He just can’t stop himself, can he? I no sooner label him a “False Dmitry” this morning than I read about more of his histrionic threats . . . this time against Germany and the U.K.
Dmitry Medvedev: No More Mr. Nice Guy
Apparently, the Deputy Head of the Russian Security Council was “dismayed” that Germany had the audacity to give long-range Taurus missiles to Ukraine, and to express the opinion — through the chair of the Defence Committee of the German Bundestag — that “Ukraine has the right to attack targets on the territory of the Russian Federation.” So Medvedev’s immediate response on Telegram was: “In this case, attacks on German plants where these missiles are made will be entirely within the norms of international law. These imbeciles really are pushing us towards the Third World [War] . . .” [Ukrainska Pravda, October 1, 2023.]
Okay, I get it now; it’s really simple. Russia has the right to attack, invade, and decimate any country it chooses . . . but no one is allowed to fight back. Wow! Talk about your bully in the schoolyard, increased exponentially by a factor of a million!
What has Dmitry Medvedev been smoking?!!
Seriously, the man has lost it. Because next he goes on to threaten the UK’s military instructors in Ukraine with direct attack, referring to the UK Defence Minister‘s statement that his country would “expand its training programme for Ukrainian soldiers and transfer training and production of military equipment to Ukraine.” [Ukrainska Pravda, October 1, 2023.]
Well, at least he didn’t threaten to bomb London, so I guess we’re supposed to be grateful. Then why aren’t I feeling it?
As far as I know, Medvedev is not the guy with his finger on the Russian nuclear button. But he is one of the few people seated at Putin’s table, still apparently enjoying the boss’ trust. And I worry that, thus far, Putin has done nothing to shut him up when he rants about World War III. So, is Medvedev in fact speaking for Putin?
That’s a thought that will keep me staring at the ceiling tonight.
History has a bad habit of repeating itself, and that seems to be especially true in Russia. Just check out the several “False Dmitry” claimants to the Russian throne of the 16th and 17th Centuries — but only if you have several hours to spare.
Today, we have the 21st Century’s variants of Dmitry I (Dmitry Medvedev – Deputy head of the Russian Security Council) and Dmitry II (Dmitry Peskov – official Kremlin Spokesman), who seem to be the classic case of the left hand not knowing what’s going to come out of the right hand’s mouth at any given time.
Sorry about the mixed-up metaphor, but you know what I mean.
The Two Dmitrys: Medvedev (left) and Peskov (center), with The Boss
So here’s what happened, going back a year to September 30, 2022. On that date, Vladimir Putin signed something known as the “agreement on the accession to Russia” of the Russian-occupied Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia oblasts [regions] of Ukraine, gratuitously declaring the residents of those territories to be citizens of the Russian Federation. Not that those Ukrainian citizens (with the exception of a minority of misguided militant miscreants) had actually requested Russian citizenship . . . but that didn’t seem to matter to Putin. It never does.
Oh, and about that “agreement.” I was always under the impression that, in order to have an agreement about anything, you need at least two parties. Otherwise, you’d just be agreeing with yourself, which seems rather pointless. But this “agreement” was signed by the Russian President, approved by the Constitutional Court of the Russian Federation, and later ratified by the Russian State Duma and the Russian Federation Council. What seems to be missing is a signature of anyone from Ukraine. So, isn’t it in fact an ukaz (decree), and not an agreement? Hmm . . .
Unilateral Decision = Decree
Well, regardless of that one tiny question of legality, on September 28, 2023, Mr. Putin signed a law establishing September 30th as the “Day of Reunification” of those four Ukrainian regions. Done and done! Let’s party.
*. *. *
Now, back on August 6, 2023, the aforementioned False Dmitry II — that’s Dmitry Peskov, official loudmouth of the Kremlin — had stated unequivocally that “Russia does not want more Ukrainian territory” . . . and that “those four oblasts, plus Crimea, are enough.” [Ukrainska Pravda, September 30, 2023.] Note that he carefully omitted any mention of the fact that they had illegally been included in the Russian Constitution in the first place. But again . . . details, details, details.
