Yes! My favorite response to "it was a joke" is to look at them with a totally blank face and say, in a monotone voice, "it was hilarious."

One of the best things about the books is that there's someone to root for in every house. That increases tension as the reader realizes that things are likely to end poorly for at least one of their favorites.

As a student of writing, you've probably heard the advice, "never let your character succeed in their goals". Martin takes this technique to the extreme. (Also, though the Red Wedding totally destroyed me in the book, Rob isn't as much of a main character and doesn't get POV like many other characters do.)

The absolute best way to read Martin is to remember that he follows a classic writer's rule: never let a character succeed. Whenever a character makes plans, things always go poorly.

Ok, that's fair, especially considering the fact this was a corporate job. I understand your position better now.

FORMER A&F worker. CURRENT sociologist. She does not work there now, and from the article, it sounds like she became a sociologist later on. And I do think we should feel bad for all women (and men) who are victims of our culture's crazy obsession with extreme thinness. People who work in this type of environment most…

What?? School nurse touching girl parts = not ok.

Man, everyone has been telling me how awesome Nordstrom is lately! I will have to check it out, thanks for the info.

Thank you! I make my own clothes, I wear a 12-14 in store sizes, but I have to make an 18-20 from a dress pattern, because patterns haven't experienced vanity sizing in the same way. Marilyn was a beautiful woman, and she would be swimming in a modern size 12.

I, for one, rushed right out and started eating sticks of butter in my attempt to look as fabulous as the ladies in the picture.

Thanks, I will definitely pass that along!

It's really sort of hard to express my emotions as I view this graphic, so I'm just going to smash my hand on the keyboard a few times. hjk.egrbhjk.eraghiluaergihulaegrkbjaegw.

Gah, me too! Well, I don't have PCOS. But I do have a little sister who eats nothing but crap and I have also never seen her voluntarily do a single minute of exercise in her entire life. I eat pretty well, get my fruits and veg, not a lot of meat, dairy, or processed food, and I go to the gym six days a week. I…

I think maybe younger ones would be more likely to. A good friend of mine is 33 and just had a mastectomy. She has small breasts and was used to wearing dainty, pretty things with lots of lace. She was horrified at the industrial-looking mastectomy bras available.

I am an extremely amateur seamstress who managed to modify a couple of my friend's bras in order to hold her prosthesis after her recent mastectomy. I think VS can probably figure it out. Seriously, the market for mastectomy bras is mostly frumpy and sad. Lots of beige and industrial-size straps.

Aw, that sucks. I'm a size 14 and I buy my yoga pants at Target, Old Navy, and TJ Maxx. (I buy a large, but that's not the largest size available). The ones from Target and Old Navy are a little thicker, which is nice if you intend to actually wear them outside a studio. They are cheap, and they fit me, and I love…

Actually I don't know that much about cockroaches. They squick me out more than cicadas - the one insect I will kill if it is indoors. Oh, and the other day when a bazillion termites flew into my apartment through a tiny hole. I killed them good.

Ok, I see where you're coming from. I teach a cultural diversity course and trust me, I hear plenty of this kind of thing - "well, I'm not offended so it can't be that bad..." and it drives me crazy too.

Oh, I didn't think you were being an asshole. Sorry if I was overly defensive.

I agree that appropriation is an important issue and it is absolutely problematic to call these structures teepees. But the North American Plains groups are not the only culture in the world that uses these structures. It's such a great design, simple and effective. That's where I kind of hit the wall on the argument…