#Lease Renewal Service

[girlfriendsofthegalaxy]

update on this at the one-month mark(ish): have not seen the tortie again, have not seen the orange boy again, four different rescues that purport to do TNR (including the main county rescue) have never responded at all or ghosted me after one email. cannot get anyone on the phone about this either. i may go in person to the county shelter bc there is a new litter of black kittens by the mailroom and i would like them at least fixed

the girls were very anxious about something outside so i checked my porch and spooked the world's smallest tortie down the stairs. one molecule of tortie. just barely not a kitten. probably not the one pissing on my front door all the time.

i Do Not Want to be a TNR colony manager bc i don't believe that TNR actually works, and i do not think a quick and humane death is the worst thing that can happen to a cat (eg phil's very scary injury) but i Do want these creatures spayed and neutered. so here we go i guess

[batboyblog]

Things the Biden-Harris Administration Did This Week #31

August 23-30 2024

The Department of Transportation announced $521 million to help increase the number of electric vehicle charging ports. They money will go to projects in 29 different states, DC, and 8 tribal governments. It'll help build over 9,200 EV charging ports. Since Biden took office publicly available EV chargers has doubled, there are now over 192,000 public EV chargers in the nation with about 1,000 new ones being added every week.

The Department of The Interior announced the first ever lease for off-shore wind power in Oregon. When fully developed the two sites in Southern Oregon will generate 3.1 gigawatts of clean, renewable energy, enough to power a million homes. Under the Biden-Harris administration first of their kind off-shore wind power projects have been approved and started in the Pacific and Gulf of Mexico coasts. In total 13 gigawatts of clean energy from offshore wind projects, enough to power nearly 5 million homes, has been approved.

Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland finalized the protection of 28 million acres of public lands across Alaska.  In the last days of the Trump Administration protections for these lands were lifted. The Trump Interior Department did not consult with the Alaska natives who depend on these protected lands before lifting the protections. Deb Haaland the first Native American to serve as Secretary of the Interior declared "Tribal consultation must be treated as a requirement – not an option"

The Department of Health and Human Services announced $558 Million for improving maternal health. This is part of the Biden-Harris Administration's effort to address the maternal health crisis, which has been lead by Vice-President Harris. $440 million of the money will help expand a program of home visiting services for maternal, infant, and early childhood. $118 million, through the CDC, will go to 46 states, and six territories, over 5 years to help build the public health infrastructure to better identify and prevent pregnancy-related deaths.

It was announced that Maine will join the IRS' Direct File program for tax year 2025. Maine joins Oregon, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, New Mexico, Connecticut, North Carolina, and Wisconsin along with the original 12 states. The Direct File program, made possible by President Biden's Inflation Reduction Act, allows tax payers to file, for free, simple returns with the IRS. The 140,000 tax payers who used the pilot program in 2024 saved a collective $5.6 million in filing costs. Maine's Revenue Services plans to work with the ISR to allow tax payers to file their state taxes by just transferring the info from the ISR direct file.

[actually-safer-to-kiss]

Girlfriend Interrupted

Summary: Reader had a bad day at work and Spencer's complaints are not the best timing.

Couple: Spencer/Fem!Reader

Category: Hurt/comfort

Content warnings: Mentions of food, hunger, and prolonged time without eating

Word count: 887

The bus rumbles across the old asphalt and bricked crosswalks while hissing at stops. All you could do was lay your head against the window and try not to fall asleep or accidentally smash it into the glass after hitting a precarious pothole. You were three stops away from home and all you wanted to do was lock yourself in the apartment and gorge on the least healthy meal you could find. 

You had a healthy meal planned for lunch today actually; a salad filled to the nines (the nines being roasted chicken, nuts, pomegranate, and honeydew). It was perfect. So perfect in fact that someone stole it from the fridge when you were in the middle of beating a deadline. And even after being successful in that, your boss still found time to yell at you for something another co-worker did. You weren’t sure which one, but it wasn’t you. You’ve been nibbling on a granola bar on the ride, but your mind is occupied by the leftover lasagna in the fridge.

And you find it there, waiting for you under the stark refrigerator light. You yank it from the bottom shelf and don’t even consider looking at the microwave. You barely looked at the dishes you left in the sink after breakfast this morning and remember how behind you were when getting ready for work, telling yourself you’d put them in the dishwasher before Spencer got home. You did say you’d do that. And Spencer doesn’t like dishes in the sink.

 Instead, you grab the blanket from the back of the couch and settle in the dark, pulling up a YouTube video you’ve been meaning to watch. You rest your phone against the book spines Spencer had specifically picked out to be displayed for their guests (mainly your parents during the holidays and his co-workers). Most of them are about astronomy, nothing you’ve cared to pick up. They’re detailed enough to keep Spencer entertained and sturdy enough to keep your phone upright while you slurped up tomato sauce and ricotta cheese. And so you snuggled in like a kid watching Saturday cartoons, sugary cereal at the ready.

