You wrote exactly what I would have written if I were going to comment on this story - I’m crafty, so this appeals to me, my kid thinks it’s fun and funny, he’s not traumatized or terrorized, and we don’t read the book or do the “elf is watching and reporting back” thing. But I wasn’t going to comment, for exactly the…

The exemptions for bona fide executives, professionals and administrative employees (which are actually separate exemptions, although people tend to lump them together) all include the $455/wk ($23,660/year) salary threshold in addition to the primary duty tests. 29 C.F.R. 541.100(a)(1), 541.200(a)(1) and…

Yes, it flew over the statehouse until 2000, when it was finally removed from the dome (and the legistlative chambers, where it was also displayed) and placed in front of the statehouse next to the confederate war memorial. This seems like an improvement until you actually see the statehouse and realize this put it…

The NCAA has been boycotting SC since 2002, preventing post-season basketball tournament play here, costing the state and its businesses millions of dollars in revenue every year. The ACC implemented a similar policy in 2009, and moved post-season baseball tournaments that had been scheduled here for 2011 through 2013…

I don’t know that the flag itself has any overt racist connotations, but I can tell you that I don’t know anyone displaying it here in SC that isn’t a racist piece of shit. I assume the Tea Partiers just realized that it was disrespectful (or politically unsound) to publicly identify themselves as members of an…

The Tea Partiers all have them on their desks. I assume they removed because they thought that, just for today, they’d try to pretend they’re not all racist pieces of shit.

The “Gadsden flag” is the name of the yellow flag with the rattlesnake and “Don’t Tread on Me.” A lot of Tea Partiers, of which we unfortunately have many in our legislature, use it as their symbol.

I have the Blue Cross/Blue Shield plan provided to every single state employee in my state and I recently paid upwards of $900 (out of a total $1600 cost) for my IUD - removal of the old one, the cost of the device, insertion of the new one and follow visit. When I asked why it wasn’t covered for free under the ACA I…

I don’t want to discourage you from trying actual gravy on your pizza, but given that she said she’s from NJ, I’m pretty sure she means spaghetti sauce/tomato sauce/marinara/whatever you call that red sauce you put on pasta. “Gravy” is what my Philadelphia-born MIL calls her (amazing) spaghetti sauce.

• Right around the $20k mark, maybe a bit over.

My dad passed away, sort of unexpectedly, this past March. I listen to the last few voicemails he left me all the time. He had this amazing Barry White voice stuck in this skinny, nerdy, engineer's body, and hearing it makes me smile and cry at the same time. A text would not have the same effect.

We usually shoot to have leftovers, because I don't mind eating spanakopita and pimento cheese (not together, though) for a week, and I don't want people to go away hungry. Sometimes LOTS of extra people show up, though.

It's always super fun, and we get the food from a really nice place. Plus we always have good wine and lots of beer. I have come to the conclusion that people just don't RSVP anymore - some of the non-responders are otherwise the most polite, well-mannered people you'd ever meet.

We throw a Christmas tree trimming party every year, invite around 50 people, and have to track down all but about 10 to get responses. We have the food catered, so we have to give a pretty good headcount, but we NEVER get it right because people either don't come when they say they will or show up without…

As a New Jerseyian living in SC, I'd like to second your WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!

I wouldn't call my neighborhood wealthy, really. The homes are historic, but not particularly large, and not the most expensive in the city by any means. We are the tiny blue dot in the center of a very red state, though.

You make an excellent point. I have to admit I'd hoped the state agency charged with making these kinds of decisions would know better than this, but I realize now how foolish that was.

They just grounded a plane at the airport in my city, called out an emergency crew to collect one passenger, and are keeping the other passengers in a "holding area" because the passenger had A FREAKING NOSE BLEED. Hasn't been to Western Africa, hasn't had any contact with anyone from Western Africa. Just A NOSE…

It takes from about 5 PM to almost 9 PM, but those middle two hours are a non-stop stream of people. We love it - we have a big open porch party and invite friends (with and without kids) from other neighborhoods. I make pizza or stromboli and we have drinks (adult and kid), and after our group of kids goes out…

The letter itself might be a fake, but if it hadn't started out with "I live in one of the wealthiest neighborhoods in the country" it could have been written by several of my neighbors. I live in one of those neighborhoods where kids from all over come to trick-or-treat, and I have heard this exact sentiment from…