THE O'BONER FACTOR Just read Celia Farber's "No Sexual Dealing" (10/27). ...

TOR

Just read Celia Farber's "No Sexual Dealing" (10/27). I do not think Andrea Mackris has any grounds to sue Bill O'Reilly-and I am a woman. I recently saw her on tv in her workplace (taken before this all came about). From my point of view, she had on a very sexy outifit-one that might encourage even the most righteous male. She just wants money, and apparently is no angel herself. Thanks for the article.

Rosemary Tweddle Aldridge, Corinth, MS

AGAIN: THE O'BONER FACTOR

"No Sexual Dealing" by Celia Farber was a great article. I wish O'Reilly would tell this broad to play the fucking tapes. When she does, she'll lose all the leverage and power she has over him. There's just one thing in this article that doesn't make sense: "She is rumored ...to have had a crush on him." If this were truly the case, when she was in the hotel room with him, she would have made a move. I mean, shit, if I had feelings for a man and there was a strong attraction there, you wouldn't let that opportunity go to waste. But that's just my opinion!

Linda Valerio, Detroit

FUNNY, INNIT?

Wow! This is absolutely the best analysis of the sexual harassment issue I have ever read (Celia Farber, "No Sexual Dealing," 10/27). As a working woman for more than 30 years, I can absolutely agree with every sentence Celia Farber has written here. Thank you.

Joanne Johnson, Bay Village, OH

IT'S A MATTER OF RECORD

I am tired of Celia Farber writing articles condemning women involved in sexual harassment lawsuits and not disclosing her "intimate relationship" with Bob Guccione Jr. ("No Sexual Dealing," 10/27). Start playing fair, Celia.

Nancy Leopardi, former photo editor, Spin, Los Angeles

CELIA'S NO-SPIN ZONE

Celia Farber's latest column is disingenuous in the extreme, as intellectually dishonest as it is vile ("No Sexual Dealing," 10/27). She doesn't have the integrity to disclose, for example, that she was sleeping with her "good friend" and employer, Bob Guccione Jr., during the period of her employment at Spin. She somehow manages to elude mentioning the fact that she regularly wondered to me-a coworker and friend at the time-if her continued employment and chances for advancement were conditioned on this involvement.

One might think it incumbent upon Farber to make good-faith efforts to disclose such facts in an article ostensibly about workplace sexual conduct.

One would be right.

Adam Greenfield, Manhattan

Celia Farber replies: It is a matter of very public record that I was involved in a personal relationship with Bob Guccione Jr. for several years, while working with him at Spin. I've written about it myself-most recently here in New York Press within the past year. I'm not obligated to repeat it every time I address sexual harassment.

In 1997, a jury in Federal Court reviewed, in excruciating detail, my entire body of work at Spin, along with testimonies from coworkers. They returned a verdict rejecting the charge of sexual favoritism and concluded that my "career advancement" had been the result of my work.

TAIBBI THE ELDER SPEAKS

Fascinating deconstruction of the O'Reilly/Mackris case by Celia Farber ("No Sexual Dealing," 10/27). Logical and well-argued. An older woman I once knew well was fond of responding to every open question about motives and consequences with the same cliché: "You make your bed, you lie in it." Might apply to both sides in this case too-but Farber looked at the bigger picture, and her view was illuminating.

Mike Taibbi, Manhattan

BRIAN VAN CREEPYHOVEN

Hey Dategirl, this is probably not the first and definitely not the last email you'll get regarding this matter. However, upon finishing reading the letter by "Fuckwit" this week, I'd like to help (Judy McGuire, "Shut Up, Dude," 10/27).

Fuckwit, I could drone on about the difficulties of the dating scene, or I could commend you on your unintentional virginity. However, I'm a no-nonsense kind of guy, so I'll cut to the chase: I'm 25, good-looking, intelligent, confident, clean and polite. I would be glad to take you out on a practice date and test the waters a bit. I can't promise that I'll look at you in "that way" as you desire. However-based on your brief public introduction-I'd say you have a pretty good start in my book. I promise it'll be fun, and your virginity is safe with me (unless you have a raging desire to lose it). Hopefully I just saved you the trouble of taking a random chance with an online dating site-and I assure you I'm really not a hairy 45-year-old married man!

If you'd like to see more about me, I'll forward my online dating profile to you.

