Dear Marcel,
Last week I was sitting ON an outdoor patio with a couple of friends, having some drinks and watching the rain from the safety of the overhead awning. Everything was going really well until the conversation turned to the topic of Depeche Mode. Apparently my compatriots were huge fans, but I, having spent most of my early teens in a Classic Rock vortex, could contribute nothing to THE shrieks of glee that ensued. I sat there tight-lipped, praying for the topic to pass before anyone was the wiser. It's been eating me up ever since. Should I just come clean and risk rejection or should I count my prayers and start hunting for vintage tees? '” A Fly on the Windscreen

Are you sure you're not a Depeche Mode fan? '˜Cuz you sure sound like one. I've got a third option you may want to think about. Instead of 'œcoming clean'? about your Classic Rock loving past, why don't you raise your head high and tell your friends, loud and proud, that they wasted their formative musical years wearing cheap studded wrist bands and shirts with flowers drawn on, all the while listening to wishy-washy music that only ever came into public knowledge because of the fog created by epidemic cocaine use at the time? They want to play 'œMaster and Servant'?? Try showing them which is which.

Dear Marcel,
I'm a male in my early 20s who frequents a lot of parties. Like most party-goers my age, I tend to imbibe in some alcoholic beverages when socializing in a large group. However, I'm a student, which means I'm pretty consistently poor. Is it considered acceptable behaviour to take whatever booze I have with me home at the end of the night?
'” Broke Boozehound

As an advice columnist I hate to be of little or no help, but I really must say in this case, Boozehound, the answer to your question is purely discretionary. I can't give you a cut-and-dry answer as to whether this is appropriate, but I can give you some guidelines to follow that might keep you from the partying poorhouse. I will separate the answer into different types of alcohol: wine, liquor and beer. With the first two the answer is pretty cut-and-dry. A bottle of wine, whether opened or unopened, once brought to a party, must remain with the host at the end of the night. In fact, if this bottle is in any way presented to the host, you should generally leave it to them to open it. With liquor, the answer is pretty much the opposite. If you bring your own bottle of rum or whiskey or whatever you may choose, you are always free to take it back home with you. Mickeys and flasks are ideal for party-goers, as their shape allows for easy pocketing and you never have to leave it anywhere it could be considered public domain. Since the liquor never leaves your person, there is no issue when you decide to leave with your bottle. Just one extra word of advice: if you plan on making mixed drinks, bring a bottle of mix for the host as a nice gesture. This brings us to beer. Beer is always a tricky proposition at parties. It always has to be stored in a fridge, where anyone could grab it, for one; and as the night wears on, it becomes increasingly difficult to ascertain which bottles are actually yours and which belong to your fellow merry-makers. As for bringing it home with you at the end of the night, I fear it may be considered generally poor form. It is a big production to load up leftover beer. You have to gather them together and get them back into their case, and then get the case into a bag or backpack for the journey home. If this can be done subtly, then you can go ahead and give it a shot. Just be warned that it is generally considered a good idea to leave a little something for your host for the trouble of throwing the party. Besides the puke in the sink.