Ed Barkowitz: What's So Bad About Philly, Really?

Q: Charles, you're a man of the world. Why do you think Philly gets such a bad rap compared to New York and D.C.? Or do I just have the typical Philly inferiority complex?

- Jealous in Conshohocken

A: Philly is a great city. I can live anywhere and I choose to live here at least half the year. New York and D.C. are international cities. Then there's Vegas and L.A., Chicago and all the rest.

Each city has its unique qualities. That doesn't necessarily make one better than the other. It's like ice cream, 'bro, some people like vanilla, some prefer chocolate and others like tutti-frutti, although I don't know why. That stuff is nasty.

Don't put too much into what other people say or write about Philly. As long as you're happy living here, that's all that matters.

Q: What's the deal with all the dudes in the NBA wearing glasses off the court? LeBron, Dwyane Wade, Russell Westbrook, Kevin Durant - all of 'em seem to want to look like exactly like I did when I played trombone in my junior high band. Do they want to look like dorks - or was I just ahead of my time as a trendsetter?

- Fashionable in Fishtown

A: You were stylin' way ahead of all the others, dude. I bet you got major props carrying that trombone case around all through junior high.

Glasses are a necessity or fashion accessory or sometimes both. How do you know for sure that LeBron, Wade and all the others aren't nearsighted and need to wear glasses? Don't assume they want to look alike just because they happen to wear glasses. It might just be a coincidence. But if they all wear glasses and carry trombones at the same time, then maybe there is an emerging trend that we don't know about.