@ms negative the easy-going unicorn: I had a dog when I was a kid who loved nothing more than chasing cats and squirrels, but in his life he managed to rescue a litter of kittens and a litter of abandoned baby squirrels. Something about the babyness turns off the predator reaction, methinks.

@Emily: You mean you don't have hooker squirrels where you live? They're always in front of my house, chattering at passerby.

@Zuleika Firpo: So well put.

@wilmawonker: Oh man, that's great. I have a friend with MS, he'd get a kick out of it.

@MoxieBird: I like your perspective here a lot. Back when I worked with special needs children I'd see their conditions used as an excuse to behave in ways that society wouldn't normally accept, but they knew they could get away with because they were held to lower standards. It didn't help them grow as people and it…

@missdelite: I just remember that the side of the packet said that using too much could cause intestinal distress. I've never read anything else about it other than what the package says. I imagine it's because it's made of an indigestible fiber, which would either go sailing right out of your colon or would be…

@kookoocachaw: I was thinking the same thing. I can't remember the last time I saw a "candid" photo of her looking so happy and healthy. Good for her!

@Eralc Alegna: My cousin is going through that trouble, too. Sh ehas problems with fluid building up in her chest cavity, and after many, many different drugs learned that an ultra-low-salt diet is the only thing that helps. She has a terrible time finding packaged food she can eat.

@missdelite: Also, doesn't stevia cause diarrhea in when consumed in larger-than-recommended quantities?

@luwanda26: That's a misinterpretation of "processed." They mean limit your intake of refined sugars, bleached flour, boiled anything, and food laden with preservatives. Yogurt, cheese and vinegar are *not* processed, they are cultured. That's an entirely different category of food.

@Eralc Alegna: I think the demonization of salt happened in the 70's or 80's, during the era of Mrs. Dash. I remember my grandfather wasn't allowed to have salt after his heart attack (in about 1982 or so) and we always had to have Mrs. Dash or a salt substitute in the house when he came over. There was a time when…

@Sylvia Plastered: Your ideas intrigue me and I wish to subscribe to your newsletter.

@missdelite: I'm sorry, but there is no scientific basis to what you're saying. There are beneficial bacteria and fungi in your digestive tract, you want them to grow. They typically live on food humans can't digest, like alpha- and beta-galactoside sugars (found in veggies and beans) and cellulose fibers. Ingested…

@LikeChai: Yeah, the soft drinks are way too sweet. I gave them up a few years ago and now I can't drink them, since my taste buds have lost their resistance to all that corn syrup. I can still enjoy Mexican soda, though, which isn't typically as sweet as the United States stuff.

@elvy: I'm getting married in a couple months and want a non-traditional dress. That would be the one if I could afford it.

@EmD_MD: Man, he's just such a douchebag. Like, I know it's all part of his persona and what have you, but it can really be a bit much.

@rd2uk: It used to be that if you couldn't fit in the seat, you either had to buy a second seat or they could tell you to get off the plane. Southwest has been doing some bullshit lately, though, where random flight and gate crew members tell passengers they can't board (or must deplane) even though they *can* fit in…

@whatwouldjanedo: Southwest still gives the snacks away for free . . .

@philtastic: Ooh, yeah, you need to tread lightly. As long as it's just the barrettes and nothing else too twee, you can probably get away with it. I'm 31 and manage to pull off wearing a pendant with hello kitty riding a unicorn. I think that's because nothing else on my person screams "babydoll."

@rowingrowingrowing: Yeah, I have to bite my tongue not to say "if god created DNA, why is it so full of non-coding garbage?" Still, as long as they keep their faith out of my life, who am I to argue?