ArcaMax

ATTENTION "SINGLE FILE(R)" EDITORS: THE FOLLOWING COLUMN WAS PREVIOUSLY RELEASED IN 2018. THANK YOU. -- CREATORS

Sexual Bill of Rights

Sexual expression is part of mental and physical well-being. On that we agree. But being unmarried, you also know how difficult it is to find caring and commitment from a partner. Sexual union has the potential...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: Over the summer, I became extremely close friends with a new co-worker. We talked whenever we worked together and eventually began hanging out outside of work. The semester just began and all my other friends have returned to campus, and a few of them don't like the co-worker I befriended. Before I knew my co-worker, they were ...Read more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: My co-worker was given a surprise baby shower at her mother-in-law's house. Her husband got her there by fibbing, saying he needed to pick up a tool and she could just sit in the car.

This was right after my co-worker had completed two hours of yard work; she was in grubby, ill-fitting clothes and had no shoes on, as hers ...Read more

Dear Annie: My husband is a kind, funny and intelligent man, but at dinner parties he has one habit that is starting to drive me crazy: He talks way too much.

He loves telling stories, and once he starts, there is almost no stopping him. A simple story about running into an old friend can turn into a 20-minute play-by-play with every name, ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: My next-door neighbors are appropriately friendly, mow their lawn and generally mind their own business. The husband is a leader in a fundamentalist church whose pastor preaches that being gay is a sin and transgender people are mentally ill. My wife and I are lesbians, and our middle child is transgender. This is obvious to anyone ...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: I am planning a trip for my birthday, and managing the invites is intimidating! I don't like traveling with large groups, so I've decided I would like a total of four to six of us on the trip. I prefer it that way because I think it allows for more intimacy and connection during our time together, and it lends itself better to ...Read more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: I hate dress codes, but for the opposite reason that most people rail about them. Many say that dress codes are a violation of their God-given right to wear gym clothes to work, or they say that wearing a tie (let alone a tuxedo) to a wedding causes them extreme physical discomfort. Blah, blah, blah.

Well, my wife and I just ...Read more

Dear Annie: This past July, my husband and I rented a house near us so our two daughters, their husbands and our grandchildren could all spend time together. Since everyone lives several states apart, we thought it would be a wonderful chance to reconnect and hopefully start a yearly family tradition.

We live only about 15 minutes from the ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: A good friend in our prayer circle, "Diane," has a friend, "Suzy," with whom several of us once socialized. We've all distanced ourselves because Suzy has anger and stability issues that have become increasingly frequent since her former spouse has begun dating again. Diane allows Suzy to verbalize all kinds of half-truths and act out...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: My neighbor's dog keeps digging up our yard and leaving feces there. I have gone over to my neighbor and tried to address this issue, but her dog continues to destroy our yard. I suggested that she get a fence, and she said they were looking into it, but I don't think they are going to because fences can be very expensive. At ...Read more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: I am frequently included in group texts involving relatives, friends, and former colleagues. These conversations range from lighthearted banter to grave news or shared memories.

While I am not always interested in the topics discussed, I worry that failing to reply -- what my daughter calls "ghosting" -- is rude. I often feel...Read more

Dear Annie: My twin sister and I have been compared to each other for as long as I can remember. As children, people compared our grades, our looks, our friends and even our personalities. We always laughed it off, but now that we are older, I'm beginning to realize how much those comparisons still affect me.

My life has turned out very well....Read more

DEAR ABBY: My grandson is 2 and has started to call me "Mimi." The problem is that his other grandmother chose Mimi for herself. My daughter-in-law is annoyed and does not want him calling me Mimi. She also doesn't want me to be called Mom-Mom because he calls her Ma-Ma. Am I wrong to be upset? I've been an active caregiver in this child's life ...Read more

The last thing my 10-year-old asked me last night was if he'd get his seal shirt in the morning. The first thing my 11-year-old mumbled when I turned on his light and wished him a happy birthday was, "Seal shirt."

His obsession with seals started with his first stuffed animal, a harbor seal that was a cast-off from his sister's collection. ...Read more