1/. The hunt for Russian oligarchs' yachts, property and assets in the US heats up......
Photo-Illustration: Intelligencer; Photos: Sasha Mordovets/Getty Images; Google Maps
Unit 56D in Three Lincoln Center, a residential tower down the block from the Metropolitan Opera House, is a luxury three-bedroom condo valued at more than $3.2 million. It wraps around one of the tower’s corners, offering sweeping views of Central Park, the Hudson River, and the lower half of Manhattan. It’s empty now, but since 2004, the property has been owned by one of Vladimir Putin’s most high-profile defenders, Valery Gergiev, the director of Russia’s state-owned Mariinsky Theater. https://nymag.com/
2/. The SNL cold open, live from Mar A Lago! Not their funniest, but I loved it anyway.....
3/. Putin is losing the social media war too.....
In the end, future historians may well label this the first "social media war," just as Vietnam was the first televised war and the Gulf War of 1991 was the first cable news war.
And as Vladimir Putin's "chosen war" against Ukraine enters its third week, fear and outrage continue to spread across the globe like gangrene. It's increasingly apparent that social media is driving the coverage and providing key information.
4/. People are Awesome....3 minutes, and the last segment is insane....
5/. Do you have a will? If not, why not? Good story about common mistakes with wills....
And remember in Florida if you die without a will, the state gets heavily involved and your estate may
end up giving Ron DeSantis money.....
Your last will and testament is one of the most important legal documents that you will ever make. It allows you to direct where you want your property, guardianship and debts to go after you die, and allows you to appoint an executor to act out your wishes.
But too many Americans don’t have a will right now. According to a Caring.com survey of 2,500 Americans in 2020, two out of three adults don’t have a will despite the pandemic. Procrastination and the belief that they don’t have enough assets to leave someone were the top reasons people gave for not having made one. https://www.huffpost.com/
6/. Planes landing at London Heathrow during a violent storm.....with a commentary that reminds me of Ozzyman!
7/. Interesting discussion of our healthcare industry, and where the real problems are....
PHILIP WAS ON THE PHONE. He had fallen down the stairs, a cup of coffee in his hand at the top, the cup broken and empty at the bottom. His limbs had tumbled and banged on their flight downward, the top of his right foot gouged so deeply that skin and flesh were simply missing, disappeared. He waited three days to dial my number because it was the weekend, because he was stubborn, because I’m a friend in a city three hours away and he didn’t want to be a burden.
8/. Weekend Update #1....some pretty good jokes.....3 minutes....
Weekend Update #2....good, 2 minutes....
Weekend Update #3 - Kate McKinnon talks about Florida's "Don't Say Gay" bill....excellent, it summarises how awful this bill
really is....and it's amusing too! Four minutes...
9/. Tom Tomorrow in the alternate universe of Republicans....
10/. The evangelical far right believes in the "end times" final judgement of God, and they are loving this war.....
A man walks past a building damaged by Russian airstrikes in Vasylkiv, Ukraine, Wednesday, March 2, 2022.
As the Russian military amassed on the Ukrainian border, various voices on the American right rushed to commend or excuse Vladimir Putin, the architect of the coming invasion. Their main motive seemed obvious: to appeal to Trump’s base by projecting onto Putin precisely what appealed to Trump himself—the image of the world leader as super-tough hombre.
11/. Remind me never to go to Texas.....
12/. This is interesting - a story on why some people don't seem to get Covid even though
they have almost certainly been exposed to the virus....
As an intensive care unit doctor, I often find myself thinking about the apparent randomness of infectious disease. Two people go out to dinner and have the same meal; one ends up in the emergency room with food poisoning, but the other does not. The seasonal flu runs through an entire family, except for one individual who remains healthy.
13/. You can't unsee this.....
And Chris Christie!
14/. Do you have property insurance in Florida? Get ready for a huge rate hike because of increased costs and because the Florida Republicans
have caved to the lawyers and builders lobbyists and refused to act on the abuses of the roofing industry.
In the meantime if you need a new roof, and the roofer asks you to sign away your rights to them - don't.
The House says last year’s reforms need time to take root, but time is not on homeowners’ side.
The House continues to drag its feet on addressing property insurance reforms by refusing to act on the Senate’s property insurance reform package (SB 1728), effectively killing it.
This inaction comes as end-of-year financials roll in showing homeowner insurance companies lost another $1.5 billion in 2021, with Progressive leading the pack $250 million in the red.
Notably, the overall total doesn’t include losses from St. Johns Insurance and Avatar Insurance, both of which went belly up last month. The losses will no doubt be significant, as St. Johns was the eighth-largest homeowners’ insurance company and served 170,000 policyholders, and Avatar underwrote thousands more https://fltortreform.com/
15/. An excellent piece of comedic reporting by John Oliver on criminal justice and the appeals process, and
surprise. It's broken!
Amusing and eye opening, about 18 minutes.....
16/. Do you use Zelle? Be careful, if there's fraud the bank may well disown you.......
Also don't ever, ever open suspect links.....
Justin Faunce lost $500 to a scammer impersonating a Wells Fargo official in January and hoped that the bank would reimburse him. Mr. Faunce was a longtime Wells Fargo customer and had immediately reported the scam — involving Zelle, the popular money transfer app.
But Wells Fargo said the transaction wasn’t fraudulent because Mr. Faunce had authorized it — even though he had been tricked into transferring the money.
17/. Three weeks to go - movies worth watching leaving Netflix in March.....get streaming!
18/. Lefsetz is recommending this movie "Border"- it looks weird, but he's often spot on so who knows....
This is one of the strangest movies I’ve ever seen.
