Hrm... I learned how to make people like me. Had some volatile adults around me and others that were just mean and my sense of self-preservation taught me to hone my charm for my safety and that of my younger sibs.

I also learned some basic housebreaking because I was a latchkey kid without a key for a while there and…

My mom. 3/4 of her children developed cinnamon allergies. She fucking puts cinnamon in everything and then offers it to us. I love her, but I’m not entirely convinced she’s not trying to kill me.

You can eat the flower head of Queen Anne’s Lace, too. It’s good raw or really good battered and fried.

Ha — thanks!

They say “berevity is the soul of wit.” Alas, sometimes berevity eludes me.

Well, because no one’s actually got pitchforks, for one. And if there’s a kangaroo hopping about in robes somewhere, I want pics. If there were an actual mob, rather than a hyperbolic one, I’d be more concerned. What we have here, though, is people telling their stories. Their stories implicate that someone who had…

Eh, tilting at the occasional windmill keeps me in shape. Thanks.

Well, I am a lawyer and this line of argument tends to irritate the hell out of me, so why don’t I try to set a few things straight?

What I really need is a one or two-time box to send as a gift to families that just had a kid. Preferably food for parents, but maybe also little baby things. Anyone have any suggestions of something of the sort?

“What color hair does Elizabeth Bennet have? Go.”

I’ve gotten a lot of value from separating out “explanation” and “excuse” in my head. Excuse to me says that you can’t hold someone responsible for their actions because of X, whereas I think of explanation as X contributed to someone’s actions. It shows me where they are coming from and challenges me to empathize…

The decision said that the (male) purchaser could rescind the contract (that means cancel the sale) based upon the (female) seller's actions of (1) popularizing her home as a haunted house and (2) conveniently forgetting to mention that when selling it to him. She created the impact on her own property value and is…

Just because you don't understand something doesn't mean it's stupid.

Here's some New York caselaw. It's one of my favorite opinions, actually.

I wholeheartedly agree with this advice, as someone who recently received that line over and over. It just doesn't work; you're so overwhelmed that you can't make any decisions and friends can feel a little put out that you're not asking them for help when you so obviously need it.

Chinese holiday of Chung Ch'ui?

Woo! Creationists and I have something in common - I believe the Earth is thousands of years old, too. Approximately 4,540,000 thousands of years.

So now I'm seriously considering buying the T-Rex and Taz for family. Thanks, Bricken.

(Keep in mind there are generally 40+ of us.) We usually have street hockey in the morning, the usual Thanksgiving stuff in the afternoon, drinking and gaming in the evening, a trip to the spa the next day (albeit usually only the women), and later that evening All Holidays' Day bowling (someone misspoke; we made it…

I know a number of these companies. Unfortunately, it's entirely possible that many of them will wholeheartedly support this guy.