samhexum

Massive $937 Kew Gardens Interchange reconstruction project lands second transportation infrastructure award now THAT'S a headline you don't see everyday! A highway construction project completed for under $1000? Sacre bleu! Governor Kathy Hochul announced on Aug. 4 that the $937 million Kew Gardens Interchange reconstruction project that was completed by the State Department of Transportation last winter was recognized with an award at the 2023 America’s Transportation Awards competition. The Kew Gardens Interchange project was named a winner of the Northeast Association of State Transportation Officials region in the “Best Use of Technology & Innovation, Large Project” category. This year, 36 state transportation departments participated in the competition, nominating 81 total projects. The award-winning project revamped one of the metropolitan area’s most heavily traveled corridors, creating faster travel times, safer merging and exiting, and more reliable connections for the hundreds of thousands of commuters, travelers, and local businesses who use it daily to reach JFK and LaGuardia airports and other key destinations throughout the region.

Campbell to buy Rao's premium sauces maker for $2.33 billion I must admit I didn't read the article, so I don't know if they are referring to Naomi or Neve.

Bey-train Beyonce spends $100K to keep DC trains running late after concert delay The show was delayed for nearly two hours as management had concertgoers shelter in place amid bad weather.

Bear being transported on Iraqi Airways flight escapes crate before takeoff He should have flown Qantas; they have experience with (koala) bears. Bumbling NYC crook arrested after calling cops to report car he stole was missing Is bumbling a synonym for moronic?

William Friedkin, director of 'The Exorcist,' dead at 87 That, Young Frankenstein, and Broadway Danny Rose are probably my three favorite comedies... laugh out loud funny from start to finish.

Yeah, but the A's can't afford him.

shouldn't this have gone in @JoeMendoza's YAY MATH! topic?

Councilman Robert Holden and Queens Borough President Donovan Richards Jr. introduced two pieces of legislation during a recent New York City Council meeting on Thursday, Aug 3. One proposed bill, known as Intro 1146, will ban the use of plywood to board up abandoned and foreclosed properties not sealed or continuously guarded. Property owners will also still be required to close any points of entry, but by any other means than the use of plywood. The second bill, Intro 1147, will require property owners to post a $5,000 bond to the Department of Finance when their buildings are undergoing foreclosure. According to the bill, the bond is sent to the commissioner of finance to address housing maintenance, building, and sanitation violations during vacancy or foreclosure. The bond will be returned to the property owner upon request, but if they fail to pay, they are subject to a daily fine of $200. “These eyesores have no place in our communities, as they contribute to neighborhood blight and attract criminal activities,” said Holden. “We can prevent deterioration, curb blight and maintain the value of our neighborhoods. I look forward to working with Borough President Richards to restoring the visual appeal of our communities and creating a safer environment for all residents.” Both proposed bills aim to hold property owners accountable for managing any abandoned and foreclosed properties. “Zombie buildings are eyesores and detriments to their communities that impact our neighbors’ quality of life,” said Richards. “These common sense bills will help address numerous issues that these zombie buildings create and I look forward to working with Council Member Holden to further address these concerns.” Holden represents Glendale, Maspeth, Middle Village, Ridgewood, Woodhaven and Woodside in the City Council. I think these are common sense measures that are LONG overdue.

I wouldn't worry about it. I've read that she's told friends she doesn't understand the @Charlie phenomenon, either.

Didn't you notice Pig making the Y with his arms?

