Absolutely, and it helps a lot. Unfortunately, it doesn't seem to do much to alleviate the waking up at 3am and not being able to get back to sleep until 7am, which is the form my hangovers have taken post 25 :-(

Also, some people are just high-functioning drunks. I've woken up some mornings with no distinct memories of the night before and had people tell me they had no idea I was drunk. I don't throw up or stumble or misjudge distances, I just get raging hangovers the next day.

I dunno. My dad is also a mean drunk, thankfully not physically so, but he gets loud and aggressive if he drinks too much, especially if he hasn't eaten. A few years ago when he was going through some depression issues our family couldn't go out to dinner without it degenerating into him criticizing someone and…

This is going to sound extremely patronizing but- she's only 22. She's also been in showbiz for years, right? I mean, I was pretty clear on what feminism was from an early age (thanks ma!) but I honestly don't think I really started to realize why it was important, or to appreciate the subtly sexist things going on…

I swear to God Jez never used to be this extreme. I remember a few months back one poster said she was considering re-homing her dog (with her mom, mind you) because she just couldn't keep up with it's needs in the run-up to having her first child, and people ripped her apart and called her an animal abuser. Ideally,…

I don't necessarily think it's always best for the owners to stay. If they can remain calm and comforting, then yes, it's a good thing to do. But if it's owner is crying, shaking, and in distress that's something the dog is going to pick up on and that isn't going to make it feel any better. It also seems like…

I also think that whether or not the couple had kids with them is important (the articles listed consistently say "family"). If I had been present to witness our family dog being put down at age 8 it would not have been beneficial for anyone- sobbing, screaming, etc. etc. Animals pick up on stress so easily- even if…

I'm from the UK and have also worked in service there. My experience is that service is generally fine, but that British people in general have a somewhat lower/different expectation of what constitutes "good service." When I first moved to the US I found servers (and retail workers) to be rather overly friendly and…

Overly attentive salespeople will drive me out of a store faster than any amount of ignoring me. I do most of my shopping online, so when I do go to a bricks-and-mortar store, it's for the experience. I want to browse and take my time and mull things over (I'm sure I'm the worst kind of shopper for retail workers…

I am thirding Clarks. If you shop in the sales you can get some absolute bargains. I have a pair of 2" ankle boots (and ankle boots in general are a great alternative to regular heels if you mostly wear trousers to work- the extra ankle support makes all the difference) that have lasted me 4 years without complaint.

I also wonder if the constant reminders/warnings that Accutane can cause depression and anxiety is, in and of itself, something that might worsen existing depression or anxiety. Also the frequent requirement to be on some form of birth control. I actually took two rounds of Accutance/Isotretinion, but stopped the…

This is awful all round. I took Isotretinoin for six months almost three years ago after having cystic acne for about 10 years. While I only encountered the milder side effects it was a hard slog but so completely worth it. I still have the occasional spot but nothing like the pea-sized lumps I used to get on my…

Nah. Pubic waxing is really expensive and home waxing is too tricky. Most of the girls I know (and I am in my mid twenties) shave or just leave it be. A few people will go in for a wax every couple of weeks in summer but I think the waxing phenomenon is severely over exaggerated.

A vintage handkerchief is brilliant! It's a bit personalized and you can actually use it afterwards and think of the happy wedding. It's the ones where you get plastic rings or badges or *shudder* photo drink coasters of the couple that get me.

As to the favors; the prevailing etiquette seems to be either don't do them at all, or make them edible or otherwise disposable in some way. Seriously, I've never been to a wedding where the favor was nicer than the thank-you card in the mail a few weeks later. But if you feel like you need to give something, little…

Exactly! I feel like if it's not about the guests, don't invite any. If it is really just about the bride and groom, then pull two witnesses from your friends/family list tell them to meet you at the courthouse. Actually, that would be great- you could spend the money you would have spent on a bigger wedding on a…

Flat out complaining is wrong, I agree (especially if it's at the wedding itself), but I don't think there's anything wrong with pointing out that weddings are getting more expensive for everyone concerned. There isn't actually any easy remedy for this either, so I just think everyone needs to be more mindful.

Well, a lot of it was circumstantial. Not only do we live on different continents (so it wasn't a small air fare) but we could only give her a few months notice, and she had already taken time off earlier in the year to attend more local weddings. I think it's a combination of people being more mobile and people…

I don't think that's necessarily true either though. You might not resent or particularly regret having to spend the money (particularly if you're close to the couple), but it's perfectly reasonable to be disgruntled at having to live off beans for three months because you attended a wedding.

I'm in graduate school. Even if I could have afforded it (and my parents certainly would have offered to pay if it was an option), I already explained she couldn't take the time off work.