The main question on all of our minds, though, is the same one that always crops up when rich, powerful men cheat on their gorgeous wives with trash like Rachel Uchitel, Nicole Forrester, or Ashley Dupré: “What the hell is wrong with him?”

Jessica Wakeman of The Frisky brings up an interesting point about this line of thinking. As she writes, “What I want to know is why we insist a woman’s beauty—which is highly subjective!—is some kind of barometer—which is highly shallow!—of whether or not her hubby will cheat.”

Wakeman’s right. People have affairs because they’re unhappy for whatever reason, not because they suddenly find their significant others hideous. “The implication,” she goes on to say, “is that Nordegren is too pretty to cheat on and that Tiger’s infidelity would make more sense if she were ugly—but since she’s beautiful, there must be something else she did that drove him to do something so insane.”

Okay, point taken. We should be evolved enough that when a guy cheats on his Swedish former model wife, we don’t immediately think that it must be because she’s somehow inadequate—or that the whole thing is somehow her fault.

Then again, thoughts like those weren’t really running through my head when I first heard about the whole sordid affair. I certainly don’t want to blame poor Elin Nordegren for her crappy husband’s idiotic mistake.

When I wonder how Tiger could possibly cheat on a seemingly lovely woman like Elin, it’s because I just don’t get how a guy that used to being in the public eye could possibly think he could mess around with another woman without getting his face splashed all over Us Weekly. Don’t celebrities know that members of the media are always watching them, just waiting for someone to screw up royally? What made Tiger think that he would be different?

Moral of the story: Tiger Woods did not bone a stripper because his wife is not smokin’. He did, however, think that he was somehow impervious to the vicious gaze of the celebrity gossip machine. And for that, maybe he deserved to be tapped lightly a few times with a nine iron.

Let me say this: I continue to have a bitter distaste for Dan, and Chuck remains (by far) my total fave. AND Lily gained some cool points tonight too. If you missed it, stop reading now, turn on your DVR, and watch. And if you watched, feel free to comment on your favorite part of last night’s stellar ep.

The show started with the usual Yale bullsh*t. Blah blah blah, aren’t they in yet, already? No, they aren’t. And there’s a certain new, young, hot teacher who is going to rock everyone’s world. Anybody else think it’s weird that Serena instantly becomes her new Shakespeare teacher’s bff? I mean, I had teachers I was tight with, but not to this degree. And, a note to Ms. Carr, never tell your students it’s your first salaried gig. That’s just asking for it.

As the Yale-shizz unravels, Serena laments to Dan that she is afraid that she’ll get into Yale, and Blair won’t. Presumptuous? Or foreshadowing?

This week’s weekly party is the opera gala. Seriously? That’s not nearly as exciting as the white party. But I suppose it’ll do, since Jack has already thrown Chuck’s dead father into the mix. We all know that Chuck was had by Jack last week, but is he going to take that? Hell. No.  And you gotta love Lily in this ep for making it happen.

So, on the Yale train, Dan gets in, Serena gets in, Blair gets waitlisted, and Ms. Carr threatens to destroy B’s GPA by not inflating grades.  Which obviously infuriates Blair.  And because S. apparently has a girl-crush on “Rachel,” (who calls high school teachers by their first names?), she declines Yale so B. can take her spot.

Of course, Blair can’t let it rest, so she instigates a plan to hurt Rachel’s feelings, only to find out that Rachel put in a good word for her at school.  Though she does try to fix it, Rachel’s pissed, and calls the headmistress to report Blair, putting the Queen Bee in detention.  For real. This can’t be good.

And then we get to the yelling-at-the-tv-thing.  Lily and Bart were planning on adopting each others’ kids to be a “real family.” And Bart signed the papers before he died.  So, Lily’s signature will make her Chuck’s guardian and thwart Jack’s douchey plans.  SERIOUSLY. AWESOME. When that happened, I looked at the clock: 8:45.  And I knew there was still 15 minutes of major dramz to come.

Obviously pissed off, the crazy Jack tries to rape Lily in the bathroom of the opera.  That’s a Lifetime Original Movie all in itself.   Chuck interrupts, punches Jack in the face, and tells Lily, “This doesn’t mean we’re family.  Just even.” GOD I love you, CB.

