Yep, a fence is a good solution. (Though you would hope people could simply abide by the signs).

Well, I can't say what it's like in Los Angeles. Here if you don't pick up the poo and put it in the bin, you get fined. (though admittedly, even here some areas are better than others. depends how much it's enforced).

Would you? Interesting. I'd understand the haters, but not the lovers aspect. (Um, unless you were getting into bestiality, in which case, I agree).

It may (or may not) interest you to know there was a long standing campaign to get passports for pets. That's probably why there's an increase in people having their pets aboard. Before hand, pets had to be stashed in the cargo hold (as cargo) in crates for long period and then being quarantined. (which is…

"That people love their dogs so much is a sign of how alienated we are from other human beings in our culture."

Hm. Re: the point about soil and grass...

D'aww.

I don't blame her at all. I don't think apologizing on behalf of her son is the same as shaming him (as the article suggests) or turning her back on him. She doesn't say he's a bad person, she doesn't say he's scum. She said he's made a bad choice and fell in with the wrong crowd.

Cherry tomatoes off the vine from a tomato plant you've grown yourself is pretty flavourful. (The variety was gardener's delight, if that's any help :p)

"Google just told me that stuff is called "pith." That's...that's honestly kind of the perfect name for spacklewax."

*blinks*

Yeah, it's further off-putting when it's kids doing it. As some of the more...colourful or aggressive responses you may have to adults to assert your boundaries seem less appropriate and there's more of a cognitive dissonance.

roffles.

:o

...He doesn't like nutella?

No, you aren't in the wrong. It's case by case. Your lived experience and your feelings that matter.

Well, it's probably not yelling at someone across a street. So location and context may be factors (that kind of stuff is probably going to be expected at a singles bar, so the other person may be more prepared for that scenario, so it's less likely to seem random, unwelcome and threatening).

Hum. It sounded like he genuinely didn't know how to navigate social situations. His reaction was confused and angry that you'd reacted so (presumably) contrary to his expectations (which were what? he'd cat-call you and you'd swoon at the compliment, be so thrilled that someone had finally noticed you and fall into…

It can depend.

Yup. I think we have better maternity leave than you guys in the US (though I think your maternity leave differs from state to state, or area to area, right?) regarding the amount of time we can take off and how much of that is paid.