And it’s when you think of your boyfriend again that the door behind you opens with a creak. The thud of his cane echoes across the wood floor as that same door clicks as he shuts it. You manage to say “Hey, Spence�� through your glorious mouthful of a rushed dinner. But Spencer says nothing back. He’s been struggling not just with his knee acting up again after his previous surgery, but with being unable to travel with his team. The thud of Spencer’s cane trails from the entryway to the kitchen. It was a tough day for both of you, no doubt.

Your sympathies started to wane though when Spencer interrupted your video.

“Ugh, Y/N. I told you I don’t like dishes in the sink.”

“I know.” You tried to say without a mouthful. “And I’m sorry. I was running late for work and needed to get going before—”

“And you left the fridge door open, too. We talked about needing to cut back before our lease renewal. The National Weather Service expects an uptick in accumulation by late December.”

You pause your video and turn in your seat. “Sorry, I was going to do it when I got home, but I needed to eat because someone stole—”

“And you’re eating the lasagna from the tray? We have clean bowls. You could easily grab one from—”

“Let me talk!” You ended up shouting. It was sudden for both of you. You’re never one to raise your voice and Spencer has never been one to fuck up bad enough to witness it. It forces Spencer to freeze in place, like that accumulation he talked about just rushed through the apartment on your command. It would be funny if it was some sort of command if you already weren’t teetering on the edge of tears. The sting in your nose already started traveling to your eyes. They welled up and Spencer quickly became a blur as you started to sob, the trials of a bad day finally getting to you. You let your chest heave and tears streak down your cheeks, hoping at least a portion of the stress will subside afterward.

You didn’t expect Spencer to be right next to you. You didn’t hear his cane once on the floor. It was against the arm of the couch. And he was on the floor, resting on his knees. Of course, you’re too distressed to point out that is the last thing he should be doing if he wants to avoid more surgery so badly. Plus he’s busy with taking the meal off of your lap. “Come here,” he tells you. He’s holding your hands. His hands are just as frigid as the lasagna. But he pulls you up as he tries to stand, meeting you on (somewhat) equal footing to bring you into a hug. It’s warm, obviously. All of his hugs are warm. He wears cotton-only cardigans and wears layers of clothes even at the peak of summer. “I’m sorry.” He says. “Just let it out. I’m here.”

“Spence. Your knee.”

“It’s fine.”

“You need to—”

“Be here. Which I am.” And he holds you tighter.

[winterspiderpurrs]

Okay okay.... Uncle Ben was from Brooklyn. Let's pretend that he kept the apartment he grew up in.

He either sublease it or rented it out for extra income. Kept the rent cheap so the few different tenants he had ALWAYS took care of the place because who would want to get kicked out of an affordable place?

Let's say AFTER the latest tenants move out. There lease finally up and the need to move so they don't renew. May and Peter are cleaning the place with the debate of should we keep renting it out or sale it cause they could get a pretty good price for it.

Maybe while cleaning Peter discovered a lose floor board or baseboard. And he finds a hiding spot. And he pulls out a bundle of letters.

Old ones.

Letters that had RETURN TO SENDER- UNDELIVERED-U.S. Army Postal Service

All of these letters are for one James 'Bucky' Barnes.

There are some letters Bucky sent his sisters and parents. And good amount of letters that his sisters, parents, and even one from Steve, unopened, with return messages stamped on them. A pile of them, based on the dates it was right before he got captured the 1st time, before the camp. And even after he was consider POW and after the notice of his KIA letters went out.

Letters that were written, mailed and returned unread.

Well... it's time for Peter to find the newly recovered Winter Soldier to deliver him his missing letters.

[crooked-wasteland]

Keep in mind Amazon had nothing to do with funding for Hazbin. The show was finished by A24 in February 2023, and Hazbin had no distributor until the summer, hence missing Viv's proposed release date and her not even saying anything about the delay.

It's also quite curious that A24 funded and produced the entire show, yet hasn't promoted it at all. Really seems that production was hell behind the scenes, and considering the 4 years for 8 episodes and Viv's general attitude, I don't doubt that at all.

Won't be surprised if a Sweatbox-like documentary comes out about it in a few years with how awful production seems like it was.

That is why I say that calling Hazbin an "Amazon Show" is tantamount to misinformation. Amazon is merely the streaming service who have a contract with the production company, in this case A24. They buy the license to the show, which can vary in length. It's why Netflix loses shows from their library all the time. Additionally, overseas licensing is often cheaper (why the Japanese Netflix had shows like Kung Fu Panda while American Netflix didn't). So the contracts are more like leasing agreements and they may renew them or lose them after that time.

A24 has preferential treatment with Amazon. Amazon hosts almost all of A24's library and it's a bit of a sweetheart deal between the studio and streaming service. It's why I say that it seems so weird that it took so long to get a streaming service for the series.

In regards to advertising, A24 doesn't actually do much advertising. Think how you heard about Midsomner and Talk To Me, usually from YouTubers. People who make videos about the films, social media posts, etc. That isn't a buh, that is the A24 model. They keep their films cheap by not advertising. They just don't do that. So the fact Medrano had a historical theatre marquee for her advertising is outside the norm. Not just in its sheer impotence as a marketing strategy, but also for A24 as a studio. That either had to come out of the budget for the series (explaining why the last episode was unable to be finished) or Medrano's personal income, which we can safely assume did not happen.

