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Jacobson: Free precheck would ultimately enhance TSA security

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 08:00:47 GMT

Late last month, the Transportation Security Administration found a live explosive device in a checked bag month at Lehigh Valley International Airport in Pennsylvania. TSA officers took the appropriate actions and confirmed the find. Airport surveillance camera footage helped authorities identify a suspect, and the FBI made an arrest.There are lessons to be learned from this incident.As much as the TSA touts stopping firearms from getting onto airplanes, explosives are a more dangerous threat to the air system. That is why travelers are limited to 3-ounce liquids, aerosols, gels, creams and pastes in their carry-on bags. With improvised explosive devices, numerous factors can mask what the item is and make it easy to missOf critical importance, the person now in custody was known to local law enforcement. Such individuals should be given extra security screening — of their person, carry-on bags and checked luggage. This is the foundation of risk-based security, which aligns securit...

Letters to the editor

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 08:00:47 GMT

St. Patrick’s DayAs someone who has been participating in the annual parade and festivities surrounding St. Patrick’s Day since before I learned how to tie my shoes, I was pleased to see how our elected officials are working with law enforcement to keep the atmosphere of this parade day upbeat and positive (“South Boston Leaders Call for Safe Parade,” Boston Herald).I was there last year and I saw that group of neo-Nazi protesters. They wore masks hiding their faces and unfurled their silly “Keep Boston Irish” banner. No one was supporting their negative political display. This group did not represent South Boston or the Boston Irish.I am sure this group very likely will reemerge at the parade again because it is all about getting media attention. Last year following the parade many in the media overplayed their presence along West Broadway. Don’t give ’em the attention they seek.It is a free country and all are welcome to come and cel...

James Verniere’s Oscar predictions

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 08:00:47 GMT

The Academy Awards are upon us again, with the ceremony airing Sunday at 8.p.m. on ABC.Of the 10 films nominated for best picture, “All Quiet on the Western Front,” which has nine nominations, is the best, most spellbinding, tragic and relevant film. It probably won’t win. “Avatar: The Way of Water,” which has four nominations, is the highest grossing film of the nominees and the third-highest-grossing film of all time. It has scant chance to win. “Top Gun: Maverick,” the smash hit that put Tom Cruise back in the driver’s – err – pilot’s seat, has six nominations (notably none for acting) is the second most highest-grossing film of the nominees. It might win in an upset. “The Banshees of Inisherin” (a whopping nine nominations), “Elvis’ (eight nominations), “The Fabelmans” (seven nominations”), “Tar” (six nominations), “Triangle of Sadness” (three nominations, none for acting) and “Women Talking” (two nominations, none for acting) are not going to...

Chris Walton mines heartbreak for musical magic

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 08:00:47 GMT

Chris Walton got a suggestion from a college professor: Give up on classical music.“I was studying classical composition and I wasn’t passionate about it,” Walton told the Herald. “I remember a professor of mine wrote on a test that I did particularly terrible on that I should consider changing majors. Instead, I decided to change schools.”Walton came to Berklee College of Music and has been in Boston ever since.The classical world’s loss is popular music’s gain. Earlier this year Walton released his first LP, “Ruminating Thoughts.” The album mixes Walton’s smart, tender singer-songwriter impulses with classic soul, ’80s r&b and indie folk. The exact genre can’t be pinned down thanks to Walton’s talent for inserting complex elements into simple songs – a dreamy, jazzy break in “I Was Wrong”; an (almost) classical bit of guitar finger picking on “Give It Time”; Fleetwood Mac homages in “Soon.”“I try a lot of different tempos, a lot of different keys, a lot of different rhythms,” ...

Editorial: Make daylight saving time permanent

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 08:00:47 GMT

Every March, it’s the same old thing. On the second Sunday, we set the clocks forward an hour to begin daylight saving time (or increasingly, our smart devices do it automatically) and then spend the next few days slightly discombobulated and wondering why we still practice this odd ritual.By the time the following Sunday rolls around, our disturbed schedules have adjusted and we forget about the week of missed appointments or bad sleep. At least until the first Sunday in November, when we do the same thing in reverse to return to standard time.Let’s do something different this year. After the time shift on Sunday, let’s not forget how ridiculous it is to follow this twice-a-year ritual, created for a purpose few remember (something about farmers? Or kids walking to school?). Let us remember this foolishness and call on elected officials to end this outdated tradition and allow Americans to stick to one time year-round.The good news is that many of our leaders in Washington have alr...

