samhexum

SCHMICO! https://www.companyofmen.org/threads/huge-tv-news-and-nobody-posted-about-it.142814/

Famously Huge Great White Shark, ‘Deep Blue,’ Feasts on Dead Sperm Whale in Hawaii Shark experts were thrilled to see the iconic shark in Hawaii this week. A decaying sperm whale carcass has been floating in Hawaiian waters since Thursday, drawing in schools of hungry tiger sharks. But compared to the scene’s newest visitors, they look positively puny. On Sunday, divers spotted a famously huge great white shark named “Deep Blue” feeding on the whale near Oahu. The rare sighting was reported by HawaiiNewsNowbased on footage shot by local divers. “If you asked me a few days ago what the most amazing thing I’ve ever seen in Hawaiian waters the answer probably would be pretty different,” freediver Kimberly Jeffries, who first saw the shark, wrote on Facebook. “If you asked me yesterday the answer would be freediving with Deep Blue, a great white, the largest ever documented, who was last seen in 2013 in Mexico,” Jeffries added. In a Facebook post, fellow diver Mark Mohler said at least three great whites were visible, and that Deep Blue could only be seen on Sunday. "Based on photos I can confirm there have been three distinct females recorded over the past few days," Jeffries told Motherboard in an email. Deep Blue became an icon several years ago during Shark Week on the Discovery Channel, though her remarkable size and age—roughly 20 feet long and 50 years old, according to many media reports—are up for debate. Her sensational reputation as the “biggest” shark on record can be attributed to (shot in 2013) in which Mauricio Hoyos Padilla, director of the shark nonprofit Pelagios-Kakunjá, and others filmed the large female near Mexico’s Guadalupe Island. In 2015, Padilla wrote on Facebook that she was “the biggest white shark ever seen in front of the cages in Guadalupe Island,” which somehow became“the largest great white shark ever caught on film.” Deep Blue is indeed very large, but shark researchers can’t say for sure that she’s the largest. “I lead the white shark research project at Guadalupe Island and first documented Deep Blue in 1999, 20 years ago,” Michael Domeier, president and executive director of the Marine Conservation Science Institute, told Motherboard in an email. “The claim that she is the largest white shark in the world is just a Discovery Channel gimmick,” Domeier added. “Deep Blue has never been measured, so how could anyone make that statement?” (He cited =68.ARB5g1pazUl6ynMpwGnZ6j_SapLFAuISiWq6e3dCYHTfBP2CpUq53KKkjDLs4fYPFSgrkHybfYOhTZB6Cyo6s1HbzhW75Q4OKPIZbg1fTz3PS4ETC2HpbrCaOPEhje9MGmFkhyERNEU62Cg9A6Yqhcp5XNRoFJqxlLpCjOvF6fnRvxFj5iQfLGkeUzzcqMeQDF02mt_-NUBV5dVhuNdvFveOjCfq_7tfJl-x2pgYtJQNWwDruUCcr52cMmD1ezkNJDfAnIpWx4xLDQBhI47GlCrGOfysyMut5xKXtiz63DHjkYdA_SNF1VFrKxsdcAY6I1Bn_uoxFSxWSLC_vOBy-l_KDA&__tn__=-R']another huge shark approaching Hawaii named “Murphy Jean,” described as “massively girthy/fat.”) As for Deep Blue’s age, Domeier said we can only estimate. “Deep Blue was an adult when we first encountered her 20 years ago,” Domeier said. “So she is likely at least 40 years old, possibly older. Unfortunately the only way to accurately age a white shark is to kill it and look at the rings on the vertebrae, but no mystery is worth solving at that price!” The shark’s measurements were similarly questioned by George Burgess, director emeritus at the Florida of Natural History’s Florida Program for Shark Research. “It’s a big girl,” Burgess told Motherboard over the phone. “Looks like maybe 18 feet. Hyperbole is part of Shark Week so you gotta be worried about some of the facts.” So is the shark in Hawaii really Deep Blue? Domeier and divers say yes. Mohler wrote on Facebook that the identity of Deep Blue was confirmed “with the white shark authority, SharkPix.com,” a repository of shark photos managed by hobbyist wildlife photographer George Probst who works with researchers to ID great whites. Great whites possess unique pigment patterns that are commonly used to identify them. “The line of demarcation between the white color on the underside and the grey color on the upper side is like a fingerprint,” he explained. “We particularly look at the pattern of demarcation near the gills, the pelvic fins and the caudal fin (tail).” Great whites are a rare sight in Hawaii, but they’re not unheard of; their presence iseven documented in Native Hawaiian ceremonial objects. Satellite tracking data suggests that most originate near California and Mexico, and that female sharks will roam the deep while pregnant before returning to the coast to give birth. Domeier theorized that Deep Blue may be one of these pregnant sharks. “She has likely been at sea since the late fall of 2017, [for the gestation period,]” he speculated. “She will give birth to 8 to 12 pups this spring, and then return to Guadalupe Island in the fall to mate and start the cycle over again.” Burgess agreed that she could be pregnant. Or perhaps Deep Blue’s belly is simply a food gut. Maybe she’s “fartin’ like mad,” he added. On Saturday, local and federal authorities towed the sperm whale 15 miles offshore after it drifted onto a reef. People have been asked to stay away from the carcass. Signs now warn beachgoers that “whale material” could be in the area. Both Domeier and Burgess discouraged thrillseekers from diving with the sharks. “Most of the time, that shark won’t turn around and bite you,” Burgess said. “But when it does, you’ll end up as a statistic on the International Shark Attack File, and the news headline won’t be ‘Stupid human dies chasing a 20 foot shark,’” Burgess added. “It will be ‘Shark kills human,’ and that activity is very bad for conservation efforts.”

