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What to do when ‘fun’ is a mandatory part of work

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:02:02 GMT

Q. My company has a summer barbecue picnic on a Saturday. An annual Sunday trip to the zoo with the entire family and our colleagues. A weekly meetup every Tuesday night on our patio to get to know each other. Stop the insanity! Do I really need to go to all of these forced activities? It feels like “mandatory” fun.A. While I applaud your company for putting effort into time outside of work and planned activities, I hear your frustration. It can feel like you’re spending the majority of your personal time with your professional self and colleagues, knowing the working day already takes up a significant portion of your day.No, you don’t need to go to every activity. I’m hereby giving you permission to not feel like you must attend every single one. But, I’d be strategic.First, which activities are the most enjoyable? Which ones will you be able to make the most out of chatting with leadership and getting to know your colleagues better? Which ones w...

Even vacated restraining orders have repercussions

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:02:02 GMT

Q. When my ex and I first started our divorce process, we were both angry.  We both threatened to call the police on the other regularly.  On one occasion when I refused to go sleep on the couch over a weekend because I had hurt my back, she got particularly angry.  She threatened to call the police if I didn’t leave the bedroom.  Well, I didn’t leave, and she made good on her threat.  She said she was afraid to sleep in the same room as me.I was told to leave, and an emergency judge granted her a restraining order over the weekend.  We appeared in court the following Monday morning in front of our divorce judge who vacated the order and said it never should have issued in the first place because my ex failed to meet the standard.  Shortly after that we settled the divorce.Now, post-pandemic, I am traveling regularly for work again.  Every time I re-enter the country I get detained at the airport and questioned because my name shows up in the domestic violence record keeping system ...

Melugin: FTC suit vs. Amazon’s Prime bad use of limited resources

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:02:02 GMT

The Federal Trade Commission is suing Amazon for allegedly tricking customers into signing up for the company’s Prime membership and making it difficult to cancel that subscription service, providing expedited free shipping and access to its streaming entertainment service. You’re right if this strikes you as an odd fight for the FTC to pick.Prime has  148.6 million members. Amazon is among the highest-rated companies for favorability and trustworthiness, according to multiple polls. Last year, JPMorgan estimated the actual value of the $14.99 monthly, or $139 annual Prime subscription, is as much as $1,000. Even at the apex of stress on the company, while most of America was stuck at home for fear of COVID-19, customer dissatisfaction was still low and mostly stemmed from shipping delays.The FTC’s specific accusations against the world’s largest online retailer are no less strange. In court documents, the agency claims that Amazon “has knowingly duped millions of consumers into unk...

Sweet Arianna loves ballet and circus arts

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:02:02 GMT

Arianna is a sweet and likable girl. Arianna likes to dance; she especially loves ballet and participates in ballet recitals every year. She also loves to participate in circus arts. Arianna enjoys reading, and has expressed interest in being an ABA Therapist in the future.Arianna is in high school and is thriving with the support of an IEP to meet her academics and social/emotional needs. She does very well with her peers and is able to build and maintain healthy relationships. Arianna flourishes from the encouragement and support of her teachers and caretakers.Arianna would thrive in a family of any constellation, either with or without other children in the home, which is able to provide her with a stable and consistent environment. An ideal family for Arianna will be able to continue the services she has in place to address her academic and social/emotional needs.Can I Adopt?If you’re at least 18 years old, have a stable source of income, and room in your heart, you may be a per...

Editorial: Inflation Reduction Act will add billions to the deficit

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:02:02 GMT

Massive government spending programs typically cost more than projected. At some point, one might even call it a pattern.The latest example is the ill-named Inflation Reduction Act, which Democrats rammed through last August. The main thrust of the legislation was to push a radical green agenda. It included consumer tax credits for electric vehicles and roof-top solar. The bill gave corporations access to hundreds of billions in tax credits for clean energy projects. It also provided the U.S. Department of Energy $12 billion to craft a new loan program for replacing and upgrading energy infrastructure.Democrats wanted to convince the public that massive subsidies for otherwise unattractive renewable energy projects would reduce the nation’s debt. The bill also boosted funding for the IRS. In theory, increased enforcement would increase tax collections. That was supposed to net the government $130 billion over 10 years. The legislation raised corporate taxes by more than $200 billion...

