What an awesome week! Sami got her baby back on Days of Our Lives and Al Gore was on 30 Rock. Plus I’m in the middle of a really good book. Seriously could life be any better? HELLO FRIDAY re: FIERCE ANTICIPATION: November 13-15, in which Ryan Dixon dissed both 2012 and Cincinnati. Kyle: I just watched 2012 at midnight last night, and it was like 10,000 time better than I thought it would be, I actually kind of enjoyed it. Cincinnati has Graeter’s ice cream, and unless you have tried that you can’t really say anything bad about Cincinnati. I had to bribe a security guard at the school post office to brake in so that the ice cream my grandma send me would not melt… it was the best money I ever spent. PHILOSOPHICAL MONDAY re: Tall Drink of Nerd: Bonding Over Board Games, in which Amy Robinson confessed that she hails from a family of cold-hearted trash talkers and solicited suggestions for more board games for them diss each other over. (Thought) Chuck: My brother turned me on to “Settlers of Catan” and that’s a really fun one – too bad it’s only good for 4 players (6 with the expansion set.) Another one we played this weekend which we enjoyed a lot was “Bang” – it’s a spaghetti western card game where outlaws and renegades try to shoot the sherrif and vice versa. We played with about 10 people and it was hysterical. We also played a farming strategy game called “Agricola” which was cute. Another fun one that is similar is “Guillotine” – a card game where you collect nobles from a line of people on their way to be executed. You can play cards that screw other players...

Is it just me or was this a really crazy week at (1-year) ole Fierce and Nerdy. We had placenta bears, religion, and cemeteries and it ain’t even Halloween yet! But here are the best of the best comments from the week. HELLO FRIDAY re: Guess the Random Lyric [Friday], in which guest lyric-giver CH tried to win the week with “Brown Sugar” by the Rolling Stones. Joshua: Arg, I’m awful at these, so rather than simply try to guess it I’m going to, by process of elimination help the rest of you by saying with some hesitation that I’m RELATIVELY sure this song isn’t from Slayer :p PHILOSOPHICAL MONDAY re: Fierce in Seattle: That Time of the Year, in which Kelli Bielema encouraged all women to get an annual mammogram — even if you’re under 40. All of the comments were great, but I chose this one, b/c she used the word “boobies.” Peg: very cool. I had a mammo b/c I was having pain in my boobies and they thought there may have been abnormalities so I had to have an MRI. It was very scary but everything came back ok. We kind of decided it was due to an increase in caffeine as I had just started drinking “water joe”. I don’t drink coffee or soda so I think my body was just freaking a bit.  Anyhoo, now I drink green tea and my boobs don’t hurt anymore but I’m still scared. OH, IT’S TUESDAY re: Book Simple: The Perfect Short Story for Office Drones, in which our newest blogger, Amy Brown admits she doesn’t like short stories, but then goes on to explain why Melville’s “Bartleby, the Scrivener” just might be the perfect short story for office workers everywhere. JWR:...

Well, you might have noticed a change in my mood (picture) and yes, that means that I’ve finally finished my big HarperCollins rewrite. I could not be happier about this, and I’m super-excited to get back to the second novel, even if I’m not sure it will sell, since it’s way outside of my first novel’s genre. Ah well, at least I have the stability of your comments here on FaN. Check out our best of from below: HELLO FRIDAY Best Line From A Post You Should Have Read: [If] you look at a pair of tomatoes a certain way, and you cup them in your hands, and you’re maybe a little hard up, you might possibly think of breasts or testicles.  The French did call them “apples of love.” — Roya Hamadani, Fierce Foodie: Nice Tomatoes PHILOSOPHICAL MONDAY re: The Great Wide Betty, in which I wondered what Betty will be like when she grows up. Polly: You can discover a child every single day as they change and grow into a citizen of the world. This is one of the great joys of having a child in your life. Just knowing them is an adventure. OH, IT’S TUESDAY re: NewlyNested: $300,000 For A Miniature House, in which Debra Goykhman lamented shopping for a house Southern California. DebraB: We just bought a house in the LA area and, yeah, it is super expensive. I don’t know where your hometown is, but mine is in middle of nowhere Texas. Yes, I could have gotten a mansion for the price I paid for my modest one story here, but then…I’d be living in middle of nowhere Texas. So, first, you have to stop comparing the market here to anywhere else. Pay more attention to the...

