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Rage Against the Machine
I really need to break up with my girlfriend. She's hot but kinda nuts, and to be honest, I'm embarrassed by her tantrums and a little scared of her. I'm 18, she's 20, and it just seems like everything sets her off. She goes off on these rants, and …Read more.
From the Iraq Invasion to the Privacy Invasion
My wife was in the Army and served valiantly. Now that she's a veteran, she's getting counseling to work through some of the issues war causes. While I support this, it bothers me that she won't tell me about the sessions. I don't expect her to …Read more.
Sex with an Ex
My boyfriend and I broke up a week after Valentine's Day. We were together for almost six years.
I know I'm supposed to wait before getting involved with someone else, but does that include sex? Before getting together with my boyfriend, I left a …Read more.
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Intoxicating LoveMy boyfriend is one of the most amazing men I've ever met. He's super-smart, handsome and can hold a stimulating conversation. But there's one thing that really gets under my skin. He tends to downplay me and my abilities in public. Last weekend, he told his family, "She's not all that." He says he's joking, but it hurts my feelings. I'm a strong woman who can stand up for herself, but I also want my future husband (?) to be proud of me and want to tell everyone how awesome I am. What say you? — Not Amused Soul poison, NA. That's what you're sipping. A bitter and corrosive cocktail whose foul taste is made worse by the fact that your Mr. Amazing is the bartender. Yes, it's a problem that he downplays you and your abilities. And please do check your own ego and actions. But even if your ego can beat up LeBron James' ego, your guy is still out of line with his ongoing attempts at belittlement. At best, it's bad form. At worst, it's passive-aggressive and powerfully undermining. Sometimes problems like this are resolved by learning to step up and effectively communicate hurt feelings. You say you've done that, though. You told him it hurts you when he downplays your abilities publicly. He then glossed over your feelings with an excuse Freud would take to task and continues trumpeting his lame jokes at your expense. And to be clear, the public part only serves to give context to the behavior. Belittlement doesn't feel any better in the privacy of one's home. Think about this carefully, NA.
I'm no shrink, but I'll bet my dog's favorite squeaky that your stimulating conversationalist has some insecurities as to how he measures up. With that, I suggest you take a good look at his qualities beyond looks and smarts before becoming Mrs. Amazing. Consider how you'll feel after 10 or 20 years of these comments when you're already feeling the acrid burn. Love should be more like a multivitamin and nothing like anthrax.
Totally Unsolicited As a general rule, trial lawyers are trained to never ask a question of a witness to which they don't already know the answer. Along those lines, here's a shout out to everyone who considers themselves a someone: Never demand of a stranger: "Do you know who I am?" In the aftermath, it's embarrassing that you said it at all. But it's painfully so when the answer is no, which is what happened when Reese Witherspoon recently posed the question to a Georgia state trooper who was arresting her husband on suspicion of DUI. Keeping within the legal lexicon, with that single excited utterance, Witherspoon joined a divas club that includes Tara Reid and Dina Lohan. Now let me ask you something, and hands off the Google. Do you know who they are? Follow Jessica on Twitter @sicaleigh, and ask her just about anything at askquestionable@gmail.com. To find out more about Jessica Leigh and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers, visit creators.com. COPYRIGHT 2013 CREATORS.COM 
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