I was recently at a funeral of a man who died from complications of alcoholism and substance abuse problems. The priest didn't hesitate to speak bluntly of the man's demons which was a shock for me since that didn't seem necesssary. Maybe to the close family it was, however.

I think that the Michael Jackson memorial was what you would expect from a show business family. You cannot underestimate that showmanship and professionalism is in the Jackson family's blood. Any funeral you go to, some eulogies seem more sincere and less "showy" than others and this was no different.

It seemed that Paris Jackson took the microphone unexpectedly to her aunts and uncles. It didn't seem to be part of the script. Her tears really broke me up.

I wish the best for the three children. I wish them whatever normalcy they can acheive. I imagine we may see more of them down the road. I hope that if they choose to perform, they will do it with some degree of stability and not take the "reality t.v." route or the coked out party circuit route that other children of celebrities have taken to fame.

can you get a job closer to home and save yourself the commute? or cut down to a part time schedule?

what law has it that lawyers have to work such an insane schedule that even if you have a "lifestyle" gig your commute is still taking up 14-20 hours of your week?

yes, get exercise and eat better.

no, don't give up guitar. one day it will come together and while it could take years, you are young and have plenty of decades to enjoy your skill when you master it.

It was obvious the girl was not a scheduled speaker, she reached as she asked to take the mic and her family complied rather than embarrass her by withholding the mic from her.

Don't you remember being 11?

The media has exploited the clip by replaying it endlessly as it was obvious they would as soon as she surprised Janet and the others by stepping foward. Anything she said in that moment was bound to be replayed ad nauseum.

Why were her words so surprising and newsworthy? Because, any dimwit can see, she has been kept under veil for most of the past decade. Hardly exploited, she was cloistered. Her first public statement at such a loaded and terrible moment had me hanging off of my seat in shock and rapt attention.

She is a beautiful young woman and no doubt sincere. I saw nothing in the family's treatment of the children that was in any way exploitative. Their body language was protective.

The children had an absolute right to be there, unveiled, and she had an absolute right to speak her mind.

To supplement Cary's extremely good advice, I would suggest you obtain and read a copy of "If the Buddha Dated" by Charlotte Kasl, along with a copy of "No Death, No Fear" by Thich Nach Hahn.

Buddhist philosphy can really help you control your thoughts and changing your interpretation of events. Thich Nach Hahn's books are tremendously helpful, however as a Buddhist monk he does not touch on the issues specific to romantic relationships and heartbreak, whereas Charlotte Kasl dives right in, in a manner that is compassionate and groundbreaking.

I am so sorry that you lost your parents at such a young age. But, if it can give you some hope, realize that Cary is right-- your approach to relationships and rejection is overblown and possibly not so much in response to your parents' death and fear of feeling abandoned.

Lots of people have had trouble with romantic rejection and loss who were not orphans at the time they were sorting it all out.

I am confident you will be able to sort it all out in good time, and when the time is right, you will be able to enter into a loving relationship as a whole person, an equal.

After reading the essay, I am going to guess that this was creative fiction, a compilation of the author's experiences as a male attending various womyn's studies classes in college, maybe attending college party where the "womb" effect with the bedsheet was created but for an entirely different reason, and having a good male friend whose girlfriend's circle villified and excluded him after his girlfriend got pregnant and she got an abortion. That and the author probably smokes a lot of pot to make his creative juices gel in just such a way that this essay became possible.

Just my two cents. If this story is true, than the most horrifying part is that some dimwits took their three year old to a party in his pajamas that didn't even get started until 10 p.m., and apparently the boy was still awake and conversing with partygoers long after the author arrived at 11 p.m.

Three year olds, however precocious, need structure and a normal bedtime routine.

I agree Miss Manners, Dear Abby et al are like Sanka Insta-decaf while Cary Tennis is like Jamaican Blue Mountain breakfast blend.

I think it mainly has to do with the feedback option. I always get to the end of a Miss Manners or Dear Abby column and am frustrated without being able to share my two cents. FWIW.

Too gross. I love Morgan Freeman as an actor but I am pretty grossed out by this story. Probably more grossed out than I was by the Woody Allen/Soon Yi Previn hookup.

That the affair began when she was 17 and he 62 makes me think of that gross subplot of "Love in the Time of Cholera."

Ahh. Well, whatever.