OFFICE OF THEINSPECTOR GENERAL REPORT

 

VA’s Management of Land Use under the West Los Angeles Leasing Act of 2016: Five-Year Report 09/29/2021 2:30 PM EDT VA built the West Los Angeles VA Medical Center and other facilities on land donated more than 100 years ago to provide housing for veterans with disabilities. While the West Los Angeles Leasing Act of 2016 allows non-VA entities to use the land, all real property leases and land-use agreements must “principally benefit” veterans and their families. In a follow-up from a 2018 audit, the VA OIG found that VA has made little progress in implementing the housing and service enhancement goals laid out in the draft master plan that would ultimately provide housing for 1,200 veterans. As of July 2021, VA had available only 55 of the 480 housing units—11 percent of the draft master plan’s four-year target. This occurred due to required environmental impact studies, needed infrastructure upgrades, difficulties establishing a principal developer enhanced-use lease, and challenges in raising funding. Additionally, the OIG identified seven land-use agreements that did not comply with the West Los Angeles Leasing Act of 2016. While a prior 2018 audit identified two of these seven agreements, VA has not yet taken sufficient corrective action. The OIG recommended that VA implement a plan that brings the five new land-use agreements into compliance with the West Los Angeles Leasing Act of 2016, the draft master plan, and other federal laws. The OIG further recommended that VA ensure its capital asset inventory accurately reflects all land-use agreements lasting six months or longer on the West Los Angeles campus.

The Cabinet, Un-su Kim Out 12th October

 

The Cabinet

Un-su Kim

Out 12th October

Winner of the Munhakdongne Novel Award, South Korea’s most prestigious literary prize.

Cabinet 13 looks exactly like any normal filing cabinet. Except this cabinet is filled with files on the ‘symptomers’, people whose weird abilities and bizarre experiences might just mark the emergence of a new species.

But to Mr Kong, the harried office worker who spends his days looking after the cabinet, the symptomers are just a headache; from the woman whose doppelganger broke up with her boyfriend, to the man with a ginkgo tree growing from his fingertip. And then there’s that guy who won’t stop calling, asking to be turned into a cat…

A richly funny and fantastical novel about the strangeness at the heart of even the most ordinary lives, from one of South Korea’s most acclaimed novelists.

Translated by Sean Lin Halbert.

"[A] brilliant mosaic novel...These stories straddle the lines between science fiction, fantasy, fairy tale, and acute reality."
- Publishers Weekly, Starred Review

 Coming from Angry Robot Books!

 

News of the World MMCCII

Suspicions Confirmed

In January, Demetra Street of Baltimore attended a memorial service for her husband, Ivan, complete with a photo of him next to an urn at the front of the room at Wylie Funeral Homes. But after the service, funeral home personnel whisked the urn away and wouldn't turn over Ivan's ashes, she told The Washington Post. Now she thinks she knows why: Ivan's ashes weren't in the urn. Instead, his body had been buried three days earlier, according to the wishes of another woman who claimed to be Ivan's wife, at Baltimore's Mount Zion cemetery. In early August, Street filed a lawsuit against the funeral home for $8.5 million, calling the urn displayed at the memorial service a "sham." The funeral home's president, Brandon Wylie, denies the accusation: "We vehemently deny the claims advanced by Ms. Street and assert that the underlying matter was handled with the utmost sensitivity toward the loved ones of the deceased." [Washington Post, 8/16/2021] 

Awesome!

In July, customers at Tesco supermarkets in England were greeted with motivational posters encouraging camaraderie during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Daily Record reported. However, some patrons were amused by the placement of the messages -- especially one reading "Together we can do this" found in a urinal stall in the men's restroom. Users posted the sign online, prompting replies such as, "Nah I got this one all by myself thanks Tesco" and "Ok, but only three shakes please." [Daily Record, 7/6/2021] 

Inexplicable

Metro News reported on Aug. 15 that authorities in the village of Wonersh in Surrey, England, are stumped by a serial baked bean bandit who is pouring the savory legumes on doorsteps, cars and into mail slots. Officers have promised to step up patrols in the area, but residents are seeing the lighter side: "What half-baked idiots would do this? I hope they get thrown in the can!" and "Absolutely Heinous crime." [Metro News, 8/15/2021] 

Say What?

