Why would we stay when you treat us like this?

Why would we stay when you treat us like this?

I’ve commented before about how customer service ain’t what it used to be. Because of that, I find I want to deal with companies less and less. If that was their goal, well, mission: accomplished.

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My partner wants to mix our friend groups

My partner wants to mix our friend groups

My partner insists on mixing our groups of friends and I prefer keeping them separate. For instance (I'm making up these names): I'm friends with John and Mary, and he's friends with Bob and Susan. He wants us to get together as a group of six and do dinner or a night out somewhere. I have nothing against Bob and Susan but I just don't feel like mixing our friends. I feel like it'll be awkward because I have inside jokes and stories with them that the others wouldn't understand or find funny. They're just two different couples. It's not that I feel like they won't get along I just want my friends to be my friends and his friends to be his friends. What should I do?

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You sell houses, get over yourself

You sell houses, get over yourself

Alright, let's talk about real estate agents. No, not about their tireless work, their market knowledge or their uncanny ability to make a dusty open house smell faintly of lemon and desperation -- or fresh cookies with nary a baked good in sight.

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Paddle, paddle -- harder, HARDER!

Paddle, paddle -- harder, HARDER!

This summer, I decided it was time to experience Canada's Bay of Fundy, not from a lookout point, but from its very surface in Nova Scotia, nestled within a kayak.

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Tasted like chicken... or did it?

Tasted like chicken... or did it?

Most kids had some kind of food that they didn’t like. My little brother wouldn’t eat stuff because “it’s ugly.” It was often met with, “Just try it, you’ll like it.” That had varying degrees of success.

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He's addicted to expensive concert tickets and wasting money

He's addicted to expensive concert tickets and wasting money

My partner loves music and is a diehard concert-goer. I'm concerned about the money he's spending on concert tickets. It's not that he goes to the concert it's that he goes for the most expensive seating areas and says it's the full experience. He won't go for cheaper tickets at the back because you don't enjoy the concert the same. And depending on who the concert is, he might even travel to go see it or buy a bunch of souvenirs. So between that and the cost of tickets, he's spending so much. I'd rather he be saving money for our future (house buying to get out of our apartment, etc.).

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This does your body good...night sleep!

This does your body good...night sleep!

As someone who is perpetually hot (you've seen me -- you know!), especially at night, finding a body pillow that doesn't turn into a personal furnace has been a lifelong quest -- especially here in West Hollywood. Enter the Plufl Hugl Cooling Body Pillow, promising comfort and temperature regulation in one big, cuddly package.

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I'd rather stay in a hotel than a pushy, intrusive Airbnb house

I'd rather stay in a hotel than a pushy, intrusive Airbnb house

When Airbnb first burst onto the scene, I, like many others, was instantly captivated. It felt revolutionary, a breath of fresh air in the often-stuffy world of travel accommodation. The idea was simple, yet brilliant: why stay in an impersonal hotel room when you could live like a local, stepping into someone else's beautifully curated home, even if just for a few days?

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A journey through time on the Canadian prairies

A journey through time on the Canadian prairies

There's a lot to see at Manitoba Museum which, I'll be honest, is surprising because the building in downtown Winnipeg almost looks like an office space. From the outside, you'd have no idea inside is an amazing collection of history from the Canadian prairies.

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Just sing the national anthem, don't 'make it your own'

Just sing the national anthem, don't 'make it your own'

I was recently passing one of our TVs that was showing a racecar event, the kind where the roar of the engines is a familiar soundtrack. As the spectacle ramped up, the announcers prepared viewers for the opening ceremony, of sorts.

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That's one way to end bad sex

That's one way to end bad sex

It’s one thing to endure bad sex. It’s another thing to force yourself into focusing on what’s happening. Not to say that you’ll nod off but it’s not difficult to see how the mind could wander.

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Tapping into the Tab

Tapping into the Tab

I'll admit I'm not the biggest techie. In fact, if I could just keep all of the current technology I have now and never upgrade, I'd be just fine with that. Alas, that's not the world we live in.

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Let's see 'em. Show us!

Let's see 'em. Show us!

Every other day the world is treated to another vicious video of a teenager being attacked at school while onlookers giggle and record with their phones. (And I use the word “treated” sarcastically because the videos are usually disgustingly disturbing.)

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Buff'ed coffee-rubbed smoky burgers

Buff'ed coffee-rubbed smoky burgers

Forget your standard burger. I'm about to introduce you to a flavor explosion that will redefine your burger experience: coffee-rubbed smoky burgers, featuring the amazing -- and coincidentally, well-stocked in this building -- Buff Boy Brewing Co. coffee.

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My unemployed partner needs to take a job -- any job

My unemployed partner needs to take a job -- any job

My partner lost his job and has been actively looking for work. (It was a layoff, it wasn't his fault.) It seems like he can't land a role in his field of expertise. I'm telling him he should just apply for anything in the short term because income is income and he needs to start pulling his weight. It's not for lack of trying it just seems like he's stubborn and feels that taking any other job is beneath him. Should I ease up? Am I being unreasonable?

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Sometimes a job is just a job, it's not a life

Sometimes a job is just a job, it's not a life

Let's be unequivocally clear: your workplace is not your family. And honestly, when companies insist on presenting their workforce as a "family," I find it utterly obnoxious, bordering on insulting.

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High-tech oral care will make you smile (the cost won't)

High-tech oral care will make you smile (the cost won't)

As someone who’s been a stickler for oral hygiene since I had braces in my 20s -- which was also the first time I experienced an electric toothbrush -- I’m constantly on the lookout for ways to elevate my brushing game.

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Get wet, wild and dirty on this ride

Get wet, wild and dirty on this ride

Nova Scotia, a land of craggy coastlines, charming fishing villages and vibrant maritime history, holds a secret that beckoned to my adventurous spirit: the tidal bore. (No, it's not some wild animal. But it is definitely wild.)

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My dumb-ass ex works with me now

My dumb-ass ex works with me now

When I came into work on Monday, the HR person brought around the new people who were just hired to give them a tour of the building and introduce them to everyone. One of them is my ex. We didn't give any indication that we knew each other but obviously we're going to cross paths around the office. He hurt me badly by cheating and then after the break up tried turning people against me. I'm sort of worried his immaturity will spread to this professional environment. I've worked here for years so people know who I am and what I'm about. Should I let people know the deal so that if something does start happening they will have been aware?

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Am I the only one who hates email?

Am I the only one who hates email?

There are moments in life that stick with you – your first car, your first terrible haircut, the first time you realized that artisanal kale smoothies were actually just a fancy way to drink grass.

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