But False Dmitry I — Medvedev — couldn’t leave well enough alone. Because on September 30, 2023 — the first official recognition of the newly memorialized “Day of Reunification” — he was quoted on Telegram as saying:
”The special military operations [known to the rest of the world as the war against Ukraine] will continue until Kyiv’s Nazi regime is annihilated and historically Russian territories are liberated from the enemy. The victory will be ours. More new territories will become part of Russia” [Ukrainska Pravda, September 30, 2023] . . . thus also effectively annihilating False Dmitry II’s credibility — whatever that might have been worth to begin with.
There really isn’t time to dissect that brief paragraph for its multitude of inaccuracies and outright lies. And frankly, it isn’t worth dignifying with a response. It’s just so Stalinesque.
“Because I said so!”
And there you have them: the two newest additions to the Russian version of “Send In the Clowns” — Dmitry Medvedev and Dmitry Peskov — supposedly working their act in unison, but instead tripping over each other’s tongues. “Isn’t it rich . . . ?”
“I was supposed to say that!” “No, I was!”
*. *. *
But wait . . . there’s more. In Russia, there’s always more.
Without warning, the very next day — yesterday, October 1, 2023 — up popped our late friend Yevgeny Prigozhin (not literally, I’m happy to note — that would have been too creepy, even for Russia). In an interesting confluence of events, “dozens of mourners,” including his mother and his son Pavel, showed up and laid flowers at Yevgeny’s grave in St. Petersburg, where he was hailed as a “‘patriot’ who defended Russian interests abroad.” [Alexander Butler and Tara Cobham, Independent, October 1, 2023.] Some supporters were carrying the black flags of the Wagner Group.
And a Wagner recruitment member posted on Telegram: “He can be criticized for certain events, but he was a patriot who defended the motherland’s interests on different continents.” [Independent, October 1, 2023.]
Before the untimely death of Yevgeny Prigozhin in that suspicious, still unexplained airplane crash in August of this year, I wrote six blog chapters entitled “Where’s Yevgeny?” I had to stop, of course, when we were told that his body parts had been identified in a wreckage on a field somewhere northwest of Moscow. We now know exactly where he is buried . . . or, at least, we have the Kremlin’s word for it.
Yevgeny Prigozhin’s final resting place
But Yevgeny’s legacy is one of continuing mystery. What will be the ultimate fate of his Wagner Group? Will a substantial number of its members stay together, or will they — like the old Soviet Union — be broken into discrete parts? What will their purpose be? Will they remain an independent mercenary organization, or will they be absorbed by the Russian military? And . . . the big question . . . who will lead them in their next incarnation?
For the most part, those questions remain unanswered. But one name — Dimitry Sytii — has already popped up in the Central African Republic (CAR), where he is apparently at work endeavoring to preserve the Wagner Group’s multi-billion-dollar African operations.
Dmitry Sytii: The New Prigozhin?
That’s not a small undertaking for anyone, let alone a 34-year-old relative unknown. But he is not unknown within the Wagner Group or to its African clients. Born in Belarus, and a multi-lingual graduate of a French business school with a master’s degree in marketing and business, he worked first for Prigozhin’s Internet Research Agency (you know — the bunch who were so busy interfering in our elections). He has spent the past half-decade managing Wagner’s corporate and propaganda ventures in Africa. He doesn’t look the part of a Wagnerite: unlike their typical beefy, tough-looking military types, his slight build, dark beard and long hair have been described as giving him “an almost saintly look . . . reminiscent of a revolutionary Che Guevara.” [Benoit Faucon and Gabriele Steinhauser, The Wall Street Journal, September 21, 2023.] I’m not sure about the “saintly look,” but he certainly does stand out among his fellow Wagner Group members.
Wagner Group Mercenaries
But he doesn’t claim to be a fighter; he’s a manager, a facilitator, the guy who handles the finances and makes the deals that keep the group operating. According to people “familiar with Wagner’s business operations,” he is said to oversee “a network of front companies that the group has used to export gold, diamonds, lumber and other raw materials from his base in the Central African Republic. Sytii also directs Wagner-funded media outlets and social-media campaigns that share anti-Western propaganda designed to prop up Moscow-friendly leaders . . .” [Faucon and Steinhauser, The Wall Street Journal, September 21, 2023.]
