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Category: Life

  • My parents keep insisting we take visitors to the Liberty Bell. How can I convince them to go … anywhere else?

    My parents keep insisting we take visitors to the Liberty Bell. How can I convince them to go … anywhere else?

    This week’s question (Have your own? Submit it here.):

    My parents keep insisting we take visitors to the Liberty Bell. I’ve been five times this year. I can’t do it anymore, but they want me to tag along because they think if I don’t I’ll just play my Switch at home. How can I convince them to go … anywhere else?

    Zoe Greenberg, Life & Culture reporter

    First of all, I assume that you’re a child, or at least someone who has to listen to your parents, and I want to say thank you for your dedication to The Philadelphia Inquirer.

    Mike Newall, Life & Culture reporter

    Yes, PiningforSwitch, I too will operate under the assumption you are a sophisticated, well-read minor who enjoys stellar local news coverage and playing Nintendo.

    I have to ask, “Why are your folks so enamored with the Liberty Bell?” Don’t get me wrong, I love a good bell, especially that one. But seems like your parents are dragging every out-of-town Tom, Dick, and Mary to the thing every chance they get.

    Zoe Greenberg

    I’m thinking we need to approach this with a Compelling List of Alternatives.

    Mike Newall

    I mean we are a world-class city of world-class history, culture, food, neighborhoods. Roam the Barnes. Washington’s tent at the Revolution Museum is always a kick. Run the Rocky steps even. But come on, how much Liberty Bell does one family need?

    Zoe Greenberg

    I feel like the Liberty Bell is a one-stop generic stop. We need to get more specific for each visitor. Do they love food? Take them to Reading Terminal. Or Pizzeria Beddia. Or Irwin’s at the top of the Bok building with an unmatched view of the city. (All things I’ve done with Philly visitors, by the way, and they were all hits.)

    Mike, what would you recommend for history buff visitors?

    Mike Newall

    Walk Old City. There are the big places — the Revolution Museum, Independence Hall — and so many smaller museums filled with treasures. The American Philosophical Society, home to Lewis and Clark’s actual journals — is a can’t miss hoot.

    But one more thing on PiningForSwitch’s parents:

    I haven’t been to the Liberty Bell in a few years, but I remember this photo that hung in the pavilion. A photo of a South Philly rowhouse bedroom from 1976 decorated to the hilt for the Bicentennial with every imaginable Liberty Bell paraphernalia: Photos. Pillows. Bed sheets. Big bells. Small bells. Liberty Bells everywhere. Every time I went, I was enamored with this photo. I respect obsessions. But that’s a lot of bells. But now I’m thinking this photo of this crazy Liberty Bell bedroom could be the childhood bedroom of one of your parents, PiningForSwitch. It’s all starting to make sense.

    Zoe Greenberg

    You think it’s an unhealthy obsession with the bell?

    Mike Newall

    No, I totally get obsessions. I have so many — comics, gardening, banging on a guitar — but I don’t drag Uncle Norman and Aunt Bea to my living room to watch me play every time they pass through town. Variety is the spice of life, wouldn’t you agree, PiningForSwitch?

    OK, another tip. The Navy Yard! Best place in Philly. Beautiful. Historic. Quiet.

    Zoe Greenberg

    Your parents need to start thinking about the obsessions of their visitors. Mosaics? Take them to Philly’s Magic Gardens. Impossible to get dinner reservations? Her Place Supper Club. Semi-illegal urban gallery that might fall into the water (more)? Graffiti Pier!!!

    Mike Newall

    Oh my, Zoe. You could be a tour guide in another life. I want to do all the things you said. (I am actually a registered Philadelphia tour guide. I forgot that to this very moment.)

    Oh, no. I am having a vision. It’s PiningForSwitch and his parents and his poor relatives and they are trekking out of the Liberty Bell and where are they going? Every time? Wawa!!!! That’s their Philly tour. A cracked bell and Wawa. Oh, no.

    Zoe Greenberg

    It’s tragic. In 2026.

    Mike Newall

    I mean it is right across the street. But still.

    Zoe Greenberg

    I haven’t been to the Liberty Bell since my high school class trip. There’s too much else to do!

    Mike Newall

    How do they confront their parents?

    A calm conversation. A suggestion of a different place to visit. An advice question to the local paper?

    Zoe Greenberg

    I’d say draw up a list of alternatives so thrilling, your parents can’t turn you down. This isn’t about the Switch. It’s about respect for Philadelphia.

  • Dear Abby | Son feels shunned by father over physical appearance

    Dear Abby | Son feels shunned by father over physical appearance

    DEAR ABBY: I am a 62-year-old man. I was born with a cleft lip and cleft palate. Growing up, I had several surgeries and much dental work to improve my appearance. I had wonderful friends who never teased me about it.

    Now, looking back at my childhood, I realize that my father hated me because of the way I looked when I was born. He has never asked me to spend time with him and was always angry with me. Even now, when he sees me, I can feel the hatred he has toward me. I really hate being around him, but I sometimes have to see him at family gatherings. How should I handle this?

    — ANGRY AND CONFUSED

    DEAR ANGRY AND CONFUSED: Start by remembering to cherish your wonderful friends and consider yourself lucky to have so little contact with dear old Dad. Handle family functions by limiting your direct interaction with him. Be cordial, but maintain a comfortable distance. Focus on the rest of the family and enjoy their company. Many families have members who don’t get along, but it doesn’t have to cause drama.

    ** ** **

    DEAR ABBY: Several weeks ago, I got a phone call from a stranger. She asked if I was the “Steve Hall” who had been in the Marines, and whom she remembered from high school. I told her I was not, and that I grew up in a different part of the country. Then I got a letter from her, asking essentially the same thing. She called again, and I repeated my answer and wished her luck.

    I’m writing because I am concerned for her. She appears obsessive or perhaps very forgetful. She seems able to use the internet and make phone calls, she is calm and polite, her letters are brief and lucid, and she has neat handwriting. Like I said, though, her persistence seems odd. I’m just a little concerned. What would you do in this situation?