Additionally, Amazon also has rules they usually follow (which were broken for Medrano) in that they do not advertise shows until after they air on the platform.

[fireflowersims]

Death, dying and funerals in the Netherlands (pt 2)

The part in which we discuss options

My dad died this monday and as it turns out: funeral planning takes a lot of time. This part will go into more detail about your options of what can be done with your body. And also why one may want to subject their funeral director to police-level interrogation. My dad's final trips.

Part 1

So, same tw as part 1 on all of this: cancer, death, dying, corpses, handling corpses in various ways, funerals, undertakers, huge sums of money, insurance company (derogatory), religion

So where will the body go?

So, your loved one has died. You got to give them their final care and they are now "opgebaard" (ready for viewing). Now it is time to choose how to "dispose" of the body. There are several options you can choose. Before I continue with my dad's story, it's good to tell you a bit about what each involves:

Body donation

It is possible to choose to donate your body to science. If you go for this option, the body will be picked up within 24h of death to be taken to wherever donated bodies go. Before that, it is possible to spend time with the body and say your goodbye's. My grandma's sister opted for this. There was no final service.

Cremation

You can also have your body burnt. This happens at indoor crematoria. The funeral service is done prior to the cremation as Dutch law requires the ashes to stay at the crematorium for 30 days after cremation. My grandparents on my dad's side went for this. Both times we had a service at the crematorium. Songs were played, memories recounted and poems were read. The services were non-religious in this case. I remember my grandpa had a sea shanty play. After the service there was food either at the crematorium or at family. Coffee and a snack or some soup is common. The ashes can later be kept in an urn or scattered. You may also bury them in an "urn grave".

Burial

Burial is where some people may get surprised. In the Netherlands, "eternal rest" is not a given. In most cemeteries, you don't buy a plot, you lease one. After the initial period expires, the grave will be cleared so it can be used for someone else. There are two types of rental graves: algemeen (general) and particulier (private). With an "algemeen graf" the cemetery determines how long your loved one can stay in there. Often 20 or 30 years. Extending the lease is oftentimes not possible. When the lease passes, the grave will be cleared. Private graves also tend to start at 20 or 30 years but family can choose to keep extending the grave lease if they wish. Urn graves are the same in this.

Dig up that grave

When a grave gets cleared, there are several things that can be done with the remains: they could be reburied deeper (if possible). They can be cremated and the ashes given to family. They can be reburied in another grave chosen (and paid for) by family or they can be reburied in a common grave (aka: the big grave, some may call it a mass grave). Either way, exhuming a grave is not an ordeal legally speaking, it's just a part of life and death. The Netherlands is a small country with limited grave space and so we have to be efficient.

Eternal rest

Sometimes rental graves can be hard on people. Will you choose to renew the grave of your child or father who died way too young? It is not gonna bring them back and it is a big chunk of money, especially if your funds are low. Is it really worth it to extend the geave lease of people you never knew? Fortunately, nowadays there is a way to never have to worry about this: natural burial.

At a natural burial ground, you pick a grave in the middle of nature. The grave often gets a temporary wooden marker. Once it has decomposed, you might be able to get a new marker, but after that one's gone, the grave is unmarked and can only be found via GPS coordinates. After all the graves on the burial ground have been filled, it will get turned over to Natuurmonumenten (natural monuments) who will take care of the area and ensure that it stays pristine and undisturbed. This means that graves will not be dug up. The bodies are left to decompose naturally in the soil. Sometimes in a coffin, sometimes in a shroud and their relatives will never have to make a decision about the grave lease.

This is what my parents chose. They went to a natural burial ground and picked a plot where they can be buried together on top of one another. It is a good fit for my dad, who always loved to be out in nature. I'm glad they got to choose together. Though I do hope I won't have to bury my mom anytime soon.

But what's with this insurance stuff?

Oh, insurance, I could probably dedicate entire posts to how much of a pain dealing with our insurance/funeral director has been at times. Dutch funeral insurance often takes the form of a sum of money to spend on a funeral. You can use it to pay to buy or lease a grave, but since my parents already paid for theirs, the insurance fee is used for things like cards, transport, renting the ice plate, renting space to keep the body and catering. Yup, catering. It is also possible to get a package. Grave/cremation + all needed services or a combination thereof (grave/cremation + a sum of money to spend on other funeral stuff).

Between life and death: corpse hauling

So this is where my dad's story gets absurd. So far, my dad's body has been in basically all the places you can store a body (for viewing and just storage).

First, we kept him at home. We didn't want to keep him there for too long though, as we didn't think he would've appreciated it (he was never one to confront death). He died monday in the early morning and was picked up by the hearse tuesday late in the afternoon.

Them he was brought to the crematorium's cooling. We were not allowed to follow. We found that out just as he had left the house.

