samhexum

Vitali Volodymyrovych Klitschko is Hayden Panettiere's baby uncle, a Ukrainian politician and a former professional boxer who serves as mayor of Kyiv and head of the Kyiv City State Administration, having held both offices since June 2014. Klitschko is a former leader of the Petro Poroshenko Bloc and a former Member of the Ukrainian Parliament. He holds a Doctoral Degree (Ph.D.) from Kyiv University's Physical Science Department. As a boxer, Klitschko won multiple world heavyweight championships. Overall, he defeated 15 opponents in world heavyweight title fights, and made 12 successful title defenses. In 2011, Vitali and his younger brother Wladimir Klitschko entered the Guinness World Records as the pair of brothers with most world heavyweight title fight wins (30 at the time; 40 as of 2020). LITTLE BRO:

https://www.companyofmen.org/topic/102274-what-porn-stars-do-you-consider-legendary/?do=findComment&comment=1980381

Catching Up with the Legendary Tom Chase as He Talks the Golden Age of Porn, Embracing His Bottom Side & More December 1, 2021 In the 1990s, there was a smooth and clean-cut boy with dreamy brown eyes, a flawlessly chiseled physique, and yes, an 11-inch endowment that made him the first lifetime exclusive for Falcon Studios. In the 2000s, he reemerged at Colt Studios as a hairy and horny man’s man who loved to take it as much as give it. We speak, of course, of the legendary Tom Chase. Lots of the guys from this golden age of gay porn were hot, but Tom brought something else to the table (and elsewhere). Probably more than any other star of his day, Tom could combine being totally masc and aggressive with actually being tender and loving at the same time. It made for a viewing experience like no other in porn and his award-winning scenes all still hold up today. We are pleased to share that Tom Chase is doing just great and is more content than ever. He’s also still hot as fuck! Tom joined us for a revealing interview about how he’s been since leaving the industry, some memories of his career, and his plans for the future. How has your life been since leaving the industry? What have you been doing for the last ten years? TC: I left the industry in 2010, after making “The Big One” for Butch Bear Studio (now defunct), and I immediately started working on my emotional and psychological self, all of the work I had to put aside during my 20s and 30s in order to make quality porn. In 2010, I began the difficult work of confronting my anger, rage, disillusionment, resentment, and hatred. I let all of these negative emotions go, and I started to love myself for the first time. I cut ties with my toxic family and my toxic self (my old thinking, my old behavior). I cut ties with toxic friends and toxic clients. I grieved the losses (I cried every day for five years), and then I moved on with my life. For all of this uncomfortable work, I am happy and free. I am satisfied and fulfilled in life. And I am now capable of loving and receiving love, which I do in spades all day long. I am living my best life now, and I am proud of myself for doing so. How do you look back on your time in the industry? TC: I look back at my experience with great fondness and appreciation. I am proud of my work and the contributions I have made to the industry. I am enjoying being Tom Chase. The ’90s and early 2000s, (when you were one of the biggest stars of the industry!) are widely thought of as The Golden Age of Gay Porn. Do you agree and what do you think made that period so special? TC: I do agree, because of the timing and convergence of two things: the advances in video technology and the athletic quality of the models. By the 1990s, both had reached their zeniths. The combination was art. Any fellow stars of that time you consider favorites? Wish you had worked with? Still in touch with? TC: My favorite co-star is Mike Branson, hands down. Our chemistry was real, and it was passionate. We liked each other a lot, and we respected each other. We had a good brotherhood. Unfortunately, we are not in touch. After we both completed our contracts, we went our separate ways in life. I do stay in touch with most of my co-stars from my day. We are a family. What do you think was your best scene and why? TC: My best scene was with Matthew Anders in High Tide. We were not fond of each other from the start, and our scene was a tender, love-making scene. Our initial lack of interest in each other concerned me. On the day of the shoot, however, we both rose to the occasion and delivered our professional best. High Tide turned out to be my masterpiece. In addition to being my best scene, it is my favorite scene. It is the only scene I made for Falcon which truly represents me in bed. You have said it was a deliberate decision of yours to show on screen your progression from boy to man. How and why did you do that? TC: Yes, this is true. I felt the world needed to see a true depiction of the sexual and physical maturation of a gay man. Initially, as most gay men, I topped. As I matured and discovered my hole, I started bottoming. This is a typical course for a gay man over his lifetime, and I wanted to show that natural progression. Basically, I produced a documentary of Tom Chase growing up in the bedroom, and I used three porn studios to produce that documentary: Falcon, Colt, and Butch Bear Studios. If I ever have the opportunity, I’d like to continue the documentary into my senior years. Do you follow the industry as it is today? Any stars today impress you? TC: I follow it from a distance. I enjoy watching Austin Wolf and Tim Kruger. Sometimes, I wish I was John Thomas or Henrik Sommer. Would you consider a comeback? TC: Yes, under two conditions: the scene be bareback only, and I am the bottom. The leg tats are awful; otherwise I'd still do him. https://www.cybersocket.com/news-gossip/catching-up-with-the-legendary-tom-chase-as-he-talks-the-golden-age-of-porn-embracing-his-bottom-side-more/

