"If you really care about being at this person's wedding, the cost of going to it won't bother you too much."

On the one hand, dining alone is for me one of life's underrated pleasures. Take a book, do some people watching through the window, order some nice food and maybe a glass of wine and chill out. Treat yo self.

My sister has a PhD in a STEM field and people are always asking why she's working a civil service job that has nothing to do with her field. She gets a pretty solid rate of pay, can work from home half the week, and a pensions package that is truly envy-inducing. Oh, and she no longer suffers from anxiety attacks…

Grad School: Where you find our you're really not All That.

I often think the fastest way to kill an interest or a passion is to get paid for it. Because then it becomes an obligation. On the other hand, there is a great deal of joy to be found in taking an ostensibly banal or unappealing task and finding a way to enjoy it, or at least not hate it very much.

Good, thorough article. I've just started to become more aware of my own body aging- my crow's feet have become far more noticeable over the last year or so- so I'm trying to move towards a lifestyle that will result in me being "well preserved" in 30 or 40 years. It can be frustrating, though. One of the things I…

I think the problem is that that a lot of women will have encountered men who are into their cars to the exclusion of all else. The fellas I knew in my early twenties who spent their entire weekends customizing their Ford Polos with track lighting and extra-wide exhaust pipes so that they could drive them very slowly…

Weirdly, I never had any problems waiting on the ladies who lunched. My experience was that as long as you kept their wine glasses topped up they could cheerfully deal with anything ;-)

Yeah, I haven't worked extensively in food service, but from the one or two positions I've held I've gotten the indelible impression that this scenario is extremely unlikely. Primarily because, let's be real: how many people are willing to possibly lose their jobs, which they need in order to buy their own food, in an…

I think that when a lot of viewers/readers say they "love" Jaime Lannister it's not so much that they love him as an individual, but that he's compelling as a character. As easy as it would be to declare him a "monster" the books make it very clear that he's not, or at least, no more so than anyone else in that…

I think it's the summery dresses you refer to that cause the problem, especially if it's an outdoor wedding. There is something very appealing about white dresses in the summer, especially if they involve broderie anglaise (a couple of seasons ago I read an article somewhere that had started referring to them as LWDs-…

See, I always assume that people tell you the color pallet or the "theme" on the wedding invite so that you can dress to blend with that. Or I ask what the color will be. I don't so much want to match as to not turn up wearing something that looks obviously and inconspicuously out of place. I think if you know purple…

Red is another one of those rules that sometimes applies and sometimes doesn't. Bright red, particularly if it's also tight fitting and short, is usually considered way too sexy. On the other hand, a more muted red with a lower hemline/higher neckline probably wouldn't upset anyone except the real etiquette sticklers.…

The idea is that black is a funereal color, so if you wear it to a wedding you might come off as "mourning" the impending union. Similar rationale to not wearing red. But honestly, this rule has pretty much become defunct, especially since so many people are now attending evening services/receptions.

I think your last sentence is really key. If your faith is something you want to invest time, thought and energy in, it seems appropriate to express that by at least putting on solid-soled shoes.

Interesting. I think the point about church attendance previously being a more prominent social "event" is very well made. I come from a solidly working-class family (though we are now firmly middle class) and it's difficult to shake the feeling that you should make the most of it when you get a chance to go out. On…

Does anyone else see the similarities between this and every single discussion over anything racist/sexist/abelist in the media over the last few years? "No-one can make you feel offended but you" and "I shouldn't have to be responsible for other people's reaction" are essentially the grown-up version of "don't be a…

Exactly. The school isn't even pulling a "Whoops! How did that get there?!"- they say the information was inaccurate but never actually say it was a mistake in the first place. So they must have someone on staff who thought this was a good enough idea to hand out n the first place. That's a serious concern in terms of…

Isn't this just a short back and sides? That's what we always called it when I grew up.

It depends on rabbit, really. My sister has two of them- one doesn't like to be held, but likes having her nose scratched from time to time. The other is a cuddle pest and will follow them around during his free-range time licking their heels until he gets cuddled and petted.