samhexum

Don't be so hard on yourself!

It was those conjoined women, one of whom got married a couple of years ago, right? no, wait… They share a body, so you kissed them separately, but had sex with them at the same time, I guess.

WASHINGTON — Popular weight loss drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy have been added to Medicare’s list of medications that will be negotiated directly between the government and drug manufacturers, the Biden administration said Friday. The price negotiations for the additional 15 drugs selected will be handled by the incoming Trump administration and almost assures billions of dollars in savings for taxpayers.

Even been tipsy. My father owned a liquor store & dragged us along to wineries when he went to place orders (& get some swag). The stench turned me off alcohol for life. I had a few drinks when I got old enough to go to clubs, but quickly realized the folly of paying ridiculous money & asking for the weakest versions of the weakest drinks. BTW, you can do 2, 3, 8, & 10 at the same time if you're living in your car.

Now available on HULU.

Sally Struthers wanted to quit “All in the Family” — and blames its creator, the late Norman Lear. The actress, 77, said on the Monday episode of the “Let’s Talk About That! With Larry Saperstein and Jacob Bellotti” podcast that she finally felt comfortable opening up about him because “he’s gone.” Struthers also shared a conversation she had with Lear during the series’ first season. “He was on the sound stage watching us rehearse, and we were on a break,” she told the hosts. “I said, ‘I can’t believe that we’re doing this and we’re about to hit No. 1 on the air.’” After noting how Lear “saw so many young ladies” for her role of Gloria, including Reiner’s then-wife Penny Marshall, Struthers asked Lear, “’Was I really the funniest one?'” to which he replied, “No.” Lear admitted that when casting the show, the team thought it made sense to have Gloria be a daddy’s girl because O’Connor’s Archie Bunker “was a lot to swallow for American audiences with his bigotry and his social sluts.” The way to “soften him up” was to give him a “soft spot in his heart for his daughter.” “So we hired you because just like Carroll O’Connor, you have blue eyes and a fat face,” Struthers recalled Lear telling her. The comedic star said she didn’t know how to respond so she walked away. Despite winning two Emmys for the series, Struthers described herself as the “fourth banana” after the other three leads. According to her, the show’s “older, brilliant Jewish faith writers” knew how to write for the other characters, but not for “a young lady.” “I usually had about three lines per show that said, ‘I’ll help you set the table, Ma,’ ‘Michael, where are you going?’ and ‘Oh, Daddy, stop it.’ And then the next week I’d have the three same lines in a different order. And if they literally didn’t know what to do with me in a scene, they’d have me go upstairs to take a bath or wash my hair,” she stated. “It was very frustrating.” The “Still Standing” alum ultimately tried to break her contract after five seasons on the show. After hiring a lawyer and spending $40,000 on legal fees during arbitration, she lost. “I went back and had three more seasons, but they were by far the most fun for me. Because finally, they had Mike and Gloria have a baby, they had us move next door into the house that [the] Jeffersons lived in,” she said. Struthers appeared in 182 episodes of “All in the Family” and even received her own spinoff “Gloria” that aired for one season in 1982. Decades later, the Hollywood vet became a fan favorite for her role as Babette on “Gilmore Girls.” Despite the ups and downs on the series, Struthers noted that part of her longevity as an actress is because she was “lucky enough to be on a groundbreaking national television series.” Struthers recently starred in the hit Netflix show “A Man on the Inside” alongside Ted Danson and continues to do theater. She said audiences are still “curious” to come see her in person at 77, joking, “Maybe because they love you or like you, but just as much because ‘Wait a minute, is she still alive? Let’s go see what she looks like now.’” In early 2024, she reunited with Reiner for a tribute to Lear at the delayed 2023 Emmy Awards. Struthers also had a bad experience with Betty White. The actress said that White once “fat-shamed” her. Struthers brought up White after telling the hosts how she used to live four houses away from the exterior of the “Golden Girls” home in Los Angeles. “I have to say now that she’s gone, I wanna talk about Betty White for just a moment,” she said. “I know everybody loves her. They loved her so much. They signed petitions to get her to guest host ‘Saturday Night Live.’ I know all that,” Struthers continued. “I didn’t have such a great experience with her.” The “Gilmore Girls” star called White a “very passive-aggressive woman.” She recalled the alleged fat-shaming occurred at White’s “beautiful” LA home when the pair met up to work on a pilot for a new game show. Struthers said that White told her housekeeper to bring the group something to eat. “The plate was set in the middle and it was cookies, I think,” she recalled. “So I reached for a cookie and she said in front of everyone, ‘Oh, I wouldn’t do that if I were you dear, you don’t need a cookie.’” Saperstein and Bellotti gasped in response to Struthers’ story. “Totally fat-shamed me in front of the rest of the people in the room,” she said. “And I thought, ‘Gosh, that’s not nice.’” “Well I’m sorry you had that experience with her,” Bellotti told Struthers. Despite the incident with White, Struthers noted that she has good memories about another “Golden Girls” star, Bea Arthur, who guest starred on “All in the Family.” “I would run into her at the supermarket and she would trash everyone we ever knew,” she said about the star, who died in 2009 at 86. “We would stand in the aisle and say, ‘What do you think about so and so?’ [And she’d say,] ‘She’s a f–king a—hole.’ People in the store were like, ‘What’s going on in aisle five?’ I loved how filthy she was.” “She was a big deal,” Struthers added about Arthur. “I loved her. When asked about some of her favorite Hollywood memories on the podcast, Struthers recalled how she dated Elvis Presley “for a while.” “That was fun,” she said. “He was probably the nicest man I ever met. He was so polite and so kind and soft-hearted.”

