samhexum

New York City firefighters established a “collapse zone” after an under-construction high-rise building near New York City’s Grand Central Terminal was evacuated over fears that it would collapse. Emergency responders were called to 235 East 42nd Street just before 8 a.m. Tuesday after workers noticed structural support beams beginning to buckle on the 21st and 22nd floors. There were reports that bricks were falling off the 37-story structure. Officials said they found multiple cracks and that the floors between the 21st and 26th floors were sagging. The Midtown East building was once home to offices for the pharmaceutical company Pfizer, but is being converted into a residential building with over 1,600 apartments. The project was slated to be completed in 2027. “Two structural columns have buckled, in addition to multiple cracks and sagging floors. The building remains unstable,” New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said during a press conference Tuesday afternoon. There were no injuries reported, and all construction workers were accounted for, Mamdani said. There were 50 units and over 150 fire and EMS personnel at the scene at around noon. After first responders determined the building was unstable they started evacuations of the building and the surrounding areas, “establishing a collapse zone,” Fire Commissioner Lillian Bonsignore said during the press conference. Fire officials said if the building, which has a steel frame, were to collapse, it would be more localized, and not a total collapse. Still, several nearby buildings, including a hotel and a school, have been evacuated as a precaution, the New York City Fire Department told The Independent. Video obtained by Pix 11 showed construction workers looking on as several columns inside the building buckling under pressure. Meanwhile, construction worker and Steamfitters union rep Cliff Johnson told local media that there weren’t enough steel beams added to the building before it underwent the renovations. “They obviously didn’t add the right amount of steel, so the north side is crumbling,” he said. “The I-beams are bending like cigarettes in there, which is super dangerous.” Meanwhile, officials are using FDNY drones to examine the building. The New York City Department of Buildings was also at the scene investigating reports of structural issues. “First responders have advised commuters to avoid the area and use alternate routes,” the agency said. Mamdani noted during the press conference that officials were having a “minute-by-minute” assessment of the situation, but their main focus was keeping New Yorkers safe. “We have evacuated not only the building, but also seven buildings around it. I really do appreciate the way in which New Yorkers have responded to this situation,” he said. “We've seen that they have followed the instructions that have been provided by first responders on the ground, and that has been immensely helpful to ensuring that those first responders can be focused on the work at hand.” New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said she was working with city officials following the incident, and that New York State Department of Homeland Security was on the scene. “The State stands ready to provide any assistance needed. Please avoid the area as emergency crews continue their work,” she said. Officials said their investigation is ongoing.

Don't you mean I see what you did there. 😀 I see what you did there. 😀?

NYC luxury high-rise pelted with illegal fireworks, sending tenants fleeing A luxury Brooklyn high-rise was pelted with illegal fireworks July 4 — damaging its windows, showering onlookers with sparks and sending rooftop party-goers fleeing, fuming tenants told The Post. No one was seriously hurt as the rogue pyrotechnics were launched at the tony apartment tower from the street, but residents in the trendy Bushwick neighborhood said they missed their coveted local skyline views during the spectacular Macy’s 4th of July Fireworks show — to run for cover to avoid getting hit with the stray blasts. “The fireworks were pelting the windows — it sounded like hail,” resident Eric Dolny told The Post. He said the rockets were launched just after sundown directly in front of the swanky, 18-story, newly built Cedar Tower, where one-bedrooms run about $3,500 a month. “It was definitely jarring,” the 34-year-old said. “They were bursting in front of our window.” A 28-year-old software engineer said she was directly struck by a burst while hosting about a dozen friends in her 12th-floor apartment. “I got hit in the chest,” said the woman, who declined to give her name, adding that some fireworks sparks landed on others at the July Fourth fete, too. “I was trying to film the fireworks from my balcony, so maybe that was my fault, but I was standing near the entrance to my balcony door,” she said. The projectiles began at about 9:15 p.m. and continued for about 30 minutes, launched by two men right outside the apartment building, witnesses told The Post. The building, erected in 2023, is one of the tallest structures in the hip neighborhood, standing on a block of otherwise two- and three-story structures. “Fireworks were hitting every floor of this new building, and there were people on the roof that had to run away,” an onlooker wrote on social media. Dolny’s girlfriend said, “It actually looks like [the fireworks] might have scratched up our windows. “It was definitely dangerous and could have hurt people who were out on their balconies or could have potentially caused a fire.” The hurt software engineer’s roommate, who is 30 and also a software engineer, said, “At one point, our friends told them, ‘Stop! We’re up here!” — to no avail. The disturbing situation occurred as Illegal-fireworks complaints in the Big Apple have sharply decreased year-over-year to date, from 3,136 calls in 2025 to 2,257 this year, per 311 data. In the same zip code for Cedar Tower, there were 43 complaints in 2025 compared to 21 complaints for the same period this year.

