samhexum

anything you can do, I can do 7 times in one human year... Dog survives 60-foot fall off cliff, night alone by freezing lake

Sunday, Jan. 14 Mixology Class at “The Last Word” Take part in this unforgettable evening of cocktail making. Learn tips and tricks from experts in crafting drinks from the Prohibition era. (The Last Word, 31-30 Ditmars Blvd., Astoria. 2-4 p.m. Admission: $39.47) Ice Age Hike Hike through Cunningham Park and learn about how the area looked in prehistoric times. (Cunningham Park, Union Turnpike and 196th Street, Fresh Meadows. 1-2 p.m. Admission: Free)

Bronx rider gets 2-year prison sentence for throwing pumpkin at Metro-North conductor's face Was he out of his gourd?!?!?

Psst... make us an offer... any offer... Rental giant Hertz on Thursday said it will sell off about 20,000 electric vehicles from its fleet and buy more gas-powered cars – a stunning reversal after tapping NFL legend Tom Brady to tout its transition to EVs. The company said the high costs to repair electric vehicles and a lack of demand among renters led to its decision to abandon those plans. Brady starred in a series of buzzy Hertz commercials in 2021, with Hertz vowing it would order 100,000 Tesla vehicles by the end of 2022 — before Thursday’s sudden U-turn. “The company expects this action to better balance supply against expected demand of EVs,” Hertz said in a regulatory filing announcing the move. “This will position the company to eliminate a disproportionate number of lower margin rentals and reduce damage expense associated with EVs.” Hertz said it expects to complete sales of its electric vehicles by 2025. The company’s shares plunged more than 4% in trading Thursday. Tesla shares fell about 3%. The Tesla deal was just one element of Hertz’s plan to “electrify” its rental fleet. The company previously said in 2022 that it would buy 175,000 EVs from General Motors and as many as 65,000 electric vehicles from Swedish manufacturer Polestar. The rental service expects to incur about $245 million in “incremental net depreciation expense” related to the move, according to the filing. Those costs will be reflected in the fourth fiscal quarter of 2023. The cost of maintaining a fleet of electric vehicles has been a source of concern for Hertz executives. Last October, Hertz CEO Stephen Scherr told analysts that “collision and damage repairs on an EV can often run about twice that associated with a comparable combustion engine vehicle.” Scherr insisted at the time that Hertz was “committed” to a “long-term strategy to electrify the fleet.” Hertz’s used car website lists more than 700 EVs on sale including BMW’s i3, Chevrolet’s Bolt and Tesla’s Model 3 and Model Y SUVs.

Let's celebrate with a beer, eh! A 25-year-old Canadian man had his driver’s license a measly 20 minutes before he was pulled over by police, who caught him drinking a beer in “celebration” of passing his driver’s test. The Brampton man had just gotten his G2 license — the second-level permit drivers in Canada receive before getting a full Class G license — when the Ontario Provincial Police caught him weaving in and out of traffic and speeding down a highway. “In celebration, the driver cracked a beer and decided to drive back to Brampton on Highway 10,” Ian Michel with Caledon OPP alleged, according to the Caledon Enterprise. The driver “flew past an unmarked police vehicle,” Michel said. According to police, the car was operating about 30 mph over the speed limit. Police also said the driver was weaving in and out of traffic in a “careless manner” before he was pulled over. “I can’t even begin to understand why someone would think that drinking a beer in their vehicle while driving is a smart idea, let alone a novice driver who should be well-versed on the rules of the road,” Michel said. After pulling the driver over they discovered an open beer inside the vehicle. The driver allegedly registered a blood alcohol concentration above zero — breaking a law that states new drivers must have no alcohol in their system. The offending driver’s license was suspended for 30 days. He was charged with stunt driving, careless driving, novice driver with BAC above zero, driving with open liquor and several other offenses, police said. “These are not simple errors in judgment, they are choices being made that put the lives of other drivers and pedestrians at risk,” Michel said. “Simply put drivers like this kill people and don’t belong on our roads.”