Dear Abby: My mother-in-law has a habit that makes me sick to my stomach. When we are out to dinner with her, she frequently asks, “Can I have a taste of that?” Then, without waiting for a response, she’ll stick her fork or spoon into my food and take a piece of it. It nauseates me when I try to eat the rest of the serving. I don’t know how to deal with this. She is very sensitive and easily offended, and I have always had the feeling she doesn’t like me and doesn’t think I’m good enough for her son. I have asked my husband to nicely ask his mother to stop doing this, but he refuses because he doesn’t want to insult his mother. When I told him it makes me sick to my stomach, he asked if I have ever actually gotten sick from eating food her used utensils have touched, and I had to admit that I have not. So he said, “Then where’s the harm?” It still really bothers me. What can I do? — My Food Is Mine Dear Food is Mine: Whether your mother-in-law thinks you aren’t good enough for her precious son is irrelevant. Because tolerating her rudeness hasn’t endeared you to her, you might as well start standing up for yourself. The next time she asks for “a taste of that” smile, grab your plate, cut her off a piece and then hand it to her. YOUR MIL IS THE DEVIL INCARNATE & SHOULD BE DEALT WITH ACCORDINGLY. NEXT TIME YOU ALL GO OUT TO DINNER, BRING A PITCHFORK AND WHEN SHE ASKS WHAT IT’S FOR, TELL HER IT’S TO STAB HER THE NEXT TIME SHE STICKS HER FORK IN YOUR FOOD. Dear Abby: My ex-husband and I share a 3-year-old grandchild through our son. Until now, it hasn’t been a big problem because I live in the same city as my son’s family, but that’s about to change. My grandson is the joy of my life, and I plan to visit wherever they move after my son’s job transfer. I had been considering a move back to our hometown. Unbeknownst to me, my son has also been considering a move back there. The problem for me is that my ex-husband still lives there, and he’s inclined to take over and monopolize the child in the same way he did with our son. He remains hostile toward me 20 years after our divorce. Part of me says I need to be willing to put up with the pain of being in close proximity to my ex to be near my grandson. However, it reminds me strongly of staying married to him for the sake of what I perceived to be our children’s well-being. In hindsight that was, of course, misguided. Despite my reservations, should I set aside my doubts, move back to my home city and see what happens? — Decisions to Make Dear Decisions: Discuss your reservations with your son and daughter-in-law. If your ex-husband tries to monopolize their child, could they put the brakes on it? On the plus side, you are not the same woman you were 20 years ago. I’d like to think that you are stronger and smarter now. If I’m right, while your ex may present a pain in the behind, it would be a tolerable pain, and you would have the access you want to your grandchild. START BY FINDING OUT IF IT’S EASIER TO BUY A GUN WHERE YOU ARE NOW, OR IN YOUR HOMETOWN… DEAR ABBY: My stepdaughter “Annie” gave my husband a photo album of his life for his 80th birthday. The album included pictures of his parents and grandparents as well as photos from his first marriage — to Annie’s mother. She included one picture of their wedding and two more of them posing as a loving couple. She included a few pictures of me, even though her dad and I have been married for more than 40 of his 80 years. A photograph from our wedding was not included. I love Annie. We get along well, and I am very hurt that she included those two pictures of the “loving couple.” I feel it was inappropriate for an album she expects to be displayed in our home for family, friends and neighbors to see. I would like to ask her to reprint the album without those two pictures. Am I being unreasonable? — STEPMOM IN THE SOUTH DEAR STEPMOM: YOU ARE NOT BEING UNREASONABLE. YOU ARE BEING A MORON, AND THE ONLY WAY YOU COULD BE A BIGGER ONE WOULD BE IF YOU FOLLOW THIS ADVICE: Because you have a good relationship with Annie, explain to her that you felt slighted when you saw the album, and why. Explain that you would like to be able to prominently display it if she would please either have it reprinted with the addition of a couple of photos of you and your husband together, or with only the wedding picture of her parents. This shouldn’t be difficult to do. SHE INCLUDED THREE PICS OF HER MOTHER AND FATHER AND AT LEAST THAT MANY OF YOU BUT BECAUSE IT’S NOT AN APPLES-TO-APPLES COMPARISON YOU’RE WORRYING ABOUT THE OPINIONS OF PEOPLE WHO WON’T GIVE A FUCK EITHER WAY. ANNIE, GET YOUR GUN! DEAR ABBY: My 8-year-old nephew accidentally fell on my dog, who then reacted and snapped at him, leaving a small puncture mark on his arm. We immediately removed the dog and apologized to my nephew, who was riddled with guilt because he knew he caused it. Because it was an accident, I told my nephew it was OK. Weeks later, my