When you can talk to express that desire, totally different than when you're a baby/toddler. If it was like, a six-year-old alone for 20 minutes (not an hour while her parents were drinking...) it'd be different. Plus she wouldn't be constrained.

I think leaving dogs alone in the car for long stretches of time is cruel; leaving a dog in the car for 20 minutes so you can pick up a prescription or some take-out food or whatever is entirely reasonable. All about context. But babies — when you have a choice — just no. (I don't hate on single, poor, mothers leaving…

Some fancy designer's six-year old made it with a Klutz Art kit.

I am so confused about the orange hat with googly eyes. A person could definitely make that for a total of like, $12 dollars, right?

My mom was the one who would freak out, but I almost always wanted my mom. When she'd wake up and see me, she'd sit bolt upright and shout "Bob! Bob! There's someone in the house!" Often, this scared me even further, and I'd cry.

That is probably an accurate summary.

Well of course you almost said that, bc we are the same short superstitious Jewish girl!

OMg her name is Maddie. That is my niece's name. No.

I used to do that to my parents. I'd have nightmares and go into their room, but then not want to be rude and wake them. So I'd just wait patiently by the bed for one of them to wake up on their own. I had no clue how creepy that probably seemed.

The awesome Catch-22 of ladyhood.

Basically, I wanna be mom. She's a big-in-her-field academic who no one outside her world knows. But she gets to give talks in Europe and Australia and China (and recently, Hawaii!). Except, I don't wanna go into her field, which, more than things I do, lends itself to that. But a girl can dream. I have all her…

They'll also get spun as bitches.

I wanna be 'famous' the way like, obscure academics are 'famous.' No one I don't know knows what I look like, but several hundred people I've never met know who I am.

Read Eve Sedgewick.

What? Bisexuality as transphobic? How??

Which is also pretty much how (some) straight dudes treat any girl who's open about her sexuality.

True. Fight the stigma! My own mini-activism is talking as openly as I can about my own mental health (depression/maybe bipolar ii); when I do, other people often up to me.

But mentally ill doesn't mean presumed dangerous (unless you're a danger to yourself).

Calamity Jane! She's the best.

1. Illness of any kind shouldn't be used to stigmatize anyone; it's not like stigmas are only bad for people with depression. (I'll judge the hell out of someone for, you know, killing people. But not for having a brain scan similar to serial killers)