samhexum

No, it blocked out the sun and everything went black.

So now Bryce has won it twice

Do I say Mazel Tov or give my condolences?

I can't believe nobody posted the obvious answer... all the way!

I don't think you could comprehend a number that high.

I decided to do it today, because I’d seen the weather forecast on Monday that said today would have a high of 65, so I knew it would be shorts weather, and it was. (50 degrees and a light breeze when I left the house). Otherwise, I would have been shvitzing wearing sweatpants & a jacket. Oddly, most people I saw were wearing jackets or coats. I guess it takes all kinds…

I still like the idea of naming a dog Taxi! so people get confused when you call it. The only dog I ever owned was named Jake.

just got my booster & flu shots

Rockmond Dunbar, an original member of Fox’s ‘9-1-1,’ has exited the show over his refusal to get a COVID-19 vaccine, Variety has confirmed. His character, Michael Grant, was written off Monday evening’s show due to differences about new COVID protocols on the show. The show, produced by 20th Television, now requires actors to be vaccinated. Dunbar applied for religious and medical wavers to the requirement but was denied. Fox and 20th Television confirmed his departure, which the social media account for the show tweeted about last night. “We take the health and safety of all of our employees very seriously, and have implemented a mandatory vaccination confirmation process for those working in Zone A on our productions,” 20th Television said in a statement. “In order to ensure a safer workplace for all, Zone A personnel who do not confirm their vaccination status and do not meet the criteria for exemption will not be eligible to work.” Dunbar expressed gratitude for his time on the show while alluding to the reasons for his exit. “I applied for religious and medical accommodations pursuant to the law and unfortunately was denied by my employer,” Dunbar said in a statement. “My sincerely held beliefs and private medical history are very intimate and personal aspects of my life that I do not publicly discuss and have no desire to start now. I’ve been an actor in this business for 30 years, but my greatest roles are as a husband and father to our 4 small children. As a man that walks in faith, I look forward to what the future holds. I have enjoyed the last 5 seasons with this wonderful cast and crew and will cherish the time I’ve been blessed to spend with this series and wish everyone involved nothing but the best.” ‘9-1-1’ debuted in January 2018 and stars Angela Bassett and Peter Krause. It has won awards including consecutive Image Awards for Bassett in 2020 and 2021. Dunbar has previously appeared in shows including “The Mentalist,” “Sons of Anarchy,” “Prison Break” and “For Richer or Poorer.” He has received two Image Award nominations, one for “Sons of Anarchy” and another for his performance in “Raising Izzie.” This is a bummer. I liked his character and enjoyed looking at him, too. They had him and his (male) doctor-fiance go to Haiti to help other volunteers get the country back on track.

Here he is describing it to the press:

THINKING OF ALL OF YOU! 105-year-old sets world record in 100-meter dash https://sports.yahoo.com/105-year-old sets-world-record-in-100-meter-dash-010245278.html

He appreciated your message.

Duke Ellington School of the Arts in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C., has canceled a planned fundraiser with alumnus Dave Chappelle after students threatened a walkout. The fundraiser and dedication for The Dave Chappelle Theatre was set to take place on Nov. 23. According to a report from the Politico Playbook, two students got into a heated debate with staff after being told they were expected to host an exhibition on the day of the event. Chappelle was expected to attend. The students said that they were uncomfortable supporting Chappelle because many of their peers identify as LGBTQ+. In the past, Chappelle has regularly visited the school, has donated $100,000 to his alma mater, gifted it one of his Emmy awards, delivered a commencement address in 2015, and held a master class for Ellington students. However, Chappelle’s most recent controversy surrounding statements that he has made about transgender people, particularly in his most recent Netflix special, The Closer, and statements that he has continued to make about the community has incensed the students at the famed arts school. According to a report from The Washington Post, Chappelle was in D.C. just hours before The Closer was released on Netflix, and in a pop-up screening of the special, he raised money for the school. “I’m happy that you’re interested in the special,” Chappelle said in his speech to donors at the Angelika Pop-Up theater at Union Market, per the report. “I’m happier that you’re interested in Ellington.” Chappelle told the audience that having the school name a theater after him was “the most significant honor” of his life. He noted that “I used to skip school. I would hide in there when I was skipping class. Who would have thought that that theater would one day be named after me?” Chappelle said. “But I understand it because sometimes when you love things, they love you back. And I loved that school.” The Post noted that Chappelle plans to raise nearly $1.5 million to support teacher salaries at the school. “The Ellington School saved my life,” Chappelle said. Ellington’s principal, Sandi Logan, confirmed Chappelle’s support: “Every time we ask him to do something, he’s always done it.” The comedian has claimed in recent weeks that he has been “canceled,” due to his remarks about transgender people in The Closer, where he likened being transgender to wearing blackface. Chappelle has not yet issued a response to the cancellation of the event. The Duke Ellington School of the Arts was founded over 40 years ago, and according to its website is an exemplary school that teaches a full academic course as well as an arts major: Dance, Literary Media, and Communications, Museum Studies, Instrumental or Vocal Music, Theatre, Technical Design, and Production, or Visual Arts. I'm curious if he now continues contributing, and if they go ahead with the fundraising and build the theater, but with a different name. He obviously has great affinity for the school, but when you exercise your right to free speech, you have to know you're also setting yourself up for people's reactions to it.

