General

Miss Manners: My relatives are struggling to mingle at our annual holiday dinner

DEAR MISS MANNERS: My husband and I have the pleasure of hosting an annual holiday dinner for our family, and we believe that almost everyone finds the event enjoyable. A few years ago, we began inviting a group of my relatives. They had previously celebrated with others, but deaths sadly ended those traditions.

During our gathering, these relatives sit down together before dinner and do not move about or mingle until it is time to go. They only interact with others as a group, and only speak with the individuals opposite them during dinner.

We’ve begun to think we’ve failed to make the event sufficiently welcoming.

My husband believes that this year, we should promote mingling by using place cards at the dinner table to “break up the cabal” (as he puts it), but I wonder if that will incite general revolt and make the event even more alienating. What should we do?

GENTLE READER: Start even earlier to break up the cabal.

One of a host’s jobs is to ensure that people mix. Miss Manners acknowledges that grown-ups who know one another ought to do that without prompting, but apparently not in this case.

So take Aunt Jennie’s arm by gentle force and steer her over to Cousin Jason, saying, “You are both avid gardeners, and both Blue Sox fans, right?”

Leaving them together, you scoot over to Grandniece Lilia, saying, “Would you explain friendship bracelets to Uncle Horace? His granddaughter has dozens, but he doesn’t understand what it’s about.”

By dinnertime, they will be too engrossed to protest being artfully scattered around the table.

Please send your questions to Miss Manners at missmanners.com, by email to [email protected], or through postal mail to Miss Manners, Andrews McMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106.

Read More

General

Dear Abby: My spouse doesn’t want to get rid of items in our home

DEAR ABBY: My wife and I are in our 80s, married for 61 years. We are financially well-off and have few medical issues. As we approach our departure from this Earth, we’ve created the necessary legal documents to distribute our assets. So, what’s the problem? My spouse is a “collector.” We have several wonderful china settings, sterling silver and beautiful linens. At one time, we set a beautiful table.

Today, old age has caught up with us. Most of those invitees are gone. But my spouse and I are living like we did 50 years ago, and it’s getting on my nerves. Nobody wants our stuff! It’s time to divest ourselves of possessions that somebody else might have an interest in and get them off our hands. My spouse refuses to part with ANYTHING.

There’s always an excuse to keep the clutter.

I saw this in my parents decades ago. If it came in the front door, it didn’t go out again. Why are people so addicted to things, and what can be done to alleviate my anxiety? — READY TO LET GO IN SAN FRANCISCO

DEAR READY: Consider this: Every piece of china and crystal, every pattern of silverware and all the accessories that people used to think were necessary to create a beautiful home (and life), have treasured memories attached. Where you see clutter, your wife sees the happy years spent acquiring it and entertaining.

Because these items are no longer being used, they could be boxed up “just in case” they are needed again. Photograph them so you have a record of what they are, and discuss with your wife possibly donating them to a charity thrift store. While you are correct that young people today aren’t as avid about formal entertaining as members of your generation were, there are still people around who recognize quality and value who might be interested in having some of it.

As to your anxiety, discuss this with your doctor and, if necessary, ask for a referral to a therapist for some counseling.

Read more Dear Abby and other advice columns.

Dear Abby is written by Abigail Van Buren, also known as Jeanne Phillips, and was founded by her mother, Pauline Phillips. Contact Dear Abby at www.DearAbby.com or P.O. Box 69440, Los Angeles, CA 90069.

Read More

General

Did a ‘panty raid’ lead to the rise of Lloyd Nix and Auburn’s 1957 championship?

An odd chain of events led to the lineup of Auburn’s 1957 championship team, led by Dr. Lloyd Nix, a well-known Decatur, Ala., dentist and the winning quarterback that year. Nix, who died Friday, Nov. 22, 2024, at age 87, was promoted to quarterback when other players were expelled, reportedly because of a popular trend in the 1950s: a panty raid.

Here’s how it went down. (Spoiler: Nix did not participate)

The backstory

After World War II, more and more women were attending college. Add them to the influx of men attending on the GI Bill and you have a conundrum for the administrators at a time when people feared for women’s virtue whenever the genders mingled.

