So my boyfriend has a thing for wearing socks when we have sex. I can't tell you how much I hate his footwear habits in bed. Maybe I'm too particular, but it seems very odd and silly looking. - Carla in Chicago

Thanks for raising the issue. The do's and don'ts of sock-wear, both socially and sexually, is vastly overlooked and under-discussed. Beyond your personal pet peeve, which I'll get to momentarily, there are several other sins of the socks that make the average man look like a fashion Antichrist.

For instance, with dress attire and even business-casual wear, the color of a man's socks should match his trousers, not his shoes. Dark blue pants, for example, require dark blue socks, gray pants require gray socks (of a similar shade) and red pants or anything of the primary palette requires a complete wardrobe intervention, as sock color suddenly becomes less important. So unless a man is colorblind, it's really that simple. And he should know that black socks, regardless of how enticing they may seem, should be saved for a black suit, which by the way should be saved for funerals and formal occasions.

And then we have the slinky socks -- the ones that no longer have the functional elasticity that allows the fabric to sit properly on a man's calves. Those need to be removed immediately and set on fire. Look, no one wants to see a man's hairy shins when he sits down and crosses his legs. Impotent socks that are unable to get up and stay up on their own are a pathetic sight to behold.

This leads me back to your original issue. Regardless of color or elasticity, there are three occasions when a man should never be caught wearing socks. One is when his feet are subject to get wet, as in bathing, swimming or being water-boarded. Two is when he wears sandals, despite his "frat boy" inclinations to do otherwise. And three is when he's about to "tap it." Yes, "tap it". Because, Carla, you are absolutely right; it's the silliest looking thing I've ever seen.

I have been a mother figure to a young woman my husband and I have known since she was 12. She is 20 now and my husband is 51. She has three children that are like grandkids to us. I found in my husbands e-mail pictures of her naked, and a picture of them hugged up which appears to be in a motel room. He said I was crazy and the naked pic was sent to him by mistake. I checked the e-mail history and it came from his iPhone. He stated to me that he sent the pics to her and told her that she sent them to him by mistake. They text each other constantly, claiming it means nothing. I am hurt so bad by this. I have been good to this girl and I didn't deserve this. My first reaction was to go to her father since she still lives at home down the street from us. My husband talked me out of it, claiming it would start an unnecessary mess. He said he has never cheated on me. We have been married since 1995. What do I do?

Vivian

My fiancée and I have 6 kids between us. Hers from a previous marriage are 18, 16, 8, and 6. I have an 11 and 10 year old boy and girl myself. We have lived together for the past year and are flourishing. I have been deployed in the Navy the past 5 months and am due to return in less than 45 days. I have maintained a job since I was 16, and have been in the military since I was 18. I am having a hard time with our 18 year old. He is a good kid but he is lost. He doesn't know what he wants and when I ask him if he needs any help I really get a blank "I don't know". When his mom and I decided to live together, she moved across the country. In moving he has had a hard time adjusting. He has obtained his high school diploma but cannot seem to figure out the next step. He isn't a party kid, and compared to me at his age he is very docile. His mom caters to him as if he is still a young boy, and I have a hard time with this. We share everything from finances to our home. He is currently not employed or enrolled in school. He seems to be content with living at home not doing anything. I want to talk to her about how I feel but I don't know how to bring it to her without hurting her or his feelings. Do you have any advice on how to open this dialogue??

Marriage is overrated unless your spouse allows you to date and have sex with other people. This is what Tiger Woods keeps telling himself he has to stop telling himself, because it never ends well when said spouse has access to your golf clubs and believes the exact opposite. But according to surveys, 4 to 9 percent of married couples subscribe to the philosophy of "open marriages," an arrangement in which each partner is free to enter into side relationships without guilt or jealousy from the other.

Earlier this week, there was much tabloid titillation about Mo'Nique's remarks to Barbara Walters about her own open marriage. The New York Daily News headline read 'Mo'Nique Says Her Husband is Allowed to Cheat.' That's not what she said, but that's how it's been widely interpreted. "Cheating" implies sneaking behind someone's back to carry on external affairs. But open marriages are, well, open, and therefore the word "cheating" isn't apropos. In fact, this isn't the first time Mo'Nique has publicly discussed the arrangement with her husband Sidney Hicks, but in this particular interview, scheduled to air this Sunday as part of Walter's annual Oscar special, she provides some clarity:

My wife talks too much. She goes non-stop. I don't even know what she's saying half the time because I tune her out. I try to listen but instead of getting to the point she goes round and round and she loses me. Many of my friends complain about the same thing with their wives and girlfriends. Any thoughts on this?

- Dajuan


Is it that she talks too much or you don't talk enough? Let's be honest about this. Most of us (as in men) would rather whack a hornets' nest repeatedly with our bare hands than hold conversations of any great length with our significant others. Early in relationships, it's different though. We're talkative. We're more expressive. But when the chase is over, so is the conversation in a lot of cases. And with that, the communication in many relationships gets reduced to a bastardized form of sign language or a never ending game of charades.