samhexum

Firefighters with California's South Lake Tahoe Fire Fighters Association were recently dispatched to Key Marina after receiving a call about three bear cubs who had become separated from their mom. By the time they arrived on the scene, firefighters found that the mama bear had already begun to execute a daring rescue plan to reunite the family. Slowly, she encouraged each of the cubs to jump into the water, then swam them each to safety. "The mother bear was determined to save all three of her cubs herself and ensure that they see tomorrow by continually swimming each one to safety," the association said in a Facebook post on May 3. https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=2816818148437545

Anne Meara's widower (& Ben's dad) was 92.

https://www.companyofmen.org/threads/complete-lock-down-coming.156545/page-21#post-1912568

OPINION NYC should be rushing to furlough workers who can collect from the feds By Nicole Gelinas Last week, Mayor Bill de Blasio brought up the F-word: furloughs. Without massive federal aid, he warned, Gotham will have to “furlough and layoff … the exact people who have been the heroes in this crisis,” namely, “the first responders, the health-care workers.” Hizzoner is making a threat here. But a responsible mayor and council would be using furloughs as a tool: transfer people who aren’t doing immediately essential work to the expanded federal safety net, starting, yes, with the Department of Education. New York City employs nearly 335,000 people — and plans only 1,000 job cuts over the next six weeks. Even as the city asks for more federal aid, it isn’t using the federal aid Congress already provided through the CARES Act: expanded unemployment benefits that allow any single breadwinner who earns the average household income to have all of his or her income replaced for nine months. This system has flaws, including swamped state unemployment systems. But it’s also a lifeline to millions of retailers, restaurants, arts institutions, museums and so forth, who can at least know, as they lay off staff temporarily, that their workers are protected. Our city government, too, has tens of thousands of workers, at least, who can’t do their job in a lockdown. The Department of Education, with 149,000 workers, makes up nearly half that workforce. These workers do critical tasks in normal times — but can’t do them now. The DOE has nearly 1,500 school-lunch workers, for example, who earn well below the median wage, about $35,000 to $40,000 a year. Save for a skeleton crew preparing to-go meals for parents to pick up, furlough them; the city could help individual workers as they apply for unemployment insurance and pledge not to let anyone lose a paycheck. The city could also continue paying health benefits. The city has 5,300 school-safety agents making less than $50,000 a year. Absurdly, de Blasio wants them to enforce social distancing, putting themselves at risk. Save for officers needed to secure meal-pickup sites, transfer them temporarily, too, to the federal safety net. Nearly 2,000 educational “community assistants,” who also make well below the median income? 11,000 paraprofessionals, who work with teachers and students, and who likewise make well below median income? With summer school canceled and online classes winding down, the city could transfer most to the federal safety net with no financial harm to workers. The city shows no compunction about laying off some education workers: bus drivers, because they work for private contractors, are already on furlough. The city’s nearly 130,000 teachers and educational supervisors of course, make well above median wage, and so would lose income in any furlough: about $30,000 a year. Perversely, though, the teachers’ contract, which mandates that junior teachers suffer furloughs before senior ones, works in favor of near-complete income replacement, as junior teachers earn less. This goes for the rest of the city’s workforce: Does the Taxi and Limousine Commission need 230 inspectors when the taxi and limousine business has fallen by 80 percent? 125 day-care inspectors, when day cares are shut? 250 food-safety inspectors, when restaurants are closed? The city simply can’t spend the $30.3 billion it expected to spend on labor for the fiscal year that started July 1. It should be taking advantage of a federal rescue that can cut this bill. This also buys time — time to go through the thousands of administrative jobs the mayor has added in six years. And it buys negotiation power: Unions can agree to an across-the-board wage freeze to bring back jobs. It also buys more flexibility in the fall and next year, when the rest of the nation may have moved on. New York is acutely vulnerable here, due to its density. Will residents and workers return? Will real-estate values plummet? If we don’t use the extra federal safety net when it’s there, we will face mass-scale layoffs of essential workers next year — and with no extra federal unemployment insurance to offer them. No elected city official will speak publicly about this idea now, because it sounds mean. But what’s really mean is being quiet now, then having overcrowded classrooms and long waits for school lunches a year from now because the money has run out for students and for future laid-off workers. Nicole Gelinas is a contributing editor of City Journal.

