I’ve been thinking that someone needs to say thank you to those public figures who are demonstrating the integrity and the courage to speak out about some of the things that are happening in our country today. And — although none of those people are likely ever to have read my blog or FB posts — I can’t think of any reason why that someone shouldn’t be me. So . . .

I would like to start with the Episcopal Bishop of Washington, Mariann Edgar Budde, who — during a service at the National Cathedral on the day before the presidential inauguration — directed a plea at the then President-elect “to have mercy upon the people in our country who are scared right now.” She was referring specifically to his executive orders, based on his earlier campaign promises, concerning wholesale immigrant deportations and anti-LGBTQ+ actions. In his inimitable fashion, he later called Bishop Budde a “Radical Left hard line Trump hater [who is] not very good at her job,” and demanded an apology. She has refused to apologize for having asked for mercy for others. [Brian Bennett, Time, January 22, 2025.]

That took integrity and courage.

*. *. *

Next is a woman about whom I have already written — just yesterday, in fact. She is Pamela Hemphill, a resident of Idaho who took part in the storming of the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021, pled guilty, was convicted of a misdemeanor, and served her sentence of 60 days in prison plus probation and a fine. And now she has refused the pardon offered by Donald Trump because, in her words, “We were wrong that day. Accepting a pardon would only insult the Capitol police officers, rule of law and, of course, our nation. I pleaded guilty because I was guilty, and accepting a pardon also would serve to contribute to their gaslighting and false narrative.” [BBC News, January 22, 2025.]

Integrity and courage.

*. *. *

Next we have The Honorable John Coughenour, Senior Judge of the United States District Court for the Western District of Washington, who issued a temporary restraining order yesterday, blocking Trump’s executive order ending birthright citizenship and labelling it as “blatantly unconstitutional.”

A Ronald Reagan appointee, Judge Coughenour issued the order in response to a request by Washington’s Attorney General Nick Brown and three other Democratic-led states, as an emergency measure while more legal challenges are being prepared.

Integrity and courage.

*. *. *

And it’s not just Americans who are speaking out. I cannot overlook a Danish Member of European Parliament (MEP), Anders Vistisen, who is a member of the right-wing Danish People’s Party and had this to say at an EU session in Strasbourg, France, this week:

“Dear President Trump, listen very carefully: Greenland has been part of the Danish kingdom for 800 years. It is an integrated part of our country. It is not for sale.” He the added:

“. . . in words you might understand: Mr. Trump, f—- off.” [Charles Creitz, Fox News, January 22, 2025.]

MEP Vistisen received a formal reprimand from EP Vice President Nicolae Stefanuta for his use of language that is not permitted in that venue. But even the reprimand carried its own subtle message:

“If the translation was correct, the term you used is not allowed in this House, and there will be consequences to the message you have used. It is not OK in this House of Democracy. Regardless of what we think of Mr. Trump, it is not possible to use such language.” [Id.] [Bold emphasis is mine.]

MEP Vistisen’s closing words were unquestionably rude, and certainly not within the normal boundaries of international protocol. But he spoke with honesty and passion in defense of his country, irrespective of the risk of censure.

That, too, took integrity and courage.

*. *. *

Whether or not we agree with an individual’s political beliefs, their verbiage, or the timing of their statements, we — as citizens of the United States — must never lose sight of the inviolability of our Constitution, the rule of law, and the system of checks and balances placed upon our elected and appointed leaders.

The same Constitution guarantees us the right to speak out. Most of us, as individuals, do not have the public forum to be widely heard. So it is vitally important that those who do have a louder voice, use that voice to speak for the rest of us.

And sometimes that takes . . . well . . . integrity and courage.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
1/24/25

It’s nearly midnight on Thursday, going into the third day following the big overnight snowstorm of January 21-22, and everything is still shut down.