Affirmative, though not so much in that pic

Cool.

I loved Anna Torv in FRINGE, and this review seemed intriguing, so I figured I'd give it a shot. I got sucked in & watched the whole thing and enjoyed it. @mike carey is this going to be an ongoing series, or was it a once-off miniseries? There’s a hint of the 1987 movie “Broadcast News” in “The Newsreader,” a new six-episode drama premiering Friday (March 18) on Roku. The series, set in 1986 Australia, stars Anna Torv (“Fringe,” “Mindhunter”) as Helen Norville, the tempestuous co-anchor of the “News at Six” in Melbourne alongside her aging, jealous colleague, Geoff Walters (Robert Taylor), who’s turning 60 and clings to his days as a Vietnam War correspondent to assert his relevance. He knows (but won’t admit it) that viewers are tuning in to the newscast for Helen; their on-camera smiles disguise the icy off-camera friction between. The “News at Six” team also includes young, fresh-faced producer/reporter Dale Jennings (Sam Reid), who’s hoping for his big break as a newsreader and snaring that all-important morning “update” segment — but muffs it, big-time, when he fills in for Helen after she storms out of the station following a loud fight with her boss, news chief Lindsay Cunningham (William McInnes) — after he calls her “a war zone on two legs” and says she has “a face like a slapped a–.” He knows that Helen is the network news division’s bread-and-butter and he tells her as much … in his own un-PC way. Such was life in the go-go newsrooms of the mid-’80s. Anna Torv and Sam Reid as Helen Norville and Dale Jennings in a scene from “The Newsreader.” Sam Reid and Chai Hansen as Dale and Tim, a “News at Six” cameraman. “The Newsreader” opens in January 1986 and constructs its narrative around two real-life, major news events: the Space Shuttle Challenger explosion, which killed all seven crew members (including schoolteacher Christa McAuliffe), and the arrival of Halley’s Comet, making its once-every-75-years appearance. As the series progresses, so does the relationship between Helen and Dale — she believes in his talent and he becomes her producer after she returns to “News at Six.” Dale is in awe of Helen while she struggles for the respect she deserves — and is so often denied — and is able to remarkably pull it together for the camera seconds after emotional meltdowns. They venture into a romance, while he finds himself attracted to cameraman Tim Ahern (Chai Hansen) amidst rumblings, as one of his co-workers says, that he’s “a poof.” Meanwhile, Helen’s testy relationship with her older co-anchor Geoff (and his wife, who’s not a fan) is tested when he makes an unexpected announcement at his 60th birthday party — and counts on Dale as an ally in the newsroom. “The Newsreader,” which premiered last summer on Australia’s ABC Network, snared five AACTA Awards (the country’s version of the Emmys and Oscars combined), including Torv as Best Lead Actress in a Drama and McInnes as Best Supporting Actor in a Drama. They’re all well-deserved. Torv plays Helen as a whirlwind of emotions, ambition and empathy who won’t give in to the sexism of her colleagues and bosses, however obvious or subtle, while McInnes adds subtle shading to his role as the demanding, demeaning, cajoling, understanding and intuitive news chief. Kudos, too, for Reid, Taylor and Hansen — who all turn in strong performances — and to series creator/co-writer Michael Lucas for recapturing the tenor of the times. While “The Newsreader” is set in Australia, the behavior and mores of the “News at Six” newsroom was universal and commonplace for its time. One thing that made this easy to binge is that each episode is ~52 minutes, and there's one 30 second ad for Verizon before and one 30 sec ad for Norwegian Cruise lines during. Otherwise, no ads. https://nypost.com/2022/03/17/anna-torvs-award-winning-role-in-the-newsreader-what-to-know/

Drunken Luann de Lesseps kicked out of gay piano bar There's such a thing as a straight piano bar?