The Guardian reported on 19 JUL about a phenomenon among American preschoolers called the Peppa Effect. The hypothesis is that children who watched a lot of "Peppa Pig" during the pandemic lockdown have developed British accents and started using British terms like "mummy" (mommy), "give it 107 a go" (try it) and "satnav" (GPS). Wall Street Journal reporter Preetika Rana tweeted that her niece "had an American accent before the pandemic. Now she has a posh English accent." One responder agreed: "And for Christmas I had to put out a freaking mince pie for Father Christmas, or, as we call him here in the States, Santa Claus." [Guardian, 7/19/2021] [Source: https://www.uexpress.com/news-of-the-weird | August 31, 2021 ++]

The Offset Calder Szewczak

 The Offset
Calder Szewczak

 

It is your eighteenth birthday and one of your parents must die. You are the one who decides. Who do you pick?

In a dying world, the Offset ceremony has been introduced to counteract and discourage procreation. Miri, an anti-natalist, has run away from home. Days before their Offset ceremony where one of her mothers must be sentenced to death, she is brought back against her will following a run-in with the law. Which parent will Miri pick to die: the one she loves, or the one she hates who is working to save the world?

“Thrilling, terrifying and beautifully crafted, The Offset is the perfect science-fiction novel for our times. I devoured it.”
– Angela Saini, author of Inferior

"The Offset’s searing critique of anti-natalism could do for eco-fascism what Ninety Eighty-Four did for socialism and Brave New World did for eugenics."
– Ken MacLeod, Prometheus and BSFA Award-winning author of The Corporation Wars series

Out Now! From Angry Robot Books!

 

 

Trivia Oddball Facts Did You Know?

 When Franklin Roosevelt started a foundation to fight polio, Comedian Eddie Cantor came up with the “March of Dimes", asking people to mail a dime to the White House. They were soon overwhelmed with 2,680,000 dimes mailed to them, literally truckloads, mostly from children. These dimes went directly to research that resulted in the Polio vaccine. This is why Roosevelt is on the U.S. dime. 

 Ben Franklin left $2000 to the cities of Boston and Philadelphia in his will to help young tradesmen, but they could not draw the balance for 200 years. In 1990, it was worth $6.5 million. The money has been used to fund scholarships, women’s health, and help firefighters and disabled children. 

 Before she became a famous actress in classic sitcoms like Maude and the Golden Girls, Bea Arthur served as a truck driver in the United States Marine Corps Women’s Reserve during WWII. She respectively earned a Honorable Discharge, and was regarded as “One Hell of a Marine.” 

 A knocker-upper was someone whose purpose was to wake people up during a time when alarm clocks were expensive and not very reliable. They earned about six pence a week using a pea shooter to shoot dried peas at the windows of sleeping workers in East London, 1930s. She would not leave window until she was sure that the workers had woken up. 

 A powerful photo was taken in April, 1945, by Major Clarence Benjamin that shows a train of Jewish prisoners that had been intercepted by Allied Forces. This is the moment they learned that the train would not be heading to a Concentration Camp and they would be liberated. 

 Jonas Salk (1914-1995) decided not to patent his Polio Vaccine so that it would be affordable for millions of people who couldn’t afford it. As a result, he lost out on an estimated 7 billion dollars. 

 In 1922, at the University of Toronto, scientists went to a hospital ward with children who were comatose and dying from diabetic keto-acidosis. The scientists went from bed to bed and injected the children with the new purified extract – insulin. As they began to inject the last comatose child, the first child injected began to awaken. One by one, all of the children awoke from their diabetic comas. A room of death and gloom, became a place of joy and hope. Thank You Dr. Banting and Dr. Best. 

 United States soldiers paid tribute to the 8 million Horses, Donkeys, and Mules during WWI, in 1918 by standing in formation that was the shape of a Horse’s Head. 

 During the Holocaust boxes of wedding bands were collected at Nazi Concentration Camps from victims prior to their execution. Each ring represented a destroyed family. Never Forget. 

 Despite being dead for over a year, famous author Agatha Christie saved a baby’s life in 1977. Her novel The Pale Horse described thallium poisoning so well that a nurse who had been reading it was able to diagnose a sick 1-year-old who had doctors stumped. The baby was immediately tested, found to have traces of thallium, the doctors changed her treatment and her life was saved by an old murder mystery novel. 

 Photographer Daniel S. Sorine took pictures of two mimes in 1974, and 35 years later discovered it was Robin Williams before he was famous. 

