Totally. It’s a form of separate but equal. If suddenly you just have a Best Actor category where everyone is considered for the award equally (although I don’t know how realistic that is), but half the nominees are getting paid substantially less because of their gender, Hollywood then has a big PR problem. Bigger…

I remember reading some (man’s) opinion about 20 years ago that while we as a society would eventually eschew these unnecessarily gendered terms, we would probably never get rid of “comedienne” because it was so ingrained in our language. Apparently to him it was inconceivable that society would ever consider women…

I read something really interesting and touching recently about how modern languages that have kept this gendering are particularly tough for people who identify differently from the gender they present as, because every communication with them has to carry one gender or the other, and it’s usually not the one they…

There seems to be a trend among younger college graduates (I work in higher ed) to say “I’m an alumni,” and it drives me bonkers because I don’t think it’s a deliberate attempt to de-gender the word, I think they’re just ignorant. But maybe it would be cool if we DID start using “alumni” the way “them” is being used…

That’s cool, I mean, the real Santa was probably bla—no wait, that’s Jesus.

Caper madness is totally a thing, though.

Well, THAT’s an Internet k-hole!

I follow a girl in Glasgow on Twitter, and she and all her friends have these enormous painted-on eyebrows. It’s apparently a thing there? Even just for regular college girls. It’s so fucking weird looking.

Hey lawmakers dumbasses! I felt way weirder about my appendix being disposed of as medical waste than either of the two dead embryos I had removed. I carried that thing around inside me for 30 years!

That dude is going to herzog himself right out of a career if he doesn’t stfu.

I’ve definitely heard of having your car seat installation checked at the police or fire station, but I’ve never heard of people at the hospital doing it (like, the valet guys?!). It seems like it would be a huge potential liability that they’d want to avoid. I’m curious to know how common this is!

Yasss - these are my favorite bras ever. Totally stocking up today!

Yasss - these are my favorite bras ever. Totally stocking up today!

Well, yeah, a suicide attempt would definitely clear the threshold. Even if it might seem to be a “cry for help” it has to be taken seriously. But for anything less than a suicide attempt it is very difficult to be placed on an involuntary hold.

Yes - I misused the word “committed” and should have said “involuntary hold.” You cannot get an involuntary hold placed on someone in Massachusetts unless they are clearly at risk of harming themselves or someone else, and the bar for proving that risk is incredibly high.

I’m really sorry. Dealing with someone who refuses to accept their illness is so tough.

Sorry. I hope you’re in a better place, both physically and mentally, now!

Good lord. In Massachusetts you practically have to be in the act of murdering someone or committing suicide to be involuntarily committed. The laws strongly favor patient rights. Which is great in theory but not when you’re trying to help your delusional relative who refuses to take her meds because she’s decided…

UMass hasn’t been called that in at least 20 years. They don’t even allow alcohol at frat parties any more!

See also: Spout hot garbage when you’re put on the spot, and get your faux-news media factory to back it up with “facts” afterwards.

A 34-year-old who calls a 19-year-old a bad kisser is a real piece of shit, but for whatever reason that kind of power dynamic feels comfortable to a lot of people on both sides of it.