains that he had forged in life. Only these are not my chains.

The problem is not the amount of time it takes to read, research and write; I have plenty of available hours during the day for all of that. But the subject matter — the constant barrage of horror stories emanating from every nook and cranny of the globe — has become like a personal dark cloud hanging over my head, invading my sleep at night and filling my days with the little “ding!” of yet another news alert from my phone.

And now, instead of raging against it as I have been doing — using the writing as a sort of catharsis — I find myself wanting to disconnect from it, and trying to search for something that will instead bring me a measure of comfort and peace.

So maybe I’ll attack that “to-be-read” pile of books in the corner, or binge-watch my DVDs of the entire series of “The West Wing.” (Now, there was a presidential administration to aspire to!) Or I might even get back to work on a book of my own — either to finish the first one, or plunge into something entirely new and different. I don’t know yet; but I’m sure I’ll think of something.

In the meantime, I want my handful of loyal readers to know that, if you don’t see any posts from me for a while, I’m not ill . . . just taking a mental-health break. I’m sure I’ll be checking in from time to time; old habits are hard to break.

*. *. *

P.S. It suddenly occurs to me, as I sit here contemplating my present mood and my future direction: Maybe there really is such a thing as “Trump Derangement Syndrome,” and I’ve caught it!

That would certainly explain a lot.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
2/23/26

There are several possibilities here:

> Bobby Kennedy, Jr.’s brain worm has migrated to what’s left of Donald Trump’s brain;

> Trump’s immigration obsession has grown to include all species of “aliens”;

> A White House aide got hold of Trump’s phone again;

> Melania is systematically trying to drive him over the edge;

> There really are extraterrestrials running loose in the West Wing; or, most likely,

> It’s another excuse for Trump to pick on Barack Obama.

Last week, Trump posted on Truth Social that he will be directing U.S. government agencies, including the Defense Department, to “begin the process of identifying and releasing” government files on aliens and extraterrestrial life. [Grace Eliza Goodwin, BBC, February 20, 2026.]

This was a follow-up to his earlier statement aboard Air Force One, when he said that Obama had revealed classified information by stating during a podcast that “aliens are real.” According to Trump:

“He’s not supposed to be doing that. He made a big mistake.” [Id.]

Then, when asked by reporters whether he believes aliens exist, he replied: “Well, I don’t know if they’re real or not.” [Id.]

So, which is it? If Obama’s comments were indeed revelatory of classified information, then there must be some substance to the widespread belief that such beings exist, and that the government has been covering up the proof for decades.

On the other hand, if there has been a cover-up, why would he order the files released?

But on the other hand — yes, I know I’m starting to sound like Tevye again — those files could have been scrubbed, a la Epstein, as part of the cover-up . . .

What Obama actually told podcast host Brian Tyler Cohen was this:

“They’re real, but I haven’t seen them, and they’re not being kept in Area 51. There’s no underground facility unless there’s this enormous conspiracy and they hid it from the president of the United States.” [Id.]

When his comments drew public reaction, Obama then clarified in a post on Instagram that he thinks it is statistically likely that, given the vastness of the universe, life exists somewhere other than on Earth. But he added:

“I saw no evidence during my presidency that extraterrestrials have made contact with us. Really!” [Id.]

Meanwhile, there has been no indication that Obama revealed any sort of classified information on the subject of aliens. But Trump — never one to pass up an opportunity to harass someone he can’t stand — just had to waste more government resources, and taxpayer dollars, on another meaningless exercise.

But if it makes the little guy happy . . .

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
2/22/26

On Thursday, February 19th, word was received of the final release by Belarusian authorities of oppositionist and one-time presidential candidate Mikalay Statkevich, following a stroke suffered while in prison.

Originally part of the release of 52 political prisoners on September 11, 2025, Statkevich was to have been deported to Lithuania. However, he refused to leave his homeland, and positioned himself in a no-man’s land on the Belarus-Lithuania border, where he was eventually re-arrested and returned to prison.

On January 21, 2026, while back in prison, he suffered a stroke, but was not released until last week. After spending 12 of the past 20 years as a political prisoner of the Lukashenko regime, he has at last been reunited with his family in Minsk. His wife, Marina Adamovich, posted on Facebook following his release:

“Dear friends! Mikalay is home! He had a stroke. He is now recovering. For now, he is having problems with speech. Otherwise, everything is fine. Everything will be OK.” [RFE/RL, February 19, 2026.]

In 2016, after nearly five years in prison, Statkevich told reporters:

“I am ready to sacrifice my freedom to bring my country closer to freedom. I am fighting for Belarus. I will continue this work as long as I am alive.” [Id.]

Whether he will follow through on that pledge when he has regained his health remains to be seen. But in the meantime, welcome home, and all best wishes for a speedy recovery, to Mikalay Statkevich.

*. *. *

And yet another weekly salute to those still being held hostage:

Victims of Greed:

The President, First Lady, and citizens of Venezuela

Europeans Under Threat:

The Nation and the People of Greenland
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 Afghanistan:

Dennis Coyle (American)

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 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 have not been, and will not be, forgotten.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
2/22/26