Brian Van Nieuwenhoven, Manhattan

SIGNED, "CLAY AIKEN'S MOM"

Wow! Eyes are finally beginning to open. I am referring to your article "The Blame Game" about Ashlee Simpson and her so-called SNL performance ("The Page Formerly Known as Page Two," 10/27). How stupid do they think the listening public is, anyway? I, for one, am getting sick and tired of these fake no-talent people raking in the dough for what amounts to plain crap.

It is time to really uphold those that do and can sing their ever-loving lungs out and do not resort to soundtracks or fakery. The person and phenomenal talent of whom I speak is none other than Clay Aiken. His concerts have been selling out, and he is just a remarkable singer that can sing any song out there. Lord, people would be satisfied hearing Mr. Thudmuffin sing the phone book or the alphabet!

Clay Aiken is unlike anyone else in the music biz because he is real, and not ashamed to admit a truth if he forgot the lyrics or messed up. That makes him all the more endearing to his audience. He is human!

I caught a glimpse of Simpson trying to save one of her two faces, as she first blamed the band, then said she had "acid reflux." That was flippin' hilarious.

It is time we recognized good honest talent for once! Bring it on, Clay baby! You rock!

Joanne Savard, Victoria, British Columbia

HORSE SEMEN. MMMM

When Matt Taibbi wrote for the eXile several years ago, he coordinated a contest remarkably similar to "Wimblehack." This previous contest had the same tourney-style elimination to decide the biggest bullshit-monger, and the finalists also coincidentally wrote for Newsweek and the New York Times.

I'm not writing to accuse Taibbi of recycling a tired idea. The miserable goons masquerading as campaign journalists these days no doubt deserve the ridicule, and the format is proven and engaging. "Now more than ever" and all that. I'm writing to beg that New York Press make this year's prize as colossal and demeaning an insult as possible. The winner of that past battle in the eXile-the disposable Michael Wines-was rewarded with a pie thrown in his face. A cream pie soaked in horse semen. I thought that was hilarious, and entirely appropriate.

Nothing short of a shit sandwich would be appropriate for the person crowned Worst Campaign Journalist of one of the most depressing campaign cycles of recent history. Then again, anything excremental may be too literal, and I guess subtlety of metaphor is important.

Please, don't just have an intern draw up some lame certificate. Anything short of a misdemeanor would be disappointing.

Zach Miller, Manhattan

UM.

Where do you find these women to write your articles (Kate Crane, "Ride, She Said," 10/27)? I'm not even going to go into the O'Reilly article-it would take me all day.

Kate Crane's skeptical tone and presentation of so-called "facts" is completely unsubstantiated and unprofessional, and I wonder why she'd even bother to write an article about the service if it was going to be so negative. She is a woman, right?

Her article is filled with contradictory statements and figures. She claims statistics show no rise in violence against women in the Greenpoint/Williamsburg area and quotes unmatching figures provided by the NYPD and those of the RightRides founders, but then goes on to admit that "only 39 percent of rapes... were reported" and that the numbers quoted from the NYPD are unreliable. Hello-this "writer" is a walking, talking contradiction and needs to get her thoughts and facts in order. She may also want to try talking to someone other than an NYPD spokesman, someone like a real cop, someone at the Center for Anti-Violence Education or hey, maybe even women in the neighborhood who have faced violent situations and/or are currently using the service.

In my opinion, even one rape or attack is one too many. Take away all of these contradictory facts and figures, and the RightRides service is justified on this basis alone. If they can prevent even one person from getting harassed, attacked, raped or killed, then that's enough for me.

Crane obviously has some issues with her own identity, as she finds it necessary to throw out generalizations about those of us who actually live in those neighborhoods. I am the furthest thing from "naive," "well-to-do" or the "stylish, club-going elite" and I find it horrendous that she would actually suggest that it is our fault for moving into these formerly "rough" neighborhoods in the first place. Is she saying we are asking for it or deserve it? That would be like blaming a woman for being raped because she was wearing a short skirt and high heels. These are outdated and preposterous myths that Crane is perpetuating, and lack any merit of professional journalism whatsoever.

No wonder you guys are always trying to diss the Village Voice. You obviously can't hold a candle to their quality of writing, research or scope of impact.

Dina Fiasconaro, Brooklyn

ER.

