samhexum

Roald Dahl’s family quietly issues apology for late author’s anti-Semitism The family of Roald Dahl, who penned the children’s classics “Matilda” and “James and the Giant Peach,” has quietly apologized for the late writer’s “prejudiced” anti-Semitic comments. Dahl, who died at age 74 in 1990, had made offensive declarations in several interviews, including a 1983 interview with The New Statesman, reports The Sunday Times of London. “There is a trait in the Jewish character that does provoke animosity, maybe it’s a kind of lack of generosity towards non-Jews. I mean, there’s always a reason why anti-anything crops up anywhere,” Dahl said. “Even a stinker like Hitler didn’t just pick on them for no reason.” In 1990, Dahl told The Independent: “I’m certainly anti-Israeli and I’ve become anti-Semitic in as much as that you get a Jewish person in another country like England strongly supporting Zionism.” Even some of Dahl’s characters are considered anti-Semitic portrayals, including the large-nosed child snatcher he added in his screenplay of Ian Fleming’s classic “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.” Dahl’s relatives posted their apology on the author’s website. The statement isn’t dated and wasn’t sent to any Jewish groups or promoted publicly. “The Dahl family and the Roald Dahl Story Company deeply apologise [sic] for the lasting and understandable hurt caused by some of Roald Dahl’s statements. Those prejudiced remarks are incomprehensible to us and stand in marked contrast to the man we knew…,” the apology reads. “We hope that, just as he did at his best, at his absolute worst, Roald Dahl can help remind us of the lasting impact of words.” In a statement to the Sunday Times, the family members acknowledged both their love for Dahl and the pain he caused. “Apologising [sic] for the words of a much-loved grandparent is a challenging thing to do, but made more difficult when the words are so hurtful to an entire community. We loved Roald, but we passionately disagree with his anti-Semitic comments….These comments do not reflect what we see in his work – a desire for the acceptance of everyone equally – and were entirely unacceptable. We are truly sorry.”

He was 73.

Is that what the kids are calling it these days?

Schmidt and Nico have decided to be each other's designated safe partner for sex during the pandemic. Covid is probably going to eventually kill Meredith Grey, but it has reinvigorated GREY'S ANATOMY. It has been quite good so far. I guessed tonight's return-from-the-dead character, though.

Nah, he was actually a nice guy. ? ? 4 questions, took about a minute.

I've actually figured out the real names of three people on hook-up sites, but haven't mentioned it to any of them for exactly that reason. Long ago, there was a porn star who listed his phone # in an ad, and I reverse-directory-ed it and found that he was listed in the phone book with his address. Shortly after that I had some work doing surveys a block away and even though he wasn't actually in the area I was supposed to be covering, I took the opportunity to ring his bell (literally, unfortunately) and ask him the survey questions.

New rule cracks down on emotional support animals on planes Airlines don't have to treat emotional support animals as service animals, a new rule says. The US Department of Transportation rule announced Wednesday states that "carriers are not required to recognize emotional support animals as service animals and may treat them as pets." Air carriers are also permitted to limit service animals to dogs. The final rule on Traveling by Air with Service Animals defines a service animal as "a dog, regardless of breed or type, that is individually trained to do work or perform tasks for the benefit of a qualified individual with a disability, including a physical, sensory, psychiatric, intellectual, or other mental disability." Emotional support animals are prescribed by mental health professionals to provide their owners with comfort and support, but unlike service animals, they are not required to have training in specific tasks. Airlines have asked DOT to regulate this issue in part over their concern that passengers were fraudulently passing off their pets as the more loosely defined and fee-free category of emotional support animals. Flying with a small pet inside the cabin can cost $125 or more each way on US airlines. The new rule was also prompted by an increase in service animal complaints from passengers with disabilities, a lack of clarity around the definition of "service animal," misbehavior by emotional support animals and disruptions caused by "requests to transport unusual species of animals onboard aircraft," according to the DOT. Pigs, peacocks and other unexpected animals have previously flown as emotional support animals. Airlines for America, a trade group for US airlines, applauded the new rule. "Airlines are committed to promoting accessibility for passengers with disabilities and ensuring their safe travel. The Department of Transportation's final rule will protect the traveling public and airline crew members from untrained animals in the cabin, as well as improve air travel accessibility for passengers with disabilities that travel with trained service dogs," said A4A President and CEO Nicholas E. Calio in a statement. American Airlines is also pleased with the rule. "This new rule reflects a respect for individuals with disabilities who travel with legitimate service animals, which we share, while providing clear and practical guidelines that will eliminate the abuse of the system that has been a source of concern for our team members and customers," said AA spokesperson Stacy Day. "We look forward to the improved experience we'll be able to deliver to our customers, especially those with legitimate service animals, as a result." The new rule allows airlines to require passengers traveling with service animals to fill out and submit a DOT form "attesting to the animal's training and good behavior, and certifying the animal's good health." Approximately 15,000 comments were received in response to a notice of the proposed rule posted in the Federal Register in February 2020, according to the DOT. Those comments were taken into account in drafting the final rule. The rule will go into effect 30 days after it is published in the Federal Register. The publication date has not been set. Previously, a passenger traveling with an emotional support animal was required to present a letter to their airline from a licensed health professional. CertaPet, one of a number of services that provide screening and letters for emotional support animals, called the rule "a great disservice to those facing mental health challenges that get emotional support from their animal." The company said in a statement that "providing clear guidelines for certification and vetting companies in the industry" would have been a better solution. "We understand that there have been incidents that have discredited emotional support animals and the service they provide, but those situations could be prevented by increased regulation," the telehealth company's statement said. "We think emotional support peacocks are ridiculous too."