A 4-year-old was uninjured Friday night after being run over by a golf cart after a dog laid down on the go pedal, according to fire department officials in Michigan. The incident took place at a summer party called Blues, Brews, and BBQ in Westland, Michigan, which featured the participation of the fire department, according to department officials. An arson dog for Westland Fire Department was sitting in a golf cart the department was using for the event when she jumped onto the floor and laid across the accelerator pedal, causing the cart to charge forward. Firefighters reacted quickly to steer the vehicle away from people and tents that fire officials were using, the fire department said in a post on Facebook. "Unfortunately, before the firefighters could bring the cart to a stop and remove the key from the vehicle, it struck a 4-year-old girl and the passenger side front tire ran over her left leg," the fire department said. Fire and paramedic officials examined the child for injuries and determined she wasn't injured but was just "visibly shaken" after the incident, according to the Westland Fire Department. Her mother declined additional treatment. "Fortunately, the child was back to eating her popcorn within minutes of the incident and within 10 minutes of the incident was back to jumping in the fire department bounce house, which wound up being covered in popcorn vomit," Westland fire officials wrote.

One of the many benefits of being poor.

probably the most dynamic, electrifying singer of the 20th century. youtube him sometime

You obviously never saw Perry Como in concert.

you mean Dr. J's oscar-worthy performance couldn't save it?

A friend of mine is a successful headhunter who has worked remotely for decades. One night she was driving us somewhere and took a brief call from a candidate she was trying to place. After she hung up, I looked over at her steering wheel and said, "Wow! I'm so impressed. You actually have a button on your steering wheel marked resume so your candidates can send you a resume. Where do they come out?" I was less impressed when she told me it was just a button to reactivate her cruise control.

Disliked the play, but stayed though it all. Don't remember who I saw, just remember that Agnes was played by the understudy that night. For some reason, a little voice in my head is saying I saw Elizabeth Ashley and MaryAnn Plunkett. I'm too lazy to check their resumes.

So what you're telling us is that you're a manufacturer standard issue badass?

12 Kid-Friendly Wineries Near NYC umm... a question comes to mind...

You're probably the type who'd be aghast at the thought of somebody who'd make fast food a major part of their diet. 😇😁😜😎😝 And I can only imagine your horror when you read @Charlie's earlier post: Posted August 11, 2022 I love soup, but I have never made any. I have been addicted to Progresso, Campbell's and Amy's for years.

