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‘They wanted to be more like Tesla’: Mechanic slams 2025 Ford Mustang Mach-E for not having a door handle. Here’s why it’s an issueThis is the time of year when mail can still be a pleasure. For once, you’re not asking yourself, “What did I do to deserve this junk?” as you transfer postal offerings from the front door to the recycling bin. It is the time when actual hand-addressed envelopes, which technology has so far failed to credibly replicate, can be expected to arrive. Most contain the usual mass-produced offerings, but often inscribed with special messages. Even better, many of these envelopes carry family photos of relatives you only see in person at weddings or funerals. Finally, and most intriguing, there are long-form personal communications in the form of traditional holiday letters. I have to admit I have never sent one of these, though I’m tempted by the challenge. Some have honed it to an art form. Writer Laura McTaggert, who blogs for WBUR, Boston’s public radio station, says that even though “I’ll bring a bag of chips to a potluck" and "my go-to makeup for a fancy event is ChapStick,” she “feels compelled to write a letter that is informative, entertaining and clever.” People tell McTaggert that they open her letters with anticipation, even excitement. And really, what better way for a writer to spread joy? Not only does it put a personal skill to use, there are no boxes, no wrapping, no unwanted gadgets and no needless expense. For a really funny writer’s take on the tradition, check out Catherine LeClair’s “My Mother’s Annual Holiday Letter is Spreading Fake News,” which Google will locate on the McSweeny’s website. But a letter doesn’t have to rise to high comedic excellence to be entertaining, informative or even heartwarming. Longtime practitioners of the art can be found here in Buffalo, and many friends tell me that they get letters that are among the highlights of their seasons. A former Buffalo Spree colleague, Marianne Minbiole, who now works for the Roswell Park Alliance Foundation, loves letters from her aunt and uncle, who send theirs out on Thanksgiving. She says, “They are very impressive people and included their annual roundup as they turn 80 – about their travels, their volunteer work and my uncle’s wooden toys. He donated over 1000 of them this year.” Marianne Minbiole holds holiday letters and cards she’s received and held onto over the years. Minbiole, who's 40, says she thinks it’s time for her to start her own letter tradition, explaining, “I think it would be a good opportunity to share some updates that are pretty personal. There are things I don’t want to send out to the whole Facebook world, which has gotten to be such a huge network and there are all sorts of acquaintances who don’t need to know so much.” She also feels it evokes a slower, more relaxed time: “I think it definitely follows the trend of returning to a more analog existence. I have always liked to sit and read something that is in my hands.” John B. Licata, New York State Supreme Court justice, Eighth District, demonstrates a sense of humor in his family’s annual rhyming letter that may not always be on display in his courtroom. In 2020, before Licata was elected judge, his poetic offering contained these stanzas: “By Executive orders we're limited ten to a room Our extended family parties are now done via Zoom ... John works at a great firm whose success isn't by chance He's learned Covid court appearances don't require pants? Amy is staying home, but of filled concerts she's dreaming Instead of the hall, her venue is streaming She and Teresa spend days watching Great British Baking Show Our waistlines are proving all the new things they now know” You get the idea. (Licata is not a relative, by the way.) There are other ways to make holiday communications personal. I’m lucky enough to know someone who takes the trouble to create his own annual greeting from scratch, local art collector and collage artist Gerald Mead. But if you want to get on his Christmas card list, be careful what you wish for, because someone will have to die before that can happen. Mead sends a limited edition of 10 handmade cards annually to a set list of recipients – mainly people he knows through the local art scene. Another, different set of cards goes to his family members. Both sets use found materials that might not seem like the things holiday dreams are made of: matches, cardboard slide mounts, paint samples and even, in 2020, a blue face mask folded into a Christmas tree. Artist Gerald Mead sits in his home with a selection of his limited-edition holiday cards. Mead, who’s 62, traces the tradition to his mother, the late Margaret “Betty” Mead, also an artist. “She always taught us that making a gift was much more personal and meaningful,” he says. “I would always make her handmade cards for Mother's Day and birthdays. Then I made cards as an undergraduate, using carved rubber stamp cards and I actually had them in a show at New York’s Book Arts Center, in the mid-'80s. "And so I think that kind of evolved into these cards, which I started in 1991 and are really a simpler version of my ongoing collage and assemblage work – I'm using found objects and found materials. I’m also always looking for something that's kind of ironic or has a double meaning.” Artist Gerald Mead holds one of his limited-edition holiday cards, featuring a mask cut into the shape of a tree. This year’s creation has a cut-out green banana attached to the card with a strip of red tape. Simple, but a nice conceptual twist. Mead collects possible ideas for the annual card throughout the year. Sometimes, the materials he needs aren’t so easy to pull together: “I did one that was a gift card for the Dollar Tree for $1. I go in there and I said, I just need to get 10 cards with just $1 on each one. And they said, well, it's $5 minimum. But I told them what I was doing, and they just gave me 10 with no value. So, yeah, I'm struck by things that are commonplace, but you can reframe them in a holiday context.” An artist who died in 2021, Paul Kalinowski – most knew him as Kalo – was renowned for his meticulously drawn, deliciously bizarre takes on Christmas themes. One, “Three Kings,” featured the faces of Elvis, King Tut and King Kong. Another showed Santa tied to a table by his elves, who stand laughing by as a sharp pendulum swings overhead. Paul Kalinowski's "Christmas Memories," from 1992. They weren’t cards meant for those overly serious about the traditional Christmas message. I miss those cards and have better memories of those and other artful communications from creative friends than most of the gifts I’ve received throughout the years. I’ve also kept them longer and display many of them every year at this time. Like Minbiole rereading her family letters, I enjoy each yearly encounter with Mead's visual puns and Kalinowski's twisted humor. Meaningful, DIY communication or immersion in a consumerist frenzy? For most of us, there's no contest. Get local news delivered to your inbox! 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Adobe earnings beat by $0.14, revenue topped estimatesCHICAGO (AP) — The Chicago Bears hoped the first in-season head coaching change in the founding NFL franchise’s history would be the parachute a free-falling team needed. Turns out, the issues go beyond that. A listless showing in a 38-13 loss at San Francisco on Sunday stretched their losing streak to seven — and counting — in their first game since Thomas Brown replaced the fired Matt Eberflus on an interim basis . “I believe in the people," Brown said Monday. "I think it’s all about the guys we have in the locker room, the coaches that we have. I understand our mentality and our approach going forward. As I said at the beginning, we don’t have cowards in the locker room. We don’t have cowards in our coaching staff. Regardless of circumstance we will come to battle every single day.” The Bears (4-9) sure didn't show much fight Sunday in a loss that was as embarrassing as any. It ensured they will finish with a non-winning record for the 12th time in 14 seasons. They were outgained 319-4 in the first half for the ninth-largest discrepancy since 1991 and trailed 24-0 at the break. They managed one first down while punting on their first five possessions. Chicago set a season high for points allowed and matched its second-worst total by giving up 452 yards. It all added up to the Bears' most lopsided loss since a 41-10 blowout at Kansas City in Week 3 last season. It obviously wasn't what they envisioned when they decided to buck their own history and fire Eberflus on Nov. 29. The tipping point came at Detroit on Thanksgiving , when Chicago ran out of time for a potential tying field goal despite having one timeout remaining, just the latest in a string of bad late-game decisions. Beyond that, there are clearly issues with the roster. Though team president Kevin Warren said last week that Ryan Poles will remain the general manager and lead the search for a new coach , it's fair to wonder if a few more losses like this would change those plans. The last-place Bears' next two games are against the top two teams in the NFC North, with a Monday night game at Minnesota (11-2) followed by a home game against division-leading Detroit (12-1). Chicago then hosts NFC West leader Seattle (8-5) before the season finale at Green Bay (9-4). What’s working It's hard to say anything worked when the Bears were so thoroughly dominated. What needs help Offensive line. The Bears were once again dominated in the trenches and allowed rookie Caleb Williams to get sacked seven times, bringing his league-leading total to 56. It's the most for a Chicago quarterback since the 1970 AFL-NFL merger. Yes, Williams hangs onto the ball too long at times. But too often, the blockers aren't giving him enough time. They're not creating holes for the running backs, either. Things were particularly bad against San Francisco. And that was against a defense missing the injured Nick Bosa. Stock up LB T.J. Edwards. The veteran recorded Chicago's lone sack and his second of the season to go with two tackles for loss. He led the team with 10 tackles. Stock down Williams. The No. 1 overall draft pick completed 17 of 34 passes for 134 yards with two late touchdowns to Rome Odunze. Though he played his seventh straight game without an interception, he lost a fumble. In the first three games with Brown calling plays after former offensive coordinator Shane Waldron was fired, Williams was 75 of 117 for 827 yards with five touchdowns, no interceptions and a rating of 99.2. Injuries Brown had no update on returner DeAndre Carter (hamstring) and RB Travis Homer (head) after they left Sunday's game. Key number 20 — The defense allowed nine plays of 20 yards or more, the most against Chicago in the past nine seasons. Next steps The Bears have a tough task trying to right themselves at Minnesota. The Vikings have won six straight, including an overtime victory at Soldier Field in Week 12, after Chicago scored 11 points in the final 22 seconds of regulation. AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL
