In my experience, the best way to get a cat to like you is to ignore the cat. I discovered this after I became allergic (I think I just lost my immunity when I went to college and was not constantly exposed to kitties), and I would ignore people's cats and not pet them due to allergies, and they invariably were…

I grew up in a really liberal house, and by that I mean that people just announce things like, "I'm gonna take a dump now," or whatever, and make all sorts of lewd jokes at dinner. There isn't much discomfort with bodies or body related things, and my parents freely answered any questions I had about...anything,…

The other day, I had a conversation about exactly the topic of legal defense of rapists with a friend of mine who is a law student. Unfortunately, at least in federal court, Rule 412 allows these sorts of defenses to happen, on the grounds that it may be the only defense available, and everyone is entitled to a…

Uh, suuuuuure. I went to a top-10 ranked school, and I still spent some time living at home with my parents. Then I went back to school (not a top-10) for a degree in a different field, and I'm finally starting to get my career on track. I just graduated in May, and still have financial help from my parents as I…

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

Huh, I always have seen "regal" mostly applied to older women, usually over age 70. Articulate though...yeah. Seen that one all over the freaking place being directed at black people. Whenever it's used, I always feel like it's a stand-in for, "Well, this person is black, BUT they are really great," as if being…

Um, just so you know, the St. Louis Post Dispatch is a pretty liberal paper for the most part. Seeing as the city is one of three liberal bastions (the other two being Kansas City and Columbia) in a state full of redneck conservatives, this isn't all that surprising. People in St. Louis, would, on the whole, be…

Nah, I think the artist is just ignorant. As someone who went to art school, I can tell you that a LOT of navel-gazing and ego-stroking over "profound" ideas goes on, without a whole lot of thought for real-world context or consequences. If she'd really been thinking this through, she would have specifically gone…

Studies like this make me really, really glad that I have the boyfriend I do. We cook together most nights, he does the dishes, I clean the counters/stove, he makes me breakfast in the morning, I often make lunch (he works from home and I'm job-hunting just after graduating, so), he vacuums all the carpets, I wipe…

That's really sad. :( I hope whatever is up with the guy in the story can be sorted out, and hopefully there can be a happy ending for everyone.

The first thing I thought was that she looked dead or injured! I'd be pretty distracted too if I thought I saw a potentially dead body hanging out a window, naked or not. I'd also definitely call the cops pretty much immediately.

My response is usually something like, "You're the one asking for the pics. Who's actually the slut here again?" I've found that turning their language back on them is the best thing to do. It might seem childish in some ways, but as far as things working to get people like that to fuck off, it's the most effective…

Agreed. Though to be honest, I kind of hate pants in general. They are so restrictive, and they pull through the crotch area in the worst way. Plus in the summer they are hot as fuck. Buuuuut I wear them anyway because being in freezing cold office in a skirt is worse. But seriously, everyone should wear…

Um, okay? And is there some reason why you can't just eat a slice of buttered toast in the morning with your coffee? Seems like it would be a lot cheaper. My "crash-proof" breakfast consists of a cup of coffee, some form of whole-grain carb with fat/protein applied, and a nice pile of fruit. Hasn't failed me yet,…

What makes it worse is that I feel like the only way to appropriately respond to that feeling is to have a pair myself. Then at least I can make them feel like they're being recorded back. Relatedly, I wonder what effect being constantly video'd will have on people's behavior towards each other. Because I wouldn't…

Gotcha. That makes total sense. Thanks! :)

So, this is kind of a practicality question, not dealing with birth certificates, but rather driver's licenses. In the event of a severe car accident involving a transgender person, especially one who has had sex-reassignment surgery, is there anything that might happen where a paramedic, doctor, surgeon, etc would…

The last 25 years have sucked in terms of men's fashion. Guys have been able to get away with ill-fitting, boring, or downright scrubby looking clothes for WAY TOO LONG. I mean, the 70's and 80's were sort of insane looking, but at least they tried to be interesting. I wish men's street/regular fashion (not the…

Eh, I have no problem leaving people voicemails. I'm 26, so I suppose it's possible that I'm just old enough to not have this problem. On the other hand, I have absolutely no problem with public speaking, and am one of those weird people who actually kind of enjoys it.

Oh, yes, sound definitely has motion for me as well. The word "color" kind of flutters, and is sort of shaped like fingers or tendrils, for instance. That's fascinating that you also have the texture sensation on your fingertips. For me, the occasions that I get textures, I tend to feel them in my mouth, like…