sister and I realized that my brother hasn’t responded to any of our daily text messages or Facebook posts. When we see him in person, he is fine. He jokes with us and even plans to rent a storage unit with us for our grandparents’ stuff. But then he ignores our text messages. We told our mother he has been ignoring us for quite some time. He admitted to her that he’s super annoyed with the whole family for not training our dog not to react when he gets hit. I now feel my brother’s purposefully bad behavior is worse than the accident. What do you think? — SIS WHO WANTS HARMONY DEAR SIS: What happened to your nephew was an accident. Your brother’s behavior is passive-aggressive and childish. A MORON AND A FUCKING ASSHOLE. I think you should ignore it and quit texting him and commenting on his Facebook posts for a while. A long while TRIP HIM AND MAKE HIM FALL ON TOP OF YOUR DOG. Don’t you? (BUT MAKE SURE THE DOG WILL BE OKAY) Dear Abby: My 18-year-old daughter recently broke up with her boyfriend. She caught him on the phone talking with another female, and there were other signs of his cheating as well. She’s devastated, and so am I. I really liked the guy, but he obviously didn’t care for my daughter or her feelings. I told my daughter everything will be OK in time. But there are many memories of him, so it’s hard for her. He sent her a message to apologize, but afterward, he blocked her. He also blocked her on Instagram. She doesn’t understand why. I said maybe the other girl told him to or he doesn’t want anything to do with her anymore. How can I help my daughter through this crisis? — Love Hurts in New York Dear Love Hurts: Suggest to your daughter that if she has mementoes of this romance, she should get rid of them or put them somewhere she won’t see them. The same is true for music that reminds her of him. LEAVE HER THE FUCK ALONE AND STOP ACTING LIKE IT’S A CRISIS. HAVE A CALM, SENSITIVE TALK WITH HER, REASSURING HER THAT SHE HASN’T DONE ANYTHING WRONG & THAT PEOPLE CAN SOMETIMES BE JERKS EVEN WHEN YOU THINK THEY ARE WONDERFUL. People get past these painful experiences by staying busy and not allowing themselves time to brood. SO BACK OFF AND LET HER GROW UP, BUT Encourage her to socialize with friends and remain active. As to why this young man apologized and then blocked her, I’m guessing he apologized because he felt guilty, and then blocked her because he wants to move on IS AN ASSHOLE WITH THE EMOTIONAL MATURITY OF A KUMQUAT. Dear Abby: Our daughter and son-in-law live with us. MY CONDOLENCES! She’s painting the interior to update our 27-year-old house and wants to update the cabinets at her expense. Every time she tries to make things look better, her daddy gets angry and accuses her of trying to take over “his” house before he’s dead. (This is not true.) He says if you ask anyone, they would agree with him. I say he’s wrong. What do we do? — Sprucing Up in Indiana Dear Sprucing Up: If your daughter and her husband wish to paint and install new cabinets only in the area of the house they occupy, your husband should contain his anger. If your daughter is trying to do more than that with the idea that at some point, she will inherit the place, your husband’s anger may be justified. You are all adults. Find a way to discuss this and reach a compromise. HAD ANY BRAINS AT ALL, SHE’D ASK HER DADDY (why the hell her mother still refers to him this way when she’s grown and married and) WHAT HE’D LIKE HER TO DO AND THEN FOLLOW HIS WISHES INSTEAD OF DECIDING WHAT SHE THINKS WOULD LOOK BETTER. Dear Abby: My mom is starting to drive me crazy. She thinks that in order for me to consider myself a successful career woman, I need a job that has steady, consistent hours, offers health benefits and has a retirement plan. I have a job, but because of the pandemic, my hours are temporarily staggered. I have no benefits, but I can manage that stuff (insurance and retirement) on my own. How do I make my mom understand that and stop treating me like a little kid with no plans for my future? — At Wit’s End in Maryland Dear At Wit’s End: It’s a mother’s job to worry about her children, so be patient with her. If your reassurance isn’t enough to stop her comments, show her the paperwork that supports your case. STOP ACTING LIKE A LITTLE KID AND TELL YOUR MOTHER TO GO TO HELL… LOVINGLY AND RESPECTFULLY, OF COURSE. Dear Abby: My fiance’s daughter is having a baby. Her mother is helping give the shower. My fiance and his ex have been divorced for 21 years. She was the one who cheated, asked for the divorce and kicked him out. She threatened not to attend her daughter’s wedding because he was bringing me. We have been together nine years now. I am not invited to the shower because the ex doesn’t want me there. It’s not even being held at her home. His daughter likes me but doesn’t want to upset her mom. I think it’s time for the ex to grow up and get a life. I told my fiance the whole thing is childish, but