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You deserve to – and should – take time off from job

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 17:14:54 GMT

Q. This may sound weird, but I love my job. I actually don’t want to take any time off this summer. Home life is very chaotic and work is my home away from home — it’s safe, it’s my happy place and makes me feel good. Is it bad if I put in extra hours and don’t take time off? I mean, will my bosses look down on me or will it actually hurt my career?A. Thanks for your honesty and I’m sorry to hear home life is chaotic, but that’s wonderful that your job brings you so much joy and it sounds like you may also get support from your work family, too.As for your questions, I have a few thoughts. It’s up to you whether or not you take any or all of your PTO, but technically it’s paid time off. You deserve to unplug whatever that looks like — if it’s a staycation or if you travel somewhere or a combination of both.Regarding whether or not it can be a hindrance, this may sound counterintuitive, but it might. Your bosses may be...

NHL notes: Trade Jeremy Swayman? Only for the Wright stuff

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 17:14:54 GMT

We are on the record as believing the cap-crunched Bruins should keep both Linus Ullmark and restricted free agent Jeremy Swayman in almost any circumstance.Almost.As we wade into the too-long summer months for the B’s, there’s one idea that we find intriguing. Mind you, we’re just spit-balling here. But it would be interesting if the Seattle Kraken would entertain shipping their 2022 first-round draft pick, Shane Wright, out east for one of the two Bruin goalies. The guess here is the one that the Kraken would even consider trading Wright for would be the 24-year-old Swayman as opposed to Ullmark, who’ll turn 30 on July 31.It could be a franchise-changing deal with a strong possibility of being a win-win move.The Kraken signed Philipp Grubauer to a six-year deal with a $5.9 million cap hit before its inaugural season two summers ago. He had a nice little run in the Kraken’s playoff debut, but he’s been just OK otherwise. In 39 games this season, ...

Shepherd has arthritis, tummy troubles

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 17:14:54 GMT

Dear Dr. John,Our German Shepherd is 13 years old and was diagnosed last year as being anemic, found to have a mass on her spleen, had it removed, and luckily it was benign. Arthritis has set in, and our vet gave us Rimadyl which seems to work well but it is costly! I understand there is a generic version which costs less but is it equally effective? She has had intermittent diarrhea and an upset stomach with some regularity. Tests have shown no parasites. She does have a propensity to get into various things that she ingests outdoors such as feces from wildlife and even garbage. Can I give her Tums to settle her stomach? Most of the time, the diarrhea resolves. Sometimes there is also some vomiting. What do you suggest? I am almost too embarrassed to contact my vet about the same issue again and again. W.M.Dear W.M.,Let me start by saying that I am happy for you that the splenic mass proved to be benign since so many are malignant hemangiosarcomas that often lead to a very shortene...

Haas: Lawmakers fighting back against mortgage changes

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 17:14:54 GMT

Changes to fees for loans backed by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac continue to be a hot topic as Republicans push to repeal them.The changes to the loan-level price adjustment matrix by officials at the Federal Housing Finance Agency went into effect May 1, and critics are opposed to the notion that homebuyers with good credit scores and substantial down payments will pay more so fees for borrowers limited by income or wealth can be reduced.Rep. Warren Davidson, R-Ohio, who introduced the Middle Class Borrower Protection Act, again attacked the policy. He refers to it as “a socialist redistribution of wealth.”While speaking before the House Financial Services Committee on Wednesday, Davidson said officials at the FHFA have an extraordinary level of authority in the housing landscape, including over the cost of mortgages. He said his legislation would bring independent oversight to the process of setting the government-sponsored enterprises’ upfront fees.“It would put in place a one-year...

Phoning the afterlife? The goofy ideas of Thomas Edison and others

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 17:14:54 GMT

BOOK REVIEW“Edison’s Ghosts: The Untold Weirdness of History’s Greatest Geniuses”By Katie SpaldingLittle, Brown, $29Grade: AThe idea behind the informative and entertaining “Edison’s Ghosts” is simple: “The flip side of ‘everyone is brilliant in their own way’ is the equally true ‘everyone is an idiot,’ and that seems to be particularly true when we talk about the people traditionally held up as geniuses.”Author Katie Spalding’s geniuses are mainly scientists, but others, as well. While they are largely known to average readers — Leonardo da Vinci, Marie Curie and Maya Angelou — she includes such obscure phenoms as Évariste Galois, who, while a teen, solved a 350-year-old math problem that laid the foundation for group theory.No, I don’t know what that is. But Spalding describes his and others’ achievements with a light touch and sense of humor, making what could have been dry recitations...