When Freddie Mercury made his final on-camera appearance in the music video for “These Are the Days of Our Lives” in 1991, AIDS had left him gaunt and frail. The Queen frontman could barely walk because of open wounds on his foot, part of which would later be amputated. But as Austrian filmmaker Rudi Dolezal (I hope he doesn't have a sister named Rachel), who shot the video, recalls, he still insisted on doing his job. “The band’s manager, Jim Beach, said I had to cut down the number of takes,” Dolezal tells The Post from his home in Miami. “But Freddie didn’t want special treatment. If you watch ‘These Are the Days of Our Lives,’ he’s doing it standing up even though he was in great pain, because he didn’t want to hold anyone up, or be difficult. To me, the way he managed his illness in working situations like that, made him an even bigger superstar.” Mercury’s struggle with AIDS is left largely untouched by the Golden Globe-winning “Bohemian Rhapsody,” which charts the rise of Mercury and his Queen bandmates Roger Taylor (drums), John Deacon (bass) and Brian May (guitar). The biopic stands to earn more acclaim — especially for Rami Malek’s stirring lead performance — when the Oscar nominations are announced Tuesday. The movie ends with the band’s triumphant 1985 Live Aid performance at London’s Wembley Stadium, but for Dolezal that was when things truly got interesting. “They wanted to capitalize on the show, so they asked me to do the video for their single ‘One Vision’ in 1985,” says Dolezal, now 60. “That was the first time they hired me. I ended up doing around 30 videos for the band and their solo projects.” Dolezal first met the band when he was a young TV reporter in his native Vienna, during the mid-1970s. He diligently sent Queen his interview segments on the band, complete with his contact details, and became even closer with Mercury when the singer lived in Munich in the early ’80s. “Freddie was very happy in Munich because no one bothered him and, to be completely honest, he loved the gay scene there,” says Dolezal, whose 2000 BBC documentary, “Freddie Mercury: The Untold Story,” was nominated for a Grammy. Eventually, Mercury moved back to London and settled with hairdresser Jim Hutton. In public, Mercury was flamboyant and larger than life, but in private, Dolezal remembers something very different. “He was the greatest housewife you can imagine,” he says. “Freddie invited me to his private functions often, and, at one dinner party, the guests included Rod Stewart and Elton John. I remember there was a lot of bitching about other artists, and about themselves. I think Rod came up with the idea of forming a group called Nose, Teeth & Hair, because Rod had a big nose, Elton had problems with his hair and Freddie had his teeth!” On another occasion, Mercury’s hospitality went above and beyond the call of duty. “I was getting very friendly with one of Queen’s backing vocalists, and she and I decided to go somewhere — just the two of us. Freddie realized that and said ‘OK, you can use my guest bedroom,’ and went upstairs and put in new linen on the beds for us himself. As a host, he really took care of you.” The partying grew less frequent once Mercury was diagnosed in 1987. As depicted in “Bohemian Rhapsody,” he told only his closest allies, insisting it was never to be discussed further. (Dolezal found out only after one of Mercury’s former partners, German actress Barbara Valentin, let it slip.) Instead, Mercury plowed on with his work, and Queen released “The Miracle” in 1989 and “Innuendo” in 1991. It was during the making of the latter in Montreux, Switzerland, that Dolezal says Mercury decided to cease his primitive AIDS treatment. “The side effects were horrid,” says Dolezal. “The pills were so big you could hardly swallow [them], and you would be throwing up all the time.” In his final weeks, Mercury was confined to the bedroom of his London house in the tony Kensington neighborhood, and it was apparently Dolezal’s work that kept him in high spirits. “I was told by one his assistants that Freddie watched my videos for ‘I’m Going Slightly Mad’ and ‘These Are the Days of Our Lives’ all the time,” recalls the director, growing tearful. Even when ill, he says, Mercury was enthusiastic: “He would say, ‘Play it again, play it again.’ ” Mercury issued a statement confirming he had contracted AIDS and died just a day later on Nov. 24, 1991. He was 45. Dolezal is writing a book titled “My Friend, Freddie” about his experiences (due out later this year) and plans to release unedited versions of his interviews with Mercury in a new film, “Freddie Mercury: In His Own Words.” With so much of Mercury’s extraordinary life left uncovered, it opens the door to another “Bohemian Rhapsody” film, with Brian May telling Classic Rock magazine there “might” be a sequel. “I think it would be a brilliant idea,” says Dolezal, who earned critical acclaim for his 2017 documentary on Whitney Houston, “Can I Be Me,” co-directed by Nick Broomfield. “He had so many adventures, you could probably do four movies!”