Those 90 FUCKING EUROS

Wait, the crematorium? Didn't you go for burial? Well yes, the reason we had him transferred there is that we thought that should we have him transferred there, we would have access to a so-called 24h room. Turns out that wasn't the case. The crematorium doesn't have a 24h room and we'd have to pay 90 FUCKING EUROS PER VISIT! We were not informed about this nor about that a "visit" is only 45 minutes, needs to be requested via the funeral director and that the crematorium apparently doesn't work with digital systems or something, because appointments may only be made during working hours as the people who put them in the agenda are not there later in the day!

I repeat: 90 FUCKING EUROS to be in a room with a corpse for 45 minutes. For that money I can buy a museum card, spend the entire year looking at corpses daily, bog body, mummy, skeleton, plenty of choice and still have enough money left to buy a sandwich.

Needless to say, we were Not Happy. She did fix it fairly quickly by getting him transferred to a 24h room the next day, but yeah, that's another car ride, another corpse transfer, more costs. My dad was being driven all over town I tell ya

But .. how?

Alright, the funeral director was set at the table and we were talking about planning the funeral (more about that next post), at some point she made an offhand comment about if we wanted to view the body. We said yes. So she was like"okay, so I'll add a mourning visit" and that was it.

She did not explain that it would be a 45 min visit and that if we wanted more visits it'd be more money. I get it costs money. After all the workers have to get the body in and out of the cooling, into the room for a viewing, keep that room clean, keep the refrigeration running etc, but it would have been nice to get informed before we made that uninformed choice we did.

We thought (based on my BIL's experiences with his family being viewed outside the house) that his body would be put in a room and we'd just get a key to access it basically whenever we like. This was not the case. It was never explained to us. And thus we were totally surprised when the hearse driver told us to make an appointment and (respectfully) drove off towards the crematorium with my dad.

So this is why you interrogate your funeral director, kids. If you're lucky, you get one who understands that not everyone is well-versed in funeral options and may be tired and will explain everything in explicit detail but if not, you may find your grieving process disturbed by having your access to the corpse limited without informed consent.

In the end, my dad spent a night at the coolig where his parents were also kept. We jokingly said he paid the place their bodies stayed at a visit. He is now at the 24h room.

The last home for the dead

A 24h room is a fantastic way to say goodbye. It is a dedicated room where the body is kept and the family can just come in and spend time with it whenever they want or need. The atmosphere is homey and calm. In this particular room, the corpse is off to the side and can be hidden by curtains. One can choose to view him or just spend time on the couch talking with the relatives, enjoying a cup of tea or playing a game. The dead person is there, but life can happen too. It's a space between regular life and the reality of death. I personally find I quite like it. My dad would not want to be kept at home until the funeral, that wouldn't fit him. But I think he'd be okay with this option. It's more expensive than a visit to the crematorium, but you have the freedom to come whenever you feel ready and that is worth its weight in gold. Here he will stay until it is time for his final trip: to church and then to his grave.

Next up in Fire's Funeral Adventures: how to plan a Dutch Funeral (ft. Frustration)

[allthecanadianpolitics]

The City of Vancouver says it will not be renewing the lease for an overdose prevention site located in the heart of downtown.

The Thomus Donaghy Overdose Prevention Site (OPS) at 1101 Seymour St. in Yaletown, which opened in 2021, is named after an Overdose Prevention Society volunteer who was killed by a client.

It is operated by Vancouver Coastal Health in conjunction with housing operator Raincity Housing, with the health authority saying that the service saves lives amid a toxic drug crisis that the B.C. Coroners Service says sees six people die every day.

However, the city says that it will not renew the operator's lease, set to end in March 2024, with a city councillor saying that public safety concerns and the congregation of people outside the site made it unsuitable. [...]

Continue Reading.

Tagging: @politicsofcanada

[ratthew-the-rat-man]

Young adult life advice

If you're going out into the world without a degree, or a degree that gave you zero opportunities, here's my advice to survive as an adult (in America).

You need friends. Make them at school, work, out and about in public, even online friends who live in the same country. If you want to move out of your parents house and can't afford a place on your own, you need friends to be your roommates. Note: it is a lot harder to be someone's friend when you're living with them. They way they clean, if at all, the way they cook, if at all, the way they keep their personal space, all come with nuances that you weren't prepared for. You need to be able to talk things out to make keeping the household comfortable for everyone.

Apartment hunting:

You should do a lot of research about what housing is available. If you don't have a car, you need to do your best to make sure that wherever you end up living and wherever you end up working are within reasonable walking distance. If you live in a place that gets snow, this is especially important. Townhouses are another option for renting. Some are the same price as a 2 bedroom apartment with more space, but they'll likely be more picky about who lives there, so keep your place clean, otherwise they won't renew your lease. Make a spreadsheet, with pencil and paper if you have to, to help with cost-benefit analysis, it's worth it.

