Well, of course. But I *pay* for Salon, because they provide an alternative voice that isn't heard anywhere else in the media. So, given that I help to keep them afloat, I would say that gives me the right to provide feedback when I think they're heading in a wrong direction. Don't get me wrong, I still thing that Salon is basically great. I love the poitical coverage, much of the arts coverage (especially the movie and book reviews), I enjoy King Kaufman and Tom Tomorrow, War Room and Broadsheet, and lots more.

I will also always stick up for the right of every woman to control her own body and her own sexuality. But what I can't stomach is a small group of over-entitled women who want to be writers, but who have nothing to say, spilling out their quasi-pornographic narratives of self-obsession in the pages of my favorite magazine. It doesn't belong here. Haven't you heard of *diaries*? You don't have to publish every last dribble from your psyche, some things are better kept to yourself. If you have to, start a blog, hopefully no-one will notice.

Well, as a male and father of several children, my wife was ready, willing, and able for more sex than I was after childbirth. I kind of saw her as the mother/madonna, not the horny babe she had always been. Other than the milk leakage/explosions everything worked fine. My (limited) experience with mothers and non-mothers is that motherhood makes women far more sexual. Since it appears to make women more intelligent and better athletes also, that stands to reason. So women who choose not to have children are giving up being smarter, stronger, and having better sex. Pretty dumb tradeoff.

Salon's always been a mix of the personal and the political. The country's in a crisis, and the ecological balance of the world is quickly tipping over, and I appreciate every word Salon devotes to that.

But, you know, people grappling with a feeling of personal failure aren't likely to get much done in the real world, either. I don't have kids or, currently, much of a sex life for putative kids to destroy. But it seems to me useful for women and men planning to have kids to hear from someone who's been there, was surprised and shaken at an unanticipated consequence, and survived, good as ever, with good humor.

No harm and obvious upside. Feminists used to say the personal is the political, remember? (And without naming names, there are Salon pieces I've grimaced at too. But not this one.)

I was already into the first paragraph of the second page of Mary Elizabeth Williams' article when I realized that I was becoming extremely irritated and shut off the computer. I stewed for awhile and wondered why her story got under my skin, then I realized it wasn't the content, but the fact that the exact same sort of article has been published ad nauseum in every womens' publication on the market. I do believe that several variations on the theme can be found in Salon's archives. Having given birth, I can empathize with Ms. Williams very common dilemma but I venture that anyone who's skimmed the lifestyle/health/beauty/fitness/parenthood section of the magazine stand, would also have a grasp. The key to a good essay on an oft written about topic, is when the writer can bring keen insight, original thought and/or new information to the piece...Ms. Williams' writing eludes on all counts and unfortunately, her style is also more suited to Cosmo than Salon. In the future, I hope Salon's editors will be more discerning when selecting their lifestyle stories. There is absolutely no reason why lifestyle articles can't be held to the same caliber of writing as found in Salon's excellent political, general news and sports sections.

I thought the story was funny and actually valuable, as it discussed an issue that's kind of important to happy marriages but rarely gets such frank treatment. Happy marriages are good for kids, so the subject's not really trivial.

If it's any comfort, new mothers should know that:

A. Any new father worth his salt is also almost as exhausted (though moms have more demands made on their bodies) and also sympathetic to the low-libido problem, and

B. The problem is temporary. Eventually, kids grow older and more self-sufficent, and parents get some rest and a semblence of their old lives back.

As for those complaining about the existence of articles about parenting, I doubt anyone held a gun to their heads and forced them to read this. Many readers, including many fathers, appreciated this article, but not every single piece in Salon can possibly interest everyone.

As for those who use the Salon letters section to spew venom at children in general, those are some pitiful folks. There are many good people, with and without children, who strive to make the world better for the generations to follow them. The baby-bashers, in contrast, seem to have contempt for future generations.

As an almost-seventy year old, I haven't been reading much information on this subject (ad nauseum, as a letter writer suggested) but count me as someone who thoroughly enjoyed this article and Mary Beth's style of writing. Maybe reading something like this at midnight, the content seems more humorous than while doing so during the hectic hours of the day, but I am flummoxed as to why anyone would denigrate MB's style. Every article written does not necessarily have to contain earth shattering information to be deemed worthy of reading and furthermore, I considered this particular essay to be extremely entertaining (and yes, even informative for the young mother)

I, too, am associated with family members in the medical profession, including a retired OB-Gyn physician husband and I, a nurse. It could be that I'm not that defensive when it comes to not-so-kind remarks about doctors but even after rereading Mary Beth's article, I didn't find her comments accusatory--just that her doctor's remarks were more matter-of-factly indifferent. And believe me, I've seen many capable but indifferent physicians in my lifetime.

Although I cannot say I was as over-the-top dedicated to sex as was MB, I thoroughly enjoyed this article. If that means I'm not a good example of judging entertaining or informative writing, then so be it.