Weren't pregnant women ENCOURAGED to smoke in the 40's and 50's, to keep their weight down? Anybody done any studies on their daughters?

And what about their sons?

And what about if the FATHER smoked around his pregnant wife?

Oh, and I have a disproportionately wide waistline compared to my hip circumference, and used to have irregular menstrual cycles when I was heavier (since I lost weight, it's regularized). Nobody in my house ever smoked.

Jeebus.

The one where the dog is looking at you funny. Or when you take what my college roommate used to call the "walk of shame"--walking home quite obviously in the clothes you had on the night before!

I agree with you--don't ask, don't tell--as long as you're safe and STD-free, whose business is it, really?

Since anon asked--

I don't ask men how many previous sexual partners they've had. I'm not interested. I DO want to know, to some extent, why their serious relationships broke up (note to boys--saying your ex was "a psycho bitch" is a BIG red flag), how they feel about their ex-wives (if they've been married) and I have decided (from sad experience) that men who vocally hate their mothers--even if they probably have good reason to--are NOT good choices for long-term relationships. But I really think that number of partners isn't at all a good indication of whether someone is able to sustain a long-term relationship, whether they'll be faithful, and so forth.

You said to Akon...

Your claim that transsexual expression is all about indulging a whim demonstrates willful ignorance on the subject. I believe a person has the right to invent themselves as a different gender and he accepted as that gender. It seems you agree with me as least as far as choosing an identity, because you so gleefully play an irate fool.

I agree with you. Nonetheless, genetically a transgendered person is still what they were born as. I am a woman. If I chose to live my life as a man, took hormones, had surgery, etc., I would still be genetically female, and nothing I did could change that. Thousands of years from now when some archaeologist dug me up, no matter what was on my tombstone or how I was dressed, my wish to be known as a man would not be respected. DNA will out.

All that said, if one is happier and more fulfilled as the opposite sex, more power to them.

I truly do. I never everever read sports columns, but I always read yours.

I was kind of excited about the rain delay, because I've been missing Fox's regular Sunday night. Why couldn't they have shown THAT, without "The War at Home"? I'l bet even RERUNS of King of the Hill, Simpsons, Family Guy, and American Dad would have been more popular than 2 hours of the one really crappy show in the Sunday lineup.

Oh well.

You have a different voice than the rest of the writers on Salon. Maybe it's just because you ARE a sportswriter, but I like to think it's because you're not in Califawnyer. Not that I have anything against California, mind--it's just that your writing stands out as different, and pleasant to my (midwestern) ear.

And with that in mind, maybe the yobbos at Fox figured that nobody was watching but dumb-ass flyover country, and they could save the GOOD shows for when, y'know, LITERATE people were watching!

And it isn't even FRESH Kool-Aid. She's repeating, in a slightly more literate way, all the tired old chestnuts I'm hearing in the Republican political ads here in Columbus. " is too liberal! liberaleliteoutoftouchwiththepeople! weak on crime/defense! wants government to solve all our problems! Tax 'n' spend! Cut 'n' run!" It doesn't seem to be working...

Oh, and the Foley thing? I didn't see too many Dems leaning on that too hard. In fact, there was some complaint on the blogs that they didn't hit it enough. The MEDIA liked the story (sex scandals are tons o' fun). But Camille, didja see Foley ID'd as a DEMOCRAT on Fox? Or all those Republicans hinting darkly that the DEMOCRATS must have arranged somehow for this scandal to happen when it did? And this is the party that you say stresses "personal responsibility"? Hmmm...

Few DEMOCRATIC leaders have had military experience? I can think of several, but Camille, name me a Republican leader who's had military experience. Off the top of my head, John McCain. I can't think of any others.

I think you've been listening to TOO MUCH talk radio.

And I get the impression you knew it was going to happen and were kindasorta looking forward to it.

Could you post an article from someone who actually has some intellectual rigor, refuting (with citations) Paglia's distortions and filling in some background? Preferably from someone with some cred out here in flyover country? (since Paglia and most of your freepers are so dismissive of all those out-of-touch folks on the coasts--never mind that hey, they're Amurricans too--they--and that means YOU--don't count, y'know?)

That would be a REAL public service.

Thanks so much from a liberal in Columbus, OH (!)

How can you be "well preserved" in your late 30's? Jeebus, I'm 40, I smoke, I drink, and I'm regularly taken for 10-20 years younger. It's genetic. There's only so much plastic surgery can do for you before you start looking, well, like you've had plastic surgery.

From personal observation, poor diet, stress, poverty (or just plain money worries), and kids seem to age people much faster. Get rid of those things, and none of us would NEED plastic surgery. Course without the kids, we'd die out, but hey, we'd be prettier!