    — STEWING STRANGER

    DEAR STRANGER: This interaction has all the signs of a scam. You have already allowed this person to identify you as someone who answers calls from unknown numbers. If you mentioned the letter to her, you have verified the physical address that goes with your phone number.

    Be aware that the caller herself may not perpetrate the scam. She may be merely a scout who identifies possible victims for the real scammers. In the future, block all calls from unknown numbers. Also be wary of mail from unexpected sources. Do not respond to any offer that seems too good to be true or to anyone demanding payments that don’t make sense to you.

    ** ** **

    DEAR ABBY: I am approaching 80 and am healthy and fairly active. When I look in the mirror, I see a pleasant-looking old woman, but when photos are taken at holidays, I look even older than I am — and scary — like the granny in the old Addams Family comics. What do you suppose is wrong with these modern cameras?

    — BETTER THAN THAT IN ATLANTA

    DEAR BETTER THAN THAT: The problem is they are taking photos in high definition. However, this problem is easily solved. You can ask the photographer to touch up the photos electronically to make everyone appear flawless, or you can wear sunglasses while viewing them.

  • An all-cat band is performing this weekend in Philly. Good luck getting a ticket.

    An all-cat band is performing this weekend in Philly. Good luck getting a ticket.

    Even by rock and roll standards, the egos and drama within Tuna and the Rock Cats are something to behold.

    Sometimes, in the middle of a show, the band’s lead guitarist — St. Claude — will decide that he’d prefer to play Christmas music, and begin performing “Jingle Bells.”

    Roux, on clarinet, is a prodigy. But Annie, who plays the chimes, can be volatile; sometimes, if it gets too hot during a show, she’ll simply lie down onstage, refusing to continue.

    “Annie also plays guitar,” says Samantha Martin, the band’s founder. “But she wants to beat up the keyboard player, and we can’t have brawls onstage.”

    Behind the meowsic

    Despite this artistic anarchy — or perhaps because of it — Tuna and the Rock Cats have become an extremely hot ticket. Billed as the world’s only all-cat band, the Georgia-based group has been selling out venues across the country for years — strumming guitars, pawing piano keys, and batting at chimes from Seattle to St. Louis.

    Just how big are The Rock Cats?

    In Philadelphia, their current stop on a two-month U.S. tour, they were originally slated to play four shows at the 350-seat Suzanne Roberts Theatre on Broad Street.

    When those quickly sold out, a fifth show was added.

    Eli Milton Gizmo (Name Pending) handles drums for the band. Samantha Martin describes the cat as “not the brightest, but he’s very pretty.”Photo courtesy of Weekly Whiskers

    On Instagram, the group has nearly 100,000 followers. They’ve been featured on the Netflix series Cat People. A couple years ago, they left Theo Von mesmerized during an appearance on his wildly-popular podcast, This Past Weekend.

    “It really is just fascinating to think about them cats and everything they’re doin’,” Von gushed.

    Martin, a former wildlife educator, has been directing this Meowtly Crüe for about two decades, in addition to training animals for TV and film.

    Early in her career, she gravitated toward “misfit” animals: snakes, spiders, rats. (“Rats will never let you down,” she explains.) But then she eventually met Tuna, a cat “so brilliant I said, ‘Let’s give this cat thing a try.’”

    The band’s first show was in 2006, at an art gallery in Chicago. The group had only three members then, but when people heard there was a troupe of cats ready to perform, they lined up to get in.

    The show, Martin says, was “horrible.”

    Which is to say, it went fabulously.

    “People loved that the show was horrible,” Martin says. “They love the fails more than the successes.”

    Since then, she’s taught an array of cats to “play” a variety of instruments, some better than others. During performances, Martin joins the band onstage, giving visual and verbal cues — she mimes a tapping motion when she wants a cat to paw its instrument, for instance — and doling out treats for a job well done.

    How are the Rock Cats, musically?

    That depends who you ask.

    While their commercial success is undeniable, critical acclaim has been mixed. One reviewer, in Seattle, described the group’s style as “an unpredictable assortment of instrument clanging,” adding that “rarely does it sound like the cats are playing the same song, let alone an actual, fully realized piece of music.” Another bemoaned the fact that, at a Christmas-themed performance, the band did not actually play much holiday music — though this critique seemed a bit harsh.

    They are, after all, cats.

    On the road

    Tour life is not all bottle-service and Fancy Feast.

    Packed onto their tour bus at any given time are Martin, tour manager Ashley Murnan, tour assistant Amanda Fenick, feline care coordinator Willie Zamora, roughly 15 cats, and a chicken named Cluck Norris, who plays the cymbal.

    While the cats largely have the run of the bus, “the humans have a six-foot, coffin-sized bunk in a drawer,” says Murnan. Earlier on their current tour, in Baltimore, their generator — which powers the entire bus — went out for two weeks, putting them 10 days behind schedule.

    And this is to say nothing of the challenge inherent in managing 16 distinct personalities — a mixed bag of climbers, swatters, and what have you.

    “The band is chaos,” says Martin. “They’re all over the place.”

    She never misses a show.

    Martin has performed with a broken foot, with cancer, and with a voice so raspy it could hardly be heard through her microphone. Once, she paid to have the band’s broken-down tour bus towed from Wisconsin to Chicago in order to get to a show on time.

    “It was a $2,000 tow,” she says, “but we made it.”

    Twix is one of three guitarists for the (mostly) all-cat band, Tuna and the Rock CatsPhoto by David Soder (Courtesy of Rock Cats Rescue, Inc.)

    Despite the drama, Martin adores the cats, all of whom were once orphans, rescues, or strays. When they’re not touring, they live with her in Georgia, where she cooks them fresh chicken and salmon and turkey. (Martin also runs a nonprofit — Rock Cats Rescue, Inc. — that partners with local organizations to get cats adopted.)