Mazel Tov! Some good news for a change! Happy Mother's Day! Ruthie Anne Miles, the Broadway star whose child and unborn baby died after a driver ran a red light in Park Slope, Brooklyn, has given birth to a daughter. Miles, 37, announced the news on Instagram Saturday just in time for Mother’s Day along with an image of baby feet under the text, “Welcome to the world, Baby Hope Elizabeth.” “3 generations of April Babies,” she captioned the image with yellow heart emojis. Miles was pregnant and crossing Ninth Street at Fifth Avenue with her 4-year-old daughter back in March 2018 when a driver slammed into them, killing her daughter as well as another child crossing the intersection with his mother. The crash horrified the city and eventually led to the passing of new street safety legislation and a traffic-calming redesign of Ninth Street. Miles announced last month she was anticipating another child with her husband, Jonathan Blumenstein. She thanked loved ones at the time on Instagram for helping the couple cope with the horrific crash. “Thank you especially to the many of you who supported us in the aftermath of the crash, continually lifted us up in prayer, doused us with love, encouraged us, let us be and grieve these two years,” she wrote, “and now rejoice with us in this new life.”

Alec Baldwin returned as President Trump for the season finale of “Saturday Night Live” — chugging Clorox while giving a college commencement speech by Zoom. In the cold open, Baldwin’s Trump was told he was the eighth pick for the graduates’ speech, with preferred options Axl Rose, murder hornets and even X Æ A-12, Elon Musk’s new baby with singer Grimes. Just one student clapped as he appeared in a trademark “Make America Great Again” hat” on their Zoom chat window, with the president telling them, “Congratulations to the class of COVID-19.” “I’m so honored to be your valedictator,” he told them, meshing “valedictorian” and “dictator.” The students soon started calling for White House coronavirus task force expert Dr. Anthony Fauci to replace him, much to the fake Trump’s ire. “Sure, everyone loves Fauci — don’t you hate when these elite medical experts tell you what to do?” Baldwin’s president said, later insisting he was “the world’s leading expert on infectious diseases.’ Baldwin’s Trump then made a dry cough — a key symptom of the coronavirus — before chugging from a bottle of Clorox bleach. “Good old invincibility juice,” he said, as the skit teased Trump for questioning whether disinfectant could be injected into the body to kill the coronavirus, remarks he later insisted were sarcastic. The pretend Trump then tried to make a true motivational speech, telling the graduates to “believe in yourselves and you can achieve anything” — noting that he “started as the son of a simple, wealthy slumlord.” “Surround yourself with the worst people you can find. That way you’ll always shine,’ he told them, also advising them to just call anything they don’t understand “stupid.” “And live every day like it’s your last — because we’re gonna let this virus run wild,” he told them. “This virus that — remember — was started in a lab in Obama,” he said, naming the former president in place of Wuhan, the Chinese city where the contagion originated. By the end, all but one of the students had switched off from his Zoom call. “Wow, this crowd has thinned out faster than Adele,” Baldwin’s Trump said, referring to the British singer’s dramatic weight loss. Baldwin then transferred to the rest of the show by saying, “Taped from my home one last time — it’s Saturday night.”

Argentine porn star Ian Frost was skewered online when semi-nude images of himself and his friends apparently at a New York City house party Friday night surfaced on social media. This was after he’d pontificated piously about life in lockdown. Frost was forced to apologize Saturday. Frost’s faux pas was pounced on because he said he was isolating at home, cooking healthy food and using video conferencing to get a “reprieve” from the rigors of quarantine in a recent interview. “This situation that we are living is showing a completely new face of everyone, including myself,” he told DNA magazine. ” I love anthropology and physiology and I personally think that’s a great opportunity for introspection.” Frost apparently needed a reprieve from all that introspection but now regrets it. “I’ve learned some hard lessons the last few days and I appreciate those of you who have held me accountable during a rough time for all,” Frost wrote on Twitter. “I love attending parties with my friends, but my timing and my decision-making couldn’t have been worse.”

