samhexum

It was carrying 294 propane tanks. There was black ice on the road. The driver's okay.

Overturned tractor trailer on fire with explosion along the Long Island Expressway service road. I hope it wasn't carrying vaccines.

I hope you know my head is exploding because I'm trying to hold in all the possible sarcastic replies.

They're still going, now sounding somewhere between just outside and in the background. This must be some fire. It must be all the swing state democrats burning the evidence of their massive voter fraud.

And it's my neighborhood, not love. I just heard a cacophony of sirens for a couple of minutes that sounded like it was right outside & now I'm hearing a couple faintly in the background. I guess I'll be watching the local morning news.

McDonald's is long past that figure. ?

Yeah, but you don't play one on TV, so I'm not impressed. Other than giving me my specific numbers, which I wasn't hurrying in to my doctor to get, she didn't tell me anything I didn't already know. I haven't seen my PCP in about 3 years, and that visit was the first in about 5, so at least I got SOME diagnostics today. Pre-covid I'd see my neurologist once or twice a year (have had disk fusions in 2003 & 2012, & 2 mini-strokes in 2017-- my file's about an inch thick) and my pulmonologist 3 times a year so he could test my deteriorating lungs and tell me not to smoke pot anymore. He'll be so glad to know I've cut back about 30% during the pandemic (down to much more than I should). You don't get to be in the shape I'm in without intimate knowledge of what you're doing to yourself (and of the fridge & freezer, too). If you're confused, my avatar pic was taken in really good lighting on a day when I was having a good (chest) hair day. ?

And some real ones, too, if all the stories I've heard about you in back alleys are true ???

Maybe he's a space-aged robot. Gigantor, Gigantor, Gigantor. Gigantor the space aged robot, He is at your command. Gigantor the space aged robot, His power is in your hand. Bigger than big, taller than tall, Quicker than quick, stronger than strong. Ready to fight for right, against wrong. Gigantor, Gigantor, Gigantor. How many takes do you think they had to do before the 'instructor' could get through the whole thing without accidentally brushing his finger (slowly) against the model?

Nah, your glasses are dirty.

You know, speaking of whoppers, a clever vegetarian or vegan mega-hung escort could advertise that he offers a plant-based whopper with special sauce. Or if he's afraid of copyright infringement penalties, he could just say plant-based meat with cream filling.

I'm sure I'd prefer meat-based plants, but I've been curious to try some, especially since I've sent for several coupons for free items. Tonight I tried my first... INCOGMEATO (by Morningstar Farms) 'chicken' nuggets. Slightly spicy (for flavor, I guess), but edible and completely worth what I paid for it. I wouldn't ever buy them, though. I eat my nuggets plain, but these would probably better if I liked ketchup or a dipping sauce. I also have their 'burgers', as well as 'burgers' from LightLife to try, but they can be refrigerated or frozen for quite a while, so no rush. I have 2 more coupons, so maybe I'll see what other 'meat' products INCOGMEATO offers.

OPINION NY’s plastic-bag ban one more thing pushing COVID-slammed bodegas over cliff By Francisco Marte Bodegas across the five boroughs have been a lifeline for New Yorkers throughout the coronavirus pandemic and lockdowns. But the economic and health effects of the crisis have taken a heavy toll on small food retailers — suffering compounded by the collapse of law and order in many of the neighborhoods we serve. Which makes it all the more enraging that we now have to deal with a plastic-bag ban — an unfunded mandate that epitomizes the state Legislature’s sheer decadence and beholdenness to the boutique causes of gentry progressives at a time when the working class and small business are facing unprecedented misery. Bodegeuros continue to courageously fulfill their roles as essential workers, manning the front lines in the city’s poorest neighborhoods and providing vital resources for the poorest Gothamites. But many of us are hanging by a thread, and some have been forced to shut their doors for good due to a lack of foot traffic. As incomes drop and sales decline, bodegas need help so they can survive this downturn and assist in the city’s economic recovery. There is one easy step Albany could take to make things at least a little eaiser on us: scrapping or, at least, pausing the ban on plastic bags, which legislators imposed last year without considering what it would mean for bodegas and other small retailers that often operate on razor-thin margins. When the ban was enacted, there was much discussion about its environmental benefits to the oceans. These are minor at best, as studies have found that the United States contributes less than 1 percent of the plastic litter in the world’s oceans. But never mind that: Albany all but ignored the pressure on retailers charged with implementing the ban and allocated few resources to assist them in that effort. Now, two months since the ban went into effect, those impacts are starting to become clear. And as we predicted, the news is not good. The state failed to think through whether there would be enough paper bags available to replace plastic, and whether the cost of this alternative would be too much for small businesses to bear — if they could manage to find paper at all. The sad reality is that regulatory enforcement always falls the hardest on the most vulnerable and least politically protected segments of an industry. As bodegas and other small, independent businesses are struggling with the constraints of this ill-conceived ban, environmental advocates are blindly advocating for full enforcement without recognizing the hardship that creates. One such advocate, who led the charge for the ban, has created her own “snitch squad” — based far from New York City in Bennington, Vt. — whose members are encouraged to inform on ban violators to the state Department of Environmental Conservation. State lawmakers also failed to consider the ban’s health impact on our store owners and employees. Reusable cloth bags must be regularly washed to ensure that they aren’t spreading germs, but research has shown that a majority of shoppers don’t actually follow that protocol. In the absence of adequate supply and the prohibitive cost, many of our stores continue to use plastic bags while a legal challenge to the ban moves through the courts. We don’t condone or encourage violating the law, but this is what happens when the impact of a bad law on the most vulnerable stores isn’t fully considered. That is why we support the effort by Assemblyman Victor Pichardo and his colleagues in the Assembly to place a two-year moratorium on the ban and institute in its place a five-cent fee on plastic. This would generate an estimated $500 million a year, providing the state with much-needed revenue at a time when it faces multibillion-dollar deficits as a result of the pandemic. But more important, it will give bodegas and other small businesses some breathing room and allow them to offer shoppers what they really want: options, including the ability to choose a product that offers peace of mind when it comes to protecting their health as the pandemic drags on. It is well past time for Albany to support independent retailers and remove impediments to their success, instead of loading them down with unrealistic and unfunded mandates that only make an already difficult situation worse. Francisco Marte is the secretary-treasurer of the Bodega and Small Business Association.