Good jobs to learn life skills:

Food service. These have a very low bar to entry, unless it's high-end. McDonalds has surprisingly decent wages and benefits, at least where I live. You get an employee discount on the food, and usually a free meal once a day. They will train you for your position, and if you have a good manager, they will invest the time to make sure you know how to do a good job. A restaurant, buffet place, or fast food joint will teach you food handling and safety. The dishwasher position will teach you how to clean a lot of stuff. Like, not just plates and cutlery, but pots, pans, and other food prep equipment. There's also janitor and maintenance positions that are very valuable to learn from. If you're a proper cook at a proper restaurant, you can learn how to cook for yourself. Buying ingredients for meals instead of ready-made meals is much, much, cheaper.

Hotels. Housekeeping is a hard job, but the skills it teaches are worth it. Note: You WILL get fit from this job. You will also have an opportunity for free food if you show up early enough, but personally, hotel food isn't worth it, it's nasty, but that's up to you. Try to go for a hotel that does extended stays, with a fridge, kitchenette, dishwasher, microwave. You will learn how to clean EVERYTHING in your house, no matter how dirty it is. You'll learn to make a bed, properly disinfect a bathroom, use and care for vacuum (trust me, you'll need to learn how to fix your vacuum), and safely handling cleaning chemicals. That one looks good on a resume, too. If you go for the laundry position, you'll learn how to deal with every stain imaginable, more chemical handling, and how to fold stuff. All kinds of towels, fitted sheets, flat sheets, the works. Working at a hotel can also give you free access to a gym and/or pool if they have them. I recommend working at a hotel for 3-5 years to learn everything you can, even if you hop between them. Trust me, hotels are always hiring.

That's all I can think of for now, thanks for reading and good luck out there!

[wheretheweirdthingsaree]

The Tail O' the Pup is one of Los Angeles' most famous and distinctive hotdog stands, known for its unique architecture and cultural significance.

The Tail O' the Pup opened in 1946 and was originally located on La Cienega Boulevard in Los Angeles, California.

The stand was designed to resemble a giant hotdog in a bun, making it an example of "programmatic" or "novelty" architecture, a style where a building's design reflects its purpose.

The stand was initially operated by the dance instructor Eddie Blake and his partner, Beverly Blake.

Its unique design was intended to attract attention from passing motorists, a common strategy for roadside businesses in the mid-20th century.

Throughout the 1940s and 1950s, The Tail O' the Pup became a popular spot for locals and tourists alike.

Its whimsical design and central location in Hollywood helped it become a beloved landmark. It was a frequent haunt for celebrities and regular people, becoming embedded in the local culture.

The hotdog stand moved locations several times. It was first relocated in the 1980s due to a property development project.

This was a period of transition for many such structures, as the growth of Los Angeles forced businesses to adapt.

Due to its iconic status, efforts to preserve The Tail O' the Pup began in earnest in the 1980s and 1990s.

The stand became a symbol of Los Angeles’ cultural heritage and unique architectural history, attracting the attention of preservationists and architecture enthusiasts.

In 2005, the stand closed and was placed in storage after the lease for its then-current location was not renewed.

For over a decade, the hotdog stand's future remained uncertain, leading to growing concerns from the community about its potential demolition.

In 2016, The Tail O' the Pup was purchased by the 1933 Group, a company known for restoring historic Los Angeles landmarks.

After years of planning and restoration work, the stand reopened in 2022 at a new location on Santa Monica Boulevard in West Hollywood.

The restoration efforts included refurbishing the original hotdog-shaped stand and updating the menu to appeal to modern tastes while preserving classic items.

The reopening was met with significant media coverage and enthusiastic public reception, highlighting the enduring appeal of the iconic stand.

The hotdog stand itself is a compact structure, measuring approximately 17 feet in length and about 9 feet in height.

Its design is unmistakable, featuring a giant fiberglass hotdog nestled in a bun, with a vivid yellow mustard streak along the top.

The stand is constructed primarily from fiberglass and metal, materials chosen for their durability and ability to be molded into the unique hotdog shape.

The design also incorporates windows and a service counter, where customers can order directly from the sidewalk.

The Tail O' the Pup is a prime example of programmatic architecture, a style that was popular in the United States from the 1920s to the 1950s.

This style aimed to create eye-catching buildings that represented the products or services offered within.

Such designs were particularly effective in attracting the attention of passing motorists in the car-centric culture of mid-20th-century America.

The restoration efforts undertaken by the 1933 Group focused on preserving the stand's original design while making necessary repairs and updates.

This involved restoring the original fiberglass structure and ensuring it met modern safety standards.

The Tail O' the Pup is more than just a hotdog stand; it’s an enduring symbol of Los Angeles' unique cultural landscape.

Its playful design reflects the city's history of embracing novelty and entertainment, and it has become a beloved fixture for both locals and tourists.

Over the years, The Tail O' the Pup has appeared in numerous films, TV shows, and music videos, cementing its status as a pop culture icon.

Celebrities like Frank Sinatra, The Rolling Stones, and Jay Leno have been known to frequent the stand, adding to its allure.

The hotdog stand’s preservation and restoration efforts are a testament to the growing recognition of the importance of preserving mid-20th-century architecture.

As Los Angeles continues to evolve, The Tail O' the Pup serves as a reminder of the city’s past and the unique charm of its roadside attractions.

