...This is the best comment thread I've read all day.

Lindy, the other day I was having a crappy day at work and I bailed on a workshop to go get some freaking caffeine, or something, God, I was about to destroy the boring lecturer that day. Whatever.

Man. Just reading the first paragraph made me feel incredibly sad. I mean, come on. You don't end up in a parking lot screwing a mattress while blaring porn because you have a good life or a wonderful mental state. This is just sad, all around.

I know! Every time I see David McCallum still alive I squeal, "Ashley-Pitt!"

He will always be Big X to me. He taught me that my duty is to harass, confound and confuse the enemy to the best of my ability!

I....erm....hmm...(clears throat, fans self). How on earth did it suddenly get so warm in here?

If a person's success in life can be measured by how many people they helped to keep going no matter what by bringing laughter to their hearts and reminding them of the sheer joy of living, then I have to say: hands down, Mr. Robin Williams, you won. Thank you for all the times you touched my heart and made me keep…

Here's a scary one - most spas don't want you to take off either. I worked as a massage therapist for years. I had been at one spa for a couple of years, NEVER taken a sick day (or a day off, come to think of it). I worked Monday-Wednesday-Friday-Sunday and went to school on the other days.

"Are we SURE that Groot came out better looking than me?"

Rufus Scrimgeour might have worked at Florean Fortescue's ice cream parlor as a summer job in his Hogwarts days, Lindy. YOU DONT KNOW HIS LIFE!

This is exactly where my brain went. No Pierre Le Peu!

You know, like most writers I am hard in my work. I always assume published authors are, most of the time, better than me.

Probably a silly connection here, but that was part of the Harry Potter series that really stuck with me. In a conversation about how to repair a ripped-apart soul after a person killed another person, Hermione points out that there is a way, but few choose it, because it is so painful: remorse. The person has to…

Huh. NEISD, I am glad we know this about each other since I've been applying at your schools. I feel like I'm seeing a whole different side of you. (But, come on. I bet North Side would let the kid have sunscreen. Heck, I bet Alamo Heights would give the parent a pat on the wrist over brunch. Gotta step it up, North…

Jimmy = Robert Sheehan from Misfits. All in favor?

I always liked the way Frasier dealt with Daphne when the actress was pregnant. The storyline expanded to show Daphne steadily gaining weight because she was subconsciously feeling insecure about how perfect Niles expected her to be. Then Daphne went away to a clinic to lose weight, and Niles got to make a joke about…

Neither trite nor old hat, actually. Just pretty true. You are right that genders are taught to communicate and observe differently. I talk about feminist issues a lot, and I guess it seemed to me obvious that as a woman, many of these touch me directly. But like you say, sometimes it has to be laid out explicitly for…

A couple of days ago My Dear Emerson and I were discussing this whole situation. I was telling him about the hashtag, as he does not Tweet, and my participation in it, and how much it has resounded with me because frankly, this incident has frightened me more than I care to admit.

I had a hard time not laughing out loud at church one day. There was going to be a big out-of-town event, and there was a talk about reminders. One of the reminders was basically this: "Hey, you know, sometimes people think that just leaving tracts is the same as a tip for your server or your hotel maid, and it is NOT…

I have a very hard time taking any man seriously who says "School is about education, not indoctrination." Because, yeah. That's a nice sentiment. But in this country school has always been about a lot of indoctrination. That's how we produce compliant citizens. Education, real education, teaches critical thinking and…