I asked the Husband what he wanted for breakfast and he said, “Something nutritious and delicious.” Hmmm.

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I ended up making eggs, hash browns (from a frozen package) with broccoli, and fruit.  The hash browns didn’t cook too well – it ended up being a hash mash.  Still tasty though.

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For Your Reading Pleasure

 

Yay! It’s Friday. Here are a few articles from ‘round the web that I found interesting this week. Because everyone needs a little Internet reading break on Fridays, right?

 

That Condescending Feeling You Get From Dudes in the Office? Yeah, That’s Real

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Interesting (and funny, as always true with Jezebel) piece about how men with ‘traditional’ marriages – i.e. where the wife doesn’t work – are more likely to display sexist behaviors towards female coworkers or subordinates. 

 

Excerpt from The Gift of Fear

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(Gratuitous James photo – why not?)

Warning: I think this article could be potentially triggering, as it talks about a sexual assault at the very beginning.  It’s a worthwhile read about how listening to our ‘gut instinct’ can save our life.  I stumbled across this article in the comments section of yesterday’s Dear Prudence – you all know I love advice columns, and I normally love Prudie’s advice but found major fault with her feedback to a mom who was getting creepy signals from an older man doting on her 5 year old.  The Prudence article prompted an interesting discussion on the HTP Facebook page, too. 

 

How a 9-Year-Old Girl’s Food Blog Forced Healthier Lunch Options

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A Scottish nine year old started a food blog detailing her school lunches, and the school district ended up meeting with her father to discuss how they can make healthier changes.  Pretty amazing!

 

Fitness Trainer Gains and Loses 70 Pounds in 1 Year On Purpose

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Drew Manning couldn’t relate to his out-of-shape clients, so he took a half a year off from exercise and gained 70 pounds.  Over the next six months, he lost it all.  What do you think?  Publicity stunt?  It kind of reminds me of Supersize Me but less introspective (well, that’s how the article made it seem, but things get lost in translation).  <— I was just alerted to the fact that he has a blog.

 

Finding Security Among the SPFs

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Finally, the FDA is coming out with new regulations about sunscreens! Hoorah!  (I wrote about this issue in this post: Skin Deep: Selecting a Better Sunscreen).

 

Moderation as the Sweet Spot for Exercise

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No surprises here: in a large study, participants who ran had a 19% lower risk of dying from any cause than non-runners.  But one big surprise: “Notably, in closely parsing the participants’ self-reported activities, the researchers found that running in moderation provided the most benefits. Those who ran 1 to 20 miles per week at an average pace of about 10 or 11 minutes per mile — in other words, jogging — reduced their risk of dying during the study more effectively than those who didn’t run, those (admittedly few) who ran more than 20 miles a week, and those who typically ran at a pace swifter than seven miles an hour.”   The article explores several reasons why more may not always be better.  But regardless… Yay, moderation!

 

Your turn – What are your experiences with sexism in the workplace?  Ever experienced a gut feeling that turned out to be true? If you’re a trainer, would you gain 70 pounds in a year to better emphasize with clients? If you’re a teacher, do you eat school lunches?

{ 55 comments }

 

  • Maija June 8, 2012, 10:39 am

    I saw a news clip about that guy and thought it was more of a publicity stunt too but after clicking around on his blog and reading some of his weekly posts, he becomes more introspective. It’s fascinating to read him going through gaining weight too!

    • Caitlin June 8, 2012, 10:42 am

      Oh thanks! I’ll update the post.

  • Angela @ Eat Spin Run Repeat June 8, 2012, 10:43 am

    OMG that article about the trainer sounds like quite a read! I actually just posted a similar one to your ‘exercise in moderation’ feature today… It talks about whether the stress that we cause to our bodies (and potential health risks) outweigh the positive benefits of running (those a-ha moments people get, the life changing weight loss for those that are overweight, mental release, etc.) The link is http://eat-spin-run-repeat.com/2012/06/08/fit-bit-friday-44/ and it’s the article featured at the bottom. I personally think that events like marathons (and maybe even ultras) are great bucket list items, but by no means do they need to be done on a regular basis to maintain fitness. I’ll do a couple of distance races a year, but I have to question those that run ultras frequently and whether they’re putting their health at risk.