C'mon, be honest... you were still in the running towards each other in slow motion stage of your relationship when you got hitched.

Mickey Rooney: "Amateurs!" Elizabeth Taylor: "I'll bet not a one was a senator or a construction worker!"

DUH! RE: Kraft Mac & Cheese: A. I just leave a little pasta water in the pot & add the cheese powder to it, leaving out the butter & milk. Not quite as good, but totally fine and less fat & calories. Sometimes I'll throw in some spinach and/or minced onions. B. Sadly, last night's grocery delivery was out of stock on the 3 boxes of family (double) sized boxes for $1.12, and there had been no substitute option available. C. I have noticed that when Stop & Shop is discontinuing a cartoon characters version, they sell them for 57 cents. Last fall I ordered 4 boxes of Pixar Cars after checking that the substitution option was a box of the regular version, and it worked just as I planned... they had exhausted their supply and I got 4 regular boxes for 57 cents. Last month I ordered 9 boxes of Unicorns & Rainbows and got... 9 boxes of Unicorns & Rainbows. There's a slight benefit... those cartoon versions have about 70% of the volume of the regular versions, and (since, as you say, one box is a single serving) I'd rather have 30% less available to eat, especially since it's still a better value at a cost of 57 cents. I'd eaten 2 boxes when I tried a smaller order 2 weeks later of 2 boxes of Unicorns & Rainbows and I got... 2 boxes of the regular size for 57 cents. D. I know it seems like I subsist on Mac & Cheese, but I average about 1 box a month.

But is @MikeBiDude's gorgeous bread finer than Joe Burrow's buns?

You don't think starvation and the death penalty are punishment enough?

Why couldn't they just use CGI?

Prime just made THE AVENGERS unavailable in my area. Without Steed & Mrs. Peel there's no point in having it, but since I ain't the one paying for it, I ain't canceling it.

anything you can do, I can do better... California woman survives four freezing nights in totaled truck after it fell 250 feet into canyon

Teenager busted for taking subway cars on a joyride in Forest Hills that must've been quite a sight, those subway cars rumbling down Austin Street...

Has it been that ugly for 65 years? Egad!

I believe they were still called the Brooklyn Superbas back then.

I think if Unicorn were still a participant here, he'd feel a song coming on right about now...

Secretary Buttigieg has grounded all Boeing 737 Max 9s 'until it is safe.'

Thanks for your sympathy, @MikeBiDude; I am trying to be strong and not show my heartbreak. I also didn't get my 3 boxes of Maggi chicken boullion cubes for 32 cents apiece, my 3 family-sized (double) boxes of Kraft Mac & Cheese for $1.12 apiece, or my three 57 cent 150 calorie protein bars. I DID get McCormick ground Tumeric 1.87 oz and 3 boxes of Streit's Mediterranean Matzos (olive oil & sundried tomahto flavoring), both for $1.05, Cool Whip Reduced Fat (2 @ $.82), Campbell's Beefy Mushroom Condensed Soup (2 @ $.62), Stop & Shop Chopped Spinach 10 OZ BOX $.50, and two 4-packs of Energizer AAA rechargeable batteries-- regular price $15.79, sale price $1.58. I don't have the recharging equipment, but for that price I can just throw them away when they die. Their sales run F-Th. Once you submit an order, your prices are locked in as long as you get delivery within 7 days of the date you submitted your order, so I've developed a system to shop 2 circulars at once. I place an order on the last day of a sale (Th) for the following W or Th, then the next day when the new circular drops I supplement my cart with any new sale items I want. I didn't realize until tonight's order was finalized that I had missed maximum strength exlax for $2.25, which is ridiculous, and a clearance on Sylvania Xmas lights... a string of 100 for 70 cents, 300 for $2.00, or 100 LED for $1.20. I'm Jewish, but I think they're cheerful & I don't pay for electricity, so I'm splurging for $.70. I'll be submitting the order just after midnight for next Wed. I always take the 4:30-10PM slot, because you get $5 off for it, and I apply that as my tip. I'd regale you with more tales of my special shopping skills, but I don't want to make you too jealous.

