samhexum

St. Louis Cardinals unveil new perk where fans can eat all they want at games for $29 St. Louis is introducing its “Coca-Cola Unlimited” ticket package, starting at $29 and including all-you-can-eat concessions. As much soda, hot dogs, french fries, ice cream cups, and popcorn — among other snacks — as one can eat, all the way until the eighth inning. They’re not the first to ever offer an all-you-can-eat option. Other franchises, including the Arizona Diamondbacks, Houston Astros, and Cincinnati Reds, currently have similar promotions. The reason teams like the Cardinals are willing to take a loss on concessions is simple, says Andrew Zimbalist, the author of “May the Best Team Win: Baseball Economics and Public Policy” and an Economics professor at Smith College in Northampton, Mass. “They’re induced to come to the ballpark because of it,” Zimbalist told The Athletic. “Even though the Cardinals might lose money on it because they’re giving away too many hot dogs and french fries, they can view that as a loss leader. Now this guy’s coming with his whole family to the ballpark, and he might not come otherwise.” For the Cardinals, bringing supporters back to Busch Stadium is a priority. Since fans returned to ballparks after the 2020 COVID season, the Cardinals ranked in the top 10 in average attendance in MLB every year — before plummeting to 19th in 2025. “As an organization, we are making a concerted effort to improve the fan experience,” said Vicki Bryant, the Cardinals’ vice president of event services and merchandising. “From the time they purchase a ticket until the time they leave the ballpark, we’re looking at every aspect of our operation.” Some of the lower attendance can be attributed to the struggles of a team that hasn’t made the postseason since 2022. The hope is that even with the Cardinals’ best home run hitter, first baseman Willson Contreras (20 in 2025), having been shipped off to Boston and the team looking to rebuild, the unlimited concessions deal will lure fans in. “No matter what you’re buying, people are very cost-conscious,” Bryant said. “The cost of concessions, the cost of the tickets, and the cost of parking, all of that goes into a decision as to whether ‘I want to come to the ballpark.’ “We’re trying to have a positive effect on the things that we can have an effect on. I certainly am not responsible for the play on the field, but we can make sure that we offer great food and beverage at a good price and have something for everybody.” Especially if the product on the field isn’t the most alluring it’s ever been. “This is not one of the Cardinals’ eras of best performance,” Zimbalist said. “There are many, many baseball eras or decades where the Cardinals were one of the leading teams in the National League. They’re not now. “… They’re looking at this and thinking ‘what kind of other come-ons, what kind of other incentives and inducements can we offer to keep the fan base interested? Given that it’s not likely this year that we’re going to be competing for the postseason or certainly not competing for the division lead and certainly not competing for the World Series.” The unlimited concessions ticket package is available on a game-by-game basis. The seats are in the “Big Mac Land” portion of the stadium in left field, which only seats about 500 people. That section was chosen by the team due to its probability of receiving home runs, its proximity to an easily accessible concession stand, and the fact that it has previously been one of the more undersold portions of the stadium The $29 portion of the deal is subject to change due to dynamic pricing. Bryant explained that “you’re gonna pay more, for example, when the Dodgers come into town than you will on some other days.” The ticket includes entrance and concessions. Alcohol is not part of the deal, as the promotion’s goal is to attract families. Bryant predicts that the unlimited concessions deal will encourage parents to bring their kids, in turn creating a connection to the team and “to grow up a Cardinals fan.” It’s not cheap to attend a ballgame. In 2024, the average ticket price for a St. Louis game was $39.49. Currently, chicken tenders cost $11.49, a jumbo hot dog is $8.49, a 20-ounce bottle of water is $5.99, and a 21-ounce fountain soda is $7.39. Even just a ticket, one hot dog and a bottle of water would add up to $53.97. “Food prices are absolutely rising,” Bryant said. “You look at the cost of the food itself, the cost to purchase it, and the cost of labor has all continued to rise. It makes it challenging. We never want to have to increase prices. But the reality is the cost of that food is going up.” This is the franchise’s attempt at combating those rising costs. In a blog post by Kate McCaslin on WebstaurantStore.com, she calculated the top five and lowest five in cost of the following categories: tickets, hot dogs, and beer across the league. Then she calculated the cost of the approximate entire in-person experience of a ticket, a hot dog, and a beer for a game. The Miami Marlins ($31.83), Arizona Diamondbacks ($33.35), and Colorado Rockies ($37.25) were the three cheapest in the league, with the Houston Astros ($78.17) listed as the most expensive. This deal puts the Cardinals’ experience at the lowest end of this calculation, with the added all-you-can-eat feature that means you can get a whole lot more than one hot dog. And the teams hope fans decide to stay a while. Zimbalist says that even if only helps attendance a little bit, it will still add to the in-stadium vigor the teams hope to cultivate. “Bringing people in not only means you get revenue from the ticket sales,” Zimbalist said. “It means that you have a livelier atmosphere in the ballpark, and the ballpark becomes a more exciting place to go. If your team’s not in first place, and your team doesn’t have Shohei Ohtani hitting home runs, you’ve got to do something else. That’s this deal.”

