@Lookout I gotta hand it to you for outstanding and happy retirement living! That Holler was the perfection of The Plan, friend! Well, I have gone from being embarrassed to be a US citizen to being downright ashamed. I wouldn't feel comfortable showing my passport anywhere today.
We are the land of the free, which means free to murder, steal, kidnap, and torture.
Being an old hippy peacenik, this isn't how I wanted to live out my old age.
If you run across anything worth posting today, we'd appreciate it, LO.

Retirement is great from my point of view. I hope you will enjoy yours as much as I have mine.

I have no interest in AI, I prefer, NI, natural intelligence.

Another day, another coup from the pirate, kidnapping USA courtesy of the peace (of crap) president and his war mongering Sec of State. I'm ashamed of what we've become, but it is what it is.

Have a great weekend and thanks for the OT!

@enhydra lutris Yeah, how will the world leaders react to this international terrorism?
"These are interesting times" has taken on a new meaning, dear friend!
I leave it to you and others to watch Trump's news conference, as I do not want to upset my stomach. He has said we will run the country until a new president is installed in Venezuela. This said by a man who can't run his own country anywhere but into the f'king ground.
Kudos to you if you can keep your New Year's Resolution to avoid news until evening, dear friend!

Powell to perjure himself at the UN? is it now sufficient for the President to simply lie to the US citizenry? As usual, there many unanswered questions and much for the US to answer for, a new milestone in our global terrorism. I'm pretty sure that any international response will be completely tepid, beyond perhaps another Ukiestan+CIA+US+UK terror attack on Putin.

be well and have a good one

@usefewersyllables What we just did was evil. Are you and I supposed to wave a flag and do a happy dance? Delta force is just so way cool? My tax dollars have been killing Palestinian babies, and now, Venezuelan babies?
Man, this was not the happy weekend I thought we would all have, my friend.
Enjoy some music and time with your family and friends, and hope for the best.

its status as a malignant global pariah, isn’t it?

I would describe myself as disgusted, but that really does not come anywhere close to encompassing my feelings on this subject. This will not end well.

@soryang I have just begun looking at the news. Alex is always spot on. We check him out shortly.
Hunker down, friend! You have enough legal training to know Maduro's trial will be a joke. I am highly offended we bombed Chavez' mausoleum. We desecrate a dead body for effect. Hoo boy...
Enjoy your weekend time with your family and friends, soryang.

The self congratulatory tone of this press conference is something. They played their hand for all to evaluate.

The Caribbean is the backyard of the US military. Now they'll think they can do this overseas against a better organized and equipped adversary. To me, it's apparent that the Venezuelan forces were unprepared and ill equipped. Alex Christoforou's first reaction I think was correct, that defense officials around Maduro were already compromised. This is a strategy that Jordan Goudreau who was conspiring in Venezuela before an abortive 2020 coup attempt described and recommended.

"It could have gone very badly." It ain't over till its over.

He's answering questions now.

@humphrey I had read that Maduro was arming his citizens so they could protect themselves against a possible invasion by the US military.
If one twists oneself into a legal pretzel, defending one's country against US invaders is, in a pretzel way, against the interests of the US. Other foreign invaders, not so much. We would send them arms to fight against Chinese or Russian invaders.
Bondi is what conservative men of yore would call a dumb blonde. A stopped clock is right twice a day, lest we forget.

apropos considering this tweet.

Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, have been indicted in the Southern District of New York. Nicolas Maduro has been charged with Narco-Terrorism Conspiracy, Cocaine Importation Conspiracy, Possession of Machineguns and Destructive Devices, and Conspiracy to Possess…

— Attorney General Pamela Bondi (@AGPamBondi) January 3, 2026

The rest of the tweet:

Conspiracy to Possess Machineguns and Destructive Devices against the United States. They will soon face the full wrath of American justice on American soil in American courts. On behalf of the entire U.S. DOJ, I would like to thank President Trump for having the courage to demand accountability on behalf of the American People, and a huge thank you to our brave military who conducted the incredible and highly successful mission to capture these two alleged international narco traffickers.

@janis b I am planning and struggling with walking away from my practice and I fear my brain just going dormant, as happens to a very high percentage of retired attorneys. I mean, 60% to 80% of them go in dementia mode quickly post-retirement. I have attended State Bar lectures on this disaster, and various ways to avoid it. Use it or lose it.
I think I discovered Bob Marley back in the 70s, and ever since, reggae, steel drum music, anything Caribbean is my pleasure. I spent 5 nights in Trinidad. 4 nights at bars featuring steel drum bands. I didn't go to Jamaica on advice from travel pals. Not safe for a lone US female tourist. I wanted to visit his museum.
I stood on the beach in front of my hotel in the capital of Trinidad. Across the sea, I could see Venezuela. I thought I would get there one day. Maybe...
Enjoy your weekend/week in Paradise, chica!

It sounds like you have given much thought and consideration to your retirement. The timing of thinking about new plans sounds relevant, regarding your lifelong experience and enjoyment of your work, with current personal and political times. I'm sure it's a process that still needs time.