Julianna Margulies is joining the cast for season 2

Anyone who has died.

They need to get some male eye candy on the show.

Amanda Kloots has been named a new co-host on THE TALK.

A comedian’s viral Twitter ode to New York bodegas has sparked a heated debate on what exactly sets the city corner mainstays apart from suburbia’s grocery and convenience stores. “People who live outside of NYC and don’t have bodegas: where do you go to buy two Diet Cokes, a roll of paper towels, and oh also lemme get some peanut butter m&ms since I’m here, why not,” wrote funnywoman Alison Leiby on Monday. “(this is also about how candy is kept behind glass and is only accessed by the owner or, when he is not there, his 8 year old son),” added Leiby in a follow-up tweet. The initial post, which as of Tuesday afternoon had garnered more than 53,000 likes, primarily provoked two distinct reactions, each equally as visceral: Those who said Leiby had simply described a supermarket or convenience store, and those who rushed to defend bodegas’ honor as a unique business. “In PA there’s this thing called Wawa,” wrote one user, who described herself as a former New York City resident of 17 years, in reference to the convenience store chain. “In CA there’s this thing generally called stores, but you drive to them instead of walking to the corner.” Replied another user to Leiby’s rhetorical question, “Literally everywhere within 10 minutes of my house. Your idea of a unique quirk is a f–king store.” Sniped a third, “Literally any place with a cash register.” Other users were quick to praise the one-of-a-kind charm of a big-city bodega. “There’s nothing like them,” wrote one bodega backer. “I lived in NYC for 10 years, LA 5, Atlanta 3. Used to get bacon, egg, and cheese on a roll, toilet paper, white vinegar, and a turkey sandwich all at once and all delicious. Nothing similar in LA or Atl, sadly.” Wrote another, “A bunch of bitter people are saying the grocery store but the real answer is nowhere comes close. There isn’t one stop for dishwasher detergent a turkey sandwich a kombucha a pack of starbursts a bag of doritos and some chocolate covered shortbread cookies.” And the popular Brooklyn-based @Bodegacats_ account offered a reminder that there’s more to a bodega than the products on the shelves. “You mean, where do you go to pet your cats…,” the account wrote. A few in the middle agreed with Leiby’s love of New York and bodegas, but questioned how she made the point. “there is so much stuff you can only do at a bodega but you just described a 7/11,” read one such reply. “This is ‘View of the World from 9th Avenue’ in a tweet,” wrote another user, referring to the famous city-centric cover of The New Yorker. “I love New York, but people who live in New York really need to leave New York once in a while.” As Leiby’s tweet exploded, she cracked wise about whether the attention worth it. “If they don’t talk about all this on NY1 tomorrow then it was all for nothing,” she wrote late Monday. By Tuesday morning, the debate indeed spilled over to the cable news channel’s morning show, leading Leiby to proclaim, “THIS IS THE BEST DAY OF MY LIFE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”

