So a pretty common troll retort around these parts is 'why don't you do something to help people out in real life instead of just complaining on the internet?' I've seen some variation of this cry tons of times over the years. I literally just got a response along this line last week.

You know more than the dozens of pop stars participating because you know condescension and racism when you see them. Seriously. Do they know it's Christmas? Uh, yeah. Since there's about as many Christians in Africa as there are in the US, I'm sure they're aware of a major religious holiday even if they're not able…

They're remaking "Do They Know It's Christmas"?! Isn't that the kind of like the ignorant stuff you try to make people forget you ever said when you were young and stupid? Cringe.

I worked at a Borders until it closed down. We used to carry a golfing book, with fake grass on the cover. One day, there was an odd smell coming from the sport shelves. Yes, someone had wiped their arse with the book. In public (security tags meant we knew when something was taken to the toilets).

we had heroin use as well! I worked there in 2001-2002. This is wild!

I used to work at Border's in the early 00's. Something about being in a bookstore brought out the shit ramblers. At least twice a week we would have to send someone wipe down the shit-manuscripts being left behind.

That's exactly why there should be a law that every person in America should work as a server for one year.

If you have an asshole family member who is being mean to a server (or a customer service person) speak the fuck up and tell them that they have no right to speak to a person that way, if said person is being totally nice and helpful. You're just enabling that behavior and that's not okay. Excuses are bullshit; treat…

You know, it's interesting: Men's Rights Activists always complain that feminists ignore problems facing men. And then when a feminist addresses a problem that harms men, as Anita is doing right here, they attack her for it.

One of the things that is very hard for the white fellow over 30 to accept, and I speak from experience, is that nobody wants to hear what we think about popular music. At best, we're weirdos trying to keep hip and at worst we're yelling at kids to get off our lawn.

I think what you're trying to say is "if I can tell you're not a man and/or not white from your writing, I think you're a shitty writer."

As any science gal would tell you, this bullshit suffers from serious selection bias. If you're in the kind of relationship where you are cooking semi-elaborate meals for your SO, and own the resources to prepare and serve this kind of meal, you are already part of a narrow demographic that is likely about to get…

So basically you're a centrist fetishist who dabbles in false equivalency like all other centrist fetishists.

Vegan cheesecake is made with cashews. Why not just call it cashew cake?! Then when I order it, I won't be inherently disappointed.

Eating the faux meat (to me) seems like breaking up with someone, then keeping a poorly drawn picture of them around to talk to now and again.

I was invited to dine at a new restaurant in town on its opening day, a vegan restaurant advertised as a place that a carnivore would enjoy. I tried fake chicken wings, a vegan bacon cheeseburger (very "Portlandia") and a "cheesesteak" made with thin slices of seitan. The fake bacon and hamburger meat were horrible…

EXACTLY!

Hey, now, I'm not slapping plates of vegan food off of people's tables or anything, I just question the ideological resolve of someone who still wants to eat something that looks like the animal he quit eating.

Damn, is it that bad not eating meat, that vegans have to lie to themselves to eat their awful food? If all you serve is soy, just fucking serve soy! Stop trying to pretty it up with fancy shapes and names of foods you're too good to eat!

It's probable that both had an influence.