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Padres, Blake Snell halt Mets winning streak at 6 in 3-1 loss

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:58:00 GMT

SAN DIEGO — One big hit can be all it takes to win baseball games and that’s exactly what happened Friday night in San Diego. Padres’ reserve infielder Matthew Batten ended the Mets’ six-game winning streak in his first at-bat of the season Friday night at Petco Park, helping to hand the Mets a 3-1 loss.Batten’s blast was coupled with a shutdown pitching performance by left-hander Blake Snell, who blanked the Mets for six innings.The home run came in the second inning off of left-hander David Peterson (2-7). The Padres (42-47) took a 1-0 lead when Brandon Dixon scored Gary Sanchez a fly ball to right field. It dropped right in front of Starling Marte, the outfielder fielded it on the bounce and threw out the runner at second.Batten, the second baseman who was only called up from Triple-A El Paso earlier in the week, then took a changeup and drove it over the left field fence to put San Diego up 3-0.Snell (6-7) made the lead stand up. The left-hander mad...

An Odyssey Dinner Cruise around Boston Harbor not just for tourists

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:58:00 GMT

Sometimes, being a dyed-in-the-wool local can get in the way of finding some  amazing fun.Case in point: A friend recently invited my husband and me to join a group on the Odyssey Premier Dinner Cruise, part of Boston Harbor City Cruises’ (https://www.cityexperiences.com)  long list of on-the-water offerings in and around Boston Harbor.Of course I said yes. I’d not seen this friend in quite a while. But I said yes with a bit of an internal eye roll.A harbor dinner cruise? How touristy!I was wrong. Our three-hour dinner tour of Boston Harbor was both beautiful and fun. And I’m here to say to the rest of you locals: Grab a seat on the Odyssey. You’ll see our beloved city in a new light (sunset and then starlight), from a view you don’t often get.And, you’ll savor a great three-course meal, excellent cocktails, and make friends with many of the other guests aboard. It’s a wicked awesome time.We boarded the Odyssey at its dock at Rowes Wharf. Having parked at the Boston Harb...

Kyra Sedgwick shakes things up on Season 2 of ‘The Summer I Turned Pretty’

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:58:00 GMT

As played by Krya Sedgwick, Aunt Julia is most definitely an unwelcome presence in Season 2 of Prime Video’s “The Summer I Turned Pretty.”This hit teen-centric series revolves around Isabel (Lola Tung), the center of a love triangle with the warring Fisher brothers, Conrad and Jeremiah. With their beloved mother’s death, the boys find their sumptuous lakeside estate now belongs to Aunt Julia who arrives determined to sell the place, no matter how upsetting this is for the boys..This means both Fishers can unite in seeing Julia, their late mother Susannah’s sister, as a villain.  But is she?  Really?“She definitely comes in to shake things up, wanting to sell that house which is a huge part of the legacy of the show, this whole world that they’ve built there,” Sedgwick, 57, acknowledged in a Zoom interview.“So it’s very upsetting and confusing.  She feels like somebody who you want to hate. What I think is great about it is ultimately you come to understand her point of v...

Carlozzi: Are Massachusetts lawmakers serious about competing?

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:58:00 GMT

It seems evident that Governor Maura Healey recognizes Massachusetts is at an inflection point and must act to prevent a mass exodus of residents from leaving the Commonwealth and heading to lower-cost states. This is undoubtedly why her first major legislative package was a tax reform bill designed to help make living and working in Massachusetts more affordable. But once state legislators are done putting their stamp on tax relief, will it be enough to stop the hemorrhaging and keep residents and businesses, along with their tax dollars, in the Bay State?From a small business perspective, there is not enough meaningful relief in the Legislature’s version of the tax package to effectively move the needle on competitiveness.Gov. Healey proposed raising the exemption for the onerous estate tax to $3 million, but the House and Senate lowered it to $2 million. Therefore, instead of being worst among the handful of states that still levy an estate tax, Massachusetts will be third worst ...

Great performance review, but promotion is still on hold

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:58:00 GMT

Q. We just had our semi-annual performance review and I crushed it! I was told my promotion is on hold though. I was told that at year-end. And last year this time, too. I’m exceeding all my goals. My salary doesn’t mirror this either. What should I do?A. I’m sorry to hear the frustration, which is palpable, and I totally understand where you’re coming from. The good news? You are acing it! And it sounds like you’re fast-tracking your way to a well-deserved promotion.Now for the bad news, which is technically good news. I’d look for a new job externally ASAP. Your employer has given you all indications based on past behavior that the promotion, while waiting in the wings is just that: still waiting. It’s TBD.You deserve more than TBD. Granted, I don’t know the back story — maybe there’s a reason why things are on hold in addition to you not being paid accordingly. Maybe it’s valid. Maybe it’s not. But you seem a...

