LeCastor,

Well, not so dirty, but, the real reason you're catching some grief is that you've inadvertently stumbled on one the dirty little secrets behind this and similar bruhahas. Notice how some frame the debate in stark terms like your petty pedicures versus their noble breasfeeding of infants and caring for helpless, sick infants and/or children? Well, the truth of the matter is kids don't stay infants for long and, thankfully, most kids aren't sick all the time. Of course, there are special needs kids but that's another story.

Once kids reach a certain point, I'd wager that a large portion of the "I need to leave or more time off...." line is to ferry the kids back and forth to the dizzying array of elective activities (soccer, baseball, dance, music and art classes, play dates, and so on) that are part of some kids lives today. Most people who work in an office of any size will tell you that this is probably true. The dirty little secret is that your personal pursuits are trifling because you don't have kids while the elective activities they want for their kids is noble and selfless because they are parents. Frankly, I don't mind the kids actvities (more power to them) but don't try and play me by brandishing the parent card to pretend that Johnny's elective soccer camp is more important my personal activities.

Btw, I know it's tempting to combat your usual foes but STOP bragging and, MORE IMPORTANTLY, STOP putting your business out in the street!

LeCastor,

In response to being baited, you've pretty much told anyone who wants to read these Letters Sections damn near everything about yourself. Where you live, what you do, what you want to do, how much money you make, what you look like, your background and so on. I'm just suggesting that might not be a wise idea. Especially considering the circles you want to move in. You'd be amazed how fast things fly around high-end law and Wall St. firms. Discretion is the better part of valor.

tomato,

"Here's my proposal: As long as you are discreet, just breast-feed and/or pump out in public...."

My only addition would be to be discreet about the public areas as well, but, I agree with your reasonable proposal. Wait! I think I just heard the parents I've been arguing with here faint. Btw, the PSA idea was amusing.

"A proposition:

For those who believe that a bathroom stall is a perfectly sanitary place to pump breeastmilk: I challenge you to make and eat a sandwich while sitting on the toilet in your workplace."

No problem, that's not much of a challenge in this "Jackass/Fear Factor" age. Anyway, the bathrooms at most work places, corporate and otherwise, are usually cleaned more often than most folks home bathroom. The anti-bathroom stall thing seems to be more of a pschyological issue than a sanitary one.

"Fair is fair. Why should you get all the extra perks of a lunch or break room just because you're an adult? I mean, you chose to get a job, right?"

Um, you don't get the perks just because you're an adult. You get them because you're an adult employee.

"Elizabeth" is just proving that some women can be as big as assholes as the men they are supposedly TAKING away "man jobs" from or, more accurately, the former "paternalistic" system they are supposedly balancing by....telling us about Cruise's kid. Although, the notion that Couric took a "man's" job is actually quite quaint in a gender wars way.

Anyway, Couric is just a blip on the screen and a marketing ploy by the CBS honchos. The difference between "The Big 3" nightly news broadcasts and 20/20, Dateline, Entertainment Tonight, Access Hollywood et al is pretty much negilible at this point.

So, not only must Minerva take up the slack for parents, she must do so cheerily or else parents may not deign to cover for her when she needs it or support her activities outside of work. Nice....

The body ratio stuff is a good example of nerdism run somewhat amok. You can have a ratio of .67 (women) or .95 (men) and still have a face fugly enough that only a mother could love. The ratio means that you have a nice, and perhaps, healthy, bod. It doesn't mean that you are are beautiful in general.

That was the funniest collection of diversionary red herrings I've read in awhile. Thanks. The McVeigh point is that people like you don't really care about terrorist attacks or terrorism in general or even terrorist attacks against Americans in general. The only terrorist attacks you truly care about are the ones that Muslim extremists committ against Americans. That way you can irrationally rant against all Muslims from the safety of your keyboard and pretend to be a "realistic" tough talkin' patriot.

Some of you may find this interesting and relevant.

http://www.yahoo.com/s/389692

Note that he actually was on the plane as opposed to a "sterile area" of the airport.