At the close of the episode, Ms. Carr runs into Dan in Brooklyn for a cappucino.  The fact that she was in Teach for America, and hot, and obviously written into the GG script to create tension makes me bet on a tumultuous Pacey-Witter-inspired affair bewteen Ms. Carr and Dan.  Can’t wait for that.  But be careful, Rachel, because Blair has officially waged war on you.  And a slip up such as Dan Humphrey could make it oh-so-easy.

I cheated on my last boyfriend.

No, it wasn’t a long, torrid love affair. It wasn’t kinky sex with a Jeremy Piven lookalike. In fact, there was no sex involved. All I did was make out with a co-worker. But still, cheating is cheating, so tonsil hockey still counts in my book. It also counted in my boyfriend’s book. And it counted in his sister’s book…and she was the one who witnessed the fiasco.

It was innocent enough; I didn’t intend to cheat. I wasn’t emotionally attached to my co-worker. We just got blackout drunk at a bar and swapped saliva for about half an hour.

The next morning, I woke up feeling like I’d done something wrong. Yup, I had. My boyfriend’s sister asked me if I remembered making out with “Frank.” Immediately, my heart sank. I got dizzy. I wanted to throw up. My mind started racing a mile a minute, as is standard anxiety-attack protocol. Why would I do something like that with Frank, a guy I had absolutely no interest in, when I was happy and in love with her brother?

A lot of people will disagree with me for saying this, but cheating can be hard on the cheater. I was ashamed of myself, I cried, and I regretted doing so many shots the night before. What’s a cheater to do when they’ve crossed the line with someone else?

1. Ask yourself if it meant anything. Did you cheat because you like the other guy? Do you want a relationship with him? Did you cheat because you aren’t happy with your current boyfriend? I think in my case, deep down, I was scared, because I was in the most serious relationship I’d ever been in. Things were moving fast, and I wasn’t sure if I was ready to be shackled down and on the fast track to Housewifesville. I think that’s why I dabbled with a guy who meant nothing to me. But that’s my own conclusion. If you’ve cheated on any level (and there are some people out there who believe in emotional cheating as well), you need to get to the root of your own behavior before you can move on and deal with it with your man.

2. Weigh the options: To tell, or not to tell. I pretty much had to tell my boyfriend, because I am the dumbass who decided to cuckold her man in front of his sister. She probably would have told him if I hadn’t done it myself. That’s not to say that I wouldn’t have told, because my conscience gets to me if I snap at a telemarketer, and I probably would have been guilt-ridden for the remaining duration of my relationship if I’d kept it quiet. On the other hand, to what degree does “What he doesn’t know can’t hurt him” apply? Like I said, I wasn’t into my cheating-partner AT ALL. It never happened again, and Frank and I never talked about our random makeout sesh. So even though it meant nothing to Frank and me, it meant a lot of pain for my boyfriend. That said, you have to seriously consider all of the consequences and do what you think is most fair to your man. I’m not saying “Don’t tell him, and avoid being dumped,” because sorry, cheater, you brought this on yourself. But I do believe that there may be some instances where your man might be better off not knowing. That part’s up to you.

3. Talk to him. If you do decide to come clean, the “Hey, sweetie, I collected a DNA sample from another dude” talk isn’t going to be pretty. Telling the truth might be the moral way to go, but you have to realize that when you tell him you cheated, you are putting the ball completely in his court. From here, it’s really his decision as to whether you two work things out, or whether he kicks your ass to the curb. He might need some time to think about things, or you may have to have several discussions to work it out. You have to be patient with your guy– after all, you made the decision to cheat in the first place, so you’ll have to reap what you sew.

4. Prepare for the future. If you have the talk and decide to work things out, you have to commit to NOT cheating again, ever. If your guy can forgive you once, that’s great, but don’t test him a second time. Also, even if he does forgive you, it might be difficult (or even impossible) to get back to the way things were before. He might have difficulty trusting you, and, if he knows the guy you cheated with, he probably won’t want you hanging out with that guy again.

While it’s normal to have a few bumps in the road as you try to work things out, don’t let your guy guilt-trip you forever. Remember, you were honest enough to come clean and work things out, but you don’t deserve to have your mistake hanging over your head for the rest of your life. If you can work things out as mature adults, good for you. If you can’t, and he leaves you, it might suck for a while, but in the end, it was probably meant to be. Another guy will come along… and hopefully you will have learned your lesson and be more faithful the next time around.

Cindy McCain may have already ditched her man.

Some ladies are upset that DKNY is stealing Prada’s stuff.

