THE NEWS COVERAGE of the suicide of alleged "D.C. Madam" Deborah Jeane Palfrey has raised some disturbing questions.

Usually, care is given in the coverage of a high-profile suicide so as not to validate or sensationalize it as an option, thus lessening the "contagion" that is sometimes seen after suicides of noteworthy people. This time, however, the reporting has been downright troubling, implying almost an inevitability of Palfrey taking her own life: ("There was no way out," screamed one headline.)

Perhaps most baffling is the nonchalance that has accompanied the reports that a journalist was certain that she would kill herself and that she had threatened to, "repeatedly."

My dad is my best friend. Ever since he got married for the second time, his new wife and I have always clashed (she secretly hates me, and I know it). My father mentioned recently that he is coming soon to visit me, and I know she is going to be with him. How do I act all cool around him while trying not to lose it around her? (I feel that I have to fight for his attention now that she's around.)
— ME VERSUS HER

Anytime someone claims that "she secretly hates me," I have to wonder whether he or she got his or her pronouns mixed up. Let's be honest — you are not a fan of your father's wife. That's no sin, but you first have to step back and examine whether you're being a bit defensive. It's understandable that when your parent (especially your best friend) marries someone who sits as well with you as last week's kimchi, things can get a little painful. But don't make things worse for yourself by exaggerating her offenses, therefore amplifying your upset. In fact, since your father decided to marry her, there has to be more to this story than the fact that she's simply a hagbeast.

If you are truly as close to your father as it seems, I can't imagine a better option than trying to talk to him about your discomfort. This is not an excuse to bash who he's chosen to spend his life with, but it should be an opportunity for you to tell him that you feel like you're having a hard time connecting with her, and that indeed you don't like feeling like you have to fight for his attention. This honesty has the potential to provide much more relief than just biting your lip as you imagine spraying the vinaigrette into her eyes. If your dad can affirm your place in his heart, you can try to start fresh with his wife, even if she still is as appealing as a snakeskin sandwich.

"The strangest thing about this sport is the name. I tell my daughter I play pickleball, and she dies laughing," says Don Taylor, 63, who picked up the game at The Villages, a Florida retirement community that boasts 150 pickleball courts.

His buddy Jerry Shannon, 77, agrees: "You wouldn't know if it's tiddlywinks."

In fact, it happens to be a racquet sport developed by a few folks in Washington state in the 1960s (including Congressman Joel Pritchard), who apparently shared a fondness for a dog named Pickles. The game borrows elements from more familiar diversions: It's played on a badminton court with the net lowered to 34 inches (about tennis-net height), the paddles look like slightly oversize versions of the table tennis kind, and the ball has the hole-y style of a whiffle ball. Scoring goes up to 11, like in badminton.

"They're too embarrassed to ask for help. Or some people never think to ask," laments John Workman, the lead trainer at downtown's Results Gym (Resultsthegym.com).

Instead, they hop on machines, even ones they've never laid eyes on before, and just get going. The fact that what they're doing might be stressing a joint, overloading a muscle or may just be ineffective doesn't seem to weigh on them at all.

So, in case you still can't muster the courage to get help at your gym, here's a cheat sheet to get the most out of the equipment at your disposal.

» Lat Pull-Down: If there's one machine misuse that drives Elaina Enjetti, of the Glover Park Washington Sports Club (Mysportsclubs.com), up the wall, it's when people take the bar and pull it behind their heads instead of pulling it down to their chests. "They think they're working their backs and neck muscles, but instead, they're reinforcing the muscles that will push their heads forward," she says. It's bad for their posture and their health.

AH ... IT WAS ONLY A MATTER OF TIME. The 15-year-old squeaky-clean Miley Cyrus ("Hannah Montana," for those of you who are blissfully oblivious), has just been seen in a creep-tacular photo shoot in Vanity Fair, sheet draped around her in a nudie pose.

I guess she — or more likely her country "legend" (for what? The mullet?) father Billy Ray Cyrus, who approved the shoot and even got in on the action in another ick-inducing pose — realized that her second-grade following won't last forever, and it's time to bust into the, well, look-at-my-bust market.

First, don't deny yourself what you want. "You should really balance it with everything else," says Kathy B. Glazer, owner of Glazer Nutrition Counseling Services in Falls Church.