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Opposition MPPs slammed amendments to the Ford government's controversial bike lane bill Thursday, saying these changes would create legal protections for the province if cyclists are hurt or killed after lanes are removed. Speaking to reporters after a meeting of the Standing Committee on Heritage, Infrastructure and Cultural Policy, University-Rosedale NDP MPP Jessica Bell said new amendments to Bill 212 would make it so people could no longer sue the government if they are hurt on roadways as a result of bike lanes being taken out. "What this means is the conservatives want to remove themselves from any responsibility if someone is injured or killed in the future," Bell said. "It's heartbreaking, because someone will be injured or killed in the future." The Progressive Conservative government has been fast-tracking legislation that would require Ontario municipalities to ask the province for permission to install bike lanes when they would remove a lane of vehicle traffic. The bill also goes a step further and gives the province the power to remove the entirety of three major bike lanes in Toronto on Bloor Street, Yonge Street and University Avenue, restoring them to vehicle traffic — moves that have been loudly decried by cycling advocates. WATCH | Cyclists rally for bike lanes: Toronto cyclists rally against Ford government’s plan to remove bike lanes 11 days ago Duration 2:24 Cyclists in Toronto rallied this weekend to protect bike lanes in the city. It comes as the Ford government announced plans earlier this month to tear up bike lanes across some major roads in The city. As Tyreike Reid explains, their fight is now being supported by some of Toronto’s top politicians. Reporters repeatedly asked Transportation Minister Prabmeet Sarkaria Thursday if the amended bill would, in fact, protect the government from lawsuits — and each time he did not answer the question and instead pivoted to government talking points about traffic congestion. "We believe bike lanes should be on secondary roads," Sarkaria said. Removing bike lanes will cost at least $48M: city staff report Ontario transport minister not offering estimate of Toronto bike lane removal cost Whether or not the entirety of all three bike lanes on Bloor, Yonge and University will be removed remains up in the air, as provincial officials have provided few specifics about their plans. Sarkaria did say more than once Thursday that the bill would give the province the authority to "remove the entirety of the lanes" on those three roadways. "People understand this has gone too far," he said. "We need to have some common sense and reasonableness on this." Amendments to the bill passed at the committee, but it still needs to be voted on in a third reading at the provincial legislature — though with a Progressive Conservative majority, it is likely to pass. Opposition MPPs also took aim at other amendments to the bill Thursday, including those focused on who will pay for the removal of bike lanes. WATCH | What bike lanes mean for this wheelchair user: How one wheelchair user feels about prospect of losing bike lanes 5 days ago Duration 1:45 Oda Al-Anizi outfitted his wheelchair with a special attachment that transformed it into a bike, allowing him to navigate the city as a cyclist. As he told CBC’s Talia Ricci, it’s been a gamechanger. Toronto City Manager Paul Johnson previously told CBC News that the province should be covering costs not just for the removal of the lanes, but also for their original implementation, considering staff and planning time. One amendment introduced Thursday specifically states the province is not required to reimburse municipalities for costs incurred when bike lanes were being installed. As the debate over this bill rages on, millions in taxpayer dollars are at stake. A Toronto city staff report from earlier this month concluded that work to remove the three bike lanes would cost more than $48 million and likely lead to only minimally faster commutes for drivers. Sarkaria previously said the province will foot the bill for removal costs, but also said he doesn't believe the city's estimate , as it is double the price tag of the initial installation. Speaking at the committee meeting Thursday, Oshawa NDP MPP Jennifer French accused the province of advancing a plan with the twofold distinction of being expensive and dangerous. "This is a political decision and people are going to be killed," she said.
