i agree! "girl" doesn't bother me one bit. it actually makes me smile when he calls me that. but, that's just me. like you and sheepish said, what works for one, doesn't always work for another...what humiliates or embarasses me, won't necessarily cause the next person to even blink twice. humiliation is something i have explored very little of. i like to think i am open enough to explore it more, though. i can take being called all kinds of names, but the whole dumb and stupid thing just wouldn't work for me either!! not to say that verbal humiliation is the only type of humiliation out there! ~wink~