Give your mom my best wishes. Ben Franklin, however, is dead to me.

After an extensive search, young British actor Fabien Frankel has landed the lead role of Theo Sipowicz in ABC’s pilot “NYPD Blue,” a new iteration of the iconic cop drama. The sequel centers on Theo, the son of Dennis Franz’s Detective Andy Sipowicz character from the original series, who tries to earn his detective shield and work in the 15th squad while investigating his father’s murder. Theo seems to have taken after his father as he too is a hard-drinking, hard-headed and quick-witted cop. Like the original 1993-2005 ABC series, the follow-up revolves around a core group of 15th Precinct police officers/detectives. Frankel’s Theo leads the quartet, which includes Detective Nicole Lazarus (Alona Tal). Additionally, two cast members from the original series, Kim Delaney and Bill Brochtrup, will reprise their roles as Diane Russell and John Irvin, respectively. The reboot hails from “NYPD Blue” alums Matt Olmstead, Nick Wootton and Jesse Bochco. The pilot, a co-production between 20th Century Fox TV — which was behind the original series — and ABC Studios, was written by Olmstead and Wootton. Bochco, son of “NYPD Blue” co-creator Steven Bochco, who helmed 10 episodes of the original series, is set to direct. All three executive produce, while Steven Bochco’s widow, Dayna Bochco, serves as a producer. Frankel was cast as Theo after a three-month search and multiple tests as the producers cast a wide net for the role of the son of an iconic TV character. Frankel, a recent LAMDA graduate, earned solid reviews for his role in West End play “The Knowledge.” He currently is shooting the feature “Last Christmas” for director Paul Feig, playing a lover of Emilia Clarke’s character Kate. Frankel is repped by Luber Roklin, the UK’s Curtis Brown and attorney Jeff Bernstein.

First the Philadelphia Eagles lost the game, then this fan lost her temper Police said Kirsten Gaskins, 31, shoved her dog in a hotel microwave Sunday in Philadelphia after she got upset over the New Orleans Saints’ victory. After the 20-14 loss, Gaskins reportedly started arguing with her girlfriend about the game and became violent, according to police. The inebriated fan allegedly ripped her partner’s earring out then struck her several times, Lehigh Valley Live reported. Gaskins then allegedly proceeded to put the couple’s dog in the microwave and threatened to kill the animal. Police responded to the scene to find the pet crammed into the microwave. Gaskins was arrested on several charges including suspicion of simple assault, harassment and cruelty to animals. She was booked and released on $20,000 bail.

OOPS! They said on THE VIEW this morning that it's her birthday, but it's actually next Tuesday. My Bad! (Actually, THE VIEW's Bad!) “Well, I mean, if a joke or humor is bawdy, it’s got to be funny enough to warrant it. You can’t just have it bawdy or dirty just for the sake of being that — it’s got to be funny.” “Animal lover that I am, a cougar I am not.”

