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Drunk astronomers, monsters and red underwear: New book explores the myth and folklore of eclipses

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 10:42:47 GMT

(CNN) — An ancient Chinese story tells of two court astronomers, Hsi and Ho, who got drunk and failed to predict an eclipse of the sun. This grave oversight led to them being executed, off-with-their-heads-style, by the Emperor Chung K’ang.Set sometime between 2159 and 1948 BC, the legend is thought to be the oldest recorded reference to a solar eclipse — and it’s just one of the interesting cultural anecdotes recounted in a new book called “Totality: The Great North American Eclipse of 2024” that was coauthored by Mark Littmann, journalism professor at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, and Fred Espenak, retired astrophysicist emeritus at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center.“I find the mythology and folklore of eclipses fascinating,” Littmann said in an email. “To see how people long ago and people today reacted to a total eclipse of the Sun, a sight so unexpected, so dramatic, so surprising in appearance, and so unnatural even though it is utterly natural.”Such ent...

Woman who drove robbery getaway truck involved in deadly Westchester wreck arrested, police say

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 10:42:47 GMT

Police said they have arrested a woman in connection to a deadly wreck in Southwest Miami-Dade.Dymariz Picon faces a long list of charges, including vehicular homicide and driving with a suspended license.According to Miami-Dade Police, the 28-year-old drove a getaway pickup truck after two men robbed an On the Run convenience store, Friday morning.Detectives said Picon ran a stop sign and crashed into a work van at Southwest 92nd Avenue and 21st Terrace in the Westchester section.The two men inside the van were taken to the hospital, where they are listed in critical in stable condition.Police said a 34 year-old man who was a passenger in the getaway truck was killed, and they are still looking for a third person who was in that vehicle.If you have any information on the second passenger’s whereabouts, call Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at 305-471-TIPS. Remember, you can always remain anonymous, and you may be eligible for a reward of up to $5,000.

Husband’s affair revealed through iPad messages

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 10:42:47 GMT

Q. Last Christmas we got our 10-year-old daughter an iPad.  My husband set it up for her and she is connected to his iCloud and iTunes account.  He recently logged in to let her make a Christmas song playlist.  But now all of my husband’s texts come to her iPad.She had it on the kitchen counter playing music while I was preparing dinner. Suddenly I saw a bunch of messages pop up between my husband and his co-worker.  I scrolled through and discovered they have clearly been involved in an intimate relationship for a long time.  There was discussion about last years Christmas gifts to each other and luxury vacation (I thought he was in Singapore for business two weeks following Christmas – I was very wrong).What is the best way to preserve what I am seeing so I can prove he is having an affair when I look for a lawyer after the holidays?A. First of all, you do not have to prove he is having an affair to get divorced. The bigger issue here is how much of the marital assets he is spendi...

‘Valley Girl’ gets musical reunion

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 10:42:47 GMT

In the cult-classic 80s movie “Valley Girl,” Nicolas Cage gets to beat up a rival while singer Josie Cotton is onstage, then kiss his beloved as the Plimsouls play a Hollywood punk club. We should all be so lucky.Cage probably won’t be there but the movie’s two musical stars, Josie Cotton and the Plimsouls, will share a bill at the Middle East Wednesday. It will be an amusing occasion for both artists, who haven’t looked back too often at their big Hollywood moment.Cotton was two albums into her career when director Martha Coolidge tapped her for the film. “It amazes me how people still sentimentalize about it,” she said last week. “What I remember is that it was people doing a movie guerrilla style, because they believed in the project. We were filming in this old abandoned schoolhouse. There were leaks, it was freezing. It was a one-take situation, nobody got paid, and I don’t remember being fed. But I think the message of the movie was good, for sensitive guys trying to make it i...

TV Q&A: When will ‘Antiques Roadshow’ return?

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 10:42:47 GMT

You have questions. I have some answers.Q: Now that the COVID epidemic is behind us, I’m hoping that they will resume production of new episodes of “Antiques Roadshow.” Do you know whether the show will return?A: The long-running PBS series will begin a new season on Jan. 8. The show says the season will feature presentations at “distinctive historic venues including Alaska Native Heritage Center in Anchorage; Old Sturbridge Village in Sturbridge, Massachusetts; LSU Rural Life Museum in Baton Rouge, Louisiana; North Carolina Museum of Art in Raleigh; and Stan Hywet Hall & Gardens in Akron, Ohio.”Q: I just watched “No Hard Feelings,” and I was surprised to see the nudity. Was it Jennifer Lawrence or a body double?A: Jennifer Lawrence did her own nude scene in the R-rated comedy. “I didn’t even have a second thought,” Lawrence told Variety. “It was hilarious to me.” She said that people around her made certain there were no concerns about her decision. “Everyone in my life and my ...

