Letter Writer, please, please, please do something about your lack of health insurance. Seven thousand in debt is not that much. Tens of thousands in medical bills could ruin your life for a very very long time. Get some cheap catastrophic health insurance, keep working on the debt, take everyone's advice for managing it. Bankruptcy will not fix your problems and will make it harder to move forward in life. Just keep plugging at the debt. Eventually it will be gone.

Also, FWIW, I seem to have a certain amount of chronic low level debt. I used to think I had to pay it all off before I could move ahead with other big financial commitments. I eventually realized that I'm not good at getting completely out of debt, so I started saving and was able to buy a house while still carrying the debt. You might do well to put some of your money into savings even before you have the debt out of the way. Good luck.

LauraBB is suprised that the author dated only thin women for a number of years in NYC. Have you been to NYC? There are a lot of thin women there; more than in other parts of the country. I didn't get the impression that he went out of his way to find them. He said he was fixed up with some, met others at clubs and classes. I think the statistics for the percentage of American women who are size 14 and up are drawn from the entire population; some regions have more big people than others. Have you been to Wisconsin?

The other thing I notice is that many people have absolutely no idea what women weigh. At 160 I can wear a size six. At 200 I can wear a 12-14. I would not be at all surprised to learn that Marilyn Monroe weighed at least 200 during at least part of her career. Just because we're women it doesn't mean that we can't weigh more than 120 without being 'fat'. One of my best friends is a natural ectomorph, an absolute rail, and weighs a solid 150.

As for the photo accompanying the article; I think readers' biases are pretty obvious in their responses. I thought it was a happy, upbeat photo. The bride looks like she's having a blast. I didn't think there was anything clownish or embarassing about it.

Please? The letters were interesting until they devolved into a contest between the deliberately provocative NNG (who is also quite possibly Rob) and the other posters. If you quit feeding him, he might just go away.

I amuse myself by comparing my current life (fun and highly lucrative job, fun sports, lots of friends, community involvement) to life as Evil NNG's 'hot and lean' girlfriend. On the (dubiously) positive side there is the use of the sports car. On the negative side, there is having to share a bed with a quivering mass of vitriol. People who are perpetually angry don't see it, because they're around themselves all the time, but to the rest of us you are very unattractive, not to mention downright scary.

As for Rob, I can't wait until he goes out and tries to find a girlfriend, once he decides he has 'earned' the right to have one. Yeah, Rob sounds like a real prize. Happy, well-adjusted, no hangups AT ALL that I can see!

He is still mean and narrow minded, if the content of his posts are any indication. Apparently he believes that the pinnacle of achievement for a woman is to be hot enough to get a guy who will buy her a sports car (or provide one for her use as long as she's with him). He doesn't say anything about providing this woman good companionship, good sex or even fun. He has made it clear that he won't marry her.

So, yes, NNG might truly be an International Man of Distinction, but nevertheless he is mean and he seems to have very warped values wrt what makes a woman happy and fulfilled. The idea that fat chicks seek education because they're too ugly to be kept is bizarre, laughable and retrograde. There are a lot of gorgeous "hot and lean", smart, highly accomplished women out there who would laugh at the piffle offered by NNG. If his gal is happy with him, more power to her (and NNG for that matter) but that doesn't mean that anyone who doesn't buy into that value system is an ugly obese loser, who lusts, sadly and futiley, for access to NNG's lifestyle.

Also, FWIW, I didn't think that Mr. Blue was being mean, I think he was asking Rob to stop hating himself. That seems pretty kind to me.

The real Laura Ingalls wore a black dress to her wedding, because it was the best dress she owned and there was not time or money to sew one in another color.

As for the snubbed friend of the family - I can sympathize, but I'm pretty sure it's OK to enquire lightly, especially if it's made very clear that a non-invite would be acceptable.