ArcaMax

According to my research, speech is not necessarily protected at private companies, so yes, your job could be in jeopardy if you express a political opinion that your boss or the business owner finds offensive, or merely disagrees with.

But -- you knew all of this going in.

The current political and media climate has fostered a level of personal discord that has infested many relationships -- destroying some.

At work, keep your political opinions to yourself; it is within your rights to benignly suggest that others do the same. I also think that -- unless consuming the news on a loop is vital to your profession -- the televisions should be turned off.

In fact, I would love it if all of the televisions -- at the airport, in the dentist's office or the tattoo parlor -- were all either off, or turned to the gardening channel.

Dear Amy: I am a 31-year-old career-minded woman with no children.

My best friend has a 2-year-old daughter. I'm conflicted on how to invite her to adult-only social events without coming across as rude or condescending.

I love her daughter and truly enjoy hanging out with the two of them together, but there is a time and a place for kids.

I don't want to hurt her feelings (her social life has already been impacted after having a baby), but I also don't want my other friends to feel awkward when there's a child walking around at a party with alcohol.

My friend is very sensitive, so I really need to be careful about how I approach this. Help!

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