We have mixed feelings about Maureen Dowd. Some days we think she's brilliant and other days we wonder when the Times decided that stream-of-consciousness columns were appropriate for the editorial page. ("There was an extended metaphor about a cow with three legs, a reference to an old Simpsons episode and something about Richard Perle. I didn't really get it...") We even went to her book party for Bushworld at the Four Seasons last year in hopes that our love/hate relationship would careen drunkenly in one direction or the other given exposure to the actual live columnist, but the only thing we really remember about that party was Jill Abramson talking about shopping for sexy dresses with her, which left us even more conflicted and confused.

So following her obligatory Estrich/Kinsley column this weekend (which we liked more than we didn't) blogger Mindles H. Dreck recalls a relevant passage from Dick Blow's (the joke never gets old) Richard Bradley's American Son:

The single most fascinating nugget in "American Son" is Mr. Blow's recollection of New York Times columnist Maureen Dowd panning the first issue of George (Blow was Senior Editor of George). Incensed, Mr. Blow wrote her a note and received the following response: "Don't be mad at me, I'm paid to be a baby curmudgeon, and it's no fun. I'd go back to reporting in a minute. I've subscribed and I promise only plugs from now on."