About 30 years ago they were being touted as the perfect fireplace wood. Around here, the marijuana dealers sold flats of them-guess it made a good business cover.

I worked 5 years under a strict 10 foot rule-smile and acknowledge anyone withing 10 feet of you. I was good at it. But one too many “how dare you address me” looks and boom, out. Now I’m a vendor and encouraged NOT to make eye contact. I’m the one that will ignore you with a mona lisa smile, but at the first sign of…

Way back in olden times (the 70's) white me fell in love with a black guy. We went steady, as it was quaintly put, through high school.This was a shock to my suburban school. I can still remember male friends advising me earnestly that I would have to disclose the fact to any and all future men I might date, so they…

I am a Californian. A basic lefty, do-gooder Californian. And I still can’t forget the day I ran into the post office, on a day that required a hoodie, with my ancient poodle dog sound asleep in the front seat. Less than 5 minutes later, I came out to find two ferocious do-gooder squared folks screaming that I had…

I was just about to go to bed. Thank God I keep xanies on hand for times like these.

I went back to a dino phone for a year, and loved it. Then in January, a new job required a smart phone. I’m drowning in apps. I’m looking forward to the day I can again be a smug minimal user and not be ruled by my phone.

In Minnesota, as in California where I have personal experience with this, a half sib has the same rights as a full sib. They are treated the same by law.

The joy of leaves.

Oh yes they enforce it. I had a staredown over a cup of coffee and lost. Now I have a coffee purse, but it looks like that isn’t going to work any more.

Exactly. Until recently I worked with the public and parents would instruct their kids to. “thank Miss Peggy” as I did this or that for them. I tended to play the den mother role and some of my younger coworkers also referred to me by that. First name was fine by me, but I won’t lie, the Miss Peggy always tickled me.…

Me too. Next time around, maybe?

I bow down to you! I only work 4 part time jobs. I would happily work 1 full time job, but you know these oldsters cost so much to insure...

Scalzi drives them absolutely nuts because he laughs at them at every opportunity. (As he should.) They grumble, snarl and hurl ridiculous epithets. and he just lightheartedly snarks at them. It’s entertaining to watch.

Tried that. I looked like a Simpson. Must practice...

I so wish that was fashionable right now...

My heart bleeds for her anguish. (Just kidding.)I mean seriously-what do you expect from a free app? The only way to police it is to have it largely automated. Don't like their rules-go a different direction. Reading her post, it looks like she should have had some inking that it would have been a good idea to back up…

Oh, honey...you have no idea the evils middle aged women can do. And we LIKE it.

I can be fired for telling another employee what I make, or asking what they make. I know for a fact that there are some good ole boy salary adjustments in my company, but since I cannot officially know, let alone ask, I am screwed. The threat of lawsuits sounds good to me.

You must be the luckiest food service worker on the face of this earth. Here's a difference you're got getting: Food server behaves badly-you can complain and get a refund and you get to mentally or really flip them off as you sashay out the door. Customer behaves badly: you have to grin and bare it because if you…

He looks like every babydyke I ran with in the '80's.