I have them too, and yes, this was after she'd already heard the bit about the swords. I felt so bad for the guy giving the demo, he really did look like we might need to take him to the ER for a few seconds there. I'm sure there were liability lawsuits running through his head.

I'm dealing with inlaws right now who don't understand the whole dogs must be trained thing, and they're thinking of getting rid of their cat because it hasn't occurred to them to train the puppy not to pester the cat (she swipes at him when he backs her into corners and won't leave her alone, they think the cat is…

My granny's border collie was the first dog I ever got to know. He herded grandkids like a champ and let me ride on his back when I was little. They're wonderful dogs.

How about tying a scrunchy round it? It's sexy and decorative!

Yep. I've met girls like her all over the world, and they're always tiresome, irritating black holes of insecurity and narcissism. No thanks.

It does not yet seem to have occurred to her that the quality standards for print are higher, and print deadlines are not flexible at all.

I still remember attempting to stir fry on an electric stove. It was pathetic.

I have the best knife story to tell you. So, once upon a time I briefly worked in a kitchenware store that started selling Shun knives (from Japan, made by a company that used to make swords - they're very sharp). A nice young man came in to give a demo and explain what all the specialised knives were for, and during…

For people looking for better alternatives as far as donating used clothes, here's one. They specialise in providing professional clothing to women who're economically disadvantaged so they have something appropriate to wear to job interviews, and they have branches all over the place.

Last year when my cat (who I'd had for 19 years, so I was very attached to him) died the week following his death I got so much harrassment that it was like being 12 or 13 again. There was one day when I was crying during my commute when it was like running an obstacle course, so many guys were saying creepy awful…

Yep. Ages 9-14, that's when it was worst. Dropped off dramatically as soon as I reached adulthood, even though I was running around London in miniskirts and thigh high boots. Also, the tone of it changed - it was at its most aggressive and threatening when I was a child, as I got older the approaches got less openly…

Here's how I'd explain it. Street harrassment can come from men from any demographic (I've heard some vile things from men my own age in nice suits), but the thing about construction workers is that the harrassment is almost guaranteed. If you're a woman and you walk past a construction site, they're probably going to…

It's like they took on of those "How's My Driving?" signs that some trucking companies have on their vehicles (which are there so that if the driver is driving poorly people can report them) and changed the wording to read "Sorry that I sideswiped your car and broke your window, but hey, your car is so awesome that I…

Most of the world treats beef as a special occasion food, or as an ingredient to add lots of flavor to dishes even though quite small portions are used (which works because beef does indeed have a strong flavor). If Americans could somehow make that mental shift, and stop seeing beef as the centerpiece of a meal and…

I'm starting to wonder if those shoes are surgically attached to her feet.

One of these guys?

It was a long time ago, but I remain wary. Apparently plague is endemic in the squirrel population in parts of the Bay Area. I can use this as an excuse not to like hiking, right?

Yep. It's a perfect case study of what happens when people anthropomorphize big scary animals that can eat them.

Ah, the memories of first exposure to standard Scottish food. Going from Saudi Arabia to Scotland was quite a trip.

Huh. That intersects rather oddly with the one child policy. So it's not more than one, but not less than one either?