lcrisler

Not sure why anyone would want this aired in an anime forum, but what they hell. Moderator says, stop, I stop. The divorce: Ask Megan what she was doing while the "American Hero" was defending his country. She blew through $30,000 of money I earned while she was living at home with her parents. I was going to get out of the Army after I got back from Iraq. We had plans to buy a house. $3,000/mo and next to no bills (Abby wasn't born until halfway though the tour, and even then, there was WIC and I still wasn't expecting her to save everything) and she could even put $250/check in savings. That would have been $6,000. I grew up poor. That would have seemed like a king's ransom. Instead, the day before I leave Iraq, I catch her in a lie and force her to admit that there's only $800 in savings. I want a divorce, but I agree to try to work it out. During the month of leave I spent with her, I discover she lied about some bills she said she had paid. So now, there's no money AND there's bills. Am I wrong for leaving her? I think not. Megan, if you deny a shred of this, I'll let them see the email you wrote. Also, Megan's not nearly as much of a victim as she pretends to be. Look on [url]http://collarme.com[/url] and search for a user named Epona. In the journal on that profile, dated three months prior to the divorce, Megan admits to sex with one of her co-workers. Yup, she was ALL broken up about me leaving. Our daughter: Megan complains that I haven't been a part of Abby's life. The Army admitedly makes this difficult, but she's not willing to make it any easier. I did ask her to agree to splitting residency while I am living in NY. However, by 2009 (before Abby goes to school) I will be living in California. That's why I asked her also to agree to letting me have Abby for the summers when I stop living in NY. I also agreed to pay child support during the times custody isn't split. Unreasonable? I have to hear this. My Wife: Megan takes my email out of context. She didn't even quote the whole bloody thing. She has a problem with Connie and doesn't want her around Abby. Why should I accept that? I certainly wouldn't have a problem with Megan involving herself with a good man (for however long she can keep him) who cares about my daughter. Since Megan has thus far proven her self to be extremely selfish in these matters, I attempted to tell her the things I would want to hear most about my daughter's prospective stepfather: that he cares, loves Abby and knows what he's doing. If it came off a bit funny-sounding, you must forgive me. I'm used to dealing with rational folks. Your Turn.

[B]Chibi Horsewoman[/B] bugged me until I told her I'd post this thread, so if it's been done before, someone please poke her with a stick...anyway, here goes: Superpowers. Everyone has wanted them at one point or another. Which ones would you pick and why? For me, it would be Multiple Man from the X-Men. He makes copies of himself when hit. How practical is that? He can even hit himself if need be, to produce the desired amount of duplicates. And, he maintains psychic contact with them and can reabsorb them at will. Sounds perfect to me. Messy house? Gang War? Don't feel like deploying to Iraq? Don't worry, the dupe'll do it! :animesmil

One of my buddies over here said the other day he saw an Iraqi dude fill up the empty tank of his SUV and two spare gas cans and pay roughly .40 for the whole purchase. Enjoy! :D

So yeah, that's pretty much all there is to the story of how Meg and I met. I did try and warn her about all the crap with the Army, but I guess I'm so perfect she couldn't bear to lose me. Anyhow, it'll be over soon. I sat down with a friend one night during an exercise prior to deployment and did a bit of math...as it turns out, from NOV '00 to JUNE '05 (when I get out) I'll have spent more time away from her than I have with her. So yeah, we have a couple shoeboxes worth of letters at least, from Basic Training, AIT, Korea and Iraq. Don't know what else to say that she hasn't already. I love her a lot and I can't wait for us to be rid of the military so we can start living like normal people again.

I'm with Twilight as far as comparing it to FLCL...confusing as all get out, but I like both of them and will definitely give them both a second view in the next month or so. First however, I need to finish the first go-around of LAIN and the Fushigi Yugi that my wife sent out to me! I got the two-disc set on Amazon (it makes my heart BLEED everytime someone mentions the high price of anime! I regularly get series that people pay $200 for for $40 or less. And it's on less discs, which takes up less space and isn't wasteful! Amazon, people! Trust me!) and I've seen the first seven episodes so far. It's a trip and a half. Why are there more electronics in her room everytime they show it, where does it all come from, and most importantly, why does her family seem not to notice? The music is great, and I love the art. Its also great to see anime thats charm isn't simply chicks in skimpy clothes and a few frames of "fanservice" every ep.