Hunterfly Road Houses Completes Restoration In Crown Heights, Brooklyn Photograph from groundbreaking ceremony for Hunterfly Road Houses, via NYC. Restoration work is complete on Hunterfly Road Houses at the Weeksville Heritage Center in Crown Heights, Brooklyn. The $4 million city-funded project was led by the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs and the New York City Department of Design and Construction, and began in the fall of 2024. The 19th-century wood-frame houses are the last remaining structures of Weeksville, one of the nation’s largest free Black communities before the Civil War. The 18-month project focused on restoring the exterior of the four homes, including façades, siding, windows, doors, and front-entry porches. Additional upgrades included new plumbing, exterior lighting, a modernized fire alarm system with smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, and a CCTV monitoring system. A climate-controlled storage room was also installed in the cellar of one of the houses to better preserve historical artifacts. Funding was provided by the Mayor’s Office, the Brooklyn Borough President, and the New York City Council. Photograph of one of the Hunterfly Road Houses, via NYC. Weeksville was founded in 1848 by James Weeks, a formerly enslaved man who purchased land in what is now Crown Heights and Bedford-Stuyvesant. By the 1850s, the community had grown to more than 500 residents and served as a refuge for Black New Yorkers, including during the 1863 Draft Riots in Manhattan. The houses were rediscovered in 1968 after nearly being lost to urban renewal, designated a New York City Landmark in 1970, and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1971. Today, the center operates as Brooklyn’s largest African American cultural institution, hosting exhibitions, educational programming, and community events. Transit nearby the Hunterfly Road Houses includes the Kingston–Utica Avenues station, served by the 3 and 4 trains, and the Utica Avenue station, served by the A and C trains.

Grandfather's 'PB4WEGO' license plate OK'd by NY Gov. Kathy Hochul 4:06 pm EST Feb. 28, 2026 A Long Island grandfather got approval from New York Gov. Kathy Hochul to continue driving around with his humorous "PB4WEGO" license plate. In a Feb. 24 Facebook post, Seth Bykofsky, 69, wrote, "WE WON!" He added, "Justice - and humor - prevail! NY Governor Kathy Hochul Gives Reprieve To PB4WEGO Plate." Hochul shared a video on her Instagram on Feb. 24, during which she speaks with Bykofsky on the phone, and wrote the caption: "Seth’s license plate is a public service."

The show was hosted by “Heated Rivalry” actor Connor Storrie, and at the end of his monologue, the Hughes brothers joined him on stage and pretended they had no idea what “Heated Rivalry” was about. “We’ve been so busy playing, we haven’t had time to see your show yet. It’s about hockey, right?” Jack said, through some missing teeth after being high-sticked late in the third period of the gold-medal game. “Kind of,” Storrie deadpanned. “I got my teeth knocked out in the finals. Does that happen in your show?” Jack said. “Metaphorically,” Storrie, with a wink, said. “What team do you play on?” Quinn asked. When told the Boston Raiders, Jack asked what league that was in. “The HBO,” Storrie joked.

Gone but not forgotten is an amateurish, badly acted 2003 movie that explores the "mystery" of what really happened to amnesiac hospital patient Mark who was rescued by Drew, the dorky Forest Ranger. The movie would've been at least a little bit better if the part of Drew had been played by Joel Bryant, who played his religious older brother (and boss) Paul. He has beautiful eyes. This movie is best forgotten. I only got through it because I had it on in the background as I did some chores.