There’s a mere 18-month age gap between this proud mom and her baby – and thanks to the wonders of science, the record-breaking infant is technically 27 years old. Molly Everette Gibson was born from an embryo that was frozen in October 1992 – only 18 months after her mother, Tina, now 29, was born in April 1991. “It’s hard to wrap your head around it,” Tina told The Post from her home in Knoxville, Tennessee. “But, as far as we’re concerned, Molly is our little miracle.” According to researchers at the University of Tennessee Preston Medical Library, the girl enters the history books as the longest-frozen embryo known to result in a live birth. Remarkably, Molly’s October 26 arrival broke the previous record held by her sister, Emma Wren, who spent 24 years on ice before her delivery in November 2017. The embryos were frozen together and are full genetic siblings. They were thawed nearly three years apart at the National Embryo Donation Center (NEDC) before their respective transfers into Tina’s uterus. Since they were donated anonymously, their biological parents remain unknown. “It is very rewarding for me to see an embryo that was frozen years ago result in the birth of a lovely baby,” said NEDC lab director Carol Sommerfelt. “I feel honored to be part of the process.” Tina and her husband, Benjamin, 36, first turned to the NEDC after trying naturally for their own child over the course of five years. Benjamin has cystic fibrosis, which can cause infertility. The pair, married now for 10 years, had previously fostered kids and were considering traditional adoption. But, in early 2017, Tina’s parents told them about the non-profit organization after watching an item about it on the local TV news. “We were like, ‘That sounds crazy. No, thank you, we’re not interested,’ ” recalled Tina of the prospect to conceive with a donor embryo. “Then we kept thinking about it and couldn’t get it out of our minds.” They visited the center (conveniently based in their home city) and were presented with the profiles of around 300 strangers who had donated spare embryos following IVF treatment. “We weren’t picky,” said Tina, who works as an elementary school teacher. “We just wanted a baby.” Nonetheless, they narrowed down the choice to couples who were short in stature — “we’re both small people,” laughed Tina — before considering the donors’ health backgrounds. They finally selected the embryo that later became Emma in March 2017. Tina only discovered on the day of the transfer that it had been frozen for 24 years. “I asked the specialist, Dr. Jeffrey Keenan: ‘What does that mean?’ ” she remembered. “And he replied: ‘Well, it could be a world record.’ “I trusted him.” Emma turned out to be the light of their lives. After a couple of years, the Gibsons wanted to provide her with a brother or sister. It was a no-brainer deciding to transfer the two remaining embryos from the same donors. Dr. Sommerfelt, who once again supervised the delicate thawing process, told The Post: “As long as the embryos are maintained correctly in the liquid nitrogen storage tank at minus 396 degrees, we feel they may be good indefinitely. “With the birth of Molly, we know they can survive at least 27 and a half years and probably longer.” The Gibsons’ second blessing was delivered weighing 6 pounds and 13 ounces after a relatively straightforward labor. It hasn’t fazed them that Molly is considered something of “a big deal” in medical circles. Tina added: “To us, it’s more unbelievable that we have two precious little children that we never thought we could have. “We hold Molly — this itty bitty baby — and we feel blessed.” As for Molly’s big sister, she seems unruffled by the loss of her record as the ultimate “snow baby,” the often-used colloquial term for frozen embryos. “They might have to fight it out when they get older,” quipped Tina. In the meantime, Emma is “obsessed” with the 5-week-old, and constantly wants to pick her up. She was thrilled to receive a special doll when Molly joined the household. The tot named the toy after her sister and, according to Mom “copies everything we do [to the baby] with her doll.” Looking ahead, Ben and Tina are already discussing plans to expand their loving family. Next time, it will likely be done through conventional adoption. They can’t get the girls another biological sibling from the NEDC, after all. “We’ve used up all the ‘genetic’ embryos to get Emma and Molly,” concluded Tina. “For them, we will forever be thankful.” Facts about ‘old’ embryos Dr. Brian Levine, practice director of Manhattan fertility clinic CCRM, told The Post that frozen embryos do not have a known shelf life. Still, it is important to consider that those put on ice in the 1980s and 1990s “have potential for degradation over time” since the “slow freeze” technique used by specialists back then could “create vulnerabilities.” Although he said there is no evidence that the slow-freezing could lead to any “defects or disabilities” in future offspring, “My concern would be fragility in the [in vitro fertilization (IVF)] environment,” said Levine. “Whereas the embryos of the new millennia will likely last and perform far superior to those frozen in the 1990s.” This is due to today’s use of vitrification, also known as flash freezing, and the ability to test embryos on a viability scale. Levine added that many storage facilities contain decades-old embryos because a lot of IVF parents don’t want to dispose of the leftover fruit of their loins. “They feel emotionally attached to these embryos they worked so hard to create,” he said. “Being asked to discard them is emotionally taxing, so it’s easier just to pay a yearly rent [typically between $500 and $1,000] for the storage.”

