samhexum

Why have a best man for your wedding when you can have a best mutt? A Michigan couple proved every dog does indeed have his day after the groom made their pet pooch his “best boy” at their wedding. They also posted photos of the groomsdog on Facebook. “We could not have asked for a better wedding day,” Shane Hudson, 34, told Caters News Agency after marrying Amanda Hudson, 32, with their 3-year-old, tuxedo-wearing canine Weller standing beside them at the altar. The Hazel Park residents had always wanted their pet, a mastiff-Staffordshire bull terrier mix, to be part of their big day but couldn’t decide on his role. Initially tapping Weller to be the ring bearer, the pup-loving paramours “ultimately landed on him being the ‘best boy’ because, well, he is,” said Shane. “Weller is our world,” fawned the salesman, who adopted the dog as a puppy and reportedly brings him anywhere the newlyweds can take him. Thankfully, the Hudsons managed to nail down a dog-friendly venue for the occasion, and the party animal was able to accompany the couple as they said “I do,” Caters reported. Weller then joined the afterparty, whereupon he lived it up late into the night with the guests until he was dog-tired. “The day was absolutely perfect, we have some nontraditional tastes and really focused on the celebration of our love for each other,” gushed Shane of their paw-fect knot-tying ceremony. Naturally, dubbing a pooch “best man” might seem neglectful of lifelong human friends; however, the other guests were allegedly amenable to the Hudsons’ decision. “We are those annoying dog people who post pictures and videos of Weller all over our social media, so Weller has a mini fan base with our friends and family,” Shane said. Not to mention that the couple “worked very hard” on the mutt’s training ahead of the wedding to ensure he didn’t cause a scene. Shane added that he and his wife are still “getting compliments on how well-behaved he was.” https://nypost.com/2022/01/20/best-man-dog-steals-the-show-at-couples-wedding/

A speeding motorcyclist who was being tracked by a Los Angeles Police Department helicopter was killed in a brutal head-on crash during the chase. The unidentified cyclist was speeding down Roscoe Boulevard in West Hills, Calif. at about 1 p.m. on Thursday before slamming head-on into a vehicle making a left turn. Cops initially ran the license plate and determined the motorcycle was stolen, LAPD spokesman Sgt. Bruce Borihanh told the Post. The officers then called on an LAPD helicopter to track the motorcyclist, who took off at a high speed. Sgt. Borihanh said police vehicles did not pursue the motorcyclist. A local CBS news station following the pursuit caught the violent impact live on air. “Oh my Gosh!” the anchor said while clasping her hands to her face. “We have just seen — sorry, we just saw that motorcycle crash into a car there at the intersection.” Borihanh said the motorcyclist was pronounced dead at the scene. https://nypost.com/2022/01/20/motorcymotorcyclist-fleeing-lapd-dies-in-horrendous-crashclist-killed-in-lapd-pursuit/

LIVE IN A CONVERTED WONDER BREAD FACTORY (if you've got the dough) https://nypost.com/2022/01/17/historic-wonder-bread-factory-in-hoboken-turns-into-luxury-building/

