Don't Bogart My Blog: Sunday Best: What to wear to your next holiday party

What does 'festive dressy' even mean, anyway?

View in Browser | Add nytdirect@nytimes.com to your address book.

Sunday, December 9, 2018

NYTimes.com/Opinion »

With recent news about data ownership, harassment, social responsibility and Russian trolls, social media has been taking up more of my brain space recently — more than the usual half for my job and quarter for the dachshunds I follow on my personal Instagram account. It was with a mind overwhelmed with anxieties about social media that I walked into Twitter's holiday party last week as my husband's date. I was greeted by his co-workers, who are near-strangers to me — but thanks to their steady stream of friendly tweets, they felt like old acquaintances. With all of the downsides to social media, it can also present us some enchanting moments. A Times Opinion editor, Bari Weiss, also found this to be true when she agreed to hang out with her Twitter nemesis, Eve Peyser. It turned out they actually had a lot in common. And the writer Helene Stapinski recently learned that Instagram could be a window into her teenage daughter's life, letting them connect via pixels if not over dinner. My social plans this weekend? Combing Pinterest for holiday cookie recipes. — Alexandra March

What Are You Supposed to Wear for 'Festive Dressy'?

A potential holiday party option, on display at Mulberry in London. Mike Kemp/in Pictures, via Getty Images

By JENNIFER WEINER

"It's the least wonderful time of the year ... Maybe you're going straight from work to the school play or holiday concert, or you're having cocktails with your significant other, and his boss. Whatever the reason you've got to navigate the journey from professional to party."

Nine Rules for a Happy Marriage

Illustrations by Kiersten Essenpreis

By DEVORAH BLACHOR

"These Terms and Conditions regulate when you ('HUSBAND') may tell me ('WIFE') about your day."

Why You Should Walk Your Cat

Sylvain Cordier/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images

By DAVID GRIMM

People might stare, and you might not get much exercise, but roaming outside with your cat is closer to what feline ancestors were doing than slumbering on your couch.

The Case Against Innovation

Felix Decombat

By DAVID SAX

Innovation is sexy. It's shiny, enticing and buzzy. But newer may not always be better — it might even be destructive.

Coming Out to My Dead Grandmother

Angie Wang

By JOANNE SPATARO

Joanne Spataro told her parents she was gay when she was 16, then her friends and finally the world, when she was 28. Her grandmother was the only one who didn't know — until she confessed it to her seafoam-green box of remains.

Last week, people were talking about the claim from a scientist in China that he edited a gene in two embryos that resulted in genetically altered twins. I asked readers of this newsletter what they thought. I've included a selection of your responses, which have been lightly edited for length and clarity, below. Thank you for writing in, and as always, feel free to send me your thoughts, suggestions and favorite reads from the section at Op-reads@nytimes.com.

"As a medical student, I believe embryonic editing could one day be a fundamental part of modern medicine that helps create healthier and happier humans. But if the 'twins' claim is true, it will be more a shame than a blessing. This was a serious lapse in moral judgment and a disregard for the scientific process; the technique is simply not yet safe for use in embryos. A silver lining: This is a reality check for regulatory bodies. It was only a matter of time until a scientist went rogue with the technology. The likely truth is that embryonic editing will be a reality one day (at least in some parts of the world). The wave is pushing ahead, no stopping it. How do we ensure it advances safely and responsibly?" — Caroline Cherston, N.Y.

"This experiment is one of trillions in the inevitable march of evolution. There are many benefits for future generations. It may seem unsightly now, but this will be seen as a scientific hallmark." — John Meng, Va.

"When Christiaan Barnard did the first heart transplant, we had long discussions about that chirurgical act, which was considered a beginning of a new era. Perhaps it was indeed the beginning of a new way of improving our lives. Now nobody has a problem with that. Idem for the 'in vitro' conception. It's not the first dangerous evolution for the planet and humanity. We have already had other dangerous evolutions such as the atomic bomb, development of viruses, dangerous chemical industries, etc. We have to militate to put borders to those manipulations, but they have to be freely accepted." — Carlo Pellizzari, Brussels