Source and to check your actual county numbers: https://www.countyhealthrankings.org/health-data/health-outcomes/length-of-life/life-expectancy?year=2024

Me and several people I know haven't actually been sick at all, but we get flairups of all the very specific allergy symptoms we have at the times we usually get them in spring (like late at night) - is anyone else dealing with that, or are we just weird? Maybe it's some residual LA fire smoke irritating us a little bit?

Hi all,

I want a postnuptial agreement to protect my premarital assets. She’s supportive. Where to get started? Any good lawyers around Hoboken/Hackensack for a decently affordable rate?

Just got married in December. I’m a couple of years older than her so have huge savings in comparison. She’s finishing school and will get her first career-related job in June making a decent wage. Apart from that she doesn’t have any savings. Been together for 4 years and we split things 70-30. I’ve helped her a lot in terms of career and college related advice and she’s also helped me save a lot since my expenses are way lower with us living together.

Any help/tips would be greatly appreciated.

I swear it was like 17° two weeks ago and now we are up to the 50s.

All good things must come to an end, and these are the last two paintings I have up for sale at Heritage. I am ending this round with two of my best paintings, from the “Heroes in Hell” series, “War In Hell” and “Explorers in Hell.”

https://comics.ha.com/c/search/results.zx?dept=1938&mode=live&auction_name=322506&consignor_no=22&type=friend-consignorlive-notice

I was deep into Bruegel and Bosch while working on “War in Hell”. “War”  is the painting with the most direct “quotations” from both of those artist’s work. The man about to be beheaded on the steps and the guy in red with a sword is a quotation from Bruegel’s “The Triumph of Death,” and the creature climbing on the riggings is a quote from Bruegle’s “Mad Meg.” While I was working on the painting my mother, Phyllis Mattingly, paid one of her periodic visits to my wife Cathleen and me in Hoboken. I showed her my books on Bosch and Bruegel, two artists I revere, and she immediately hated them—“Too negative” was her comment. Keep in mind this was a lady whose favorite movie was “The Sound of Music”. She always wanted to look on the bright side of things, and negativity was a no-no. I have a somewhat darker personality, and I love artist’s visions of hell, along with songwriters like Randy Newman, who she also hated (again, “too negative”). 

One thing that really bothered me about my mother is that she never managed to be able to recognize my style. I can immediately tell who of my contemporaries did a painting by just looking at it—Whelan, Frazetta, Sweet, Shaw, Kidd, Berkey—I recognize them all. I had  two paintings by John Berkey up in my studio, and mom walked in, looked at the Berkey’s,  and said “I love those two paintings by you!” I guess I should have been complimented that she mixed me up with Berkey, another artist I love, but it really bothered me. Mom was never an “art connoisseur.” Luckily my father, John W. Mattingly, loved art, had exquisite  taste, and always encouraged me in my pursuit of being a professional illustrator. On the plus side, mom would come to New York once a year to see the Broadway shows, and she would let me run wild at the Met and Moma while she shopped. It’s hard to believe you could let a 10 year old wander around the museums for hours unattended, but things were different back then. 

I was lucky to benefit from an education of being able to view the works of the great masters at an early age. Tiepolo, Memling, Velasquez, Dali, Sargent, Eakins, Bierstadt—they were all my teachers.

A lot of mom’s “Power of Positive Thinking” has rubbed off on me, although not enough so that I love “The Sound of Music”. In spite of my darker side, I do still look for the positive in life, just like she did. That has served me well as I have gotten older. She has been gone for 25 years now, and I miss her. Those of you who still have living parents might want to give them an extra hug—they won’t be there forever.

When looking at “Explorers in Hell,” it is hard to miss the influence of Tiepolo. When you go up the grand staircase at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, you are greeted by several big paintings by Tiepolo, including “The Triumph of Marius” and “The Capture of Carthage,” both of which are wall paintings. Most of Tiepolo’s work was displayed on ceilings, where he was the master of painting sprawling scenes meant to be looked up at. He always had a lot of putti flying around, and I may have stollen some of them for this painting.

I want to tell another one of my favorite stories about my mom. My brother John has farmed ever since he got out of college, and his first place was just down the road from a farm owned by my father. John used to have huge feasts on his farm during the holidays, and my mother was always invited. For some reason mom insisted on getting dressed up whenever she visited my brother, and for this occasion she wore her prized mink coat.  Mom was wandering around John’s farm, in high heels no less, when she came to the coral holding goats. I should mention that goats will eat almost anything, including tin cans and cardboard. She was standing next to the coral, admiring the goats in her passive-aggressive way, when she looked down, only to find that a goat had eaten a hole in her mink coat. Needless to say, she was not a happy camper, and developed a life-long hatred of goats.

I had a contentious relationship with my mom, but now that she has been gone for so long, I have had time to think about her. My memory tends to wipe out the bad, and keep only the good (the power of positive thinking again). Now I wish I had just one more day with her, and I would laugh at her foibles and love her for everything that was great about her.

https://preview.redd.it/ycm0tyte8gge1.jpg?width=663&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=efda9cdc2ff80633cac048e88c21cbf443b14191

for some reason i need to apply college and start to take lessons until march. i can't join on campus education cause i already missed the deadline dates. they don't let me start from middle and online degrees are my last chance sadly. I just need some collage that gave me 12 credit and has cheapest price. do you know which colleges are cheapest and let me start immediately?

Can a

Sounds like a fireworks show going on at the Somerset Patriots minor league stadium in Bridgewater just off of 287. Very odd for them to do it this time of year. Anyone know what was going on?