Main roads — not just side streets — are still closed. Businesses, and even medical offices . . . closed. Schools, of course, are closed. I haven’t even seen a UPS or Amazon truck in our neighborhood, although I didn’t have anything on order this week so I wasn’t really watching for them.

I’m told some of the bigger cities here in Georgia do have road treatment facilities — plows, sand trucks, etc. But here in the small towns and rural areas, they simply don’t exist.

The American South does not do snow. But it was done to us this week, and we’ve been forced into doing it . . . mostly indoors.

I’m a transplant, a born-and-bred Northerner. A damn Yankee, very much out of my element here in the summertime (which lasts about 10 months out of every 12). But I do snow . . . or I did, when I still owned boots and heavy coats. I knew how to walk in it, how to drive in it, and how to build a snowman.

This, to me, is just freakin’ hilarious.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
1/23/25

Amidst all of the hullabaloo surrounding Donald Trump’s haste to pardon between 1,000 and 1,500 criminals who had been convicted of various crimes, ranging from trespass to treason, in connection with the storming of the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021, one such individual — Pamela Hemphill of Boise, Idaho — stands out as a shining example of honesty and decency that should make the others cringe in shame.

Not that they will. You need a conscience for that.

But how, you may ask, can I possibly suggest that someone who once wrote on Face book, “It’s a war!” . . . and posted a video of herself on her YouTube channel saying, “Let’s go to the Capitol” . . . and was later seen in the Capitol rotunda telling fellow rioters to “come on in, come on, have fun … this is your house!” [en.m.wikipedia.org] . . . how could I possibly hold her up as a role model for decent, law-abiding citizens?

Because now — having pled guilty to one count of demonstrating, picketing or parading in a Capitol building, and having served her sentence of 60 days in prison plus 36 months of probation and $500 restitution — she has refused to accept Trump’s unconditional pardon, saying “We were wrong that day.” [Robert Plummer, BBC News, January 22, 2025.]

In fact, back in June of 2023, when Trump wrote on Truth Social that Hemphill would be spending more time in jail than Hunter Biden, and added the comment, “Horrible,” Ms. Hemphill responded on Twitter:

“. . . please . . . don’t be using me for anything, I’m not a victim of Jan6, I pleaded guilty because I was guilty! #StopTheSpin.” [Wikipedia, op.cit.]

In September of that year, she also published an open letter to Congress, stating in part:

“I am not a victim of the government, the Justice Department was not weaponized against me, I was a participant who broke the law.” [Id.]

And now she has told the BBC that “We were wrong that day. Accepting a pardon would only insult the Capitol police officers, rule of law and, of course, our nation. I pleaded guilty because I was guilty, and accepting a pardon also would serve to contribute to their gaslighting and false narrative.” [BBC, op.cit.]

Yes, Pamela Hemphill broke the law four years ago. But she did not participate in any violent acts against others; she was convicted of a misdemeanor, and she has paid the penalty. But more importantly, she is truly repentant, and honest enough to admit her mistakes — not only to herself, but to the world.

And that takes courage, and honor. For that, Ms. Hemphill has my respect and admiration. We all make them, you know.

Mistakes, that is.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
1/23/25

I have been asked, more than once, why I write this blog . . . why I first decided to give it a try, and why I have continued it for the past two years even though it hasn’t reached anywhere near the viral stage. In fact, if “viral” is the benchmark, then my blog hasn’t even developed a case of the sniffles.

I do have a handful of loyal readers from various parts of the world, though; and I appreciate them more than they can know. I write for them, of course; and on those rare days when I’ve thought about quitting, I keep going because I don’t want them to think I’ve died.

But I also do it for myself.

I started it because I was bored. And I chose writing because it’s an outlet . . . for my thoughts, my observations, my opinions, and yes, even my feelings. I don’t expect masses of people to be swayed, influenced, or greatly moved by my words. If it happens that someone is, now and then, that’s a bonus. But mostly, I keep writing because it feels good: I enjoy it, and it’s cathartic.