In Australia beavers make great friends and give helpful advice too.

The Jonas Brothers are making their way around town.

Looking for a job in these troubled time? Check out the Plum Book.

Trying to plan the rest of your life? Check you ACT score here.

The CMA awards are on tonight. Brad and Carrie will be hosting.

What can’t the iPhone do? It has super powers.

Dunder Mifflin says good bye to Ryan.

There are 10 fab dressed people.

If there’s one thing I already knew, it’s that when you’re the poor, unpopular kid on the Upper East Side, your life will be a continuous cycle of being walked over, speaking your mind, putting your foot in your mouth, and then being magically forgiven and allowed to advance to the next round.

Did you miss last night’s episode? Let me fill you in.

Within the first minute of GG, Nate mentions the inevitable party that will tangle everyone up in some drama that will continue to be played out next week.

Other expected GG staples: Catherine and Nate talk money; Serena and Dan are together but have issues (did I miss them deciding to be a “secret” couple?); and Jenny has some great ideas for her fashion internship, but she’s a lowly intern and isn’t allowed to have opinions.

The best thing about the first half? The mini gossip girls who approach Dan and throw in their two cents. If you missed it, two tweeny-bopping brunettes are on Dan’s side, and one tweeny-bopping blond is on team S. The blond asks Serena how she can kiss Dan, knowing his tongue has been in Georgina’s mouth, which seems a bit much when you consider the girs were, what, 11? The tweensters were obviously comic relief, but for some reason their opinions caused an awkward rift between S and Lonely Boy…which I was over by the next commercial.

The real hotness revolves around Chuck and Blair for the third consecutive week. Chuck, like most high school boys, has a string of call girls filing in and out of his room, but can’t seem to perform. Dr. Ruth–I mean, Serena–suggests it’s because all he really cares about is B., which prompts Chuck to seek out a tryst with Blair so he can use her as “sexual Drain-o” to unclog his pipes.

At the party, Chuck and Blair have their weekly sexual-tension infused interaction, which started out pretty hot, but then got a little creepy…but still pretty hot. (Editor’s Note: SO hot.) Here’s another question: why can’t Blair, last season’s token virgin, suddenly go without sex? I mean, she was with Nate since freaking kindergarten and kept her chastity belt on, but now she’s like a dog in heat around Marcus. Which, of course, our favorite Duchess, Catherine, can smell immediately.

Now, it’s time to learn our life lessons from the crew. Nate really likes Vanessa, but Vanessa discovers his affair with Catherine. Dear Nate, when someone you like asks you if you are sleeping with a cougar, don’t justify it with, “She’s giving me money.” Horny Blair invites Marcus upstairs, only to finally lock lips with Chuck. Dear Blair, when your boyfriend walks in on you making out with someone else, the excuse, “I thought he was you,” won’t fly.

Of course, this is Gossip Girl world, so Vanessa likes Nate even more, and Marcus is finally ready to nail Blair.

Oh, in the meantime, Jenny got fired by Mrs. Waldorf, then rehired. Because that’s what Jenny does. And Serena and Dan broke up, but they really still love each other. Because that’s what Serena and Dan do. And Catherine “doesn’t like to share her toys. Especially when she’s paid for them.” So she blackmails Vanessa to leave Nate alone. Because that’s what rich, horny cougars who get to ride Chace Crawford do.

Gossip Girl. Everything you missed in high school, wrapped into 42 minutes of Monday night television. I love it.

The student-teacher relationship gets completely morphed once college hits. Lecturers can be more laid back– the “hip” teachers wear jeans to class and drop curse words to express their points. In many cases, students and teachers can work closely, whether it be during office hours or on a collaborative research project. But, when it comes to student-teacher relationships, how close is too close?

Most of the “hot” teachers in college are probably shrouded in urban legends revolving around steamy love affairs in class. The profs who really connect with the students and relate to us on our level are targets for schoolgirl crushes. And once in a while, a professor comes along who takes full advantage of that. There are obvious taboos regarding student-teacher interaction in high school, thanks to some of the pedophilic educators who have made headlines over the past ten years, but in college, there are many shades of gray.