Over 40 attendees of New Orleans swingers event contract COVID A swingers convention in New Orleans turned into a coronavirus superspreader event after at least 41 attendees tested positive for the virus, according to an organizer. In a blog post, Naughty Events owner Bob Hannaford wrote that November’s five-day Naughty in N’awlins revelry at first seemed like a safe success thanks to a plethora of pandemic precautions. “We went to extraordinary measures for check-in and instituted a touchless process with required temperature checks, social distancing in line, and sanitizing upon check-in,” wrote Hannaford of the Big Easy bash, which kicked off Nov. 10. “We issued wristbands in one color to indicate who had antibodies and therefore was not contagious. We issued a second color to those that showed us a very recent negative COVID-19 test,” he continued. “The wristbands even had each person’s date of their test circled.” Hannaford even recalled going out to dinner with friends to celebrate the climax of the X-rated extravaganza — which turned out to be premature. “The next day the texts started. We had our first positive case,” he wrote. “It was a wife who tested positive on Monday night after our event. Her husband tested negative. Both were tested prior to coming to the event.” Over the following days, dozens of similar e-mails flooded in, accumulating to 41 out of the 300 attendees, wrote Hannaford in the post, which was first reported Tuesday by local outlets including alternative Crescent City weekly Gambit. “Most would consider that a positivity rate of 13%, but there’s more to a positivity rate,” wrote Hannaford. “You see, we have no idea how many people got tested after our event, nor if anyone tested positive and didn’t tell us. There could also be people that are positive, but without symptoms, so they never got tested.” One attendee, described by Hannaford as “a good friend” was hospitalized in serious condition, but has since been released. Most other afflicted attendees of which Hannaford was aware either experienced minor symptoms or were asymptomatic, he wrote. “Would I do it all over again?” mused Hannaford, noting that at the time the event began New Orleans had in place its least restrictive package of restrictions. “If I could go back in time, I would not produce this event again,” he wrote. “I wouldn’t do it again if I knew then, what I know now. It weighs on me and it will continue to weigh on me until everyone is 100% better.” As of Tuesday afternoon, Louisiana accounted for 232,414 of the United States’ 13,580,941 positive coronavirus diagnoses, and 6,420 of its 268,880 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University. New Orleans city officials have already scrapped plans for 2021’s Mardi Gras parades with the pandemic still going strong.

Ice-T Had An Ice Cold Response To His Father-In-Law Getting COVID, And It's Causing Controversy On Twitter This is Ice-T. He's a rapper, a Law & Order legend, and — as you surely know if you've ever seen his E! reality show Ice Loves Coco — he's the husband of model Coco Austin. Unfortunately, Coco's father Steve has recently been battling a long and severe case of COVID-19 and spent more than a month in the hospital fighting for his life. Ice-T shared the news in a tweet on Sunday, and he pulled no punches when talking about his father-in-law's careless attitude toward the pandemic before getting sick. "My father-in-law ‘Coco’s dad’ was a serious ‘No Masker,'" Ice-T wrote in his tweet. "COVID hit him. Pneumonia in both lungs... 40 days in ICU close to death... Now he’s on oxygen indefinitely." "Ohhh he’s a believer now..." the rapper concluded, along with a photo of his father-in-law in the ICU, and the hashtag #COVIDisNotAGame. As you can imagine, Ice-T's tweet has caused quite a stir on Twitter. Many are praising Ice for sharing his father-in-law's story — even if his delivery was rather blunt. When several people in the replies said that they had "no sympathy" for his father-in-law, Ice-T responded by saying that he views many "anti-maskers" as victims in their own right — since most of them are following the guidance of a president who routinely lies about the virus. When some COVID deniers showed up in the comments to argue with Ice about mask use, the rapper hit them with this: "I don't really care what you believe... And you probably won't care until YOU can't breathe." And when one Twitter user criticized the rapper for putting his own father-in-law on blast like this, Ice-T was having none of it, saying: "If I'm willing to use a family member that I love... Then it must be serious to me." And Ice had a clear message for anyone else who felt like arguing with him about this subject: In other NEWS: My dog just Farted..