Fascinating doc about Negro ‘League’ hits a home run

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:58:00 GMT

Directed by Sam Pollard of the scorching 2020 documentary “MLK/FBI” and produced by among others Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson, director of the Academy Award winning “Summer of Soul (…Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised),” “The League” tells the fascinating story of the Negro National League.The League was both a collection of teams and a phenomenon that helped shape modern-day baseball and modern-day America. As Pollard reveals, using exisitng and new interviews with historians, former players, sportswriters and other experts, a host of other archival footage and still photographs of posters, tickets, programs and other “ephemera,” the “League” was a powerful and unique form of African-American expression at a time when African-Americans were being routinely oppressed, abused and even lynched. As Pollard explains, the migration to the North (and West) was a large part of the phenomenon. In such cities as Chicago, Detroit, New York City, Cleveland, and Newark, N.J., Af...

It’s not ‘your’ time, it’s your kids’ time

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:58:00 GMT

Q. I live about 200 miles from my kids. They live with their mother, and I see them the third weekend of each month and during school breaks. The weekend visits are very stressful. I come into town, but they always have things planned, like a baseball or soccer game, and their mother is the coach, so she’s always there. That means I have one day a month — Sunday — to be with my kids by myself on my time. It’s not enough time to do anything. I’m thinking when I come into town, they should be able to spend the time with me, not be stuck going to a soccer game. Their mother says, “After the game.” What’s good ex-etiquette?A. Ah, the “my time” dilemma. Let me clarify: It’s not “your time.” It’s not “mom’s time.” It’s your kids’ time. Their lives do not stop because you come into town. You assimilate into their lives, not they into yours.So, if they have games or a special project on your scheduled week, join the party, and be excited to be part of your children’s lives. If you want to p...

Yacht Rock Review sets steady course for musical treasures

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:58:00 GMT

You’d think that people would’ve had enough of silly love songs. I looked around the Leader Bank Pavilion and I saw it wasn’t so.On Thursday night, on the huge Pavilion stage, Yacht Rock Revue sold nostalgia, escapism, the notion that musical chops matter, and a post-modernist take on popular music. But mostly, like Paul McCartney before them, the aviator-sporting middle aged guys in YRR sold silly love songs. Or at least re-sold them.An Atlanta-born tribute to ’70s AM Gold and ’80s Top 40, YRR went mainstream on the back of years of touring – the band plays the Cape Cod Melody Tent Wednesday and Thursday before returning to the Pavilion on Friday. Too good to remain purely a cover band, YRR made an album of originals in 2020 – the LP, “Hot Dads in Tight Jeans,” is a tasty cocktail of soft rock, indie pop, sparkling disco and glitchy electronica. The Revue’s covers and originals both work because they take the music (if not themselves) seriously.And yes, you can take Looking G...

Keeshond slower to get up and down

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:58:00 GMT

Dear Dr. John,My nine-year-old Keeshond weighs around 54 lbs. In the last month or two, I have noticed that he is much slower getting up and down, cannot jump up on my couch anymore, and it appears that his hind legs shake at times. What could the possible cause of his slowing down and apparent discomfort? I would like to keep him comfortable and wonder what diagnostics might be needed and what treatments might help. I suppose I should call my vet to see what can be done but I am fearful of possibly receiving bad news. E.D.Dear E.D.,As we and our pets age, things slow down and we find that there is not enough strength and stamina to do things as were done in younger years. There are several possibilities that might explain what you are seeing with your dog. First and foremost of these is simple arthritis which can affect dogs at different ages. Your dog may have also simply suffered a bad back sprain and anti-inflammatory medications might resolve the problems.Other possibilities in...

What to watch: Kirk Cousins makes brilliant move with ‘Quarterback’

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:58:00 GMT

Athletes take a risk when allowing cameras into their personal lives. But the decision can pay off. Big time. Such is the case for Minnesota Vikings QB Kirk Cousins, who is profiled in this eight-part series along with the Kansas City Chiefs’ Patrick Mahomes and Marcus Mariota, who was benched by the Atlanta Falcons during filming. When it comes to Cousins, the producers skirt controversy, focusing instead on his work ethic, charity work and religious beliefs. He’s so ecstatic during a visit to the Barnes & Noble in Eagan, Minnesota, that you’d think he was getting a Hall of Fame tour. Producers were fortunate to get behind-the-scenes access during the Vikes’ unforgettable 2022 season, which featured the greatest comeback in NFL history. But when it comes to polishing your public image, the more valuable footage is that of Cousins reading and praying with his son. The next time he throws an interception, it’ll be a little harder to boo. Wednesday, N...