And I’m sure that every American woman who wears makeup and heels is making that decision in a cultural vacuum as well. Except they’re not, nobody makes these decisions in a vacuum, and we’re still free to make them.

The problem with saying we should only have “medically necessary” c-sections is that it’s impossible to tell which ones actually were necessary. The only way to know for sure is if the section isn’t performed and the mother and/or the baby is injured or worse. The fact is that c-section is nearly always the safest…

Why would you start off the relationship on such an adversarial note? The vast majority of OBs don’t want to cut you open just because they can. Be upfront with your doctor about your concerns, by all means, but if you go in threatening to sue on your first appointment, I can’t imagine any doctor who would want to…

The way the tech handled the situation was wrong. However, people should always tip on the pre-discounted amount. It's not like the people who are performing the service have any say in whether or not the business runs a special. Why should they have to take a pay cut? I wish more businesses would make this clear,…

I agree with Friday. I am a server in a restaurant, and I not only appreciate it, but I am truly touched when customers give me a little extra for holidays and special occasions. Also, I don't know how it is for other tipped positions, but restaurant workers never get raises. We make a percentage of our sales, so…

I had no idea that a disclaimer such as this was even legal.

French swearing really does have that certain je ne sais quoi!

Sorry to be such a pedant (just kidding, I love it,) but "connard" comes from the word "con," meaning "cunt." But it does sound much fancier!

Not at all! I am glad you corrected me.

Thank you for clarifying. I didn't realize that is how the law works.

Wrong. Granny can refuse service to the black person who is an asshole, as long as she can prove that she serves non-assholes of all colors, and refuses service to assholes of all colors. Same thing with the green-eyed gays. In many states, it's still perfectly legal to discriminate against gay people. It must be…

That made my life better. :)

Chickens don't clap, and GRANNY SQUARES DON'T HAVE ROWS! Adoy, jeez.

Thank you for your response. Yes, men and women have the same musculoskeletal system. But we have very different patterns of fat distribution. Men are more likely than women to store excess fat on their midsections, so it is not at all clear that a study on belly fat in men would translate to the same results in wom…

Ps, sorry I assumed you want to make your fingers look long and tapered. I lusted after fingers like that for a while before I grew to appreciate my own shape. :)

I have man-hands, too...I always say they're lady-sized and man-shaped. I think they look best when I keep the nails relatively short, with a rounded square shape. I like dark nail polish, so that's what I gravitate to. I think you should do whatever you want with your nails and have fun with it! You're probably…

The first story just doesn't ring true to me. I'm presuming that Jean Georges doesn't have ranch dressing on the menu, so a request for it would mean that the cooks would have to make it on the fly. Even in a restaurant that is very liberal with substitutions, a server wouldn't just put in a request for something…

No. But good question, thanks for asking!!

Well, the US gives the Israeli military money, which the Israeli military uses to buy weapons from American corporations (among other uses of course.) Then the Israeli military drops some of those weapons on the Palestinians. That is pretty damn supportive.

I think the point of Conflict Kitchen is to highlight the voices that Americans don't generally hear. It's smart to do that with food because it is something elemental and very regional but not necessarily nationalistic. The policy of the United States is to support the foreign policy of Israel, so Americans have…