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Lifestyle

Coronavirus has invaded our children's play, and doctors say that's a good thing.<br>iStock

COVID has invaded our kids' pretend play, and experts say it's a good thing

Kelly Morse entered her 4-year-old son’s pretend doctor’s office one day last April and asked him how she was doing. She was taken aback when he examined her with his toy stethoscope and responded, solemnly, “Not well, you’ve got coronavirus.”

Kashden Dunlap, of Enola, visits with Santa Claus, with safety protocols in place, Nov. 11 at Capital City Mall in Lower Allen Township, Pa.<br>Dan Gleiter, The Patriot-News/AP Kashden Dunlap, of Enola, visits with Santa Claus, with safety protocols in place, Nov. 11 at Capital City Mall in Lower Allen Township, Pa.<br>Dan Gleiter, The Patriot-News/AP
Santa's back at the mall -- sort of
The new Sony PlayStation 5, released Nov. 12, stands 15.4 inches tall and weighs a whopping 14 pounds.<br>Carolyn Van Houten/The Washington Post The new Sony PlayStation 5, released Nov. 12, stands 15.4 inches tall and weighs a whopping 14 pounds.<br>Carolyn Van Houten/The Washington Post
The PlayStation 5 is a sensory game-changer
<br>iStock
<br>iStock

Raising kind children

Some mothers said they were once focused on raising and launching successful children into the world. But with day cares closed and babysitters unable to work, grade schools and colleges forced online, extracurriculars canceled and tests such as the SAT postponed, mothers have been spending more high-quality time with their children — time that some said has led them to re-examine the personality traits they wanted to foster in their children: kindness and compassion over competition, and empathy for those who may be struggling.

Together is a game that shows how the pandemic can mean very different things to different people.<br>Bakiara/TNS
Together is a game that shows how the pandemic can mean very different things to different people.<br>Bakiara/TNS

COVID-19 video games show how pandemic affects people differently

Surrounded, concerned and frustrated by our current pandemic, I certainly didn’t want COVID-19 to enter my game-playing time. The virus and its effects had consumed enough of my life. Confession: I was wrong.

An outdoor plastic dining bubble waits for customers in the Fulton Market district of Chicago on Oct. 15, 2020.<br>Chris Sweda, Chicago Tribune/TNS
An outdoor plastic dining bubble waits for customers in the Fulton Market district of Chicago on Oct. 15, 2020.<br>Chris Sweda, Chicago Tribune/TNS

Dining bubbles are popping up everywhere; experts weigh in on whether they are safe

While infectious-disease experts warn that careless use of dining bubbles could facilitate transmission of the coronavirus, they also say it is possible for dining in them to be relatively low-risk, as long as certain precautions are taken.

<br>Photo by Nancy French
<br>Photo by Nancy French

Book review

‘Divided We Fall’ says secession is a real, and dangerous, possibility

A spate of recent book titles shout from shelves and online shopping carts, offering up the worst versions of people we already hate for thirty bucks or less. Legions of voices on traditional and social media will do the same, ostensibly for free. “Divided We Fall: America’s Secession Threat and How to Restore Our Nation,” by David French, makes no such offers.

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games

Sackboy: A Big Adventure is a fairy-tale melange of graphical delights, but doesn't add much more story.<br>Sumo Digital
Sackboy: A Big Adventure is a fairy-tale melange of graphical delights, but doesn't add much more story.<br>Sumo Digital

Sackboy: A Big Adventure is delightful, but it's missing something

Sackboy: A Big Adventure is a lustrous romp of carnival fantasy, but it feels like they left something out. The new Sackboy has no game creation mode for fans, it is not a new version of LittleBigPlanet, which is disappointing because this is such a touted, anticipated PlayStation 5 launch title.

europe after hours

A doubled-up sushi combination platter and a fried chicken bento box from Hashimoto in Saarbruecken, Germany, ready to eat at a picnic in the city's German-French Garden. <br>Erik Slavin/Stars and Stripes
A doubled-up sushi combination platter and a fried chicken bento box from Hashimoto in Saarbruecken, Germany, ready to eat at a picnic in the city's German-French Garden. <br>Erik Slavin/Stars and Stripes

Japanese food doesn’t get better than Hashimoto in Saarbruecken

There are no dragon rolls at Hashimoto.

pacific after hours

The rump and aitchbone steak from Co-Lab Kitchen on Okinawa was tender and juicy.<br>Matthew M. Burke/Stars and Stripes
The rump and aitchbone steak from Co-Lab Kitchen on Okinawa was tender and juicy.<br>Matthew M. Burke/Stars and Stripes

Co-Lab Kitchen’s outdoor patio in Okinawa is an oasis for service members still barred from indoor dining

Dining options on Okinawa remain limited for service members barred from indoor dining thanks to the coronavirus.

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the meat and potatoes of life

Some years are better than others when it comes to turkey cooking in the Molinari household. <br>Lisa Smith Molinari
Some years are better than others when it comes to turkey cooking in the Molinari household. <br>Lisa Smith Molinari

To all the turkeys I've ruined before

Since my husband, Francis, and I tied the knot many years ago, I’ve cooked exactly 26 Thanksgiving turkeys. We ate every one of them, from their white tenderloins to their sinewy wings. Molinaris are not known to waste food, after all. But truth be told, not every turkey I cooked was perfect.