Good Gawd, mama’s tired. Miss Betty is calling herself trying to cut a tooth, and she has been letting us know that she’s not happy about this situation at various times in the morning for like two nights now. Not cool, man. Not cool. But at least the comments did us right this weeked. Check ’em out! HELLO FRIDAY re: Fierce Anticipation: Sept. 18-20, in which Ryan Dixon rhapsodized about his love for Buffalo Wild Wings, which thankfully has opened a location in Burbank as of Monday, Sept. 21st. Ronnn: Ryan: I cannot believe that you like Buffalo Wild Wings over the awesome Quaker Steak & Lube Wings, or the huge Coney wings in downtown Indiana. PHILOSOPHICAL MONDAY re: Three Line Lunch: Red Waits, in which Jeff Rogers waxes poetic about his dog, Red, who is nearly blind and deaf, but continues to wait for him by the door, even though he often can’t see or hear him come in. marsha: sniff. and smile. at the same time. thank you for this OH, IT’S TUESDAY re: Political Physics: Will the Christian Right Be the Death of the Republican Party?, in which Monique King-Viehland wonders if the Republican Party is getting eaten alive by its right-wing, Christian base. CH: I do wonder if the Goldwater Republicans and Blue dog Democrats shouldn’t start a third party that reflects [their] views? It seems like both of them are being marginalized by the current system. WOW, IT’S WEDNESDAY re: Wonderfully Awful: Kitty Poop Chronicles, in which Robin Rosenzweig chronicled her cat’s battle with diarrhea puddles, which he made all over the apartment. Good times. AmyQOTWF: When our cat KoE had her glands expressed, she had the worst diarrhea. She would be laying next to me and get that...

Whatta week! We celebrated our 1-year blogoversary and as it turns out it now takes me more than a week to clean up real good for a big event, like this weekend’s Technical Emmys. But enough about that, let’s get into the best comments of the week: HELLO FRIDAY re: Fierce Anticipation: Sept 5-7, in which Ryan Dixon told us about Jordan’s, magical furniture store with a Yankee-eating green monster at the entrance. At least one reader was offended: Jersey Joe: I am shocked and dismayed over the Yankee eating green monster. That sir, will assure the world, that I will never set foot in this chain, ever. Thank you for your excellent coverage, so I do not spend any of my hard earned dollars on a Red Sox loving establishment… OH, IT’S TUESDAY re: Political Physics: Is it Socialist to Care About “The Least of These,” in which Monique put forth the question of whether we as a people have a responsibility to take care of “the least of these” in our society. Of course the discourse quickly turned to health care. All of the comments were great, but I’m using this one, b/c it reflects the diversity of opinion that can be found at FaN: Debra: For the most part, I’ve kept my nose out of this issue with friends because I know very few of them agree with my political beliefs, but why not? I consider myself both a Christian and a Republican. I care about the less fortunate. I give to charities and donate to my church. I bake for bake sales to benefit people in need. I help with all the various charity drives they have at my office during the year. However, I do not believe in public...

Whatta week, and is it me or has this summer going by incredibly fast? How is it almost Fall already? Anywho, I’m a little too exhausted today to think up a good transition, so I’ll just say, here are the best comments of the week: HELLO FRIDAY re: FIERCE ANTICIPATION: August 14-16, in which Ryan compared Madden 10 to Oedipus. With a straight face. He also claimed his out-of-work roommate of watched Jerry Springer and Steve Wilkos all day. His roommate shot back with libel accusations. Joe: I have NEVER watched Jerry Springer or Maury Povich in the apartment. And I don’t know who Steve Wilkos is. Ryan’s just wants to protect the stores of Diet Coke in the apartment. I have to walk past him to the kitchen to get a drink, and I feel like Bilbo Baggins sneaking past the dragon Smaug to burgle something from his hoard of jewels. PHILOSOPHICAL MONDAY re: Single White Nerd: Wherefore Art Thou Creepy, in which Michael Kass asked readers to explain the motivations of aggressive creepy guys — so that he can avoid becoming one himself. AmyQOTWF: The creepy guy is like that because every so often a lady is so drunk or creepy herself that it works out for him. I have watched, in shocked amazement, at least a few times as the guy who was lean-y, aggressive and inappropriate with me earlier in the night, left the bar with a female. Creepy desperate chicks exist too and they aren’t helping the cause to chase off the creep. OH, IT’S TUESDAY re: NewlyNested: The First Rule of Book Club, in which Debra Goykhman goes from being an academic snob to a book club afficionado. Anne: I started a book club at our last house...

