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‘The Ice Book’ traces a cocktail writer’s obsession with designing perfect, diamond-clear ice

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:40:09 GMT

Camper English has, let’s just say, strong feelings about ice.“There’s not a huge difference between clear and cloudy ice in taste or melting speed,” he says. “But aesthetically, it’s a gargantuan difference between ugly, cloudy, garbage ice and slick-and-glossy, diamond-style clear ice. You can eat filet mignon out of a ditch, or you can eat it off a plate at a fine-dining restaurant.”English, a cocktail writer from San Francisco, was once a consumer of “garbage ice” – those home freezer tray cubes with fuzzy-white nebulae. But in 2009, he devised a homegrown technique to make ice as clear as a Siberian lake in winter. He basically employed an Igloo cooler to “directionally freeze” ice from the top down and force air bubbles and minerals to the bottom, where they are cut or poured off. English now travels the planet giving talks about ice and has an army of ice nerds on Instagram trying to top one another with spectacular frozen delights.This May, English ventured...

Bay Area Outdoors: 5 shady cool hikes for hot weather

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:40:09 GMT

Hiking on a hot day might not sound all that appealing. But it can be a great way to escape the heat — as long as you pick the right trail.Here are five possibilities that offer up great views, varied experiences and enough overhead foliage to help protect you from the rays. (But remember to bring a hat and pack sunscreen and water!)  if you want further protection.)Castle Rock, Walnut Creek Every winter and spring, peregrine falcons come to nest at this stunning collection of sandstone pinnacles that loom over a pleasant canyon filled with oak forest, meadows and meandering Pine Creek.From February to early August, humans are asked to refrain from clambering over the craggy cliffs to give the falcons some space. But you can still get a great view of the formations via a 1.5-mile walk into Pine Creek canyon along the Stage Road trail. The route starts at a parking lot that serves both Diablo Foothills Regional Park and the Castle Rock Regional Area.The oak forest provides shad...

Powerball ticket worth more than $350,000 sold in San Jose

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:40:09 GMT

SAN JOSE — A lottery ticket sold at a Valero gas station in West San Jose became an instant life-changer Monday night after it matched the first five numbers of the night’s Powerball drawing, according to the California Lottery.The ticket purchased on 1185 South De Anza Boulevard is now worth $352,712 after the drawing.It contained the lucky numbers of 2, 24, 34, 53 and 58, and just missed out on the Powerball, which was 13. Had it hit the Powerball, the ticket would have been worth $675 million. No tickets sold matched all six numbers, so Wednesday’s drawing is estimated to be at about $725 million, according to the lottery.The win comes after a hot streak for California Lottery players at the end of last year and start of 2023. A record-breaking $2.04 billion Powerball ticket was purchased in the Los Angeles County area of Altadena in November. In January, a San Jose man redeemed his ticket worth about $247 million that he purchased at a 7-Eleven store near Pioneer Hig...

Driving like a German has made me safer and more courteous: Roadshow

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:40:09 GMT

Q: A friend in Germany says they describe a merge as a zipper, with alternating cars merging into one lane. I don’t know if it’s a law, or a generally accepted custom, but I occasionally see it used here. Wow, it makes traffic flow so smoothly, and without ruffled feathers.Of course, those clowns who ignore the need to merge and just drive up as far as possible, then push their way into the lane screw this up. But still … the practice has made me a safer, more courteous driver.Claire Lomax, OaklandA: I like the description of merging traffic as a zipper. You’re right, traffic can move more smoothly and safely when two flows of traffic merge this cooperatively.Q: I managed to lose my REAL ID driver’s license. I tried to get a replacement online, but the DMV insists my correct identifying information does not ring a bell with them. Now I need to descend into Dante’s Ninth Circle of Hell with an unscheduled in-person visit to the DMV (I confess that when I got my REAL ID, i...

Will Santa Clara finally rebuild the aging International Swim Center?

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:40:09 GMT

SANTA CLARA — It’s been nearly three months since anyone has swam at the storied George F. Haines International Swim Center — renown pools where world-class Olympic teams once trained daily.As it turns out, a broken heater at the city-owned aquatics facility could keep swimmers sidelined until the end of August or September, said Santa Clara Parks and Recreation Director James Teixeira.Now, there’s a renewed push by groups using the pools and elected officials for the city to rebuild the nearly 60-year-old swim center.Set in a single-family neighborhood off the bustling San Tomas Expressway, the International Swim Center, which was renamed in 2000 to bear the famed U.S. Olympic coach’s name, has been the training grounds for elite swimmers with the Santa Clara Swim Club, like Don Schollander, Donna de Varona and Mark Spitz.The facility’s Olympic lore stretches to the 17-foot-deep diving well where the legendary Santa Clara Aquamaids train. Head co...

