samhexum

The actress, who starred in the awful sitcom which for some reason was always written about in glowing terms, was 80.

The owner of the titanic ship blocking the Suez Canal apologized Thursday for bringing one of the world’s most vital waterways to a standstill as the traffic jam stretched into its third day. The apology from Japanese ship-leasing firm Shoei Kisen Kaisha Ltd. came as a team of powerful tugboats worked to free the Ever Given, the 440 million-pound vessel that ran aground Tuesday after high winds turned it sideways. At least 150 other ships are reportedly waiting for the blockage to clear before they can pass through the Egyptian canal, a crucial route between Europe and Asia that carries about 12 percent of the world’s trade. “We are determined to keep on working hard to resolve this situation as soon as possible,” Shoei Kisen Kaisha said in a statement Thursday. “We would like to apologize to all parties affected by this incident, including the ships traveling and planning to travel through Suez Canal.” The Suez Canal Authority temporarily suspended navigation through the canal Thursday as crews continued work to free the Ever Given after an overnight pause. Workers managed to partially refloat the skyscraper-sized cargo ship on Wednesday, which reportedly spurred hopes that some traffic could resume by Thursday. But experts told Bloomberg News that the blockage could continue until Monday given that tugboats and diggers have failed to move the Panamanian vessel. Thirteen ships that started moving along the canal Wednesday had to drop anchor until the big boat is freed, officials said. A team of eight large tugboats is working to tow and push the Ever Given, the largest of which has a towing power of 160 tons, according to the Suez Canal Authority. SMIT Salvage — an elite Dutch maritime firm specializing in aiding ships in distress — is helping with the effort alongside Japan’s Nippon Salvage, Bloomberg reported. Dredgers have been used to clear silt from around the giant vessel, and workers may reportedly have to remove fuel or ballast water — which keeps ships stable while at sea — to lighten the load. The economic impact of the jam will only get worse the longer it continues. More than $9 billion worth of goods could be passing through the canal each day that it’s closed, according to the shipping journal Lloyd’s List. And the affected ships may reportedly include 10 tankers carrying 13 million barrels of crude oil. The blockage may also be an expensive headache for Shoei Kisen Kaisha. The firm and its insurers could face millions of dollars in claims from the Suez Canal Authority and other ships that are caught up in the mess, experts told Reuters.

Weed all about it! New York State lawmakers struck a deal Wednesday to legalize marijuana, legislative sources said — just hours after Gov. Cuomo called the move “essential” to the state’s social and economic well-being. The reform measures will be included in the laws that are set to be proposed as part of the state budget due on April 1, the sources said. The deal would allow New Yorkers over the age of 21 to legally buy and possess up to three ounces of pot for their personal use, with sales by licensed dispensaries to begin as early as December 2022, sources said. Recreational stoners could even cultivate up to six plants each, or a dozen per household, but a big bummer in the agreement would make them wait to start growing their own until 18 months after the first dispensary opens, the Rochester Democrat & Chronicle said. Plans call for a 9 percent state tax on retail sales that could generate $300 million a year in new revenues, state Sen. Liz Krueger (D-Manhattan) told The Post. Cities, towns and villages that don’t opt out of allowing local sales or deliveries could also tack on another 4 percent tax. The deal includes the creation of a new state regulatory agency, the Office of Cannabis Management, to license growers, retail sales, delivery and on-premises consumption, Krueger said. Still-unresolved issues include how the tax money would be distributed beyond funding the new agency, with plans calling for 40 percent dedicated to school aid, 40 percent to social-equity grants and the remaining 20 to treatment and public education. In addition, Cuomo wanted the agency under his control but the plan calls for it to answer to a five-member board with three gubernatorial appointees and one each selected by the state Senate and Assembly, respectively, Krueger said. During a news conference earlier Thursday, Cuomo said he was making marijuana legalization a top priority in budget negotiations with lawmakers. “This year we have to get it done, and getting it done by the time the budget is passed is essential,” he said. “Cannabis is not just social equity, it’s also revenue for the state.” Cuomo bluntly admitted that weed should have been legalized “years ago” and — in an extraordinary acknowledgment — blamed himself for the state’s official prohibition of pot. “We’ve been trying to legalize cannabis for three years. I’ve failed every year,” he said. “We’re close. Close three times before. If we were playing horseshoes, we would be in good shape. But this is not horseshoes. You either get it done and sign a bill, or you don’t.”