TV Q&A: Why are shows allowed to end unresolved?

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 17:14:54 GMT

You have questions. I have some answers.Q: Shouldn’t television producers be required to resolve major questions before a series is removed from viewing? Not alone, but probably most annoying was “Colony,” which created an entire set of circumstances and never resolved ANYTHING.A: Networks and television producers make deals for a specific number of episodes in a TV season, although the number varies from one show to the next. Still, the people making the show do not always know if they are going to be canceled as they make their allotted number of episodes. I also remember one producer claiming he put a huge cliffhanger in his season-ending show to pressure the network to renew it.But we see plenty of occasions when cliffhangers do not prevent cancellation. Some shows anticipating cancellation do offer a wrapping-up moment in their season finale; both “The Resident” and “East New York” did that this season. And “How I Met Your Mother” shot some wrap-up scenes in its second season, ...

When to make the switch from crib to ‘big kid’ bed

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 17:14:54 GMT

Once your toddler can climb out of their crib, it may be time to transition to a “big kid” bed. Your child may have a heady sense of freedom the first few nights after moving permanently to a bed. Luckily, most kids are happy to “graduate” and stay in their beds more willingly than they did in their cribs. However, for a few, the transition has to be managed closely.After the switch, try to continue with the same bedtime routine you have used since your child first joined the family. Follow these steps:1. When you end a routine, tell your child to stay in bed until you come for them.2. If they get out of bed, calmly and quietly lead them back and tell them they must stay in bed.3. When they get back into bed, reward them by briefly telling them what a good sleeper they are being for being there, then leave the room.4. Tell them you will come and check on them during the night. For some children, this provides reassurance.But don’t kid yourself that the strugg...

Editorial: One answer to migration crisis? Jobs

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 17:14:54 GMT

The Biden administration’s sensible new policy for asylum seekers — requiring them to submit applications in Latin American countries before arriving — seems to have preempted a wave of migration to the border, at least for now. But what about those the US has already legally admitted into the country, who are being blocked from doing what the American economy needs them to do: work?Take, for example, migrants admitted under humanitarian parole. Under current policy, they can’t work until they go through a backlogged authorization process that can last a year or more. With few other options, migrants barred from working legally may turn to under-the-table work or government relief programs, costing taxpayers money, straining local and state budgets, and fostering dependencies that run counter to the history of US immigration. Meanwhile, US companies are struggling to find workers, with 1.6 open jobs per available unemployed worker.President Biden can solve this problem by taking exe...

‘V is for Victory’ explores FDR’s bid for support during WWII

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 17:14:54 GMT

BOOK REVIEW“V Is For Victory: Franklin Roosevelt’s American Revolution and the Triumph of World War II”By Craig NelsonScribner, $32Grade:  AThere are plenty of battles that were crucial to the Allies’ victory in World War II, and even more books chronicling them. But the key fight didn’t occur on any battlefield — the battle to win over the public and industry’s support for the war effort.That’s the focus of Craig Nelson’s “V Is For Victory,” a solid history of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s success in fighting back against isolationist tendencies brewing in the country to rally the public’s support and marshal the supplies needed to win the war.Nelson chronicles what went into efforts to ramp up production of needed supplies such as tanks and bombers, reviving a moribund military supply and making the oft-quoted Roosevelt line about the “arsenal of democracy” come alive for readers.He also shows the figures that played a key role in the fight, including familiar characters s...

Francisco Alvarez, Pete Alonso homer but Mets can’t complete comeback against Rockies

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 17:14:54 GMT

DENVER — Just when it looked like the Mets would finally have their two dominant aces to lead the rotation, the Colorado Rockies rocked Justin Verlander. One night after Max Scherzer gave the Mets seven strong innings, Verlander gave up five in the second inning alone.The Mets clawed back from a 6-0 deficit and Verlander was rewarded when Francisco Alvarez launched an absolute moonshot of a home run in the sixth to tie the game at 6-6 and the Mets took a lead in the seventh. But the rally fell short and the Mets lost 10-7 in the second game of a three-game series on Saturday at Coors Field.A two-run homer by Ryan McMahon in the bottom of the seventh and two insurance runs in the eighth by the Rockies (23-30) secured the win.Verlander gave up six runs over three innings, with five coming in the second alone. But Pete Alonso hit his league-leading 20th home run in the fourth off Rockies’ starter Chase Anderson in the fourth and Jeff McNeil started a rally with a leadoff si...