Escape from NYC with your very own private island, just 30 minutes away https://nypost.com/2022/01/17/escape-nyc-with-your-very-own-private-island-30-minutes-away/ You can now buy your very own private island just 30 minutes from Manhattan — if you have $4.9 million to burn. Located in the upscale New Rochelle community known as Premium Point, the Mediterranean-style waterfront estate on Oak Island spans a colossal 7,800 square feet on nearly three-quarters of an acre of property. Modeled after an Italian villa, it boasts six bedrooms, six bathrooms and a pool, as well as access to a private beach and boathouse, not to mention 24/7 security. For easy accessibility, the island is connected to the mainland by a 50-foot-long concrete bridge, erected when the house was constructed in 1917. The current owners have updated the residence to include a two-story addition complete with wine room and terrace with a built-in fireplace overlooking the water. The estate offers views of Long Island Sound and Premium Mill Pond and is one of some 60 islands that dot the shores of Westchester County. “You’re on the cusp of New Rochelle, which is bustling, but also the quaint village of Larchmont,” Margaret Grasso of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices told Realtor.com. “You have the best of both worlds.” The exclusive gated yachting community of Premium Point, founded in 1882, hearkens back to the Gilded Age. Back then, New Rochelle was known as “Queen City of the Sound” and a popular summer destination for the wealthy. The home at 20 Premium Point is also a relative bargain. In 2010, an estate in the community designed by Stanford White, with landscaping by Fredrick Olmstead, hit the market for $12 million. Known as “All Views,” it was built in 1890 by banker and avid yachtsman C. Oliver Iselin. Other notable Premium Point residents over the years have included artist Norman Rockwell, J.P. Morgan, Revlon founder Charles Revson, LVMH chairman Bernard Arnault, Nigerian billionaire and diplomat Antonio Deinde Fernandez and former Yankees manager Joe Torre. The community has had its share of scandal. In 2005, several owners reportedly sued the community’s board over maintenance fees, which at the time cost as much as $30,000, alleging the board made “secret agreements” with select owners. The expansive patio with an entertainment lounge and an al fresco dining space. realtor.com The expansive pool and hot tub are surrounded by a lush landscape. realtor.com An entertainment-centered living room with wall-to-wall arched colonial windows. realtor.com The formal living room. realtor.com The family room. realtor.com The private island is just 30 minutes from Manhattan. realtor.com The kitchen featuring two islands. realtor.com The formal dining room. The primary bedroom with a terrace and a wood-burning fireplace. realtor.com The expansive terrace off of the primary bedroom. realtor.com The primary bathroom with a sinking tub.

DEAR ABBY: Is it customary to give a house cleaner or cleaning service lunch or offer them food if they are doing an extensive cleaning job? I ask because my mother-in-law hired a cleaning crew. She watches my infant daughter during the day. She doesn't cook or clean, although I pay her. Well, she gave the crew lunch. Mind you, she didn't ask me if it was OK or if I wanted the leftovers for my own lunch. I wouldn't mind, but I'm wondering if this is typical. -- CLEANING CREW LUNCH DEAR CLEANING CREW: Let me put it this way: It is intelligent and hospitable to offer lunch if you want a happy, energetic cleaning crew who look forward to coming back. The practice is not uncommon. P.S. If there are leftovers you would like to have for lunch, take them with you before the housekeepers arrive.

I thought the first episode showed some promise. The central character is interesting.

And which of the two are you?

No, my former roommate learned the recipe (and the one for pineapple pie that started this thread) from her aunt who called it that. Of course, the aunt has been thin her whole life, whereas my former roommate & I have not. BTW, if you can't find skor bars, heath or twix will do in a pinch.

Somebody posted all the black & white Diana Rigg episodes (and a few of the color ones) to vimeo. https://vimeo.com/ribose

DIARRHEA IN A BOWL (BECAUSE IT LOOKS LIKE IT, NOT BECAUSE IT CAUSES IT) Ingredients 1 box of chocolate cake mix 2 boxes of instant chocolate pudding 10 Skor candy bars 2 (1 liter) containers of Cool Whip Directions Make and bake your cake mix as per the directions on the box. OR if you're making your own chocolate cake from scratch make and bake up that. You will want to make sure you evenly pour the batter into two round cake pans. While the cake is baking, whip up the instant chocolate pudding mix and toss that into the fridge to chill. Meanwhile, place the Skor candy bars into a bag, and using a meat tenderizer (or a rolling pin) crush up the candy bars. Once your cakes are cooled, break up the cakes into pieces. Then you can begin the layering process. In a trifle dish or any large bowl. Begin with a layer of cake pieces, chocolate pudding, Cool Whip, Skor candy bars pieces. Repeat the layering process about 3 times, maybe more depending on the size of your dish. On the very top should be Cool Whip with Skor candy pieces.

When I was in college, I worked for the NY Post, meeting the delivery trucks at 4AM(ish), then dropping off the appropriate bundles to the paperboys. I'd get home about 7:30. There was a little hole-in-the wall place in my neighborhood that sold bagels & some hot food. They had real pumpernickel bagels that actually tasted like pumpernickel, not just brown plain bagels like most places have. I don't know what possessed me, but one day I had them make me a cheeseburger on a pumpernickel bagel and YUM! The combination of flavors was great. Alas, it's been rare that I've found pumpernickel bagels with that authentic flavor during the ensuing years (although if I had, I'd probably be another 50 pounds overweight).

I nominate: OR:

The Washington Post called it the first great series of 2022. https://washingtonpost.com/tv/2022/01/14/somebody-somewhere-review/?tid=pm_entertainment_pop

Or it could have meant that you're not made of glass (so move your ass) because he made you.

