Thank you for mentioning this, Catherine - people need to stay informed, no matter how grim the news. Like you, I could not watch the video. I can't bring myself to look upon such reckless hate, I don't want it tattooed in my memory.

Perhaps you may be interested in the work of Rana Husseini, a Jordanian journalist and activist who has worked to spread awareness of honour-killing and its evils in her home country.

Here is her website:

http://www.ranahusseini.com

The illustration to this article is inappropriate and sexist, and I am saying this both as a journalist and as someone who is deeply unsettled over the possibility of a McCain/Palin win.

Sarah Palin is a POLITICIAN. Critique her on her POLITICS. I don't care if "sex sells," this is election coverage, not a spread in Details magazine.

This kind of disrespect not only plays into the GOP's hands, it also makes me seriously wonder about sexism on the so-called sanctified Left.

I'm one of those people who has to fly a lot, and I mean a lot - my family lives far away, and my job tends to take me places. It would be fun, if I hadn't suddenly, almost overnight, developed an irrational fear of flying when I was about 18 (seriously, I'm shaking as I type this; just thinking about flying is enough to make my insides go all cold and jelly-like).

I haven't experienced a go-around, yet, but I'm sure that when I do, I'll pass out.

Or maybe I won't pass out, having remembered your column.

Thank you.

None of us can really stand in judgment of LW - you never know when you yourself will trip up, do something against your better judgment, or fall in love or lust with the wrong person.

That's the way it is in life: the most unexpected thing comes along and wallops you over the head. For some people it's gambling. For others it's drugs. Some people just take off and aren't seen again for years. Strange stuff happens to everyone (if you're reading this and going "not to me!" - Just you wait). Nobody, and I mean nobody, is normal under that carefully constructed exterior of theirs.

But what do you do in such a situation? Well, I agree with most of the stuff that's been said so far.

End it.

He may be a great guy, but he is not your partner. He's not the father of your children. He isn't the person who has stood by you, in one way or another, for the last 11 years.

You are enjoying this dalliance because you are seeing an idealized version of yourself reflected in this young dude's eyes. It's perfectly normal, but it could really screw things up for you in the long run.

I agree with another reader who wrote to tell you that you need to fall in love with yourself. You don't need a teenager who already lied to you once to feel excited about yourself and life in general. Hot guys come and go. Even intelligence doesn't automatically make anyone truly special.

Don't beat yourself up over the things you cannot change. Just focus on dealing with the consequences as best as you can. This should definitely include some time with a good counselor, and possibly a lawyer. Treat yourself to a couple of nice things while you're at it.

So you've discovered some things about yourself. Use this as a lesson. It doesn't have to be a grim and sobering one, if you can help it. And I'm sure you can.

When you feel dissatisfied, you must ask yourself why. Once you think you know the answer to your own question, it's time to make a decision.

It appears from your letter than you have explored your feelings in depth. I'm going to join the others here and encourage you to end the relationship. And don't "put things on hold" or "take a break" or "try to see how we will feel about it a few months down the road" - it will just be unnecessary torture for you and your boyfriend.

When this guy I thought I loved ditched me, I was devastated. But looking back on it, his simple words - "we're not right for each other, and you may not see it now, but you will see it soon" - were 100% true. He did me a favour, something I didn't want to see at the time because the mere fact of rejection wounded my foolish pride. You will most likely do your boyfriend a favour as well.

No one should stay in a relationship out of inertia, or for the misguided reason of sparing another person's feelings, feelings that aren't going to be spared at all if both of you end up unhappy.

There is no fool-proof formula for happiness in life, but there is definitely a fool-proof formula for unhappiness, and staying with someone even though you don't feel you love them pretty much fits the bill.

There's nothing wrong with pointing out that the new First Lady is fine. There's nothing wrong with exploring the beauty aesthetic she embodies and what it means for women who look up to her.

All of the hand-wringing and pear-clutching in the comments section here is predictably pathetic.

I'm a white, thin woman with an ass made for Juicy Couture, and I *loved* this piece.