Agreed. This author seems like she's been consistently down, and not particularly angry or narcissistic. She wants help and is willing to accept help, and has a very balanced/forgiving view of her mother and not a particularly outraged view on the people that have been shitty to her (ie, she's not "splitting" people…

Totally. I think humans want to believe in something. Astrology seems to be one of the biggest proponents of the "soulmate," destiny fore-ordained and made-in-the-stars business. (And I like astrology, as a kind of Rorschoch test for what your hopes and fears are about your upcoming week or month).

I just wrote this above, but I wanted to point out that the belief in soulmates seems like a particulary secular superstition. . .I'm Catholic and at no point during my required "engaged encounters" retreat with my fiance did they feed us lines about God making us for each other or us being destined for each other.…

Its funny that even the "Engaged Encounters" retreat that they require us Catholics to go on before marriage is pretty solidly focused on the "working" and "building" aspects of the marriage and quite light on the "God made you for each other" part. Come to think of it, no one ever mentioned that God had destined us…

Hahaha, 32 weeks here and I am also tearing up. I can't wait for the adorable things to fall out of the mouths of babes.

This is the first time I've initiated a Michael Jackson-related debate. But feel free to participate in the armchair freudian fiesta!

Good point. I haven't thought about the difference, but I do think child abuse can take many forms.

PS I love your username. We may never be able to hash out what went on with Michael Jackson. Perhaps our next debate can be about who's the Mary and who's the Rhoda.

OK, that interview with Robson definitely made me re-think things. I certainly don't want to deny any victim's testimony (out of court, or in it after the fact) that they were abused. As you said, though, there are many ways to be a sick-fuck around children that do not include actual sexual acts or pedophilia. For…

I know that he and his child-guests slept in the same bed and he might have given them alcohol to drink, but I don't remember any allegations that he performed sexual acts with them. (For instance, I totally believe Dylan Farrow's testimony against Woody Allen, I'm just unfamiliar about what was alleged against MJ…

I'd like to take this opportunity to offer my couch-psychiatry diagnosis that Michael Jackson wasn't a pedophile. He was just a fucking weirdo obsessed with re-creating a happy childhood that he never had. Maybe his relationships with children were not healthy (in that he didn't understand his proper role as an…

This is a little bit how I feel about G.W. Bush as a family man versus politician. When everyone talks about politicians philandering, I'm like, I bet W was faithful to Laura, and a pretty good dad. He doesn't seem like the cheating kind!

I prefer to think of Scott as saved rather than doomed.

His birthname is Karim Kharbouch. The "K" first name and last name konspiracy kontinues.

Then consider yourself very lucky! But we were talking about the population in general. While marriage might be a "stupid" move for you, it confers lots of benefits and privileges for people who are taking out loans or worried about debt (the majority of Americans)

I am going to second the advice to wait, and treat marriage with a lot of seriousness. Your boyfriend *does* sound terrific, and it is wonderful to find someone who lifts you up and makes you feel great and supportive. Keep him around as long as you can! But I just want to echo that you and your boyfriend will change…

Historically the government also has a vested interest in increasing its population by natural increase (assuming encouraging marriage = more children, which is why you also get a kid tax break). More citizens, especially young citizens, creates a contributing tax base for infrastructure, social security, general…

I just saved 600 dollars/year on University library borrowing privileges because I flashed a marriage certificate and automatically got an ID. Either a marriage certificate or certificate of domestic partnership was required. Contracts = privileges.

Just affirming that you are correct in saying that it is physically dangerous, but not an illness- FYI, if you're looking for the right terminology, pregnancy is classified as a "medical condition" by physicians. Meaning, there are a slate of illnesses (gestational diabetes, preeclampsia/high blood pressure, GERD,…

Like most "trend pieces" on "millennials" . . . I'm left thinking . . .WHO are they talking about? I've been attending lots of weddings lately for the 25-30 demographic and have never heard of such a thing. Are these just single people spit-balling or are these actual engaged couples? Sounds an awful lot like Carrie…