Can I talk about movies? Or should it be war 24/7. I don’t want to be disrespectful, but I am paying attention. And I don’t see how the Ukrainians ultimately succeed against the Russians, who thought a little dab would do ’em and when this turned out not to be true doubled down, tripled down.
"Border" trailer....
19/. Rolling Stone lists the 100 best movies of the 80's....remember the 80's?
Today's classic video - the creative geniuses at "Bad Lip Reading" with NFL 2017"......a very funny three minutes....
Today's guy joke
There is a medical distinction between Guts and Balls. We've heard colleagues referring to people with Guts, or with Balls. Do they, however,know the difference between them?
Here's the official distinction; straight from the British Medical Journal:Volume 323; page 295.
GUTS - Is arriving home late, after a night out with the lads, being met by your wife with a broom, and having the Guts to ask: "Are you still cleaning, or are you flying somewhere? "
BALLS - Is coming home late after a night out with the lads, smelling of perfume and beer, lipstick on your collar, slapping your wife on the butt and having the Balls to say: "You're next, Chubby"
I trust this clears up any confusion.
Medically speaking, there is no difference in the outcome; both are fatal.
Here's the official distinction; straight from the British Medical Journal:Volume 323; page 295.
GUTS - Is arriving home late, after a night out with the lads, being met by your wife with a broom, and having the Guts to ask: "Are you still cleaning, or are you flying somewhere? "
BALLS - Is coming home late after a night out with the lads, smelling of perfume and beer, lipstick on your collar, slapping your wife on the butt and having the Balls to say: "You're next, Chubby"
I trust this clears up any confusion.
Medically speaking, there is no difference in the outcome; both are fatal.
Today's golf joke
Wife - "Where the hell have you been? You said you'd be done with golf
by noon!"
Husband - “I'm so sorry, Honey, but you probably don't want to hear
the reason."
Wife - "I want the truth, and I want it NOW"
Husband - “Fine. We finished in less than 4 hours, quick beer in the
Clubhouse; I hopped in the car, and would have been here at 12 on the button.
On the way home, I spotted a girl half our age struggling with a flat
tire. I changed it in a jiffy, and next she's offering me money.
Of course, I refuse it - then she tells me she was headed to the bar at
the Sheraton - and begs me to stop so she can buy me a beer.She's such a sweetie, I
said yes. Before you know it, one beer turned to three or four and I guess we were
looking pretty good to each other.
Then she tells me she has a room at the Sheraton less than 50 steps
from our table. She suggested we get some privacy while pulling me by the hand.
Now I'm in her room, clothes are flying, the talking stopped and we
proceeded to have sex in every way imaginable. It must have gone on for hours,because before I know it the clock says 5:30. I jumped up, threw my clothes on,ran to the car, and here I am. There. You wanted the truth, you got it."
Wife - "Cut the Bullshit. You played 36 holes, didn't you?
Today's blond joke
Regis: “Barbara, you’ve done very well so far – $500,000 and one lifeline left — phone a friend.The next question will give you the top prize of One Million dollars if you get it right … but if you get it wrong you will drop back to $32,000 — are you ready?”
Barbara: “Sure, I’ll have a go!”
Regis: “Which of the following birds does not build it’s own nest? Is it... A-Robin B-Sparrow C-Cuckoo D-Thrush Remember Barbara its worth 1 Million dollars.”
“I think I know who it..but I’m not 100%… No, I haven’t got a clue. I’d like to phone a friend Regis, just to be sure.
Regis: “Yes, who, Barbara, do you want to phone?
Barbara: “I’ll phone my friend Maggie back home in Birmingham.” (ringing)
Maggie (also a blonde): “Hello…”
Regis: “Hello Maggie, its Regis here from Who Wants to be a Millionaire-I have Barbara here and she is doing really well on $500,000, but needs your help to be a Million. The next voice you hear will be Barbara’s and she’ll read you the question. There are 4 possible answers and 1 correct answer and you have 30 seconds to answer — fire away Barbara.”
Barbara: “Maggie, which of the following birds does not build it’s own nest? Is it: A-Robin B-Sparrow C-Cuckoo D-Thrush”
Maggie: “Oh Gees, Barbara that’s simple…..It’s a Cuckoo.”
Barbara: “You think?”
Maggie: “I’m sure.” Barbara: ”
Thanks Maggie.” (hangs up)
Regis: “Well, do you want to stick on $500,000 or play on for the Million, Barbara?”
Barbara: “I want to play, I’ll go with C-Cuckoo”
Regis: “Is that your final answer?”
Barbara: “It is.”
Regis: “Are you confident?”
Barbara: “Yes fairly, Maggie’s a sound bet.”
Regis: “Barbara…..you had $500,000 and you said C-Cuckoo …you’re right! – You have just won ONE MILLION DOLLARS. Here is your check. You have been a great contestant and a real gambler. Audience please put your hands together for Barbara.” (clapping)
That night Barbara calls round to Maggie and brings her down to a local bar for a celebration drink and, as they are sipping their Champagne, Barbara turns to Maggie and asks “Tell me Maggie, How in God’s name did you know that it was the Cuckoo that does not build its own nest?
Maggie: “Listen Barbara, everybody knows that a Cuckoo lives in a clock.
Today's medical joke
A nice, calm, and respectable lady went into the pharmacy, walked up to the pharmacist, looked straight into his eyes, and said, “I would like to buy some cyanide.”
The pharmacist asked, “Why in the world do you need cyanide?”
The lady replied, “I need it to poison my husband.”
The pharmacist’s eyes got big and he exclaimed, “Lord have mercy! I can’t give you cyanide to kill your husband. Absolutely not! You CANNOT have any cyanide!”
The lady reached into her purse and pulled out a picture of her husband in bed with the pharmacist’s wife.
The pharmacist looked at the picture and said,
“You didn’t tell me you had a prescription.”