First of all, college students are of legal age to give consent. And the age gap is much smaller, especially when you throw TA’s into the picture, some of whom may still even be undergrads themselves. Still, can a romance between a professor and a student really blossom in college? Here are some factors to consider:

1. Who Makes the First Move?

It’s awkward enough following up with the cutie whose number you scored at Saturday’s Graffiti Party. If you are crushing on your professor or TA, you cross more than just the ‘friendship’ line by making a move. If he really was just giving you extra attention because you really needed extra help, then you’re going to get derailed by a freight train of anxiety after he turns you down…plus, you’ll still have to look him in the face for the rest of the semester.

The prof making the first move can be just as awkward: is he some kind of perv who hits on all the undergrads? Is he trying to use his status as your superior to his advantage? Keep in mind that a teacher hitting on a student is pretty much sexual harassment, so if Dr. Dreamboat actually makes a pass, he’s risking more than just mortification: he’s risking his job.

2. Are you on the same level?

Professors have way more life experience than we do. To be a university professor, they have to hold PhD’s and be published regularly. Not to mention have more than a few years on you. They’ve gone through the college party circuit; you haven’t. Can you really be on the same page about your torrid love affair?

You see him as older, mature, and booksmart sexy. But are you sure he doesn’t just see you as a naive, innocent schoolgirl?

3. If the Relationship is Outed, There WILL be Consequences.

Simply put: his career will be jeopardized and your academic integrity will be questioned. Who’s to say you earned those A’s, when you’ve been getting extra credit in the bedroom?

4. There May be Tension in the Classroom.

You hit on your prof and he turns you down – awkward.

You have a one night stand, and come Monday morning, you have to sit and listen to him lecture about how Eliot’s The Wasteland is a marvel of modern British Lit – awkward and boring.

You have to take notes, but all you can think about is scratching your nails down his back as he thrusted away last weekend – a little hot, but you need to focus on the notes!

You thought he actually liked you; he sees it as a one-night stand to be locked away with the other skeletons in his closet – a bruise to your ego, AND he still gets to grade your exams.

5. There are Plenty of Fish in the University Sea.

There’s a lot of wrenches that can be thrown into your education if you’ve hooked up with your professor or TA. You can’t go on public dates with your professor, or bring him to Lambda Chi’s keg party, or even cuddle with him in your dorm. So why risk all of the above by trying to be that girl? I admit, it’s a little different when you’re talking about a TA as opposed to a faculty professor, especially if the age gap isn’t too wide. But if you really feel like there’s a connection, why not wait until the semester is over, and see if anything blossoms?

In “normal” relationships, we often take things slow, so what’s the big hurry to jump in bed with a teacher? Just to play out a fantasy in real life?

I’ve had some pretty cool teachers in my life, but never pursued anything past intellectual conversation. Why? Because I liked that those professors appreciated my intellect and the hard work I put into their class. When it was time to grab some stellar reference letters, I knew I had never jeopardized my reputation with these professors, which was a plus. On the other hand, I’ve been a TA, and taught students only a couple of years my junior. Some of my students were cool as hell, and we sometimes let office hours discussions segue into semi-personal conversations (e.g. favorite music, politics, or other PG topics). Still, I never thought of them as anything more than my students, and if I continued to correspond with them after class ended, it always remained strictly platonic.

The student-professor love affair has been romanticized in books, TV shows, movies, and via word-of-mouth. Still, some things are better left to the imagination. I recommend sticking to your peers, rather than pursuing your profs.

As the Olympics began this past Friday night and many Americans were joined together in front of TV screens to cheer for Team USA, ABC’s Nightline took some of the spotlight away with a revealing interview with Senator John Edwards to discuss his confession to an extramarital affair that he had previously denied. He admitted that he had outwardly lied about his affair with 44 year-old Rielle Hunter, shaking up his image as a devoted husband and family man. John Edwards claims it was a short liaison with Hunter in 2006, and, though he had told his wife not long after, he has been keeping the story under wraps.

The host of Nightline had no qualms about digging deep into Edwards’ motives:

WOODRUFF: Your wife, Elizabeth, is probably the most admired and beloved person in this country, she’s had enormous sympathy because she’s also gone through cancer, how could you have done this?

Not really an easy question to answer. Edwards didn’t do the greatest job of answering it, either. He starts off informing Woodruff that she was actually in remission during the affair, which he states was obviously no excuse (well, of course not). Edwards did make a good point that he, like many other politicians/CEOs/people of inflated power and stature have, fell prey to egotism, narcissism, and overall self-importance which led him to act like he was beyond the acceptable moral code of society.

