Latest / Sunny Mornings Boston / Thursday February 15, 2024

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Thursday February 15, 2024 · Sunny Mornings Boston

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  Good morning and a warm welcome to your show, Sunny Mornings in Boston.
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  We're the daily podcast that gets you started on the right foot and always with a positive
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  vibe.
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  I'm your host, Melissa, and it's Thursday, February 15th.
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  You'll be interested to know, 46 years ago today, in 1978, Leon Spinks beat Muhammad Ali
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  to become the heavyweight boxing champion of the world.
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  Stay tuned for more about this fight later in the episode.
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  And now let's check out the weather in the Boston area.
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  This morning, it's sunny skies and feels like 11 degrees, with 13 mile per hour wind.
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  The sunset will take place at 5.15 p.m. and will rise again tomorrow at 6.40 a.m.
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  We're now getting 12.5 hours of daylight, and it's got me feeling pretty good.
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  It looks like we're in for a day with increasing clouds and a high near 38.
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  West wind will be 8 to 13 mile per hour.
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  Tonight, we'll have some snow flurries, mainly after 9 p.m. and a low around 29, with
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  south wind 8 to 15 mile per hour.
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  Chance of precipitation is 80%, with new snow accumulation of 1 to 3 inches.
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  The nearshore buoy at Cape Cod Bay reads 39 degrees for the water temperature.
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  Looking ahead in the weather, we'll see a breezy Friday with a slight chance of morning
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  snow and highs near 39 degrees.
• 1:43
  Friday night turns mostly cloudy, cooling to 25.
• 1:48
  The weekend brings intermittent snow and mostly cloudy skies, with highs around 36 and lows
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  dipping to 17 degrees on Saturday night.
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  Sunday remains mostly sunny with similar temperatures, and Washington's birthday greets us with
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  sunny skies and a high near 39.
• 2:08
  Bonjour, food enthusiasts!
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  This podcast is brought to you by Versailles Café and Pastries in Encinitas.
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  Nestled on El Camino Real South, just north of Encinitas Boulevard, this café is a haven
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  for culinary delights.
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  Indulge in their amazing Eggs Benedict or their gluten-free crepes.
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  You can grab a panini for lunch or just breeze on through to get your morning coffee.
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  They are open every day from 8 to 5.
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  So stop on by and don't forget to tell them.
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  Any morning sent you.
• 2:49
  In local news, Soros Fund Management, founded by billionaire George Soros, is set to become
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  the largest shareholder in Odyssey, a bankrupt radio station owner, which includes ownership
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  of WEEI in Boston.
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  Soros' firm holds over $414 million of Odyssey's debt, as revealed in a U.S. bankruptcy court
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  filing.
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  The firm's investment comprises $280 million in term loans and $135 million in revolving
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  credit.
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  Odyssey, facing a steep decline in radio ad revenue, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy earlier
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  this year.
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  Despite these challenges, an Odyssey spokesperson expressed confidence in the company's future
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  and its ongoing business operations.
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  Odyssey, parent company of WEEI, anticipates emerging from bankruptcy following regulatory
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  approval from the Federal Communications Commission.
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  Now on to sports.
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  Come along with me and jump in my time machine.
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  Back to February 15, 1978.
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  The joke's on you, Leon Spinks said.
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  The man upstairs made it come true.
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  The boxer from St. Louis was speaking to reporters after one of the most stunning sports upsets
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  in history.
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  He just snatched away Muhammad Ali's world heavyweight boxing crown Wednesday night at
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  the Hilton Pavilion.
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  In the capital of gambling, there had been no official odds posted on such a possibility.
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  It would have been tantamount to Poland beating Germany in World War II, or to the cost of
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  living receding.
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  Besides divine providence, Spinks had an indomitable spirit, furiously flying fists and absolute
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  confidence.
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  Muhammad Ali had been a champion for all ages.
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  This was the 20th title defense for the 36-year-old Ali.
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  Think of it.
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  Muhammad Ali, an ex-champion, again.
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  You're still my champion, Spinks said to Ali in the press conference after the nationally
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  televised match.
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  It was a press conference to remember because Ali, the people's choice, instead of sulking
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  because the championship had been lost, Ali magnanimously gave Spinks the credit he deserved.
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  The 24-year-old challenger seemed almost sorry he'd put an old man out to pasture.
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  I'm glad for you because you did what I did, said Ali, referring to his startling upset
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  of then-champion Sonny Liston in 1964.
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  You proved the people all wrong, Ali said.
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  I wasn't robbed, he said, of the split decision.
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  He landed some of the best punches I've ever been hit with.
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  Spinks, a refugee from the trouble-infested Prude-Igo housing development, had begun boxing
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  when he was 14 years old just to stop neighborhood bullies from messing over me, he said.
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  But last night he was on the offense all night long, while Ali seemed content to lie on the
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  ropes for the early rounds, as was his famous rope-a-dope custom.
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  Spinks who fights as if a red blanket is being waved in his face piled up points with a relentless
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  assault to Ali's shoulders, head, and kidneys.
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  After six rounds, Spinks became world champion after only seven professional bouts to become
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  the fastest heavyweight in history.
