Nature always finds a way to make "corrections" to its animal populations; only those with extreme arrogance and hubris would deny than human beings are subject to these forces of control...

Natural "disasters" - in truth, simply natural phenomena: hurricanes, volcanoes, tsunamis

Plagues - virus pandemics

Weather pattern changes - Ice Age, drought, floods etc.

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Even with Man's folly - you know, a Nuclear Holocaust here, a little genocide there - we are a mutated drug-resistant bacteria or virus away from thinning a couple billion people from the Global Herd.

So don't sweat overpopulation, my friends. Nature will take care of the problem that is Us...

We've only been here for 100,000 years. As far as species go, we have no track record of survival to boast about on a 4 billion year-old planet, do we?

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When a population becomes an infestation, who are ya gonna call?

Mother Nature.

Cheers,

Bubonic lonewolfy

"Dear Diary, I lied to you yesterday about those Funyons."

ROFLMAO....oh Lynn, that's some good stuff! =)

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I think the swing back to....umm, eating again...simply reflects a reality that all the Diet / Nutrition / Atkins / South Beach / Macrobiotic / Raw foods gurus don't want you to hear:

Every food is fine...in moderation.

So have a couple strips of good bacon with a couple eggs for breakfast every once in a while.

Enjoy some spinach & cheddar quiche - every once in a while.

A genuine, greasy Philly cheesesteak every once in a while? Sure!!

Once the portion sizes are sensible, and you make sure to also eat your veggies & fruits daily, you'll be fine, people.

Moderation: a wonderful, tasty alternative to extremes of deprivation (no carbs for 1000 years, punishable by death!) and binging (hello, all-u-can-eat buffet!)

People, remember we are hearing one version of events here.

The LW never mentions what kind of "grope" occurred. Everyone has different definitions of what physical contact they like or dislike.

Did the offending guy grab her butt or boobs, or caress her neck without permission? Sure, we can agree that was groping.

Did he hug her one second too long? Did he make any physical contact with her at all - a light incidental touch as he was squeezing past her to go to the loo?

Some people hate being touched at all. The LW's ambiguity about what constitutes "groping" is not a good sign.

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Furthermore, for those who jump to the conclusion that the bf and his guys must be sexist pigs - again, different sensitivities for different people.

I luv recounting the story that a feminist housemate of a college buddy accused me of sexual harassment because I ate a banana in her presence.

In some circles, telling a dirty joke makes the teller (and all who might laugh, regardless of gender or philosophies) misogynist pigs.

In other circles, it's just fine for everyone involved.

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Bottom line: I agree that the LW and her man should break up, and find more compatible people for themselves.

I don't agree with the knee-jerk stereotyping and judgement going on in this comment thread that is based on one person's account of the state of things/people.

Riiiight - Because at age 17, you were the perfect paragon of gentlemanly behavior, maturity and wisdom - weren't you?

God, how I hate self-righteous boomer pricks such as you.

May I ask how do you think a 49-year old "Greatest Generation" man would have looked upon you and your peers when YOU were age 17-27?

Best of all, you use the tiny micro-subset of some music education punks as justification to generously slather your scorn over ALL young males.

When did you boomers learn to make such asinine, holier-than-thou generalizations? The '60s, man? The '70s, duuuude?

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I'll let you go now so you can scream at those damn kids to get off your lawn...

And I will comfort myself with the thought that finally your Boomer generation - a bunch of pompous, coddled brats who always idolized themselves as the greatest gift to the universe - are gonna all be irrelevant geriatrics very soon...(dependent on hardworking Gen-Xers like me to keep your Social Security system afloat, of course)

And as you shuffle off to your bowls of mashed peas, perpetually congratulating yourself for revolutionizing the world, mannnn!, we Gen-Xers will be able to start solving the problems you left for us - the environment you all fucked up, etc.

Go thee quietly into the night, curmudgeonly old fart.

I've never had a desire to drop acid, forsake hygiene and dance to a jam band.

Sure, I would have liked to have participated in the Civil Rights protests, etc....

But I've never been jealous of those who would later sellout all their causes, turn Republican and nervously cross the street when a minority is walking towards them (the way my white boomer neighbors do)...

***************

I'm part of the Generation that's trying to solve the world's problems by action, not by weekend music festivals.

Gen X and Gen Y kids are volunteering, practicing green living, joining the Peace Corps and trying to serve their fellow man in ways you self-absorbed Boomers could only dream of...

While you all are busy congratulating yourselves for....what, exactly? Fucking the environment? Neoconservatism? Racism, sexism and homophobia that simply went underground, but never disappeared?...

We are finally able to take some control. And come November, the USA will hopefully have its first (tail-end) Generation X president, Barack Obama - to clean up the mess that Boomer Dubya hath wrought.

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Finally, you want some respect from the "kids" like me?

You have to earn it in the first place.