Dear Abby: White husband buys copy of Green Book, offends wife

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:02:02 GMT

Dear Abby: I am a Hispanic-American woman who has been married to my husband for three years. He was born and raised in North Carolina. He’s a wonderful person. We both share a passion for antiques, and we love researching and learning about the past. My husband is white, and he grew up in times of segregation. He feels comfortable sharing and showing stuff from that time.A year ago, we watched the movie “Green Book” about the travel guide published from 1936 to 1966 for African American travelers to use when discrimination was widespread. After that, he became obsessed about buying a copy of an actual Green Book and, regardless of my concerns, he did.We recently bought a Victorian house built in 1900 and have been excited about renovating it and keeping it as close as possible to the original style. We have also enjoyed buying antique furniture to recreate that time in our home.My husband bought an old wall phone and hung the Green Book on it. I expressed to him h...

Cesarina team to open traditional Roman pizzeria in Ocean Beach

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:02:02 GMT

SAN DIEGO -- While its in Rome that you "do as the Romans do," a new restaurant opening this summer is looking to bring a taste of the eateries in Italy's bustling capital to Ocean Beach.The ex-pats behind one of the city's most popular Italian spots, Cesarina, will be opening the new restaurant later this summer. Called "Elvira," the osteria and pizzeria will center authentic Roman cuisine, rooted in simplicity and family tradition.Elvira will take over the vacant venue on 4996 Point Loma Boulevard that once housed the eatery, BO-beau kitchen + bar -- remedying an absence felt in the neighborhood since the café closed during the pandemic. This Hillcrest bar is one of the last of its kind Centered in the culinary traditions of the "Eternal City," the restaurant group -- consisting of married couple, chef Cesarina Mezzoni and Niccolò Angius, and friend Giuseppe Capasso -- promises an "ode to cucina Romana" with the spot's renovation that emulates the old-world charm of the city's f...

Israel’s air force attacks Syria and Syrian air defense missile explodes over northern Israel

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:02:02 GMT

BEIRUT (AP) — Israel carried out airstrikes on areas near the central Syrian city of Homs early Sunday causing material damage but no casualties, the Syrian military said in a statement.Syrian state media quoted an unnamed military official as saying the air defenses shot down some of the missiles fired by Israeli warplanes flying over neighboring Lebanon. Israeli authorities did not comment on the airstrike on Homs but said one of the Syrian air defense missiles exploded over northern Israel without causing any damage.Israeli army spokesman Avichay Adraee later said that Israel’s military retaliated for the firing of the air defense missile that exploded over the country’s north by attacking Syrian air defense batteries from where the missile was fired.“The warplanes also attacked other targets in the area,” Adraee tweeted without elaborating. Israel, which has vowed to stop Iranian entrenchment next door, has carried out hundreds of strikes on targets in government-con...

Lotto 649 winning numbers for Saturday, July 1, 2023

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:02:02 GMT

TORONTO — The winning numbers in Saturday’s Lotto 649 draw for an estimated $5 million: 10, 21, 30, 32, 35 & 49.Bonus: 41The winning number for the guaranteed $1 million: 06142226-01In the event of any discrepancy between this list and the official winning numbers, the latter shall prevail. The Canadian Press

Transgender woman challenges societal norms by applying to compete in Miss Venezuela pageant

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:02:02 GMT

CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — Venezuelan’s enthusiasm for beauty pageants is unparalleled, and Miss Venezuela — the crown jewel of them all — may be the only event able to unite the deeply divided country. Once a year, class, race and politics are put aside as the South American nation tunes in to see who will represent Venezuela on the global stage.Behind the cheers and claps for the women vying for the coveted title is a deeply conservative society with little to no tolerance for any defiance of heteronormative standards. Sofia Salomón is ready to challenge that.The influencer and Instagram model has applied to take part in this year’s Miss Venezuela contest. If accepted, she will be the first transgender woman to participate. “I think it is a great platform to bring visibility to my community, echo the positive things, and show people the reality of transgender women,” Salomón said.With no end in sight for the protracted crisis that has pushed millions of Venezuelans into poverty and...