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Brown: Reliability must take top priority in energy policies

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 11:45:38 GMT

Commissioners of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) and a host of stakeholders convened on June 20 to discuss the cost and reliability of New England’s electricity. In some respects, this is the “Groundhog Day” of energy policy events because this meeting was the latest in a decade of similar meetings, and it’s déjà vu all over again.While the tone of the meetings may change, the meat of the discussions never do — New England’s energy rates and energy costs are routinely among the nation’s 10 most expensive and every year, the electric grid’s reliability becomes a bigger concern.Ordinarily, the grid is not on the public radar, but disastrous failures in California and Texas in recent years have put it there, and not a moment too soon. Gordon van Welie, the CEO of New England’s grid operator ISO-NE, painted a slightly less dire reliability picture than in years past, while the steward of the nation’s grids, the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC), in M...

Shaken by Shih Tzu’s sudden seizure

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 11:45:38 GMT

Dear Dr. John,Our family has two Shih Tzus, one male and one female. The female, who is almost five, recently freaked us out with some odd behavior. We were at home and suddenly she started drooling heavily, defecated, and seemed out of sorts for a few minutes. We quickly called our vet who had us bring her in. The vet checked her out and found nothing to be out of sorts. We took her home and overall, she seemed to be quiet for the rest of the day. We were told that she probably had an episode of epilepsy, that she would likely be fine, and to keep an eye on her. Should we be concerned and what next? Is her breed prone to epilepsy and should we worry about our other dog? They are not littermates but from the same breeder. C.P.Dear C.P.,There are quite a few dog breeds that are prone to epilepsy but the Shih Tzu is not one of those. Despite that, idiopathic epilepsy, which means there is no specific cause, can happen in any dog breed. Most epileptic seizures in dogs are characterized...

Divine Sweater gives the apocalypse a dream pop beat

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 11:45:38 GMT

Can the sound of an apocalypse be both jarring and beautiful? Absolutely, if it’s scored by Divine Sweater.The Boston band’s track “Two Steps Forward” floats through a dream-pop jam into a kind of feverish saxophone and keyboard breakdown before the instruments fade away. After two seconds of silence, a keyboard riff picks up and Meghan Kelleher sings, “Felt the ground fall through on Commonwealth Avenue/Brighton broke in two down Commonwealth Avenue.”“That part in ‘Two Steps Forward’ is supposed to be the moment when the people realize that the world is ending,” Kelleher told the Herald.The track sits at the center of Divine Sweater’s concept album, the recently released “Down Deep (A Nautical Apocalypse).”Concept albums can bring to mind grandiose, often bloated prog or metal opuses. Instead, “Down Deep” is both more tender and poppier. Kelleher and her bandmates – multi-instrumentalist Sean Seaver, keyboardist Steve Lin, bassist Alex Goldberg and drummer Christ Southiere – get sp...

Time-honored wedding traditions, and what they mean

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 11:45:38 GMT

Weddings are special events that celebrate two individuals’ love for one another. Weddings bring together friends and family to witness couples share vows and devote their lives to each other. Wedding guests recognize that certain components are commonplace in ceremonies and receptions. Perhaps you were once a ring bearer or caught the bouquet?There’s a rich history behind the traditions that feature prominently at many weddings. Here’s a look at traditions past and present and the meaning behind these customs.MarriageThe custom of marriage can be traced back thousands of years to when hunters and gatherers started coming together to form societies and farm land. In order to ensure the success of communities, couplings were developed to produce offspring and maintain households. TTie the knotGetting married is sometimes referred to as “tying the knot.” This stems from the custom of “handfasting,” which is a common practice among various cult...

Ace blues guitarist Tim Gearan shows new side on new album

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 11:45:38 GMT

When you write a song titled “My Funeral” – a song about piling dirt on a grave in the rain – you end your album with it. But Tim Gearan put “My Funeral” second to last on new album “Hammer and A Bell.” Instead, Gearan closes the LP with “Things That You See,” a track that brims with love, rebirth, and visceral joys.“It’s an old fashioned love song,” Gearan said of “Things That You See.” “It comes from observing what my wife does on a daily basis.”“Hammer and A Bell” is a tender, wry record with plenty of darkness. But the pandemic-written set balances shade with light – “The songs follow the ideas of time flying by exponentially as I get older,” he said. But even “My Funeral” has playfulness to it, lyrically contrasting New Orleans rollicking funeral traditions with bleak New England affairs. The tune comes off somewhere between Taj Mahal’s roots music and Randy Newman sardonic wit.Many locals think of Gearan as an ace blues guitarist. A couple decades of residences around Cambridg...