She was 87, she was 87. Soon-yi is consoling Woody, Soon-yi is consoling Woody.

At least 350 stores permanently closed between July 2025 and May 2026, roughly one every day. Those cuts followed nearly 1,000 closures in 2024, reducing the chain's footprint from more than 8,359 locations at the start of 2024 to about 7,100 stores and counting. During a March 2024 earnings call, Dollar Tree's CEO said inflation and decreased government support (like reduced SNAP benefits) were making things tighter for Family Dollar shoppers. He added that while more folks were going into stores, they were spending less. This decrease in sales hurt Family Dollar's bottom line, he continued, which is why the company said stores had to be closed. Family Dollar falls short when it comes to customer satisfaction, according to ratings. The chain averages 3.99 stars across nearly 6,000 rated locations on Google, rendering it the only major dollar store chain below 4 stars. By comparison, Dollar General averages 4.06 stars, Dollar Tree 4.16, and Five Below above 4.2. In a climate where many dollar stores are thriving, this shortfall is significant.

The pilot who flew a small plane into Beijing's tallest building last week wrote in his diary about “ending his life,” authorities in China say. Their investigation concluded that the cause of last Friday's crash was “personal reasons,” according to a statement posted on social media by Beijing's Chaoyang district government. The pilot, a 66-year-old man, was killed in the crash and 13 other people were injured. None of the injuries are life-threatening and one of the injured has been discharged, the government statement said. The crash, which happened in a downtown skyscraper district as people were leaving work around 6 p.m., raised questions about security in the Chinese capital. It left a hole in the glass facade of the 108-story CITIC tower, nicknamed the “Zun” building because it mimics the shape of an ancient wine vessel of that name. The pilot, identified only by the surname Liu, first flew with someone else in the two-seat training plane, then took off on a solo flight from a general aviation airport in the outskirts of Beijing, the Chaoyang statement said. He deviated from the planned flight path and contact with him was lost, it said. Liu had no fixed job, was divorced and lived alone, according to the statement. He had insomnia and anxiety and his diary had multiple references to ending his life, it said.

Dansby Swanson hit two homers on Tuesday and hit three with eight RBI yesterday. He now has 26 RBIs in his last 10 games. According to Jeremy Frank, that’s the fourth-best total in MLB history, tied with Mel Ott (1929) and trailing Jimmie Foxx (1933), Joe DiMaggio (1939) and Lou Gehrig (1930). Frank has Foxx with 28. Baseball Reference (image below) says 27. Whatever the number, the fact remains: Nobody — not Barry Bonds, Mickey Mantle, Manny Ramirez or Hank Aaron — has done anything like this in more than 90 years. 23 of the 26 came in four games... yesterday and 15 in three versus the Mets

I watched tonight and enjoyed it although I found Ray's softening a bit unrealistic.

Last night, my YouTube feed offered me Patti LuPone singing this on Stephen Colbert's show. Her performance lacked the "personality" of Ms. Stritch's and was noticeably inferior, IMO.

