"Tales From the Front" has always allowed readers to agree and disagree with one another. Today's no different.

Lila recently left her date at intermission because she was cold and he didn't offer his jacket or tell the manager to turn down the air conditioning. Greg says it was her fault.

GREG: I understand her discomfort and her conundrum. Nobody likes being cold, and society smiles upon women who look good in thin dresses with spaghetti straps. There are fewer social rewards for women in baggy sweaters or warm layers.

On the other hand, let's think about the temperature of play theaters. During warmer months, the air conditioning is often set low enough so a fellow in long sleeves will be comfortable even if he carries a couple of extra pounds or wears a coat. Maybe Lila's date didn't offer his coat because he would have been cold without it. Maybe most people would have been hot if the thermostat had been turned up.

If Lila was so cold she couldn't stay, she should have left without hard feelings or approach the manager herself. Waiting for her date to contact him does two things: It demands mind reading skills and sets the stage for a potentially unhealthy power imbalance. Neither of these are in Lila's long-term interests if she wants to succeed in dating or maintaining a relationship.

(MY TWO CENTS: If Lila's date was interested in her and didn't feel like offering her his coat or finding the manager, he should have left with her. By allowing her to leave by herself, he told her the play was more important than she was. I'm just sayin'.)

We've been debating the pros and cons of bonus babies — those afterthought babies or menopause babies who come along late in life. Rick has a thought.

RICK: I'm not sure how having a baby late in life can be described as a bonus. It's sort of like going in to get your teeth cleaned and having a "bonus" impacted wisdom tooth removed with a pair of rusty pliers and a shot of bourbon for anesthesia.

Considering that reliable and inexpensive birth control has been readily available for 50 years, I'm always astounded to hear people talking about babies as if they just sort of mysteriously pop up and nobody really knows how they got there, or what to do with them except slap diapers on them and haul them off to expensive restaurants while other people are trying to enjoy a pleasant meal. Babies are to be planned. Just popping them out is the sign of someone too stupid to have any.

With over 7 billion people on the planet, the survival of the species isn't dependent on any of us having his "replacement quota." We could do with a lot fewer people on the planet. More people should consider getting a dog instead of having kids. They're more fun, cheaper and frequently more intelligent, and they won't wreck your car racing it down Main Street after swilling a six-pack of cheap beer.

(MY TWO CENTS: Readers, don't kill the messenger. I like kids!)

Got a problem? Send it to [email protected]. And check out my e-books, "Dear Cheryl: Advice from Tales from the Front" and "I'll Call You. Not."