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Ask Amy: I can’t be happy about my friend’s baby

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:12:17 GMT

Dear Amy: I am a grown woman, in my 60s, very happily married.I have always been infertile (that in itself is a long story) due to medical complications early in life, and I have never handled the situation of my infertility well at all.My husband has a grown son from his first marriage.I recently struck up a friendship with a lovely younger woman. We have many things in common, despite the difference in age. She is married and has a young child.She has always said she only wanted one child but recently has started talking about having a second.If she does, I will be unable to be happy for her because I have never been capable of being genuinely happy for any expectant mother (because it never happened for me).Please don’t recommend counseling. I have tried it in the past and it does not help.I want to be happy for her, but I can’t, and this is breaking my heart.– Can’t Get Past the HurtDear Can’t Get Past: I wonder if a counselor has ever told you that it is not necessa...

Harriette Cole: I hoped I was wrong about my son’s girlfriend. I wasn’t.

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:12:17 GMT

DEAR HARRIETTE: My 20-year-old son lives with me. He has been dating a disrespectful girl for two years now.Related ArticlesAdvice | Harriette Cole: My son needs discipline, and I’m thinking about the military Advice | Harriette Cole: Our marriage is just one long fight. How do I fix this? Advice | Harriette Cole: I let my college-age daughter fly by herself. Was I a bad mom? Advice | Harriette Cole: He ignored my warnings. Now the IRS wants to talk to him. Advice | Harriette Cole: I’m fuming over this anonymous note about my teen In the beginning, I made assumptions about her because most of her social media photos were of her making obscene gestures and such, but I tried to get to know her better in the hope that maybe I was wrong about her. I wasn’t.She is rude, disrespectful and selfish. She talks to my son like he’s nothing when she’s mad, and I see him spending the maj...

Giant-slayer Japan faces a tough road at the Rugby World Cup

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:12:17 GMT

Japan has been a fan favorite at the last two Rugby World Cups for its underdog victories over top-tier teams.Its win over the Springboks in 2015 has passed into lore (and a movie) as the Miracle of Brighton and its victories over Scotland and Ireland in 2019 caused jubilation in a World Cup hosted by Japan.As the Brave Blossoms head into the upcoming edition in France, they do so with opponents alerted. They no longer have the advantages of surprise or underestimation.At the same time, they come into the tournament on a run of poor form, having won only one of four tests this season and only four of 18 tests since hosting the last World Cup.Rugby in Japan has gone through foundational changes since 2019, designed in part to capitalize on the success of the World Cup which won over a broader domestic audience.The inauguration of Japan League One as successor to the former Japan Top League as the professional domestic competition has attracted some of the world’s best players a...

Slumping England heads to Rugby World Cup with big players suspended and as a title outsider

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:12:17 GMT

Rarely has England gone into a Rugby World Cup with so little external expectation.Three times a finalist — and once a winner — in the last five editions of the tournament, the English have long been Europe’s big hope on the global stage and the team that most concerned the big guns from the southern hemisphere.No more.Overtaken by Ireland, France and — whisper it — Scotland since the 2019 World Cup, England is run by the world’s richest rugby union but currently doesn’t have elite-level players or coach to show for it.Steve Borthwick is the man in charge following the departure late last year of Eddie Jones, the colorful Australian coach with whom the Rugby Football Union and seemingly England’s players ran out of patience.Borthwick was solid if unspectacular as a player, more of a workhorse than someone with a highlights reel on YouTube. Conservative can best describe his approach as a coach, too, and his kick-pressure game plan is hardly making England’s class of 2023 a must-watc...

Eddie Jones says slumping Australia can win the Rugby World Cup. He’s serious.

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:12:17 GMT

BRISBANE, Australia (AP) — Never has any team heading into a Rugby World Cup been in such a “good place” without having won a game all year.Except — maybe — in the mischievous eyes of Australia coach Eddie Jones.On naming a youthful and inexperienced 33-man squad with three uncapped players, no Michael Hooper and one specialist flyhalf who was not named Quade Cooper, Jones said, “This squad is good enough to win this World Cup and possibly go on to win the next World Cup.” His tongue wasn’t firmly in his cheek. “That’s the advantage of picking young guys. The experts have written us off. No one believes we can do it, but we believe.”Those comments were made before the Wallabies lost their fifth in a row, 41-17 to World Cup host France at Stade de France, where Australia will open its World Cup campaign against Georgia on Sept. 9. Wales, Fiji and Portugal are also in the Wallabies’ pool.Jones was still upbeat, though, after being swept in the Rugby Champ...

