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Bridge: Dec. 20, 2023

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:14:22 GMT

Cy the Cynic is by no means so cynical that he observes Christmas by acting like Ebenezer Scrooge. But Cy says if Dickens wrote “A Christmas Carol” today, the happy ending would be that Scrooge gets a tax break.In a penny game, Cy was declarer at 3NT, and West led a low heart although Cy had shown four hearts in response to North’s Stayman inquiry. Cy won with the eight and promptly took the A-Q of diamonds.When West discarded a club, the Cynic was in trouble. He had only eight tricks and couldn’t afford to concede a diamond to East, who would return his last heart. The contract was still makeable with best play, but Cy chose to finesse with dummy’s jack of spades. He went down when East produced the queen.NINE TRICKSCy played like Scrooge: greedily. To assure nine tricks, he leads a club to dummy at Trick Two and lets the ten of diamonds ride. Even if West had the jack, Cy would be sure of four diamonds, and his heart holding would be safe from attack.As the cards lie, ...

Horoscopes Dec. 20, 2023: Jonah Hill, change how your use your skills

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:14:22 GMT

CELEBRITIES BORN ON THIS DAY: Jonah Hill, 40; David Cook, 41; Nicole de Boer, 53; Joel Gretsch, 60.Happy Birthday: Pay attention to detail, set high standards and prioritize home and family. Use your imagination to change how you use your skills and handle your responsibilities and relationships. An open mind will encourage you to try something new and question what doesn’t fit your agenda. Take control instead of letting outside influences take over or lead you astray. Live in the moment; do things your way. Your numbers are 6, 17, 24, 29, 33, 37, 45.ARIES (March 21-April 19): Prepare to pivot and take advantage of an opportunity. Learn all you can and make your move. Changing how you handle or earn money will require attention to ensure you get what you want. Don’t let sentiments stand in your way. 3 starsTAURUS (April 20-May 20): Explore the possibilities and search for the path that leads to what you want. A financial gain, gift or intriguing opportunity will point y...

Word Game: Dec. 20, 2023

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:14:22 GMT

TODAY’S WORD — FLORIST (FLORIST: FLOR-ist: A person who sells flowers and ornamental plants.)Average mark 25 wordsTime limit 30 minutesCan you find 29 or more words in FLORIST? The list will be published tomorrow.YESTERDAY’S WORD — BLEARY bale baler bare barely barley bear belay beryl blare blear bray layer lyre earl early able abler ably aery rale real relay rely yearTo purchase the Word Game book, visit WordGameBooks.com. Order it now for just $5 while supplies last!RULES OF THE GAME:1. Words must be of four or more letters.2. Words that acquire four letters by the addition of “s,” such as “bats” or “dies,” are not allowed.3. Additional words made by adding a “d” or an “s” may not be used. For example, if “bake” is used, “baked” or “bakes” are not allowed, but “bake” and “baking” are admissible.4. Proper nouns, slang words, or vulgar or sexually explicit words are not allowed.Contact Word Game creator Kathleen Saxe at [email protected].

Ask Amy: I’m annoyed by these gifts to children for no occasion

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:14:22 GMT

Dear Amy: I have been to a few kids’ birthday parties recently and have noticed not just the birthday child but also their siblings are getting gifts, “so they don’t feel left out.”Related ArticlesAdvice | Ask Amy: I felt awkward when my boss made this odd comment Advice | Ask Amy: A boy reading Judy Blume, and other inspiring tales Advice | Ask Amy: I swear we will move without her if she can’t get her stuff packed in time Advice | Ask Amy: Could my mother really believe I owe it to her to have children? Advice | Ask Amy: I was surprised by my brother’s advice about my girlfriend. Was he right? Isn’t a birthday party supposed to celebrate the person born on that day?I have two children of my own, and my mother-in-law and my stepdaughters have both given the sibling gifts on the other child’s birthday.Growing up, I never got gifts on my siblings’ birthdays....

Sale closed in Saratoga: $5.8 million for a six-bedroom home

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:14:22 GMT

21991 Scenic Heights Way – Google Street ViewA 8,700-square-foot house built in 1961 has changed hands. The spacious property located in the 21900 block of Scenic Heights Way in Saratoga was sold on Nov. 30, 2023, for $5,750,000, or $661 per square foot. This single-story house offers a spacious layout with six bedrooms and seven bathrooms. On the exterior, the home features tiles on the roof. Inside, a fireplace adds character to the home. The property is equipped with forced air heating and a cooling system. Additionally, the house provides a four-car garage, granting ample space for parking and storage purposes. The property’s backyard also boasts both a spa and a pool.These nearby houses have also recently been sold:On Rolling Hills Road, Saratoga, in September 2023, a 5,401-square-foot home was sold for $7,700,000, a price per square foot of $1,426. The home has 4 bedrooms and 6 bathrooms.A 2,850-square-foot home on the 21700 block of Prospect Road in Saratoga sold in May 2023,...

