I think there is a middle ground here. The fadeaway by itself does not make you a jerk. If neither party is feeling it, then you can do the mutual fadeaway, and no one ever has to address the issue! But if someone contacts you and is like, "Hey I haven't heard from you...are we still going to get together again?" Then…

You cannot have a discussion about the slow fade / fadeaway without a panel of experts led by Garfunkel and Oates.

This is why I love pumpkin spice. The SPICES. Actual pumpkin is nasty. Gourds in general are nasty (with the exception of butternut squash in soup form). What I don't understand is why sweet potato spice is not a BFD. Sweet potato pie is amazing. Candied yams are amazing. Bottle that shit in syrup form and put it in…

This. I get really uncomfortable with the whole "mixed-race people are GORGEOUS!" and "omg, if you and [random white guy I went on a few dates with] had babies, they would be SO cute!" I understand that people saying these things think they are being complimentary, but the undertone is offensive. Like they're saying…

I like the sound of Persephone, but I think the mythology is a little heavy to saddle a little girl with. (For an adult, it would be awesome, though.) And because kids are assholes, I'm sure a Persephone would end up in a class of bullies who call her Phony.

I've definitely noticed a change in OB since the Great Disappearance a few years ago. They're no longer very absorbent for me. I have leaks almost every month. And weird leaks, too, where only half the tampon has any blood on it. I'm like..."hey menstrual fluid, you realize there's a WHOLE OTHER SIDE OF THE TAMPON you…

Building upon my first response....

Sounds like ovarian cysts if not menstrual cramps. They suck. They go away. They come back.

If you get any ideas, let me know. I tend to adopt the scorched earth policy. I get into such a rut with work and coworkers and daily routines and even friends, that I become an insufferable Negative Nellie. And the only way I've been able to climb out of that is to completely start over every few years — relocate,…

I had my prom dinner at Olive Garden, and I remember feeling really fancy. My graduation dinner was even more amazing — my parents really stepped it up by taking me to O'Charleys. I think the dining options have improved in my hometown since then, but the damage has been done. Whenever my family comes to visit me in…

What does the fox say?

30s, single, usually wavering between "on the fence" and "HELLS to the NO" with kids. I have no maternal drive and minimal nurturing instinct. I yell at my dog when he is sick; my friends complain that I offer glib responses when they tell me about their problems; and most days I am happy to be alone in my home, not…

How do you guys handle friends who constantly bail on plans? I try not to get upset with the repeat offenders, and I usually don't consider such plans set in stone until I'm heading out the door, but it is quite annoying. I feel like I should go do something tonight, even though it means going out alone, because the…

Thank you for posting your experience with Finnish xenophobia. Every time I read an article about how PERFECT X country is compared to the United States, I just want to break the rose-colored glasses. As a black person who has lived and travelled all over Europe (and Asia), I usually get the "we hate immigrants" more…

Homogeneity is one of the reasons the Scandinavian countries work so well. It's also a factor that's conveniently overlooked or dismissed in discussions of these perceived near-utopias. See also the recent BBC article on how amazing Iceland is because it has virtually no violent crime.

Well, what's the point of buying anything when there's a cheaper alternative? Why buy a BMW when you can drive a Hyundai? Why buy organic produce at Whole Foods when you can clip coupons for Shoppers Warehouse? Heck, why shop at Target when there's a Goodwill down the street? Sometimes quality — or at least the…

I'm totes too lazy to cook. But I don't understand why there seems to be only two categories of eating: make everything from scratch, or eat out/eat processed crap all the time. Am I the only one who eats a lot of healthy stuff that requires zero cooking? I can't remember the last time I turned on the stove, but my…

Another child of a hoarder here. Another person who cannot stand clutter or decorative items. Every day I survey my home and think about the crap I need to get rid of, even though my furnishings are as sparse as your average hotel room. After my last purging spree, I got all of my clothing to fit into a single…

I've never heard PEMDAS before. I learned it as Please Excuse My Dear Aunt Sally. I'm also amused that so many people are emphasizing left-to-right. You can do addition and subtraction in any order because they are the same mathematical operation. Subtraction is adding a negative number. If given a string like 3 + 3 +…

I've dated that guy. I've dated the free-spirited nomads and the older men who made me feel sooo sophisticated. I won't date either of those any more. As others have said, it won't end well. But it will be a good learning experience for what you can and cannot tolerate in a relationship.