samhexum

What terrible news. My sympathies to those who interacted regularly with him over the years.

Woolworth Building’s penthouse relists for massive discount The Woolworth Building penthouse is back on the market for $79 million — a far cry from the $110 million it originally asked in 2014. The five-story “castle on top of a castle” — as developer Ken Horn calls it — starts at 727 feet up. Horn’s Alchemy Properties is leaving the 9,680-square-foot behemoth as a blank raw slate. However, it comes with proposed interior designs by Thierry Despont and David Hotson. Details include 125 windows, 24-foot ceilings, a private elevator — and a 408-square-foot observatory terrace. The buyer will also have access to the building’s amenities, which include a gym, a lounge, a pool, a wine cellar and tasting room and a bike room. The lower Manhattan terracotta and limestone building, designed by Cass Gilbert, was the world’s tallest building from 1913 to 1930.

Richard Gilliland, who met Smart when he played Annie Potts' beau on DESIGNING WOMEN, was 71. BTW, Delta Burke also met her hubby on the show when he played her ex-hubby. Gilliland, who was married to the actress Jean Smart for more than 30 years, passed away on March 18 following a brief illness. Prior to his death, he and Smart were scheduled to work together this summer in a film directed by Tate Taylor. “I met him when he was kissing someone else,” Smart said during a 2017 interview with Northwest Prime Time, explaining that she quietly asked fellow cast member Delta Burke to find out if Gilliland was on the market. “Naturally, Delta walked up to him and blurted, ‘Jean wants to know if you’re married.'” Smart said that she and Gilliland instantly hit it off after she “lured” him into her dressing room to help her out with a crossword puzzle. They were married in June 1987 in “Designing Women” cast member Dixie Carter’s rose garden. Gilliland is survived by his son Connor, 31, daughter Bonnie (“Ani”), who turns 12 in May, sisters Ann Norberg and Wendy Knaack, brother John Wells and “scores of loving, devastated friends,” according to a press statement.

Oscar-winning ‘Brokeback Mountain’ screenwriter Larry McMurtry dead at 84 Larry McMurtry, the prolific novelist and screenwriter who won a Pulitzer Prize and an Academy Award for his work, died on Thursday at age 84. Amanda Lundberg, a spokesperson for the family, confirmed McMurtry’s death in an obituary published Friday by the New York Times. Lundberg did not immediately respond to The Post’s request for confirmation. Neither the cause of death, nor where McMurtry passed away, are immediately known. McMurtry was best known for his anti-Western work, or stories that focused on demythologizing the romanticism of the American West. “I’m a critic of the myth of the cowboy,’’ the native Texan reportedly said in an interview 1988. “I don’t feel that it’s a myth that pertains, and since it’s a part of my heritage I feel it’s a legitimate task to criticize it.’’ Often cited as his most memorable work, his coming-of-age book “The Last Picture Show” sold over nine million copies and was adapted into a film starring Cybill 'German' Shepherd, Jeff Bridges of Madison County and Clorox Bleachman. McMurtry was not only respected for his 843-page novel “Lonesome Dove,” which won him the Pulitzer and was made into a mini-series for television, but also for the screenplay for “Brokeback Mountain,” a 2005 romantic drama starring Jake Gyllenhaal and the late Heath Ledger. Co-written with his housemate and collaborator Diana Ossana, the pair won the Academy Award in 2006 for that film, which focused on the romantic relationship between the two men, one a ranch hand and the other a cowboy. Over the course of more than 50 years, McMurtry wrote more than 30 novels, more than 30 screenplays — and published other works of memoir, history and essays. One book, “Horseman, Pass By,” was made into the film “Hud,” starring Paul Newman. The film version of his novel “Terms of Endearment” won the Oscar for best picture in 1983. McMurtry was born the son of a rancher in Wichita Falls, Texas, in 1936. He studied at North Texas State, Rice and Stanford universities. He taught English at the university level, but ditched teaching in his younger years. For about a half-century, McMurtry was also a bookseller. In Archer City, Texas, his store Booked Up is one of the largest in the nation, according to the Times. Archer City, where he was raised, served as a model for the town of Thalia, which appeared in his works of fiction. It’s not clear who survives McMurtry, but he most recently married the widow of his friend Ken Kesey, Faye, in 2011.

And how does our resident Pink Pistol @marylander1940 feel about this vital issue?