 In 1959, a coffee maker was an optional extra in Volkswagen cars.

The Godless by James A. Moore Out September 28th

 

The Godless
James A. Moore

Out September 28th

The long war with the Sa'ba Taalor has ended, but the land of Fellein does not know peace - only ceaseless change.

A spate of murders draw the interest of Darsken Murdrow of the Inquisition, until the hunter becomes the hunted. Andover Lashk of the Iron Hands seeks a home in a world in which he no longer fits. An unholy necromancer steals souls, makes sacrifices, and sows fear.

And in the barren wastelands of the Wellish Steppes, the army of the Godless gathers. Driven from their homeland, abandoned by their deities, the Godless now follow the banner of a new Master, and are thirsty for blood.

"Fantasy does not get much better than this."
- Morpheus Tales

This fantastic adventure will be published by Angry Robot Books!

 

News of the Weird Part MMCI

Fine Points of the Law – Paul Flores, 44, of San Pedro, California, is facing the court for the 1996 disappearance and murder of Kristin Smart, Yahoo News reported. On Aug. 11, Bob Sanger, Flores' attorney, filed a motion requesting a hearing to recuse the entire district attorney's office. Sanger argued that prosecutors have a conflict of interest because they've been wearing purple clothing during the hearing, which was Smart's favorite color. He also said the victim witness coordinator has been sending a "prejudicial message" to witnesses that the DA's office is on Smart's side. Specifically, Sanger said, Detective Clint Cole had worn a purple tie every day of the hearing. Sanger's motion will be heard on Aug. 25. [Yahoo News, 8/14/2021]

o-o-O-o-o

Puppy Le Pew – A Nylabone dog treat plant in Neptune City, New Jersey, has neighbors holding their noses after the company consolidated its manufacturing at the site recently. "It's nauseating," Linda Williamson, who lives nearby, told NBC New York. "Instant headaches." Nylabone President Glen Axelrod said the company has spent more than $2 million on odor abatement, charcoal filters and other fixes. "If it were a 106 bakery, you'd be smelling baked food; if we were a steakhouse, you'd be smelling steak," he said. But ... it's not. "You can't enjoy your own yard in this beautiful neighborhood," complained Linda Colucci. While neighbors consult with lawyers about their next moves, Axelrod said the company will continue to explore solutions to the noxious odors. [NBC New York, 8/11/2021] 

o-o-O-o-o

Rubbish – In Bathside, Harwich, England, resident Irene Slater, 59, has been "gobsmacked" by the theft of garbage bags from outside her home -- four times! She keeps the full bags outside because of the smell, but someone obviously appreciates the bouquet, according to the Harwich and Manningtree Standard, sneaking up in the dark of night to take them away. Slater and her neighbors are concerned that the thieves are looking to steal their identities. "It's just so strange -- why would you steal a bin bag?" Slater asked. "It's certainly not as bad as being burgled, but it still makes you think." [Harwich and Manningtree Standard, 8/17/2021] 

o-o-O-o-o

Creeping Jenny by Jeff Noon available from Angry Robot Books

 

Creeping Jenny
Jeff Noon

From the Philip K. Dick Award Shortlisted-author, comes the third Nyquist Mystery... 

In the winter of 1959, private eye John Nyquist arrives in the village of Hoxley-on-the-Hale with only a package of cryptic photographs, and the frail hope of finding an answer to a question he’s been asking since his childhood.

But the villagers offer little help, as each day brings a twisted new rule in the name of a different Saint that they, and Nyquist, must follow. And there are whispers of the return of the Tolly Man, an avatar of chaos in a terrible mask…

As Nyquist struggles to distinguish friend from foe, and the Tolly Man draws nearer, he must race to finally settle the one mystery he has never been able to solve: the disappearance of his father.

This dark folk horror tale is perfect for fans of Midsommar and The Witch. 

"Superbly thrilling mystery, richly veined with weirdness." 
- ★★★★★ NetGalley Review

"This creepy tale will delight fans of weird, understated horror from authors like Arthur Machen and Algernon Blackwood."
– Publishers Weekly, starred review

Red Noise by John P. Murphy available from Angry Robot

 

Red Noise
John P. Murphy

Broke and out of fuel, a wildcat asteroid miner comes to Station 35 looking to sell her cargo and get back to the life of solitude she craves. Instead, the cheating thieves who run the place leave her deep in debt.