Well, I enjoyed TOMMY, but I never read any buzz about it, so I can't say I'm surprised. I liked the characters a lot. Oh, well. C'est la vie! Que Sera Sera! Carol had too many flaws.

Long-time New Yorkers will get the reference... Michael Halkias, owner of the iconic, eclectic Park Slope event space the Grand Prospect Hall, has died from COVID-19. He was 82 years old. Greek publication Anamniseis first reported the news. Halkias has owned the renowned hall, located at 263 Prospect Avenue between Fifth and Sixth avenues, with his wife, Alice Halkias, since 1981, NY1 reports. Many New Yorkers were familiar with the duo through a memorable Grand Prospect Hall that featured the couple and aired nonstop for years on local stations across the metropolitan area. Saturday Night Live even the commercial in 2019. “He was a man with big vision and an even bigger heart,” state Sen. Andrew Gounardes tweeted on Wednesday evening. “And of course, he made dreams come true for thousands of people who celebrated at his hall.” The opulent, over-the-top space — built in 1892 — is a national historical landmark and was the first electrified commercial building in Brooklyn, according the building’s website. American Express has filmed a commercial in the space, fashion magazine Vogue staged a photo shoot there, and the Grand Prospect Hall has been featured in movies including The Royal Tenenbaums and Francis Ford Coppola’s Cotton Club. It also served as a well-known music venue, hosting a variety of festivals and concerts, including Arcade Fire’s fifth album release party in 2017. In 2015, the couple opened the Brooklyn Bavarian Biergarten, a seasonal, German-American outdoor restaurant and bar, next to the event space. The sprawling beer garden features a waterfall, terraces, and enough room to seat 500 people in the garden, with additional interior “Glass House” that could sit another 500 people. New York City’s restaurant and hospitality industry has been hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic. Longstanding industry leaders, including top chef Floyd Cardoz and Joseph Migliucci, the owner of legendary Bronx red-sauce restaurant Mario’s, have died in recent weeks due to the novel coronavirus. LATE NIGHT LOCAL TV WILL NEVER BE THE SAME!

‘Driveways’ review: One of Brian Dennehy’s last films is also one of his best Running time: 83 minutes. Not rated. If you want to celebrate the life of legendary actor Brian Dennehy, who died last month at age 81, start with one of his final films: “Driveways.” His performance as a widowed veteran is right up there with his finest screen work, which makes his passing all the sadder. For fans, the easy-to-embrace new dramedy can feel like meeting the man we thought we knew for the very first time. Gone is his gruff exterior, the comic chops and his incomparable facility with the muscular poetry of Eugene O’Neill. Dennehy’s character, Del, is a guy you wanna hug, and who will probably hug you right back. He’s a sensitive Korean War vet, and the neighbor of new arrivals Kathy (Hong Chau) and her 8-year-old son Cody (Lucas Jaye). They’ve just moved to town to sell the home of Kathy’s sister, who recently died. Cody, who’s so socially awkward he pukes when he’s stressed, is a shy outsider who forms a sweet friendship with Del. They both need it. Kathy has her struggles, too. She learns that her sister was a hoarder, so getting the house on the market means confronting a loved one’s demons. Chau doesn’t overdo it as a single mom whose attention is understandably divided. As the family is Asian, some might rush to compare the film to “Gran Torino,” in which Clint Eastwood not only said “Get off my lawn,” but did so while pointing a shotgun. Co-writers Hannah Bos and Paul Thureen’s movie, however, is much more natural than that and doesn’t rely on the dull cliche of the Grinch next door having his heart grow three sizes because of a tot. Del is emotionally paralyzed, but not angry or vindictive. He’s caught in a fog. His wife is dead, and his friends at the VFW are succumbing to dementia. What unfolds is a story of mutual loneliness; of how a man in his eighties, despite a mountain of life experience, can feel the very same voids as an eight-year-old boy. And how a little kid can find more comfort in a Korean War vet than the “cool” people his own age. Jaye plays Cody sublimely, though he probably doesn’t realize it yet. “Driveways” isn’t all sad though. A quiet game of bingo will earn your smile. How rare is it that when a beloved actor dies, we can honestly say they were doing extraordinary work right ’til the end?