The reopening of The Tail O' the Pup was met with widespread community support and enthusiasm, highlighting the strong emotional connection many people have with the stand.

It has become a gathering spot where people can connect with the city’s history and each other.

The reopening of The Tail O' the Pup has contributed to the revitalization of its surrounding neighborhood.

It draws both tourists and locals, helping to boost foot traffic and economic activity in the area.

The Tail O' the Pup is a relic of a bygone era when car culture dominated Los Angeles and roadside stands were common.

It serves as a nostalgic reminder of that time, contributing to the cultural fabric of the city by representing a unique architectural style and business model.

The Tail O' the Pup stands as a quintessential piece of Los Angeles history, combining distinctive architecture with cultural and social significance.

Its revival not only preserves a piece of mid-20th-century Americana but also reinforces the importance of community, culture, and historical preservation in modern urban settings.

[honestly-who-even-cares]

Okay yeah so officially out of a job, late on this months rent and I need last month still so they’re super not gonna want to renew the lease this month, phone service is cut off so I can’t login to anything needing text verification or call anyone or anything, internet is gonna get cut off soon

Literally all my money issues this year are because of being unable to get my adhd medication and then being unable to work full time hours or even function without them. I wake up, do things for like 3 hours, get too tired to stay awake, have to nap for an hour or two, and that just repeats every day forever until I’m medicated

I seriously need help right now. I don’t have any kind of goal because anything more than like $50 total is already unexpected

Paypal: jkennedy98

Venmo: jkennedy98

Cashapp: $wolfy2117

[rjzimmerman]

Excerpt from this story from Inside Climate News:

Coal mines are not static. They move. A years-long time lapse of a strip mine would show a crater crawling across the Earth as miners gouge pits hundreds of feet deep to expose coal seams, and then haul dirt excavated from the front of the hole to fill in the back, where the mining’s finished. It’s an efficient way to begin the process of “reclamation,” which companies are required to implement to restore the disturbed land to some semblance of its pre-mining condition.

“You don’t want to have to move dirt twice,” as that would make the mining operation more expensive and the reclamation effort more difficult, said Rusty Bell, the director of Gillette College’s Office of Economic Transformation, as he drove his silver Ram pickup to tour coal mines in Wyoming’s Powder River Basin on a sunny day in May. A geological formation stretching from Campbell County across the state’s northeast corner into Montana, the basin is the nation’s largest producer of coal. All but four of its 16 coal mining operations are in Wyoming, many of them within 20 miles of Gillette.

Riding shotgun was Justin Loyka, an energy program director with the Nature Conservancy’s Wyoming chapter. Together, the two are trying to solve a problem the county has been staring down for over a decade: What will happen to Campbell County’s coal mines in a clean energy future? The solution, they believe, could be found in the answer to another question. Regardless of how quickly and cost effectively the mines are filled in, questions of what to do with the land once it’s reclaimed often linger. Could solar farms built on those filled craters help fill the economic void left by the area’s declining coal industry, and fulfill the aspirations of county leaders and residents who want to see it remain a home to industry?

Gillette, a town of about 33,000 residents, sits in the heart of Campbell County, and has been the area’s biggest beneficiary from coal mining. When the industry came to town in the 1970s and boomed two decades later, Campbell County and Gillette soared with it. But while the region is home to some of the country’s last coal mines, its fate, like so many of Wyoming’s boom towns and cities, has been dependent on the financial success and largess of extractive industries. After the fracking boom of the early 2000s and U.S. efforts to transition its energy grids away from fossil fuels to renewable energy, the coal industry has been on a precipitous decline. The country has not opened a new coal-fired power plant since 2020, and this May, the Bureau of Land Management made federal lands in the Powder River Basin unavailable for future coal mining leases. Many believe it is only a matter of time before coal electricity goes extinct.

Politicians in Wyoming, and several of its communities, many of whom have come to rely heavily on the taxes oil, gas and coal companies pay into state coffers, view the clean energy transition as a threat to the way the state is used to providing jobs and public services. But unlike other parts of the Cowboy State that have gone belly up after the deluge of fossil fuel tax revenue suddenly dried up, Gillette’s way of life has not diminished in tandem with the demand for coal. As Bell put it, the county is “diverse in minerals.” It still draws a substantial amount of its tax revenue from oil and gas severance taxes, which, along with the now declining tax revenue from coal, have helped pay for Gillette’s spacious recreation facilities and state of the art industrial training programs. Both Gillette’s and Campbell County’s median household income are north of $90,000, about 30 percent higher than the state average, and the area’s population has remained stable during the last decade, according to U.S. Census Bureau estimates, making Gillette the exceedingly rare coal community that is not hemorrhaging its population.

Nevertheless, Bell, Loyka and other community leaders see the writing on the wall for Campbell County’s fossil fuel economy, particularly as it is driven by coal. Clean energy is “where the market is,” said Bell. “I’m not picking and choosing. I’m not deciding this or that. The market’s actually deciding that. I’m just trying to help that pathway.”