  • Lisa June 8, 2012, 10:46 am

    I use to work at a university and my boss sexually harrassed me throughout the day. I notified human resources and several other people, and they pretty much said oh, I’m sorry and ignored everything. They stated that he worked there for over 20 years (tenured faculty), while I was just a part-time employee, so it was his word over mine. Needless to say, I quit that job immediately. It turns out that he has been sexually harrassing women for many years and the university wouldn’t take any action against him.

    • Caitlin June 8, 2012, 10:50 am

      whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat. im appalled.

  • Laura @ She Eats Well June 8, 2012, 10:48 am

    That breakfast looks great! Lots of veggies in there.

    As for the workplace article, I cannot wait to read that. I work at an advertising and marketing agency…and while it’s fairly crazy start-up-y…it’s also got some very traditional, Mad-Men (if you will) underlyings. And it’s run by 5 older men…so…yeah. Anyways, they only recently hired a HR lady and while I totally think it was necessary, she doesn’t have too much power and it makes me sad…hoping things change for the better.

  • Rachel O. June 8, 2012, 10:48 am

    oh the workplace. my work is a butt load of stereotypes.

    I work in a corporate setting – there are ZERO female directors/vp’s – there are two female managers however – out of probably 15 manager positions.

    the corporate office is 85% females – working in customer care, marketing, and finance. There are ZERO females in the engineering department.

    i would say sexism is running rampant even if it’s not overtly obvious.

  • kalli June 8, 2012, 10:53 am

    sexism in the work place is tough. for me especially i think. i work in a male dominated field where i am the lone woman. i am asn asst principal at a large high school and all the other admin are males. we make the same amount of money but i tend to feel like i have to constantly prove myself

  • Beth June 8, 2012, 11:01 am

    One of the best things about working in public service (govt) is that there is ZERO tolerance for inequity in the workforce.

    I kind of think some of the things in the Jezebel article translate to those men’s lives outside of work. But maybe I’m just thinking of people I know.

  • Kristin June 8, 2012, 11:09 am

    I work in public health research and evaluation, which seems to be a female-dominated field. I actually work for a public university though, so the academic program we are affiliated with is more balanced among men/women. I’ve never experienced any kind of sexism in the workplace, but I think I’m just lucky to work with good people. It also may make a difference that I work in research and not in administration. Interestingly, my mom has worked for over 25 years in different departments at the same university, and has experienced some sexism a few times over the years. She’s in an administrative role.

  • Stellina @ My Yogurt Addiction June 8, 2012, 11:10 am

    Your breakfast looks delicious! As far as gaining 70lbs and then having to lose it again, I would NOW WAY do that! I think that’s crazy and although I’m sure he is now able to better assist his clients, I can’t help but think that he did it for publicity.

  • Katie June 8, 2012, 11:18 am

    Ug, that article about the trainer is ridiculous. His revelation was that fat people aren’t just lazy, and that mental and emotional issues are real?! How was he a trainer without realizing that?

    • Caitlin June 8, 2012, 12:16 pm

      I rolled my eyes at that part too… Quotes are hard sometimes though. You say something and end up sounding like an idiot even though that’s not how you meant it. (Speaking from experience LOL)

  • Kristen June 8, 2012, 11:30 am

    I’ve had a very interesting experience in the workplace…

    I am in the STEM field, and attended many many ‘Women in the Sciences’ and ‘Women in Engineering’ events throughout high school and college. All the panel speakers and working female professionals surely put girls on their feet. There were horror stories about sexual harassment, inequality in working environments, etc. When I started working in January I was careful to be aware (but not assuming) about the treatment of women in the workplace.

    NO DOUBT this field is dominated by men, but I have found the behavior of most men in the workplace to be completely OPPOSITE of what I was told.

    The men at my workplace are almost too sensitive about the sexism issue. Once, I was the only woman in a training course and there was a practice example like: ‘This vaccination was tested on 100 women…’, and the instructor pointed me out specifically and said ‘Well, you know it could be men too, it’s only an example…’ I hadn’t even said anything!