You should've walked out of the room, saying "No, I'll just take them to go."

Fran Kranz is Jaclyn Smith's son-in-law.

Medieval castle with watchtower and drawbridge on sale for $2.3M https://nypost.com/2022/01/13/medieval-castle-with-watch-tower-and-drawbridge-2-3m/ Where’s Shrek when you need him? A faux-Medieval castle — complete with trap doors, a dungeon and a secret underground grotto featuring a jacuzzi — could be yours for $2.3 million. Entering the fortress requires visitors to traverse two gates, two watchtowers, a moat, a drawbridge and, last but not least, an actual portcullis. The kingly residence was built not during the Middle Ages in Europe — but in 1990, in suburban Detroit. A local businessman began construction on the castle for himself and his two children in the mid-1980s. Although he sold it in 2015, he lived in the castle through 2019. “It was a give and take between what really could happen — and a dream for a homeowner where money was no object. He wanted to have a home that was something he dreamed about as a kid,” listing agent Michael Kuligowski told Realtor.com, adding: “To live in the house would be like living in a kind of childhood dream for someone who grew up idolizing the Knights of the Round Table and living in the Renaissance era.” The castle is situated on more than six acres of land. Courtesy of Realtor.com At the entrance of LeBlanc Castle is a functional portcullis. Courtesy of Realtor.com A decorative suit of armor flanks the entryway. Courtesy of Realtor.com The grand foyer. Courtesy of Realtor.com Spanning almost 10,800 square feet, the castle features a total of 26 rooms with custom finishes and hidden surprises. “The trap doors, hidden passageways and hallways are just fun and unique. They wow your friends and your family,” said Kuligowski of the home’s more idiosyncratic attributes. “Pushing a bookcase and then realizing it it leads to a room. When it’s closed, you’d never know there was a room behind it.” “Even the door hinges are very Victorian-style and there are details around the home that are undoubtedly castle-like and timeless,” he continued. “It was custom-designed to be a 15th-century-style English castle.” The grand staircase. Courtesy of Realtor.com One of five bedrooms. Courtesy of Realtor.com One of seven bathrooms. Courtesy of Realtor.com A unique garage with lights meant to communicate an “under the stars” theme. Courtesy of Realtor.com Made up of five bedrooms and seven bathrooms, the castle is situated on more than six acres land. Still, it will take a special someone with a truly unrelenting thirst for adventure to want this place. First listed in September, the property has yet to find a buyer. “The frame is built with 60 tons of steel and construction took over 6 years utilizing artisans from all over the world. The castle is 60 feet tall, or taller than a 4 story building,” the listing states. A sitting area. Courtesy of Realtor.com The pub space. Courtesy of Realtor.com Another bedroom with golden wallpaper. Courtesy of Realtor.com The castle spans 10,790 square feet. Courtesy of Realtor.com “It features a moat, waterfall, drawbridge, portcullis, elevator, 5 fireplaces, 6 new furnaces, secret rooms, hidden doors, hidden passageways, hidden staircase, wine cellar, Tudor style pub, and a few more surprises,” the listing adds. What’s more, the primary suite features a custom-made bed that was assembled in the room itself and therefore impossible to remove. The full bar comes with 12-foot ceilings and unique details in the walls. “They plastered over [a stone wall] and then put some straw in it in the same style they would have done 500 years ago, when they would essentially do mud walls with straw as a bonding agent,” Kuligowski explained. The castle is the largest home in the upscale gated community. “This is the biggest lot, but also the first lot that was developed, so it’s in the very back of a neighborhood,” he clarified. “There are homes with different architectural styles but mostly Colonials.” In describing the ideal buyer, Kuligowski said: “Someone that grew up loving fairy-tales or stories would really fit this house.”

Unlike the last couple of years when negotiations dragged on until the end of the season, ABC has reached agreement with Ellen ('Don't Call Me Mike') Pompeo and renewed GREY'S for another year. And to think, two weeks ago she gave an interview in which she said she was doing everything she could to convince people the show should end. From comments I've read, more than a few fans would be fine with the show continuing without her.

I'll bet his father Darth used to tell him "Harrison, I am your father."

