It was inevitable that the commenters read One-Eyed Man's letter and immediately draw the inference that his professed lack of "faith" was responsible for his unhappiness, when he himself says as much in his letter.

Faith, as he points out, is not the solution. It's the problem. And to a rational person, "just have faith" is simply a form of burying your head in the sand.

It takes work and energy to stay in touch with the real universe (as opposed to the illusory and imaginary one that most humans and all Americans live in, characterized by "American Idol," the Superbowl, politics, gluttony, sexual obsession, neurosis, and whathaveyou) on a daily basis, and keep yourself aware of how the world is changing (and yes, you're right, in many areas it's changing for the worse). One-Eyed Man, that work is tiring. So Cary's advice to "take a vacation" may or may not work for you, because he's right that you need a break, but a break won't fix what's busted, because what's busted is not you, it's the world you live in.

That vacation might wind up with you noticing that the barrier reefs are dead and gray when compared to the last time you went scuba diving, or that you dwell on the plight of the poor beggars in the exotic locale you visit, or that the political concerns follow you around in the news. And suddenly you'll need a vacation from your vacation.

Well, here's what works for me, as one "faithless" person to another: I give in to it. Yes, the world may be getting worse. Yes, we are changing it. But change is inevitable, and each generation must do its part to prepare the next for what it sees as likely to happen.

You need to let it happen. Don't dwell on the encroaching darkness, but don't deny it, either. If the world is moving in that direction, you don't have to move with it. It's not denial, or maybe it's the most powerful and pure form of denial: you are whole and complete, and so is your daughter. You and she can move apart from the world, and yet live in it. Keep her eyes open, and help her see the things she may never see again--someone needs to remember what whalesong was like, or vast expanses of old growth forest, or rivers unfettered by dams.

Your daughter could be that person.

If you need more than that, then consider that maybe when the time comes, it'll be terrible. Take that knowledge and see where it leads you. Don't hole up in the basement and wait for the End Times, but train your daughter to think and act flexibly. Any person whose eyes are open will have an edge over the "faithful" in a crisis, and if we need to rebuild a planet, hopefully the one-eyed rational people will outnumber the blind faithful, and the seeds of a new world will not contain idiotic and irrational beliefs in the form of moldy religious tomes and Stone Age commandments masquerading as "morality."

Let's say you're a Democrat (hypothetically, of course). Is there any reason in a state that doesn't require registration with a particular party to vote in the primaries (like, say, oh , I dunno...Virginia?) that you shouldn't vote in the REPUBLICAN primary if you care more about the outcome of that one than the Democratic primaries? Let's say you're fine with Obama or Clinton and don't care much either way, but you really don't want a President Huckabee.

Is there a compelling reason not to go to the Republican primaries and cast your vote accordingly?

Holy frijoles, man. I feel your pain, but...you've condemned yourself to a lifetime of celibacy. Clearly you're not happy about it, so why waste your time with a rubber pussy? That's a sad stand-in for the real thing, and you know that.

So if your nanny is offering herself to you, and she's of age and knows what she's doing, what's your holdup?

For that matter, why the hell is your ex-wife hanging out around the house if every time you see her, you get that "kicked-in-the-gut" feeling? I think it's time for her to move her vegan-veggie-choppin' ass to someone else's place, my friend.

Bachelorhood may be off to a rough start, but it always is. Trust me on this one. The key is to get your confidence back. That doesn't mean going out and getting laid. It just means getting back to centered, getting comfortable again. Stick with the yoga. Find other stuff to do that's social, co-ed, and fun. Don't bother with bars and clubs (big waste of time, if you ask me). Try rock-climbing, biking, or just walking a puppy through the park. You'll meet more women that way than any other, and you'll even be able to tell a little about what they're like via the miracle of conversation.

Oh, and rent "The Tao of Steve," if you have the time :-) Way better for you than the Dogtown Boyz currently.