It's interesting, because it's true that in many of the accomplishment-based things we do, we are looking to a set of standards to evaluate ourselves. But we can also internalize these standards, so in a way we are evaluating ourselves, not just against the people around us but against our own ideals. This is more…

You can tell by how fast the waves are moving that the video is speeded up. A lot of the twerk vids I see are manipulated. Are there any shot in real time? So you can actually see what they can do for real?

I bought a Groupon for my Jetsons Future. Is it still good?

Angela from The Office.

When I was a kid reading fashion mags, this image of the working woman doing a quick-change in the bathroom after work made a huge impression on me. Undo the top buttons on your silk shirt, tousle your hair, swap nude lipstick for fiery red, pop on those stilettos you keep in your handbag and you're ready to dance the…

I wonder if fry has become so ubiquitous that younger people can no longer recognize it as a distinct sound. Like trying to explain to someone how they have a regional accent, when everyone they hear sounds just like them.

I loved many books as a kid, but I can't say any of them "turned me into a reader." My mom turned me into a reader and then I went looking for books. But I skipped YA pretty much, except for SE Hinton, and went straight from Harriet the Spy to the weirdly random collection of Book of the Month novels in my dad's…

Some good snark from the Cosmo story. Are they more clever online? I've never noticed the magazine having a sense of humor. "the room was full of the jewel-toned bandage dresses and bedazzled shoes of women who get photographed at events for ambiguous reasons. (At least 50 percent of them aspire to say "I'm not here…

Actually, I'm in good shape and not in the least overweight, and I exercise regularly. I just am not interested in motivating myself by fantasizing I'm a Marine landing at Iwo Jima, or that my commitment to fitness makes me a powerful, dedicated warrior, or somehow morally superior to all those lazy-ass couch…

I find them a bit sad. Becoming super-fit is not a heroic act, it's not making the world a better place, it's not helping anybody. It's a hobby. It's self-contained and self-absorbed. Which is fine, we all have hobbies and it's good to have something to do which is in our own control and makes us feel good. But the…

Apparently the most common dogs in shelters are pitbulls (no surprise) and chihuahuas — which did surprise me. But turns out they are both popular with people who, shall we say, aren't good with commitment.

Yes, vitality is entirely a safe-for-TV code word for being able to get an erection.

I think if I had a show on HBO I might be willing to dial down my fitness for a few years! That said, Dunham might be in decent shape and keeping a few extra pounds on for the role. If you have an endomorphic body type, 5 or 10 pounds can really conceal your muscle tone (I speak from experience). But Anderson doesn't…

If she really loves, and understands, Girls, why would she want to transform Lena Dunham into a hard-body hottie? It's kind of the whole point of the character that she isn't.

Without the contract system, I am sure there would be far fewer gyms, as they live off people who sign up and don't go.

As someone who lives in a wee urban apartment in a very expensive city I can assure you I do not have 6X6 feet of clear space anywhere in my home. I can't even lie in a starfish position without hitting a limb on a piece of furniture. So, no.

I think there is a ton of misinformation about this out there. Partly because we are all different, partly because every diet guru wants to come up with a patented theory, partly because studies get misinterpreted, and because nutritionists are worried about eating disorders. The idea that it's bad to let your body go…

That's interesting to know. I know men like it sometimes, for sure, but I thought it was just an occasional preference.

Yes, now that you mention it, I do now remember that from sex ed. I just find it so hard to believe that anybody — people with full access to real birth control — are seriously using a method that has been considered archaic (at least by anyone not in the Catholic church) since the 1970s. Unless, as you say, they are…

In my experience, people have family money and they hide that information well, especially when they're young and want to be seen as independent. Those same people will be the ones who suddenly buy a new house when they get married or have their first child, and who manage to retire early when an inheritance lands on…