AN ALMOST ORDINARY SUMMER (2019) Two Italian men of a certain age plan to marry in three weeks... if they can overcome their disapproving families' attempts to sabotage the situation. Not bad at all. It was nice to see an older gay love story for once... and the disapproving older son looks a bit like Ricky Martin, so that was a little treat. I don't know if it's on any streaming service. I watched it on YouTube at 1.25X speed, which negated the extra time added by the ads.

He's in the pantheon of the great Jewish Neils... Simon, Sedaka, Diamond, deGrasse Tyson...

https://apple.news/APKYk_I8jQceESaXsejxRnQ Bartenders Pick Their Favorite Bourbons to Use in an Old Fashioned These experts believe the whiskey is the most important element in this iconic cocktail.

what a lovely starter home

Dueling Banjos, as it were...

Neil Sedaka, 86

Now available on Hulu

Grey's had a brief compilation of his biggest scenes at the end of last night's episode.

I liked this week's episode a lot. It filled in some blanks.

During tonight's law and order, there was a commercial for the drug Repatha. Considering the program during which it was airing, shouldn't that have been R. Epatha?

Go for it dumdum.

Also... Unless Kip & Elena are sitting in Scott's two seats, how he could find them in the crowd? If they ARE Scott's seats, it makes sense that the team captain could secure the seat adjacent to his seats, but wouldn't dad have wondered how Kip got those seats if he didn't know? So why is only Elena consoling Kip's tears and encouraging him down to the ice? The buzzy sports romance series "Heated Rivalry" is expected to return for Season 2 in Spring 2027, as revealed during Thursday's "CBS Mornings" interview with series creator Jacob Tierney and executive producer Brendan Brady. During their Q&A with Gayle King, the EPs confirmed that Season 2 begins filming in August 2026, with King later stating an April 2027 premiere timetable for the new episodes. A rep for the Canadian streaming service Crave confirmed to TVLine that a Spring 2027 premiere is being targeted, but did not confirm that the show would be back in April. It's also not yet known if Season 2 will arrive simultaneously on Crave and the show's Stateside home, HBO Max.

The Whopper is getting a makeover. On Thursday, Feb. 26, it was announced that Burger King’s beloved burger will change for the first time in nearly 10 years. The alterations are inspired by guests’ feedback, according to a press release, and make for a “higher-quality Whopper experience.” Specifically, three elements are new to the burger. First, the bread is being swapped for a “more premium, better tasting” bun. But Whopper loyalists, fear not: it will still be a sesame seed-coated bun. The presentation will shift in terms of the burger’s packaging. Rather than being wrapped in paper, the upgraded Whopper will be served in a box. Lastly, the toppings will get an update. Each Whopper will come “stacked tall with freshly cut onions and tomatoes and crisp lettuce, tangy pickles,” per a release — all of which were ingredients already on the burger. Plus Whoppers will come with “better tasting mayo.” The ¼-lb. beef patty will remain the same as its predecessor. McDonald’s has a brand-new burger coming to U.S. locations. The chain is introducing the Big Arch Burger, its “most McDonald’s, McDonald’s burger,” on Tuesday, March 3, per a press release. The burger is the chain’s “biggest” burger, according to the McDonald’s website. The limited-time burger features two quarter-pound beef patties, three slices of white cheddar cheese, crispy onions, slivered raw onions, lettuce, pickles and Big Arch Sauce. The namesake condiment is described as having “a perfect balance of mustard, pickle and sweet tomato flavors,” per the release. The components are all sandwiched between a toasted sesame and poppy seed-coated bun. The burger was previously tested in various European countries and Canada. It is a permanent menu item in the U.K. and Ireland.

