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Wish You Were Here: Travel tips for Cappadocia, Turkey

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:23:44 GMT

It’s been a summer of air travel delays and heat waves, but our intrepid readers have been traveling the world despite all that, exploring cities from Tokyo to Montreal, discovering spectacular ruins in Guatemala and sightseeing on the islands of the Azores. And they’ve been sharing their adventures with us along the way.Wish You Were HereTURKEY: Mountain View residents Bill and Marsha Adler visited Cappadocia at the outset of their Overseas Adventure Travel tour of Turkey, Greece and the Aegean Sea. “Here we are in Cappadocia in front of the unique and awe-inspiring rock formations that have been — and still are — homes for centuries,” Bill says. “Turkey is a fascinating and surprising country, well worth at least a week. Istanbul, Cappadocia and Ephesus are not to be missed.”Related ArticlesTravel | Wish You Were Here: Adventures on the Aran Islands of Ireland Travel | Wish You Were Here: Tokyo adventures ...

TasteFood: An end-of-summer paella recipe

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:23:44 GMT

Summer is winding down, which is a great excuse to have a paella party. Vibrant and flavorful, studded with smoky sausage, chicken and fresh shellfish, a paella shouts “fiesta.” It’s a fun dish to enjoy outdoors, family-style, while the weather is still warm and the days are long.A paella might sound intimidating, but it’s easy to make with the right ingredients and by following a few important steps. While a grill is desirable, it’s not necessary. A grill can accommodate the size of a large paella pan, unlike many stovetops, and the fire will add a smoky backdrop to the dish. If you don’t have a grill, you can also make a paella on the stovetop.Use a large paella pan or cast-iron pan (at least 12 inches in diameter). Note that the wider the pan, the more surface area you have to spread the rice, which allows as many grains as possible to brown and crisp on the bottom of the pan while cooking. This coveted crispy bottom is called the socarrat, whi...

Why were so many snails clustered together on a Sunnyvale park fence post?

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:23:44 GMT

DEAR JOAN: While hiking in Sunnyvale’s Baylands Park, I ran across something I’d never seen before – a virtual snail convention with dozens of snails clustered together on a fence post. Have you seen or heard of anything like this? If so, what causes this phenomenon?— Doug Sheaffer, SunnyvaleDEAR DOUG: You stumbled across a meeting of the GOMP (the Grand Old Mollusk Party). The snails are gathering in small enclaves around the world to choose candidates for the upcoming mollusk emperor election. It’s an exciting time.OK, back to reality. The snails were trying to stay alive during a heatwave, and they did it in a very interesting fashion. Snails depend on moisture to stay alive, so when it’s hot and dry, they can literally wither away.To preserve the moisture in their shells, they climb to higher perches and seal their shells with a thick mucus called an epiphragm. The goo not only keeps the snail moist in its shell, but also adheres the shell to whatever object it...

Can AI help prevent wildfires from spreading across the Bay Area?

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:23:44 GMT

Artificial Intelligence can do everything from writing your grocery lists to creating websites, but can it prevent catastrophic wildfires?Over the past three years, California has seen more than 7 million acres burned from wildfires, and officials across the state are deploying cutting-edge, innovative ways to prevent further devastation by getting to fires before they spread.In Santa Clara County, officials are installing AI-enabled sensors that measure air particles and temperatures to detect where a small wildfire may be burning out of sight before it grows into an out-of-control blaze.Ten of these iPad-sized sensors already sit in the hills east of Oakland and are part of a 24-month pilot program out of the Oakland Fire Department. Cal Fire is piloting 400 “ultra-early” sensors from German startup Dryad Networks in Fort Bragg as well.These sensors “cover more ground broadly, and can spot fires sooner and earlier, particularly in the smoldering phases of fire right when the...

Travel Troubleshooter: I might be on Alamo’s Do Not Rent list. Can you find out?

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:23:44 GMT

TRAVEL TROUBLESHOOTER: I recently rented a car from Alamo. I made a reservation online, but when I tried to pick up the car at the airport, a representative informed me that I could not rent from Alamo because I was on the Do Not Rent list.Christopher Elliott, the Travel Troubleshooter Alamo said I had to resolve this through the corporate office of Enterprise, which owns Alamo. Unfortunately, I have had no success in resolving this issue there either.Alamo says I owe $204 from a rental in 2018. I rented the vehicle while my car was being repaired, and there could have been a mix-up involving the insurance company’s payment. I called Enterprise and offered to pay the debt, but Enterprise could not locate the amount of the debt or the reason for it. In fact, the agent with whom I spoke could not determine if I was on the Do Not Rent list.I’m happy to pay whatever I owe. At this point, I’m willing to pay even if this was a mistake. The brands Enterprise owns all...

