Adapted from an online discussion. Hi Carolyn! What is the best way to handle people who simply cannot and will not take no for an answer? A casual friend asks me to do minor (unreciprocated)…

Being outside during the summertime can feel like a constant battle against nature and all the creepy crawly things. Mosquitoes, ticks and chiggers are some of the hardest pests to fight during this time of…

Dear Carolyn: A long while ago, I was having a catch-up coffee with someone I knew back in high school, and she asked me why I used to pick on her. (I used to tease…

DEAR DR. ROACH: My brother was just diagnosed with a rare form of prostate cancer, called small cell. What I’ve read doesn’t sound encouraging. Are there any new treatments? — Anon. ANSWER: Most prostate cancers…

Adapted from an online discussion. Dear Carolyn: My son just got engaged, and we are all thrilled. He is giving me such a small list, though, that I can only include some first cousins and…

A chorus of cricket chirps isn’t just summer background music — it can also be a temperature gauge. Crickets chirp faster when it’s hotter outside, according to a scientific article published in 1897. In “Cricket…

Dear Carolyn: My wife has what I would call some anger issues. I don’t know whether she would agree. But I have asked her at various times to be “nicer” to me. (I hate putting…

We asked readers to channel their inner Carolyn Hax and answer this question. Some of the best responses are below. Dear Carolyn: How do I get over the feeling that I’m competing for a “lesser”…

DEAR DR. ROACH: If you would recommend one good thing to do in your life to prolong your life and have good health, what would it be? By the same token, if you were to…

Adapted from an online discussion. Dear Carolyn: My husband of 20 years died seven months ago. He had been sick, but his death was unexpected. We had a decent marriage. We were not head-over-heels in…