    Another time I was just having a social conversation about chores around the house. I can’t remember exactly what the conversation was about, but the guy I was speaking with stopped halfway through his example and said ‘Oh, well I guess the husband would do this too’, and went back and re-told the whole story as if the man was doing the chore, while giving me a ‘knowing’ nod.

    It drives me crazy! I was so prepared for the opposite experience, I don’t know how to handle this one! It’s like they are over-compensating, when ALL I really want is to be treated equally. And, to play devil’s advocate, I think my experience is what happens when women get overly-sensitive to the issue. Both situations- blatant sexism and walking on pins and needles to avoid even the remote possibility of being accused a ‘sexist’ have the effect of pushing women out of social circles in the workplace and making them ‘outcasts’ of sorts.

    Anyway, that’s my not-so-well written 2 cents on the matter!

    • Dory June 8, 2012, 6:16 pm

      You should tell them that their hyper-sensitivity to you being a woman is making you uncomfortable. I think it would be easy to show them that be constantly acting differently or pointing out that you’re a woman it is counter-productive. I’ve had that happen to me, but usually it is the other side, men not being comfortable with me because they are not used to having to talk to a woman on a technical level and have their point of view taken as equal.

  • Ashley @ My Food 'N' Fitness Diaries June 8, 2012, 11:35 am

    drew actually lives right down the street from us, and my husband plays in a football league with him. he’s a really cool guy and i think his intention of doing it was for a good reason. i wouldn’t deam it “healthy” by any means, but i understand why he decided to do it.

    • Caitlin June 8, 2012, 12:17 pm

      That’s so cool! You should have him do a guest post on your blog!

  • Katie June 8, 2012, 11:41 am

    Ugh I keep seeing the article about the trainer gaining and losing 70 lbs in a year and it just keeps making me more angry. I have struggled with my weight all of my life. Someone gaining 70 lbs in 6 months and immediately turning around to lose it all does not understand me any better than he would if he was still thin. If I was training with this man and he said “No, I definitely understand what you’re going through, I was fat for 6 months once”, I would either punch him or walk out. Also, I’m sure none of his clients are able to gain a bunch of weight and then do nothing but stay at the gym all day to lose it. Definitely a publicity stunt, and one that is frankly kind of ridiculous and humiliating to me. (I have been steadily losing weight for about a year now, and the idea that other people are looking at this and saying ‘Oh look, this guy lost 70 lbs in a short period of time, why is it taking other fat people so long in comparison?’ is really frustrating.)

    • Caitlin June 8, 2012, 12:17 pm

      Agreeeee.

  • Lauren June 8, 2012, 12:20 pm

    I had an experience where my gut feeling turned out to be correct this past year, and I wish I would have been more forthcoming about it. To make a long story short…my sister started her freshman year at the same college as me and became friends with a girl in the same major as her. I met this girl once or twice and got a bad vibe from her, but I didn’t want to upset my sister since starting college is hard enough so I didn’t say much to her. My sister started seeing this girl’s true colors further into the year and distanced herself from the girl. This girl, however, started saying horrible things about my sister on facebook and twitter for everyone to see, and the things she was saying weren’t true in the slightest. She also said these things to people my sister knew at school. It eventually got so bad that a counselor told my sister that she could go to the police with the evidence she had and the university and the girl could be expelled from the university and my sister could even press charges against her for slander, libel, and harassment. My sister told the girl that if she said or did anything else she was planning on going to police. This was at the very end of the school year, and since summer has started nothing else has happened that we know of. It has been a huge headache and scary for my sister, my parents, me, my sister’s friends, etc., and I wish I had been more vocal about the bad feeling I got about this girl from the beginning. Hopefully now everything is over with. Next time I will be more forthcoming about my gut instinct.

  • Nicole June 8, 2012, 12:25 pm

    Your food pictures always make me drool-everything always looks so fresh & healthy!

  • Katie @ Peace Love & Oats June 8, 2012, 12:38 pm

    I’m definitely checking out that trainers blog, and kudos to the girl who got her school to change lunches! By the way, your veggie hashbrowns look AMAZING right now.

