A very Happy New Year to all. I wish you all a year filled with joy, good health, inner peace and success at whatever personal journeys you embark on.

And may we all survive another year of the Carnival Barker-in-Chief who is standing by the entrance of the roller coaster ride, hawking half-price tickets while promising us the ride of our lives. We have all been forced to enter and take a seat. As the rocky and erratic ride begins, we know all too well there will be no getting off for at least another year. [More...]

I'm sorry for disappearing this past week but I'm recovering from two broken ribs, one that happened two weeks after I broke the first. Neither has a particularly compelling or funny story behind it, so I'll spare you the details -- other than to say it's hard to find a comfortable position for blogging. It's not the sitting but the getting up that's the killer.

Thanks to Fishcamp for reminding me it was time for a new open thread -- I promise to be more attentive as my sore ribs recover.

It's not too late to share your Thanksgiving menus and stories about how you spent the holiday, so feel free to do so. Also, if you found any great Black Friday deals, I'd like to hear about them. I forgot all about it today and didn't buy anything --- but since I also didn't spend anything, I'm not sure that's a bad thing!

This is an open thread, all topics welcome.

Donald Trump had an unscheduled doctor's visit today.

Barack Obama warns the Democrats against going too far left in their choice of nominee for President.

What's new in your world? This is an open thread, all topics welcome.

Things to read today: Hunter S. Thompson’s Letters to His Enemies in the Atlantic.

Question: Will anyone tell Michael Bloomberg the truth -- that the last thing America wants is another billionaire from New York in the White House? Wasn't he always a Republican or Independent? If he had any guts, he'd challenge Trump for the Republican nomination, not try and buy the Democratic nomination.

Time for a new open thread. All topics welcome.

I'm out and about in the snow, which is already melting. Our last open thread is full, so here's a new one, all topics welcome.

Another Monday. Another court afternoon for me. Another open thread for you.

What I'm reading: News from Sinaloa. Was Ivan Archivaldo Guzman Salazar the one who mustered the troops (with help from Mayo Zambada) in Culiacan this weekend to win the release of his half brother Ovidio Guzman Lopez? So far, it seems that way to me. I also don't think the Government cared about the citizenry as much as it did the families of the military who were threatened. How involved was the DEA? The Government said the police and National Guard were going to arrest Ovidio based on an extradition order. Who was doing the surveillance on Ovidio's girlfriend? Mexico or the U.S. I'd bet the latter.

All topics welcome.

It's a beautiful fall day here, but hard to enjoy when our nation is like a rudderless ship flailing about in the ocean with a drunken captain at the helm. Trump may not drink alcohol, but he's drunk with his own vision of power and self-entitlement. I hope he is gone as soon as possible. The only fitting legacy for him is that he not be allowed to finish out his term.

Where are the sane Republicans who competed with him for the 2016 nomination? Can't one of them step up to challenge him in 2020?

This is an open thread, all topics welcome.

I really will be back blogging soon. The TL kid and his wife had their second daughter last week -- she is the second TL grandkid. Here is big sister Karter meeting Reece:

And here is newborn Reece just a few hours old:

Last night I watched Netflix's "original series" The Chosen One. It's a remake of a Spanish series I wrote about here in 2015 called, "El Nino Santo" aka "The Holy Child". [More...]

Looks like Dorian will continue through Friday. It's moving close to the Carolinas.

In other news, ISIS is using cows as suicide bombers.

I finally got everything moved into my new place on Saturday (after another round of help from the movers and Got Junk people.) Now I'm starting to unpack it all and figure out what stays and what goes. And catch up with work.

Here's an open thread, all topics welcome.

I know it is hard to believe but I am still moving. Every day I go back and forth from the old place to the new place and bring more Jeep-filled loads of stuff. I had the movers just do the furniture and that took four of them seven hours even though the places are four blocks apart. They worked hard and were very good. I have decluttered and downsized but it never seems to end. I gave away a ton of pots, pans, cookware, utensils, appliances, sheets, towels and even some art. I'm moving the rest myself.

Tomorrow is the second to last day -- You've Got Junk will come and haul out the king size bed, a couch , an armoire/dresser, solid wood bookcases, the dishes and glassware and everything else that's left. Wednesday the move-out cleaners will come and make the old place look beautiful.

I absolutely love my new place, in the next open thread I'll write why and post photos of the really pretty mountain and downtown views.

I have not watched much tv, or heard any news, so it will be some more days before I'm up to speed. In the meantime, here is an open thread, all topics welcome.

I am completely immersed in moving and will be until early next week. It could be a week before I'm back here, but I'll try to check on the threads a few times if I have internet.

This is an open thread, all topics welcome.

Here's a new open thread, all topics welcome.