I just do not understand people

[Flybye]

Someone wrote in to one of the advice columnists in the paper I read asking what to do in this situation. The columnist's advice was to, whenever the friend starts slamming the other person, say, "she/he always speaks very highly of you." Kind of takes the wind out of their sails.

Hey, I was going to say that

My motto is - if I am not part of the problem or the solution then I am not part of the conversation - and I verbalize that when someone tries to snag me into talking about others!