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Adewale 4-5 1-2 9, Klaczek 2-4 0-0 6, Joshua 4-4 2-2 13, Langford 5-9 1-2 11, Marshall 6-9 2-2 17, Reddish 4-7 2-3 12, Taylor 1-2 0-1 2, Neely 3-4 0-0 6, Briggs 1-4 0-0 3, Strand 2-6 0-0 6, Topuz 2-6 0-0 6, Adnan 0-1 0-0 0, Lindsey 0-0 2-2 2, Giralt 0-0 0-2 0. Totals 34-61 10-16 93. Perez 1-3 0-0 2, Gonzalez 2-4 1-2 5, Saavedra 1-5 0-0 2, Uselis 1-6 3-4 5, Zayas 2-4 0-2 4, Guilfu 0-5 0-1 0, Pagan 0-2 0-4 0, Bargas 1-4 3-4 6, Maldonado 6-10 2-3 16, Alicea 3-7 2-3 10. Totals 17-50 11-23 50. Halftime_Albany (NY) 49-26. 3-Point Goals_Albany (NY) 15-28 (Joshua 3-3, Marshall 3-5, Klaczek 2-3, Reddish 2-3, Strand 2-4, Topuz 2-5, Briggs 1-3, Langford 0-1, Taylor 0-1), Tarzans 5-19 (Alicea 2-3, Maldonado 2-6, Bargas 1-3, Pagan 0-1, Gonzalez 0-2, Saavedra 0-2, Uselis 0-2). Rebounds_Albany (NY) 42 (Klaczek 7), Tarzans 19 (Zayas 5). Assists_Albany (NY) 20 (Joshua, Marshall 5), Tarzans 4 (Perez 2). Total Fouls_Albany (NY) 25, Tarzans 13. A_20 (12,000).Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister U Ko Ko Kyaw received Mr Shi Zhongjun, Secretary-General of the ASEAN-China Centre (ACC), and members of the delegation at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Nay Pyi Taw, yesterday. They cordially discussed relevant matters on further deepening mutual understanding and friendship under the six priority cooperation areas of the ASEAN-China Centre (ACC), which are trade, investment, education, culture, tourism, information and media. Both sides emphasized the crucial role of the ACC while highlighting the success of projects and activities which were completed in 2024. The deputy minister appreciated the ACC’s support for offering Chinese language training to young diplomats which has been commenced online upon the request of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and to explore the possibility of despatching the Chinese language mobile training team to benefit more trainees in Myanmar. He also discussed further exchanges in areas of agriculture productivity, trade promotion, and renewable energy technology. Mr Shi Zhongjun also expressed appreciation for Myanmar’s commitment to enhancing the ASEAN-China Dialogue Relations to new heights while focusing on the critical role of Myanmar in realizing the joint initiatives and activities included in the ACC Work Plan. Deputy Minister U Ko Ko Kyaw and the Secretary-General agreed to further promote people-to-people exchanges through the ACC programmes to enhance mutual understanding and build closer bonds among the peoples of ASEAN and China. — MNA
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Two-time Cy Young Award winner Blake Snell says it was a really easy decision to sign with the World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers and the presence of three-time MVP Shohei Ohtani played a part, too. Snell was introduced Tuesday at Dodger Stadium accompanied by his agent Scott Boras. The left-hander finalized a $182 million, five-year contract last Saturday. “It was really easy just cause me and Haeley wanted to live here, it’s something we’ve been talking about for a while,” Snell said, referring to his girlfriend. “Then you look at the team. You look at what they’ve built, what they’re doing. It’s just something you want to be a part of.” Last month, Snell opted out of his deal with San Francisco to become a free agent for the second consecutive offseason after he was slowed by injuries during his lone year with the San Francisco Giants. Snell gets a $52 million signing bonus, payable on Jan. 25, and annual salaries of $26 million, of which $13.2 million each year will be deferred . Because Snell is a Washington state resident, the signing bonus will not be subject to California income tax. “It just played out the way that people around me felt comfortable with, I felt comfortable with, they felt comfortable with,” Snell said. “We talked and found something that could work for both of us. You want your worth, you want your respect, and you want enough time to where you can really make a name for yourself. I've made a name for myself outside of LA, but I'm going to be invested.” Two-way star Ohtani, who signed a record $700 million, 10-year deal a year ago, had a historic first season with the Dodgers. He helped them win the franchise's eighth World Series while playing only as designated hitter and became MVP in the National League for the first time after twice winning the award while in the American League. “It helps with him in the lineup for sure. That’s big motivation,” Snell said. “You want to be around players like that when you’re trying to be one of the best in the game. Yeah, it played a big part.” Snell joins Ohtani and fellow Japanese right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto atop Los Angeles’ rotation. All-Star Tyler Glasnow will be back after having his first season in LA derailed by a sprained elbow. Ohtani didn’t pitch this year while recovering from right elbow surgery but is expected back on the mound in 2025. The rest of the rotation includes Tony Gonsolin, Landon Knack, Dustin May, Bobby Miller and Emmet Sheehan. “I pitched on six-man, five-man, four-man rotations,” Snell said. “I'm good with it all as long as we have a plan, we'll execute it.” Snell, who turns 32 on Wednesday, went 5-3 with a 3.12 ERA in 20 starts this year, throwing