Lithium battery factory. The lithium-ion facility. A “mini-Chernobyl.” Just some of the names the Middle Village community has heard referring to the proposed Battery Energy Storage System (BESS), located on 69th Place. After two protests — with a third planned on Feb. 26 — and one proposed State bill attempting to supersede City zoning regulation: the entire Queens community have rallied against just one of these facilities due to its placement across the street from PS 255Q and nearby residences for fears of safety and health effects from hazardous chemicals, fires and noise pollution. In a joint statement signed by Council Member Phil Wong, New York City Council Speaker Julie Menin, U.S. Rep. Grace Meng, Queens Borough President Donovan Richards, state Sen. Joseph Addabbo and Assemblymember Andrew Hevesi said: “Battery energy storage will play a role in strengthening our electric grid, but the proposed location at 69 Place is simply the wrong fit given its immediate proximity to PS/IS 128, a daycare center, a children’s fun house, an animal hospital, residential homes, and even a District 24 Teachers Center. We are united with the community in opposing this site and support a constructive counterproposal that would relocate the project to a more appropriate industrial area. The goal is to balance the need for reliable energy infrastructure with the responsibility to protect residential neighborhoods and community institutions. There is a clear path forward that allows this project to advance in a more suitable industrial location without compromising the safety and character of the surrounding community.” But how safe is it? Where are BESS’s being placed in other communities? And is the risk really comparable to worst nuclear energy disaster in human history? During his 2025 campaign for Mayor, Curtis Sliwa called the proposed BESS a “mini-Chernobyl” and protested with former Council Member Bob Holden outside the site in early 2025 with chants of “Save our kids.” Sen. Addabbo introduced a new bill that would require BESSs be built outside of residential areas. In a press release, Addabbo cited the Moss Landing energy storage facility fire and several that occurred in Warwick, NY, for the community’s safety concerns. Videos shared on social media of burning e-bike batteries, also using lithium-ion technology, is another common comparison. However, there are “key differences” between the batteries that burned in these incidents and those permitted for use in the City. Out of the almost 7,500 BESS in the State, only three have caught fire: a .04% failure rate. “It’s like comparing a bottle rocket to a spaceship,” said NineDot Energy VP of Strategic Development Sam Brill. “Yes, it’s the same chemistry, but the level of engineering and sophistication is so far beyond the basic chemistry of a lithium-ion battery that it’s not a fair comparison.” To date, there has not been a fire or safety incident at any of the 30 BESSs already operating in the City, including one in Ozone Park just 20 feet from a middle school. At Moss Landing, batteries were densely packed and in contact with each other on “open racks” and not monitored for thermal runaway, or overheating, which caused the fire. The repurposed factory they were housed in contributed to the intensity of the blaze and amount of smoke, forcing the evacuation of 1,500 nearby residents. Two days after the fire, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) monitored the air quality for both particulate matter and hydrogen fluoride gas and detected “no measurements exceeding the moderate air quality level” that violated of California’s human health standards. Monterey County conducted soil and water testing in a 10 mile radius and detected no higher presence copper, lithium, manganese or other heavy metals in the soil than found typical residential screenings. Less than 10 of the soil samples detect one heavy metal: lead, which it is not a “key metal” in lithium-ion batteries and “not indicative of fire related impacts,” as it was found beneath the surface of the soil. “[Moss Landing] was the absolute worst case, insane scenario for an energy storage system that never should have been built, never should have been operating and looks nothing like what’s built in New York City,” said Brill. “Even so, officials said there were not impacts that were hazardous to human health.” The batteries used in the Moss Landing and Warwick facilities are not permitted for use within the City, which Brill called “decades old technology.” According to City of Warwick officials, the December fire at Convergent Energy’s 28 Church St. facility was contained to a single cell and did not spread to other batteries. The engineer consultant hired by the city, LaBella, found 1.5 parts per million (ppm) of the toxic gas hydrogen cyanide in the air, which did not exceed any levels deemed hazardous. On Jan. 20, the facility’s landlord, Warwick BBA, sent a letter to Convergent Energy alleging violations of building code and permitting of local, county and/or state law. “Even in cases where air monitoring did not exceed federal thresholds, we’ve seen evacuations, public health advisories, and measurable toxic gas detection during fire events,” Addabbo said. “The disruption to communities, particularly when children are involved, is significant.” An outdoor BESS, like