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An Inside Look into Actress Erica Papasergi’s Incredible Journey From Small Island to L.A. 

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:50:38 GMT

Films have come a long way since the days of Louis Le Prince’s Roundhay Garden Scene, but the primary motivation behind its purpose has never wavered — to bring stories to life. Storytelling is nearly as old as human civilization, so it warrants little wonder why people are innately drawn to the movies where we can openly fawn over our favorite characters in action. And like some of the greatest actors in history, actress Erica Papasergi finds her adoration for film in the chance to embody darling personalities for the world to embrace.From her earliest memories, Papasergi recalls interests in numerous professions, ultimately assuming acting as an avenue to be anything she wanted. Acting feels like the career that lets you be a lawyer one week and a guitar player the next, learning invaluable skills with each role. Ultimately, the uncanny ability that movies have to teach, inspire, and heal formed Papasergi’s desire to enter the industry. However, breaking into the film ...

How Jen Alsehali’s Amé Living Redefines the Aesthetics of Skincare

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:50:38 GMT

In an industry where revolutionary ideas are as rare as they are impactful, Jen Alsehali, founder of Amé Living, has emerged as a new torchbearer, melding holistic wellness with skincare in a way that transforms industry norms.A Visionary’s Rise in the Wellness and Beauty SphereAlsehali’s journey is not just about creating another skincare line; it represents a comprehensive approach to beauty that intertwines skin health with overall well-being. By launching Amé Living, Alsehali merged her expertise as a licensed physical therapist with an innate understanding of beauty and wellness. The company’s mission resonates in a market that, as of 2023, is shifting towards personal care products that emphasize aesthetics, wellness, and sustainability.“Beauty is more than skin deep. It’s about the entire aura of a person – their health, their spirit, their approach to life,”says Alsehali. From an early age, Alsehali set out to link physical health and inner well...

Shaping Narratives From Doha to International Screens

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:50:38 GMT

Amid the daily spectacle of tradition and commerce in Doha, filmmaker Noor Al-Nasr remains focused, using her camera to capture the spirit of Qatar. “Our stories,” she said, “are the essence of our past and the blueprint for our future.”Behind the scenes, Noor meticulously crafts her films, ensuring every frame tells a story that echoes Qatar’s soul and reaches out to the world. (Photos from Noor Al-Nasr)From Design to FilmNoor’s artistic journey began at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCUQ) with a focus on graphic design. It evolved through her Master’s studies at the Savannah College of Arts and Design University in Atlanta, Georgia. This educational path sharpened her visual communication skills and set the stage for her transition into the film industry. “Design was my first language. But now, cinema is my voice,” she reflects. Her acclaimed short film, “Dana’s Kite,” is a vibrant portrayal of Qatar’s gen...

Bay Area Travel: A holiday weekend getaway to Sausalito

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:50:38 GMT

Craving an escape from the holiday hoopla — the hustle, the bustle, the endless to-do lists? Just over the Golden Gate Bridge, Sausalito may just be the most charming village on San Francisco Bay, and the perfect destination for a holiday day trip, winter weekend jaunt or destination for out-of-town guests.With its distinctive Mediterranean flair and famous panoramic views of the Bay and San Francisco’s city skyline, Sausalito is also known for its elegant, Victorian-era homes, rising up woodsy, steep-sided hills, and historic storefronts, many dating to a more rough-and-tumble era in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Massive marinas crowded with sailboats, yachts and colorful houseboats line the town’s waterfront, and a grand promenade with renowned seafood restaurants perched on piers beckon day-trippers with fancy food and sublime views.It’s this charming storybook setting that has made Sausalito world famous over the years, drawing throngs of weekend tourists, who cr...

Travel Troubleshooter: I’m still waiting on a refund from a canceled pandemic flight

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:50:38 GMT

DEAR TRAVEL TROUBLESHOOTER: I booked two tickets to Paris on British Airways through Flight Network in 2020. British Airways canceled the flight because of the pandemic.I have tried for years to get a refund from Flight Network, but after numerous calls and emails, I have not received the money. Can you help me?— Erika Eng, Arlington Heights, IllinoisChristopher Elliott, the Travel Troubleshooter ANSWER: You’re kidding! It’s been almost four years since the start of the pandemic, and you’re still waiting for your money back? That’s got to be a new record.So, what went wrong? You booked your tickets through Flight Network, a Canadian online travel agency. (I publish the names, numbers and email addresses of Flight Network’s executives on my consumer advocacy site.) Flight Network has some of the worst online reviews I’ve ever seen, but that’s not the reason for your delay.The pandemic was a disaster for airlines. They canceled flig...