Small plane crashes into Windsor vineyard

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:23:44 GMT

(KRON) -- A small plane crashed into a vineyard Saturday afternoon in Windsor, according to the Sonoma County Sheriff's Office.The pilot reported to the Santa Rosa Airport Control Tower that he was experiencing engine failure and was unable to make it back to the airport. The pilot was uninjured and able to walk away after crash landing around 3:30 p.m. near the Windsor Golf Course. Sonoma County Sheriff's OfficeSonoma County Sheriff's OfficeSonoma County Sheriff's OfficeOn Sunday, a helicopter was used to hoist the small plane out of the vineyard. It is unclear how much damage was done as a result of the crash. Deputies contacted the National Transportation Safety Board who will take over the investigation, the sheriff's office said.

Somalia’s government says it intends to shut down access to TikTok, Telegram over content concerns

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:23:44 GMT

MOGADISHU, Somalia (AP) — Somalia’s government says it intends to shut down access to certain social media platforms including TikTok and Telegram, which authorities believe disproportionately harm youth.The announcement late Sunday by the ministry of communications and technology came after a meeting convened by Minister Jama Hassan Khalif amid concerns that the platforms can spread extremist content, nude images and other material seen as offensive to Somali culture and Islam. The ministry statement also cited gambling platform 1XBET.This is the first official attempt by a government institution in Somalia to shut down any platform on social media. The decision will take effect on Aug. 24. It would require the compliance of privately run telecom companies.One social media user with a large following in Somalia, Bilaal Bulshawi, expressed contempt for the government’s order and asserted that the government is powerless to prohibit such platforms.“Even if it tries, we will uti...

Jaguars DT DaVon Hamilton is ‘on the road to recovery’ from undisclosed back issue

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:23:44 GMT

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Jacksonville Jaguars defensive tackle DaVon Hamilton is “on the road to recovery” but remains away from the team while dealing with an undisclosed back issue.Coach Doug Pederson said Monday that Hamilton is “still being monitored by the medical professionals in town.”“Just making sure that he’s a hundred percent,” Pederson added. “Got a text message this morning that he’s doing much better and feeling better, so he’s definitely on the road to recovery.”The Jaguars have provided few details about Hamilton’s situation, saying only that he “is dealing with a non-football-related medical issue with his back.”Hamilton was spotted leaving Ford Field in Detroit on crutches Saturday. He didn’t play in the team’s exhibition game against the Lions, but took part in joint practices with Detroit on Wednesday and Thursday.Calling it a “non-football-related medical issue” raises speculation that Hamilton has an illness or was injured outside the scope of a game or ...

1 killed, another injured in Chesapeake Bay boat crash

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:23:44 GMT

Calvert County Emergency Operations Center officials were among those who called for aid after a boat collided off Breezy Point on Aug. 19, 2023. (Courtesy, North Beach Volunteer Fire Department ) Calvert County Emergency Operations Center officials were among those who called for aid after a boat collided off Breezy Point on Aug. 19, 2023. (Courtesy, North Beach Volunteer Fire Department ) Officials in the Maryland Department of Natural Resources are investigating a deadly boat crash and water rescue along the western shore of the Chesapeake Bay.The boat crash happened Saturday around 9:40 p.m., more than two miles off Breezy Point, according to the North Beach Volunteer Fire Department.Multiple fire departments,...

Biden viaja a Hawaii tras los incendios forestales que han dejado cientos de muertos y desaparecidos

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:23:44 GMT

WASHINGTON DC – El presidente Joe Biden y la primera dama Jill Biden viajarán a Maui este lunes para reunirse con los residentes afectados por los incendios forestales de este mes, los más mortíferos en la historia moderna de Estados Unidos.Los Biden se dirigen a la ciudad de Lahaina en Maui en medio de sus vacaciones de una semana en el área del lago Tahoe y se reunirán con los residentes, los socorristas y los funcionarios estatales y locales.La visita del presidente se produce cuando se cree que un total de 850 personas están desaparecidas en relación con los incendios forestales mortales, dijo el alcalde del condado de Maui, Richard Bissen, en una publicación nocturna en Instagram y Facebook. Hawaii: 850 personas siguen desaparecidas tras los incendios forestales de Maui, según alcalde Llega a 114 la cifra de muertos en Hawaii mientras las autoridades temen que siga aumentando Al menos 114 personas murieron en los incend...