97... Mazel Tov!

72-year-old grandma marries teen she met at her son’s funeral A grandmother who found love with a teenager 53 years younger than her has told how “every day is a whirlwind.” Almeda and Gary Hardwick married in 2016, two weeks after meeting at her son Robert’s funeral. She’d been married before, for 43 years – but confessed in a new YouTube video Gary was her “soulmate.” “I was married for 43 years and there wasn’t a lot of kissy, huggy stuff going on…no romance,” she said on her YouTube channel, referring to her first relationship. “[My current relationship] it’s a whirlwind. “We are always complimenting and kissing. We’re enjoying our relationship. When you meet that perfect one, that’s when you know you don’t want to lose that feeling.” She continued: “The compliments, the hugs the kisses… that’s very romantic.” The couple had sex for the first time on their wedding night and previously described each other as “wonderful lovers.” “It was wonderful, beyond my wildest dreams,” revealed Gary. “She really is my dream woman and the physical side of our relationship couldn’t be better.” Almeda was speaking at the launch of her new talk show, “Girl’s Talk,” where she offers advice to members of the public. “I know you have a lot of questions to ask me,” she said, explaining it would be a weekly show and she would draw on her own two marriages to give advice. During her first segment, she responded to a woman called Jordy to talk about how to make love last. She explained: “You need to sit down with each other and work through the problem in relationships. Some people just fly off the handle and they don’t want to talk about the problem. “In our relationship, we do little things each day to help each other out whether he cooks me supper or mops for me. “We always thank each other. It’s the little things like that, cooking a meal, washing dishes.” She emphasized the importance of complimenting your lover. “Always compliment him and show love,” she said. “Show it every day, we aren’t promised tomorrow.” Almeda and Gary, who previously dated a woman of 77 – tied the knot in a ceremony that he arranged for just $200 in six days in 2016. After marrying the pair moved into Almeda’s house with one of her grandsons who is three years older than her new husband. “I wasn’t looking for a young man, but Gary just came along,” said Almeda. “I just knew straight away that he was the one.” Her happiness at their meeting was in stark contrast to the lonely despair the mother of four had endured after being widowed and then losing her eldest son, Robert, 45, after a seizure. “I’d been married to my first husband Donald for 43 years and so when he died in 2013 after seven months in hospital from complications with diabetes, I found myself on my own,” said Almeda. “I’d turn up for work at Walmart in tears and my colleagues would ask me what was wrong. Deep down, I was searching for a soulmate.” Gary, whose attraction to older women started with a crush on a teacher at the age of 8, said he had also been in turmoil, feeling trapped in an unhappy relationship with his 77-year-old lover. “We were always fighting,” said Gary. “I fell into depression and was looking for a way out.” That’s when Lisa, his aunt, invited him to join other mourners for her husband, Robert’s, cremation. Almeda said: “I’d noticed this young man with a lovely smile during the service and thought, ‘Wow, this is the one.’ “He was on the other side of the church, but I kept looking over at him. It was like a bright light through the grief. “Then, as I was walking to the door at the end, he came over and passed on his condolences. We didn’t have much time, but it was enough.” For the next few months, she couldn’t stop thinking about Gary. She didn’t realize was that the feeling was mutual. “It was an instant thing for me too,” said Gary. “She had the most gorgeous, sparkling blue eyes.” Soon after, Lisa asked them both along to a family meal at the nearby Chuck E. Cheese’s pizza restaurant. “He was just as I remembered,” said Almeda. “That smile, those good looks. We were both too nervous to eat and at one point he fell over his chair.” But there was still one question Almeda needed to ask. She recalled: “I just came out with it and said to him, ‘Look, I’m 71 and you’re 17. Am I too old for you?’ He squeezed my hand, grinned and replied: ‘Age is just a number.”’ That night, after returning to Lisa’s with the others, Gary surprised her with red roses and a bracelet for her birthday, which had been a few days before. Then they shared their first tender kiss under the moonlight outside on a bench. “It made me feel like a teenager again,” smiled Almeda. From then on, they started seeing each other every night and got the blessing of most friends and family, including Gary’s mom, Tammy, 48, and his grandmother Carolyn, 71. Two weeks after their first date, she had no hesitation in accepting when Gary proposed on the phone. Six days later, Almeda wore a dress borrowed from his cousin as they married in the gardens outside Lisa’s flat. Since their wedding in October 2016, Gary’s had their names tattooed across his chest. Gary said: “Almeda is so young at heart that age never bothers us, we never really think about it. I just know that God answered my prayers that day she walked into my life.” She added: “The one thing I’ve learned is that when you truly love somebody, it doesn’t matter what anyone else thinks.”

