samhexum

The U.S. has about 9 times the population and 22 times the number of deaths, although to be fair, part of that is because we have more densely populated areas and the virus hit first in 2 of the most-densely-populated ones in NY & NJ-- before much was known about how to fight it. And also, we have many more nursing home residents than Canada, and that's been the group with (by far) the highest percentage of deaths.

Impossible Foods is chopping its wholesale prices for the second time in less than a year as demand for its fake meat soars, the company said. The latest cut will slice 15 percent off the cost of the Redwood City, California, company’s plant-based patties and sausages — a reduction the company is asking distributors to pass along to supermarkets and restaurants that sell its products. Impossible Foods, which burst onto the food scene with patties that taste and even “bleed” like real meat, has made it its mission to displace sales of regular beef. But Impossible Foods’ burger patties are still about a buck more than regular chopped beef, which sells for about $2 per pound. The latest cuts, which follow a 15 percent price reduction in March, makes Impossible Foods’ meat less expensive — at about $6.80 per pound — than the $9 per pound for premium grass-fed, organic beef for the first time, company spokeswoman, Rachel Konrad told The Post. “We experienced skyrocketing growth in 2020, which allowed us to go into high production and to cut our per unit costs,” Konrad said. The new prices will be in effect everywhere in the US and in Canada and Asia by the end of this month. Demand for plant-based meats have increased dramatically during the pandemic, in part, because of meat shortages, but also because consumers became more health conscious and saw plant-based foods as a more healthy choice, experts said. Impossible Foods’ publicly held rival, Beyond Meat, notched a 69 percent sales increase in the second quarter to $113 million. A year ago, Impossible Foods was available for purchase in 150 grocery stores and today is sold in 17,000 supermarkets, including Walmart, Target, Kroger. In December Costco began a pilot in 45 stores in California, Konrad said. The privately held company’s products are also sold in national restaurants like Burger King, which introduced the Impossible Whopper in 2019, boosting customer traffic by nearly 20 percent in the first restaurants to offer it in St. Louis. “Our stated goal since Impossible Foods’ founding has always been to drive down prices through economies of scale, reach price parity and then undercut the price of conventional ground beef from cows,” the company’s chief executive and founder, Patrick Brown said in a statement.

I wasn't being rude. I was being playful.

A cab driver in British Columbia took a drunk passenger who refused to wear a mask to a police station, where that passenger was taken into custody. The Victoria Police Department said in its report that the unidentified anti-masker was busted around 1 a.m. New Years Day after ignoring the taxi driver’s request to adhere to the pandemic prevention measure, then touching that worker’s face. Once being driven to the station, that unruly passenger initially refused to leave the cab and was arrested. He was placed in a jail cell to sober up and faces fines of up to nearly $690 in Canadian currency, which comes out to $542. That’s the largest fine Victoria police have assessed to an individual for violating its COVID-19 Related Measures Act. Johns Hopkins University reports that Canada, which has a population of over 37 million people, has seen 16,210 COVID-related deaths by Tuesday.

Pizza Hut rolls out a new stuffed crust — minus the pizza Pizza Hut is doubling down on one of its classic innovations as the pandemic-era pizza wars rage. In a nod to the 25th anniversary of stuffed crust's debut, Pizza Hut is offering a pizza-less ring of cheese-stuffed dough. The name? "Nothing But Stuffed Crust," of course. The cheesy promotion — which comes just weeks after rival Papa John's rolled out its own stuffed crust pizza — is limited to participating locations in Dallas and Los Angeles this Tuesday through Thursday. The company says Nothing But Stuffed Crust is free each day for the first 50 customers who make a $10 purchase at each location. Customers can also buy a three-topping stuffed crust pizza for $11.99 for a limited time at participating restaurants. "Many have tried to recreate it, but there's still only ONE original stuffed crust pizza," Pizza Hut said in a statement. Competition among big chains has been fierce during the coronavirus pandemic, which has fueled a surge in pizza demand from Americans who are spending more time at home and avoiding dine-in restaurants. Papa John's, Domino's (DMPZF) and Pizza Hut began hiring thousands of new employees in the spring. On October 29, Pizza Hut's parent company Yum! Brands (YUM) reported the chain's offsite sales had surged 17%-21% during the third quarter of 2020. Pizza Hut also opened 148 new restaurants in 32 countries during the same time frame, according to financial records. Yum! CEO David Gibbs says the fast food conglomerate's year-over-year digital sales set a single quarter record of $4 billion between July and September.