    Even Miki — her impossibly apathetic trumpet player who was found abandoned in a discarded Huggies box — has stolen her heart.

    “They put a roof over my head,” she says. “Granted, it’s leaky and the gutters are falling off.”

  • 🌿 Peak ragweed season | Outdoorsy Newsletter

    🌿 Peak ragweed season | Outdoorsy Newsletter

    How are we feeling out there, friends? This is it. We have just one more long weekend of “summer” to go, so let’s make it count.

    Here’s our itinerary:

    🌤️ Your long weekend weather outlook: Severe weather should be in our rearview mirror (for now). Friday may see a shower or two.

    — Paola Pérez (outdoorsy@inquirer.com)

    If someone forwarded you this email, sign up for free here.

    All about ragweed

    It appears harmless, but the stubborn ragweed can grow almost anywhere, and it relentlessly torments allergy sufferers every year.

    We’re in the midst of its peak season for high volume, and all that recent rain may have given it a boost, too. Just one single tooth-leaved plant can produce billions of pollen particles.

    🌿 Intensity can be tough to predict. In the Philly region, the season tends to spike in early and mid-September, but high pollen levels can last into the autumnal equinox. Our pollen-counting network has also shrunk, making it harder to know just how much is in the air.

    🤧 Sensitive to pollen? You are in the company of roughly several hundred thousand people in the region. To help the side effects, limit time outdoors on dry, windy days. When outside, wear a dust mask. When indoors, keep windows shut, and shower before going to bed.

    Learn more about the “indestructible” plants, why they make us sneeze, and how to deal with them.

    News worth knowing

    🐛 Your outdoorsy experience

    Reader Barbara B. sent in another snap from her adventures:

    A bug’s-eye view from a summer meadow. This was taken at Idlewild Farm Natural Lands Preserve in Gladwyne.

    Thanks for sharing.

    📥 I’d love to see your photos, too. What are you doing or seeing out there? Send me an email, and you may see your stories and/or pictures featured right here.

    A flood of floods

    🎤 Now we’re passing the microphone to Tony Wood, our resident weather expert.

    If you perceive that the Philadelphia region has had an extraordinary number of flood events this summer, you are not hallucinating.

    The National Weather Service in Mount Holly has set a record for issuing flood warnings this year with 147 in its coverage area from Delaware to northern New Jersey, including 76 in the Philadelphia region, and monthly records in July and August. And an Inquirer analysis documented that among 2,200 U.S. counties, Philly and six of its neighboring counties rank in the top 25 for warnings issued this year, most of which have been followed by actual floods.

    In addition, with four months to go, The Inquirer analysis found, the region already has had nearly triple the annual average for flood warnings, during the 18 years in which it has been using its current methodology.

    All this without a whiff of a tropical-storm remnant, and the region still emerging from drought conditions. — Anthony R. Wood

    It’s all in Wood’s latest report. Read on here.

    Paola’s picks

    🎵 A song: “Batida do Sol” by Juls.

    🦀 A fun dispatch: We went crabbing in Sea Isle City with a Philly chef.

    🥬 A new report: Farmers have destroyed millions of heads of lettuce after demand dropped dramatically due to cyclospora outbreak fears.

    🦋 A photo: A painted lady butterfly.

    🇧🇷 An activity: Celebrate at the Brazilian Day festival on Sunday (Spruce Street Harbor Park; free).

    A calming view

    Soak up this sunset over the inland waterway in Strathmere. Breathe in…and breathe out.Vernon Ogrodnek / For The Inquirer

    👋🏽 Catch you next time. Until then, have a safe and fun long weekend.

    By submitting your written, visual, and/or audio contributions, you agree to The Inquirer’s Terms of Use, including the grant of rights in Section 10.

  • America made some really strange things for its 250th birthday

    America made some really strange things for its 250th birthday

    Unsurprisingly, the United States of America found a lot of ways to celebrate its own birthday this year. Modesty never was one of our strong suits.

    Events held to mark the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence included concerts, reenactments, and Ultimate Fighting Championship matches on the White House lawn that future historians will have to grapple with someday.

    Then there was the stuff: the products, promotions, and items people and companies created to commemorate, or to capitalize off of, the Semiquincentennial. Since receiving the first news release for 250th merchandise on Jan. 5, I’ve been collecting the more unusual items I’ve come across that were created in the name of this nation’s birthday.

    As summer comes to a close, I’d like share my anthropological findings with you.

    Bobbleheads of state

    The National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum in Milwaukee, Wis., has made a bobblehead for almost every pop culture figure and event over the last couple years. There’s a few of Pope Leo, two of Mike “The Situation” Sorrentino (“Old Sitch” and “New Sitch”), and one of Jimothy, the raccoon from Seattle who’s believed to have short spine syndrome and went viral earlier this year.

    But the most improbable bobble — one seemingly even more difficult to create than a raccoon who appears to have no neck — is one without a head at all.

    An image from the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum of its Declaration of Independence bobble created for the nation’s 250th anniversary.Courtesy of the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum

    The Declaration of Independence bobble is among a series of 16 bobbleheads made for the nation’s 250th. It consists of a facsimile of the document that bounces back and forth on a small, brown pedestal with a magnifying glass on it.

    The company confidently states that this is “the first bobble of Declaration of Independence,” and I’m pretty sure I don’t need to fact check that. Because when others ask: “Why in the world?” the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum asks: Why not? And make it bounce!

    Nothing says “Happy 250th birthday, America” like a bobblehead Phanatic riding a bald eagle.Stephanie Farr / Staff

    The Phillies and FOCO also got into the commemorative bobblehead game by creating one of the Phanatic in an Uncle Sam hat confidently riding a bald eagle like it was his hot dog cannon ATV. The eagle (who alas, is not Swoop) stands upon a podium wrapped with a banner that reads: “We the Phillies 250.” Sadly, it’s only available at the New Era Phillies Team Store at Citizens Bank Park and sadly, that store is no longer carrying the Liberty Bell Phillies cap I went in for when I spotted this.