This bachelor literally found the woman of his dreams. An unidentified man recently confessed on Redditthat he accidentally proposed to his girlfriend after taking Ambien. He said that he was having trouble sleeping, so he ended up taking 40 mg of the sleep aid — quadruple the recommended dosage. “I had an engagement ring in my drawer… woke up and she was wearing the ring on her finger and had explained what had happened,” the man wrote. “ was just shook because [i couldn’t] remember s–t.” He even updated his Facebook relationship status to “engaged” while in his Ambien-induced haze. “I had not planned on being engaged with my girlfriend for another year and a half and probably [would’ve] gotten her a better ring but Ambien sped up the process ten folds,” he said. In 2017, New York Magazine reported on the rise of “Things You Did on Ambien,” a Subreddit thread for documenting people who’ve done bizarre things while under the influence of the sleeping pill. Acts include building a cabinet, cleaning a kitchen and deranged text messages.

An email about a bachelor party sent to the wrong person has led to an Arizona man taking a trip to a Vermont ski resort to attend the party of someone he doesn’t know this weekend. William Novak of Phoenix got the email on Jan. 7 about the ski weekend for Angelo. He didn’t know the person but the party with its over-the-top invitation sounded like a good time so he emailed back as a joke to say he was in. Novak, 35, about the same age as the others invited, expected to get no response or one recognizing his humor. Instead, the party-goers from New Jersey and New York agreed that Novak should join the fun. “When they wrote back and they were like ‘if you’re serious, we’re serious, get here’ I was blown away. I just started cracking up laughing. I was like ‘oh my gosh, these guy seem insane,'” he said. Likewise, Angelo Onello’s brother, who sent the email, appreciated his humor. “It started as a joke and ended up being probably a good mistake,” said Devin Onello, who said he and Novak have hit it off ever since. Novak, a father of a 10-month-old who with his wife has spent much of their savings on renovating their old house, had a hard time rationalizing spending $750 on airfare, ski rentals and lift passes so he started a GoFundMe page with the heading, “Help me go the bachelor party of a stranger.” By the time he and his family had eaten dinner that day, his trip was funded. He’s only skied once — at age 14 on a church trip — but said he’s up for the adventure. The party organizers say the weekend will be tough on his liver. Novak told them he’s not much of a drinker, which they said was OK because he could be the designated driver. He offered to bring his Nintendo switch to play but they said Angelo is not much of a video game player. As a spoof he also offered to bring Soduko puzzles, which they took him up on. Others have also offered to pitch in, with one company offering Hawaiian shirts for the occasion, a Vermont bar providing locally made beer, and a tattoo artist offering to make matching tattoos, which Novak says he declined. When Novak learned that Angelo and his fiance are expecting a baby, a woman in Mesa, Arizona, where Novak works, made a baby blanket. His neighborhood in Phoenix is also sending a gift bag of locally made items. Novak plans to fly into Boston and rent a car and drive to Okemo on Friday. He’s changed his route so he can pick up the beer in Brattleboro on the way. “I’m just the sort of person who tries to be open to things,” he said.

Two fifth-grade students in Florida put into effect a plot to kill another classmate and flee in a golf cart, officials said. Police said the two students, ages 10 and 11, brought a wrench, pliers and other tools Dec. 14 to Roberts Elementary School as part of the murder plot. The pre-teen boys allegedly targeted an 11-year-old classmate because he was a “snitch,” officials said. Their identities haven’t been released because they’re minors. Three days before the alleged incident, a girl told the victim a secret, according to police. The girl then complained about him spreading rumors, prompting the two alleged conspirators to confront the boy. The suspects told the victim they were going to “take care of him and kill him,” police said. Students said the duo sketched out a map of an area on campus where there were no security cameras. The next day, one of them brought a bag to class with gloves, pliers and a multitool with a blade on it, police said. The two boys allegedly planned to use the pliers to break a lock on a school gate so they could escape in a golf cart. “Snitches get stitches,” one of the suspects declared to a group of students while showing off the items. After class was dismissed, the boys reportedly approached the classmate and asked, “Do you want to go to the secret hideout at the garden?” The victim refused and told a faculty member that he heard the boys were trying to kill him. The suspects denied wanting to kill the boy — but confessed to wanting to beat him up, police said. Principal Kim McFarland told responding officers the two students “planned and put into effect a plot to murder another student.” Each suspect was issued juvenile civil citations and both were suspended from school, according to the newspaper. “This obviously is a very serious matter. We were aware the two boys plotted to harm another boy at the school,” Leon County School District Superintendent Rocky Hanna said in a statement. “There is zero tolerance in our school system for violence or threats of violence. The individuals who participate in these types of behavior will suffer severe consequences, as these two young boys.”

