samhexum

I think Texas imposes the death penalty for such infractions. I could be wrong, though.

After the game-changing finale of The Blacklist season 8, which saw the murder of series protagonist Liz Keen (Megan Boone), the NBC thriller is taking a leap — in time. When the series returns for its season 9 premiere, it will pick up two years after Keen’s death. Viewers will quickly see just how big an impact Keen’s death had on the show’s characters. The FBI task force dedicated to taking down the world’s worst criminals will have disbanded, with many of them now living very different lives. With the enigmatic mastermind Raymond Reddington (James Spader) in the wind, the old team will find themselves drawn together by “a common purpose” to resume their original mission of taking “down dangerous, vicious, and eccentric Blacklisters,” per a new season 9 logline. That will force the team to confront deadly foes, new conspiracies, shocking betrayals, and the testing of alliances, all “led by the most devious criminal of them all — Raymond Reddington.” A day after the finale, Blacklist creator Jon Bokenkamp also departed the show. “I love this show with all of my heart and it’s been an incredible journey,” he said in a statement posted to Twitter, “but after eight years I feel it’s time for me to step out of my comfort zone, try something new, and explore a few of the other characters and stories that have been crawling around in my head.” The Blacklist season 9 premieres Oct. 21 at 8 p.m. ET on NBC.

Speak for yourself. I've been that soft since the day I was born. I didn't have to 'get' that way.

Who the hell leaves the house when the weather is that terrible?

2 words... Adult Diapers

Op-ed: Don’t make travel to NYC even less affordable — legalize short-term rentals by Aimee Thrasher I moved to New York City in 1980 and the biggest problem I encountered was the lack of affordable housing, even back then. Four years later, I was priced out of Manhattan and chose to move to Queens. While I changed boroughs because of skyrocketing rent prices, I fell in love with my neighborhood. There is no area more diverse in the world than Queens. From the local restaurants to the unparalleled boutiques, each small business is unique and special in its own way. This is why in 1998 I made the decision to purchase a small mother/daughter house in Queens. It was my dream to be a homeowner and this house would be an investment in my family’s future. When I neared retirement in 2015, I realized that I could not live off of my social security and pension. So I fixed up the first floor apartment of my home and listed it on Airbnb as a short-term rental. My introduction to the platform was through traveling with my family. One hotel room with two beds was inadequate for our needs and yet we could not afford two rooms. Airbnb offered comfortable, home-like accommodations that could fit our entire family at a fraction of the price. Yes, we would be without some amenities, but what mattered was that we were able to take a trip together as a family. As a host, I’ve become very passionate about hospitality and giving my guests the best possible experience, like I had gotten years ago with my family. I am proud to share my home with New York’s visitors and show new people around the borough. My guests come from around the world to spend their money in New York. They shop in our grocery stores, eat in our restaurants, go to our shops and use our transit system. Our local government should be celebrating short-term renters, not trying to keep them out, but new legislation threatens to do just that. An ambiguous and arbitrary bill that’s currently being considered by the City Council would limit the number of guests to two people, when visits to my home typically consist of families made up of three or four people. Airbnb was a way for families to travel affordably and this bill would make our city even less accessible to lower income visitors. Do they regulate hotels to that number of guests? The answer is likely no. These regulations would strike a significant blow to tourism outside of Manhattan and the traditional tourism districts. Just when people have started to book travel to New York City again, we risk locking them out. For me personally, these rules would be devastating. While Airbnb might be supplemental income for some, it is my ONLY source of income. If I lose my ability to rent on Airbnb, I won’t be able to pay my mortgage and I will lose my home. I am 72 years old and I don’t have anywhere else to go. Airbnb is the only reason I am able to stay in my home. I know I am not the only older New Yorker who relies on short-term renters to stay in their home. Were our local government to concentrate more on assisting those of us on fixed incomes and less on unnecessary regulation, maybe this wouldn’t be the case. Judging by current events, they would rather work towards helping the hotel industry than our city’s most vulnerable. If the New York City Council cares about our city’s seniors, homeowners or the local economy, then they will stop this bill from becoming the law. There is still time to do what is right for real New Yorkers.

circa 1910 Were any of the women overcome by the vapors?

So I guess that makes you our oldest member BY FAR! The Golden Jubilee of Queen Victoria was celebrated on 20 June 1887 on the occasion of the fiftieth anniversary of Queen Victoria's accession on 20 June 1837. It was celebrated with a banquet to which 50 European kings and princes were invited.

...with long-time friend Joe Koy.