It may be causing a global trade crisis, but the ship stuck in the canal is hilarious meme fodder. One industry’s crisis appears to be another’s field day. The internet went wild with memes poking fun at the disaster — and putting it into context in a way only Twitter jokers could. Here are a few of the best ones to help explain the drama in the water. One onlooker superimposed King Kong & Godzilla on the ship, joking that “the situation in the Suez Canal has escalated.” “What is happing in #SuezCanal today explained. #Egypt,” tweeted one observer. Underneath the post was a video of the hilarious scene from the movie “Austin Powers,” in which Mike Myers’ character tries to do a three-point turn while driving a cart in a narrow hallway. Some instantly saw the ship as a symbol for the mental toll of the coronavirus pandemic. One user posted a photo of the Ever Given with the words “My COVID depression and anxiety” slapped across. Next to the humongous ship was two small construction workers labeled “going on a daily walk.” Another user shared a map of the ship’s route on the Suez Canal and questioned, “Is there a traffic jam?” Alongside the tweet he posted a finger emoji pointing down to the map. Another commenter shared a funny satirical cartoon where it showed two sides of the canal labeled “procrastination.” “Good news for today: whatever happens, at least you’re not the guy who got his boat stuck in the suez canal and broke maritime shipping,” joked one Twitter user. Alongside a photo of the Ever Given being strung up by thousands of colorful balloons, an observer wrote, “Tension rises over new attempt to re-float ship in #SuezCanal ”

Donald Trump getting 74 million votes... insurrection at the capitol... the Kardashians... mass shootings approximately every 30 minutes... marjorie taylor greene... QAnon... etc.

Why meat eaters feel shamed into giving it up They’re quitting cold turkey. Meat eaters claim they’re being shamed into abandoning their carnivorous ways by their friends, lovers and other vegan influences, according to a new survey. The research, conducted by Jack Link’s beef jerky, found that half of the 2,000 adult participants said they felt pressure to either cut down on or even refrain from consuming meat entirely. They even reported buying into plant-pushing customs like “Veganuary” — where you go vegan for the month of January — due to the pressure. However, many reported only lasting until mid-month before reverting back to their hamburger habit. “There are many influences that can have an impact on what we eat and how we eat,” food psychologist Greg Tucker told the Independent of the survey results. Friends ranked chief among the influences to adopt a plant-based diet, followed by partners and family, while 20% of participants reported that even their kids urged them to eat more veggies. The same study revealed that 60% of those who reduced their meat consumption only did so to appease their vegan partners. Meanwhile, 7 in 10 claim they wouldn’t have even considered this lifestyle change without prodding from their partners. A quarter reported beefing with their plant-promoting partners over their pushy ways, which Tucker said often had “the opposite effect” than they intended. And some surveyed meat lovers weren’t going down without a bite. Many who adopted a veggie diet under duress reported scratching the itch in other ways: by consuming meat-flavored treats, cooking meat but not eating it and even smelling charcuterie — like a steak-based 12-step program. Some even resorted to getting their fix vicariously through having someone who was eating meat describe the sensation, the Independent reported. Charles Spence, a scientist specializing in experimental psychology out of England’s Oxford University, recently teamed up with vegan frozen food brand Strong Roots to create a “meat patch” to help repentant carnivores curb their cravings. “Studies have shown that scent can reduce food cravings,” Spence said. “Experiencing food-related cues such as smelling a bacon aroma, can lead us to imagine the act of eating that food.” In terms of what meats these demiglaze die-hards would miss most, chicken and beef ranked first, followed by lamb and pork respectively. “Meat plays a major part in most meals in everyday life and cutting down is not always something many people will have considered,” Tucker said. For many, jettisoning meat wasn’t even an option, with over 40% participants claiming they’d eat meat while on a date with a vegan. Some even claimed they’d end a relationship if their partner pressured them to abstain from steak, while others said they wouldn’t even consider dating a vegan in the first place. Experts stress that maintaining a balanced diet is key. “While it’s great to try things like Veganuary, often balancing your intake of meat can provide a happy medium for everyone,” Tucker told the Independent, “while still being able to enjoy your favorite meals and snacks.” Especially considering that those who adopt exclusively vegan diets are more likely to suffer from health conditions such as bone fractures, according to recent studies. A sprawling 2020 study published in the journal BMC Medicine revealed that there were 19.4 more cases of fractures in vegans and 4.1 more cases in vegetarians for every 1,000 people over 10 years. Still, eating your veggies has never been easier, with more and more NYC restaurants adapting to meatless demands. Meanwhile, Michelin awarded its first ever star to a vegan restaurant in France earlier this month.