In a tragic case illustrating the sinister effects of online porn, a 16-year-old girl’s bowel was so badly injured during group anal sex that she needs to use a colostomy bag for the rest of her life. The teen reportedly suffered the life-changing injury while copying scenes seen in violent porn, according to an Australian Broadcasting Company News investigation. But, sadly, Australia’s national broadcaster was told that the girl’s horrific experience was just one in a string of serious injuries to result from porn-addicted Australians trying to imitate aggressive sex they’ve watched online. Well, everyone knows all Aussies are perverts. Australia GP and former Royal Australian College of General Practitioners president Dr. Bastian Seidel told the ABC he has seen first-hand how copying behavior seen on porn videos can go dangerously wrong. “We have seen anal fissures more and more. I’ve seen that more in women, so that’s caused by men having anal sex with women,” he said. The ABC’s hard-hitting investigation also revealed the horrendous experience of a woman, “Sarah,” whose former boyfriend forced her into having anal sex. The 41-year-old was left with nerve damage to her bowel and can no longer cope with hugging her mom because she was so traumatized by the rape. “In pornography, it’s not how it is in real life. It’s just not how it is. It looks like they enjoy it, but it really hurts,” she said. Copycat abuse Experts and teachers have all agreed that porn-addicted men are making their girlfriends suffer in an attempt to copy what they see online. Cyber safety expert Susan McLean, who advises the Australian government and speaks at schools, was among several experts revealing how high school girls were being seriously injured when their boyfriends try to imitate what they’ve watched in porn. She said their copycat behavior involved using objects and tended to be “quite violent.” The girls “often feel very powerless to say ‘no,'” McLean added. The ABC said Australia ranks ninth for visitors to websites such as PornHub behind India, the UK and the US — but also boasts one of the longer average viewing times. Porn education organization Reality And Risk told the broadcaster its research showed that close to 90 percent of the most popular porn viewed includes physical aggression. This issue has also been delved into by Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology senior lecturer Meagan Tyler, who said overseas pornographers, particularly in the US, have deliberately made their content more violent. She said many producers would say the porn they put out is based on demand from their mainly male viewers. As a result of boundaries being continually pushed, porn was showing “things like double and triple anal … and things like choking as well.” The broadcaster spoke with Australian pornographer Garion Hall, who said that in America, porn falls under the country’s freedom of speech rules, so they can get away with “producing some pretty extreme stuff”.

Newspaper sorry for not publishing obituary saying Trump ‘hastened’ death A local newspaper is facing backlash after refusing to publish a grandmother’s obituary that states President Trump “hastened” her death. Frances Irene Finley Williams died on Nov. 21, a day before Thanksgiving, at the age of 87. Her daughter, Cathy Duff, included Frances’ strong political beliefs in her obituary, which stated, “Her passing was hastened by her continued frustration with the Trump administration.” It was supposed to run on Dec. 24 in their local paper, the Louisville Courier-Journal. “I just felt like, along with everything else that was in there, that was a vital part of her personality and something she expressed with me over the last few months — just like she expressed she felt strongly about a dress code for funerals,” Duff told the Washington Post. The Courier-Journal declined to publish the $1,684 obituary unless the political line was removed, citing it as “negative content.” Duff and her brother Art Williams took their grievances to Facebook. “I was, and still am, dumbfounded, surprised, but most of all disappointed,” Williams wrote in a post on Jan. 5. “My mom would have been offended.” On Tuesday, Laurie Bolle, director of sales for Gannett’s West Group, which owns the Courier-Journal, apologized to the family in a column. “In this political climate we now find ourselves, partisanship should have no role in deciding what gets included in an obituary that captures a loved one’s life — especially one as amazing as what Mrs. Williams led,” Bolle wrote. “I’m certain she is missed greatly by those who loved her. We send the family our deepest condolences and apologies.” But even with all the turmoil this has caused, Duff is taking solace in the fact that it has gotten people to talk more about politics. “It’s getting people talking about something that was really important to her,” Duff said.

