That’s Odd

critical deliveries of chlorine to wastewater treatment plants and coal to utility plants, among other potentially crippling disruptions. As such, the White House is looking into the matter and considering contingency options for protecting the nation’s drinking water and energy supply.

President Joe Biden was personally briefed on the matter Tuesday morning after he called the carriers and unions on Monday to press them to accept a deal, a White House official said.

In anticipation of a strike, some freight carriers have begun limiting services and parking trains in what appears to be preparations for a lockout. Amtrak, which carries passengers on freight lines, canceled some long-distance routes on Monday.

The most important issues holding up an agreement for the unions are some of the largest carriers’ points-based attendance policies that penalize workers, up to termination, for going to routine doctor’s visits or attending family emergencies. Union members do not receive a single sick day, paid or unpaid.

While the unions said they have watered down some of their proposals, abandoning requests for paid sick days, they remain steadfast that members should be allowed to attend routine medical appointments without jeopardizing their employment. They said they are willing to accept a contract that addresses these concerns and are ready to strike if the carriers do not budge on it. As of Tuesday morning, the carriers had not made any counterproposals to this offer, the two unions said.

“They have refused to accept our proposals,” said Dennis Pierce, president of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen, one of the two unions in negotiations. “The average American would not know that we get fired for going to the doctor. This one thing has our members most enraged. We have guys who were punished for taking time off for a heart attack and covid. It’s inhumane.”

Eating Up High

their dinner.

The 123F Lounge sits on the top floor of the Lotte World Tower in Seoul, the fifth tallest building in the world. But the experience is not just about the view; getting there is also exciting.

Entry tickets bring visitors into a waiting hall, awash with whales swimming across screens on the ceiling.

Several different rooms follow – some with opportunities for professional photos, others displaying the building materials that make up the tower – before a series of even more whale-themed spaces.

Finally, the elevator – which travels at 10 meters per second – takes patrons to the Seoul Sky observatory.

Stepping out, visitors are guided to sit in a dark room as a video, apparently an artistic rendering of the history of Seoul and the Lotte World Tower, plays – before the screen splits into two giant panels, slowly lifting like a curtain to reveal the breathtaking view of Seoul through floor-to-ceiling windows.

The observatory spans multiple floors, with giant windows that allow a sweeping 360-degree view of the metropolis. One can spot the iconic N Seoul Tower perched on Namsan mountain, bridges stretching across the river, parks, and sports stadiums and even the rides at the nearby Lotte World theme park.

Each floor offers different attractions, such as small cafes on the 119th and 122th floors. There’s the Sky Deck on the 118th floor, with a glass floor that lets you see all 1,568 feet between your shoes and the street far below. The Sky Terrace is on the 120th floor with an outdoor balcony with a perfect view of the winding Han River.

Finally, guests get to the 123rd floor, where the restaurant is located. Windows make up the whole wall, so patrons can enjoy the view at every angle while eating their dinner.

And what a view it is.

What’s In a Word?

40 in order to keep up with the times, the dictionary needs to add in more words, including slang words that people have The Jewish Home | SEPTEMBER 15, 2022 been using to shoot the breeze. It typically takes years for slang to find its way into reference books, but Merriam-Webster says it’s just following the internet’s lead: We’re adopting this language online quickly, so the dictionary is learning to quickly make room for these oft-used, madeup words. Want to know which words are now officially “words”? Consider “adorkable,” whose meaning we can figure out on our own. “MacGyver” is a verb that means to fix something with whatever you have on hand, based on a TV figure from the ‘80s. Ever feel like dinner is “yeet”? Well, that just means you’re so excited for what’s being served tonight. Yeet!

And yet, “yeet” can also refer to the way you dumped that test you failed earlier in the day: I yeeted the quiz that I failed right into the trash can.

What about the fact that your co-worker called in sick on the nicest day of the year? Would you feel like that’s a bit “sus,” meaning suspicious or suspect? Totally.

Aside from the slang that Merriam-Webster added to its pages, there are other words that made it into the reference book, including “hoglet” (a baby hedgehog), “pumpkin spice” (you know what that is), “level up” (to improve yourself), and “metaverse” (a virtual environment where users can access multiple virtual realities).

We have one word for you: word.

It’s a Dog’s Life

Turns out, you can teach an old dog new tricks.

On Sunday, more than one hundred dogs – and their owners – showed up at an outdoor cinema screening of the movie “101 Dalmatians” and set a new record for the canine world.

One-hundred-twenty-seven dogs showed up to Perdiswell Leisure Centre in Worcester in the UK. That’s more than the 120 mutts who had set a 2019 record in Brazil watching “Pets 2.”

Rachel Marie organized the event. She runs a dog care service and was concerned that there weren’t enough dogs to go around at showtime.

“The first time we counted it was 103 so we were a bit concerned we wouldn’t make it.

“Then we got to 117, and we were running out of time so that’s when we rallied around and got the extra ten. Some people turned up late and we got a few dog walkers who were passing by that we grabbed and welcomed with open arms.”

The event raised money for charity. Despite the demise of The Queen, Rachel felt that because Her Majesty loved her dogs, the show had to go on.

Sounds like it was paw-sitively a great day.

Jackpot

It pays to be consistent – literally.

Scott Snyder has been playing the same numbers for the lottery every day for the past few months. But his persistence has paid off. Recently, he won a jackpot of $25,000 a year for life from the Michigan Lottery.

“I started playing this special set of numbers in February, and I have played them every day since,” Snyder said.

Snyder’s numbers, 07-12-31-37-44, matched the five white balls in the August 7 drawing.

“I was checking some tickets at the store and got a message to visit a lottery office when I scanned one of them. I scanned it again and got the same message, so I told the clerk I must have won big,” Snyder recalled.

“The clerk told me they had recently sold a $25,000 a year for life prize, and he printed off the winning numbers so that I could check my ticket.”

Despite the shocking prize, Snyder is overwhelmed by his big win.

“When I realized that I was the big winner, I tried not to get too excited at first because it didn’t seem real. I’m still having a hard time believing this is real,” he said.

Snyder chose to take his winnings as a lump sum payment of $390,000. He said he plans to put his winnings toward a new home.

Take the money and run.

Joyride

Brad Ryan is on a joyride. Actually, he’s touring all the national parks in the United States with a very fun partner: his grandmother, Joy Ryan.

As of now, the duo has gotten to 62 out of 63 parks.

Their journey began back in 2015. At the time, Brad called his grandmother to ask if she would join him.

“I’m glad he called,” Joy Ryan told “Fox and Friends.” “I wasn’t doing anything at the time, just sitting there resting.”

So far, the Ryans have driven more than 50,000 miles to explore “every corner of this beautiful country,” Brad said.

Brad wanted to start the trip to get away from the stress of veterinary school. But having his grandmother along for the ride has been “transformational” for their relationship.

“Like a lot of people her age, she felt left behind,” he said. At the time of their first visit to a national park, Joy was 85. She had climbed a mountain and went camping for the first time in her life.

“She was 91 last year, and she went whitewater rafting in Alaska,” Brad shared.

There’s a lot to be learned, even if you are older than most people.

“Our message is, no matter how old you are, life is still happening — and [you can] make that adventure happen for somebody in your life,” Brad says.

Next and last stop? National Park of American Samoa.

It’s been a great ride.