What is this hold that Ms. Stewart has on women (and some men)? She is one of the most annoying people on earth. She has some good ideas, but, come on. All Marth all the time sucks.

She has built an empire. She couldn't have done it unless she was one tough bitch. She swam with sharks and ate a few of them.

Current flap: "Instructions to a broker" is not a stop order. A stop order will have a paper trail. Kudlow and Cramer did a dam good piece on this last night on CNBC, a terrific show by the way.

Main beef against her: she is successful, something all losers hate.

Wrong, Howard.

I don't begrudge Stewart any of her many millions -- she earned them.

It's her on-air persona that reminds me of a garden rake against a chalk board.

Hey, Steven! Nobody forces anybody to buy her stuff. She did it with whatever it is she has and obviously lots of women wanted it.

Martha is a pointer-out of the obvious and a teller of things known.

When I pot a plant to put on my patio, for example, I go to the nursery, buy a plant, a bag-o-dirt, a pot, bring them home, put the stuff into the pot and water it.

But not Martha.

Martha muses and makes tantelizing, in front of a tv camera, about how exquisite the dirt; how sturdy the stalk; how green the leaves; how Mexican the pot; how fresh the water.

Some people seem to be enraptured by this. Should we blame Martha (the former stockbroker)? Or those who think she has special insight and talent?

All of which is true, Howard -- and exactly zero of which is germaine to whether or not I want to watch her damn show.

The opinions expressed here are, well, mine.