Nick Cordero, 41, may be in the early stages of waking up from a medically-induced coma after his two month battle with coronavirus. Cordero’s doctors at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles have seen very small signs of eye movement and tracking — something that he has not been able to do since he went into the coma. Amanda Kloots, Cordero’s wife, took to social media on Wednesday to share the news in an emotional Instagram story, calling “the best news they’ve gotten so far.” “The doctor just called and said that Nick is showing very, very, very early, early, early signs of stages of tracking,” Kloots said on Instagram. “The doctor just really thinks this is a great sign that he is starting to wake up.” Just yesterday, Kloots reported that her husband had a “rocky night” when his oxygen levels went down. Cordero has been battling the virus since last month and had his right leg amputated due to some complications. Kloots ended her update with the optimistic note that Mother’s Day is just around the corner and she hopes that her husband will wake up as a gift to his family. “Maybe he will wake up for me and his mom,” Kloots said.

The wife of NFL star Earl Thomas allegedly pointed a gun at his head and eventually chased him with a knife after catching him in bed with another woman. The wild chain of events took place on April 13 when Earl left their Austin, Texas home after an argument over his drinking. Earl’s wife, Nina Thomas, then hacked into his Snapchat in order to locate him. Nina found a video of Earl, a defensive back for the Baltimore Ravens, with another woman, then used the social media account to track down his whereabouts. She went to the location with two other women, grabbing Earl’s handgun before leaving, and walked in on her husband and his brother, Seth, “in bed with other women,” court documents allege. What, no video?!?!? Nina took out the gun and pointed it to Earl’s head from less than a foot away, but he was able to wrestle it away. Earl’s wife said she just intended to “scare him” with the gun — even taking out the magazine — but it was later determined that a round was still inside the chamber. It wasn’t until 3:41 a.m. the next morning that cops got involved when they received a call about a disturbance at the couple’s home. When they arrived, they found Nina wielding a knife and chasing Earl, who had a pistol, around a car. The two dropped to the ground when ordered by cops to do so. Nina was eventually arrested and charged with burglary of a residence with intent to commit aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. Earl was not arrested. An order of protection was also issued against Nina, forcing her to stay away from Earl. But, Earl, in an Instagram post addressing the TMZ report, said the two are “back talking” and that he’s seeing his kids. “Stuff like this happens,” Earl said in the post. Not to anyone I know! “You know, we try to live the best lives we possibly can, but sometimes it don’t go as planned.” A bit of an understatement...

Sixty-four children in New York state have been hospitalized with a rare, life-threatening inflammatory illness linked to the coronavirus, a new state Health Department report released Wednesday reveals. Health Commissioner Dr. Howard Zucker issued an alert to medical providers regarding the “potential association” between “multi-syndrome inflammatory syndrome” — or Kawasaki disease — and COVID-19. “As of May 5, 2020, sixty-four (64) suspected pediatric clinical cases compatible with multi-system inflammatory syndrome associated with COVID-19 have been reported in children in New York State hospitals, including New York City,” the advisory said. The alert said a majority of patients with the inflammatory syndrome have tested positive for COVID-19 or COVID-fighting antibodies. The state directive said hospitals must immediately report cases of pediatric multi-system inflammatory syndrome or Kawasaki disease to the Health Department and immediately perform tests for COVID-19 on patients. Kawasaki disease and multi-inflammatory syndrome are rare childhood illnesses that cause the walls of blood vessels in the body to become inflamed. Symptoms include high temperature that lasts for five days or longer, redness in the eyes, rashes and swollen glands in the neck. Children younger than 5 are most at risk. The state health advisory said while older adults are at risk for severe COVID-19 illness, children can still get sick, though they rarely become severely ill. “Early recognition by pediatricians and prompt referral to an in-patient specialist, including to critical care is essential,” the alert said. The New York City Heath Department issued its own health alert Monday night after reporting that four of 15 kids between the ages of 2 and 15 who had symptoms of Kawasaki disease also tested positive for the coronavirus. “We haven’t seen any fatalities yet, but we are very concerned by what we’re seeing. We’re learning more every day about how COVID-19 affects the body. This is a ferocious disease,” Mayor Bill de Blasio tweeted on Tuesday.

