Oh, that'll teach 'em--way to go with the advice!

And Cary, if you're really personally bothered when readers don't like your responses--then please get out of the pseudo-literary advice column business. Or, please learn some psychology or otherwise acquire a qualification that would make your responses grounded in reality and therefore worthwhile.

The reason you feel stung by the reader responses is that they are inevitably, invariably, always, much better then your own advice in every sense. I'm sure I'm not the only one who skips the dark-night-of-the-soul-this-is-just-like-my-alcoholism "answer" and goes right to the reader comments.

I'm not trying to say this to achieve some kind of an oh-snap moment. I think you're probably a pretty nice guy. But your advice veers all over the place, ranging from silly to downright dangerous (metaphorically seduce the sons? Gawd). I don't think you are qualified or empathetic enough to really tell your LWs anything useful, which is something an advice columnist ought to do in my view.

Contrary to other readers, I kind of love the letters about angst ridden talentless writers because at least in those cases there's nothing at stake (certainly not good writing anyway), so the reply can be enjoyed for what it is--the perfect match to the meandering narcissistic letter.

Can you stick to the frustrated artists please? They are your niche. This family has a real problem, they need a real family therapist, or at least an advice columnist who will tell them to go to one.

was almost worth the wait. Thanks Waylay for not "letting us down" so to speak....

Jeeezuz, Amerigo, you really are a sexist piece of shit, you know that? BTW, how's the green card marriage to the little wh-- oops, girl going?

Oh, and most normal guys would not find an invitation to spend the night on the first date very appealing. Even if they took advantage of the invite, they would not consider such a woman relationship material. I never "assume" I will sleep with anybody. Once I get to know them, they may not be people I would care to sleep with, whatever they look like.

So, to the LW, Amerigo's history includes several failed marriages and a belief that buying sex from third world hookers is a good thing (he has told us all this himself on these same message boards). You can decide for yourself if you really want to take any advice he may have to offer.

what kind of advice was that? The LW is dangerously passive and seems, like neonoodle said, to have a martyr complex. Souldn't your response to her at least have addressed those factors? She doesn't need to write a book, she needs to figure out what keeps her in a debilitating toxic relationship. Are all her romances with abusive jerks as well? This is a sad and crippling life pattern she needs to break, and she could use some advice on how to do that.

that a lot of people will now conclude that Todd's story is really true, but those nasty Obama thugs have somehow gotten to her and forced her to recant, and forced the police to go along with it.

Yes I can see how my winger family is working it out now. I can hear the brain gears grinding from here.

He assaulted a person and then followed her down the street, in a vehicle, continuing to assault her. He sounds like a seriously dangerous freak, and you can take it to the bank that he has other victims and almost certainly a history (undisclosed, of course) of raping female relatives or others dependent on him. This is just common sense.

If you were being followed by someone in a car who was trying to pull you into it (the article says "pulled on her", but since he was in the car doing the pulling, I construe that he wanted to get her into the vehicle), you'd be terrified, wouldn't you?

Knowing Egypt's attitude towards women, I'd wonder if it wasn't really an attempted abduction, and if the sentence wasn't insufficient, rather than too heavy. After all, what's this weirdo going to do once he gets out?

Surprised nobody has focused on the pot smoking she mentions, which is probably the bigger problem. After all, her kid's father could end up being hauled off to jail for that (whether you think it's right or wrong, he could be). Not to mention, potheads are not the most incredibly productive human beings or aware parents. Her dad smokes pot too, so this is sort of part and parcel of "smoking" to the LW.

Is it all right to leave a smoker? How about, is it all right to leave someone who abuses an illegal drug?

I would also add that by staying with a pothead and smoker, she is increasing by a hundrefold the likelihood that her children will become both potheads and smokers themselves. I think maybe it's time for some lifestyle changes, and that may involve divorce, unfortunately. I'm sorry for all you fearful people who think that relationships are so hard to find that women should just have to put up with whatever. But kids are involved, and it sounds like the LW has grown up in ways hubby hasn't--so that may be the route, I'm sorry to say.

look just like Nate the Neoconservative in overalls to anyone else?

Wow. Just wow.

That has to be the most heartbreaking "I remember where I was when JFK got shot" story I have ever heard.

Shudder.....