Do you have some kind of weird fetish where you get off on parsing out tantalizing morsels of information so people have to ask you HOW?

Isn't he the guy who played Ira on MAD ABOUT YOU? ?

Supporters, right-wing detractors and pearl-clutchers get all up into 108-foot vulva sculpture embedded in Brazilian hillside Everyone, it seems, has an opinion about the 108-foot-long vulva splayed across a Brazilian hillside that has ignited controversy across that country’s art world. The sculpture, titled Diva, was intended as a “massive vulva/wound excavation” that aims to spark dialogue and debate around “the relationship between nature and culture in our phallocentric and anthropocentric western society” and the “problematization of gender,” visual artist Juliana Notari said in a Facebook post about the reinforced-concrete, resin-coated red gash in the Earth. It was unveiled Saturday in a sculpture park on the site of a former sugar mill since converted into an open-air museum in Pernambuco state, in northeastern Brazil. “Nowadays these issues have become increasingly urgent,” Notari wrote, possibly referring to a climate of increasing intolerance in Brazil, as The Guardian noted. The 52-foot-wide, 20-foot-deep sculpture was handcrafted by 20 men, Notari noted, because a mechanical excavator would not have provided the finesse needed for this most delicate of undertakings. “A heroic effort under the sun,” she called it, “amid a lot of music and jokes.” The jokes didn’t end with the workers, and the dialogue was certainly spicy. It also ran the gamut from supportive, to those who thought it garish and inappropriate, to those who shot back with misogynistic comments. “With all due respect, I did not like it,” wrote one commenter, according to Reuters. “Imagine me walking with my young daughters in this park and them asking ... ‘Daddy, what is this?’ What will I answer?” A female respondent noted that it wasn’t hard. “With all due respect, you can teach your daughters not to be ashamed of their own genitals.” Among the first to pile onto this depiction of female anatomy was Olavo de Carvalho, the former astrologer turned political guru to Brazil’s far-right President Jair Bolsonaro and his sons. Bolsonaro has notoriously attacked the arts and threatened the budgets of cultural projects, characterizing artists as leftists sponging off public money. “Why are they trashing the 33-metre p---y instead of facing it with a big d--k?” de Carvalho tweeted. Reaction to the work of Notari, who is based in Recife, was largely supportive, but her piece did draw other political criticism. The irony of having 20 Black men laboring on the site of a former sugar mill was not lost on some commentators, The Art Newspaper noted. “A vulva sculpture that [Notari] describes as an act of artistic resistance and gender problematization, but which to be created used practically only the labor of black men,” wrote one commentator on social media, according to ArtReview. “A satire of white feminism?” Others called the work transphobic and “genitalist,” ArtReview reported. In all more than 27,000 comments were made on Notari’s Facebook post – a marked contrast to the lack of reaction to the longtime existence of a phallus-like structure perched on a German mountaintop, which disappeared last month and then was restored soon after. Notari hopes to send a feminist message not only about women’s rights but also about what it will take to survive as a human species. “After all, it is by changing perspective of our relationship between humans and humans and nonhuman, that will allow us to live longer on that planet and in a less unequal and catastrophic society,” she wrote. Though Notari has taken up the concept of wounds in previous works of this series, Diva was her most ambitious undertaking yet. “It’s one of the biggest wounds I’ve created,” Notari told CNN. “This wound is, however, infinitely smaller when compared to the traumas of slavery, unprotected employment, ecocide, and violent traumas that happened in this Usina, as in other private colonial properties.”

My apologies about the (shudder) women

How can I start a thread about a personal trainer and not include the lovely and talented RICK VALENTE, star of ESPN's old show BODY SHAPING? (THAT'S NOT MY COMMENT-- IT CAME WITH THE PIC-- AS DID I ??:cool:)

