From our heart to yours, Happy Valentine's Day!

This is an open thread, all topics welcome.

I have a separate thread up for the Grammys.

Here's an open thread for everything else.

With every step, Donald Trump comes closer to self-annihilating. An op-ed in The Guardian today, When a president fights the law, there's only ever one winner, calls it Trumpicide:

Donald Trump’s fury at a federal judge who overturned his immigration order betrays his deep – and dangerous – ignorance of the constitution

[More...]

Update: Lady Gaga -- what a tour de force. Her energy, creativity, timing and artistry were all on display. She was about as close to perfect as it gets. Well Done! (Daily Mail has some great photos.)

I don't watch the Superbowl (or even know who is playing in it.) But since I do love music, some years I watch the half-time show. Also, I have seen some of the commercials for this years Superbowl, like the Budweiser immigrant commercial, which I applaud Budweiser for.

As to SNL last night, I missed it. Based on the superlative reviews, I tried to watch the opening with Baldwin and Bannon as the Grim Reaper, and the Melissa McCarthy as Spicer routine, and lasted about a minute for each.

I have no intention of watching spoofs of people I find revolting in real life and whose public role should be marginalized, not enhanced. Press spokespersons are nothing more than mouthpieces. Why have a character portray them? It's one thing to portray the UnPresident and other world leaders, it's another to portray people whose personal thoughts don't amount to a grain of sand in the universe.

There are, however, much more pleasant things to watch for entertainment this week. [More...]

How symptomatic of an insane Trump Administration that Trump would appoint little miss torture , praised by her colleagues for just following orders, to Deputy Director the CIA. I wrote a long post about it and Abu Zabaydah on my other computer and will publish it tonight. How did he really lose his eye? The CIA webpage has declassified transcripts of his review board hearing up and other documents showing his horrendous treatment. And Americans want to know, why do they hate us???? He has not even been charged with a crime.

El Chapo goes to court today. Why does he still have court appointed counsel? Because no lawyer can take a dollar on his behalf until he gets an OFAC license (google it)

The only show I watch while James Corden is out of town is El Chema on Telemundo. It's a good week, the cartel wars are starting with Feyo, the Robles brothers, the sick American and the sick DEA agent who as we all know from Senor de los Cielos, sells out and joins Chema.

I wonder what Trump will do if anyone ever tells him how many undocumented violent cartel guys are assured of remaining permanently in the U.S. following their prison sentences as part of their plea bargains allowing them to get lower sentences in exchange for telling "the truth" (from the Government's point of view.) In some cases, not just them, but their wives, kids, mothers, inlaws, and on and on. Answer: He can scream and rant, but he can't do anything about it. They are as free to roam the streets of Miami and elsewhere as he is.

This is an open thread, all topics welcome.

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

I'm tired of reading and writing about the man currently occupying the oval office and his family. Much more pleasant and garnering millions of views per video on Instagram is Nusret Gökçe, aka #SaltBae, the incredibly good-looking, sexy, talented butcher/restaurateur at Nusr Et steakhouses in Turkey, Dubai and now Abu Dhabi. [More...]

I've not read one thing about today's UnFestivities.

Here's an open thread, all topics welcome.

It feels like one day till Doomsday.
I wonder whether protesters will outnumber supporters. I can't think of anyone I would stand in the rain without an umbrella for in 40 degree weather just to see take an oath -- let alone someone I only feel ridicule for.

I'm tuning out Trump. And most American news.
I have lots of backups of Caribbean Life and House Hunters International on HGTV I haven't seen yet, and I'm behind on my episodes of El Chema and James Corden. I should be able to sail through Monday and the Unfestivities without reading or watching a single thing about the UnPresident.

Reading news from Dubai and Abu Dhabi, China Mexico and Latin and South America is actually interesting -- it's a much more productive, educational and less angst-ridden way to spend my time than watching the most unprepared, emotionally immature, bizarre person ever take charge of our country.

This is an open thread, all topics welcome.

In the "things I am not reporting on and couldn't care less about" department: UnPresident Elect Donald Trump's inauguration. I'm going to do other things and put up a few open threads until its over. After that, I will do my best to ignore him for the next four years, except for anything non-defamatory that could lead to his impeachment or resignation. You can discuss him in open threads, of which this is one. Insults and name calling will be deleted and violators put it time out.

A person I'm not finding sympathetic these days is Julian Assange. He and WikiLeaks are about as welcome on my computer screen as James Comey. (He's in the news because he's offering to allow himself to be extradited to the U.S. if Obama grants clemency to the former soldier Chelsea Manning. (As if he'll have a choice once the worm turns at DOJ.) I do support clemency for Chelsea Manning, I'm just not buying an altruistic motive by Assange. [More...]

It's a jail day for me, which means an open thread for you.

All topics welcome.

The TL Kid's fiance (and yes, Nic and Kaitlin officially got engaged over Xmas) said these are the greatest chocolate cookie: No gmo, no wheat, no butter,granulated sugar and they taste delicious.They do have carob powder (fair trade) and some organic chocolate chips. Here's the recipe if you want to try them.

The recipe is from fellow Denver-ite Julie Baer's cookbook, PaleOMG!

No pots to clean, just one bowl, they take 5 minutes to make and 10 minutes to bake. I'll be curious to hear what you think if any of you make them. The Recipe is below.

This is an open thread, all topics welcome. [more]