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Ask Amy: Rogue aunt snags reluctant dog sitters

Published Sat, 08 Feb 2025 10:08:41 GMT

Dear Amy: My husband’s father died when my husband was only 3 years old.His father had a sister, “Anne,” who never had anything to do with my husband and his siblings while they were growing up, but has surfaced over the last couple of years.She has given my husband some things that belonged to his paternal grandfather, but other than that there has not been much contact.Recently, out of the blue, Anne asked my husband and me to watch her 2-year-old dog (a black Lab) so she could have a break and settle her husband back into their home after having surgery.We took the pup into our home, but at the same time I told my husband I thought it was odd that she would ask us.I’ve laid eyes on this woman twice in the 36 years I’ve been married to my husband.The pup was very unsettled and my husband ended up taking the dog back to Anne’s home during the night — after spending two days with us.A week or so later we received a thank you note, and she wrote that she was hoping ...

Decrease in lightweight plastic bags continued in 2021

Published Sat, 08 Feb 2025 10:08:41 GMT

In 2021, each person living in the EU consumed on average 77 lightweight plastic carrier bags (LPCBs), which is 11 bags less per person, compared with 2020. Overall, 34.2 billion (bn) lightweight plastic carrier bags were consumed in the EU in 2021 (-4.8 bn bags compared with 2020). This information comes from data on lightweight plastic carrier bags published by Eurostat today. The article presents a handful of findings from the more detailed Statistics Explained article.Source dataset: env_waspcb2021 was the first year in which EU consumption of very lightweight plastic carrier bags (i.e., bags with a wall thickness of less than 15 micrometres (microns)) decreased. In 2021, the EU inhabitants consumed 12.3 bn very light plastic carrier bags (VLPCBs), less than in any of the years before (since the data collection started in 2018): 14.1 bn in 2018; 14.5 bn in 2019; 14.9 bn in 2020).  Since 2018, the consumption of LPCBs between 15 to less than 50 microns thick has steadily decrease...

Dom Dolla Makes Chinatown Pop

Published Sat, 08 Feb 2025 10:08:41 GMT

A fall night in Chinatown is often a great advertisement for LA — an energetic, mixed crowd beneath neon lights and brisk (but not uncomfortably cold), confetti-filled air. Last Friday, Nov. 4, it had the added bonus of being ground zero for the best house music in town, as Australian producer Dom Dolla took over the plaza for a night of his signature groovy tunes.Dom brought some friends along for the lineup, and the evening kicked off with fellow Australian producer Torren Foot. When we arrived, the crowd was finishing up drinks and milling about before filling up the dense dancefloor.We got into the mix right as a special guest took over the decks. We couldn’t make out who it was, but it didn’t matter, as by that point most bodies were warm enough to be rightfully bouncy. We later found out it was British producer Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs, and he did a worthy job getting the crowd amped for the headliner.When time for the switchover came, one question percolated — we kn...

Review: Cage is brilliant in the weirdly fascinating ‘Dream Scenario’

Published Sat, 08 Feb 2025 10:08:41 GMT

By Jocelyn Noveck | Associated PressQuick: What’s a good adjective for Nicolas Cage’s screen presence? Mercurial, perhaps? Volcanic? Volatile?How about mundane, schlubby, average? Not the page we’d think to turn to in our Roget’s Thesaurus.Yet here Cage is, channeling his inner drabness to chillingly comic effect in Kristoffer Borgli’s “Dream Scenario.” As Paul Matthews (heck, even the name is drab), a college professor at nowhere famous, he performs his job with perfect mediocrity, and seems a fairly mediocre husband and dad, too. With his graying beard, wire-rimmed specs and shiny bald spot, Cage’s Paul is the guy in the room you ignore.Until, suddenly, you can’t. Because something weird starts happening. Paul starts appearing in people’s dreams. Everyone’s dreams.The premise is delicious — and precarious. It recalled for me the setup in a very different movie, “Yesterday,” where only one guy on Earth re...

Crocker Highlands beauty

Published Sat, 08 Feb 2025 10:08:41 GMT

This property has been loved by the same family for 35 years. It’s perched on a gentle slope with views of S.F. Bay from the primary en suite and living room.This view home features six bedrooms, a verdant flat yard and a fabulous neighborhood. The main house boasts six bedrooms and four bathrooms; several of which could double as work-from-home offices, a gym or space for visiting guests. The basement has a guest en suite with separate entrance and large rec room, which is perfect for multigenerational living or boomerang kids.The long driveway leads to a spacious detached garage and a verdant flat yard.This is a fantastic neighborhood near Grand Lake /Lake Merritt shopping and Park Boulevard as well as good freeway access.Location: 1118 Clarendon Crescent, Oakland 94610  http://www.crockerhighlandsbeauty.comContact: Herman Chan at (415) 787-3450, Lic. 01395481Price: $2,000,000