Tanya Roberts' cause of death revealed as her partner speaks out Tanya Roberts’ cause of death was announced on Tuesday, one day after the actress ultimately passed away. The That ‘70s Show star died at age 65 from a urinary tract infection, according to a statement from her publicist. Roberts’s domestic partner, Lance O’Brien, also confirmed the news and addressed the confusion surrounding her death — including Sunday’s premature announcement. Roberts, born Victoria Leigh Blum, was rushed to Cedars-Sinai hospital in Los Angeles on Christmas Eve after collapsing in her home. O’Brien, who confirmed Roberts’s cause of death, told NBC News he believed his longtime love was going to be alright. “I didn’t think this would be the last time I was going to be seeing her,” he explained Tuesday. “I didn’t think it was that serious.” On Sunday, O’Brien said he was told by doctors to come to the hospital for an “end of life situation.” He told NBC that at the end of the visit, Roberts’s eyes rolled into the the back of her head and she passed out. He believed she died. “I felt totally lost. I was crying and crying,” O’Brien shared. He called Roberts’s publicist, Mike Pingel, and explained what happened. “I told him I said goodbye.” Pingel announced Roberts’s death in a press release on Sunday. The next day, media outlets were alerted that the former Bond girl was still alive, only to be informed hours later she passed away. O’Brien told NBC News that Roberts was in a makeshift ward out of Cedars-Sinai as the hospital is overwhelmed with COVID-19 patients. After he believed he saw her die, O’Brien claimed he couldn’t find a nurse or doctor. “Trying to get info out of these people is impossible,” he said, while insisting no staff was at fault for Sunday’s premature report. Pingel confirmed Roberts’s passing in a statement to Yahoo Entertainment on Tuesday afternoon. “With a heavy heart I can confirm the death of Tanya Roberts (age 65) last night on Jan. 4, 2021 around 9:30 p.m. PT at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles,” he shared. “Her 18-year domestic partner Lance O’Brien received the phone call from Cedars-Sinai Medical Center last night at their home confirming her passing. Roberts cause of death was from a urinary tract infection which spread to her kidney, gallbladder, liver and then blood stream.” Pingel noted that Roberts was an animal rights activist and in lieu of flowers, any donations be given to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in her name. “An online memorial for Tanya Roberts will be announced shortly,” he concluded. “The family asks for privacy as they mourn her death.”

I wasn't thrilled with him, but I am rather charmed by Chris, one of the new contractors on the U.S. version. He's tall, boyishly handsome, has an appealing soft southern drawl, and has size 14 feet. But I can never seem to find any info about him, or any pics. BTW, former contractor Eric had a scary battle with covid: Eric Eremita, the popular contractor from HGTV’s Love It Or List It and Brother vs Brother, is recovering from the coronavirus and detailing for the first time what he went through in his battle against the disease. Eremita, age 51, was in a New York hospital for three weeks, two of them on a ventilator. He tells People magazine that he had no underlying conditions, but began to develop a high fever, then spiraled down into dizziness and lost focus. “For me, I’m a guy who does things with precision,” Eremita said. “I’m a contractor, so for me, an eighth of an inch makes a difference. When I couldn’t zero in on things, I knew something was wrong.” Eremita and his wife, who also developed symptoms, self-quarantined on separate floors of their home, with their three children staying in the basement. His efforts to get an immediate test for the coronavirus were unavailing. “They didn’t get back to us, and I started getting worse and worse,” he said. When he started turning blue, his wife called an ambulance. “I got to the hospital and, believe it or not, it’s kind of a blur from that moment until I woke up off the ventilator,” Eremita said. After two weeks, they removed the ventilator and moved him to ICU. There, he could Facetime with family and coworkers, and gradually regained some strength. “They’re calling me their miracle,” Eremita says. “No one else in the hospital that I was in that was on a ventilator walked out alive. I’ll be honest with you, it made me very, very humbled, and reminded me to appreciate life.” While Eremeita is alive, he is not out of the woods. He’s undergoing therapy to learn to walk again. He is also taking antibiotics to help with pneumonia that he caught after the virus. “Every day is getting better,” he says. “They told me I wouldn’t walk without a walker, but now I walk just fine. I got a bit beat up, but I’m the comeback kid.”

sar·casm /ˈsärˌkazəm/ noun the use of irony to mock or convey contempt. "his voice, hardened by sarcasm, could not hide his resentment"

Kim & Kanye are divorcing. Never in a million years did I see that coming. I have no words. ☹

I find them a little more interesting now that they've moved past the initial hostility of their breakup. She's appeared more often with little make-up and not-perfect hair in this past year as the stresses of her marital situation with Ant may have been weighing on her.