It took me until last night to get around to watching the second episode. I got into it, but don't see how this could be an ongoing show for many seasons.

Nurse placed on leave for bragging on TikTok she doesn’t wear a mask An oncology nurse at Salem Health in Oregon has been placed on administrative leave after posting a video on social media showing disregard for COVID-19 restrictions. In the video, uploaded Friday to TikTok, the nurse, identified by hospital officials as Ashley Grames, says she doesn't wear a mask in public outside of work, continues to travel and allows her children to have playdates. Grames' original post, on her account @loveiskind05, has been taken down, but a "duet" recorded by another user includes the original footage. The video shows the nurse mocking her coworkers' response to her lack of COVID-19 precautions through a lip-dub of Dr. Suess's Grinch from "How the Grinch Stole Christmas." (User @loveiskind05's account has been deleted from TikTok.) The video has gone viral, sparking controversy and swift outcry from concerned members of the community. Marion County has had among the highest number of cases in Oregon, and Salem Hospital has been on the Oregon Health Authority's list of workplaces with the highest number of employee-related cases since May. According to the state's latest weekly report, Salem Hospital has had 91 employee-related positive COVID-19 cases. The state includes family members of employees who test positive in these counts, so it's unclear how many of these are actually hospital employees. Salem Hospital has the highest employee-related count of any hospital in the state. The only workplaces with higher numbers are Amazon Troutdale and three state prisons. Salem Health officials addressed the video on Facebook, calling it a "cavalier disregard for the seriousness of the pandemic." They thanked community members who brought the video to their attention. "This one careless statement does not reflect the position of Salem Health or the hardworking and dedicated caregivers who work here," officials said. An investigation is pending while Grames is on leave. Part of the investigation will involve learning what staff and patients the nurse came into contact with, hospital communications officials said in an email to the Statesman Journal. "We will be following the recommendations of our infection control team on next steps." Hospital officials said they want the community to have confidence in their local hospital. "It is disturbing that the careless comments of one person would undermine the passionate and sacrificial work of so many caregivers who show up every day to provide safe and high-quality care for our community," officials said. "Our hope is that the safe, professional care provided every day by the rest of our staff would speak for itself beyond this one individual." Hospital staff has strict masking, social distancing, screening and infectious disease protocols in place, officials added. "These policies are strictly enforced among staff from the moment they leave their cars at work to the moment they start driving home." There are more than 800 comments on Salem Health's post — most scolding the nurse's actions, many calling for her to be fired and her license to be revoked. One comment read: "She is putting her patients at risk- CANCER patients. Unacceptable behavior. Firing her is the only acceptable response. People could lose their lives/their loved ones because of her carelessness. I hope you value your patients enough to rid your environment of those who don’t care for their safety. Some applauded the hospital's response. "I know everyone is upset and wants her fired, but be patient," one individual wrote. "Salem Health is following protocol and going to investigate the matter...as they should. While we want justice quickly and swiftly, we all do have to remember that justice often requires patience. At least she’s not working while the administration completes its investigation." Multiple community members took to the hospital's Facebook to write negative reviews. One person wrote: "Ashley Grames should have her nursing license revoked for bragging about not wearing a mask or practicing social distancing while being an oncology nurse -- exposing some of the most immunocompromised people is absolutely disgusting and embarrassing behavior for a medical professional." "Who would ever go to a Hospital where their nurses don't understand basic public health protocols?" another reviewer wrote. "If your staff doesn't 'believe' in science how can you be a medical facility. Wonder how dirty this place is." How is the hospital reassuring community members that doctors, nurses, and staff are taking the virus seriously and keeping patients safe? Salem Health officials responded to some reviews: "We have seen your comments and are taking action according to our policies. Thank you all for your concern and patience as we investigate."

I didn't know Fabio escorted... or lived in NJ. I don't know which is more surprising. :oops::oops:

Did you know she was cast as Roz on FRASIER but was let go after a few days of filming because she wasn't right for the part? She must have been really bummed when the show became an instant hit ... until the following season when she booked a pilot about six buddies who live in apartments they couldn't possibly afford unless they had trust funds.