Harriette Cole: There’s only so much I can do for this Plain Jane

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:14:22 GMT

DEAR HARRIETTE: My friend frequently seeks fashion advice from me, but our styles are polar opposites.Related ArticlesAdvice | Harriette Cole: I don’t want to offend my friend but I can’t stay in this house Advice | Harriette Cole: An audience makes my roommate more irritating Advice | Harriette Cole: He’s finally single, but his ex brainwashed him. How can I get through? Advice | Harriette Cole: How do I tell this nice girl I sent the text by mistake? Advice | Harriette Cole: How far should I go with my Christmas to remember? While I appreciate her Plain Jane fashion sense, it’s drastically different from my own. I worry that my feedback might not be helpful, as my taste tends to be bolder and more eclectic.I don’t want to hurt her feelings, so I often opt for a neutral response, saying her outfits look “fine,” though they’re not something I’d perso...

Liberan a excónsul de Reino Unido en Ecuador, según la Policía. Hay 9 detenidos

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:14:22 GMT

La Policía ecuatoriana comunicó la madrugada de este miércoles la liberación en la vía a Manabí de Colin Armstrong, empresario y excónsul de Reino Unido en Ecuador; quien se encontraba secuestrado en Los Ríos desde este sábado, según el reporte policial.César Zapata, comandante de la Policía, compartió una foto y citó: “Al momento se encuentra sano y salvo”.Además, Zapata informó de la detención de 9 presuntos implicados.Noticias en desarrollo.The-CNN-Wire™ & © 2023 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved.Source

Stock market today: World shares advance after Wall Street ticks higher amid rate-cut hopes

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:14:22 GMT

World shares advanced on Wednesday after Wall Street ticked higher amid hopes that Japan’s moves to keep interest rates easy for investors could augur similar trends in the rest of the world.The futures for the S&P 500 and the Dow industrials were both virtually unchanged.U.K. inflation in November unexpectedly decelerated to 3.9% from October’s 4.6%, reaching its lowest level since 2021. The cooler reading boosted UK stocks, with the FTSE 100 open 1.3% higher at 7,733.90.Germany’s DAX gained 0.1% to 16,757.25. The country’s consumer sentiment is expected to improve as the new year begins, with the consumer sentiment index rising to -25.1 points for January from a revised -27.6 points the previous month, a survey on Wednesday showed. Meanwhile, Germany’s producer prices plummeted by 7.9% in November compared to the previous year, surpassing expectations.In Paris, the CAC 40 added 16 points to 7,586.45.Building on gains from Tuesday, Tokyo’s Nikkei 225 index surged 1.5% to ...

Focus falls on Sabres coach Don Granato after Buffalo is embarrassed in 9-4 loss to Columbus

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:14:22 GMT

BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — The highlight for the Buffalo Sabres came 30 seconds in, when a festive but small holiday crowd rose to its feet to cheer defenseman Rasmus Dahlin for scoring the opening goal.Some two hours later, the few who remained were left chanting “Fire Donnie,” in reference to Sabres coach Don Granato following a 9-4 loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets on Tuesday night.In a season already filled with low points before Christmas’ arrival, the floundering Sabres reached a new depth. A team that’s won consecutive games just once this year, and sits 14th in the Eastern Conference standings, gave up seven consecutive goals in 21 minutes and 52 seconds, spanning the first and second periods to the East’s 15th-place team.“It’s an unforgiving league. If you are off at all, it is gonna get shoved down your throat really hard and that’s exactly what happened tonight,” captain Kyle Okposo said. “That’s on everybody in this room. Everybody. Probably myself more, and I’ll take the blam...

Police investigation unfolds as man barricades himself in Fort Lauderdale’s Grand Hotel

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:14:22 GMT

An intense police investigation is underway at the Grand Hotel, located at 4900 Powerline Road, following a Wednesday morning incident where a man barricaded himself. The situation led to a temporary closure of the street as Broward Sheriff’s Office deputies, and SWAT units worked to resolve the standoff.At around 4 a.m., police successfully apprehended the individual, who had reportedly fired shots before being taken into custody. Video footage captured the moments as law enforcement escorted the man in handcuffs.Fortunately, there are no reports of injuries at this time, as no ambulances were present at the scene. The police presence remains active, with the hotel’s parking lot cordoned off with caution tape.Authorities are actively working on providing more details regarding the incident. Please check back on WSVN.com and 7News for more details on this developing story.