Karma Cleanser - August 28 2002

Dear Karma Cleanser:
I’m scandalized by the behavior of my friend. She’s been dating a European man for a few months now, and the experience has had a profound effect upon her. Her friends (myself included) think that the new boyfriend is manipulative and underhanded, but she cannot seem to see that. She seems blind to his faults, and has taken to acting just like the new guy.

We have mentioned our fears to her only in passing, because we don’t want to lose her friendship. But now the guy has asked her to marry him. We suspect that it’s just a ploy for him to avoid the immigration people.

I don’t want to create bad karma for myself by intervening in the personal affairs of my friend, or risk losing the friendship. But I’m having a hard time keeping my concerns to myself. -- Don’t trust foreigners

Ann Landers (God rest her soul) or another such advice guru would probably urge you to share your fears with your friend. But not the Karma Cleanser. We say, let your friend learn her hard lessons for herself. So, Fabio turns out to be a world-class scumbag. That’s her own tough titty, right?

On the other hand, we can’t help but ask: If you were in a similar situation, smitten with a dashing Croatian Casanova but blind to his obvious faults, would you want your friends to intervene? And if they did, would you listen?

br>?Dear Karma Cleanser:
This is a fast and hopefully easy question for you. Does sending out spam e-mail generate bad karma?
-- E-Business Novice


Spam by its very nature is unsolicited and often

unappreciated, its contents ranging from mildly annoying to downright disgusting. So yes, we hereby deem spam as a magnet for bad karma. Spammers beware: The universe will punish you accordingly.

br>?Dear Karma Cleanser:
We do not agree with your response to “Witch Project” (Aug. 7), the girl who bought a love potion and a revenge potion to use on her ex and his new girlfriend. Sure, the revenge potion does make the writer sound a little off balance, but we see nothing wrong with believing that a love potion can restore her lost romance with the guy, even if he is an obvious jerk-wad. -- Diabolical Duo

Duly noted, Duo, though we stand by our original response. Self-delusion may not be a capital offense, but it surely won’t help Witch Project move past her debilitating affinity for deadbeats.

Been bad? Confess to the crime you only wish you’d ?committed. karma@creativeloafing.com.