A long-empty Greenpoint firehouse could see its sparsely detailed but elegant limestone facade restored as part of a new residential project pitched by a developer. The firm has proposed to demolish the rear of the building and the single-story brick structure next door to make way for a six-story, 10-unit condo building. Plans for the new build and partial restoration were presented to Landmarks Preservation Commission at its meeting on Tuesday, May 19, with the site at 124 Greenpoint Avenue falling within the Greenpoint Historic District. The commissioners supported plans for demolishing the single-story brick building, originally a wagon shed built in 1893 and long used as a poultry slaughterhouse before falling into disrepair. They also expressed support for restoring the early 20th century firehouse facade and developing the site, and praised the design team’s creative approach. Still, they sent the plans back to the drawing board for more work. Their main critique was that the new building is too dominant and overall the project lacks cohesion. https://www.brownstoner.com/architecture/greenpoint-firehouse-122-124-greenpoint-avenue/

Amazin’ Mets Foundation and America’s VetDogs raising Howie, their fourth service dog together By Ethan Marshall The Amazin’ Mets Foundation, the philanthropic arm of the New York Mets led by team co-owner Alex Cohen, and America’s VetDogs, a non-profit that provides specially trained service dogs to veterans and first responders with disabilities, are partnering to co-raise their fourth service dog together, Howie, named after Mets longtime announcer Howie Rose, who is retiring at the end of the 2026 season. Howie the dog is an 11-month-old Labrador Retriever. For the next 14 to 18 months, Howie will undergo basic training and socialization with Amazin’ Mets Foundation staff members, as well as Mets players and fans. Throughout Howie’s training, he will have a home in the Mets front office. In an effort to expose him to various environments that will help mold him into a confident and calm future service dog, Howie will be attending select events at Citi Field. Howie’s Citi Field debut will come during the Mets game against the Kansas City Royals on Wednesday, July 8. America’s VetDogs was chosen as the beneficiary for that evening’s 50/50 Raffle program held by the Amazin’ Mets Foundation. “America’s VetDogs is incredibly grateful to Alex Cohen and the Amazin’ Mets Foundation for their continued support,” America’s VetDogs President and CEO John Miller said. “The Amazin’ Mets Foundation’s generosity helps raise and train future service dogs for our nation’s and communities’ heroes while increasing awareness of the life-changing resources available to them at no cost. It costs America’s VetDogs more than $50,000 to breed, raise, train and place a service dog, and support from Alex Cohen and the Amazin’ Mets Foundation helps make that possible.” Howie’s name was chosen through a vote by Mets employees, reflecting the deep appreciation for his namesake, Howie Rose. Rose has worked as a broadcaster for Mets games since 1987. After hosting the team’s pregame and postgame shows from 1987 to 1994, he became the play-by-play announcer for Mets games on TV from 1995 to 2003 and has been the play-by-play announcer for games over the radio since 2004. The service dog being named after Rose is meant to be a tribute to his long and extraordinary career and lasting impact on multiple generations of Mets fans. As of June 2026, the Amazin’ Mets Foundation has funded over $200,000 in grants to America’s VetDogs. The Mets became the first MLB team to partner with America’s VetDogs to raise a service dog when they first partnered to co-raise Shea in 2022. Ethan Marshall I was born and raised on Long Island and reside in Bayside. Graduated Cum Laude from Hofstra University. Big Mets, Jets and Islanders fan.

The NBA had its draft this week. Charlotte picked a German player whose first name is Hannes. They had another pick a little later and picked Christian Anderson (Jr., another German)

isn't it against forum rules to post pictures of aberrant behavior? How dare you post a picture of Dakota Johnson's dad smoking!