"If you have a healthy diet, you can have a treat 10 to 20 percent of the time" — so, one or two sweets every 10 days or so. Glazer advises those concerned about their weight to watch their portion size, as most ice cream servings are measured by the measly half-cup. Start by choosing a frozen dessert that's low in calories and fats, such as sorbet (which is basically fruit, sugar and ice), then eat only one or two scoops. Gelato and frozen yogurt can be lighter than regular ice cream, as well.

I am a bum magnet. I date sleazeballs and realize this. My latest was a total jerk and was cheating on me the entire time. In short, I know this has to do with my father, who was a similar type of person. But this insight doesn't help. I am always attracted to the bad boy, no matter how much I know it's not a good idea. How do you change you are attracted to?
— BUM-MAGNET

As anyone who's battled a Nic Cage phase knows, you can't change whom you're attracted to. At least not exactly.

Forgive me for the cliché, but I'm guessing you haven't hit rock-bottom yet. Like the alcoholic who knows why he turns to the bottle but still can't stay away, you're still perceiving the highs of your substance of choice — guys named Rocco — as outweighing the lows, even if just unconsciously. Until you hit that point where you really, truly believe that you're better off without these dudes, you're going to continue to be drawn to them like me to smoked gouda.

The good news is, this doesn't mean you have to seek out the Greatest Jilt of All and suddenly be dialing up Mario Lopez. Instead, you could go the other direction by gradually teaching yourself the benefits of good guys through practice, practice, practice. That's right — just keep trying to make the better choice, and let positive reinforcement work some magic.

And, finally, there's no one better to help you fight this fight than a therapist, who can aid you in understanding the nuances of "My Dad Was No Mike Brady" even better.

» EXPRESS: Why are so many women scared of lifting weights?
» RENO: Those muscle-women images they see in the media are aberrations from what a weight-trained body really looks like. And nine times out of 10, they used steroids. That's why women freak out around free weights. But I choose weights over cardio because I know it'll shape my body better.

» EXPRESS: Speaking of body shaping, let's start with your tricks for abs.
» RENO: Well, first, when you see a set of ripped abs on a magazine cover, that person has dieted like crazy. You can't sport a six-pack like that all year.

But you can live with abdominal definition by keeping your nutrition clean and exercising. I love reverse crunches, because they get at the lower abs. I've created the Reno crunch. That's when you're lying down with your back on the floor and your butt and legs are against a wall with your feet pointed to the ceiling. Then do little presses up to the ceiling, and lift your shoulders off the ground to incorporate a crunch.

LESS THAN TWO YEARS AGO, Brigitte Farrell could barely walk to and from her mailbox. But this weekend, the 49-year-old from Frederick will be trekking 39 miles as part of D.C.'s Avon Walk for Breast Cancer, which will send participants on a full marathon on Saturday, followed by a half-marathon on Sunday.

It's a daunting distance for almost anyone, particularly someone still bouncing back from a 2006 breast cancer diagnosis and the ravages of chemotherapy and radiation. And that, to Farrell, is the beauty of participating: "Now, I really feel like a survivor."

This weekend's walk will be a culmination of months of preparation, which she's done with the help of a friend from work and Avon's 12-week training guide. While more recent strolls have been in gorgeous conditions, over the months, they've taken to the streets in 7 F weather and pouring rain. By her calculations, Farrell has logged more than 340 miles since signing up.

"Our feet are tougher, and our bodies have more endurance," she proclaims.

That feeling of empowerment is universal among everyone who's gotten into shape for the event, explains program director Eloise Caggiano, a breast cancer survivor who just completed her first walk in Houston a few weeks ago. Participants come in all sizes, genders, races and fitness levels, and to all of them, "this is a great commitment. It shows how important the cause is," she adds.

Head to Rush Rink at Watkins Elementary School (13th and D streets SE) on Thursday evenings at 7:30 to learn the bad-asphalt sport of hard-court bike polo. Typically, two dozen adventurous guys and gals show up to whack a hockey ball through two traffic cones (spaced a bike-width apart) with a 3-foot-long mallet. The casual pick-up games last either 10 minutes or until one team scores five points. Mallets are homemade (polyethylene pipes), as are wheel covers, needed to prevent mallets from catching in spokes. Campaign election signs have proven to be the perfect material for the purpose.

Don't have a mallet? There are some to share, so just bring a bicycle and a helmet. "If you know how to ride a bike and hold something at the same time, you're set." (See here for info.)

Photo courtesy of Thom Ward