the one being proposed by NineDot, has batteries sealed in water-proof, fire-proof and noise dampening containers, as required by FDNY. Energy storage facilities in the city utilize a system that automatically shuts off any cell that is overheating. What look like average shipping containers hold off-gassing systems, spark plugs, overhead water spray, 24-7 thermal cameras and layers of manual shutoffs. All local firehouses are trained prior to the project becoming operational and due not require evacuation, as the containers are designed to withstand the fire and stop the spread. Though the community fears the “let it burnt out” approach, it was by design to be safest for first responders. Addabbo’s bill would mandate all 3+ MW BESS’s in the City be placed at least 300 feet away from homes, schools and farms and include financial surety requirements, such as insurance or allocated emergency funds should a fire occur. According to the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), Environmental Advocates NY, WeAct and a dozen other environmental advocacy groups the 300 ft stipulation “would prevent nearly all BESS from being built in New York City,” by disqualifying over 90% of locations across the City and hindering the ability to build the required 4,000 facilities citywide. “This bill overrides the expertise of local zoning and fire safety experts. At present, BESS siting is governed by local zoning, as well as either the NYS or NYC Fire Code. This bill would discard the years-long efforts of fire safety professionals and the policy decisions of local zoning authorities – in favor of arbitrary setback requirements,” as stated in an open letter of opposition filed earlier this week. “While battery energy storage plays a role in our state’s clean energy future and we are in need for more electrical power, public safety must always come first,” said Addabbo. “When a large-scale lithium facility is proposed directly across from a school, we must rethink the placement of these facilities and work towards placing them away from schools and residences.” However, one school in the Bronx was happy to have the new facility across the street, even designing a mural to be painted on the fence. Shubert Jacobs, executive director of Bronx Charter Schools for Better Learning located at 3740 Baychester Ave., is directly across the street from a NineDot BESS. Jacobs contacted NineDot after seeing the project in construction and developed an “unusual collaboration” between the company and school. Since being built several years ago, NineDot’s team have attended enrichment programs, participated in community events and continually informs the school of operations on the site, according to Jacobs. NineDot connected the school with Solar One, an educational non-profit, who taught seminars on renewable energy and hydroponics, and offered a full educational tour of the facility. Students are now in the process of designing a mosaic of the school’s emblem to join the mural on the fence. “They brought something to the community and then they actually shared it in such a way that the school could actually benefit from it. Because it’s not just benefited us from the standpoint of just talking about clean energy. It benefited us from the standpoint of projects that kids did and parents were happy to come out to actually be a part of the mural,” Jacobs said. Jacobs was surprised to hear about the community and legislative backlash towards the facility, and stated no member of the 700 families whose children attend either the elementary or middle school expressed concerns about fires or safety to him directly. Middle Village Residents Association President Paul Pogozelski, who organized the latest protest, cited the same concerns parents brought to Addabbo, Wong and other electeds. Pogozelski is also concerned for noise pollution and noticed a distinct humming sound coming from the BESS located on Rust Sreet in Maspeth. Pogozelski met with Brill and NineDot last year, but requested a public meeting he said would be more beneficial for transparency, denying a second meeting in private. “Why not put together a [public] meeting where you’re willing to make sure that there’s assurances in place by a civic leader or whoever to actually get this point across and get it to a broader base of people,” Pogozelski said. “There’s a way to have these meetings where it doesn’t have to be a confrontational back and forth. They could do a better job… being more transparent, meeting with the public.” A NineDot representative stated that a public meeting would not be “productive,” and continued to reach out for on-on-one sessions. Brill has since met several parents from PS 255Q virtually and knocked on doors of the nearby houses, but both the school principle and Middle Village Parent Teacher Association have yet to make contact. However, a representative stated that they respond to every message via the website contact form and more information can be found on its FAQ page. Wong and the other local representatives are still working to find a new location for the BESS. Despite fears of noise pollution and hazardous materials in Middle Village, Shubert said there hasn’t been any complaints from parents or much activity from over the fence, and stated that there is no persistent sound or noisy operations that interrupted