now I no longer want to go to the shower because you can’t like me one day and then not the next. What should I do? — Ex Issues in the Midwest Dear Ex Issues: I think it’s time for YOU to grow up and get a life. Be the adult your fiance’s ex isn’t. Suck it up and make plans with some of your friends so you’re not sitting alone feeling sorry for yourself while the baby shower is happening. Buy a nice present for the little one, offer it to the mother at some other time and don’t make waves INITIATE A PLAN TO KILL THE EX UNTIL ENOUGH TIME HAS PASSED THAT YOU WON’T BECOME A SUSPECT. Dear Abby: I was recently in a traumatic car crash (hit head-on by a drunk driver within a mile of my home). It resulted in my right leg being broken in multiple places. I bought a car with the insurance claim. Within a month and without warning, my mother bought me the exact same car that was totaled in the accident. The catch is, my mother expects me to sell the car I purchased and give her the proceeds. First, this was portrayed as a gift. Now it seems like it’s a debt hanging over my head. Would it be rude or selfish of me to keep the car I bought, or keep the money if I decide to sell? My financial future is up in the air because of the life-altering accident. — Injured In Indiana Dear Injured: Keep the car you purchased. Tell your mother you know she meant well. Then GIVE her back the car SHE bought, as well as the keys and the pink slip, so she can do whatever she wants with it BY RUNNING HER OVER, PUTTING THE BODY IN THE TRUNK, AND HAVING IT CRUSHED BEYOND RECOGNITION AT A JUNKYARD. If you do, it will cause less conflict. Dear Abby: I am having a problem with love. I like two boys. The problem is they are best friends, and I have already kissed them both. I don’t know what to do. We aren’t dating. I can’t choose, because if I date one of them the other will be angry with me and with his friend. Help me, please. — Worried Student in Spain Dear Student SLUT: You are A BOY THAT HAS NO MORALS AND WILL BE VERY POPULAR AND YOU ARE lucky that you have youth and the freedom to choose TO ACT LIKE A WHORE. Regardless of which of the boys you pick, there will be problems. That’s why I suggest you get romantically involved with neither one, find someone else to “love” and refrain from kissing that person’s friends BOTH OF THEM. THROUPLING IS DEFINITELY THE WAY TO GO HERE. Buena suerte! Dear Abby: My husband and I were together for 11 years, married for six of them. I had an alcohol addiction for the last few years, which led to my being unfaithful A WANTON SLUT. He never drank, so he had a hard time understanding my addiction problem. After I got a DUI, he finally left me. Two weeks later, he was already in another relationship! BECAUSE HE’D BEEN OVERWHELMED FROM BEING MARRIED TO A DRUNKEN TART We divorced a year later. I have spent the last 14 months changing my life. I have been sober this whole time, attended AA meetings and seen a psychotherapist as well as an addiction therapist. I have been devastated since my husband left. I have lost 20 pounds that I didn’t need to lose BITCH, and I leave my house only to work. I haven’t even entertained the idea of seeing or talking to another man. HAVE A DRINK, YOU’LL LOOSEN UP! My ex has been telling me off and on that he wants to try and work things out with me, which is something I want more than anything. IDIOT! I know I hurt him, and he’s no longer the same person. I want to show him I’m different and we can be happy, but he won’t fully commit to anything and just keeps hurting me. KARMA’S A BITCH, AIN'T IT? Should I continue to pursue this or try to find a way to move on? — Now Sober in Virginia Dear Now Sober: If your sobriety is important to you, you cannot cling to a person who “keeps hurting you.” (I wish you had mentioned how he does this, but in the end, you must do what is good for YOU.) Did the way he treated you — or your perception of it — have something to do with your drinking and infidelity? You stated that he says he wants to work things out. His skittishness may stem from the hurt he experienced because of what you put him through. If you decide to rekindle your relationship, do so only under certain conditions: He must end the relationship with the person he’s involved with if they are still together, attend Al-Anon meetings so he can learn more about the disease of alcoholism and attend relationship counseling sessions with you. Dear Abby: I’m a 64-year-old gay man, originally from the Deep South, living in a large metropolitan area. I have been here for more than 30 years. My problem is, I am unable to keep my cool when talking with my aging parents. I have insisted several times that I do not wish to discuss politics, but my request is ignored by Mom especially because she refuses to acknowledge my sexual orientation. She sings the praises of the most anti-gay politicians with no regard for my feelings. When I try to gently change the subject, most