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Dating, equality and breaking old patterns

Dear Annie: For most of my life, I picked the wrong partners. Over time, I realized it wasn’t bad luck. I was choosing what I had seen, not what I had actually done the work to earn. Those patterns came from my family and the system I grew up in, and I kept recreating them. A few years ago, I left that behind and made a full 180. I simplified my life, built routines and took responsibility for my choices instead of repeating familiar dynamics. The calmer and more grounded my life became, the clearer it was that my old way of dating no longer matched who I am now. To avoid repeating ...

Grotesque can have multiple meanings when antiquing

The word “grotesque” has a few different meanings in decorative arts. It can be a general descriptor, covering anything strange and macabre. It can be more specific, referring to human faces with distorted features that appear as masks or adorn furniture or pottery. But would you use it to ...

As midterms approach, it’s up to county election officials to protect the vote

When Pennsylvania gave all eligible voters the choice to vote by mail starting in 2019, it was a huge victory for democracy. Single parents, people who work multiple jobs, individuals with disabilities and mobility issues suddenly had a greater opportunity to participate in our democratic process by voting at their convenience. But as tens of thousands of Pennsylvania voters turned to mail ballots, the new option to vote brought new challenges. It quickly became clear that minor clerical errors prevented otherwise eligible ballots from being counted. As humans do, some voters ...

Four fallacies behind Trump’s post-SCOTUS-ruling tariffs

Within hours of the Supreme Court ruling that the White House’s widespread “emergency” tariffs were illegal, President Donald Trump moved to install 10% across-the-board tariffs under a different alleged authority. He later said he would raise that rate to 15% and delivered a combative response in the State of the Union. The trade war isn’t ending. It’s just changing ZIP codes. What won’t change is the propaganda coming from the White House, which insists that Americans don’t pay the costs. Consider what follows as a guide to the fallacy-filled arguments that you’ll ...

A family wedding, minus one

Dear Annie: Am I being too sensitive? My niece’s son is getting married this year. I always believed I was close to her family, but when the “save the date” and shower invitations went out, my daughter was not included — although all the other cousins were. My daughter rarely attends family functions, so when one of my sisters asked why “Charlotte” wasn’t invited, the answer was, “We didn’t think she would come.” Charlotte is my only daughter, and I feel that the least they could have done was mention this to me beforehand. Instead, I stood at a family gathering and ...

Patient with family history of lymphoma questions drug for RA

DEAR DR. ROACH: I’m 72 years old, and I have been prescribed azathioprine for rheumatoid arthritis (RA). I have only mild discomfort in my hands and wrist, which came on suddenly. While researching this medicine, I saw that the extended use of it increases the risk of lymphoma. My brother has been treated for lymphoma for 12 years, and my sister has leukopenia. When questioned about this, my rheumatologist said that this history in my family doesn’t necessarily increase my odds of getting lymphoma. My doctor also said that once I start the medication for RA, I would have to stay on ...