‘In the Company of Rose’ doc captures life of Styron’s widow

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 11:45:38 GMT

At 95, Rose Styron, the widow of the celebrated novelist William Styron and a journalist, poet and activist in her own right, is now the focus of James Lapine’s documentary “In the Company of Rose.”Its release this weekend on streaming platforms coincides with her just-published memoir, “Beyond the Harbor: Adventurous Tales of the Heart” which is also set on Martha’s Vineyard where she’s lived for 60 years.  Both book and film examine her life with one of America’s most famous authors with “Sophie’s Choice,” “The Confessions of Nat Turner,” and “Darkness Visible,” his instant classic about battling depression.Lapine, a legendary Broadway writer-director whose book “Putting It Together: How Stephen Sondheim and I Created Sunday in the Park with George” says it all, began this vivid chronicle of Styron’s somewhat enchanted life on impulse.“We just met up here on the Vineyard one summer, probably five years ago,” Styron said in a phone interview.  “We liked each other so much — a...

Great Florida destinations for relaxing summer getaways

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 11:45:38 GMT

ORLANDO, Fla. — It’s the sweltering summertime in the Sunshine State and many resident Floridians are turning their vacations northward in search of cooler temperatures.But throughout Florida, there are pristine beaches to behold, shimmering springs to swim and quirky attractions to explore. Some destinations have history abound, while others have modern local eats and amenities for a comfortable stay.Here are ideas for summer getaways fit for a quick weekend away or a weeklong vacation.Rainbow Springs/DunnellonNothing helps beat the summer heat quite like taking a dip in crystal-clear 72-degree waters. Visit Rainbow Springs State Park to take a plunge into sapphire-blue springs, which together pump out more than 400 million gallons of water per day. Tubing, snorkeling and paddling are popular activities in the park, which features manmade waterfalls left over from Rainbow Springs’ private attraction days. Be sure to arrive early during the summer to ensure entry.After a day on the ...

Don’t make child into co-parent messenger

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 11:45:38 GMT

Q. My ex feels he no longer has to coordinate anything with me because we are no longer together. He tells me our son is old enough to arrange things between the two of us. Jesse is 10 years old and is overwhelmed with trying to be our go-between. He cries when it’s time to go to his dad’s because he hates being in the middle. What’s good ex-etiquette?A. Most of the time when I tell parents they are making their children into their messengers — and that this is not regarded as a positive observation — they deny they are doing it. They tell me they never say a bad thing about the other parent.I honestly believe most have no idea how much pressure these three little words put on their children: “Tell your mother (or father).” If they do, it’s about the most cowardly thing a parent can do.Understand that most kids wish their parents would reconcile and HATE when their parents argue. Children take it very personally when dad or mom says anything even a little derogatory about the other....

What to do when ‘fun’ is a mandatory part of work

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 11:45:38 GMT

Q. My company has a summer barbecue picnic on a Saturday. An annual Sunday trip to the zoo with the entire family and our colleagues. A weekly meetup every Tuesday night on our patio to get to know each other. Stop the insanity! Do I really need to go to all of these forced activities? It feels like “mandatory” fun.A. While I applaud your company for putting effort into time outside of work and planned activities, I hear your frustration. It can feel like you’re spending the majority of your personal time with your professional self and colleagues, knowing the working day already takes up a significant portion of your day.No, you don’t need to go to every activity. I’m hereby giving you permission to not feel like you must attend every single one. But, I’d be strategic.First, which activities are the most enjoyable? Which ones will you be able to make the most out of chatting with leadership and getting to know your colleagues better? Which ones w...

Even vacated restraining orders have repercussions

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 11:45:38 GMT

Q. When my ex and I first started our divorce process, we were both angry.  We both threatened to call the police on the other regularly.  On one occasion when I refused to go sleep on the couch over a weekend because I had hurt my back, she got particularly angry.  She threatened to call the police if I didn’t leave the bedroom.  Well, I didn’t leave, and she made good on her threat.  She said she was afraid to sleep in the same room as me.I was told to leave, and an emergency judge granted her a restraining order over the weekend.  We appeared in court the following Monday morning in front of our divorce judge who vacated the order and said it never should have issued in the first place because my ex failed to meet the standard.  Shortly after that we settled the divorce.Now, post-pandemic, I am traveling regularly for work again.  Every time I re-enter the country I get detained at the airport and questioned because my name shows up in the domestic violence record keeping system ...