a no-hitter at Cincinnati on Aug. 2 for one of only 16 individual shutouts in the major leagues this season. He struck out 145 and walked 44 in 104 innings. He was sidelined between April 19 and May 22 by a strained left adductor and between June 2 and July 9 by a strained left groin. Snell won Cy Young Awards in 2018 with Tampa Bay and 2023 with San Diego. He is 76-58 with a 3.19 ERA in nine seasons with the Rays (2016-20), Padres (2021-23) and Giants. He has known Andrew Friedman, Dodgers president of baseball operations, since he was 18. In the aftermath of winning the World Series and discussing how the Dodgers could repeat next year, Friedman said, “All conversations kept coming back to Blake.” “Usually in major league free agency, you're buying the backside of a guy's career, the accomplishments that they have had,” he said. “With Blake, one thing that's really exciting for us is, as much success as he's had, we feel like there's more in there." Snell was 2-2 against the Dodgers in his career. “We couldn’t beat him, so we’re going to have him join us,” Friedman said. .___ AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLBOpenAI says ChatGPT suffers outage, company working on fix
Guest Opinion: AI, blockchain, and the coming online economic boom
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On Monday on ABC’s “The View,” co-host Ana Navarro told co-host Whoopi Goldberg that people had “a right to panic” over President-elect Donald Trump’s upcoming administration. Partial transcript as follows: GOLDBERG: All we have to do from now until January 21st is be with our families, be with our kids, do our jobs, make sure our checks don’t bounce, make sure that we are taking care of ourselves and our families. Whatever he’s going to do, he’s going to do, but do take our word for it. Things seem to move slowly, because, yeah. They didn’t come get Hillary, but he has other people who are ready to go, but I don’t think that they can just go out and do what they want to do. NAVARRO: I told you last week I disagree with you when you say that because — no — because we have the luxury of saying that because we’re legal. We are successful. We are — listen, if you are an illegal immigrant in this country, you’re not going to be not in a panic. If you are a woman working for the Department of Defense, you have a right to be in a panic! GOLDBERG: Ana, you tell people to say fraught and like this. That is not — NAVARRO: No! I’m telling people to prepare, Whoopi. I’m telling people to prepare. GOLDBERG: Do you think they aren’t prepared? They are prepared! NAVARRO: That means they can’t be relaxing and enjoying Christmas when winter is coming. GOLDBERG: No! That doesn’t mean that. You know what? I’m sorry — NAVARRO: I mean, I disagree. GOLDBERG: Winter is here. Winter has been with us, and my point is, we can lay down and do nothing for the next 15 days and then be freaking out for the next four or two years. My point — NAVARRO: We’re in a privileged position that a lot of people who are going to be under his attack are not. Follow Pam Key on X @pamkeyNENKolkata, Dec 15 (PTI) IT industry veteran and Infosys founder NR Narayana Murthy on Sunday emphasised the need for using advanced technologies, including Artificial intelligence (AI), in India, stating that technology is a “great leveller”. Technology can help reduce the gap between the well-to-do and the not-so-well people, Murthy said while speaking at the centenary celebration of the Indian Chamber of Commerce here. “Technology is about reducing cost. It’s about increasing revenues and profitability. So technology has a lot of value. It also does something that most people don’t realise. Technology is a great leveller. So we need technology in India if we want to reduce the gap between the well-to-do and the not-so-well. That’s what financial inclusion has done,” he said. “My personal view is there are areas where we cannot do without AI,” Murthy said. He said AI can be used in areas like automatic cars, precision operations, disease detection and hazardous operations in which human beings may be exposed to high risk. Murthy stressed the need for hard work and performance to earn respect for oneself and for the country. “I urge the youngsters to understand that we have a great responsibility to fulfil the pledge of our founding fathers (of the nation). We have greater responsibility as enunciated by scriptures. We have to show fairness and justice to create opportunities for the less fortunate one. That is why we have to work hard,” he said. Murthy also asked entrepreneurs to embrace “compassionate capitalism” which is practising capitalism while combining it with the best aspect of liberalism and the best aspect of socialism. PTI BDC NN This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content. var ytflag = 0;var myListener = function() {document.removeEventListener('mousemove', myListener, false);lazyloadmyframes();};document.addEventListener('mousemove', myListener, false);window.addEventListener('scroll', function() {if (ytflag == 0) {lazyloadmyframes();ytflag = 1;}});function lazyloadmyframes() {var ytv = document.getElementsByClassName("klazyiframe");for (var i = 0; i < ytv.length; i++) {ytv[i].src = ytv[i].getAttribute('data-src');}} Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Δ document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() );