Lifestyles

To Your Good Health: Very hard to treat some cancers

DEAR DR ROACH: We’re all amazed at the substantial advances in treating cancer in recent years. But are there certain cancers that science and medicine haven’t had much success with? — A.M.H. ANSWER: I’m afraid so. Many cancers remain difficult or almost impossible to cure, due to a combination of factors. One is that certain cancers usually don’t cause symptoms until they’re large in size and likely to have spread. Another is that there are no curative chemotherapy or radiation options. Some cancers also spread very early; breast cancers can be metastatic (spread to ...

Friday evening TV

Bridge by Steve Becker

1. One notrump. This hand meets all the requirements for an opening one-notrump bid: 15 to 17 high-card points, balanced distribution (4-3-3-3, 4-4-3-2 or 5-3-3-2) and stoppers in at least three suits. It is far better to open with one notrump than one heart. Perhaps the most important ...

Finding a way to wind down from dream job

DEAR ANNIE: I was really excited when I landed my dream job a few months ago. It has great pay and a title that can really take me places. But now, just a few months in, I’m pulling my hair out. We’re in our “busy season,” which means lots of late nights and working weekends. Every time I finish one assignment, two more pop up. My problem isn’t the hours — I know busy season will end — it’s that I cannot sleep. For the past week, I’ve been lucky to get three or four hours a night. When my head hits the pillow, despite being exhausted, I start replaying every ...

Reviving stale chips

DEAR HELOISE: Stale chips used to end up in the trash at my house far too often. Now I bring them back to life with a quick oven trick that really works: Spread the chips in a single layer on a baking sheet so that they heat evenly. Slide the pan into an oven set to 300 F for about 5 minutes. The gentle heat removes extra moisture and restores the crisp texture. Keep a close eye on them since chips can go from perfect to overdone pretty fast. After tossing out one too many half-eaten bags, I started using this method regularly. Let the chips cool for a minute or two before serving. ...

Bridge by Steve Becker

A defender should assume, as a matter of course, that the contract he’s defending against can be defeated. If he does not cultivate this attitude as a regular habit, many opportunities to defeat opposing contracts will pass him by. Let’s say you’re East on this deal and partner leads the heart four against three notrump. Should you take the ace or withhold it? If you do take the ace, is it better to return a heart, or should you shift to another suit? If you do shift, should it be to a spade or a club? To find the answers to these questions, you must start by assuming that the ...