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  This article was written in 1978 by the great Hall of Fame baseball writer Rick Hummel of
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  the Post-Dispatch.
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  And we're back to 2024.
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  Last night, the Celtics playing the Nets once again gave them an even bigger whopping than
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  the night before, blasting Brooklyn to pieces 136 to 86.
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  Derek White topped the list for scoring with 27 points.
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  Tonight, in national hockey, the Bruins are at home taking on the Kraken.
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  In top news, let's talk about something healthy today.
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  A recent study reveals Tai Chi, a traditional Chinese martial art, outperforms aerobic exercises
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  in reducing blood pressure for individuals with pre-hypertension.
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  Pre-hypertension is a condition where blood pressure is elevated but not high enough to
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  be classified as hypertension, signaling potential heart disease risk.
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  The study published in JAMA Network Open involved 342 adults with pre-hypertension,
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  averaging 49 years old.
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  They were divided into two groups, one doing aerobic exercises, like jogging, and the other
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  practicing Tai Chi.
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  Both groups had hour-long sessions four times a week.
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  After a year, the Tai Chi group showed greater blood pressure reduction, with 22% achieving
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  normal blood pressure levels, compared to 16% in the aerobic group.
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  Tai Chi, described as meditation in motion, activates the parasympathetic nervous system,
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  promoting relaxation and stress reduction.
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  Besides lowering blood pressure, Tai Chi is also known for enhancing balance, reducing
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  fall risks, and improving mental health among older adults.
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  Regular practice is key in maximizing these health benefits.
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  In business news, Intuitive Machines, a space startup, experienced a perplexing 7% drop in
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  their stock following the SpaceX delay.
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  Originally, the SpaceX launch was set for Tuesday, but they encountered an issue with
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  fueling while the rocket was on the launch pad.
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  The new launch is rescheduled for today.
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  This minor delay in their moon landing mission seems to have disproportionately affected
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  their market value, wiping out over $30 million.
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  The market's short-term reaction to a mere two-day postponement raises questions, especially
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  considering SpaceX's strong track record of successful launches, having conducted nearly
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  100 in 2023 and 11 this year.
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  While SpaceX, valued at about $175 billion, isn't publicly traded, it's recognized
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  as a leading aerospace and defense entity.
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  The impact of this brief delay on Intuitive Machines stock highlights the often unpredictable
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  nature of stock market responses.
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  Speaking of unpredictable, in crypto movement, Bitcoin is currently up to $52,000, Ethereum
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  is almost $2,800, and Solana is $117.
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  Moving on to a more local vibe, in our community spotlight on health and wellness, we are working
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  with a national Pilates studio to bring you some free classes, so listen up.
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  Check out Club Pilates, with several locations in the Boston area.
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  Pilates presents a comprehensive wellness approach, cultivating strength, reducing tension,
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  and elevating mental well-being.
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  Scientific research affirms its benefits.
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  So now you can check out Club Pilates for a free class.
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  With locations in Canton, Wellesley, Hingham, Brookline, and Framingham, just be sure to
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  tell them, Sunny Morning sent you by.
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  And now, back to the show.
• 11:16
  Let's talk tech.
• 11:18
  A groundbreaking experiment on the International Space Station involves Mira, a compact surgical
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  robot, performing a simulated surgery.
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  Weighing just 2 pounds, Mira is significantly lighter than existing robotic surgery technologies.
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  Developed by Virtual Incision Corporation, it's a product of 20 years of work by Shane
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  Faradur and his team.
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  The experiment, funded by a NASA grant to the University of Nebraska, aims to explore
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  the feasibility of remote surgery in space, which could be vital for long missions to
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  the moon or Mars.
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  Interestingly, this technology also holds immense potential for remote areas on Earth,
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  like rural regions or war zones, where access to surgeons is limited.
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  In the US alone, about one-third of counties lack a surgeon, with a projected shortfall
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  of up to 30,000 surgeons in the next decade.
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  Mira's space mission is a step towards realizing the broader vision of remote surgery, potentially
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  revolutionizing medical care in both extra-terrestrial and terrestrial settings.
• 12:32
  And in entertainment news, Marvel's Fantastic Four is set to hit theaters on July 25, 2025,
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  with an exciting cast announcement that's sure to delight fans.
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  Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Eben Moss-Backratch, and Joseph Quinn have been officially cast
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  as the iconic superhero team.
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  Pascal steps into the role of Mr. Fantastic, Kirby as the invisible woman, Quinn as the
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  human torch, and Moss-Backratch as the thing.
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  The film, directed by Matt Schachman, known for his work on Marvel's One Division, starts
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  filming this summer.
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  This release marks a decade since the 2015 reboot, which faced harsh criticism.
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  The screenplay, penned by Josh Friedman, Jeff Kaplan, and Ian Springer, brings to life the
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  first characters created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby for Marvel Comics.
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  The anticipation is high for this new adaptation, hoping to redeem the Fantastic Four's cinematic
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  legacy.
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  And that's a wrap for this morning.
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  Remember to stay tuned tomorrow for more news and updates.
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  Have an amazing day, my good friends.