By now you've probably heard about social media and how it's making celebrities out of mild mannered public servants and chirpy journalists who think in 140 character bursts . Maybe you're wondering whether a witty and intelligent person like yourself could also become an inte...
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If you've ever been quoted out of context by journalist you'll know what it's like to be a fictional character. As a therapist to troubled inhabitants of fictional works, I see what happens when authors abuse characters who are often finer human beings than themselves . The in...
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I am always happy to assist readers in distress. Recently I received this letter. Dear Dr Troppo, Despite a protective screen of refractor rays, my gulch has been invaded by a small army of talking tin cans with sink plungers for hands. The leader of these metallic looters say...
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Things have been a little dull over the holiday period. So dull, in fact, that I've been picking through my receptionist's collection of novels. First there was that book everyone's been chattering about recently -- Ian McEwan's Atonement . The second book in her pile was Jona...
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The receptionist's fingers paused over the keyboard. The heat was making it difficult to think and the din of hundreds of amorous black cicadas wasn't helping. She wanted to show Mr Farrell how completely he'd misunderstood Ian McEwan's novel , but at the same time she didn't...
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As usual my correspondents seem incapable of taking responsibility for their own emotions. Troppo reader Don Arthur asks : Dr Troppo, I’d like your advice on something I read in the newspaper this morning . According to Peter Hartcher subjects in a Dutch study found politician...
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As a fictional character, I'm fascinated by people who don't exist . There are just so many of us -- fictional people , imaginary people , hypothetical people and people who will exist but don't exist yet . But despite our non-existence, we are able to generate facts about our...
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If you've ever wanted to make a burger with 100% pure bacon or you need a recipe for caramelized bacon then I've got links for you. Welcome to the baconsphere! "Bacon is totally meat candy," says bacon enthusiast Heather Lauer. Heather blogs at Bacon Unwrapped . See Heather's...
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[photopress:Dr_Tropp___SuperId.jpg,full,pp_empty] Every Sunday evening I take time out of my busy schedule to help readers with their problems . As this is the internet, many of my most troubled readers are sock puppets and characters from fiction . This week a character from...
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[photopress:Dr_Troppo_3.jpg,full,pp_empty] Mr Joker is a character in a Bob Dylan song . He has contacted me because he is unhappy with the circumstances of his existence: "Can you please tell Bob to rewrite my life?" he pleads, "It sucks". No whimpering Mr Joker. It's time to...
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[photopress:Ask_Dr_Troppo_2.jpg,full,pp_empty] Good evening. After another hectic Sunday experimenting on my rats and persuading undergraduates to deliver painful electric shocks to each other I checked my virtual waiting room and found it full of Troppo readers with fascinati...
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[photopress:Dr_Troppo.jpg,full,pp_empty] Hello. I am Dr Troppo. It has come to my attention that many of you have problems that you haven't managed to solve by reading magazines or watching Dr Phil on TV. Well, you're in luck. I can help you deal with these problems in person,...
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