  • Tanya June 8, 2012, 12:43 pm

    This is such a niggling point, but it’s one of my things. I hate the word jogging. It sounds like you aren’t serious. (Maybe that’s just me?) Maybe if you’re wearing a matching velour sweat suit and casually chatting with a friend, you’re a jogger. But I work hard to do my 10 minute miles and darnit I might be slow, but I am running!

    • Emily June 8, 2012, 2:24 pm

      I second that! I feel that jogging has a negative connotation, regardless of how fast or slow you jog. I have a friend that corrects me every time I say I am going for a run, she insists it’s a jog- she says running is for competitors. I disagree.

    • Samantha June 8, 2012, 7:33 pm

      I completely agree! I have dropped my miles for health reasons from 50mpw to 20ish and with that, have a drop in pace and for me, the 10 minute mark for pace is spot on. And it’s definitely work!

  • Lauren June 8, 2012, 12:47 pm

    Woahhhh…Prudie’s advice was wayyyy off!!!!! It sounds to me like the women’s ‘Momma instincts’ are right on point. Shame on Prudie for giving inappropriate advice and not encouraging the mother to do what she feels is best and safest for her child!

  • VTMama June 8, 2012, 12:54 pm

    Just wanted to say it’s a pleasure to take share your pregnancy trip with you. I love the anticipation of checking your blog to see if labor has begun! Best wishes!!

  • Marissa C June 8, 2012, 1:02 pm

    Trainer dude reminds me of Zoolander

  • Amber @ Busy, Bold, Blessed June 8, 2012, 1:02 pm

    I am so impressed with that 9 year old blogger! So cool.

  • Maura June 8, 2012, 1:26 pm

    Prudence’s advice is upsetting. Intuition is a real thing, and I hope that woman listens to her gut vs. Prudy’s bad advice. What’s the worst that can happen – she potentially ruins her parents friendship with that couple? The alternative – that she’s right – is far worse than a broken friendship. And if she did share with her Mom her concerns, I’m guessing, as a mother herself, she’d be nothing but understanding and supportive. Or at least one would hope.

  • Ashley June 8, 2012, 1:30 pm

    I was surprised by the backlash to Pru’s response. I mean, in the end she tells the woman to tread lightly but follow her gut. What’s wrong with that?

    Also, I think people are too paranoid. For the record, I am a criminal defense attorney. I work with felons, including sex offenders. I think people are crazy paranoid. Did you hear about the old man in the bookstore who was looking at children’s books? He was escorted out for being a “potential pedophile.” He was shopping for books for his GRANDKIDS. I know bad things happen every day, but people need to relax. Maybe…just maybe…look for the good side of people. She could ask her parents to not leave the kids alone with Fred and Wilma if it makes her feel better. But to cut all contact when she’s never seen anything remotely sketchy happen? That sounds like a witch-hunt.

    • jules June 9, 2012, 1:11 pm

      THANK YOU. Reading all the responses makes me wonder why using a common sense approach like the one you mentioned (simply not leaving the child alone) doesn’t seem like the obvious solution. Done and done.

  • Hillary June 8, 2012, 1:30 pm

    I teach in one of the wealthiest counties in MD, and our school lunches are DISGUSTING. Spaghetti tacos are an option at least three times a month. That would be spaghetti served in a hard taco shell. Shudder.

    And hooray to running 10 minute miles! I’ve been doing it right all along, apparently!

    • AmandaonMaui June 8, 2012, 5:04 pm

      That sounds disgusting. Eww.

  • Sam @ Fit for My Fork June 8, 2012, 1:42 pm

    I had read about the guy who gained and lost 70lbs before. I’m sure it was really hard on his body doing it so quickly.

  • Kendra @ My Full-Thyme Life June 8, 2012, 2:17 pm

    Prudie’s advice is interesting to me. On one hand I can appreciate where she was coming from with her experience. However, she can’t blanket a relationship with her own grandfather over all older men and little girls. She made it sound like the mom was being silly for feeling the way that she did. I would say red. flag. for. sure. It creeped me out just reading it! I can only imagine how that mom must feel. I sincerely hope she goes with her gut!

