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Seasonal shopping + charming scenes = great local holiday markets

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 10:10:02 GMT

In Hallmark holiday movies, the shopping scenes always have the same vibe: Cute, cozy, outdoorsy with lots of places for characters to get toasty. There’s rarely a mall, seldom a big box store and almost never a tablet screen for the shopping center.Luckily, we can find that in real-life.Welcome to the holiday market set up, a concept that’s taken on a myriad of interpretations. Across the Bay State, you’ll find all kinds of great holiday markets, from seaside and quaint to bustling in the big city.They all share this in common: You’ll not only find your Hallmark holiday shopping bliss, you’ll find unique gifts as well. Consider these options, a few of the many holiday markets out there this season.The Holiday Market at Snowport: If you were lucky enough to catch the great scene at Cisco Brewer’s pop-up brewery smack in the middle of the vibrant Seaport District this summer, it’s time to head there again.This time, you’ll find the space reimagined as an adorable holiday village. The...

TV Q & A: When a TV judge rules, who pays?

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 10:10:02 GMT

You have questions. I have some answers.Q: When the judge makes a ruling on “Judge Judy,” who pays? My wife read years ago that the maximum amount she can award is $5,000 and the money comes from the show’s production company. Does that sound correct, or does the losing party have to pay the winner?A: It does. According to many sources, “Judge Judy,” like other courtroom shows, operated as a small-claims court, which limits awards to no more than $5,000. The shows’ production companies pay the award, but participants get appearance fees as well as travel.“Judge Judy,” as you know, ended production in 2021 after almost 25 years on the air, although you can still see reruns. Judge Judy Sheindlin has gone on to “Judy Justice” on Freevee, a streaming service.Q: Do you know of a game show from I believe the ’60s or early ’70s where the set looked like an island and the contestants at some point got into a small boat to a small island? I know this sounds nuts, but ...

AppleTV+ goes big with ‘Monarch: Legacy of Monsters’ series

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 10:10:02 GMT

Godzilla’s reign as the mightiest of all atomic-age mutants continues with the new AppleTV+ series “Monarch: Legacy of Monsters.”But how do you do Godzilla, last seen in a $200 million 2019 feature, on a TV budget?“There’s a couple of approaches to that question,” Chris Black, the series’ showrunner said in a Zoom interview.  “One is we were given a substantial amount of resources that’s very generous for TV.“Early on Apple recognized and Legendary Pictures recognized that what we couldn’t do was a cheap TV version of their movies. This had to be achieved at a quality level that visually approached what the films were. They were generous with resources and we got an A-level team of people who consistently busted their tails and brought their game every day and made the show look spectacular.“Part 2 of that is we knew we shouldn’t try to compete with features and try to scale it down for television. What we had to do was build this as a sustaining television series ...

Older dog’s nose problem is treatable

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 10:10:02 GMT

Dear Dr. John,Our older Shepherd/Rottweiler X recently developed something on top of his nose. When I first called my vet, I was asked to send in a photograph. They asked if he had been digging in the dirt or rooting. I looked around our yard and while there might have been one area where there might have been some digging done, I cannot say with certainty that it was by him.I was told to put Neosporin on the nasal lesion, and it resolved. A few weeks later, the lesion returned so I had him seen.  I was told that he might have a form of lupus and he was given prednisone as a treatment. It is too soon to say if there is any resolution, but I wonder about diagnostic testing. I was told a biopsy would be needed but isn’t there some kind of blood test to determine what he has? This dog would not respond well to having stitches on his nose. What kind of prognosis might I be facing for him? S.C.Dear S.C.,The form of lupus that your dog most likely has is called discoid lupus erythematosus...

Editorial: Hamas’ goal is to kill and create ‘permanent’ conflict

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 10:10:02 GMT

Former President Barack Obama has shamefully come down on the side of moral equivalence in the Middle East. He should know better.In a recent interview, Obama implied that Israel and Hamas are both to blame for the ongoing fighting. “Nobody’s hands are clean,” he said, adding, “All of us are complicit to some degree.”This helps explain why America’s relationship with Israel was fraught with tensions during Obama’s eight years in the White House. The Obama administration’s preferred diplomatic approach was to appease Iran with pallets of cash in hopes it would rein in its terrorist proxies, Hamas and Hezbollah. Meanwhile, “The Obama strategy of pressuring Israel and indulging the Palestinians made no progress toward peace,” The Wall Street Journal’s Elliot Kaufman noted.Obama’s policies were utter failures. And his implication that bloodthirsty Hamas terrorists and Israel are equally at fault for stoking the flames of war is as dangerous as it is naive.The New York Times published in...