Lucky you... my school was right on the other side of Mount Everest from my house. Au contraire! My family has diaries passed down through many centuries telling how my ancestors set their sundials back or forward twice a year. Apparently it was a bitch of an operation. I was going to post something pithy along those lines, but figured I'd be told it was in bad taste. I don't know why I let that stop me; normally it would just encourage me. 👀😇👀 👀😇👀 👀😇👀

I just watched the last one. I need a moment...

The Cubs made a very astute signing today. They got a lefty pitcher, pinch-hitter, and somebody to sing Take Me Out To The Ballgame all in one man: (and he's kinda cute, too)

How many young'ns here at the site do you think won't get the song reference in the thread title?

because most of her state doesn't adhere to it, but some of it does, which might create some issues?

The Senate unanimously approved a bill on Tuesday that would make Daylight Saving Time permanent, making the House all that stands between longer winter days and later sunrises in summer. The bipartisan legislation – known as the Sunshine Protection Act – was introduced by Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) in March 2019. It was quickly backed by two of his Democratic colleagues, Ed Markey of Massachusetts and Ron Wyden of Oregon. As the measure passed, Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.) let out an audible “Yes!” on the Senate floor. If the House approves the measure and President Biden signs it, the legislation would not take effect until the fall of 2023 since airlines, railroads and other mass transit operators have built out schedules based on the current timekeeping system. The US will enter Standard Time in November of this year, when Americans in every state except Hawaii and non-Navajo areas of Arizona turn their clocks back one hour. This past Sunday marked the start of Daylight Saving Time. In an op-ed published last week, Rubio and Markey advocated for the time change, calling it “an inconvenience to people everywhere.” The clocks would not “fall back” by one hour in November and remain at standard time permanently — without having to “spring ahead” in March, the bill says. The US first adopted DST in 1918 during World War I and rescinded the following year, then brought back during World War II — but wasn’t regulated by the federal government until 1966, when Congress passed the Uniform Time Act. In 1974, President Richard Nixon again pulled the plug, but the move proved so unpopular with Americans — including parents who feared sending their kids to school in the dark — that President Gerald Ford later hit the reset button. Ben Franklin is widely credited with coming up with the idea of daylight savings time in a satirical piece in the Journal de Paris in 1784, National Geographic says. Not all of the USA observes DST — Hawaii, most of Arizona, Puerto Rico and US territories, including Guam and the US Virgin Islands are not affected by the twice-a-year clock change, the US Energy Department says. If the Senate proposal — called the Sunshine Protection Act — is ultimately enacted, it will take effect in the fall of 2023 and would mark the third time in US history that DST has been shelved. If it were up to me, sunrise would be at 9AM (or later) everyday.

Yankees' new catcher is absolutely jacked There may not be a jersey big enough Photo via Brace Hemmelgarn, Twins photographer The Yankees and Twins pulled off a huge trade on Sunday night -- the highlights seeming to be Minnesota getting Gary Sánchez and Gio Urshela, with New York acquiring Josh Donaldson and Isiah Kiner-Falefa. But the Yanks also got another big piece that may have slipped under the radar. And we'd like to put a major emphasis on big because, well, just look at this dude. That's 24-year-old catcher Ben Rortvedt. He was rated the best defensive catcher in the Twins' system last season, he's an exceptional framer and some scouts believe he may eventually have 20-HR power. And yes, as you could probably see from outer space, he is exceedingly yoked. Although he does work hard in the gym, many Twins coaches and teammates believed that Rortvedt was just born this way. You know, like Superman. MLB.com's Do-Hyoung Park did a full profile on the catcher's biceps last year and reliever Tyler Duffey gave the only plausible explanation. "We were actually just talking about this," Duffey said. "It's not like he's doing some ungodly amount of weights. He was just touched by God and is gifted in what he's got." Is that in every way?!?!?