Xin Xing, the world’s oldest panda and progenitor of dozens of new members of her endangered species, has died at 38. In human-age equivalent, the so-called “hero mother” of Chongqing Zoo in western China would have been about 130 years old. The announcement came Monday via social media, on the zoo’s WeChat page, nearly two weeks after the panda matriarch’s death — though the reason for delay remains unclear. The panda matriarch, whose name translates to “new star,” bore 36 of her own cubs during her long and fruitful life, many of whom now reside in countries such as the US, Canada and Japan. Xin Xing was born in the summer of 1982 at a protected panda sanctuary in Baoxing, Sichuan, and brought to Chongqing Zoo before she was a year old. Earlier this year, Xin Xing celebrated her 38th birthday in August with a party for zoogoers and “cake” made of her favorite treats, including bamboo shoots and fruit. At that time, her lifelong keeper, then 56-year-old Zhang Naicheng, told reporters for China Daily, “We spend so much time together, and she is like a family member to me.” “I want to continue looking after her and help her to live to at least 40 years old,” Zhang told iPandaNews.com last year. “We can grow old together, and make her the longest living panda.” Only one other panda, Jia Jia, who died in 2016 also at 38, has lived as long as Xin Xing. Xin Xing’s handlers began to notice lethargy and a loss of appetite in October, followed by labored breathing, imbalance and abdominal swelling. Medical experts from the China Giant Panda Conservation and Research Center and the First Affiliated Hospital of the Heavy Medical School came to tend to Xin Xing — to no avail. A post-mortem examination revealed she had died of multiple organ failure due to advanced aging. “The departure of the giant panda Xinxing makes us feel heartache, and we hereby inform friends from all walks of life who care about Xinxing,” the zoo said in their statement. There are fewer than 1,900 giant pandas left in the world, according to the World Wildlife Federation, most of which live in the temperate forests of southwest China.

It's one more.

Except that I can't stand or walk for more than a minute or two without terrible back and/or leg pain. (Sciatica and lumbar radiculopathy). I spend my life sitting down. And I've been an insomniac my whole life. My parents used to go to bed after the 11PM news & my sister and I would stay up to watch Carson. But thank you.

You must be a fun first date.

Thank you, but I'm thinking of trying the Trump Covid plan... one day my health problems will just disappear. It'll be like a miracle. In fact, I think I'm turning the corner right now.

United Healthcare has been emailing and calling me since June or July, bugging me to schedule an in-home wellness visit. They offered a gift card as a bribe. They started at $15, went to $25, then $50, then a few weeks ago they went to $75 and I caved. She was just here. It took an hour. My blood pressure was normal for years despite my weight, but has been steadily increasing the last few. Today it was 140/90. I've also graduated from pre-diabetic to diabetic. My A1C was 6.7 . I had a slight amount of glucose in my urine, but that was true the last time I had a physical about 3 years ago. (When she called last night she asked me to collect a sample-- thank God I save wonton soup containers.) And she left me a free 'thank you' gift-- a set of 3 square plastic food storage tubs. I have a few million of them already. The gift card is supposed to come in about 3 weeks. Now I need to make an appointment for a physical. She came with a bag that had so many different things in it. She changed her gloves at least 10 times, sanitized her gloved hands just about as often, and set up her own garbage bag to discard any used item... which she took when she left, of course. The timing worked well... I had 3 packages to return to Amazon, but am out of printer ink, so I asked if the UPS driver could bring me the shipping labels. It was from 3 different orders, so three different boxes and labels (they should enjoy the one item in the Walmart box). Anyhoo, I knew I'd have to interact with the driver so the right label went on the right box, so I was hoping he'd come before she did, or just after she left, so I wouldn't have to make her wait and also introduce another factor into the equation. He showed up 10 minutes after she left (while I was typing the second paragraph, in fact). Oh, United Healthcare sent me a well-at-home kit the other day with a thermometer, a dose of Tamiflu, and an at-home covid test (with a warning not to open until directed, as it has to be activated by a doctor). I'm also not supposed to open the Tamiflu until directed. There's a number to call for either if I start feeling symptoms. I was thinking of trying to start a diet after New Year's anyway. I guess the next 10 days will be a pigfest, as I've been stocking up on stuff in the event this covid wave gets totally out of hand here. Actually, given how much junk food I have, it might take until early-mid January to start.

K. Sorry if my answer came off a little snarky; I've just always disliked the whole Olympics dynamic (winter or summer). Besides, tall girls like Biles intimidate me. ?

Maybe not this one... https://www.companyofmen.org/threads/iron-crotch-kung-fu.161992/

In honor of this thread, that song should be sung Soprano or Falsetto.

REJOICE!!! It's the shortest day of the year! Embrace the darkness!!! and it's also the date referred to in the first post in this thread.