Just looking at your avatar, I hear Peter talking on the phone to LaRhonda. http://mrwgifs.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/Peter-Griffin-Talking-To-LaRhonda-While-Working-As-Costumer-Service-On-Family-Guy.gif

The UK lawyer whose dog attacked Freddie Mercury — who then had to be put down due to his injuries — has apologized over the tragedy and said she was left “heartbroken” by his death. Oxford-educated commercial lawyer Rebecca Sabben-Clare told the Evening Standard that she wished to “apologize unreservedly” for the “terrible accident” in London on Sunday. The high-flying legal eagle also said she wished she had kept her pooch on a leash. The 10-month-old seal could not be saved after it was mauled by Sabben-Clare’s dog near the Hammersmith Bridge on the Thames. It is unclear what breed the dog is. “As an animal lover, I fully understand the dismay that has been expressed. I apologize unreservedly for what happened. In hindsight, I wish, of course, that the dog had been on a lead but at the time that did not seem necessary,” she said. “I am hugely grateful to all those who helped at the scene. They were heroic. I left for my own safety and that of my dog, believing that there was nothing that I could do to help as the seal was being looked after by a vet and help had been called. I offered my contact details to the vet before leaving,” the embattled woman added. Sabben-Clare — who lives in an $8 million home with her husband – said she had reached out to authorities after leaving the gruesome scene. ”Early yesterday morning I contacted the police to speak to them about the incident and was directed to the RSPCA,” she said. “The RSPCA interviewed me and confirmed that they were happy that no offense had been committed. I tried to contact the police again repeatedly yesterday afternoon, in response to a statement from them that they wished to identify me and speak to me. They have still not been in contact,” Sabben-Clare continued. “I have made a donation to the Wildlife Hospital which treated the seal. What wonderful work it does,” she added. The law does not require dogs to be leashed in open spaces, but it is illegal for them to be “dangerously out of control” anywhere, according to the Standard, which cited possible penalties of up to six months in the slammer. The RSCPA said it can only investigate offenses under the Animal Welfare Act, which involves cruelty to animals, The Sun reported. “We are deeply saddened by what happened to Freddie and this highlights why it is important to keep dogs on leads around wild animals,” the animal welfare agency said. “Dog attacks on animals would become an animal welfare offense if it was done deliberately. If no offenses have been committed under the Animal Welfare Act we are unable to take incidents further,” it said, adding that incidents involving out-of-control dogs are investigated by police. The Met Police said they would not be launching an investigation into the tragedy. “Following the investigation there will be no further criminal investigation or action taken by police in regards to this matter. The owner of the dog has been informed,” it said, The Sun reported.

Some members are old enough to remember one of my favorite commercials of recent vintage:

The photojournalist behind the “f—king hot nurse” caption in the Asbury Park Press no longer has a job with Gannett-owned daily, which has promised to start requiring two sets of eyes on every story. “The reporter in question is no longer with the company,” APP executive editor Paul D’Ambrosio wrote in a column on Tuesday in an effort to explain the caption, which caused an uproar for describing an unidentified nurse giving as COVID-19 vaccine as a “f—king hot nurse” and “real JAP”– an acronym for Jewish American Princess. D’Ambrosio said he accepted “full responsibility” for the error and that journalists will no longer be allowed to self publish as a result. “On Monday, I instructed our staff to always put two sets of eyes on each piece of content, including stories and photos. No photo and caption will be published without another staffer looking it over, regardless of the time of day.” The photo was credited to Gustavo Martinez Contreras and accompanied a Saturday story under his byline about efforts to bring the vaccine to people of color on the Jersey Shore town of Lakewood. Martinez Contreras went by the Twitter handle NewsGus, which on Tuesday carried the notice “Account suspended,” and the note “Twitter suspends accounts which violate Twitter rules.” In his column, D’Ambrosio said stories and pictures ordinarily get reviewed ahead of time, but that in order encourage breaking news journalists were also allowed to post directly to the Web site and app. The photo caption “was on the last of 22 photos and no second set of eyes have reviewed the images. The late hour and the self-publication led the story to blend in with the dozens of other stories on the site without the proper safety checks.” “The words in the caption were totally unacceptable and in no way reflect the principles and practices of the staff of the Press and Gannett,” D’Ambrosio wrote. He said at first, he thought the system had been hacked. “In reality, it was a reporter who admitted that he did a ‘stupid, stupid, thing.'” The caption in the Garden State’s third-largest newspaper caused such an uproar even Gov. Phil Murphy weighed in during a press conference in Trenton on Monday. The gov also said he, too, was initially skeptical in an era of fake news. “I then read it with my own eyes and it is unfathomable that someone could have written that, even privately, never mind that it was published.” “I would think, with all due respect, someone has to pay a price for that. That’s completely, incredibly offensive,” Murphy said. “Even the apology missed the point.” The caption went live on the APP Web site on Saturday evening and remained up hours until Sunday evening according to the New Jersey Globe, which broke the story. Martinez Contreras did not return calls seeking comment but D’Ambrosio in his column Tuesday said that the reporter issued an apology. It said: “I’ve prided myself as a man who has been an advocate and supporter of women’s rights and cultural sensitivity but this caption shows that I have plenty of work to do to address my own issues to make sure that my words and actions always treat others with respect.”

Giant container ship blocking Suez Canal partially moved Crews have managed to partially free the container ship that caused a massive traffic jam on the Suez Canal. The 440 million-pound Ever Given has been “partially refloated” after high winds and a dust storm turned it sideways and blocked the crucial trade route between Europe and Asia, the marine agency GAC said Wednesday. Traffic and convoys are expected to start moving again as soon as the ship — which is longer than four football fields — is towed from the canal bank to another position, GAC said. Some vessels could start passing through the Egyptian canal again by Thursday after the blockage gridlocked dozens of ships, Bloomberg News reported. The first ship from a convoy that had been held up by the Ever Given has started to move, indicating that traffic has resumed, sources told Reuters. The process of clearing the canal has gone faster than initially expected after the giant ship ran aground Tuesday. People familiar with the situation had feared it would take days to free up the passage that serves as an artery for about 12 percent of the world’s trade, according to Bloomberg. Bernhard Schulte Ship management, the ship’s technical manager, said an investigation into the incident was underway. The Ever Given’s crew is safe and no injuries have been reported, the firm said. Photos from the site showed the Ever Given turned sideways and blocking the full width of the canal and creating a major headache for commercial ships. It takes a week longer for vessels to navigate around the African cape, which is the main alternate route between Asia and Europe. Oil prices jumped Wednesday amid the jam, which may have affected 10 tankers carrying 13 million barrels of crude oil, according to Vertexa, an oil analytics firm.

Then why is it a rewarding surprise?

