Bridge: Oct. 25, 2023

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 13:06:04 GMT

Bridge: Oct. 25, 2023 “I don’t fear her,” Alice muttered at the Mad Hatter’s game. “She’s only a pasteboard card.”The Queen of Hearts, who was kibitzing, was an intimidating presence, threatening the players if they let her card be captured.“I’m the most potent card in Wonderland,” the Queen roared. “Lose a trick my card could win and lose your head.”Alice played at today’s 3NT, and West led a low heart. Alice saw ten tricks if West had the king, but if East, the Hatter, had it, Alice would be at risk of a spade shift. She needed to induce a heart continuation if East won the first trick.SORRY“Sorry, your majesty,” Alice said, and she played the queen from dummy.The Hatter took his king, returned a heart — and ran from the table.“Off with his head,” the Queen bellowed.Meanwhile, Alice took the jack — and eight more tricks.If dummy plays a low heart at Trick One, East will win and will see no ...

Ask Amy: I’m insulted that he ‘fixed’ my photo with Photoshop

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 13:06:04 GMT

Ask Amy: I’m insulted that he ‘fixed’ my photo with Photoshop Dear Amy: “Carlos” and I are both volunteers in an arts organization.Related ArticlesAdvice | Ask Amy: She wants to be the cool grandma, and I’m not OK with her plan Advice | Ask Amy: Am I wrong to promise him a baby if he agrees not to go to war? Advice | Ask Amy: If I’d known about this upheaval, I would have declined the wedding invitation Advice | Ask Amy: The fight over laundry has undermined our marriage Advice | Ask Amy: I’ve been told that a mad dash through the airport won’t win me a woman Before knowing him well, I emailed him a photograph I entered into two juried exhibitions. The photo was chosen both times and has been exhibited.Carlos lists himself as a photographer, which is why I chose to share it.He wrote back, asking if I’d ever heard of Photoshop. He then sent me his Photoshopped version of my photo along with an explanation of how he had “fixed” it.I didn’t res...

Single family residence sells for $1.8 million in Fremont

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 13:06:04 GMT

Single family residence sells for $1.8 million in Fremont 768 Vanda Way – Google Street ViewA 2,396-square-foot house built in 1955 has changed hands. The spacious property located in the 700 block of Vanda Way in Fremont was sold on Sept. 8, 2023. The $1,800,000 purchase price works out to $751 per square foot. This single-story home offers a capacious living environment with its four bedrooms and three baths. Additionally, the house comes with a two-car garage, allowing for convenient vehicle storage and additional storage space.These nearby houses have also recently been sold:In September 2022, a 1,576-square-foot home on Larch Way in Fremont sold for $1,600,000, a price per square foot of $1,015. The home has 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms.On Carnation Way, Fremont, in November 2022, a 2,365-square-foot home was sold for $1,650,000, a price per square foot of $698. The home has 4 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms.A 1,689-square-foot home on the 35800 block of Linda Drive in Fremont sold in January 2023, for $1,080,000, a price per square foot of $6...

Police arrest East Bay brothers after Marin County drug bust

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 13:06:04 GMT

Police arrest East Bay brothers after Marin County drug bust Marin investigators arrested two alleged drug dealers in Larkspur after setting up a bust in Mill Valley.The case started when an undercover detective with the Marin County Special Investigations Unit obtained the phone number of a potential drug dealer, according to the sheriff’s office. Investigators suspected the dealer of selling methamphetamine and fentanyl in Marin and elsewhere in the Bay Area.A detective called the number and arranged a deal for a quarter pound of methamphetamine and an ounce of fentanyl. The transaction site was set for Friday near the Muir Woods Lodge on Shoreline Highway in Mill Valley.Two alleged dealers showed up for the transaction. When detectives moved in, the men ran away, leaving their vehicle behind. Investigators kept the vehicle under surveillance until the men came back for it, then followed them.The California Highway Patrol stopped the vehicle in the area of Sir Francis Drake Boulevard at Larkspur Landing Circle. Investigators searched the ve...

‘Drones are the next thing’ for Disney nighttime spectaculars

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 13:06:04 GMT

‘Drones are the next thing’ for Disney nighttime spectaculars Drone shows deploying hundreds of unmanned aerial aircraft over the skies of Disneyland and Disney California Adventure could soon be joining the lineup of nighttime spectaculars at the Anaheim theme parks.“Drones are the next thing,” said Disney Live Entertainment Parades and Spectaculars Executive Steven Davison.Davison was part of a panel discussion featuring the creative team from “Behind the Attraction” hosted by Walt Disney Imagineering during a media preview for the returning documentary series.The second season of “Behind the Attraction” debuts Nov. 1 on the Disney+ streaming service with episodes dedicated to Disney nighttime spectaculars, Pirates of the Caribbean, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, Indiana Jones Adventure and Disneyland food.“They’re very cool,” Davison said of drones during the “Behind the Attraction” panel discussion. “They’re kind of a new thing. We’re doing a lot of work in that. So all I’m going to say is, ‘There’s more to come.’”Davison is the creative d...

