I don't know why I even wade into the letter section of BROADSHEET. For every insightful poster, I have to put up with an ignorant, misogynistic screed or a "poor me, girls don't like me!" wail-fest.

I have to ask, why are some of you here? Are we not even allowed to discuss women's issues without attracting this kind of flack and abuse? Because please don't insult me by saying you're here to actually discuss these issues.

And I'm a charter subscriber to SALON. Like I said, there are posters here don't have a clue how to argue issues on their merits. Thank you for so neatly illustrating this.

Brightstar, I've read enough of your posts to have a pretty good idea about where you are coming from. I doubt that you've read enough of mine to have much of a clue about me or my opnions, in part because I don't post all that much. I don't have the time for it, unlike you. What is it you do all day, aside from waiting by the keyboard, ready to spring into action the minute a women's issue is posted here?

I'm going to lunch, personally.

That's actually...funny!

Listen to Cobain's chord progressions, his punchy, economical compositions. If you aren't hearing the Beatles in his music, you aren't listening.

Given your obsession with this column, what does that make you?

This is actually the first time I've posted in this forum (I've commented elsewhere on Salon). But I've skimmed the letters for "I like to Watch" and you're always here, going on about how much you can't stand the author, which seems, well, obsessive to me, and more than a little strange.

What can I say, in general I'm happier staying out of Salon's forums, though I've enjoyed the discussion on the Sopranos more than most. It's a good show and it's been really involving/exciting/tension-filled this year.

"Zombified clone"? Cute. I just am really tired of seeing the same names over and over again, spouting the same tired nonsense. What do you get out of it? Just the satisfaction of getting a rise out of someone like me?

You could try, I don't know, actually creating something of your own instead of attacking other people. Might be a nice change for you. I enjoy it, myself.

And every beach I've gone to, people are reading books. Though I do think "vacation reading" is a more accurate term.

I'll second the recommend on the Laura Lippman, but I can't speak with equal enthusiasm about the Peter Abrahams - I just finished it last night and though the main character and his dilemma were interesting, I thought the book was clumsily plotted and hastily written in places. This is the third Abrahams book I've read, and for me it's been a case of diminishing returns - "Oblivion" I enjoyed quite a bit; "The Rest of the Story" not so much.

I read Stack's article this morning and thought it was excellent - thanks for giving it the exposure it deserves.

- this sentence should disturb you:

"According to the Voice, Buffie "eats nothing but junk food and sugary drinks, and she doesn't work out.""

Given that people with these bad habits and supposedly healthy BMIs can have high levels of visceral fat and all of the associated health problems, what kind of an example is this, cultural standards or no? So what if genetics are implicated in diabetes and high cholesteral and other diseases? The facts are, if today's trends continue, something like 1/3 of all babies being born today will develop Type 2 diabetes. This is an epidemic. People are getting this disease at increasingly young ages, meaning that they are likely to develop the serious health problems associated with it at younger ages. We are looking at a population of chronically ill people that's getting larger every day - and the increasing odds that for the first time, a new generation may not live as long as their parents.

Poor nutrition and lack of exercise are a problem, whether a person is "obese" or not. Someone mentioned Oprah as an example of a zaftig Black woman held up as a role model. Well, Oprah's weight might fluctuate, but as I understand it, she works out like a fiend. Exercise gets rid of this visceral fat very quickly (way before thighs and butt). Odds are she's pretty healthy.

Does anyone remember Watergate? Do you think it happened overnight? It was the slow, steady drip of supoenas and investigations that finally did the trick. What do you think, the Democrats can manufacture a veto-proof majority overnight?

Frankly I don't know if this group of Dems is up to the challenge. I don't know if we can fix the Republic. I do know that it's not going to be easy, or quick.

Just about every mini-mall in the San Gabriel Valley has an authentic Chinese restaurant. There's a lot of regional variety as well. So how does that work?

I've been to China something like 9 times...there is plenty of great food to be had there. The only time the food was bad most places was the first time I was there, in 1979, because the country was still reeling from the Cultural Revolution.

For Peking Duck in Beijing, Da Dong is pretty damn good. I've heard Made in China is better but haven't tried it.

at Da Dong - I've never made them and been a bunch of times. You just have to wait in line for a while on busy nights. They offer wine in a box (two kinds! Red and White!) to keep you entertained while you're waiting.

Surely you jest. As others have noted, the fringe there is generally in the comments, which contain a frightening number of truly misogynist whackjobs.