Crash or climb? Jobs may decide fate of California home prices

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:50:38 GMT

Will California housing’s future be a crash, correction, cooling – or a climb?Some folks are antsy about potential price tumbles. One poll found nearly half of Americans fear a housing crash in 2024. So my trusty spreadsheet looked at California home price history back to 1975 to see what might power the next move.The analysis eyeballed gyrations in a California price index from the Federal Housing Finance Agency against the average 30-year fixed rate mortgage from Freddie Mac and inflation as tallied by the Consumer Price Index. Plus, we gauged home-price changes vs. statewide unemployment rate and the total income of Californians, minus inflation, as a benchmark for the broad economy.This history lesson reminds us to keep our eyes on the job market. Paychecks are housing’s secret sauce.Winners and losersTo make this math relatively simple, the spreadsheet compared one-year periods when the California price index fell vs. when it was rising.In the 187 quarters studied, 47 had price...

Minnesota judge sets aside murder conviction of Marvin Haynes, man imprisoned as teen for 2004 flower shop killing

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:50:38 GMT

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Minnesota judge sets aside murder conviction of Marvin Haynes, man imprisoned as teen for 2004 flower shop killing.Source

Suspect arrested after 2 people were killed in a shooting in the southern Swiss town of Sion

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:50:38 GMT

BERLIN (AP) — Two people were killed and one was wounded as a gunman opened fire at two locations in a southern Swiss town on Monday and then fled, police said. The suspect was arrested on Monday afternoon. Authorities were alerted to a wounded person in a parking lot in Sion, the capital of the Valais canton at 7:15 a.m., police said. They found a 34-year-old woman with a fatal gunshot wound. A 41-year-old man was shot and killed a few minutes later and a 49-year-old woman was wounded. The two victims and the wounded woman were all from the Vallais region, police said. Police launched a manhunt and issued an appeal for people to come forward with any information on a 36-year-old believed to be the gunman. They warned that the suspect, who could be on the run in his locally registered convertible, may be armed and dangerous and that people should not approach him.The man was eventually caught by police in the St. Leonard region, according to a police statement.They said that he appe...

Prince William Co. school board adopts amendment to change citizen comment policy

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:50:38 GMT

The Prince William County School Board last week approved an amendment that will change the board’s citizen comment policy, increasing the number of speakers allowed in public comment time.Board members on Dec. 5 supported a revised version of an amendment proposed at the board’s last meeting; the revision was based on public comments and remarks submitted by board members.The newer, now-adopted version of the amendment increases the number of citizen comment slots from 20 to 30. In the case that 20 or less people sign up to speak, each speaker will be able to speak for three minutes, which is the current policy.In the case that more than 20 speakers sign up, with the 30-speaker cap, speaker’s time will be reduced to two minutes per person. The sliding scale would allow the School Board to increase the number of possible speakers while still keeping the one-hour cap on public comment time.“We have made several significant amendments to what we had proposed fo...

Destacado profesor y escritor de Gaza muere en un ataque aéreo, semanas después de haber dicho a CNN que él y su familia no tenían “otro lugar adonde ir”

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:50:38 GMT

(CNN) — En octubre, Refaat Alareer deliberaba entre quedarse en su casa, en el corazón de la ciudad de Gaza, o huir más al sur con su mujer y sus seis hijos.Mientras los aviones de guerra israelíes bombardeaban el norte de Gaza, las Fuerzas de Defensa de Israel (IDF) ordenaron a los civiles que evacuaran sus casas inmediatamente y se dirigieran al sur.Civiles como Alareer se enfrentaban a un dilema imposible. Quedarse en casa y arriesgarse a morir, o intentar huir sin protección. En aquel momento, este escritor y académico de 44 años declaró a CNN que él y su familia no tenían otra opción que permanecer en el norte, porque “no tienen otro sitio adonde ir”.“Es una imagen arquetípica palestina de una discusión, un debate sobre si debemos quedarnos en una habitación, para que si morimos, muramos juntos, o si debemos quedarnos en habitaciones separadas, para que al menos alguien pueda vivir”, dijo.Alareer, profesor de Literatura Comparada en la Universidad ...