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Get ready for Boston’s Hip Hop Summer

Published Thu, 13 Feb 2025 10:00:29 GMT

You were all ready for Hip Hop Summer, then LL Cool J bumped his The F.O.R.C.E Live date at the TD Garden from June 25 to Nov. 19. While you can rock the bells with LL, the Roots, DJ Jazzy Jeff and more this fall, you can also celebrate all 50 years of hip hop all summer long in Boston with classic albums live, dance throwdowns, groundbreaking local acts and more.GZA, June 27, the Sinclair, CambridgeKung fu is so hot right now! (Thank you, Michelle Yeoh.) But Wu-Tang Clan honcho GZA dug deep into samurai, ninja and martial arts culture back in the ’90s. And then, on “Liquid Swords” in 1995, he paired them with metaphysical questions, rages against injustice, an epic vocabulary, and so much more. At the Sinclair, he will do the whole album with the perfect support act, Boston’s STL GLD, kicking off the evening.Michael Franti & Spearhead, June 29, Leader Bank PavilionFranti has been a force in political hip hop since his ’90s band, the Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy. But he’s als...

Great mysteries to take to the beach this summer

Published Thu, 13 Feb 2025 10:00:29 GMT

Here’s our summer roundup of mysteries perfect for lazy beach days and afternoons chilling in the backyard.“The Overnights”By Ian K. SmithIf you asked Ashe Cayne, he’d say his two favorite things are Shakespeare and golf. If you ask me, Cayne is one of my favorite fictional PIs. Cayne has swagger, style, striking wit and money to spend. Right before TV sweeps week, Cayne is hired to discover who’s threatening Morgan Shaw, Chicago’s top-rated news anchor. Cayne’s investigation collides with a police shooting of an unarmed Black man. Cayne is Black and an ex-cop. He knows “going after a Chicago cop is nothing short of declaring war.” He doesn’t hesitate. Smith’s dialogue-driven plot races to a breathless end. (Amistad, 368 pages.)“The Big Sugar”By Mary LogueIn her 1880s-set “Sugar,” Logue continues her entertaining chronicle of Irish immigrant Brigid Reardon’s life, one that’s become ...

When job interviews cut into your vacation time

Published Thu, 13 Feb 2025 10:00:29 GMT

Q. My interviews are taking up a lot of my PTO. They’re eating into my vacation time that I set aside. Should I stop interviewing? But I really need a new job.A. I hear you especially this time of year. I wouldn’t stop interviewing, but I would express your concern to interviewers and ask if it’s possible to accommodate you during lunchtime or first thing in the morning or late in the day. If they’re virtual, of course, it’ll be easier for you but to commute to the interview for a couple of hours and multiple rounds (with potentially multiple companies as well) alongside an upcoming vacation can feel like a Catch-22.You need the new job and you’re making strides toward it. Don’t give up. Keep going! And still hold onto the vacation. Can you go into negative PTO hours and then accrue after the vacation? I would do what you can do to pursue both wholeheartedly.Q. How can I balance everything? Asking for a friend. I’m launching an app and...

Grady wants to be an EMT when he grows up

Published Thu, 13 Feb 2025 10:00:29 GMT

Grady is a sweet boy with a great sense of humor who describes himself as very smart and outgoing. He enjoys playing video games, watching movies, reading graphic novels and anime. Grady has said that he would like to be an EMT when he is older. He likes the idea of being able to help people in need. Grady loves to receive praise and positive attention, and is also quick to praise others for their work. Grady hopes to one day be able to earn his own money and be able to spend it.Grady is very smart and loves to learn new things in school. Grady does well in all his courses and particularly enjoys and excels in math and science. Grady does well with building and maintaining positive relationships with his peers and teachers.Grady will do best in a two-parent household either as an only child or the youngest in the family. Grady will fit well into a home that is less active or one that can encourage him to be more active. A family for Grady will need to be supportive of his relationsh...

Hoop dreams on the line in ‘Swagger’ Season 2

Published Thu, 13 Feb 2025 10:00:29 GMT

As a genre, sports dramas are wonderfully malleable and serve as a backdrop for all kinds of storytelling that isn’t about athletics. They’re metaphors for what it means to navigate through life. The pressures can be especially stark for young phenoms who are shouldering all kinds of expectations, and “Swagger,” on Apple TV+, looks at what it means to be a kid with the potential to go all the way to the pros. Initially following a group of 14-year-old elite basketball players, the show’s second season catches up with the boys in their senior year of high school, when their hopes for college recruitment are on the line.Loosely inspired by the childhood of NBA player Kevin Durant, the Durant stand-in is Jace Carson (Isaiah Hill, quietly charismatic), a star player in his final year at a ritzy, predominantly white prep school. Everyone is banking that Jace and his teammates will end the season as national champs under the watchful eye of Coach Ike (O’Shea Jackson Jr., whose acting care...

