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Comic Aida Rodriguez follows HBO special with Boston show

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:10:40 GMT

There’s a thin line between what’s sad and what’s funny, and Aida Rodriguez knocks it down whenever she performs. As a standup comic she’s delved into family tragedies, cultural stereotypes and her own personal struggles, and made it not just humorous, but surprisingly uplifting.“That’s a coping mechanism I’ve had since I was a kid,” she said by phone this week. “We called it ‘playing the dozens’ when I was a child, and we either cried or laughed. Many people have had children to help escape from the bad things in their life — we’re not psychopaths, we’re just surviving. My comedy became an extension of that I didn’t have a lot of money and couldn’t afford therapy, so that became the place where I could deal.”Born in Boston, she grew up poor in the Dominican Republic, and was kidnapped twice as a child due to family conflicts. When she began performing, she was living homeless in Hollywood after losing a job and being evicted. By then she’d been writing screenplays for a numbe...

Tatyana Ali turns ‘trauma into power’ in ‘Giving Hope’

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:10:40 GMT

Sunday night brings Lifetime’s latest reality-inspired inspirational story, “Giving Hope: The Ni’Cola Mitchell Story.”The Jamaican-born Mitchell (played by Tatyana Ali) has survived unspeakable sexual abuse and a cancer diagnosis. As a writer, publisher and speaker, she’s used her life’s traumatic events to help others, founding Girls Who Brunch, which are events designed to make young women feel seen and empowered.“The script had me in tears, it was very emotional,” Ali, 44, said at a Zoom press conference.  Inspiring as well were, “The women I got to work with on this — incredibly talented, good, Black women that I got to craft this story with in my part as an actor. That will never leave me.“For me personally,” she continued, “turning trauma into power is one of the themes of this film. That’s important. ‘To love yourself by loving others’ is another theme.”Telling and sharing your story of inspiration, she believes, is very personal, different for each person, but ne...

Court considers previous caregiving status

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:10:40 GMT

Q. My ex is suing me for full custody of our three kids. She says I am an incompetent parent and does not think I should have time with the kids alone. But, I was a stay-at-home dad before we broke up! How can she get away with something like this? What’s good ex-etiquette?A. When parents reach out with the same fears as you are expressing, the first thing I ask is, “Why do you think a court would make that decision?” Years ago, that might have been true, but years ago, most dads did not stay home with the kids. Now, it’s quite commonplace, and court decisions will probably be different.It has been my experience that judges look at what is in the best interest of the children, and also what the children have been experiencing prior to court.That means if you were a stay-at-home dad and spent most of the time with the kids, it would be improbable that you would receive no custody time at all. Consistency is important, especially in the times of a parental breakup. If you were the pri...

Eco-terrorism & heist thrills meet in ‘How to Blow Up a Pipeline’

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:10:40 GMT

“How to Blow Up a Pipeline” is exactly that – a movie that charts how a disparate group of young Americans come together to perform what authorities would call an act of domestic terrorism.A hit at Sundance with a 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, “Pipeline” is very much a product of the pandemic says co-writer and actor Ariela Barer (pronounced Bah-her).“This all came about first because we were deep into lockdown pandemic times, pre-vaccine. Daniel Goldhaber, Jordan Sjol and I were all potted up together in one home,” she began.“One night Daniel and I were having a conversation about how we felt so disempowered in our lives and our careers in the world. We just wanted to make a piece of art with our friends that mattered to us. He thought of the book and immediately proposed a heist film about people who come together to blow up a pipeline. I read the book immediately and became obsessed with it. It was just off to the races from there.”However, the only thing they take from A...

Know when to seek help from a lawyer

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:10:40 GMT

Situations in which people can benefit from legal advice and representation arise every day. Whether it’s help writing a will or assistance closing a new home purchase, lawyers can provide a host of invaluable services to their clients. Legal representation can be costly, and those costs might compel people to go it alone.However, there are many situations in which hiring a lawyer is the appropriate move.Complex situations: A do-it-yourself approach might work with minor home improvement projects. However, that approach is rarely in a person’s best interest when a legal issue arises. That’s because legal issues are often more complex than they seem due to nuances in laws. Understanding those nuances is the responsibility of a lawyer and requires years of study. When a complex legal situation arises, the abilities of a lawyer can make the difference between a successful outcome and one that puts individuals in jeopardy.The death of a loved one: Lawyers can help the ...

