I must admit to have finding (tenses all messed up there, I know!) Mars really charming ever since the video for the Lazy Song. Always seemed like a genuinely decently talented guy with a good sense of humor about himself. I don't think his Halftime show was earth-shattering, but it was fun and thoroughly competent,…

I think the concern is more how effective focusing on the overweight children from external institutions (ie: school and doctor's offices) will be when the children concerned are going back to the homes and families in which their tastes and eating habits have already been set. There's a lot of compelling evidence to…

Brava. I'm finishing up grad school at the moment (for reals this time!) and, with all the problems that academia has right now, creative courses like these are not one of them.

I agree. I mean, this was 7 or 8 years ago- I'm pretty sure a lot of people look back at things they did in their early twenties and can only think about what a total idiot they were.

I don't even have especially big boobs, but I've learnt that sitting around for too long in a sweat-soaked sports bra is begging for an under-boob rash that can take weeks to clear up. Now I get that thing off as soon as possible.

'nother "wife-of-engineer" here. The concentration face is AWESOME. Mine does this thing where he scrunches up his entire upper face in an attempt to keep his glasses on (usually because he's rotating it at a ridiculous angle to see underneath something). I think seeing people with a talent or a particular dedication…

I personally would feel very uncomfortable with that kind of interaction with my medical provider.

Someone posted on anther thread about their anti same-sex marriage and anti-choice funding. TBH, I don't really enjoy the food there so much anyways.

Most places have a value menu, but those prices can fluctuate more. McDonalds is reliable, even though it's reliably bad, and you're never too far away from one.

Agreed. I think the thing about McDonalds is that they've cornered the market in terms of ubiquity- you know what you're going to get, there's something there everyone will eat, and it's never too far away. The low prices probably make it the go-to for many who can't afford otherwise, but the profits are more likely…

But McDonalds is incredibly cheap even by fast-food standards. You could get two cheeseburgers and a coffee for $3 using the dollar menu- I don't know that there's many other chains that can compete with that. Also, I think that for many people their circumstances are such that they honestly can't afford to worry…

Exactly. You know who I don't want holding loaded guns? Nervous people. Well, honestly I don't want anyone holding loaded guns, because I'm a pinko liberal from a depraved socialist nation, but if you don't reasonably think you could keep your cool in the case of home invasion (and god knows I couldn't), you probably…

Yep. I read one article in which he said he "recognized" the "signals" from other girls. Which to me suggests that he has done this to multiple women in the past. Really chilling.

Okay, ASSUMING we accept the judge's premise that intention rather than result is what determines a crime (which, y'know...whatever), was it not at least possible for him to sentence the defendant under some lesser charge or at least order him to complete some extensive psychiatric work?

Yeah, ultimately I feel sorry for everyone involved in this. We don't know anything about this couple- this could have been their first meal out together since the baby, they could have been saving for months for it. I doubt I'd be cancelling my table under those circumstances because my babysitter couldn't make it.…

Ugh, the Pamuk thing. I remember watching that with my mum and sister at home, and we were all thinking, poor Mary, what a horrible thing to happen, and then feeling quite shocked and depressed when everyone else seemed to think the real tragedy was that he'd expired mid-thrust.

What on earth is an F-? Isn't the whole point that you get down to F and there's nothing below that?

I'm absolutely giving the researchers credit. Self-reported studies are a nightmare to compile, control for, and interpret without exaggeration or bias, that's why the people who do so go through years and years of school. But these kinds of studies are still a very imperfect tool.

Just what I was about to say. Self-reporting is notoriously unreliable, and as a society we're incredibly poor at reacting to mothers being less than totally thrilled at parenthood.

Yeah, I'd only vaguely heard about her before I moved to the US, and always as this cooking/homecare guru/convicted felon. Then I saw some pictures of her as a younger model and was like "Holy SHIT."