The job of First Lady (or First Spouse) is a tricky one. If she works while her husband is in the White House, how will she avoid conflicts of interest (or at least the appearance of it?) Michelle Obama is a lawyer, but what kind of law could she practice, that wouldn't have potential conflicts with the Presidency? If she went back to work as a hospital administrator, wouldn't there be questions about conflicts whenever the hospital applied for federal funding? Even if she wasn't involved in it, it would always be a political question. When Hillary was running for office, a lot of these questions were asked about Bill - would his fund raising for his charity work create a conflict of interest between his interests and the White House's interests?

Michelle Obama will be under scrutiny, and it will be very hard for her to find a job that can stand up to that kind of scrutiny, unless she does something completely neutral and without conflict - which isn't exactly the job for a lawyer.

One option might be to offer your son another option for giving. I'm fond of Heifer International for kids (and adults) because it's tangible, and it helps poor families around the world become self-sufficient. Another option might be a local soup kitchen or shelter. He may be less likely to give to a panhandler if he feels that he's giving to a needy person somewhere else.

Even in the US, with much less of a safety net, I'm reluctant to give to pan handlers. The people begging on the streets are usually not the neediest people.

Just a note about the Benadryl. It doesn't work on every kid. A certain percentage of kids (my doctor once told me 10-20%) have the opposite reaction to Benadryl. Instead of getting sleepy, they get hyper. It's just the way their bodies react to that particular drug. (I'm one of them, and taking Benadryl still makes me feel like I've just drunk 5 cups of coffee. You can imagine what that's like in a 6 year old.)

So, if you're going to use Benadryl, make sure you try it out beforehand. The last thing you want is a kid that's 10x as hyper as usual on your hands.

My savings have been battered by layoffs, stints of unemployment and illness, so I would like to keep working as long as possible. But based on my experience, it's unlikely to happen, at least at the kind of job I want to have. Most companies are doing their best to get rid of those late-50's employees.

I work in science, and most of my older coworkers are just as smart and productive as younger workers (probably more so), but companies don't want them around because they cost more, and have more health care costs. So when there are layoffs, they're the first to go. It's very easy to get around age discrimination laws. And once you're laid off at age 55+, it's very hard to get another job. I know a lot of people who have taken "early retirement" at that age - not because they want to, but because they can't find another job, and don't want to admit they're unemployed and no one will hire them.

It's hard to see someone at age 60, with an advanced degree and 30+ years of experience, working the register at Target, but I've seen it. It's not because they want to (even though they might save face and say they "just wanted a change"), it's because older workers are disposable. And if you spend your last working years as a greeter at WalMart, rather than at your professional job, that's going to really impact your retirement savings.

I didn't read the original study, but how many people would be having sex during that period anyway? There are a considerable number of people who aren't having sex on a regular basis (whether by choice or not). I'm middle aged and single, and my chances of having sex in the next two weeks are basically nil - whether I have internet access or not.

I agree with many of the author's criticisms of the South, but it seems bizarre to criticize Southern states for "collaborating with foreign economic rivals". Toyota and Nissan are enemies of the US? American car companies have moved many factories to Mexico to take advantage of low wages there - that seems a lot more "disloyal" than moving factories to the South where wages are lower. (And where the cost of living is a lot lower as well.)

Giada may look like a supermodel, but she can cook. I've tried a few of her recipes, and they are always delicious and achievable by the home cook. I prefer the more low-key Everyday Italian to her new "lifestyle cooking" show, but she deserves her success. (Much as I love watching Mario, his recipes are not always easy to translate to your home kitchen. You really need a specialty Italian grocery store on hand to prepare his meals.)

Ina's recipes are also delicious, although you often need to take out a second mortgage to prepare them. Her budget is obviously not in the same range as mine. Aaron McCargo (aka Big Daddy) can cook a few things - mostly meat - but not much else. Unless he expands his range, I think his show will get tired very quickly.

But Heather didn't mention the best and most entertaining Food Network chef - Alton Brown. Not only is he fun to watch, but his recipes always work and always taste great. Not much controversy there, though - I think all Food Network devotees agree Alton is a god...