As part of a national campaign to get more renewable energy developed on reclaimed mines and brownfields—lands that previously had heavy industrial use—the Nature Conservancy published a map marking overlaps between such areas and conservable landscapes. Their map, which drew on data from the Environmental Protection Agency, United States Geological Service and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration as well as several state agencies, showed most of Wyoming’s industrial sites are embedded in a kaleidoscope of migration corridors, ungulate ranges, sage grouse habitat and areas of environmental concern that require more agonizing trade offs between the proliferation of clean energy and conservation. The lone bare spot on the map, where new industrial development would overlap less with conservation and rewilding efforts, sat squarely in Campbell County.

[batboyblog]

Things Biden and the Democrats did, this week #18

May 10-17 2024

The Justice Department endorses lifting many restrictions on marijuana. Since the 1970s marijuana has been classified as a Schedule I controlled substance, the most restrictive classification for drugs that are highly addictive, dangerous and have no medical use, like heroin. Schedule I drugs are nearly impossible to get approval for research studies greatly hampering attempts to understand marijuana and any medical benefits it may have. The DoJ recommends moving it to Schedule III, drugs with low risk of abuse like anabolic steroids, and testosterone. This will allow for greater research, likely allow medical marijuana, and make marijuana a much less serious offense. President Biden welcomed DoJ's decision, a result a review of policy he ordered. Biden in his message talked about how he's pardoned everyone convicted of marijuana possession federally. The President repeated a phrase he's said many times "No-one should be in jail just for using or possessing marijuana,"

The Department of Interior announced no new coal mining in America's largest coal producing region. The moratorium on new coal leases has been hailed as the single biggest step so fair toward ending coal in the US. The Powder River Basin area of Wyoming and Montana produces 40% of the nations coal, the whole state of West Virginia is just 14%. The new rule is estimated to reduce emissions by the equivalent of 293 million tons of carbon dioxide annually, the same as taking 63 million gas powered cars off the road.

Vice-President Harris announced that the Biden-Harris Administration had broken records by investing $16 billion in Historically Black Colleges and Universities. Harris, a graduate of Howard University, is the first President or Vice-President to have gone to a HBCU. The Administration's investment of $900 million so far in 2024 brought the total investment of the Biden-Harris administration in HBCUs to $16 billion more than double the record $7 billion. HBCUs produce 40% of black engineers, 50% of black teachers, 70% of black doctors and dentists, and 80% of black judges. HBCUs also have a much better record of helping social mobility and moving people out of generational poverty than other colleges and universities.

The Department of Housing and Urban Development announced $30 billion dollars in renewal funding for the Housing Choice Voucher Program. The program supports 2.3 million families that are in need of housing with vouchers that help pay rent. This funding represents a $2 billion dollar increase over last year.

The Department of Agriculture announced $671.4 million in investments in rural infrastructure. The money will go to project to improve rural electric grids, as well as drinking water and wastewater treatment infrastructure. The money will go to 47 projects across 23 states.

HUD announced a record breaking $1.1 billion dollar investment in Tribal housing and community development. HUD plans just over 1 billion dollars for the Indian Housing Block Grant (IHBG) program. This is a 40% increase in funding over 2023 and marks the largest ever funding investment in Indian housing. HUD also is investing $75 million in community development, supporting building and rehabbing community buildings in American Indian and Alaska Native communities.

The Department of Transportation announced $2 billion in investments in America's busiest passenger rail route, the Northeast Corridor between Washington DC and Boston. This is part of a 15 year, $176 billion plan to rebuild the corridor’s infrastructure and prepare for increased ridership and more trains. So far investments have seen a 25% increase, 7 million riders, over figures last year. a fully funded plan would almost double Amtrak service between New York City and Washington, D.C., and increase service between New York City and Boston by 50%. It would also allow a 60% increase in commuter trains.

HUD announced plans to streamline its HOME program. Currently the largest federal program to help build affordable housing, the streamlining of the rules will speed up building and help meet the Biden Administration's goal of 2 million new affordable housing units. HUD announced last week $1.3 billion dollars for the HOME program, which built 13,000 new units of housing in 2023 and helped 13,000 families with rental assistance

The Department of Interior announced $520 million in new water projects to help protect against drought in the western states. The funding will support 57 water related projects across 18 western states. The projects focus on climate resilience and drought prevention, as well as improving aging water delivery systems, and improving hydropower generation.

The Departments of Agriculture and HHS have stepped up efforts to wipe out the H5N1 virus prevent its spread to humans while protecting farmers livelihoods. The virus is currently effecting dairy cattle in the Texas panhandle region. The USDA and HSS are releasing wide ranging funds to help support farms equipping workers with Personal Protective Equipment, covering Veterinary costs, as well as compensating farmers for lost revenue. HHS and the CDC announced $101 million in testing an monitoring. This early detection and action is key to preventing another Covid style pandemic.

The Senate confirmed Sanket Bulsara to a life time federal judgeship in New York and Eric Schulte and Camela Theeler to lifetime federal judgeships in South Dakota. This brings the total number of judges appointed by President Biden to 197. For the first time in history the majority of a President's judicial nominees have not been white men.

