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Schoen: Congress avoided shutdown, lacks a plan

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 16:53:49 GMT

With just a few days to spare, Congress managed to pass another stopgap spending bill, avoiding a government shutdown, but once again displaying the lack of a long-term plan to address the nation’s worsening financial situation.Moreover, the struggle to get the continuing resolution through the House of Representatives exposed deep divisions within both parties generally, and the GOP specifically, which make their control of the House tenuous at best as next year’s elections approach. The recent vote in the House saw more Democrats support new Speaker Mike Johnson’s continuing resolution than Republicans – 209 Democrats and just 127 Republicans voted ‘yes’ – while 93 Republicans opposed it, more than voted against a continuing resolution in September which cost former Speaker Kevin McCarthy his job. And while it is unlikely that Johnson will meet a similar fate as his predecessor, his dependence on Democrats has already angered the right-wing of his caucus, especially the House Free...

The perfect gifts for the adventurous traveler on your list

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 16:53:49 GMT

Looking for a holiday gift that makes travel more fun and manageable? Finding the just-right little (or big) present to up the ante for your loved ones’ favorite adventures is truly the gift that lasts. When they’re on that golf, hiking, skiing or whatever it is they love trip they’ll always think of you. Consider these for your active and adventure loving pal.A Transformative Travel Golf Bag: There are travel golf bags, and then there’s Sun Mountain’s Club Glider (https://www.sunmountain.com/). The Club Glider – which you can literally pull and weave through a busy airport using just your pinky finger – moves you from “lug” to “loving it” when it comes to bringing your clubs along. It’s part soft sided, part hard for club protection. The secret sauce is its kick-stand type extra wheels. Click them down and it pulls along with remarkable ease. Click them back and it’s ready to be checked. Home storage is great too: it folds into itself to stow away compactly. Expect attention ...

David Tennant is back as part of ‘Doctor Who’ specials

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 16:53:49 GMT

The Tardis has landed. If you have been following along, you know that Jodie Whittaker’s 13th Doctor has morphed into David Tennant’s 14th Doctor, who was also the 10th Doctor, a re-regeneration unheard of in the annals of the Time Lords. (Someone better informed than I might be aware of a precedent — anyway, it’s rare.) You can’t go home again, wrote Thomas Wolfe, but F. Scott Fitzgerald said you can repeat the past — of course you can.Indeed, the past repeats gloriously in “Doctor Who: The Star Beast,” the first of three 60th-anniversary specials which premiered Saturday that will end in a fourth, with the Christmas Day advent of Ncuti Gatwa as Doctor No. 15 in “The Church on Ruby Road.” (“Wild Blue Yonder” on Dec. 2 and “The Giggle” on Dec. 9 complete this anniversary series.) This is also the first episode of the beloved British franchise to appear under Disney+’s deal with the BBC to become its exclus...

Editorial: Biden’s policy on Iran is a mess

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 16:53:49 GMT

Iran is getting richer and increasingly dangerous during the Biden presidency. This has enabled the country to more aggressively arm its Middle East terrorist proxies who seek to destroy Israel.Earlier this month, the head of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corp blustered that Israel would face more attacks like the atrocities of Oct. 7. “Just as the al-Aqsa Storm came from a place the enemy did not calculate,” he said, “they must wait for other storms that will reach them from where they do not figure out.”At the same time, an Iranian military commander has told Hamas that his country will not allow Israel to “reach its dirty goals” of defeating Hamas, The Associated Press reported recently.It’s fair to ask how much the White House’s appeasement of Iran has endangered the region and emboldened bad actors who openly admit their goal of wiping Israel off the map.According to The Washington Post, the International Monetary Fund estimates that Iran’s foreign currency reserves have j...

Handling uncomfortable conversations about work

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 16:53:49 GMT

Q. I have a 3-year-old. He keeps me on my toes. I don’t love my job. It’s less than ideal, but I have it down to a science. My family says I should look for a new job because I’m bored, but the pay is decent. How do I handle holiday conversations?A. My answer’s two-fold. First, our priorities shift. And that’s OK. I’m giving you permission to do what’s best for you now, which sounds like staying put. You don’t love your job, but it pays decently. It’s less than ideal, but you’ve got this. Do what’s best for you. There are ebbs and flows to life and in turn, our careers. Sometimes our careers take a back seat to what we need in our lives like stability, predictability and flexible schedules are worth their weight in gold. You do you!Regarding the holidays, set boundaries with relatives. I’d shut it down with a simple statement like, “It’s a holiday, I’m not in work mode, not going to talk about ...