I've gone over everything involved in my decision over and over again, and it boils down to the fact that this fool needs to get kicked out to the curb where he's not screwing his family anymore. I've been with Megan for more than four years now, and this douchebag has been in trouble the whole time. Drugs, criminal acts, ripping off the money I work for and taking the car I'm paying for. His parents have always covered his butt, too...they have two cars (for him) and legal fees from his last incident on their home equity loan. Everytime he screws up there's a whole lot of fighting, because they can't agree...they're being emotional instead of logical and the time for compassion has passed. Oh yeah, and his parents found evidence that he's been dealing drugs, and my daughter lives in that house. The cops find drugs in his room, there goes my baby. Screw that. It seems that, being the farthest removed from the situation emotionally, I am the best equipped to make a decision. However, its their house, so I can't. They need to get rid of him before they lose their house or their marriage. All I know is if things go the way I want, he'll be locked up in time for Christmas. That'd make me smile even in Iraq. :)

Real quick like and all...the problem with the lawsuits and countersuits is that if, as homeowners, we have money, we can be sued by someone and have to part with said money...countersuing someone who breaks into the house? What are the chances that we'd even get enough to pay the lawyer? As far as the gun control laws go, yeah I think the locks are a good idea, but keep in mind that those registration laws only work for people who don't get their 'heaters' on the black market...

heh heh...saw that comin'...i thought this looked familiar when i saw it in the thread listings...that's like, [B]three, three damn-near incomprehensible unnecessary threads, hah hah hah[/B] in the space of a week or two...can we change the name of this thread to "things that perpetuate the 'anime fans have no life' stereotype"? ok...claws in. :D

I'm glad this post is doing so well..no spam so far...everyone gets gold stars! Anyhoo...to address some concerns and maybe provide some more background... Chibi and I are residents of New York State. We spent a bit over a year in TX due to my assignment to Ft. Hood. She's back in NY now; I will return to TX for approx. 3 months after which I will be out of the military, at which point I will return to my lovely home state and even lovlier family. I already own one weapon for hunting, a 14-gauge double-barrelled shotgun that belonged to my father and my granfather before him. That will get used on rabbit and maybe close range on a deer when I get back; by the way, I believe in only hunting for food. I've only put a few slugs through it so far, just to see what it was like. I don't remember if my wife actually shot it or not, she can refresh my memory on it. I remember she was a bit scared to shoot it, don't remember whether she actually did or not. If she doesn't want to get into it like me, that's fine. I'd at least like her to learn things like shooting from a kneeling position, proper trigger squeeze, how to load and clear and how to aim center mass to achieve a kill. This will come in handy in all sorts of situations, such as a break-in when I'm not home. Such as, gods forbid, one of our children getting hold of the damn thing (I'll have everything locked up, but I want to plan for the worst). We can learn handguns together, since I never have shot one. I plan on being a cop when I get out. I'm going to look for a job in the communications field also, because I'm trained in that line of work, and I feel I owe it to my wife to at least look into a less hazardous profession after what I've done for the last four years. But if I become a cop, there will be another gun in the house. She should at least know the basics. I know a wee bit of martial arts. I know how to get a handgun away from someone, and probably a rifle or shotgun if they're close enough. Honestly though, I'd rather kill someone breaking into my house because A) I don't believe they have a right to live and B) the dead can't sue. Flat out. To [B]DerelictDestiny [/B] in particular, I'd have to say that breaking into my home is the unnecessary act, not me putting hot lead in their dishonorable heart or inadequate brain. Fact is, idiots abound. My wife knows this; she wrote me a letter a few months ago, beside herself because a SWAT team busted a drug dealer selling out of her nice suburban neighborhood, just a couple doors down from where her and my daughter sleep at night. I would be so excitied that I'd have to change my underwear if I got a call while I was on duty saying that someone broke into my house and my wife killed them. I know I'd shoot without hesitation. I'd kill without hesitation and go right to sleep with my wife in my arms after the cops left. Just like stepping on a roach.