times, she won’t let it go. I have reached the point that I no longer wish to speak to either of my parents. The hurtful things they have said break my heart. Should I follow my gut and cut them THEIR HEADS off, or continue to remain silent and endure the hurt? I know they won’t change. — Wounded Heart in San Francisco Dear Wounded Heart: Silence helps no one. As you have discovered, it leads only to more of the same. Tell them the hurtful things they have said are heartbreaking. You have already made clear to your mother that you do not wish to discuss politics. This time, tell them that if they raise the subject again, it will be the end of the conversation and you will THEIR MISERABLE BIGOTED LIVES, THEN hang up. If they ignore you and do it again, follow through. My brother’s wife created a lot of tension in our family right from the start. She is very opinionated and says exactly what is on her mind. She has openly told us only her family matters and nobody else. She has told us she does not want us to buy anything for their daughter, 5. She wants us to give her the money so she can buy all the gifts, and we can choose something from the gifts and then give it to our niece. I asked her if she could tell me what our niece likes and we would go out and buy something of that sort. But she said no to that. She would rather we don’t buy anything at all. My niece and I went to the mall the other day to shop for others and I bought her a shirt that she picked out. My sister-in-law took the shirt off her and put it on a chair and said they wouldn’t take it home. I also bought her a stuffed animal. My sister-in-law told me she already has 20 shirts and she gets a lot of things from friends and she doesn’t need any more shirts or stuffed animals. I don’t see my niece that much because we don’t live in the same country, so it was fun to spend time with her and treat her to something. My sister-in-law’s family always asks her before they buy anything for her daughter. I would ask before I buy something bigger, but a shirt or a stuffed animal or a book? What gives? We all are at a loss for what to do. It’s not complicated: Don’t buy gifts for your niece. There are obviously problems with this scenario — your sister-in-law sounds controlling and difficult at best — but murkiness is not one of them. She is saying exactly what is on her mind! Agree with it, disagree with it, that’s your prerogative, but it’s not your place to hammer in interpretations where no room has been left for them. Are the limits she’s setting excessive? Yes. But I’ll grant that for one reason only: because the excellent cause of limiting a 5-year-old to 20 shirts is sometimes trumped by the even better cause of kindness. Taking an aunt’s gift from a little girl is meanness that swallows the cause. That said, I’d like to shout this over the groaning of an earth laden with stuff stuff stuff stuff STUFF: If you can’t find an alternate way to bond with your niece than buying her stuff, then that’s on you. And I include the rest of your “we” in that. Which brings me to the broader answer here. Tension does not emerge fully formed in the body of one opinionated woman. Tension forms when opinionated hits a wall of we-don’t-like-your-opinion-so-change-it-to-one-we-like. Should you all cave to her every demand? Obviously not; I’m not saying the mulie-est mule always wins. You don’t even have to like her. But since she’s apparently setting terms just for her immediate family, the answer that’s both pragmatic and boundary-friendly is just respect those terms, simply and cleanly, for what they are. Certainly you can get creative about ways to show your affection for your niece without adding stuff to her life, such as writing her poems or giving her family photos. If Sisterinlawzilla rejects those gifts, then we can talk. Even if Zilla’s difficulties do run that deep, changing her isn’t an option. So, find ways to deal with her — and stay involved for your niece’s sake. Top suggestion: Choose not to take Zilla or her rules or her opinions personally. That means overriding the little animal reflex that equates “having different ways” to “rejecting my ways.” Play along when it makes sense to, as with gifts; give her wide berth when your values dictate; and push back only when health and safety insist. HIRE A HITMAN TO TAKE OUT YOUR BROTHER AND THE BITCH, THEN ADOPT YOUR NIECE AND SPOIL HER ROTTEN. EASY-PEASY. DEAR ABBY: I’ve been in a relationship with a man for the last five years. “Julian” came into my life after my husband passed. He is 65; I’m 45. Julian has two grown daughters, 36 and 27. The older one and I get along famously. Amber is somewhat immature. She has two small kids, and she’s her dad’s perfect, precious, can-do-no-wrong daughter. The unvarnished truth is that Amber is a snotty, judgmental woman who thinks she’s better than everyone. Because Julian wasn’t there while she was growing up, his guilt makes it especially