?

My friend asked if my husband and I wanted to get together, and we set a time and date. Later, she asked if we can host it at my house and if we can put our dog and cat upstairs because her husband is allergic to pets. She said he'll also take allergy medicine before they come.

Honestly, I assumed they would be hosting because of his allergies- it's the fact that they invited themselves over and then asked me to put the animals away that bothers me. My dog does not jump on people or bark. Whenever he approaches a guest who doesn't like dogs, I call him off immediately and he obeys. The cat ignores everyone.

Do you think it's reasonable to ask someone to lock their pets away in their own home? With allergies, does it really make that much of a difference if you can see the animal or not as long as it's not in your face? Of course I would put the health of my guest first, but again, I didn't initially offer to host. Thoughts?

My friend asked me if my husband and I wanted to get together soon, and we set a time and date. Later, my friend asked if we can host it at my house and if we can put our dog and cat upstairs because her husband is allergic to pets. She said he'll also take allergy medicine before they come.

This rubs me the wrong way because I assumed they would be hosting because of his allergies. I'm happy to host, but I've never locked my pets away before when we are home, and I would feel terrible the whole time. I don't like when people allow their dogs all over me either, but my dog does not jump on people or bark. Whenever he approaches a guest who doesn't like dogs, I call him off immediately and he obeys. The cat ignores everyone. Do you think it's reasonable to ask someone to lock their pets away in their own home? With allergies, does it really make that much of a difference if you can see the animal or not?

My husband and I are torn between the names Samuel or just Sam by itself. (We don't like Sampson or Samson.) The middle name will be Marvin after a deceased relative. Thanks in advance for any feedback!

I hired a contractor who was highly recommended by several people in my neighborhood to take a look at my central air because the second floor was not getting cool.

He was very thorough and spent 2 hours checking over the system and answering my questions. He did the following:

-inspected ductwork and filter

-adjusted a damper on the first floor

-vacuumed out the furnace and cleaned the flame sensor

-checked the upstairs vents

-added 1/4lb freon

-sealed through wall penetration behind the condenser

-gave us some recommendations to keep pipes from freezing next winter

The bill was $390. This is in a major metropolitan area, but I was shocked it was this high. Does this sound typical?

If the pipe is already frozen, will turning off the main water supply help prevent it from bursting?

Last night the supply line to my toilet froze. It's PEX pipe located on an exterior wall. The shower also has low flow, so I'm worried it's starting to freeze too. I've left it dripping slowly.

I called several plumbers, but they're all overwhelmed right now. One that I talked to told me there is really nothing he can do that I can't, so it's not worth it for me to pay him to come out. He said as long as the toilet tank is empty, it's unlikely that the pipe will burst. Does this sound correct?

Since no one can come out for several days, and it's supposed to get colder, I've turned the heat up in my house, left the sink and shower dripping, and I'm running a space heater in the bathroom when I'm home and awake. The plumber told me it's not necessary to turn off the main water supply and drain my pipes. Is there anything else I can do to prevent bursting?

In 2012, Donald Trump criticized Mitt Romney for delaying the release of his tax returns. Trump supporters, do you agree with President Trump that presidential candidates should release their tax returns?

I know I do.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UN4vkickxT8

A top Democrat was overheard saying, "The single most important thing we want to achieve is for President Trump to be a one-term president."

It's almost as if they don't even care about serving the American people.

Pence used a private AOL account to exchange sensitive national security information, and the account was hacked.

I m sure you will agree that this is an outrageous, national scandal and Pence should be thrown in jail immediately. He s basically the antichrist. Should we lock him up? What say you?

http://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2017/3/3/14...

I am traveling to the Philippines December 20 and had a Hep A vaccine yesterday Nov. 14. My doctor told me to come back in 4 weeks for the second vaccine, but everything I have read says to wait 6 months between doses. Is there an accelerated vaccine schedule that I'm unaware of?

Obviously I will ask my doctor before I get the vaccine, but she is very inexperienced and was literally Googling what vaccines I needed while I was in the office with her and asking ME what diseases are in the Philippines. I will absolutely be switching doctors but don't have time to do it before the trip and am hoping someone can share a reliable source with me that will ease my mind.

I'm interested in subscribing to 'The Great Courses Plus', which has a monthly subscription fee. Has anyone watched any of 'The Great Courses' lectures before? Which ones? Is it worth the price? Are the lectures in depth or do they dumb them down?

I have a wide variety of interests, which is why I'm considering getting the monthly subscription instead of purchasing courses one at a time. Anyone tried this?

