Q: My girlfriend and I have been going out for about two years. She happens to be more technologically capable than I am, and recently hooked herself up to a sophisticated Internet chatline. Literally the moment she gets home she logs on and happily taps away for hours to people she has never met before. What can I do?

Radu, Piatra Neamt

A: Reinvigorate your romance by becoming one of her cyberfriends! It should not be too difficult to link yourself to the same chatline, and to log on at the same time that your beloved is logged on - using a friend's computer, of course. When your cyber intimacy has reached such a point that you think you should reveal your true identity, do so. Your girlfriend will surely see the humorous side of things and spend less time chatting to her friends, and more time with you.

Q: I run a small company that has had to cut costs due to an inclement business climate. In an attempt to set a good example to staff I announced that I would cease indulging in the long business lunches to which one had become so accustomed, and determined thenceforth that the resources within the firm be used to produce the midday meal. Although cooking is not included in my assistant's job description, she has decided that the task of satisfying my appetite is hers and hers only. Her first effort was diabolical; I took one bite, then waited for an opportune moment before throwing the entire contents of the plate in the garbage. Subsequent attempts have, if anything, proved to be even less inspirational, if that is possible. I do enjoy a spot of lunch and cannot put up with this for much longer. But my assistant has been with me for many years and I do not want to hurt her feelings. Please help.

Famished, Iasi

A:Hopefully your cost-cutting will not be so drastic as to preclude hiring a chef to instruct your assistant on the basics of good cooking. If you are really serious about saving money, the long-term benefits and savings are immeasurable, for you, your assistant and your company. Lessons in your office kitchen held, say, daily will make a huge difference - a win-win situation for all concerned.

Q:My mother has fed the dogs outside our apartment block for as long as I can remember. After each meal she scrapes whatever food the family discards into a bucket, and when the bucket is full takes it downstairs for the dogs. Not surprisingly she has built up quite a fan club - to see her surrounded by twenty dogs, all of which are desperate to get a morsel of food, is no rare sight. My problem is that my mother is not getting any younger - she will be 99 next month - and I worry that one of the dogs will give her a nasty bite or knock her over in their zeal to get at the food. But she is devoted to them. What do you suggest?

Anca Dinu, Bucharest

A:Explain to her that, with so much confusion surrounding the quality of meat these days, she could actually be poisoning the dogs, not keeping them alive. Once she is aware of the dangers of feeding her animals contaminated meat she will most probably stop this embarrassing habit and your worries will be over.