And even though I don't have a clue, even though people have proclaimed me as the most perceptive person they've ever known. Likewise, I don't even have a clue about why I do what I do. We're too complex for certainty and way too complex for such eternal (and grammatically odd) cyber-proclamations as, "You're a sexist Lloyd."

And if you've been reading Ms. Lloyd for months, get a moniker. I suspect you don't because your cyber-trail would be slimy: an oozy sludge of ad homs. Note that even though I note your ad homming, I don't ascribe origin to it. I don't dismiss you as a misogynist, a sociopath, a provocateur, or even a grump. That's because I don't know you.

"You are a sexist Lloyd."

Huh?

"You are a clueless and privileged idiot...."

And you have a clue about Ms. Lloyd? Do tell how that came to pass.

"Instead you just spew hate."

As opposed to your love, like "clueless and privileged idiot"? That's beyond Tough Love. That must be Upside the Head and Watch you Bleed Love.

"I hope it all comes back to you."

Oh, so you believe in karma? Then what's your karma, Mr. "You are a clueless and privileged idiot."?

...snide and incomprehensible. I've never seen that pairing.

global warming, the imminent end of oil, the oil foraging imperialism in Iraq, etc. are all due to profligate reproduction. There are too many of us. For the sake of the Earth and the other remaining species, are maladies, such as war, famine, global warming, etc., are Earth's remedies.

Our species doesn't need more children. Those who argue that are arguing for every person's prime directive of replicating their genes. THEIR genes.

Love her.

I'm glad you have an intern putting stars on thars.

I missed the humor, but I'm glad you're kidding. I was a little worried that a guy nicknamed Big Paulie was worried about little red stars.

Who awards the red stars?

Who should award them?

A theory I once studied asserts that someone like Ms. Walsh is least qualified to award red stars, since authority compromises a person. The theory asserts that the greater a person's authority, the greater their need to serve stasis and stasis wouldn't serve a lively thread.

Likewise, Mr. Kaufman would seem compromised by his ego and his ideological proclivities, since so many of the letters are about him.

I'd assign star-assigning to an intern, but not any intern. Many interns might pander to Ms. Walsh's and Mr. Kaufman's sensibilities. I'd assign star-assigning to an intern with a backbone the size of a humpback whales, an intern who wasn't afraid of a little verbal firewalking.

I'd rather have an intriguing or fun or frank chat with someone through this forum than be awarded a red star. Don't let Mr. Kaufman decide the merit of your posts. If other posters are chatting with you, that's significant.

I once had an Internet column (1.4 million readers daily). I dropped it to focus on hardcopy media, which I had to do, since I write 2-3 articles a week for magazines, as well as doing books and appearances, but I loved when the readers started chatting with each other. I didn't want to be their schoolmarm, awarding them stars. I wanted to be a catalyst: to kickstart the reaction and kick back. Maybe Mr. Kaufman wants the same.

With your sort of thinking, I could then ask you, "Have you ever had the boxcar door slid aside and seen Auschwitz?" If not, then quit your whining.

...creepy and kooky and not in the cool Adams Family way.

It's nice to have another woman in this thread. I think it's cool that you attended a Div III school. A couple years back, I heard an author speak. He'd just written a book about Div III basketball and in the process of writing that book, he fell in love with those athletes, who loved their sport without the hype or the promise of an NBA career. He said that it was sports as it's meant to be.

Ohio State, like other big football schools, is a semi-pro team. So, what you witnessed at your Div III school was probably better in many ways than what I saw at O.S.U.

And I utterly agree that the BSC championship is a pile of opinions. I think most people would agree with you.

...you run a 40 in under 5 and show me that you can juke like a squirrel on a freeway.

That's all.

Just that.

My family of 9 all went to Ohio State. Grandparents and uncles too. Various members played on the football team and some went to Canton too (Pro Football Hall of Fame). I was attending O.S.U. games when I was 7. I'm old now, but since I grew up playing football with my brothers and uncles, I can still play with the neighborhood kids. They all want me on their team, which is funny, since my head is silver, but I can still out-throw them.

So, W.E.S., what's your football pedigree?

...for her letter.

You're a cool cat, Ironyclad.

Look at the absolute descriptors that were just employed:

"all politics"

"absolutely zero empathy"

"completely emotionally incapable"

"absolutely cold-blooded"

"understand everything but human emotional pain"

Mr. Kaufman, not everyone sees you in the 2 dimensions of "all" and "absolutely."