What's on your mind?

[RelentlessOblivion]

Quit complaining about the weather...that's my job Have a good time mate and please for the love of metal don't start raving about some takeout nachos which were awesome because Doritos...

[FatherAlabaster]

I should hope he at least puts down the Doritos for long enough to eat a couple of decent meals with his family.

[RelentlessOblivion]

Maybe they'll join him in a family sized bag? Think I may have to teach him how to cook the week I'll be in D.C next year.

[MacabreEternal]

My mom is in the hospital with gallstones. Apparently she will have surgery tomorrow to have it taken out. Times like these I do not like living far from home.

Hope mom is okay Mindy. Sent from my HTC One_M8 using Tapatalk

[MacabreEternal]

Thanks dude. Didn't want to post this yesterday because we just confirmed with an ultrasound today, but we have another on the way! Sent from my HTC One_M8 using Tapatalk

Congratulations BAN. Sent from my HTC One_M8 using Tapatalk

[jfk36]

Congratulations BAN. I'm certain your mother will be fine Mindy.

[RelentlessOblivion]

Holy crap there are soooooo many affordable rental places. I was not expecting that. Between the two of us I reckon this is going to be very easy to budget for which is retarded considering how long I stayed at home thinking I'd never be able to afford my own place while studying.

[FatherAlabaster]

There ya go. I moved out of my parents' place when I was seventeen and haven't ever been displeased with my decision.

[RelentlessOblivion]

I think it was more having someone in my ear saying how I'd never be able to survive on my own, don't have the skills to live independantly, blah, blah, blah, and for too long I've let that stop me. Whether I end up renting with my girl or not I will be in my own place by the end of the year.

[shikawkee]

Alright BAN! Congrats! Hang in there Mindy. Think positive thoughts. I know that sounds trite but...

[GratuitousTK]

I moved out of Mom and dads when I was 21. I was at the front end of the millennial generation, where there was a good amount shaming involved if you didn't have a good paying job, and could support yourself when you were that age. I'm glad my generation is ignoring that. Well its not like we have a choice. Employment opportunities are nowhere the level they were when my parents were that age, and getting married, having kids, and getting a mortgage before you are 25 is now seen as kind of a dumb thing to do.

[RelentlessOblivion]

Yeah that's why I want to rent. If it doesn't work out it's less crippling financially. Plus the market if you're looking to buy is tiny. Most of the houses are snapped up by foreign investors looking to make money off a rent and sell plan. The properties that are available for Aussies either need a crapload of renovating or are so highly priced a first home owner has no hope of convincing the bank to make that loan or pay it off if they do.

[GratuitousTK]

I'm guessing little of that foreign investment money is making its way into the Australian economy either. Which makes the thing so much worse I'd imagine.

[RelentlessOblivion]

Spot on. The last government did introduce a bill which would mean foreign investors have to live in the property for a period no shorter then six months before selling but it was shot down. Most of the investment is from China now (about 70%, with the rest coming from America, Canada, and Europe. What it means is that you have 40% of the possible housing market available to Australians, of that 40% half are renovators which a first home owner isn't going to be interested in and the other half are very overpriced. Basically it forces you to either buy a crappy apartment for more then its worth or rent for most of your life.

[GratuitousTK]

Globalisation is awesome though right? The future is totaly going to be a Star Trek like utopia when every bit of land in the world is owned by a very few people, and there is no more work because of automation and offshoring of job!!!!! Right? Right?

[Iceni]

I got to go shooting today and for once it was a lot of fun because I got to shoot something other than the crappy-ass bolt-action that my friend owns. We went through: .380 Ruger LCP (an absolute assful of a weapon, I could not in the least control it and jammed it twice because apparently my wrists are really weak) .22 Magnum bolt-action (with which I got a 3-inch group at 100 yards over open sights) .17 Hornet bolt-action, scoped (hit a tennis ball at 200 and I think 300 yards; my dad managed a 1-inch group of eight shots at 200 yards) Saiga 7.62x39mm semi-auto carbine (had some fun shooting up smaller targets at about 100 yards once I got a little more used to it) .450 Bushmaster (blasted apart a 2-liter bottle at 200 yards...and my brother go the shot of the day by shooting a tennis ball dead center at 300 yards with the thing) Way more fun I've ever had shooting - I look forward to doing it again.

