After reading the Times articles, it seems like there’s a misperception about who lives on this block. Yes, some of the residents probably do well for themselves (the lawyer, e.g.). But also mentioned are a professor at Queens College (not raking in the dough) and a musician (ditto, unless they are in the NY Phil…

I totally agree, that was the first thing I thought of. The ones I’ve seen weren’t as cruel as this, but I still thought they were mean and I don’t understand why someone would do that to their kids. I am so disgusted by people who feel that the 30 seconds of fame they get from being in one of these videos is worth…

I’m sure it feels like hours for all involved, including whoever is sitting at a nearby table watching them do this. 

I think the increase in universities using adjuncts contributes to this too. Adjuncts aren’t paid enough to spend time arguing with students about their grades at the end of every semester. Their employment is so tenuous, they don’t want to risk students complaining about them or giving them bad reviews. And, with…

Based on my experience with pet insurance, this would be considered a pre-existing condition and they wouldn’t help with it. :(

We went through the same thing with our dog, a black lab mix. He had allergies and he was tearing himself apart scratching. After months we finally went to a dermatologist, got tested, and started the shots (which I remember as being pretty easy to do myself). I think we ended up doing them for about a year, but they…

Yeah, that detail really got to me. Like, does that woman even know what words mean?! Given the context, “Justice for Lori” is a threat, which is not at all what she intended.

The charitable interpretation is that they feel that education is valuable, and they hoped that when she was at a “good” school surrounded by smart, serious students, some of that would rub off on her and she would take an interest.

She should release a statement saying that she is shocked (shocked!) at what her parents did and that she is leaving USC so that a student who deserves the seat can have it, and make a donation to the scholarship fund, if she has access to the cash. It’s a win-win for her: good publicity and she gets out of college…

Yeah, you’re right. I know some people who are well-off, although nowhere near this level. Even so, their level of obliviousness to how most people live is enraging. 

I agree with you, although I am not familiar with USC in particular. But, yeah, the whole system is stacked in favor of people with wealth. Upper-middle class parents take advantage of this all the time: tutors, buying interesting extra-curriculars, sending their kids to high schools that are essentially pipelines to…

Exactly. Also, wouldn’t they know what the admissions standards for the school were, and be confused about why they got in when their grades didn’t match up? These kids must have had some inkling. But, either they think that’s how it works because their parents have been making all sorts of things happen for them…

My older son loves glitter and unicorns. How can he not?! They are objectively awesome.

I dressed my kids in gender-neutral clothes when they were babies (in my experience that is harder to do on a budget now that they are older) and their room was green with animal decorations, so basically gender-neutral. It didn’t matter for planning that stuff, but I still wanted to know in advance. The fact is, I…

My first son was routinely mistaken for a girl when he was a toddler, and people would always profusely apologize for the mistake if I bothered to correct them. That always pissed me off. I really, really do not need you to know or care about the genitals of my toddler, and also fuck you for acting like calling him a…

Yeah, this is what I don’t get. What role, if any, did she play in this? LIC isn’t her district and wasn’t this a state/local issue? Shouldn’t they be mad at Gianaris and Van Bramer? Gee, I wonder why a billboard calling them out was less appealing? 

My four year old has an inexplicably gravelly voice and a Queens accent (that part isn’t inexplicable since we live there). It’s delightful.

Seeing the stakes of this reality buried under glitter paint and floral fabric—an aesthetic that refuses to acknowledge this threat with the horror it warrants—evokes a larger refusal in this country to legislatively respond to gun violence.

I had a book from the Mayo Clinic (I think the title was Guide to a Healthy Pregnancy) that I liked. Just science-based info, presented in a straight-forward way. 

Yes to everything you’ve said. I was on the subway the other day and saw a woman get on with two young kids— no one offered a seat. Next stop a man got on with two slightly older kids (older kids can handle standing way better than really little ones) and two men jumped up to offer seats.