Anna Faris admits pride hurt marriage as Chris Pratt became movie star Anna Faris is finally opening up about her failed marriage to Chris Pratt. The 44-year-old actress, who was married to Pratt, 41, from 2009 to 2018, made some straightforward revelations about why their relationship tanked in Monday’s installment of her podcast “Anna Faris Is Unqualified.” “I’ve been married twice (she was wed to actor Ben Indra from 2004 to 2008). My two marriages were with actors and I don’t think we did a great job of eliminating competitiveness,” Faris told her guest, actress and Goop wellness guru Gwyneth Paltrow, 48. “Or at least I didn’t, being a proud person, and not wanting to reveal vulnerability,” she added. Fans will recall that Faris was the high-profile “House Bunny” and “Scary Movie” star when she and lesser-known sitcom star Pratt got together back in his “Parks & Recreation” days. That all changed when Pratt blasted to full-blown film stardom with 2014’s “Guardians of the Galaxy,” 2015’s “Jurassic World” and 2016 “Passengers” opposite superstar leading lady Jennifer Lawrence. (Faris was open about how “insecure” she felt hearing cheating rumors from the set, Page Six reported at the time) On her podcast Monday, Faris, who shares 8-year-old son Jack with Pratt, went on to admit to Paltrow that with “any hint of competitiveness and comparison, I didn’t handle that very well, I don’t think — and I hope I’ve grown from that.” The former “Mom” star and Pratt announced their split via a joint statement in 2017: “Anna and I are sad to announce we are legally separating. We tried hard for a long time, and we’re really disappointed.”[/url] Despite previously claiming that she was reluctant to marry again, Faris sparked engagement headlines with beau Michael Barrett last January when she was spotted sporting a canary yellow diamond ring. She confirmed her engagement to cinematographer Barrett — who she met on the set of their 2018 film “Overboard” — while guesting on “The Late Late Show” in February 2020, when she asked host James Corden if he would officiate the wedding. Meanwhile, Pratt married writer Katherine Schwarzenegger, 22, in 2019. Their daughter Lyla Maria was born in August 2020. Faris made the bombshell announcement a month later in September 2020 that she was leaving her hit CBS sitcom “Mom” before its 8th season with little explanation. Without its leading lady opposite Allison Janney, the network announced the show’s cancelation in February 2021.

Massive container ship stuck in Suez Canal blocks trade A massive container ship has run aground in the Suez Canal, blocking the other cargo ships from passing through the crucial link between Africa and Asia. The ship — which is longer than four football fields and weighs 440 million pounds — was lodged in the waterway Tuesday as attempts to refloat it failed, The Guardian reported. Photos taken from another boat show the giant container ship stuck across the waterway, leaning slightly to one side. Attempts by small Egyptian vessels to free it have been unsuccessful. The shipping tracking site Vesselfinder shows dozens of vessels were anchored on either side of the Ever Given Tuesday evening as the ships wait for their turn to pass on to the Mediterranean or Red Sea. The ship is headed to Rotterdam from China.

Feeling buyer’s remorse for that $100 box of Grape-Nuts? Help is on the way. The maker of the cereal has pledged to reimburse shoppers who paid exorbitant prices for black-market boxes during a months-long supply shortage. Post Consumer Brands declared that shortage officially over Wednesday by announcing that it’s once again shipping Grape-Nuts at full capacity to stores across the US. But fans who turned to the secondary market during the drought faced prices as high as $110 for a single box of the high-fiber breakfast staple, the Minnesota-based company said. “It became abundantly clear during the shortage that Grape-Nuts fans are ‘Nuts for Grape-Nuts,'” Kristin DeRock, the Grape-Nuts brand manager at Post Consumer Brands, said in a statement. “So much so that some of our loyal super fans were willing to pay extreme prices just to ensure they wouldn’t be without their favorite crunchy cereal.” Post is offering reimbursements of up to $115 for anyone who paid at least $10 for a box of Grape-Nuts between Nov. 1 of last year and March 15. The conglomerate says it will pay the difference between the inflated price and the suggested retail price — $4.29 for a 20.5-ounce box, $4.99 for 29 ounces or $6.49 for 64 ounces. But the offer comes with some caveats — eligible consumers have to submit a receipt through Post’s website by April 15, and payments are limited to one per household. The company will only pay out a total of $10,000 in reimbursements, so it’s possible that not everyone will get some money back. Post has reportedly blamed the shortage on a combination of supply constraints and high demand for Grape-Nuts — which is made from wheat and barley, but no grapes or nuts — amid the coronavirus pandemic. DeRock told news outlets in January that Post makes the mealy cereal with “proprietary technology and a production process that isn’t easily replicated, which has made it more difficult to shift production to meet demand during this time.” Post said last month that “healthy inventory levels” would return by mid-March after it ramped up production.

