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All About That Book Festival (No Kindle)

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 15:59:08 GMT

Books are life! Technology and over-reaching state governments can threaten their existence, but we can confidently say they will never go away. The LA Times Festival of Books, in association with USC,  has been celebrating the power of the spined and jacketed printed word for nearly three decades now.This year, the annual event is bigger than ever. Stacey Abrams, Idina Menzel, Katie Porter, Meghan Trainor, Michael Connelly, Laura Dern, Omar Epps, Jennifer Garner, Roxane Gay, Lane Moore and many many more make appearances, sharing thoughts and inspirations.The largest book festival in the United States, the event touts “500 writers, experts and storytellers” and hundreds more exhibitors on a 226-acre campus with seven outdoor stages and activity areas plus live music, food trucks and other amusements.Highlights should include the “Ideas Exchange” series spotlight featuring Dern and her mom Diane Ladd chatting with Times columnist Mary McNamara about their book Honey, Baby, Mine: A M...

From Concept to Creation: Saibhir Interior’s Bespoke Furniture

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 15:59:08 GMT

Saibhir is a name that rolls off the tongue like a dream, and a brand that is taking the world of customized contemporary furniture by storm. Inspired by the Irish word for “rich,” the brand’s focus is on creating contemporary and timeless designs using materials such as wood, marble, leather, boucle, and cashmere fabric. With its commitment to sustainability and customer satisfaction, the brand has captured the attention of clients across Europe and the United States. But Saibhir is more than just a furniture brand – it’s an investment. Over time, the value of Saibhir’s pieces only increases, making them a smart choice for those who want to add customized furniture and sophistication to their homes or businesses.What sets Saibhir apart from other furniture brands is their dedication to listening to their customers’ ideas and bringing them to life. Every piece is crafted with the utmost attention to detail, and the brand’s commitment t...

‘What does she do again?’ Maybe ‘sad’ Hailey Bieber needs a purpose

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 15:59:08 GMT

Hailey Bieber, the influencer and model wife of pop star Justin Bieber, opened up on Instagram Wednesday about how she’s been feeling “fragile” and that the start of 2023 has brought her some of the “saddest, hardest moments” of her adult life.Bieber, 26, didn’t identify those sad, hard moments but people assume she’s talking about the internet labeling her a celebrity “mean girl” in her perceived social media feud with Selena Gomez, the multi-talented ex-girlfriend of her husband. Bieber reportedly faced so much “hateful online negativity,” as well as death threats, that Gomez, her supposed nemesis, stepped in to defend Bieber and to ask her own fans to lay off.Maybe Bieber also is sad because she has yet to identify a clear purpose for why she wants to be famous, beyond being known for being the wife of a mega-famous pop star.Bieber could easily sit back and lead a happy, quiet life with her husband and save herself...

Pac-12 legal affairs: Fired executives file complaint, claim Larry Scott knew about Comcast overpayments

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 15:59:08 GMT

Former Pac-12 executives Mark Shuken and Brent Willman have filed a wrongful termination complaint against the conference following their dismissals for their roles in the Comcast overpayment scandal.Shuken, the former president of the Pac-12 Networks, and Willman, the Pac-12’s former CFO, were terminated on Jan. 20 for failing to properly report millions of dollars in overpayments made by Comcast to the Pac-12 Networks.But the complaint alleges they did, in fact, properly report the issue — they repeatedly told then-commissioner Larry Scott about the situation after it was discovered in December 2017, and Scott told them “not to say or do anything.”The overpayments continued for years and are believed to have totaled $5 million annually over the course of a decade, before Comcast discovered them in 2022. They have left the Pac-12 schools at significant financial risk, with Comcast expected to withhold approximately $50 million in revenue distributions to the networks — or $4....

Great America introduces chaperone policy starting this weekend

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 15:59:08 GMT

Those heading to California’s Great America in Santa Clara this weekend should be prepared for a new chaperone policy.As of Saturday, April 22, park officials say, “All guests ages 15 years old or younger must be accompanied by a chaperone who is at least 21 years old in order to be admitted to, or remain in, the park after 4 p.m. local time to close,” according to a post on the amusement park’s website, cagreatamerica.com.The change is being made to address safety issues.“The safety of our guests and associates has always been our top priority at California’s Great America,” according to a post on the park’s Twitter page, https://twitter.com/CAGreatAmerica. “Over the past two years, there have been increasing incidents of unruly and inappropriate behavior across our industry and at other major entertainment venues.“We are committed to keeping California’s Great America a place where families and friends come together...