Man plunges nine stories from NJ high-rise, lands on BMW — and survives A man plunged nine stories from a high-rise in Jersey City, New Jersey, landed on a BMW — and miraculously survived, according to officials and a witness. The 31-year-old crashed through the roof of the black Beemer 330i parked below 26 Journal Square at 10:20 a.m. Wednesday, then stood up with his right arm dangling at his side and asked, “What happened?” onlooker Christina Smith, 21, told The Post. “I heard a big boom and I didn’t think it was a person at first,” said Smith. “The back window of the car just busted out — exploded. Then the guy jumped up and started screaming. His arm was all twisted.” “I was like, ‘Oh my God!’ I was shocked. It was like being in a movie,” said Smith, who works in sales and had been strolling to a nearby McDonald’s. “He was like, ‘What happened?’ And was like, You fell,” she said. “I was thinking, thank God, it probably helped that he had a fluffy jacket on,” she said, adding she thought the coat may have shielded him from deeper wounds. She quickly called 911, then took jaw-dropping photos and videos of the aftermath, including graphic footage of the man screaming in pain with upper body injuries. The video also shows a face mask strap still dangling from the guy’s ear, despite falling roughly 100 feet. The man, who jumped from an open window on the ninth floor, was rushed to a hospital by ambulance and was in critical condition Thursday, said Jersey City spokeswoman Kimberly Wallace-Scalcione. The man didn’t work inside building and it was unclear why he was there, workers and witnesses said. He has refused to give cops his name and was not being cooperative as of Thursday afternoon, according to a source familiar with the case. “He fell into the car through the sunroof, then climbed out of the car and fell on the ground. He was trying to get up but people were trying to get him to stay down —‘You don’t know how hurt you are,’” said Mark Bordeaux, 50, who works in the building and saw the aftermath of the jump. “So he stayed there until the police and ambulances came. He kept saying, ‘Leave me alone, I want to die.’ You saw one of his arms was clearly broken, but he was conscious, he was moving,” he said.

Brendan Fraser will next be seen in Darren Aronofsky's film "The Whale." Brendan Fraser is back, baby. The somewhat reclusive “The Mummy” actor — who battled depression and seemingly disappeared from the limelight after a former Hollywood Foreign Press Association president allegedly groped him in 2003 — has several new projects coming up. Most notable is one in which he’s donning makeup and prosthetics to play a 600-pound man, a part he wants to make sure everyone sees. The 52-year-old is teaming up with director Darren Aronofsky for the new film “The Whale,” based on the play by Samuel D. Hunter. According to the movie’s synopsis, Fraser will play a very overweight, middle-aged man named Charlie as he tries to reconnect with his 17-year-old daughter. The two became estranged after Charlie left his family for his gay lover. After his partner’s death, Charlie then turned to binge-eating out of grief. “It’s gonna be like something you haven’t seen before. That’s really all I can tell you,” the “Bedazzled” star recently told Unilad of the flick, which is set to be released next year. “I know I’m here to talk about ‘No Sudden Move,'” the enthusiastic Canadian-American actor added about Steven Soderbergh’s new HBO Max ensemble film, in which Fraser also stars. “But … check [‘The Whale’] out when it comes out next year!” Fraser stars in the HBO Max film “No Sudden Move.” Warner Brothers / Claudette Bari Back in June, Fraser spoke to Newsweek about “The Whale” and what fans can expect. “I’m going to be tight-lipped about it but I can tell you it’s already in the can,” he said. While his character required him to wear heavy makeup and artificial prosthetics, he revealed that the process was well worth it. “The wardrobe and costume was extensive, seamless, cumbersome,” Fraser told the outlet. “This is certainly far removed from anything I’ve ever done but not to be coy, I haven’t seen any of it yet but I do know it’s going to make a lasting impression.” In August, a TikTok video of Fraser went viral in which he had a virtual meet-and-greet with Lindley Key, a cosplayer. She told the “George of the Jungle” actor that many of his fans are still supporting him. “There are so many people out there who love you,” Key explained to Fraser. “And we’re rooting for you, and we can’t wait to see what you do next.” Fraser couldn’t help but smile and tip his hat to the affirmation. “Shucks, ma’am,” he gushed at the time.

Of course not... he gave it up to me for free. 😁😇🤑🤣

Decent health in general. Being able to stand or walk for more than a minute without pain. You know... the little things...

I must've reached the 'you kids stay off my lawn!' stage of life... I was totally disinterested in the teens in the 1st episode.

absotively posilutely.

NEVER! The logistics of moving an entire city (no matter how small) would be a nightmare!

about a dozen handsome nude muscular men cleaning my apartment until it gleams, then giving the walls a fresh coat of paint.

What about your over-compensating macho farmers? 🧐😁😇🤣

Some trivia: Mocedades finished 2nd in the Eurovision Song Contest in 1973 with Eres Tu. ABBA won the contest in 1974 with Waterloo and, of course, went on to become the greatest band of the 20th century. (And with the release of their new album next month, undoubtedly of the 21st century, as well.) "Eres tú" became one of the only Spanish language songs to reach the top 10 in the United States, peaking at #9 in the Billboard Hot 100 chart and also reaching the top 10 on the Adult Contemporary chart. The B-side of the single was the English-language version of the song ("Touch the Wind"), but radio stations preferred to play the original A-side version. There were also several cover versions of the tune in both English and Spanish, only one of which ("Touch the Wind" as done in English by Eydie Gorme), charted, becoming a minor Adult Contemporary hit. The song was re-released in English as "Touch The Wind" in later years. It was subsequently released in German (Das bist Du, or "You Are That"), French (C'est pour toi, or "It Is For You"), Italian (Viva noi, or "Long Live Us"), and Basque (Zu Zara, or "You are"). The song was the only U.S. Billboard hit for Mocedades; however, many more hits followed in Latin America and Spain. I could only find a Spanish version by Eydie Gorme, but here's some dame singing the English version:

