Please send your questions for publication to prudence@slate.com.

Dear Prudie,

Why do advice columnists speak of themselves in the third person? There is an air of Bob Dole-ism about the whole thing. Should I, in polite company, be referring to myself the same way?

--Please sign me,

All Doled Out in Ohio

Dear All,

There is no protocol mandating the third person for advice columnists. Prudie does so because it feels comfortable, and she has tired of the "I" word. Prudie agrees with you, though, about the Bob Dole thing ... so if you run for office, by all means use the first-person pronoun so that people won't make fun of you. As for polite company (the only kind to be in) follow the above suggestion, and speak as though you were running for office.

--Prudie, third-personally

Dear Prudence,

My wife and I recently renovated a fabulous condo loft in a historic downtown area. The unit immediately below us has been rented out as a live/work space to a couple with a video business. Here's the thing: They are both heavy smokers and have managed in three months to smell up the rest of the building. Recently the ashtray smell has begun to permeate our apartment--I presume through the wooden floors.