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The real king schools the would-be king

I’ve always been both a small-r republican and an Anglophile, so I looked upon the British monarchy with at least a pinch of smug superiority. The Windsors are revered for nothing more than birth — not talent, nor accomplishments, nor virtue. It’s all a throwback to an earlier stage of human development, when people were not mature enough for representative democracy. I wasn’t feeling smug as I watched King Charles III address Congress the other day. Quite the opposite. Though I remain a small-r republican, I couldn’t help but be embarrassed at what we supposedly mature, ...

Dear Annie: Upstaged and still upset

Dear Annie: “Ashton,” a popular boy from my child’s elementary school class, moved away in the middle of last year. A couple of months later, his mom let me know they would be visiting. She asked if I would organize some of Ashton’s classmates for a get-together, and I agreed. I sent out invitations to meet at a park for two hours to play, share an ice cream cake and catch up with Ashton. Several families didn’t respond. On the day of the party, everyone was having a great time at the park. We had about 40 minutes left of the formal party, but Ashton’s mom and I were ...

Antique colored glass can be valuable

The Saint Louis glass factory, or Compagnie des Cristalleries de Saint Louis, is one of the oldest glass manufacturers in Europe, tracing its history to the Muntzthal glassworks in Lorraine, France, established in 1586. The factory started making lead crystal in 1781 and was renamed ...

Whenever political violence erupts, Washington starts playing the blame game

A heavily armed California man was caught trying to storm the White House correspondents’ dinner Saturday with the apparent intent to kill the president. It didn’t take long for Washington to start arguing. Democrats denounce violent rhetoric from the right, but the alleged assailant seemed to be inspired by his own rhetoric. President Trump, after initially offering some unifying remarks about defending free speech, soon started accusing the press of encouraging violence against him. Critics pounced on the hypocrisy. The argument about hypocrisy isn’t about mere inconsistency. ...

Another radically underqualified Trump appointee is about to bite the dust

You can be Secretary of Defense (War) and cause the mightiest military in the world to be brought to its knees, and still keep your job in the Trump regime. You can be in charge of public health and cause measles to reemerge as a major hazard to Americans, and still keep your job. You can be illegally enriching yourself and your family as Commerce Secretary, and still keep your job. But you’ll be fired for actively and unnecessarily getting bad press. A few days ago, a senior White House official told Politico that FBI director Kash Patel’s bad press was “not a good look ...

Dear Annie: From co-worker to confidante

Dear Annie: I work in a small office where everyone is friendly, but one co-worker has taken “friendly” to a new level. Over the past year, she’s begun confiding in me about deeply personal issues: her marriage troubles, financial stress, arguments she’s had the night before. At first, I listened out of kindness. But it’s becoming a daily occurrence. These conversations can last an hour or more, and it’s starting to interfere with my work. I’ve fallen behind more than once because I didn’t know how to politely end things. What makes this tricky is that she outranks ...