The holiday season is upon us. For me, it seems like yesterday that Thanksgiving was mere hours away, leaving some of us stressing out on what to cook, wondering for how many, and praying for a peaceful Thanksgiving table without any rancorous political discussions ruining the mood for what would otherwise be a fun day of feasting and football. Growing up, Thanksgiving was a time that everyone in my family got together. This included my mom, dad, and sister along with my aunt, uncle, and cousins. It was a fun time. The turkey was almost always as dry as the desert, except for the time that the heating element burned out in the big white turkey cooker. The timer, however, continued to work, so when the buzzer went off the turkey had to be ready, right? This time the turkey was not dry, in fact it was raw. Everyone got a big laugh, except for my sister who was responsible for cooking the bird. She was mortified and probably scarred for life. Cranberry sauce came out of a can. Green beans, cream of mushroom soup, and fried onions came out of a can. Sweet potatoes came out of a can but at least the marshmallows came out of a bag. The potatoes were often lumpy and full of melted margarine. For some unknown reason my mom preferred the taste of margarine to butter. Do not, for a minute, think that these snarky, foodie criticisms detracted from the day. Thanksgiving was wonderful in the Patillo household. It was filled with love and laughter and the food was always good if not great by today’s standards. What memories. As the years have passed, my mom, dad, and sister, have gained their angel wings. As have my aunt, uncle, and cousin. My grandparents are also waiting at the pearly gates for my arrival to complete the circle. I am the last living member of my family that celebrated Thanksgiving in my childhood. Sign up to get our free daily email of the biggest stories! While listing the foods that were present at our Thanksgiving table, you may have noticed that there was no mention of dressing. My mother’s dressing was my favorite. Thanksgiving would not be complete for me without making her dressing. It is a very simple cornbread dressing, with sage croutons, celery, onions, and plenty of chicken stock. It is by no means fancy. I have had many more “chefy” versions with exotic ingredients, but no other recipe vividly revives my childhood memories as my mother’s dressing. As I count down the many things for which I am grateful, her dressing is near the top of the heap. In the fall of 1621, about 90 members of the Wampanoag tribe joined around 52 Pilgrims to celebrate the settlers’ first successful harvest. Without the success of that harvest, the Pilgrims’ chance of surviving the winter would have been very slim. Historians believe that the feast included lobster, shellfish and cod. Members of the tribe contributed deer, waterfowl, and carrier pigeons. Flint corn was made into a porridge. There were no mashed potatoes. White potatoes had not been brought up from South America. There was no sweet potato casserole. Sweet potatoes had not been brought up from the Caribbean. There would be no cranberry sauce. There was no processed sugar and cranberries at this time were used primarily to dye cloth. The Pilgrims did not wear black coats over white shirts, pointy hats, and square toed shoes. The natives wore substantially more than loin cloths. It was fall in New England, after all. The pilgrims and the natives did not sit down at a table and eat off plates. Food was laid out on any flat surface and people ate when they got hungry. The feast lasted for a full three days. Thanksgiving has come a long way. There are so many things that I am grateful for, but none more than the memories I have with my family. Shortly, I will make my mom’s dressing. This year, I intend to document the recipe so that my sons can have a hint of what I love so much. I will share the recipe with you also, at the end of this column.Trump chooses Pam Bondi for attorney general pick after Gaetz withdraws77 jili casino 。

Blake Snell and Dodgers agree to $182 million, 5-year contract, AP source saysTo win elections, every party goes a-hunting for new supporters. No prey is too small or insignificant - Shani devotees, dog parents, left-handed jugglers, they're all fair game. With Delhi assembly polls looming, AAP has taken this strategy to heart. ET Year-end Special Reads What kept India's stock market investors on toes in 2024? India's car race: How far EVs went in 2024 Investing in 2025: Six wealth management trends to watch out for After wooing women voters with cash transfers like every other swayamvar party, it's now flexing its way into the trendy world of health and fitness. Last week, wrestlers and bodybuilders joined the party, with Arvind Kejriwal announcing that more grapplers are likely to sign up. So, when it comes to politics, strength in numbers also means a good number of strong men. The AAP convenor proclaimed that this akhada association will 'not only strengthen the outfit but also align it with health and fitness issues'. Watch out for future rallies featuring squats and push-ups as campaign moves. Is a protein shake subsidy scheme in the works? This is hardly the first time politicians have ventured into the wrestling ring. Mulayam Singh Yadav was first spotted by a Praja Socialist Party leader in 1962 at a wrestling bout and was roped into the rough and tumble of politics. Mufflerman is unlikely to follow the former UP CM's footsteps into the akhada ring. But Kejriwal is gearing up to wrestle his way to another term for AAP. Just don't expect him to trade his sweater for a singlet anytime soon.