Is it OK to put a job search on hold until Jan.?

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 10:10:02 GMT

Q. I’ve been looking for a job since the summer. I know companies are hiring — but they aren’t calling me! I’m tired. Can I just take a break until January?A. I’m sorry to hear they’re not calling you — yet — and that’s the key word. I would tweak (and I realize that’s not your question, but go with me here, OK?) what you’re doing ever so slightly for perhaps different outcomes. Ramp up your networking, coffee conversations, update your resume and more.OK, back to your question — you can take a break if you want until January, but honestly I don’t recommend it.I commend you for tapping into feeling tired and I’m inferring also frustrated and disappointed/disheartened. This emotions don’t convey positive attitudes and confidence during job interviews, please don’t take this personally, it’s just a general observation from my experiences when I worked in corporate recruiting.Yes, abso...

Murder & mirth on tap in ‘The Game’s Afoot: Holmes for the Holidays’

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 10:10:02 GMT

Director Fred Sullivan Jr. says the title of the Lyric Stage’s new production reveals it all: “The Game’s Afoot: Holmes for the Holidays.”“When I first heard it, I was like, ‘Oh, jeez,” Sullivan told the Herald. “But ‘The Game’s Afoot’ is thrilling and then the subtitle, ‘Holmes for the Holidays,’ is kind of stupid silly.”Thrilling and stupid silly is fast becoming a hallmark of Sullivan’s collaborations with the Lyric. A year ago, he directed “The Play That Goes Wrong” — a comedy of errors, an homage to vaudeville and a hilarious disaster, the production had crackerjack timing, dozens of witty puns, absurd pratfalls, clever sight gags, and elevated the lowly spit-take to an art form. This year we are back at a mysterious mansion for more foul play and fumbling detective work.Writer Ken Ludwig’s “The Game’s Afoot: Holmes for the Holidays,” now through Dec. 17, peeks in at a December 1936 holiday party at the Connecticut castle of actor William Gillette, the man who originated Sherlo...

Schoen: Nikki Haley is surging, but can she win?

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 10:10:02 GMT

The most recent public polling of the Republican presidential race in Iowa shows former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley tied for second with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, some 27-points behind Trump. While 27-points seems like a large, maybe even insurmountable margin, it is not impossible for Haley to pick up enough support to potentially contend with Trump in the January first in the nation caucus.To be sure, Haley faces a number of formidable obstacles that make it unlikely for her to succeed. First and foremost, Iowa Republicans tend to be Evangelical, and as we’ve seen in the past, prefer the most conservative, right-wing candidate. Whether it be Mike Huckabee in 2008, Rick Santorum in 2012, or Ted Cruz in 2016, the winner of the Iowa GOP caucuses in recent times has not fit Haley’s mainstream Republican mold. It seems former President Donald Trump holds the mantle of most conservative this time around, especially given his appointment of the Supreme Court justices that ov...

Holidays a tug-of-war with divorced in-laws

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 10:10:02 GMT

Q. I was recently married. My husband’s parents were divorced two years ago, and they are in the middle of trying to figure out how to handle the holidays. His mother wants us to spend Thanksgiving with her and his father says he will go with us anywhere, just not to his ex-wife’s home. My parents have been divorced for 10 years, but prior to that they were each married to someone else, so I have three half siblings. We settled into celebrating holidays together — my parents get along and that makes it easy. However, now that everyone is married with kids and responsibilities to other in-laws, and I have prickly in-laws, I’m having trouble with logistics. Everyone wants me to be with them and I’m frustrated beyond belief. What is good ex-etiquette?A.  I try to remind everyone that “the holidays” are not necessarily just one day, but an entire holiday season. Between mid-November and Jan. 1, there are quite a few days to celebrate with loved ones. It doesn’t necessarily h...

Engaging Gavin loves to make people laugh

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 10:10:02 GMT

Gavin is a playful young boy who has a great sense of humor. Some of his favorite things to do are reading and playing basketball. The adults in Gavin’s life say he is engaging and enjoys connecting with others. He is well-liked by his peers, and he thrives off of adult attention. Gavin is smart, and he enjoys sharing his knowledge of the world with others.Gavin would bring great joy to a family where he can be the youngest or only child. Gavin needs a family that can provide him with structure and consistency, and be open to maintaining contact with his sibling.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 perfect match to adopt a waiting child. Adoptive parents can be single, married, or partnered; experienced or not; renters or homeowners; LGBTQ+ singles and couples. As an adoptive parent, you won’t have to pay any fees, adoption from foster care is completely free in Massachusetts.The process to adopt a child fr...