Company keeps saying bonus ‘is on the way’

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 08:00:47 GMT

Q. I still haven’t gotten my year-end bonus that was promised. And now it’s March. I’ve been asking and I keep getting the answer, “It’s on its way.” But no one can give me a specific date. Is there anyone else I should address this with?A. I feel your pain. Have you contacted payroll? Your boss’s boss — yes, it’s completely appropriate to go above your boss’s head. My bigger concern though is the big picture — year-end bonuses are typically paid — as you may have already gotten them in the past — at year-end, not more than two months later.Was there a specific reason for the delay? It would be one thing if your boss or someone said, “Well, it looks like we won’t be able to pay it after all, but this will be accounted for during salary review for your next increase in July” — or something like that. But, it’s still promised to you without a deliverable. In addition to trying t...

Helping senior cat with kidney disease

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 08:00:47 GMT

Dear Dr. John,My husband and I had four cats and lost one to pancreatitis. Now our 15-year-old cat has apparently developed chronic kidney disease. Our vet has placed him on a prescription diet called K/D. Our cat’s most recent blood numbers of significance are SDMA 17, BUN 42, and Creatinine 2.9 and were slightly increased since its previous blood draw.Our cat does not like the prescription food at all and will barely eat it. We have an appointment to learn how to give him fluids under the skin, but our other cat seemed to wince every time we did that, and we don’t want to cause our cat any pain. We have even thought of seeking the treatment by an acupuncturist. How should we proceed? D.S.Dear D.S.,Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a condition that afflicts many older cats. The optimistic news is that these patients can be maintained for fairly long periods of time with good supportive care. I had one patient that lived for almost four years on special diets and subcutaneous fluids. ...

Cutting ex out of photos hurts kids

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 08:00:47 GMT

Q. My kids love to take pictures, and when their mom and I were together we had pictures they took of us on vacations, joking around, whatever, all over the house. We have been broken up about seven months, and my kids came home from their mother’s home (the home in which we used to live together) saying that their mom had torn me out of all the pictures around the house but continued to display them. What’s good ex-etiquette?A. I remember a client confiding that their ex had torn out his face in all of their pictures and replaced them with faces of celebrities. So, there was mom skiing with Brad Pitt, at a cocktail party with George Clooney. The kids at first thought it was funny, but as time went on, they took it personally. That was their dad who was torn out of the pictures. Mom always said she never badmouthed dad, yet, in my opinion, although it was amusing, this was much worse.There’s also another component to mom’s actions she may not have taken into consideration before she...

Puerto Rico makes for a great tropical family getaway

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 08:00:47 GMT

I lay on the sand of Luquillo Beach, warmed by the sun and lulled by the whoosh of incoming waves — just as I’d done here before, in my carefree, pre-parenthood days.Between the winter and spring breaks of last year, my kids, now 4 and 7, spent nearly as much time out of school as in it (COVID closure, various holidays). That made the work/child-care juggle especially stressful. I vowed that this winter would be different: We’d build in a break by taking our first real vacation as a family of four.A decade ago, when I lacked an entourage, I’d visited Puerto Rico with friends. Our activities — ocean swims, kayak paddles, rainforest hikes, ferry rides, food-stall meals — seemed more kid-friendly than big-city art museums and elegant bistros.Puerto Rico, the “Rich Port” of some 3 million inhabitants, sits a bit off American tourists’ radar. The U.S. territory feels international, with its colorful concrete buildings, free-roaming horses and primacy o...

New & stylish ways to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day in Boston

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 08:00:47 GMT

Here in Boston, we mark St. Patrick’s Day differently than they do in Ireland. There, it’s less about partying than it is about honoring history. In Boston the focus is on jubilant celebrating, and you don’t need to be of Irish descent to join in.That said, with all due respect for the city’s many fantastic pubs, what about ushering in the holiday differently this year? Boston is filled with endless love for the Emerald Isle, and it’s got plenty of creative and stylish ways to show it. Here are a few ideas for St. Patrick’s Day outings, settings, and events that are a fun departure from the usual festivities.Get Your Irish (Arts) UpStart out with a visit to the Museum of Fine Arts, where you’ll find a collection of ancient Irish artifacts, like the Middle Bronze Age ribbon torc from Inishowen, County Donegal; Late Bronze Age armlets; and a Early Medieval shrine. mfa.orgFind a Pot of GoldFrom March 16 through March 19, Hotel AKA Back Bay (stayaka.com/hotel-aka-backbay) is offer...