Ed-
Right now, I must:
1. Click on the article link, and wait for the page to
load.
2. Click on the "Discuss this page" link, and wait for THAT page to
load.
You could also use the "Post a comment" link on the talk page, which
allows you to append directly to the page, without loading the whole
discussion, and without the possibility of edit conflicts. Or you can use
section editing to edit only a particular thread (provided that thread is
separated using ==headings==).
Regards,
Erik