My word, it seems as if the vast majority (all?) of the American institutions are completely happy to embrace the new fascist regime. As a Brit, I am rather surprised; I thought there’d be much more resistance.

Edit: grammar.

FTA: “The shooting suspect has been identified as 24-year-old Daricka Moore…”

He’s had a rough life.

Is more cowbell required?

Stephen Miller isn’t an elected politician. I’d also like to nominate Rupert Murdoch and Andrew Tate.

EDIT: In my cups, I’d probably nominate my son-in-law and daughter-in-law as numbers 2 and 3 instead.

I have precisely the same date of birth as a very famous singer / songwriter who died around a decade ago.

Any sort of festive food: for example, chocolate, mince pies, etc. Lindor truffles are nice and a small box is affordable, or perhaps some Guylian chocolate seashells. If you know she’s into something specific (a posh marmalade or jam, for example) you could go with that instead. It demonstrates you chose something whilst thinking of them.

Such gifts are relatively affordable, easy to share and almost always appreciated.

America could become unrecognisable in 20 weeks or less.

I’d suggest it’ll only end either when you want it to, or possibly when you move out into your own place. Whenever he stays with us at Christmas, we will still fill a stocking with small gifts for our son who’s nearly 30. It’s not that we don’t see him as an adult; it’s simply a way to remember tradition and show love.

I’m voting for Julian May (yes, she was female). Her best series of books were the Saga of Pliocene Exile and the Galactic Milieu trilogy (in 4 parts).

“Secretly.” I do not think it means what you think it means.

You have mites living in your eyelashes.

My wife had one of these, only spotted after they saw the teeth in an x-ray.

The Bowhead whale. Saved you a click.

Alfa is so spelt so that non-English speakers would pronounce it correctly. The letters ‘ph’ could be problematic.

Quite. It’s how I’ve been watching YouTube ad-free for ages.

Julian May’s Galactic Milieu trilogy from the '90s has a fun FTL concept involving a ship generating an upsilon field to break through superficies into a “grey limbo” hyperspace. Each translation (in and out) causes physical pain; the tighter the catenary and the longer the jump, (the faster the trip) the more pain is caused.

The Blues Brothers (1980) or Clue.

At the end of the year, I was being made redundant for the second time. I ended up being self-employed for around a decade as there were no jobs to be had in my industry after the August 2007 credit crunch.

… questions and HOPE.

I’ll make you watch Season 1 of DARK. You’ll also get popcorn, crisps and wine.