I work in a suburban neighborhood with very little free parking. To avoid meters and 2-hour parking near my office, I’ve been parking on a public residential street about a 10-minute walk away. I park there about 2-3 days a week during working hours. All of the houses on this street have driveways, and I’ve never seen the street parking even half-full.

This morning a woman made it a point to yell out her window at me that she doesn’t want me parking in front of her house anymore. I didn’t argue because it wasn’t worth it, but I just can’t imagine caring so much about someone parking in front of my house in a public space a few hours a week that I feel the need to yell at them out the window.

I could understand someone being annoyed if I had parked there overnight or for long periods of time or if people used all of the spots in front of their homes, but that s not the situation at all. What do you think? Are public spots fair game, or is it always rude to park in front of someone s house?

I’ve gotten myself in the middle of a big mess and am curious how others would view the situation. I used to work for a florist, and a coworker at my new job asked me if I could connect her with the florist to order wholesale flowers for a wedding she was helping a friend with. The florist agreed and said she would sell them to my coworker for wholesale price plus $25 for the time, which is very generous. I told my coworker to send the florist her flower list. Instead, my coworker sent a long email full of very basic questions about floral arranging, and the florist said she would need to come in for a consultation.

In the meantime, the florist contacted me upset that this girl was basically asking her for free advice on what she makes a living doing, and on a busy holiday weekend, so I apologized and said it’s fine to charge her for the time. My coworker went in for the consultation, the florist gave her a huge guilt trip, made her feel like a giant burden, and charged her $500.

My coworker is in way over her head with this wedding and is young and naïve. What she did was inappropriate, but she just didn’t know better. I feel that if the florist felt like it was such a burden, she should have just said “no” and pointed us somewhere else rather than saying yes, giving us both huge guilt trips, and then charging her an outrageous amount for a 1-hour consultation. I see both of these people frequently and am not sure how to smooth this over. Thoughts?

My husband has a bad habit of not turning the knobs on our gas stove completely off because he's in a hurry or inattentive. There is no flame, but I've come home to a house smelling like gas more than once, and I have pets at home. It's happened several times, and since me getting upset does not help him remember, I am wondering what devices are available to prevent this from happening again.

Has anyone used explosive gas detectors? I only hesitate because I've heard they are too sensitive. What about something like Burner Alert? I haven't been able to find many reviews. Unfortunately I can't afford the more expensive gadgets that shut off your stove completely like those marketed to dementia patients. Any advice or personal experience would be appreciated before my house explodes. Thanks.

Gun rights activists often use the 2nd Amendment to support their cause. They argue that any type of gun regulation infringes on their Constitutional rights.

At the same time, Donald Trump's recent comments about banning Muslims from entering the country are a flagrant violation of the 1st Amendment.

My questions is especially for people who use the 2nd Amendment to argue for gun rights but also support Donald Trump. Do you see this as a contradiction? How do you justify it? Do you value the 2nd Amendment over the 1st Amendment? I'm genuinely trying to understand.

My Sony VAIO with Windows 7 is running slowly, especially at startup. Which of these can I disable without unforeseen consequences? Of the ones I can disable, what do they do?

HD Audio Background Process

Intel(R) Common User Interface

Intel(R) Common User Interface

Intel(R) Common User Interface

Synaptics Pointing Device Driver

Adobe Updater Startup Utility

Microsoft Windows Operating System

IAStorIcon

Intel(R) USB 3.0 Monitor

ISB Utility

Clearwire Connection Manager

Webroot SecureAnywhere

Webroot Installer

Webroot Installer

Thanks so much.

My Sony VAIO with Windows 7 is running slowly, especially at startup. Which of these can I disable without unforeseen consequences?

HD Audio Background Process

Intel(R) Common User Interface

Intel(R) Common User Interface

Intel(R) Common User Interface

Synaptics Pointing Device Driver

Adobe Updater Startup Utility

Microsoft Windows Operating System

IAStorIcon

Intel(R) USB 3.0 Monitor

ISB Utility

Clearwire Connection Manager

Webroot SecureAnywhere

Webroot Installer

Webroot Installer

Thanks so much.

For those of you with hyphenated last names, has it caused you any problems? I've been considering hyphenating mine, but I'm afraid it is going to be a bureaucratic nightmare. Considering the amount of bureaucracy I already deal with in my daily life, I'm afraid to take the step.

Regardless of your reason for hyphenating, what has your experience been like? Do you recommend it?

I need to print a 70-page double-sided 11x17 color booklet for Monday. I'm having trouble finding specific pricing information online from the major chain stores or if they even offer double-sided 11x17 printing.

I will call around tomorrow to ask, but I was hoping to narrow it down. Does anyone have suggestions from personal experience? Thanks!