DEAR HARRIETTE: To protect our health after the World Health Organization classified bacon as carcinogenic as asbestos and cigarettes, my wife is dead set against buying any more bacon. I love bacon -- plus all meat! -- and don't want to give up bacon or sausages. I think everything is now on some danger list, and doing too much of anything can kill you. I do not cook or do the grocery shopping for the house, so I need to figure out how to create a compromise between us. I could buy bacon on the way home from work and hope that she'll cook it in the morning, but I think trying to find a level playing field for processed meat is the best option. My wife is stubborn, so I know I won't be forcing my opinion on her successfully. I have not heard of any other bacon bans in households, and I think this is an overreaction. What could I say to my wife to persuade her to allow bacon back into our lives? -- Bring Home the Bacon, Atlanta

DEAR BRING HOME THE BACON: Your wife is trying to save your life -- and preserve the health of the family. Of course it is hard to give up something that you love to eat. But trust that the WHO didn't make this pronouncement without careful consideration. Indeed, its advisement includes eliminating or at least limiting all processed meats.

I'm sorry, but I can't make a suggestion for why you should convince your wife to continue to cook bacon. I can say that if you want to fulfill that urge every now and again, you can get yourself a sandwich with bacon from a deli. Best, though, to let it go!

DEAR HARRIETTE: My wife and I have squirrels in our attic. We are conflicted on how to deal with them. I am OK with an exterminator coming in and dealing with the squirrels however he pleases. My wife thinks the squirrels are seasonal and will leave on their own account. I do not know what diseases these squirrels carry, and I think that these intruders need to be trapped and removed. However, my wife thinks this will traumatize the squirrels because most of them hibernate for the winter. I don't have this level of sympathy for the animals and think they need to leave. My wife may be an animal lover, but hearing footsteps from the attic freaks me out. Should I respect her wishes for the squirrels or call someone to get them out now? -- Squirreling Away, Easthampton, New York

DEAR SQUIRRELING AWAY: I strongly recommend that you talk to an exterminator, if only to find out options. A friend of mine recently had raccoons in his roof. Not only was the sound annoying, but in pretty rapid time, the raccoons dug holes into the roof. You and your wife need to think about preserving your property first. There may be a way to lure the animals out of your attic without killing them. Talk to the professionals to see. But compromising your roof and attic should not be the price of your compassion for the animals. Your house is not their house.

(Lifestylist and author Harriette Cole is president and creative director of Harriette Cole Media. You can send questions to askharriette@harriettecole.com or c/o Universal Uclick, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106.)

DEAR HARRIETTE: I got the most baffling birthday party invitation I have ever received. My friend, in an effort to reclaim her youth, has decided to throw herself a 45th birthday -- at a strip club! I had no idea this was an option, let alone an appealing one for a birthday party. I am conflicted about whether to attend. I didn't expect the invitation to have an entire printed schedule, but just noting that we're celebrating youth at a strip club brought up some questions for me. Will we be dancing to reclaim our youth? Is the entire club rented out for this party, or will there be gentlemen at this gentlemen's club as well? Part of me wants to go to see the spectacle, but part of me worries this will be harmful to my reputation. Am I overreacting? Is it rude of me to ask questions to the host about the activities? I have never been invited to a party of this sort before, or even been aware they existed. -- Not Dancing, Jackson, Mississippi

DEAR NOT DANCING: Your friend is getting sassy, eh?! Good for her. And it's perfectly fine for you to feel apprehensive about it as well. Of course, you can ask her about the details of going to this club. You can probably look it up online, too. Some strip clubs are set up to have group parties and are largely benign events with a bit of dancing from the people who work there and tossing of dollars. It's only at seedier locations that more lewd behavior occurs.

Ultimately, you have to decide your level of comfort. If you choose not to attend, do not pass judgment when you decline. Simply tell your friend that you feel uneasy about stepping into a strip club, but you applaud her for having birthday fun.

DEAR HARRIETTE: My co-worker received a bouquet of flowers at work from her fiance a month ago. These flowers are long rotten, and I don't think she realizes the difference between "rotten" and "dried." The flowers are turning black, and the stems are shriveling up and causing an eyesore for the company and our clients. I have considered getting her a new arrangement of flowers myself, but assume this won't be cherished like the flowers from her fiance. Usually, people are allowed to decorate their desks as they please and no one comments, but you can tell from puzzled glances that these rotting flowers are drawing negative attention. I love to garden, so I was thinking of suggesting I use them as fertilizer or offer to teach her how to dry flowers so future flowers do not rot. I've been noticing our supervisor glancing at her desk, too, and figure if I step in before she gets a reprimand, it alleviates a lot of stress. Am I sticking my nose where it doesn't belong? -- Rotten Flowers, Not Rotten Intentions, Baltimore

DEAR ROTTEN FLOWERS, NOT ROTTEN INTENTIONS: Go to your co-worker privately, and tell her that her bouquet has gone bad and is now an eyesore. Suggest that she throw it away but hold onto the memory. If she balks, tell her you believe the rotten flowers are bad for business, and you know she wouldn't want that. If she wants to talk flowers, then you can add how to dry them, etc.

(Lifestylist and author Harriette Cole is president and creative director of Harriette Cole Media. You can send questions to askharriette@harriettecole.com or c/o Universal Uclick, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106.)

DEAR HARRIETTE: I do not like to bring social media into relationships because I feel like it is a bit childish. However, my girlfriend has recently done something that bothers me. On a Facebook post, one of her ex-boyfriends commented, "I miss you." On that same post, one of my friends commented, and my girlfriend responded with a kissy face towards him. I tend to not read into social media too much, but my girlfriend is acting like she's single, especially on this post. She ignored the ex-boyfriend's comment, but I was still rubbed the wrong way that she didn't delete it. My girlfriend hasn't said anything about the post, and I haven't brought it up. I am not sure if I am being dramatic or have the right to be suspicious about the whole thing. Why is she being so flirtatious and leaving up messages from exes on her posts when she's dating me? -- Puzzled, Westchester, New York

DEAR PUZZLED: Rather than blowing this out of proportion, speak directly to your girlfriend. Tell her that her ex-boyfriend's post made you uncomfortable and that you don't know why she left it up -- or why she posted a kissy face at her friend. Tell her that it makes you feel like she is flirting with him, which disturbs you.

Ask her if she misses this fellow. Probe to see where she feels you two are in your relationship. This could be "innocent" flirtation with the push of a button, but without much thought. Or it could point to a bigger issue. Talk to her so you can find out.

DEAR HARRIETTE: I have a professor who is driving me up the walls. He does not respond to emails and does not return papers. He makes us chase him down and is incredibly rude when I ask if I can come in during his office hours. He makes promises to me he does not keep, and is generally an unpleasant man. I will be his student until May, so I need to figure out a way to communicate with him. I want to make sure I do not snap at him. How can I ask him to respect my time by handing back my assignments and allowing me to meet with him? -- Lacking Respect, Syracuse, New York

DEAR LACKING RESPECT: If your overtures have not worked at all, you may need to go to your adviser or the head of the department for guidance. When you do so, be mindful that you are asking for help in order to build a relationship with the professor rather than tell on him. With intervention, you may be able to get an audience with him. If so, let him know how much you need his input in order to excel in his class.

While he may be angry at first that you went above his head, hopefully your eagerness to learn and grow in his class will inspire him to give you a little time.

(Lifestylist and author Harriette Cole is president and creative director of Harriette Cole Media. You can send questions to askharriette@harriettecole.com or c/o Universal Uclick, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106.)