hard for him to see her for who she is. Amber and I do not care for each other, and the cracks are starting to show. She is becoming a bone of contention in the relationship because I cannot stand how she uses guilt to manipulate her dad. He was always a caring father and a good provider, if not always there physically. I am at my wits’ end. She is driving a wedge into an otherwise good relationship. When I try speaking with Julian, he will hear nothing against her. I get that it’s his kid, but I am sick of her. The worst part is when she plays it off like she is innocent and perfect. Any advice? — HAD IT IN THE WEST DEAR HAD IT: Yes, I do have some. JULIAN SHOULD GET A NEW GIRLFRIEND WHO ISN’T SO STUPID THAT SHE DOESN’T REALIZE THAT BECAUSE, As you stated, in Julian’s eyes, his “little girl” is perfect and precious. You are SHE IS not going to win this battle, so start backing off and find a new direction — or a new boyfriend. Please accept my sympathy. DEAR ABBY: After I retired and moved to a beach town, I invited my brother and sister-in-law to visit. They said they had a really good time, set up a tentative return visit and seemed appreciative. I’m used to living alone, so having people always around was uncomfortable for me. They are retired but work part time. One of my brother’s jobs is with the company of a friend of mine where he had done some work in the past. I reconnected them, and my brother really enjoys it. But now he’s pressuring me to invite that friend and his wife to come here and stay at my place. I think it’s out of line for anyone to suggest I invite anyone else to stay here. I wouldn’t have invited my brother and sister-in-law except that he’s family. (He actually gets on my nerves when I’m around him for long.) I ignored his suggestion and will continue unless he brings it up again. Is a nonresponse acceptable? — HESITANT HOST IN TEXAS DEAR HOST: A nonresponse is a strong “hint” that someone is not receptive to a request or a suggestion. IF your brother raises the subject again, however, you will have to make it plain that you are not open to having anyone outside your immediate family stay in your home with you. THE DECISION ABOUT THE BEST WAY TO KILL HIM. DEAR ABBY: My husband and I have been together for 16 years and have what I consider to be a happy marriage. My question concerns ongoing conversations we have been having about my hair color. The first couple of years we were together, my hair was gray, and then I dyed it red. While I know he loved it, I did it for one reason: I wanted to avoid aging myself unnecessarily in the workplace. My husband knew this. Two years ago, now retired, I decided to stop coloring my hair. Since then, he continually mentions that he wants me to return to red hair. I have told him repeatedly that I’m unwilling to do that. He says he loved me so much when I was a redhead (does that mean he loves me less now?) and that my “going gray” has made HIM feel old. I am dismayed and annoyed by his continuing campaign to have me color my hair again, and I have said so. He even brings it up in front of our friends, which feels to me as though he’s trying to gather outside support for his argument. I LIKE my gray hair. It saddens me that my husband finds me less attractive or that my gray hair may be the reason he “feels old,” but I wonder why my hair color choice bears that burden of responsibility. Isn’t it rightfully my choice? I wouldn’t dream of directing him about how to wear his hair. Your thoughts? — SILVER GIRL IN NEW YORK DEAR GIRL: This shouldn’t be a power struggle, which it appears it has turned into. Yes, your hair color is your choice, and rightfully so. (Would wearing a red wig when your husband is feeling amorous be a workable compromise?) If he “feels old” when he sees gray hair, perhaps coloring his own hair would make him feel younger. FIND A BETTER HUSBAND. DEAR ABBY: I have worked successfully in the creative arts most of my professional life. My problem? My spouse never misses an opportunity to denigrate my work. If I show an unusual inspiration or spark of creativity that I am proud of, they instantly find fault and say it’s not a good or valid idea. It’s crushing! This could destroy our long and happy marriage. It’s painful because I love my spouse in every way. I am always respectful and supportive of their professional work. — NO VALIDATION IN CALIFORNIA DEAR NO VALIDATION: Spouses are supposed to support each other. Is your spouse equally successful in their creative and work endeavors? If the answer is no, they may be jealous of, or threatened by, your success. They could also be insensitive about how their remarks affect you. Have you asked your spouse WHY they are trashing your work? If you have and the response was unsatisfactory, a way to deal with this may be to tell your spouse you prefer that from now on, they keep their opinion to themself, FIND A BETTER ONE, and quit looking to them for validation.