Not a bad resume for such a young man. But he is not without competition, specifically from other mercenary companies managed by oligarchs closely associated with Vladimir Putin. So, as with everything else in Russia, it all tracks back to the catbird seat in the Kremlin . . . and what its occupant will decide remains to be seen.
“el Hefe”
Young Mr. Sytii has one or two other serious hurdles to overcome in the battle for dominance. Despite his invaluable experience and knowledge of the workings of the Wagner Group’s activities in Africa, he was, after all, Prigozhin’s man. And this must necessarily have Putin questioning where Sytii’s loyalties lie — other than to Sytii himself, of course. He also lacks Prigozhin’s history of connections with Putin and the people closest to him: connections that facilitated Prigozhin’s journey to fame and fortune — and to that last, catastrophic fall to earth. Mr. Sytii would do well to keep that in mind.
*. *. *.
It will be interesting to follow the continuing saga of the Wagner Group’s direction post-Prigozhin, and the future of Dmitry Sytii and others as they attempt to navigate the murky waters of Kremlin intrigue. Stay tuned for updates.
Hello again, blog buddies. It’s still me, Brendochka, just checking in to let you know I’ve updated the name of my blog to conform to its current format. It started out as a history of my journey into all things Russian. But eventually I reached the end of that trip, and began regaling you with my perspectives on all sorts of life’s oddities, anomalies, and even a few tragedies, but still with a world view. So it will henceforth be known as “The Blog About Everything.” Hopefully this will make more sense to new followers as well as my loyal readers.
Another mouth from Moscow. That’s one thing they seem to have in abundance these days — unlike ammo, natural gas, and friends. So, let’s see what the Foreign Minister has to say for himself this time.
Sergey Lavrov: Mr. Congeniality
Well, that must have been quite an interesting U.N. General Assembly meeting at New York last week, between Turkish President Erdogan’s declaration of fealty to Vladimir Putin, and now Sergei Lavrov’s hard-line pronouncement of Russia’s intentions toward Ukraine, and his all-too-familiar, Soviet-style diatribe against “the West.” As cited by two Kremlin-friendly media sources, TASS and RIA Novosti, following is the gist of his statements:
– Russia is allegedly ready for negotiations with regard to Ukraine, “but will not consider any proposals for a cease-fire because it has allegedly already been deceived once.”
– “. . . nobody in the West wants to show enough understanding of the war in Ukraine seriously, and ‘since they want to solve the issue on the battlefield, it means that it will be [done] on the battlefield.’”
– “. . . the ‘peace formula’ of the President of Ukraine . . . is allegedly absolutely impossible to implement, and everyone knows it.”
– “In his speech, Lavrov called the West an ‘empire of lies’ because Western countries allegedly assume obligations and do not fulfil [sic] them.”
– “He also claims that ‘rejection of the principle of equality and total inability to negotiate became a kind of calling card of the collective West long ago.’” [All as reported by Ukrainska Pravda, September 23, 2023; Lavrov’s actual words in single quotes.]
“Blah, blah, blah!”
Gee, Mr. Minister . . . don’t mince words. Tell us what you really think.
*. *. *
Actually, everything he reportedly said is typical Orwellian doublespeak, so familiar from the old Soviet days: you just turn everything around so that the blame points to the other guy, then act indignant. It’s the same bullshit Hitler used to screech at the German masses, and Lenin fed to the Russian proletariat. It’s just toned down a bit, and spoken by a grandfatherly-looking man incongruously clothed in an expensive-looking Western suit and tie.
Vladimir Lenin: Russian “Medicine Man”
But where are the specific examples of the West’s alleged deception, lack of understanding of the war, and failure to fulfill its obligations? Not surprisingly, they’re conspicuously absent. I would like to challenge Mr. Lavrov to back up his accusations with detailed, provable facts; but unfortunately, he doesn’t read my blog.
