Whenever I mention that my dad died a few years ago and people say “Oh, I’m so sorry” I reply “Thank you” and move on with whatever I was saying.

I always hated those questions (not for that reason, but just general awkwardness) until I realized that nobody cares what the answer is. I started making shit up. “My father is a clown with purple hair” is a totally acceptable answer as far as your teacher is concerned.

Small talk about family sometimes reveals that my brother is deceased. The appropriate response is NOT “How did he die?” That’s happened enough times that unless you’ve been upgraded from acquaintance to friend, I’m an only child as far as you’re concerned.

One of my favorite pastimes is finding old quiz shows on Youtube. Partly for the celebrity panelists but mostly for the average Joes. This is one of my favorites. Here is a guy who was the last known living witness to Lincoln being shot in Ford’s Theatre.

1. Memorize the document. (photographic memory would help, but not required, there are tricks.)

I’m mixed on dress codes. “Hey, wear our shirt and some dark shoes” is one thing, because it makes it easier to identify employees if you’re shopping and it’s not too restrictive. But man, when it gets down to dictating specific garments? I remember Starbucks used to only allow black or white shirts with collars, and…

God, dress codes are the worst. I can understand guidelines—button-ups, dark shoes, etc.—but I worked for an apartment management company at one point who dictated what brands and what cuts you could wear, as well as what colors. I distinctly remember I was allowed to wear emerald green because it was the seasonal…

Yeah that guy’s got some weird ideas, for sure. I get where he’s coming from, but not being able to attach yourself to a caregiver for a severely disabled person doesn’t make you a “twat” IMO.

So, related to the first LW with the disabled brother: I work in the DHHS field, specifically with adults with developmental disabilities. I’m saying this with as much compassion as possible, but have you or your parents considered placing your brother in a group home or other appropriate facility? I’m not saying this…

This shit blows my mind. And yet Republicans keep pushing for fewer and fewer regulations; the government should get out of the way and let the precious “job creators” do their thing for the good of the economy. Meanwhile Wal Mart shows time and time again that companies can’t even be trusted to do right with actual…

Hire a new PR person STAT. I’m available. “Pending litigation prevents us from giving a full account of our position at this time. We are confident that the court will support our investigative facts, and we look forward to the day when we can put this to rest and and media attention can once again focus on what…

“Since there is no legal protection for people who file false lawsuits they’re not breaking the law.”

“We are really bad at human resources, but this is somehow our employee’s fault.”

Because if Trump can fire Comey... then every other corporate douchebro exec thinks they can fire whomever they want to also as soon as they become an “inconvenience”?

The reaction is insane. Retaliation against someone who files a discrimination complaint is illegal even if the complaint is false, for the obvious reason that it could discourage people from bringing claims unless they have smoking gun evidence (and also because it doesn’t really relate to job performance). I’m…

Wait, they SAID they fired her for a false harassment complaint? Did their lawyers even get consulted?

Believe it or not, I do understand that it is vile and triggering, although likely not on the same visceral level that I might if I were Black. My question really had more to do with the security response, because despite its vile symbolism, it did not appear to pose an immediate threat to visitor safety, as a bomb or…

This is literally the part I can’t get over. You have to either a) get those tickets three months in advance, b) get up at 6:30am for a chance at a same day pass, or c) show up at 1pm on the off chance they have space. This wasn’t “dumb people got drunk and decided racism was funny,” it took serious forethought and…

and being a newer and popular museum you have to either wait a long time or make an appointment to enter so they had to put some effort into their racism on top of it all.

Those tickets are a pain in the ass to get, too. That’s a dedicated racist.