In an age of uncertainty, what constitutes proof beyond a reasonable doubt may be shifting in the minds of jurors. The Casey Anthony verdict seems emblematic of this shift and begs the question: Would a guilty verdict for Casey Anthony have been more likely with a jury from the 1950s?...

Pia Toscano's premature elimination on American Idol is a direct result of the show's new format which is all lovefest, and no judging by Jennifer Lopez, Randy Jackson, and Steven Tyler.

Sure Toscano's good voice was tempered by her drab performance style, yet there were several contestants who should have...

After Wednesday's episode of American Idol, the audience must be left wondering why the judges seem afraid to offer even a scant hint of constructive criticism to the contestants.

Jennifer Lopez came close to judging once when she advised Pia Toscano -- a contestant with a good...

Conflict, chaos, and verbal catfights are a necessary part of any drama -- real or otherwise. From the fairytale Cinderella, to the novel Vanity Fair, to Sex and the City, the girl-on-girl, woman-on-woman conflict is part of what keeps us tuned in.

With the rise of reality TV, we got...

Flowers bloom in spring; personality disorders blossom during the holidays. Insanity flourishes this time of year due to the theatrics inherent in celebration. For those who like drama, the holidays are the perfect stage for their damaging psychological production. Don't be the audience who gets sucked in. Put the family...

Are you part of a relationship that is revved-up and ready to move forward?

Commitment means having the "intention to persist" in a relationship; being psychologically attached to each other; and developing a "cognitive orientation" that says, "Yes, we are in this for the long run," according to A Clinician's...

Karl Rove is changing the definition of 'empathy' in order to lead the charge against Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor. But since the extreme Right is developing a penchant for objective truth at this time, it's important for them to get the objective definition of 'empathy' correct.

In his Wall...

The Bachelor is experiencing a ratings renaissance. A few short seasons ago, it looked like The Bachelor/Bachelorette series wasn't going to get another rose from ABC. Then the producers decided to get real with the reality show. According to TVWeek, the show's creator and executive producer, Mike Fleiss said, "Rather...

We all know the saying, "Lucky in cards; unlucky in love." But I got to thinking, good game in poker could translate into good game in love. As Valentine's Day approaches, I went to top poker pros including, 2005 World Series of Poker, Main Event winner, Joseph Hachem, and poker...

Americans are living though a new era of "pop" culture. First, the inflated financial bubble popped on Wall Street. Now the fringe Right bubble is bursting on main street.

During the Carter administration in which the economy suffered double digit inflation, the air was let out of old time...

It's a rare thing to be Mr. or Ms. Self-Actualized. Less than 1% of us will ever get there. According to psychologist Abraham Maslow, those who did include Abraham Lincoln, Thomas Jefferson, and Eleanor Roosevelt.

Throughout the '08 campaign, Barack Obama has given every indication that he is the...

In reference to a joke Sarah Palin made about Joe Biden's age, Joy Behar began to say, "The fact that she's so dumb..." Behar was quickly met with boos from the audience and her co-hosts. She then changed her words to it's "politically unastute" to make a joke about someone's...

Trust can be tricky--you want to have confidence in the fidelity of your partner, but sometimes you just can't. There's a nagging feeling in your gut that says, "I think I'm being cheated on." Here are four ways to tell if your hunches match reality:

1. Boredom
Cheaters are...

The high road is beginning to look like the Bridge to Nowhere. The Democrats need an ad campaign that draws sharp contrasts and hits voters in their gut.

Democrats value inclusion, fairness, and being nonjudgmental, all of which lead to heavily nuanced arguments. After all, they want...

How can Sarah Palin stand up to terrorism if she can't stand up to Brokaw or Blitzer? Despite his name, I don't think Wolf bites.

It doesn't work to proclaim your fortitude in a speech; you have to prove it. So far, when it comes to the press, it...

As the players play down to the main event final table at the 2008 World Series of Poker in Las Vegas, I asked top pros what politicians can learn from the game.

The majority of poker pros I interviewed believe Obama's got "the nuts"-- meaning he's holding a better hand...

Whenever I see a bright, successful, beautiful woman dating a cad, there's a small part of me that still gets surprised even though I've seen it hundreds of times before in clients I counsel, with my friends and acquaintances -- and yes, before I was married, a cad or two...

Amber Lee Ettinger, a.k.a. Obama Girl, is a sexy symbol of the Internet's power in this election. She feels lucky that in a small way she's part of a bigger story -- "that the Internet is changing the way people can participate in politics."

My interview with Amber revealed that...

Sex and politics cross paths in our culture. So I decided to tie the two together by interviewing Playboy Playmates about this year's presidential election.

Five Playmates - one a former Miss USA and another a Playmate of the Year - opened up about their interest in politics, who they...

As much as I love Sex and the City, I came out of the movie feeling sad for the main character, Carrie, who had to beg, borrow, and practically steal to get her guy to commit.

The fairytale has been rewritten to have women accept whatever the man in...