I don't get to read the sex advice column Savage Love very often, but once I read a letter from a reader complaining that Mr. Savage in his frank and explicit sex advice was denigrating the most beautiful expression of love possible between two people. Savage answered that only a virgin could write such a thing.

Purity pledges and balls, claims that sex is a beautiful expression best shared between two virgins- sexual adults everywhere have to laugh because we KNOW that these people are either virgins and will know better soon, or asexual, and they will never, ever understand sexuality. Ever.

I stopped watching when that male doctor with the really long eyelashes climbed into bed with Bailey, his boss, to coach her while she was giving birth while her husband lay near death in the emergency room. ER is over the top too, but at least it's smart.

I'm glad the Hippies won. I thought the frat boys were rotters, until I decided that they were gay, trying for some reason to hide it. The hippies might come from priviledge, but if they do they have used it well and I take my hat off to them. They were deliberately kind to other players and people they met along the way. Tatao!

I am very feminist, and I can say that I discovered a long time ago that it doesn't pay at all to hold all people to a rigid standard. We who strive for equality, whether it is for racial, religious, or gender, sometimes have to keep our knowledge to ourselves and cut the ignorant few some slack while we pick our battles. Also, among those sexist rejects are probably some very special people. I have known some charming wonderful men who were partly sexist pigs and I'm sure that with time their sense of fairness and decency will prevail in their lives with women. And as many a liberal woman has discovered- some of the best men don't present themselves as progressive and tolerant, while some of the worst mysoginists do.

My point is probably best made by J Courtney's dismissal of Big Love, which she obviously hasn't seen. A show about a polygamist seems sexist to a woman with a closed mind, but the man is a loving, gentle person and the female characters are plentiful and nuanced. I'm glad J Courtney lightened up.

Solutions such as job sharing and partial telecommuting should also be considered. Since so much of an office workday is wasted time anyway, I think accomadating parents should be an easy decision. I'm sure child care was handled on the job for hunters and gatherers and farmers as well as modern day market sellers in developing countries. LEt's not forget that most women nowadays have two children tops, so this is probably only a short term thing for each employee.

For reliable long term BC, try Mirena. I absolutely recommend it to anyone. I haven't had a period in three years, and have had no unpleasant side effects. It cost $500 for the whole shebang and it was money well spent- cheaper than any other BC over a 5 year period and cheaper than pregnancy and childbirth and motherhood.

I too have read that women in developed countries are more susceptible to breast cancer because of the many times the menstruate over a lifetime. Don't forget that this is a net benefit, because unfettered fertility will shorten your life faster than any risk of breast cancer. I may be wrong, but I have also read that menstration supression through Mirena and pills doesn't remove the breast cancer risk the way multiple pregnancies and lactation do. Any experts out there to weigh in?

Politics is not about voting your conscience. It's about consensus and compromise. HRC is good at consensus and compromise, and if you insist on a purist candidtate, you will help put another wingnut in the White House, as the Nader voters did in 2000.

As for her qualifications- hers stand up to any other presidents in our country's history. A top notch lawyer, years and years of public service, a senator for Christ's sake. GW Bush isn't fit to lick her boots if we talk about qualifications. I smell a double standard.

Do you believe that all children should be only children? That seems like the only way a child could get all of this undivided attention you are advovcating. Your ilk have made parenting into one long an intensive stimulation couse for babies and infants. Lighten up.

I am no fan of big drug companies these days, but the day they marketed the pill was a big day for humanity. The Pill and all of its spawn are, in my opinion, among the most glorious inventions of history. I think good birth control ranks equal with vaccinations as important medical advances.

BTW, wasn't it an American bishop or priest who had the idea of the fake periods on the pill so as to make it more presentable to the pope? Anyone?

This isn't restaurant related, but some British colleagues years ago said there was a cartoon in GB in the 70's with characters called "Salty Seman and Master Bates". True?

What kind of a mother or father would contemplate moving their children away from the other parent because of the new spouse's job requirements? Unconscionable.

That bridesmaid thing smells like a bad translation to me. Or at least written by a second language speaker of English.