Editorial: Wall Street Journal reporter is not a spy – free him

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:10:40 GMT

The Wall Street Journal’s Evan Gershkovich is a top-flight journalist, courageously reporting from Vladimir Putin’s Russia at a time when the Russian leader’s illegal invasion of Ukraine has the world’s attention intently trained on virtually every move Moscow makes.He is not a spy.He has, however, become a pawn in Putin’s reckless gambit against the West, a victim of the Kremlin’s willingness to resort to hostage-taking as a bludgeon against America. WNBA basketball star Brittney Griner’s nearly 10-month detention in Russia was hardly an exercise of justice, and neither is Gershkovich’s indefensible arrest on wholly unsubstantiated charges of espionage.To report in Russia, foreign correspondents must get Kremlin permission, via accreditation and visas. In the past, correspondents in Russia have routinely encountered government threats, harassment and surveillance. In rare instances, a correspondent triggering the ire of the Kremlin faced deportation.But, whereas Russian journalists...

Keep Easter lilies away from cats

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:10:40 GMT

Dear Dr. John,I am an usher at church this Easter Sunday and I seek your counsel on whether I should bring home one or two of the Easter Lily plants after our services. I own two cats that are young and mischievous. They love to get into things, and I understand that these plants can be toxic to cats. What does it do to them?  Also, my house cleaner said that in her home country of Brazil there is a new cat disease going around that is also dangerous to people that she heard about from her relatives. Have you heard anything about this and, if so, what is it? Thanks, and Happy Easter. S.W.Dear S.W.,Easter lilies are indeed highly toxic and dangerous to cats, as are other lily plants. Ingesting even any amount of the plant, and cats are prone to chewing plants and leaves, can lead to renal failure and even death. Cats that do eat the plants can vomit and become weak eventually leading to drinking and urinating more, oral lesions, heavy breathing, and more.If you do intend to bring pla...

‘American Manhunt: The Boston Marathon Bombing’ revisits dark days

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:10:40 GMT

As the 10th anniversary of the Boston Marathon Bombing approaches, Netflix unveils on Wednesday Floyd Russ’s new 3-part documentary whose title says it all: “American Manhunt: The Boston Marathon Bombing.”After the shock of four innocents murdered and hundreds wounded, the police, the FBI, the city and the nation wanted to know who and why. It took five days. First, authorities identified the brothers Dzhokhar and Tamerlan Tsarnaev as having planted and exploded two home-made bombs near the finish line. A subsequent massive search concluded with Tamerlan dead and Dzokhar in custody (and subsequently tried, convicted and, since 2022, sentenced to die).“American Manhunt” interviews the principals, reveals extraordinary background information on the brothers as it follows the nightmarish day by day search.  We see the divisions – the FBI did not want to reveal that they knew who the bombers were until they had found them.  The police, however, felt they were at a standstill and went pu...

Allergies or virus? How to tell the difference

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:10:40 GMT

Dear Mayo Clinic: Every year I am plagued by springtime allergies. But in the last few weeks I have been experiencing congestion, runny nose and a persistent cough. How can I determine whether this is a cold, allergies or something more? When should I seek medical care?A.  As the seasons shift, it can be harder to distinguish between the symptoms of the common cold, COVID-19, the flu and allergies, since all can have similar symptoms. This can lead to confusion as to when to seek medical care.COVID-19 is caused by SARS-CoV-2, and the flu comes from a strain of the influenza virus. The common cold most often is caused by rhinoviruses. These viruses all spread in similar ways — by tiny particles that originate from the lips and nose when a person sneezes, coughs, sings or touches a surface. For instance, germs can get picked up from a surface —like a phone or computer keyboard — and then be transmitted into the mouth, nose or eyes.The most common symptoms of COVID-19 are fever, cough ...

Dear Abby: Woman frustrated by sister’s endless lies

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:10:40 GMT

Dear Abby: I’m at a loss about how to deal with my sister, “Julie.” We had an incredibly hard childhood. We lost our mother when she was only 48. My issue with Julie is her constant and blatant storytelling. She has two young children and is recently divorced. While I feel terrible about her situation and have gladly been there to help her, her lies drive me up the wall.The things she makes up are so bizarre, they make me cringe. She’s obvious about it, and it screams red flags. I’m a proud aunt to my niece and nephew, and I do not want them to pick up this habit from her. I know Julie wouldn’t be willing to admit she has a problem, because she becomes extremely defensive when faced with anything she needs to work on. What can I do? — Unsure in UtahDear Unsure: There is nothing you can do to help someone with a problem they refuse to admit they have, but there may be something you can do to help her children. Model honest behavior, admit whe...