Coincidence or trolling? I recently watched the episode of THE HOGAN FAMILY that introduced Sandy Duncan to the show. It was the first episode after Valerie Harper was fired and her character killed off. Off all the cities to choose from, they had Duncan moving 'from Minneapolis' to help raise her brother's kids. Of course, Harper gained fame playing Rhoda on THE MARY TYLER MOORE show, which was set in Minneapolis. In addition, Duncan's character was a guidance counselor. One of the other counselors was played by Ray Buktenica, who had played Brenda's boyfriend on RHODA (& I think dated Julie Kavner for a while).

It must get all tussled and sweaty when you work out. Is it getting hot in here?

Joey Fatone has put his NSYNC pleather coats behind him and has stepped into his game show host shoes. The Fat One’s new show “Common Knowledge” is set to test contestants on everyday questions, but can he solve elementary school problems on his own? Page Six put him to the test with math, spelling and vocabulary. The series will air Monday through Friday at 5:30 p.m. ET on Game Show Network. https://pagesix.com/video/joey-fatone-gets-schooled-on-basic-math/?_ga=2.24693818.1685694976.1542217076-1989825078.1357861564

I ALWAYS WONDERED WHAT YOU LOOKED LIKE!

https://www.datalounge.com/thread/12826432-does-anyone-remember-porn-stud-steve-marks- He was a weatherman who transitioned to porn in the early '90s. These days, he's selling real estate and is partnered to the executive director of PFLAG. I think it's great (and seemingly) rare that a guy has an apparently happy & successful post-porn life. (this was from 2013)

Patrick Mahomes is riding highfollowing his first career playoff win Saturday over the Indianapolis Colts. Mahomes, who completed 27-of-41 passes for 278 yards in snowy Kansas City, appeared to celebrate the 31-13 victory with girlfriend Brittany Matthews, who shared a photo of the couple cuddling up outside Arrowhead Stadium. “Just a few East Texas kids that had to grow up a little faster than expected,” Matthews posted on Instagram after the game. Mahomes, 23, a native of the Lone Star state, attended college at Texas Tech, before being selected by the Chiefs 10th overall in the 2017 draft. As for Matthews, she continues to be Mahomes’ biggest fan on game days. Following November’s epic thriller between the Rams and the Chiefs in Los Angeles, where Kansas City fell 54-51, the University of Texas at Tyler grad made sure she was there for her beau following the crushing loss. “Sure missed this guy #greatgame,” she posted on social media at the time. Expect Matthews to cheer Mahomes next week, when the Chiefs battle either the Chargers or the Patriots in the AFC Championship. [MEDIA=instagram]BsjuN1sB6XO[/MEDIA]

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In an out-of-this-world first, green-thumbed Chinese scientists have managed to sprout a plant on the far side of the moon, officials said Tuesday. “This is the first time humans have done biological growth experiments on the lunar surface,” said Xie Gengxin, who led the design of the experiment. The sprout emerged from a lattice-like structure inside a canister since the country’s Chang’e-4 lander set down on Jan. 3, according to images released by the Advanced Technology Research Institute at Chongqing University. Scientists who designed the “mini lunar biosphere” experiment sent a 7-inch container holding air, water and soil. Inside are cotton, potato and arabidopsis seeds — a plant of the mustard family — as well as fruit fly eggs and yeast. A cotton sprout has grown well, but so far none of the other plants has taken, the scientists said. “We have given consideration to future survival in space. Learning about these plants’ growth in a low-gravity environment would allow us to lay the foundation for our future establishment of space base,” said Professor Liu Hanlong, head of the experiment. He said potatoes could be the main food source for space explorers, while cotton could be used for clothing and rapeseed could be a source of oil, according to the South China Morning Post. Plants have been grown on the International Space Station before but never on the moon. The ability to grow plants on Earth’s satellite will be integral for long-term space missions, like a trip to Mars, which would take about two-and-a-half years. It would mean that astronauts could potentially harvest their own food in space. A cotton sprout growing in a lattice-structured container during an experiment inside the Chang’e-4 lander on the far side of the moon.