Water’s End Leesburg location opens this week

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:40:09 GMT

Water’s End Brewery officially opens its fourth location in Northern Virginia, and its first in Loudoun County, on July 12, joining restaurants at the Village at Leesburg.Water’s End is part of the new The Dell Food & Brew Hall, and takes up a significant portion of the food hall, with 1,200 square feet of the 5,800-square-foot space, though much smaller than its other locations.The food hall also includes Paulie’s Italian Kitchen, Lucky Dog, and Colombian’s Place. Nacho Macho, a nacho and wings food stall, also opens July 12.Water’s End was founded by former Fairfax County police officer Zach Mote in 2016 with its first location in Lake Ridge. A second opened in 2020 in Woodbridge at the Potomac Festival Shopping Center and last year it opened a third location in a historic building in downtown Fredericksburg. That location is a partnership with the Woodbridge-based Hot Chickn Kitchn.The Dell Food & Brew Hall originally opened in 2019 as Chefscape by restaurant veteran Arti...

Acusan a Bank of America de abrir cuentas falsas y cobrar comisiones basura ilegales

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:40:09 GMT

Nueva York (CNN) — Los reguladores federales acusaron este martes a Bank of America de perjudicar a los clientes mediante el doble cobro de comisiones, la retención de recompensas de tarjetas de crédito y la apertura de cuentas falsas.La Oficina de Protección Financiera del Consumidor ordenó a Bank of America a pagar más de US$ 100 millones a los clientes y US$ 90 millones en penalizaciones. La Oficina del Interventor de la Moneda también ordenó a Bank of America pagar US$ 60 millones en multas.Algunas de las acusaciones recuerdan al escándalo de Wells Fargo de la década pasada, que supuso la apertura de millones de cuentas bancarias sin autorización de los clientes.Bank of America lanza advertencia de trabajos en EE.UU.“Bank of America retuvo indebidamente las recompensas de las tarjetas de crédito, duplicó las comisiones y abrió cuentas sin consentimiento”, dijo el director de la CFPB, Rohit Chopra, en un comunicado. “Estas prácticas son ilegales y socavan ...

PGA Tour, European tour unite again for events in Scotland and Kentucky

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:40:09 GMT

EUROPEAN TOUR AND PGA TOURGENESIS SCOTTISH OPENSite: Gullane, Scotland.Course: The Renaissance Club. Yardage: 7,237. Par: 70.Prize money: $8 million. Winner’s share: $1.44 million.Television: Thursday-Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. (Golf Channel); Saturday-Sunday, 10 a.m. to noon (Golf Channel), noon to 3 p.m. (CBS).Defending champion: Xander Schauffele.Race to Dubai leader: Rory McIlroy.FedEx Cup leader: Jon Rahm.Last week: Rasmus Hojgaard won Made in Himmerland and Sepp Straka won the John Deere Classic.Notes: This is the first of two weeks when the PGA Tour and European tour co-sanction tournaments. The field comprises members of both tours. … The field features eight of the top 10 in the world. Jon Rahm at No. 2 is not playing, while Cameron Smith (No. 8) is with LIV Golf. … Xander Schauffele won last year coming off victories in the Travelers Championship and the J.P. McManus Pro-Am exhibition in Ireland. … This is the second straight year for the Scotti...

UK wages are rising at a record pace. That makes higher interest rates more likely

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:40:09 GMT

LONDON (AP) — Wages in the U.K. are rising at a record high rate amid stubbornly high inflation, official figures showed Tuesday, bolstering expectations that interest rates will increase again — to the worry of homeowners who are seeing their mortgage payments spike to levels not seen since the global financial crisis 15 years ago.The Office for National Statistics said wages, excluding bonuses, rose by 7.3% in the three months to May, matching the highest rate since records began in 2001. The private sector was the main driver behind the increase.For months, workers have been seeking pay that keeps pace with high inflation, which is running at 8.7% despite declines in energy prices and a series of interest rate hikes from the Bank of England.The central bank has been raising rates since late 2021 to get a grip on rising prices, which were first stoked by supply chain problems caused by the coronavirus pandemic and then Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which sent energy and food price...

Best early Prime Day deals for $100 or less

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:40:09 GMT

BestReviews is reader-supported and may earn an affiliate commission. DetailsCATCH THESE EARLY PRIME DAY BARGAINS BEFORE THEY DISAPPEAR If you are like many Amazon shoppers, you are eagerly counting down the days until Prime Day 2023 arrives. This year, the epic sales extravaganza will take place on July 11 and 12, but many deals are already live. From inexpensive personal care items to state-of-the-art tech, literally anything can be available at marked-down prices before and during Prime Day. However, many top-selling small appliances, home items, unique gadgets, essential beauty products and more fall into the $100 or less price range when they are on sale for the big event. Now is the perfect time to save on popular items at deeply discounted prices. To help you get started, we’ve rounded up the best early deals of 2023 that are available now and cost less than $100, including a favorite of the BestReviews Testing Lab.Shop this a...