My musical taste has always leaned towards (60s-80s) pop music. I occasionally liked some rock, but pop was my milieu. I was talking to my dealer today about The Rolling Stones and told her I liked some of their singles. I just didn't realize how many I liked (or at least didn't change stations when they came on the radio). June 1965 "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" "The Spider and the Fly" (UK) "The Under Assistant West Coast Promotion Man" (US) Sep 1965 "Get Off of My Cloud" December's Children (And Everybody's) May 1966 "Paint It Black" Aftermath (US) Jan 1967 "Let's Spend the Night Together" Between the Buttons (US) Jan 1967 "Ruby Tuesday" Dec 1967 "She's a Rainbow" May 1968 "Jumpin' Jack Flash" Through the Past, Darkly (Big Hits Vol. 2) Jul 1969 "Honky Tonk Women" Through the Past, Darkly (Big Hits Vol. 2) Apr 1971 "Brown Sugar" Sticky Fingers Jun 1971 "Wild Horses" Apr 1972 "Tumbling Dice" Exile on Main St. Aug 1973 "Angie" Goats Head Soup Jul 1974 "It's Only Rock 'n Roll (But I Like It)"

Rihanna has long been praised as a champion for inclusivity as her lingerie brand Savage X Fenty continues to showcase numerous shapes, sizes, ethnicities and sexualities in its campaigns. But with the Sept. 24 release of the Savage X Fenty Vol. 3 runway show, it appears that men are at the forefront of what makes the brand different. While talking to the Associated Press, the singer-turned-designer opened up about the importance of including diverse men in her show. "Men, especially, there’s always a certain figure that represents them in this space of lingerie and loungewear and boxers and briefs," she said. "We’re going to have men of all different sizes, all different races. We’re going to have men feel included as well, because I think men have been left behind in the inclusion curve." While it wouldn't be the first time that Rihanna included men in her show or campaigns, the conversation is an important one to have. The stigma alone that men continue to face in opening up about body insecurities is a major obstacle in the larger movement of diversity in fashion. According to experts, Rihanna's highlighting that stigma is a step in the right direction. "There has been much more of an open discussion for women, than traditionally for cis men, speaking out against the pressures and negative impacts of beauty standards in society," Brenna O'Malley, a registered dietitian and founder of the nondiet community The Wellful, tells Yahoo Life. "Just like there is more of a stigma for men to speak about mental health, we also see fewer spaces for men to openly share and feel represented in conversations around body image. This does not mean men are not experiencing these struggles." O'Malley points out that body pressures and men's responses to them are often "disguised" as more acceptable than the responses of women, which are usually deemed "disordered." For example, "The idea of a woman not eating all day for intermittent fasting more easily elicits an image of disordered eating versus a man not eating all day often is associated with willpower or strength," she explains. At the root of both behaviors, however, are the societal standards of beauty that are harmful. As for the ideals for men specifically, the standards are outdated, according to clinical psychologist and wellness expert Carla Manly. "Similar to the manner in which versions of the ideal female form are etched into the psyche, the media and society at large have created narrow, perfectionist ideals of the male form. The tall, broad-shouldered, narrow-hipped, muscle-bound physique encapsulates the often overidealized version of the quintessential male form," she explains to Yahoo Life. "As a result of societal ignorance and acceptance of the status quo, males have been left behind in the inclusion curve. This, in part, stems from the atavistic awareness that the tall, athletic male type was better able to 'protect his women and progeny.' Yet given that times have changed and we no longer live in a world rife with primitive threats like lion attacks, it is certainly appropriate to rethink and broaden our inclusivity standards." Rethinking these standards has been done for women through the activism of body positive advocates on social media. A reflection of that work is seen in the media through the decline of Victoria's Secret, the evolution of the Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue and, most recently, the success of Savage X Fenty's runway show — spearheading a new standard for inclusive casting. Little room, however, has been carved out for men in this broadening of inclusivity standards. While both O'Malley and Manly point to male underwear models as a very influential model of "the perfect male form," creating space in the lingerie category specifically is important. "Representation matters. The more we are exposed to images of people in all bodies living in their bodies and not only as a ‘before’ picture, the more we widen our views of beauty and what bodies ‘should’ look like and makes room for the nuance and diversity of all bodies," O'Malley says. "By having purposeful representation of all bodies and people, it sends a powerful message that ‘your body is enough, you are worthy of being seen’ and chipping away at the narrow look of thin, muscular, men, with visible abs — which is only a small percentage of the population and the majority of images of men we currently see." "The much-needed focus on female body positivity and inclusivity has set the stage for similar changes in the male realm," Manly says. And according to Rihanna and her latest work, the Savage X Fenty stage is where those changes will be seen.