Dorms at Auburn, then called Alabama Polytechnic Institute, were separated by gender and women’s dorms had chaperones. Women had early curfews; men could visit women in dorm common rooms but were not allowed in bedrooms – or the dorms at all after curfew.

The young men figured out a way to get past the rigid standards: Groups of male students would “raid” dorms and sorority houses, taking with them female underwear, including bras and panties. They were quickly dubbed “panty raids.”

Katherine Cooper Cater, Auburn’s dean of women and social director from 1946 to 1980, wanted to ensure that her women knew how to handle themselves in any situation, going as far as to make a pamphlet called “Rules for Women in Case of Panty Raids.” The instruction booklet advised female students not to go to their windows when men approached. To discourage the raiders, they should turn off lights and sit in the hallways, wearing raincoats or robes for modesty. (A few contrary women instead beckoned to the men from the windows).

In 1952, newspapers were publishing stories about collegiate panty raids across the country.

The May 22, 1952, edition of The Sun in Baltimore, Maryland, wrote, “U. of M. Gets into Panty-Raid Act: 1,000 Students, Defying Pleas, Barge Through Dormitories in Search for Lingerie.”

In the May 25, 1952, edition of The Knoxville News-Sentinel, commentator Ruth Millett wrote: “The panty-bra brawls have spread like grass fires from campus to campus, throwing house mothers into hysterics, embarrassing college authorities, and causing a good many people to wonder if the cultural advantages of a college education are all they are supposed to be.”

In the article, Millett quotes an anonymous dean as saying males in college at that time were acting out because the war, in which many of them served, made them uncertain of their futures.

Law enforcement raids on panty raiders surged again in 1957, leading to numerous headlines across the country. The Auburn student paper, The Plainsman, had a “panty raid reporter,” Tom Duke, according to this Jan. 23, 1957, article.

A week later, on Jan. 30, 1957, The Plainsman published an editorial stating: “We have heard of cases where a crowd of panty raiders have broken into dormi­tories, taken down doors, destroyed furni­ture, torn up clothes, and in some cases physically attacked coeds residing inside. These battles have not always been one­-sided, either. In one women’s dorm up north a sort of man-trap was set. An at­tractive coed would stand in a doorway waving some lingerie. As the unthinking male charged through the door a second girl promptly laid into him with a softball bat. Serious injuries resulted.”

During one such event on the Auburn campus in 1957, several football players, including the team’s quarterbacks, were expelled after being caught in a women’s dorm. Nix said in the 2011 interview that he does not recall whether the players were on a panty raid, but said they were definitely in the women’s dorms when they were not allowed to be.

“Coach Jordan sent them home and told me he was moving me to starting quarterback,” Nix said. “It’s been one of the best things that ever happened to me, then and throughout my life.”

Nix never mentioned the names of those expelled and no record of the expulsions was published in the available online editions of The Plainsman. None of the quarterbacks in 1956 returned for the 1957 season, according to rosters. The 1957 roster lists Nix as starting QB with four backup QBs.

The game

Alabama Polytechnic’s team was having a heck of a season under Coach Ralph “Shug” Jordan. The Tigers were undefeated when, on Dec. 3, 1957, The Ledger-Enquirer in Columbus, Ga., reported: “Coach Shug Jordan’s Auburn team was given a big lift by the development of halfback Lloyd Nix into a fine quarterback.”

Nix, who was a junior in 1957, was shifted from running back to quarterback following the 1956 season and stayed in the position through 1958. He led API/Auburn to a 6-0 win over the University of Georgia to take the national championship for 1957. In 1958, as a senior, he was named team captain.

The Alabama Sports Hall of Fame says Nix led the team “for the best back-to-back seasons in Auburn football history: the 1957 National Championship season and the 1958 season where Auburn finished with a 9-0-1 record and fourth place in the AP Poll.” He was named to the All-SEC team twice.