    Ghee whiz!

    You butter believe the Pennsylvania Farm Show churned out one of the most epic nods to our nation’s 250th back in January when it unveiled a sculpture of three Founding Fathers signing the Declaration of Independence — made out of 1,000 pounds of Land O’ Lakes butter.

    The sculptors, Jim Victor and Marie Pelton of Conshohocken, also added glasses of milk into the Founding Fathers’ hands in order to buttermilk the dairy theme. Also depicted in the sculpture are the Liberty Bell and Betsy Ross.

    The 2026 Pennsylvania Farm Show Butter Sculpture depicts three of the Founding Fathers signing the Declaration of Independence. Also included in the sculpture are Betsy Ross, at left, and the Liberty Bell, at right. Provided

    Just to clarify, when the Farm Show was over, the butter was spread out to Reinford Farms in Juniata County, where it was turned into renewable energy in a methane digester, according to a news release.

    One margarinely interesting fact: This isn’t the first time Benjamin Franklin has appeared in a Farm Show butter sculpture. In 1991, he was the subject of the event’s first butter sculpture, and in 2007, he was sculpted again with the Liberty Bell, according to PennLive.

    Beavers and beers

    Shirts for sale at the Buc-ee’s in Mount Crawford, Va., read “I love America and Bucee’s too.”Stephanie Farr / Staff

    Among the more head scratching T-shirts about the nation’s 250th I saw was one I spotted during my first trip to a Buc-ee’s, in Mount Crawford, Va., this May. The convenience store is a temple to merchandising and consumerism so it was no surprise its 250th T-shirt, which featured its beaver mascot in an Uncle Sam hat, read: “I love America and Buc-ee’s too.” Because nothing says I love my country like equating your affection for it with a convenience store.

    One of the 250th shirts for sale at the Independence Visitor Center this summer.Stephanie Farr / Staff

    The other baffling T-shirts I saw were closer to home. This summer the Independence Visitor Center gift store had shirts that read: “Beers and 250 Years 1776 America” and “Land of the free America 250 years and beers.”

    A shirt for sale this summer at the Independence Visitor Center seemed to equate the number of years this country has existed with how many beers it’s birthed. Or drank. It’s pretty hazy on details.Stephanie Farr / Staff

    I’m not sure who their target audience was, ale I know is they finally managed to create a shirt that makes those “Ben Drankin’” ones seem classy. If the Visitor Center wanted to wordplay on beer, they missed a huge opportunity by not making “Pursuit of hoppiness” shirts.

    Booze cues

    Speaking of alcohol, that industry really stirred things up by creating a host of intoxicating beverages to cheers 250 years with.

    When it comes to names, it’s hard to top the Semiquin-tini, a canned lemonade-and-vodka cocktail by Union Forge that comes in at 10% ABV.

    The Semiqin-tini by Union Forge is one of numerous boozy beverages created to commemorate the birth of our country.Stephanie Farr / Staff

    Out in Pittsburgh, Wigle Whiskey teamed up with the Senator John Heinz History Center to resurrect one of George Washington’s favorite spirits, Cherry Bounce. The cordial, which Washington packed canteens of on long journeys, is made of tart cherries, spice, and brandy. It clocks in at 35% ABV, so don’t go trying to cross the Delaware after consuming it.

    Wigle Whiskey’s Cherry Bounce pictured at the Senator John Heinz History Center.Courtesy of Wigle Whiskey

    At Giant, I spotted “We the People” carbonated wine by Mano’s Wine of Kansas City, Mo. It was hard not to see it because it came in garish metallic rockets-red-glare bottles that I’m sure somebody shot fireworks out of once they finished it.

    We the People carbonated wine by Mano’s Wine of Kansas City, Mo.Stephanie Farr / Staff

    Next to those bottles on the supermarket shelf was something that actually made me gasp out loud: “Tears of Gettysburg” white wine. How did someone bottle the tears of Civil War soldiers? Why did they turn it into wine? And why market it for the anniversary of the Revolutionary War?

    I had so many questions.

    Tears of Gettysburg wine from Adams County Winery.Stephanie Farr / Staff

    As it turns out, this sweet white wine (why are the tears sweet!?!) from Adams County Winery wasn’t made for the 250th, it was made for the 125th anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg in 1988 and has been around ever since.

    Hallmark moment

    I know you may not believe me, but I totally called that signing of the Declaration of Independence butter sculpture at the Farm Show. As someone who waits every year for the butter sculpture reveal, it seemed like the most obvious and absurd choice.

    What I did not expect, what none of us could have ever expected to be created to commemorate the nation’s 250th anniversary, was a Hallmark movie set in Philadelphia.

    A promotional image for “To Philly With Love,” a new Hallmark Channel movie set in Philadelphia starring Stephen Huszar and Rebecca Dalton.Courtesy of Hallmark Media

    To Philly With Love, a two-hour history-mystery-romance movie, was clearly trying to be National Treasure meets The Notebook. But that goal was doomed from the start because a hallmark of Hallmark movies is the complete lack of suspense or interesting plot. Captivating dialogue is also out.

    This movie, which was partially filmed in Philly, also included a cliché cheesesteak scene, a character with no Philly accent telling someone it’s pronounced “wooder,” and a completely tone-deaf scene filmed at the President’s House Site.

    We hold these tooths

    The Founding Fathers left “the pursuit of happiness” open to interpretation and woodn’t you know, someone found a way to pursue it with toothpicks.

    Steven J. Backman of San Francisco has made toothpick art for five decades. This year, he created a sculpture of Independence Hall out of a single toothpick to mark the Semiquincentennial.

    San Francisco artist Steven J. Backman has crafted a model of Independence Hall from a single toothpick in celebration of America’s 250th birthday this summer.Courtesy of Steven J. Backman

    A few minor points: Backman used a Diamond toothpick and cut strands off it with a straight-edged razor. He then glued pieces into place without a magnifying glass, using only his naked eyes.

