Midwest Airlines has done this. Even though I'm a petite shrimpy, I love those wide seats. I would think it would be less embarrassing if larger folks had the opportunity to sit in a larger seat without having to cough up double the airfare of pay the high price for first class.

I also think that we aren't talking about people who are 20-50 lbs overweight, but hundreds of pounds. I really can't imagine Kate Harding being pulled aside and being asked to buy a 2nd seat. I can only recall two instances where an overweight person "invaded" my space. In one instance, I lifted the armrest between my husband and myself and scooted over so the big guy next to me could have half my seat. In the other instance, the stewardness kindly reseating a woman to the front row without making a fuss about it. She seemed grateful given that she was very uncomfortable in her assigned seat.

As has been mentioned people are getting larger. It seems that the airlines could find a way to address this with the least amount of embarrassment possible while still looking out for the comfort of all their paying passengers. I wish we could go back to the cabin seating of the 70s and 80s, but it just isn't going to happen without customers willing to pay more.

see Godwin's law: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Godwin's_law

Seriously, who cares what Cheney says on Fox News. The majority of Americans have a low opinion of him and a small percentage bother to watch Hannity. Come on Salon, can't you find something more relevant?

I guess Flanagan doesn't realize who she's up against. I expect Baldwin is maddly penning a response to Flanagan. At least I hope he is. Using Baldwin's daughter to make a point is indefensable, regardless of how one might feel about the parents. She's a kid, she can't defend herself. Flanagan doesn't know what happened between the parties involved and reading her article made me think she's an ever bigger jerk than I'd imagined.

When I read the article I got the impression that Ashwell wasn't really ready to expand. The parts where she talks about having to compromise, opening in locations she hadn't really thought of, hiring new people in key positions in a short period of time and turmoil that causes, etc. There's something about the tone of the article that almost sounds like her heart really wasn't in it. Interesting. Maybe success IS enough.

All this angst over what type of wedding a feminist should have is as excruciatingly annoying as the stay at home mom vs. working mom and breast feeding debates. It seems that we haven't really evolved as far as we think if we women continue to hand wring and beat each other up over such personal choices. I just don't understand Kate's concern nor why she thinks anyone would care. Same goes for Ms. Valenti. Do what you want, don't make a big deal out your decision, enjoy it, and move on.

Why all the overwrought mean spirited responses to this article. I'll disregard the person who clearly has a raging case of feminism derangement syndrome. But, all the epithets thrown at the author are ridiculous. I don't see how bragging about how you only spend $100 a month or gleefully eat processed foods is any less obnoxious.

There are a whole lotta folks who seem to have a problem getting the obvious snark in this piece. I wonder how many posted a letter without bothering to read the article. This childfree reader laughed, HH.

Thanks for sharing your anecdata, so I'll share mine. SAHMs where I live shop at Target and Walmart. Some SAHMs I know even have nannies. Shocking! I don't know a single SAHM who makes their own clothes and grows their own food. But I do know two working moms who do.

Yes, she and some others are that fucking stupid.

Thanks to the person who copied and pasted the first person account of the couple who faced such a terrible situation. These anti-choicers have no clue, absolutely no fucking idea what it is like to be the shoes of someone who needs a late term abortion to save their life or because the fetus has horrific health defects. So spare us your moralizing. Until you've walked in the shoes of those women and couples, know someone who has been through it, or can show an iota of compassion for them, I don't care what you think about it.

And, Readerreader, as reasonable and respectful as you can be, you really should try to show some compassion for the women involved. Dr. Tiller didn't steal these women off the street and force them to abort. They came to him! Go and read some of the first person accounts of these women. I have no problem with people who are anti-choice, but please open your heart a little bit.

So that's what they're calling ghostwriters these days. Come on, there's no way Conrad wrote more than a rough plot outline. Must be sweet to get paid for doing nothing more strenuous than vapid famewhoring. And no personalized autographs? How bizarre. She's an minor TV personality, not a world renowned award winning author.