In 1958, Nix also played first base on Auburn’s SEC baseball championship team. “During the 1959 season, he had a perfect 9-0 pitching record,” his Hall of Fame entry says. “He won the 1959 Cliff Hare Award as Auburn’s outstanding senior athlete.”

Nix said the fad of panty raids led many young men down the wrong path. He recalled a story told by a member of the clergy at his Decatur church, who told Nix: “When you were at Auburn, you saved my life. There were some students headed into a girls’ dormitory on a panty raid, and you turned me around and led me out and kept me out of trouble.” Nix laughed at the memory.

Nix received the Auburn Alumni Association Lifetime Achievement Award in 2008 for his service to his community and to Auburn.

Read More

General

What to know about the inaugural Players Era Thanksgiving Festival field

Early season college basketball tournaments are a long-standing tradition in the sport. In the days and weeks that sees the college football season ends, teams hit the hardwood for some tournament ball during the Thanksgiving holiday.

While the Preseason NIT and Great Alaska Shootout no longer exist, the Maui Invitational and Battle 4 Atlantis tournaments continue to be the standard of preseason tournament action.

However, starting on Tuesday, a new tournament hits the scene in Las Vegas, unlike something we’ve never seen before.

The Players Era Thanksgiving Festival, featuring the Alabama Crimson Tide, and a host of other top programs will battle for much more than a trophy.

Unlike some of the other tournaments during the week, the embracing of Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) is at the forefront. The top four finishers of the tournament will receive a winner’s purse that goes straight to NIL, with the total amount of $5 million dollars split among the four teams.

Champion: $1.5M
Second Place: $1.25M
Third Place: $1.15M
Fourth Place: $1.1M

The tournament involves eight teams, split into two groups for pool play:

Impact Group

• Alabama
• Houston
• Rutgers
• Notre Dame

Power Group

• Oregon
• Texas A&M
• Creighton
• San Diego State

There will be two days of pool play on Nov. 26-27, then Championship Day on Nov. 30.

The format for the groups is the same. Each team plays two games in its group, and after Wednesday’s games are completed, each group will be seeded one through four. Seeding will be determined by overall record. In the event of a tie, seeding will be determined by, in order:

1. Head-to-head record
2. Total point differential of both games played in the group, with a cap of plus or minus 20 per game
3. Total points scored
4. Total points allowed  

Here’s a look at the teams playing in Vegas:

Impact

Alabama Crimson Tide

Record: 4-1 (25-12 last season)

2023-24 Postseason finish: Final Four

Player to watch: Labaron Philon (12.8 ppg, 5.2 apg, 4.2 rpg.)

What to know

The Alabama Crimson Tide won’t be sneaking up on anybody this season. Sandwiched between games vs. Purdue and North Carolina is a trip to Las Vegas for this unique tournament.

In last season’s early-season tournament, the Crimson Tide finished third in the Emerald Isle Coast Classic.

Rutgers Scarlet Knights

Record: 4-1 (15-17 last season)

2023-24 Postseason finish: Big Ten tournament first round

Player to watch: Dylan Harper (19.8 ppg, 5.2 apg.)

What to know

A trendy pick to make some noise not just in the Big Ten, but in March Madness, the Scarlet Knights dropped 79-77 stunner to the Kennesaw State Owls. A win or two this week in Vegas could erase the one major blemish on their young tournament resume.

Houston Cougars

Record: 3-1 (32-5 last season)

2023-24 Postseason finish: Sweet 16

Player to watch: Milos Uzan (8.8 ppg, 6.3 apg, 4.5 rpg.)

What to know

The Houston Cougars are looking to win an early season tournament for the second-straight season. Last year, the Cougars were champions of the Charleston Classic, beating Dayton in the final.

Notre Dame Fighting Irish

Record: 4-1 (13-20 last season)

2023-24 Postseason finish: ACC tournament second round

Player to watch: Markus Burton (21.4 ppg, 5.2 apg.)

What to know

Although the Fighting Irish finished at the bottom of the standings in the ACC in Micah Shrewsberry’s first season as head coach, the Irish have been seeing success in recruiting. Notre Dame ranks No. 6 in the 247 composite rankings for the class of 2025.