Rebel Wilson follows Bubbly. She's on this coming Monday. Jeremy Renner follows her.

Production on THE BLACKLIST shut down during the filming of episode 19. Producers decided to make that the season finale and finished the episode with a mix of live action scenes they'd shot along with animated scenes, with the stars recording dialogue from their homes. Episode 18, airing May 8th, will be the series' 150th episode, and the season finale will air May 15. In an attempt to build up a library to get through the summer, I have not watched since it came back from its winter break. I think I have 6 episodes to watch, plus these final two.

John Golden, owner and operator of Martin A. Gleason Funeral Homes, said their funeral homes in northeast Queens never had to turn families away — then came COVID-19. “We don’t have the capacity to handle all the families that are calling us,” Golden told QNS. “We’ve served double the normal amount of families we serve in a month. At one point, we had to turn 100 families away.” But the Gleason Funeral Homes — with locations in Flushing, Bayside and Whitestone — are far from the only funeral homes in New York City dealing with an influx of families and their deceased loved ones due to the novel coronavirus. Although COVID-19 is believed to have reached its peak, funeral homes, crematoriums and cemeteries are still dealing with great volumes of families needing funeral arrangements as New York City’s death toll reaches almost 13,724 confirmed deaths to the coronavirus and 5,383 probable deaths, as of Tuesday, May 5, according to the Department of Health. The city and state implemented some ways to help the mortuary system — such as setting up mobile morgues and allowing crematoriums to work around the clock — but the industry is still adjusting to the devastating losses. The Gleason Funeral Homes funeral directors go where the deceased are, which can be in refrigerated trailers outside of hospitals, hospital morgues, houses and nursing homes. Golden said the medical examiner has a new system that lets them know where the deceased are, but, he added, “Everything has slowed up and become more difficult.” He said that their funeral homes offer embalming, which allows them to safely hold deceased bodies until burial in the absence of a refrigerator. But Gleason Funeral Homes, which has served Queens for over 100 years, have limited their number of funerals, as they try to keep from overwhelming and overextending staff members. Golden said that one day, a secretary had to turn away a family, and as soon as she got off the phone, she couldn’t help but cry. “This has taken an emotional toll on all our staff at Gleason Funeral Homes, but we’re still working to send off the deceased and their families as best we can,” Golden said. And for families, the grieving process has become even more of a challenge. Right now, there are no wakes at Gleason, and cemeteries have limited visits to 10 people. Crematories currently are not allowing visitations. Some have allowed grave site recordings to send to families with their permission. Golden said they were able to record graveside prayers for a nun who passed away to send to her convent. He mentioned there are some Catholic churches in the area conducting memorial masses virtually, where there’s no one in the church except the priest so families can access it online. In one instance, St. Andrews in Flushing had a priest go outside of the church and bless the casket from the car. But Golden said it’s still a very difficult situation for families who weren’t able to see their loved one in the hospital, and can’t have a ceremony. Several weeks ago, the city was only holding deceased for 48 hours before burying “unclaimed” bodies on Hart Island, which Golden said caused families to feel “panic.” “We were able to intercept some, and now the medical examiner has extended the hold indefinitely,” he said. But Golden said the system as a whole is still “backed up.” Many of the cemeteries they work with have limited burial times and visitations. For instance, the next available date for a burial at Mount St. Mary Cemetery in Flushing is May 25. St. Michael’s Cemetery in East Elmhurst temporarily closed visitation and is restricting internments attendance in order to protect their staff. Golden said they previously wrote letters asking Gov. Andrew Cuomo to let out-of-state funeral directors come and help, which Cuomo did in the first week of April. That has helped, Golden said, but now he thinks cemeteries may need help getting workers or independent contractors to open grave sites. Golden said he suggested the city bring in military embalmers with experience handling deceased bodies and set them up in Flushing Meadows Corona Park, along with the out-of-state funeral directors. He believes more help caring for those who have died due to COVID-19 may lessen the burden. Public Advocate Jumanee Williams recently sent a letter to New York State Health Commissioner Howard Zucker calling for Section 4144 of New York State Law — requiring that all bodies be removed by a licensed funeral director — be temporarily exempted or amended to allow any paid employee of a funeral home to perform body removal. Williams argued the measure would vastly increase funeral homes’ capacity to empty the city’s overcrowded hospitals and morgues. “With this change in place, more families would be granted the dignity of giving their loved ones an individual burial, and strain upon our hospitals and morgues would be reduced,” Williams wrote in the letter. But Golden believes that it’s better to have licensed funeral directors removing bodies, especially when dealing with a contagious disease like COVID-19. “You don’t want someone who isn’t OSHA trained doing this,” he said. “You need a licensed funeral director because they know how to pick up the deceased. You have to make sure you get the right deceased body as well.” He said the problem, again, is that the system is backed up, not that there aren’t enough funeral directors. Golden, who’s worked as a funeral director for more than three decades, said the amount of death they’re experiencing only compares to 9/11 — but it’s much harder to navigate the current health crisis. “In normal times, the most gratifying thing was shepherding families through the steps as they mourn — accompanying them to crematories, helping them grieve,” Golden said. “And then COVID-19 arrived.”

