"Far too many people want to just take the easy way and claim an excuse for not losing weight instead of being honest with themselves and others. "

I would simply count yourself lucky. There are an awful lot of families out there who do espouse the 'fat people are just lazy' stereotype — I have a large number of them in my immediate family — and then do things that maybe aren't as explicit as saying 'SuperSugarCrack is part of a healthy breakfast' but consider it…

That's some impressive debating skills.

I did edit some curses out of my original responses.

Its not nitpicking to say that wearing a religious or ceremonial garb from one culture as a fashion accessory is offensive. It is entirely different than, say, designing an obi-like belt to use with Western style dresses or making guayabera's popular among middle class suburbanites. Neither of these things has a…

Like others have said, the point isn't to produce a finished novel during NaNo, it's to have a working first draft. I wouldn't be surprised to hear that some of the authors Greun and Atwater-Rhodes, who have each published several novels, probably have a much closer to finished book at the end of November than someone…

Kids don't know any better. Adults are held to higher standards. I knew the little horrible racist 'Chinese, dirty knees' song too when I was 6, but I sure as shit wouldn't run around singing it now. Because I'm an adult. Who doesn't think being ignorant is some sort of right. No Doubt is band of people in their 40s…

You decided to do the tv in lieu of drinking? I admire your mental fortitude.

Actually by equating 'Indians' from India with 'Indians' in the 'Cowboys and Indians' comment, you weren't making a distinction. Indians in call centers aren't 'pretending' to be white Americans, they're using names that Americans find familiar because we are pretty notorious for either 1) our inability to pronounce…

Mental Floss seems to be picking just 11 titles, but a slew more NaNo novels have been published. According to her, all of Sara Gruen's books started out as NaNo drafts.

"Fact is, I don't get pissed when some Indian customer service guy tells me his name is "Steve", so I see no reason to get pissed because Gwen Stephani played cowboys and Indians in a music video. "

It was a great 2/3rds of the movie. They killed it by going to the other side of the light, so to spak.

Wasn't there also a sexual assault reported during the Philadelphia season?

Most of the conversation last year was about Dawkins response, this is about her Slate piece, which covers more ground than the elevator incident.

I read that book right before my husband left on a extended field research trip to India and I was completely, irrationally sure he was going to get attacked by thugees. Song of Kali really scared the piss out of me.

Hearts still exist. Hover your cursor over the person's avatar, you'll see the heart option pop up.

Look, I think the essay he posted here was very good. He does a decent job of trying to reach out to his audience and explain it in terms they might identify with. The other stuff is.. the other stuff.

Bart, thanks for the detailed response. I certainly can respect someone making a mistake and learning from it. His response to the complaints about the project bothered me to the point I've actively avoided him since then, even though we have some overlapping friends/followers/interests. I am glad to hear that his…

Removing the mote in your own eye and all that jazz. :)

Ah, if you want the handle back, email help@gawker.com. They'll fix you up.