And if I add some lovely background music, a cup of chamomile tea, or occasionally a glass of wine, I have the makings of a perfect evening on my own — just me and my iPad. And some Haagen-Dazs, because you can never have too much Haagen-Dazs.

*. *. *

So, how do I choose my subjects? For the most part, I don’t; they choose me. I’m a news junky, and by the time I’ve waded through several daily online news sources, I have the makings of a slew of commentaries. Sometimes it’s difficult to narrow them down to just a couple each day, though I do have my favorite topics — world politics being at the top of the list. But my interest might be piqued by a story about a surfboard-stealing sea otter named Laverna living off the coast of California, a volcanic eruption in Iceland, or an archaeological dig in Türkiye.

Sometimes I simply reminisce, and harangue my readers with tales of my youth, or the years of my travels. Most of my friends and relatives near my age are gone now, and it feels as though I’m talking to them when I write about years past. As long as I don’t start getting answers from them, I figure I’m still running on a full tank.

Well . . . almost, anyway.

But enough about me. There was plenty in this morning’s headlines to keep me busy for several hours, and I’m anxious to get to it. In fact, with the start of the new, potentially controversial four-year presidential term here in the U.S., I foresee a limitless source of inspiration . . . for me, and for the late-night TV hosts.

(Did I say “potentially” controversial? Ha! Silly me!)

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
1/23/25

While Vlad, Xi and Don — the 21st Century’s Tinker-to-Evers-to-Chance triple threat — are warming up in the dugout, that superstar pinch-hitter, Volodymyr Zelensky, has come forward to try to save his team from the agony of defeat.

Enough mixed metaphors, analogies and allegories for you? Right . . . me too.

What President Zelensky actually did yesterday was step up to the dais at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, and tell it like it is:

“All European countries must be willing to spend as much on security as is truly needed, not just as much as they’ve gotten used to during years of neglect. If it takes 5% of GDP to cover defense, then so be it, 5% it is.” [Stephen Collinson, Caitlin Hu and Shelby Rose, CNN’s Meanwhile in America, January 22, 2025.]

His first order of business is, of course, to save his country and end Russia’s war of attrition — now going into its fourth year — while there is still something left to save. But that isn’t his only concern. He was also emphasizing the urgency of the need for all of Europe — in this time of threat from Russia, and uncertainty from the United States’ new administration — to remain united and committed to its own defense:

“Most of the world’s now thinking — so, what’s going [to] happen to their relationship with America? What will happen to alliances? To support? To trade? How does President Trump plan to end wars?” [Id.]

And he went on:

“Will President Trump even notice Europe? Does he see NATO as necessary? And will he respect EU institutions? Will President Trump listen to Europe, or will he negotiate with Russia and China without Europe? … Europe needs to learn how to fully take care of itself, so that the world can’t afford to ignore it.

“Right now, it’s not clear whether Europe will even have a seat at the table when the war against our country ends.” [Id.]

*. *. *

As we in America begin another year worrying about the skyrocketing cost of everything from eggs to education, what Taylor Swift will be wearing to her boyfriend’s next game, and whether TikTok will be blocked again, Europe is engaged in a battle for its literal survival.

That sort of puts things into perspective, doesn’t it?

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
1/22/25

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.

And it was still early when we grabbed this shot of one of the cars. Looking forward to seeing it a little later.

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?

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.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
1/22/25

#1: More than 1,000 violent criminals are being released to commit further atrocities against our citizenry and our Constitution.

*. *. *

#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.

*. *. *

#3: Our industries have been given the go-ahead to choke us to death with uncontrolled pollution, while climate control becomes a non-issue.

*. *. *

#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.)

*. *. *

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!

I can hardly wait for Day Two.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
1/21/25

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.

* 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.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
1/21/25

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.”

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!

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.

*. *. *

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.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
1/21/25

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.

*. *. *

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.

We don’t need a “Gulf of America.”

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
1/21/25