ayaz asks: Why don’t you have chat on your website?
Hi ayaz –
I would love to have chat on my website. But I can’t. You see, my website is largely for children, and I have to make very sure that no one uses it to say bad things to kids, or, worse, to try to get them to do anything Continue reading
sasai asks: How can I learn to paint properly?
Hi sasai –
Well, this is an issue I can absolutely say I know nothing about! The first step to painting is being able to hold a paintbrush, and since I don’t have fingers or thumbs, I simply can’t!
But I do know people who paint. And they would probably tell you two things. Two things that completely disagree with each other!
The first is that there is no such thing as painting Continue reading
prettyndsweet12 asks: I have a friend who annoys me by giving me advice all the time. Also, she does this to all my other friends and they think she’s being annoying too, but they don’t want to hurt her feelings, and I don’t either. I’ve put up with it for a while, and I can’t anymore. So if I say something, and she tells all of our other friends, and they think I’m being the bad guy, how do I deal with it?
Hi prettyndsweet12 –
I do have an answer, but it’s pretty difficult. Given that your other mutual friends feel the same way you do about your best friend’s advice-giving, my recommendation is something called an Intervention.
Interventions are usually done for gigantic problems, like alcoholism! For example, let’s say you had a friend who was drinking lots, all the time. And he never did anything to try to help himself about it, and in fact didn’t think he had a problem at all. Well, you and his other friends could organize an Intervention, where you all show up at his home, explain to him that you’re all really worried about him and that he does have a problem, and take him to a rehab facility. It might be the greatest thing you and your friends ever do, and could well save his Continue reading
zubi asks: How should we respond to an opinion we don’t agree with?
Hi zubi –
There are two very silly things about your question. The first is that the answer is so clear… and the second is that SO MANY HUMANS don’t know how to do it! If you’ve grown up watching politicians on TV, it sure makes sense to me that you haven’t learned this simple skill. And that’s a shame. A shame on them, not on you. You’re the person who’s humble and honest and open enough to ask. (I’d vote for you for anything!)
The simple answer is Respect. What makes people upset when others disagree with them is that they’re not getting shown respect in the disagreement.
Let me give you an example. Let’s say Handsome and I are walking, and I pass a tree that lots of dogs have peed on, and I think it’s the most interesting, great-smelling thing ever. And so I try to stop and Continue reading
Imran asks: How can I avoid depression, anxiety, phobias, etc. How can I make good relations with others and enjoy my life?
Hi Imran –
Hmm… If you’re asking how you can avoid sadness and worry, then I suppose the answer is to not ever care about anything. Life creates both, and that’s nothing to… well… be sad or worry about!
However, your question uses bigger words than that. Depression can be a terrible state, leading to misery, lost years from your life, or even death. Anxiety and phobias can be equally bad. These can be huge problems.
Really, the difference is probably in how quickly you Continue reading
ana1821 asks: I come from Albania and I’m worried I won’t make it in the acting world. I really want to do it, but I’m so afraid to try. My parents think that I’m too young to act and they would never let me do it. I don’t know what to do. Please help me figure this out.
Hi ana1821 –
It sounds to me like you have two problems at the moment. The first is that you’re afraid to try acting, and the second is that your parents don’t want you to do it.
With the first, of course, you just simply have to find a way! If someone said to you that they wanted to become a mathematician but were afraid of math problems, you’d tell them they were crazy, right? Well, I know you’re not crazy, but the same problem holds here. Acting is a very difficult profession. The only people who succeed in it are those who looooooove doing it. Note: there are numerous successful actors who aren’t all that good at it – but they still have to loooooooooove doing it!!! So if you don’t love it, you simply have to not be an actor!
Now with the second issue, of course that’s not up to you at all. If your parents absolutely refuse to allow you to act, then it’s hard for you to get into shows or movies.
HOWEVER… there are literally innumerable ways for you to act that don’t break your parents’ Continue reading
Nicole1234yak asks: I think I may be bisexual. I am attracted to both boys and girls, but for now I’m more attracted to girls. I’m checking girls out just the way I check out boys. Also I get turned on by girls as I get turned on by boys – even more so lately. But I don’t know if I’m bisexual for sure. How can I be sure? By the way, I’m15.
Hi Nicole1234yak –
I am a dog. I have no concerns about who is “normal” and who should be attracted to what sort of person. I only care about my Pack Members being happy. And it’s clear that you’re pretty confused and frightened right now.
Studies say that somewhere between 2 and 5% of people identify themselves as bisexual, and many more women experiment with bisexuality (and we can guess that at least that many feel it but don’t admit it).
You ask how you can be sure. I would say to give it Continue reading
khinnyinethu asks: What is the best method for teaching children? How important are exams?
Hi khinnyinethu –
This question is asked all over the place today, though often it’s tied in with a caveat of “within a shrinking budget.” Obviously, I’m a huge believer in the importance of children’s education, and wish that more humans would devote more funds to it, since, as the song says “I believe the children are our future!” In fact, can anyone possibly disagree?!
There are more theories of education out there than I could possibly list, or even know. But I do know a few things about kids, that I think should be included in any method of teaching them.
First of all, children’s brains are twice the size of dogs’ brains, but at the core they’re the same. So humans shouldn’t lose sight of what dog trainers know: Keep it as simple as you can, be direct and consistent, and know that rewards work better than Continue reading
sazuna45 asks: Do you know some good movies for thirteen year olds? Here are the genres: 1) Comedy 2) Mystery 3) Horror 4)Romantic comdey 5) Thriller. Any help will be appreciated ?
Hi sazuna45 –
Oh I know lots of movies (Handsome’s a big movie nut). The tough question here is when you ask about ones for 13-year-olds. Some teens of that age are really mature and like very adult themes. Others get bored or scared by movies like that. So I’m going to try to aim for the middle. (And of course, I have to warn you, just as with music, my tastes are a little old!).
Comedy: So many of the big comedies of the last few years have been really raunchy and adult (from “The Hangover” to “Little Miss Continue reading
NARDY asks: My best friend is sad because her father died. She is always upset and when I speak to my other friends she always asks me to stay with her. I’m trying to make her happy, but I can’t. What can I do?
Hi NARDY –
My friend, you’re dealing with one of the toughest issues there is. Actually you’re dealing with two.
Grief is always difficult, and everybody has to go through it. There are small griefs (like when an ice cream cone falls on the ground before you can eat it), and really painful ones (like when someone you’re dating breaks up with you), and then there are those griefs that are so awful they change your entire way of living and seeing the Continue reading