Several of the critics and letter writers made valid points that I am only going to reiterate here for the sake of getting it off my chest.

1) There was a time when my world and Howard Stern's world did not intersect in any way. That was a good time.

2) I collapse on the couch at night exhausted from working and raising small kids. I'm numb from the neck up. I watch American Idol. I have neither the energy nor the brain to change the world. Apparently there are lots of people out there who have lots of energy and great confidence in their own intellect. To those I say: please do something of real value.

Frankly, anyone who thinks that taking a view of psychosis through a cultural lens will reveal something of value is just plain stupid. What a waste of time. Mental illness is disease, plain and simple. To understand and treat it, one need's to use microscopes and shit. Maybe some good math, too. Anyone who proposes that Cho's status as Asian-American caused him to murder 32 people should get exactly what they deserve: a vehement and mocking laugh in the face.

(Of course, how to get treatment for those who need it is a different story and perhaps the cultural stigmas are worth examining.)

Finally, Gang Lu was a Ph.D. candidate in physics. "Smart but quiet" applies nearly across the board for that group. Do you really think he was characterized this way because he was Asian?! The community-at-large might want to believe that his nationality made him "fundamentally foreign," but those of us who have attended grad school in physics know that we are *all* seen as different and apart. In fact, I think smart people everywhere should be in an uproar. Why are serial killers *always* characterized as clever?

Isn't it a forgone conclusion that Cho was mentally ill? Can we really be spending this much teeth-gnashing on society's role in making him pull the trigger? At most, the societal influences proposed thus far would stand as mere aggravating factors. The issues we should all be discussing here are how to diagnose and treat mental illness and how to prevent the mentally ill from obtaining weapons.

I'm tearing up with nostalgia! My mom was the beater (specialty tool: hairbrush) and my dad was the name-caller. Together they were great parents (and I guess the marriage was good, too, since they celebrated their 50th anniversary last year).

And here's another annoying thing: where is the perspective? My four-year-old is constantly telling me that "stupid" is a bad word. I guess they told her that at preschool. I could shout, "You stupid mother fucker!" at her and she would no doubt tell me, "Stupid is a bad word!"

Don't worry. My kids won't be the ones bullying yours at school or on the playground. They'll be the ones off to the side sniveling. And whatever you do, don't talk to them, 'cause that makes 'em pee their pants.

Not really. But they *can* already tell some great jokes. They can laugh and laugh and laugh. And practically fart on command.

Sheesh.

Negative French population growth? Be still, my heart!

C'mon. You knew when you wrote this that the drooling Netflix legions would respond in force, yes? However, the letters here do indicate that one size does not fit all (e.g., the poster who lives in a rural area and finds Netflix too slow). Maybe there is a market out there for both of these players.

But for my money, eliminating the rather dreary experience of browsing in a Blockbuster is the whole freakin' purpose of Netflix. I just don't have the stomach for it anymore.

To deal with mood swings, always have a variety of types on hand and manage your queue appropriately. In my house we cater to the needs and moods of two adults and two small kids and we do pretty well (though admittedly with a 6 disk limit).

Thank you for an informative summary of the lead issue. Since we live in an older home on which we have done much remodeling, I have had my children tested. I was unaware that home test kits for surfaces and dust were so readily available. I plan to buy some tomorrow, as we are starting another remodeling project.

I agree, Joan, that it is silly not to acknowledge that which is patently obvious. I know that the networks have been burned in the past, but there are now hundreds of talking heads blathering on live TV networks as if this was not a done deal. Why don't they just broadcast a test pattern until they're ready to discuss the news?

It's more of a pre-election thing, but I've had Fight the Power going through my head for days. It's gonna stay there for a while.

I am struggling today to pursue Obama's advice: to think of those who voted for McCain as "friends" and to imagine that we have "bonds of affection." Mostly, I'm failing. I keep drifting over to blogs and websites that gloat, looking for a good laugh. (My favorite quote thus far: "Hey, Hannity, how does my ass taste?!")

If I could just move on, past the smug satisfaction, that would be the right thing to do. But never in my wildest dreams would I think of being touched by or feeling sorry for Condi Rice. Joan, you are wasting your time. I don't expect you to join the gloaters, but, sheesh, can't you find any better way to spend this glorious day?

If hog farms endanger our health and environment, shouldn't we be banning and regulating these gigantic hog operations instead of studying how to make them smell better?