Bonus: The 11th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that transgender health insurance exclusions were illegal. The ruling came from a case first filed in 2019 where an employer refused to cover an employee's gender affirming surgery. The court in its ruling sited new guidance from the Biden Administration's Equal Employment Opportunity Commission that declared that Title VII of the Civil Rights Act protects trans people in the work place. These kinds of guidelines are often sited in court and carry great weight.

[stlivingla]

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[winterspiderpurrs]

Clicking onto the link to go over the conference itinerary for trip out to San Francisco, Stephen took a sip of his hot tea. After scrolling through the presenters he pauses, and scrolls back up at a name he thought he recognized. Selecting the bio of the presenter confirms it for him. His old roommate was presenting.

Peter Parker. Actually Doctor Peter Parker with degrees is Biochemistry, Biophysics, Chemical Engineering.

Huh.

Its been years since they have seen each other. Stephen was in his 3rd year of his fellowship specializing his field when his roommate at the time moved across the country to finish up with a program out there. They subleased their part of the rent. Enter Sophomore Peter Parker.

Peter was only his roommate for the 2nd half of the school year, til the lease was up in June. By then, Stephen got his own penthouse. But for those 6 months, he has gotten close to Peter. Who was sassy, funny, shy at times, and overall kind.

They, of course butted heads the first month, but then they got along. Became friends even, despite the age gap between them, with Stephen being 12 years older. Stephen also thinks about the almost kiss they had one night. And the outings that now looking back felt more like dates.

He still recalls the disappointed look at Peter's face when he said he wasn't going to renew the lease. He got his own place, and he had a job offer to work at Metro General Hospital. They kept in touch off and on for the 1st year after that, but then, like everything else, life got busy.

Pulling his cell phone out, he scrolls through the contacts and sees Peter's name. Should he? They would just be old friends catching up. Far as he knows Peter is probably in a relationship. So, he sends a text to his phone, asking if this is still his number and if so, to let him know.

He received 4 quick texts back, shaking his head. Very much a Peter response. He lets him know that he will be at the conference as well, and if he had time, would he like to have coffee at some point or dinner. He was flying in on Saturday, and the conference didn't start til Monday.

A week later arrives and before he knows it, him and Peter had a coffee together at the hotel that the conference is being hosted at. Peter managers to wrangle him into some sight seeing. They ended up doing two days worth of sight seeing, having dinner together, laughing, having a good time like it hadn't been years since they last hung out.

Monday morning, Stephen was getting ready for the day, room service was on the way with his breakfast when he gets a phone call from Peter.

" Stephen! Your awake! I'm glad I didn't wake you. I am so so sorry about this."

Blinking, Stephen looked at the phone before holding it back up to his ear.

" What are you talking about?"

Someone knocked on the door, the muffled ' Room Service' was heard, Stephen opened the door, allowing them to roll in the cart before slipping them a tip.

" Oh no.. you haven't seen it yet. I... Well.. I guess its better to hear from me. "

" Hear what from you? I'm confused with what's going on. And you know I don't like being confused. Spit it out."

" We were photographed out together and its such a huge invasion of privacy, I can't believe I didn't think about how it would look. I am so so sorry for dragging you into this."

" We were photographed? Why would someone do that and even publish it? I know I'm big in medical circles, I assume you are too in your area but..."

Stephen was opening the newspaper he ordered and right there on the front, were two photos of him and Peter.

The large headline read as "Tony Stark's Ex finally moves on with New man"

"Stephen?"

" You dated Tony Stark?"

" Oh god, you saw the paper? I mean... Yes? Kinda? Look it was... a bit ago. We went our separate ways romantically at least. But... Look I love Tony, I do. But we haven't been together in two years now almost three. He is a great man, and one I consider a friend. Its just... Tony is protective of those he considers his."

"So he is an egotistical asshole who doesn't want you seeing anyone else?"

"No! But " he can hear Peter sigh on the other side of the line.

" Tony is much more then what the media says, and while it didn't work out between us, Tony still wants to look at for me and ANYONE really that he includes in his circle. Imagine Christine in this situation"

And Stephen could understand that, he loves Christine and probably always will. He would definitely defend her always.

There was another knock on the door, thinking maybe room service forgot something he opened the door and then just stares at the person on the other side of the door as Peter continues to talk.

" Either way, I'm sorry about the photos. I'll get in touch with my lawyers and maybe even Tony's since they brought his name up to see what they can do. Damage is kinda done though, and I apologize about that."

"And in your wording of Stark being over protective. He isn't prone to violence is he?"

"What? NO! I mean... He did punch a guy one time while we were out cause they called me a gold digger but no? Why? Did you already get a threatening text from him?!"

"No, he is at my door right now"

" TONY! oh my god just uh lemme finish getting dressed and I will be at your room as soon as possible."

Stephen hangs up the phone, tossing it onto the bed behind him before crossing his arms.

There, in the open doorway, was Tony Stark, cleaning his sunglasses as if he hadn't a care in the world.