Thanks for posting this. I get chills whenever I walk by Nikki Giovanni in the hallway. She's an inspiration - and a wonderful symbol - for our community.

Me, too! I went three years ago as part of a road trip and loved every second of it. Dressed up in the Anne clothes, went to L.M. Montgomery's birthplace, etc. PEI is just gorgeous. I would go again in a second.

You just named every book/series I was going to recommend! I still read McKinley & the Alanna series (have you read the Trickster's books that follow it?). Harper Hall is probably the best McCaffrey-Pern trilogy for a girl about that age - I was maybe a year younger at 12 when my uncle started me on those books. I'd…

Ditto. I need to get done with grad school so I can escape. The only problem is, where to next? This personhood crap is spreading like a wildfire :(

Substitute "private parts" for "private lives" and you (allegedly, allegedly) have Herman Cain!

Well, their vegan (yes, vegan) bacon salt tastes exactly like bacon, so...I'm reserving judgment.

Hear, hear. It's time we all walked the walk in terms of choice. Is the choice one I'd make? Hell to the no...but the point is that it's not my choice. It's hers. End of story.

Same here. I happen to like both my maiden name and my husband's last name, and I use both professionally, though I tend to stick with the husband's personally. They're both interesting names - one's a character name in The Silence of the Lambs, and the other's shared by a certain (unrelated) mob family. They make up…

Seconded on the imitation breakfast sausage patties. Those are surprisingly good. Texture's a little different, of course, but the flavor is excellent. As for the cheezburger....I dig the Morningstar mushroom lovers' burgers. Top it with melty melty mozzarella and (hey, why not?) more sauteed mushrooms, and...well,…

Many of the (religious) commenters on the original article are saying that it's their moral duty to "warn the heathens" of what awaits them after death for their sins. They seem to feel pretty comfortable with what they are doing.

Ditto. I grew up in the deep south, otherwise the same experience at the local Six Flags Over Jesus. I was absolutely traumatized - it put me so far off religion that I've been back to church for weddings only since then. There's such a huge disconnect if you have to scare/bait-and-switch kids into joining your…

From the description at the link, it sounds like it wasn't actually hosted at the church, and there weren't any indications that the church sponsored it on the tickets or advertising. As the pastor says in the article, they were trying to lure people to Jesus. Ah, the old bait and switch.

Ditto. I initially pictured someone like Cillian Murphy, but I could immediately see LK as Cinna when they announced it. I went back and reread the books after the casting, and it was all I could see. I also think Elizabeth Banks is an inspired choice for Effie - she can pull off the slightly shrill/flighty-Capitol…

Not a lawyer, just a former journalist (so if you are a lawyer, please feel free to correct me if needed). The SPLC has a fantastic overview of what constitutes libel in the U.S. here: [www.splc.org]

Exactly. Continuing to call him by that name would be the same as, oh, continuing to call Casey Anthony the "TOT MOM"/"TOT MOM NOT SORRY" (read in your finest Nancy Grace impression for full effect). I know that such shorthand is easier to fit in a headline, but it does a disservice to everyone who has been acquitted…

Pshaw. I grew up in Birmingham and lived in Charlotte for years. Never had trouble with my allergies in either place. Once I moved to southwestern Virginia, BAM. Every year, right on schedule, I want to die in the third week in March. Now I've added fall allergies to that joyful mix. If anyone needs me, I'll be…

That was my favorite line from last night. It didn't hurt that Bearded Ron Swanson bears a strong resemblance to Mr. Aspatria in his winter beard - well, in about 10-15 years. Awesome.

Ah! I love Smooth Operator, too. It may not be "super-natural," but it is fantastically non-irritating on my skin. I do occasionally need the oil-absorbing sheets (but that's because I have horribly, horribly oily skin - seriously, it's like an oil slick when left to its own devices).

I'm a current Virginian who loathes this bill. I'd say I can't wait to get out of here in a year, but so many other states are just as dominated by the crazy right now. Sigh. I'll just keep donating the time and money I can afford - here's hoping the women's clinic in my neighborhood is able to stay open.

Yes, Retta! I love that she and Aubrey Plaza's characters both were considered desirable by the "Sister City" reps, but there wasn't a huge deal made out of it. Sadly, though, aside from that group and The Office, I can't really think of any other good examples.