I'll address the points of your thoughtful reply as follows: [quote name='ScirosDarkblade]Well, there's a few ways to look at this. First off (and easiest to discuss), there's wanting a gun for [i]fun[/i'], like you want the AR-15. [/quote] I totally agree on that point, and I came to the same conclusion you did during the discussion that followed my mentioning it to my wife. I figure that as my mate and the mother of my children, she should have even more say than I in the matter of such an unnecessary playtoy. I've gone this long without a civilian assault rifle, and have suffered no ill effects. But it is cool, and I've been around the military version of it (M-16) for four years. Those were my main reasons for wanting it, and I did come to the conclusion that its not a good enough rationale. [quote name='ScirosDarkblade']The second thing is self defense...[/quote] I don't even bother with the propaganda. What the self-defense issue to me is a matter of personal preference and the effects of my childhood environment(s). While, as I said before, I've suffered no ill effects from not having an assault rifle in my home, a handgun (particularly, one carried on my person) would have come in awfully handy in several instances, more as an ounce of prevention than a pound of cure. I gained my intolerance of thugs, gangsters and all-around 'bad guys' through first hand experience and, while there's not a snowballs chance in hell of me ever raising my family in such an environment, the fact of the matter is that sometimes the 'bad guys' get bored and come to the 'nicer neighborhoods'...also first hand experience. I have no tolerance for the kind of people that think they can invade someones home with impunity; my family will never feel insecure in their own home (also, personal experience on the part of myself and my wife). [quote name='ScirosDarkblade']Considering owning a firearm as a deterrent, which is what some people do, is ridiculous...[/quote] Yeah, that's dumb. I'm not going to advertise my weapon; that's just a risk someones going to have to take, and the one pro-gun thing I would have to say is that if more people had one in their home, getting a job instead of risking their life for a TV and some CD's would seem a lot less attractive to some people. And the his and hers handguns...? That was more just because I'd enjoy practicing alongside my wife and sharing some of what I know with her. I know, when my kids get older, I'd like to teach them how to shoot, just like I'd like them to try, for at least a day each, dancing, a musical instrument, a martial art, and something involving cars...just to be well-rounded. Also, I think she'd be less afraid if she experienced first hand what my level of involvement with firearms would be. She mentioned to me that she thinks the war messing with my head is making me want guns and it seemed like a good way to show her that its not.

Religion has always been a matter of personal choice to me; I think I'm quite lucky in that regard. If I ever set foor in a church before the age of 10-11, I don't remember it. I always had the option of saying "Hey Mom, this bites!" and leaving. My mom got bored with the Catholic Church a few months before me, and got into the occult. I read some of the books she bought, and what I read made sense. Hence, minor soulsearching detours notwithstanding, I've been Wiccan for about (holy crap) going on ten years? Wow. That's a lot of time...haven't thought about it in a while. My faith gives me a framework with which I can relate to the world and a way to put ideas into perspective for those who come to me for guidance. It lets me be as tolerant and open-minded as I want to be (and so far, no one has managed to top me) and pushes me to be better at the same time. Thats about it, without writing a book.

So, yesterday my lovely assistant, Chibi_Horsewoman and I were having a lively debate during our daily online talks, due in part to my wanting to purchase an AR-15 and his and her handguns when I get out of the service and we buy a home. Yeah, I'll admit, the AR-15 is more of a playtoy, and if she really didn't want me to get it, I might listen to her. Probably would; its her house too. I wouldn't make her use a handgun, either; its her right to exercise or not. However, she takes issue with the fact that I want a handgun for home defense. She says its unnecessary; we can use mace or pepper spray. Hell, a crook can sue you if he breaks into your house and trips over the coffee table. Because of how I grew up, I have no tolerance for thugs who think they have a right to other people's stuff. Plus, I'd only keep enough rounds for one load and everything would be in a gun safe. She also brings up a basic tenet of our Wiccan faith, "Harm None", but in my opinion, some things are just worth the consequences. What's everyone else's thoughts on guns? Seems like a worthy topic, since we do have a redneck cowboy in office who has recently let the assault weapons laws die off...

Let's take this one seriously...not just "the ending of ________ sucked balls, so they need another season to wrap it up right". Really. Which anime were so good that they'd warrant another season, which characters can you just not get enough of, etc. Alternatively, which sequels just did NOT need to happen? I'll get the ball rolling. I loved Vandread because of the great characters and even though the story ended satisfactorily after two seasons, I'd love a well done movie or sequel! I'd even watch it dubbed, if they kept the same voice actors! Sequels that blew? Haven't seen one yet, although friends of mine have brought up the Nadesico movie and I saw baaaaad reviews for Steel Angel Karumi II !

Duo, all I can honestly say is do your best and learn what lessons you can from these experiences to make it easier when you face something similar. I don't know you, so I don't know how bad you have it, but the only one I've heard that could probably even come close to my childhood might be Anatema. As bad as I've had it, I still say that being a big kid is even harder. Then, you have work, bills, and people that you have to handle yourself. If you're trying hard in school but getting average grades, it doesn't mean you suck, and I'm sure that there's other things going on in your life that will prove that. Try bringing that up to your parents , maybe, and in the meantime, keep putting forth the effort that way you won't get into the habit of being lazy. That's about all I can say that would be constructive.