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Chris O’Dowd finds winning role in ‘The Big Door Prize’

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 13:32:44 GMT

Chris O’Dowd likes his new “The Big Door Prize” series primarily because it’s offbeat, unusual. The AppleTV+ series, streaming Wednesday, is set in small town America and begins with a low-key surprise: A general store discovers a mysterious Morpho machine that supposedly reveals the residents’ life potential.Put your hands on it and out pops a card which might say “Royalty.”No one knows how the Morpho got there.  No one is really sure what it does, much less how it works.  But life — and lives — change.“The Big Concept was the big draw,” a relaxed O’Dowd, 43, allowed in a Zoom interview, his Irish accent intact. “It’s a small town story with the Big Idea – that’s right in my wheelhouse.“I’m playing an Irish guy in a show otherwise occupied by Americans. I think that’s always interesting because I seem to find versions of us everywhere – I hear there are one or two in Boston,” he said, straight-faced.“I was drawn in initially by the concept and then I r...

What to watch: ‘Succession’ sets the table for an epic finale

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 13:32:44 GMT

Settle in for some noteworthy TV this week:“Succession”The Roys are back trying to win daddy’s love — and fortune — with bickering that makes the Ewings look like the Waltons. The insult fest, while still razor sharp, has gotten a bit tedious. But creator Jesse Armstrong drops a bombshell in the first four episodes that escalates the drama and reminds viewers that this is the final season. Armstrong could have easily extended the life of his Emmy-winning series another five years, but he’s learned a lesson the Roys never have: Don’t be greedy. 9 p.m. Sunday, HBO“CSI: Vegas”“CSI” actors rarely are in the running for Emmys. The franchise’s shows have always been more about procedure than performance. But don’t be surprised if guest star Regina Taylor gets award attention. The “I’ll Fly Away” standout is moving as the mother of a long-deceased child in this episode, co-written by series creator Anthony ...

Corey has sights on career in science

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 13:32:44 GMT

Corey is a happy, loveable and insightful teen of African American descent. He enjoys Legos, roller coasters, and anything athletic. Corey loves Chinese food and can cook grilled cheese, eggs, and pancakes. He is an appealing and sociable child who relates well to older kids and adults. He has formed positive relationships with his peers and works well in group activities. Corey wants to be a scientist when he grows up!Legally freed for adoption, Corey’s social worker is looking for a loving and supportive two-parent family or a single parent with other adults in the home or in close proximity for daily support. It is also important that he has a mother figure and he is the youngest in the home. Corey needs to maintain contact with his big sister, Kiy’aa, who is also free for adoption, and if possible would love a family willing to open their home to her.Can I Adopt?If you’re at least 18 years old, have a stable source of income, and room in your heart, you may be a perfect ma...

Kiefer Sutherland returns to series TV with thriller ‘Rabbit Hole’

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 13:32:44 GMT

What does it take for Kiefer Sutherland, indelibly and eternally intrepid Jack Bauer in the real time series “24,” to tackle something new like “Rabbit Hole”?Does he have a list of things to check off before he’ll say “Yes”?“No, I don’t actually,” Sutherland, 56, said in a Zoom interview from Austin where his Paramount+ series premiered at SXSW. It streams Sunday.“I keep it simple. I literally have to be moved by a story. I have to know that I’d be willing to do it for 10 years. Those are two pretty big checks. I got such an education on ‘24’ (and that ran for nine years), I know what is potentially required.”“Rabbit Hole” he calls, “A pure thriller to its core.”It begins, intensely, with Sutherland’s John Weir having a breakdown.  “That moment at the very beginning is a flash forward, a glimpse into the very end of the season. He doesn’t know what to believe anymore. And it’s because of everything that’s going to happen to him that you’re now goi...

Franklin & Weinstein: Americans’ health big reason for high COVID death rate

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 13:32:44 GMT

For the past three years, the COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated, and will continue to demonstrate in the future, that America is one of the unhealthiest countries in the industrialized world. Critics on the right and left harp on how the pandemic was handled, but in fact the dismal outcomes in the U.S. do not reflect management of the crisis so much as our underlying health as a country.With the caveat that the actual figures from China are unknown, in the past three years, the U.S. is the only country in the world that has suffered more than 1 million deaths from COVID-19. The U.S. death total exceeds that of every other country, except Brazil, by more than half a million. Even when normalized for population, the U.S. per capita death rate is just outside the top 10 in the world and rising steadily.This is not the result of the policies of President Donald Trump or President Joe Biden. Nor does the explanation for the high number of U.S. deaths lie in an abnormally high case total...

