It's usually a cliche to mention "the Middle Ages" when talking about someone's unenlightened point of view, but in the case of Mr. Ross and Maureen Dowd, I think it fits.

Either that, or he's a time traveler, back from the days of King Henry the VIII and men who saw women only as tools to carry on their "legacy" by making more boys.

The examples he gives -- Michael Douglas, Anthony Quinn, and the unnamed secretary-shagging lawyer -- are bad ones, men rich, powerful, and vain enough to date women younger than themselves. (Incidentally, I'm 29, and would much rather be with a 53 year old newspaper columnist than a 30-something actress/cell-phone shill. But that's just me.)

It always seems to me that men like this need to forget that death is on its way; a fertile young woman is the best way hide that. At least King Henry was practical in his courtship technique.

Raw foods? Pfft. These pet owners are amateurs. I've been feeding my dog raw meat for years, because, as the pet owners in this story rightly point out, that's how it was in the wild.

But I don't stop there. I haven't bathed dog, ever, because it would be an insult to his non-domestic ancestors. If my dog gets sick? Too bad. Wild dogs don't have vets. That racoon bite will get better on its own. And if he doesn't make, I'm sure I'll get over it, the way I did after I released my goldfish into the ocean. That's how it was in the wild.

The "City Slicker Goes To A Small Town Where He Learns What the REALLY Important Things Are" movie. Why are we constantly subjected to this cynical, hypocritical and untrue premise? It's not like "Cars," "Doc Hollywood," and "Sweet Home Alabama" (to name a few) were made by some theater troupe from a small town in Iowa. They were made by people who would slit their wrists before moving to a flyover state. And it's insulting to people who live in cities that one needs to move to Smalltown America to find themselves.

First off, I'm glad to see ROME, a recent discovery, getting credit. Secondly, "Monk" is -- in some ways -- a long-lost ancestor to the crime shows James Frey cherishes. Yes, he has his quirks, and the murders are often unusual. But when you look at the motives for the murders, you never see, for example, a "Law and Order" serial sniper, or the type of motivated-by-a-unusual-sexual-fetish killing you find on CSI. The Monk murderers are always mustache-twirling villains who act out of greed, jealousy, or the need to cover up another crime. They always get busted in the third act, usually after underestimating Monk (of course), who is saved from the killer at the last minute by the police. Put aside Tony Shaloub's performance and the (occasionally) clever plot twists, and Monk would be at home in CBS's Tuesday night line-up, circa 1985.

I'm really spending too much time defending a show that's not even in my top 10, but Frey's assertion that "Monk" somehow insults past private eye shows by not having car chases and boobies is based on a false assumption. Monk was modeled after Sherlock Holmes, not Lew Archer. The show's creators have said as much.

I've been reporting full-time for seven years now, and I still feel awkward asking embarassing questions. And sometimes, but not too often, I think (as another writer here mentioned) that I'm more of a writer than a reporter. But mostly (and I hate to sound insensitive here), I just suck it up and ask the embarassing question. Just like I suck it up and approach random people on the street, or suck it up and knock on the door of the family whose son has just died in Iraq, or been arrested for murder. Like I said, it's been seven years, and it hasn't gotten any easier. It may never get easier, but it's not enough to make me find another job. No one says you have to be overly confrontational and outgoing. Just find a style that works for you and go with it. And if this fear isn't something you can overcome, I guess there's the small comfort in finding it out now, and not after getting hired for your first job.

My list in no particular order:

The Pixies -- Doolittle

The Velvet Underground -- anything

Belle and Sebastian -- anything before 2000

The Strokes -- Is This It?

Patti Smith (apparently joining the hall of Fame) -- Horses

Sonic Youth -- Daydream Nation

Pavement -- Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain

Television -- Marquee Moon

Pulp -- Different Class

Nivrana -- In Utero

Someone else used that phrase earlier, that the Sopranos was living up to that standard. While I agree that HBO does have high standards for its programming, I'd argue that it was The Sopranos that made it possible for HBO to have quality dramas like this in the first place.

I think Heather was pointing out that RESERVOIR DOGS featured a group of criminals with code names ("Mr. White," "Mr. Orange" etc.), just as the KILL POINT bank robbers do. Of course, RESERVOIR DOGS could have lifted this device from THE TAKING OF PELHAM ONE TWO THREE.

Want to see working class people on TV? Scripted dramas/comedies may not show them, but they get their moment in the sun each week with DIRTY JOBS on the Discovery Channel.

I'm trying to remember the title of this book Camille Paglia wrote. "Sexual...Identity..." or "Sexual Personality," something like that. Oh, if only she were to mention it in each of her columns!