A popular seal nicknamed Freddie Mercury — who took up residence and drew adoring fans along the Thames in London — was reportedly mauled to death by an unleashed dog owned by a top city lawyer. Oxford-educated Rebecca Sabben-Clare, 49, and four passers-by, including a veterinarian, tried to pry her cross-breed pooch’s jaws off Freddie during the vicious attack near the Hammersmith Bridge on Sunday, The Sun reported. A photographer who was snapping pictures of Freddie when the attack happened said it was “vicious.” “The dog just wouldn’t let go,” Duncan Phillips, 55, told MyLondon. “It wouldn’t let go despite repeated attempts by members of the public to separate the animals.” After trying to save Freddie’s life, vets had to put him down on Monday, saying the “only ethical and fair option we have is to end his suffering” after he was left with a fractured flipper and an infected wound, according to The Guardian. On Tuesday, police said they were investigating the death and were looking to speak with Sabben-Clare, who was later apparently told that no offense had been committed, The Sun reported. The woman, who studied at New College Oxford and is now a specialist in commercial law, was named a leading English silk – a term that refers to a lawyer who achieves that status of queen’s counsel — in the 2021 Legal 500 Directory, according to the outlet. “What happened to Freddie the seal is heartbreaking,” a spokesperson for the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals told The Sun. “Dog owners should act responsibly and keep their pets on leads around wild animals to ensure incidents like this are prevented. It is never OK to allow dogs to harass and attack a wild animal,” the rep said. “We understand how upsetting this incident was for anyone who witnessed it and we hope we can spread the message encouraging dog owners to keep their dog on a lead if wildlife is around,” the spokesman added. The British Divers Marine Life Rescue described the efforts to save Freddie’s life at the South Essex Wildlife Hospital. “Unfortunately, after an X-ray this afternoon, our worst fears were confirmed, and the seal not only sustained a broken bone, but also a dislocation, damage to his joint, ligaments and nerves that made it impossible to treat and return him to the wild,” it said on Facebook. Heartbroken Britons took to social media to express their grief about Freddie’s demise. “We contacted a number of marine mammal veterinarians in the UK and the Netherlands, including an orthopaedic surgeon, and sadly based on their experiences the decision is that he needed to be euthanased for his welfare,” BDMLR continued. “We would be unable to release a seal back into the wild with one flipper, if amputation was an option, as we have a firm policy on not putting animals into captivity, and the seal’s welfare must be put first and foremost,” it added. Since arriving to the Thames a few weeks ago, the beloved 10-month-old seal – nicknamed after the famed British singer in the rock band Queen – had been a mainstay where he garnered legions of adoring fans. He gained public attention in February when he was rescued from Teddington Lock after a fishing lure became stuck in his mouth. Heartbroken Britons took to social media to express their grief about Freddie’s demise. “RIP #freddietheseal people who own dogs that attack people/wildlife should be banned from owning pets for life, first a dear in Richmond park, now a poor seal in Hammersmith, when will it stop?” Josh Fraser said in a tweet.

Who ever said @westernsyd was a gentleman? ????

You enjoy wasting money? Oh... you were being rhetorical!

You should have capitalized the I after therefore and the T in 'the' at the start of a sentence (which didn't have a period at the end of it, btw). ????

Or care

I've read through this entire thread and am still trying to figure out which language everyone here is using.

My sister got me ROKU for Xmas, so I suppose I should start trying to use it.