life during the routine maintenance trips. The Bronx is traditionally underserved in energy needs and has the highest rates of childhood asthma and other respiratory illnesses due to pollution, which Jacobs said was a factor in welcoming the BESS, but that it was mainly due to the direct communication with NineDot. “We have found this to be such a great partnership; aligned around science, community and care for the environment,” Jacobs said. “They are about working with kids, working with the school, engaging us in what they are actually doing. So I really cannot think of a better neighbor to have. If you’re going to have a good neighbor and a company that collaborates with you, I think NineDot would be among the top.” New York’s grid has seen better days. According to Brill, the facility of the size proposed would alleviate the threat of blackouts in a 10 block radius around it. Con Edison has proposed an alternative to BESS’s throughout the city: a brand new distribution substation and replacing miles of underground cables with higher-voltage versions. A multi-billion-dollar project that rate payers would subsidize. “It is a dramatically more cost efficient way to build out that infrastructure. We’ve calculated that on a per megawatt basis, it is about 2.5x more cost efficient to do an energy storage project than the traditional grid infrastructure that Con Edison builds,” Brill said, noting NineDot’s projects are privately funded. “That should lead to people’s rates going down, because instead of this really expensive infrastructure, we can build more energy storage and it won’t cost rate payers anything.” Con Edison, New York’s largest private grid operator, stated “battery storage is an essential part of our clean-energy future.” New York State’s Climate Act mandates that 6,000 MW of battery energy storage be built by 2030, and 2/3’s will need to be built in the City. The Middle Village BESS has a 4 MW capacity, and the state is already 1,000 MW behind its latest benchmark. Queens residents experience more blackouts and brownouts than any other borough, increasing in frequency during winter, and one that left over 1,000 people without power for days and unable to cool their homes in 2025 summer heat wave. At night, the batteries get charged and during the day, during peak hours of electricity use, the energy is released back onto the grid to alleviate the load. The extra energy stored in the BESS is only deployed at Con Edison’s request, but keeps the power on during peak demand. Without BESS’s, energy drawn from renewables can be wasted and cannot be deployed intentionally during peak hours. Currently, the city utilizes fossil fuel powered “peaker plants” during peak hour overload. The Climate Act limits nitrogen oxide from peaker plants due to its link to higher respiratory and cardiovascular illness rates, and many have already been decommissioned. Every single peaker plant is required by law to cease operation by 2030, leaving a high risk of an energy deficit during peak hours. “Why aren’t we hearing more people be concerned about a combustible fuel sitting in the middle of our city, but they’re worried about small battery storage facilities that can help facilitate solar energy development?” asked Kim Frakzek, director of the non-profit The Sane Energy Project. “There are gas leaks everywhere. The fact that we even have ads in the subway, “Smell gas, Act fast,” just shows you have something really dangerous that’s running under our streets and into our homes. And these things run, not even just directly past schools, but into schools. That should be stuff that we should be alarmed about.” In 2018, NYC experienced over 22,000 unconbusted gas leaks, costing around $70 million annually for first responders to fix. The City had more than the next 25 on the list combined. An explosion last year at the NYCHA Mitchell Houses in the Bronx killed 1 and injured 14 others after sparking a four-alarm fire and collapsing a section of the building. A study by the University of Michigan on the increase of gas leaks urged lawmakers and decision-makers “to incorporate these costs into cost-benefit analyses and consider the intended and unintended effects on emergency response systems in managing energy transitions.” Despite the protests and controversy, a representative of NineDot stated, “We’re, we are working with those elected officials to get to an outcome where there is clean, reliable, affordable, safe energy in Middle Village.” I live about 5 blocks from a Con Ed substation; a BESS doesn't scare me.

I can't believe I never noticed that Kip's dad is sitting next to him when Scott calls him down to the ice. I only ever focused on Kip and Elena, but his dad is on the other side of him. So it turns out that being so obsessed with the show that I watch reaction videos has paid off... just like it went over my head that Ilya might've stopped smoking for Shane but started again when Shane was dating Rose, per dialogue with Svetlana. I HAD, however, noticed that Ilya was smoking when they watched the sunrise after saying I love you, indicating acceptance by Shane.

I would, but Miami is in Florida, so...

https://qns.com/2026/02/butterboy-baking-nyc-first-filipino-cake-workshop/ https://qns.com/2026/02/arcade-social-space-metropolitan-building-lic/

I hope Angie stays pregnant forever.