jessica. some tactics in dealing with this. tactic 1: --------- dawn: 'ohmigod! you won't believe the wild sex romp i had over the weekend'. jessica: 'oh really? myself and brian and bob and julie had so much fun too! we bought new handcuffs, and pvc bodices. it was great'. dawn: 'yeah well, that's nothing compared to what *i* got up to blah blah blah blah' [dawn goes off on an explicit, embarrassing and completely fictional tangent] jessica starts laughing hysterically and looking at dawn like she's from another planet. dawn looks confused. jessica says: 'oh! i was only joking! weren't you? duh!'. dawn is speechless. tactic 2: --------- dawn: 'ohmigod!!!! i soooooo failed that test! i messed up so badly! i am completely screwed! my life is over! i really really really failed!!!!!!!!' jessica: [disdainfully] 'yeah, well *you* would, wouldn't you?' tactic 3: --------- dawn who? you've never known anyone called dawn? who on earth are you talking about? DAWN? no such person... ignore ignore ignore. complete waste of time and energy. hope it helps. :helena [and before you all start pointing it out, yes i am a vengeful bitch. it comes with the territory.] ObSalinger: direct me to more of this french stuff, aficionados! i have given up on remaining an amateur reader. i thirst for analysis, dissection, and lit crit. no seriously, where would you recommend i start my first foray into salinger criticism? scuse the ignorance, but who is this warren french bloke anyway? sorry.