Editorial: Medicaid enrollment drop didn’t lead to disaster

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 10:42:47 GMT

Former President Ronald Reagan once noted, “No government ever voluntarily reduces itself in size.” That’s true, which is why what’s currently happening with Medicaid is so remarkable.During the pandemic, Medicaid enrollment grew dramatically because the federal government tied increased emergency funding to a provision that prevented states from removing ineligible individuals from the rolls. Earlier this year, Medicaid enrollment ballooned from 65 million people to more than 94 million. That’s more than a quarter of the country’s population.So much for Medicaid being coverage of last resort for the neediest.Reagan foresaw that outcome. The rest of his above quote states, “Government programs, once launched, never disappear. Actually, a government bureau is the nearest thing to eternal life we’ll ever see on this Earth.”To prove his point, the White House kept renewing the emergency order even as the pandemic faded. This was a backdoor effort to permanently expand Medicaid.But Repu...

Riley Gaines: Charlie Baker can protect women’s sports

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 10:42:47 GMT

A penalty corner. A male player at the top of the circle winds up for a shot at the goal. Female defenders rush to try to get their stick on the ball. The male hitter has made contact with the solid ball. The ball is in the air headed straight into the teeth of a female defender. Screams. Teeth are knocked out of her mouth and there’s significant damage to her jaw. The male player stays on the field to finish up and win the game for the women’s field hockey team 2-0. The female players are devastated.This happened in Charlie Baker’s backyard. Not only in his home state but in a sport his daughter Caroline played and one which he now oversees in his role today. Yet, Charlie Baker – former Massachusetts governor and current National Collegiate Athletic Association president – has said nothing about the horrific incident.Baker continues to say nothing with respect to preserving the safety and integrity of women’s sports.Baker says he cares about women’s sports. He should. His dau...

Young cat coughs, older cat loses weight

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 10:42:47 GMT

Dear Dr. John,I have a new cat not quite a year old and another that is 13. I brought the kitten in to keep the old guy company. Things are going OK but the kitten is always trying to play with the other cat and grooms him a lot. As a result, sometimes the older cat wants nothing to do with the youngster.I have two concerns. The younger cat has taken to having some coughing fits. I looked it up online and it looks like asthma. Could he have asthma at his age? What do you recommend that I do? The older cat has taken to eating a bit less and has lost a fair amount of weight. He has always vomited a lot of hairballs and is currently vomiting once or twice a day. Could he be sick and what might cause a fair amount of weight loss at his age? Could the kitten be causing this problem? D.A.Dear D.A.,New kittens introduced into a household sometimes work out well and other times not so well. While a young cat could develop asthma, it usually affects cats starting at a few years of age, so it...

Fun things to do with the kids during Vacation Week

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 10:42:47 GMT

Between all the holiday shopping, end of term projects,  ornament swaps, cookie exchanges, your job and giving back to the community, it’s no wonder you haven’t had time to nail down vacation week adventure plans for your brood. Because that’s what good parents do, right?There’s good news: There’s plenty to be had over the busy holiday week. If you’re looking for educational, adventurous, or even simply a way to keep them busy, there are still ways to make vacation week fabulous.Consider these itineraries for an easy yet interesting family adventure.Sparkling city funBundle up, head in to Boston and start your adventure at the Seaport with Snowport (https://www.bostonseaport.xyz/), a fun pop-up village of cool holiday themed shopping and food. It’s all served out of quaint sheds in a lovely setting, and the perfect way to spend whatever crisp bills were tucked into holiday cards.From there, meander down Summer Street to Congress Street, Sudbury Street to Nort...

6 key Norman Lear TV shows and where to watch them

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 10:42:47 GMT

Norman Lear wasn’t just an epochal talent — he was highly prolific to boot. So much so that the legendary producer, who died Tuesday at 101, had at least one TV series, and as many as nine at once, on the air throughout the entire period between 1971 and 1986.To help you get a handle on where to start with Lear, or where to catch up with your old favorites, we asked our critics to compile a list of his six most essential TV shows and where to stream them.‘All in the Family’ (CBS, 1971-1979)Prime-time television was revolutionized by “All in the Family” when it premiered in 1971. The half-hour sitcom dared to tackle politics and social ills in a comedy set in the cramped Bunker household, where bigoted, grousing patriarch Archie (Carroll O’Connor) laid bare America’s changing values in the midst of the civil rights movement, the Vietnam War and women’s liberation. Hate him or love him, Archie was a reflection of a country in flux, and “All in the Family” a demarcation point for the c...