[RelentlessOblivion]

Always wanted to fire a gun...for obvious reasons no shooting range in the world is gonna let a vision impaired person anywhere near loaded weapons though.

[GratuitousTK]

Always wanted to fire a gun...for obvious reasons no shooting range in the world is gonna let a vision impaired person anywhere near loaded weapons though.

Move to Texas.

[mindy6158]

I moved out of Mom and dads when I was 21. I was at the front end of the millennial generation, where there was a good amount shaming involved if you didn't have a good paying job, and could support yourself when you were that age. I'm glad my generation is ignoring that. Well its not like we have a choice. Employment opportunities are nowhere the level they were when my parents were that age, and getting married, having kids, and getting a mortgage before you are 25 is now seen as kind of a dumb thing to do.

I myself never even want children, nor do I know if I ever even want to get married. I do not believe I need to prove my love by having someones last name, although I would not have really an issue with it per say. I get a lot of shit from people when I tell them I want no children ever. haha

[GratuitousTK]

I myself never even want children' date=' nor do I know if I ever even want to get married. I do not believe I need to prove my love by having someones last name, although I would not have really an issue with it per say. I get a lot of shit from people when I tell them I want no children ever. haha[/quote'] I knew a lot of people from my hometown who thought I was gay since I turned 30 and wasn't married with a child. Most of these people had gotten married either straight out of high school, had two or three childred before they reached there mid- twenties and where under mid five digit debt loads. And I have never felt that I was wrong for not doing the same.

[mindy6158]

I knew a lot of people from my hometown who thought I was gay since I turned 30 and wasn't married with a child. Most of these people had gotten married either straight out of high school, had two or three childred before they reached there mid- twenties and where under mid five digit debt loads. And I have never felt that I was wrong for not doing the same.

Yeah I have no issues with individuals who choose to have children in their 20's or get married in their 20's, but I do have a problem however, with the ones in their 30's who have been married with children since age 23 and have become bitter for never having precious time with their husbands/wives because of not having a life in their 20's/ having a child one month after getting married and talk down on me and tell me I think I am better than them simply because I want money and freedom..............and sleep.

[Iceni]

^Sorry, this kinda inspired a rant. I keep seeing a lot of my youth group and homeschool acquaintances getting married at 20, 21...one girl at 17...It's amusing because these are the same people who will profess shock that apparently the divorce rates among Evangelical Christians are exactly the same as among the rest of the population. I suspect they'll learn to like their marriages because they'd probably feel like empty failures if they divorced. So they'll either be in deep denial or (if they did choose to divorce) absolutely despondent because they failed and don't feel like trying to redeem themselves because that might involve admitting that they did something wrong. Remember, for as much as these folks talk about repentance they don't really repent of anything. It's more like a tabula rasa. They don't do anything different because they've never been taught to take responsibility for the state of their souls. Instead of viewing their lives as filled with opportunities granted by the grace of God they tend to assume the grace of God is something that is waiting to be granted. They place all the responsibility on God because they assume that he'll just do everything for them - and they've convinced themselves that this somehow constitutes humility instead of willfully indolent obliviousness. Or maybe their lives could be great. Maybe they do have difficulties but weather them because they do genuinely love each other. That'd be lovely. Maybe I'm just being extremely sour about the whole thing because of my bad luck and lack of initiative in trying to meet people - especially given that these folks have no trouble finding kindred spirits whereas I've been blessed to find two or maybe three outside of my own family. However, I have a suspicion that they're lying to themselves and to others. (By the way, yes. I am enjoying my vacation a lot. It's just that we met another one of these guys who got married at 21 the other day and it weirded me out the way it always does)