Guess whose album is outselling the rest of the UK’s top 40 combined since its release? I challenge anyone to listen to When You Danced With Me and NOT dance in your chair.

Why in the world would they hold a concert in a stadium that closed 13 years ago for safety violations and has never been used since?

Jeez... do you all have the memory of Dory in Finding Nemo? Mrs. Brady showed us years ago the vocal strength, range, and tonal beauty in her voice.

And will undoubtedly remember the glorious result of the sport's first work stoppage in 1972, when the first week of the season was lost and MLB decided not to make up the games, leading to the Tigers playing one more game than the Bosox and winning the division over them by 1/2 game.

And, coincidentally enough, 1981 was also a freaky, abbreviated season, when 1/3 of the season was lost to a strike and the season was split into 2 halves and the Dodgers didn't have the best overall record in their division. (neither did the Yanks, to be fair and square) West Division -- Overall Tm W L W-L% GB Cincinnati Reds 66 42 .611 -- Los Angeles Dodgers 63 47 .573 4.0 Houston Astros 61 49 .555 6.0 San Francisco Giants 56 55 .505 11.5 Atlanta Braves 50 56 .472 15.0 San Diego Padres 41 69 .373 26.0

Losing 50+ pounds wouldn't hurt, but I also have what my neurologist told me last month was 'not a normal' spine. Even if I lost weight (easier said than done when you're basically home-bound, any movement hurts, and have used food for comfort and pleasure all your life) I'd have back trouble. And ED. Hey, 2021 has brought me a lot of unexpected joy-- the first new ABBA album in 40 years, a Giannis-led NBA title, new TV to watch (my sister and b-i-l got me a ROKU and added me to their [many] streaming services when I only had basic cable before), and them offering me some $ towards my car repair and needed tooth implants. (His dad died in Nov and left them some money). So it has been my best year in a long time. The only sad thing is that I doubt I'll be around in 40 years when ABBA releases their next album. I'd be 99 by then. ☹️😟😢

Jay and the Americans singer Jay Black, known for 'This Magic Moment,' dead at 82

Famous Texas gambler “Mattress Mack,” known for his bold multi-million-dollar wagers on his hometown sports team, could win $36 million on the World Series. Furniture tycoon Jim McIngvale placed $3.3 million dollars in bets on the Houston Astros who take on the Atlanta Braves on Tuesday. He reportedly placed the bet in Indiana. According to William Hill, the spoils could be the largest payout in sports betting history. “It’s very cool that William Hill took that large of a futures bet,” McIngvale told KHOU. “Kudos to William Hill for stepping up and taking that big bet. I’ve done a lot of bets with William Hill, and they’ve always been great to me. The execution has always been great.” McIngvale went viral in February after he won $2.72 million on a $3.45 million dollar wager on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to win by 3.5 points when they routed the Kansas City Chiefs 31-9. “This is a potentially historic bet, and it’s one that we love to take,” Eric Hession, Co-President of Sports for Caesars Entertainment, said in a statement. “We pride ourselves on our flexible limits in our sportsbooks and sports betting apps. This wager certainly makes baseball season a little more exciting for us, and we’re looking forward to seeing how that plays out.” During February’s deadly winter storm in Texas, McIngvale transformed his furniture store into a shelter for residents without power. McIngvale similarly opened up his stores for shelter following Hurricane Harvey, which dumped several feet of rain in the area. McIngvale, 70, lives in Houston and owns the Gallery Furniture retail chain. The Mississippi native also turned heads back in 2019 after wagering losing $11 million on the 2019 Astros-Nationals World Series as part of a store promotion. He’s additionally co-authored a book in 2002 titled, “Always Think Big,” and is well-known around his local community for his charitable efforts.