In fact, no one from Russia has ever read my blog, which is shared worldwide on Facebook. I have had readers from 26 different countries in addition to the United States, including China, India, Saudi Arabia, Germany and Nigeria. But not one single reader from Russia. Could it be because communications there are once more under government control? Is it not resoundingly clear what is happening again to a people who, just 30 years ago, were celebrating their freedom and sharing a hope for a bright future?
. . . but not a single Russian.
Of course, it’s clear . . . to most of us. But there are those who still take Vladimir Putin and his minions at their word. People who, like Turkish President Erdogan, still say, “I have no reason not to trust them.” And America’s own Donald Trump, following a face-to-face meeting with Putin at Helsinki in 2018, when he famously answered a question from the press concerning the issue of Russian meddling in our elections: “President Putin . . . just said it’s not Russia. I don’t see any reason why it would be.” And who to this day continues to express his delight when Putin praises him. These are people who should know better, and whose followers . . . well . . . follow them.
For those of you who follow me on Facebook, you know from my comments yesterday what I’m talking about today: the deluge of interesting news items confronting me when I woke up and checked yesterday morning’s news reports. I could probably make an individual article out of each of them, but that might be overkill. So I’ll try to sum it all up in one long spiel. Ready? Let’s start with . . .
U.S. Army Private Travis King. Now, there’s a young man carrying a big load of grief. Two months ago, he was supposed to be on his way home from South Korea to face the consequences of an alleged assault with which he had been charged. Instead, he somehow joined a public tour of the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) between South and North Korea, and managed to cross the line into the North, where he either requested asylum or was taken into custody, or both. The word from North Korean authorities was that Private King said he was fed up with the mistreatment he had received in the Army, and with the U.S. as a whole.
Did he actually say that? We don’t know. But now, after two months during which the North Koreans have had ample opportunity to question, debrief, and possibly brainwash him, they’ve decided they don’t want him hanging around any longer and have sent him home. We (the U.S.) acknowledge only that there were negotiations (through Sweden as the “protecting power,” since we have no diplomatic relations with North Korea), and that “no concessions were made to North Korea in the transfer, ‘full stop.’”
Wait a minute! North Korea gave back an American captive without demanding anything in return? I don’t know about Private King, but I’d be pretty damned upset if anyone wanted that badly to get rid of me. That’s just insulting. Is there something we’re not being told? Come to think of it, if that is the case, I don’t want to know. What happens in North Korea, probably should stay in North Korea.
Pvt. Travis King
Private King, of course, still faces possible military disciplinary action, once he’s been found to be in good health. But what on earth would have caused his extreme behavior in the first place? Fear of discharge from the Army? Possible incarceration? Those are bad enough, but are they really worse than life in North Korea? I’d like to hear his answer to that, now that he’s had a taste of it. But in any event, welcome home, Private King.
*. *. *
Slovakia. In 1991, I was fortunate to be able to spend a summer living and working in Prague, then the capital of Czechoslovakia. Two years earlier, the fall of the Berlin wall had ended Russia’s hold on a number of Eastern European countries; and when I arrived in Prague, the Czechoslovak people were celebrating the departure that very week of the last of the Russian military occupiers. What an amazing time that was!
But in 1992, a year after I returned home, the eastern half of Czechoslovakia declared itself a separate and independent nation by the name of Slovakia, leaving the western half to find a new name for itself. They settled on The Czech Republic, or Czechia for short.
Both The Czech Republic and Slovakia are members of NATO and have fully supported Ukraine in its war with Russia. Slovakia even shares a border with Ukraine, and has taken in large numbers of refugees, in addition to providing military hardware to its embattled neighbor. But that may be coming to an end. The people of Slovakia are getting ready — tomorrow! — to elect their fifth Prime Minister in four years, and the man leading in the polls is Robert Fico, a Kremlin sympathizer who has blamed “Ukrainian Nazis and fascists” for provoking Russia into its invasion of Ukraine, and promises that if he is elected, Slovakia will “not send another round of ammunition” to Ukraine.
It’s useful to note that, in addition to Ukraine and Czechia, Slovakia also shares borders with Poland, Hungary, and Austria. If it should indeed become another of Russia’s puppet states (like Belarus), that makes its location strategically all the more significant, should Russia proceed with its westward expansion.