[mindy6158]

^Sorry, this kinda inspired a rant. I keep seeing a lot of my youth group and homeschool acquaintances getting married at 20, 21...one girl at 17...It's amusing because these are the same people who will profess shock that apparently the divorce rates among Evangelical Christians are exactly the same as among the rest of the population. I suspect they'll learn to like their marriages because they'd probably feel like empty failures if they divorced. So they'll either be in deep denial or (if they did choose to divorce) absolutely despondent because they failed and don't feel like trying to redeem themselves because that might involve admitting that they did something wrong. Remember, for as much as these folks talk about repentance they don't really repent of anything. It's more like a tabula rasa. They don't do anything different because they've never been taught to take responsibility for the state of their souls. Instead of viewing their lives as filled with opportunities granted by the grace of God they tend to assume the grace of God is something that is waiting to be granted. They place all the responsibility on God because they assume that he'll just do everything for them - and they've convinced themselves that this somehow constitutes humility instead of willfully indolent obliviousness. Or maybe their lives could be great. Maybe they do have difficulties but weather them because they do genuinely love each other. That'd be lovely. Maybe I'm just being extremely sour about the whole thing because of my bad luck and lack of initiative in trying to meet people - especially given that these folks have no trouble finding kindred spirits whereas I've been blessed to find two or maybe three outside of my own family. However, I have a suspicion that they're lying to themselves and to others. (By the way, yes. I am enjoying my vacation a lot. It's just that we met another one of these guys who got married at 21 the other day and it weirded me out the way it always does)

haha, yes, this is precisely what I TRIED saying, but you are obviously better at writing than I am. =P Yes I think that people tend to "rush" into marrying and kids because of pressure to do so by society. Society is somewhat more lenient on men though, god forbid a WOMAN does not want to bare a child before the age of thirty, and a woman that NEVER wants to bare children?!!! UNHEARD OF!! As for the taking responsibility thing, I 100% agree with this, not just with marriage and divorce, but everything in life. I am not sure about other countries, but we have completely turned into overly sensitive whiny bitches, and honestly I blame more than just parents for this. This over sensitivity leads to this constant blaming of others, because overly sensitive people do not want to have any guilt over something that was most likely their faults, so instead of doing the correct thing and fess up and apologize, it is easier to just blame others.

[RelentlessOblivion]

I'm weighing in on this discussion just to say I don't ever plan on getting married. So far as I'm concerned a ring and a legally binding document that will more likely then not be used to take half my shit don't equal love. If people choose to get married that's great, yay for them, but it's not for me. I also think having a child when you're younger can be good, you're able to keep up a little easier so that's an obvious benefit, but if you aren't ready for that kind of responsibility the child will suffer for it. I do one day want to be a dad, I've seen too many adorable kids to let the trauma of having three younger brothers spoil the idea, but not until I've got a bit more life experience and feel prepared (or as prepared as you can be) for the experience.

[Iceni]

haha' date=' yes, this is precisely what I TRIED saying, but you are obviously better at writing than I am. =P Yes I think that people tend to "rush" into marrying and kids because of pressure to do so by society. Society is somewhat more lenient on men though, god forbid a WOMAN does not want to bare a child before the age of thirty, and a woman that NEVER wants to bare children?!!! UNHEARD OF!! As for the taking responsibility thing, I 100% agree with this, not just with marriage and divorce, but everything in life. I am not sure about other countries, but we have completely turned into overly sensitive whiny bitches, and honestly I blame more than just parents for this. This over sensitivity leads to this constant blaming of others, because overly sensitive people do not want to have any guilt over something that was most likely their faults, so instead of doing the correct thing and fess up and apologize, it is easier to just blame others.[/quote'] I guess. Obviously keep in mind I'm talking about a distinctly limited group of people who have annoyed me for a very long time, and not just about Americans in general. I don't think I'm good at gauging the culture of this nation as a whole because I live on a wussy-ass preppy campus seeping with the most masochistically conscientious, anti-establishment Catholicism.