Finished Kate Crane's "Ride, She Said" and I just want to clarify a couple of things (10/27). First: When we at RightRides cite the "North Brooklyn" crime statistics, it covers more than one precinct. See this link: www.nyc.gov/html/nypd/pdf/chfdept/cspbbn.pdf

This document is available by clicking the SAT COM Brooklyn North link available from this page: www.nyc.gov/html/nypd/html/pct/cspdf.html

Because some time has passed, the number has increased to 260 rapes. If Crane would like to learn to read crime statistics, she can join us at the next block watcher's training. I'll let you know the details when they become solidified.

Second: Since when do the "stylish, club-going elite" need a free service? The whole point of this project is to provide a service to women who may not be able to afford a car service or taxi.

It saddens and upsets me that your paper would discount a 16 percent rise in violent attacks as hardly significant because it's just three more than last year. Let's just say all three of those women are your neighbors or your friends? And the attacks happened within a very short time frame?

It scared us into action; which to me is enough.

Consuelo Ruybal, co-founder of RightRides, Brooklyn

WE, UH, WERE TRYING TO HELP?

In response to Kate Crane's article on RightRides, a few key factors came to mind that are slightly irking ("Ride, She Said," 10/27). For one, the author unfortunately takes on the tired and oversung stance that all the victims are privileged, naive and maybe even not so street-smart, and thus it only makes sense that (rape) crime seems up to them since they are new in the neighborhood and affluent artist-types, etc.

What about the students who move to these neighborhoods because they are on a strict budget? Or the working-class people or those who have recently immigrated and/or work late hours? Or anyone who doesn't want to live too far away from Manhattan yet needs more affordable housing? Are they also naive, sheltered, privileged and un-street-savvy?

And though there's no denying the class difference between older families and ethnic communities that have existed in Greenpoint, Bushwick and Williamsburg for decades in sharp contrast to the younger single people as well as 30-somethings of varied cultural backgrounds looking to start families in an area that they can afford to live in, the bottom line is, New York City has always been a mix of "relatively safe" next to "on the edge of danger." And just because an area isn't as gentrified or trendy as another section (say, comparing Bedford Ave. to Grand St. or Broadway/Myrtle) doesn't discount the lives or livelihoods of the residents.

Just like fires and muggings often go unreported or downplayed in numbers as far as the media is concerned, sadly enough, so do rapes. And if women are uninformed at the rate at which these rapes occur when they move into a new area, be it a single young or old woman, working mother, or family, we are not given a fair perception of the level of danger we are subject to, nor made aware of when to be on the alert once crimes have occurred and are swept under the rug or kept quiet.

RightRides should be commended for thinking forward and putting a positive twist on empowering women and the community. Maybe if more people talked about what was really happening to other women in the streets and shops, subways, etc., more women would feel less ashamed in coming forward when they have been victimized. I have lived in South Williamsburg for nearly two years, and the first rapes I heard about and saw posters pertaining to were the two women who were attacked in the lobby of the building on Grand St.

Only since RightRides started have a few of my friends come forward and admitted that they had heard about other attacks in Greenpoint. The good news is that they also knew information about the self-defense classes that are being organized as well as how to obtain pepper spray. As women in New York city, we often pride ourselves in being self-sufficient and autonomous-but now we must also be armed and prepared to defend ourselves every time we step outside. And as it stands now, society still has a big stigma toward rape victims, especially those of us possessing less social stature and/or darker skin color. RightRides is looking beyond that in an effort to make all women feel safe and comfortable where they live-whether they are out socializing or just trying to get home from work.

I do agree with your ending note-safety is not a luxury. Please follow up with RightRides as they develop and progress-it's crucial to everyone's peace of mind.

Honeychild Coleman, Brooklyn

Kate Crane responds: What diminishes RightRides' otherwise good work is the lack of race and class analysis of whom they're serving and where. As they currently operate on Saturday nights from midnight to 4:30 a.m. in Williamsburg, Greenpoint and the Lower East Side, of course they're serving the "stylish club-going elite." RightRides' answer to my question on their outreach efforts was: "a banner ad on Bust.com, the LadyFest*East guide, coverage on friends' blogs, Friendster profiles, etc." As for the figure of 260 rapes in Brooklyn North, the majority of those attacks occurred in East New York (70), Bed-Stuy (58) and Bushwick (38), none of which are areas RightRides is planning to serve, according to their website. Rather, expansion plans mainly involve South Brooklyn-Park Slope, Brooklyn Heights-where reported rapes have declined 34 percent in the past three years. I just ask that they weigh what it truly means to be able to "afford" a ride home.