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I hate to say it, but the only change in the system that anyone will see is a change for the worse...and as bad as it is, it WILL get worse. Why? Consider this. What do the following groups have in common?:

1. Smokers
2. Former Enron executives
3. Divorced fathers

All three of those groups are political lepers. If people were picked randomly for a survey and asked for their first impression of each of those three, here is what you'd get:

1. Smokers....disgusting, filthy
2. Former Enron executives...Theives, liars
3. Divorced fathers...dead-beats

No one is going to get elected or re-elected if it even looks like they will support anyone from those groups. To the best of my knowledge, no elected or appointed official who goes after any of those three has ever lost their job because of it.

As for me...my one and only will be 18 in 5 years. I'll do all I can to enjoy the time that the system so graciously allows me to have. The best I'm hoping for is that the system doesn't become too much worse until then. Took care of the vasectomy a year ago. Don't have any plans on dating for at least the next five years. There was a time where the idea of trying to have a family again (like the ex has done three times since the divorce) looked ok. But now...that would be one of the more recklass and downright stupid things that I could think of doing. I'll be damned if I'll ever put myself into another situation where my own child is considered as little more than pawn for lawyers, judges and polititans and see me as little more than an account number who is only tollerated as long as I pay up and shut up.

Good luck to you, Roger and all the others who have followed these threads. I've got plenty of reminders of just what the system and society think me in the media and daily life. I don't have the energy, drive or desire left to follow this subject any longer. I might look in on it sometime next year, but it's kind of like the movies "Titanic" and "Apollo 13." I already knew the plot and ending before the movies were released.