Single family residence sells for $6.5 million in Saratoga

Published Sat, 08 Feb 2025 10:08:41 GMT

14836 Three Oaks Court – Google Street ViewA spacious house located in the 14800 block of Three Oaks Court in Saratoga has new owners. The 4,599-square-foot property, built in 1990, was sold on Oct. 23, 2023, for $6,533,000, or $1,421 per square foot. The layout of this single-story home includes three bedrooms and four bathrooms. The home’s exterior showcases roofing materials crafted from wood shake roofing / shingles. Inside, there is a fireplace. The property is equipped with forced air heating and a cooling system. In addition, the house includes a three-car garage, ensuring ample room for parking and storage. The property’s backyard is further enhanced by both a spa and a pool.Additional houses have recently been sold nearby:A 3,789-square-foot home on the 14800 block of Farwell Avenue in Saratoga sold in November 2022, for $4,600,000, a price per square foot of $1,214. The home has 5 bedrooms and 4 bathrooms.In August 2022, a 3,770-square-foot home on Mendelsohn Lane in Sarat...

Spain calls up Girona midfielder Aleix García for final 2 European qualifiers

Published Sat, 08 Feb 2025 10:08:41 GMT

MADRID (AP) — Spain coach Luis de la Fuente called up four new players, including Girona midfielder Aleix García, on Friday for the final two European Championship qualifiers, with a place in next year’s tournament already secured.Spain ensured it will be among the 24 teams playing in Germany after winning at Norway 1-0 last month.The three-time winner will close out the qualifying phase by visiting Cyprus on Thursday and hosting Georgia three days later.García, 26, has helped Girona far exceed expectations to lead the Spanish league ahead of Real Madrid and Barcelona after losing just once in 12 games.In addition to García, De la Fuente could also give debuts to Bayer Leverkusen left back Alejandro Grimaldo, Atletico Madrid midfielder Rodrigo Riquelme and Real Sociedad goalkeeper Álex Remiro after including them in his 25-man squad.___Spain:Goalkeepers: Unai Simón (Athletic Bilbao), David Raya (Arsenal), Álex Remiro (Real Sociedad)Defenders: Jesús Navas (Sevilla), Robin Le No...

Petrobras: Q3 Earnings Snapshot

Published Sat, 08 Feb 2025 10:08:41 GMT

RIO DE JANERIO RJ BR, Brazil (AP) — RIO DE JANERIO RJ BR, Brazil (AP) — Petroleo Brasileiro SA – Petrobras (PBR) on Friday reported third-quarter net income of $5.46 billion.On a per-share basis, the Rio De Janerio Rj Br, Brazil-based company said it had net income of 84 cents. Earnings, adjusted for non-recurring costs, came to 86 cents per share.The results fell short of Wall Street expectations. The average estimate of three analysts surveyed by Zacks Investment Research was for earnings of 90 cents per share.The oil and gas company posted revenue of $25.55 billion in the period._____This story was generated by Automated Insights (http://automatedinsights.com/ap) using data from Zacks Investment Research. Access a Zacks stock report on PBR at https://www.zacks.com/ap/PBRSource

Wynn joins Caesars and MGM in reaching tentative deal to avoid a strike by Las Vegas hotel workers

Published Sat, 08 Feb 2025 10:08:41 GMT

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Over seven months of tense negotiations, mandatory daily room cleanings underscored the big issues that Las Vegas union hotel workers were fighting to address in their first contracts since the pandemic: job security, better working conditions and safety while on the job.From the onset of bargaining, Ted Pappageorge, the chief contract negotiator for the Culinary Workers Union, had said tens of thousands of workers whose contracts expired earlier this year would be willing to go on strike to make daily room cleanings mandatory.“Las Vegas needs to be full service,” he said last month.It was a message that Pappageorge and the workers would repeat for months as negotiations ramped up and the union threatened to go on strike if they didn’t have contracts by first light on Friday with MGM Resorts International, Caesars Entertainment and Wynn Resorts.But by dawn Friday, the union had secured tentative labor deals with MGM Resorts, Caesars and Wynn Resorts, nar...

China Automotive Systems: Q3 Earnings Snapshot

Published Sat, 08 Feb 2025 10:08:41 GMT

JINGZHOU, China (AP) — JINGZHOU, China (AP) — China Automotive Systems Inc. (CAAS) on Friday reported third-quarter earnings of $9.5 million.The Jingzhou, China-based company said it had net income of 31 cents per share.The auto parts supplier posted revenue of $137.5 million in the period.China Automotive Systems expects full-year revenue of $560 million.The company’s shares closed at $3.43. A year ago, they were trading at $4.02._____This story was generated by Automated Insights (http://automatedinsights.com/ap) using data from Zacks Investment Research. Access a Zacks stock report on CAAS at https://www.zacks.com/ap/CAASSource