Yankees' new catcher is absolutely jacked There may not be a jersey big enough Photo via Brace Hemmelgarn, Twins photographer The Yankees and Twins pulled off a huge trade on Sunday night -- the highlights seeming to be Minnesota getting Gary Sánchez and Gio Urshela, with New York acquiring Josh Donaldson and Isiah Kiner-Falefa. But the Yanks also got another big piece that may have slipped under the radar. And we'd like to put a major emphasis on big because, well, just look at this dude. That's 24-year-old catcher Ben Rortvedt. He was rated the best defensive catcher in the Twins' system last season, he's an exceptional framer and some scouts believe he may eventually have 20-HR power. And yes, as you could probably see from outer space, he is exceedingly yoked. Although he does work hard in the gym, many Twins coaches and teammates believed that Rortvedt was just born this way. You know, like Superman. MLB.com's Do-Hyoung Park did a full profile on the catcher's biceps last year and reliever Tyler Duffey gave the only plausible explanation. "We were actually just talking about this," Duffey said. "It's not like he's doing some ungodly amount of weights. He was just touched by God and is gifted in what he's got." Is that in every way?!?!?

Few extra bucks burning a hole in your pocket? Opulent, Revamped Prospect Park South Manse with Ballroom, Garage asks $12.95 Million The exterior of this grand Colonial Revival in Prospect Park South has always been an attention-grabber, and after a renovation the interior certainly is eye-popping. In the Prospect Park South Historic District, the weathered but grand early 20th century standalone at 1305 Albemarle was in need of restoration when it sold for $2.75 million in 2017. Now it is back on the market after an exterior restoration and an interior makeover for a substantially higher price. Built in 1905 in developer Dean Alvord’s planned community of standlone houses and green parkways, the impressively sized house on a corner lot was deemed “one of the most eccentric buildings in the Colonial tradition in the district” in the designation report. Those features, designed by architect Henry B. Moore, include monumental two-story Ionic columns marking the entrance, smaller-scaled columns on the porch, an eclectic mix of windows and impressive swan’s neck dormers ornamenting the roofline. Listed for $2.988 million in 2016, the house went into contract just eight days later. The exterior got an LPC approved restoration that included selective repair and some replacement of deteriorated features. The interior had already had some alterations over the years, and owner and architect Stephen Tanenbaum told the Wall Street Journal that in addition to the exterior work the three-year project included some changes to the floor plan along with updated mechanicals, including central air. The listing photos also show new wallpaper and other decor changes to the over 11,000 square foot house, which includes nine bedrooms and 7.5 baths spread over four floors. Many original interior features remain, including a wood-filled dining room with Ionic pilasters (echoing the exterior ornament) along the wood paneling, a beamed ceiling and built-in buffet. The dining room also has a fireplace, the floor plan shows; it is one of six in the house. Three of them are wood burning, including one with a classical frieze in the black-and-white tiled foyer that got a makeover with grey and white paint and a new black tile surround. The first floor has multiple parlors along with the dining room and a kitchen at the rear of the floor with French doors opening onto a deck. As expected with the scale of the house, it’s an expansive kitchen with marble tile, a center island, glass fronted white cabinets and a rolling library ladder to reach them. Glitzy mirrored backsplash tiles make an appearance in the kitchen and in an upstairs bath. There’s a bold architecture-themed wallpaper in the upstairs hallway that leads to five of the bedrooms, including a large suite with dressing area and en suite bath with walk-in shower and a claw foot tub. Upstairs is the ballroom where in 1908 George E. and Sarah Gale hosted a “musicale” for more than 300 guests. The Brooklyn Daily Eagle reported the room was filled with roses, lilacs and palms and the house and ballroom were so extensive that the large number of guests were “readily accommodated.” The ballroom has been opened up to the attic to create a soaring ceiling and outfitted with a vintage bar that stretches along one wall with plenty of space left for billiards and movie watching. A spiral staircase leads up to a mezzanine. fancy-shmancy! The finished basement includes a sauna and workout room as well as a one-bedroom staff apartment with its own exterior entrance and a full kitchen. Outside, a long driveway leads to the two-car garage with a charging station. In addition to the fair amount of porch space, there is a gated rear yard. [Listing: 1305 Albemarle Road | I hate the floor and the ceiling looks like an ice cube tray. Way too much going on here: Very nice. I approve. The rug adds a needed pop of color. The table and chairs look wimpy against the room's grandeur. The kitchen of Dorian GRAY: Oh, dear God! MY EYES! MY EYES! The curtains need a pattern with color and the gold on the bed frame looks tacky. No... just... No! Nyet... just... Nyet! A sitting area for people to watch you bathe?!?!? I don't like how the bannister spindles attach at the base. I would have picked a different pinball machine, but nice!