  • Devonshire June 8, 2012, 2:24 pm

    I don’t think Drew Manning’s experiment was a publicity stunt (although it didn’t hurt! I’ve been following it since he started). I think a lot of trainers are bias in that they’ve never had to struggle with the emotional and physical side of being overweight and obese. So for him to now have that insight he could turn it towards his clients, be able to relate better to them and hopefully help them more!

  • Nicole June 8, 2012, 2:32 pm

    That Dear Prudence response makes me SO mad! The thing is – it takes ONE minute for your kids life to be ruined.

    I come from a family that has unfortunately seen rape and molestation. People that have been raised around that know that it is better to be vigilant and honestly, I wouldnt trust anyone with my kids (really, anyone outside of grandparents and my brother) The people that do sick, disgusting things are OFTEN the sweet, seemingly harmless, DOTING ones.

    Sorry to rant, but it’s just not worth it for this woman to do nothing just to be polite. I implore everyone to be very weary of any and everyone. It’s just reality.

    • AmandaonMaui June 8, 2012, 5:01 pm

      Sadly, it’s also often family that seems harmless that are the ones who do the hurting. I know that one.

  • Alexis June 8, 2012, 2:53 pm

    I went to high school with Drew and was very surprised when I opened CNN earlier this week to see him on the front page! Regardless, as an RD, I personally don’t agree with this. First off, I don’t like that he did it to “learn to empathize with overweight clients.” It sounds shallow and judging, like he had to gain 70 lbs to have a heart and understand everyone faces different challenges? Second, I do think it is a publicity stunt and an irresponsible one health-wise. I also strongly disagreed with Supersize Me. Hurting your body to prove McDonalds, lack of exercise, and poor dietary habits are bad for you? Really?

    • AmandaonMaui June 8, 2012, 4:59 pm

      I agree in some respects that such acts are very bad for one’s health, but I also think that it was good for someone to do it. So many people really began to think about how fast food was affecting their health.

  • Amber K June 8, 2012, 2:58 pm

    I was also appalled by the advice in Dear Prudence. Granted, I don’t usually read it so I’m not sure what her regular advice is like, but it really bothered me. As someone who has suffered from my elders not listening to their gut instincts, it bothers me even more.

    Although on a much happier note “nutrition and delicious” makes me think of the quote from Ferngully “It’s nutritious and delicious, tastes JUST like chicken!” lol, I love that movie.

  • Danielle June 8, 2012, 3:27 pm

    Hey! Did you see this article? It made me think of your post the other day about kids and negative body talk. Very interesting…

    http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dan-bucatinsky/does-this-baby-make-me-look-straight_b_1570643.html

  • Sara June 8, 2012, 4:13 pm

    About the gaining then losing 70 pounds guy, I would like to see how long it took him to lose that weight if he had to work a 50 hour a week desk job like a lot of the Americans who have a hard time losing! I have to squeeze in workouts at 4:30 in the morning, and I don’t always make it. I am not overweight but I am also not ripped and couldn’t lose 70 lbs in such a quick amount of time because I work for a living. Someone who lives at the gym obviously will haev an easier time than the average person. I really liked Supersize Me. It was scary how quickly his health went downhill, and it took him 6 months to lose those last 10 lbs. To me it showed the dangers of eating such heavily processed foods. Part of America’s weight problem, I believe, is all the processed foods. I truly don’t feel “a calorie is a calorie”!!

    • Em June 8, 2012, 4:26 pm

      Great point, Sara! Working full time and raising a family would not make it easy for me to quickly lose a great amount of weight either!

    • Danielle @ LMYR June 9, 2012, 7:41 am

      I also think he had an easier time losing the weight because he was extremely fit before he gained it. It wasn’t as hard for his body to kickstart back up again and start shedding pounds. I’m sure he learned some valuable lessons and can relate just a little better to his clients, but he still had it way easier than probably ALL of his overweight clients.

  • Karen June 8, 2012, 4:50 pm

    Un…my husband and I are in what you’d consider a “traditional marriage.” I stay home and educate the kids, he goes and works at a university. And guess what…he is the LEAST SEXIST MAN you would ever meet. The secretaries all think he is awesome, because before handing work over to them he will ask them, “Is this something I can take care of myself?” He knows most of the professors just love foisting administrative stuff off on the secretaries.

