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Camellias don’t deserve their reputation as garden divas

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 20:31:26 GMT

Camellias, known as “the queens of the winter flowers,” have for some reason been saddled with an unfair reputation as being difficult. Yes, they are susceptible to fungal diseases and scale insect infestations, but so are many other plants. And it’s true they don’t like salt spray or abrupt changes in temperature or irrigation, but neither do I.Far from being divas, these long-blooming, fragrant shrubs in the tea family have few requirements: They should be planted in rich, fertile, well-draining soil that’s kept moist but never soggy, and fed once a year, right after blooming, with a fertilizer formulated for acid-loving plants.Top-dressing with an inch or so of compost every year will provide a beneficial boost of nutrients, but gardeners should refrain from over-fertilizing or planting them under large trees that might outcompete them for resources.Major pruning isn’t usually necessary but, if warranted, should be done immediately after flowering. Remove old, dead stems and bran...

La historia de la esvástica: cómo un símbolo de buena fortuna se convirtió en expresión de odio

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 20:31:26 GMT

(CNN Español) —  La esvástica es, para muchos, símbolo de odio: el odio de la Alemania nazi y el odio de quienes desde entonces perpetúan sus ideas. Sin embargo, esa no es la historia completa: el nacimiento de la esvástica se remonta a miles de años atrás y su significado original nada tiene que ver con el horror del Holocausto que acabó con la vida de seis millones de personas. Por el contrario, y por imposible que resulte de incorporar, durante milenios remitió a la buena fortuna.Un símbolo de buena fortuna con miles de años de antigüedadEl término “esvástica” proviene del sánscrito, lengua antigua de origen indio que se habló hasta el siglo III a. C., y luego siguió presente en los textos religiosos y literarios, entre otros. En sánscrito, la palabra svatika significa “buena fortuna” o “bienestar”.El símbolo de la cruz equilátera con los brazos doblados en ángulos de 90 grados “parece haberse utilizado por primera vez en Eurasia, h...

Biden promete apoyo a Israel en un evento de Janucá, pero lanza una advertencia a la opinión pública

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 20:31:26 GMT

(CNN) — El presidente Joe Biden habló este lunes de su apoyo “inquebrantable” a “la seguridad del pueblo judío y la seguridad de Israel y su derecho a existir”, pero también ofreció una severa advertencia sobre la volatilidad de la opinión pública.“Continuaremos brindando asistencia militar a Israel hasta que se deshagan de Hamas, pero tenemos que tener cuidado, ellos deben tener cuidado”, dijo Biden a los reunidos en una recepción de Janucá en la Casa Blanca este lunes por la noche. “La opinión pública mundial puede cambiar de la noche a la mañana, no podemos permitir que eso suceda”.¿Qué es Janucá, en qué consiste, cuál es el origen y cómo se celebra esta fiesta judía?Los comentarios de Biden se producen cuando un paquete de ayuda de emergencia que proporcionaría financiación a Israel y Ucrania sigue estancado en el Congreso y los legisladores enfrentan presiones para actuar en medio de una nueva ola de antisemitismo en Estados Unidos mientras la guerra entre Isr...

These types of Christmas lights are more expensive

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 20:31:26 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) — Just like eggs, milk and bread, the price of Christmas lights has gone up, according to John Swayze, owner of Christmas Decor in Denver. But even with the rising prices, you'll notice that the cost varies. Christmas lights have different prices, and it's not just because of the quality of the lights, it has to do with the colors. This Denver Christmas light display named one of best in US When it comes to solid colors, the prices don't vary. Whether you're looking for all-white lights or blue or green, the cost is about the same. What makes lights more expensive is the red, green and blue (RBG) lighting, according to Swayze.Lighting that changes color, or anything with animations, makes it more expensive. Whether the lights flash on and off, fade or change color, they're going to be pricier.It's expensive because each lightbulb needs to contain different colors."So, each light then has three different diodes in it. So that's the RGB, it means that it has a red, a g...

Coloradans consider it to be cold at this temperature

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 20:31:26 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) — Colorado consists of locals who brave the low 20-degree temperatures during the early months of the year to transplants who have never seen snow before.When it comes to the Centennial State, it's mixed with locals and newbies alike, but each person comes from different temperatures and different ideas of cold. With people coming in and out of Colorado, the state doesn't have a solid definition of what's considered cold.FOX31 asked readers what they consider cold. The poll listed temperatures as high as 55 degrees to as low as below 20 degrees. On Tuesday, Dec. 12 at 6 a.m., FOX31 sorted through the answers. These are the coldest temperatures on record in Denver After 996 responses, Colorado finally has an answer to what's considered cold. Here are the results:What do Coloradans consider cold? (KDVR)When it comes to the majority, most of the readers believe that cold means below freezing. Of the people who voted, 79% said "cold" is 30 degrees or below. But that's no...