Housing inventory in Staunton, Augusta County and Waynesboro is up. However, nearly 30% of the available housing units are new construction and not existing properties. Of the 289 active listings in October in the SAW region, roughly 27% are new construction, according to Rick Kane, president of Westhills Ltd. Realtors in Fishersville. A closer look reveals that almost all the new construction in the area is townhouses and not the three-bedroom houses more suitable for larger families, the sort of long-term, stable households the region is trying to attract. “I would like to see a lot more three-bedroom houses,” Kane said. Of the more than 200 existing houses available for resale in the area, most of them are more than 25 years old. “The majority were built from the 1950s to the 1990s,” Kane said. New housing is being built in Waynesboro, but it is primarily townhouses and not single-family residences. Still, the 212 properties for purchase represent a stark increase from earlier this year when fewer than 100 were available. The development of single-family detached residences in the area will happen when developers decide it is worth taking the risk. According to Kane, the potential outcomes are simple: If sales are made, the developer makes money; if not, the developer will go under. According to the October 2024 Virginia Home Sales Report released by Virginia Realtors, there was a rise in closed sales activity in October in Virginia’s housing market. Kane has reason for optimism about housing in the area, pointing to the recent approval of a townhouse complex on King Avenue in Waynesboro. The project will provide four units, each costing just more than $200,000. The Virginia Land Trust purchased the land, and the units must each be sold to households with an annual income of just under $72,000. Kane calls the affordable units a step in the right direction. A further cause for optimism is the Waynesboro City Council’s consideration of opening the city to affordable cottage housing. Cottage housing typically means smaller single-family residences clustered together around common areas. The properties are marketed to young professionals, couples with small children and empty nesters. An influx of sales of Virginia residential real estate was driven by a jump in pending sales in September, when mortgage rates were falling into the low 6% range. Statewide, there were 9,408 closed sales in October, 968 more than a year ago, a 12.5% increase. Leslie Tate, Waynesboro’s director of community development, told Council on Nov. 13 that the proposal calls for units with a maximum size of 1,200 square feet. Units that include porches, decks and patios can be up to 1,700 square feet. This type of housing works for the area’s household size. A recent regional housing study found that two-thirds of the area’s households do not exceed two people. Waynesboro City Council is expected to hold a public hearing on a draft cottage housing ordinance in 2025. Inventory of homes is up across Virginia, according to a report released Friday by Virginia Realtors. The report says that there were 20,042 active listings across the commonwealth at the end of October, 16% more than a year ago and the first time that active listings had topped 20,000 in four years. Bob Stuart (540) 932-3562 rstuart@newsvirginian.com @oldyankee53 on Twitter Get the latest local business news delivered FREE to your inbox weekly. News Reporter {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items.

Emiliano Martinez was Aston Villa’s hero once more as the goalkeeper’s heroics helped his side to a goalless draw against Juventus as Villa’s winless streak continued. With seconds remaining, Morgan Rogers thought he had won it but the referee ruled out the Englishman’s tap-in for a foul on the Juventus goalkeeper by the centre back Diego Carlos. The Argentine pulled off a decisive save in the second half on an evening where there were positives to take for Unai Emery as his side kept a clean sheet for the first time in seven games. But they are now without a win for the whole of November leaving the Spaniard with plenty to work on with his squad ahead of a busy festive period. A pointNone

