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Too picky? continued...

Yeah, how about the single women -- and men -- I hear from all the time, home at their computers because another promising date tanked. Or because they're also "trying" on the Internet. Whatever. How about all the people who are doing and developing and enjoying all the right things: "hobbies," friends, exercise, style, self-respect. Who are "getting out there" -- more often than they even feel like, in all the "right" places, with the perfect coy yet approachable yet coy yet outgoing yet coy vibe -- and then... after another wearing night of dashed hopes, crying alone on the cab ride home with no one to call because they'll wake the baby. How about them?

This whole thing reminds me of Angst's "friend" -- the one who warned her that, "Women who bear children over 30 are more likely to have children with birth defects." I'm not arguing with Gottlieb's medical facts. But how dare someone imply that "all" thirtysomething women are waiting, idle, for a dumbass dream? How dare you blame them -- or the ones you ignore -- for a generation of sick babies?

And overall, why are people still so freaked out and double-standardy about single women? I mean, show me someone blaming us for, like, Down's Syndrome, and I'll also show you someone sneering, "See, they're all just out to breed! Tick tock!" We can get our own TV shows, but we still can't get a break.

So. On that yes-I've-got-something-to-prove note, let me offer some of your answers to the questions I raised here in my column, plus here (and here) on my message board (board quotes have been edited for space -- click on the name to read the complete post): Are we really that picky? What are our standards and practices? My survey says they're hardly self-defeating.

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Your responses!