The Hall of Fire

"make it clear in no uncertain terms that any person in religious authority who commits or allows this type of thing to happen will be excommunicated." That's not how excommunication works, or what it is there for. And all priest who sexual or other wise abuse children will be turned over...

What should the Pope have said, then?

Can't fault them at all for not rushing things. Often faster isn't better.

and yes they have consulted those men a great deal for the series. Well, not directly. John Basilone was killed on Iwo Jima. Robert Leckie and Eugene Sledge both wrote excellent memoirs which are the basis of much of the series, but both died in 2001. The producers and writers, however, did intervi...

that lovely lady is not "fat" - she is pleasantly rounded. You can't count her ribs, and her hipbones don't protrude.

Bingo.

For Marilyn Monroe one could substitute in Liz Taylor circa Butterfield 8, before she went all Brando.

Although I would question whether being overweight has ever been considered particularly attractive

One word: Rubenesque.

And one picture:

and the most desirable women in those place are the ones with a bit of meat on the bones, it means they have some money. Absolutely. The change in the West in the 'ideal' female type has shifted dramatically over the last century or so for precisely that reason: plump and pale was admired, because ...

However, Nin, you're talking about BMI of 20-21, which is smack-dab in the middle of normal. Fashion models run as low as 17 or below, which is clinically underweight, in fact an indicator for anorexia. While most men, I agree, have no use for overhanging bellies and double chins, xylophone ribs and...

It's interesting that it's the women who are all praising skinny.

We're not talking about shapely here, but anorexic chic. The Venus de Milo wouldn't have a prayer as a runway model today.

"silly and harmful."

I agree. A body type that can only be maintained by effective malnutrition is not something to be held up as an ideal.

Guys? Is it really so gorgeous to rock protruding collarbones and shoulder joints? NO. (In fact, somewhat painful). The Andersonville look, I believe, is a product of the fashion industry, because designers find their dresses look better when hung on walking coatracks. But then, most of the men in ...

So why the heck does he take a pit stop mere minutes from the Mine's exit to read some dead dwarf's diary? Is there some secret he learns from the book? Valuable background information? No, he learns that bad guys have invaded and killed everybody. Keep in mind this is a book he found among hundred...

The first several minutes of Fellowship of the Rings recount Sauron's salad days of Middle Earth conquest, and boy oh boy, was he one power-drunk cat. He had the power of the cosmos on his trigger finger, a magic mace that could feather-dust entire armies to smithereens, and a fancy helmet that cou...

Then there's this lovely coat (I'm a sucker for the Carnaby Street look)


I actually do have a paisley silk waistcoat which I wear when I think I can get away with it

Done. This, however, may be a tad over the top on the bling: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/99/AugustvonMackensen.jpg/448px-AugustvonMackensen.jpg I dunno about the well-polished cuiriass- it's a real fashon statement, if unsuitable for certain dances: http://i89.photobucket.c...

You mean like this?



Or this?

I was on a sailboat all week last week and completely forgot the Academy Awards were even happening.

You definitely had a better time.

Honestly, this was one of those years when one wishes the Best Picture Oscar just wasn't awarded. I don't actually think that "Best" is a precise synonym of "least mediocre." (Note: I haven't seen all ten, but if one of the also-rans was markedly better than the contenders I have...