    What does bug him is when women are hired for teaching positions, without the proper qualifications or education. HAPPENS ALL THE TIME. Simply because the university wants to look diverse, or they are under pressure from women’s groups, whatever. So we end up with horribly unqualified people who have never taught, trying to teach, or who claim they have experience in a field but don’t. And the administration is loath to question the woman because they’re afraid of a lawsuit.

    • jules June 9, 2012, 1:14 pm

      If his department’s secretaries aren’t taking care of the faculty’s administrative stuff, what do they do all day? That’s their job!

  • AmandaonMaui June 8, 2012, 4:56 pm

    I had to approach the assistant manager at a hostess job I had about 8 years ago. I didn’t feel comfortable approaching the regular manager as he was a guy, but I felt more comfortable taking my issue to the assistant manager as I felt she would understand a bit more.

    One of the guys on the job kept telling me I needed to smile more. He wouldn’t let it drop. It was like a comment on my appearance. I understand that we had corporate rules about looking happy in front of the customers, but when I wasn’t around the customers, or if I was busy and running from the front of the house to the back I didn’t need to have a big cheesy grin on my face. Yet, this guy just kept saying that I needed to smile. He was basically saying it would make me look prettier/better. He wasn’t my boss. If I needed to look more chipper, then my boss should have let me know there was a problem. Not him, and certainly not that often.

    Thankfully, she talked with the head manager and the guy stopped saying that stuff to me. He also apologized.

  • Dory June 8, 2012, 6:24 pm

    Im a woman in engineering. In my experience, the men who’s wives stay at home (the majority of them) do not treat me as a coworker. For example, we share offices, 2 people per office. It took about 3 months for them to find me an office (and 3 people had to move to get it to work) because none of the men felt comfortable sharing an office with me. I am not invited to coffee breaks. Generally, most of the men will not be alone with me because they feel it is against their marital values. So working in a lab (where people go in and out constantly) can be really uncomfortable, they’re preoccupied with making sure there is always another person in there with us which in turn makes me very uncomfortable and distracted. On top of that, they generally do not take my view point seriously. But if I get more assertive (as they do) they act as though Im being bitchy. I hope, hope, hope every place isnt like this, as I am giving my 2 weeks (after sticking it out for 3 years) next week.

  • Finding a skinnier me June 8, 2012, 6:41 pm

    Wow, I do not agree with the advice Dr. Prudence gave at all. But I love what the personal trainer did, I imagined he now understands how hard it can be to lose that excess weight!

    I had a bad feeling about my sister in laws boyfriend and I was right. It means we don’t talk to them anymore, but I didn’t want the nastiness in my life any longer!

  • Emily June 8, 2012, 9:02 pm

    I’m a schoolteacher in NJ. While I wouldn’t want to eat a lot of the school lunches, I am seeing an improvement. There are fresh fruits every day with the lunch, the fries are now sweet potato fries, and they have switched to whole wheat pasta and pb&j (haven’t noticed a difference in students eating it either!) They have vegetables every day, though they don’t always look appetizing (I’ve noticed the kids eat fresh celery, carrots waay more than they eat mushy peas and spinach). There are often fresh salads. However, this is really hard to eat when the kids can’t have forks (we only have sporks).

    There’s still an abundance of mystery meat, though. Gross.

  • Lexi @ You, Me, & A World to See June 9, 2012, 12:57 pm

    Wow super interesting articles! That one about the man gaining and losing 70 lbs is interesting. I suppose it proves that anybody is capable of becoming “healthy,” or at least fit. I also really enjoyed the running article. I used to run a ton in high school and now rarely do it. As an avid blog reader, sometimes it’s hard not to feel pressure to be a A-grade marathon runner. To each their own though 🙂

  • Julia H. @ Going Gulia June 9, 2012, 2:44 pm

    Hmm. I’m trying to figure out how I feel about that fitness trainer article. I keep going back & forth between feeling like it was nice of him to try to see how his clients feel and feeling like it just wasn’t really necessary to gain the weight. I’m sure his intentions were good, though.

  • Laura June 10, 2012, 4:55 pm

    I really loved this line up of articles! The advice given to that suspicious mom on Dear Prudence was terrible!!

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