Dear Abby: Let sleeping dogs lie, but not in her bed

Published Thu, 13 Feb 2025 10:00:29 GMT

Dear Abby: I have been married 28 years. I love my husband, but one thing really bothers me. I have told him time and time again, to no avail. We have two small dogs that he insists sleep in our bed every night. I reminded him again last night that it bothers me, and asked if he would please put them in their dog beds. He said it was too late because they have been in our bed for 10 years.If I suggest that I sleep in the guest room, my husband gets upset and sulks. Not only do those dogs disturb my sleep as they move around and growl, but I smell like a dog until I take my morning shower each day. I work a full-time job, and he recently retired. Any advice would be appreciated. — Dog Tired in FloridaDear Dog Tired: You say your husband has recently retired, and his solution to a disagreement is to sulk. Well, batten down the hatches because it’s time to finally draw the line and insist he respect not only your feelings but also your health.Lack of restorative sleep can c...

Russian mercenary group revolt against Moscow fizzles but exposes vulnerabilities

Published Thu, 13 Feb 2025 10:00:29 GMT

By The Associated PressThe greatest challenge to Russian President Vladimir Putin in his more than two decades in power fizzled out after the rebellious mercenary commander who ordered his troops to march on Moscow abruptly reached a deal with the Kremlin to go into exile and sounded the retreat.The brief revolt, though, exposed vulnerabilities among Russian government forces, with Wagner Group soldiers under the command of Yevgeny Prigozhin able to move unimpeded into the Russian city of Rostov-on-Don and advance hundreds of kilometers (miles) toward Moscow. The Russian military scrambled to defend Russia’s capital.Under the deal announced Saturday by Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, Prigozhin will go to neighboring Belarus, which has supported Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Charges against him of mounting an armed rebellion will be dropped. The government also said it would not prosecute Wagner fighters who took part, while those who did not join in were to be offered c...

This free summer series brings books to life at San Diego Public Libraries

Published Thu, 13 Feb 2025 10:00:29 GMT

SAN DIEGO -- Looking for some family-friendly fun this summer? This new free summer program brings some of your favorite books to life in a library near you.Cygnet Theater's "From The Page To The Stage" series brings together classic literary works and popular musical numbers for a fun, 45-minute presentation in San Diego Public Libraries across the county.Featuring works from Cervantes to Mark Twain, the fun, engaging educational program for children and adults alike is designed to inspire a love of reading through the magic of live theater by showing how books can translate to the stage. Big Bay Boom among top July 4 fireworks in US: Yelp Each mini-show is put on by professional musical theater performers, featuring works from musicals like "Wicked," "Man of La Mancha," "Seussical the Musical," and "You're a Good Man Charlie Brown.""From The Page To The Stage" has been running at select San Diego County Library Branches since June 17th, with performances continuing until July 15...

Skateboarder hit, injured while hanging onto a vehicle window

Published Thu, 13 Feb 2025 10:00:29 GMT

SAN DIEGO -- A 20-year-old skateboarder was seriously injured in Ocean Beach Saturday after being struck by a vehicle he was hanging on to, San Diego police said.Around 1:44 p.m., the skateboarder was riding southbound on Froude Street while hanging onto an open passenger window of a Toyota 4Runner also driving southbound. According to SDPD, the rear tire of the Toyota 4Runner then struck the skateboard, prompting the 20-year-old man riding it to step off. When the skateboarder stepped off, the rear tire then struck his leg. Pedestrian seriously injured after hit by car in Pacific Beach The skateboarder was transported to a nearby hospital with open fractures to his lower leg. His injuries are not considered life-threatening, SDPD said.The driver of the Toyota 4Runner, identified as a 17-year-old boy, did not sustain any injuries in the collision.An investigation into the incident remains ongoing, SDPD said. Anyone with information is encouraged to call the SDPD Traffic Division o...

Russian mercenary leader’s exile ends revolt but leaves questions about Putin’s power

Published Thu, 13 Feb 2025 10:00:29 GMT

The greatest challenge to Russian President Vladimir Putin in his more than two decades in power fizzled out after the rebellious mercenary commander who ordered his troops to march on Moscow abruptly reached a deal with the Kremlin to go into exile and sounded the retreat.The brief revolt, though, exposed vulnerabilities among Russian government forces, with Wagner Group soldiers under the command of Yevgeny Prigozhin able to move unimpeded into the Russian city of Rostov-on-Don and advance hundreds of kilometers (miles) toward Moscow. The Russian military scrambled to defend Russia’s capital.Under the deal announced Saturday by Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, Prigozhin will go to neighboring Belarus, which has supported Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Charges against him of mounting an armed rebellion will be dropped. The government also said it would not prosecute Wagner fighters who took part, while those who did not join in were to be offered contracts by the Defense...