@American as Apple Pie: She didn't discuss it with her pupils at all. She wrote about it in a publication which it is the job of parents to screen/block from the view of their children.

@laureltreedaphne: I feel the author's point is that being gay was once illegal too. Unjustly.

Society in the US is absolutely afraid of sex workers, by all accounts. But this is entirely exacerbated by a general middle class Western attitude to schooling. IE that which says 'My children absolutely cannot be exposed to any of my personally perceived threats to their upbringing'.

@birdieboots: Always. I'm such a record geek, though.

My upstairs neighbours are being so insanely loud for the 2nd night in a row. The TV is on full volume, bad music blaring and slamming footsteps.

@lalie (apologetic mess): Ick, I've been there. I've found that thinning with drops of polish remover works for a little while (ie you'll be able to get a two-coat application for all your nails done happily) but the texture returns to crappy after a very short time afterwards. So, you can resurrect it briefly but it…

@Sputnik_Sweetheart: Just read the wiki, apparently the promotional tour was postponed because of her film work in Burlesque. Postponed til 2011, nonsensically.

@lalie (apologetic mess): It certainly does. It may have a small 'pot' logo on it with a number (eg 12M - which would mean 12 months) - that's the length of its shelf life.

@Sputnik_Sweetheart: I got the impression that Christina herself kind of didn't give a crap about doing promotion. Bizarre all round.

@Calisee: I'm drawing a blank - probably due to my UK location. Sorry!

@Calisee: Darn it - can you describe the woman's looks by any chance?

@Calisee: I don't know what you're referring to, but it sounds like it could have been Nigella Lawson?

@Strict: I'm sure that's true - anyone young would struggle with shyness in her position. Which is why I make it a point not to hold my opinions against the talent of any young musician as much as is possible. But still, I don't dislike her at all, I just don't find her terribly charming is all.

@scandalouskiki: Just replied to rixatrix above. Also, I'm in the UK so maybe had more exposure (over-exposure?) than in the US.

@rixatrix has a bargain for frances: I've seen her on TV shows doing interviews and panel pieces and she just has the sort of personality I don't personally find appealing. It's not that she's unpleasant or anything, I just don't find her identifiable.

I have to say I am by no means an Adele fan (i've found her a little off-putting at many points of her career, in fact). However, I can't get over how gorgeous this version of Make You Feel My Love is.

@alula: This sounds like classic 'Please be my little girl who wants to be dominated' fetishist come-on language. He'd have said this regardless of your looks, it's just his personal approach. He's looking for someone who will positively respond to such language, and you're (by the sounds of things) not that person,…

@weirdette: Oh lord, you just made me snort

@chritter is a nocturnal feminist mancatfish: Haha, clearly! Or just inordinately tired - more likely :)

@girlwithapen: Definitely Sirius. I actually didn't read the books after his death for AGES because I was so pissed off that Rowling killed him.