Just what is in Sauce Americaine and how should one properly spell “yay?” We’ve learned a lot this week at good ole Fierce and Nerdy. Check it out: HELLO FRIDAY re: Fierce Anticipation: July 24-26, in which Ryan Dixon told us the worst guinea pig story in the history of ever. Seriously, you’ve got to read it to believe it. Larry: Was that the original script to “G-Force”? Troma Films present…a Lloyd Kaufman film…”G-Force: The Carnage.” I’ll have to show this to my daughter when she grows up. Oh…and thanks for mention of my late mother’s breast. Classy! PHILOSOPHICAL MONDAY re: Tall Drink of Nerd: Recession Recess, in which Amy Robinson gives us a bunch of great free, recession-ready workout tips, including monkey bar pull-ups. Her husband co-signed that check in the comments: Seen: Just to reinforce what Amy said, she does look ridiculous when she’s doing her exercises. (I’m just kidding, she looks sexy, but she’s too modest to say that), but it’s not about how you look, it’s about feeling better and I can tell you that nothing makes you feel better than getting out in the fresh air. Here’s a website and podcast to prove it. http://www.alleghenyfront.org/story.html?storyid=… OH, IT’S TUESDAY re: Political Physics: Dying for Reform, in which Monique King-Viehland put forth that self-serving, insurance-company pandering Democrats may be the biggest obstacle to getting healthcare reform passed. Donna: See this reminds me of the old saying……You Cannot Trust Anyone!! WOW, IT’S WEDNESDAY re: How Do You Spell “Yay!”, in which we wondered after the proper spell of this popular exclamation: is it yea, yay, or yeah? Final verdict: slpc: I’m usually a nice person, but not when it comes to people who write “Yea” for “yay.” It’s “Yay! I’m excited!” Like...

Hey guys! Whatta a week. And of course the comments were wonderful as usual. Check out our best of… HELLO FRIDAY re: Fierce OR Nerdy: Aliens vs. Ghosts, in which slpc asked us to compare the scariness and sexiness of ghosts and aliens. JessicaH: Not so scared of ghosts – not so believing in aliens (at least not in their having been to earth)… But ghosts I bet can be pretty sexy (i.e., Ghostbusters)…. Maybe. Can I switch my vote to robots? PHILOSOPHICAL MONDAY re: Single White Nerd: Love in the Time of Twilight, in which Michael Kass feels sorry for the boys that have to compete against the Edward Cullen ideal in order to get laid. (Thought) Chuck: I don’t know about wanting to be a 200-year-old adolescent pretty boy – but to me the whole TWILIGHT thing is all about the boy NOT biting (i.e. kissing or screwing) the girl – which is why straight males are doomed if their girlfriends want guys who emulate the characters portrayed in the movie. Who wants to have a girlfriend or boyfriend who is all about tortured yearning & aching without any kind of relief of all that teen “angst” or “pressure?” Yet perhaps the biggest irony in all of this is that, despite all this so-called “abstinence marketing appeal,” teens (and especially teen girls) are having more & more sex at younger & younger ages. So perhaps there IS hope out there for you underage horndogs! OH, IT’S TUESDAY re: The Short of the Matter, in which I lamented being told I would be tall … and then ending my growth spurt at 5’3. DebraB: I’ve always wanted to be 5’6″. I’m hoping my daughter makes it there. Based on her father’s height, she...

Hey Darlings, Bad dates + Vicodin + Secret Foods = a great first week back with comments to match. Check out our best of below: HELLO FRIDAY re: Fierce OR Nerdy: America vs. USA in which slpc asked us to choose between “America (the Beautiful)” and “Proud to be an American.” BabySmiling: How about a write-in vote for Neil Diamond’s America?  “Today!” PHILOSOPHICAL MONDAY re: Single White Nerd: Real Life vs. Blog Land in which Michael Kass gets prematurely dumped after a date Googles him and finds his past Fierce and Nerdy blog posts. Doh! keldoo: She seems rather judgemental and completely lacking in the sense of humor department. And PS, [if] you’ve googled the person you are on a date with. You’re supposed to put that information in your back pocket and use it when necessary. OH, IT’S TUESDAY re: Hasta La Vista, Vicodin? in which we informed you that the federal gov’t is taking under consideration a proposal to ban Percoset and Vicodin. (Thought) Chuck: Oh noes indeed! What will people like Liza Minelli & Rush Limbaugh do?!?!?! SERIOUSLY!!! WOW! IT’S WEDNESDAY! re: Our Secret Foods, in which we asked if you had any secret foods — foods that you only eat when no one else is watching. Apparently, many of you do. Here are just a few of them: CH: Hostess chocolate donuts. keldoo: Twinkies. Frozen. Always…. Robin: Spoonfuls of store bought cake frosting. aimee: i had crunch berries for dinner! they made me sick but i may go back for more… Kim: When I was a kid I used to sneak in the kitchen and slice off hunks of salami then hide the wrappers between my mattress and headboard. Somehow I foolishly thought my mom would never find all those...

