He's still around. And so are his supporters. On my way home from work, I saw more (and bigger) signs for him than Clinton and Obama combined.

I guess the campaign ain't over till it's over for the Paulistas (or Pauliacs, or Paulists, or Pauloids, or whatever they're called).

I don't garden to be virtuous or more organic than thou. I garden because I love the taste of fresh, home-grown tomatoes. Few culinary pleasures can compare with picking a sun-warmed tomato from a vine in my garden, wiping the dirt off, and just biting in. Mmmmmmm! Plus, I just plain like playing around in the dirt. Besides tomatoes, I grow lettuce, mustard, beans, peas, peppers, basil, parsley, chives, oregano, and whatever other stuff catches my eye -- this year, I'm going to give Japanese eggplants and beets a whirl. If I couldn't have a garden, I'd still have a couple of containers of tomatoes and herbs.

All of this isn't a huge amount time committment in the grand scheme of things, although preparing my garden the spring does take a couple of weekend days. My garden is not that big, I mulch to keep down the weeds, weed as I go, pick as I go, and try to stagger plantings so everything doesn't get ripe at once. (The weeds sometimes get the upper hand around August, but by then the plants are well-established so it's not as big of an issue.) And I'm a mostly-organic gardener because I'm a cheapskate. For instance, compost is not only a great mulch and fertilizer, it costs nothing and keeps my grass, leaves, coffee grounds, peels, and similar kitchen waste out of a landfill.

While I understand not gardening due to lack of time, lack of space, or because you enjoy doing other stuff, what's with the garden hatred? If you don't like gardening, don't do it. Gardening isn't something that West Coast latte-swilling liberals dreamed up to prove how elite and special they are; it's an age-old human activity that's practiced worldwide. People everywhere, from the poorest to the wealthiest, like to grow things to eat. It also strikes me that having a lawn in a dry part of the country is a worse way to waste water than having a veggie garden -- you actually get food from a garden, for starters, and mulching and planting drought-tolerant varieties reduces the amount of water it needs. If water conservation is such a big worry, wouldn't it be better to talk up the benefits of things like xeriscaping instead of harshing on people's backyard lettuce and peppers?

The handbag guy on the corner will have knockoffs of this puppy within a few weeks.

Of course work is not always going to be fulfilling and fun. But it also shouldn't be soul-sucking, shady, and stressful.

If you feel this way, you're not flighty or crazy. It just means that you're in the wrong job. You're not trapped there! You don't have dependents, a mortgage, or similar obligations that would force you to stay put, suck it up, and take one for the team. 24 is a great age to bounce between different kinds of work and make big changes in your life.

Update your resume right now and start looking for a better job. It does not have to be your dream job -- in fact, it almost certainly won't be. Look for something that's less stressful than your current job, pays your bills, has some kind of benefits, and gives you time to think. Consider it to be a waystation along your journey, a place where you can catch your breath and figure out what you're doing. Be open to whatever turns up.

Don't be scared into passivity by the recession. People change jobs all the time, even in a down economy. (Remember, we don't know where you live; some parts of the country are faring better than others and you may be fortunate enough to live in one of them.) It's not a bad idea to stay in your current job until you have something else lined up, though. Knowing that you're planning your escape may make your time at work more bearable.

Meanwhile, talk to a career counselor. Attend self-help groups for job seekers to socialize, network and get tips on job-searching. Read. De-stress. Get some exercise. Eat right. Hang out with your boyfriend. Gather yourself together. You'll be fine.

Airlines, treat passengers as human beings, not as paying cattle.

Yeah, I'm a dreamer.

LW, you're totally overthinking this decision. There's no way you can ask the little sprog ahead of time if he or she wants to exist, anyhow, so don't even worry about it.

And lulu1967, a friend who's manic depressive had a kid a few years ago. Her father told her she was crazy to bring a child into the world with a chance of having her disease. But her little boy is the light of her life and so far seems to be OK. It's not too late for you. Besides, everyone carries genetic time bombs of one sort or another; if it isn't mental illness, it's heart disease, diabetes, cancer, or some other vulnerability.

Is this what passes for art now? It makes me long for the days when painting a naked lady at a picnic (Manet) was considered to be edgy and controversial.

Seriously, though, this girl sounds like she's batshit crazy. It's probably only a matter of time before she kills herself in another "artistic" stunt like this one.