Desperate to get away, she finds herself swept up in a three-way standoff between gangs and crooked cops. Faced with the decision to take sides or clean out the Augean Stables, she breaks out the flamethrower…

Fast-paced, quick-witted, and full of amazing action scenes, Red Noise is the closest thing you'll get to a summer space blockbuster in book form.

"Murphy skilfully transports spaghetti western tropes to a lawless space station in this action-packed debut.… This fast, fun space western is pure entertainment."
– Publishers Weekly

"The wise-cracking, gravity-defying, bullet-lasering Yojimbo-in-space you’ve been waiting for."
- Ken Liu, award-winning author of The Grace of Kings

"A definite must-read for any sci-fi buff."
- ★★★★★ NetGalley Review

Some Words to Enhance Your Vocabulary

Which word best matches these example sentences? 

1. Regina was known to ____________ when addressing her minions.  Tortuous - Perquisite – Corpulent - Vituperate 

2. Everyone around the table was getting very impatient with the ____________ dinner guest.  Jut – Compunction – Loquacious - Capricious 

3. The adventurer was shocked by what the great ____________ had to say about his future.  Impugn – Oracle – Ember - Pontificate 

4. His immense enthusiasm toward his ideals easily qualified him as a ____________. Incumbent – Concatenate – Dichotomy - Zealot 

5. He wasn't great in school, and many considered him a ____________.  Teetotaler – Futz – Surfeit – Rambunctious 

6.  Heather gave into her feelings of ____________ when she turned around instead of entering the spooky, old house.  Misgiving – Triskaidekaphobia – Inimical - Loquacious 

7. After getting their perfect scores, she and her friends _________ ed through the halls.  Roister – Baksheesh – Dollop – Sayonara

8. Jennifer took a ____________ to Joe simply because he was promoted faster than her.  Grommet – Pacifist – Scunner - Invigilat 

9.  The ____________ was so refreshing on the hot summer afternoon.  Astute – Zephyr – Pleonasm - Aggrandize 

10. The young man, who has extremely ____________ views, isn't highly regarded in his neighborhood.  Cognoscente – Charlatan – Libertine - Amorphous 

Answers 

1. Vituperate [ vahy-too-puh-reyt ] - to use or address with harsh or abusive language; revile. 

2. Loquacious [ loh-kwey-shuhs ] - talking or tending to talk much or freely; talkative; chattering; babbling; garrulous. 

3. Oracle [ awr-uh-kuhl ] - a priest or priestess acting as a medium through whom advice or prophecy was sought from the gods in classical antiquity 

4. Zealot [ zel-uht ] - a person who is fanatical and uncompromising in pursuit of their religious, political, or other ideals 

5. Futz [ fuhts ] - noun: a fool; simpleton & verb: to pass time in idleness (usually followed by around) 

6. Misgiving [ mis-giv-ing ] - a feeling of doubt, distrust, or apprehension. 

7. Roister [ roi-ster ] - enjoy oneself or celebrate in a noisy or boisterous way 

8. Scunner[ skuhn-er ] - an irrational dislike; loathing 

9. Zephyr [ zef-er ] - a gentle, mild breeze. 

10. Libertine [ lib-er-teen, lib-er-tin ] - (adj) Characterized by a disregard of morality, especially in sexual matters; freethinking in matters of religion. (noun) A person who rejects accepted opinions in matters of religion; a freethinker.

The Rush's Edge by Ginger Smith coming from Angry Robot

 

The Rush's Edge
Ginger Smith

Halvor Cullen was built to be a hero. But he's never felt like one.

As a gene-spliced, tech-enhanced 'VAT' super soldier, Hal was made to fight hard and burn out young, then spend the short remainder of his life forever chasing an elusive adrenaline rush. Thankfully his best friend and former commander Tyce is determined to prevent that from happening by keeping Hal busy salvaging crashed spaceships along the Spiral's Edge.

But when a new member joins their crew, and a mysterious sphere they bring aboard the ship unleashes an alien presence, Hal's desires and malfunctions threaten to bring them all to the point of destruction...

Including alien intrigue, found families and a touch of romance, The Rush's Edge is a thrilling novel perfect for any sci-fi buff. 