Cars for Hamsters, Jack v. Jill Jock Stats, Fame, and a Traveling Geek Show! That’s a pretty nerdy sampling of the week. And here’s more: HELLO FRIDAY re: Fierce OR Nerdy, in which slpc asked us to choose between Up and Down or Around… Justin_Time: Teacups = Upchucks. Give me a coaster any day. PHILOSOPHICAL MONDAY re: Fierce in Seattle: Another Year Under the Belt, in which Kelli Bielema celebrated the experience and confidence that comes with age… Katy Brisbois: Kel! I love ya! And so sorry I missed your birthday! You have always been a creative inspiration for me and now wisdom falls in with it! OH, IT’S TUESDAY re: Political Physics:  Skids, Mudflap and Race in Transformers ROTF, in which Monique King-Viehland examined the continuing portrayal of black stereotypes in Hollywood… Brent: …in “Transformers 2”, it wasn’t just the Amos & Andy-bots that offended me. There was also the stupid, midget Egyptian border agent. The stupid, buck-toothed, brown foreigner (either African or East Indian) butcher. As well as the depiction of Paris as a place where we Americans have to endure stupid, rude mimes interrupting us while we try to eat their horrible food (ooh snails – gross!). (More Nerds After the Jump…) WOW! IT’S WEDNESDAY! re: Wonderfully Awful: Wonderfully Wonderful, in which Robin Rosenzweig shared with us her badass engagement, roller-derby style, and Ernessa resurfaced to comment… ernessa: Ohhhh! What a wonderful proposal!!! Perfect mix of derby and romance. Mazel Tov! DEAR THURSDAY re: Secret Life of a Nerd Girl: Weight, how do I do this again?, in which Gudrun Cram-Drach struggles to count calories in the country where brioche is king and brie is queen… keldoo: Yeah, I’m not sure how you are surviving with all of that tempation. It’s...

It’s been an epic week to be a guest editor: Star Wars, LOTR, 4th of July Embarrassments, and Baby Betty was born! A truly momentous week for FaN. HELLO FRIDAY re: Fierce OR Nerdy, in which slpc asked us to choose between Cupcakes and Brownies. AlysiaNichole: In my opinion, blondies are simply fat cookies cut into squares or rectangles. They shall be renamed “sqookies,” short for square cookies. SPECIAL SUNDAY EDITION re: The Betty Experience: Showing Betty New Things, in which ETC lived blogged about preparing herself for the delivery room experience. Tara: My husband audio-recorded the delivery (without anyone knowing) on his iphone — so no visuals, but it was cool to hear some of it (weird as it was)! PHILOSOPHICAL MONDAY We had the MOST VISITORS EVER to FaN on Monday (!), which made it difficult to choose just one nerd for that day… so here’s five. re: The Betty Experience: Still Sleeping on my Side, in which BabySmiling: After watching many episodes of I Didn’t Know I Was Pregnant on TLC, the 9 cm lady is fine in my book as long as she knew she was pregnant in advance. Maybe she got stuck in the snow? No, that’s not it. Maybe traffic? There are people whose labors go from 0-60 very quickly, so it’s possible she’s not as bad as you think. But if she’s a good outlet for your labor aggression, go for it. Maybe Betty will beat up her kid for you in the nursery. (More Nerds After the Jump…) re: The Betty Experience: the Oxygen Mask, in which Ernessa seriously reconsidered her nurse’s qualifications after the nurse mistook Juice Newton for Abba. Tamlyn Wright: I was just reading yesterday that kissing and laughter all through contractions lets...

Chinese English-speakers! North Korea! Pregnant Fish! And that’s just the stuff that didn’t make our “best of” comments. What a crazy week… HELLO FRIDAY re: Fierce OR Nerdy, in which slpc asked us to choose between movie soldiers and movie dinosaurs. (Thought) Chuck: G.I. JOE – four words: “Channing Tatum in leather.” Umm, hello people, the choice of soldiers is now obvious! PHILOSOPHICAL MONDAY re: Fierce in Seattle: Dog Days, in which Kelli Bielema exposes the sad reality of puppy mills. Basically, if you love dogs, don’t buy them from a pet store and support your local humane society. They’re doing amazing work. Justin_Time: It’s no wonder that so many of the dogs that people buy at pet stores have bad temperaments after growing up in these kinds of conditions. I hope all these dogs find happy homes. OH, IT’S TUESDAY re: If You Ask Me: BBQ Etiquette, in which Travis Randall declares that no matter how bad the host is messing up your barbecue, you should never, ever touch his or her grill. BabySmiling: Once I was at a birthday party BBQ where a bunch of guys (they were all physicians, actually) argued for 20 minutes about the best way to get the coals lit. One guy’s stance was “More lighter fluid! More! More!” He grabbed the bottle and kept spraying, so he won the debate through sheer force. My mushrooms tasted like they’d been marinated in lighter fluid. Everything was gross — and toxic. The only people who could really eat were the vegans who’d brought their own corn wrapped in foil to keep it safe from meat residue (and by extension, lighter fluid). We all ended up eating a lot of birthday cake to make up for our lack of BBQ...