Single family residence in Oakland sells for $2.4 million

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 15:59:08 GMT

6035 Skyline Boulevard – Google Street ViewThe spacious property located in the 6000 block of Skyline Boulevard in Oakland was sold on March 14, 2023 for $2,400,000, or $644 per square foot. The house, built in 2002, has an interior space of 3,729 square feet. The property features three bedrooms, three baths, a garage, and two parking spaces. The unit sits on a 0.3-acre lot.These nearby houses have also recently been sold:On Balsam Way, Oakland, in June 2022, a 1,064-square-foot home was sold for $1,000,000, a price per square foot of $940. The home has 2 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms.In June 2022, a 2,160-square-foot home on The Turn in Oakland sold for $1,665,000, a price per square foot of $771. The home has 3 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms.A 1,895-square-foot home on the 6600 block of Woodland Place in Oakland sold in June 2022, for $1,800,000, a price per square foot of $950. The home has 4 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms. 

Prosecutors say Los Gatos party mom tried to flee justice, hide assets and smuggle drugs into jail

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 15:59:08 GMT

Prosecutors and tearful parents and teens Friday urged the maximum 20 year sentence for a Los Gatos woman charged with hosting drunken parties for her teen son and his friends where girls were sexually assaulted as new allegations revealed she tried to flee justice, hide assets and smuggle drugs into jail.Shannon O’Connor, 48, jailed since her October 2021 arrest in Idaho, was in court Friday after asking a judge to say what sentence she’d receive if she pleaded guilty as charged. Prosecutors requested Friday’s hearing to present additional evidence and testimony before Judge Elizabeth C. Peterson to inform her decision.And parents and teens were unsparing in their assessment of the harm O’Connor had done to them.“She’s a very sick individual and a sexual predator,” the mother of one of the teen girls told the judge, fighting back tears as she spoke. “She taught our daughter how to drink like a rock star. She was only 14, had never had...

San Jose: Cinnaholic cinnamon roll bakery is closing downtown

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 15:59:08 GMT

Cinnaholic, the vegan bakery that specializes in gourmet cinnamon rolls, will be baking just through the weekend at its downtown San Jose location, then closing that shop for good.The original Berkeley shop and Concord one remain open, as do locations in several other states. The San Jose Cinnaholic had been in business on East San Fernando Street near the San Jose State University campus for five years, surviving the business downturn of the pandemic.“It is with a heavy heart that we must announce the closing of our beloved bakery,” the owner of the San Jose franchise said in an email letter to customers. “We are so very thankful to our community, customers, employees, associates, friends, and family for all the love and support you have shown us throughout the years. We are grateful and will forever cherish the endless memories and relationships we have built through this journey.”No reason was given for the closure. The shop’s “final farewell&#...

Driver who fatally hit woman at Danville intersection gets probation, community service

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 15:59:08 GMT

MARTINEZ — The driver who hit and killed a Danville woman last year in the Blackhawk area of that town pleaded guilty Thursday to a misdemeanor charge of manslaughter, authorities said.Steven Seltzer received a one-year court probation and 100 hours of community service as part of his guilty plea for the death of 32-year-old Joyce Huang on June 2, 2022, Contra Costa County District Attorney spokesperson Ted Asregadoo said. Huang was walking across the intersection of Camino Tassajara and Wood Ranch Road about 8:05 p.m., according to court records.Seltzer was driving a Ford when he hit Huang as she was in the crosswalk, authorities said. Seltzer stayed and cooperated with police.Seltzer told police he only got four hours of sleep the night before, nodded off while driving and didn’t notice Huang until he’d struck her. He said he drank about half of a beer roughly two hours before the crash and denied being on his cellphone, police said.As part of the plea agreement, he also mus...

Los Gatos Party Mom 'tore my life apart,' victim says

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 15:59:08 GMT

(KRON) -- Current and former Los Gatos High School students tearfully urged a Santa Clara County judge to send an accused sexual predator, also known as "Party Mom," away to prison with a maximum sentence. Shannon O'Connor, 48, kept her head down and was silent while her alleged victims spoke in court Friday. According to the District Attorney’s Office, O’Connor threw disturbing and dangerous alcohol-fueled sex parties for teenagers between 2020-2021. The secret parties were organized by O'Connor at her Los Gatos mansion without her husband’s knowledge, investigators said. Millbrae 6th grade teacher arrested for allegedly sexually assaulting students "Party Mom" pressured teenagers to binge drink and engage in sex for O'Connor's own sexual gratification, according to investigators. O'Connor initially pleaded not guilty. She has remained in jail without bail for more than a year as she awaits trial. "Party Mom" was attacked by five female inmates at Elmwood Correctional Facility in...