Power

San Diego State Aztecs

Record: 2-1 (26-11 last season)

2023-24 Postseason finish: Sweet 16

Player to watch: Nick Boyd (14.7 ppg, 2.7 apg.)

What to know

Like Houston, the San Diego State Aztecs are looking to win an early-season tournament for the second-straight season. Last year, the Aztecs were champions of the Continental Tire Main Event, beating Washington in the final.

Creighton Bluejays

Record: 4-1 (25-10 last season)

2023-24 Postseason finish: Sweet 16

Player to watch: Ryan Kalkbrenner (21.4 ppg, 87.2 field goal pct.)

What to know

The Bluejays meet the Aztecs in the opening game of this tournament, it’s the first meeting between the two since their 2023 NCAA tournament regional final matchup that saw San Diego State reach their first final four in school history.

Oregon Ducks

Record: 5-0 (24-12 last season)

2023-24 Postseason finish: NCAA tournament second round

Player to watch: Nate Bittle (16.2 ppg. 10.2 rpg.)

What to know

This tournament features the two winningest head coaches in the history of Creighton men’s basketball. No. 1 on the list is current head coach, Greg McDermott. No. 2 on the list? The head coach of the Oregon Ducks, Dana Altman.

Texas A&M Aggies

Record: 4-1 (21-15 last season)

2023-24 Postseason finish: NCAA tournament second round

Player to watch: Wade Taylor IV (14.0 ppg, 4.8 apg.)

What to know

Since dropping their season-opener to UCF, Texas A&M has won their last four games by a margin of 22.2 points.

Game schedule

All times are central

November 26

San Diego State vs. Creighton, 1 p.m. (TBS)
Oregon vs. Texas A&M, 3:30 p.m. (TBS)

Houston vs. Alabama, 7 p.m. (TBS)
Rutgers vs. Notre Dame, 9:30 p.m. (TBS)

November 27

Oregon vs. San Diego State, 3 p.m. (Max)
Texas A&M vs. Creighton, 6:30 p.m. (Max)

Rutgers vs. Alabama, 9 p.m. (TBS)
Notre Dame vs. Houston, 11:30 p.m. (TBS)

November 30

Championship: Impact 1st vs. Impact 1st, 8:30 p.m.(TNT)
3rd/4th Place: Impact 2nd vs. Power 2nd, 6 p.m. (TNT)
5th/6th Place: Impact 3rd vs. Power 3rd, 2:30 p.m. (TruTV)
7th/8th Place: Impact 4th vs. Power 4th, Noon (TruTV)

Read More

General

What the Iron Bowl means to Auburn football players: ‘This is the biggest game of my life’

Few rivalries in all of sports compare to the Iron Bowl.

It can divide families, sour friendships and captivate the attention of an entire state for three to four hours every year on the Saturday after Thanksgiving.

Many young children in Alabama grow up watching the game, dreaming of one day suiting up for the Tigers or Tide in their state’s biggest annual sporting event. For a small handful of children, that dream will come true, and Auburn will feature its fair share of those players on Saturday.

Malik Blocton, a freshmen defensive lineman from Pike Road, was one of those kids, growing up less than an hour from Auburn’s campus. When speaking to reporters on Monday, he claimed that he had watched every Iron Bowl since he was 5 years old, mentioning the Auburn wins in 2013 and 2019 as two of his best Iron Bowl memories.

“This is the biggest game of my life,” Blocton said. “At this level, every game is the biggest game of my life. I’m not going to treat this game anything extra than what I’ve been doing, not going to do anything outside of my body.”

His appreciation for the game goes deeper than just growing up locally, though, with his brother, Marcus Harris, playing three seasons at Auburn. With Harris playing at Auburn from 2021-2023, Blocton easily remembers the last Iron Bowl too, but for the wrong reasons.

“It was crazy for me last year, I was at the game, and I see my brother walk off the field with tears in his eyes,” Blocton said. “I just don’t want that to be me on Saturday. That’s not going to be me.”