American Airlines will no longer allow emotional support animals to travel on its planes other than as carry-on pets or in the cargo. The carrier is adopting a Department of Transportation rule that takes effect next week. It defines a service animal as a dog trained to do work or perform tasks for an individual with a disability, a narrower definition than in the past. "When the rule goes into effect January 11, American will no longer authorize new travel for animals that do not meet that definition, such as emotional support animals," the airline announced Tuesday in a news release. The airline said existing bookings involving emotional support animals will be honored through February 1, when the company's new policies go into effect. Animals that had previously traveled as emotional support animals and no longer qualify as service animals can travel as carry-on pets or in the cargo provided they meet the airline's requirements, American added. The airline will collect a pet fee ranging from $125 to several hundred dollars for transporting pets, according to the Associated Press. "We're confident this approach will enable us to better serve our customers, particularly those with disabilities who travel with service animals, and better protect our team members at the airport and on the aircraft," Jessica Tyler, president of cargo and vice president of airport excellence for American, said in a statement. Alaska Airlines a week ago also said it would no longer accept emotional support animals. Other airlines are also expected to adopt the new policy. The Transportation Department early last month said it was reversing its long-held position that required airlines to allow passengers to travel with emotional support animals as long they had note from a doctor. The agency's switch follows an increase in service animal complaints from passengers with disabilities, misbehavior by emotional support animals, a lack of clarity around the definition of "service animal" and disruptions caused by "requests to transport unusual species of animals onboard aircraft," according to the DOT. Airlines for years have struggled to contend with travelers who brought a menagerie of animals on board, including cats, turtles, pigs and other creatures. High-profile incidents involving animals on flights include police being called to remove a woman with an emotional support squirrel from a 2018 Frontier Airlines flight and United Airlines bouncing a passenger who wanted to bring a peacock on board.

Well, it took only 2 days, but Meghan McCain & Joy Behar threw down on live TV today. It wasn't quite as thrilling as the Rosie O'Donnell-Elizabeth Hasselback brouhaha, but it was interesting viewing, nonetheless: Say what you will about Meghan McCain, but at least she keeps things interesting. Tuesday morning on The View, the conservative co-host threw down with Joy Behar once again, this time over the tense relationship between different factions in the American political landscape. Meghan vs. Joy fights can only mean one thing: new year, same sh*tshow. Believe it or not, today’s Hot Topics discussion actually began on a jovial note, with the co-hosts laughing about President Trump’s claim that he hopes Mike Pence will “come through” and overturn the results of the election. Towards the end of the first segment, moderator Whoopi Goldberg asked if the political landscape has developed “a third party” of “Trumpians” who have distanced themselves from traditional conservatives. “Is it the Democrats, the Republicans, and the Trumpians?” she asked. “Ooh, that’s scary.” After the commercial break, the panel picked up that thread of discussion and ran with it. “Let the Republicans fight amongst themselves. On the one hand, you have the Republicans; on the other, you have the seditionists,” said Joy Behar. “In the Democratic party, you have the progressives versus the moderates, which is de rigueur, as they say … The Republican party is in much more trouble right now.” “Are you kidding me? You have AOC–” interrupted McCain. “Excuse me! Am I done? I’m not done!” fired back Behar. When McCain argued that Behar’s point is “completely inaccurate” because Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and The Squad are “coming out very angry, very intensely that Biden hasn’t filled his cabinet with more progressives,” among other perceived slights, things really veered into dramatic territory. “The idea that there isn’t fighting within the Democratic party, as well –” began McCain. “I was speaking!” replied Behar. “I was speaking! I’m talking about — I’m talking about traitors!” “You missed me so much, Joy. You missed me so much when I was on maternity leave,” joked the conservative firebrand. “You missed me so much — you missed fighting with me!” Behar could have left McCain’s remark alone (it was clearly a joke, after all), but she doubled down instead. “I did not miss you,” she said, deadly serious. “Zero.” “Oh my god. You know what? That’s so nasty!” replied a visibly surprised McCain. “That’s like, so nasty. I was teasing!” “Guys! Guys! Hold on. Hold on. Everybody stop!” said Goldberg, as McCain continued to complain about Behar’s “rude” outburst. The View‘s moderator attempted to get things back on track by diverting the discussion to Sara Haines, but it didn’t work as planned. “I wanted to ask Meghan if she feels there really is a fracture,” said Haines. “I think Sunny was trying to talk, so you should just ask her,” answered McCain. Awwwwkward.

I'm actually trying to compare the cross in that gif to the one in the pics above. ? ?

I didn't get a lot of sleep last night and at first glance I read that as butt plug.

I have a grocery delivery scheduled for Thurs. The post-holidays covid wave and the new more-infectious variant have scared me back out of the supermarkets.

Well, I did it. Thank God I got my stimulus check over the weekend. I had a single item delivered Saturday, and have single items scheduled to be delivered tomorrow, Thurs, Fri, & Mon. I didn't try to do that, I was just taking advantage of the Prime shipping. Some of the items just had different shipping dates, and also I've had things pop into my head that I need about once or twice a day. I also have a grocery delivery scheduled for Thurs. The post-holidays covid wave and the new more-infectious variant have scared me back out of the stores.