"The Rush’s Edge gives you all the Firefly feels with a dash of Mass Effect for the hell of it. Fantastically entertaining.” 
– Dan Hanks, author of Captain Moxley and the Embers of the Empire

"Hal and Tyce are destined to win a place in the heart of anyone who should be fortunate enough to read The Rush’s Edge."
- Infinite Speculation

Military Truisms

 From the Army 

 Never forget that your weapon was made by the lowest bidder. 

 Success occurs when no one is looking, failure occurs when the General is watching. 

 No combat-ready unit has ever passed inspection. 

From the Navy 

 Any ship can be a mine-sweeper. Once. 

 There are more planes in the ocean than submarines in the sky. 

 Weather forecasts are horoscopes with numbers. 

From the Air Force 

 It is generally inadvisable to eject directly over the area you just bombed. 

 The only time you have too much fuel is when you’re on fire. 

 If the wings are traveling faster than the fuselage, it’s probably a helicopter –and therefore, unsafe. 

From the Marines 

 When the pin is pulled, Mr. Grenade is not our friend. 

 Never tell the Platoon Sergeant you have nothing to do. 

 “You, you, and you...panic. The rest of you, come with me.”

Bystander 27 by Rik Hoskin Cmng from Angry Robot

 

Bystander 27
Rik Hoskin

For ex-navy SEAL Jon Hayes, the super-powered 'costumes' are just part of ordinary life in New York City, until the day his pregnant wife Melanie is senselessly killed in a clash between Captain Light and The Jade Shade. 

But as Hayes struggles to come to terms with his loss, and questions for the first time who the costumes are and where they come from, the once sharp lines of his reality begin to blur...

If Hayes wants to uncover the shocking truth about the figures behind the costumes, and get justice for his fallen family, he'll have to step out of the background, and stop being a bystander.

A dark take on the well-loved world of superheroes, perfect for fans of Invincible and Black Mirror. 

“Irreverent, gritty, and poignant when it needs to be, Bystander 27 is a bloody blaze of a read that peels back the familiar trappings of a super-hero tale to explore loss, revenge, and the power imbalance when cape-wearing gods walk the Earth astride us mere mortals.” 
– Pierce Brown, author of Red Rising 

"This is the ultimate story that pairs reality and fiction to create a book that’s impossible to put down." 
- ★★★★★ NetGalley Review

"This is a graphic tale of our modern times with a well-defined atmosphere and beautifully written action sequences."
- British Fantasy Society

Potpourri #4

A 70-year old woman chose to remain overnight at a costly hotel as a treat for her birthday. The following morning she was appalled when the desk clerk gave her a bill for $250.000. 

She requested to know why the charge was so high. “It’s a nice hotel, but the rooms certainly aren’t worth $250.000 for just an overnight stay! I didn’t; even have breakfast,” she told the clerk. 

The clerk clarified that $250.000 is the standard rate. At that point, the older lady insisted on talking with the manager. 

The manager showed up and explained that the hotel “has an Olympic-sized swimming pool and a huge conference center which are available for use. 

“But I didn’t use them,” the old women said.

“Well, they are here, and you could have,” he said. The manger proceeded with that she could have likewise have seen one of the in-hotel shows for which h hotel is famous. 

“We have the best entertainers from the world over performing here,” he said. 

“But I didn’t go to any of those shows,” she said. 

The manager replied, “Well, we have them, and you could have.” 

Regardless of what facility he recommended, the older lady would just answer, “But I did’ use it!” 

The manger then countered with his standard reaction. 

After several minutes of contending with him, she chose to pay. 

He manager was shocked when she gave the check to him. “But madam, this check is only for $50.00,” he said.

That is right. I charge you $200.00 or sleeping with me,” the old lady replied. 

"But I didn’t", the manager shouted. 

“Well, too bad. I was here and you could have.” 

                                                                    o-o-O-o-o

A mother-in-law stopped by expectantly at her newly married son’s house. She knocks on the door, then immediately walks in. She is shocked to see her daughter-in-law lying on the couch, totally naked. 

"What are you doing?” She asked. 

“I’m waiting for Jeff to come home from work,” the daughter-in-law answered. 

“But your naked!” the mother-in-law exclaimed. 

“This is my love dress,” the daughter-in-law explained. 

“Love dress? But your naked!” she says. 

“Jeff loves me to wear this dress! It makes him happy and it makes me happy.” 