Robert Fico
Be assured that I will be following the results of the election, though I don’t know how long it will take to receive the final tally. But stay tuned — this one’s important.
*. *. *
Nagorno-Karabakh. Oy! This little enclave has a long, bloody history; but as briefly as possible, I can tell you that it’s an area geographically located inside the borders of Azerbaijan with an estimated 95% ethnic Armenian population. There has been back-and-forth killing of Armenians and Azerbaijanis for decades, and in the latest battle, Azerbaijan won. Every single Armenian in Nagorno-Karabakh is now being ousted with only what they can carry, sent in an endless convoy to Armenia, where they have been informed they are welcome. And then, says the government at Baku (capital of Azerbaijan), Nagorno-Karabakh will simply cease to exist. Poof! Gone. Never happened. A tragic end to a very long, convoluted story. For you history buffs out there, it’s worth a read to get the full background.
Leaving Home
*. *. *
The Case of the Missing Admiral. I mentioned him on Wednesday, but here’s a quick recap. Last week, Ukrainian missiles took out the Russian Naval Headquarters in Sevastopol, Crimea, reportedly killing 34 or 35 people, including the commanding officer, Admiral Viktor Sokolov. But the Kremlin insists he is still alive, and have posted a picture of him seated at a meeting . . . though looking oddly stiff, and with a pillow propped behind his head. Other photos purport to show him in perfect health; but there is no way to know when or where those pictures were taken. So, is he alive? If so, why isn’t he speaking? Or if he’s dead, where is his body? Have we got ourselves another Yevgeny Prigozhin? “He’s in Sevastopol.” “No, he’s in Moscow.” “He’s alive and well.” “The hell, you say — we got him with one of our missiles.” Good grief! I’ll be following up on this one, too.
Admiral Sokolov? Are you in there?
*. *. *
Farewell, Professor Dumbledore. Sadly, pneumonia has taken the life of Michael Gambon, aged 82, who was best known to the millions of Harry Potter fans as Professor Dumbledore. R.I.P. Michael . . . or Professor . . . whichever you prefer. You will be missed.
Requiescat in Pace
*. *. *
The End of the World. All sorts of people have made all sorts of dire predictions about this for as long as I can remember, and long before. But according to Nature Geoscience, a study now shows that all the land on Earth will form a volcanic supercontinent known as Pangea Ultima, which will somehow wipe out all the mammals on Earth. (There is no mention of cockroaches, though, so I assume they will once again beat the odds and survive.) But before you panic, don’t make a run for Elon Musk’s Mars shuttle just yet — this isn’t going to happen for another 250 million years. Although I have a bad feeling that we humans will be wiping ourselves out a few million years before that, if we don’t change our ways. Either way, it’s a pretty gloomy prospect for our long-range descendants, don’t you think?
The End
*. *. *
And . . .
Did I hear someone say, “You mean there’s more?” Well, yes . . . there’s China’s missing Defense Minister (another missing person?!!); mysterious “fairy circles” being studied all over the world (as if UFOs weren’t enough); the denial of Alexei Navalny’s appeal of his prison sentence by a Russian “court” (big surprise!); and — if you’re really desperate for dinner table conversation — there’s always Kim Kardashian’s fake haircut. (I don’t know about you, but I hope and pray I will never be that desperate for something to talk about.)
*. *. *
And now . . .
That’s enough for one writing session. I may expand on some of these topics another day, but right now, I need to stretch my legs, my back, my neck . . . just about every body part. See you tomorrow.
I read recently that this “masterpiece” by Picasso of his young mistress will be auctioned by Sotheby’s later this year, and I can’t help wondering what the young lady who inspired the painting actually looked like. Mercifully, we may never know.
Because if this was indeed a representation of Pablo Picasso’s mistress, then love truly must be blind. But considering the present minimum value placed on the painting by Sotheby’s — a whopping $120,000,000 — she must have possessed charms that I just can’t see.
Although, viewing some of his other choices, maybe he didn’t do so badly after all:
Well, the harem doesn’t look all that bad by comparison . . .