TGIF. I don’t know about you, but this week has been super-exhausting. Lots of work, lots of worry, and lots of sadness about the court’s decision not to overturn Prop 8. But at least we had great comments to keep us warm at night. HELLO FRIDAY Photo by Ariel Boston re: Fierce Antipation: May 22-24 (Robot Edition), in which Ryan Dixon says that he’s looking forward to a (near) future shared with sentient robots. KyleB: I think that you are underestimating the potential and complexities of the human body and the human mind. Why do you and so many others think that we can create in 5000(giving the benefit of the doubt) years of improvement what nature made in millions of years of improvement? Our mind keeps track of an almost infinite amount of cells/neurons/movements/actions/thoughts in an incredibly complex mechanism that we barely understand. My body can actually defend and recover and replace many vital parts without my conscious work. And when i take medication to supplement what my body does, there are lists of problems that it causes at the same time. My computer breaks down and needs serious and expensive repairs in a 3-5 year window. I keep my information spread out across many computers in case I lose it to a bad hard drive or something brakes down. Do you believe that in only 41 years robots will be able to do all of that? Don’t get me wrong, I want to have a house robot to help me clean, garden, cook, and serve guests intelligently and smoothly. But I expect that I will have to have a repair man over to fix it, and I expect that I have it sell itself on craigslist and order a replacement every 3-5 years....

Photo by Rick Audet Happy Memorial Day Weekend, guys! Before we get into the best comments of the week, friendly reminder to enter your date and time in the Baby Betty Pool. Betty won’t guess her birth date and time by herself, now will she? She needs suggestions. HELLO FRIDAY re: Fierce OR Nerdy: Swine Flu Or H1N1, in which slpc asked us to vote on our preferred name for the not-as-deadly-as-the-MSM-thought-it-would-be flu virus currently doing the rather anti-climatic rounds. (Thought)Chuck: Both names are misleading and have their drawbacks. Calling it “swine flu” infers that the virus came specifically from pigs, when influenza is actually a virus that originates in the intestinal tracts of birds and which then mutates (“antigen shift”) and is transferred inter-species, in many cases to pigs. True, the virus can mutate further than is normal and become more virulent & dangerous (“antigen drift”) while in the pigs, but still the disease is not native to pigs. Calling it H1N1 is also “off-the-mark,” in that this virus we have encountered today is a descedant of, but not THE SAME AS, the virus which was originally identified by its genetic code as H1N1 and which caused the influenza pandemic of 1918-1919. This new virus, though potentially dangerous, has not yet shown the adaptability to humans and high transferrance & lethality rates that the 1918 virus had – and which made it so deadly. Check out John barry’s THE GREAT INFLUENZA for a fascinating, concise account of the 1918 pandemic, as well as a great “science for non-scientists” look at how viruses behave. PHILOSOPHICAL MONDAY re: The Most Practical Road to Mad Love, in which I admitted to creating an apartment-in-a-few-bags back-up plan, when I moved in with my then-BF, now-husband and asked...

Whatta week, whatta week! Spock, Rats, Responsible Procreation — you know, there’s an app for that… HELLO FRIDAY re: Fierce OR Nerdy, in which slpc asked you to choose between Fierce (Wolverine) or Nerdy (Spock). cybele: I’m not sure how I feel about sci-fi movies/tv’s belief that all members of a species must have the same haircut (and clothes) all the time. Vulcans live for something like 200 years … do they all always have that shiny bowl/bangs cut? PHILOSOPHICAL MONDAY re: Rat-A-Cutie, in which I posted one pic of a sleeping rat that was actually cute and two that were supposed to be cute but completely skeeved me out. WonderfullyAwflRobin: I had a pet rat, too, and she was an adorable and sweet little thing. When you live in an apartment that isn’t dog or cat-friendly, rats can be a good alternative if you want to have a pet. The problem is that they live long enough for you to grow attached, but don’t live much longer than that. But yeah, if I found a rat in my kitchen drinking Dr. Pepper, I would most certainly freak out. OH, IT’S TUESDAY re, Political Physics: To Birth or Not Birth, in which Monique King-Viehland asked whether it was fiscally or socially responsible to bring children into the world right now. AmyQOTWF: As a woman who is choosing not to procreate, those types of thoughts have about 2% bearing on my decision. They are so negative and just stinkin’ thinkin’. I totally agree with Ernessa, awesome people should bring more awesome babies into the world! Sure there is a lot of madness with this whole global warming dealie, wars, repressions, etc… but hey, we don’t know what the world is going to be like in...