Linebacker Demarcus Riddick is another one of Auburn’s talented in-state freshmen, starring at Chilton County High School before arriving on the plains.

While he says he didn’t watch the Iron Bowl much growing up, the game means something to him because of the near 50/50 split of Auburn and Alabama fans in his hometown of Clanton.

“I went back home yesterday, and I saw a lot of my friends and family, and they were just saying how Bama is going to win this week,” Riddick said Monday. “I was like, ‘Nah y’all, I’m telling you it’s something different down here in Auburn and we’re going to show you what it is.’ Going to play in this game is going to be amazing. A dream come true, to be honest.”

Riddick didn’t hold anything back when talking about the matchup either, bringing some unapologetic, public trash talk back to the rivalry that isn’t common from players in modern college football when speaking to reporters.

“Bama is a big rival team. Every rival team I’ve never lost to and I will not lose to Bama while I’m here,” Riddick said.

He also went after both Jalen Milroe and Ryan Williams.

“He is a good quarterback, he’s fast. But he’s not faster than me. He will not get out of that box this week,” Riddick said of Milroe.

“Ryan Williams is Ryan Williams,” Riddick continued about Alabama’s star freshman. “Yeah, he’s electric and this and that. But in my eyes, he ain’t really nobody to me. Ryan Williams is himself, he ain’t no big-time player to me.”

Unlike Riddick and Blocton, Auburn quarterback Payton Thorne didn’t grow up in Alabama around the Iron Bowl. A native of Naperville, Illinois, he didn’t really understand the magnitude of the game until he arrived in Auburn prior to the 2023 season.

Having played in one of the wildest Iron Bowls in recent history, though, his understanding of the game’s meaning has grown, and he acknowledged what the game means to him.

“I learned in this state that, you know, growing up, that’s how you choose your friends. You ask, ‘Are you Alabama or are you Auburn?’“ Thorne said. ”Obviously, it’s played on Rivalry Weekend for a reason and means a lot to the people here and to myself and my teammates as well.”

Luke Deal is another Auburn player who despite not being from the state, has gained an understanding of the weight the game carries. Having played in more Iron Bowls than any other current Auburn player, he has plenty of memories of the game, including the last time Auburn beat Alabama in 2019.

Despite that, one thing Deal hasn’t accomplished is beating the Crimson Tide in Tuscaloosa.

“That’s on my bucket list, and I’ve got one more time left,” Deal said. “That’s the icing on the cake for my career I think and I really just want it for this team. Some of the guys already understand –- Eugene [Asante] is over there talking –- a lot of guys understand how big this rivalry is.”

Saturday’s matchup between Alabama and Auburn is scheduled to kick off at 2:30 p.m. in Bryant-Denny Stadium.

Peter Rauterkus covers Auburn sports for AL.com. You can follow him on X at @peter_rauterkus or email him at [email protected]m

Read More

General

Miss Manners: I love my brother, but his hate speech is too much to bear

DEAR MISS MANNERS: My brother is intelligent, educated, well-spoken and has a responsible job. He is also openly racist, misogynistic and homophobic — all for religious reasons, of course.

To his credit, he never brings these subjects up, but if they do come up, he’s not at all bashful about articulating his bigoted views. His response to criticism is that he’s just as entitled to his opinions as liberals are to theirs, and he’s just as entitled to express his opinions as liberals are to express theirs. He says that tolerance includes tolerance for all viewpoints, including his.

That does not sound quite right to me, but I can’t exactly put my finger on what’s wrong with it. He is otherwise a charming and enjoyable person to be around. At this point, the rest of the family just deals with it by avoiding these subjects.

What do you think we should do?

GENTLE READER: Keep avoiding those subjects.

Of course it is tempting to poke the bear, even though you know how the bear will react. Your brother is presumably a grown-up, entrenched in his prejudices, and arguing is less likely to reform him than to spoil family gatherings.

Miss Manners can, however, offer you some comfort.

First, you are already making your point effectively by refusing to engage with him when he speaks like that.

