my mother ... took the fact that my taste differed from hers as a personal insult.

Beware the old man in young guy's clothes. If he's over 35 and comes to pick you up looking as though he's headed for a skateboarding competition while you are dressed to go to a nice restaurant, this is not a good sign.

my mother ... took the fact that my taste differed from hers as a personal insult.

No one would argue against the fact that L.A. leads the country in opportunities for being hip and pretentious.

It's surely no accident that there are horoscopes in Vogue, Glamour, Mademoiselle, Woman, New Woman, Elle and Cosmo ... but not Sports Illustrated, GQ, Esquire, Field & Stream or Guns & Ammo.

The day is divided into two important sections: Mealtimes and everything else.

Conversely, beware the man who does nothing but ask you questions about yourself and offers no information about himself. Not only is he keeping you at bay, he is probably not listening to your answers.