I'm sorry for my absence the past few weeks -- it's temporary, to be sure.

We need a new open thread, so here it is, all topics are welcome.

The number of COVID-19 cases in the U.S. has reached 40 million.

The Taliban has claimed full victory and the right to govern all of Afghanistan. It has not yet officially named the leaders of its new government, but its spokesman says the announcement is imminent.

Pretrial hearings are scheduled to resume this month at Guatanamo for Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and the other detainees accused in the 9/11 attacks.

Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, began Monday night. If you are cooking for the holiday, the New York Times offers these recipes.

This is an open thread, all topics welcome.

I am so glad August is almost over. And I'm so sorry to those of you who expected me to be blogging and updating. I honestly couldn't find a time to do it.

But September is around the corner, and my work and court schedule will be back to normal.

The only news I've had time to follow is Afghanistan. What a terrible day the U.S. military had today.

Anyone who believed Trump that ISIS was defeated was as delusional as he was. Also, the Taliban and IS-IK (Isis in Khurasan)are enemies. Different goals, different religious views, and ISIS thinks the Taliban will buddy up with China which wants Afghanistan's rich minerals.

The faster we leave Afghanistan, the better. We never should have been there in the first place. That blame belongs on Bush and Cheney and Rumsfeld.

This is an open thread, all topics welcome.

I know it seems like I just disappeared from the Internet, and I did, but not intentionally.

I don't think I ever thought much about how court cases would be rescheduled after COVID. Everything was continued for 90 days so many times, and then all of a sudden, after the vaccines were out, the continuances were over and the dates set so long ago are now real dates. Which translates to things like I have three federal sentencings in the first two weeks of August. [More...]

Our last open thread is full. Here's a new one, all topics welcome.

The United States has now endured 28 million cases of COVID-19 and 500,000 covid-related deaths. And it sure is not over.

I got my second Moderna shot on Saturday. I was a little trepidatious because I had read the second shot carries a more powerful punch. But I felt nothing. Not yesterday afternoon, not last night, not today or tonight.

Maybe I don't have any immune cells to fight off the enemy? Maybe I have lazy immune cells? Maybe it means nothing at all?

Do I feel safer having received my two doses of vaxx? Not really. I'm still staying home almost exclusively, double masking when I go out, and reminding every person I see with a mask that has slid under his nostrils to please put it back up. Yet, masks are no guarantee, they are just better than not wearing masks. But they sure beat the alternative: getting sick and with covid and even though you have no prior risky conditions, for some unknown reason you become a long hauler. [More...]

I've been meaning to write about Discovery+ which launched its streaming app in January. If you are an HGTV fan, it's got everything you want --almost. And for $5 more a month, it's commericial free.

My favorite show is House Hunters International. I watch every episode that has to do with Asia and South or Central America, i.e., Colombia, Mexico, Ecuador, Costa Rica, Vietnam and Malaysia. I'm not too interested in Australia, Europe or Honduras, but if you are, there are episodes galore.

There are so many episodes, Discovery + gave the show its own channel. But therein lies the problem. So far, there's no index of episodes. It just streams 24/7 and you can't pick the episodes you want to watch. Maybe I'm just not tuning in right, but I've used my Roku, Apple TV and FireTV and none of them have a season/episode guide for you to choose from. Every other HGTV show does, so they need to fix this problem quick. (Or tell us how to find the episode guide). [More...]

Happy New Year, everyone!

May the vaccines work, and may 2021 see the end of the rampage of COVID-19. Let us not let the lives of those we lost be in vain. Please heed science and not the word of elected politicians.

Take a moment to be proud that we, the voters, cast off the most undeserving, unprincipled, soul-less man to ever be given a desk in the oval office. Let him stew in Palm Beach, which will become like a prison to him, even if he's never arrested or charged with a crime.

Indeed, the pump don't work when the vandals steal the handles, but America just grabbed them back.

Here's to a Healthy, Safer, Trump-free world in 2021.

With much gratitude to our readers,

TalkLeft

The last few days of the year are always busy ones, trying to fit everyone in for one last zoom/talk, get one more motion filed, and all the home stuff.

Here's an open thread, all topics welcome.

Merry Christmas, Everyone.

It really doesn't feel like Christmas to me, but for those of you who have found something to celebrate today (including your religion), enjoy! - and please tell us about any great meals or adventures you had. For those of you staying home (like me) and watching a lot of TV, I hope you'll share any great series or movies you've seen.

It's been interesting following the varied approaches states are taking to who gets the vaccine second. Everyone is doing first responders and nursing homes first, but after that, there seems to be a split. Some states are going with the elderly being second because that will save the most lives (since their lives are most at risk). Other states are going with workers who deal with the public in non-medical fields next, saying they are most likely to catch the virus. Where do you weigh in?

This is an open thread, all topics welcome.

As of Friday, 2,900 people had died of COVID-19 in Colorado. 210,000 Coloradans were diagnosed with the disease. 81% of Colorado's ICU beds were in use as were 50% of the state's adult critical care ventilators. As of Saturday, 1 in every 49 Coloradans was contagious or infected.

Even Governor Jared Polis and the First Partner now have it.

Dr. Fauci was on TV today and he said we should prepare for a third wave. As for today's numbers:

More than 91,500 people were hospitalized with the virus on Saturday, with 18,000 in intensive care units. That's according to data compiled by the COVID Tracking Project, which collects and analyzes data from across the United States. Over 6,000 patients were on ventilators.

I hope everyone here found something to be thankful about. I was happy for the "alone" time. I made a lasagna instead of a turkey, and invited a single friend over. We ate outside on the balcony, seated 6 feet apart. [More...]

• Trump has dropped his Arizona lawsuit.
• 130 Secret Service agents who protected Trump at his rallies have contracted coronavirus
• Illinois, Maryland and Washington may get lockdowns
• Trump's PA law firm Porter Wright moved to withdraw from representing him today.
• Another day, another record shattered:

More than 153,000 new coronavirus cases on Thursday as some 66,000 people were hospitalized nationwide.

We can now begin the process of putting science ahead of incompetence and working together, get control over this virus instead of continuing to allow it to control us. It's time for us to get to work. [More...]