    “I’m living in an American dream. … I’m doing something I love,” Backman told The Inquirer.

    Let freedom ring

    If you’ve got Semiquincentennial fever, the only prescription is more America 250-branded cowbells!

    You know what this Semiquincentennial needs…more cowbells!Courtesy of America250

    The Liberty Bell may get all the fame and glory, but these little guys — that come in red, white, or blue — are a fantastically annoying way to let people know you’ve arrived and you’re patriotic. Sure, you could play Stars and Stripes Forever on a kazoo, but it wouldn’t have the same ring to it.

    Calling these souvenirs dumbbells would be udderly incorrect. They are keepsakes intended to be herd by future generations.

  • Dear Abby | Bartender mom pretends she’s younger and childless

    Dear Abby | Bartender mom pretends she’s younger and childless

    DEAR ABBY: My boyfriend, “Evan,” and his mother, “Mitzi,” tell people they are siblings. I love my boyfriend, but I don’t feel comfortable lying for him, and I wish he wouldn’t lie for his mother. Evan is in his early 30s. His mother is in her early 50s, though she tells people she is 10 years younger.

    Mitzi has worked in the hospitality industry since Evan was a young child. Back then, she claims restaurant managers wouldn’t give parents preferred shifts due to their childcare-related schedule conflicts. For her entire career, she has kept up the lie that she’s younger than she is and childless, and that Evan is actually her brother. She now claims that if the managers she works for knew her real age, they would discriminate against her because she’s older than the other young, hip bartenders.

    Evan has worked with his mother at several restaurants and has helped her keep up the lie with coworkers and mutual friends they have met at various jobs over the years. My instincts tell me the real reason his mother doesn’t fess up now is because she doesn’t want to tell longtime acquaintances she has been lying to them for years.

    I wouldn’t want to blow her cover if this false narrative really protects her in her industry. There have been several instances where I have interacted with these misinformed friends, and it makes me extremely uncomfortable. Evan hasn’t asked me to lie to his friends for him, but I know if I don’t, his social circle would be confused and likely hurt. I don’t want to lie, but I’m also scared of the consequences of telling the truth or accidentally spilling the beans. Please help!

    — TANGLED WEB

    DEAR TANGLED WEB: Do any of these folks come out and ask you how old Evan’s mother is or whether they might not be brother and sister? Ageism is a fact, and many people lie about their ages for any number of reasons. If being involved with two people who are untruthful about their circumstances makes you uncomfortable, then you need to rethink the relationship. From where I sit, you are about to put your foot on the third rail, my dear, and if you do, it doesn’t take a crystal ball to predict that your relationship with your boyfriend and his mother will vaporize.

    ** ** **

    DEAR ABBY: I am a 28-year-old woman who can’t stop overthinking. Lately, more than ever, I realize that I’m still alone, have not found anybody to settle down with and have no children. When I scroll on social media, I see all my friends who have recently married or had babies. It appears that they are all progressing and are happily content. Am I doing something wrong? Where should I be spending my time? Am I worried about the wrong things? Should I just let things be the way they are?

    — OVERLOOKED IN IOWA

    DEAR OVERLOOKED: Please stop comparing yourself to your friends. What you perceive they have is not important. Think honestly about your own life and desires. Are you actually lonely? If so, seek out social groups in your areas of interest. As you make new friends, remember to stay open to romance, but don’t obsess about it. If you simply try to have fun with people, you may be surprised by what develops.

  • ‘Do one outrageous thing in the cause of simple justice’: Gloria Steinem’s campaign for equality at the King of Prussia Mall

    ‘Do one outrageous thing in the cause of simple justice’: Gloria Steinem’s campaign for equality at the King of Prussia Mall

    Gloria Steinem — the author, activist, and feminist icon — died on Wednesday, Sept. 2, 2026, at the age of 92.

    In 1982, Steinem traveled to Philadelphia to receive an award. During her trip, she met with The Inquirer’s Kathy Hacker, who wrote this profile. Hacker died in January of 2021.

    The Equal Rights Amendment was ratified by 38 states well after the original deadline mentioned in this article, and the legal and congressional debate continues. It is not recognized as part of the Constitution.

    For a woman who has so often disavowed the label of “celebrity,” the scene probably was a bit discomfiting. First came the makeup man, intent on penciling her eyebrows and sponging suntan-colored goo over an already classically beautiful face.

    Then came the television cameras, attached by a tangle of electrical wiring to a perspiring crew from NBC’s “Today” show.

    And, finally, there were the fans, a zealous flock of devotees angling for a closer look, perchance a word and — the ultimate coup — an autograph.

    If it didn’t quite qualify as a Hollywood-style welcome, the hoopla yesterday was sufficient nonetheless to jolt the modest sensibilities of that most private of public persons, Gloria Steinem.

    “Sure, you feel a little foolish — you begin wondering what to do with your teeth,” sighed the premier philosopher-scribe of the women’s movement during a rare respite in a daylong visit to Philadelphia.

    From left, Gloria Steinem with Patricia Carbine, a fellow founder of Ms. magazine, in New York on May 7, 1987. ANGEL FRANCO

    As she spoke, an entourage pored over her frenetic schedule, which had her popping up in places as disparate as the Women Organized Against Rape offices in Center City and the furniture department in Bloomingdale’s King of Prussia emporium.

    Just as pressing, they debated whether to rush out and buy Steinem a dressier blouse.

    In the midst of the hubbub, with a microphone dangling nearby, she shrugged:

    “It’s difficult. But if there’s one thing I don’t want to do, it’s let anyone down at a time like this.”

    Gloria Steinem in New York on Sept. 23, 2015. CAITLIN OCHS

    The attention did not necessarily take her by surprise. It was, for starters, Lucretia Mott Day, a major feminist observance called by Womens Way in honor of the l9th-century Quaker who devoted her life to the advocacy of women’s rights and the abolition of slavery.