Big shock! Sold out.

Retired St. John’s environmental professor pens book on Alley Pond Park The same year that William Nieter began teaching at St. John’s University in 1976, a group of environmentally minded community members opened the original Alley Pond Environmental Center on Northern Boulevard. Almost five decades later, with the surrounding park and its center unrecognizable from the early days, the idea to write all about it came to him. Nieter’s new book, The Story of Alley Pond: Past Present Future, chronicles the volunteers who continuously showed up with utmost care to rehabilitate and preserve one of the most ecologically unique areas in the city over the course of 11 chapters. Nieter was one of APEC’s first board members and served as president at one point. After wrapping up his final class, he retired from academia in May 2023. A couple months later, his chronologically structured book filled with original photos he acquired over the years was released through Amazon Publishing. It was the culmination of months spent sifting through public sources at the Queens Public Library, and over a dozen interviews he conducted with those familiar with Alley Pond’s history. “Everything that happened at APEC was a giant group effort. There was a whole cast of great people, so that’s part of the reason that I wrote it,” said Nieter. “I wanted to sort of give tribute to them and honor them.” He refers to the founders of the organization, Joan and Hy Rosner, as the greatest people he’s ever met. A chapter is dedicated to the two environmental educators who first envisioned turning the long-neglected area that used to be a construction dumping site into a community resource and educational center. But Nieter also wanted to inform people of the area’s unique history, noting that many of the center’s current employees and volunteers weren’t even born when the group was formed. He says it’s important for them to learn about the struggles and collective effort it took to transform APEC into what it is today. He added that especially for the teachers, who bring thousands of students through APEC’s doors on class trips each year, the book can serve as a valuable tool with insights into the diverse ecosystems home to hundreds of bird and wildlife species. As a professor who taught various introductory and advanced courses on ecology and coastal systems, he brought his students on trips to APEC almost every semester. They would conduct research by profiling the water and sail through Little Neck Bay, which sits at the park’s northernmost edge. As the Director of Environmental Studies at the university, a position he held for 38 years, Nieler also coordinated internships for students at APEC. Many of his students ended up being environmental educators and professionals themselves. “I don’t know if other people who don’t know the area would be so interested in it. But I think there’s got to be a million people in northeast Queens that know the park in some way or other,” said Nieter, noting that he doesn’t expect the book to become a financial success. But he decided that the profits the book does generate will be passed along to APEC as a donation to support the organization. The first time that he visited Alley Pond Park was as a youth living in Jackson Heights. He recalls his father packing everyone into the car and driving out east to set up for the day in a picnic area. “It was like being in the country. For a city kid to travel out to eastern Queens in the 1950s, everything was green and open,” said Nieter, who ended up moving to the area in the late 80s and decided it was where he would raise his kids. Putting the book together was a family effort. His wife, Vicke Nieter, who taught at St. John’s in the English Department, edited the 158-page book and helped him polish it up. And his son, a graphic designer, created the cover. In December, Nieter attended the grand opening of the brand new building now home to APEC alongside dozens of others who watched the center grow over decades. While he previously served as president and treasurer on the board, today he runs APEC’s advisory council with six others who have a close connection, and care for APEC deeply. “It really is an amazing thought that the building will carry us into the rest of the 21st century,” said Nieter. “But we still have a lot to do. There’s more environmental problems now than there were when we began with very problematic climate change, and loss of biodiversity. APEC is going to be affected by both of those.” However, he is optimistic about APEC’s future knowing that it is in the hands of “brilliant” directors, educators and volunteers who are carrying on the legacy. The Story of Alley Pond: Past Present Future can be purchased on Amazon as a paperback or kindle edition.

Einstein, meh! What did HE know?