LOS ANGELES -- The photograph is so intimate, so vulnerable, it's painful to look at.

It depicts a woman in her early 20s lying on a hospital bed twisted to the side, her wrists and ankles restrained. The black-and-white image — nearly five feet wide — is so crisp that bits of the woman's toenail polish glimmer and the hair on her thigh ...Read more

PHILADELPHIA -- McGillin’s Olde Ale House, the 166-year-old pub in Center City long owned by the same family, has determined that being a matchmaker is a strategic advantage in a crowded industry.

Of course they serve draft beer, Philly cheesesteaks, and wings — but the bar has leaned especially hard into being, in its own description, the ...Read more

LOS ANGELES -- The donkeys are pissed off. Put upon, out of work and victims of decades-long systemic abuse, it's time, they have decided, to protest.

The donkeys, metaphorically, are us.

At least that's the premise of "asses.masses," a video game played by and for a live audience. It's theater for the post-Twitch age, performance art for ...Read more

When you’re in a committed relationship, you unavoidably merge at least some aspects of your financial lives. However, that doesn’t mean you have to combine all of your accounts. In fact, most Americans don’t.

Most couples in committed relationships (62%) keep at least some financial accounts in their name only, according to new Bankrate ...Read more

Dear Anna,

I’ve (36-year-old female) been seeing a new guy (34) for about six weeks — we’ve been on six dates, things are going really well and there’s clearly mutual interest, but we haven’t had the “what are we” conversation yet. Now Valentine’s Day is coming up and I’m completely lost. Do I acknowledge it? Plan something? ...Read more

Q: My child comes home from her other parent's house with stories that sound absolutely ridiculous. I don't want to dismiss what she tells me, but I also don't know what's true, what's exaggerated and what might be made-up. How am I supposed to sort through that without overreacting? What's good ex-etiquette here?

A: When children live in two ...Read more

I was puzzled when the husband announced he was going to burp the house. I asked if he thought it would need a diaper change, too.

“You know, burp the house,” he said with an air of disbelief.

I didn’t know. I couldn’t get my head around patting a two-story house on the back.

He said burping a house is based on the German practice of ...Read more

Dear Kid Whisperer,

My daughter is 12. She has always been a whiner. More accurately, she used to whine, and now she yells. Her mother and I have become very good at shielding her from seeing stuff she wants so that we can avoid these situations. We try to avoid taking her to stores (including the grocery store) where she might want things, for...Read more

Sometimes a boy just likes to feel pretty. That’s why two of my granddaughters recently gave me a beauty treatment at their very own spa and salon.

And I can count on the fingers of two hands how much it cost to be the envy of everyone at an evening gathering where my bright red nails made me the life of the party.

My day of geezer ...Read more

While preparing her four sons to take a dream family vacation in the Caribbean last month, Carolyn Piro carefully reviewed every detail to get them ready.

She also contacted the Royal Caribbean cruise line about accommodations for her children, because her oldest, Sean Curran, has autism, and two other sons also have developmental disabilities....Read more

Sixty percent of Americans under age 65 — that’s about 164.7 million people — receive their health insurance through their employer, according to a Kaiser Family Foundation analysis. That means losing a job can feel like a one-two punch: the loss of both income and health insurance.

Then comes the choice. Even with the loss of a paycheck...Read more

Money is an uncomfortable topic for many, yet it’s an important ongoing conversation to have in a relationship. Financial secrets undermine trust. And for many, it may even feel like betrayal.

More than 2 in 5 U.S. adults (43%) believe keeping financial secrets is at least as bad as physical infidelity. At the same time, almost half of ...Read more

While we all sit under the spell of Old Man Winter (no kin, I promise) I thought I would share three plants that I consider to be magical in the landscape. They are all three Luscious lantanas but they are like magic as you prepare to design your flower border for the new year.

The flowers I am talking about are Luscious Royale Cosmo, Luscious ...Read more

Dear Anna,

I’ve been seeing someone for about two months. From day one, I told him I’m not on birth control and that condoms are nonnegotiable. Yet every time things get physical, he starts pushing back — asking if we can “just this once” skip it, saying condoms don’t feel as good, or promising he’ll pull out or be careful. We ...Read more

MINNEAPOLIS — The call for help went out on social media: People were walking out of ICE detention in Minneapolis in subzero cold without coats.

Send coats.

An avalanche of outerwear poured in. Coats in every size and style. Men’s coats. Women’s coats. Cuddly puffer coats for the children being swept into ICE custody. At donation sites ...Read more

I get a lot of questions that sound something like, “Can you help me write a profile that attracts the type of person I'm looking for?”

In the most loving way, I say, “No, I can't do that.”

And I don’t answer that way to be dismissive. I answer that way because I genuinely don't know what the person you're looking for … is ...Read more

Stephanie Stronsick has bats in her Berks County, Pennsylvania, house. On purpose.

“Aw, look at her little face,” Stronsick said about an injured brown bat her husband was holding on a recent winter afternoon.

Stronsick, 42, is the founder and executive director of Pennsylvania Bat Conservation and Rehabilitation (PA Bat Rescue), a ...Read more

Dear Kid Whisperer,

I want my kids to be responsible people. They are 1 and 3 years old. I know that chores need to be a part of their lives. Obviously, they are too young now, but I want them to be ready for life. I want them to learn about money, but I have no clue how much to pay them for their chores once they are old enough. Thoughts?

...Read more

Q. My recent breakup was a big one. I spend most of my time trying not to let the kids see how broken-up I am that their mother left. Valentine's Day is right around the corner and they're buzzing about it. The teacher is bringing in special treats, they're talking about exchanging cards, and the house feels full of electricity. I'm doing my ...Read more

It’s a game of hide and seek a lot of women play. You hide the last bite of something delectable for yourself, not because you’re selfish, but because you are a visionary.

Based on personal history and past performance, you know with certainty that soon, maybe in the next week, day or next five seconds, you may feel depleted, exhausted and ...Read more