On calling bluffs, escape velocity, and the futile, necessary, but probably still futile, work of reclaiming some of our relatives from history's flaming dumpster. Content note: Sometimes honestly talking about authoritarian stuff and white supremacy means describing it, so there are examples of actual racist and xenophobic statements from relatives herein.
Category: Culture
It Came From The Search Terms: July 2020
Yes! It is time! Time to treat the search strings people typed in right before they washed up on these blog shores as if they are actual questions! Inside: Mask etiquette, reformed Nice Guy™ apologies, overly-neighborly neighbors, favor-sharking defined, and more.
It Came From The Search Terms: Spring 2020
We are overdue for the blog feature where I answer the search strings people typed in to find this place as if they are questions. Let's do it! First, as is traditional, a song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b2ccC4aULow RIP to one of the coolest, realest artists I was lucky enough to share the space-time continuum with. :cries … Continue reading It Came From The Search Terms: Spring 2020
#1251: “My friends are mad because I don’t like talking in the dreaded Group Chat from WhatsApp Hell.”
Dear Captain, I looked through the archives and I couldn't see anything on this particular topic, but apologies if I missed something. It does seem connected to the Geek Social Fallacies though. My question is about how to deal with awkwardness and anxieties over the dreaded Group Chat. I have a group of friends who … Continue reading #1251: “My friends are mad because I don’t like talking in the dreaded Group Chat from WhatsApp Hell.”
Two internet advice columnists walk into a bar: Captain Awkward & Ask A Manager Collaboration (Part 1 of 2)
My combined Christmas/birthday present this year was a trip to Washington, D.C. to catch up with some very old friends who were managing to be both in the same country and the same city all at the same time for the first time in almost 20 years. We've seen each other piecemeal over the years … Continue reading Two internet advice columnists walk into a bar: Captain Awkward & Ask A Manager Collaboration (Part 1 of 2)
#1242: “What’s a helpful holiday gift for my 10YO niece who has crappy parents?”
Hello, Captain, Quick aside: I really like your switch to allowing comments only on select posts. It makes the whole site somehow calmer and more inviting. Being able to read your writing without the distraction of subconsciously wondering what sharp poky things might turn up at the bottom is relaxing in a way I wouldn't … Continue reading #1242: “What’s a helpful holiday gift for my 10YO niece who has crappy parents?”
Captain Awkward at Vice and other links.
I wrote a piece for VICE about taking good care of yourself during holiday visits with family. We're at work on the sequel about hosting holiday visits that people won't have to write to internet advice columns about. The therapist I spoke with for the Vice piece, Rae McDaniel, is a delight and had so … Continue reading Captain Awkward at Vice and other links.
Linkety Links + “We need to talk” vs. “Hey, knock it off” conflict management strategies
Good news, Mikki Kendall's beautiful book, Amazons, Abolitionists, and Activists: A Graphic History Of Women's Fight For Their Rights, is finally out. The IndieBound link is above, Amazon is here, it's illustrated by the amazing A. D'Amico and just breathtakingly wonderful and gorgeous. Mr. Awkward is cataloging his year of ambitious projects with his blog/email … Continue reading Linkety Links + “We need to talk” vs. “Hey, knock it off” conflict management strategies
#1229: “Is it unfair or mean to only hug some members of a group or family?” (Answer: NOPETY NOPE NOPE NOPETEPUS TO NOPETOWN!)
How many times would you keep trying to hug someone who told you they didn't like it? Zero is the correct answer, so why won't this dude back off?
September 2019 Short Question Grab Bag: Part 2
Hello again! Patrons have sent short questions. I have attempted to answer them. Installment 1 is here. This round: How do I deal with my mom's anxiety about my life, how do I tell a roommate that their helpfulness is not actually helpful, how do I preserve a friendship over distance, how do I build a … Continue reading September 2019 Short Question Grab Bag: Part 2