I have a broker friend who is very good at his job. We have known each other several years as our sons are good friends. We are very friendly with him but not the kind of friend that we hang out or talk to on a regular basis. We are in the midst of selling our home to help us get out from underwater. He knows we have been in tight spot. When we decided we need to sell we asked his advice on the market for our home and what we should do to prep house to sell. He has given us a few contacts for contractors to paint etc. it’s understood that when we list he would be our broker but we haven’t gotten to the point yet that it’s ready to stage or take photos to list, So he hasn’t done anything yet for us outside of contractor recommendations, basic advice and moral support. I’d like to put some feelers out in community social media for anyone looking to buy. If we can get a buyer without having to list it would save us a huge amount of money not having brokers fee. We expect our house to sell very quickly with low inventory here and for a high amount, so the savings to us would be great and with our current financial situation we need all the money we can get.

My question is, would we be jerks for posting that we have a house that we are getting ready to sell, ahead of him listing to possibly avoid a brokers fee? We haven’t signed anything or gotten to the point to be ready to take photos and list it yet w a broker. But we know he expects to sell it for us. If we do find a buyer without listing is it the right thing to just give him some money to make up for lost commission by not listing w him? If so, what would be fair? Husband and I are split on this. I say he would understand-there’s no contract yet and broker knows we would save a lot of money which we desperately need. Hubby thinks even tho the broker knows he can’t do anything about it that it’s a jerk move and we should give him a large check to make up for lost commission. What is the right thing here?

I'm looking for a youth or family shelter, the ones in my area are packed and an opening I found required a thirty day hold. Any other type of temporary housing works as well.

The best views? Or the best location?

My dumb ass drove the wrong way down a major one way road in Rahway and got pulled over by a Linden cop. He told me they would mail me tickets and I’d probably have to go to court. Anyone on here have any idea what I’m in for? Cost wise? Can NJ put points on my NY license?

If you don't look "right" and some people pretend to be ICE agent or any other law enforcement agents such as CBP, know the following:

1. under N.J. Stat. § 2C:28-8, a. Except as provided in subsection b. of this section, a person commits a disorderly persons offense if he falsely pretends to hold a position in the public service with purpose to induce another to submit to such pretended official authority or otherwise to act in reliance upon that pretense.

b. A person commits a crime of the fourth degree if he falsely pretends to hold a position as an officer or member or employee or agent of any organization or association of law enforcement officers with purpose to induce another to submit to such pretended official authority or otherwise to act in reliance upon that pretense.

The fines can be as low as 1,000, and as high as 10,000 with max 6 month prison time.

There are crazy people out there who are neither smart nor dedicated enough to actually be a federal LEO but want to LARP as one to exercise nonexistent power over people like us. Be correctly informed, and minimize damages.

Big shout out to my Gym, which is open 24/7.

I couldn’t get to sleep last night, and was up at 2am. So I had a choice, try to go back to sleep or do something productive. I chose to put on some chucks and lift my troubles away at Jersey Shore Fitness Shop.

It beats the snot out of any other cookie cutter franchise gym I’ve ever been to. No one there gives a shit about you in the best way possible.

It’s clean. It’s close. It’s reasonable. I love it.

Just needed a reason to be positive today and this was it.

Hello, my husband is coming to New Jersey next Sunday and needs a room or a bed in a shared room at a house around the hospital or farther with available public transportation. Thanks

Hi all,

Today is the last day for open enrollment and I just had a few questions. 1) if I don’t enroll in an insurance plan what is the grace period before being fined ? I heard of something called a Shared Responsibility Payment and it applies after 60 or 90 days but I constantly see conflicting info on that. The reason I’m considering not paying is because I truly am struggling to keep my head above water already. I lost my job and am on unemployment at a significant decrease in income. Most of my bills couldn’t be put on pause and so I am paying for things on less income. I unfortunately don’t qualify for any assistance on my monthly insurance payments either. And my 2nd question is 2) if I get health insurance but opt to not have dental would I still get fined and have to pay an SRP ? It’s been tough these last few months and seems like nobody is hiring no matter how many application I put out.

Hii, everyone! I was recently summoned for Jury Duty starting on February 4th, but I keep hearing mixed answers on how it works. This will be my first time ever being summoned and I recently received an email stating that the “Petit Juror Selection on the 4th is over zoom call”? Does this mean just the juror selection will be over zoom or the entire summons/trial?

Also, this might be a really stupid question, but the paper I received in the mail says that I was summoned for “1 week/1 trial” - does that mean I literally have to be on call for one whole week? Or if I go to the selection on zoom and if they don’t select me, am I free? I am so utterly confused!

Also, I’m starting a new position in my job on February 10th that’s going to be for a few weeks and is overnight. It’s a temporary position due to us doing inventory and I cannot miss it now, what do I do if I get picked for the trial? I’m lowkey nervous and panicking LOL

Just what the title says, ideally in Central Jersey. I’ve been looking for local groups but can’t find published ones very easily. But I know they’re out there! Thanks!

I will be attending a 2-day concert at the Wellmont in May on Memorial Day weekend. Is there any place relatively close to the venue to stay? Looking to stay Friday-Monday. Thanks in advance!

Ice Nine Kills Silver Scream May 23-26

Hi - any one a teacher in Plainfield? I heard a rumor that there’s a new contract for their teachers union that’s groundbreaking and actually paying teachers well. Just wondering if there’s truth to it and what teaching there is like.