Gatland faces big challenge to take Wales deep again at the Rugby World Cup

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:12:17 GMT

Warren Gatland is convinced his Wales team will pull off “something special” at the Rugby World Cup.Finding any evidence to back up that bold assertion isn’t easy.The Welsh have won just five of their 20 games since the start of 2022. They’ve plunged to No. 10 in the world ranking, tied for their lowest all-time spot. Many of their stalwarts such as Alun Wyn Jones and Justin Tipuric are no longer around. Captain Ken Owens is out injured.Their last result before heading to France? A 52-16 drubbing by South Africa, marking the first time Wales has conceded more than fifty points in a game across Gatland’s two spells in charge.So, where is his optimism coming from?“I love Wales being written off,” Gatland said, “and people can keep doing that because it just makes us stronger.”Maybe it’s the inner belief Gatland has as one of the great coaching minds of his generation.Maybe it’s the fact that Wales under Gatland has reached the semifinals in two of the last three World Cups, and ...

Nothing stirs up rugby’s blood quite like New Zealand’s haka

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:12:17 GMT

Silence fell on Cardiff Arms Park as the first New Zealand rugby team to be called the All Blacks faced Wales before their epic 1905 test.The South Wales Daily News reported the “Colonials” stood center-field and “sang their weird war-cry.”The haka, then as now, stirs up rugby’s blood.Eyes popping, tongues poking, body slapping and feet stamping to a rhythmic chant, the pre-kickoff ritual is performed by the All Blacks to reconnect with the core of New Zealand culture, strengthen the team bond, and challenge rivals.“It’s such a powerful tool. It’s a wonderful motivating way to start,” said Sean Fitzpatrick, who played 128 times for the All Blacks.England No. 8 Billy Vunipola agreed.“It lifts the All Blacks, but it also lifts the opposition,” Vunipola said. “They’re laying down the challenge and are asking you, ‘Are you ready to rock ’n’ roll?’ You can see how much it means to them in their facial expressions and by how hard they hit th...

Move over Clint Eastwood & Meryl Streep, ‘The Bridges of Madison County’ hits Signature Theatre

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:12:17 GMT

toggle audio on and off change volume download audio WTOP's Jason Fraley previews 'The Bridges of Madison County' at Signature Theatre (Part 1) $(function () { $('.wtop-audio-container .fa-play').on('click', function(){ var audio_filename = $('div.wtop-audio-file').data("mp3-url"); ga('send', 'event', 'Audio', 'play', audio_filename); }); }); Clint Eastwood was known for Oscar-worthy Western films when he directed himself across from Meryl Streep in the tragic romance “The Bridges of Madison County” (1995), based on the 1992 novel of the same name by Robert James Waller and adapted by Richard LaGravenese, futur...

Allot Communications: Q2 Earnings Snapshot

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:12:17 GMT

HOD-HASHARON, Israel (AP) — HOD-HASHARON, Israel (AP) — Allot Communications Ltd. (ALLT) on Thursday reported a loss of $20.7 million in its second quarter.On a per-share basis, the Hod-Hasharon, Israel-based company said it had a loss of 55 cents. Losses, adjusted for one-time gains and costs, were 49 cents per share.The internet protocol services company posted revenue of $25 million in the period.Allot Communications expects full-year revenue in the range of $95 million to $110 million.The company’s shares closed at $2.50. A year ago, they were trading at $4.54._____This story was generated by Automated Insights (http://automatedinsights.com/ap) using data from Zacks Investment Research. Access a Zacks stock report on ALLT at https://www.zacks.com/ap/ALLTSource

Aurora Mobile: Q2 Earnings Snapshot

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:12:17 GMT

SHENZHEN, China (AP) — SHENZHEN, China (AP) — Aurora Mobile Ltd. (JG) on Thursday reported a loss of $3.2 million in its second quarter.The Shenzhen, China-based company said it had a loss of 3 cents per share. Losses, adjusted for asset impairment costs and stock option expense, came to 1 cent per share.The provider of mobile data services posted revenue of $10.1 million in the period._____This story was generated by Automated Insights (http://automatedinsights.com/ap) using data from Zacks Investment Research. Access a Zacks stock report on JG at https://www.zacks.com/ap/JGSource