" 

 ::Glad you're alive and well (breasts and all). I still haven't finished the copy-editing for the Master, as I got burnt out, too, so I can certainly understand taking a break. No rush.  

 ::I thank you for the commendation; I don't know if my last comment was up when you read them, about becoming a film director, but it has never seemed to me particularly sensible or fruitful to consider myself in any way hindered by my sex. And it seems to me that, sadly and ironically, some of the women's comments actually made the case for poor efforts by women more effectively than anything any man has ever said. As for dear RAP above, he is 17 and not the brightest bulb, and I put his animus down more to being a defensive 17-year old than a sexist (and he apologized on my talk page, as he inevitably does). It can be hard to get along here, but as I've almost never been identified as female until I myself spoke up about it, I just can't see that any problems I may have encountered had to do with that. I do feel a sisterly solidarity with women such as yourself because I am, without apology, a feminist and therefore will always support you (or anyone else for that matter) if under attack (and I'll tell you myself if I think you're wrong or not handling a problem constructively). And if I saw such bullying I'd do my best to stop it, but when I've been bullied there's been no indication that it was because someone guessed I was sporting breasts, and none of the bullies has bested me yet. And I've gotten tougher (stern, is my usual word for how I deal with difficult people) as I've got surer of myself. I can't imagine quitting after 20 minutes because of one or two irksome encounters. Quitting only reinforces the problems, it doesn't solve them.  

 ::I found Yonmei's contention that American males were running the show interesting, too. I've encountered more strong British male editors than American. Smarter, surer of themselves, and usually very good at what they do (even if they are, like Malleus, a handful; he was the first experienced editor I asked for help, back when I started, and he was incredibly generous with me). But then, I haven't tried to dissect the population into sex, nationality, sexual orientation, religion, hair color, fashion sense, taste in music. All that said, I'd like to see more women editing, and with confidence, about subjects they're interested in. I'm about to tackle a re-write of the Dorothy L. Sayers article. You should read itit reads like a People Magazine piece crossed with The Daily Mail. Crikey! I gave fair warning that I was about to go to work on it so that those to whom it is dear will have a chance to start the clean-up themselves. 

 ::I also left a message on  page suggesting she check you out, as you have common interests. I did warn her that you are a monster who will eat her alive if she's not perfect, and told her of the many corpses littering your back yardmale, female, even very small children who have, while trying to reach the keyboard, made accidental typos. Live by the sword, Moni, die by the sword. Hope that was okay.  

 :::Hahah, what the fuck? A monster who eats editors alive? Hahaahha! I haven't even seen your comment. You are high. (After seeing it...pull the other one...this leg is long enough. Gave me a laugh though.)    

 ::::And I've seen your backyard. Those poor little kids...  
 :::::My father has a habit of cutting off his finger and getting it sewn back on. After the third time the doctors just said what the everloving shit? you don't deserve a finger anymore and they took it off. The next year I drew on his father's day card a cemetery of fingers instead of headstones. Knowing that I have his genes, I stay away from most sharp implementsalthough walls and doorknobs get me all the time.    
 ::::::I love your phrase ""has a habit of"", as though it's one he's developed and cultivated. Very funny story. But you only have half his genes, or rather, half your genes are from him, so probably one of your hands is safe. When you get right down to it, a girl really only needs one...  
 :::::::I think we just won the ""Fastest time from serious commentary on misogyny to advice about self-pleasure"". I'm honored to hold this record. I shall cherish it for as long as I can remember it.    
 ::::::::Conversational entropy or evolution, would you say? (And you should preserve it up at the top of your page, right after RAP's ch