The interview continued with his denial of being the father of Hunter’s child and that he was photographed with her baby (though his language presents an “answer” but still seems to kind of get out of it). He also denies that he was paying any hush money to Hunter (even though evidence suggests otherwise).

Seriously though, extramarital affairs in politics are becoming the DUI of Hollywood. It’s not too long ago that news about previous New Jersey governor McGreevey disclosing his gay affair was released, or we were being bombarded by the media about former New York governor Spitzer and his link to a prostitution ring. At least John Edwards didn’t have his wife stand awkwardly beside him as he told all.

As a public figure, there needs to be a little more thought that goes into one’s actions. Politicians and celebrities are considered role models, and though I know “we are all human and make mistakes,” lying about an affair to the American public (who would be voting for you, endorsing you, entrusting you with political affairs) on top of actually having one is pretty skeezy. I’m sure you are recalling Bill Clinton’s “I did not have sexual relations with that woman!” statement, and, interestingly, John Edwards condemned Bill Clinton’s behavior as irresponsible previously. Strange how the world works.

Nightline‘s Woodruff also threw this out on his show:

WOODRUFF: Do you think your political career is completely over?

EDWARDS: I’m not sure I had a political career for the future anyway. I’m not sure that politics was what I wanted to spend my life doing.

Right… but you were running for the Democratic presidential candidacy and were considered for/probably excited about possibly getting a vice-presidential nod or Cabinet position. Good thing this came out before he would have gotten to the White House.

So, what are your thoughts?

[You can read parts of the Nightline transcript here.]

The reason this is noteworthy? Because women have a tendency to blame the chick their significant other had an affair with, rather than the significant other themselves. How many of you (and I’m sorry, by the way, if you understand what I’m talking about) have felt the burn of a cheater, only to turn around and have homicidal thoughts about the person the love of your life cheated on you with? I’ll cut that bitch, you think, while tearfully trying to figure out how to convince your cheating bf or spouse back into your life.

I’m sure there’s lot of scientific evidence as to why women usually hate on the O.W (Other Woman) more than their partner, but in my opinion, it all filters down to female competitiveness and self-loathing masked by rage. Like the gossip mags (mostly read by women) that spend pages ragging on celebrity cellulite and sagging stomaches, most of us find it easier to go after a target we don’t know, rather than A) a person we do know, or B) ourselves.

So, disregarding whatever mud she slings later on, I have to applaud Brinkley for placing blame where the blame is really meant to placed — her husband (and father of her three children) — rather than on the idiot girl who had nothing to lose by having sex with him. Was the 21-year-old O.W being selfish when she began an affair with a married man? Of course. But what matters most is that she was pursued by someone twenty years her senior, who not only knew better, but had other people in his life he was responsible for.

The one thought that never used to enter the picture? Lesbians.

Apparently, Marsha Brady (known as Maureen McCormick in real life) is writing a tell-all book about her time on the sitcom, her bout with drugs and an eating disorder, as well as a lesbionic affair she had with her co-star Eve Plumb, who played her sister Jan.

“The most explosive comments will be how the then-blonde, blue-eyed cutie developed a crush on Eve Plumb, which led to some sexual play” a source reveals, saying that while Maureen isn’t a lesbian, there were definitely sexual “hijinks” going on behind the scenes of America’s beloved family comedy.

All I can say is, thank God this didn’t happen in 2007, because if it did, it would have been videotaped and uploaded to the entire world by now.

See, back in the 70’s, stars had tact. If they went part time lesbian, they did it behind closed doors.

…and saved the story for a steamy, scandalous career boost.

According to Star, Linds and her BFF DJ Samantha Ronson are in the midst of a sordid affair — complete with love confessions via blogs and comments and have been for quite awhile now.

Wow, the stars really ARE just like us!

Any of this sound famaliar?

The following were all sent by Ms. Lohan. Try not to judge.

• “Your all I have to live for, babe. I want to marry you and have children with you. I need you to live?”

• “I love you. You love me. Why don’t we f*@k and make a family?”

• “Babe, don’t leave me like this. I F*@KING LOVE YOU!”

Yikes. Nothing like letting it all hang out, huh Lindsay? The story goes that Samantha told Lindsay that she’d be with her if she just told her that she loved her. Additionaly, Sam also thinks Lindsay needs someone who can help her lay off the hard stuff, which apparently Sam can’t (won’t?) do.

Don’t worry, there’s plently of fish in the sea. Even some you haven’t already been with!

Stay strong!