Bridget Everett didn’t want to make ‘Somebody Somewhere’ about ‘judgment or politics’ Comedian Bridget Everett said that she wanted to focus on more mature characters who are still finding their feet in her new HBO series “Somebody Somewhere” — since many other shows are all-about younger people. “Speaking for myself, that’s when I woke up and that’s when my life clicked into gear,” Everett, 49, told The Post. “That’s when I became more successful. I stopped waiting tables in my 40s, and I think that’s the story of a lot of people around me. We’re all in our 40s and hustling. We’re not bold-faced names, and we’re all in an HBO show now — together.” Premiering Sun. (Jan 16) at 10: 30 p.m., and executive-produced by the Duplass brothers, the seven-episode comedy series follows Sam (Everett, also an exec producer), a 40something woman who feels stuck in a rut in her hometown of Manhattan, Kansas. By day, she has a boring job at a standardized testing grading center, frequently clashes with her family, mourns her sister Holly who died six months ago, spends lots of time alone and unsure that she is “friend material” and doesn’t do anything about her passion for singing. But, soon enough — when she befriends her co-worker Joel (Jeff Hiller) — she gets involved in a group of misfits and LGBTQ people who gather in a church after-hours for an unsanctioned “choir practice” to socialize, sing and perform onstage. Sam (Bridget Everett) and her new friend Joel (Jeff Hiller) share a laugh in “Somebody Somewhere.” “We’ve never seen real queer folks who live in a small town in the middle of America,” said “Somebody Somewhere” co-star Jeff Hiller. “Parts of it [are based on my life] [and] some of the themes, liked the dead sister and the love of singing and being from [Manhattan] Kansas. There are differences and similarities, but enough to help me stay emotionally connected as an untrained actor,” said Everett, best-known for her appearances on “Inside Amy Schumer” and her bawdy live cabaret shows. “We didn’t want to do a ‘Singer goes to New York’ plot,” she said. “We wanted to do, ‘What happened if somebody like me stayed in a town like the place I grew up?’ I think her relationship to music is an interesting one. It’s sort of letting her dreams and the things that she loved slip by, and sort of waking up in her 40s and being like, ‘Oh, what happened?’” Sam (Bridget Everett) looks through a yearbook with her niece Shannon (Kailey Albus) in “Somebody Somewhere.” Co-star Jeff Hiller (“Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt”) said that he could relate to his character, Joel, as well. “We’ve seen queer characters feel oppressed in a place that isn’t necessarily a city, and we’ve seen queer characters in a city, but we’ve never seen real queer folks who live in a small town in the middle of America,” he said. “That’s what makes this sort of a unique story to tell. My character loves the church, and normally gay characters will hate the church, or are oppressed by the church. There are barely any shows about people in their 40s at all — and if there are, it’s about people who are having a hard time in their marriage, or something.” Sam (Bridget Everett) and Joel (Jeff Hiller) take a stroll through Manhattan, Kansas. Photograph by Chuck Hodes/HBO Everett said that, since this is her first time as an executive producer, she got some advice from her pals in the industry. “I talked to Sarah Jessica Parker about how to sort of stand on your own and take your power, take your space, make your voice at the table heard,” she said. “She really helped inform me and give me confidence to do that. Just because you’re the person on camera, doesn’t mean you don’t have something to contribute behind the camera. “We didn’t want to make [the show] be about judgment or politics — I wanted it to feel like the people that I knew growing up in Kansas,” she said. “Little things, like feeling the military [presence], because I grew up next to Fort Riley. You want to feel the school, you want to feel the limestone buildings. I’m sure I’m still going to get s–t from some of my friends back home about how I didn’t nail this or nail that, but we really tried hard to make it as Kansas-y as we could.” https://nypost.com/2022/01/11/bridget-everett-on-finding-her-feet-on-somebody-somewhere/

I didn't say I fast forwarded, I said I WANTED TO fast forward. I've never really understood why some comedies think it's entertaining for the audience to watch unlikable characters. Bev on ROSEANNE was like that, too. If her own family couldn't stand to spend any time with her, why would the viewing audience want to? There's a difference between a character being difficult and being unenjoyable. Lynch seems to specialize in the latter. As for her Emmy noms for the show, I said I know she's good. My comment had nothing to do with the quality of her work, just the annoying characters she's played. Just like I thought Tony Shalhoub was very good as Abe, another character I wanted to see brutally mugged and beaten to death... over and over again.