UPS missed a priority window to make ferry reservations for its trucks to get to Nantucket this summer — leaving businesses scrambling to accommodate affluent locals and moneyed visitors. The shipping courier failed to request reservations for its trucks during an early priority window before ferries for the island’s busiest season from May to October were booked close to capacity, the Boston Globe reported Sunday. “It’s going to put us in a world of hurt,” Shantaw Bloise, business manager at the Nantucket Chamber of Commerce, told the newspaper. “I can’t imagine how we’ll be able to function just relying on DHL, FedEx and the Postal Service.” James Malkin, a governing board member of the Steamship Authority, which regulates ferry operations between mainland Massachusetts and Nantucket, said UPS didn’t respond last fall when it sent paperwork to freight shippers to make ferry reservations for this summer. The Steamship Authority even reached out as to why UPS didn’t respond ahead of the reservations being opened to the public, Malkin said. “Someone at UPS dropped the ball,” he told the Globe. It’s unclear exactly when, but at some point, the “light bulb went off” and UPS recognized the error and scooped up whatever reservations for it trucks to reach Nantucket’s distribution center, Malkin said. “But they don’t have what they need,” Malkin continued. Stephanie Correia, who operates Stephanie’s, a clothing and home goods store on Main Street, said UPS is a “lifeline” for businesses like hers and questioned how the company could drop the ball so blatantly. “You cross your T’s and dot your I’s,” Correia told the Globe. “I’ve been in business for 26 years, and I’ve never seen anything like this.” A message seeking comment from UPS was not immediately returned early Monday, but a company spokesperson said the courier is working to find other solutions. “UPS has ferry reservations and is working on other transportation options to ensure packages are delivered on time to the island during the busy summer season,” UPS told the Globe. UPS’ ferry reservations to Martha’s Vineyard appear unaffected, the Globe reported, despite bulk reservations for both islands typically being requested on the same form. But if the disruption to UPS’ service to Nantucket isn’t resolved by May, retailers and everyday residents may suffer the consequences of low supplies of food, fuel and appliances. “We get two UPS deliveries a day,” Vanessa Moore, of Nantucket Housefitters, told the Globe. “Our clients won’t be getting the tiles for their bathroom floors.” But simply adding capacity to the fright shippers might not be doable, a Steamship Authority spokesman said. “We’re basically at the maximum number of routes right now in terms of the number of boats and the number of crew members,” spokesman Sean Driscoll said. “There might be a couple of trips here and there we can add, but not on any kind of systemic basis … There’s no secret tunnel for the freight shippers.” One Nantucket shop owner, meanwhile, told Bloise she’s even considering hauling her wares to the island herself. “People are going to have to get creative,” the Nantucket Chamber of Commerce business manager told the Globe. https://nypost.com/2022/03/14/ups-missed-nantucket-ferry-reservation-window/

THE MEDIOCRE MRS. MAISEL finished out its season and somehow I think I'll survive the summer without it.

Each team would play four 4 games series a year... one against each team in their division. Do they really play so many more now? Donaldson came up as a catcher. Ralph Kiner-Falafel has caught 70+ games in the majors. Maybe they're the new catching tandem.

Pfizer CEO says fourth COVID-19 shot ‘necessary’ due to waning immunity https://nypost.com/2022/03/13/pfizer-ceo-fourth-covid-shot-necessary-due-to-waning-immunity/ Most people will need to get a fourth COVID-19 vaccine dose to be protected from the virus, the head of Pfizer said on Sunday. “It is necessary for most” people, CEO Albert Bourla said during an interview on CBS’s “Face The Nation” when asked if Americans can expect to get annual COVID booster shots every fall. The regimen of two initial doses plus a booster is not able to protect against variants and wanes too quickly in strength, Bourla conceded — making additional shots inevitable. “Right now, the protection that you’re getting from the third [shot], it is good enough — actually quite good for hospitalizations and deaths — it’s not that good against infections, but doesn’t last very long,” he said. Pfizer and other companies are working on shots that will protect against any future variants. “Omicron was the first [variant] that was able to evade, in a skillful way the immune protection that we’re given, but also in all that the duration of the protection doesn’t last very long,” Bourla told host Margaret Brennan. “What we are trying to do and we are working very diligently right now it is to make not only a vaccine that will protect against all variants, including Omicron, but also something that can protect for at least a year.”