Flashback documentary explores the Edmonton dance club that changed Alberta

Democrats strike deal to get more Biden judges confirmed before Congress adjourns​For the past 14 years, Alex Vynokur, the co-founder of Betashares, has quietly built his company into one of the largest local providers of exchange-traded funds and one of the country’s fastest growing asset managers. In 2024, Betashares attracted inflows of $16 billion, lifting its total funds under management to $46 billion. “The focus for the past decade has very much been about building out the core ETF capability,” explains Vynokur. “We are now a steward of significant capital on behalf of more than 1 million Australian investors and over two-thirds of financial advisors.” Betashares now accounts for one-third of every dollar that goes into the Australian ETF industry, according to Vynokur, and is eyeing growth in Asia. Alex Vynokur, the chief executive of Betashares. Credit: Louie Douvis An ETF is a basket of securities that are pooled into one fund, which is traded on a stock exchange. An investor in an ETF doesn’t own the securities, instead owning units in the ETF, while the ETF provider owns the shares or assets. ETFs have grown in popularity with investors because they are cost-effective and offer exposure to thousands of diversified assets, such as a group of defence stocks, or the ASX200 index, or a variety of bonds. Globally, ETFs have had a banner year with more than $1 trillion invested into the sector, which is now worth an estimated $14 trillion. Vynokur and his family arrived in Australia from Ukraine more than three decades ago, at the time when ETFs launched. He was a teenager, and his family came with just a few hundred dollars in their pockets. Vynokur became a lawyer, then moved into venture capital, before co-founding Betashares with David Nathanson, also a former lawyer and investment banker, who had worked at Goldman Sachs and Macquarie. We’re definitely, very cautiously, studying opportunities outside of Australia. Alex Vynokur, Betashares co-founder As with any start-up, Vynokur and Nathanson put in enormous hours to build the company to where it is today, as Australia’s second-largest ETF provider behind market leader Vanguard. Both are now multi-millionaires, though there has been a physical cost, says 46-year-old Vynokur: “I didn’t have any grey hair 14 years ago.”

Health Canada says daily cannabis use hasn't changed much since legalizationPOUGHKEEPSIE, N.Y. (AP) — Elijah Lewis scored 21 points as Marist beat Binghamton 69-51 on Sunday. Lewis also had six rebounds and six assists for the Red Foxes (9-2). Josh Pascarelli added 15 points while shooting 6 for 12, including 2 for 5 from beyond the arc and grabbed seven rebounds. Jason Schofield shot 5 of 13 from the field to finish with 10 points. The Bearcats (8-7) were led by Ben Callahan-Gold, who posted 10 points. Gavin Walsh added nine points, 11 rebounds and three steals for Binghamton. Tymu Chenery had nine points and five assists. The loss snapped the Bearcats' six-game winning streak. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .Virginia mail service improves; 2nd Trump push to privatize USPS ‘unlikely’2024 has been a phenomenal year for almost every , including ( ) shares. Most of us would know about ( ) shares' seemingly endless parade of new all-time record highs. But it's not just CBA. ( ), ( ) and ANZ have all enjoyed double-digit share price gains over the year to date. Additionally, all three have seen new 52-week highs in recent months. Saying that, ANZ shares have still been a conspicuous laggard. To illustrate, let's look at the numbers. At the time of writing, CBA shares have enjoyed a 40% rise over the 2024 calendar year. NAB shares have lifted 30%, while Westpac stock has climbed 47%. ANZ trails the pack, though, with a year-to-date gain of 24%. Yep, even though ANZ shares have risen from $25.99 each to the $32.26 we are seeing at present, this bank's investors might be feeling a little shortchanged. See for yourself below: So, we can definitively conclude that ANZ has been the worst investment of the major banks in 2024 despite the nominally impressive return. But does this mean that ANZ shares present the best value for investors today? Are ANZ shares the best ASX 200 bank buy for value right now? Well, it certainly seems that way on the surface. Right now, ANZ shares are trading on a of 15. That means the market is willing to pay $15 for every $1 of earnings ANZ brings home. In contrast, Westpac and NAB shares are currently on P/E ratios of 17.65 and 17.74, respectively. And CBA is far out in front with its lofty (to put it generously) and unbank-like earnings multiple of 28.02. This paradigm is reflected in each of these banks' . Remember, as a company's share price rises, its dividend yield tends to fall if the bank can't compensate with commensurate hikes. That's why we see CBA shares with a (again, unbank-like) yield of 2.92% right now, compared with ANZ's far more conventional 5.15%. So, what can we make of this situation? Buying for quality or yield? Well, I tend to think of ANZ as the most challenged of the big four banks today. ANZ simply does not seem to have developed its business model to the same high calibre as NAB and CBA. Its earnings have been stagnant for a while now, and ANZ lacks the size and scale of CBA. As such, it arguably deserves to trade on a lower earnings multiple than its larger rivals. As such, I don't see it as a screaming buy. Saying that, I still regard this ASX bank share as a decent income investment. Whilst CBA has lost most of its firepower as a dividend share, ANZ's 5%-plus yield makes it a compelling investment for passive income, particularly for those investors who invest primarily for dividends. ANZ has a long history as a reliable dividend payer. Investors haven't endured a heavy dividend cut in quite a while, with the excusable exception of COVID-ravaged 2020. In conclusion, I would happily buy ANZ shares today for a diversified, dividend-focused income portfolio. But otherwise, I think there are better value opportunities out there.