I had knee problems. I thought it was because of my weight. It turns out I was moving incorrectly. A physical trainer who specialized in sports medicine has me pain free with no drugs and no medical intervention. I also am muscular and "fit", although I'm still overweight. Heck - I can swim morel laps than any but the fittest swimmer and do exercises that would amaze you. I have never had an autoimmune problem. Not every body is the same. Your rules apply to you only. Please stop using your problems as indicators that anybody who has a few extra pounds is doomed to your destiny.

You have a very distorted idea about what a "feminist" is. I'm a feminist. I believe that women are morally equal to men, and that we deserve to be treated with the same respect and given the same opportunities as men. That does not mean that I think that woman are the same as men in all ways. I've enjoyed the differences between men and women for a very long time, and I would hate to lose them. Vive la difference, as the French say.

I don't know a single feminist who denies any differences between genders. I'm sure that there are some, but they are vastly outnumbered by women (and men) who simply want to be treated equally by society. We want equal opportunities. It would be silly to want complete equality - we are physicall different than men, not better or worse, just different.

Alimony or palimony or galimony, it's the same idea. The only time anybody should be granted it is if they were instrumental in creating the wealth they are dividing. For example, if a spouse works to put their partner through med school then they should benefit from the advantage that their partner gets from that education. If a spouse needs money to raise children, they get child support. If a spouse was instrumental in establishing their partners career, they get a portion of the reward. I don't think anybody could claim that Natravilova had any help getting where she is. Her former partners should be grateful for what they were given and move on.

Cary- Incidence of violence towards others among bipolar people is rare. They (we, actually, although I'm not type I like this woman) tend to spend too much and get hypersexual when they are manic, not threaten people. Please don't label all bipolar people as "dangerous". We're no more dangerous than the general population.

As for the writer... if she is a danger to your childrn, make her leave. Don't give up your home and whatever stability your children have. She'll probably go along with the plan if you approach her with the understanding that once she gets better you will take her back. Don't abandon her... keep in touch. She is the mother of your children and you owe her something for that. Her illness is not her fault, although she is responsible for managing it to the best of her ability. That means drugs, whether she likes them or not. Forget the behavioral therapy - you didn't mention medications. Meds are ESSENTIAL for managine BP. Behavioral therapy is good for handling regular emotions that arise as a result of life, or mitigating emotions that steep out around the edges when you are on drugs. therapy alone will not help bipolar disorder. If her meds aren't working, talk to her doctor about changing them. If she isn't taking them, then explain to her that she is responsbile for managing her disorder to the extent she is capable and if she refuses to take her meds you will get an injunction in the courts to ensure that she doesn't see the children. Watch her take the pills every day. Most BP sufferers hate taking the pills because some of the meds cause them to feel sluggish. Some even like being manic and don't want to give it up. If she doesn't agree, then get a restraining order, make sure your kids school knows about it, and have her leave the house. The courts will agree to it given her history.

You have to protect your children, but please don't abandon her completely, and don't demonize her. Your children have been scarred by this already. Don't make it worse. If she can get better, as most bipolar people do with medication, she will stand as an example of survival, not as a model of tragedy.

He was not happy with who he was. I was listening to an easy lsitening station and they played an old song by the Jackson 5, and I remembered how incredibly talented this man was. He had become a parody of a superstar, though. A freak. Somehow it seems right that he should die young, even though I would prefer that he had found himself and found peace before he died.

I suspected then and still do that the Clinton's have an "open marriage". Hillary Clinton is not a fool - she had to know that her husband was fooling around. I think that she agreed to a certain amount as long as he kept it discreet. Of course she couldn't admit to this - it's not acceptable in our society to publicly acknowledge such things. It would have destroyed both of their careers.

That said, I don't think that Sanford should resign over his affair. The affair is a private matter between him and his wife. I think he should resign because he abandoned his office without even notifying his 2nd in command or his family or his aides, then lied about where he had gone. He has shown incredible irresponsibility. I don't think he is mentally stable right now. He is certainly not responsible enough to serve as a head of state.