I'm confused as to why you have a problem with this? It doesn't seem much different, to me, than the olden days when we would see school photos and things like that on the news. But now at least it's a photo that we know the victim actually chose to represent them. (Except if we're talking about cases where photos are…

Well, it depends - modern children's books that could be helpful at inner city schools, third world countries, etc., are valuable donations. I can't think of children's books that a school wouldn't want - I guess things with really outdated science, stuff like that, would not be helpful. If you can find a charity that…

From what I can see she got very very thin very rapidly, and she was already pretty small to begin with. But you know, it's really not my place to be making judgement calls like that based on paparazzi pictures and you're totally right, I have no idea what her exercise schedule is. Something about all the…

I wasn't able to see the video before it got taken down, saying that's a great way to display your books is sort of ridiculous. I had the impression that it was a cute box made out of books, as in here's a way to take books you are never going to read again and make them into storage space while still getting to have…

I see what you're saying and even sort of understand it, as I worked hard to create a lot of the books that are out there. But I don't think destroying the physical book is actually destroying an author's work, just like making crafts out of old records / CDs is not destroying a musician's song. The song or book still…

You're right - old books (like, books that are unlikely to have digital editions) are actually way more valuable than something like Lemony Snicket (apparently that's what LC used), which had hundreds of thousands of copies in print and digital editions and thus is very unlikely to be "lost."

I think people think it's blasphemy because of what books have been through historically, what with banning and burning. But it just doesn't make sense to hold them as sacred in this day and age. There are far more books out there than can possibly be donated, and a lot of them are just total trash that people…

If it was just the haircut, I would be inclined to agree. But the haircut plus the extreme weight loss plus the weird clothing is striking me as concerning. But then again, it is totally none of my business and I hope she is just being 19 and having fun. Now if she gets drunk and throws up no one will have to hold her…

Why do we treat books as sacred things that must never be smudged? And I say this as a former editor. When books do not sell out their print run, do you know what happens to them? First they are remaindered, which allows the authors of the books to buy back copies at an extremely low price. Often the authors cannot…

I think the CDC is most likely concerned because studies have shown that people are far less likely to use protection during oral sex - for instance, I think dental dam use is at a ridiculously low percentage - than they are during penetrative sex. If people are having oral sex at a high rate, that means it's likely…

Obviously you are allowed to act however you want on the internet, and that includes being a dick. But then don't get so upset when people call you out for it.

You can read that I wasn't replying to you, can't you?

A lot of HGB's views were REALLY problematic - the main one that I can think of was that sexual harassment should be taken as a compliment.

I'm so sorry for what you went through, and I completely agree with you about children. I already said this in some other comments, but I was actually thinking of a pretty specific phenomenon I have observed happening often, which is younger people who have children of their own with terminal cancer. It's rare that I…

I work closely with an oncologist because I'm trying to get into medical school, and I can tell you that for parents with young children those extra three months make a major difference. That was the main example I was thinking of when I made my response.

Sorry, I guess I should have been more clear. I don't believe death panels exist, I was speaking to what I think people believe death panels to be.

Well, I think it's a more complicated issue than this. In some cases, yes, it's cut and dry. A person is going to die no matter what pain you put them through, and prolonging that pain isn't going to change that. In other cases, doctors and hospital administrators are considering things other than just the patients…

You misunderstood her comment. She's talking about parents who refuse treatment that actually COULD help their children, because they believe their children are sick due to God's plan, and that their health will decline or get better according to that plan.

What a beautiful response to a truly ugly comment.

Everyone should read this fascinating article, entitled "How Doctors Die." In case you don't have time - when it comes right down to it, the vast majority of doctors would never choose to undergo the stuff we put our loved ones through at the end of their lives. Most doctors choose to have DNRs, because they've seen…