Hey guys! Make sure to stop in next week when one, possibly two HUGE announcements will be made re: your dedicated FaN editor. Oh, and if you haven’t weighed in on which photo I should get made into Michel Gondry sketch, please do so here, as I’m going by your results and sending in the photo this weekend. Til then we had a doozy of a week in comments. Let’s revisit some of our faves: HELLO FRIDAY re: Wagner vs. Coachella, in which Evil E and Kasey Bomber brave a 5-hour Die Walkure and the Coachella festival respectively. So many good comments on this post, but this one actually made me want to sit through a 15-hour Ring Cycle. Howard L: If you’ve never seen the whole RING [in] one go, I highly recommend it. Take the week off. Do it. Immerse yourself. You will never regret it. In my 20’s i was lucky enough to work on a production of it at Seattle Opera, so saw it 7 times in one summer. It remains one of the great experiences of my life. PHILOSOPHICAL MONDAY re: Crazy Cat Ladies Are Good Marriage Material, in which we put forth the theory that having a cat might not render single ladies undateable, based on a study which found that the cat-friendliest cities in America all had more single men than single women. kim: ok I am not a social scientist but this study disproves nothing other than there are more single men than single in cat friendly cities. it didn’t measure WHO owns the cats. and as someone who lives near San Francisco I think I can safely say although there may be more single men than women, that doesn’t mean that the single men are...

So NEXT week, I’m doing another series, which will hopefully be fun. So far we’ve done Money and Kids, and the topic that will be dissected within an inch of it’s life next week is … Modern Love. The novel I’m working on right now is somewhat centered around dating in Los Angeles, so I admit that the topic has been on my mind lately. But before we get into next week, let’s revisit the past five days.   HELLO FRIDAY re: Fierce Foodie: Masala for a Rainy Day, in which Roya Hamadani extolls the virtues of a good Indian food buffet. This next comment really made me want to go to Tokyo: BabySmiling: I love mango lassi; my local Indian restaurant makes a nice version with ground pistachios and a definite hint of rosewter. I’m a mango fan anyway, but it’s also usually the only flavor available. I’ve only been to a few restaurants with flavors aside from plain or mango, and then it’s only one or two others. Except in Tokyo. The random Indian restaurant I went to had literally a dozen flavors of lassi — many were fruits that I’m pretty sure don’t exist in India. One of hundreds of surprises that Tokyo had for me. PHILOSOPHICAL MONDAY re: Tall Drink of Nerd: Lappy Come Home, in which Amy Robinson laments not backing up her hard drive and therefore losing 8 months worth of pics and writing after thieves stole her laptop. crystal: I came across this article on new software and service that can track your gadget (laptops included) and then you know who has your laptop, iPhone, BlackBerry… wonder how well it really works? http://ca.tech.yahoo.com/experts/tedkritsonis/art… OH, IT’S TUESDAY re: The Order of Good News, in which we discussed the list and...

I think this week’s FNotB comments can best be described as gross, metaphorical, hypothetical helpful and informative. HELLO FRIDAY re: Procrastinate on This!, in which we directed you to a post about two sisters not only eating placenta, but converting into a panini placenta sandwich and a pasta sauce. Seriously, skip to “Philosophical Monday” if you don’t want to be completely grossed out. And definitely don’t read this while eating. slpc: i was *almost* convinced by the author of the placenta article (and the sisters who cooked and ate the placenta). i thought, maybe it’s a cool and healthy tradition, a once in a lifetime opportunity kinda-thing, and maybe not as disgusting as it first seems… until i read this part: “The ‘recipe’ was pretty simple, but preparation was very fun! First, I washed off any clots and snipped/tore away the membrane. Websites suggested this, and I imagine it’s because it’d be chewy. The umbilical cord required a pair of scissors to cut through and I had to marvel at how incredible tough that piece was!” haha. nope. not doing that. PHILOSOPHICAL MONDAY re: Single White Nerd: The Harshest Mistress, in which Michael Kass rekindles his love affair with theater, even though their relationship ended really badly the first time around. stubbie: Oh, sure, she’s lovely now. Alluring. Willing to overlook things – like you never put your dishes in the dishwasher, or you leave little dark hairs all over the bathroom, that you always read the paper first and leave it totally disorganized. None of that matters now. But let me tell you, as a guy who’s been there, it all goes to hell. 15 years into a loveless marriage, it’s all we can do to grunt at each other and resist the...

