These articles are also informative about Bindis and cultural appropriation: http://theaerogram.com/beyond-bindis-… http://jezebel.com/take-that-dot-… http://shamelessmag.com/blog/entry/not…

Well, this sounds pretty awful for the artists. I hadn't considered the shareholder issue. The more I learn about Tidal, the more disgusted I get.

Do the labels get paid from the revenue created by ads on Spotify or does all of that go into Spotify's pocket?

This Music Business World article discussing Lily Allen's reservations toward Tidal is helpful: http://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/lily-allen-spo…

I feel the same way. I thought Spotify and other streaming services have to pay the labels who in turn pay the artists and others' involved based on contracts. So, it seems like it's the labels that are screwing the artists rather than the streaming services. I could be wrong about the whole arrangement, though.

This is a bit of an overstatement. I've been vaping for five years and I'm addicted to nicotine, but can't imagine wanting another cig again even if I was out of nic juice. My husband's smoking never makes me crave tobacco. And, I'm not sure where you live, but where we are, cigs are expensive (over $5/pack).

Tuition (however it's funded) only covers a portion of the costs of education. The rest is funded by taxpayer subsidies. Here's an example: http://blogs.mprnews.org/oncampus/2011/…

I agree for the same reason. It makes me terribly uncomfortable because of our history of targeting the poor and "feeble-minded."

Racism is brought into the fold because skin tone is associated with structural discrimination. There's actually been quite a bit of research on this. I won't go into detail because you can find it yourself if you're inclined, but here's an abstract from a research article on skin tone and employment discrimination…

I agree. I'm kind of concerned that the "I don't give a fuck" mentality is going to function like "color blind" ideologies by foreclosing critique and social/(inter)personal awareness. I think "giving a fuck" can be a good thing when it involves consideration of others' perceptions, feelings, etc.

They did talk about that here: http://jezebel.com/rihanna-accuse… and people were going debating whether or not Rihanna was actually complimenting the fan who tried to dress like her for prom. Go figure.

Thank you for saying this. Some of us find her shtick boring, not "threatening" (and her shtick includes her petulant attitude). At least with artists like Madonna, Cher, and especially Josephine Baker, there seemed to be some genuine talent and artistic growth.

I really appreciate the point you're making. I don't think people should get a "pass" for skinny shaming, but at the same time, I'm concerned that the focus on skinny shaming undermines the structural discrimination (like you mention in your comment) associated with fat shaming (http://listverse.com/2013/09/27/10-…).…

I know your request for positive feminist reviews wasn't directed toward me, but I've read a few and thought I would share some links:

Would you happen to remember the names or any other identifying information about the flawed studies that were dismissed? I'd like to read them because this is a topic that really interests me.

I think intersectionality is a useful perspective for understanding the issue. "Big asses" have historically been fetishized rather than idealized in mainstream beauty ideals. Consider, for example, Sarah "Hottentot Venus" Baartman.

There is a Mac app called "Outline" that lets you create, edit, and view Onenote notebooks. It's a bit pricey, though (I paid about $40.00). Website: http://outline.ws/mac

I went with Ting after having a problem with Freedompop. So far, me and my husband's bill has not exceeded $43.00/month. I think they're great.

I had a terrible time with them too. After about three weeks of waiting, I contacted them to cancel and they gave me the run-around for another week before finally canceling my service and refunding my money. Then they charged me again abou two weeks later!

@SarsDoesntSave: those are interesting mom-isms. What do you think she meant by those? That money makes you more attractive or that if you don't eat as much, you'll have more stuff? My mom has always said, "you made your bed, now lie in it." I understand the sentiment, but it seems backward to me.