Braves, Dodgers’ fates showed how unpredictable baseball can be: Sherman Put yourself in the place of every top executive whose team was not active in the third week of October. Do what they all surely were doing, which is scrutinizing the only game played Saturday like baseball forensic scientists trying to find clues to make sure their club is alive at this time next year. You would be watching the two winningest teams in the National League over the last four years. Two teams who were eight for eight combined in that period in making the playoffs and, in the case of the Dodgers, owning the longest unbroken streak of postseason appearances in the majors at nine. Surely, you could watch and glean valuable lessons. Right? But if this is what you were doing, you were more likely heading to the liquor cabinet for solace than your laptop to begin formulating plans. You were not encouraged by unearthing the keys to success as much as sullen about the unpredictability of it all, not just in the supposed crapshoot that is October baseball. But the whole darn season. The team that assembled the most expensive, accomplished rotation in history lost because it ran out of starting pitching. The team that lost arguably the best player in the National League midway through what at the time was a discouraging Braves season won because one of Ronald Acuna Jr.’s replacements — a guy in Eddie Rosario who in the last calendar year had been non-tendered, then salary-dumped — earned the NLCS MVP. Cue the zany circus music, pour a couple of fingers of whiskey and let’s toast to the randomness and absurdity of it all. Then let’s get right to work putting together our team for next year by throwing darts at a dartboard. Of course, there is more to it than that. The Dodgers didn’t only fail to defend their title because by October they were using relievers to open, starters to close and Walker Buehler on three days’ rest for the first and second time in his career. But the team that did everything to defy the baseball saying that “You can never have enough starting pitching,” actually didn’t have enough starting pitching. Despite: Taking on half of former Cy Young winner David Price’s contract (which is $16 million a year) just to lower the prospect return price to obtain Mookie Betts.  Looking at the NL’s best rotation of Price, Buehler, Tony Gonsolin, Clayton Kershaw, Dustin May and Julio Urias and deciding, sure, let’s add 2020 NL Cy Young winner Trevor Bauer.   Not stopping at the trade deadline and acquiring three-time Cy Young winner Max Scherzer. And for good measure, trading for Danny Duffy and signing a World Series MVP, Cole Hamels. And in 12 Dodger playoff games this year, career-long reliever Corey Knebel had the same number of starts (2) as Price, Gonsolin, Bauer, Kershaw, May, Duffy, Hamels and Urias had combined (both by Urias). Some of that was opener strategy, but lots of it was desperation. By the weekend, Scherzer reported an arm out of life, which forced him to bow out of his NLCS Game 6 start. Thus, Buehler, who had never worked on short rest before Oct. 11, was now doing it for a second time in 12 days. The Dodger workhorse lasted 4 ¹/₃ innings the first time and four innings Saturday. The key blow against him in Game 6 was a three-run homer by Rosario in the fourth that broke a 1-1 tie in what would be a pennant-clinching 4-2 win by a team that did not get over .500 until Aug. 6. The Braves fell back to .500 the next day. Three days later they recalled A.J. Minter from the minors after sending him down yet again in July for infuriatingly not being able to command his obviously terrific stuff. They were still three weeks away from having the most afterthought of all their late July acquisitions, Rosario, make his Brave debut. Those acquisitions of Rosario, Adam Duvall, Joc Pederson and Jorge Soler were made as an attempt to solve the loss of Acuna. But in the moment it played like, “Hey, Adele can’t go on tonight, go get me four lounge singers.” In the aggregate, they smashed 44 homers with an .828 OPS in 758 regular-season plate appearances with Atlanta. Rosario was non-tendered last offseason by Minnesota and produced a .685 OPS for Cleveland, which was happy to just move his salary in exchange for a player who used to answer to Pablo Sandoval. Rosario did not play for his first month as a Brave due to an abdominal strain. But he was terrific down the stretch and otherworldly in the playoffs — hitting in all 10 Braves games with a .474 average, a 1.313 OPS and the kind of clutch streak that would make Reggie Jackson modest. And the reality is he might not have been the NLCS MVP. With all that Dodger pitching, the best two arms in this series belonged to the lefty relievers Minter and Tyler Matzek. So a guy in the minors as late as August and a guy who was out of the majors for four seasons mostly due to having the yips and was a member of the independent Texas AirHogs as recently as 2018. If you were watching, what could you have learned to apply to your team? Don’t try to add great starting pitching? Get your best player hurt? Scout the Texas AirHogs? Maybe the best answer is this: Get the dartboard, pass the whiskey.