The mother-in-law on the way home thought about the love dress. When she got home she undressed, showered, put on her best perfume and expectantly waited for her husband, lying provocatively on the couch. 

Finally her husband came home. He walked in and saw her naked. “What are you doing?” he asked. “This is my love dress” she replied.

 Needs ironing” he says. “What’s for dinner?”

HOW LONG CERTAIN FOODS WILL LAST IN THE FRIDGE - Just in time for Labor Day

What's the use of putting perishable food in the refrigerator if you're just going to let it perish? Even the best of us have turned the far corners of our refrigerators into food graveyards by losing track of food or ignoring its expiration date. While leftovers have a finite shelf life as it is, even refrigeration only delays the inevitable. With help from the Food and Drug Administration's food-contaminant guidelines and FoodKeeper app, here are 18 more items you should keep an eye on once you've placed them in the fridge. For additional items check out www.eatbydate.com . 

Hot Dogs - Time: 1 week open, 2 weeks unopened Around summer, the mostly used pack of hot dogs is ubiquitous. If you've kept it out at room temperature for a few hours during a barbecue, that life expectancy should be far less. Keep a cooler by the grill and freeze what you don't use for 1 to 2 months. 

Lunch Meats - Time: 3 to 5 days open, 2 weeks unopened The more pedantic eaters will point out that cured or smoked meats will last much longer, but typically fresh deli meats and packaged lunch meats have a week at most, according to the FDA. However, they can be frozen for 1 to 2 months. 

Bacon - Time: 7 days We applaud the Department of Agriculture for its in-depth rundown on bacon and for going into just about every possible bacon-storage scenario. Bacon in the package will last a week in the fridge and up to a month in the freezer, but leftover cooked bacon has about 4 to 5 days and can be frozen for a month. 

Sausage - Time: 1 to 2 days raw, 7 days smoked Much like the hot dog, the half-used pack of sausages makes regular appearances during the summer. Given its meager life expectancy in the fridge, however, the FDA suggests keeping in the freezer (where it can remain for 1 to 2 months) until it is eventually used. 

Fresh Steak - Time: 3 to 5 days Steak has remarkable staying power if you have to put off a steak night for a while. If you see it on sale, meanwhile, pick up a bunch of it: Whatever you don't use immediately can freeze for 6 to 12 months. 

Roasts - Time: 3 to 5 days There is a reason why Depression-era grandparents always bought a roast when they could get a deal on one. It keeps for the better part of a week and can freeze for 4 to 12 months. 

Fresh Chicken or Turkey - Time: 1 to 2 days Don't make fun of the people at the supermarket who save receipts and collect their bonus turkeys each year. They may only last a day or two in the fridge, but they can freeze for a year whole or 9 to 12 months in parts. Just remember to toss the giblets, which will only freeze for 3 to 4 months. 

Cooked Meat Dishes - Time: 3 to 4 days Once again, this is just the FDA offering a rule of thumb. If you've cooked more of any meat product than you can eat, either make sure the remaining portion is something you can eat in less than a week or freeze the rest for up to 2 to 3 months. 

Gravy and Meat Broth - Time: 1 to 2 days Just a reminder to all of you holiday chefs that leftover gravy or broth really shouldn't make it to the next holiday. If there's too much to finish within the next day or so, freezing it will buy you only 2 to 3 months of peak flavor and consistency. 

Fried Chicken - Time: 3 to 5 days 102 It's possible to reheat fried chicken to its former glory, so don't think twice about leaving it in the fridge for a few days. In fact, the FDA says you can freeze it for 4 months if you feel like cooking up a batch in advance. 

Chicken Nuggets - Time: 3 to 5 days Most chicken dishes will keep in the fridge for this amount of time, according to the FDA. However, anyone who's bought a bag of pre-cooked frozen nuggets knows that they have no problem keeping in the fridge for 1 to 3 months.

Plain Cooked Chicken Pieces - Time: 3 to 4 days The lack of breading cuts roughly a day's worth of fridge life off of chicken, according to the FDA, but you can still freeze it for 4 months. Cooked 

Chicken Pieces in Broth or Sauce - Time: 3 to 4 days The broth and sauce won't get your leftovers into next week, but they'll help them freeze for up to 6 months. 

Cooked Fish - Time: 3 to 4 days Fish isn't something the FDA wants you to take chances with, so stick with that 3 to 4 day window. However, if there's too much left over for you to handle, even cooked fish can freeze for 4 to 6 months. 