I posted about this when Cuomo talked about it at his daily briefing. He was genuinely moved by the gesture, but the entire time he was talking, he was fiddling with the mask in his hands. :eek::eek:

I saw a story on the news a few days ago... I don't know where it was, but the mother of a six year old was in the hospital with Covid and ready to give birth. The six year old's first grade teacher took in the baby and is still caring for it... the mother is now home, but the 6 year old and father have now been diagnosed as positive. Also this... A happy coronavirus number... 104 This isn’t Ida Acconciamessa’s first rodeo. The 104-year-old Brooklyn resident has lived through the 1918 Spanish flu pandemic and both World Wars. Plus, she’s survived Stage 4 melanoma, two broken hips, an infection that affects the colon called Clostridioides difficile, and now, the coronavirus. “She always used to say, ‘I was born under a lucky star.’ That was her mantra in life,” her daughter Barbara Senese, 77, told CBS News. “And you know what? To be able to get through this virus, those words often come to my mind.” Senese and Johann Giordano, 75, have visited their mother every day at her residence at the Sheepshead Nursing and Rehabilitation Center until March, when the nursing home stopped letting in visitors. The doting daughters were forced to make their visits through their mother’s first-floor window, gloved and masked up for extra protection against COVID-19. During a visit on March 26, their normally engaged mother didn’t seem like herself, and on April 4, the women received word that their mother had tested positive for the coronavirus. Acconciamessa’s symptoms began with a very bad cough before going “strictly downhill,” Senese said. “We really didn’t think she was going to be able to pull through this,” Senese told CBS News. “She wasn’t even able to speak. She was lifeless.” Although they expected the worst, they knew she was a “fighter” with “an underlying strength to conquer things.” By April 24, Senese said the nursing home reported that Acconciamessa was doing “much, much better” and by May 1, she became “very chatty” once again. Marco Perrone, a nurse at the facility where Acconciamessa battled COVID-19, calls her recovery nothing short of a “miracle,” considering the higher fatality rate among older Americans, especially in nursing homes. The secret to longevity according to this perennial survivor? Stick to red. Senese said her mother was known to down a glass of red wine, plus a red McIntosh apple, every day until the age of 102. Barbara Senese, 77, and Ida Acconciamessa, 104 Talk about good genes!

