"What could be finer than your favorite TV critic framing the existential dilemma, “between secure but trapped and free but lost” in terms of Red Bull and saltines for your offspring? Construct and live an untrapped authentic existence?"

But that...that would take imagination, genuine maturity, and independence. Folks who follow "The Script" and can't conceive of a real life being lived on any other terms aren't famous for having much of the above...;)

"No thanks, I’ll sacrifice Self for the Procreation Program please."

As a 50's wifey-moo on COLD CASE tonight learned the hard way: "Security doesn't exist."

1) May I never be cursed with a doctor as cold-blooded and self-satisfied as the LW. He's using ambition and achieving goals as an excuse for utter selfishness. If he regards his family like this, how does he treat his patients? Does he give the best care only to those who can do things for him? Does he bail out on cases when they get difficult because that might mess up his perfect, non-stress life? He sounds like those dentists in that recent NYT article who refuse to take Medicare or poor patients because "they" don't take care of themselves--even though those dentists are making money hand over fist and helping would be no skin off their nose.

2) The fact that he's extrapolating a whole lot from what _may_ happen to his sister isn't expressing concern--it's terror that she will upend his perfect life. He could easily offer to take her kids for a bit or have a sit-down with the husband to see what he might need or do small helpful things now so that his sister won't land on his doorstep, but he's too busy worrying that she'll screw up his good thing.

3) You know, LW, one _can_ help people and set boundaries at the same time--it doesn't have to be one or the other. Cary's advice is very good in this regard--as his counsel that you start growing a heart of some kind.

...who will be there for him if he gets sick or he and his wife split up or he cracks under stress or something goes awry in his perfect little world? Suppose he has to depend on people who have the same attitude he does? Naw--I guess it's easier to just act like hard work and being a member of "Me Phi Me" makes you immune from all that.

"I have no idea what AXE smells like but I have seen the rather silly commercial. To me, 13-14 year old boys usually smell to me like they need a bath. Does AXE make them smell like they haven't bathed and slathered on insecticide?"

No, it makes them smell like they've bathed in a thousand cheap men's-aftershave knockoffs...:) It really is surprisingly overpowering, even in small doses. One gets the feeling it missed being turned into a room spray by a hair...

"I would have used the word antagonistic to describe the commenters that Catherine Price was talking about."

Ms. Price was being sarcastic. Or ironic, depending on your POV...:)

"The point being -- if you're a journalist out to do a hatchet job, you'd better be sure there are no skeletons in your OWN closet first."

I wouldn't know where to start to comment on the rich irony of this remark...