True enough. My husband, who just managed to get out of a hospital stay in time for his 50th birthday got that AARP membership form in the mail that week. You can't imagine how fast I shit-canned that card before he could see it. Insult to injury, I say.

I wish my mom had done this when I was young. We spent every Thanksgiving at Aunties house with the entire family every single year. As Auntie and her generation aged and died off, there was no alternate tradition to take it's place. That was right about the time I moved off to college. Now, 30 years later, I never…

Responding "I'm due about the time your foot comes out of your mouth" also works wonders. I've gotten that before, but the weirdest one was from a guy in the elevator to my pediatrician's office. Here I am, with a 2 week old in arms and the dude asks when I'm due. I was flabbergasted. Dude, I'm holding a 14 day old…

I saw some of the first promos for The Island at that year's San Diego Comic Con. The roomful of geeks ALL knew it was Parts: The Clonus Horror with a makeover. The jokes flew for a bit and then it was forgotten until the lawsuit. How they ever thought they could get away with showing it at SDCC I can't imagine.

Nah, you cook only 1/2 the stuffing in the bird for the first 2 hours. When you take the bird out to turn it over (you cook yours breast down first, right?) you take out the stuffing. Put the bird back in right side up for the last bit of cooking while you mix in the lovely turkey basted stuffing back in to the rest…

I'll just leave this here:

I've loved Kate since I watched her as a kiddo as Mrs. Columbo. I was excited when she was cast as a captain in Star Trek. Finally! However, this will remain my favorite version of Janeway, ever:

Perhaps something like this?

I hope your friend realizes that Minnie is just the nickname for Minerva and goes for the full name. Minerva is an awesome adult name and the nick is perfect for the kids.

I homeschool my 4th grade son and our social studies curriculum is Native Americans this year. Covers 10 big tribes, hits all the main historical points and throws in a bit of culture. Thing is, the book refers to everyone in the past tense, as in
"The Navajo were...", "The Sioux used to...". They do this for…

I know it's not quite the same, but April Winchell (Helen Killer) is still plugging away over at her main site. There's still plenty of comedy gold to be found there. CF4Lyfe!

Oh no, I totally agree with you. I was just pointing out that we don't put the expectation of gifts on guests not just so poor people don't feel like crap. We just don't put the expectation of gifts on guests period.

Yes, everything you're describing, the housewares at the shower, envelope or cash at the wedding, the white "gift" bag of the bride, and pinning cash on the bride (usually at a dance) is a cultural norm. My problem with your statements are that you seem to think it's an United States cultural norm when in fact it's a…

Oh, is that the one where I invite you to my birthday dinner at Swanky Restaurant du Jour and then order the biggest, fattest entree and drinks I can, all while sweetly pretending to not realize that my oh-so-awesome friends are just about to offer to pay for my meal? "Oh, you guys! Who knew?"

It's definitely not a rich person thing. It's a Real Housewives, reality-show watching, self-obssessed, spoiled brat thing, and that often includes not just the bride but the mother of the bride as well. These middle income people have become crazed with trying to mimic the lifestyles of the Kardashians or anyone else…

Poor guests or rich, it doesn't matter. No one, even Warren Buffett should have demands put on them to even bring a gift at all, let alone one of a certain value. It doesn't have anything to do with what guests can and cannot afford. Your GUEST is just that, a guest, invited by you to your celebration.

No, she's not. It has never been, even in the North East, an equivalent exchange. The social elite of either coast would be aghast at the idea of asking, let alone requiring, their guests to pay for attending their weddings. Do you actually think Chelsea Clinton demanded or received cash gifts equivalent to the price…

Gregory's Girl is a fantastic flick. You'll find it on lists of the best British movies. Shame they chose that terrible photo for the thumbnail. They should've stuck with the original poster or box art. That being said, anyone who's looking for dreck like Blubberella and picks Gregory's Girl is going to be sorely…

It's not just body products and automobiles that are being gender marketed anymore. There's dozens of gendered products out there like Kleenex, cereal, and asthma inhalers. Check out Sociological Images page on Pointlessly Gendered Products for an eye-opening look at how often gendered products are being marketed to…

You could always watch Bugsy Malone while you wait. Kids + speakeasies + Hoochie Coochie dancers + gangland slayings. What more could you ask for?