What Made you Smile/What Ticked you off Today?

[Ack]

I've had multiple friends go through divorce already(and a few who are in second marriages).

[Exhuminator]

(2) people who do get married are waiting until later in life to do so

I agree that this is a big factor. For example, I'm 36, and am only just now getting married for the first time later this year. (And no I'm not a social reject, I could have been married far earlier in life if I had chosen to do so.)

I think it's better for people to marry no earlier than age 25 primarily because most people don't know who they are before that age. Let alone what they really want out of life or a life partner. (Scientists consistently show that the prefrontal cortex does not finish developing until at least the late 20s at the earliest.)

Of course there are success stories of people getting married in their late teens / early twenties and staying married until death did them part. But those stories are the exception, not the rule.

I also do not believe anyone should marry someone unless they have lived with them for a while. You do not truly know someone until you live with them.

[prfsnl_gmr]

Yeah age is a factor. When I met my wife she was 18 and I was 19. We got married once she was finished with college (7 years) and we had established a stable housing situation and had our finances in relative order.

I think that this is key. I was almost certain that I was going to marry my wife after we had dated for six months (assuming she would have me... ), but we definitely had to grow up a bit and get our lives in order before we started planning a wedding.

I've had multiple friends go through divorce already(and a few who are in second marriages).

Same here. Looking back, it seems pretty obvious which couples were heading in that direction.

I also do not believe anyone should marry someone unless they have lived with them for a while. You do not truly know someone until you live with them.

My wife and I did not live together long before we were married, but since we spent almost all of our time together during our engagement, we had a pretty good idea as to what it would be like living together. We also travelled abroad extensively, navigated several personal crises, graduated from law school, and took the bar exam while were dating; so, we had a good idea how we each held up under extreme stress (knowledge which, IMO, it is just as important to have before getting married as knowledge of personal habits).

EDIT:

The last game I needed to complete my Atari 2600 "picture label" game collection - i.e., Fun with Numbers - arrived in the mail yesterday. Accordingly, I now have all of the Atari 2600 "picture label" games and their major label variants. I will have to post pictures of them sometime.

[Luke]

I would have no clue how to predict a divorce unless is was 100% obvious to everyone.

One of the seemingly happiest couples I'm friends with are what we call in NC "Ugly to each other". They're constantly yelling at each other, complaining about each other, cursing at each other, and name call like no one's business. But that is who they are.

One minute the husband is yelling "Would it hurt for you to get off your own lazy ass, walk ten feet to the fridge and grab your own Goddamned mustard?"...and minutes later he's rubbing her feet on their couch. They constantly argue, but it appears to work for them.

[prfsnl_gmr]

At the very least, they are engaged and communicating with each other.

[Exhuminator]

Smile:

Aquaria joined the GOG family of games:

http://www.gog.com/game/aquaria

Ticked:

My boss is being an unappreciative shit mongler today.

[fastbilly1]

Smile - Pool repair was not nearly what I was expecting it to be, and the system is brought back up to peak operational efficiency.

Ticked - After the pool guys left, I noticed a small tree in the front of the house leaning out a bit further than I was used to. So I am off to borrow/buy a pole saw to trim it down so I can cut it with the chain saw. I am hesitant to leave it there until the weekend since if it falls it will crack the foundation of the house.

[Luke]

At the very least, they are engaged and communicating with each other.

When we first met the couple several years ago, both my wife were super uncomfortable with their behavior and language towards one another. But their full on uppercut knockouts are just rabbit punches.

Now I've dealt with loud mouths who don't mean squat on-line, but a "Go fuck yourself" is a term of endearment with them. My wife and I now laugh as we know the only escalation that will take place is possibly a Mom joke.

On-line, I don't care. I don't. Don't care if people like me or not, don't care about their opinions 99% of the time. But if my wife told me to "fuck myself" more than likely I'd be crushed a bit. I'm lying. I totally would be crushed. Even if a friend called me an asshole, I'd be crushed.

But watching these two is like watching an R rated version of Roseanne. They constantly yell, shout, scream, and hurl insults as if they were playing an infinite game of Insult Wars. It's a hoot though. It works for them, and is entertaining as all get out since I've gotten used to it.

They're a silly couple, and a strange one at that, but they certainly love each other. That's all that matters.

[MrPopo]

I also do not believe anyone should marry someone unless they have lived with them for a while. You do not truly know someone until you live with them.

It's a start, but if you really want to know them you need to tie them up and hold them over the edge of a volcano.

Smile: Got called in for jury duty, showed up, waited half an hour past when the trial was supposed to start and the judge comes down to let us know the defendant decided to plea guilty as charged (not a plea bargain) and our duty was discharged. So I got the rest of the day to play video games.

Frown: Now I gotta go back to work tomorrow. I was looking forward to spending a few days listening to evidence and not allowing myself to be swayed by outside influences.

[prfsnl_gmr]

Frown: Now I gotta go back to work tomorrow. I was looking forward to spending a few days listening to evidence and not allowing myself to be swayed by outside influences.

That's too bad. I served on a jury last summer, and I really enjoyed it. (I got to announce the verdict and everything!)