*. *. *
And it isn’t just Picasso’s work that baffles me. I also have to wonder what Salvador Dali actually saw when he looked at the world:
To me, his visions are the stuff of nightmares. His colors are restful, though.
*. *. *
There are innumerable genres of art, and I frankly admit that I neither appreciate nor understand all of them, or what makes them “art.” For example, I feel as though even I could turn out a reasonable facsimile of a Mondrian with just a ruler, a pencil, and some poster paints:
Piet Mondrian
Or just take a picture of anything on a supermarket shelf:
Andy Warhol Masterpiece
*. *. *
No, my taste runs more to the beautiful and serene: the realist and impressionist scenes in which I would like to immerse myself.
Monet’s water lilies:
Degas’ ballerina series:
And Vincent Van Gogh, who saw the beauty in everyday flowers, despite the madness that drove him to cut off his own ear:
Sunflowers . . .
Irises . . .
Oh dear . . . and a tragic self-portrait. Not so serene.
*. *. *
I love the charm of “Grandma” Moses’ happy style of so-called “naive” art:
*. *. *
And then there’s the 20th Century as seen through the eyes of Norman Rockwell. Some art connoisseurs might criticize me for including his work with that of the “great masters,” but Rockwell’s world is the one in which I grew up . . . though probably idealized just a bit. Still, wouldn’t you prefer to see yourself in one of these pictures, rather than in Dali’s melting world?
So eat up. In the art world, there’s plenty for everyone.
This is a little off the beaten track for me, but there are some things I just can’t wait until tomorrow to pass along. Here are a few choice tidbits from today’s CNN news that I couldn’t resist sharing:
1) “A surge of saltwater is creeping up the Mississippi River toward New Orleans, threatening to pollute the drinking water of around 800,000 people. Officials are working to quickly find solutions before the end of October — when the saltwater is expected to infiltrate several treatment plants and make tap water unsafe to drink or use.” [CNN News, September 27, 2023.] What the hell??? Has the Earth started turning in the wrong direction on its axis? That’s just crazy! It sounds like something out of a Japanese horror movie: The Saltwater Surge That Swallowed New Orleans. Not funny.
2) One of the Biden family’s beautiful German shepherds, a two-year-old named Commander, has bitten yet another Secret Service agent in the White House — his 11th attack in just two years. Has no one thought that the stress of all the people and the hubbub in the White House might just be too much for the poor pup, and that he needs a quieter environment? Or maybe the Secret Service guys give off a threatening vibe, as they are trained to do. Dogs are very sensitive, you know. In any case, my sympathy is with Commander. Maybe he should be housed at Camp David, or — sad but possibly best — found a new forever home, for his own sake. I’d take him, but he’s bigger than I am.
A Quiet Moment With Dad
3) In the “I really don’t give a damn” category: I don’t care whether the singer Adele has gotten married or not. If she has, best wishes to her; if not, best wishes on remaining happily single. Okay?
4) And yet another one: I really don’t give a flying you-know-what that Kim Kardashian has gotten an extreme haircut. It doesn’t matter. She’s not Samson.
No Interest, No Comment
*. *. *
4) And this final note, which did not come from CNN (obviously), but arrived in an email that I previewed but did not open, then quickly double-deleted. Caution: I would not show this to your minor children, and you might not want to continue reading if you’re bashful:
“Congratulations.
Asian sex cult penis ritual leaked. (Disturbing video.) [Yeah, that leakage thing sounds very disturbing.]
Just a handful [No comment. -Ed.] of Hong Kong sexologists knew this until recently.
Every man suffering from a small penis could easily reverse that and achieve massive growth instead.
By doing this 10-second tantric trick that Asians have been performing for centuries! [10 seconds, huh?]
Find out more here: . . .”
[Underlining in the message indicates links to click on. I did not click. Since I deleted the message, I also did not watch the video. Yuck.]
Question: If Asians have been doing this for centuries, how come those Hong Kong guys just figured out the alleged benefits?
