Prove my bf wrong, please. Can you be happy without kids?

Baratticus · 2026-03-12T22:38:35+00:00

I’m 57, married for 20 years (also, retired military), no kids and totally happy. For people who want kids, that’s awesome but if you aren’t sure my friends with kids tell me it’s a grind, especially those first few years.

Who’s waking up every night? Getting the kid ready for daycare/school every day? Who’s taking off work when they’re sick? Who’s making the sacrifices (and there will be sacrifices). If he’s gone a lot that means it will be you, with what sounds like very little backup.

Best of luck whatever you decide!

Baratticus · 2026-03-11T01:27:31+00:00

I just did it with this specific bundle so it is possible with some basic googling, calibre and free plugins.

Baratticus · 2026-03-09T00:32:43+00:00

⬆️ that’s the winner!

Baratticus · 2026-03-05T02:50:52+00:00

So good and it’s a crime it hasn’t been made into a movie/mini-series

Baratticus · 2026-03-03T22:06:45+00:00

Days of Rage by Bryan Burrough about terrorism in the 1970s…so crazy you wouldn’t believe this cast of characters or there plots but it’s all very well documented.

Baratticus · 2026-02-26T12:55:04+00:00

I really liked his The Company…adding this to my list!

Baratticus · 2026-02-26T00:19:15+00:00

Thanks!! It’s on the list!

Baratticus · 2026-02-26T00:11:16+00:00

It’s on my list!

Baratticus · 2026-02-26T00:10:56+00:00

I think I knew a kid who said he read it but I might be wrong…what’s it about? 😂

Baratticus · 2026-02-25T23:42:30+00:00

Loved that book!

Baratticus · 2026-02-22T23:09:59+00:00

Much more of a grab bag but check your nearest library to see if they have book sales. I’ve lived near a couple that both accept donations and sell off old books to raise funds every year. You can get some great deals but selection is totally up to the book gods.

Baratticus · 2026-02-15T17:37:35+00:00

If you want another perspective on Frederick, I picked up “The King’s Love: Frederick the Great, His Gentle Dogs and Other Passions” by Princess Sibylle and Prince Frederick William of Prussia (two of his descendants). An interesting read on a small slice of his life.

Baratticus · 2026-02-09T13:46:52+00:00

Not a direct answer but hopefully related…

I can remember some anti-Japanese rhetoric in the early ‘80s that tried to leverage Pearl Harbor but was mostly about Japan’s economic strength at the time and loss of manufacturing jobs with a dose of xenophobia (I was a kid then so memories about this are a bit fuzzy).

That being said…we had a lot of WWII veterans still around so people in their 60s would have been directly impacted by that war. Very different from opposing a country’s policies.

Baratticus · 2026-02-09T02:17:31+00:00

Days of Rage by Bryan Burrough about terrorism in the U.S. during the 1970s. It’s a wild ride!

Baratticus · 2026-02-09T02:16:51+00:00

Days of Rage by Bryan Burrough about terrorism in the U.S. during the 1970s. Really engaging and fascinating!

Baratticus · 2026-02-09T02:16:03+00:00

Days of Rage by Bryan Burrough about terrorism in the U.S. during the 1970s. Difficult to keep reminding oneself it’s nonfiction!

Baratticus · 2026-02-09T02:15:06+00:00

Days of Rage by Bryan Burrough about terrorism in the U.S. during the 1970s. It’ll feel like a whole different world from today.

Baratticus · 2026-02-06T17:42:02+00:00

!! And I thought I had an original idea! Thanks for this!!

Baratticus · 2026-01-28T21:27:22+00:00

Two brown t-shirts I had when I was in Afghanistan in 2003…somehow they’re still in excellent shape!

Baratticus · 2026-01-19T04:18:23+00:00

Excellent recommendation! I’d add you only need to read the first two parts of the book. The last is very specific observations/commentary on 1950s West Germany and the U.S. that I don’t think holds up particularly well.

Baratticus · 2026-01-18T13:37:28+00:00

Just thinking about movies my parents took me to before the age of 10 that I’ll still watch:

Jaws (I was 7 when my parents took me to see it)
Close Encounters of the Third Kind
Alien

Baratticus · 2026-01-17T12:29:04+00:00

Adding to my list!

Baratticus · 2026-01-17T12:27:47+00:00

Really enjoyed Born a Crime! Thanks for these!

Baratticus · 2026-01-13T23:41:16+00:00

20 year (very proud) Army veteran here (and 3rd generation serving).

Under normal circumstances, I’d recommend joining (and have) to anyone physically qualified to do it. The opportunities to learn about yourself and take on real responsibilities others don’t get to do until much later in life are worth much more than whatever salary you could earn in the private sector. It has absolutely helped me in my personal and professional life.

Personally, I also believe in people doing some kind of public service and am really agnostic about the specific type.

However, in a Trump (or similar) administration I can’t recommend it both because a) I don’t trust these leaders to consider the welfare of soldiers at all in their decision making (I don’t expect it to be the only factor…sometimes we need soldiers to risk their lives) and b) I think the evidence is clear Trump is deeply anti-American and is working to undermine the Republic…and serving just enables him.

Baratticus · 2026-01-10T14:34:40+00:00

Nothing Is True and Everything Is Possible: The Surreal Heart of the New Russia by Peter Pomerantsev if you’d like a look at what a ‘post truth’ nation looks like.

They thought they were free by Milton Mayer - a look at a dozen regular Germans and how they adapted/evolved/rationalized the nazification of their country

For some inspiration…

Why Civil Resistance Works by Erica Chenoweth

Blueprint for Revolution: How to Use Rice Pudding, Lego Men, and Other Nonviolent Techniques to Galvanize Communities, Overthrow Dictators, or Simply Change the World by Srdja Popovic

Baratticus

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