I tried to post this to the “Random articles” thread but not allowed because no three-in-a-row permitted. Maybe one of you can post this there.
What Can Hundreds of Pieces of Litter Tell Us About Manhattan?
Shoes. A phone. Receipts. A comb. Traces of wild nights and hurried days are all around us.
gift link https://www.nytimes.com/2025/12/26/nyregion/nyc-litter.html?unlocked_article_code=1._08.SXvs.SolJF1FDJSAj&smid=url-share
Ford CEO Jim Farley is an amazing human being. The Detroit Free Press ran a great story on him this past week. Unfortunately, the story is “subscription only,” but I have to share the gist of it. This is a man who has volunteered at and donated to a soup kitchen/homeless center in Detroit for decades. He quietly gives of his time, talents, and wealth to help the least of his brothers - and he encourages his employees to volunteer, as well. The transitional housing facility he helped raise funds for is incredibly well thought out, focused on meeting its clients where they are and providing concrete assistance in an environment that treats clients as human beings worthy of respect. He refused to allow his name on the building, but he allowed a gathering space to be named after his cousin, Chris Farley, who struggled with addiction despite his professional success.
I was just so touched by this man’s humble servant hood. He quietly lives his faith as he helps his fellow man. Here is a story about him from a non-paywalled source: Remembering Chris: Jim Farley on Homelessness. We need more people like Jim Farley - and it’s refreshing to know that there are good people like Farley helping others.
The Jim Farley story reminds me that Rick Steves recently stepped in and saved a day center for the homeless in Seattle. I thought I might’ve read about it on this thread first, but maybe it was elsewhere. Didn’t see a mention of it here. Rick Steves steps in to save Seattle-area hygiene center : NPR
Nice! And not Rick’s first donation for those less fortunate.
Rick Steves’s Housing Initiatives:
Trinity Place: Steves purchased an apartment building with his retirement savings to house struggling mothers and children, seeing it as a compassionate investment. In 2017, he gifted the entire property to the YWCA, ensuring its long-term use for affordable housing.
Advocacy: He uses his platform to support affordable housing, highlighting the work of organizations like the YWCA and advocating for funding for social services to address poverty.
DW and I just visited our kids in New York for 10 days. It was a real eye opener to see everything the city has to offer to those with the means to take full advantage, and very gratifying that our kids are in that cohort.
Happy new year! May we be blessed with all the best.
DH and I had a wonderful time last night at a party put on by a local hotel. We went with dear friends and danced the night away. It felt like a high school prom for old people, ha. It’s so entertaining watching people in their 70s dance as if they are 20. 
There were lots of hors d’oeuvres and desserts, too.
GS was initially anxious again about ski school but he did it and had a great day. GD ran into a friend in ski school so she was super happy, and S and DIL got to ski on their own yesterday! ,
Any regrets about doing your own vacation vs. skiing with the kids and grandkids?
That trip is next month!! 
I started having stabbing pains that made me stop talking at a NYE party and try to figure out where they were coming from and how to stop them. They just kept coming for several hours. When I got home, I removed my pants and saw a few raised bumps along the nerve where the pain was and both H and D immediately agreed it was likely shingles. (Both of them had shingles — D when she was in middle school and H before vaccinations were available in his 60s.) The next day, I went to a New Year’s Day party with a retired dermatologist and a new young dermatologist present and both agreed it was indeed shingles and called in the anti-viral (fortunately the pharmacy was open and filled it promptly). I went and picked it up and started treatment immediately. Within 48 hours, the stabbing pains had disappeared. Within 96 hours, it was hard to see where the red raised bumps had been. My internist today kept asking where the scars from the shingles were and I told her since I started treatment so quickly after the stabbing pains began, I didn’t get ANY scars! I’m not sure she believes I actually had shingles but I know I had stabbing pains and after taking the anti-viral regularly for 48 hours the stabbing pains had gone. I’m going to complete my full course of treatment.
I’m so relieved I was able to get a prompt diagnosis and rapid effective treatment! Yay for modern medicine!
Oh, I’m glad the meds worked. DH got shingles the same day our nine-week-old baby was hospitalized for five days with RSV. We’ve since had both singles vaccines when they came out. His pain was so severe he thought he was having a heart attack. He had a rash on his back, but we thought it was a reaction to Icy Hot that we put on his back when it started hurting (and of course, that was caused by shingles!).
My grandmother suffered for years with shingles, before there was an effective treatment. 
I had Zostervax when I was 50 and 2 doses of Shingrix shortly after it came out so maybe that helped keep my shingles milder.
Have you had the updated shingles (2 step) vaccine???
I do volunteer driving for people needing rides to medical appointments. Yesterday was the annual meeting of all the volunteers. It was fun hearing all the stories of the adventures with the various clients. No names were mentioned but there were a lot of knowing smiles.
Like the woman who goes on about paper towels, how they need to be strong, and need to have “half sheets”, and that Bounty has 2 similar varieties, and that the Amazon seller tricked her, and…
It seemed half the other drivers had heard her story. I told them of her happiness when I brought her some Kirkland paper towels, which the volunteer coordinator warned was a violation, prompting a lively and humorous debate.
I admitted to breaking a few other rules too, such as allowing people to take advantage of me when they ask to stop for an errand on the way home and (gasp) accepting a cookie or other treat.
Yes, as mentioned above, I had both doses as recommended of Shingrix vaccine in 2018, shortly after it was 1st available. Perhaps that and VERY early diagnosis & treatment have helped keep this bout of Shingles so mild, thankfully!
Yesterday my wife and I were eating oysters on the half shell and playing backgammon on the patio of a beachside oyster bar. We were seated on a comfortable cushioned bench with the backgammon board on a coffee table in front of us.
Dogs were allowed on the patio. Our standard poodle was being very polite, sadly sitting on the concrete floor. The waitress noticed and motioned to us that he could get up on the soft bench with us.
So Toby jumped up between us, all 85 pounds of him, and cuddled as we played backgammon and ate oysters.
In that moment everything was right in the world.
I thought you might tell us you found a pearl.
Had been contemplating buying some waterproof pants for our upcoming trip to Scandanavia, as it’s supposed to be quite wet. I searched online and just found waterproof navy pants for under $10 and free shipping! I got a pair for me and one for H! It’s much cheaper than Amazon and reviews are positive. If anyone else is interested, it’s Creative Safety Supply, Portwest S441 classic waterproof rain pants, S441NARS @$9.80. I hate being wet!
Those look great! How do the sizes run? I’m trying to decide if I should get M or L.