I realize this is wa-a-ay outside my usual range of topics, and I truly have no prurient interest in the subject matter. But I am curious about one thing: Could this be the secret to the phenomenal growth (don’t say it!) of Asia’s industries and economies? Or how they maintain such an exceptional work ethic? Is this taught in the schools, and beginning at what age? No wonder the school kids work so hard! (Will you please get your mind out of the gutter!)
I will say no more. And no pictures for this one. Sorry.
*. *. *
Okay, that’s more than enough weird news for now. Enjoy the rest of your day. I’ve already had all the fun I can stand.
There’s some weird stuff happening out there this week. A little weirder than usual, I mean, and specifically with regard to Ukraine and our old standby for weirdness: Russia. Let’s start with a Russian Admiral.
His name is (or was) Viktor Sokolov, and he is (or was) the commander of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet at the time its headquarters in Sevastopol, Crimea was destroyed by a Ukrainian missile attack a few days ago. The problem appears to be in determining whether he’s dead or alive. Officials in Ukraine publicly “confirmed” on Monday that Admiral Sokolov was among 34 senior officers killed in that attack. But according to The Daily Beast, yesterday he appeared for just a few seconds in a Russian video, allegedly at a meeting chaired by Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu. He was in dress uniform, oddly propped up against a pillow, appearing uninjured, but with eyes closed behind his glasses. Then a still photo was released showing him with his glasses off and eyes open, though still propped up against a pillow as though in a hospital bed.
“Admiral Sokolov? Is that you?”
So — as we did in the case of our now-departed friend Yevgeny Prigozhin — we ask the question: Where is Admiral Sokolov? Were these just old pictures of him dug out of an archive, or — eerily — were they photos of his propped-up corpse? And if the latter, how long can they keep him “alive” before he is no longer photographable? The Russians are known to be adept at altering photos, but how far can they go, and for how long? Perhaps until they can think up an excuse for his “departure,” and find an adequate replacement? We’ll see. Whatever transpires, it will surely be the story most fitting for propaganda purposes.
*. *. *
Next up: Defense Minister Shoigu’s deadline. Yes, the same Shoigu who purportedly met with Admiral Sokolov yesterday. As reported by the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), citing an insider source, Vladimir Putin has given Shoigu a deadline until early October to “improve the situation on the frontlines, stop Ukrainian counteroffensives, and have Russian forces regain the initiative.” Oh, is that all? It is not clear from the report when the order was issued, but “early October” is right around the corner.
And thus we are left wondering whether there is an “or else” attached to that order, possibly leaving Shoigu on the unemployed line if he is unable to deliver. Is there any such thing as tenure in the Russian military? This poor guy has had so many ups and downs since Prigozhin began picking on him, there’s no telling where he’ll land. In the meantime, he’s certainly been busy.
“Brother, can you spare a kopek?”
*. *. *
And finally, we have the unexpected re-emergence of Henry Kissinger. Dr. Kissinger is now an even 100 years old — officially a centenarian, and a renowned statesman who has more than earned a peaceful retirement. Yet he was able to meet with Ukrainian President Zelensky while the latter was in the United States last week. According to Ukrainska Pravda, Dr. Kissinger “was previously against Ukraine’s membership in NATO and now supports Ukraine’s membership in the Alliance.” And Dr. Kissinger himself is quoted directly as saying:
”Before this war, I was opposed to the membership of Ukraine in NATO because I feared that it would start the very process that we are seeing now. Now that this process has reached this level, the idea of a neutral Ukraine under these conditions no longer makes sense.” [Emphasis is mine.]
An Historic Meeting: Henry Kissinger and Volodymyr Zelensky
Dr. Kissinger, I salute you. The passing years obviously have in no way dulled your knowledge, your wisdom, or your ability to distinguish right from wrong . . . nor are you too proud to alter your judgment when changing circumstances dictate. From your work in reopening relations with China to the present day, you have been an invaluable asset, not only to the United States, but to the world at large.
Now, if only we could get you into a room with Vladimir Putin . . . but I fear he is beyond redemption and immune to even your persuasive powers. That’s really too bad. But thank you for everything else.
*. *. *
So it’s been a rather strange week thus far. But is that so different from most other weeks? Nah . . . not really.
