I have a theory about this. Anyone who was a kid in the 80s knows that 98% of boys were named David, John, Michael, Matt, Patrick, Paul, Brian, Joe, Todd, Brad, Robert or Jason (if the parents were feeling spicy). Because there were so few acceptable names for boys, the chance of meeting a horrible Michael who scarred…

I regularly swap out lotion with coconut oil but my cat runs around the apartment trying to lick my legs. Kind of cute but very tickly and I’m afraid I’m going to kick her.

This is what you need: http://www.aveeno.com/product/aveeno… It doesn’t matter whether you actually have eczema or not, any dry patch will be healed. It’s annoyingly expensive for a drug store brand but well worth it. Also good for people with dry skin who are allergic to most products.

I think it’s the spray tan thing. Durn kids!

Why is that? Due to low humidity?

I have done this as well, but I’ve found it can play badly. Especially when you’re young and female. That having been said, if you get interviews through professional connections, that bs seems to fade.

Same but sometimes they literally make you fill out a salary history document. I find the hiring managers are usually not sticklers for this kind of thing but the HR department is awful.

What do you do when they ask your current salary and salary history? It’s a blatant attempt to pay you less, but a difficult question to avoid. Last time I stated my salary goal and got it, but I have heard that if you state your current salary, that is one of the few pieces of information a firm can confirm with your…

That is a very interesting point—thank you. I live on the east coast and when visiting my friends at a high elevation in Colorado last summer they kept telling me to drink water all the time. They explained that because of the low humidity, you don’t realize how much you’re sweating and you often won’t know that…

What an amazing job! Do you know the Merchant’s House Museum in the East Village? Preserved 19th c brownstone with the family’s original belongings, including something like 30 or 40 of their original costumes.

I have a pair of tall boots made by dansko that I love, also a pair of sandals that I like but don’t love. Thank you, I will definitely check out that link.

I agree. Sometimes I find them a bit narrow but overall, I do like their stuff.

Don’t apologize, you have the right to be comfortable.

I have a trick left ankle and injured my back in a fall off a horse. Fuck high fashion shoes. The person who figures out how to make supportive, functional and comfortable shoes cute will have all of my money and also end the fashion shoe economy, which is why…

Thank you for the tidbit on Queen Victoria—I love hearing about her and her tremendous cultural influence. Do you have any favorite books about her? I love Victorian snake rings (engagement rings where the snake symbolized eternal love) and she was directly responsible for the popularity of those.

There is that. Although I like to think that with decent taste and careful screening (at least of your friends) you can avoid them. It’s much harder when they are relations.

Most definitely. Military dress of any kind is encouraged, and frankly awesome.

Yep. My former friend was the kind to have large expensive dinners whenever it was her birthday, large expensive events for every stage of her wedding and large expensive events leading up to her child’s birth. Now she is in the middle of a large expensive divorce. We’re not close any more and one of the reasons is…

Is being a ‘recent bride’ a thing? I thought the only person who was supposed to wear white at a wedding was the bride, even if someone else got married literally the day before.

Thank you so much for this. It can really be a struggle to understand how the other side comes to its conclusions when their logic seems so patently irrational, but there always is a train of thought somewhere, even if the values are way off. You did an amazing job teasing it out.

For anyone who lives in the New York area, go to the Mermaid Parade in Coney Island. Endless glittery, body paint, amazing costumes and for me it is the official start of summer: http://www.coneyisland.com/programs/merma…