So, does it sound legit? The person has a YT account full of c-infringing material and several subscribers, and yet I still feel leery even about pm'ing them back, let alone emailing them.

I don't know, Juliebird. I am a bitter old fandom queen, and therefore cranky and suspicious. I'd need to know the name of the person asking and the site address to give you an informed opinion.

They're probably harmless, but I don't like their language one bit.

As I was waiting in line at Wal-mart last night, the clerk wished the person in front of me "Happy Holidays," and she responded with "Merry Christmas. I know you're not allowed to say that here." She followed up with something about how it might make sense in, say, California, but my godness, who would be offended here?

My eyes just about rolled out of my head. Of all the MSCM crazinesses, the War On Christmas may just be the one that makes me go "Whuh?" the most.

Susan's Alaska Airlines fear is mine. That crash really creeped me out even though I'm not generally afraid of flying.

I forget what finally happened with that plane. I know they were trying to fix it and that it crashed into the ocean into little bitty pieces, but that's it.

The major reason I don't drive is my fear of being at fault in a car accident that kills or seriously injures someone, but leaves me alive and unharmed.

I have some irrational-level tummy qualms of flying sometimes, but I then tote up the people I know (of) who have died in plane crashes (two, my friend's grandparents, in Bali in the late 1970s) versus the people I know of who have died in car crashes (many), and there's no contest.

I have clean laundry sitting in a basket in my basement for over a week, waiting to be folded.

hey, at least yours is in the basket. Mine is still in the dryer.

I forget what finally happened with that plane. I know they were trying to fix it and that it crashed into the ocean into little bitty pieces, but that's it.

They were unable to trim the horizontal stabilizer. (Not really a big deal in itself.) They flew around for a bit trying to fix it (20-30 minutes?) and then the thing that trims the horizontal stabilizer (a jack screw) just broke due to poor maintenance, and the stabilizer went into a position where it was impossible for the plane to continue in controlled flight. The plane dove down to the sea and crashed.

my fear of being at fault in a car accident that kills or seriously injures someone, but leaves me alive and unharmed

That is also very large. The craven side of me would like to be dead in that situation.

my fear of being at fault in a car accident that kills or seriously injures someone, but leaves me alive and unharmed

Oh yes. I'm not even sure I could deal with it if I weren't the person at fault, especially if the person injured/killed was also not at fault.

I cannot believe all the various nominations that the Starter Wife has been getting. It was really not that good.

So far I've never had a crew member so much as look askance at me, so maybe I'm not the only one who does something like that.

I always pat the skin as I enter, for much the same reason. My only fear of flying in jets is of puking in mid-air (thank you SO much, inner ear), but I like thanking the machine in advance for getting me where I need to go in one piece. I pat my motorcycle in much the same fashion before every ride.

What really scares me is single-engine plane flying, because I do know people who have died in crashes. And yes, I know the planes are designed to stay up as long as possible, even without fuel, but they still freak me right the fuck out. Plus, the smell.