Bridgitte Bardot, R.I.P.

Bridgitte Bardot's heyday was when I was a mere boy, but I was

certainly aware of her, even having never seen any of her movies

(I still haven't). She was one of the world's most beautiful women;

I certainly saw that, even though I was not of the age where I could

more greatly appreciate this fact. The lady was an internationally

acclaimed film actress, and had retired from acting while at her

most famous and most beautiful, having appeared in movies for 

twenty years. In a later stage of her life, Bardot took up the cause 

of animal rights, especially harp seals in the Arctic which were 

relentlessly hunted. Strong opinions were also a part and parcel of 

the model-turned-actress; in 2000 her commentary on Islam and 

on homosexuality got her in trouble with the French government,

which socked this French conservative with fines on five separate 

occasions for incitement. But through it all, Brigitte Bardot was 

always and unapologetically herself --- living her life in that very

fashion. No apologies, no regrets. Departed at 91. Requiescat in pace.

MEM

A Terrible Happening

The mother of NBC's Today Show personality Savannah Guthrie,

Nancy Guthrie has been abducted and is being held for ransom,

with her captor(s) demanding payment in Bitcoin for information

on Nancy's kidnapper(s). The FBI is conducting a fresh search of

Nancy's Catalina Foothills neighborhood north of Tucson, Arizona

to find the Guthrie matriarch and/or her abductor(s); Nancy Guthrie

has been missing since January 31, 2026.

On that date Nancy went to her family's home for a visit and to have 

dinner with them. At 9:48 PM, her garage door opened, then closed.

Police believed that this is when she returned home and was going 

to bed. On February 1 at 1:47 AM, the doorbell camera disconnected.

Software detected someone on camera but no video is available 

because the camera "loops". The detection was made at 2:12 AM.

At 2:28 AM her pacemaker disconnected. The family checked in on

Nancy at 11:56 AM  and drops of blood was found near her door. 

In a social media post, FBI Director Kash Patel shared some pictures 

of the alleged abductor for the first time. A former FBI agent told the 

Washington Post that the bizarre way in which the suspect carried his

gun, along with the slapdash way he tried to cover up a second camera,

pointed to an inexperienced criminal, at least when it comes to 

kidnappings. 

A plea for my readers in the Tucson vicinity: keep your eyes out for 

Nancy Guthrie. Nancy is 84 years old, stands 5'5" and weighs 150 

pounds, has brown hair and blue eyes. She was last seen at her home 

on the evening of January 31, near East Skyline Drive and North 

Campbell Ave. It is not known what clothes she might be wearing.

If you see her or someone who looks like they may be her, please

call the Tuscon Police and/or the FBI to inform. It is not known at

this point in time if she is still alive. Time is truly of the essence.

And say a prayer for her swift and safe return to her family,

and that her kidnapper(s) get found and brought to justice.

The Guthries have no idea where Nancy is or what physical 

condition she is in. The Peasant thanks you all profusely and

gratefully, and thanks the New York Post for the detailed information

that they were able to obtain at this juncture. 

MEM

Apologies for My Unplanned Absence

Your beleaguered Peasant apologizes for my being away the past 

two weeks; place the blame on two culprits: frigid winter weather

and a bad back (strained muscles), both rendering me housebound.

The weather here in southeastern Wisconsin has warmed to normal

winter temperatures and my back is better so I have returned to be 

with you, my wonderful and understanding readers. In the meantime

I celebrated my birthday flat on my back in bed with my cell phone

within easy reach, getting calls from family and friends wishing me 

a happy birthday (my 68th) and snuggling up with Brownie, my 

affectionate cat. 

We shall resume our activities here on this blog, getting back down

to business in a few days. I should also inform you all that due to 

possibly more twists and turns in the weather, and should my back 

fail to hold up and/or if anything else in my body goes "SPROING!!!"

I shall post whenever I can, as often as I can. No particular day. 

At least Spring is now within sight; 6 1/2 more weeks and it's here! 

Then, if Old Man Winter would be good enough to pack his bags

and conclude his visit on schedule (for once!) things will be much

more comfortable around here. But for now, let's take things one 

day at a time and we'll get through all this successfully.

It's good to be back!

MEM