@slightlyhardup: I was *just* explaining this to someone about 15 minutes ago when he asked how I could possibly be so peppy on a Monday morning. Breaking a soaking sweat releases so many good chemicals in the body that I feel like crap when I don't go—not a "guilty" crap, but a "I need a hit" crap.

@brillow: I had an observant Muslim student from Africa who came to class one day and told me he had enjoyed a bacon cheeseburger at Burger King. I do not share his (or any) religious beliefs, but I did tell him that bacon was a form of pork. He was horrified of course, but realized that since it was not on purpose,…

I've been a vegetarian for over 30 years and if I know I'm going to be someplace that won't necessarily accomodate my dietary choices, I'll eat something ahead of time. If anybody notices that I'm not eating much, I'll explain that I'm there to enjoy their company, not just to eat. Honestly, I don't prepare meat for…

@brillow: You should probably tell them—it likely won't ruin their day, though I suspect that your "enjoy it" comment means you don't actually give a fuck if you do or not.

@Kate Tastrophe: I've been a vegetarian for over 30 years and my friends know that I'll have awesome, meat-free food and plenty of it. Your house, your rules. Would a non-smoker be expected to keep cigarettes on hand for a smoker, or a recovering alcoholic a stocked liquor cabinet?

@mox: Yep, it that was steel, she'd be casually carrying 305 pounds. I take exception because that was my winning lift 5 years ago and my face didn't look quite so "angelic".

@SheelaNaGig: My 75 year old mother would always have a really hard time breathing going up subway stairs during visits. One day she was chewing gum and I noticed her breathing was normal. Now, when she visits, I always have a pack of gum in my purse.

I lost significant weight on the High Stress/Low Income diet in graduate school.

A guy broke up with me once because one of my best guy friends is large. He wanted to know if I'd ever slept with him, which I told him was none of his business. He was so freaked out by the very thought of it that he couldn't see me any more. I did not shed a single tear over that one.

@WorldsMeanestMom: I taught ESL for ten years and a lot of my Muslim and African students had more or less the same sentiment.

I think it is interesting how polygamy is so oppressive to women but what it really brings to light is how evolutionary unimportant males are to preservation and continuation of most species. You just don't need that many to ensure genetic diversity, given enough females.

@TwistNShout: For the elite runners, there may be cash prizes (at least for the New York Road Runners), so there's that. Road running is one of the few sports where world record holders, professional runners and a shmoe like me can compete in the same field. For about 7,990 of the 8,000 or so runners in most races I…

@SuperMeels: I've always said the plural of anecdote is not evidence. Mostly the same :-)

Since I'm a vegetarian, it should be OK to drop acid, right?

Perfect example of Poe's Law: It is impossible to parody of religious fanatics because anything you create, they can plausibly believe.

@shorty63136: it is definitely easier to get on and off over large breasts, but the seam on the zipper was chafing a bit (not the zipper itself), which is initially why I started stuffing my cleavage. I find they do offer the best support I've found so far. You can get them online for about half the price of a…

@shorty63136: Home Depot sells these microfiber cloths—blue squares about 10" per side. Anyway, I roll up a few, put one under each breast (with a "tail" hanging out from under the band to stop chafing, and another sort of jammed between my breasts under a very snug champion zip-front bra. Handles sweat and helps…

@colormeroutine: I totally agree with you that to expect people to drop everything to spend a week indulging you is rude. Arranging options can be a good idea though. For my 40th I had multiple celebrations ranging from hanging out at the Museum of Natural History (which is pay-what-you-wish and kid-friendly), to a…

Maybe we should look into forced polyamory for adults as well. After all, statistics bear out that a lot of violence and pain results from exclusive romantic relationships.

@doit2julia: took the words right out of my mouth.