A better book to fill your mind would be Yes Means Yes: Visions of Female Sexual Power and a World Without Rape which strives to redefine how we value female sexuality. The authors want to take the discussion of female sexuality and rape beyond the "no means no" level. While their idea of ending rape is ovelry simplistic, their thoughts on the matter of how we view women, men and sexuality are very thought-provoking.

I love the PSA, but Portia did leave out a major segment of people she needs to apologize to - married heterosexuals. In the next PSA she should apologize to Laurel, who's status in her marriage was reduced by Portia and Ellen's marriage. I'm not really sure in what ways Laurel is now a second class citizen in her marriage, but as a feminist I don't like the sound of it. Fight back Laurel! End gay marriage and become your husband's equal!

"In the end, the campaign delivers the same old message (your body is gross) with the same old objective (capitalizing on women's shame to make them pliant consumers)."

Not the commercial you posted here. It said very clearly that periods are inconvenient - arriving on your beach vacation or your honeymoon - which is true. Nothing about gross or shameful.

Ads for products like feminine deodorant spray or douches may be sending a message that your body is gross and you better do something about it because they aren't inherently necessary. But tampons? Kinda necessary.

Cary gave good advice - figure out what you want. Do you want to be her friend or do you want this nasty confrontation to be gone? Two different things.

The groom could be forgive for a thoughtless comment and for not being funny. The bride on the other hand would be dead to me. First she yelled at you and then she returned your letter. You tried, she didn't. Is the friendship worth it?

The lesson here is, if you can't afford to go or don't want to go, don't go. Don't show up at someone's wedding with your resentment brimming under the surface. That, coupled wit a selfish bride and groom, is a recipe for disaster. People are always complaining about bridezilla's and selfish couples and their wedding plans, but if you're going to the wedding, you're condoning their behavior. Just say no.

I wonder why so many of us bite on this Palin stuff.It's over. . . Could it be that we are afraid that we may succumb to another bad choice,like George W. Bush?

Yes, that's exactly it. Every time the Palin family acts like a Jerry Springer family, every time Palin herself bungles her media coverage or "distorts" the truth, we are reassured that the Republicans best hope for 2012 is not a threat at all. I guess they'll have to rely on their other favorite, Rush Limbaugh. I'd love to see those two running against each other in a primary!

I'm not inclined to blame the victim here. I'd blame family dynamics. The sisters have a long standing tradition of treating the LW like the odd-man out. Even though everyone's grown up and become closer, some family dynamics are so deeply ingrained that people fall back into them very easily. LW, keep working on your relationships with your sisters but maybe avoid these kind of group activities. And take the advice of an earlier poster - speak up when it's happening. Say "hey, why didn't you wait for me to share a taxi?" say "I could use some help in here." Maybe you shouldn't have to, but speaking up will be more effective than letting it turn into something ugly.

In the meantime, I'd talk to the friend. She probably has no idea that getting along with your sisters was hurtful to you (why should she?). Tell her a little about your history with your sisters and how this vacation they were treating you the way they used to. Let her figure out her own role in it, you shouldn't have to spell it out. Her reaction will tell you a lot about what kind of friend she is.

pageiger - Earth Shoes are still around. Crocs probably will be for a long time.

I never owned a pair of the traditional crocs (although my kids did) but I have croc flip flops and they are by far the most comfortable flip flops you can find (and they look normal, too). I'm sure they'll survive with some design changes.

Yes, crocs are ugly but really people, you get this worked up about a shoe? When you get to the point where you're spewing hateful posts about a shoe, you've got to step back and reflect a moment.

I'm happy for this couple, they found a nice way to celebrate their marriage and stay in their budget. They sound like normal people.

But is this really news? I know "bridezilla" stories are all the rage but does Salon really think that a couple with the right priorities and a low budget are so out of the ordinary they need to be highlighted in an essay? Just because the media doesn't usually report on normal down-to-earth people doesn't mean they are so unusual. I know more people who have weddings like this couple than I know bridezilla types.

'take your drinking water to the next level'

I might have to subscribe to Goop - it sounds endlessly entertaining! If only GP wasn't so repulsive...