What’s the difference between an artist and a craftsman? I’ve always wanted to be an artist but my dad is adamant that artists are born, not made, and the most I’d ever be is a crafts person, which is better left as a hobby. I’m 27, is it too late?

Your dad is a dream-killing asshole. He’s also wrong about artists being born. There’s nothing magical about being an artist. Artists make themselves, so if you have art in you, go make it. That’s not to say it will ever become your career, but who gives a shit? Just because you keep your day job, that doesn’t mean you’re not an artist.

(Oh, and since you asked, an artist masters a medium for the sake of the artist’s expression. A craftsman masters a medium for the sake of the mastery of the craft itself. It’s a subtle distinction with quite a bit of overlap.)

I drunk fucked a guy I work with. I’m 24 and he’s in his late 30’s. He’s married and has a kid, I have a boyfriend I moved states for. Its an all around bad situation . The sex was amazing, but it was just sex.Theres no chemistry on either side that is anything close to how it is with each of our SO’s. But I’m worried its going to happen again … The sex was so good. I don’t want to lose everything but I am young and I want to have good sex while I can. Am I going to hell?

There is no hell, you selfish cheating asshole. What you did is wrong. Don’t fuck your married coworker ever again, and don’t use alcohol or your youth as an excuse for your shitty behavior. If you need a more adventurous sex life, then either be honest with your boyfriend and open up your relationship, or break up with him and start fucking some non-married non-coworkers.

Have some fucking integrity, bitch.

I just graduated and got an ‘important’ government job. I can’t handle people regarding me as an expert. It’s frightening for me, and it should be frightening for the world.

Oh, please. None of us know what we’re doing. We’re all faking it. Every last one of us, especially the experts. Our species has consistently been wrong about almost everything we’ve ever thought or believed.

So, as a freshly minted expert, work hard, do your best not to fuck things up, and don’t take your important government job so damned seriously, because human civilization is just a thin topcoat of sheer dumb luck, and it could all collapse at any moment. 

I’m white and having my dreadlocks properly rolled/crocheted into my hair today. No this isn’t some pathetic “I’m worried I’m offending people because of race” post. FUCK THAT. I work in the marijuana industry, am proud of my line of work and am in upper management at one.

So I’ve got a list of things to throw back at people, basically along the lines of if MY dreads are cultural appropriation then so is your nose ring and tattoos so apologize to the people of India for lifting their traditions because you think it looks cute. Any other good ones you’ve got hiding?

Nah. Do what you want with the hair on your own stupid head, but I’m not gonna give you any verbal ammunition to use against people who call you out for cultural appropriation. That might be interpreted as tacit approval of your poor aesthetic choices. Instead, I’ll give you some friendly advice:

Shut the fuck up.

If someone calls you out for appropriating black culture, simply acknowledge the fact that yes, you are. Don’t get defensive, and don’t counterattack, especially over things like nose rings and tattoos. Nose rings aren’t appropriative of Indian culture. You’re thinking of Bindis, and unless you can name the specific tribe associated with someone’s tribal tattoo, you’re only going to look like more of an asshole when trying to accuse someone of also being culturally appropriative.

Please just shut the fuck up. Seriously, there’s no way you can win this kind of argument. You *are* being culturally appropriative, so accept it, thank the person for pointing it out to you, and then smile. That’s your only move.

You’re already an asshole. Don’t be a gaping one.

My best friend was dumped a couple months ago by a guy she was with for three years. They had just moved in together two months previously when he dumped her, and now she’s stuck paying the full rent until September. He said he would help her with rent but he hasn’t and now has his own place. His name isn’t on the lease so she can’t really force him to give her money technically. If you were her, what would you do? I wanna make his life miserable somehow but it’s not really my place, right?

Um, she *can* really force him to give her money technically. Help your friend seek a judgment in small claims court for breach of oral contract.

Seriously, small claims court was made for fuckery like this, and it ain’t that complicated a process. Google that shit, and tell your bestie to stand up for herself, because based on these limited details, it sounds like she has a legitimate claim.

All the lease says is that the ex-boyfriend doesn’t owe the landlord, but if he told your best friend he would pay his share of the rent, he still owes her. You’d be surprised how legally binding a verbal agreement can be when you actually get it in front of a judge.

Worst case, you make his life miserable. Best case, she also gets half the rent paid for the remainder of the lease.

On valentines day we were having sex, which i had consented to. Then he took off the condom and i told him to stop and put another on, but he ignored me and kept going. I stayed quiet because i didn’t want to ruin the night. I feel disgusting now. What do i do? We’ve agreed to not have sex anymore but i still dont feel okay.

You’ll be okay. The disgust you feel is a mixture of emotional regret and physical betrayal. You did nothing wrong, so try not to channel that disgust inwardly into self-loathing and guilt. Instead, channel that disgust outwardly. Let it become anger directed at him over his selfish and disrespectful behavior.

Feel free to articulate that anger to him in whatever manner you deem appropriate. Let him know that he fucked up. Let him know that you won’t tolerate being disrespected like that, and let him know that while you may forgive, you will never forget.