Miami-Dade mayor adds celebrity twist to 6th annual Pig Pardoning Ceremony

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 20:31:26 GMT

Mayor Daniella Levine Cava hosted the 6th annual Pig Pardoning Ceremony, putting a star-studded spin on the beloved South Florida Christmas feast centerpiece, roasted pig, or lechón.This year’s event took a celebrity-inspired turn as two cherished pigs, affectionately named Travis and Taylor, were pardoned and granted a forever home at the Bonanza Equestrian Center in Miami-Dade County’s horse country. The pigs owe their names to global superstar Taylor Swift and Kansas City Chiefs player Travis Kelce, adding a whimsical touch to the holiday tradition.Owned by Alfonso and Lina Marena Berrio, Travis and Taylor are not just any pigs; they are a family favorite, named by their daughters Valerie and Melanie Berrio in honor of their admired celebrity couple. The blend of Miami’s love for celebrity culture with deep-rooted family values adds a sprinkle of star-studded charm to the heart of the city.During the ceremony, Mayor Levine Cava officially declared the pardon at ...

Cardi B says she’s split from Offset

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 20:31:26 GMT

(CNN) — Cardi B and her husband, fellow rapper Offset, have parted ways.In a recent Instagram Live shared on social media, Cardi said she’s been sharing clues that they are no longer a couple.“I’ve been single for a minute now, but I have been afraid to like… not afraid, I just don’t know how to tell the world. But I feel like today has been a sign,” she said. “The last time I got on Live, I kind of wanted to tell you guys. But I didn’t know how to tell you, so I changed my mind. But it has been like this for a minute now. I just took it as a sign.”The “sign” she was referring to was some online messiness in which Offset’s name was part of an allegation of infidelity that he has denied on social media.“I don’t think it’s true, I don’t care to find out,” Cardi B said of the chatter.Instead, it appears that she wants to focus on the future.“I want to start 2024, like, fresh, open,” she said during the IG Live. “I don’t know. I’m curious for a new life, for a new beginning. And yeah, I...

How Taylor Swift became the Trojan horse of academia

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 20:31:26 GMT

(CNN) — Taylor Swift once said that if she were not a record-breaking, hit-making, three-time-Grammy-album-of-the-year winning superstar (our adjectives, not hers), she would’ve liked to have returned to the classroom.“I would have gone to college, and I would probably be involved with a form of business where words and ideas are at the forefront,” she told GQ in 2015. “Such as marketing.”She might be a bit too famous now to sit in on a business class for a marketing degree. But her music and persona have proven ripe for academic dissection on college campuses, amongst Swifties or otherwise.Universities across the US, from Harvard to the University of Texas at Austin to Stanford, are now offering courses on Swift’s body of work and the decade-plus-long discourse her work and life have inspired. It’s a fitting honor for the singer-songwriter, whose stardom and success have reached new heights in 2023.Arizona State this semester offered a course on the psychology of Swift’s songs. At ...

Zac Efron honors ‘17 Again’ co-star Matthew Perry at his Hollywood Walk of Fame ceremony

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 20:31:26 GMT

(CNN) — Zac Efron took a moment to honor his friend and “17 Again” co-star Matthew Perry on Monday when he received his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.“I really also want to mention someone that’s not here today, and that’s Matthew Perry, who was so kind and generous with me while we worked on ‘17 Again’ together,” Efron said during his ceremony speech.Efron described collaborating with Perry as “so much fun and it really did propel me and motivate me in so many ways. It really pushed me into the next chapter of my career and for that, thank you so much Matthew.”“Thinking about you a lot today,” Efron said, appearing to get emotional.Perry died at his Los Angeles home in October. He was 54.Efron played the younger version of Perry’s “17 Again” character in the 2009 rom-com, where Perry’s character is transformed back into his 17-year-old self in a chance to rewrite his life.Perry had even recently expressed his desire to collaborate with Efron again, according to his friend, Ath...

Where is Navalny? Putin’s nemesis goes missing

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 20:31:26 GMT

Vladimir Putin this week informally kicked off his presidential election campaign by inaugurating two nuclear submarines in Russia’s north ― while his biggest political foe, Alexei Navalny, vanished from the radar.Navalny’s allies say they have been unable to contact the imprisoned opposition politician since Tuesday last week. They say the prison where he was being held in Melekhovo, some 200 kilometers east of Moscow, initially attributed his disappearance to electricity problems, which they suspect was a stalling tactic while Navalny was being moved.On Monday, those suspicions were confirmed when Navalny’s lawyer was reportedly told by prison staff that the opposition politician was no longer there. Navalny’s supporters have been expecting such a development ever since a judge in August sentenced him to an additional 19 years in a “special regime” prison on extremism charges.  But...