Wow, what a great week in comments! Sandwich-stealing thespians, awful couple pet names, and I suspect that one of our writers is actually in league with Tyson Anytizers. Investigation pending… HELLO FRIDAY re: Fierce Anticipation: April 3-5, in which Ryan Dixon extolled the many virtues of the Rock of the Ages: The Musical, and told a rather sad-but-inspirational story about one of its stars, Mitch Jarvis, stealing a sandwich back when he was literally living the life of a starving artist. A couple of readers were upset for the charming and talented Mitch and offered their alms, should he fall on hard times in the future. Art, is after all, a religion. radish: [Tell] Mitch, i can make him a sandwich (and cookies) anytime, so he won’t starve. ;-) Emily_29: Tell MItch if he is ever at the “sandwich stealing” point in his life again he can come to the desert and live in the guest house…I hear they shoot movies out here sometimes… PHILOSOPHICAL MONDAY re: Do You Have A Snoogle Pop?, in which we discussed the study that says that couple’s who call each other by silly pet names have a stronger bond. Apparently, a few of our readers are in some really strong relationships. Really? Fushnickins? Thackery Binx? BabySmiling: We nicknames so much that it weirds us out if we hear the other one call us by name — which only happens when we refer to each other in front of people. Amy from “Tall Drink of Nerd”: We call each other baby and honey and other stuff (Fushnickins, etc…) Zack from “Tall Glass of Shame”: ugh, I hate to admit this but I am guilty… me: Thackery Binx him: Cupcake oy vey…. OH, IT’S TUESDAY re: Political Physics: Can the...

Unemployment benefits, lipstick for little girls, and an April Fools Day PSA — it’s been quite a week here at Fierce and Nerdy. HELLO FRIDAY re: Fierce Anticipation: March 27-29, in which Ryan Dixon hailed Duplicity as a great film that you all ought to see. Apparently, laura t didn’t agree with him: laura t: ryan my love, EVERY SINGLE PERSON i’ve spoken to re: duplicity, including my director boss, disliked-to-loathed the movie. sometimes i worry about you. PHILOSOPHICAL MONDAY re: My Little Flossy, in which we featured these super-cute embroidery floss ponies by our own Missy Kulik, and I suggested that she should put out a dental floss version. slpc: not only should she mass produce them, but she should make ones of donkeys, cats, dogs, alligators, etc. SO cute. good for embroidery thread, but also if you made them a touch bigger, you could use them for yarn (and use them for gift wrap ribbon, etc). LOVE. Dental floss is a great idea too — but the thing is it wouldn’t be sanitary since the floss is exposed (i know that sounds like me being a hypochondriac) OH, IT’S TUESDAY re: When, Say You, Lipstick?, in which I worried about when to let my soonish-to-be born kid start wearing makeup. So many great answers, but this one actually convinced me to let her wear it sooner than later: JaniceZ: I would play with make-up when I was younger, like playing dress-up, but I never wore it out of the house. When I was in 6th grade I wore SO much make-up. Purple and silver eyeshadow up to my eyebrows (yummy!)…then again is WAS 1986. After that, I got it out of my system and I wore tasteful make-up from then on. I...

This week we found out that FaN commentators are in hate with three things: mixed messages, AIG, and Baby Bangs. HELLO FRIDAY re: Fierce Anticipation, in which Ryan Dixon says that the Pittsburgh Pirates suck and basically backs it up with their record, which is so bad, they are literally about to officially be the worst American sports team in the history of ever. JerseyJoe: No longer do I desire to watch a team that I know is simply, and flat out, going to lose. On the plus side, a trip to PNC Park is still one of the best deals in baseball. Tickets are cheap and the food isn’t too expensive. Take the Yankees for example. I have been and always will be a huge Yankee fan, but you simply cannot go to a game without burning $100 minimum. Your ticket, food, and a beverage. Who is not going to get a beverage, when the temperatures are soaring above the 90s in the summer? For the Pirates, walk in with two twenty dollar bills and you’re going home with change to spare… PHILOSOPHICAL MONDAY re: Single White Nerd, in which the only action Michael Kass gets is some serious mixed messages and a thorough put-down after it is discovered by his potential liaison partner that he owns not only tiki lights, but also a blue leather couch. sadclown487: Dude, she’s not worth it. A girl who doesn’t know how to say what she wants is a girl who will waste all your time fucking with your head (and only your head, alas). stubbie: I can’t believe you people! Engaging in this petty bickering about pursuer vs. prey and letting Mike sit there with the big elephant in the room, alone and lonely, unable...

