Scientists have spotted another planet that is very similar to our dear Earth. Rachael sent me the news by text. Lately she has been showing a lot of interest in the world around us. But she’s received this latest piece of news with a little disdain. She wrote to me, “Another attempt to fool us!” I can understand her cynicism.

Every other time scientists came up with such news items and nothing came of it. Adrian thinks they equate each discovery with finding another earth because that gets them the buzz. “Who cares about another Earth when we are trying desperately to save our own?” he said. Now, don’t be surprised. That’s the new, globally conscious Adrian speaking! Do you share Adrian’s and Rachael’s cynicism? Is it all hype to get the buzz going?

Here’s a thoughtful comment on my post Simon Cowell And American Idol by my friend Rhonda:

I love Simon Cowell; I think he can be arrogant, and self centered, but he does tell it how it is. I would much rather have it straight than be given false hopes. But then no one can give you false hopes but yourself.

Doesn’t matter, Simon Cowell is who he is, and we either accept or we don’t. I’m not sure why ‘we’ are making him the big star by speaking of him, writing about him and always having something to say about him. That’s why he is in the news more than anyone else. In saying all these, the man has extreme talent. Has anyone bothered to find out what Simon is really all about?

Just bit of a challenge for some…

Would you like to respond to that? Do you agree with Rhonda? What do you think of Simon Cowell?

Cathy and Adrian were out dating this weekend. When Megan heard about this, she asked Adrian how he could afford to date when everyone is trying their best to save each cent! I was not sure if Megan meant it as a joke. You can rely on her to ask such questions actually. But Adrian made a fantastic reply to this. What? Okay, let me leave that to you guys to guess! You have been reading about Adrian for some time now and you know him well. What do you think he replied to Megan? I want to find out who gets it correct!

Eleanor and Frank have decided to get married this summer. Before they start a new life together, they are worried about the fact that they are both past their prime. Eleanor is getting increasingly concerned about her health. Frank is sturdy that way, but.Eleanor is looking for tips on basic exercises. All you fitness freaks out there, do you have any exercises that you would like to refer to Eleanor? Your tips will not only benefit Eleanor, but also a lot of people out there who want to stay fit.

The book given to Obama by the Venezuelan President is climbing up the bestsellers charts. This prompted Donna to go and buy a copy of the book, ‘The Open Veins of Latin America’. Steve told her that she shouldn’t have bought the book just because it was in the news. Rather she should have got something that was a judicious choice. This led to a debate between them. Donna insisted that whatever be the reason for buying it, there’s no harm in reading something that became popular overnight. Last heard, they were still bickering about it. Let me ask you guys: would you buy a book just because it’s popular? What would you look for when you want to buy a book?

The NBC telecast of the Miss USA 2009 show has sparked off an unpleasant situation at Donna’s place. Her daughter Emily was so taken in by the glitz and glamor of the Miss USA 2009 show that she excitedly told her brother Ethan, “I want to lose weight and lose it fast! I want to become just like one of these girls.” Donna is supportive of Emily’s decision. But she is concerned that Emily may go on a starvation diet. “Fitness is something, but unhealthy dieting is not acceptable at all. Do you think she’ll be that way?” she asked Megan. Though Megan tried to tell her that it was just a teenage fascination and would pass off in no time, it could not calm down the distraught mother. She’s worried about Emily. Do you have any guidance that Emily could use?

Yes, that’s the question doing the rounds at Mike’s place. Mike, Eleanor’s son, and his wife Lisa, are both professionals. They have their careers to look after. As a result, they are divided on who should stay at home more often to look after their son, Andrew. Eleanor stepped in a couple of times to resolve the issue, explaining to them the need to share their time equally. But that’s not working out, folks. They have not been able to settle the issue between themselves. What would you have done if you were in their shoes?

“Chocolates!” Kate shrieked the moment Megan offered her a bar. “I really love chocolates! Can’t live without them surely!” she added. Megan rolled her eyes towards me. We knew it was the gift that would make her really happy. Kate is very fond of chocolates. Megan had pointed out to her on numerous occasions to cut down on her chocolate addiction. But she doesn’t seem to be able to do that. What do you suggest she can do to cut down on her chocolate intake? She needs your help because it’s well on track to become a health issue with her.

Rick is a traveler and a car fanatic. He’s the type who needs to keep on pumping his adrenaline. He wants to go bungee jumping each time he and Kaitlin go out on a holiday. These adventure sports and all are getting on Kaitlin’s nerves now. She wants a break from all these and have a quiet holiday by the sea. But she complains that Rick never meets her in the middle when it comes to planning a holiday. She is also worried about the safety issues. Do you think it’s fair on Kaitlin that Rick plans these adventure holidays every time? Do you know somebody who faced the same problem? Your comments here could help Kaitlin.

Irina’s political campaigner boyfriend, Alex, has a new mission these days. Alex has been actively involved in organizing campaigns to mobilize support for a same sex marriage activity group. With David Paterson, the Governor of New York City, introducing a bill to legalize same sex marriages in New York City, his work has increased manifold. This has strained his relationship with Irina. He can’t make out quality time with her anymore. She’s been unsuccessfully trying to get to meet him, but on most weekends he brings work home and keeps the phone off the hook.

Irina thought of visiting his pad, but Megan advised her not to. “If he doesn’t want to talk to anyone on the phone, do you think he’ll be happy if you turned up?” she reasoned. Irina accepted the logic in that. With Alex being more conscious of his public image and his work, their relationship seems to be heading nowhere. Workaholics really have a troubled personal life, don’t they? Do you have to deal with any workaholic? How have you handled it? Do you have any insights that you want to share with Irina?