    And so, as the sun was peeking over Manhattan yesterday morning, Steinem climbed out of bed, pulled on a pair of boots, chocolate-brown wool slacks and a matching silk shirt, hopped aboard an Amtrak train and chugged to Philadelphia for the celebration, which culminated last night in the fifth annual Lucretia Mott Award gala at the Bellevue Stratford hotel.

    This year, Womens Way chose none other than Steinem as the recipient of its medal. Like Mott herself, she is a fighter — and for a cause that, while certainly not lost, seems painfully far from being won.

    As summer begins, the 48-year-old Steinem finds herself in a situation that is, at best, bittersweet. Come June, she and her fellow feminists on the staff of Ms. magazine will be marking the 10th anniversary of the publication, which she helped found and has since served dutifully as editor and writer.

    For the occasion, she’ll be throwing a bash at the Armory in New York and then will be jetting off to all corners of the country to appear as a guest on the Merv Griffin, Phil Donahue and “Today” shows (hence, the omnipresent cameras). Another bit of sweetness in Steinem’s life: “She’s Nobody’s Baby,” a documentary on 20th-century women that she and her Ms. colleagues produced for Home Box Office, just received a prestigious Peabody Award.

    Chances are, however, that Steinem will not be raising her glass in a toast on June 30. On that day, the deadline for ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment will come . . . and, by the looks of things, go, with approval by three state legislatures still lacking. She is, understandably enough, angry.

    But beaten? Never.

    “It’s important to say that there’s still a possibility of ratification,” she pointed out. “The odds are slender, I know. But remember, there are only about a dozen aging white men who have to change their minds. It’s still possible.”

    Having said that, Steinem voiced what is virtually inevitable: “OK, let’s say it doesn’t get ratified this time around.” The people who worked before, she guaranteed, will continue working. And furthermore, she vowed, they will fight to reintroduce the amendment in Congress before this fall’s elections.

    “It isn’t as if the country doesn’t support it, since opinion polls have shown just the opposite to be true,” she said, then added vigorously: “We are going to stay. We are not going away.”

    Steinem’s battle cry echoed yesterday afternoon through Bloomingdale’s third-floor furniture department, converted into an auditorium for her lecture and a twin showing of “She’s Nobody’s Baby.” If Bloomie’s seemed at first an odd choice of forums, Steinem assured that suburban department stores are a logical arena.

    “Shopping malls,” she smiled, “are what churches once were to Black women in the South. It’s where everybody goes.”

    To be sure, a record-breaking crowd of 200 suburban women, children and a smattering of men had gathered there to hear her — and to pick up free samples of shampoo and copies of Ms. magazine’s May issue.

    To the assembled throng, Steinem preached organization and demonstrated her caustic “lip.”

    “Some of us are having flashes of revelation,” she noted wryly. “It’s dawned on us that we’re becoming the men we wanted to marry.”

    Before dashing back to Center City, where Mayor [William] Green was waiting with an official proclamation in hand, Steinem exacted a promise from the crowd.

    “You’ve gotta do one thing,” she urged. “Promise me that, within the next 24 hours, you’ll do one outrageous thing in the cause of simple justice. I don’t care what it is. It could be saying, ‘Pick it up yourself.’ If you’re employed outside the home, it could be comparing salaries.”

    Her parting words, delivered with a mischievous grin: “Just one outrageous thing.”

    Lucretia Mott, no doubt, would have approved.

  • Penn State announces new ‘Paterno Family Football Experience Room’

    Penn State announces new ‘Paterno Family Football Experience Room’

    Pennsylvania State University this week announced the opening of the Paterno Family Football Experience Room, named for the school’s iconic — and deeply polarizing — longtime football coach.

    The backlash quickly followed.

    According to a university news release, the new exhibit — which will be part of the Penn State All-Sports Museum inside Beaver Stadium — will include a slate of features, including Paterno’s original office desk and personal artifacts from his six-decade tenure at the school.

    “Penn State Football’s history belongs to generations of student-athletes, coaches, staff, and supporters who helped build this program,” Pat Kraft, Penn State’s vice president for intercollegiate athletics, said in a statement. “This room gives us an opportunity to preserve that history, present it thoughtfully, and create an experience that connects the proud tradition of Penn State Football with its future.”

    The release did not directly address how the university settled on the name of the new exhibit, saying only that the school’s athletics department “received a lead gift from an anonymous donor supporting the creation and naming of the Paterno Family Football Experience Room.”

    In an email Wednesday, Leah Beasley, a Penn State deputy athletics director, declined to comment further, directing a reporter to the original news release.

    The Paterno Family Football Experience Room is set to open to the public Thursday.

    The announcement of the new attraction comes 15 years after Paterno’s coaching career came to an abrupt end, when he was fired in 2011 by Penn State’s Board of Trustees over the program’s handling of child sexual abuse allegations involving longtime assistant coach Jerry Sandusky. Paterno died in 2012 at the age of 85.

    And on Wednesday, it quickly rekindled the discourse surrounding Paterno’s complicated legacy.

    Critics on social media expressed their disbelief at the university’s decision to name the museum after a man who played a role in one of the biggest scandals in college sports history.

    “The WHAT Family football experience room!??!?!?!?!?” wrote one user on X.

    “Incredibly tone-deaf,” wrote another.

    “Yeah I think I’ll pass on the ‘Paterno family football experience room,’” said another.

    In an interview Wednesday, Penn State booster Michael Kirschner — who along with wife Patty helped fund the Paterno desk exhibit and historical display in the new project — said he supported the use of the Paterno name.

    “I am OK with it,” he said. “Those of us who sit on the Paterno side realize that the character of the man was not such that he would do something like that, and he’s done so much for Penn State that we have an allegiance to him that is lasting.”

    Brandon Short, a former Penn State football captain and NFL linebacker who now serves on the school’s Board of Trustees, also praised the announcement.

