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What Hong Kong means

The protests in Hong Kong are heartbreaking to witness. I recall the gloom that accompanied the handover of sovereignty ceremony in 1997. Prince Charles was there. So was Tony Blair. Only eight years had passed since the communist Chinese government had mowed down an estimated 10,000 democracy demonstrators in and around Tiananmen Square. And while China had since begun to liberalize its economy, the communist party maintained its totalitarian grip on political power, news and information, travel, family life, religion and the arts. As the band played “God Save the Queen” for the ...

Waiting for commitment

Dear Annie: I have been with my boyfriend for six years. He is still legally married to his wife, and his children are grown. I have a great relationship with his family and children. The problem is that, for whatever reason, he keeps putting off officially getting a divorce. He gives excuse after excuse. I love this man and his children and want a home together with him. I have put it all on the line: I’ve told him that if he doesn’t get the divorce, then I can’t be with him. I don’t want to live out my older years knowing that if, God forbid, something should happen to him, I ...

For the survivors, we remember

In two weeks’ time, three mass shootings killed 34 people and left dozens more injured. We were outraged and in shock, and for a few days we managed to sustain a collective call for new laws that would make our country safer. Now, we are moving on. This is our human nature, to search for signs that we’re going to be OK. Right now, rituals around a beginning school year can be a welcome distraction. Back-to-school deals are everywhere, sparking memories of our younger days, as students or young parents, especially if we can ignore the reported uptick in sales of bulletproof ...

Protecting your heart

Dear Annie: Several years ago, after my late husband passed away, I reconnected with an old friend whom I’d dated in high school. He was divorced. His ex-wife had become involved with someone else. She was 20 years younger than him. He had retired and that was when she asked for a divorce. I think it hurt him deeply. We went to some activities together and enjoyed each other’s company. After a length of time had passed, he called me and said he felt we were spending too much time together. I was truly hurt and surprised. After this conversation, I never saw him again. However, he ...

Jeffrey Epstein didn’t commit suicide

He was murdered by Hillary and/or Bill Clinton. Or he was assassinated by the Russians. Or Donald Trump killed him. Or he isn’t dead at all, having been spirited into the Witness Protection Program, where he presumably now shares an island mansion with Tupac Shakur and 84-year-old Elvis Presley Take your pick. Epstein’s apparent suicide while in federal custody Saturday has spawned no shortage of conspiracy theories about what “really” happened to the wealthy financier who stood accused of sex-trafficking children on an industrial scale. Twitter and Facebook have been ablaze ...

Bed isn’t big enough

Dear Annie: I met a great gal. We seem really good together most of the time, but here’s the rub. She has a dog. It is a nice dog but not very well trained. The big problem is bedtime at my place. The dog wants to share our bed, and is uncontrollably insistent about it, whining and disturbing us throughout the night until she gives up and allows the dog to get in bed with us. I must deal with it or go sleep elsewhere. Apparently, this dog gets to sleep with her at home, so hey, why not here? It ruins intimacy and makes it hard to sleep. She apologizes, but is doing nothing to train ...