I wonder who the journalist was. Garrison, if you ever come to my native land remind to to tell you about dropbears.

My sister-in-law (SIL) is similar to this woman, except she made the affair physical. But the promises to stop, then being caught, then starting the whole cycle over again are very similar. And DurianJoe, my brother-in-law tried your tactic and it didn't work (mostly because of the SIL's desire for the relationship with the other guy).

Dear LW, your wife sounds like a prime narcissist. Also, this behaviour is very strange, and she may have some serious mental health issues. I know it's fashionable nowadays to make everything a mental health issue, but seriously this behaviour is truly insane. But the one person you need to think about in all this is your daughter. How is she coping with the trauma of seeing Mummy and Daddy tearing at each other? What does this tell her about love, marriage and how to be a good person in this world? And frankly, dear LW, you deserve better. But don't marry someone in the same profession as you again.

I am an athiest. I have friends who cover a pretty wide selection of religions. I have been to a Sikh temple, a Hindu temple, various Christian churches of different denominations, several mosques, and the local Synagogue. At each place I respected the tradition and culture of the people who worship there. I am in their holy place, I follow their rules. Keeping my head covered, taking my shoes off, whatever. It shows respect to people who have let me into their world. It is not showing that I believe in their god. It is simple politenesss. Dear LW, your husband needs to stop sitting so hard on his principles, and remember what really matters in this world: showing respect to your fellow man. Also his behaviour is stressing you, and that is very bad when you are going through IVF.

By the way, good luck. I too am infertile, and have gone through IVF. IT is the hardest thing I have ever done, and I truly hope you recieve the child you long for. You are under so much stress, please take Cary's advice and find a quiet place for yourself.

Maybe it takes an Australian to appreciate eucalyptus trees as they are. The first settlers in Australia thought they were ugly too. But now we love them...

I need to clarify a few points.

1/ Our Prime Minister is still in Australia. He heads for the Bali conference on Sunday/Monday.

2/ He signed the paperwork to put the treaty into place. The UN still has to process the paperwork,and we still have to pass the laws that ratify it. The outgoing government still holds the balance of power in out upper house(The Senate), and may block the legislation. They would be fools to do so, as the majority of Australians are for signing the treaty.

3/ The announcement of Australia's signing of Kyoto was made to the Conference delegates by the head of the Australian Delegation.

Kylie Minogue performed at the Closing Ceremony of the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games. That was the ceremony full of kitsch. The Opening Ceremony, was, by our standards, relatively tasteful. Even the Hills Hoists and the Ned Kellys.

(why this horse-drawn carriage and not a modern automobile?)

Because, in the back of your mind, Cary, you're thinking about Emily Dickenson's poem Because I could not stop for Death

Because I could not stop for Death,

He kindly stopped for me;

The carriage held but just ourselves

And Immortality..

the place you are talking about is Christmas Atoll in the west central Pacific Ocean. Christmas Island, however, is in the Indian Ocean, and is a territory of the Commonwealth Of Australia. There was no nuclear testing there.

References:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christmas_Island

Encyclopeadia Britannia.

and thank you for a wonderful column. Gay may you lie in grace (Dylan Thomas).

In Australia:

1/ voting is mandatory. No ifs, no buts (strict exemptions apply). We grizzle, but we all vote.

2/Election day is always a Saturday. This means almost every one can get the polls. If not, there are alternatives. I know you might need to change your Constitution. So what? do it.

3/Develop an independent non-partisan Electoral Commission that oversees all elections, handles and counts votes, and generally makes sure that the elections run smoothly. It's expensive but worth it. And don't you want to stop looking like a laughing stock every election time?

4/Get rid of the machines. They are too easy to fiddle. Paper votes are not great for the environment, but they can be easily counted, and its much harder to fiddle a paper vote. Also you can recycle the votes later (and use recycled paper for the votes).

Has anyone put the ad on YouTube? You see, over here in Ausstralia, some of us are very interested in your election, but we don't get the ads (good part) and we can''t vote(no so good part). But Tuesday's result will influence how things happen in my country, and we (and all the world) have a stake in who wins.

Frankly, USA, get yourselves organised. Start a grass roots campaign for total electoral reform. Get a Electoral Commission in place. Make it arms length from any government. Make sure your voting laws are uniform across the country. And make vote compulsory. If you want to live in a country, you must do two things. Vote, and pay taxes. That is the duty every citizen owes their country. Participate in the selection of your representivies (and hold them to account), and pay your share (and only your true share) so everyone has roads, hospitals, schools and better life. Individualism is a lovely thing, but we live in a community.