Unfortunately, living in an apartment limits me to my windowsills, but I do enjoy my plants. This article made me smile the other day: Rich With Tropical Plants, Flatbush’s East 25th Street Named Greenest Block in Brooklyn Lined with lush front gardens, tropical flowers, manicured hedges, and leafy overhead trees, it’s clear why a block of Flatbush’s East 25th Street – between Clarendon Road and Avenue D – has been named this year’s Greenest Block in Brooklyn. This morning, East 25th Street residents gathered on their block, alongside local officials, neighbors, and other gardening enthusiasts, to be celebrated as winners of the annual competition, run by Brooklyn Botanic Garden. The Greenest Block in Brooklyn has been running for almost 30 years and is designed to promote city greening, streetscape gardening, tree stewardship, and, importantly, community building. “We don’t take this lightly. Everyone that you see standing here played an integral role in where we are,” homeowner and 300 East 25th Street Block Association member Carol Reneau told the crowd. The title isn’t unfamiliar to the block association and residents: today’s win was the fifth time the block has been crowned victorious in the competition’s history. Carol Reneau stands in front of her garden Most recently, the block took home second place in 2022’s competition, tied for first place in 2021’s socially-distant edition, and was awarded the top prize in 2016. Reneau said the greening of the Flatbush block was not just done for aesthetic and practical reasons, but as a way to build community amongst neighbors and those passing through. “We’ve shared many interactions, conversations, and exchanged ideas through greening,” she said. “Greening has also helped us to understand the deeper connections and roles that pollinators, recycling, being a good tree steward, conservation, the temperature, air quality, and human beings have with each other. Lastly, greening has enabled us to put our differences aside and work towards a greater cause for future generations.” Pauline Green, who moved to the block in 1995 and has helped fellow residents learn the art of gardening, said over the decades she’d lived there, the block’s residents had made it what it is. “It’s just a better way of life. I’m from Jamaica, I’m from St. Ann, the garden part. I have a green thumb, my last name is Green, so it’s in my DNA,” she smiled. Pauline Green in her garden While Green’s garden is full of healthy foliage and grasses, something she said she prefers over blooms, the vibrant pink hibiscus steals the spotlight in her front yard. She said this year it was showing off, “it’s the first time it’s had so many blooms.” Overall, the theme for her garden this year was plants of the Caribbean. Another local on the block, Julia Charles, said Caribbean plants were a common sight along the stretch of East 25th Street, and were an attractive selling point when she moved to the block from the Rockaways ten years ago. She said the block had a beautiful way of interweaving the Caribbean plants and New York natives, and that was largely thanks to the block’s gardening committee. “They indoctrinate you honestly, when you come on the block it’s not if you’re gonna garden, it’s when you’re gonna garden and how soon,” she laughed. Julia Charles in front of her garden “I think it’s beautiful. You know, it’s definitely a labor of love. It’s not based on how much money you could pay your landscaper. It is based on people really caring about the community, not just their personal homes, but the community at large.” Brooklyn Botanic Garden president Adrian Benepe, who hosted the event, said the East 25th Street block topped the pool of 119 competitors, which spanned Brooklyn’s neighborhoods. “This is a championship team,” he said. “They know how to play ball.” Benepe said the residents of East 25th Street clearly showed their protection and care of the block’s trees – evidenced by the lush overhead coverage, educational signs along the block, and trees at all stages of life – an element that was given special consideration with this year’s theme: “Power of Trees.” Referencing the record breaking temperatures, Benepe said trees are essential in the fight against climate change. “They capture our pollution, the carbon, they absorb it and they store it until they die. And they cool – we’ve learned so much about the cooling power of trees.” Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso reiterated the importance of trees, and the role they have to play in achieving climate justice and positive health outcomes in Brooklyn’s neighborhoods. “On certain days, it is 10 degrees hotter in Brownsville than it is in Park Slope. So think about that, if it’s 90 degrees in Park Slope, and they’re struggling there, it’s closer to 100 in Brownsville,” he said. Norine Medas of the Rockaway Parkway Merchant Association, which won the greenest block commercial category for its block of Rockaway Park between Conklin and Flatlands avenues, shared how community organizing has seen the planting of five trees on the Canarsie block. She said the association first entered in 2021 and was only able to enter one block because “there was only one tree between Farragut Road and Glenwood. This year, with the help of our community – this is a collective effort, we entered five blocks,” she said. “The work that we are doing is for our children who we’re teaching, we’re changing the dynamic of what our children see, we want them to see life growing vibrantly in Canarsie. We want to thank our seniors who have worked tirelessly to allow us the opportunity to be able to live in Canarsie.” East 25th Street residents took the crown from repeat winners, Crown Heights’ Preserving Lincoln’s Abundant Natural Treasures (P.L.A.N.T.), which spans Lincoln Place between New York and Nostrand Avenues. P.L.A.N.T won the competition in 2021 and 2022. This year’s runner up for the Greenest Block was Crown Heights Keepers, a block of Eastern Parkway between Bedford and Franklin avenues. Benepe said the block was a “remarkable new role model” in that it wasn’t a block of private homes, but of large apartment buildings which residents had found creative ways to green. Third place saw a tie between two Bed Stuy blocks: Stuyvesant Avenue Block Association, Stuyvesant Avenue between Bainbridge and Chauncey streets, and 200 Decatur Street/Stuyvesant Avenue Block Association, for the block of Decatur Street between Lewis and Stuyvesant avenues. National Grid’s Leadership in Sustainability Award was awarded to The New East 26th Street Block Association in Flatbush, which spans East 26th Street between Clarendon Road and Avenue D, just one block over from the competition’s overall winners. Check out the full list of winners in all categories here. https://www.brownstoner.com/brooklyn-life/greenest-block-brooklyn-east-25th-st-flatbush-2023/

I find as I get older I find many things harder, though unfortunately not one important thing. What does one thing have to do with the other? 😇😁😝😎🤣

Some, too expensive, no, no, some, some, never been to one