On Wednesday night, Giants rookie Victor Bericoto hit a walk-off home run to give the Giants a 2-1 win over the A’s. Last night, Bericoto hit another home run, and as Jared Greenspan of MLB notes, the two home runs were almost identical: 445 feet, with an exit velocity of 108.7 mph. The only difference: hang times of 5.2 and 5.3 seconds. In a sobering note, after Wednesday’s game, Bericoto learned that his brother’s girlfriend was among near-500 casualties of the earthquakes in his (and many big leaguers’) home country of Venezuela.

just imagine how peeved ol' millie woulda been if she'd found some wire hangers in Vida's closet!

State Park Leader Accused of Secretly Recording 23 Lifeguards Naked in Locker Room with Hidden Camera Former California State Parks superintendent Kevin Pearsall is accused of secretly recording nearly two dozen male employees in a locker room Hidden cameras allegedly captured audio and video of 23 men over an 11-month period at Bolsa Chica State Beach beginning in August 2024 Pearsall retired after the investigation began and could face up to 18 years in jail if convicted On June 24, the District Attorney's Office in Orange County announced former California State Parks superintendent Kevin Pearsall, 59, has been charged with 23 counts of secretly filming another, five counts of eavesdropping and three counts of unlawful dissemination of private records. According to prosecutors, the charges stem from multiple instances of recording lifeguards and other state employees in the locker room of the Bolsa Chica State Beach Lifeguard Headquarters in Huntington Beach. Pearsall is also accused of sending nude images of at least three different employees to two other men. In July 2025, a sworn California State Parks officer discovered a USB drive in the men's employee locker room at the lifeguard headquarters, according to the release. Upon further inspection, the officer allegedly found the USB contained images of state employees undressing. The California Highway Patrol (CHP) was immediately contacted, and an investigation began. CHP identified at least 23 different men who had their genitals or buttocks filmed by Pearsall, none of whom consented to the recordings. Pearsall is also accused of making sexually charged comments about his employees' genitals. Pearsall, who worked for the department since 1994, was placed on leave while under investigation, prosecutors say. He subsequently announced his retirement after search warrants were served.

I looked at the title quickly and thought Martians in Venice is an odd topic for this forum.

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As Mrs. Brolin once sang, Memories... light the corners of my mind...

Even though cantaloupe has a hard rind that isn’t eaten, you need to wash your melon before eating it... really wash it, or there can be real consequences for your health. Food safety litigator Bill Marler has been “suing people over cantaloupe for years.” One of the biggest recent outbreaks was in 2023, when almost 600 people were sickened in the U.S. and Canada and eight people died. The culprit is the skin of the melon. The netted rind is the perfect place for bacteria, says Marler. “Unlike most produce, bacteria doesn’t just sit on the surface of a cantaloupe after harvest—it grows there.” This can happen anytime between harvest and your grocery store purchase. This means if you don’t properly wash cantaloupe before cutting, your knife will simply drag any harmful bacteria into the flesh. And since cantaloupe is eaten raw, there’s no chance of killing the bacteria while cooking. The California Cantaloupe Advisory Board (CCAB) and USDA have cleaning recommendations specific to cantaloupes and other melons with a netted (rough) rind. A simple quick rinse is enough for most fruit and veg, but this one needs a bit more care. In short, the USDA recommends: “To minimize the risk of cross contamination, use a vegetable brush and wash melons thoroughly under running water before peeling or slicing.” The CCAB notes that you can use the same kind of brush commonly used to clean potatoes before cooking. Note that you’ll also want to make sure to clean your knife and cutting board to help decrease chances of cross-contamination. Basically, think of the clean-up after cutting melon similar to dealing with raw chicken, another product prone to harbor salmonella. That being said, it is still statistically unlikely to contract salmonella from cantaloupe. So pull out your vegetable brush, give your prized melon a good wash, and enjoy the taste of summer.

Ahem... she was most widely known for hawking hostess cupcakes.

don't know any and wouldn't be worth the effort if I did.

thanks, but my hands don't work too well and I wouldn't have the necessary dexterity. It's no big deal.