The road less taken leads to delights of Denmark

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 13:32:44 GMT

Paris, Rome, New York, Venice: According to data from Virtuoso, a global network of travel advisers, the most-booked cities for 2023 contain few surprises.One great option — Denmark — ranks nowhere on the list. That’s a selling point in itself, say the country’s tourism officials. To wit: Its latest tourism marketing campaign, which kicked off on March 6, includes animated versions of the New York’s Statue of Liberty and the Mona Lisa telling travelers that standing in line for hours to see them “isn’t exactly the most exciting way to spend your holiday.”“We’re not a destination with a lot of big iconic attractions; we don’t have an Eiffel Tower or a Chinese Wall,” says Dennis Englund, U.S. and U.K. market director for Visit Denmark. “What makes Denmark more interesting is often in the very small things.”Even in Copenhagen, a city as beautiful as any among its continental neighbors and boasting culinary prowess to spare, some of the most memorable experiences come in small packages....

How to prepare yourself when a layoff is in the works

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 13:32:44 GMT

Q. I’ve been told that I’m getting laid off and “the meeting” will happen sometime next week. I’ve also heard there’s a lengthy document to sign; the grapevine says I won’t be able to sue or anything and nothing can be negotiated, not even severance. What should I do to prepare for this meeting?A. First, I’m sorry to hear about the upcoming layoff. They’re never fun and even if you didn’t like your job, it’s still a grieving process.It’s great that you’re mentally preparing for the meeting. Do you know the end date? You may want to bring a notepad and pen into the meeting to take notes. Your boss and/or someone from HR will probably be there in person to document it. They may pressure you to sign paperwork, but you may want to have an employment attorney eyeball it before you sign anything right then and there. For instance, you may have signed a noncompete clause that indicated you can’t work for a ...

Nets snap losing skid in style by blowing out the Heat in Miami in must-win for playoff seeding

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 13:32:44 GMT

It was a game the Nets had to have.And they flew down to South Beach and took it.The stakes were greater Saturday night at FTX Arena than they’ve been at any point this season: Win and leapfrog the Miami Heat in the standings for sole ownership of the Eastern Conference’s final guaranteed playoff seed.Lose and the gap between the Nets and Heat would widen, moving Brooklyn closer to a sudden-death play-in tournament reality no playoff hopeful wants to live.And after five straight losses, including four in a row at home, the Nets secured a signature victory in a 129-100 romp over the Heat on Saturday. It marked both the largest margin of victory and the most points scored against the Heat in franchise history.The Nets have swept the Heat in the season series, 4-0.It was a critical victory because the worst of the Nets’ hellacious post-All-Star break schedule has passed — save for the season finale at home against a championship-contending Philadelphia 76ers tea...

Dear Abby: Engaged woman thrown by man’s reappearance

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 13:32:44 GMT

Dear Abby: I recently got engaged to a man I’ve been seeing long distance for about a year. Then, out of the blue, an old military friend/crush called me and told me he has been thinking a lot about me and is working on himself. He apologized for the times he ghosted me because he couldn’t handle relationships.We talked for two and half hours, and it was like we were back to our deployment and inseparable. It brought feelings I have never had before, but it also brought confusion and conflict. I love my fiance. He’s a great man, and a single parent. I don’t know what to say to the old flame. Can you help? — Confused in the WestDear Confused: Tell the old flame you accept his apology for the multiple times he ghosted you and wish him luck in his self-improvement project, but explain that you are now engaged to a wonderful man. That said, you should not rush into marriage with anyone until you have doused this old flame and are confident in your decision....

Farm system shows promise

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 13:32:44 GMT

For the first time in about half a decade, the Red Sox farm system is veering into abundant territory.The kindest evaluation came from Baseball America, which ranks Boston No. 10 this year.While the pitching depth is somewhat of a mixed bag, with Keith Law questioning whether there’s a single legitimate starting pitcher on the entire farm, the infield talent is indisputable. The organization’s Top 30 is chock-full, with 16 infielders and two catching prospects.The one who knocksIn terms of talent and proximity to big-league readiness if there’s just “one to watch,” it’s Ceddanne Rafaela.The infielder-turned-outfielder broke out in a big way in 2022, when he moved from shortstop and became a defensive sensation in Double-A Portland. The organization’s 2022 Minor League Defensive Player of the Year evokes memories of Mookie Betts, who made a similar change at the same level almost a decade ago.The 22-year-old from Curacao could very well be Bo...