And second, you are right that hate speech does not deserve the same tolerance as the wide divergence of well-meant opinions.

Please send your questions to Miss Manners at missmanners.com, by email to [email protected], or through postal mail to Miss Manners, Andrews McMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106.

Read More

General

Asking Eric: Responses to question from previous readers

Dear Eric: I just read the letter from “Sunny Side,” whose mother called multiple times a day with anxieties and would call Sunny Side’s friends if she didn’t pick up. My husband and I have been in a similar situation with an older relative. What I would suggest is to set up a time each day that she and her mom will talk, say every day at 7 p.m. (or whenever it’s convenient). That way Sunny Side knows when to mentally prepare herself for the call, and her mom knows when she will for sure be able to reach her.

It also takes the calls down to once per day, which is plenty. Sunny Side could make herself a cup of tea for the call or something to distract from the doom and gloom she knows is coming. Another suggestion would be to make sure her mom is engaged with some other people socially, so she doesn’t have to rely on talking to Sunny Side so much. Is there a senior center nearby with activities she could go to? Some senior organizations will send visitors to those who are homebound. I think working on this would help everyone, too – it did in our case.

– Happy Reader

Dear Happy Reader: Thank you for this suggestion. What’s great about it is it gives both the letter writer and her mom tools to help manage their expectations.

Dear Eric: After reading the letter from “Slighted Stepchild”, whose two stepparents cut him out of their wills after his parents died, I was angry on behalf of him and his brother. However, I feel there is a possibility that they may not have been disinherited by their birth parents.

I worked in the estate and trust business for almost 30 years before retiring, and saw some unbelievable things attempted by members of the deceased’s family. If the siblings have not read their parents recorded wills, or had their own attorney review them, then they should do so. They need to review only the will that was recorded in the courthouse in the area where each of their parents lived. If they can afford it, it would be best to consult an attorney to determine the legal fee to do this for them.

It would be sad, but entirely possible, that their parents’ second spouses may have withheld information from them or, under estate law of their parents’ states of residence, they may be entitled to a portion of their parents’ estates.

I know their hurt is deep, being excluded as children and adults from their parents’ love and lives, but they don’t know the influence that was put on their parents to do what they did.

– Suspicious Reader

Dear Reader: Thanks for this perspective. I hope the letter writer is able to track down some more concrete answers.

Read more Asking Eric and other advice columns.

Send questions to R. Eric Thomas at [email protected] or P.O. Box 22474, Philadelphia, PA 19110. Follow him on Instagram and sign up for his weekly newsletter at rericthomas.com.

Read More

General

Today’s daily horoscopes: Nov. 26, 2024

Given that hundreds of thousands of years of humanity have only featured a few hundred years of logical thinking, intellectual rigor is still a long way from becoming the default. For the best chance of being heard in these days of Mercury retrograde, try sending your message on the wings of action, emotion, aesthetics or poetics.

ARIES (March 21-April 19). Opportunity will not arrive gift-wrapped. Instead, it will be hidden in small tasks or behind inconvenient circumstances. Keep your eyes open and dig deeper. You might find something in what others overlook or dismiss as unremarkable.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20). Listening begins with hearing the words and continues with understanding what’s beneath them. You will be surprised by how much people reveal when they feel truly seen and heard.

GEMINI (May 21-June 21). Trust takes time to build and moments to break. It is fragile and powerful. Today, nurture trust with others and yourself. When trust is present, relationships strengthen and your own confidence in life grows.

