“You're using logic and intellect in a fight against emotion; this is far too often a losing proposition.”

Truer words never spoken, Rich. And like Rich, I agreed with 99% of the first article, and was pretty confident that the Letters vitriol would be overwhelmong.

The media coverage that Patrick so rightly took to task in his previous column often deals almost exclusively in emotion, not in facts. This has become the norm; the news has become "entertainment," with the networks throwing emotional chum in the water instead of focusing on the facts at hand. They fetishize "heroic" activities, supermodel and toddler deaths, tanker fires. They use overtly emotional language to describe the events they report upon. Why? Because emotionally involved viewers abandon critical thinking. More importantly, they KEEP WATCHING. More viewers, more $$$$$$.

They have trained us well.

Nuance, complexity and critical thinking seem dead - in both our news coverage and in our assessment of it. When Patrick dares to make a nuanced assessment of this event, people react how? Emotionally.

I am not surprised.

...how one forgets a tampon? All the ones I've seen have strings that hang outside the vagina."

Some women - including me - tuck their tampon strings up inside the vagina. This keeps them from being splashed with urine or feces, stops the strings from catching and dragging against your underwear, and also prevents the strings from chafing and abrading some very sensitive skin.

Responsibly managing a chronic/genetic health condition creates a 'pre-existing conditions' paper trail that follows you for life, making one uninsurable if you don't have access to a group health plan.

As things stand, the current American health care system is geared more toward protecting the health care provider's profit margin, not providing health care.

Yay, capitalism.

I thought the "Pineapple Express"-inspired skit with James Franco and Seth Rogen was absolutely hilarious, but then, I am twelve, and a longtime fan of the Apatowians.

And I nearly lost it when Kunio Kato, winner of best animated short, completed his halting, English language-impaired speech with the immortal words, "Domo arigato, Mr. Roboto." I was rolling.

And a word to Beyonce: If you can't sing without a frickin' backing track, let Alica Keys take the gig. Even the "High School Musical" kids managed to sing their parts live.

Hire a PR flack? Check. Issue an insultingly non-specific statement saying how 'sorry you are about what transpired?' Check. Enroll in Anger Management classes? Check.

Don't forget to book some quality time on Oprah's couch at the same time you book the therapist, Chris. Color me underwhelmed.

...in a relationship should be beaten. But one nuance of this issue that I feel your point doesn't take fully into account is that in most male/female relationships, the male partner is bigger and stronger than the female partner is - sometimes greatly so.

Have you ever been punched or beaten by someone who outweighs you by 100 lbs?

...here in Minnesota.

What beautiful, resonant words eulogizing your brother.

** crickets **

Yeah. All-righty then.

Sweet zombie Jesus, I'm ashamed that this waste of oxygen is from my state.

"So I love it. I'm up for it. I raise my hand. I'm the Last Man Standing. I'm not going to back down. I'm not going to stop saying what I say or what I believe 'cause I'm an American NARCISSIST."

Gigi_Knows makes a crucial point about STDs. If your father is having unprotected sex with other people, he is placing your mother's health - if not her life - at risk.

Is it possible for you to have a frank discussion with your father about your "suspicions"? (Opening other people's email is BAD, m'kay?)

If he's having sex outside of his marriage, urge him to reduce the physical risks he's taking by using condoms. How much of a rock can your mom be if she's fighting HIV?

mattielisbon said: "I actually drafted a letter to Cary about this but frankly there is no answer beyond "stay and deal or leave and deal with those consequences".

I am in the same boat, mattie. My choices boil down to this:

1) stay in a decent-paying job with good benefits that frankly burned me out two years ago OR

2) quit the job, try to find another job, and possibly lose the health insurance that makes it possible to manage my chronic illnesses - pre-existing conditions which render me uninsurable by anything other than a group plan.

Zero sum game.

I think the unemployment situation is going to put a more urgent spin on the America health care debate. It's time to re-examine the practice of supplying health insurance through employers. It's the height of irony, really: if you're ill enough to need to use your health benefits, perhaps impacting your ability to work at full strength, any performance drop-off while you're ill puts you at risk of losing the job that provides you with your ability to obtain health care in the first place.

I have to give a shout-out to David Cassidy's younger brother Shaun, who first came to America's attention by following in David's teen idol footsteps as a singer. He ultimately branched out into acting (TV and theatre), writing and producing, in my mind eclipsing the career accomplishments of his brother.

His critically acclaimed and seriously twisted "American Gothic" is one of my favorite TV shows. Ever.