Smoked Fish - Time: 14 days Did that smoked salmon, sturgeon, sable, and lox platter from Barney Greengrass not go over as well at the company meeting as you thought it would? Forget it: You can pack it up and put it in your fridge for 2 weeks. Smoked fish was made to keep, and it'll last up to a year if you freeze it, says the FDA. 

Fresh Shrimp, Scallops, Crawfish, Squid - Time: 1 to 2 days Now we're getting into the fish and seafood that you don't want to have sitting around for too long. Any of the above probably should be finished up by lunch the next day (hey, it won't stink up the office like microwaved fish), but you could freeze larger quantities for 4 to 6 months.

Lean Fish - Time: 1 to 2 days

Pike, snapper, cod, porgy ... they aren't as fatty as salmon, trout, or herring, but they have their own endearing qualities. Chief among them is the ability to keep after freezing for 6 to 8 months. 

Fatty Fish - Time: 1 to 2 days; freeze for 2 to 3 months The upside is that these are the delicious fish filled with the good fats and oils that health professionals love. 

The downside? They'll only maintain flavor after freezing for about 2 to 3 months, so try not to leave too many leftovers. 

Source: https://blog.cheapism.com/dangerous-foods/#slide=19 | June 2021 ++]

Some Vocabulary Words to Enhance Yours |

Which word best matches these example sentences? 

1. (a) Mary made a homemade journal by binding a ____________ with leather string. 

     (b) I collected a ____________ of high-quality paper to create a scrapbook from our travels. 

 Haughty – Quire – Anthropomorphic – Alimentation 

2. (a) No one can quite comprehend the ____________ of time. 

    (b) Those experiencing homelessness may be slipping deeper into the ____________ of despair. 

Mitzvah – Plethora – Maudlin - Abyss 

3. When the new boss was hired, the team acted with ____________ and compliance to her wishes.

 Deference – Linchpin – Ebullient – Platitude

4. The rattlesnake is an incredibly dangerous, ____________ snake commonly found in the southern United States. 

Virulent - Cretonne – Plethora – Meritorious 

5. Fortunately for those afraid of them, dinosaurs are no longer ____________. 

Pugnacious – Resplendent – Antiseptic - Extant 

6. After waking up at 1 a.m. to go Black Friday shopping, she was ____________ed with shopping.  

Accoutrements - Abysmal – Morass - Surfeit 

7. The friends engaged in ____________ from time to time when they played cards. 

Hearsay – Volitional – Noisome – Persiflage 

8. The community demanded an ____________ of a condition in the home owners association bylaws.

Austere – Abrogation – Obelus – Troglodyte 

9. (a) I used 'old wise tale' which is an ____________ for 'old wives tale.' 

    (b) The editor caught an ____________ in the article she was proofreading. 

Eggcorn – Tomfoolery – Prosopopoeia - Cretonne 

10. (a) All of the employees felt they could speak candidly with Joe, the _________ CEO. 

      (b) Jack was filled with _________ pride when he held his new niece for the first time. 

Akimbo – Campanile – Malaise - Avuncular 

Answers 

1. Quire [ k wī(ə)r ] - 25 (formerly 24) sheets of paper; one twentieth of a ream. 

2. Abyss [ uh-bis ] - anything profoundly unfathomable or eternal. 

3. Deference [ def-er-uhns ] - respectful submission or yielding to the judgment, opinion, will, etc., of another,

4. Virulent [ vir-yuh-luhnt, vir-uh- ] - actively poisonous; intensely noxious. 

5. Extant [ ek-stuhnt ] - in existence; still existing; not destroyed or lost. 

6. Surfeit [ sur-fit ] - noun: excess; an excessive amount. - verb: to supply with anything to excess or satiety; satiate. 

7. Persiflage [ pur-suh-flahzh ] - light and slightly contemptuous mockery or banter. 

8. Abrogation [ ab-ruh-gey-shuhn ] - the repeal or abolition of a law, right, or agreement. 

9. Eggcorn [ eg-kawrn ] - a word or phrase that is a seemingly logical alteration of another word or phrase that sounds similar and has been misheard or misinterpreted. 

10. Avuncular [ uh-vuhng-kyuh-ler ] - acting like an uncle, as in being kind, patient, generous, etc., especially to younger people; of or relating to an uncle