    “As a two-time football captain, PSU Trustee, and Letterman, I’m proud to see the Paterno Family Football Experience Room coming to Beaver Stadium,” Short wrote in a social media post. “Been working on this for a while — grateful it’s finally happening. We Are!”

    On the field, Paterno’s success was indisputable. From 1966 to 2011, the coach amassed a 409-136-3 career record, becoming the winningest coach in major college football history. He led the Nittany Lions to two national titles, five unbeaten seasons, and 37 bowl appearances.

    But to many, those achievements were far overshadowed by the coach’s role in the case of Sandusky, who was accused of using his association with Penn State football to groom boys for sexual abuse.

    Sandusky was eventually convicted of 45 counts of sexual abuse involving 10 boys over the span of 15 years. (Last week, a judge agreed to a hearing in the case after a man said he wanted to recant his allegations against Sandusky.)

    In a 2012 report commissioned by the university, former FBI Director Louis Freeh found that Paterno, school president Graham B. Spanier, athletic director Tim Curley, and vice president Gary Schultz “failed to protect against a child sexual predator harming children for over a decade.”

    “The most powerful leaders at the university … repeatedly concealed critical facts relating to Sandusky’s child abuse,” the report said.

    Shortly after the release of the Freeh report, then-Penn State president Rodney Erickson announced that the seven-foot statue of Paterno in front of Beaver Stadium was being removed, calling it “a source of division” and “an obstacle to healing.”

    The coach’s name still adorns the university’s main campus library, The Pattee Library and Paterno Library — and many within the Penn State community have remained vocally supportive of the coach and his legacy.

    What effect, if any, the exhibit’s name has on prospective interest remains to be seen — though Kirschner, for his part, doesn’t appear overly concerned.

    “The lines to see the exhibit,” he predicted, “will be longer than the lines to the Creamery.”

  • Dear Abby | Widow’s new beau does not pull his weight

    Dear Abby | Widow’s new beau does not pull his weight

    DEAR ABBY: My husband died six years ago. I met a widower three years ago. He was nice and attentive, but not anymore. We moved in together, and the last two years I have been miserable.

    I pay half the rent. I also pay for all the groceries and gas and pick up the check every time we go out to eat. He even takes my meds, so I have only half of what I need. The only time he is not moody is when I wait on him hand and foot.

    I have nothing. I live on Social Security, and so does he. He doesn’t hit or abuse me, so I feel like I should stay, yet I’m so unhappy. He doesn’t talk to me or even give me a hug. I think I’m stuck and don’t know where to turn. My grown kids don’t need to hear that I messed up, and I don’t want to burden them. Can you please advise me?

    — MISERABLE IN ARIZONA

    DEAR MISERABLE: Gladly. Your grown children need to know exactly what your situation is with this man. Whose name is on the lease of your dwelling? If it isn’t you, there is no reason why you can’t end this pain. Tell your kids what’s going on and ask for their help in getting out of this soul-crushing mess. It may be embarrassing, but it may be the only way to escape.

    ** ** **

    DEAR ABBY: I will be attending my nephew’s wedding in the northeast part of the country. I live in the mid-Atlantic. I have been told that at the reception each plate will cost $200, and they are expecting their wedding gifts to be worth at least the cost of the plate. Therefore, if a couple attends and both spouses dine at the reception, a $400 wedding gift is expected. Are these guidelines for real?

    — BAFFLED ABOUT ALL THIS

    DEAR BAFFLED: These “guidelines” do not exist except in the minds of the presumptuous individuals who are throwing this shindig. A wedding reception is not a quid pro quo affair. The cost of the celebration is borne by the bride and groom and their parents, and no one else. If you plan to attend, your wedding gift should not cost more than you can comfortably afford.

    ** ** **

    DEAR ABBY: I lost my wife in November to non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) that had progressed to cirrhosis. She also had polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), which was diagnosed in 1990. No doctor told my wife in the intervening years, “You have PCOS, so you need to get your liver checked.” For some reason, most general practitioners and OB-GYNs do not tell their patients this. According to the World Health Organization, about 10% of women have PCOS. According to the National Institutes of Health, between 34% and 70% of PCOS patients develop fatty liver disease. Could you use your platform to tell PCOS patients to advocate for themselves to get liver scans done? I don’t want any other family to experience the loss that my family has.

    — WARNING TO WOMEN

    DEAR WARNING TO WOMEN: Please accept my sympathy for the loss of your wife to this terrible disease. Readers, I can’t promise insurance will pay for the additional testing for all PCOS patients, but it can’t hurt to raise the subject with your doctor.

  • 13 things to do with your kids Labor Day weekend in Philly

    13 things to do with your kids Labor Day weekend in Philly

    One last long weekend. That’s all that’s left before summer gives way to homework, soccer practice, and school-night bedtime.

    Luckily, Labor Day weekend is packed with ways to squeeze in one more family adventure. Roller-skate along the waterfront, watch fireworks with Elmo, catch the Phillies at Citizens Bank Park, explore a blockbuster museum exhibit, or wander through hundreds of whimsical scarecrows.

    Here are the best family-friendly things to do around Philadelphia this Labor Day weekend.

    Independence Blue Cross RiverRink Summerfest

    Celebrate one last weekend of summer at Penn’s Landing before Summerfest closes for the season. Families can roller-skate, play mini golf, ride the Ferris wheel, visit the retro arcade, and grab classic boardwalk treats along the waterfront.

    📆 Through Sept. 7, 📍101 S. Christopher Columbus Blvd., Philadelphia, 🌐 delawareriverwaterfront.com, 💵 Free entry; attractions ticketed

    Dwayne King of Philadelphia relaxes in a hammock at Spruce Street Harbor Park.Jose F. Moreno / Staff Photographer

    Spruce Street Harbor Park

    Kick back in colorful hammocks, enjoy waterfront views, or hop aboard a swan boat or Chiliboat adventure at Penn’s Landing. Grab an ice cream, play lawn games, and soak up one more summer day along the Delaware River.