There are probably a few people out there who will find it surprising to know that I — who obviously spend a great deal of time perusing the daily news — am totally uninterested in, and sometimes even repulsed by, some of the crap that makes it onto the pages of the real news. For example, I really, truly, honestly do not care about . . .
– Who (actually, “whom”) Taylor Swift is hanging out with this week.
– Or who is or is not singing at Millie Bobby Brown and Jake Bongiovi’s wedding. By the way, I don’t even know, or care, who Millie Bobby Brown is.
– Who (again, “whom”) Rudy Giuliani did or did not grope.
“Et Tu” Rudy?
– I don’t give a flip how many years ago Will & Grace aired on TV (apparently it’s 25).
– How “confident” Demi Lovato feels during sex. (Yuck.)
– Or how difficult it was for Cher to accept her daughter Chastity’s transition to son Chaz. (As a mother, I’d be more concerned about his unhealthy weight.)
Loving Mom
– And I really don’t give a damn what any of the Kardashians are up to, now or ever.
– Or anything else about any celebrity’s sex life, family issues, BFFs, gender identification, social activities, or questionable behavior.
Those things are none of my business . . . or anyone else’s, really. I wish all of these people well, and I also wish they would keep their personal issues out of the news. Just because they’re famous (to a greater or lesser degree), are people supposed to care about every little salacious detail of their lives? But I know there are many folks — the ones for whom those items are written — who do enjoy living vicariously through others, and that’s fine for them. But I don’t. Some days it’s all I can do to manage my own life.
A Hell Of a Way To Make a Living!
*. *. *
There are, however, a lot of things I do care about . . . some quite passionately. And you know I’m going to tell you what they are, even though you haven’t asked. So . . .
At the risk of sounding like a Miss America finalist, I care about world peace. I know that there isn’t a snowball’s chance in hell of ever achieving it, but that doesn’t stop me from wishing for it. It’s the governments, you know, that have caused all the problems since the dawn of “civilization.” But we need some form of governance to maintain law and order so as to prevent anarchy and chaos. So . . . it’s a classic case of “damned if we do, damned if we don’t.” Still, I do care.
Winning: even better than world peace?
I care about the environment. In the name of “advancement” and “progress,” we’re killing our beautiful Earth. I want to breathe clean air, drink clean water, and swim in a trash-free ocean. And I want future generations to be able to do the same. I want polar bears and penguins to have enough ice to sustain their beautiful lives. I want trees to be free of danger from wildfires. And I don’t want to have to move to Mars.
I care about catastrophic diseases . . . or, rather, the elimination of them. Finding treatments and cures — that’s the kind of progress and advancement I love reading about.
I care about the economy. Life today is simply too expensive for most people to be able to enjoy themselves, or even to maintain a dignified life style. The middle class is disappearing; single-income families became extinct decades ago. Highly-educated people are working at jobs for which they are over-qualified; skilled folks are working two or three jobs just to survive. How do we fix it?
I care about learning. Every book, every news item, every bit of trivia that I pick up along the way adds another wrinkle to my brain. If I can recite a soliloquy from Macbeth, or think of an obscure word to win a game of Scrabble, or remember what happened in 1066 A.D. (look it up), it doesn’t change the world. But it keeps me compos mentis. And I definitely care about that.
I care about music, art, theater, a really good book. They nourish my soul, and remind me that the world isn’t all about war and pollution.
I care about morality. I know we each have our own definition of it, and I won’t burden you with mine. But I think it’s important, and even though it’s not fashionable to discuss it these days, I still care about it.
I care about laughter. It feels good, and it’s healthy. Whether it’s a huge belly laugh or an appreciative chuckle, I’ll take it, and I’ll revel in it. And by the way, I really miss Robin Williams.
And most of all, I care about caring. Call it love, or friendship, or just empathy . . . it’s becoming a rare commodity. People are stressed, tired, angry, even hateful and hurtful. And that drains all of the good out of life. With so many other problems today, we need to care about each other more than ever. I care about you; all I ask is that you return the favor. I guarantee we’ll both be better for it.