My friend's cock has to be seen to be believed.

Crappy move Florida woman pooped on Family Dollar floor as accomplice ironically stole $500 worth of cleaning products The alleged bandits are now being referred to as “Mr. Clean” and “Ms. Dookie.”

Country music singer Walker Hayes joins Hoda & Jenna to open up about his journey to being 8 years sober as told in his new album “Sober Thoughts.” Hayes also shares his new collaboration with Athletic Brewing Co. for a new non-alcoholic beer called Fancy Like. NOT from the new album:

Macy’s Backstage to close at Queens Place as part of nationwide downsizing Students in Queens invited to honor their teachers in Applebee’s essay contest

Amorous octopus latches on to hunky model shooting swimming video — and won’t let go Talk about clingy. An Italian model vacationing in the Seychelles found love when he was least expecting it — with an octopus. Federico Cola was taking a dip in the stunning waters of the East African honeymooners paradise when the creature cruised over — promptly attaching itself to the hunky holidaymaker and refusing to let go. Italian model Federico Cola was vacationing in Seychelles, East Africa when he found himself in a clingy relationship with an octopus. The meet-cute was captured on Cola’s Instagram account. Viewers can see the octopus tripping up the object of her affection, wrapping herself around his legs as he’s trying to walk out of the ocean in an effort to get him to notice her. “What a magical surprise this first of the year, I found my love (actually she found me) haha,” the caption on the video read. Nearly one million viewers have liked the clip. As Cola tries to untangle himself from her tentacles, the cephalopod asserts her dominance by latching onto his back. Despite the unusual situation, Cola appeared comfortable with the creature. He walked her out of the Indian Ocean to splash her with water, caressed her, and let her latch on to him. Many people online joked about the chemistry between the pair. “She is falling in love with you,” gushed a watcher. “That octopus knew exactly what she was doing,” laughed one person. “Get a room.” “Not sure if this came to me through my hot guy algorithm or my octopus lover algorithm,” another confessed. “That’s honestly amazing but initially I think I would’ve died and had a heart attack!” admitted an Instagram user. Some onlookers were quick to judge the budding relationship. Octonation, an Octopus activist group on Instagram, didn’t see the interaction as endearing as Cola’s many followers. They called out the model for his alleged “harsh and unproductive” behavior towards the sea creature — sparking a great debate. Cola and the organization exchanged words back and forth, in now-deleted comments. The two parties eventually took their conversation private, where they were able to reach a resolution. Octonation later released a lengthy statement apologizing for the misunderstanding. Upon further examination, the group stated that the octopus was “likely senescent and displaying end-of-life behavior,” explaining the intimate conduct with the model. Cola chimed in, saying, “I’m glad that after watching my whole video, you understood that it was an extraordinary event and that I just wanted to show people that we can love this special animal.”

Comedian Pete Lee did not cancel his booking on the Tonight Show last night, the day after his house burned down.

I'm watching the view on YouTube. An ad comes up for ciabatta dippers (from Panera). I looked at it quickly and read ciabatta diapers. I'm guessing that would not be a big selling item.

NEXT IN HOT TOPICS... (NOT!) Who is Emmanuel Hostin? All about Sunny's husband as he is accused of medical fraud “The View ”cohost Sunny Hostin's husband, Dr. Emmanuel 'Manny' Hostin, accused of insurance fraud in federal lawsuit ‘The View’ co-host’s husband accused of insurance fraud ‘The View’ host’s husband named in ‘major RICO Case’

The party might not be over for everyone at Party City, as some franchisee locations across the U.S. are expected to remain open. Nearly 900 locations were in operation when the sudden news broke that Party City was going out of business. On Dec. 21, Party City filed in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Texas, after already emerging from a previous bankruptcy in 2023 with about $1 billion less in debt. But nine franchises that collectively own 29 Party City stores plan to remain open despite the closure of hundreds of stores. Anisa Patel, who co-owns two Party City stores with her mother and father in the Austin area, told USA TODAY all franchisees are working together to stay afloat. "We're all in this together, were in contact with them," Patel said. "We've all kind of been thrown in this together, we're having to rebuild on our own so we're banding together." For her, the writing was on the wall for Party City, as she said the company had implemented markdowns on products back in October. But following the announcement of the bankruptcy, she feels that franchisees have been left in the dark. "They have not communicated with us at all, there's not been a letter," Patel said. "This is our livelihood." “The nine franchisees are sticking together and talking to each other each day and sharing resources,” Steve Fram, owner of two Party City locations in Virginia, told Richmond BizSense. And as for keeping the name of Party City, Fram told the outlet they'll stick with it, "at this point.” Party City did not immediately return USA TODAY's request for comment Thursday. Where are Party City stores remaining open? Patel provided a list of franchisee-owned stores that plan to remain open across the United States. USA TODAY contacted each location to confirm their plans.

I have come up with the perfect trade proposal… Marcus Stroman to Milwaukee, which needs starting pitchers. They offset his 2025 salary, though not his option for next year, by trading Rhys Hoskins to San Francisco, which needs power. San Francisco offsets most of that salary by trading overpriced but effective lefty Taylor Rogers to the Yankees. And Steve Cohen sends $6 million to the Giants to offset the rest of Hoskins' salary because the deal effectively eliminates San Francisco's need for a first baseman, thus cutting Pete Alonso's leverage that much more. Everybody wins, except Pete Alonso and Scott Boras. I think we can all agree that's an ideal outcome.

NOPE. Miami is nice... Rose: We won second place. Blanche: What did you get? Dorothy: Treated badly. They told us to get out of the way while they had the first-place winner take pictures with Anita Bryant.

