There really isn't enough awareness of lactose intolerance. I'm white and never had issues with dairy until a few years ago I had to take a round of very aggressive antibiotics and it totally messed up my gut flora. I couldn't understand why I was in basically constant discomfort until the doctor told me I was lactose…

My little sister is just like your brother. I have literally never seen her voluntarily do any exercise and she eats terribly. We were raised in the same house and ate the same stuff (no soda in the house, very rare sweets, veggies every day). Today she eats pizza and surfs the internet all day. I eat reasonably well…

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.

Yeah - I've been to Asheville. That out of state argument doesn't fly with me.

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.

Well, the Inuit and other Arctic circle cultures eat almost nothing but meat because there's nothing else there. Every culture on Earth that lives in a more benign environment eats far less meat. And interestingly enough the high meat diet among the Inuit is linked to higher rates of osteoporosis. Not to mention that…

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…