There was a related article from this summer in the NY Times that addressed some of this. It might help with some insight, but you'd probably have to dig deeper into the sources to get some expert guidance on how to proceed. The one interesting thing I got from all of it was that the dynamic the conspiracy theorist is completely unprepared for is the "Ok, what should we do about it?" tactic. It works! I've used to totally freak out the guy who wanted me to believe that the pyramids where a secret communication from the Atlantians warning us about the coming shift of the magnetic poles and the resulting global destruction that would ensue. After listening carefully for a few minutes, I asked him, "That means we should be encouraging global warming, right?" Boy, those college-day house parties sure were fun. Thanks for the nostalgia.

BTW, I think Foucault's Pendulum is better than The Illuminatus Trilogy, and much better than any Dan Brown tripe.

For "where", read "were". Bad proofreader...

Tell her, of course. And CT's bit about proving that you're dealing with it? Tell her that you want her to meet someone that has been really important in your life, a person who knows you better than anyone, a person who she has to learn to understand because she can't totally understand you without knowing a little bit about the other. Tell her everything about your relationship with your ex-wife, including the part about the abuse, when it happened, etc. Then, sit them down together at a picnic table in a nice park somewhere, introduce them to each other, tell them you know they have a lot to talk about, and walk away. This is the only way you'll ever be able to move forward, to put this behind you. Give up control and trust them. The worst they can do is abandon you, and, if that happens, you'll at least know that you were not at fault this time. Life is so much better when your conscious is clear.

How is it that female body shame continues to interest anyone? If you don't like your body, change it. If you can't be bothered to change it, stop pretending that it matters to you. Diet and exercise solve all these problems, when applied in conjunction with willpower. Turn off the TV and stop reading the self-hate literature. The internet might not be good for you, you know.

I mean, I know this is supposed to be funny, but wouldn't life be more interesting if y'all could obsess about, I don't know, Kegel exercises, instead?

The actual news event is just a Rorschach test; I always thought that you couldn't "fail" such a test, but once again she has expanded my narrow worldview. The best part about this is that she thinks that a man criticizing the objectification of women (the make-up rant) is misogyny! How many times has a feminist writer ranted about exactly the same thing; that women shouldn't place so much importance on their physical appearance? Oh, but his tone was nasty... and you didn't like his joke.

FYI, Ms. Clark-Flory, reality TV is not reality. Those people are performing. Characterizing their personalities and judging them based upon what you see on Wifeswap is like judging Brad Pitt because of his character in Mr. and Mrs. Smith. But you know that, don't you? Your only goal is to generate page views, and the only standard you apply to the "content" you generate is whether it will excite the home team or incite the opposition. Well, don't expect me to click anything with your byline for the next little while. What a hack.

CT's column is the perfect place to start a 12-step program for cell phone addiction. First, admit you have a problem. Yes, you. Yes, it is a problem. Your life will be better without the phone. It will be hard at first, but we know humans can live, and do well, without them. So, everyone, does that phone really make you happy, or do you "need" it? Let it go...

To the LW: A happy, healthy person does not fear the small quiet places. He revels in them, especially when he can share them with his beloved. This guy is telling you, quite clearly, that he's not committed. Why are you? I'm not saying that you have to break up tomorrow, but harsh measures are required. The next time you plan to spend time together, outside your home, be ready to stand up and walk away with a "Fuck you and your precious iphone, Thad". And leave. What do you think he'll do? Why not give it a try? Worst case scenario is that a dead-end relationship dies a little sooner. The best case is that it is the two-by-four that finally gets the mule's attention. Men don't change unless cattle-prodded into it. Time to teach him the iphone equals no-gf rule.

Thanks for the very nice comments. Now, however, I'm faced with a bit of a problem. Unless I receive some relatively hateful feedback relatively soon, CT is likely to receive a letter from Mrs. InKorea complaining that her husband, a big fan of the column, has become obsessed with posting his snide opinions about other people problems on the internet, and that he even finds himself agreeing with Marc-whatsiznumber at times. Obviously, an unbearable situation, and all the readers (except for Marc-whatsiznumber) will all tell her to DTMFA. Since I love my wife, please, everyone, tell me how bad I suck at this crap!