A STOUFFER'S FRENCH BREAD PIZZA

81 year old Raye Birk and his wife have been married since 1966. He was also in a very funny episode of MY SISTER SAM.

I know many gay people wanted to beat the pulp out of her.

Today they started with a live report from Matt Gutman, who was in front of his aunt's home which had burned down. James Longman was on later discussing his book and mental health. 02:11 - Matt Gutman Reports Live From The Pacific Palisades Neighborhood 19:43 - Jamie Oliver Shares Recipes From His 'Simplest Book Ever' 27:37 - James Longman Opens Up About Family Mental Illness Struggles In New Book

Before it was replaced with a new span a few years ago, the Kosciuszko Bridge between Brooklyn and Queens was just as perilous an adventure at rush hour.

Two stars from the movie “School of Rock” have tied the knot more than two decades after meeting on the beloved 2003 film. Angelo Massagli and Caitlin Hale were just 10 years old when they first crossed paths at the audition for “School of Rock,” which follows Jack Black as a destitute, never-was rock and roller who builds a rock band from a class of elementary school kids. Hale played precocious pig-tailed back-up singer Marta, or “Blondie” as Black’s character referred to her. Massagli took the part of Frankie, a k a the “Tough Guy,” one of the band’s security detail. The young actress wowed producers with a show-stopping rendition of “Everything’s Coming Up Roses” from “Gypsy,” switching up the lyrics to be about the movie’s director, five-time Oscar nominee Richard Linklater. “I was like, ‘wow, that girl’s really, really, really something else,’” Massagli said. When spontaneously asked to sing a song at the audition in New York City, a nervous Massagli sang the only tune he knew by heart: “Crazy Train” by Ozzy Osbourne. After booking the gig, the pair met again one year later when filming began in New York. According to Hale, all of the young actors playing the peewee rock and rollers became fast friends, bonding during actual school time on set and trips to Benihana. Their moms grew close too, and Black reportedly joined the kids for lunch and played games between takes. Hale and Massagli said that neither had a crush on the other during filming. After production wrapped and the movie was released, the cohort of kids remained in touch through a long-running group chat. Massagli and Hale ended up leaving acting behind. Now a lawyer, Massagli works as a music product counsel for TikTok. Hale is an OB-GYN sonographer. The pair reconnected in 2018 while they were both pursuing degrees at universities in Florida. They grabbed lunch for old times’ sake and sent a selfie to their moms, who had been close during filming. “We thought that was kind of it,” Massagli recalled. “But we just kept grabbing dinners and going out for the weekends. We were like, ‘something’s brewing here.’” “Even though it wasn’t romantic, that familiarity we had and our families had when we were younger, really cut through some of those early relationship hurdles,” he added. Hale knew that Massagli was endgame shortly after reconnecting. “I knew very early,” Hale remembered. “I actually said to one of my close friends, I remember being in an Uber on the way down to Miami one weekend and we were going out and I was like, ‘I think I’m gonna marry this guy.’” That same year, Massagli gave Hale permission “to crash” at his Miami home while he was out of town for a week to save her from commuting from Fort Lauderdale to Miami, where she was part of a residency program. Massagli returned to find Hale had fully moved in. In 2019, the pair relocated to Brooklyn. Massagli popped the question in June 2023 in front of the Temple of Dendur at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. After Hale said yes, the couple celebrated with dinner at Nino’s, an Italian restaurant on the Upper East Side, and Champagne at the Carlyle. The wedding took place on Jan. 4 at the Park Château Estate & Gardens in East Brunswick, NJ. A Versailles-like venue, the estate was the perfect spot for the couple who said they wanted to “go all out.” As for the music, Hale and Massagli entered their reception to “Through the Wire” by Kanye West before dancing their first dance to Chaka Khan’s “Through the Fire.” They had specific marching orders for the DJ: Play songs that felt like “if Studio 54 never closed,” Massagli said. In a pointed callback to “School of Rock,” the couple danced to “Edge of Seventeen” by Stevie Nicks. They were joined by nine of their castmates, who were on hand to celebrate their friends’ union. Jack Black could not attend as he was working on a movie. But Hale said the star “was so nice and generous with his words and definitely commemorated it privately.” The former child star also had a sweet reunion on the dance floor with the other “School of Rock” backup singers, which she described as a “time capsule moment.” “We were just dancing together to some old-school disco and then there was some sort of ad lib in the song and we all just hit it,” she shared. “We looked at each other and we’re like, ‘That just happened. We still got it.’” Wedding guests were treated to a three-tiered wedding cake, cannoli on the dance floor and a food truck handing out McDonald’s on their way out. applause.wav are you sure you wanna do that.wav FamilyInsanity.wav Here Comes Trouble.wav I am the master.wav I feel good (James Brown).wav Please Come Again.wav That's the way I like it.wav You Are My Sunshine.wav tradition.wav