4 tips for mindful eating during the holidays

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 16:53:49 GMT

Between cocktail parties after work, making cookies with the grandkids and the never-ending holiday get-togethers, it can feel like the season is built for overindulging.For those with dietary restrictions, the holidays can be tough.You don’t want simply to avoid everything that isn’t included in your diet, missing out on family traditions and feeling stuck on the sidelines. But at the same time, you don’t want to throw caution to the wind and eat everything you want either.“We have food-related celebrations and connections, and sometimes eating a little more than you normally would is a fun part of celebrating,” Rachael Hartley, RD, the owner of Rachael Hartley Nutrition and author of “Gentle Nutrition” told Everyday Health.Here are four tips to help you be more mindful of what you’re eating and to steer a middle course between abstinence and gluttony during the holidays.Eat more greensAdd a few more greens to your plate — no, that doesn’t include creamed spinach — to boost fiber. ...

Boston rings in a bright holiday theater season

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 16:53:49 GMT

Holiday theater can silly, sweet, stupid funny, and it can be great art. From classic classics, new classics, and reinvented classics to irreverent wonders, here are seasonal offerings worth unwrapping.“The Nutcracker,” Through Dec. 31, Boston Opera House“We at the company don’t think of (‘The Nutcracker’) as entertainment, we think of it as a serious piece of art,” Boston Ballet Artistic Director Mikko Nissinen told the Herald earlier this season. “I choreographed it to be incredibly difficult for the dancers for a couple of reasons. I know I have a tired company on December 31st, but I also know I have a better company.” So, sure, nostalgia and the Christmas connection fuel a love for the piece, but remember it’s a grand piece of art, complex and compelling. Bostonballet.org“Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer: The Musical,” Sunday, Shubert TheaterMisfits as heroes! Come see the songs, message, and characters you love — Hermey the dentist elf, Bumble the Abominable Snow Mon...

Siblings Asa and Lilianna both like karate

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 16:53:49 GMT

Lilianna and Asa are an amazing sibling group hoping to be adopted together. Older sister Lilianna (Lilly) is very outgoing. She is described as active, fearless, and strong-willed. Lilly also has a side she describes as “classy,” such as enjoying getting her nails done and putting on makeup. She attends karate class and really enjoys it. Lilly also loves art, enjoys watching cartoons, and helping her foster mother in the kitchen. In school, she performs at grade level. Lilianna is severely allergic to cats and dogs and families with cats will not be considered but her social worker would consider a family with a hypoallergenic dog.Asa, the younger brother, has an introverted personality. He also likes karate class. Asa likes indoor activities like mind-stimulating games that include problem solving, drawing, and playing with cars. He also loves going to the park. In school, Asa performs above average compared to his peers.Lilly and Asa will bring joy to a home that can provide them...

Can I divide Social Security as asset in divorce?

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 16:53:49 GMT

Q. I have decided to represent myself in my divorce because I am good with numbers, and this is really all about numbers.  Our children are grown so the sticky parenting stuff is not part of our case.  We have exchanged financial statements and my husband’s lawyer wrote up an agreement that they want me to sign.  They say it is an equal division of all of our assets, but it is not.  My husband refuses to include the value of his Social Security in the asset division.  I did not hire a lawyer but I hired someone to value our Social Security and his is much larger than mine.My husband has a big job and his Social Security is worth three times the amount of mine because I became a teacher ten years ago and stopped paying into the Social Security system. I want to make sure I have enough assets to live well in retirement.  My husband will be able to live out our plan of buying a condo on the Mediterranean. I should have the same abilities.Asset division should be truly equal and fair in...

‘Billion Dollar Babies’ explores Cabbage Patch craze

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 16:53:49 GMT

Forty years ago a toy baby doll prompted a nationwide fad. Which prompted a Black Friday riot like no one had ever seen.Over, yes, a doll.“Billion Dollar Babies: The True Story of the Cabbage Patch Kids” is an engrossing 40th anniversary documentary that gets the complicated history and puts the aftermath in perspective.Toys fads are eternal, from ‘30s Shirley Temple dolls to Barbie, Ken and GI Joe. Where do the Cabbage Patch Kids stand in toy history?“At the top. I mean there’s no question they are at the top of the toy fad phenomenon,” said toy historian Jonathan Alexandratos in a Zoom interview.“What Cabbage Patch managed to do is they took a really old idea — the baby doll in the US goes back to 1850 — and basically promised so much more than a doll.  Cabbage Patch hit at a certain intersection of American history where their success is extreme, but also, entirely understandable. On top of that, you’ve got camcorder footage of people wielding baseball bat...