I think it all depends on how they are prepared. Cooked at the proper temperature, with the right seasonings and tasty sides, I'm sure either would be fine. Harland Sanders probably could've done wonders with either. Would y'all prefer... Fowl play: Swan harasses UK town by knocking on doors for hours? It’s his cygnet-ture move. Residents of a British town say a say a swan named Cedric keeps knocking on their front doors for hours on end. Befuddled homeowners on one street in Northampton have no idea why — but say it’s driving them slowly crazy. “He starts by rattling the letter box, then bashes the metal with its beak quite loudly,” Stephen Legg, 70, groused of the bonkers bird. “The racket reverberates through the whole house,”Legg told Metro.co.uk. “It doesn’t do any damage, but it’s extremely irritating.” Cedric lives with his mate on a nearby lake, and started persecuting the front doors about five years ago. It started out of the blue, as Cedric and the Mrs. had lived in the lake for at least two years prior without incident, Legg said. Sometimes Cedric just knocks once or twice, then waddles off. Other times the bird will keep knock-knock-knocking for three hours. “Pretty funny,” laughed neighbor Wendy Howard, 63, a retired nurse who recently recorded Cedric in the act. “But I’m glad it isn’t my house because it is very noisy,” she noted. Legg has no clue what Cedric wants when he knocks. The swan shouldn’t be hungry, since neighbors feed the birds on the lake all the time, he said. “He does it every year [in] the summer, then doesn’t bother for the rest of the year,” Legg told Metro.co.uk. “It is a flipping nuisance.” Legg tried covering the door one year, but that impeded mail delivery. He also purchased a device that made “a swan-repellent ultrasonic noise,” but Cedric appeared to be attracted, not repelled, by the sound. “He just nestled up to it, so it did no good at all, and even might’ve encouraged him,” Legg said. “It cost me thirty quid so it was a complete waste of money.” If Cedric keeps up with his tiresome knock-knock jokes this summer, Legg said he’ll have to cover the door again and leave a window open so mail deliveries can be flung inside. https://videos.metro.co.uk/video/met/2021/03/23/2479839751967389292/640x360_MP4_2479839751967389292.mp4

No, when I was a teen and most of my friends smoked, we all noticed the same thing... it's weird, and I could never figure out why it happens. Whenever I've smelled it when others were partaking (at a concert or movie or even passersby outside), I certainly smelled the typical smell that others describe, but as I sit here, joint dangling from my mouth so I can type, I don't smell it.

No, when I was a teen and most of my friends smoked, we all noticed the same thing... it's weird, and I could never figure out why it happens. Whenever I've smelled it when others were partaking (at a concert or movie or even passersby outside), I certainly smell the typical smell that others describe, but as I sit here, joint dangling from my mouth so I can type, I don't smell it.

You don't smell it as you smoke it.

Bobby Brown, a member of five Yankees championship teams who went on to become a successful cardiologist as well as president of baseball’s American League, died Thursday morning in Fort Worth, Texas. He was 96. A lefty-hitting third baseman who also saw time at shortstop, second base and all three outfield positions, Brown won rings with the Yankees in 1947 and from 1949-1952, a supporting player to titans such as Joe DiMaggio, Yogi Berra and Mickey Mantle. He posted a respectable .269/.367/.376 slash line across eight seasons (1946-1952, 1954) and went .439/.500/.707 in 17 World Series games. He became more popular among fans of later generations as he regularly attended the Yankees’ Old-Timers’ Day through the most recent one in 2019. “Few people who have worn the pinstripes have lived such an accomplished, fulfilled, and wide-ranging life as Dr. Brown, who was beloved by our organization for his warmth, kindness and character,” Yankees managing general partner Hal Steinbrenner said in a statement. “He represented the pinstripes with elegance throughout his playing career and in subsequent decades as a frequent, welcome guest at Old Timers’ Day. We also hold the utmost respect for the myriad of other accomplishments in his life — from service to our country, his stewardship of the American League and his longtime career as a cardiologist. The Yankees extend their deepest condolences to his family, friends and loved ones as we reflect on his incredible life.” A veteran of both World War II and the Korean War, Brown worked exclusively in cardiology from 1954 to 1974 before joining the Texas Rangers as their president in May 1974. That proved to be a temporary gig through the end of the season, yet he stayed on the Rangers’ Board of Directors until the team’s sale in 1980. He then served as the AL’s president from 1984 until 1994. “Dr. Bobby Brown led an extraordinary life which included great accomplishments on the baseball field and as a leader and executive in our game,” Major League Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred said in a statement. “…While he always remained a proud Yankee who enjoyed returning to New York for Old Timers’ Days, Dr. Brown’s many friends and admirers will first remember him as a true gentleman and a caring family man.” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said he spent time with Brown in the Steinbrenners’ suite during a recent Pinstripe Bowl at Yankee Stadium. “Obviously a sad day,” Boone said. “Kind of a giant in our sport.” Brown is survived by three children, 11 grandchildren and scores of great-grandchildren. With Brown’s passing, only one player from the Yankees’ record-setting run of five straight titles, from 1949 through 1953, remains alive: pitcher Art Schallock, a Yankee from 1951-1955.

Color me hilarious, I thought that sitcom was consistently awful.

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.