I'm actually in the deep pit of hell that is wedding planning right now! Somehow, we've managed to keep it "cheap" (less than half the average cost in our area). We chose to have the ceremony and reception at the state arboretum instead of a super expensive vineyard (same gorgeous scenery, 1/8th the price...no shit!).…

This article was really thought provoking and very well written. However, I'm not entirely sure if it fits within the narrative.

EXACTLY. No one else has a professor fetish? :(

True, but I also think (as another wonderful Jez commentator said) that our lifestyles have just gotten unhealthy. If we can increase public transportation and the proximity of key resources (grocery store, etc.), maybe we can encourage people to walk a lot again. Spending hours and hours at the gym is not indicative…

Not my story, but a friend's.

This is why stereotypes are stupid. My spouse likes slow, puzzle based games and isn't as great at the zombie games or FPS like me. He cooks and cleans, I'm a scientist, he loves photography, I like playing collision sports etc etc. Nothing is more alienating than feeling like your body parts/chromosomes prevent you…

B-but I like to knit AND slay zombies. I do not, however, like to watch my significant other play video games mainly because I prefer to play them with him or play then myself.
Cue the angry rant I had when one of my students told me, "But video games are for boys" when I showed him my 3DS. :(

Exactly! There are only 24 hours in each day. If you want to spend 3 of those (maybe more?) exercising, you have to give up something else, whether that's time that could be spent sleeping, doing a hobby, spending time with your kids/spouse/etc. As someone else said, there is also a connection between socioeconomic…

Wow. I'll be perfectly honest.. your post struck me to the core. I struggled with bulimia in high school, though apparently you have to be below a certain weight to be truly diagnosed so I got diagnosed with EDNOS (Eating Disorder Not Otherwise Specified). I have always struggled with heat you describe. I'm empathetic…

Why does it have to be such extremes? I find that I've faced more hell for being a mix of the two rather than extremely tomboy or extremely feminine. I like to crochet, but also contact sports. I'm a scientist and I hate pink, but I find long skirts to be comfy. I don't understand why the children in your world view…

Exactly. My spouse is a chef whose primary passion is baking, and he finds that there is a lot of discrimination in the culinary world as baking is looked down upon for being a "female" interest. One only needs to bring up stay at home dads as well to see that violating gender norms, whether you're male or female,…

This. I'd rather take this message away from such a wonderful trend on Curvy Girl's Facebook page then trivial arguments over subjective views of body shape. Message: It's HELPFUL to have accurate portrayals of the clothes you're trying to buy! We've all been in the position of seeing something that looks gorgeous on…

Thank you for this. This is exactly what I usually fail at expressing, and you have done so with finesse. Plus, people need to realize that there is Hollywood "overweight" and then there is medically overweight. There is a huge space between Hollywood-fit and medically overweight. A large portion of women do fall in…

I think what people are quarreling over, in part, is a semantic ambiguity. If we use "normal" to indicate statistical average then, yes, these women are "normal". Normal can also mean mentally and physically healthy. Although I think there's far more to discuss regarding the accuracy of BMI, etc., being very…

I'VE GOT A MAN-GINA (That's what he's saying....). It's from The Mighty Boosh, for reference.

Exactly this. Personally, I don't understand why people can't see that there's work to keep your home running and work to keep your home funded. Both are equally viable options and both need to be done in some capacity, whether both are split (e.g. both parents work), or whether each partner takes on one type of work.…