My two favorite moments with Milan Stitt, the head of the CMU Dramatic Writing Program: Milan: Is you’re favorite color orange? Me: Yes. Milan: That’s what I thought. A woman’s favorite color is always what looks best on her. Mine is blue. Then he winked. Milan winked a lot. I would wink a lot, too, if I was as good at it as he was. He always looked like your kindly grandfather when he did it. I look like I have a medical condition. AND my other favorite moment: Milan: You’re late. You now have a B in this class, and if you’re late again you get a C, and if you’re late again you fail. The second conversation happened two days after 9-11. And I was never late to class again. I consider that the day I started learning discipline. Milan basically kicked my ass into becoming a good writer. He had moments of ego-crushing flip-of-a-switch meanness. He used to be a priest. And maybe his mother literally dropped dead when he came out to her — we were never quite sure if that story was true. He chewed Nicorette gum in class to get through to his next cigarette. He rarely, rarely acknowledged his mistakes, and I don’t have a clear memory of him ever saying “I’m sorry.” He was completely ridiculous. He was one of the wisest people I’ve ever known. He loved Spain. I think he might have loved us, his students, but found us rather tiresome. Being an editor now, I could see how teaching undeveloped writers could get old after awhile. There are only 5 to 10 real problems in writing. And only two of them or insurmountable: tin ear and inability to take and apply criticism. Milan...

Hey Guys! Thanks so much for your awesome responses to my Raising series. As you’ve probably sussed out by now, I kind of excel at worrying, but here’s the good news: when I’m feeling uncertain about raising biracial kids, intelligent girl(s) and confident chidren, I can always come back and revisit your comments for reassurance and advice. If you’re also pondering these three issues, I could not recommend going through the comments on these posts more. That all said, let’s revisit some of the other best comments from the week after the jump: PHILOSOPHICAL MONDAY From Single White Nerd: The Imaginary Girlfriend Has a Biological Timeclock, in which Michael Kass gets into a fight about children with his imaginary girlfriend. You kind of have to read it to understand. Delia from “Chic Geek”: This sounded SO much like the literary version of a conversation I’ve had with my boyfriend that I actually thought for a second, “WAIT…is Michael Kass a pseudonym?!” Seriously. I got sad and paranoid reading this. It’s wonderful.   OH, IT’S TUESDAY From the Thought Chuck in which Charles Cron informed us that 72% of Americans sign their pet’s name to their greeting cards. Sallie: We sign our cats’ names, but only ironically, and only when writing to people who know us well enough to know it isn’t really irony…   WOW! IT’S WEDNESDAY! From an article about the 10 Strangest Shoes in Fashion, which include a pair of slippers designed to look like rats (pictured above). Zack from “Tall Glass of Shame”: ok, is it sad that I really want the rat slippers in my shoe size, but would be terrified to actually see the rat that would be big enough to house my size 13 feet? DEAR THURSDAY From...

Hey guys, as promised,  a new “Best Of” comments feature after the jump.  Let me know if you like it, b/c it takes a little while to put together, so if you guys don’t love it, I’m dumping it. Just keepin’ it real … lazy. As you’ll see, I tend to have trouble picking just one, so a lot of you are featured. Also, I love good advice, so definitely keep that coming in future comments. Your Loving Editor, etc Monday’s Best Comment re: Fierce in Seattle: Too Much Magic Bus, in which Kelli Bielema breaks down the joys (hands-free commute, convenient) and annoyances (tons of crazies, icky smells) of riding Seattle’s public transportation. Tricia: I can’t remember where I read this, but here’s a bus riding tip. Sit in the middle. The talkative crazies sit in the front and the for real crazies sit in the back! Tuesday’s Best Comments re: If You Ask Me: Single Ladies Put A Grill On It, in which Travis Randall advises strongly against marrying a man that can’t BBQ. I fear his warning might have come to late for a few of our bloggers. Debra G from “NewlyNested”: Oh no! I’m in trouble. I’m the one who BBQ. My husband is clueless. Although he schooled me on how to clean a grill. Delia from “Chic Geek”: I think I am also in trouble… my boyfriend is terrible with a grill! He’ll clean the shit out of our apartment, but its on me to put a flame under the pork tenderloin… Wednesday’s Best Comments re: Notes From A Nester: A Most Unusual Nester, in which Debra Barlow asked for advice on how to keep her nest organized and free of receipt and bill pile-up. Di: Real Simple has...