California man who at 13 killed his mother gets more time for making a shank in jail

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 13:06:04 GMT

California man who at 13 killed his mother gets more time for making a shank in jail A 20-year-old who spent nearly his entire teen years in juvenile custody after killing his allegedly abusive mother was sentenced Tuesday to a year in lockup and two years of supervised release, after a jury last week found him guilty of crafting and possessing a shank while behind bars.Over the objection of prosecutors who were seeking a maximum four years in custody sentence, Orange County Superior Court Judge Michael J. Cassidy opted for a split three-year sentence for Ike Souzer that includes a year in custody and two years of mandatory supervision.The judge noted that Souzer has been in custody since his arrest at the age of 13, and indicated that a priority was providing Souzer services to prepare him to reintegrate into a society he has never experienced as an adult. Souzer was given credit for 216 days in custody while awaiting trial, further cutting down on the remaining time he will spend in lockup.Souzer, while still a juvenile, was convicted of voluntary manslaughter for...

Why tiny homes will remain part of California’s homelessness equation for years

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 13:06:04 GMT

Why tiny homes will remain part of California’s homelessness equation for years BY JEANNE KUANG | CalMattersDespite moving in to her new digs just a month ago, Darlene Pizarro and her white dog, Angel, are already regulars at the local dog run.Pizarro’s new place is not quite a city neighborhood and where she lives isn’t quite a home, but a tiny home, one of 94 city-funded units for the homeless at that lot. But Pizarro, who last lived as a squatter in an abandoned house, was relieved to be there.“Tiny home” describes a specific type of housing more permanent than a tent or disaster shelter, but less than a single family home, townhouse, apartment, or something else thought of as permanent housing. The structures — smaller than 400 square feet, often lacking either a kitchen or private bathroom — have become increasingly common in California’s response to homelessness over the past five years, though opinions are split on how much to rely on them in years to come.Branford Village Tiny Homes in Sun Valley opened on Thursday, February 9, 2023. The site, a former ...

‘Shaft,’ ‘Roots’ star Richard Roundtree has died

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 13:06:04 GMT

‘Shaft,’ ‘Roots’ star Richard Roundtree has died Richard Roundtree, the stage and screen actor best known for his performance as a tough-talking private eye in 1971’s “Shaft,” has died, according to multiple reports.He was 81.The news was confirmed by Roundtree’s manager Patrick McMinn in a statement to Variety. McMinn told the outlet that the actor died Tuesday afternoon after a short battle with pancreatic cancer.“Richard’s work and career served as a turning point for African American leading men in film,” McMinn said. “The impact he had on the industry cannot be overstated.”CNN has reached out to representatives for the actor for comment.Roundtree has the distinction of being among a handful of actors who enjoyed top billing with his first-ever screen credit. Until then a theater actor, his starring role in the 1971 Blaxploitation epic “Shaft” propelled him into the cultural limelight, launching a franchise that would see sequels, a TV series and a 2019 reboot starring Samuel L. Jackson.The actor would go on to enjoy a career ...

Death Toll in Gaza Now Exceeds 5,000

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 13:06:04 GMT

Death Toll in Gaza Now Exceeds 5,000 The dystopian images coming out of Gaza, as Israel continues its scorched-earth campaign, show horrific destruction and the killing of civilians. Over the weekend, Israel escalated bombardments in Gaza, raising the death toll to over 5,000 with more than 62 percent of fatalities being women and children, according to the latest U.N. reports. There is a growing concern Israel’s war on Gaza will draw other nations into the conflict, including Lebanon, Iran, Egypt, and Turkey. This week on Intercepted, Jeremy Scahill and Murtaza Hussain are joined by Yousef Munayyer, a Palestinian citizen of Israel and the head of the Palestine/Israel program at the Arab Center Washington D.C. They discuss the institutional support for war against Palestine, the shutting down of pro-Palestinian voices, and the broader regional and political implications of an intensification of the war.Transcript coming soon.The post Death Toll in Gaza Now Exceeds 5,000 appeared first on The Intercept.

China announces plan for a new space telescope as it readies to launch its next space station crew

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 13:06:04 GMT

China announces plan for a new space telescope as it readies to launch its next space station crew TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — China announced plans on Wednesday to send a new telescope to probe deep into the universe as it prepared to launch the country’s next, three-member crew for its orbiting space station.The telescope, dubbed Xuntian, will be installed by China’s Tiangong space station and will co-orbit with it, according to a statement from Lin Xiqiang, spokesperson and deputy director general of the Chinese Manned Space Agency. No timeframe was given for the installation. State broadcaster CCTV said the telescope would enable surveys and mapping of the sky. China has researched the movement of stars and planets for thousands of years while in modern times, it has pushed to become a leader in space exploration and science.The announcement came on the eve of the flight by three astronauts — Tang Hongbo, Tang Shengjie and Jiang Xinlin — who will replace a crew that has been on the station for six months. The launch is expected for late morning on Thursday. Tang is a veteran ...