CANCER (June 22-July 22). Should you join the crowd? The group is strong with you, and you are stronger in the group. Just don’t mistake submission for loyalty. Submission diminishes the self, while loyalty strengthens the whole.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). You’re clear on what you want, and you’re already drawing it into your orbit. You’re actively setting the stage for the wonder that matches your need but also surprises you with a bit of lovely complexity.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). You respect time as a valuable resource and demand promptness from yourself. Through your example, you teach others to be direct and to avoid low-yield, wasteful uses of their moments.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23). You’ll think ahead about what you want to say to people, even in casual scenarios. You may go so far as to rehearse. You may not use any of what you practice, but it will give you the confidence to be versatile and quick when it matters.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21). You anticipate change in your own drive, moods and motivations. You’ll prepare to keep moving forward even when you don’t feel like it. You’ll create incentives and take measures to make it easy and fun to keep going.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21). Relax into the abstract. Dumb things can be touched with brilliance. Absurdity won’t be the solution, and the ridiculous won’t be the right answer, but at least it lays the groundwork for good ideas to blossom.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19). The mistakes of the olden days were funny, like when people took pictures with the lens cap on, or without film. Today’s mistakes are funny, too. Keep a record so that later you can look back and laugh at these times.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18). You’re among the friendliest in the zodiac, but that doesn’t mean you’re always in the mood to initiate conversation. Today, it will be worth it to nudge yourself in the direction of reaching out. You’ll be better for having made the connection.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20). You’ve the drive to revitalize a tired project or rekindle a lost feeling for someone. Verify the wisdom of doing so early on because once you decide and the job’s underway, you’ll have joiners and unstoppable momentum.

TODAY’S BIRTHDAY (Nov. 26). Hoist your sail and the winds will fill it, favoring your direction for a change instead of dictating their own. The thrill of new experiences leads you to people and places you’ll want to hold close. More highlights: a creative leap you’ll be proud of, an ever-deepening partnership, and a milestone that solidifies your progress with a concrete token. Pisces and Taurus adore you. Your lucky numbers are: 19, 4, 26, 30 and 15.

CELEBRITY PROFILES: HBO released the documentary “Tina” celebrating the monumental musical contributions and personal journey of Tina Turner, who rose from a troubled upbringing to global superstardom. “Tina: The Tina Turner Musical” continues to be performed, and numerous artist including Beyonce, Adele and Ed Sheeran have paid tribute to the fiery Sagittarius who embodied her fire sign nature, lighting up stages with her swagger and unstoppable energy. Turner was born with natal Mercury and Venus in Sagittarius, and Mars and Jupiter in soulful Pisces.

Holiday Mathis’ debut novel, “How To Fail Epically in Hollywood,” is out now! This fast-paced romp about achieving Hollywood stardom is available as a paperback and e-book. Visit creatorspublishing.com for more information. Write Holiday Mathis at HolidayMathis.com.

Read More

General

Asking Eric: After brother’s death, sister-in-law won’t stop texting

Dear Eric: My spouse of 38 years died a year ago. He was 72, I’m now 72. He was a bit of a loner and had a strained relationship with his only sibling, his younger sister.

The last 10 years he had completely cut communication off with her. Honestly, the main reason was that he just didn’t want to be her friend. She’s a nice, helpful person, but he was who he was, and he did what he did.

When he died I reached out to her in a sisterly way and included her in the funeral service. She was delighted. She immediately bonded with me, calls me sister and started texting me several times a week.

This intimate connection with her is unwanted. I do not want to receive these almost daily texts. They come with great detail and photos of her everyday life. For the last few months, I have not responded to any texts, but the hint is ignored.

I have no idea how to stop this texting relationship without hurting her feelings. I need your advice on how best to end my texting relationship with her, and basically to keep our relationship at a comfortable distance.

– Personal Space

Dear Space: Establishing a new bond with your sister-in-law is a lovely, and loving, gesture. It may feel like you’re risking reopening old wounds by setting a texting boundary but think of it as the clear communication that is the lifeblood of every healthy relationship. Reach out via phone or in person and tell her that you are glad that you’re in each other’s lives and you appreciate her, but you’re not a texter and you’d love to find another way to catch up with each other.

She’s enthusiastic, and perhaps hungry to replace the relationship she didn’t have with your husband. There’s nothing wrong with that, per se, but if it doesn’t work for you, it’s neither unkind nor unfair to redirect.

Read more Asking Eric and other advice columns.

Send questions to R. Eric Thomas at [email protected] or P.O. Box 22474, Philadelphia, PA 19110. Follow him on Instagram and sign up for his weekly newsletter at rericthomas.com.

Read More