DEAR ABBY: I work in the deli department of a grocery store and have been struggling lately. With everything that is going on, people are overwhelmed and have been taking it out on us. I asked one person, "How are you doing today?" The response I got was, "I'm not interested in conversation. Just feed me!" Another who came to the register didn't utter a single word except to exclaim, when I offered her a bottle opener for her soda, "I've got it!" Then she snatched her change out of my hand. I don't even get the brunt of it; the cashiers have to handle the worst of it. We employees are stressed out about the same things everyone else is. We are struggling to get the same products everyone else is searching desperately for. I had to shop at five different stores to get what I need and still haven't found many things. Between the stress of the virus and the stress of being treated so rudely, my mental health is running low. I have struggled on and off with depression and anxiety, and many of my coping methods are unavailable to me due to closures. Could you please remind your readers that we are all in the same boat and need to be kind to one another, and direct those of us who are struggling emotionally to resources we can access during this time of panic? -- STRUGGLING IN RETAIL DEAR STRUGGLING: I agree that many people react badly when under stress, as the customers you described have done. But many others respect and appreciate the efforts you and so many others in the food supply chain make every day -- at some risk to your own health. I am one of them. Because you have had issues with depression and anxiety in the past, consider contacting the therapist you worked with and ask if the person is doing online sessions. These days, many of them are. Just talking with someone -- friends or like-minded co-workers -- about what you are experiencing could bring some relief. However, if that isn't possible, consider exploring whether there are online support groups for retail workers such as you. If there aren't, consider starting one so you and others can exchange ideas about coping with these extremely stressful circumstances in which we all find ourselves.

On the other hand... A happy # ... 104 This isn’t Ida Acconciamessa’s first rodeo. The 104-year-old Brooklyn resident has lived through the 1918 Spanish flu pandemic and both World Wars. Plus, she’s survived Stage 4 melanoma, two broken hips, an infection that affects the colon called Clostridioides difficile, and now, the coronavirus. “She always used to say, ‘I was born under a lucky star.’ That was her mantra in life,” her daughter Barbara Senese, 77, told CBS News. “And you know what? To be able to get through this virus, those words often come to my mind.” Senese and Johann Giordano, 75, have visited their mother every day at her residence at the Sheepshead Nursing and Rehabilitation Center until March, when the nursing home stopped letting in visitors. The doting daughters were forced to make their visits through their mother’s first-floor window, gloved and masked up for extra protection against COVID-19. During a visit on March 26, their normally engaged mother didn’t seem like herself, and on April 4, the women received word that their mother had tested positive for the coronavirus. Acconciamessa’s symptoms began with a very bad cough before going “strictly downhill,” Senese said. “We really didn’t think she was going to be able to pull through this,” Senese told CBS News. “She wasn’t even able to speak. She was lifeless.” Although they expected the worst, they knew she was a “fighter” with “an underlying strength to conquer things.” By April 24, Senese said the nursing home reported that Acconciamessa was doing “much, much better” and by May 1, she became “very chatty” once again. Marco Perrone, a nurse at the facility where Acconciamessa battled COVID-19, calls her recovery nothing short of a “miracle,” considering the higher fatality rate among older Americans, especially in nursing homes. The secret to longevity according to this perennial survivor? Stick to red. Senese said her mother was known to down a glass of red wine, plus a red McIntosh apple, every day until the age of 102. Barbara Senese, 77, and Ida Acconciamessa, 104 Talk about good genes!

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Miami Beach park closes after nearly 9,000 Covidiots violate face mask policy A popular Miami Beach green space was reportedly closed Monday — five days after reopening — because nearly 9,000 people were caught violating the park’s mask policy. South Pointe Park had initially opened back up Wednesday, along with other green spaces in Miami-Dade County, after being closed for over six weeks to help curb the spread of the coronavirus. With the reopening, Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez ordered parkgoers to wear facial coverings, a policy largely ignored by those at South Pointe Park. From Wednesday to Sunday, park rangers issued 8,880 verbal warnings to people at South Pointe Park for going maskless, according to the Miami Herald, citing police. The majority of those warnings — 5,261 — occurred over the weekend — even after the city closed the parking lot Sunday in an effort to control the crowds. City Manager Jimmy Morales told the paper in a statement that other city parks reopened successfully, but South Pointe Park “is the most egregious exception.” “We have had city staff in the park to encourage people to comply, but they were met with hostility and non-compliance,” he said. “There is no way to effectively enforce social distancing when hundreds of individuals refuse to do so. The best way to protect our residents and first responders is to keep it closed until further notice.”