Asking about a person's accent is not that much better, you're essentially asking "why do you talk like that?". For all you know they've been in the country for years and are insecure about the way they speak. People don't choose to have an accent so I can definitely see why it would make someone uncomfortable. Hell,…

At the risk of being That Person, I think accents are one of those issues where it's good to ask yourself the "Why do you need to know?" question. In addition to people feeling discomfort about speaking a second language, there are also class issues mixed up with a lot of regional accents and people who try to…

Having worked for the Obama campaign and being disappointed with several aspects of his administration, I gotta say hearing him speak up on this issue made me really proud of him. White people (and I say this in the least offensive way possible) can never really know how utterly demoralizing racial profiling can be,…

[Story about my own hair.]

This is common.

The most reprehensible thing about all this is she has clearly built a blog off of plagiarizing 1950s' Good Housekeepings.

As an asian american woman myself, I hate the entitled attitude caucasian men have toward our bodies. It does not mean I dislike caucasian men in a racist manner, but in their attitudes in the court of race dynamics. They think that we will be docile subservient slaves to their desires. Accessory wives that are not as…

Once again: Jim Cooke, so fantastic.

It takes time. It took me till about my mid-30s to fully understand how deeply fucked my family is and to really detach. I'm still not FULLY detached, because even dysfunctional family ties are strong. But it gets better. Hang in there.

I'm sure he does, but he is not expressing it in a healthy manner. Also, if the counselors told him anything, that violates hipaa law, and you should seriously consider filing a complaint. I definitely relate to the finding friends who have and are going through the same things, I just got back from a "coffee…

I'm sorry to hear about your current situation. Break-ups can be hard, and compounding that stress with overbearing parents just makes things worse.

Safety Not Guaranteed is a gem of a movie. Also the Swedish version of the Millennium Trilogy (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, etc.) is excellent. They have the extended version on Netflix streaming that's about 6 hours long (I think it's 2 hours for each of the books in 6 parts) but totally worth your time!

I'm sorry you're having such a rough time. That sucks.

I'm sorry about your ex, losing a support when dealing with power crazy parents is so hard. Do your friends know what it is like in your home? Do their parents? If you have given it a rosy tint for them over the years they may not understand that you need a place outside your house. I am willing to bet that one of…

Google "narcissistic families" because yours sounds like one. Mine is. My advice is to hunker down, weather the storm and the first chance you can get away forever, DO IT. Then don't look back. Emotionally detach as much as possible. Go through the motions with family holidays or whatever but create an emotional…

I want to chime in because my parents were also abusive, like yours. It doesn't matter, IMO, that mental illness might be making the abuse happen, because the abuse is happening and you are a victim of it.

When ever I'm approached by the religious set (mostly really polite missionaries or college kids taking surveys on behalf of their church), I just respond politely, say that I respect all religions, but I'm either a) hardcore Catholic (I'm not, it just helps when someone is trying to convert me), or b) that I respect…

I am spending my afternoon updating my resume and composing a cover letter for a promotion that I wouldn't have to move for.