Yeesh. Look, I grew up here, moved back about 8 months ago. Cost of living is MUCH cheaper here than in Illinois (where I left) and I can actually live CLOSE to work rather than 20 miles away (which was all I could afford in the Chicago area). There's less to do here, but what there IS is significantly easier to access and I don't have to pay to park!

Although I agree--Steubenville IS one of the strangest places in the world.

Although they've all been made before, over and over and over again, in Salon and every-freakin'-where else--but the main problem with this article (as others have pointed out) is that the woman she uses as her reference point doesn't appear to be obese. She has a flat stomach, toned arms, no cellulite (though the photos could easily have been Photoshopped to clean up flaws, so there's no guarantee there) so even if she lost 30 lbs, she'd probably still have a big butt (just a smaller big butt). Personally, I don't believe what was said about her starting at "120 lbs" and "chugging supplement shakes". This is a woman who works out to keep her main asset toned.

Now, what I COULD see as a point is "black and Hispanic woman are using a) women like this and b) their men's preferences as an excuse not to lose weight or at least attempt a healthy lifestyle". Which is sorta said in the article, but lost in the greater problem of using this PARTICULAR woman as an example of obesity.

The price. I'd never pay that much for a cell phone (and for me that would be its primary function). Although June 29th IS my birthday, so if Apple wants to give me a birthday present...

Oh, and I doubt it would stand up very well to my all-chewing puppy, who has the damnedest way of getting hold of my more valuable possessions. My Razr has several chew marks on it, but it still works just fine.

This is just me, but I don't like phones with exposed (uncovered) screens (due to aforementioned puppy chewing and other scratchability). So I always buy flip phones, which have ANOTHER advantage in that they are usually big enough for me to hold them between my shoulder and ear, at least for short periods of time. Don't talk to me about headphones--anyone I've ever talked to using Bluetooth I can only hear about 1 word out of 3, and any regular headphones I can't seem to keep in my ear. Only thing that would work would be a full headset, which wouldn't fit in my purse.

sooo...

Disadvantage: Exposed screen, not a flip phone

I'm sure the iPhone will be very cool, and desperately impractical for me personally.

And shoulder height/weight/breed or mix of your dog, and I'LL tell you if he's too fat. And I'll only charge you a dollar.

Actually, the answer is probably "yes". You're welcome.

Which doesn't seem THAT obscure to me. I think it was just mad that it wasn't winning! I beat it with "TED" (not the name, the action of spreading manure or hay or whatever).

Is Alfredo Linguini, correct? So nothing changed, Anonymous. Read more carefully.

I just want to say, because Stephanie made such a big deal of it, that I LIKE rats. They're intelligent, friendly, and not at all repulsive. Mice, however, stink and gross me out. Go figure.

I thought that was S. Clay Wilson, not R. Crumb?

Two different things, Muskrat. Google, my friend...

But haven't some studies found that the happiest marriages are in fact childless?

Wasn't the Bush administration supposed to bring back accountability and personal responsibility and ethics and all that other stuff they don't really give a damn about? In other words, wasn't the Bush administration supposed to be BETTER?

I'm sure someone must have already said this somewhere, but even if clinton DID commit perjury, SO WHAT?!?! What material effect does that have on THIS case?

this playground mentality is really getting out of hand.

HOw much of THAT do you see on the catwalk? Runway models aren't modeling children's clothing.

I know that after the pet food kerfuffle, even though the food I feed my dogs was not a problem, I started checking everything I buy a lot more closely. I know I can't completely avoid Chinese products, but for instance I recently went shopping for a charcoal grill. I had a choice between a $50 kettle grill made in China and an $80 kettle grill made in the U.S. I chose the $80 grill.

Rather than a skirt. And "burqua-size blindfold"? The comparison wouldn't have occurred to me.

That said, it's a strange, strange image to accompany that particular article.