I believe that there are certain drinks that should only be ordered at specific establishments. I'm not going to be ordering the wine at my local Irish pub. And you definitely won't catch me ordering anything but a tequila or vodka soda at the local dive that specializes in Bud Light. The politics of ordering drinks is a complicated one. We've talked about the drinks bartenders hate making, but is that hatred always justified? Like, is it really that hard to make a mojito? Or is it just lazy? I…

The candy that splits America

An acquired taste of humor

Londoner Joel Golby is fascinated with a very specific concept. He believes there is a kind of “character” who plagues small towns. And the character in question is a pathological liar. While I didn't grow up in a small town, it can definitely be alarming to witness people confidently flaunt untruths. There was the girl in my elementary school who announced that she went on a date with Jonathan Taylor Thomas over summer vacation. And, of course, I cannot forget the kid who was pen pals with The…

Jobs can be a lot like relationships. When a person finds the right one, it helps them grow, makes them feel supported, and generally makes life better. But when you find yourself in a toxic workplace, it can do exactly the opposite - make a person feel stressed, anxious, depressed. Basically miserable. But just like in a relationship, it's easy to stay in a toxic situation because it's comfortable. There's something easy about suffering in a way that's familiar. While some people lean into the…

“You may need therapy yourself” is a line from 1999's Analyze This that has somehow become an inside joke between my friends and I. We put on our best De Niro accent and giggle our way through any vaguely therapy-related conversation. We may be poking fun at the line (uttered by a slightly ashamed mob boss in therapy), but it's probably true no matter who you're talking to. The fact is, nearly everyone I've met could benefit from doing a little supervised work on themselves. Though being a neur…

If you've been watching HBO's game of Thrones prequel, House of the Dragon , then you're probably familiar with the emotional rollercoaster of the show's first season. The series, which is set two hundred years before the original, is rife with problematic themes (classic Targaryen incest), some strange choices regarding timelines and casting, and some seriously insufferable characters. Yes, we're mostly talking about Ser Criston Cole. While we wait for tomorrow to enjoy what is set to be an ac…

Happy weekend, friends, enemies, and lovers. If you're seeking some quick and easy entertainment, we would have to recommend ye olde bird app. Twitter , for all its unpleasantry, often acts as a hyper-productive joke factory - one that could probably benefit from many of its users taking a day off or two. While it's true that some of the time the prolific posters churn out some incredibly annoying content (the kind that we try to avoid), it's usually possible to find some clever jokes, hot and…

Certain aspects of culture tend to seep into our brains. Over the past decade or so, especially thanks to hip-hop, rap, and Black Twitter , AAVE has definitely fallen into that category. Because of their prevalence, a lot of AAVE (African American Vernacular) has become slang. But not everybody is able to use it correctly. See, when clueless people use AAVE and related slang in order to be hip, it usually fails miserably. And when these attempts occur in public internet spaces, like Twitter, ch…

If you are someone who avoids the dreaded Twitter and has never composed a short and sweet tweet , we really can't blame you. That whole section of the internet can be intimidating or even just downright unpleasant if you say the wrong thing. That said, we do enjoy perusing our way through the witticisms of the people on the bird app who do it right. This batch of fresh and funny Twitter tidbits has a little bit of everything: self-deprecating tweets about the perils of divorce, astute one-line…

One of the most interesting concepts I've learned about from being on the parenting side of social media is a little phenomenon called "mom shaming." Mom shaming occurs when someone criticizes a mom for how she chooses to raise her family. When I look at “mom shaming," I see it as a cyclical problem. We have moms posting

It always disturbs me to learn that there are people out there who eat to live. Sure, we all technically eat to live, but it's insane that there are people who just don't care about, or even remotely enjoy, eating. I'm talking about Maggie, the yuppie I met years ago who wished that she could power her body with a pill taken just once a day. More disturbing was the day I learned she was on an actual Clif bar diet for over a month. Repulsive. We haven't seen each other in about twelve years, and…

Greetings, friends. Anyone else struggling a little more than usual with their internet addiction? I may have some theories as to why. You see, at least here in the Northern hemisphere, things are getting a wee bit chilly. They're also getting a whole lot darker. Two days ago I was walking home at just past seven, and while it was overcast, I was shocked at just how little light was available. It was a bit alarming, especially as someone who has to work in an office all throughout winter. Gone…

The most dramatic of feuds

One of the things that uniquely strikes me about parenthood is the fact that you are wholly responsible for another human being. As it currently childless early 20s something, I can barely take care of myself let alone another living person. The thing that baffles me about parenthood is that you have to buy twice the amount of stuff then you would if you were just by yourself. If you’re going for a nice evening out at the Golden Corral, you have to buy a meal for yourself and for your child. To…

Who really enjoys them the most?