    📆 Daily, 📍301 S. Christopher Columbus Blvd., Philadelphia, 🌐 delawareriverwaterfront.com, 💵 Free entry; activities pay as you go

    Cannstatter Volksfest

    The 154th annual Cannstatter Volksfest celebrates German heritage with live music, folk dancing, amusement rides, games, and plenty of traditional food and drink. It’s one of Philadelphia’s longest-running Labor Day weekend traditions.

    📆 Sept. 5-7, 📍9130 Academy Rd., Philadelphia, 🌐 cannstatter.org, 💵 Ticketed

    Members of the Tamburitzans dance group perform during the 50th annual Polish American Family Festival and Country Fair at the National Shrine of Our Lady of Czestochowa on Sept. 6, 2015 in Doylestown.Cain Images

    Polish American Festival and Country Fair

    Head to Doylestown for a weekend of Polish food, folk dancing, carnival rides, live entertainment, and cultural exhibits celebrating Polish heritage. Be sure to save room for pierogi and potato pancakes.

    📆 Sept. 5-7 (also Sept. 12—13), 📍654 Ferry Rd., Doylestown, Pa., 🌐 polishamericanfestival.org, 💵 $15

    Phillies shortstop Trea Turner watches his solo home run against the Pittsburgh Pirates on June 29 at Citizens Bank Park.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer

    Phillies vs. Braves

    Spend Labor Day weekend at Citizens Bank Park as the Phillies host the Atlanta Braves for a four-game series. Choose from evening games Friday and Saturday or afternoon first pitches Sunday and Labor Day.

    📆 Sept. 4-7, 📍1 Citizens Bank Way, Philadelphia, 🌐 mlb.com/phillies, 💵 Ticketed

    Mimi Hacking, narrative artist, seen next to the stained glass window made by James Shuster at the Ministry of Awe in Philadelphia on March 11.Tyger Williams / Staff Photographer

    Ministry of Awe

    Philadelphia’s immersive art experience invites visitors to explore six floors of interactive installations, puzzles, secret passageways, and surreal works by more than 100 local artists inside a restored Old City bank. Older kids and teens will especially enjoy uncovering the venue’s hidden mysteries.

    📆 Labor Day weekend (times vary), 📍27 N. Third St., Philadelphia, 🌐 moaphilly.org, 💵 Ticketed

    Museum of the American Revolution

    Kids 12 and under receive free admission all Labor Day weekend. Families can explore the hands-on Revolution Place discovery center, meet living historians, enjoy crafts and gallery talks, and experience “The Declaration’s Journey,” the museum’s newest exhibition tracing the global impact of the Declaration of Independence.

    📆 Sept. 5-7, 📍101 S. Third St., Philadelphia, 🌐 amrevmuseum.org, 💵 Adults $24, Youth 6-17 $13, Free ages 12 and under (in-museum purchase only)

    Kame Paige (left) and her aunt Brittiny Stewart have fun at the new exhibit at the Franklin Institute that pays homage to Universal’s theme parks.Jessica Griffin / Staff Photographer

    Universal Theme Parks: The Exhibition

    Catch the final weekend of this world-premiere exhibition before it closes Sept. 7. Families can explore more than 100 artifacts and 20 hands-on interactives that reveal the storytelling, engineering, and technology behind Universal’s iconic theme parks.

    📆 Through Sept. 7, 📍The Franklin Institute, 222 N. 20th St., Philadelphia, 🌐 fi.edu, 💵 Included with museum admission

    Sesame Place Labor Day Celebration

    Celebrate Labor Day weekend with Elmo, Cookie Monster, Abby Cadabby, and friends dressed in their patriotic best for America’s 250th birthday. Stick around Sunday night for the park’s “C Is for Celebrate” fireworks spectacular.

    📆 Sept. 5-6 (fireworks Sept. 6 at 8 p.m.), 📍100 Sesame Rd., Langhorne, Pa., 🌐 sesameplace.com, 💵 Ticketed

    Scarecrows in the Village

    Be among the first to stroll through Peddler’s Village as more than 100 handmade scarecrows go on display for the season. Vote for your favorite creations while exploring the shops, restaurants, and brick pathways throughout the Bucks County destination.

    📆 Sept. 7 — Oct. 26, 📍2400 Street Rd., New Hope, Pa., 🌐 peddlersvillage.com, 💵 Free

    Philadelphia Labor Day 10 Mile, 10K, and 5K

    Make signs and cheer on runners as they race along closed streets through the heart of Philadelphia, starting and finishing at the Rocky Steps. Even if your family isn’t participating, the lively finish-line atmosphere makes this an easy outing to pair with breakfast or lunch nearby.

    📆 Sept. 7, 📍Philadelphia Museum of Art, 2600 Benjamin Franklin Pkwy., Philadelphia, 🌐 phillylabordayrun.com, 💵 Free to watch; registration required to race

    ‘Let Freedom Ring’

    Visit Cherry Street Pier to see — and hear — Paul Ramírez Jonas’ monumental interactive installation. After a bell tower plays “My Country ’Tis of Thee” without its final note, visitors can ring the 600-pound bell themselves and share what freedom means to them.

    📆 Through Sept. 27 during pier hours, 📍Cherry Street Pier, 121 N. Christopher Columbus Blvd., Philadelphia, 🌐 delawareriverwaterfront.com, 💵 Free

    Michael Idriss, a historian at the museum, and his character, Cyrus Bustill, at the Museum of the American Revolution on June 18.Jessica Griffin / Staff Photographer

    ‘The Declaration’s Journey’

    Travel through 250 years of history in this multimedia exhibition exploring how the Declaration of Independence influenced more than 100 independence movements worldwide. Families can collect passport stamps, complete a scavenger hunt, handle replica objects, and try on clothing inspired by suffragists and civil rights demonstrators.

    📆 Through Jan. 3, 2027, 📍Museum of the American Revolution, 101 S. Third St., Philadelphia, 🌐 amrevmuseum.org, 💵 Included with museum admission